Eps 21 : Bloody Scream
The night weather looks clear and the moon can be seen directly. In the moonlight, a palace lady accompanied by her palace maids walked in a bit of a hurry tonight. Her steps slowed slightly after entering a pavilion within the rear palace complex.
The woman's presence surprised the palace maids, who were preparing for an important night. Immediately, they stopped their activity and saluted to the woman.
When the palace maid of the Seonghwa-dang pavilion was about to announce her arrival, Jung Yeon-Hee's hand shot up, stopping. Queen Jung did not want to cause an uproar for the owner of the Seonghwa-dang pavilion—Kang Suk-Ui. In a low voice, Queen Jung gives instructions that she doesn't want to refute.
"Don't mind my presence. Please keep working on finishing tonight's preparations well."
After that, Queen Jung entered the Seonghwa-dang pavilion, followed by only Court Lady Jo. Queen Jung didn't waste time. She headed to a small room that was right next to Concubine Kang's private room, a place where Concubine Kang must have been preparing to welcome King Yeongan to her room.
"Where are the teas and snacks that you prepared for the King and Kang Suk-Ui?" Queen Jung asked the two palace maid who greeted her in the small room.
Obediently, one of the court maid immediately showed it to Queen Jung. Queen Jung's dark eyes saw that there were several tea boxes being prepared. In accordance with her husband's wishes, Queen Jung began to sit down to brew tea. This action obviously surprised the ladies-in-waiting, who tried to prevent the Queen from brewing the tea.
"Your Majesty, shouldn't you—"
"You don't have to feel uncomfortable. This is my wish. I want to help make this night go well," the Queen interrupted, her hands busy brewing the tea.
Yeon-Hee acted very calmly. There was not the slightest hint of emotion on her face as she carried out an act that was sufficiently insulting to her reputation as queen in front of the palace maids. Deep down, Yeon-Hee felt a burst of mixed emotions. Even though the orders given by King Yeongan insulted her, she persisted in carrying them out. The woman was sure that one day she would be able to avenge all these insults.
It only took Yeon-Hee a few minutes to brew a special tea according to the recipe the palace chief healer gave. Yeon-Hee sat on the cushion provided in the small room after finishing brewing tea.The door slid again and a senior court lady entered the room and gasped at the presence of Jung Yeon-Hee.
"Y-your ma...."
Yeon-Hee raised a hand briefly as a sign for the senior lady not to speak. Without even looking at the senior court lady, Yeon-Hee focused herself on what was going to be a very long night for her.
"Especially tonight, I will guide their night time activities. Leave Seonghwa-dang right now and make sure that no walls or earth in this palace find out about tonight's events as morning approaches," Yeon-Hee demand sharply.
...
Kang Mi-Young cant stop to smile, which made her cheeks look red, imagining the night activities she would do with King Yeongan. Although her official appointment as a concubine was only carried out yesterday, it doesn't make Mi-Young stop hoping that she will soon give birth to the king's first child. From the start, Mi-Young was determined to give birth to King Yeongan's first son and dethrone Queen Jung.
Mi-Young sarcastically smiles when she thinks of Queen Jung's demise. Mi-Young thinks that even if that cold woman takes the throne as a Joseon Queen, she is no luckier than her. Mi-Young should be grateful because she is sure King Yeongan will not just leave her like The King did to Queen Jung at their first wedding night.
The announcement of the King's arrival makes Mi-Young snap out of her thoughts. As soon as the door of the room opens, Mi-Young tries her best to contain the burst of happiness by smiling and moving gracefully in front of King Yeongan.
"Your Majesty...." Mi-Young greeted in the softest voice possible.
Yi Baek was silent for a moment to stare from head to toe at the new concubine in front of him. Based on the information that Eunuch Jang gave this afternoon, Concubine Kang was one of the finalists in the final round of the queen selection, which was held a few months ago. Kang Mi-Young is one of the many concubines that Royal Queen Dowager Shin has presented to him. The last fact made Yi Baek sneer with a lopsided smile.
"It's nice to have one more flower in my personal collection," Yi Baek murmured with a low chuckle.
Mi-Young interprets Yi Baek's mumbling as a compliment, smiling while lowering her head slightly. "I'm very flattered by your compliment, Your Majesty."
Yi Baek snorted and then sat down on the cushion that had been provided. Meanwhile, Mi-Young gets busy serving Yi Baek the evening snacks that have been provided. Until the special blended tea was served.
