A woman dressed in a tattered cloth sat on the ground. Her silky black hair is currently a mess. There were bruises on the visible parts of her body. Her beautiful eyes were red from crying. Her facial expression lacked any kind of emotion. The woman stared at the well-dressed and groomed woman who stood before her with a smirk plastered on her face.
"Oh my mighty Empress, do you know how and why you ended up like this?" Lee Eun Yeong, the woman in the tattered cloth, remained immobile and silent but shook her head. The other woman laughed like a maniac.
"Empress... Empress, you are still clueless about everything. Hahaha.... you are such an *! how could you even be crowned as the Empress of Hanyang!! I, the mere mistress of the Emperor was the one behind everything", said the other woman in between laughs.
Eun Yeong's eyes widened in shock. "That's right! I was the one who arranged for someone to drug your drink at your marriage banquet, so you can never get pregnant! I arranged the trap that will make that you hate my unborn child and intend to kill it. Well! it is really pitiful that poor Joon-Seok fell into it and lost his precious life. But, in the end, I still got what I wanted. You are now imprisoned for intending to hurt my child and to murder the next heir in line."
Eun Yeong got up and tried to strangle the other woman. "Why?!! Why did you have to do it ?! Jo Yang-Sun, you are such a vile woman!" Yang-Sun laughed. She easily pushed the weak Eun Yeong away and pushed her against a wall. She grabbed Eun Yeong's neck. "Why? How dare you ask me why I did this?! Isn't it because you stuck to the Emperor shamelessly? You knew that I loved the Emperor but you still went after him! You are nothing but a child the Prime minister picked off the streets! How dare you compete with me?!", Yang-Sun started screaming.
"Cough. Emperor was the one who...cough... married me... and make me... the empress... Cough.... not the... cough... other way around !", said Eun Yeong. Yang-Sun sneered and let go of Eun Yeong's neck. "I came here to tell you something. It's about your biological father. I cannot believe your luck! Your father is actually Ji Chang-Wook! The cousin of the late Empress and currently the head of the Ji Clan. Originally, I wanted to torture you slowly in this prison but since things are like this, I have no choice but to let you inform this", Yang-Sun said.
"In order for me and my child to live peacefully, you must die!" "But, don't you worry! death will come in a smooth way and from the person you least expected." Yang Sun said while smirking evilly. "I've to go now empress, just came here to bid you goodbye..", She left after that.
The doors of the hall squeaked open and a pair of dragon-embroidered boots stopped in front of Eun Yeong. Looking up, it was a black robe embroidered with golden dragons. Eun Yeong slowly raise her head and look at the man that was high up above. Time did not leave any imprint on his face as he was as handsome as he was in the beginning. He was the wise sovereign and justifiably Son of Heaven. He was the man that she had foolishly loved for all these years and the husband that she helped in humble circumstances over the years.
"Why?" Eun Yeong asked difficultly. He did not reply. "Why is it difficult to love me?" She asked the Mighty emperor Jeon Jeongguk, who was the youngest of the seven sons of the Late Emperor. Each of the seven sons had their own merits but the Crown Prince died suddenly and the Emperor was not willing to alter the title of the Crown Prince thus the turmoil became an opportunity for the other princes to get the throne. Though the fifth Prince manages to get the power through a bloody fight, he humbly gives all the power to his only remaining youngest brother, who is now the current Emperor, Emperor Jeon.
While Eun Yeong's adopted family persuaded her to get married to the emperor, she didn't hesitate to tie herself and her whole adopted family to the Emperor together. In return, He established her as the empress, the mother of the world which was grandest.
But what she didn't know is there was already an additional beautiful and talented Jo Yang-Sun in the Inner palace as the Mistress of the Emperor. Yang-Sun was an official's daughter whom Jeongguk met during his hunting expedition. He like her intelligence and sensibility and brought her back to the Palace.
Yang-Sun always made Eun Yeong feel a sense of crisis and as the Royal Misstress Yang-Sun repeatedly got the upper hand. In the end, Eun Yeong walked to where she is today.
The emperor now held his sword below her neck. His eyes holding anger. Sweat covered Eun Yeong's whole body while her hands clenched the hem of her dress. Pain. A bitter smile crept to her mouth. Her eyes look down at his shoes as it continues to leak out some salty fluids. It would've been better if it was a physical one. She could endure it. Every kind of torture, She'll endure it. Why does it have to be an emotional one? Her heart is clenching, an aching sensation that never leaves. Her whole body was trembling but she forced herself to look at him. The one whom she loves yet he hates her at the same time.
