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When I was on the right state of mind, I finally managed to gather my strength and pushed Minister Park away from me.
I can feel blood rushing to both sides of my face, and so I turn my back to hide such embarrassment. I almost let my guard completely down on him.
"Suit yourself!" I hissed and stomped my way inside the abandon Hanok.
Minister Park was laughing from behind me, his footsteps not far from my pace.
"What were you even doing in this kind of place, Your Majesty? This dont suit you." He said from behind, still giggling like a fool.
I did not bother sparing him a glance as I took a turn, entering the almost torn down room. From here, I can already hear the loud grunts coming from the next room.
Minister Park's steps halted upon hearing the sounds of belt colliding to skin. That's the only time I turn to him, a visible taunting smile plastered on my face.
"Scared?" I mocked.
The man glared.
I smirked. "Hurry up and dont waste my time stalling me here." I said and continued my walk.
I finally reached the room I've been yearning to see.
Jun Seok bowed upon seeing me. A horsewhip was on his hand, and behind him, tied on a wooden pole, was the man we've captured from the night of the attack on the Choi's.
I nod my head at my trusted soldier, motioning him to stand back up as I inched closer to the man.
I can already tell that he had a rough night.
The man can barely open his eyes, but he still managed to look up to me. Blood all over his body.
"I told you I'll only give you a night, but things happen. You are lucky to be alive by today." I muttered. The man hissed, spitting blood on my robe.
I raised my hand to stop Jun Seok or Minister Park from interfering. Then with the same hand, I slapped the wounded man. Hard.
His head turned, my hand leaving its mark on his skin.
"Did he tell you anything?" I asked, Jun Seok.
"His mouth has been shut since the night we got him, Your Majesty." Jun Seok answered, and then he bowed, "Please forgive me for being incompetent for this task!"
"No need for that, Jun Seok." I sighed, turning back to the man. "I got this." I whispered.
I lower my face to level the man's gaze, then I took out a piece of paper from my robe. "Ma Hyun Seok." Upon hearing that name from my lips, the man stared back at me in alarm. Eyes wavering, fear coating his being. "That's your child, isn't he?" I muttered.
"What did you do to him!?"
"Finally," I said, standing back up. "You can speak." "Do not worry, I didn't do anything to your child. At least not yet."
The man flinched from where he sat on the ground, and started squirming around, trying to get away from the rope that tied him to the pole, all the while shouting incoherent words of hatred on me.
I moved to Jun Seok and wordlessly took the sword on his belt, then walked back to the man.
I did not hesitate to point the tip of the sword on his throat, causing the man to stop moving and breathlessly look up at me.
"You'll tell me everything, or I'll take your child here and let him watch you die." I gritted. The man only glared, I smirked. "Or I'll take your child here and let you watch him die."
"I will kill you!" The man shouted.
But I only smile wider. "Not if I kill you first." I said and push the tip closer to his throat, drawing small amount of blood.
The man breath shakes. He stared at me for a moment, before, "Fine! I will speak! But you will never touch my child!"
I smiled and put the sword down, turning at the two men that's been quiet the whole time.
Jun Seok blinks at me, while Minister Park stared at me in horror.
"He'll talk now." I smiled.
•••
Both Minister of Justice Kim and Advisor Kim were shocked to hear those words from the King.
"My sister will never do adultery against you, Your Majesty." Seokjin countered.
"I know." Jungkook answered. Eyes lowering to his wooden desk that separate him from his two trusted Officials. He sighed, "They will be accused of treason against the Higher Court. Which was something we can use as a reason to dethrone the Queen."
"How did you know that they were together." Kim Namjoon asked, both hands were supporting the weight of Minister Kim as the man slumped on his seat, weak because of the things he'd just come to learn.
"I always have a man to look after the Queen whenever she leave the palace." Jungkook answered. "Hyun Ae is reckless, she never think of the possible danger lurking around her, so I took it as my job to make sure she stay out of those dangers."
"What will happen after the Queen was dethroned?" Seokjin asked weakly.
Jungkook turned back to the man, eyes determined.
"Hyun Ae will be sent to the highest of Jirisan Mountain, she will be in the care of the people in the temple." Jungkook trailed, "She'll be safe there, away from the judgment of the people." Jungkook knows how harsh their world is, and if the people learn about an unfaithful Queen, Hyun Ae wont be safe to go around the village bearing that tainted name. And if she will to stay on the village, the enemies will only find their way back to her, and Jungkook wont be able to keep her safe by then. "Then we will make Consort Hui Bin as the new Queen, concubine Kim Taehyung as the Royal Noble Consort. Minister Park will be remove from the Court, I will send him to look after the former Queen. Minister Kim,"
Seokjin looks up at him, "You will be my Prime Minister, and Advisor Kim will be the Minister of Justice." He explained. "It's better to keep my men close while we do what must be done." "I already proven that Consort Hui Bin's father, His Excellency Byun, was involved in the murder of the late Crown Prince." Jungkook breath shakes, "But I am still in the stage of gathering enough evidences to be able to put him on great punishment."
This will be the hardest decision he'll make. But the easiest way out of the already growing mess. He can't let the present be tangled with the past. He needs to fix it.
If he put Hui Bin as the Queen, her father will be rest assured. The man will surely stay low knowing that a threat, Hyun Ae, was eliminated and out of the palace to threaten him and his accomplices. And when they were calmed, tamed, Jungkook will gather his men, take the rebels to his side, and eventually reveal the truth from the past.
When the storm finally calmed, that's the time when the right moon needs to come back.
Just trust in me, Hyun Ae.
•Jirisan Mountain - is a mountain located in the southern region of South Korea. The second-tallest mountain in South Korea.
