"Sealed letter?" Suk-bin asks as if she didn't hear what the king said earlier.
"Yes." He replies.
"Who told you about it?" She asks again.
"The men who were captured confessed that the prime minister sent them and asked them to take the letter that has the queen dowager's seal from your chambers." The king stops and continues. "Tell me, what is the letter about ?"
"Your majesty, I don't think it is okay for you to know that." She whispers.
"Are you hiding something from me?" The king asks.
"No, your majesty but I just fe-"
"Sulhee." He calls cutting cutting her off. "Show me the letter."
Without any hesitation, Suk-bin stands and picks the letter from the box she had always kept it and then hands it to the king with a bow.
He hurriedly opens the letter and his eyes travelled round the content without a break. His hand squeezes the edges of the letter when he is done with the reading. "Since when did you have this?" He asks as he lowers his hand and faces his concubine.
"For about two years now." She replies with her head down.
"Two years?! And you didn't bother to let me know? Instead you kept this all to yourself?" The king nags loudly.
"Forgive me your majesty." Suk-bin apologizes again. "I just didn't want to bother you with anything else."
"You don't want to bother me with anything else? What if I wasn't here? Something really bad might have happened to you."
"I am sorry your majesty." She apologizes again.
"Your majesty it is I, Jawon." Jawon announces from outside.
"Come in!" The king orders.
Jawon walks in and bows. "The queen dowager has sent words that she wants to see you urgently."
"I have been expecting that." The king says bluntly and folds the letter into its envelope and stands. "Follow my instructions Suk-bin, I will see you in the morning." The king says and walks out.
Suk-bin joy has no bounds that moment. She smiles to her heart desire. "At last, I will have the full opportunity to push my son as the crown prince."
Lady Baek walks in and bows. "How is it going your majesty?"
"Just as I want it to be." Suk-bin replies with the sweetest smile ever.
"The queen dowager is a tiger, and I have to cut out it claws. That is the the only way I can have it trapped. A tiger without claws is equal to a living dead." Suk-bin says with a devilish smile.
***************
Still in the night, but a lot had happen, is happening and will happen in the palace still that same night.
The king sits opposite his mother and they stare at each other for a while before the king finally broke the silence. "You asked to see me mom, may I ask why?"
"Why did you ask me not to go out or have any visitors?" The queen dowager asks sternly.
"You are suspected for something mom."
"Suspect? Suspect for what?"
"A while ago, some men attacked Suk-bin's chambers and your name was me-"
"So?!!" The queen dowager asks interrupting her son. "Am i the one who sent them to attack her?"
"The investigations will let us know that very soon mom." The king replies In a very low tone.
"What?" she asks and scoffs. "I can see that witch of a woman has really made you loose it, are you in your right state of mind? You want to interrogate your mom?! The queen dowager of this nation?!"
"Stop it mom!!" The king yells. "If you are guilty this time I promise to punish you." He whispers and brings out the letter from his sleeve then opens it to show it to his mom. "What is this?"
The queen dowager opens her mouth and eyes wide in disbelief. "My son, I can explain this."
"Mom, you killed five of my children!!!!!! With just a letter and you can still breath and live comfortably, you sent your own grand children to their grave and you can still sit, look into my eyes and call me your son?" He asks loudly still with tears roiling out his eyes.
"My son.." The queen dowager calls and runs to her sons then hold his hands. "Do not believe whatever that woman told you. I did it for the sake of the nation."
"Did what for the nation? Killed innocent children for the sake of the nation? Did the nation demand that or ask that from you? If you really want to do something for the nation, then you will give up your crown."
"My son!" The queen dowager calls loudly in shock as she finds it very hard to believe what her son just said.
"Please!!!! Don't make this hard for me your majesty." The king stands and bows three times to his mom. "This might be the time I will bow to you as the queen dowager."
"You really plan on taking my crown?"
"You know I can never punish you accordingly, so the only punishment is to take your crown. It will put an end to the terrible things you have been doing. I will also be able to put those people you have been supporting and guiding in check."
"My son please." The queen dowager pleads with tears in her eyes. "I promise to change my ways. I promise yo accept Suk-bin and treat her accordingly."
"It's too late mom." The king whispers and walks out.
"My son! My son!!" The queen dowager calls with tears in her eyes. "You can't do this to me, I am your mother, the queen dowager of this nation. How can you decide to strip me off my crown and take away my title? You can't do this to me my son." She says sobbing.
"Your majesty." Lady Jung runs in with tears in her eyes too.
"Please talk to my son on my behalf, he has turned his back on me. His concubine did all these things, she is behind it all."
"Calm down your majesty." Lady Jung tries to console her with tears in her own eyes too. "The ministers will sort it all out."