Chapter 204: Seon-Ho

Finally the royal family were back in the palace and I could finally bring my baby and my nephew to the palace to recover as there was no way in hell I was going to sit at home and wait for god know's how long and give Nam-Kyu another chance to escape or come up with another plan to harm my family. I had Nam-Kyu bound and blindfolded and any thought of her anonymity went out the window as I had her thrown into a criminal cage for the whole village to see and I didn't care about the consequences. And soon enough everyone came out from market stalls and their homes and started throwing rotted foods at them. We rode all the way to the palace when I had to request an emergency meeting the Queen of all people. I knew she wouldn't see me but luckily Yeon arrived at the same time with Hyuk...and Prince Bang-Gan of all people. He shot me a sympathetic look as we all followed him to his residence where he would have to take over this meeting himself. He spoke to Yeon first who looked besides herself as she only just heard about the army general's daughter and nephew being brought to the palace unexpectedly, but that she had no idea what what had happened. When he questioned her further she bravely told him of the circumstances that had driven her our of her own home, completely undermining the women's schemes.

I then said my piece about how I found out my daughter had gone missing in the beginning, how the people I brought to the palace alongside them witnessed how Nam-Kyu had 'cared for them' when they didn't want to leave my side, brought them to the dump I had left her in, forced them to keep up appearances in the palace in front of the prince and princesses and tell everyone what a wonderful new mother she was to them and barely cared for them until she had had enough of them and cruelly kicked them out, all because she wanted children on her own. Myself and Yeon were beginning to get besides ourselves as the Prince called on his youngest siblings who studied with the children as witnesses. All Nam-Kyu could do was stutter at this point but even she had to keep her mouth shut when the royal children all came by as requested to bear witness to what they had seem happen to Hana and Chul, as well as recounting the village incident. And when they confirmed their story one by one Yeon walked up to her and slapped her so hard in front of everyone, humiliating her to the point where she had no choice but to keep quiet. Hyuk also gave his testimony against Nam-Kyu by declaring that he had heard the plot but she threatened him into staying away from the palace or they would harm his sister and cousin, so he had no choice but to listen and say hidden with his mother. And with that; he reinstated Yeon' position as my first wife and ordered me to take in my family again, with her and our children under his protection. I felt a huge weight lift off of my heart and felt like could breathe for the first time in a long time. My darkness however I could only hold at bay for our children. But I shot Yeon a look to let her know that we had a lot of making up to do.

He then had guards take a hold of both of them just as Bang-Won himself entered the building on behalf of Hwi who was absolutely furious when he found out about 'my wife's' latest tricks, even I had to put up with his wrath which wasn't too often between us. But understandably he was just as fed up of the situation I was in more than his sister. Yeon could only intervene so much, he was her older brother after all. I was also ordered to get on my knees but I was past caring about my pride at this point...I just wanted out of this nightmare I felt I was drowning "General Nam Seon-Ho; your wife is guilty of arrogantly trying to harm your other spouse, by detaining the physician and risking the precious life of a newborn baby, offending her superiors. You are to be punished by being on house arrest for 3 months to reflect on your mistake. Your wife is to be punished with 50 slaps on the mouth and 20 canings before also being on house arrest for 6 months in your maternal residence. You will not be allowed to attend to your husband during this period and the restraining order on the other spouse is officially revoked. As compensation; you are under order to provide for your husband's children as he brings merit to your maternal household. He is also to take his family back into his residence to care for his wife in her feeble state. And if either women commit any offence in the general's household to upset him or his rightful wife Seo Yeon, then the punishment shall be up to her rather than bothering the palace with your marriage disputes."

And with that both the Prince's dispersed as did as Nam-Kyu was taken back to my home under restraint and would be watched by some of Prince Bang-Gan's own men until the punishment took place. The Seo's ran to see the children, but Yeon as usual looked behind her to see me lost and alone and she took my hand so we could check on everyone together. I saw Hana waiting for me already as usual in bed, and my heart shattered into pieces; my arms felt empty and useless without her in them; holding me by the neck and me taking in her heavenly scent she inherited from her mother. All I could do was wait in the background whilst the doctor looked over them both until he brought her hand in hand and she ran to me; her face lit up as she screamed my name with tears falling down her big cheeks. It had almost been too long since I had seen them both. My mind wondered back to the first time I had to bring those women home and I held the twins in my lap and told them I had to be away from them for a while and stay with the woman they had seen chasing me in the market for their own safety. This upset them a lot and they kept asking me questions I couldn't face answering; like if I still loved them and their mother. My son looked like he understood at some level but Hana was heartbroken; she didn't want to share me with anyone else. But I told them that until I came to them myself that they were not to approach me in public in front of anyone ever. I wasn't used to raising my voice to them at all but I needed them to understand. And I saw how grown up they were now and I thanked the heavens over and over again for the family I was blessed with and they did not sustain any harmful injuries, just a couple of bruises and scrapes.