Ch-8 " Who Tormented Her In Her Last Life"

The Devil's Palace served as a grim arena where Shin-Se-Gi, the ruler, meted out punishments to criminals in accordance with the severity of their crimes. The individuals confined within its walls had been convicted and were awaiting the inevitable: a death sentence. Their crimes ranged from heinous acts such as rape, murder, and embezzlement of funds meant for the impoverished.

Among the incarcerated were those with a notorious penchant for psycho tendencies. Their transgressions included the mistreatment and torture of slaves, as well as the ruthless exploitation of their power to oppress the less fortunate. These malevolent acts, often committed against the most vulnerable members of society, had earned them a place within the Devil's Palace, where they awaited their appointed fate, facing the consequences of their dark and twisted deeds. The Devil's Palace stood as a somber testament to the price one paid for unleashing cruelty and injustice upon the world.

Yan Zhen's recollected to a haunting moment from her previous life, as she was taking a walk and she abruptly came in front a large door which was inadvertent entrance into the chamber of gruesome punishments. The air was thick with the anguished cries of two men, echoing through the space. At the center of the hall stood a chilling stage , and straight to the stage their was featuring a chair adorned with menacingly sharp thorns—a grotesque throne that struck terror into the hearts of those who beheld it. A small stool rested beneath the chair, offering a brief respite for its occupant. Sinister armrests were embellished with a devil's face, its malevolent smile casting a pall of dread.

Circling the stage were no less than 20 guards, maintaining a vigilant watch over the grim proceedings. On the stage itself, Yan Zhen witnessed a grudge some display involving Shin-Se-Gi, partially naked on his first half and was bathed in the blood of his victim. A swift motion revealed a knife extracted from another's abdomen, causing blood to scatter and coat his face. The abruptness of Yan Zhen's arrival prompted Shin-Se-Gi to turn, his expression transitioning from anger to genuine fear as he recognized her. This fear intensified when he observed her horrified response to the nightmarish tableau.

In that macabre setting, seven lifeless bodies bore witness to the brutality inflicted upon them. Some had met their end through stab wounds to the abdomen, while others suffered the gruesome fate of having their eyeballs gouged out. A man, with a shattered skull as evidence of unspeakable violence, lay among the deceased. Intestines lay strewn across the ground with a precise cuts of 22 on his abdomen, completing the horrifying scene that unfolded before Yan Zhen's eyes. Overwhelmed by the sheer brutality and cruelty, she fled from the chamber, leaving Shin-Se-Gi standing there, his fists clenched in a tempest of emotions.

As she retreated, Yan Zhen sought refuge from the nightmarish reality she had witnessed. The echoes of tortured screams reverberated in her mind, haunting her every step. In that moment, the enormity of the evil within the Devil's Palace became starkly evident. The air was heavy with malevolence, and the negative energy seemed to seep into her very soul, sending shivers down her spine.

Shin-Se-Gi, left alone in the chamber, grappled with the conflicting emotions that surged within him. Fear that Yan Zhen would now despise him even more warred with the realization that the gruesome scene had not only repulsed her but also left her terrified. His fists, clenched in anguish, mirrored the torment that gripped his heart.

He then turned around and relentlessly stabbed the man before him, his actions fueled by memories of Yan Zhen's fear and hatred-filled expression upon seeing him. In a fit of madness, he stabbed the man in front of him at least 52 times. Afterward, he turned to his personal aide with a devilish gaze and inquired, "How did she manage to enter, and why wasn't there a guard at the door?" His furious shout even reached Yan Zhen's ears as she rushed away in terror. The memory concluded at this point.

Yan Zhen reached the palace entrance, and Shin Se Gi dismounted from the horse next to her carriage. He extended his hand to help her alight, but Yan Zhen simply stared at his hand and chose to descend from the carriage on her own. Shin Se Gi contemplated if this was the expected scenario, her harboring hatred towards him. clenching his hand, they were both escorted inside the palace, surrounded by at least 50 soldiers. 

Yan Zhen entered the palace and came to her room, the same one where she lived previously for three years until she was kidnapped and killed. As Yan Zhen entered, she carefully observed the room and saw that her room was decorated according to her wishes with lavender-colored paint and a huge picture of hers with a carefree smile. Every piece of furniture in her room was handmade by top designers. Then she lay on the bed, not knowing what to feel. She didn't know why Shin Se Gi loved her, but she gave a small smile as she remembered Shin Se Gi offering his hand to her while getting down from the carriage, and then her refusal to take his hand. She did this intentionally to know what expression he would make. Would he scold her? Now that she tried to recall, Shin Se Gi never even once scolded her in her past life, even when she went to extreme measures.

-----Time Skip--------

It's been a month since Yan Zhen came to the palace. Every day, Shin Se Gi would visit her room, bringing food and trying to talk to her. However, she would just stare at him, making Shin Se Gi a bit shy. He was worried about her, so he decided to take her to see a doctor, hoping to give her a change of scenery after being in the same room for a month. She hadn't spoken a word since he bought her here , and Shin Se Gi was clueless about what was on her mind.

As they reached the doctor's place and the curtain was raised for Yan Zhen to get down, she caught sight of a person laughing and talking with friends. With a simple glance, she recognized them – the guy and his group who had tormented her in her past life, the ones who killed and raped her. Memories she desperately wanted to forget rushed back, Images of Shin Se Gi's pleas, cries, and her horrified pain replayed in her mind like a haunting movie.

In distress, she shouted and shouted and Shin Se Gi who was near her , rushed into the carriage. The fallen curtain covered her, preventing her from seeing the gang that had caused her so much pain. Shin Se Gi hugged her tightly, asking what happened, while guards surrounded the carriage to prevent any danger. Yan Zhen struggled to free herself, her eyes fixed on the spot where her tormentors stood, even when the curtain covered her.

Shin Se Gi could see that she was focused on the curtain, and he couldn't understand why she started shouting. Fearful as her voice grew hoarse and her veins became visible, he hugged her even tighter and bought her inside the doctor's mansion and despite his efforts, she fought and started hitting shin-se-gi in his chest as to leave her and she attempted to run outside but due to Shin Se Gi's size and strength, he held her firmly and then the doctor appeared and injected yan zhen with a needle, causing Yan Zhen to faint on the spot.