A DOUBLE UPDATE since it is a new year! Sorry that this fic makes some of you sad because of how Seulgi treats Joohyun and I know irl our ship is like quite quiet too ... i am sorry that i keep making Seulgi bad here but i did not intend to make her appear as bad. I am really sorry. I also have to apologise that I lack in history knowledge because I do not take history, so I really appreciate it if you guys can point out my mistakes here!! 

It was a chilly night a month later after the huge gathering. Seulgi was awake that night because it was the night. Her consorts' houses were all heavily guarded because she was scared that her plan might not work out and it would counteract her. 

It was finally the night. 

"Any news?" Seulgi asked General Lee who was pacing up and down in Seulgi's study room. General Lee went out of the study room quickly to check with General Kwon who was guarding outside. 

Seulgi clenched her fists tightly on the table when General Lee came back in, shaking her head. 

She continued to wait. 

Her body felt exhausted after a day of working secretly with the ministers and her royal guards for that night. She called Yoon Ah to prepare another cup of hot tea to wake her up and Yoon Ah brought in some snacks for Seulgi to fill her stomach as well since Seulgi did not eat much during dinner just now as she was too anxious for that night. 

Seulgi wanted to ask Yoon Ah to check on Joohyun but she felt that it was better to not do it now because who knew it might endanger Joohyun's life instead. 

Her heart skipped a beat when Kwon Yuri ran into the room. 

"Your Majesty, we've got them." Yuri informed, kneeling down on one knee and looking up to see Seulgi heaving a big sigh of relief. 

"Get them in." Seulgi said, nodding. She felt her heart at ease at the news and she thanked her deceased mother quietly, swallowing the warm tea to calm her nerves. She knew she had another obstacle to cross. 

Her sister. 

Seulgi looked away when the royal guards brought ten people into her big study room. They were all from the opposition group and Seulgi looked away because she met her own sister's eyes. 

"Kneel down!" The royal guards hit the back of their knees to make them kneel in front of Seulgi. Seulgi stood up and walked behind her chair. She rested her hand on the curve of her chair and looked up at the ceiling. felt dry because of what she was going to do. 

"Let me go! You can't do this to me!" Minister Yoon grunted and glared at Seulgi who was smiling to herself. The minister was fuming in anger when Seulgi gave her a dirty look finally. "Let. Me. Go!" She hissed. 

"Let you go? And what? Snatch my throne?" Seulgi questioned, she eyed her sister briefly and saw that her sister was cowering. The other officials under Minister Yoon did not dare to speak and only held their heads lowly. They knew they were guilty. 

"You are incapable of leading the country! Your family is despicable!" Minister Yoon spat. Seulgi chuckled lightly and looked at her sister. 

"Did you hear that? She says that our family is despicable and you're working for her?" Seulgi pointed at Minister Yoon who was gritting her teeth. Hyoyeon's face flushed due to embarrassment and the shame that Seulgi put on her, she looked away from Seulgi and stared at Minister Yoon who did not look guilty at all. 

"You are a bastard!" Minister Yoon spat spitefully again and glared at Seulgi who was just smiling at her. 

"That will have to add on to your charges." Seulgi shrugged. "Fraud. Embezzlement. Corruption. . Murders. Disloyalty. All the intolerable crimes in my nation." 

"You have no proof!" Minister Yoon shouted and almost got up to attack Seulgi but the royal guards were quick to pin her down. 

"Proof?" Seulgi mocked her. "I have lots of them. Minister Kim." Seulgi called the prime minister at the side. "Read them out for her since she might have forgotten what she has done." Seulgi went back to sit on her chair as Minister Kim unrolled the paper, clearing to start listing out the crimes that Minister Yoon had convicted. 

Because all the crimes that her family had convicted were supported with witnesses and solid proof, Minister Yoon's stance grew weaker and she eventually collapsed to sit on the floor instead, shaking her head in disbelief as she could not accept that Seulgi had all the charges pointing at her with undeniable evidence. 

