"Taejoo…" The worried first imperial princess Shinrae faltered, as she lost her balance.
Taejoo rushed towards her to give her support, "Careful." He sighed as a relief.
"Taejoo… Ye Beom. That Ye Beom, it can't be her, right?" The princess asked.
"I know, I know. You must be confused too just like I am. But you shouldn't act rashly like this. Let's talk after this. I'll head to your residential palace, alone." Taejoo explained.
"If we talked any longer than this, the empress's men might notice us." He added.
"The empress's men? They have been keeping an eye on us?!" The princess Shinrae asked in bewilderment. Her eyes widening.
"No, I do not think she did. However, since she had pulled a trick like this, she must be keeping her guards up high. Which will just make sense if there is any lingering shadows of the empress around the palace." Consort Taejoo explained as he looked around cautiously.
"You should head back now princess." He added.
"And what about you?" Princess Shinrae asked. Worries flashed through her eyes.
"I'll go back right after you reach your seat. Us, returning to our seats together might catch the attention of everyone, not only the empress's." Taejoo paused, as he closed the gaped between him and the princess. He leans in.
"Keep in mind that the rest still thinks that there is no reason for the first imperial princess, and the second imperial princess's consort to be in good terms, right after the poisoning incident."
Princess Shinrae's busy eyes remained on the ground. She gulped, "I understand. But I am only doing this for Ye Beom. Do not ever think so highly of yourself just because I am following your words." She ended as looked up at Taejoo. Her eyes filled with fierceness.
Taejoo simply gave off an unamused smile, "You do not have to tell me that, princess. As I said, it just so happened that the two of us have the same objective, which is why I am lending you a hand."
"Bold of you to think that I am on the receiving end." Contested the princess as she turned her back. "However, I do appreciate your help, which is why I will let this pass."
Taejoo only watched the first imperial princess as she walked away.
'It really makes me think, in what way those people see the two of them so alike.' He thought, shaking his head as he compared the second imperial princess, Ye Beom, and the first imperial princess, Shinrae's personalities.
"Haaah… I should go back to my seat now too." He mumbled to himself as he took a glance downstairs the throne hall building.
"Another lousy mouse on the move is caught on trap once again, I see." He chuckled as he saw a glimpse of a shadow that hides itself. "Sticking to the wall to hide? Just where did she get those?"
As he neared his seat, the eunuch rushed to him, "Y-y-your graaaaace!" He shouted, drawing the attention of the other government officials near them.
Taejoo squeezed his eyes shut, then let out a deep sigh, "Keep your voice down. Did I not tell you that already, eunuch Byun Yeul?"
"Ah, yes, yes, yes, your g-grace… ah this servant meant, your highness." Byun Yeul stuttered.
"Who came?" He asked immediately as soon as he understood the eunuch's uneasiness.
"Pardon your highness?"
"Did you not hear?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Ah… this servant is at fault, your highness… I-it-t-t-t… it was the—" Before he even finished his sentence, the eunuch was cut off.
"Was it the prime minister Lee Jigum?" He made a blunt guess.
The eunuch shook his head, "It was not, your highness, but the emperor's herald."
"And what did it say?" His expression completely changed, as soon as the crown prince's name was mentioned. His expression turned more seriously than before, eyebrows snapping together.
"The herald left me this note, your highness." Eunuch Byun Yeul said as he handed the letter that the herald left him.
Taejoo looked around him, "Keep it with you for now. You shall wait me at my study room after this event." He said before sitting.
"This servant understands, your highness." Eunuch Byun Yeul bowed politely.
"Your Majesty!!" Someone among the government officials shouted. "I beg you, your majesty! Please reconsider! The second imperial princess must have been the true culprit! She must have been scheming all of this all along!"
"How ridiculous." Taejoo scoffed annoyed.
"I have already decided to lift my verdict on the second imperial princess. And you dare to contradict my decision? Me, the Emperor… do you wish to test our positions?" Emperor Kang Joon looked down upon his subjects.
"No, your majesty. I was only trying to say that you should look up at it for the better, your majesty. Please reconsider—"
"Silence!" The emperor interjected. A frown forming in his face. "I do not need to hear your nonsensical nags, nor do I need to reconsider my decision." He roared.
"I, Emperor Hwang Kang Joon, declares that here— the second imperial princess Hwang Ye Beom is not guilty of what has been charged to her. Thou shall she be acquitted." The Emperor declared, that brought Taejoo in shock.
His eyes widened, as his grip on the arm chair tightened. "Now that I think about it… this could be more problematic than I ever thought it would be." He murmured softly.
"Pardon, your highness? What was his highness saying earlier?" Byun Yeul asked, assuming that the second imperial princess's consort was saying something to him.
"No. It was nothing, I was just… relieved… that my wife has nothing to do with the poisoning." A smile crept up his face, along the lie that he spouted. "Really… It was such a relief."
'Now that there is two Ye Beom… one here in the palace, while the other one is missing. Unknown to me if she is still breathing the same air I do.' Taejoo sighed at the thought.
"On second thought Byun Yeul, give me the letter from our 'mighty' emperor." He emphasized, as he extended his hand.
"Ah… Y-yes your highness!" The flustered eunuch stuttered as he handed the letter. "Your highness." He added.
"You're dismissed." Taejoo waved his hands that tells the eunuch to go.
"Yes, your highness. May the grace of the heaven be upon you, your highness." Byun Yeul bided before retiring from his stand.
"Now, now…" Taejoo mumbled with a smirk. He slouched on his seat as he opened the enveloped letter, "…What does it says here?"
| Before the dawn breaks, there shall be a subject of mine that will be waiting for you at the cliff. You shan't allow the first imperial prince, Shinrae, to take part in this. I allow you to continue the search for the second imperial princess's body.
You owe me a thorough explanation of why there is two Ye Beom that has been brought from that 'summoning', Taejoo… that is if you still wish your head to be kept. |
"What a thin string of patience you have, father-in-law." He amused himself in mockery. "I have told you, bringing the real one back and forcing the memories… are impossible." He sighed as he closed his eyes.
A tear made its way out of his eye.
"We are nothing but a—"
RUUUMBLEEE!!
"Haaah...haaah..haaah..hah…" A man panted after he woke up from a nightmare. "Damn it. What was that dream?" He muttered as he pulled his hair.
RIIIING! RIIING! RIIIING!
"Now who's calling at the middle of the night?" The man in the dark cussed as he reached his phone from the night table.
"Hello" He answered the phone call.
[Hello? Yoonwoo? I need your help right now! Mom just got off from work but then she got into an accident!"] Said the woman from the other line, but then it got cut off.
Seo yoonwoo immediately stood up to grab his car key. When suddenly his eyes widened.
" ** ***!! ** ***!! NOOOO!" An unclear vision of a woman in a traditional dress of korea flashed in his mind. The girl was covered with blood, as she was rained by arrows. She was lying lifeless.
Seo Yoonwoo gasped for his breath as his knees weakened. Almost stumbled to the floor if not for the support of the night table.
"What… was that? Why am I getting all of those dream?" He muttered confusedly to himself.