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Chapter Text

During the fifth year of Emperor Joonghyuk’s reign, acknowledged as the Supreme Tyrant later on in history due to his aggressive stances against the nobles and his mass executions of those nobles and their families who displeased him heavily, prior to developing his tyrannical tendencies, had seemed to enter a deep set melancholy that no one could pull him out of.

According to the records back then, his mother had passed away a few years prior when giving birth to his younger sister, the Royal Princess Mia, so his melancholy couldn’t be because of her; he had ordered his own brothers’ executions himself years ago when he ascended the throne (in the year 456) so it couldn’t be because of that; none of his most prized and highly ranked wives had suffered any illness or had passed away; nor had any of his children gotten severely ill nor had they passed away either.

Therefore, back then and even now, it was hard to decipher what had caused the once peaceful and stern Emperor Joonghyuk to enter into such a deep set melancholy that only ended one day on the first day of the first month of the new year, after three months of drinking and ignoring council, he left his chambers at the end of the day when court was about to be finalized; only to order the execution of the entire main branches of the Song and Kim clans along with several minor families pledged to the Song family.

As cited directly from his own words by Historian Han; ‘Not even a fucking dog raised by those families can live; raze them to the ground and salt their ancestral homes.’

And so, Emperor Joonghyuk, whose reign had started quite differently from his father’s, became a well known tyrant throughout the rest of his thirty five year old reign and throughout history.

But no one knew why the Emperor had changed so drastically.

Only he knew why and he had died without ever mentioning the reason for the change.

Yoo Joonghyuk looked at the bottle of ihwa-ju, it had been his childhood friend’s favorite drink; Kim Dokja had never liked any other drink aside from ihwa-ju, her father drank other kinds of alcohol more heavily than he did that one so to forget the bad memories it induced in her, she only drank ihwa-ju whenever they were together.

That had been before she got married to the next head of the Song clan; it had been a pact between her grandfather and the father of the current head of the Song clan after they had helped each other during a famine. Yoo Joonghyuk had only recently been crowned as Emperor and so he couldn’t worry much about his dear friend, she had never shown any qualms against the engagement.

And so, he spent the next years thinking that she was in a happy and well respected marriage.

But he received a missive informing him of her passing and how her husband, Song Minwoo, would be in mourning for a year before he was to be allowed to marry once again as no children survived her.

The reason had been a miscarriage gone wrong; the dead infant had supposedly ruined her energies and so she died of fever and after bleeding out.

If Yoo Joonghyuk had to be honest, when he did his bridal selection, he chose those brides that reminded him the most of the qualities of Kim Dokja that he loved the most; he didn’t care if they were the prettiest or the wealthiest or the ones with the most immaculate ancestry, he liked them if they reminded him of Kim Dokja.

Now that she was dead, Yoo Joonghyuk could proudly say that it was because he was in love with her.

His childhood friend, the only person who did their best to understand him without expecting anything in return; Kim Dokja, had been his first and only love. Lamented that Kim Dokja had been engaged and married way before his bridal selection.

And so, he drank himself stupid, ignoring all of his wives and their children.

And he would’ve continued, especially today; the first day of the first month, it was Kim Dokja’s birthday. But a trembling old woman sat in front of him, his most trusted guard Lee Hyunsung looked at her with pity; he had begged Yoo Joonghyuk to let the woman speak, that it was something that he needed to know.

“Well, what is it? What did you want to say to This Lord?” Yoo Joonghyuk spoke, tone hoarse from drinking and barely talking, ignoring the look of thinly veiled pity from Lee Hyunsung’s eyes.

The old woman swallowed before she answered, a smile quivered on her lips. “This servant is glad to see that Your Majesty has grown well. This servant does not know if Your Majesty remembers but this servant was the Young Lady Dokja’s nanny, I used to chaperone her whenever she came to play and study with Your Majesty.”

Kim Dokja passed away as a married woman, she should be referring to her as Madam Song. Yoo Joonghyuk could hazily remember the woman that always accompanied Kim Dokja whenever she came over to play with him; the woman never spoke out of turn, only looked at Kim Dokja with a maternal gaze and pride. Remembered Kim Dokja chirping a sweet ‘Nanny Cho!’ whenever it was time for her to leave. “This Lord remembers.”

“This servant is glad…. And it's why this servant cannot stay quiet any longer and especially on this day, Your Majesty. I tended to Young Lady Dokja from the day she was born until the day she got married but I feared for her every second of her engagement and it was because…”

With every word that slipped from Nanny Cho’s mouth, another chill went down Yoo Joonghyuk’s spine until he was certain that he froze to death and was a spirit waiting to go down to hell.

During their engagement, Young Lord Song was cruel to her; he'd hurt her, push her, insult her and try to force himself on her. But no matter what the Young Lady said, her father refused to finalize the engagement and find her a worthier and kinder husband. He said it was her duty to the family to fulfill a promise made by her grandsire, that that was the only reason why the Young Lady had lived for.

I was informed that the reason why it was hard for the Young Lady to conceive once married was because he beat her and starved her every month her moonblood came as punishment for not conceiving.

He forced himself on the Young Lady a lot, even when she had suffered from a miscarriage.

He allowed his own future vassals to force themselves on the Young Lady as reward for settling a border dispute.

He killed her himself after miscarrying the most recent child.

“I told Lord Kim about all of this; her own father, Your Majesty! And he only told me to shut up. He gave me money and told me to stay silent about the death of that child! The child that I lovingly raised for the late Madam Kim, Lady Lee Sookyung, herself. This servant couldn’t live knowing that no one would do anything for her!” Nanny Cho sobbed, trying her best to stay coherent in front of the stone cold Emperor whose face was filled with grief, before she kowtowed in front of him. “Your Majesty, please— For the Young Lady Dokja who cared deeply for you; for the Young Lady Dokja who was your childhood companion, please. This servant begs you to please serve justice.”

Yoo Joonghyuk couldn’t raise his eye to look at Lee Hyunsung knowing that a similar face filled with grief would greet him; Lee Hyunsung had sworn himself as his shield since they were children, he was also good friends with Kim Dokja, Kim Dokja had always been kind to him and had chided Yoo Joonghyuk several times for being too aggressive with Lee Hyunsung. No wonder, Lee Hyunsung had implored for him to listen to Nanny Cho speak.

“No need to worry. I shall make sure of it. You are no longer employed with the Kim clan, right? You can work as a nanny for my youngest daughter, her mother’s family hasn’t sent over anyone to help her care for the child. Lord Lee, escort Nanny Cho to meet with Consort Im and inform her that she was recommended by This Lord.” Yoo Joonghyuk spoke, his tone calm and unwavering but his body language proved that he was infuriated.

If it were up to Yoo Joonghyuk, he would ride up to the Song estate himself and kill the man and the rest of his family as well. 

As painfully as possible.

Make him beg and kiss his feet for forgiveness, make him beg until Yoo Joonghyuk got tired of listening to his voice and pulled out his tongue.

But it would be wrong to commit such a deed, Yoo Joonghyuk knew this. He knew that the right stance to take would be to punish them through rightful means but the lords would think him weak for demanding justice for a woman.

Weak for demanding justice for his dearest friend, his beloved, the one person that gave him the determination to ascend the throne.

"Wait." Yoo Joonghyuk called out to Lee Hyunsung and Nanny Cho. "There's something This Lord wants you two to do after you introduce her to Consort Im."

"Your Majesty, what— what are you doing here? Weren't you feeling ill?" One of the lords stammered as Yoo Joonghyuk entered the throne room, his closest minister standing in the middle of the bowing officials as he also bowed in respect to Yoo Joonghyuk.

"Who are you to question This Lord's health?" Yoo Joonghyuk snarled as he sat on the throne; he wore a black grand robe embroidered with golden accents. "Should This Lord take it as though you were expecting for my health to decline further? Should This lord suspect you of disloyalty? Should This Lord be concerned that you desire to remove me solely because your daughter, Concubine Jang, bore me a son this past autumn?”

"This servant wouldn't dare to consider the thought, Your Majesty." The impudent servant mumbled, trembling on his knees as he kowtowed out of fear or respect.

Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t know and he couldn’t care any less.

Yoo Joonghyuk leaned back as the high ranking ministers gave him the rundown of what had been discussed during the day; such as new tax policies for those regions who were struck by the terrible harvest (by raising their taxes; Kim Dokja would’ve gotten a stroke from the suggestion, she had always been the one to instruct Yoo Joonghyuk to tolerate the nobles but the ones he needed to seduce were the commoners since they did most of the labor in the empire (“Joonghyuk-ah, who does more for the country? The lord who just spends his days lazing around his estate drinking wine and chasing pretty skirts? Or the commoner who spends her day weaving and dyeing the fabrics needed to make said pretty skirts, the commoner who spends his days harvesting the most recent sprout of harvest, the commoners who makes sure that the port cities are safe? They are those who you should strive to protect and take in account, not the nobles.”)), of who they believed he should rise to the position of crown prince (his eldest son by Grand Consort Lee Seolhwa was the obvious choice considering his status as firstborn and how he had started excelling in his studies despite only being four years old) and thus once the crown prince was chosen, their mother should be elevated to the rank of Empress as the seat had been empty for far too long and there were no dowagers to hold the position and it's duties, instead it was divided in between the Grand Consorts.

Yoo Joonghyuk knew that they had all discussed the topic for they wanted their daughters (the ones who had given him sons, at least) to be the ones to fill in the seat of the Mother of the Empire.

Yoo Joonghyuk had only wanted one person to sit in the seat that had once belonged to his own mother, only wanted that one star by his side; but that star was gone, its light had dimmered away to somewhere Yoo Joonghyuk couldn’t follow for now.

"Is that so? This Lord shall confer with the scholars to discuss who should occupy this seat once I rise to the Heavens." Yoo Joonghyuk replied mindlessly, not thinking much of it.

His anger bubbled deep under his skin, every rush of crimson Imperial blood a scalding burn underneath his skin, fury and a fervent thirst for revenge festered in his heart, filling him with the burning fever of desiring justice.

"My Lords, This Lord has an order for the Grand Commanders.” Yoo Joonghyuk said after a while of silence, the Grand Commanders all knelt in front of Yoo Joonghyuk on the throne.

“This servant is bound by loyalty to fulfill Your Majesty’s orders!” The four Grand Commanders all knelt in front of him; the fifth Grand Commander Lee Hyunsung was missing since he was fulfilling Yoo Joonghyuk’s orders.

“This Lord has decided that a couple of squirming rats must be taken care of; This Lord orders you to annihilate the main branches of the Kim and Song clan, the lesser branches of the Kim clan will be spared if they beg and plea for forgiveness and pledge to run away to a place This Lord can’t reach them; the main vassal families of the Song clan are also to be annihilated; every fucking person, soldier, horse, cat and dog raised for the household must be annihilated, their ancestral lands razed to the ground and salted to the depths of hell itself; however if a single commoner is injured then you shall take responsibility. This Lord no longer wishes for such damned blemishes to exist on this grand Empire’s lands.” Yoo Joonghyuk spoke sternly as he reclined back onto the backrest of the throne, black robes swishing gently with his motion.

The court was silent for a couple of seconds before they burst out in complaints and trying to get him to reconsider his order.

“Your Majesty, such action without a trial?”

“Your Majesty, please reconsider! Such actions do not suit the Empire well!”

“Your Majesty, raising their tax should be enough for whatever they did to upset you!”

Yoo Joonghyuk stared at them for a while before grabbing a jade glass that was placed next to the divan and threw it at the loudest lords, hitting one of them in the face before it shattered on the ground from the force; all of them silencing themselves at the sound of the jade shattering.

“You dare disobey This Lord’s orders?” Yoo Joonghyuk snarled in a steady tone. “They should consider themselves lucky that This Lord isn’t riding himself to participate in the extermination. Or do you all want This Lord to remind you of how I can be when I step into a battlefield?”

They all paled at Yoo Joonghyuk’s reminder; the reminder that Yoo Joonghyuk had been sent to the battlefield as a mere boy, budding into adolescence before he returned a war hero; for he had conquered the battlefield with such brutality and lack of mercy towards his opponents.

It wasn't surprising when he executed his brothers himself.

“The Song clan have believed themselves exempted from taxes by the way they have paid back the Empire with little intent.” Yoo Joonghyuk began justifying his decision as he rubbed his temple with his fingers, leaning back onto the divan.

(Yoo Joonghyuk had never punished them publicly because it had occurred in the same year that Kim Dokja had married into the family, he didn’t want anything to happen to Kim Dokja so he requested the eunuchs to bury the issue.)

“The Kim clan publicly supported the previous fourth prince who had dared to take the palace by force while I was away on campaign after my father passed; I granted them mercy and forgiveness despite their crime.”

(Yoo Joonghyuk refused to order Kim Dokja to be exiled with the rest of the women with Kim blood running through their veins, she had always been frail and sickly, she would’ve gotten ill and sick. So he forgave them; he allowed them to live for five more years, only for Kim Dokja’s sake.)

And in the end, it was futile. Kim Dokja was gone.

“Must I continue to justify my orders or will the Grand Commanders accept the order?” Yoo Joonghyuk finished in a bored tone, glaring at them.

The Grand Commanders looked at each other with apprehension before nodding. “The order has been received, Your Majesty!”

“Anyone who continues to whimper over the order can meet me in the courtyard. This Lord has been itching for a good fight.” Knowing that no one would go, Yoo Joonghyuk lifted himself from the throne, walking away. “Grand Commanders, I do not desire any prisoners so make sure that the extermination is thorough.”

“The Supreme Tyrant, Emperor Joonghyuk of the Yoo Imperial Family, the 41st ruler of his line, reigned for forty years before passing away in his sleep; the man had been healthy for his age but aside from his occasional tyrannical outbursts, he was quite melancholic according to his children.

He was a beloved ruler to the smallfolk as he seemed to possess a certain type of appreciation for them; making sure that the noble lords who he made sure feared him, never overstepped and tried to take advantage of them.

His heir, Crown Prince and later Emperor Jinseo, the son of Empress Lee, had always lived by following the Emperor’s example but made sure to make nice with the noble factions instead of intimidating them as his father had.

While his mother, Empress Lee, had been acknowledged as Empress, she was not elevated to the rank of First Wife; instead, according to documents that had recently been translated and unveiled to the public, deferring to a wife the Emperor had married when he was still Crown Prince and had passed away shortly before he had risen to the rank of Emperor, the Emperor’s first wife was a lady from the Kim clan (who he himself ordered its extermination a couple of years later) who he devotedly assigned the name of ‘Crown Princess Consort Guwon’ rather than acknowledging her by her last name as with the rest of his wives.

By being assigned another name, she was evidently highly favored instead of the rest of the wives who the Emperor had married after his coronation.

