Next morning even doing daily chores was not easy for any of us. No one knew if I will even return to this house ever again. The neighbours were all out and were looking at me with so much love that I felt the need to stay. I was feeling less scared but more anxious now. My mom was crying since last night and we had to ask Li's mom to look after her. I, Kang and Suang Li left for the palace. We entered the gates and the higher authorities were already there waiting for the king to arrive. I was asked to stand on the other side with two guards in my front and two behind me. Kang and Li being the witnesses were escorted into the room by two royal guards. All the eyes were keenly judging me and I was trying my best to ignore their scrutinizing stare. I was just begging my heart to stay in control for today. The king entered the courtroom area and the announcement of the king's arrival was made. Everyone's eyes were on the gate and for the first time, I was feeling relieved of king's entry.
He came through the gates with seriousness on his face and he walked straight into the room without even acknowledging any of us, not even the higher authorities. Once the king went inside the higher authorities were asked to join him in there. The whole area was empty now except for the 5 of us. Soon after we were called as well. As I kept my first foot into the room the room went quiet. My heart became more aware of the surrounding. But the most disturbing stare was of Kim. I had no idea when he came into the courtroom. The guards left me in the centre and stood at the sides of the king. A man who was sitting in the first chair next to the throne stood up and bowed to the king. He walked to the centre with a royal seal. "we are here to witness Ms Nam Ji Hyun try and prove herself innocent of the charges that are held against her. She was charged with treason for deliberately swapping the former king's and the present king's oaths. Now if the king allows, we would like to proceed with the hearing.", he said. King nodded. "we will start with some basic questions.", saying this he motioned for me to come forward. I stood by him facing the king. "Nam Ji Hyun you are an employee of sangeons department and you have full knowledge about them?", he asked. I replied with a yes. "this means the mix up was no mistake, it was a deliberate action.", he stated. "Hyun you were the one who checked the sangeons before they were brought here?", he asked. I again replied with a yes. "It is crystal clear who the culprit is.", he said looking at the king. "I surely did monitor the sangeons but I was not the one who replaced them.", I said. I asked Li to come ahead. "This is Suang Li and he was the one who took the sangeons from me to the courtroom.", I said. "What were the instructions given to you Suang Li?", the same man asked. "Hyun asked me to place the red seal sangeon for the prince and the yellow one for the king.", Li answered. "Did you check if the seals were placed on the right sheets?", he asked again. "No, I didn't check it properly word by word but I just saw the heading were in the right seals as she packed them in front of me.", Li replied. "Then did you change the seals on the way?", the man asked now highly irritated of the fact I was proven innocent. "No, I didn't, but I guess I know who did.", Li replied. "Oh! So, we need to believe a suspect now.", the man said sarcastically. "That's what justice means I guess.", I said. "Oh! look who spoke up in public.", a voice came from the chairs on the side. It was Kim. Everyone started laughing including the man standing beside us. This shouldn't have happened; this was all I could think. Looking at those people laugh I felt my heartbeat racing. I looked at the king and he was looking at me as if trying to read my thoughts. I had started to breathe faster and Li was trying to calm me down. "Silence!", a voice echoed in the room and the whole room went quiet. Everyone was looking at the owner of the voice who was now standing from his throne. Seeing that the king was standing everyone stood up to show respect. "No need of showing this fake respect when none of you know what respect actually means. I order each one of you to get out of the room and only the guards, Nam Ji Hyun, her sister, this witness and senior senator will stay here.", he said in a voice loud and clear which gave the idea pretty well that the decision was made. The senior senator was sitting on the left of the king and he was the only elderly here who seemed just and experienced. One by one everyone left the room but not without sending dirty glares towards me. I felt a lot better in an empty room. "Start with your point in the case", the king said. He didn't seem that arrogant now. "your majesty, when I was carrying the sangeons I was stopped by two guards on the way and they asked me about the way to the courtroom. I told them but they asked me to explain it on the map, so I had to keep them down. And also, when they were leaving and I turned towards the ceremonial room I saw another guard running in the opposite direction and he was looking back again and again.", Li explained the suspicious events to the king. "If they were the guards didn't you ask them why they didn't know the way?", the senior senator asked. "I did sir, but they said they came with the new prince and were new here.", Li replied. "How are you so sure it was them?", the king asked. "Your majesty, can I ask for the sangeons that were presented to you that day?", it was my time to intervene. "Bring the sangeons", the senior senator commanded. One of the guards brought the sangeons and handed them to me. "Your majesty, you agree that these sangeons are untouched since the day of ceremony?", I asked. The king looked at the guard who was in charge of the sangeons and he nodded in response. "Yes, they were untouched.", the king replied. I did a little of act of scrutinising the sangeons so it seemed this was the first time I was seeing them after that day. "As expected, these sangeons are torn. The red seal has the king's oath and the yellow one has the prince's oath. If I had to change the oath, I could have just pasted it in the wrong seal and if Suang Li would have changed he would have torn it in a manner that no one knew they were torn. But these were torn in a messy manner which shows the person had limited time.", I said and handed the sangeons to the guard who further handed them to the king and senior senator. They both took their time studying the sangeons and then the king called the head guard. "I want all the guards who are placed near the courtroom to be present here and also all the guards who were newly recruited.", the king ordered. Within 10 minutes the room started to get filled with guards. The king ordered Suang Li to identify the guards who stopped him and the one who ran away. After searching three rows he finally found the triplet standing together. Other guards were sent back. "Check their quarter and all the stuff for anything unusual", the king ordered. The royal guards left to check the quarters. "lord, we didn't do anything. Please don't disrespect us by getting our quarters checked.", they pleaded. "If you haven't done anything, we then there is no need of getting scared.", the senior senator replied. "Don't you know how to read a map?", the king asked. "We do lord", they replied. "Then why did you ask for the route from him", the senior senator asked pointing at Li. "It was a minor confusion.", one of them said. "Was it?", the king asked Li. But before Li could answer the royal guards came back with six pouches full of gold coins. "We found this in their quarters lord. Two in each one of their bags.", the head said. "Explain.", that's all that the king said and the guards started to cry and plead for forgiveness. "Tell us what exactly happened, and the king might lessen your punishment.", the senior senator said. "My lord we were given money for changing the seals of the sangeons. Two of us had to stop Suang Li and make him keep down the sangeons. We stood around him in such a manner that he couldn't see the third one. While we kept him busy with the map the third one changed the seals.", the guard explained. "Who gave you the money?", the senior senator asked.
"Lord Kim Soon", he replied with his head hung low. "Bring Kim Soon in here.", the king ordered. The royal guards went out but returned in the room empty-handed after 2 minutes. "My lord he ran away. He must have anticipated his secret was out.", the head guard said. That guy is a nuisance to the next level. But I was happy at least his true colours were out now. "Find him as soon as possible and announce in the village also that who so ever catches that traitor and hands him in will be awarded in the court.", the king said. The head guard bowed and left. The three guards were also taken to the prison, as their punishment was to be decided later by the law book. The king asked Kang and Li to stand by me. "Hyun you did prove yourself innocent from this accusation but your one punishment is still pending.", saying this he stood up and left without even giving me a chance to speak. He crossed me smiling and his smile reminded me of someone I have to thank tonight. But just thought of the other punishment made me shiver. Even though I was free from one false accusation I still have to pay for my weak heart.