***

Kwon In Ha was someone who had big ambitions. In his 55 years of existence, he had already achieved so many things in life, yet never once he felt satisfied. Starting his career as an intern of the late Prime Minister right away after graduating from Seoul University, he worked so hard to climb the ladder just to get to where he is right now.

In Ha met his highness, Son Seungyoon when he was still the Nation’s Crown Prince. Their relationship started as seniors and juniors in the university. The young Crown Prince was the only heir to the crown, even though he was lacking in many areas, the royal constitution supported him fully as wished by his late father, His Royal Highness King Son Seungjoo.

Since then, Kwon In Ha had his full attention on the young royal, so when he finally got the position as the cabinet’s secretary, he started trying to get closer with the royal who was just crowned at the age of 38. Just like the late king, his highness was immediately assigned as one of Mr. President's advisors and the head of the royal constitution as well. Simply put, he was one of the few powerful figures in South Korea.

Through his hard work, Kwon In Ha successfully obtained His Majesty’s trust. The King appointed him as the Royal Constitution’s financial advisor by the age of 44 and delegated all the matters in regards with the royal’s and nation’s finances under his control and even financially supporting his ambition to win the campaign as prime minister, five years ago. But amidst attaining a higher position, wealth, and his majesty’s favor, he never once felt satisfied and kept on wanting more.

Kwon In Ha wanted to control the royal constitution, he wanted The King to be his puppet because he wanted the glory, the old money, the power that the royals possessed even if he needed to kill someone to do so. Why? Because under royal protection, no one would suspect his illegal business, no one would dare to question their nation’s King out of their respect and loyalty, even Mr. President himself. They all respected him. Nobody found his corruption behind the Royal Constitution, because all the finance reports were reviewed and altered by him before it was sent to The Nation’s financial department.

He was a powerful man. The man behind the King. The man who actually ruled the country with his cold-blooded hand, who wouldn’t hesitate to kill just so he can achieve his dream. The man who Seungwan wanted to defeat.

**

Kwon’s residence.

“Did you find who is behind them?” PM Kwon asks one of his trusted men.

“They closed their mouths tightly, Sir.”

“So you failed?”

“We beat them hard to make them speak but on the last night, they took suicide pills before we could ask them further. We disposed their bodies in the tunnel and…”

PM Kwon threw his wine glass to the guy’s face, making him stumble backward in pain and shock.

“I don’t want to see your useless face anymore,” he motioned one of the guards to take him out.

“SIR! Please, I will find out who their boss is. Please give me another chance!” the guy says fearfully.

“How are you gonna obtain that?”

“I… I found a device attached to one of their jackets, we can track something from it.”

PM Kwon raises his hand, the guards immediately let the guy go, “Don’t fail me again, or I’ll kill you myself.”

“Ye… yes, sir!”

**

“You’re topping the news. Congrats Bae, you’re a celebrity now,” Jennie says after scrolling at some pictures that have been topping Naver's search for hours now. The young Kim has returned to her normal self, being cynical and snappy at everything.

Irene ignores her snide comment, “How to turn off notifications on Instagram?”

“You’re such a boomer, give it to me,” Joy rolls her eyes while taking Irene’s phone, “Did you get any call from your grandma?”

“Yes, this morning after the news broke. For the first time in my life, she spoke happily to me on the phone.”

“That deserved a party!”

“No,” Irene quickly rejects the idea.

“Wendy must’ve been so surprised by the news,” Joy says in concern, “Have you two talked?”

Girl, she planned this.

“Yes, we did. I probably have to meet The King soon because I’m dating his daughter.”

“His Majesty?!!” Joy shrieks, “Oh My God, you guys are moving so fast!”

“When?” Jennie carefully asks, feeling her heart starting to ache.

“I don’t know but soon,” Irene gulps in nervousness, seeing the king on his throne from afar is one thing but to actually speak with him in such close proximity is another thing. What if she screws up?

“At this rate, you two will get married soon,” Joy gushes.

“No,” Irene clears . “I’m not gonna marry her, that’s not listed in my plan.”

“But you’re going to meet her parents, the King and Queen!”

“So what?” Jennie asks in annoyance “I met my ex’s parents before but look at us now, walking in a different path.”