Crown Princess Consort Guwon was Emperor Joonghyuk’s first wife but due to her passing away before his ascension to the throne and without bearing him a son, she was never granted the rank of First Empress and was always revered and treated as the Emperor’s legitimate first wife.

And by his own children’s journal entries, she was the Emperor’s one true love; the one love all of his children aspired to possess for themselves.

Maybe if Crpwn Princess Consort Guwon had lived longer, she would’ve been able to tame the Emperor’s tyrannical nature.

Yoo Joonghyuk opened his eyes, puzzled that he was greeted with the sight of the bright blue sky rather than the dark mahogany ceiling of his apartments; he recognized the exact location of where he was, it was the cherry blossom tree that he and Kim Dokja used to play and read together when they were growing up until the day Kim Dokja got married.

“Joonghyuk-ah, I feel more like your scribe.” A delicate voice complained; the voice he dreamed of every single night as he slept. “You’re the Emperor now, you should rest better back in your apartments instead of overexerting yourself.”

Yoo Joonghyuk turned his head to his right, heart stopping in his chest at the sight of the woman sitting next to him.

It was Kim Dokja, the last time he had seen her; at the ripe age of nineteen (she was even born several months before Yoo Joonghyuk, his mother had high appreciation for Kim Dokja’s own late lady mother), Kim Dokja was considered a lovely kind of beauty but delicate like a vulnerable flower that needed to be delicately potted, she had her long black hair let down, the braids that her nanny had lovingly plaited on her hair were undone by Yoo Joonghyuk’s own hands; she dressed in a pearl pink hanbok, the jeogori was a light coral color embroidered with delicate cherry blossoms and feathers, the tie of her otgoreum was a navy blue, her chima was a perfect pearl pink that had swished delicately with every movement she made, her slippers were most likely a silken navy blue as well.

If it was a dream, then it was a dream he’d dream happily until it ended.

“..... Kim Dokja, what year is it?” Yoo Joonghyuk muttered, making Kim Dokja frown at him before chuckling as she shook her head.

“It’s 451, you dummy. You got crowned recently and you already forgot the date? What a privilege to have an eunuch who remembers that stuff for you?”

It was the year of his coronation and Kim Dokja’s marriage; if she was still with him then she still wasn’t married yet, he still had enough time to save her. “Yes, such is the privilege of the Emperor.”

Kim Dokja snickered before she nuzzled into his shoulder, mumbling softly; the wind made her hair dance with it and allowed Yoo Joonghyuk to take in the lovely scent of jangmi that only belonged to her (he hated whenever a wife or concubine used the scent of jangmi, it was a scent he could only see belonging to Kim Dokja). “Thanks for spending time with me, Joonghyuk-ah. I know that it’ll be hard to see you after I get married so…. Thanks for being such a kind friend to me all these years.”

He wouldn’t let Kim Dokja get married to Song Minwoo; he wouldn’t let the Kim and Song clans breathe after this.

“On your wedding day, I’ll give you the most beautiful gift ever.” Yoo Joonghyuk answered, instead, tucking a dancing strand of hair behind her ear, thumbing appreciatively at the delicate golden leaves earring dangling from the lobe, noticing the beauty mark innocently next to the punctured hole for the earring. “I swear.”

“A gift from the Emperor himself will be very well received.” Kim Dokja giggled before nodding, looking over to Nanny Cho who gave her an urgent look before she sheepishly smiled back at him as she walked away, patting her chima for any dust or stray grass. “Thanks for everything, Joonghyuk-ah! The next time I see you, I’ll talk to you with respect! I’ll call you Your Majesty!”

Yoo Joonghyuk snorted as he waved her away. If everything went well, Kim Dokja would call him husband and he would call her wife.

“Hyunsung, there’s something I need you to help me prepare.”

Chapter Text

Kim Dokja looked at Nanny Cho who nodded with a sweet and determined smile as she stood watch outside of the ancestral rites hall of the Kim estate; Kim Dokja made her way inside before lighting up three incense sticks and bowing in front of her mother’s ancestor tablet.

“Mother, this child comes to visit you before I get married. Soon, I’ll have to leave and I can’t come back to pay my respects to you.” Kim Dokja whispered glumly as she placed the incense sticks in front of her mother’s tablet, hoping that her mother’s ghost would be guided to come see her off before her wedding.

“I really don’t want to get married.” Kim Dokja murmured softly, remembering all the things she knew about Song Minwoo’s behavior with her as a betrothed and knew that they would amplify even more once they were wed and she became a daughter of his house. “If it were up to me, I’d join the monastery for the rest of my life. Praying to the Gods doesn’t seem like hard work to me, it seems rather menial and repetitive, I’d rather do that than get married. Or…. I would've been happier with anyone else, anyone else wouldn’t have been cruel to me all this time.”

“Ah, do you remember Empress Ahn’s son, the one you really wanted me to be friends with? Joonghyuk-ah, he’s the Emperor now, the chosen son of the Heavens himself. All the lands and lords are under his command…. But Father and Lord Uncle were stupid, they supported the fourth prince instead of Empress Ahn’s son. We’re lucky Lord Uncle was forgiven.” Kim Dokja muttered with a bitter frown on her face; while her father was the second son of the Kim family and thus was in charge of the political affairs of their land, her uncle was the eldest son and head of the family, her father had only insisted that Kim Dokja (who was her father’s only child) be the one to marry Song Minwoo because her lord uncle was hoping to offer up one of his daughter’s for the Emperor's bridal selection.

Now that she was to be married, Kim Dokja would be unable to keep persuading Yoo Joonghyuk to delay it; she only convinced him because she really didn’t want to see any of her haughty cousins getting a big head by becoming a concubine to Yoo Joonghyuk.

She knew that if Yoo Joonghyuk’s mother, Empress Consort Ahn, was still alive, the bridal selection would only be made up of women of her choice for Yoo Joonghyuk to pick.

“Mother, would things have been better if you hadn’t refused Empress Ahn’s request to become a concubine to the previous Emperor? If you had decided to continue being a loyal backer to the Ahn family instead? I don’t think I would’ve minded being siblings with Joonghyuk-ah, we get along as friends already then we would’ve been very close siblings too. Ah, Mia-yah as a cute little sister would’ve been nice.”

But it was a wistful hope for her now.

“I’ll get married tomorrow, mother. Don’t cry or feel bad for me, I’m sure that I’ll join you soon, mother.” Kim Dokja murmured absently before bowing three times and making her way out, drying her tears with her finger as she made her way out of the ancestral rites hall, Nanny Cho walked steadily behind her as they went back to her room; her father had ordered that she rest early for tomorrow would be a busy day for her.

Kim Dokja wanted to spit in his face for daring to play the part of a considerate father right before she married.

“Nothing has arrived from the palace, right Nanny Cho?” Kim Dokja asked softly as she fiddled with her night robes as Nanny Cho brushed her hair after loosening it from the tight braids she tended to plait on her head.

“No, Young Lady. But the gatekeepers promised to tell me when something arrived, especially since you’ve been so kind and attentive to them these past days. Are you eagerly waiting for His Majesty’s wedding present?” Nanny Cho teased her, her hands steady as they brushed Kim Dokja’s hair.

“He said he would give me the most beautiful gift ever. If it is so then I would like to have it in my hands, instead of Father or Lord Uncle stealing it for themselves.” Kim Dokja mumbled as she closed her eyes, the familiar feeling of her nanny’s hands gently massaging oil into her scalp for washing the next morning would be one that she would miss dearly once she married out and Nanny Cho were unable to come with her for she would be a married woman and a married woman has no need for a nanny.

(Kim Dokja would know; she tried asking her future mother in law, the Madam Song, if she could bring in Nanny Cho with her; to help her once she bore a child but the Madam had refused.

Mocking Kim Dokja for being so attached to her nanny at her age; not that Kim Dokja was that old, she was barely nine and ten.

The Madam had also self induced herself a conniption as she took the request as though Kim Dokja had thought less of the Song clan that she would rather bring a nanny from her own household rather than accept anyone they hired.

Song Minwoo had had a field day harassing her over her “wounding his mother’s pride”.

She hated it; she hated him and she hated his mother for bringing him to this world as healthy and hale as he could be despite being a mean and cruel woman, and her own mother who had been a kind and gentle soul to those who deserved it had become bedridden after giving birth to her who was also born frail.)

“Nanny Cho, I want you to be happy. You won’t have to be taking care of someone else’s child anymore.” Kim Dokja murmured gently with a soft voice as she turned around to look at Nanny Cho with a wide smile, clasping her soft hands with the older woman’s callused and rough hands. “How about you go away to your hometown? Spend a lot of time with your family. Thank you Nanny Cho for everything you have done for me.”

Nanny Cho smiled sadly as she choked on a sob, their clasped hands coming up to wipe at the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. “Young Miss, why are you speaking as though you’ll never see me again? Why are you thanking me for raising such a lovely child? You are my pride and joy, Dokja-yah, I only hope for glory and happiness for you. Chin up, I raised a proud noble lady. No matter what they do, don’t let them win despite how tempting it is.”

“That’s easy to say, Nanny Cho.” Kim Dokja looked away, frowning with evident bitterness.

“ If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by .” Nanny Cho recited as she gently turned Kim Dokja’s head to look at her, the sharp gaze in her willow leaf shaped eyes was the same that Kim Dokja had learned from her. “Endure and the fruits of enduring will come one day. If not, the Emperor is still a good friend to you. If you cannot endure, then allow him to put the bodies in the river.”

“I’d be taking advantage of our friendship, Nanny Cho.” Kim Dokja murmured, anxiously wringing her hands.

“I’m not saying to ask him to kill them for you. Only request that he order you to be divorced.” Nanny Cho said calmly. “The Late Empress Dowager would also say this.”

“I shall take your advice in mind, Nanny.” Kim Dokja whispered; Yoo Joonghyuk had killed his brothers for daring to steal his throne but he had once cut one of their thumbs off because one of the princes had dared to try to take his liberties with her, the crown prince’s loyal companion as ordered by his mother, the previous Emperor’s first wife and Empress Consort.

She knew that if she asked, Yoo Joonghyuk would grant her an annulment.

Kim Dokja shook her head, not wanting to think more about it as she got up to go to her bed, dismissing Nanny Cho with a gentle smile as she laid down on the bed.

She already considered herself as doomed but she hoped that if it came to the worse then Yoo Joonghyuk, her oldest friend, would help her; it didn’t matter if any children she were to have ended up being considered illegitimate after an annulment was granted but it was preferable than continuing to live in pain.

(“Young Lady Kim, please greet Her Ladyship appropriately.” A barely seven year old Kim Dokja looked up at Nanny Cho with a wary look before turning to face the woman dressed so finely she looked like the description of the immortal goddesses from the tales Nanny Cho told her when she was going to sleep before she bowed in respect, mumbling her name as loudly as she could before sitting up straight, looking at the woman in front of her with awe.

The woman had beautiful long ink black hair, some strands were tied up tightly to the top of her head with beautiful golden hair pins decorated with jade and agate; her gaze was sharp as her phoenix shaped obsidian eyes looked at her carefully; her skin was lightly tanned, not like the fine ivory that many women obsessed over; her hanbok was in a splendid lilac almost ivory tone with silver cranes embroidered all over the sleeves and of her jeogori while her chima was in a deeper shade of lilac almost lavender with clouds embroidered along the hem.

In the presence of the gloriously dressed woman, Kim Dokja felt severely underdressed in her own hanbok; the jeogori was the color of sand beige while her chima was fluffy and the deepest red color available, Nanny Cho had braided her hair into a single braid while clipping back her bangs and baby hairs with a peony shaped hairpin.

“A pleasure to meet you, Young Lady Kim.” The woman smiled sweetly before looking at Nanny Cho. “I’d like to speak to the Young Lady alone, I understand your duty but I will not harm her.”

Nanny Cho looked like she wanted to refute such a fact but she nodded, bowing to the woman before looking at Kim Dokja with a gentle look that told her to behave before she walked backwards until she reached the door.

“I’m glad she’s so overprotective of you, I’m certain that your mother would’ve never let someone else so close to you if she wasn’t.” The woman spoke gently before she grabbed the cup filled with tea and drank it. “It’s truly a pleasure to meet you; my name is Ahn Minkyung, I was a very good friend to your mother, Lee Sookyung, and she was very very dear to me as well.”

….. Ahn…… Lord Uncle always grumbled that it was unfair that a woman from the Ahn family who commanded the imperial fleet was the current Empress Consort and the mother of the crown prince.

Kim Dokja bowed in deeper reverence as she spoke up. “This daughter of the Kim family is honored to be in Your Majesty’s presence.”

“Ah, you really are Sookyung’s daughter. You caught up so fast.” Empress Consort Ahn smiled as she giggled before gently pushing a plate with sweet pancakes for Kim Dokja to eat from, she huffed before muttering in disappointment. “Ah, it's a shame. Sookyung-ah and I always talked about how we would’ve loved to have our children be close friends to each other but I had a son instead of a cute and smart daughter like you.”

Her father considered her a disappointment because she was a girl instead of a boy and the Empress wanted a daughter instead of her son the crown prince?

“Isn’t a son better?” Kim Dokja spoke up as she picked up a pancake with her chopsticks and placed a piece in her mouth, unable to hide the utter joy that consumed her entire being at the taste of the almond and sugar filling.

Empress Consort Ahn looked pensive before she turned to look at the open window, at the songbirds that chirped as they feasted on seeds. “Sure, a son is good because they allow you to be given a place in your household but a daughter is hard work all the same, a child is a child. It’s hard to bring a child into this world already, it shouldn’t matter what it is. My Hyuk-ie is only seven months younger than you, Young Lady Kim. I hope that the two of you can be close friends, the same way your mother and I were for each other. Could you try it for me?”

Kim Dokja wasn’t lucky enough to have friends her own age since she was too frail to just go out and meet the other noble girls during their outings, instead she stayed at home, reading and learning instruments.

“If His Highness wants to be friends then I can try.” Kim Dokja nodded after taking a sip of the sweet rice drink that had been poured out for her.

“Alright. How about we go and meet with my son? He doesn’t come to my palace as much as I’d want him to, his older half brothers have been teasing him too much.” Empress Consort Ahn spoke as she stood tall, Kim Dokja rising after her and walked behind the older woman who stood tall and graceful, not a single sound from her chima as she moved. Empress Consort Ahn turned around, looking at her with a calculating gaze before gently pulling Kim Dokja to stand next to her, gently arranging her posture to a taller one.

When Kim Dokja got older, she realized that Empress Consort Ahn had taught her the exact same posture that she, herself, used; as though Kim Dokja was an equal, instead of someone who was subordinate to her.

As though she had been raising a potential crown princess consort.

Which didnt surprise her considering that Empress Consort Ahn had always been offended on Kim Dokja's mother's behalf over her engagement,  considering it unbefitting for the loyal companion of the crown prince.