Those two brown orbs that once used to look at her with an adorning look now held a hostile one. For a moment, she thought a flash of guilt went through his eyes but she knew better. In a moment or so, Eun Yeong's head might be rolling away from her body and the culprit would be him. Her life would be taken away by him and with the sword with a golden handle, a dragon with ruby eyes embedded in it, the same one which took thousands of lives and conquered many wars to protect their mother country, will be also the tool to take the life of the Empress. Her blood will drip over it and his manly hand would wipe it as was a dangerous acidic fluid that would ruin his sword's state. She knows it since it's the same gesture he did whenever he have to use the sword to give the highest punishment in the world, death. She did her best to serve him but here she is, kneeling before him, his sword held against her neck as she was framed for the crime to hurt the unborn royal heir and as result killing the person who cared about her the most in the palace.
This man... She lived the rest of her life protecting him, encouraging him, pampering him, and helping him. In simpler words, She lived the rest of her life loving him. She thought that trying to change his heart would make him love her back. In the first place, She even thought that he loved her but just fell out of love because of the poisonous words that were planted into him by his mistress. Until she realized there was no way one could fall out of love. If it did, then it wasn't love in the first place. He never loved her back in the first place. How could she even stand against that vile woman? She felt that her whole body was filled with guilt, anger, resentment, sadness, and tons of emotions that even she couldn't able to distinguish... her family died because of him. her best friend Joon-Seok died because of him. The people around her abused her because of him.
She didn't care about all of this before, blinded by her lovesick mind. All her thoughts were about making him love her back. Which is an unreachable dream. If she gets another chance, another life, she promises to not let him chase that vile woman anymore. She'll do her best to save her family, to save people. To save herself and live her life to the fullest. But she might not want another chance to be given to her anymore, as being killed by the own hands of her love is the gravest thing that no one can ever imagine. With that, a sudden thought lit up in Eun Yeong's brain. What if without his own hands, she ends her life end it herself?
With a determined gaze, Eun Yeong grasped the end of the blade.
"My eyes wear teary, my heart is broken, and my whole body is aching but I pushed myself to go forward and impale my chest with his mighty sword.
The emperor, my beloved, widened his eyes with great surprise and tried to withdraw the sword but was prevented by my own hands that are clutching the blade. The blade sliced my hand as I gripped it, a powerful pain spreading on my chest area where my heart lies.
"Are you crazy ?!" he yelled and tugged at the sword, only to be halted by my harsh grip. My body trembled with anguish and agony. My own eyes still staring at his and if it was still possible, my heart skips a beat. I teared up more and clenched my teeth. After all the things he has done. My heart still yearns for him. I am truly a dumb and pitiful girl. " I- in this lifetime.. a- and every other, I p-promise to only b- be loyal to you... E-Even if I h- have to crawl back from Hell, I will do so gladly. T- the heavens m-may shift and the oceans r- recede, but only my love for you w - will never cease, Jeongguk."
I sobbed out clenching the blades more tighter.
"Let go of the sword Eun~ah!" his panicked voice echoed.
Panicked?
I really am on the brink of death, having hallucinations that he's panicked for me. His voice saying my name made me smile though. That itchy feeling in my destroyed heart coming up again. It's been years since I heard him calling me by my nickname. I pushed myself more, wanting to end my life as quickly as I can. I glanced at him one more time, smiling at him who shouted repeatedly. What is he saying? My head is too dizzy to comprehend. I can only see him open his mouth. His hands already left the sword and were clutching my shoulders.
I can't deny that I still love you. I'm certain that in my mind, I would still hear you whispering those three words happily as if you were sincere. It would still make my heart flutter despite the things you did. If there's another chance, I will force myself to just be on your side, watching you happily live your life with me. Even though it would be hard to believe, it's better since I will get a peaceful life. A life where I don't need to battle against some girl just to gain your heart. A life where I don't need to be cautious of traps and poisons. I will make myself content to just see you enjoying your life with me. That is the life I want... Because that's love right? be happy with your loved ones in every aspect of life.
I really am a slave of his love
By gathering up my strength I gasped out my last words.
"Goodbye, M-my Emperor"