Painter of the Night: The Runaway Agassi

[Side Story 1]

Jeju Island

I sat there abruptly while I looked down at the medicine that was prepared for me by the prison guards. I felt empty deep inside; so this is how I'm gonna die huh? After the hardships that I've been through with all those pain and tears, none of it matters. My hands were trembling, "I don't want to die. I missed my daughter, Na-bi! My precious daughter." I sobbed as I covered my face at the realization that I will be embrace death.

Being the daughter of a greedy nobleman.

Being a concubine of a wise but heartless King.

I smiled bitterly at those roles that I have played for survival. I betrayed my family for the survival of her only daughter, Na-bi and I didn't regretted it. My family had been living in a lie at the thought that they couldn't get away from their sins against the royal family by exposing my father's evil deeds to the Royal Family that I might finally be at peace but when I thought that the Crown Prince back then would let me go. I was mistaken. After my family is being arrested when Na-bi was two years old, the Crown Prince suddenly took me in as his concubine and I realized that he had no plan on letting me and my daughter go.

The current young King was ascending to the throne after the previous King was dead in an illness wearing a deadpan expression. He was both punishing and rewarding me; I became a lower Concubine but things had never been easy for me; I was prone to bullying by the Queen's palace servants, assassination attempts like poison and my daughter Na-bi was constantly been shunned by the palace servants as if our existence meant nothing to them. They were calling us names, treated us like we're not human but when the current King was beside me, they were treated us with royalty.

Total hypocrites.

When Na-bi reached her fifth birthday with only the three of us are celebrating with her in my  own shabby palace. It is Na-bi's birthday wished that triggers me, "I wish the three of us will left the palace for good." that was tearing me up so, all this time, my precious daughter was aware of our harsh circumstances in the palace and she didn't say anything. My poor Na-bi. This is not the life that I wanted for her.

After my daughter fell asleep. I immediately went to make an audience with the King and he permitted me to see him. I told him that I wanted to throw away my title as a Concubine and the comfort of our lives in the palace in exchange that I'll be presenting him a full ledger of her father's corruption that would ultimately send my family to their demise. I pleaded to him to let us go but then, the King granted it but only to my daughter who was not giving a title as a princess and then, I offer my life in exchange for Na-bi's freedom; I should die along with my guilty family.

The King hesitantly agrees with my harsh suggestion and tomorrow by dawn, Na-bi and her nanny will go to Lord Seungho's residence and stay there for good. I wrote a letter of farewell to Lord Seungho and gave it to Nanny Choi hee as the elder woman is going to take in charge of taking care of Na-bi from now on. I watched from my own residential palace as my daughter and her nanny left and I patiently waited to be arrested by the palace guards.

Back in the present, I consumed the 'poison' and for some reason, I feel so sleepy as I closed my eyes and collapsed. I don't know why, but I couldn't feel death in my entire body.

After two hours, I was surprised that I didn't die as I touched my neck and then, to my surprise, the guards didn't even flinched when they saw me alive. They explained to me that the 'poison' was just for a show planned by His Majesty in order to protect me from the Queen who wants me dead because she was jealous of me for some reason. I fell into my knees as I thank His Majesty's mercy and benevolence to protect and spare me from death.

After that, an old couple adopted me and became their daughter and I lived in Jeju Island for 12 years while making a living to catch fish in the sea. I decided to stay for a while in order to protect my daughter, Nabi because the Queen is still alive and no one knows if that cruel woman will send another assassin to them again. I don't want my daughter to be endangered and besides, her father was there to protect her and even if Lord Seungho was a bit irresponsible person and probably allowed other people to raise their daughter, he will do necessarily to kill anybody who tresspassed his territory or even lay a hand on his daughter.