At the sight of them walking side by side, Nanny Cho looked like she wanted to say something but at the gentle shove from the Empress’ personal attendant, she silenced herself before they followed behind the Empress and Kim Dokja; the entire way towards the Crown Prince’s palace, Empress Consort Ahn said the title of a poem and waited for Kim Dokja recite it in its totality, praising her whenever Kim Dokja recited the entire poem.

But once they arrived to the Crown Prince’s palace, entering the small training yard, the Empress stilled at the sight of a man wearing a deep red set of golden embroidered robes as he oversaw the young boy doing training drills with an instructor; his features were quite handsome, he possessed thick eyebrows, his phoenix shaped eyes had a tint of gold mixed with them under certain sunlight. He stood even taller and prouder than the Empress which only meant that he was her husband, the Emperor.

“Greetings to His Majesty.” Everyone in the procession bowed, except for Empress Consort Ahn who lightly bowed before standing tall.

“You, what are you doing here?” Empress Consort Ahn spoke brusquely, shocking Kim Dokja.

The Emperor didn’t seem offended, instead he chuckled as he grabbed one of her hands, thumbing the back of her hand almost fondly as he replied. “My Empress, my dear, I came to visit our son.”

“That isn’t his usual instructor which means that you sent another one against my wishes.” Empress Consort Ahn spoke as she barely looked over at the man teaching the crown prince, her gaze never withered away from the Emperor’s face, intent on making the man crack without her saying another word.

“He already surpassed his previous instructor; Joonghyuk is a genius when it comes to the blade, he should be finely honed.” The Emperor spoke amiably before looking down and seeing Kim Dokja who tried her best to keep her eyes focused on the floor. “Oh, who are you?”

Kim Dokja gulped before bowing in deep reverence as she spoke before looking up at him, hoping that her fox shaped eyes didn’t look as impertinent as Madam Song often sneered that they looked. “Honor to the son of the heavens, I’m Dokja of the Kim Clan, I’m the second Lord Kim’s daughter.”

The Emperor looked at her with a curious look before nodding. “She is Lady Lee’s child, even has her eyes; a pleasure to meet you Young Lady Kim, This Lord hopes that Her Majesty has been treating you well.”

“Her Majesty has been treating me very well, Your Majesty.” Kim Dokja replied with a sweet smile.

“As if I’d treat anyone with Sookyung’s blood cruelly.” Empress Consort Ahn huffed as she turned away to look at her son, her gaze softening so much at the sight of her son.

“True, you do hold Sookyung dearly in your heart, my Empress. This Lord must leave, enjoy your time with the Crown Prince, Minkyung-ah.” The Emperor spoke gently before leaving, walking at a calm pace with his retinue followed closely behind him.

“Minkyung-ah?...... Who does this bastard think he is?” Empress Consort Ahn turned to look at the Emperor’s large back with a withering gaze, ignoring the yelps of indignation from her attendants. “Doesn’t matter, why are you all whining? He won’t do anything, he’s too scared for that.”

Kim Dokja felt as though she was looking at a proud tigress unafraid of anything.

She felt like a simple housekitten in front of the Empress.

“Joonghyuk-ie!” Empress Consort Ahn called over to the crown prince who was being dismissed by his tutor.

The crown prince made his way to where they stood, bowing in greeting to his mother. "Your Majesty."

"Joonghyuk-ie, why are you like this? I'm your mother, you can call me mother. Who cares what your brothers say? They shouldn’t talk, they still suck on their wetnurse's tits." Empress Consort Ahn spoke sternly as she cupped the Crown Prince’s head and made him look up at her before pressing him against her, the crown prince seemed like he was considering what to do before he wrapped his arms around Empress Consort Ahn’s waist, nuzzling into her.

"Hello mother." The Empress Consort joyfully laughed at the soft shy mumble of her son's voice before leaning down to press a soft kiss to his sweaty forehead before inhaling his scent as she pressed her high bridged nose against the crown of his head.

"My good son, my Joonghyuk-ie." Empress Consort Ahn spoke with such pride in her voice before she parted from him, making him look at her with a wide smile. “This mother is happy that her Joonghyuk-ie has inherited the Ahn family’s affinity for the blade, keep doing well but let your older brothers kick you around a little bit if your father makes you train with them, just so they won’t try anything, alright?”

The Crown Prince hummed in assent, wrinkling his nose at the touch of his mother’s lips on his forehead.

“Joonghyuk-ie, there’s someone I want you to meet. She’s the daughter of your mother’s most dearest friend, and I would like it very much if you and her were to be very good friends.” Empress Consort Ahn spoke gently as she turned to the side, revealing Kim Dokja in her unflattering hanbok and plain hairstyle to the Crown Prince.

Kim Dokja proceeded to bow in greeting but was stopped by the Crown Prince’s blunt words. “If she’s going to be my friend, then she doesn’t need to greet me by title, right?”

At the sight of the Crown Prince’s personal eunuch, it was obvious that she would have to but at the sight of the Empress’ glare digging deep into his soul, the eunuch shut their mouth.

“Well, if you don’t want me to greet you by title then its fine. I am pleased to meet you, Crown Prince Joonghyuk. My name is Kim Dokja.” Kim Dokja spoke up, a soft smile on her face.

“Yoo Joonghyuk. Don’t call me by my title.” The Crown Prince said with finality before looking up at his mother. “Can Kim Dokja and I play around, mother?”

And that was the beginning of Kim Dokja’s years-long friendship with Yoo Joonghyuk.

The Empress herself had ordered for the two of them to be considered companions to one another and thus allowing Kim Dokja to visit the Palace whenever the Empress (or Yoo Joonghyuk himself, even though he reluctantly admitted this to her) considered that the Crown Prince required friendly stimulation and so she'd arrive.

It's why once Yoo Joonghyuk was old enough to start with his crown princess consort selection, her uncle and cousins would beg and beg her to get Yoo Joonghyuk to choose one of them.

Kim Dokja never tried because it seemed that the only person with Kim blood that the Empress Consort Ahn tolerated was Kim Dokja, and that was mostly due to her mother being Lee Sookyung.)

Kim Dokja sighed as she felt the maids washing her hair and scrubbing her body under Nanny Cho’s careful gaze; the water she was being washed in was filled with milk along with tea leaves and rose petals, her hair was being lathered with the most priceless of soaps.

It was hilarious that the only moment her father decided to treat her so nicely was when she was going to be married off to a walking waste of space and title.

Kim Dokja wistfully hoped that her palanquin would be attacked by a vengeful ghost roaming around the forest that led to the Song's estate.

After she had been washed, her slender frame complemented by the maids as they tried her off and got her dressed with her undergarments, they then proceeded to gently massage her skin with lotion made from pearl powder.

Kim Dokja frowned as she looked at the bridal gown made for her by her aunt’s most trusted seamstresses, while it wasn't that bad, it was too plain as though she was the bastard daughter of a lesser house being married off to a good family instead of the daughter of the second son of one of the highest ranking noble clans in the country who was being married off to another house equal in rank. She was certain that her father had condoned this act just so his brother wouldn't punish him by taking away some of his duties from him. In moments like these, she missed her grandfather who definitely would've never allowed such a thing to pass and would've made sure to make her eldest cousin marry Song Minwoo instead of her since the daughter of the first son was more valuable than the daughter of the second son but her lord uncle still held hopes and dreams for his daughters to be able to be part of Yoo Joonghyuk’s harem, at least as a concubine.

She sighed before opening her mouth to allow the order of being dressed in it when a loud gong rang from outside of her courtyard, causing her maids to dress her in a simple robe as she rushed outside to see a large amount of the staff kneeling down to a eunuch wearing Imperial Messenger’s robes with a rolled up decree in his hand; Kim Dokja settled and bowed in front of the eunuch.

She wasn’t worried; for she knew the contents of the decree.

It’s Yoo Joonghyuk’s gift.

“Hear His Majesty’s decree!” The eunuch bellowed strongly before continuing, reading exactly the words Yoo Joonghyuk had written. “ The Young Lady Kim has always been the dearest friend to me, a beloved and loyal life companion handpicked for me by my mother, the Empress Ahn. So there is no one I hold dearer to my heart than the Young Lady Kim and to prove how high my regard and care for her is, I present a wedding gift. This Lord expects the gift to be used and cherished by my oldest friend. ”

At the final words of the decree, another eunuch along with a maid approached Kim Dokja who rose from her place to receive the gift, Nanny Cho opened the gift for her and the older woman couldn’t hold back the gasp of surprise that slipped from her lips at the sight of a beautiful red silk fabric.

“This Lord has also decided to confer a palanquin bearer to escort my dear friend to her wedding ceremony along with a maid who she can place all of her trust in. These are gifts of my favor to my dearest friend.” The eunuch finished as the maid bowed deeply to Kim Dokja with a gentle smile.

“..... This servant thanks His Majesty for his gifts.” Kim Dokja bowed and it was enough for the eunuch who bowed in reply before making his way to leave, allowing Kim Dokja to allow herself be led back to her rooms by Nanny Cho, the maid sent by Yoo Joonghyuk dutifully walked behind her with the gift box in her hands.

“Your name?” Kim Dokja looked back at the maid once they entered the room again, allowing the maids to continue fussing over her while the new maid and Nanny Cho watched over the box with the gift given to her, pulling out the most beautiful wedding hanbok she had ever seen in her life.

“My name is Heewon from the Jung family, my lady. His Majesty has bestowed upon me the honor to tending to you faithfully and I thank you for accepting it.” The maid spoke with respect.

The Jung were once a very prominent swordmaster family but Yoo Joonghyuk’s great grandfather had their rank demoted due to the fact that a daughter of the Jung family refused to become a concubine but the Ahn clan had always been friends with them so it wasn’t surprising that the maid gifted to her by Yoo Joonghyuk would be a daughter of the Jung family.

“No need to thank me, if His Majesty believes that you will be a good attendant to me then I shall also believe him. Now, Nanny Cho, how about we get a good look at the robe that His Majesty gifted me?” Kim Dokja spoke, waving off the maids who were trying to get her into the wedding robes and making her way to sit in front of Nanny Cho. “We have enough time to dally for a bit.”

Nanny Cho bowed deeply before grabbing the fabric from the box still held tightly in Jung Heewon’s hands before showing it off to Kim Dokja, letting out a gasp when she noticed how lovely it was and what it was.

The robe that Nanny Cho had pulled out was a jeogori dyed in the most lovely shade of red, as though someone had managed to combine the red of agate along with the beautiful stunning color of the rubies that Empress Consort Ahn always wore; it possessed the most delicate golden embroidery Kim Dokja had ever been able to see on a robe, the shapes of running tigers and soaring pheasants had been embroidered onto it with gold and red and black, the neck hem of the jeogori was embroidered with a dark red that seemed almost like it was black, the otgoreum tie was golden as well. When Nanny Cho proceeded to pull out the thick chima that was dyed in the same color as the jeogori along with embroidered mugunghwa flowers along with bamboo trees, Kim Dokja wanted to weep from how beautiful the entire ensemble looked.

Jung Heewon bit her lower lip before she spoke up. “His Majesty said that while this was a gift from him to you, it was also a gift from the late Empress Consort.”

Kim Dokja felt tears well in her eyes before she took in a large gulp of air as she leaned into the box still held by Jung Heewon, reaching in her hand to pull out the white jade norigae; the pendant was made from white jade and sculpted in the shape of a butterfly while the tassel was a lighter red than the rest of the ensemble.

“Nanny Cho, I shall wear this to my wedding. After all, a gift from His Majesty shouldn’t be put aside.” Kim Dokja spoke firmly and none of the women in the room contested her due to the firmness in her voice as they all made haste to dress her up in the wedding robes gifted to her by Yoo Joonghyuk.

To Yoo Joonghyuk, it might not be much, just a wedding gift to his oldest and dearest friend but to Kim Dokja, it was as though he had given her a shining blade of victory.

After all, the Song clan was filled with brash idiots who thought oh so highly of themselves in comparison to the rest of the noble families but they never dared to contest the Imperial Family in all this time.

If Kim Dokja arrived at her wedding ceremony in a robe gifted to her by the Emperor himself, it was basically showing off to the Song clan that she was a cherished person to the Emperor and that she should not be harmed if those were their intentions.

This was the only thing she could dare herself to do, the only thing she could dare herself to use their friendship in her favor.

And so she watched herself in the large bronze mirror once the maids were done; she appreciated how swift and fast Jung Heewon's hands were when it came to dressing her up and getting her ready, the other two maids attending to her deserved just as much praise.

Her hair had been tied back into a low bun, a few black tresses framed her face while a golden lotus shaped hair ornament was firmly pinned in place at the top of her head while the thick crimson red veil hung behind it, reaching the middle of her back.

Kim Dokja made her way out of her chambers, flanked by the maids who all exuded pride at the sight of the Young Lady who looked utterly divine.

Also many of the staff who worked in the Kim estate felt pride at the sight of her looking so pretty for her wedding but their thoughts were soured when they all realized who they were going to marry her off to.

Kim Dokja allowed herself to be led to where the palanquin laid waiting, almost making a double take at the sight of one of Yoo Joonghyuk’s personal guards standing there; Kim Namwoon was young but he was a guard that Yoo Joonghyuk trusted with his life, Kim Dokja thought that there was a loose screw in his head but if Yoo Joonghyuk trusted him then Kim Dokja would trust him just as much.

"What are you wearing?! Those aren't the robes I had made for you! You, Nanny, are you insane? Go and change her!" Her aunt screeched as she paled at the beautiful robes Kim Dokja wore.

Such robes weren’t appropriate for the wedding of a second son’s daughter, and would be wasted on such a person getting married. It would befit her own daughters much more than her. She needed those robes off of Kim Dokja now.

"Dear Auntie, I would love to have worn the robes you made for me but these robes were a gift from His Majesty since we were such dear close friends to one another and we won’t be able to see each other since I’ll get married and must be loyal to my lord husband." Kim Dokja spoke softly, trying her best to look apologetic. "He even said that he wanted to know that I wore these robes as a show of good faith between the Imperial Family and our clan."

At the simple murmur of Yoo Joonghyuk’s title, her aunt immediately shut up and her face paled even more at her next words. "But Auntie, I'm sure that Serin-ah will be able to wear these once she's married off into a good family too. After all, those robes were made from the best quality, weren't they?"

"Who cares about your dress? You're late! You should be ashamed of yourself for being late to your own damn wedding." Her father sneered as he clasped his hand on her wrist harshly and led her (read as practically dragged her) to the palanquin before turning to look at her, looking her dead in the eyes as though expecting a spark of rebellion from her, expecting to see the same fire of his deceased wife in her; she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction though, let him think that he sired a wimpy and sad child. "Do your duty well, there's a reason why I kept you for so long."

