When Peony Blooms #AMBW

Chapter 42: " Hidden Tides of Secrets."

All now felt eerily quiet. Ayodele sat, lost in her thoughts, as there weren't many she could share them with, the glow of the candles casting her features in a somber hue.

A sharp knock at the door pulled her from her contemplation. In strode Minister Kim. He bowed as Ayodele looked at him as he looked rushed. He sat in front of Ayodele his head bowed.

"Sejabinmama," he began, his voice heavy with regret, its usual pleasant ring tainted by the tense atmosphere. He calmly took a seat opposite her, his actions betraying an unease.

With a deep sigh, he looked her straight in the eye, "I never said it properly before I am ashamed of Seo-Jin's actions, and I apologize on his behalf. His reckless actions... his false beliefs... they've led to unforgivable consequences."

He paused for a moment, his gaze falling to his hands sat tightly in his lap. He lifted his gaze to meet Ayodele's, a storm of emotions brewing behind his eyes.

"Sejabinmama," he breathed out, his voice barely a whisper. " the truth is..."

"Now Minister Kim, this is unlike you, what is it that you wish to discuss, your pauses are making me nervous," Ayodele said, her eyes holding a note of concern.

" I feel guilty for taking as long as I have and I fear more ears have surrounded the palace, causing me to feel slightly disquiet." He said. " It might be old age he chuckled."

Ayodele gave him a small smile as he sighed, raking his hand through his hair, a sign of unease. "Seo-Jin... he is not my son. He is the eldest son of the King," Minister Kim's voice, began although steady was strained. As if the revelation cost him an enormous effort to articulate.

Ayodele blinked, her heart pounding in her chest. The air around her seemed to thin as she gasped for breath, the shock of his words rendering her momentarily speechless. Sensing her struggle, Minister Kim pressed on.

"He was found abandoned as an infant, and my wife and I, we took him in. We raised him as our own, ignorant of his true lineage. It was much later that we discovered the truth."

Minister Kim looked directly into Ayodele's eyes, the severity of his gaze leaving no room for doubt, "The Queen Dowager, in her cruel ambition, had the newborn Seo-Jin discarded. "

The treacherous undercurrent of deceit seemed to shake the very foundation of the royal household. But there was one last revelation, one that could potentially shift the balance of power within the palace walls.

He added, with a pause in this aged voice, "Sejabinmama, the Queen... she is my sister."

The final confession danced around them after it was said. As Ayodele absorbed the magnitude of the words, the room descended into silence once again, punctuated only by the crackling sound of the hearth, a somber symphony to the secrets revealed.

As Minister Kim finished his revelation, Ayodele sat still, her hands tightly clasped in her lap. Her mind was a whirl of thoughts, each one more confusing and frustrating than the last. She scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping her lips as she absorbed the truth about Seo-Jin's lineage.

"He suspected his brother? His blood?" she exclaimed, her voice ringing with disbelief. "That's even worse!" Anguish tinged her words, her heart throbbing painfully.

A single tear slid down her cheek, disappearing into the folds of her hanbok. It was as if with each revelation, she was losing another piece of the world she once thought she knew.

Minister Kim watched Ayodele's distress with an agonized expression. He extended a hand, reaching out to gently hold hers, his grip firm yet gentle. It was an intimate gesture, one of assurance and silent promise.