When Peony Blooms #AMBW

Chapter 55

As time went on however, the corridors of the palace were unusually quiet, an eerie hush that foreshadowed the tragedy that was about to unfold. In the confinement of her new stripped-down quarters, Ji-yun felt the walls closing in on her.

Her thoughts of killing the crown princess's child consumed her, or maybe So-ra. Did it matter? She wondered if it was all pointless.

Interpreting her thoughts, a maid entered, her eyes downcast, carrying a tray with Ji-yun's meager meal entered. This was her only visitor, the rest of the palace seemed to have forgotten her existence.

"I...I need a favor," Ji-yun implored. The servant looked at her, her worry clear in her eyes. With a nod, Ji-yun conveyed her request, slipping a small vial into the servant's hand. The servant's eyes widened in realization but said nothing. After a moment, she left the room, carrying Ji-yun's plea with her.

Alone once more, Ji-yun found herself staring out of her window. The sun was setting, painting the sky in hues of red and gold, a stunning display of beauty she would not witness again. The snow was dying into a spring, a new cycle was about to start and the thought was sobering.

The room was swallowed by the melancholy of twilight when the servant returned, a cup of tea in her hand. Without a word, she left it on the table beside Ji-yun, before making a hasty exit. Ji-yun watched her leave, her heart heavy with finality.

Lifting the cup, Ji-yun felt the liquid swirl around inside. She watched her reflection in the tea, distorted and unrecognizable. Trembling, she started to speak into the cold blanket of silence. "Perhaps in another life," she began, her voice echoing in the silence, "I'll be able to see my parents again. Be the daughter they deserved."

Tears slipped down her cheeks as she considered her life, the pain she had caused, and the mistakes she had made. The thought of Ayodele's baby filled her with fear, a dreadful anticipation of what she could do. She shuddered. She didn't trust herself anymore. "Eomma..." Her voice cracked at the thought of her mother's disappointed face when she saw what her daughter had become. "Mianhae... I'm sorry for everything I've done... I'll be able to see my parents again. To be the daughter they deserved. Eomma... Mianhae, when you see me, please don't turn away."

As the moon rose, casting an eerie light into her room, Ji-yun whispered a final prayer, "I hope...I hope to be reborn, away from all this pain...to have a second chance." The cup was lifted to her lips. She took a deep breath, downed the poison-laced tea in a swift gulp, and soon, her world faded into darkness.

Her room, once vibrant with her ambitions and dreams, was left with a chilling silence. The only testament to Ji-yun's tragic end was an empty cup and the sorrowful echo of her last wish for redemption.

The queen, despite the late hour, found herself drawn to the neglected wing of the palace where Ji-yun resided. She had often avoided this section, but something indefinable tugged her in its direction. As she arrived, an uncanny stillness met her.

Pushing the doors open, her eyes fell on the limp figure lying on the floor, her fears confirmed. Ji-yun lay motionless, a trail of dried blood on the side of her lips, and the moonlight gave her pale face a ghostly hue.

" It's ironic... you would find me." Ji-yun chuckled weakly as if trying to keep up appearances until the very end. While tears streamed down the Queen's cheeks. "I guess they won't let me come until... I say I am sorry." Ji-yun said her voice growing fainter with each syllable.

"Ji-yunah!" the Queen screamed despairingly as she frantically shook the doors open before hurrying to her side too late. All she could do was cradle the lifeless girl in her arms and whisper soothing words as grief coursed through her body.