Her father, the second Lord Kim, scoffed before grabbing the veil and covering her face with the thick fabric, rendering it useless for her to see anything else; she could only see the thick fabric of the veil and could barely make people’s shadows. Her father, in a small miniscule act of kindness on his part, helped her onto the palanquin before ordering to send her away.

Kim Dokja let out a heavy breath, hoping for the best.

Maybe halfway on the road, she’d receive the news that Song Minwoo tripped in a ditch and broke his neck.

That would be such good news and even better for her, considering that Song Minwoo was the only son of the Song family.

Oh, she could only hope for such news to arrive in her ear during the next hour of traveling.

Kim Namwoon looked over at Jung Heewon who nodded in approval for him to continue the other stage of the Emperor’s plan; he had to be honest, he was surprised when the Emperor told them of his plans, glad that the Emperor had finally gotten his head out of his ass and decided that he really wanted to marry Lady Kim for himself.

Although taking her from her own wedding procession to a vassal was a bit extreme, Kim Namwoon had to respect the commitment to his feelings.

Kim Namwoon turned to look at the palanquin bearer from the other side, his face was glum as he walked in a practiced stride before he hissed at him. “Hey, hey.”

The fellow palanquin bearer turned to look at him with confusion before nodding. “What?”

“Why you so glum and sad? Your Young Lady is getting married.” Apparently that was the wrong combination of words to say to his fellow palanquin bearer by the way his face twisted in disgust and annoyance.

“Our poor Young Lady is getting married to a piece of shit, worse than the shit of the foreign invaders that His Majesty has had to fight off. That supposed Young Lord is nothing more than a walking piece of dog shit, he’s cruel to the Young Lady. What do you think he’ll do to her once she’s unable to leave? Oh, poor Young Lady Kim, this servant is sorry he’s delivering you to a fucking ragwhore’s son.” His fellow palanquin bearer started cursing in a low voice before bemoaning his Young Lady’s fate, looking even more glum once he recalled how shitty Song Minwoo was.

“.... We don’t have to deliver her to the Song’s.” Kim Namwoon said slowly, making sure that only his fellow man could hear him.

“Do you want us all to get killed?” His fellow palanquin bearer hissed at him before looking like he was considering it. “Although dying for the Young Lady doesn’t seem so bad.”

Kim Namwoon smiled giddily, he was getting somewhere. “No, no, no, my friend. No need for such sad thoughts, you see His Majesty heard about how terrible his beloved friend’s betrothed truly is and decided that his very good friend, the child that his mother the late Empress treated so kindly, doesn’t deserve to marry a walking piece of shit. So at the end of this road, there’s a fork, one road leads to the palace while the other leads to the Song’s estate. His Majesty’s men are waiting at the road leading to the palace; their orders are to avoid the Young Lady going to the Song estate and therefore they would do anything. I’m just telling you this because you all seem like some really nice guys who care about the Young Lady.”

His fellow palanquin bearer looked at him for a while before looking forward to the road until he nodded. “If it means that the Young Lady won’t be married off to that piece of walking shit then we’ll do it.”

Kim Namwoon sighed in relief and by the way Jung Heewon walked up to him with a sly smirk on her face, meaning that she had managed to persuade the rest of the palanquin bearers to the Emperor’s plans.

Kim Dokja’s hands mindlessly wringed themselves into the delicate fabric of her chima, praying with every step of the bridal procession that Song Minwoo would just choke and die.

The journey felt longer than usual though but she was glad, maybe the servants carrying the palanquin decided to give her this last kindness as a way of bracing herself for what she would have to endure.

Song Minwoo had made clear what he intended to do to her once they were wed and she did not want such a thing to happen to her.

Her ears perked up at the sounds of joyous cheering, chiming and a loud crowd, she lamented the fact that the bridal palanquin didn’t have any windows that would allow her to look outside.

Kim Dokja did feel quite suspicious if she had to be honest since Song Minwoo, and most of the current members of the Song clan, were not beloved by the people they ruled over; in fact, the last member of the Song clan they all collectively held in high regard was Song Minwoo’s grandfather. Were they forced to cheer in happiness for such a man? For such a horrid union?

To delude her into a false sense of security?

With every step, the crowd’s cheering got louder and louder until she felt that she was almost going deaf and was certain that the Song clan had bribed the entire population into cheering for this union because it did not make any sense.

“Young Lady, we’ve arrived.” Jung Heewon’s voice spoke from the open door, the cheering so loud that Kim Dokja could only perceive the maddening cacophony of sounds consuming her. And yet, she still nodded and reached out a hand tentatively to be led out of it, a calloused hand grabbed hers as it helped her get out of the palanquin with the utmost grace and gentleness needed for the task.

Kim Dokja prayed for a saving grace, anything that wouldn't let this marriage come to pass.

Every step she took, Kim Dokja felt like a noose was wrapping itself around her neck, poison flowing freely through her blood like it was made in her, her heart hardening.

Once the person guiding her stopped, handing over her hand to someone else; this hand was larger and more callused than the previous one, it was even warmer. The other person (most likely her fool of a betrothed) guided her a few more steps before the Master of the ceremony started talking about how marriage was virtuous and good for two people and more bullshit she didn’t feel inclined to listen to.

In any other situation, she would’ve listened to every word just so she could mock the person later but not right now when she felt that she was about to vomit everything that had been in her stomach that day.

When the proclamation for the bows began, she followed.

Two bows to her husband.

He bowed to her once.

She bowed two more times.

And he bowed one last time to her.

And the Master of the ceremony finally gave permission for her husband to remove the veil, to take away the one thing protecting her and making sure that she didn’t feel the full force of reality hitting her.

Kim Dokja closed her eyes shut as tightly as she could, registering the bright reflection of the sun against her skin.

But instead of hearing a sneer of disdain and utter glee at being able to torment her, Kim Dokja only felt a pair of lips pressing themselves against her forehead.

Shocked at the act of tenderness, Kim Dokja immediately opened her eyes and instead of seeing Song Minwoo’s punchable face, she was greeted with the sight of Yoo Joonghyuk, gently smiling at her before grabbing her hand and gently turning to look at the courtyard.

The cheers weren’t of people forced to cheer in joy of a union that would result terribly but instead they were the cheers of the entire capital overjoyed at the fact that the Emperor had married his first wife.

Cheers filled with congratulations, wishes of blessings and happiness for the new royal couple.

The entire palace courtyard was elegantly and grandly decorated for this sole ceremony. Kim Dokja turned to look at Yoo Joonghyuk, she could feel tears welling in her eyes but she refused to let them fall, couldn’t let the face of absolute happiness slip away from her face.

Why did Yoo Joonghyuk do this? She wasn’t certain, even if they were friends, he had never told her most of his thoughts, instead it was her duty as his friend to decipher the meaning behind them.

But she would repay his kindness dearly.

Being a wife to an Emperor, one that was her friend; would be ten times more tolerable than wedding the piece of shit she had been betrothed to.

Kim Dokja exhaled when they were finally allowed to enter the wedding chambers so they could have their wedding night; she had felt winded by all the congratulations, all the joy of people that would no doubt be keen on finding fault with her.

She was alone with Yoo Joonghyuk; she was expected to lay with him, to allow him to plant his seed in her and give him a healthy son to prove that he was able to continue his line.

She was expected to approve of any wives he married after her.

She could do that. Empress Consort Ahn was able to do it and so should she.

“I should’ve guessed…. Pheasants are embroidered into the robe, pheasants are worn for royal marriages.” Kim Dokja spoke as she looked down onto the table, serving the wedding wine with shaky hands before Yoo Joonghyuk’s calloused hand came up to gently grab one of her hands, stabilizing her grip on the wine bottle before putting it aside.

“Kim Dokja, I’m sorry if I scared you in this way. I know that it was wrong but I couldn’t stomach the thought of you marrying that piece of shit.” Yoo Joonghyuk spoke, his usual stern gaze looking more gentle and fragile than she had ever seen it. “I….. I hold you in the highest regard, I always have….. I never wanted anyone but you.”

Kim Dokja had always refused the idea of Yoo Joonghyuk potentially wanting to wed her; it never felt like something that could happen between the two of them, after all she was the daughter of a second son who held no true claim to lands or titles. She always ignored Empress Consort Ahn’s suggestions of wedding her to Yoo Joonghyuk as his first wife, always ignored the warning signs that everything that she taught her had been with the express meaning that she was learning them so she was able to assist Yoo Joonghyuk as his dutiful consort and first wife.

…. Kim Dokja just never thought herself worthy enough, how dare she covet something that would never be hers?

She never felt worthy enough for a Crown Prince.

Not worthy enough for an Emperor.

….. But you could be if you use what you learned from the Empress Consort and what you’ve learned from others.

Kim Dokja nodded before she drank her cup of wedding wine in one shot before she stood up in front of Yoo Joonghyuk, startling him by the way his eyes widened at her fast movements. Kim Dokja removed the lotus hair ornament from her head as she made her way to the marital bed before she turned to look at him, her hands came up to her otgoreum and undid it, removing the jeogori from her person and allowing it to fall on the floor, leaving her with her binder and her chima before she undid that as well, the skirt falling down to pool at her ankles.

Kim Dokja stood in front of Yoo Joonghyuk in only her undergarments, his eyes widened even more and his grip on his wine cup had tightened so much she was sure it was about to break.

“Yoo Joonghyuk…. I would love to be your wife. Now get up from your ass and make me your wife.”

The next thing she knew, her face was being cupped in gentle calloused hands before a pair of lips descended onto her hands, a tongue slipped in between her gasping lips as Yoo Joonghyuk kissed her.

Kissed her so much she felt her head reeling from the lack of breath in her lungs.

Yoo Joonghyuk’s hands roamed all over her body as he was unable to decide where he wanted to touch. Kim Dokja understood him by the way her own hands refused to stop roaming all over his covered chest, her hands collapsing around his wrists as she parted her lips from his, taking in wide gulps of air.

“Kim Dokja…” Yoo Joonghyuk rumbled approvingly as his lips lathered kissed down the slope of her neck before he decided to lay her down on the wedding bed, his larger scarred frame loomed over hers as his hands came up to undo his own robes.

She could only look up at him with wide glistening eyes before her hands removed the rest of her undergarments, allowing a stunned Yoo Joonghyuk to take in the sight of her.

She knew she wasn’t as plump as the other women her age, her skin too pale to be healthy (which was true), her breasts too modest that some hanboks didn’t look good on her but instead of receiving a look of disappointment from Yoo Joonghyuk, the younger only looked at her with unblinking eyes, his hands stilled in the motions of undressing himself at the sight of her bare body.

Kim Dokja was about to ask him if something was wrong when his face came down her to her chest and something warm and wet enveloped one of her nipples, eliciting a startled yelp from her before Yoo Joonghyuk’s arms wrapped themselves around her and pressing her flush against his body, making it unable for her to know where she started and where she ended; Kim Dokja could only mewl at every touch he made against her body.

His fingers gently traced her folds before pressing one of them inside of her, as though to prepare her for what would come next. Kim Dokja could only whimper as she felt overwhelmed by his touch but she didn’t want it to stop.

She wanted to know how it would feel to be Yoo Joonghyuk’s.

To be his woman, his wife.

To be solely his.

She wondered if he also wanted to be hers.

It would be nice if Yoo Joonghyuk was hers as well.

Yoo Joonghyuk whispered sweet praise into her ears with every finger he pushed inside of her, making her blush even redder with every praising word that slipped from his mouth.

“Dokja, your cunt knows who its husband is. It’s being so good for me.” He whispered fervently as three fingers made the most lecherous sounds as they prodded inside of her, as though searching for her, as if making her so wet it was embarrassing wasn’t enough for Yoo Joonghyuk.

“— don’t be ridic— ah! Waitwaitwaitwaitwait— what are you doing?” Kim Dokja squealed as his fingers pressed down on something that had her entire body feel like it was being consumed by flames and then he did something with the palm of his hand against the rest of her folds which pulled another gasp from her throat.

“Be a good wife. I’m making you feel good as part of my duties as a husband.” Yoo Joonghyuk shushed her as his fingers made a scissoring motion inside of her while his tongue lathered maddening swipes around her nipple, his other hand held a firm grip on her ass and refused to let go of her.

The next thing Kim Dokja knew was that her entire body felt winded up but then it felt as though a binded rope had been cut, embarrassing and whorish sounds slipped from her lips as she breathed heavily, entire body quivering while Yoo Joonghyuk praised her for being a good wife, his hands rubbing gentle circles on the inside of her thighs before spreading them wide and slotting himself in between them; she felt something warm grinding against the wet mess that coated her folds.

“Kim Dokja, I’m going to put it in. Is that okay?” Yoo Joonghyuk cupped her face, looking concerned at the lack of orientation in her eyes.

Kim Dokja was his wife; her duty was to please him and if he wanted to put whatever he wanted inside of her then it was okay. Kim Dokja nodded softly, eyes trying their best to focus in on his worried face. “Yes, its okay.”

Kim Dokja felt her mouth drop open as she felt something burning and thick start making its way inside of her, her weak and boneless arms shot up to grasp harshly onto Yoo Joonghyuk’s shoulders, digging her nails into his skin as deep as possible; Yoo Joonghyuk let out a groan before slotting his lips onto hers once more, everytime he slipped deeper inside of her, the more fiercer his tongue would be inside of her mouth, as though it was marking her mouth as his.

Yoo Joonghyuk exhaled in relief once their hips touched, she could feel the trembling of his hips against her ass as he waited for her to be comfortable. The entire time they waited, they couldn’t stop touching each other, it felt as though they were exploring the other for their own personal pleasure.

When Kim Dokja whimpered that he could move, Yoo Joonghyuk looked at her as if she was a divine maiden reborn onto the dirty mortal realm before he pulled back and then slammed back inside, pulling a moan from her.

Yoo Joonghyuk seemed like he liked that specific sound by the way he started fucking inside of her, making sure to piston his hips faster and harder whenever she made that sound again and soon Kim Dokja found herself mindlessly babbling her own praises while she moaned for him, begging for more, that he was too big and she was going to go stupid because of it, crying that he was too good, she felt like her entire mind would be reduced to nothing the more he fucked inside of her.

Yoo Joonghyuk liked the breathy quality of her voice as she got pounded deeper and deeper by him, seemed to like how her nails had managed to pull blood from him, and seemed to like watching her cry from delight and pleasure.

But what he seemed to like more was the way her back arched perfectly for him as she felt that perfect burning sensation run all over her body again, eyes rolling back into the back of her head while his teeth nipped at her tongue that was slightly lolling out of her mouth before he let out a groan of his own and Kim Dokja whimpered at the feeling of something warm spilling inside of it.

