chapter soundtrack:
kang chungya - yoon chae young

The Queen's chamber was dominated with dark maroon colors— it was almost as dark as blood.

Nam Taeil brushed the tip of his nose as he smelled the thick scent of amber as he entered the chamber, walking further into the room while the guards outside pulled the door closed from the outside. This scent always greeted him every time he stepped into the chamber. It perfectly suited the dimmed room inside.

"Your Majesty."

With a single polite bow, Nam Taeil greeted the monarch who was seated on the middle of the chamber. Across him, the Queen hummed while waving her hand towards the maid who stood in the corner of the room. Obediently, following her simple gesture, the young maid nodded her head curtly and walked out of the chamber from the side door. Then, the chief minister and the Queen were left alone inside the vast chamber.

Nam Taeil made sure that the maid had really gone away from the room, as he eyed the figure walking out of the room. As he heard the door completely closed, the old man left out a tensed sigh.

"I told you we should have met at my study room." Taeil grumbled, plopping down to the floor where he found the nearest floor cushion. "Or your study room. I don't like sitting on the floor like this."

"Well," the Queen raised an eyebrow. "It's up to me. You need me, anyway. You should come visit me whenever I call you, wherever it is."

The corner of Nam Taeil's mouth curved up, showing a simple smirk on his face. "Alright, alright." He sighed. "I need you, Your Majesty. And I'll follow your choice no matter what. Now, why are you calling me in? I thought you were giving up with the plans after the whole marriage thing happened."

Even from afar, Nam Taeil could see the Queen's white knuckles as she balled her fits in silence.

"It has to be happened. We can't stop it. No matter what we do, the King and Queen Dowager were all in for it." She whispered. "What matters is, the next things we should do."

Nam Taeil raised both his eyebrows, waiting for the Queen to continue.

"I have persuaded the girl to get birth control pills. The other monarchs won't know about this for now." She said in a cold tone. "That way, we wouldn't have any heir coming from the girl anytime soon. So we're safe. For now."

"Whoa."

"But we don't have much time."

When their eyes made contact with each other, Taeil cleared his throat. "I know."

The Queen clicked her tongue. "Come to think of it. Gosh. You should have done better. It would be much easier if she accepted the proposal."

"You don't know how hard it was, persuading my niece. Chungya is one stubborn woman." Nam Taeil grunted, putting his defense. "I did my best, yet she didn't even give any interest in marrying the prince. Although she loves him so much."

In response, the Queen shook her head. Hoping it would clear the dark clouds in her mind. "One thing for sure, we have to move fast. We never know when the next coronation... for Sooho, will be held." She hissed, her eyes turned colder as she said, "I can't stand seeing my son with that girl... He will regret it later in the future. Everyone will regret it."

As Nam Taeil saw the woman in front of her fuming with anger, he shifted from his seat and moved himself forward, approaching the Queen. As he got closer to her, without any hesitation, he reached out to touch the Queen's hand with his. "Hey, relax." He whispered. His thumb was brushing the Queen's knuckles slowly. "We will make it. Sooho will get his true love back." He said. "We will have a fine woman for the next queen."

"We better do."












 

"Go away, Ahn."

"Sir, you shouldn't be smoking inside the building—"

"I said. Go. Away."

Nam Taeil threw the door of his office room closed, leaving Secretary Ahn outside dumbfounded on his feet. He just escorted him back from the Queen's quarter. The conversation he had that day with the Queen gave him a pain in his head. He needed cigarettes to clear his mind.

So, he pulled out a cigarette from the drawer of his mahogany desk and tried to find a lighter inside as well.
 

"Where the fu—"
 

When his hand that was wandering around inside the drawer found the thing he was looking for, his attention was stolen by the sound of his phone ringing.

The old man grunted, throwing the lighter to the top of the desk before rushing to reach his phone. "Who is it?"
 

Incoming Call from Kang Chungya


 

"Well," He smirked, putting down the piece of cigarette on to the table. He had a business to discuss. "Speaking of the devil."

The old man picked up the call, a smug smile plastered on his face as he waited for the young woman across the line spoke up. He had to hear what his niece was about to say.

However, all he heard was silence. With a slight noise that sounded like heavy breathings—

"Why are you calling me?" He finally shot his question first.

Silence.

The old man grunted, one of his hands reached the lighter he left before on the mahogany desk. Then, he lit up his cigarette. "You know what, you've been giving me such hard times. You better give me some good news or else—"

"I want him back."

"What?"

"I want Im Sooho back." This time, her voice sounded louder and clearer. "I saw the wedding. And now I fully realize. I can't let him go."

Chungya might not see it, but in the other side of the world, Nam Taeil was punching the air when he heard what she just said. The man even lifted up his body from the comfortable seat. The soft smoke of his cigarette danced in the air as he moved around.

"He