PREPARE TO LEAVE THE PALACE

Yeoning really wished to curse his step mom and give his half brother a very nice blow in his tummy but he can't try such, most especially when he heard that his mom is in a very tight space at the moment. "What did you just say?" He asks stuttering.

"You heard me right! The king is aware of the fact that your mom staged everything and caused his own mom to take her life." The queen replies with a smirk look.

"I think you should run to your mom's chambers and beg father this Majesty to spare her life." Gwnag Jae mocks.

"Beg my foot!" Yeoning says boldly and whispers to the queen. "Do you think father will really punish my mom?"

"Why not?!" The queen asks with a strong frown on her face.

"Even after it is clear that the queen dowager is the one responsible for terminating my mom's previous pregnancies and killing two of her infants children?"

"All she did was to protect the nation from being infected by those monsters." The queen replies with a devilish smile.

Gwang Jae burst into laughter but he quickly covers his mouth with one of his palms.

Feeling the sting of what the queen had just said, Yeoning closes his eyes. "The queen dowager made the biggest mistake, letting me live."

"What?" The queen asks.

"Since you call my mom's off springs, monsters, then I guess I am one too." Yeoning smiles and lowers his voice a bit. "I will infect the nation, but you are the first person I will infect, queen your Majesty." He says and walks out without a bow.

"Mom, we have to do something about him. He is getting to brave and bold of himself." Gwang Jae whispers to his mom as he watches his half brother.

"Don't worry my son, I have everything under control." She assures her son. "All I want now is for Suk-bin to loose the king's Favour. Then, I can be free to do whatever I like. Taking that good for nothing boy out would be no big deal."

Yeoning acted all cool in front of his enemies but deep down in his mind, he is scared of what his father's actions might be. "What if he really punishes my mom? It will be the end for me." He whispers to himself.

*********

"I never expected that it would result into this." Suk-bin whispers to no one in particular but maintains her gaze on the beaded necklace laying on her small wooden table.

"What do you think your majesty? it might cause a little uproar agin and put your name in the mouth of the northern ministers." Lady Baek whispers sounding a sober.

"I pray that doesn't happen, now that I am not even on good terms with the ministers, it will be easy for them to do away with me." Suk-bin says and sighs.

"Would you give back the beaded necklace back to the king his majesty?" Lady Baek asks again.

"No, I won't. I want to successfully get rid of the queen dowager's memory from his mind and head. Though it might be difficult, but I will try my best to do so. She is dead now anyways, it's going to be easy for me."

"Heaven is actually on our side your majesty, look at how much we have yearned to get rid of the queen dowager, it all happen easily more than we even expected." Lady Baek whispers.

"All we have to do is hope nothing back fires. If it all works out well, we will be free from the dangerous hands if the queen and of the northern ministers too." Suk-bin hopes.

At the entrance is the king listening carefully to what his mistress and attendant are discussing. For once in his life, he holds a grudge against his concubine, never had he expected that she could ever do that. He tries to control himself and not react to what heard, but it isn't easy for him to do so. He opens the door and walks in on his concubine with his eyes burning red.

"Your majesty!" Lady Baek calls loudly in shock immediately she sees the king, then stands and bows.

Suk-bin still sits and opens her eyes wide open that that she can't even think k if standing and paying her respect to the king. She just sits, speechless and motionless.

"Leave us alone." The king whispers to lady Baek.

"Yes your majesty." She bows and walks out. He swallows the heavy spit in his throat and faces his concubine. "Sulhee."

Gently, she stands, walks close to the king and bows. "Your majesty, what brings you here?"

"How could you? How could you even stand close to me after you killed my mom!" The king says yelling at the top of his voice.

"I am sorry your majesty, I never knew it was going to end up like this." She whispers with her head down.

"Sulhee!" The king yells loudly again. "I will never forgive you for this, I will never forgive you for this!" He looks at the beaded necklace he had been searching for briefly and faces her again. "I thought you were different, but I was wrong, you are worse."

"King!" Suk-bin calls. "Your mom killed five of my children, what did you do about it?"

"Let's not talk about that now."

"No i want to." She retorts. "Did you stand up for me or try to protect me?" She asks but didn't wait for a reply, she shakes her head. "No you didn't, it was me all alone trying to work things out."

"Stop trying to put everything in your Favour, I should have listened to my mom when she warned me about you." The king whispers. "Prepare to leave the palace soon."

Suk-bin smiles and tears drops off her eyes. "I know your mom will always be above me, no matter what she does, even after killing five of my children." She whispers and wipes her tears off with the back of her palm.