Her release had made her lightheaded so Kim Dokja couldn’t be blamed for the dazed smile on her lips as she rubbed her lower belly almost appreciatively as she mumbled that it felt nice to be stuffed full of Yoo Joonghyuk.

Best to say, Yoo Joonghyuk made sure that Kim Dokja was his wife.

Thoroughly.

Chapter Text

Yoo Joonghyuk blearily opened his eyes as the light of the rising sun started illuminating his chambers; the room flooded with the delicate scent of jangmi and scented book pages, Yoo Joonghyuk turned his attention to the small body his own body was wrapped around.

Yoo Joonghyuk would be lying if he said that he wasn’t ecstatic at the idea that Kim Dokja was finally his; that he thoroughly deflowered her to the point that no one could dare to tell him to annul their marriage. Having Kim Dokja underneath him was something he had always fantasized about but that he had never imagined happening truly until he returned back in time and had her in his bed as his legitimate first (and only) wife, and to be honest, nothing he had ever imagined would compare to what it truly felt like to have her for himself.

It felt like consuming a sweet wine, wanting to always keep that taste for himself.

The feeling of her soft skin against his, her lithe and slender frame, the sweet scent of her ink black hair that was spread across her pillow; Yoo Joonghyuk couldn’t hold back from pressing a kiss against her cheek, earning himself the sound of Kim Dokja sleepily whining before she snuffled into the warmth of his chest.

The closer she pressed her own body against his had immediately reminded Yoo Joonghyuk of the fact that they were both currently naked, their bodies only kept warm from the slowly encroaching autumn morning weather since they were covered up by the sheets of the bed; he could feel her bare legs as they sprawled and laced around his, the soft press of her breasts against his chest, the warmth of her thighs pressing against his own.

It was too much for Yoo Joonghyuk to hold back before he slowly turned her over, gently laying her on the bed before looming over her sleeping frame, holding himself back from taking her back in his arms as he heard her small whimpers of discomfort from the loss of warmth he provided to her. 

Yoo Joonghyuk leaned down to press gentle kisses all over her body; a kiss to her neck and it’s pulse, a kiss to her delicate collarbone, a kiss to the valley in between her breasts as he felt her steadily thrumming heartbeat, soft kisses pressed down her flat stomach before he spread her legs and placing them over his shoulders as he fully laid down before her swollen red cunt that was dripping the seed he had lovingly fucked into her the previous night.

(He wanted to breed her completely with his children, to fill her up with child after child, he wouldn’t mind if she only gave him princesses; after all, he did not fear a woman’s power, his mother was a strong and cunning woman, his wife was an acutely intelligent and wise woman, in his previous life many of his wives were incredibly astute political players in his court, and currently there were no laws against a daughter inheriting if there was no son to follow for she was blood of the current Emperor, proof of a dynasty and legacy, that was all that mattered.

Yoo Joonghyuk couldn’t shake off the idea of a daughter with her mother’s looks and wit or a son with his features and his mother’s eyes and sharp tongue; he wanted to father her the most beautiful and perfect children as Kim Dokja deserved.) 

Yoo Joonghyuk wanted Kim Dokja to know the good things about marriage, the happy things, the things that she had deserved in her past life and this life.

He certainly had no issue with enforcing such a thing.

Yoo Joonghyuk would make sure that Kim Dokja never feared his touch, would instead seek it and yearn for it even more; would make sure that Kim Dokja never spilled a tear from fear or sadness but rather tears of joy and pleasure.

Yoo Joonghyuk nipped and sucked marks into her inner thighs, branding her as his, before he leaned in to suckle at her clit, earning himself a whimper from Kim Dokja and the feeling of her thighs pressing against his head as she clenched them.

He loved the feeling of her soft skin, loved the taste of her cunt, and wanted her so badly.

And he had her.

And she had him.

Forever belonging to each other, as the Gods intended for them.

Yoo Joonghyuk couldn’t hold back from sitting in between her thighs and spreading them, before gently pushing his cock inside of her, chest rumbling at the warmth surrounding him as he fucked into her as gently as he could.

While he wouldn’t mind Kim Dokja to wake up and find how insatiable her new husband was, Yoo Joonghyuk also wanted her to rest since he knew that her health hadn’t always been the best; now that they were husband and wife, only the best physicians in the entire Empire would tend to his wife, to make sure she was always healthy and hale.

Yoo Joonghyuk leaned down to press his face into the crook of her neck as he thrusted inside of her, earning small whimpers from her as she was woken up by the delightful feeling of being pleasured, his warmth surrounding her and protecting her; Kim Dokja looked up at him with sleepy dazed starry eyes, looking at him like he was an apparition before she whimpered from the pleasure, her eyes darted down to look down at where they were both connected before whining.

"—wait wait wait wait— Joonghyuk—" Kim Dokja whined as Yoo Joonghyuk spilled inside of her, his hips rocking back into hers as he refused to pull out of her sweet and perfect warmth.

"Good morning, Noble Consort Kim." Yoo Joonghyuk crooned into her temple, the title felt acidic on his tongue but it was the title conferred to Kim Dokja as was her right as his first wife until she gave him an heir or he married another lady from a family with an even higher rank and an more ancient and prestigious bloodline.

As if Yoo Joonghyuk would marry another woman.

Kim Dokja was all he needed and wanted.

Kim Dokja was the only woman he wanted to ask for advice; for two lifetimes, she had always been the one and only woman he wanted for himself, only now did he dare to take action.

Her children were the only ones he wanted to sire.

Kim Dokja looked up at him with tears in her sleepy starry eyes as she pouted cutely, her lips swollen from his unrelenting nipping from the previous night, before mumbling in a cute pouty tone. "Good morning Your Majesty."

Yoo Joonghyuk thrusted harshly into her cunt, earning himself a whimper from Kim Dokja before leaning down to press kisses into her neck, whispering into her soft skin.

"Husband, my dear wife."

Kim Dokja giggled with a whimper before whining, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, nails coming up to scratch at the skin of his nape. "Is that so? Then my husband is so mean to this wife."

“How can I be mean when I want you so much?” Yoo Joonghyuk whispered before descending to take her lips in a gentle kiss.

Kim Dokja would only know the sweet things of life, nothing more.

Nothing less.

Yoo Joonghyuk would make sure of it.

Kim Dokja could only sit in front of her bronze mirror as the maids tended to her, braiding her hair and tying certain strands up in a hairstyle meant for an Empress, placing pheasant and phoenix shaped hairpins in her hair while the maids brushed the portion of her hair that was to remain loose and flowing down her back with lotus oil; she wore agate earrings along with a couple of glimmering rubies that surrounded the agate; the hanbok they had chosen for her was a beautiful blue that glimmered as beautifully as the southern ocean, the jeogori was a beautiful ocean blue embroidered with bamboo trees and pheasants while the chima was a light sky colored translucent blue which glistened with every movement.

“Your Highness, you look quite beautiful. His Majesty does have great taste when it comes to you!” A maid cheerfully spoke as she lightly tinted Kim Dokja’s lips with a soft coral color.

“Joongh— His Grace chose this for me?” Kim Dokja questioned, her eyes flitting over to Jung Heewon who ordered the other maids around to keep her chambers tidy (not that she’d spend much time in them by the way Yoo Joonghyuk implied that he would call for her tonight).

Jung Heewon nodded, her hands placed behind her back as she replied. “Yes. Everything in your chambers was specifically chosen by His Majesty; of course, some items are heirlooms belonging to the late Empress Mother but His Majesty was positive that you would appreciate the gesture.”

Kim Dokja’s eyes immediately started scanning the room for things she knew had belonged to Empress Consort Ahn before her eyes set themselves on a painting, a painting she had made for Empress Consort Ahn’s twenty and ninth nameday.

It was the first birthday of the Empress Consort Ahn that Kim Dokja had spent in her company; Yoo Joonghyuk had already figured out what he would give to his mother, the previous Emperor had already planned the most lovely banquet and week filled with celebrations and gifts given to the commoners in honor of his proud and beloved wife’s birth (also that year, the Empress’ birthday celebrations were on the most auspicious week, according to the Imperial Astronomers) and even the consorts and concubines had all begrudgingly chosen gifts for Empress Consort Ahn.

All but Kim Dokja, who felt so ashamed that she hadn’t been able to prepare a gift for her mother’s dearest friend.

But Kim Dokja recalled listening to the Empress Consort recounting how she missed the keep she was born and raised in, missed the fields filled with pink and purple nan flower trees, missed walking amongst them with Kim Dokja’s mother, both of them giggling as they laced their arms together.

Kim Dokja had a portrait of her mother as a young newly flowered girl, gifted to her by her maternal grandmother before she passed away from illness. On the few occasions Kim Dokja visited the Emperor’s personal chambers along with Yoo Joonghyuk (who didn’t like visiting his father’s chambers with Kim Dokja because the man would tease him about his relationship with Kim Dokja, not that the Emperor was wrong but Yoo Joonghyuk did not enjoy the teasing, having inherited his grandfather’s temperament over both of his parents’ more exuberant personalities), she always noticed a portrait of two young teenagers; the Emperor and Empress Consort Ahn, painted when they first got engaged to one another.

Kim Dokja would paint the painting in the dead of night, with a sole lantern to illuminate her canvas and paints, refusing to let her relatives try to take credit for her gift to Empress Consort Ahn; it was her gift and she wanted the Empress to know that.

(Besides she wanted to be far away from the tacky piece of jewelry her aunt was planning on gifting to the Empress on behalf of the Kim clan.)

And on the day of Empress Consort Ahn’s birthday banquet, Kim Dokja sat at the table reserved for the Kim Clan before the Empress Consort had her summoned over to sit near her and Yoo Joonghyuk and a few members from the Ahn Clan that had arrived to celebrate their daughter and mother of the Nation; Kim Dokja had made her way to where she had been settled newly, sitting down contently after greeting the rest of the table and immediately proceeded to start teasing Yoo Joonghyuk.

As the festivities went on, as food was consumed and drinks were soon trickling down people’s throats; Kim Dokja shyly murmured to Empress Consort Ahn that she had a gift for her, a gift that she hoped she would enjoy very much.

Kim Dokja had innocently thought that the Empress Consort would wait to open it once the festivities were done but she had told her about her gift when the Empress Consort had just opened the gift from her son; a finely crafted jade jewelry set. At Kim Dokja’s words, Empress Consort Ahn immediately requested to be shown Kim Dokja’s personal gift.

The gift was soon unveiled to the grand table where the Emperor, the Empress, the consorts, concubines and their children all sat; the entire table looked at the painting in awe, even Empress Ahn’s relatives immediately recognized the fields filled with nan flower trees, could recognize the coastline of the sea where the Ahn Clan had heralded their naval strength from.

But Empress Consort Ahn could only look at the distant figure nearing the coast, waving towards the figure that looked like Empress Consort Ahn.

Empress Consort Ahn ignored her husband and relatives singing praises of the painting, ignored the consorts and concubines asking Kim Dokja who her teacher was so they could teach their children as well, and instead took Kim Dokja in her arms.

An action unbefitting of a woman who was to be worshiped and held in high regard as the Mother of the Nation but Empress Consort Ahn didn’t care as she embraced Kim Dokja, pressed a gentle kiss to Kim Dokja’s temple and murmured several thanks.

From that day on, the painting gifted to her by Kim Dokja was Empress Consort Ahn’s most prized treasure.

After his mother’s passing, Kim Dokja would’ve assumed that he kept it for himself rather than giving it to her.

Kim Dokja could only look at it before humming in approval. “His Grace truly is the wisest man in the entire nation.”

“That he is. Your Highness, Her Highness the Noble Princess Mia requests to be allowed to come visit you.” A maid spoke gently from the door.

Kim Dokja cocked her head before answering softly. “Of course she can come in.”

Kim Dokja sighed contently as she walked through the courtyard of the Imperial Palace, making sure to admire at how effective the staff was at cleaning everything up after the whole wedding procession from the previous day; the staff were unaccustomed to immediately bow at the sight of her but they did so with such speed and discipline that Kim Dokja felt worried for their spines.

On her side, chattering in a way that she had never seen the little girl do before, was the Noble Princess Yoo Mia (Yoo Joonghyuk’s beloved little sister, the only true sibling he had and Yoo Joonghyuk had loved Mia fiercely with all of his heart, even after his mother had passed from a fever after giving birth to her, and so, as Yoo Joonghyuk loved her so much, Kim Dokja had resolved to love the little princess just as much as her friend did; it wasn’t hard, Mia was a lovely babe that grew into an even more lovely child and Kim Dokja was certain that she would be quite the beauty when she came of age —at times she felt bad for her friend when she realized the hoards of unfit suitors he would have fend off from his sister—); after drinking tea with Kim Dokja for the morning, her nursemaid had told the little princess that she would need to go to her lessons and while it was obvious that Yoo Mia did not want to attend her lessons, she did agree to go when Kim Dokja offered to drop her off and then pick her up once she was done.

Kim Dokja would make sure to request Yoo Joonghyuk or the Head Eunuch to help her ease into the duties of an Empress; after all, she couldn’t be lazy.

A child would come when the time came —after all, such precious gifts from the Heavens shouldn’t be rushed— but until then, she would like to stay in the current newlywed marital bliss with her husband and also do her duties well; when Yoo Joonghyuk took a new lady to wife, Kim Dokja would try to be kind and amiable to her as was her duty as First Wife.

As they made their way to the building where the Royal Instructors waited for Yoo Mia, Kim Dokja could blearily listen to the sound of arguing and cursing from a distance, could hear the cordial sounds of the guards trying their best to still sound like they were trying to be cordial to whoever was bothering them, could hear the sound of scuffling and movement before someone dashed into the courtyard. Kim Dokja was about to try to defuse the situation before the guards cut him down when she stilled in place as she stared at the person that had dashed their way into the courtyard, the words of concern spoken to her by the maids, eunuchs and Jung Heewon sounded muddled as though she was drowning and couldn’t breathe.

The sight of an enraged Song Minwoo as he stilled a couple of steps away from where she stood before the rage filled his entire being with much ferocity that Kim Dokja wanted to run far away but her legs were glued in place, not allowing her to leave.

“You.” Song Minwoo sneered as he looked at the frozen still Kim Dokja dressed in elaborate elegant robes while holding hands with the little Royal Princess before he strided to where she stood in the courtyard, his hand outstretched as he most likely was aiming to grab her by the hair and drag her away. “You fucking whore. How dare you?”

Kim Dokja closed her eyes in expectation of the pain when the sound of a sword being unsheathed filled the otherwise silent air and Jung Heewon’s voice resonated throughout the courtyard. “How dare you lift a hand against Her Highness the Noble Consort, the Emperor’s first wife?”

