Eps 22 : Get to know your enemy

Two days after King Yeongan and Concubine Kim's wedding night, the air felt cold, and the moon seemed to not want to reveal itself as the ruler of night. Like tonight, a quiet atmosphere seemed to shroud every corner of the palace; occasionally, the sound of nocturnal beasts could be heard from the forest in the distance, echoing on every palace wall.

The midnight gong broke the silence. The warning of a changing day does not cause the owner of a room to immediately rest. The cold wind blew, making the candlelight sway in the air and making the shadow of the owner of the room seem to move.

In the silence of the night, her mind wandered to replay the events of two nights ago, which are still clearly etched in her mind. Her expression was so serious about analyzing the incident until the sound of the sliding door snapped her out of her thoughts.

Court Lady Jo saluted before finally sitting in front of Queen Jung, who was waiting for her to arrive. Without saying much, Court Lady Jo hands Queen Jung a letter.

Queen Jung reaches for the letter Court Lady Jo brought and reads it silently. Her eyes traced the rows of black ink staining the paper in front of her. Queen Jung's eyebrows were raised, indicating that something had taken her by surprise.

A little harshly, Queen Jung closes the letter from her brother, who burns it so as not to leave evidence, while the last sentence written continues to ring in Queen Jung's mind.

Pay attention and then he will open his heart to you, and all plans will be carried out well.

Queen Jung exhaled a long sigh after confirming that the letter from her brother was burned. For a few seconds, Queen Jung silently watches the remains of the paper ashes. The woman was busy digesting the advice given by her brother.

"Your Majesty, someone asked to meet you in secret. If you want to meet, I will bring it to you."

Queen Jung raised her head and looked straight at Court Lady Jo. The expression on her face was hard to read. Silently, Queen Jung gives the order for Court Lady Jo to bring the person.

The door to the room shifted again, and a middle-aged woman entered. The middle-aged woman gave a respectful greeting before finally sitting right under Queen Jung's piercing gaze.

"I am Court Lady Song," she introduces herself to The Queen. "I am His Majesty's former nany's," added Court Lady Song.

"Nice to meet you, Court Lady Song. So, can you tell me something about the king?" asked Queen Jung, not intending to make small talk any longer.

"What do you want to know from me, Your Majesty?"

Yeon-Hee didn't drop her question right away. The woman seemed to be thinking and sorting out which one she wanted to know first from Court Lady Song. Until her plump lips made a smile.

"Tell me what you know about the king's behavior, Court Lady Song. What…" Yeon-Hee paused to find the right words. "Has he been like of blood since childhood?"

Court Lady Song, who had been looking down for a while, gasped. Her two eyes widened at Queen Jung, who seemed to have known the dark side of the king.

"Y-your Majesty, h-how can I..."

Court Lady Song was at a loss for words to deny something Queen Jung wanted to know. Court Lady Song had sworn an oath to the previous late king regarding King Yeongan's dark side, which had appeared since his youth. Court Lady Song didn't expect Queen Jung to ask her that.

"Whatever you know, tell me." I'll make sure to keep it a secret. You hold the promise of a Queen."

Aware of the hesitation Court Lady Song showed, Yeon-Hee tried to persuade her by reminding her position as a Queen.

Court Lady Song looked uneasy in her seat. The woman glanced at Court Lady Jo, who was sitting not far from her, as if asking for an opinion. Court Lady Jo, who sensed Court Lady Song's uneasiness, nodded slowly, encouraging Court Lady Song to believe Queen Jung's words.

For a long time, Court Lady Song was silent, as if weighing the right decision. Until she finally dared to open her mouth and break the oath she had made to the late king. Court Lady Song's heart cries out for the late King's forgiveness for revealing King Yeongan's dark secret to his wife, Queen Jung.

"I don't know exactly what made His Majesty turn into a different person. One thing is for sure: it all started with the overthrow of the late former queen, His Majesty's biological mother. That incident changed the king from a cheerful youth like the rising sun into an icy youth."

"Another incident that made his attitude completely change when he received his wedding gift was a box filled with bloodied sok-jeogori—a plain and thin inner before earing hanbok— along with a message that I did not know what it contained. Somehow, I feel that the aura that radiated from the king after that was terrifying."

...

