“Your Majesty,” said Concubine Lee deferentially. “Would I be correct to assume you are here for the same reason as I am?”

Joohyun nodded. “For Joohyeong, and something else.”

“I’m listening.”

“You know, I do catch myself wondering how things would’ve turned out if Joohyeong hadn’t died. Obviously, I would never have been Queen,” she pointed out. “But now I am, and I’ve used that regal authority to do all sorts of things that have sparked a lot of controversy. Establishing my own harem, introducing tax reforms, refusing to get married...I wonder if my father and my brother would be proud of me now, or if they would disapprove of what I’m doing.”

“Unfortunately, Majesty, there are questions we will never have answers to,” Concubine Lee replied gently. “And as for the self-doubt, I’ve seen your father struggle the same way, especially when he first became King. Maybe that’s an indication that Your Majesty is on the right track.”

“Indeed. And I suppose I’ll just have to accept that.” Joohyun shrugged. “And also accept this helplessness and powerlessness.”

“I understand your pain, Majesty. I also lost my husband and my son the way you lost your father and your brother. Perhaps it might bring some solace to you, knowing that you are not alone in this.”

Joohyun smiled, and it was genuine at first, but then it turned into a more cryptic smile as she realized this was the perfect chance for her to make a strategic move.

“I think we have more in common than that,” Joohyun commented mysteriously.

“We do?” Concubine Lee asked. She looked as if she already had an idea about what the Queen might be hinting at, but waited for Her Majesty’s confirmation anyway.

“We do. We have a common enemy,” Joohyun stated. “She’s the reason why Joohyeong is six feet under.”

“Then we are not the only ones who feel that way about that person,” Concubine Lee remarked. “If Your Majesty is seeking to gather allies, I can recommend someone we can recruit.”

Joohyun looked intrigued. “Let’s hear it.”

“Before Joohyeong died, he was betrothed to a noblewoman,” Concubine Lee explained. “I’m sure Your Majesty can recall what kind of a relationship she had with your mother.”

“I believe you mean Lady Jung Yerin, is that correct?” Joohyun asked. “The granddaughter of my late father’s tutor when he was young.”

Concubine Lee nodded. “I got along very well with my prospective daughter-in-law back then, when she was still at court. She and my son also had a cordial relationship, even though sadly it did not have the chance to develop into something akin to romantic love. But your mother disapproved of her and sent her away from court as soon as my son died. Does Your Majesty know why?”

“I wasn’t very close with Yerin, but it’s not difficult to guess why my mother would perceive her as a threat. She was going to be the Queen consort, once the throne got passed down to Joohyeong,” Joohyun answered. “Joohyeong getting married meant that he might soon beget a legitimate heir. To my mother, it meant that there would be yet another person getting in the way of one of her own children’s succession to the throne. She was already intolerant of the fact that she could not have been the mother of the King’s firstborn and rightful successor. She’s always wanted to get rid of Joohyeong.”

“While all of that is true, she dislikes Yerin not just because she’s associated with the Crown Prince back then.”

“There’s more to it than just that?” Joohyun arched an eyebrow. “Please do tell.”

“Two other reasons I can think of, at the very least,” Concubine Lee revealed. “Your Majesty already mentioned that Yerin’s grandfather tutored the late King many years ago. His Majesty had a lot of respect for his tutor and took his advice in a lot of matters. He was a valued consultant, and it remained this way until his old age and retirement. He wielded a great deal of influence, and this influence even reached the matter of who the King was going to marry.”

“Let me guess: it wasn’t going to be my mother,” Joohyun replied dryly.

“Indeed, Lord Jung suggested another candidate. The King agreed right away, because he was already romantically interested in her.”

“You’re talking about yourself, aren’t you?” Joohyun frowned, but not in displeasure. It was just disheartening that the more she learned about her mother, the more disappointed she became.

Concubine Lee sighed. “Indeed, it was going to be me. But in the end, the rest of the council decided that he had to marry her and make her his legal wife, his official consort. This was because her family was full of military generals and the crown had to secure their loyalty. So the best he could give me, other than his affections, was...all I have now. The title I hold, just a concubine. I know he wishes he could’ve given me more than that, but that’s not the way it works in the royal family.”

“And so, my mother doesn’t like Yerin because she’s family with the man who tried to get in her way of becoming Queen consort?” Joohyun shut her eyes for a moment and massaged her temples. This was making her head hurt. “And because Yerin’s family had a role in preventing my mother from becoming Queen consort all these years ago, that’s why she wanted to take revenge by preventing Yerin from getting to be the next Queen consort as well?”

“That’s one of the reasons. And then, one more, that doesn’t have to do with the men around Yerin. It’s one of her personal qualities: her intelligence. Both my son and I admired her for it.”

“I can imagine why that wouldn’t sit well with my mother. Yerin is lucky to still be alive. Better sent away from court than dead.” Joohyun let out a huff. “A young woman who’s too intelligent to be controlled, becoming the future Queen consort…” she shook her head. “That’s my mother’s worst nightmare.”

“And that is exactly why Lady Yerin is the ally we could use,” the older woman pointed out. This made Joohyun feel more relaxed — it seemed she had approached the right person for an alliance and more. She felt that Concubine Lee had a subtle kind of confidence that hardly showed at first, especially considering she was just a concubine whereas her nemesis was a formidable Queen consort. But she was sophisticated, and bore no eagerness to fight, or hunt, or scheme, other than to defend and protect herself. At least, in all the years that Joohyun had spent at court, which was pretty much her whole life, she had never heard or seen Concubine Lee cause any drama or trouble, which contrasted starkly with her mother’s bloodthirsty and cruel personality.

“In that case, I’ll formally invite Lady Yerin back to court,” Joohyun announced. “Although you still haven’t told me what role she’s supposed to play in our scheme against the one person who has taken way too much from us.”

“We can expect that the Queen Mother’s eyes will be on her the moment she returns to court. She will be fixated on observing Yerin’s every move, so I’ll let Your Majesty think about what benefits that might bring. I’m sure she will also prove herself useful to you in other ways, against your other enemies. It’s up to you to make good use of the information I explained just now.”

Concubine Lee smirked, and it was the first time Joohyun had ever seen the older woman wear this expression on her face. This made Joohyun wonder if Concubine Lee came up with this plan on the spot or if she had already been chewing over it for a long time. Either way, one thing was clear to her: this ‘stepmother’ figure was a crucial, valuable ally that she was determined to not let go of.

It was going to take some time for Lady Yerin to pack her belongings and prepare for her indefinite stay at court. Until then, Joohyun had a lot of other matters to attend, one of them being the arrival of the Japanese ambassador.

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