Kim Dokja opened her eyes only to feel something warm swell in her chest at the sight of Jung Heewon so fiercely overprotective of her as she stared down at Song Minwoo with a long blade poised to slice his wrist off in a single stroke if he stepped any closer.

“Ha!” Song Minwoo scoffed, ignoring the alarmed whispering and hands of his cousins and one of Kim Dokja’s own male cousins grabbing him and trying to make him stand down as he shoved them off, his own hand coming down to unsheathe his sword; while he might have an idea of what fighting is, it was considered almost tantamount to suicide to dare to lift a sword against a member of the Jung family; not that Song Minwoo cared from the way his eyes crazily locked in on Kim Dokja’s slender frame. “What first wife? She’s a whore who didn’t honor her vows. You…. you must’ve had fun, didn’t you? Coming all the way here because you were going to miss sucking on the Emperor’s cock once I made sure to break your legs so you’d never leave. Now get over here before I make you.”

Kim Dokja couldn’t feel any air enter her lungs, couldn’t stop the burning ache of tears, not from humiliation and fear but from anger and disgust; she wanted Song Minwoo flayed, wanted his tongue cooked and served to Yoo Mia’s fluffy fat cat, she wanted him whipped bloody until he couldn’t make a sound and she could see the bare muscles and the bones underneath his back, she wanted him quartered into pieces by all the Imperial warhorses available.

She wanted him silent, to never utter another word in his measly life again.

To never annoy her, to never insult her, to never humiliate her or anyone else ever again.

Kim Dokja wanted him gone, wanted his wrongful existence to finally be wiped out of this world, correcting the wrong his parents had done by allowing him to live this long.

(As Consort to the Emperor, wasn’t it her public duty to make sure that such unsightly things were removed?)

So she couldn’t stop herself when she hissed out loud, eyes locked onto Song Minwoo’s furious eyes. “Lady Jung, I would like you to shut him up.”

“Gladly.”

“You fucking little whore.” Song Minwoo sneered as he pointed his sword in Kim Dokja’s direction, the action forcing the rest of the guards to unsheathe their own swords as they closed in on them, Song Minwoo ignoring his cousins and Kim Dokja’s cousin chiding him and telling him to stand down. “You got the smallest taste of Imperial cock and you think you’re the fucking Empress? You’re a little second son’s whore daughter who doesn’t know her place.”

“Sure,” She shrugged her shoulders, her earrings jingled with the casual movement, before she continued, searing poison dripping from every word that slipped from her still swollen lips. “maybe you’re right, but you know what? You’re the idiot who dared to storm into the Imperial Palace, you dared to insult His Majesty’s legitimate wife and you still dare to act like a child denied a treat rather than the young lord you’re supposed to be. But it’s not like I didn’t know already that you were an overgrown child; after all, I was embarrassed that I was going to marry such a spoiled and undisciplined child. But in the end, you’re still the biggest fool of them all because you dared to pull out your sword in front of a woman of the Emperor.” Kim Dokja sneered, feeling a sudden strike of courage filling her veins and bones as she straightened her posture before bellowing, tone sharp and demanding. “Guards! Take them into custody! They dared to threaten This One with a blade!”

The guards that had all been on guard from the moment they had caught sight of Song Minwoo’s small party had immediately rushed forward, grabbing Song Minwoo and his cousins, along with her eldest male cousin, were immediately apprehended and dragged away to the dungeons, to await for Yoo Joonghyuk to return from settling a dispute out of the capital borders.

Kim Dokja ignored her cousin’s pleading, telling her that he only wanted to know what happened but that he didn’t support Song Minwoo’s actions; as if he wasn’t the one that made sure to let Kim Dokja know of every lecherous and disgusting thing that Song Minwoo had done, as though he didn’t tell her of the things Song Minwoo was eager to do to her once they were wed.

He didn’t know?

Only a fool would believe that excuse.

And Kim Dokja was no fool.

Jung Heewon turned to look at Kim Dokja with a frown on her face as she resheathed her sword in its scabbard. “Your Highness, you should’ve allowed me to deal with it.”

Kim Dokja tried not to lose her posture and instead spoke firmly as she shook her head, trying her best to harness Empress Consort Ahn in her actions. “Heewon, you don’t deserve to stain such amazing hands and such an impressive blade with their disgusting flesh and blood. Besides, it's the guards’ job to keep me safe, yours, aside from keeping me safe, is to be my companion.”

Jung Heewon looked unsatisfied with Kim Dokja’s answer but she bowed her head in response before she turned to look at the remaining guards who did not escort the prisoners to the dungeon, hissing at them in displeasure. "How dare you all let that mongrel get that close to Her Highness? Do you not value your own lives? Do you not value Her Highness’ life?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to inform His Majesty over your recklessness.” Jung Heewon walked away, ignoring the guards’ veiled and useless excuses, dragging Kim Dokja behind her along with the rest of the small retinue of handmaids and eunuchs that had accompanied Kim Dokja and Yoo Mia; Kim Dokja felt guilty that Yoo Mia had to witness that, had to hear such horrible things, had to see that disgusting thing.

She would have to apologize to her later; maybe she could get her some sweets from the confectionery store that she and Yoo Joonghyuk loved to eat from when they were kids.

Kim Dokja was lost in thought when she felt a small hand wrap itself around her hand, thumbing softly at the soft skin of the back of her hand; Kim Dokja turned to look at a frowning Yoo Mia who was glaring in the direction of where Song Minwoo had been dragged away by the guards before she looked up at her, her face in that moment was so much like Yoo Joonghyuk’s as she spoke up. “Don’t worry, saeeonni. Orabeoni will make sure to pull out his tongue for being so mean to you.”

Kim Dokja couldn’t hold back the laugh that left her throat, the tears that had been swelling in her eyes had spilled out as she knelt down to hug Yoo Mia before she stood to her full height, hand firmly wrapped around Yoo Mia’s hand. “Of course Mia-yah, I don’t doubt it. Now, how about we keep going? You need to attend your lessons after all.”

Kim Dokja led Yoo Mia to her lessons, her posture held high and comforted by the small hand in hers.

(Yoo Mia felt glad that saeeonni wasn’t too sad about the mean man that came to bother her, besides she knew that her orabeoni would get rid of him because he dared to make saeeonni cry.)

“Greetings to Your Highness.” Kim Dokja lifted her gaze from the book she was reading to look at Yoo Joonghyuk’s personal eunuch standing at the entrance to her chambers.

“Yes, Head Eunuch Jo? Is something wrong?” Kim Dokja questioned, relieved at the sight of the man as it meant that Yoo Joonghyuk had returned from his border dispute.

“His Majesty has been informed of the incident that had happened between Your Highness and the young lords from the Song Clan and the young master of the Kim Clan. He has ordered a hearing between the ministers and the affected Clans to be made with haste today; several of the lords have already arrived for the hearing.” Head Eunuch Jo spoke, tone calm and unworried as he looked at his Emperor’s beautiful new bride —he, like many others in the palace, had always been baffled at the fact that the late Empress Mother had never had the young Lady Kim’s betrothal annulled and had her betrothed to Crown Prince Joonghyuk; but like others, was pleasantly surprised the day the Emperor had announced wedding preparations and that he would be stealing the Young Lady Kim so he could take her to wife. Head Eunuch Jo was glad, the Young Lady Kim had always been good at taming the Emperor’s darker impulses and had always lifted his mood as well, she would be a good First Wife and head to the Emperor’s harem if all went well—, by the rumors he had heard of Her Highness’ birth clan and the clan she would’ve married into if not for His Majesty, he understood her reluctance to do the following thing His Grace asked of her. “His Grace requests your presence at the Grand Court for the hearing as you were the victim and were the one to order the arrest of the young lords.”

Kim Dokja couldn’t help the tremors that ran across her body when Yoo Joonghyuk had her summoned, she knew why he had her summoned; after all, three young lords from the Song family and the heir to the Kim family were imprisoned under her orders for daring to storm into the palace by force to threaten her; technically, she was in her right to have them arrested and could’ve even have upped the ante by having one of their hands cut off to daring to attempt to touch her or their tongues removed for daring to insult her since as the first wife of the Son of the Heavens, she was in equal rank to him and deserved to be given the exact same respect.

She didn’t want to step into the Grand Court and to find her relatives and the Song clan standing there while glaring and hissing insults like they were curses hoping to damn her to eternal suffering.

For all her stubbornness and witty tongue, Kim Dokja was a cowardly woman; she wanted to hide behind her husband’s wide shoulders, she wanted Yoo Joonghyuk to resolve it on his own and to come into her chambers, drenched in Song Minwoo’s blood before asking her for a kiss, for her love, for her life (all things that she already willingly gave away to him) as a reward for smiting down the demon that had tormented her all these years.

But she remembered Yoo Joonghyuk’s own mother vividly; remembered the fear and respect that filled everyone’s eyes when Empress Consort Ahn stepped into a room; remembered feeling admiration and envy. No one ever said that Empress Consort Ahn took advantage of the previous Emperor’s power nor her own family’s power backing her; instead, people feared Empress Consort Ahn because of who she was, because of how relentless and ruthless she could be but also since she was kind and generous as well.

Yoo Joonghyuk needed a strong wife; and Gods help her, she’d be that for him.

No matter how hard it was for her; after all, things like this were built upon slowly.

Empress Consort Ahn didn’t walk into the palace and gained her power overnight; she was the first wife and she made calculated move after move to gain her power, to earn her rank, to earn the right of others being afraid at the mere mention of her name.

Kim Dokja could and would do the same.

“Your Highness, His Majesty says that if you do not feel comfortable to go then there’s no need, he would only need a written statement with your seal—” Head Eunuch Jo spoke softly when he noticed that Kim Dokja did not reply nor did she look away from the sight of the grand gardens in front of her.

“No need, I shall attend. You must allow me to get changed, after all I was expecting His Majesty’s personal company.” Kim Dokja replied as she turned back to look at Head Eunuch Jo from over her shoulder, the look in her starry silver eyes was completely different from the usual look.

“Of course, Your Highness. This servant shall await you outside.”

“Your Majesty, we should start the hearing.” One of the ministers spoke up as he looked warily at both the Kim and Song clans who looked like they were one step away from either fainting or making a scene; Yoo Joonghyuk recognized him, he was the current Madam Song’s brother and of course, he’d want to settle things to be easier for his sister.

Yoo Joonghyuk couldn’t hold back the scoff that came out of his throat before speaking up. “Shouldn’t the person who was affected by the attack of uncivilized mongrels be here before we do anything?”

Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyes noticed the grimace on Madam Song’s face at his words, it was obvious that she thought her son to be the victim in the whole affair and that Kim Dokja was being an ungrateful and reckless bitch for ordering his arrest, for wedding Yoo Joonghyuk instead of her son, for making the Song’s look like idiots awaiting for her to arrive to the wedding when she would never make it there since Yoo Joonghyuk had her stolen away for himself, for making it seem as though she had seduced Yoo Joonghyuk into wedding her to raise her own station.

As if Kim Dokja would be as vain as she was.

“Her Highness the Noble Consort Kim has arrived!” Head Eunuch Jo announced from the other side of the doors before they were opened for Kim Dokja to step through and make her way into the Grand Court.

It had surprised Yoo Joonghyuk; while Kim Dokja was sly and quick with her tongue, she had been treated poorly by her family and Yoo Joonghyuk was prepared to use a written statement as a prelude into the charges of embezzlement and treason but Kim Dokja was always someone who surprised Yoo Joonghyuk.

Yoo Joonghyuk’s throat dried at the sight of Kim Dokja as she made her way into the Grand Court, her head held high and poised despite the weight of all the hairpins placed in her intricately braided ink colored hair; she was wearing a garnet red hanbok that glimmered beautifully with the reflection of the setting sun and the lights from the candles, the hems were decorated with a golden embroidery as they covered perfectly her wrists, her posture was perfection incarnate as she strode into the Grand Court as if she was a deity descending to the mortal realm to bless them with the forbidden sight of a Goddess.

She looked every inch an Empress, every inch the woman worthy enough to sit next to him and rule the Empire at his side; and she would, Yoo Joonghyuk would make sure of it.

“Your Majesty, this wife apologizes for her lateness but this wife had already been resting from the stress of the ordeal.” Kim Dokja bowed in front of Yoo Joonghyuk, making a point of not looking to the side where her family and her would-be in-laws stood.

“It's alright, Noble Consort Kim. After all, you must’ve been startled by such a heathen daring to raise a blade against you.” Yoo Joonghyuk answered before patting the empty space on the divan right next to him. “Come. And bring the prisoners.”

Instead of flushing and protesting a denial like she would’ve done under normal circumstances, Kim Dokja’s own hands came up to lightly ruck up her skirts as she made her way up the stairs until she stood in front of Yoo Joonghyuk and settled on the divan next to him; her back ramrod straight as she descended perfectly onto the divan, her hands settling on her lap before Yoo Joonghyuk grabbed one of them and laced their fingers together.

Yoo Joonghyuk leaned into her smaller frame, lips ghosting over her earlobe as he asked. “Are you alright?”

Instead of Kim Dokja nodding her assent or replying with a small murmur, Kim Dokja simply tightened her grip around their laced hands.

Everyone watched as the guards brought the frazzled Song Minwoo and his cousins along with Kim Dokja’s own cousin into the Grand Court, hands tied to their backs before they were made to kneel in front of Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Dokja; they all mumbled their greetings as they all also tried to glare at Kim Dokja without making it obvious that they were glaring at her and hoping that she would choke and die as if that would lift the charges against them.

“Young Lords, do you understand why you’ve been imprisoned?” Yoo Joonghyuk let the Head Eunuch and Minister Lee speak, listening the entire time while trying to soothe the stiff Kim Dokja.

“Your Majesty, This Lowly One does not understand why he’s being arrested. Young Lady Kim is my betrothed, she is to be my wife, I only came to take her back for us to be wed.” Song Minwoo stressed out as he looked down at the floor, his muscles straining against his ropes.

“Her Highness is His Majesty’s wife, everyone knows it already.” Minister Lee stressed as he looked at Song Minwoo. “They have completed their three bows, drunk the marital wine and have partaken in the wedding night already. She is no longer Young Lady Kim but Noble Consort Kim.”

“And? She was promised to me first; not His Majesty. There was an agreement, written and signed by our grandfathers. She belongs to me, not His Majesty.” Yoo Joonghyuk heard the soft sound of a sharp breath taken in by Kim Dokja as she glared down at Song Minwoo. “I only came here to get my betrothed back but the bitch ordered my arrest when I did nothing wrong.”

Yoo Joonghyuk wanted to kill the man by the way he spoke of Kim Dokja as property, as though she was a toy that Yoo Joonghyuk had found and stole for himself.

“You will give Her Highness the reverence she is owed or you will receive greater punishment.” Minister Lee hissed as he looked down on Song Minwoo.