Yi Baek immediately took a sip of the special tea. Just by inhaling the scent of hot tea that Mi-Young poured, Yi Baek already knew that the tea was herbal tea that was deliberately brewed to make this night go perfectly.
After a few seconds after drinking tea, hot air ran through Yi Baek's body. Yi Baek glanced at Mi-Young and tried to control the excitement that was running through his body. This action made Yi Baek move restlessly in his seat.
Noticing Yi Baek's nervousness, Mi-Young marvels at the quick reaction of the highly efficacious aphrodisiac mixed tea. Not wanting to waste the opportunity, Mi-Young took the initiative to start the game early.
"Your Majesty, have you finished sharing the special tea?"
A question rang out from the small room, interrupting the intimate atmosphere Mi-Young was trying to create. Slightly annoyed, Mi-Young glares at the small room next to the room. Mi-Young can see the shadow of a woman sitting behind the door of the small room.
"I haven't even finished the first cup that was served," Yi Baek replied with a meaningful smile. Obviously, the man knew who the woman sitting behind the door of the small room was.
"I'll wait until you finish your tea and then guide—"
"No!" cried Mi-Young, annoyed. "I don't want any guidance, even if it's all palace protocol."
Yi Baek bursts into laughter when he hears that his new concubine doesn't know someone will guide them tonight. "Apparently you can't wait to start the game tonight, Mi-Young?"
Mi-Young returns to focus her attention on Yi Baek after hearing his laugh a while ago. Seeing the seductive expression on Yi Baek's face, Mi-Young was able to get rid of the irritation that had arisen in his heart in an instant.
"Surely, Your Majesty. I don't mean to be rude or to violate palace protocol. I feel uncomfortable with guidance from a stranger."
"But the person you called the court lady earlier is not a stranger," Yi Baek insisted to Mi-Young. "It's an honor to have tonight's guidance from her." Yi Baek then shifted his seat and gently touched Mi Young's chin.
"I insist on refusing, Your Majesty. It would be better if we didn't get any guidance from anyone tonight. "Because I can make sure you will feel comfortable."
Unexpectedly, Mi-Young bravely tugs on the thin hanbok straps covering her shoulders. That action leaves Mi-Young's bare shoulders and full chest exposed in front of Yi Baek. As if to emphasize her disapproval of guidance from a senior court lady, Mi-Young puts on a sensual smile, trying to provoke Yi Baek to dare to touch her.
"What if I want to keep getting guidance from a court lady?" challenged Yi Baek. "I don't want to miss tonight's guide from someone who's especially made time for this evening."
"Then…" Mi-Young got up from her seat and did something unexpected. Pulling off the cloth that wrapped her chest to reveal her plain upper body. "I'll impress you and make sure you don't use a guide, Your Majesty."
A crooked smile graced Yi Baek's face again. One of his thumbs rose to brush the edges of his wet lips. Yi Baek lowered his head and chuckled again before finally lifting his face, and his two beads looked even darker than before.
"You will regret it, Mi-Young. Because I was very impressed with the naked body that was decorated with a thick red liquid."
Mi-Young's whole body shuddered at the tone of voice that Yi Baek used. Seconds later, Mi-Young is made to regret her flirting and refuses to use a guide.
...
Jung Yeon-Hee came out of the room with a faint smile. Hearing Kang Mi-Young's refusal to get her advice tonight didn't make Yeon-Hee angry; on the contrary, it made her happy. Moans and pleas for forgiveness from Mi-Young behind the door of the room made Yeon-Hee's steps stop again.
Mi-Young's pained moans from inside the room mingled with Yi Baek's moaning sound, and Yeon-Hee smiled sinisterly. Yeon-Hee can smell the rancid smell of blood simply by standing in front of the entrance to Kang Mi-Young's room in Seonghwa-dang.
"Torturing?" Yeon-Hee continued in disbelief.
"Your Majesty, you'd better leave immediately." "It's not good if Suk-Ui sees your presence here."
A warning from Court Lady Jo behind her made Yeon-Hee cast a scornful glance at Kang Mi-Young's door once again. Yeon-Hee was a little surprised after knowing firsthand how Yi Baek treated his concubines—or could it be a queen?
For whatever reason, Jung Yeon-Hee felt a hundred times better than the concubines who were tortured by Yi Baek. Even though Yeon-Hee knows, she is ridiculed by the entire palace because she was left untouched by the King on their wedding night.