Still covering her mouth, Go Gyeong-seong kept a close watch on the situation outside. Only after the footsteps of the two people had faded into the distance did she slowly lower her hand.
It had been only a brief moment, yet to her it had felt endlessly long. In the deepening autumn night, inside the cold warehouse, her entire body had become drenched in sweat in that short span of time.
The sweat running down her back cooled and brought on a chill.
Go Gyeong-seong leaned weakly against the wall and sank to the floor.
Live or die…
On Mu-ae’s voice still echoed in her ears—cold, indifferent, without the slightest hesitation.
I will leave not a single one alive.
Her hands trembled. No—her whole body trembled.
Whether from the cold, from fear, or from rage, she could not tell. Perhaps it was all of them mixed together.
She drew her knees up and buried her chin against them. In the darkness she closed her eyes, opened them, closed them again.
Tears welled up, but she did not let them fall. Even tears felt like a luxury now.
What… what am I supposed to do?
At the same time, in Seowon.
While On Mu-ae carried Yu Geum-yeon toward Seowon, she rested her head against his chest and softly recounted how she had missed him these past few days.
On Mu-ae smiled and lightly patted her back as if soothing her.
“And so you came back like this, didn’t you? There have simply been many matters in the palace lately, so I was away for only a few days. Why were you so anxious?”
Yu Geum-yeon pouted, sulking.
“Have you forgotten? For the past year Your Highness often came all the way to the frontier for my sake, and you were at my side nearly every day. I followed you all the way to the capital, yet lately you’ve grown even busier and hardly have time to see me.”
On Mu-ae set her down on the bed inside the room and said,
“Today I shall stay with you.”
The moment her body touched the bed, Yu Geum-yeon rose like a water snake and twined herself around him. Caught in her embrace, On Mu-ae could only sit on the edge of the bed, unable to move.
Yu Geum-yeon wrapped her whole body tightly around him and buried her face against his chest.
“Mu-ae, once the matter of Chancellor Go is settled… what do you intend to do?”
On Mu-ae continued to stroke her shoulder gently, yet said nothing. He gazed at the moonlight beyond the window. Outside, the night wind blew fiercely, its howling sound strangely unsettling.
The dragon-and-phoenix candles inside the room flickered wildly as if battered by the wind.
“Has anything unusual happened with Go Gyeong-seong in the meantime?”
he asked casually.
Yu Geum-yeon’s face stiffened for an instant, but she quickly recovered a smile and lifted her head.
“Don’t even speak of it. Overnight her father and the entire household were confiscated. That proud younger daughter of Chancellor Go became a criminal’s daughter in the blink of an eye.”
She paused to catch her breath, then continued with a pitiful expression.
“Not only was she deposed, but she even received a letter of divorce written in Your Highness’s own hand. Who could remain in their right mind after that? These past few days she’s been shut away in Dongwon reflecting on her mistakes, but I’ve heard she wept and clung so desperately that she even threatened to take her own life…”
The lies flowed from her lips as smoothly as water. There was not the slightest tremor in her voice.
Dongwon. The most beautiful and quiet separate residence in the princely household.
But Go Gyeong-seong was not there. She was trembling in the darkness of an abandoned warehouse, gripped by the fear of death. On Mu-ae, of course, had no way of knowing this.
“She’s in Dongwon?”
On Mu-ae suddenly lowered his head and looked into Yu Geum-yeon’s eyes. His gaze sharpened.
Yu Geum-yeon met his eyes steadily and answered in a calm voice.
“Yes. If not Dongwon, then where else would she be?”
An invisible smile flickered at the corner of her mouth.
“She is no longer a consort, and she has received Your Highness’s letter of divorce, yet one cannot simply cast her aside coldly. Chancellor Go’s affairs are not yet fully settled, and no one knows what will become of her. So I merely allowed her to stay alone in Dongwon so that she might reflect on herself.”
Dongwon, indeed.
Yu Geum-yeon sneered inwardly. Go Gyeong-seong was locked in a warehouse that stank of rat droppings, yet On Mu-ae believed she was peacefully reflecting in comfortable Dongwon.
How laughable it was.
“How kind-hearted you are, Yu-a.”
On Mu-ae stroked her face with satisfaction, then suddenly paused.
“But… she said she would take her own life? And while weeping and making a scene?”
Yu Geum-yeon raised one eyebrow.
“She was raised like a precious jewel and even became consort to the Prince of Yeonggun, only to fall in an instant. How could she remain composed? But Mu-ae, set your mind at ease. It’s all just an act to show Your Highness. She would never truly take her life.”
A scornful smile touched her lips.
“The louder the weeping, the stronger the will to live, isn’t it? She merely hopes Your Highness will pity her.”
On Mu-ae nodded.
“You’re right. Whether she lives or dies, leave her be.”
The moment those words fell, Yu Geum-yeon felt a surge of triumph rise in her chest. On Mu-ae had completely believed her.
He believed that Go Gyeong-seong was living peacefully in Dongwon and was merely pretending to threaten suicide.
The anxiety that had pressed up to her throat subsided, and Yu Geum-yeon sighed in relief as she nestled softly against him.
“Mu-ae, when the people of the Go family are executed… do you intend to place Go Gyeong-seong among them as well? And after that… do you have some other plan?”
On Mu-ae’s expression faltered briefly, but he quickly recovered and carefully laid Yu Geum-yeon down as though nothing had happened.