“What? She lets the Emperor fuck her and she’s supposed to be given respect? She’s a traitorous whore who betrayed an agreement.” Yoo Joonghyuk felt the urge to cut his head off immediately and was about to do it if it weren’t for the way Kim Dokja’s hand immediately tightened around his own as though knowing what he wanted to do.

“You threatened to harm her.” Jung Heewon sneered from her place at Kim Dokja’s side. “Even if she wasn’t His Majesty’s wife, she is still a lady, a person who deserves respect.”

“I wasn’t going to kill her.” Yoo Joonghyuk was glad that Song Minwoo was stupid enough to not know how deranged he sounded, to not know that he was making every lord who had considered marrying their daughters to him as a second wife uncomfortable and disgusted; because, yes a daughter was a valuable investment but a daughter was one’s own flesh and blood, who wanted to see their flesh and blood wed to such disgusting trash? “I would’ve only hurt her leg and maybe ruin her face so His Majesty would be disgusted by it.”

“And yet you wonder why you were arrested?” Minister Lee hissed before turning his attention to the other Song men and Kim Dokja’s cousin. “And you! Why did you allow him to come if these were his plans? Did you believe it was appropriate? Did you believe it was right? What possessed you all to think that storming your way into the palace to try to harm the Emperor’s Noble Consort and steal her away was a good idea?”

“We didn’t know that he was going to hurt her.” One of the Song men rambled as he looked away from the glaring looks he was receiving. “We assumed that the plan was to grab her and take her back to our estate.”

“And what the Noble Consort wanted didn’t matter?”

“She did what she wanted, she needed to face the consequences of what happened.” The other Song man continued, shrugging in his place.

“And you? You are her cousin, flesh and blood and you agreed with these thoughts? Shouldn’t you have been overjoyed that your cousin was His Majesty’s first wife?” Minister Lee prodded Kim Dokja’s cousin who looked up at the minister with disgusted eyes. “Did you not believe that such an issue could’ve been fixed with marrying one of your sisters to the Young Lord Song if he was so offended that he did not have a Kim bride?”

“Dokja is his Kim bride; she acted on her own in a disrespectful and disobedient manner, harming her own reputation and that of my family; I believed that it was in my best interest to retrieve her from her delusions.” Kim Dokja’s cousin answered firmly, resolute in his beliefs.

It was obvious that the easier solution would’ve been to hastily wed one of her cousins to Song Minwoo but it was obvious that they considered that the only viable option was Kim Dokja and they didn’t care if Kim Dokja had already been wedded and bedded by the sovereign of their country.

Minister Lee looked over at Yoo Joonghyuk as though he was exasperated by the four young men and was about to make a conclusion on why Kim Dokja had acted the way that she did when Lord Song interrupted him.

“Your Grace, is my family not the victim here?” Lord Song questioned as he stood near his son and nephews, looking over at them to make them seem like the unfortunate young lords in this situation, very much ignoring the fact that they admitted that they had no issues with barging into the palace with no invitation nor audience and had planned on kidnapping Kim Dokja and forcing her to go with them back to the Song Clan. “We were promised a bride from the Kim Clan and yet she ran away, forsaking the vows made by her grandfather to my own lord father. Do we not deserve the right to demand our justice?”

Yoo Joonghyuk scoffed before he answered, tone serious and calm despite his growing rage over the blatant entitlement. “This One believes that there’s a misconception regarding the affair. Noble Consort Kim did not make her way to the palace on her own and forced my hand nor did she seduce me into wedding her. This One is offended that you and your family seem so eager to make her into the criminal when the criminal is sitting on this chair right in front of you. My personal guards intercepted Noble Consort Kim when her bridal palanquin was making its way to the Song Clan’s estate, she was always willing to wed your son, Lord Song but This One decided that she would be a better bride to myself. If anything, This One was the one to steal her away; This One reevaluated many things and I realized that there was no finer woman to be my Consort than the one specifically raised by the late Empress Mother.”

The entire hall stood in silence when Yoo Joonghyuk confessed to the whole ordeal: Kim Dokja was not to blame for it, but instead, it had been Yoo Joonghyuk, the Emperor of the Nation and the man everyone respected and feared, the one to start this whole fuss in the first place.

Madam Song stepped forward as she spoke, despite the way she trembled at the revealed knowledge, there was a still a glimmer in her eyes that showed that she would want to take advantage of this as best as possible. “Then Your Majesty, should we not be at least compensated over the loss of the bride that you took for yourself? The bridal dowry and the expenses which were used for the wedding? A wedding that did not pass because Your Majesty stole the bride. Those were expenses that were wasted, how will our region fare when such expenses were made.”

(Yoo Joonghyuk tried his best to hold back the instinctive scoff, hand tightening its grip around Kim Dokja’s, noticing that his own wife was getting just as incensed as he was. As if. 

Yoo Joonghyuk remembered that in his previous life, the rumors that had spread regarding the Song’s embezzling taxes had started specifically because they had supposedly spent so much money on Kim Dokja’s and Song Minwoo’s wedding that they would be unable to pay taxes to the Empire and requested clemency since it was the wedding of the Emperor’s dearest and oldest companion but it was far from an elaborate affair.)

Such money loving snakes. Yoo Joonghyuk leaned back as he hummed, thumb rubbing gently against the soft skin of Kim Dokja’s hand, trying his best to dispel his wife’s increasing bad mood with every word that slipped from the Song’s and her own relative’s mouths.

But his wife had no need to worry, Yoo Joonghyuk would never give them what they thought that they deserved and would make sure to give them what they actually deserved.

“Well, those had been my thoughts in the beginning when I was planning on taking the Noble Consort to wife but you see, Lord and Madam Song.” Yoo joonghyuk spoke calmly before he sneered, tone lowering with every word that came from his throat. “Why would I do that for rats who dare to steal under my nose?”

The two aforementioned people’s faces had immediately paled, the entire Grand Court turned silent and cold at the low menacing tone that came from the Emperor. Lord Song started sweating before he started to shake his head, falling to his knees as he erratically denied it. “No no no— Your Grace, how could I dare to steal from you? Such a sin would be— I can’t even conceive it myself. This lowly one would never dare to steal a cent from the Imperial coffers.”

“Is that so? Then why is it that we received pleas from the smallfolk of your region begging for the Imperial Tax to be lowered when This One hasn’t raised it at all? The tax was in fact lowered to when my grandfather was Emperor so the people could have the chance to recover after my traitor brothers’ foolish attempts to seize the throne.” Yoo Joonghyuk replied indifferently, nodding over to the scholar who had made the investigation to step forward but was interrupted by one of Lord Song’s brothers who tried to defend himself and his family.

“Your Majesty, why would we believe the ramblings of those lesser than us? They’re obviously trying to slander us.” Lord Song’s younger brother spoke, tone indignant at the fact that Yoo Joonghyuk was listening to them due to the smallfolk’s pleading. “Those who were not born to power and true grace like us will always say things like that because they are truly envious and they believe that they’re civilized enough to reign in themselves.”

Yoo Joonghyuk was about to insult the man when Kim Dokja suddenly spoke up from her place next to him, tone cold and freezing. “Lesser than you? Third Lord Song, everyone in this room knows that you have always had a taste for the young women who work in the seamstress houses— ah, no that’s wrong. Everyone knows you like to force yourself on those women.”

“You—”

“What about me? My Lord, you cannot come here and talk about ethics and morality and claim that those bases alone mean that what the smallfolk is saying is a lie.” Kim Dokja spoke coldly, silver fox shaped eyes glaring at the man. “The people care only about two things: first, if they can feed their families with no issue; and second, if the money they are making to feed said family is enough to feed them and to pay the tax. They do not care to slander you and quite frankly, I’m not even certain they remember who you are aside from when they must hide their daughters in their houses when you pass by. You and your family are lucky to be born in such a high position, and being born in such a high position means that the duty of yourself and your family is to make sure that the smallfolk only have to occupy their thoughts on what they truly care about.”

Yoo Joonghyuk could only lean back in the divan, thumb gently soothing the soft skin of the back of her hand. The sight of an enraged, indignant and passionate Kim Dokja was one that Yoo Joonghyuk never wanted to stop seeing, it was so arousing that Yoo Joonghyuk had to remind himself that taking his wife in front of the entire court was not a good idea because everyone would see and hear his wife being drowned in sweet bliss.

And that couldn’t be, it was a sight reserved for only his eyes.

“— I—!”

“Silence, your voice is grating to my ears, I fear they might start bleeding if I hear you any longer.” Kim Dokja waved him off before her gaze directed itself to the scholar that had investigated the claim staring at her —Yoo Joonghyuk tried his best to ignore the adoring, worshiping look in the scholar’s eyes as he took in his wife; yes, Yoo Joonghyuk knew Kim Dokja was impressive, that’s why he married her— and spoke to him with a gentle tone, completely different from how she referred to the second Lord Song. “Forgive me, This One does not know your name, may I hear it?”

“Yes, Your Highness. I am Scholar Jang, I work in the Internal Affairs department but His Majesty entrusted the investigation of such suspicious activity to me and I discovered…” With every word that slipped from Scholar Jang’s lips, with each scroll of evidence that was passed through the ministers’ hands, was another nail in the coffin that belonged to the Song Clan.

For Scholar Jang was a very meticulous and thorough investigator.

“Any more that you want to add to your defense, Lord Song?” Yoo Joonghyuk questioned at the end once the depth of the situation finally sinked in.

“Your— Your Ma—”

“Nothing? Alright. Since there is no point in having such vermin hold important lands then this is This One’s declaration: the Song Clan is to be thoroughly exterminated as their men shall be executed with no regard, the women who share the surname and those who have married into the family shall be stripped of their wealth and titles thus they will be commoners and they shall be exiled to the northern border for labor; all their wealth and possessions shall be taken and sold to repay the smallfolk who were overtaxed and overworked from their actions; their ancestral home is to be burned and salted for nothing should grow from such a wretched place.” Yoo Joonghyuk spoke coldly, ignoring the pleas from the members of the Song Clan, watching as the guards immediately apprehended the men of the Song Clan and started dragging them away towards the dungeons.

Madam Song fell to her knees in front of them, kowtowing several times before lifting her teary frantic face up to look at Kim Dokja dead in the eye, wailing loudly, her makeup running down her face. “Your Highness, this is too cruel! We were to be your family, if not for His Grace. How could you endorse such an act? Did I not love nor care for you as you were to be my son’s wife? Such cruelty is unwarranted, please speak some reason to His Grace!”

Love? Love? Yoo Joonghyuk wanted to snarl, wanted to grab his sword and cut the woman’s tongue off for telling such a terrible lie. If she had truly cared for Kim Dokja then her son would’ve never had the gall to treat her the way that she did, nor allow her son to treat her the way that he did .

Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t have to say a thing by the way Kim Dokja gracefully lifted herself from her seat before cupping the older woman’s face, speaking loudly so everyone could hear. “Madam, you once told me that a sin is a sin and that sins should be paid with one’s life. Your husband and his family have sinned. Your son has sinned. And you stood by and allowed them to continue, you knew of the charges that your husband has been charged with because you used that money to buy yourself fine silks and jewels; therefore, you have also sinned. Sins must be paid in full, not in halves.”

Kim Dokja let go of the woman’s face and waved her hand for the guards to grab and drag her away, ignoring the wailing and pleas that soon morphed into insults and curses.

“YOU BITCH! YOU WRETCHED, IMPETUOUS LITTLE WHORE!” The former Madam Song insulted Kim Dokja as she was dragged away, eyes helplessly watching how her son struggled in the hands of the guards. “I HOPE YOU DIE! I HOPE ONLY BEASTS ARE BORN FROM YOUR WOMB AND THEY TEAR YOU APART!”

Kim Dokja rolled her eyes at the woman’s yelling as she sat next to Yoo Joonghyuk, exhaling softly before looking at Song Minwoo with so much hatred as he got dragged away despite his best struggles to not.

Yoo Joonghyuk knew that look; it was the look Kim Dokja got when Yoo Joonghyuk’s paternal uncle was executed for treason against the Imperial Family when he dared to try to poison Yoo Joonghyuk to get his more malleable and foolish nephew, the Third Prince, as the new Crown Prince. Even though Kim Dokja had only been nine at the time and had barely moved from her place at his side, nursing him back to health; the day they watched his uncle’s execution —his parents didn’t want Kim Dokja to see it but she was stubborn that she wanted to see and claimed that if Yoo Joonghyuk could watch then why couldn’t she watch; even though Yoo Joonghyuk had already seeked the wonderful thrill of revenge at such a young age—, Kim Dokja’s eyes were filled with the same hatred and ire.

When he asked her later why she looked so mad, she had only replied with a soft “It wasn’t enough. Hyuk-ie, if someone hurts someone else on purpose then the punishment should be greater than the crime, that way it teaches others on what they shouldn’t do.”

Yoo Joonghyuk lifted a hand and everything stilled before he spoke up. “Bring the former Madam Song here and bring her son here.”

Yoo Joonghyuk watched as the guards dragged the snarling and insulting woman towards where he sat with Kim Dokja before he got up, the woman immediately quieted down at the sight of Yoo Joonghyuk in his full stature looking down on her before unsheathing his sword, making herself smaller as Yoo Joonghyuk passed by her before he stilled in front of a pale Song Minwoo.

“As my wife said, your son has sinned. But he has another sin that he hasn’t paid for yet but I want the debt paid right now instead of later and you must watch because this was due to your lack of teaching between wrong and right, lack of respect and decency. Jung Heewon.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?” Jung Heewon bowed as she replied.

“Which hand did Song Minwoo use when he tried to harm my wife?” Yoo Joonghyuk questioned, ignoring the sudden shriek that came from the woman’s mouth and the sudden struggling from Song Minwoo.

“He tried to use his right hand, Your Majesty.” The guards immediately untied his hands and pinned him down while outstretching his right arm right in front of Yoo Joonghyuk who lifted his sword and swiftly cut his hand off, ignoring the pleading and cries, ignoring the blood that splattered on his robes and shoes, ignoring Song Minwoo’s howls of pain and anguish before he grabbed the disgusting hand that dared to even lift itself to harm his wife before throwing it onto the stunned woman’s lap as she watched her son bleed out from the stump that once held his hand, ignoring the way her son’s warm blood seeped into her hanbok.

“Keep it with you forever, Madam. To remind you that bad teachings come with dire punishment. Make a nice pouch for it and tie it around your neck, look at it every so often when you want to die.” Yoo Joonghyuk scoffed before he allowed the guards to take the two of them away, both of them finally silent and pliant.

Yoo Joonghyuk sat next to Kim Dokja, taking a brief look at her face before being stunned at the sight of her wide pupils, her breathing was slightly heavy, her lips were dry as she swiped them over with her tongue before she grabbed his hand and pulled it towards her lap, looking away from him to look down at his hand; anyone would think that she was in shock from witnessing such a thing since she was a lady but Yoo Joonghyuk knew that look.

