Lately, the clamor both inside and outside the palace has grown even louder.
At the absolute epicenter of this tumultuous controversy is none other than myself, the Daebin Palace.
People are engaging in fiery, relentless disputes entirely centered around me.
Regardless of my own volition, these ongoing arguments make me feel incredibly uncomfortable and deeply displeased.
Their main point boils down to this: a descendant of a family that instigated a civil rebellion must not remain within the palace as the Emperor’s concubine.
The Prime Minister had actively prepared a coup to replace the Emperor, seize control of the nation, and resurrect an utterly absurd class system consisting of commoners and untouchables.
Furthermore, documents were discovered detailing plans to execute every single individual belonging to the opposing faction once the rebellion succeeded.
It is truly a staggering revelation.
How anyone could harbor such thoughts is beyond me…
The mere fact that they plotted to replace the nation’s Emperor to suit their own tastes is ridiculous enough, but since they actually attempted to execute such an absurd delusion, it is only natural that the arrows of public outrage are flying at me.
On top of that, because the Prime Minister already carried a deeply entrenched, terrible public image due to his historical extravagance and severe abuse of power, not a single soul or media outlet has stepped forward to defend him.
However, because my own past conduct within the palace had been quiet and free of scandal, and because the physical and mental abuse I endured at the hands of the Prime Minister has come to light, the wave of public sympathy is far from negligible.
Recognizing that the hardships I suffered were severe, the ministers have presented a compromise to the Emperor: if he accepts a divorce, they will not tie me to the Prime Minister’s family as a criminal and will allow me to live out my life in quiet retirement.
Their offer to grant me independent protection if I sever ties with the Emperor is simultaneously a form of immense pressure on Joo Minhyuk.
They have even delivered a final ultimatum, stating that if their demands are not met, they will have no choice but to officially strip me of my titles and demote me to a commoner.
The reason they are backing the Emperor into a corner like this is because Joo Minhyuk has been dragging his feet on this matter for far too long.
He fiercely maintains that he can absolutely never let me leave, refusing to bend his conviction despite the rapidly escalating conflict.
To make me Empress… he is putting me in an incredibly awkward and distressing position.
There has never been a single historical precedent where the offspring of a family that staged a coup d’état became the Empress.
Even existing Empresses are dragged down from the throne under such circumstances, so I have absolutely no idea what on earth he is thinking.
Thoroughly exhausted by this entire ordeal, I simply want to break free from this place as quickly as possible.
The ministers’ words are entirely correct.
There is no logical way a nation can treat the flesh and blood of a Prime Minister who actively plotted to overthrow the state and assassinate the sovereign with the dignity of an Empress.
Merely remaining as a concubine is already an absolute eyesore to them, so to be elevated to Empress?
I reject that proposal myself.
Furthermore, I no longer possess an ounce of confidence to live my life again, sharing my bed and my days with Joo Minhyuk.
Every single time I look at him, I will be forcefully reminded of the betrayal of being used as a pawn, the burning resentment of how he willfully ignored my beating, and the devastating loss of my miscarriage.
I refuse to live such a hellish existence.
I want to accept the ministers’ proposal, obtain a divorce, step down quietly, and live in peace.
Consumed by a sudden surge of intense fury, Joo Minhyuk slammed his hand violently against his desk and bolted to his feet.
“Say that to my face again. You plan to do what? Drag the Daebin Palace into a court of law?”
“…If Your Majesty refuses to bend your resolve, we are left with no other alternative.”
“On what earthly charges do you think you can stand the Gungju before a tribunal?”
Accompanied by a low, dangerously restrained tone of pure rage, a slight tremor rippled across the corners of Minhyuk’s mouth.
“There are more than enough justifications to stand him there, Your Majesty. He belongs to the Prime Minister’s bloodline. The easiest approach would be to launch a formal investigation into whether the Daebin Palace was truly oblivious to the fact that the Prime Minister was plotting treason.”
“What did you say?”
Minhyuk swept his gaze across the figures surrounding him, their words and actions bordering on an outright threat against the sovereign.