“Go Gyeong-seong is merely the daughter of a criminal. She can no longer come between you and me. Speak no more of it and rest easily. The physician will be here soon. What if something happens to the child?”
Yu Geum-yeon laughed coquettishly.
“Mu-ae, since you cherish me so, nothing else matters to me anymore…”
Bang—
In the deepening autumn, a fierce wind rattled the window lattice, and at last the warehouse door was kicked open with a heavy thud.
Nearly ten days had passed since Go Gyeong-seong had been locked in the warehouse. She slowly raised her head and looked at Yu Geum-yeon, who entered accompanied by several guards.
Yu Geum-yeon, who had taken On Mu-ae away near this place not long ago, had reappeared after several days.
She wanted to leap at her that very instant and tear her to pieces—claw her cheeks with her nails, seize her by the hair and fling her to the ground.
But Go Gyeong-seong no longer had the strength left for such things. She was barely clinging to life on the spoiled rice that a maid occasionally brought her.
She could not die like this.
She had to take revenge—on those who had brought her father, her family, and herself to this state.
Even spoiled rice she had forced herself to swallow. But for the past two days even that had stopped, and she was starving. Her vision swam.
Yet even through her blurred sight, Yu Geum-yeon’s swollen belly stood out clearly.
The child in her womb must be nearly four months by now. How much time has passed?
Looking down at Go Gyeong-seong, Yu Geum-yeon suddenly smiled and clapped her hands. Clap, clap!
Go Gyeong-seong could not understand what it meant—until the two guards at the door brought a bamboo basket and set it respectfully before her.
She stared at the basket.
Yu Geum-yeon would never be kind enough to bring food herself. Without moving, she regarded Yu Geum-yeon with cold eyes.
Even reduced to this state, she had no intention of begging from that cunning vixen.
She only wanted to know what Yu Geum-yeon was scheming—what she, or rather On Mu-ae, intended to do with her.
“I hear you haven’t eaten a thing for two days?”
Yu Geum-yeon spoke in a mocking tone. Even as she spoke she held a silk handkerchief to her nose and rubbed it lightly, as if the smell inside the warehouse disgusted her.
She glanced around and continued.
“Tsk, tsk. This place suits you perfectly. Ideal for the lowly daughter of a criminal…”
“What do you want? Just say it.”
Even in such a wretched state, Go Gyeong-seong still carried herself with the dignity of a chancellor’s daughter. Yu Geum-yeon’s face twisted at the sight.
She kicked hard.
“Ugh…!”
Go Gyeong-seong was so drained that merely sitting upright on the straw was exhausting. She could not dodge the sudden kick and toppled backward.
The toe that struck her abdomen twisted her insides. The taste of iron rose in her mouth.
Bang! The sound of her head striking the hard stone wall echoed.
Ah…
Lightning-like pain exploded at the crown of her head. Her ears rang.
Her vision flashed white, then was covered in black spots.
Soon she felt hot blood flowing from her forehead. Her sight turned red with the blood streaming down.
Go Gyeong-seong leaned helplessly against the stone wall and tried twice to rise, but she could not get up. There was no strength even in her fingertips.
Watching this, Yu Geum-yeon laughed triumphantly.
“Help her up.”
The two guards seized Go Gyeong-seong by both arms and hauled her upright. Her legs trembled, but the guards held her firmly on either side so she did not collapse.
“Today is the sixteenth birthday of our former consort of the Prince of Yeonggun’s household, is it not?”
Yu Geum-yeon tilted her head slightly as she spoke. Her voice was sweet as honey, yet poison lurked within.
“I’ve prepared a grand gift myself, so I ought to present it while you’re still alive, don’t you think? It would be a pity if you died so easily.”
Her hair and collar still gripped by the guards’ rough hands, she was forced upright only to be shoved again, collapsing onto the bamboo basket that sat beside the pile of straw.
Thud!
The lid of the basket fell open onto the floor.
Her blood-reddened eyes naturally turned toward the inside of the basket, and a look of horror spread across her face.
“Ah—!”
Go Gyeong-seong screamed. She tried to scramble backward in panic, but her strength was completely gone; she managed only a small movement.
The contents of the basket were fully revealed before her eyes.
Bloodied things lay tangled together. Sticky red liquid that had not yet dried pooled at the bottom of the basket.
Finger joints were bent at unnatural angles, and blood still dripped from the severed parts.
No… it can’t be…
Watching this, Yu Geum-yeon fluttered her silk handkerchief to disperse the nauseating stench of blood and said,
“Well? Do you like my gift? I thought it over carefully. After all, you were once the precious daughter of the chancellor’s household. Even in this state, it seemed only proper that you should have attendants to serve at your side.”
Seeing the full measure of horror in her eyes and the way she could barely breathe from shock, Yu Geum-yeon laughed even more triumphantly.
“Unfortunately your maids were far too stubborn. A few days ago they insulted me, so they were beaten to death. Tsk, tsk. Beaten to death with clubs while still alive—what a truly ghastly sight it was. Even I could hardly bear to look.”
Go Gyeong-seong slowly raised her head and stared at Yu Geum-yeon as if looking at a monster. Her whole body trembled.
“Yu Geum-yeon… you…”
Her voice shook so badly the words would not come out properly. The maids were dead.
Those loyal girls who had followed her since the days of her natal home.
Yu Geum-yeon continued speaking, still smiling.