His wife had also been aroused by his actions.

Yoo Joonghyuk couldn’t help but lean back proudly before turning to look at the cowered Kim Clan who looked like they were trying to make themselves smaller as if that would make Yoo Joonghyuk forget that they were there and would adjourn the court.

As if.

“And you?” Yoo Joonghyuk addressed himself to the current Lord Kim who immediately bowed as he begged for forgiveness.

“Your Majesty— This Lowly One swears that he never knew what wretched people they were— To dare to steal from you— Such an unforgivable sin— But we are leal servants to you and we hope that our daughter is a good, wise and leal wife to you as well.” Kim Dokja’s uncle rambled as he kowtowed like a worm, begging not to be squashed.

What a shame that Yoo Joonghyuk was in the mood of squashing worms.

“My Lord, did your son not come all the way over here and get himself imprisoned because he believed that my wife had deluded herself into wedding me and would force her to return?” Lord Kim’s face paled before he replied to Yoo Joonghyuk’s words.

“My son is young and foolish, he doesn’t know any better, Your Grace. A foolish boy, not yet ready for the burden of being my heir. Forgive his foolishness.” Lord Kim begged for forgiveness.

“You see, First and Second Lord Kim. I would be more amenable to forgiving you two if it weren’t for the fact that you two are not as loyal as you think you are. And much less, do I think that your heir is leal since he believed that the right thing was to steal my wife away in a misguided attempt to restore your family’s ruined reputation for being wed to me.” Yoo Joonghyuk answered, tone bored and uninterested, instead his eyes were focused on the intrinsic embroidery on the sleeves of Kim Dokja’s hanbok.

“Your Grace— my nephew is a fool who only knows how to chase skirts, how could he know about true reputation?” Kim Dokja’s father spoke, ignoring his brother’s glare as he tried to catch his daughter’s eyes and beg her to get His Majesty to spare him.

After all, she must have a cunt of gold if His Majesty was this ruthless to anyone who spoke ill of her.

“While the Young Lord Kim’s actions also weigh heavily on my decision, it isn’t only that. My Lords, you two were foolish enough to side with my traitor brother when he tried to seize the palace after my father died. You also refused to grant my troops aid when they arrived to your gates requesting food and water.” Yoo Joonghyuk spoke, tone severe and cold as he glared at them. “Did you really expect that This One would forgive traitors that easily?”

“But— but but— Your Majesty, we were forgiven! Such a matter is irrelevant!” The lords spoke up as they looked at Yoo Joonghyuk with despair.

“Minister Lee, did this lord ever announce that the Kim Clan was forgiven for their treason?” Yoo Joonghyuk tilted his head in question.

“You did not, Your Grace.”

“Your Majesty—”

“This One didn’t even forgive his own half brothers, did you sincerely believe that I would forgive treasonous lords who ignored the rightful line of succession?” Yoo Joonghyuk spoke sternly.

“We beg Your Grace for forgiveness.” The entire Kim Clan frantically kowtowed as they begged for mercy and forgiveness. “We will never betray you again, we will be loyal to you and your heir until the end of time.”

“My Uncle, the traitorous Grand Prince, had said the exact same thing to my father when he granted him a pardon after his ascension. My father forgave him and my Uncle poisoned me. I know very well the lesson on whether to forgive or not. And you shall not be granted a pardon.” Yoo Joonghyuk answered before giving his final order. “In consideration that my first wife hails from the Kim Clan, they shall only be demoted to commoner status and sent to exile to the eastern border for labor; as for their riches, it will be used to pay their servants until they find jobs with equal pay.”

“Be grateful that this is the extent of my mercy and consideration for those who are related to my wife by blood.”

Kim Dokja looked away as her relatives were dragged away, her shoulders relaxing as they finally left and were gone.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Kim Dokja was about to go to bed when she heard one of her maids announce that Yoo Joonghyuk had arrived to her palace; she immediately got up to greet him but the man had already slipped in her chambers, dismissing all of Kim Dokja’s staff for the night and simply looked at her before he embraced her, placing his chin on her head before nuzzling into it, hands patting her back.

“Joonghyuk-ah, I’m not sad. You don’t have to worry about that.” Kim Dokja laughed as she tried to waddle them towards her bed.

“I know you’re not sad. Don’t worry, I had Lee Hyunsung go to the Kim estate to get your mother’s memorial plaque and urn; tomorrow morning before the executions, lets have her interred alongside my mother. She’ll be glad to have company after all this time.” Kim Dokja couldn’t help the tears that swelled in her eyes before she nuzzled her face into his chest, arms wrapping themselves around his back.

“Thank you.” Kim Dokja whispered almost inaudibly.

“For what? Its what they deserved.” I got my revenge for you, I will make them pay in every lifetime we live in; in every lifetime in which you’re not treated like the Goddess that you are, I’ll kill them all and worship you as you should be.

“Aside from that, I’m thanking you for holding back as much as possible. Although maybe I should’ve let you beat Song Minwoo to death for talking about me in that way.” Kim Dokja looked up at him with coy fox eyes as she grabbed him by the face, thumbing gently at his skin before pulling him down to whisper against his lips. “It would’ve been so wonderful and delightful.”

Yoo Joonghyuk smirked against her lips before whispering back, arms lowering themselves to wrap around her waist before lifting her up, Kim Dokja instinctively wrapping her legs around his waist. “I wouldn’t have been able to hold back after that; I would’ve fucked you with the man’s blood still on my hands, let everyone watch how I made you mine over and over again so they could stop thinking that they could’ve stolen you away from me.”

“How dare they think they can steal me from you? When you stole me first?” Kim Dokja whispered before leaning in to kiss Yoo Joonghyuk, tongue immediately seeking out Yoo Joonghyuk’s as Yoo Joonghyuk made his way towards her bed, settling her on it as gently as possible, hands ripping off her undergarments and night robe as they stole each other’s breath.

When he pulled away, Kim Dokja whispered breathily as she looked up at him with lidded eyes. “Make me yours; I’ll wear the most revealing hanboks so everyone can see your marks, fill me up with your children, Joonghyuk-ah.”

Yoo Joonghyuk felt something more darker than desire seep into his body at the sight of Kim Dokja, at the sound of her sweet voice pleading for him to make her his.

Kim Dokja wasn’t an object to Yoo Joonghyuk; she was his wife, his only love, his Goddess.

He would never want anyone as he wanted her; he couldn’t even believe that he had sired so many children in his previous life with women that weren’t Kim Dokja.

Kim Dokja was his Goddess and Yoo Joonghyuk was the lucky devotee allowed to pray at her feet.

Kim Dokja woke up when the moon was still high in the sky, still lying on the bed as she felt Yoo Joonghyuk’s warm and larger frame wrapped around her smaller one, his cock still inside of her sore and well used cunt, Kim Dokja lamented that she had to get up and lose the comforting feeling of Yoo Joonghyuk’s cock inside of her.

After getting out of her husband’s arms as slowly as possible, she found herself slowly making her way to the dungeons, had barely put on a silk robe around herself to cover up her ruined undergarments —after her husband and Emperor, her Joonghyuk, had fucked her so good, it was hard for her to think of anything else from him and the exhilarating rush of victory and pleasure coursing through his veins; Yoo Joonghyuk had tried to fuck her brains out from the euphoria but her need to witness this was far greater than the sweet pleasure of her husband’s cock— and her slippers before making her way out of Yoo Joonghyuk’s chambers, Jung Heewon dutifully standing outside of them before following her.

Jung Heewon led her to the secluded wing of the dungeons where Sung Minwoo was being held on his own, to await his own painful death (it would be painful, Kim Dokja herself would make sure of it; while every other man from his family would either be hung or beheaded tomorrow at dawn, their limbs quartered and given to feed the pigs, Sung Minwoo’s death would come much later and Kim Dokja wanted to make him beg her for the sweet release of death, wanted him to beg at the mere mention of her name, to beg at the mere illusion of her frame).

Jung Heewon frowned when Kim Dokja told her to stay back at the entrance to the secluded wing but she nodded obediently when Kim Dokja had reassured her that she would scream as loud as she could if she turned out to be in danger even though she doubted it; Sung Minwoo would be too busy crying over his lost hand to want to harm her, especially considering that it wasn’t treated by a physician.

Kim Dokja made sure to walk in slowly, making her way to stand right in front of the cell that held a cursing Song Minwoo as he tried his best to tie on a rag around the bleeding stump that had once had his hand attached to it, before he looked up and noticed her, shock overcame his features before barely concealed ire started bubbling through.

She made sure to stand under the silver moonlight that came from the sky light, the moonlight accentuating her lithe figure and delicate features but also allowing him to take in the sight of the marks left on her pale skin by Yoo Joonghyuk as he had taken her just a couple of hours prior to this.

“Came here to gloat, you damned bitch?” Sung Minwoo spat, body trembling at the rage that coursed through his veins at the mere sight of her.

“Actually I did. I couldn’t sleep, thinking about how much you’re going to suffer.” Kim Dokja spoke gently, a smile plastering itself on her face. “No thought could ever give me more joy than knowing that you’ll suffer and it’ll be by a lot.”

“And what makes you think that? I’ll be executed with everyone else tomorrow. Your beloved husband said that the entire clan will be annihilated at dawn.” Song Minwoo chuckled as he stood from the small cot in the cell before standing right in front of her, the only thing separating him from hurting her was the thick bars of the cell. “That doesn’t seem like I’ll be suffering for long, you crazy bitch.”

Kim Dokja couldn’t hold back the giggle that slipped from her lips as she softly clapped in excitement; Kim Dokja had never felt this way before, had never experienced the idea of joy at the suffering of others but the idea of Song Minwoo suffering was something that had her heart swelling with joy and excitement.

(She had once felt this feeling; had felt it when she watched how Yoo Joonghyuk cut his half brother’s hand for daring to even try to force himself on her.

It was the marvelous and sweet taste of divine retribution, and it was such a sweet liquor to get drunk on.)

“You sincerely believe that? If you were really to be executed with the rest, you’d be in the same cell, all of you crying and pleading for mercy.” Kim Dokja smirked before she spoke her final words as she walked away, turning around to make her way out of the secluded wing.

“Don’t worry Song Minwoo, while I’m here, you’ll only cry tears of blood.”

Kim Dokja watched the trembling stick that once was her betrothed try to wriggle its way near her, her hand gently rubbing the growing swell of her belly —Jung Heewon hated that Kim Dokja came down here even after her pregnancy was announced; not that she didn’t feel that pregnant women shouldn’t be able to gloat in front of someone who was a piece of shit but because to arrive to the cell where Song Minwoo was held, there was a flight of stairs that she could slip from— as she took in the disgusting sight and the sound of garbles.

She didn’t know what Song Minwoo had wanted to say anymore; after having thrown one too many insults in front of her husband when he accompanied her to watch the man, Yoo Joonghyuk had his tongue pulled out and cut off before having it slightly cooked and served to the prisoner.

What a shame that his father was long dead at the time it was cut off, they could’ve served it to the man.

Kim Dokja turned around to look at the guard in charge of Song Minwoo’s torture before saying with a soft smile, looking like the picture perfect image of maternity as her hands gently rubbed her swelling belly. “Do as you please with him. I’ll have to be bedridden soon because of the heir so I won’t be able to come down anymore so you and the rest of the guards can do as you please.”

“Of course, Your Highness.” The guard bowed in deference.

After all, such terrible things were meant to be forgotten; Song Minwoo’s clan was gone and he would be gone as well, forgotten by time and history, only to be remembered as entitled thieves.

And Kim Dokja? She hoped to be remembered in a positive light or at least, not be known as a temptress because she wasn’t one.

His Grace, Emperor Joonghyuk of the Imperial Yoo Clan, had wed his wife Dokja of the Noble Kim Clan in a grand ceremony that had never been arranged to such a scale at the time and the fact that she had not been originally his betrothed; the, at the time, Young Lady Kim had been betrothed to a treasonous clan —that was soon eradicated due to their treasonous actions; along with the Kim Clan that the Young Lady had hailed from but they were only demoted to commoner status and exiled— but the Emperor had desired her more than anything and so he stole her from her own wedding procession before wedding her himself.

After the wedding, she was immediately named Noble Consort Kim as was her right for being the Emperor’s first legitimate wife.

And she would be his only wife.

Despite several attempts by the ministers and even Noble Consort Kim herself, the Emperor refused to take other wives, insisting that “If I stole the Noble Consort, why would I want someone else?”

And of course, these thoughts were only reinforced when the Noble Consort’s pregnancy was announced to the entire realm, which of course rejoiced at such wonderful news.

Noble Consort Kim gave birth to her eldest daughter and her husband’s heir, the future Empress Regnant Biyoo, on the third day of the peach month of the following year; after giving birth to the Emperor’s first child and the man’s blatant refusal to even entertain the idea of other consorts, Noble Consort Kim was promoted to Empress Consort but was given the new name of Guwon.

Emperor Joonghyuk and Empress Consort Guwon had many more children, they had five daughters —all of which bore great resemblance to their mother, Empress Consort Guwon; which meant that they were covetous and revered beauties— and one son —who bore an incredible and almost uncanny resemblance to the Emperor— ; their first and only son was their youngest and he was born a long time after the proclamation of Princess Biyoo as Crown Princess, when the Crown Princess was sixteen.

The names and titles of their children in order of birth: Empress Regnant Biyoo —ascended to the throne when she was twenty and eight, after her father abdicated at the age of fifty— ; Grand Princess and Duchess by marriage, Eunbyeol —the eldest twin, married the Duke of Olympus— ; Grand Princess and Queen Consort by marriage, Saetbyeol —the younger twin, married the Crown Prince and later King of Murim— ; Grand Princess and High Priestess, Yookyung —the princess devoted herself to the nunnery as she refused to wed and rose high in the ranks before ascending to High Priestess— ; Grand Princess and Noble General, Aejung —much to her parents’ displeasure, the princess showed her Yoo and Ahn heritage as she immediately took to naval warfare like a duck to water— and their youngest child and only son, Grand Prince and Noble Commander Jonghyeon —who was a wise and calm prince who never entertained the idea of usurping his sister as she had many milestones as heir to their father and was an expert in land warfare— .

Emperor Joonghyuk ruled firmly and with little opposition for twenty nine years, working hard to reform the laws of succession to favor absolute primogeniture and to grant the smallfolk more and more rights and laws in their favor before abdicating, citing that he would not hold onto power but would hand it over due to his age.

His beloved wife Empress Consort Guwon had been his childhood companion, his one true love, his companion when it came to ruling and the mother to his children.

Analyzing the History of the Powerful and Grand Empire of N’Gai by Historian Kim Guwon.