“Your Majesty. The current position of the Gungju Saga is extremely precarious. Above all else, we have received word that the Saga himself is actively demanding a divorce and has completely refused to touch a single grain of food. You must consider the Saga’s physical health.”
Minhyuk let out a hollow, bitter laugh as he stared into the face of the minister who was shamelessly using a facade of concern for Haejoo to push his own agenda.
“Concerned for his health? It doesn’t quite sound to me like you actually give a damn about the Gungju’s well-being.”
“I am offering these words out of genuine concern. His body has yet to heal from the severe beatings inflicted by the Prime Minister, and he has suffered a miscarriage on top of it. It is only natural to worry when he refuses to eat properly in such a disastrous physical state. Above all, as long as his mind remains entirely distressed, there is no way his health will ever return.”
“Your Majesty must take a step back. When the situation is so dire that he ought to be stripped of his position as Daebin Palace, how can you possibly expect to resolve this crisis by stubbornly pushing for his elevation to Empress?”
“The Daebin Palace Saga’s condition appears to be grievously poor, and I am deeply terrified that a far greater tragedy will unfold at this rate. If Your Majesty truly harbors genuine affection for the Saga, you must yield.”
Minhyuk let out a sudden, humorless laugh as he listened to the ministers relentlessly backing him into a corner without a single pause.
For the sake of this nation and its people, he had tirelessly tended to state affairs from an incredibly young age without a single moment of rest.
He had consistently placed the country and the populace ahead of his own desires, accommodating their every demand.
Yet, all that returns to him now is constant interference—telling him that he must be the one to capitulate, that he must relinquish the Daebin Palace, and that if he wishes to prevent him from living out his days branded as a criminal, he must grant a divorce and cast him out.
Perhaps Minhyuk had underestimated the complexity of the situation.
However, the realization that not a single soul was standing by his side felt incredibly bitter and resentful.
Haejoo, whom he had gone to see just a short while ago, still completely rejects him.
He refuses to engage in conversation, refuses to look him in the eye, and spends the entire day lying down in total lethargy as time slips away.
Consequently, Minhyuk has reached a point where his own mind is besieged by endless doubts.
Is this truly what is best for Haejoo?
With each passing day, Haejoo grows more dangerously emaciated and completely devoid of vitality.
Because he refuses to eat, refuses to move, and refuses to take his medication, his already fragile body continues to deteriorate rapidly.
A dark, suffocating terror has even taken root inside Minhyuk—the fear that Haejoo might actually wither away and die at this rate.
Minhyuk had never imagined that his own miscalculation would inflict such a profound, devastating wound upon Haejoo.
At the time, he truly believed it was the correct course of action…
If only he had communicated, if only he had consulted him, perhaps things never would have escalated to this catastrophic point.
Overwhelmed by a wave of pure exhaustion, Minhyuk ran his hands over his face several times before leaning his head back deeply against the sofa.
“Your Majesty.”
“…What is it? I just want to rest for a moment.”
“Please, have some warm tea first.”
The Chief Court Eunuch, Yul, brought over a cup of warm tea and carefully scrutinized Minhyuk’s complexion.
The Emperor looked far more drained right now than he ever did during the process of discovering the Prime Minister’s treason, or even during the exact moment he suppressed the rebels.
Minhyuk possessed such immense physical stamina that he had never once displayed a hint of fatigue, making this the very first time Yul had ever witnessed him looking so utterly defeated.
“You also believe it is right for me to back down, don’t you?”
Though the attendant couldn’t voice his thoughts aloud, his expression clearly signaled his agreement.
After all, Minhyuk’s demand to make him Empress was undeniably excessive given the current timing.
“Considering the Daebin Palace Saga’s usual conduct, I believe he is more than fit to be the Empress. However…”
“However, the Prime Minister utterly ruined everything. That wretched man has been nothing but a detriment from the very beginning to the absolute end. I should have just slaughtered him right then and there.”
The moment his mind had turned inside out upon witnessing Haejoo being brutally beaten, he should have executed him on the spot.
What was a decisive confession proving the civil rebellion even worth, that he had to force himself to stand by and watch Haejoo become entirely drenched in blood?
Minhyuk closed his eyes and let out a long, heavy sigh.
