Lady Ok-jeong stepped out of her elegant palanquin with an ease and grace she had practiced all her life. Her maid, Gyeong-suk was beside her, her hands clasped together and her head tilted down in respect. The Palace was grander than she’d remembered; A sprawling estate of tiled rooftops and lush gardens, with guards that waited around every corner. Now it all belonged to her.
Finally. Lady Ok-jeong clenched her hands into fists, heartbeat quickening. She’d sacrificed so much for this. Her home, her family, her honor, but now she could be Queen at last, and nothing else mattered aside from that fact. Her heart had never been plagued with doubts. This had been her destiny from the beginning. Still, now that she was in the Palace, it felt surreal, as if she were in the countless dreams where she had married her King. The King. She would be marrying the only man she’d ever loved, might even bear his children if the heavens would allow it. Something so few women were able to do.
“I will be sure to give you a handsome heir, Your Majesty.”
“Let’s go, Gyeong-suk,” Ok-jeong told her maid. “His Majesty is likely waiting for us.”
They were led through the Palace to the executive office. Ok-jeong could swear the entire courtyard seemed alive as if it were about to welcome spring soon, although winter was just around the corner. Even the sky was free of clouds, after days on end of terrible rains. The whole of Saro seemed pleased to see her become Queen.
Several servants at the executive office greeted her. They all wore dark blue hanbok and bowed in respect. They belonged to her now as well.
“Greetings to Lady Ok-jeong,” said the one in the middle: A man with a clean-shaven face and dark eyes. “We will take you to where you will meet the King. His Majesty has yet to arrive, but word has reached us that he is on his way now.”
Has yet to . . . arrive?
“May I ask where the King is now?” Lady Ok-jeong asked.
The servants glanced at each other, nervous. Then, the leader spoke again. “It was said the King is still at his residence, along with Royal Noble Consort Hui.”
Ok-jeong pressed her hands together. What is that man still doing here? And the King was with him in his chambers? Ok-jeong imagined the two of them in a loving embrace and shuddered in horror. A male consort could never bear an heir, so why did the King shower him with such affection? What spell had that scoundrel cast on her King?
“I see,” Ok-jeong said, gathering her grace and poise. She would not allow this to faze her. The King had shown interest in her as well, after all. He’d even kissed her, leaving her lips tingling. They hadn’t even been married yet. Surely when it was official, the King would visit her often. More often, even, than that male consort. Being second best to a male consort would be an embarrassment.
“I will wait for him, then.”
And Ok-jeong did wait. She waited and waited for what felt like ages on a silk cushion in the middle of that room, growing more and more embarrassed and furious by the second. Not furious at her King, of course, but at the man that had bewitched him.
Finally, after her legs had grown tired and her maid had nearly fallen asleep, the doors opened. Ok-jeong sat up straight and turned to look over her shoulder. The King stood over her, a blank expression on his handsome face. She jolted to face him and bowed deeply, her head nearly touching the floor. She wasn’t sure what to expect now. The room felt so very cold.
The King kneeled down in front of her and put his hands on her arms. They rose to their feet together.
“I must apologize for making you wait so long, Lady Ok-jeong,” the King said. There was warmth in his face now, far from the frigid man she’d seen a moment ago. “Was the trip here very tiring?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Ok-jeong felt as if a burden had been lifted off her shoulders. “No, Your Majesty. You needn’t concern yourself with me.”
“Qf’ii yf j wjgglfv mbeqif rbbc. Pa rtbeivc’a mbwf jr j regqglrf atja sbeg tfjiat lr bo eawbra lwqbgajcmf ab wf,” atf Blcu rjlv, kjixlcu qjra tfg.
How thoughtful!
Dea yfobgf rtf mbeiv ufa j kbgv lc fvufklrf ab atjcx atf Blcu obg tlr xlcvcfrr, atf Blcu mbcalcefv bc: “Jbega Ojvs Ve-ylc Jtbl klii ifjv sbe ab sbeg dejgafgr. Coafg atf kfvvlcu, sbe klii yf jyif ab wbnf lcab atf Heffc’r gfrlvfcmf.” Ycis cbk vlv Yx-pfbcu cbalmf atf fivfgis kbwjc rajcvlcu cfjg atf vbbg, rablm jr rtf kjamtfv atfw.
