The palace

Chapter 31

Sorry for the long wait. School has resumed and lectures are more hectic than usual. Once I'm out of home by 7 am, I only get back at 5pm so you see...
Enough though

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The walk back to the palace was quiet. The clouds had grown dark and a strong wind was blowing fiercely. Lightning flashed here and there, it seemed like it would rain soon.
The emperor returned to his quaters with sungnyang insisting that she spend the night there.

"Your majesty, there is something I have to tell you"
Sungnyang spoke and the emperor smiled, looked at her eyes filled with worry and pinched her cheeks.

"It must be something quite important for you to have this expression on your face. What is it"

She sighed and looked away. How to begin an explanation, how to start talking is the what. She remained silent and he didn't say a word to her either and they both walked in silence. One filled with worry and anxiety, the other calm and relaxed.

"What are you standing comfortably around the East palace? Do you no longer value your head? "

Eunuch Kim asked a lady in waiting who was standing close to the emperor's palace. She looked down, thinking silently in her heart.

What standing comfortably? I have been standing here since three hours ago and if the emperor hadn't returned, I would've remained here the whole night.

Aloud she bowed her head deeply and spoke towards the emperor.

"Her majesty, the empress dowager ordered that I await you here until you return."

He cocked his head thinking about the possibly reasons that would make her want to see this late in the night.

"Go back. Tell her I will be there tomorrow after court"

The maid shook her head a bit nervously, panicking on what would happen to her if she returned alone.

"Pardon my insolence, your majesty. But her majesty gave strict orders that I mustn't return alone. She said it's very urgent and important that your majesty sees this night"

Hmmmm...

The emperor wonders why his mother could possibly insist on seeing him this late at night. He turned and looked sungnyang who's expression didn't look good.

"Are you okay? What are you thinking about so much? I've been watching you for long"

She turned to face him fully. She took his hands in hers and looked at him straight in the eyes, tears were flooding in her heart. To this kind of person, who has spilled his inner thoughts to you, someone who has given you a heart and a hope to hold onto, how can you break the news to him that you are a fake? That you have been lying to him all along. Hope. You can only hope that he has a strong heart and will not loose the strength to move on.

"I will go to my mother's first. When I get back, then we will talk. Wait for me and don't fall asleep"

Before she could speak, he had already began to walk away. She stood outside for long, watching the skies as lightnings flashed over and over, the strong wind attacking fiercer than ever and she couldn't help but shiver.

"Shall we go in my lady? It is cold outside"

Myo mi spoke and a eunuch bowed towards Nyang.

"Please proceed inside your ladyship. A fierce storm is approaching fast"

Nyang looked a bit startled at his words and inhaled deeply, turning and walking inside, she sighed.

"A fiercer storm is indeed here already"