The Foreigner 외국인

Chapter 16

16.

Lee Ara felt an inexplicable mix of emotions as she passed the gates of Joseon's capital. She was grieving and yearning at the same time, but she didn't know whether it was for her past or her future that she grieved and yearned.

"O- officer Lee!" The guards at the entrance of the palace looked at her as if they were seeing a ghost. She smiled as they let her pass with a respectful nod. At least she had managed to earn the trust of the royal guard. She handed over her horse to the men at the royal stables and walked straight to the king's quarters.

"Your... your majesty... Officer Lee is-" Lee Ara didn't wait for Eunuch Dal to finish announcing her. She opened the doors and walked determinedly into Sajeongjeon Hall. Yi Jin dropped the report he was reading, and Officer Yang, who stood by his side, looked utterly shocked to see her there.

"Am I supposed to be dead? Why is everyone staring at me as if I was a ghost?" Lee Ara joked. The king looked away, unable to meet her eyes. There was a moment of silence as Lee Ara realized she wasn't going to be welcomed back warmly.

"Yi-"

"Where is my child?" The king slowly turned his head towards her and looked at her coldly. She was taken aback by the iciness in his eyes and felt her bottom lip tremble slightly.

"Dead," she answered while glancing down at the wooden floor. "I had a miscarriage." There was another long moment of silence when Lee Ara wished she could lift her head and look at Yi Jin, but she feared that the expression on her face might give her lie away. "This is not why I am here," she continued, still staring at the floor. "One of the Ming's generals is preparing to attack Joseon by the next full moon."

She finally looked up at both men who, equally, seemed to be having a hard time processing the information coming out of her mouth. Yi Jin put his head in his hands and massaged his temples. "You need to prepare your army quickly," she went on. "The Ming will split their division in two and enter via Wihwa Island and Uiju-"

"You are dismissed."

"What?" Lee Ara asked, confused.

"Get out," the king ordered coldly. She stood still and waited for a few seconds to see if he would look at her again, but his face remained buried in his hands. Lee Ara took a deep breath and turned around, then quietly walked out of the hall. As she reached the courtyard, Eun Yang caught up with her and grabbed her wrist.

"Give him some time," he pleaded.

"He doesn't have time," she responded, while gently pushing his hand away.

"I will talk to him," Officer Yang said, before adding with a faint smile, "it is good to see you."

As she pushed the needle through the silk, the queen thought about how bored she was, and how monotonous her life had always been, though she had only realized this recently.

"Your highness!" Her court lady burst into her room. "The foreigner is back!" The queen smiled widely as she pushed the needle halfway through the fabric, leaving it stabbing the moon that she had been embroidering. She left her quarters and rushed towards the king's, but the Jurchen woman wasn't there. She then headed towards the Royal Investigation Bureau and immediately recognized the foreigner's tall and slender figure from afar.

"Lee Ara!" she called. The woman turned around and smiled as the queen ran towards her, and was surprised when she hugged her.

"Your highness, I don't think this is appropriate."

The queen stepped back and dismissed Lee Ara's concern with a wave. "I don't care. I am so happy that you are back." She looked genuinely thrilled to see her, which warmed the Jurchen woman's heart, especially after being frozen out by Yi Jin.