“Oh. Yes, I understand,” Ok-jeong said. The King sat down behind his desk, so regal as he began to read through the paperwork of the day that Ok-jeong couldn’t help but stare. She had never seen a man as beautiful as the King: His violet eyes, his skin free from blemishes, his every movement as fluid as the wind.
Without warning, she was reminded of another man who matched the King’s beauty: Hae Min-jun. His beauty must’ve been given to him by a devil, certainly. He’d used it with those men at the kisaeng houses, no doubt, and now he tempted Ok-jeong’s King in the same way.
“Your Majesty –” Ok-jeong began, only to be caught off by a single, cold phrase.
“You’re dismissed.”
Ok-jeong clasped her hands together. She’d given up her family for this man. No matter how cruel he became, she would do her best to serve him as his Queen.
. . .
Now that the King had finally let him be, Min-jun could begin his own work for the day. To begin with, Min-jun would deal with that meddlesome friend of his. It would likely only drive a further wedge between Min-jun and Hye-jin, but it was about time they’d set things straight. Mai was gone because of that woman’s actions. Who knew what Mother might be forcing her to do now? Probably assassin jobs. No child should be forced to become a murderer, and Hye-jin was the reason behind it all. Min-jun would be damned if something like that went unpunished. He’d have to nag the King about it later, too. “You say you love me, Your Majesty, yet you let my would-be murderer wander around without consequence.” Min-jun bit his lip, trying to keep his smile hidden. That would certainly get under the King’s skin.
And aside from the poison fiasco, there was yet another question Min-jun had been dying to ask her.
“Your Highness!” Sun said, as Min-jun walked down the path to Jangmi Villa. Sun ran to meet him and slowed to a stop at a reasonable distance (Min-jun was still the King’s lover after all), one question clear on his face. Min-jun nodded once, not bothering to fight his smile this time. The maids listening in squealed in excitement. The tension left Sun’s shoulders.
“I knew you would convince him,” Sun said, putting one tentative hand on Min-jun’s shoulder. As a friend would, Min-jun supposed.
“Thank you,” Min-jun told him, patting his hand. “For everything.”
Sun looked surprised for a moment, and then he nodded, an uncharacteristic softness lighting up his face. Min-jun couldn’t remember seeing him ever smile like that. Sun was usually the epitome of stoicity. This warmth suited him.
“I am glad we do not have to leave,” Sun told him, some humor edging his voice.
Min-jun laughed, and it almost sounded genuine. How strange. “As am I.”
He turned his attention to his residence. Jangmi Villa. To think, he might have left this place for good had the King not changed his mind. His body froze as it remember how quickly Min-jun would’ve lost everything.
Min-jun clenched a hand over his heart. He would do his best to trust the King’s affection for now. To trust in the King’s promise to never abandon him. Can we really trust him? His heart felt so fragile now that he’d let down some of the walls around it. As if it could shatter into a thousand pieces if one squeezed too hard. That wouldn’t be the first time that has happened.
Well, he supposed he could still kill the King if worse came to worst.
Wait.
Min-jun felt around his robes and checked his sleeves for the pouch. It wasn’t there. He’d left it in the court lady’s uniform.
He turned around to face the gates of the Villa. The King must’ve found it. Why didn’t he say anything?
“Your Highness?” Sun asked, drawing Min-jun from his reverie.
“Oh. I simply got lost in thought, that’s all,” Min-jun mumbled. The King had found the poison, and despite it all, he acted as if nothing had happened. He showered Min-jun with kisses and soft words and took him on romantic walks through the courtyard. Perhaps he was an idiot after all.
Nevermind that. Min-jun had work to do.
“Sun, do you know where Lady Hye-jin is?” Min-jun asked.
“At this time, she’ll probably be in her office,” Sun said, bringing a finger to his chin. “Why the sudden curiosity?”
Oh, if he only knew. Min-jun clasped his hands behind his back. “I have some things to discuss with her.”
“I will take you there, then,” Sun said. Min-jun stepped up to walk beside him. “Did you sleep well, Your Highness?”
Min-jun glanced to the side and began to nod. “Mm, quite well.” In the King’s arms, his body relaxed for the first time in years, kisses pressed to his temple. Min-jun changed the subject, as the memories of the night prior resurfaced. “Do you know where they took Jeong-eun and Chae-won?”
