The Cold Emperor

Chapter 16

"There is one part that you might now like though," he hesitated; "We have to gift Y/N as a concubine to Emperor Zhao."  Your mouth slacked open at hearing his words. You couldn't believe that Jungkook, who you considered to be your friend, would ever suggest such a vile thing. Before you could even utter a word in protest, Yoon shot up from the bench and walked up to Jungkook. "Captain Jeon," he uttered with an awfully clipped voice, "Have you lost your mind?!" Jungkook gulped at the icy glare that Yoon was giving, making him clear his throat in nervousness. "Your Highness, please hear me out; you know that I would never suggest something that would put Y/N unnecessarily in danger." "I don't care; I don't want to hear it," Yoon gritted through his teeth, desperately trying to control his temper. "No wait!" You interrupted and walked up to Jungkook, "Please tell me, what is the whole plan?" His eyes darted back and forth between you and Yoon, unsure with how to continue. "Well, I was thinking that it's quite common for the empires to exchange gifts with each other; as a token of goodwill," he explained as he rubbed his neck. 

"Emperor Zhao is not aware of the fact that we know about the upcoming attack; so we can surprise him this way. His Highness can gift a concubine to Emperor Zhao, to show the victory over the Silver Tongues. The concubine in question, you, will be our warrior inside the enemy's palace." "How would that be of any help is she is all by herself?" Yoon asked sceptically. "That's the point," Jungkook grinned with delight, "she is not going to be alone. Y/N has become well known throughout the continent for the mighty female warrior that she is; if she is gifted as a concubine, it will be expected that she will bring a large entourage of servants and maids." Suddenly everything fell in place; it all made sense. "You will send an army of warriors disguised as my servants and maids," you breathed in awe. "That's exactly right," Jungkook smiled brightly, "this way, you can take over the palace from the inside." Yoon turned around, making sure that he was facing you directly, "Are you sure that you want this? It will be very dangerous," he asked, concern clear on his face. 

"This is what I have been trained for; to serve you as a warrior," you said full of determination. "I can't refuse a mission that requires me specifically-" you started, but he interrupted you immediately. He placed his warm hands on your shoulders, not caring that Jungkook was there. "Y/N, you always have a choice; no one will ever force you to do anything," he assured. A small smile crept up your face; his cold eyes that used to make your soul shiver, now made you feel warm inside. "I know I have a choice, and I choose to accept this mission," you declared firmly. He sighed deeply and looked up at Jungkook; "Fine, Lady Y/N has clearly accepted the mission; we will discuss the details tomorrow with the others," he instructed. "Of course Your Highness," Jungkook bowed and went back to his quarters, leaving you and Yoon alone again. "Shall I escort you to your room then?" Yoon asked with a heavy sigh. "There is no need; I can go by myself," you assured with a smile. "I understand that there is no need; maybe I just want to," he remarked with a gummy smile, making your heart clench. 

"Well, by all means then," you blushed as he followed you. Both of you were walking quietly to your room; just enjoying each other's presence and not feeling the need to talk. The door to your room opened with a soft click and you walked inside, turning around to see if he would follow. A small part of your heart stung when he didn't; he kept standing near the threshold to your room. He nodded his head softly, urging you to come up to him. When you did, he pressed a soft kiss on your cheek. "Sleep well Y/N," he whispered near your ear before walking away in the darkness. You felt a light blush stain your cheeks and your stomach tingle at the sweet gesture. "Good night Yoon," you whispered lowly before closing the door. The next day Minji woke you up early so you could visit the Royal Scholar before the meeting with the emperor would take place. With the new undercover mission on its way; it was vital for you to find out who the Boss really was, before you would get busy with other matters. 

Even more importantly; his past could determine the role he would play in the plan. When the large gold-plated doors to the library swung open; you walked inside and saw that the Royal Scholar was already waiting for you. "Scholar Shin, it is an honour to meet you," you said with a deep bow. The scholar was a renowned historian and librarian; famed throughout the empire. His long white beard and numerous deep lines on his face were a sign of the exceptional level of knowledge and wisdom he had. "It's my pleasure child; how can I help you?" He asked with a warm smile. "Recently, as you might have heard, we have captured a man that goes by the alias 'the Boss'. The remarkable thing is that he seems to be an identical copy of Emperor Min, how is that possible? Do you maybe know what the reason behind it could be?" You wondered. The second that you uttered these words, his face shifted. He tried to mask it, but he was not quick enough; you had caught on to him. His face turned pale, as if he had seen a spirit; the news clearly coming as a shock to him. 

"I-I have sworn an oath to never reveal the information that I know,"  he croaked weakly. "Please sir; this information could be vital to save the Emperor's life," you urged desperately, hoping that he would comply. He frowned deeply; clearly trying to subdue his inner turmoil. "I will only break my oath to protect the Emperor that I swore to serve," he relented. "27 years ago; when the late Empress gave birth to the Emperor, something happened that we all swore to forget," he murmured. "The Empress gave birth to our Tiger King, but also to a stillborn child." Your heart skipped at beat at hearing the news; Yoon had a twin? "The stillborn child was put in a basket and ordered to bury in the nearby river; no one was allowed to know that the Empress had birthed a child who was born dead," the scholar almost whispered. "T-That means that..." You uttered; your heart racing at hearing the news. You thanked the scholar from the bottom of your heart; as breaking an oath was punishable by death. There was only one place for you to go; and you ran as fast as you could. 

You banged your fists on his door; urging him to open it quickly. Once he finally did and stood in front of you, all you could say was; "he is your brother"