In another corner, not only was the room in Yeon-Hee's central palace still brightly lit, but it seemed that Yi Baek's private room in the main palace was still lit up. The candlelight that glowed in the room indicated that the owner of the palace had not yet rested. In fact, the midnight gong had sounded a few minutes ago.

Still wearing his majestic robes as a king, Yi Baek looked fit and healthy sitting on his throne. Yi Baek's expression at midnight is solemn. It seems that Yi Baek is waiting for someone to arrive.

Eunuch Jang's voice announcing the arrival, made Yi Baek fully aware of something that had been filling his head earlier. As the focus of his mind returned, the door to his room opened and revealed the figure he had been waiting for.

"Your Majesty...."

Baek Shi-Min saluted first before going further into the room, then sat right in front of the throne in King Yeongan's private room.

"I thought that the message I sent this afternoon didn't reach you," Yi Baek said with a chuckle and he poured the rice wine into his cup.

Shi-Min smirked at Yi Baek's remark, which actually sounded more like satire. Even though Shi-Min knew Yi Baek was half-sarcastic about his late arrival, the man remained calm. After all, it wasn't Shi-Min's will to come late. Shi-Min is late because the task Yi Baek gave him the other day wasn't finished.

"I'm sorry to bother you at this hour," Shi-Min replied with his head bowed deeply, conveying his condolences to Yi Baek.

Yi Baek chuckled at Shi-Min's attitude towards him being so formal. "What made you act so formal with me? I can understand why you're late. There must be something you have to finish first, right?" guessed Yi Baek, who knew Baek Shi-Min's character very well.

"I am flattered that you are so understanding of me. I just returned from the task you gave me the other day, Your Majesty.

"Aaa...." Yi Baek straightened his seat as he heard Shi-Min mention his assignment. Yi Baek's intention in asking Shi-Min to see him was indeed to get a report on the assignment.

"Great. So, is there anything interesting about my queen's background—Jung Yeon-Hee?"

Shi-Min then reaches into his pocket and hands Yi Baek a piece of paper. Meanwhile, Yi Baek accepts and starts reading the paper, and Shi-Min begins to describe the process of the investigation he carried out on Jung Yeon-Hee's background.

"I visited the area where Her Majesty lived before marrying you. There's not much to go on except that she is the only daughter of Jung Hyuk, the son of one of your grandfather's former royal advisors, Advisor Jung Hyun."

"Yes, I already knew that. She is the daughter of Noble Jung Hyuk," said Yi Baek, a little lazy because he heard the information that he already knew.

"Although there's not much to dig up, I found something interesting from the residents who have lived in the area around the Jung noble house."

Yi Baek stopped reading the report Shi-Min had given him and started focusing on the man in front of him. His eyes were darker than usual, and he stared intently at every expression that appeared on Shi-Min's face.

"According to the residents, as far as they know, Mr. Jung Hyuk does have a daughter, cause, Master Jung Hyuk's daughter died at birth.

"Died at birth?" Yi Baek did not expect to get such interesting facts from the results of the investigation.

Shi Min nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty. The resident swore that Mr. Jung Hyuk's daughter died at birth. Until the same year that the Queen's deposed...."

Shi-Min paused, not daring to continue his speech because he knew that his continuation was a sensitive topic for Yi Baek.

Yi Baek's jaw hardened at the word "depose." It took Yi Baek an effort to suppress the rumbling feeling in his chest before finally clearing his throat and nodding, asking Shi-Min to continue with his report.

"In the same year as the incident, something strange happened at Mr. Jung Hyuk's house. Even so, they couldn't be sure what really happened. Until a few months after that, the Jung family servants were seen several times buying equipment for a girl. Every time they were asked, they would say that it was all for the Miss Jung."

A smile slowly appeared on the corners of Yi Baek's lips upon hearing the new facts that Shi-Min dropped again. Immediately, several possibilities flashed through Yi Baek's head regarding Jung Yeon-Hee's figure. The queen who is so calm turns out to keep a million secrets. Moreover, Yi Baek remembers Yeon-Hee's answer when he asked what Yeon-Hee brought to the palace that made her want the position of Queen of Joseon.

"Interesting," concluded Yi Baek. "It seems that my queen's background is so full of secrets. I feel like I can't wait to reveal the real reason Yeon-Hee brought herself to the palace," Yi Baek mumbled more to himself.