The Last Imoogi

Lee Donghae's Conclusion

Despite Kwon Jiyong's approval of Sandara's innate abilities, he didn't like seeing her lose herself so much into going through the corpse's final thoughts before it died. In Sandara's case, however, it was otherwise.

Delighted and overjoyed upon discovering that there's something more she could do, she decided to inspect the next remains which were former Minister Sun's. Both Lee Donghae and Kwon Jiyong kept their eyes on her while she was lost in her own world, but upon sensing Kwon Jiyong's side glances, Lee Donghae was quick to step back and remember his limitations. He went back to applying vinegar and some herbs on Sun Hae's corpse which was on the other side to lessen the stench within the room.

Meanwhile, Sandara was watching the scene unfold in front of her. Being in Sun Hae's father's shoes made her even more alert the moment she saw him write a letter of farewell to his wife, before writing another one to Minister Kim Byungchul. While his letter to his wife was purely about his remaining wealth and his final orders in the house, his letter for Kim Byungchul was full of begging to take care of his family for good old's sake. After penning his final words, he took a jade decorative tassel and held it dearly to him as he cried.

"My daughter, forgive this father. If not for me, you won't end up like this! Had I not become too greedy, I wouldn't have lost you! It was my fault! In the end, I was the one who killed you!"

Sandara wanted to know what happened before the scene she was seeing but realized she had her own limitations. Soon, the old man stood up on his chair and inserted his head into a loophole which was tied around the support bar of the ceiling. Sandara started to suddenly become uncomfortable watching the scene. She felt it was as if she was the one committing the forbidden act of suicide. Her lungs started to hurt as she couldn't breathe, as if it was refusing air, while she started clawing her neck in discomfort, as if the rope was strangling her for real.

Why did the situation looked, and even felt so familiar? She wondered as she struggled for air. When the old man kicked the stool, she felt all her remaining energy being sucked out of her body as her vision changed. The entire room was suddenly different as if it took her back to the olden age. There was a huge four poster bed on the side and she was in the middle of the vast room, below her a wooden stool was lying on the floor while her legs flailed as the last of her breath was sucked out of her body. Her eyes turned misty, as if her heart was full of pain and longing, of agony and anguish.

"Your… Highness…" She mumbled faintly before she finally succumbed to darkness.

_______________________

Chuseok was coming in a few days and rumors of Sun Hae's terrifying death revolved around the city, earning different versions of stories as the crime had yet to be solved. Some believed it was an omen, a sign of bad luck and a terrible foreboding. 

Apparently, envoy Wong from Ming finally caught whiff of news through his guards scattered all over Hanyang. He found it odd that Zhu Yunhe seemed to be clueless when she was close to the royal family, but upon investigating the princess' guards, he found out that Kwon Jiyong had only been touring her to different spots in Hanyang a few days back.

Relieved that Zhu Yunhe didn't meddle with Joseon affairs, the envoy decided to remain neutral and let the issue go for it was a matter which only concerns the royal family of Joseon. If the Joseon royal guards insist on staying at the border for investigation without giving Ming a prior notice, then that would be a different matter.

The night before Envoy Wong's departure, Yi Sung decided to invite him to a banquet held inside the palace. To his surprise, the entire royal family was present except for Kwon Jiyong's wife. He wondered why but realized Kwon Jiyong was someone who never showed affection to anyone, much less to women. How is this Park Sandara different for him to take her anywhere he goes? As he could see it, their princess Zhu Yunhe would make a better match with Kwon Jiyong. Still, he couldn't deny Park Sandara's presence. Upon looking into her family, the envoy learned that her father used to be only a governor from a far Southeast province before he got the position as a Minister. Despite this, this Park Sandara had a royal air, and her charm and elegance stood out the first time he saw her.