“That’s because you’re such an ungrateful human being. You literally had an angel-like girlfriend but you broke up with her after two years in the relationship. Everybody thought that you’d finally settled down with her. You’re a fool, Jen.”

“I have my own reason,” Jennie looked away, avoiding her friends' stares, especially Irene.

“It’s such a coincidence that when Irene broke up, you broke up too,” Joy glances at Irene “Sorry, I didn’t want to bring him up but I felt bad for you and this girl’s ex.”

“I know, Joy. Just don’t mention his name, ever.”

“I won’t but I really think that Wendy may be the one you’re looking for Rene, she got everything,” Joy says dreamily, one could say that she is the biggest wenrene shipper out there.

Irene just smiles at her friend's eagerness, yes the young royal got everything under her belt.

Everything but my heart…

Anyone would die to be in my place right now but they don’t know that everything was just a beautiful illusion created by her.

**

Seungwan lifted her eyes to look at her mother's painting on the wall, the only painting she had in The Palace. Her father ordered a maid to get rid of all her mother’s remembrance right after her cremation ceremony ended.

Flashback

His majesty was so angry when he found out that the maid left one painting for Seungwan to keep. He hurriedly came down to Taejong hall and took down the picture of his ex-wife, not minding Seungwan who kneeled down and begged for him to let her have the picture but he didn’t budge. He took out his match and lit a fire to burn it. Seungwan screamed when she saw the painting caught on fire and ran to push her father with all her might.

The picture was thrown as his majesty stumbled backward but he was able to regain his balance quickly. Red flashed in his eyes and he slapped Seungwan’s cheek out of anger. His ring scratched her right cheek, making it bleed but the young royal didn’t care, she tried to save the picture, putting off the fire with her bare hand.

Her father didn’t think that she would risk herself like that, so he pulled seungwan and ordered a maid to stop the fire. No matter how much he despised his ex-wife, Seungwan was still his child.

“What are you doing?!”

Seungwan freed herself from her father and she looked back at him with her teary eyes that held so much pain in them.

“Kill me, Jeonha! Just kill me like how you killed my mother!”

The King stared at his child in despair. He was raised to be the king of this country, he learned how to lead a country all his life but he didn’t know how to nurture a child, it wasn’t his job. It wasn’t written in all those books he read so he didn’t know what to do in this situation except reverting back to his role.

“I am your King, Seungwan. You are not allowed to scream at me!”

Seungwan didn’t care anymore, she just wanted to follow her mother. The Palace was too big and empty without her. She didn’t have family here. She didn’t even have a father.

“You’ll stay in the punishment room for three days to reflect on your behavior,” as soon as he said that, two guards came in and took the screaming young royal away.

“Clean up the mess,” He ordered the maids as he picked the half-burned picture on the floor.

Baek Wanhee was a beautiful woman who made him fall in love with her intelligence but little did she know, her gift was also the one that killed her.

How could you betray me, Wanhee?

**

Three days later, Seungwan was released from the punishment room. Since then her life has completely changed. The once happy and obedient young girl turned into a soulless, lonely girl. Even when The King gifted Taejong Hall, all for her, including the restored painting of her mother, she didn’t feel anything. She just wanted to die, erased from this world.

That opportunity came when they held a 100 days memorial for her mother. One of her distant relatives poisoned her drink. At that moment, she thought finally she would meet her mother up there but she was saved. Every time she tried to kill herself, she was saved by someone, mostly Seulgi and her Hoon brother.

Because her mental condition was so severe, The King decided to send her away to the second Palace in Gwangju, two hours drive from Seoul. A nurse was hired to assist her there and Seulgi was also assigned to keep her company. Hoon begged the King to let his sister stay at the main palace, in Seoul but The King was firm with his decision that isolation would be the best way to improve Seungwan’s mental condition as suggested by PM Kwon.

Little did he know that PM Kwon planned to get rid of Seungwan completely. His trusted aunt who was a famous shaman told him that one of the King’s children, the one who was born when the Sun moved to the northern hemisphere across the equator in the month of February would create big trouble in the future. The moment Seungwan was born, he knew that he had to get rid of the royal baby as soon as possible.

Seungwan spent two years at the Gwangju Palace, away from her family and siblings. She spent most of her days in loneliness. Her eyes were empty, she was alive yet dying inside, just what PM Kwon wanted her to be.

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