"No... no..." Minister Yoon mumbled. "Lies!" She looked up to glare at Seulgi. 

"You know, I could have just locked your family up and beheaded you without even gathering proofs. But I want to show you that I am capable and that you can't bring me down. You can't bring my family down." Seulgi said flatly. "My grandmother and mother did not do anything to your family because then, your mother did not have a gut like you to plot an assassination against me." Seulgi narrowed her eyes at Minister Yoon. "You tried to assassinate me about two months ago. And it was led by you, Kang Hyoyeon!" Seulgi raised her voice at her trembling sister. 

Seulgi calmed herself down and stood up slowly. She walked towards her sister who was too ashamed to look at her. "Unnie." Seulgi said in a small voice that stabbed through Hyoyeon's heart. "You forced me to do these because of your own greed and selfishness!" Seulgi winced. 

Hyoyeon did not reply and she stared at the ground. She could not raise her head up to look at her younger sister. She was deeply humiliated and she was a laughing stock for the other ministers and officials then, she knew. 

"Yoon Seol Jung." Seulgi turned to look at Minister Yoon beside Hyoyeon. "Any last word?" 

"Your family will not rule forever." Minister Yoon glared up at Seulgi. Seulgi gave her a soft smile and walked back to her chair, grabbing her brush and writing down her order in the royal decree. 

"I want them all dead." Seulgi said, rolling her decree up and passing it to Minister Kim. She stared hard at Yoon who was still blinded by her greed for power as she still glared at Seulgi as if she was going to fight her till her last breath. "Kang Hyoyeon, I won't take your life. Exile." 

The court was peaceful, Seulgi knew that she could work with her mind at ease now that she cleared the traitors in the cabinet. She had to pluck up her courage to tell the queen dowager that she stripped Hyoyeon the title of a princess and it broke her heart when she saw her mother cry. But she had to do it. Seulgi had learnt to toughen up ever since the death of her biological mother. She had to be strong. She had thousands of lives to take care of. 

Seulgi sat in her study room quietly and rubbed her nosebridge after a long day in the court. The prime minister told her that the lives of the people were better now since the unemployment rate dropped drastically ever since she ascended to the throne, the birth rate also increased since people saw hope again. 

"Your Majesty!!!" Yoon Ah came rushing into her study room. Seulgi jumped up when Yoon Ah's loud voice disturbed her rest and she frowned at the girl. "Her Hi-Highness! She- We- The baby- she-" 

Seulgi's eyes widened when she heard the word 'baby'. She stood up on her feet hastily and walked around her table to the space in the room. "Naeun?" 

Yoon Ah nodded, wiping her perspiration on her neck and Seulgi smiled so widely, nodding to herself as she ran out of the room without a word. Naeun was giving birth. She knew the day was drawing closer when the physician told Seulgi to stay by her side more. Seulgi promised to reward Naeun and her family for giving her a princess and helping her to get rid of minister Yoon. 

"Your Majesty!" The few servants greeted Seulgi and Seulgi looked beside her to see Joohyun standing there with her two other consorts. She smiled at Joohyun so happily and Joohyun could not help but smile at how happy Seulgi looked. 

"How is she?" Seulgi asked nervously. 

"The physicians are inside already. Don't worry too much." Soojung replied gently and took out her handkerchief to dab on Seulgi's forehead. Sana saw it and she linked her arm with Seulgi to pull her closer to her slowly. Seulgi smiled at Sana and unlinked her arm from her as she felt nervous to finally see her first new born. Sana's face changed and she chewed her inner cheek when Seulgi neglected her. 

Seulgi's body stiffened when she heard Naeun screaming in pain and she turned around to take Joohyun's hand. Joohyun was worried as well as Naeun had been inside with no news for too long, she squeezed Seulgi's hand to assure her and Seulgi could only give her a nervous crooked