“…I cannot exist without Haejoo. I cannot let him go. Yet, I feel that if I refuse to let him go, Haejoo will die. I honestly have no idea what I am supposed to do.”
“Right now, no matter what words Your Majesty offers him, they will not sound sincere to his ears.”
“Then what would you have me do?”
Minhyuk slowly lowered his head and opened his eyes.
The gaze that had always burned with a brilliant, piercing intelligence was now entirely hollow, completely devoid of life.
A person must ultimately take responsibility for the actions they commit.
That is how the world works.
There is no such thing as a free ride, and nothing is ever simply brushed under the rug.
No matter the timing or the form it takes, one is bound to face the consequences eventually.
Though his lips claim he doesn’t know what to do, Minhyuk is entirely aware of this reality.
“They say that even parents and children, or biological siblings, often share a far better relationship when they live apart rather than cohabiting under the same roof.”
“…What exactly are you implying?”
“For the time being, please take a step back and let the Saga go.”
At Yul’s words, Minhyuk’s pupils widened slightly.
Every fiber of his being wanted to fiercely reject the notion, yet he couldn’t bring himself to part his lips to object.
“You both desperately require time apart to think in isolation. When a human being is pushed far too relentlessly into a corner, they will inevitably veer off course and rebel.”
“No. If I do that… if I let him go like that, what am I supposed to do if he abandons me completely and never returns?”
“It is precisely that restless anxiety that is causing you to ruin everything. Frankly, it would be strange if the Saga were in a normal state of mind right now. On top of the physical assault and the miscarriage, everyone is now clamoring to cast him out; if he remains tethered here any longer, he will truly die.”
Just as Yul stated, Haejoo’s current condition is an absolute disaster.
His physical health is in a terrible state, and due to the immense stress, he refuses to touch his meals or his medication.
He utterly rejects Minhyuk, and the smile has vanished completely from his face.
Saving Haejoo’s life must take absolute priority over his immediate desires.
“If we are to be apart, should I perhaps confine him somewhere? If he resides in a secluded place away from my presence and focuses on recovering…”
“Confine him…? Have you entirely lost your mind? If your goal is to bring about an absolute, irreversible catastrophe, then by all means, go right ahead. If you resort to such measures, will it result in anything other than the absolute destruction of your bond? If you wish to be utterly despised and completely shut out for the rest of your natural life, then that method is certainly an excellent way to achieve it.”
Yul stared at Minhyuk with an expression of pure disgust, his tone laced with absolute disbelief as if asking if the Emperor had truly gone insane.
In truth, it wasn’t a mere passing thought.
It was a statement laced with a fair amount of genuine intent.
Lately, such dark thoughts had frequently crossed Minhyuk’s mind.
‘Should I simply kidnap Haejoo and hide him away from the world?’
However, just as Yul warned, doing so would inevitably lead to absolute ruin.
“Your Majesty, public sentiment is highly volatile right now, so if you persist in nominating the Saga as the Empress Her Majesty, the situation will only deteriorate further. Since public sympathy is currently strong, stepping back now and planning for the future might yield a far better outcome.”
“There are even opinions floating around suggesting I should divorce him but keep him right by my side. They claim to understand my inability to discard my feelings. They say as long as he isn’t the Empress, anything else is acceptable. Do you know what that actually implies? They intend to find an Empress from their own respective clans to build up their own political factions. I will absolutely never tolerate such a sight.”
A situation has arrived where he must engage in yet another political transaction with the ministers.
‘I will yield to your desires, so you must grant me what I demand in return. Otherwise, an official separation from the Daebin Palace is completely off the table’—he needed to drive that stake in firmly.
In Minhyuk’s life, there will never be another concubine, nor will there ever be another Empress.
He must make that explicitly clear right now so that no complications arise when he eventually brings Haejoo back to his side.
Minhyuk simply cannot lose Haejoo. Therefore, this is merely a temporary release.
If this suffocating state persists indefinitely, Haejoo’s heart will completely alienate itself from him.
Rather than letting the bond perish entirely, he must grant him some breathing room to keep the connection alive.
He will absolutely never let him slip out of his line of sight anyway, so he can only desperately hope that this period of separation will not drag on for too long.
