WHEN THE MARRIAGE COLLAPSE

eighteen - "You f***ing snake."

"What do you mean pregnant?!" Yeonbyul asked in disbelief.

"His Majesty hid this information from you. She's been pregnant for 12 weeks already."

Mr Park stood up, "What if he makes the child the heir to the throne? That would mean there's a high chance that Haesun will take your place, Yeonbyul!"

"So you expect me to have sex with Heeseung? No way!"

Sunghoon got up from his seat and walked back and forth, thinking of a solution. Yeonbyul scoffed and drank her tea, "It's alright. The child won't be the heir unless I adopt him. It will be an illegitimate child and he or she will be forbidden to take over the throne."

Hanseo walked into the dining hall and she looked around in surprise, seeing the hall so crowded.

"Your Majesty, I need to tell you something. It's about Lady Haesun."

Yeonbyul looked at the court lady, waiting for her to continue her words in anticipation. Hanseo took a deep breath before speaking, "Just now, I was walking by the hallway in front of the throne room. Lady Haesun's court lady was talking about how the mistress will announce her pregnancy at your birthday party."

The Queen scoffed, "She's trying so hard to take the spotlight from me. She dared to wear the same gown as mine during the ball and now she wants to announce her pregnancy at my birthday party?"

Sunghoon smirked, "Why don't we congratulate her with a gift? A very interesting gift."

"I will not gift her. She doesn't even respect me and dared to poison me."

"I'm not saying that you should give her something special or expensive. We should give her something to remember forever."

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Yeonbyul greeted the guests that came to her birthday party. Heeseung still hasn't arrived since he left his villa an hour ago. It will take at least one and a half hours from the villa to the palace. She faced Hanseo who was standing right next to her, "Did you prepare the present?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

She smiled and fixed her posture, seeing her father waving at her. She looked at Sunghoon who was talking to the ministers. He looked handsome and charismatic in a white suit. The entrance door opened, revealing Haesun with the King. All the guests bowed at them.

Yeonbyul leaned back against her chair and watched as the couple walked towards her. Haesun lowered her gaze to greet her, "Your Majesty, how have you been?"

The Queen ignored the mistress and walked towards her husband, "I've been thinking lately. We should have a baby, shouldn't we? We're growing old day by day anyway so we should have an heir to the throne by now."

Haesun's eyes widened and she looked at Heeseung who was speechless. Yeonbyul smirked since she knew Haesun must be speechless and shocked at her words.

The mistress cleared her throat and face the guests, "Everybody! I have an announcement to make!"

Heeseung widened his eyes, "Haesun, no-"

"I am pregnant with Heeseung's child for 12 weeks already. We already have an heir to the throne! I'm sure the Queen will adopt my child since she is unable to have one."

"I will not adopt the child."

Everyone looked at Yeonbyul in surprise. The guests were standing awkwardly, feared that there might be a fight after the Queen said that. Heeseung was surprised because he thought Yeonbyul would've pitied the child and adopt it. Haesun glared at the Queen, How can I be Queen if she won't adopt it?!

"Bold of you to assume that I will adopt it. Didn't I say that I will be trying to have an heir? Of course, the child would be step-siblings with yours but yours will be illegitimate to the throne anyway so why bother?"

Haesun gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, wanting to kill the Queen there instantly but held herself back. Yeonbyul smiled, "Ah I almost forgot. I heard you were pregnant by one of your maids. So before you arrived, I have prepared a gift."

Haesun's face lit up, expecting a box of diamonds or expensive clothes and bags. Yeonbyul unlocked the chest, "I have found the perfect gift that suits your personality." Haesun opened the chest and screamed in fear when there were hundreds of poisonous snakes in it.

The Queen glared at the mistress before leaning towards her ear to whisper, "The snakes suit your personality a lot. Do not think that after the attempted murder, you have won."

She pulled away and glared at Haesun before leaving the hall.

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Sunghoon sighed as he looked through the pictures of Mr Kim leaving the North palace secretly.

"You dared to steal 2 million dollars from my Kingdom."

He walked back and forth in his bedroom, thinking of plans and solutions to use the proof against him. The door opened, revealing Yeonbyul with a tray of instant noodles. He smiled and walked towards her, "Quite weird to see you here with noodles."

"I came here to ask you about the plan progress. And I'm a bit hungry so help yourself out with these noodles."

They both sat down and ate the noodles silently. Sunghoon put the pictures on the table, letting her see them.

"Mr Kim has stolen 2 million from the North Kingdom."

"How did he get away with this?"

The prince sighed tiredly, "I don't know. There must be a few people working for him there. My theory is that he stole all this money to promote himself into a minister."

"What do you mean?"

"I think Mr Kim wasn't a noble person. My theory is that he came from a poor family and stole millions and millions of money to become rich and noble. Then, when people acknowledged his wealth, he was promoted to a minister."

"But that's just a theory. We need to make sure it's true to bring him down. If people find out it's all a lie then we'll be the ones who'll get executed, " Yeonbyul drank her water.

"I have a feeling that he's the one who killed the North Kingdom's minister of finance, to take all the money."

"What?"