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"Mother!" A loud shrieked break the silence of the night in the Ahn household.
Men clad in black clothings, armed with sword, sharp enough to cut anything they'd come in contact with.
The boy, the youngest lord of the Ahn's, did not managed to take another heave of air as the tip of the one man's sword slit his throat. Come in second were the other people inside them.
The Lady Ahn. The Master Ahn. The servants. The cooks. Everyone.
They left only after making sure that no one was breathing. Or no one will be alive by morning.
In the deepest of night, no one ever know who the men in black were. No one knew the reason behind the murder. And no one knew how the only member of the family, left alive, grieve for her losses.
I was halted from sleep by a loud shriek from the outside of my room. After seeing that I slept in an uncomfortable position beside my desk, and not being able to change into my royal clothings. I hurriedly take the appropriate clothings and threw it on.
I then opened my door to know what the commotion were about.
"You can not do that! The Queen is resting! You are all not permitted to go inside!" It was my sang-gung's voices that alarmed me.
I hastily left the door and walk down the small stairs of my palace. "What is this all about?" I said, seeing some of the royal guards trying to push their way through my court ladies.
The Chief of Royal Guards, Min Yoongi, bowed his head as he stands before me.
"I am sorry for causing you trouble, Your Majesty. But we have a permission to search your palace in regards to the recent incidents involving Royal Consort Hui Bin." The pale man said, keeping a straight face as he talk.
I scoff and shake my head. "In the middle of the night? You must've been so eager to find something to use against me." I muttered, straightening my velvet colored skirt, decorated by royal symbols only dedicated for the Queen. "Whoever gave you permission forgot his morals."
"Perhaps I did." A voice cuts in. Earning both mine and Min Yoongi's attention.
A man emerge from the far back, staring straight at me.
He really came...
But not for me.
If I've only know that being a threat to that Royal Consort will be the key to summon the King in my palace, maybe I should've done it before.
"Your Majesty." Min Yoongi bowed his head once more. As I lower my gaze and gave a lighthearted bow.
Though my gaze were set on the ground, his silhouette and his feet indicated that he've managed to reached me.
I shut my eyes and sighed, when I opened them again, I gather enough strength to held my head high again. Barely managing to handle the King's intense and scrutinizing gaze.
"Search the whole area. I want to know what goes on inside the Queen's palace." Jungkook said. Voice is firm and full of authority.
"Even if you search the whole lot, you'll find nothing." I muttered. Gaze not leaving Jeongguk's eyes.
But the King only smirk. The only thing close to a smile, that he could give me.
He lean more closer, lowering his face to level my sight.
"My advisor, Kim Namjoon, already gave me what I need to prove you guilty. All I want now is to know if there are any, left." He said, smiling broadly, but his eyes remains cold and spiteful. He straighten his body and pass by me, but before leaving me outside, he whispered yet again, "I also learned that you left the Palace this afternoon, or perhaps, it was morning? Because I dont remember seeing you around after that small meeting we had on my Mother's court."
I stand there, motionless. Not knowing what to say and how to react. For a second, on that moment..My mask of bravery fell off.
Now, I am scared.
It took them an hour or two, before they finally let us be. But before leaving my palace, Jeongguk gave me a warning. A simple message enough for me to feel fear. To be scared.
"We'll be seeing you tomorrow at my court." He said. And left.
I dont know what to say. All I am feeling was fear.
"They found nothing, Your Majesty." One of my court ladies said, bowing deeply to me.
"You've heard her, Your Majesty. They found nothing. It means your innocence has been proven—" Court Lady Suk tried to reason.
"The King already has what they came here for." I muttered, absentmindedly, as I flop back down on my throne. "They've only search to find more." I whispered, not really caring if they heard me or not. "Can you leave me for awhile." I told them, giving them a forced smile as I dismissed them.
They left without word. Head still bowed until I'm no longer on sight.
And as for me. I stayed seated. Staring at the space of my room. Trying to think of a way to get out of this situation. Trying to find a solution.
My title is now on stake. I have no choice but to gamble my way through to keep my crown.
I need to prove my innocence. Though I'm partly not.
I am indeed the one who owned the powder Kim Namjoon found. And I lied. It wasn't given to me by anyone. I bought it myself. From a traveler.
When in state of desperation. We tend to do terrible things. Crazy as it may sound—but we had no choice. And when scared...we do what we think was best. We do the things we'd never known, we can.
And I am desperate. I am scared. After all the years of becoming the Queen, it made me so desperate and scared that I can think of anything to destroy any threat.
And the Royal Consort is one of them. My King's rank A and most favored concubine.
Consort Hui Bin is a big threat. Something that could ruin me. Even without trying. She can stripped me off my crown if I wont be careful. Therefore I must do something. I mist eliminate such threat.
The powder was the only thing I could use. I did not intend to hurt. I can't. And so I didn't use it. I dont have the heart to. I may be cruel and sly but I could never hurt someone. After all that I've been through.
I wasn't lying when I said I bought the powder for the sole reason of poisoning the Consort. But I didn't do it.