“The court ladies?” Sun said, bringing a finger to his chin. “Hmm . . . I believe they were taken to the Investigation Bureau.”
“The Investigation Bureau.” Min-jun knew they could be brutal in their methods. After all, he had prepared himself to someday be at their mercy. To think Jeong-eun and Chae-won might be enduring such pain right now, and all because Hye-jin had thought they’d be decent pawns for her plan. The thought alone made him seethe with rage.
“I hear they confessed right away,” Sun told him. “So do not worry too much.”
“I’d like to meet them later, if I may.”
Sun nodded. He’d always been like that. Min-jun had to simply say the word and all of his wishes would be fulfilled. Unless, of course, those wishes would put Min-jun in danger. In which case, things got a little more complicated. The King and Sun had that in common.
Sun took him to a small (at least by Palace standards) hanok with simple decor and sparse vegetation. Windchimes sang in the curved eaves. Not a single speck of dust or dirt seemed present, although they were still outside. What bushes or trees there seemed ruthlessly trimmed to perfection. Hye-jin had always seemed orderly, but there was such a stark contrast between her and the King, who loved the earth and let it grow freely.
Inside, it smelled like clean, crisp air and their footsteps echoed in the empty hanok. If there were servants, they knew to stay out of their way.
They stopped at two sliding doors.
“Hye-jin, His Highness Royal Noble Consort Hui is here to see you,” Sun called.
There was the sound of paper rustling, and then, that calm, steady voice. “Let him in.”
As if he’d really needed permission. She had a lot of nerve for someone who was about to meet a man back from the death’s door. Especially since she was the one who put him there in the first place.
Hye-jin’s office was as tidy as the rest of the hanok. Sunlight streamed in through several large windows. Neat piles of books and scrolls were laid out on the desk. Between said piles, Hye-jin was hard at work, her brush moving quickly across the paper.
“What is it?” she asked as if he were nothing more than a bothersome court maid.
Min-jun smiled easily. “Is that how you greet all the wives of your King?”
“Only the traitorous ones.”
“Traitor!” Min-jun laughed. “If it weren’t for me your precious King would be dead already. Between the two of us, you’re the only one who carried out an attempted assassination of a member of the royal family.”
Hye-jin’s hand tightened around her brush, knuckles turning white. She inhaled through her nose, and then put the brush aside.
“So you were awake, after all?” Hye-jin said, her hands clasped on the desk. “I should’ve expected it from the likes of you.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t take precautions then.” Min-jun picked one of the ledgers up from the desk. He didn’t plan on reading it, but he thought it might annoy Hye-jin, so he opened it anyway. “You’ve been in the Palace longer than I. You should know that someone is always listening.”
Hye-jin reached across the desk and took the ledger from him. “It is a matter of little importance. His Majesty will not punish me, and no one else in this Palace cares enough about you to go up against me.”
Min-jun grinned. “Oh.” He slid a bit closer to the desk, almost conspiratorially. “You think I need their help? How naive of you.”
A/N: Not Min-jun comparing everyone to the King. The man’s got it bad smh. I wonder what he has up his sleeve now. Thank you all for reading this far! If you liked this chapter, please leave a comment below.
Yessss that’s it!! Teml her to her face my boy 😄
I really have mixed feelings about Lady Ok-jeong becoming queen. I hoping she gets herself killed before wedding. Or shortly after like immediately after vows
Thanks for chapter
I do too. I wished he’d gotten someone less covetous and scheming, but then I would feel bad about them being Completely Neglected (that part is important to me lol)
He definitely will 😁 but at what cost
Thank you for the chapter! Min-jun has to be careful of the new queen, it looks like she’ll do anything to harm Min-jun.
Thank you so much for commenting! I think everyone’s gonna have to be careful with the new queen. Ok-jeong is sus af
Thanks for the chapter ♥️♥️
Thanks for commenting!
So Min-jun is going Hye-jin, and the Ok-Jeong is going after Min-jun. I laughed at the “sparse vegetation” around Hye-jin’s office. It feels like a reflection of Cheol’s disapproval lol. If Sun didn’t know it was her, he’s going to be crushed when he finds out, isn’t he? I hope Min-jun finds a way to make his point without forcing Cheol to choose between them.
And they all go around in a circle. I love the idea that whenever Cheol disapproves of someone, the earth just shuns them lol. As for that last bit, we’ll just have to wait and see.