Rise of an Empress

The Predator On The Way

Concubine Seo soaks her bare feet in the water of the river while sitting on the riverbank. General Lee Jong In is taking care of his horse at one side. It's been two days since they have started the journey. Days are not going so bad for Concubine Seo except for an attack of morning sickness due to pregnancy.

She is feeling relieved as the distance from the palace is increasing with time. She feels the urge to walk on the less shallow portion of the river. She stands up while holding her shoes in her hand.

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"Are you mad? Do you have any idea how many hidden natural traps of quicksand are present on the bottom of this river?" General Lee suddenly pulls Concubine Seo holding her hands.

Concubine Seo was so startled that her shoes fell on the water and immediately went away from her on the strong touch of waves.

"My shoes!!!" She shouts.

"Gone. That's gone. If you also want to be gone, just dive. Even swimmers don't dare to swim here. I won't jump in this cold water to save you," General Lee yells and drags her to the bank of the river.

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After the incident, Concubine Seo is very upset. She is not talking as much as she used to talk with General Lee these days. But making her surprised, he takes her to a village market and lets her select a pair of luxury shoes to buy for her. When he is about to pay for it, Concubine Seo stops him. She takes out a gold coin suddenly from a hidden money bag inside the sleeve of her robe. But within seconds, General Lee pulls her behind him and pays the money on his own before she understands anything. He immediately drags her out of that market. 

"What's wrong?" Concubine Seo can't understand what's wrong.

"You are the most foolish person I have ever known. Who takes out gold coins in a local village market except for a fugitive, huh? Is it your palace? This is the way foolish fugitives from the palace get caught the fastest. Enough is enough," he says in an annoyed voice.

"Why do you always behave so rough with me? What's wrong with you? Why don't you tell me what should I do or shouldn't do? I am not taking your help for free. I will pay you back," Concubine Seo sniffs while trying to control her tears.

"These palace fugitives get caught easily because they think they can buy the whole world with their gold coin," General Lee says annoyingly.

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"I think I came here before," Concubine Seo says with confusion. They have now stopped their journey by horse a few times to give the horse a bit of rest.

"I have crossed this way a minimum hundred times in my life," General Lee sighs.

"Are you taking me back to the palace? This is the way I passed three days ago, right?" she suddenly feels chills traveling through her skin.

"Can you please stop your mouth? Because of you, I am using less used tracks, but you are giving me a constant headache," Jong In scolds Yun Hee.

"I am not going with you anymore. I trusted you blindly," She suddenly starts to cry again. There's no one right now to take care of the mood swings of the pregnant concubine which is making her more vulnerable to the swinging emotions.

"What's wrong with you? Do you think your tears move me? I am a warrior, I am not interested in your artificial moods," Jong In says in his unchanged tone.

"I never told you to take me here. You were the one who offered me. I trusted you. Now you are…"

"Enough. I don't care for someone who doesn't have a bit of gratitude for a person who has done the best for her. Go away. Enough. Just go away," Jong In says in a harsh voice.