Chapter 3 Part 2

At that moment, Yeong-hyeon’s servant pointed at On-ah and shouted. After her father’s death, On-ah, his only daughter, was barely keeping the family line alive. She wore her mother’s old clothes because she couldn’t afford new ones.0c209e3658502816

Even so, they couldn’t fail to recognize her noble status. She was like a lowly fox relying on the might of a tiger and acting arrogantly. Her stiff, crimson neck and fiercely determined eyes accentuated her ragged breathing. On-ah gasped, clenching her fists tightly. Pale veins bulged, stretching the skin on her hands taut.df804a2f2395b927

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“How dare you speak to her like that! Do you know who she is?”7108cc3b52a6d560

“Byeori.”e05ca2ea8f452ec0

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“M-My lady!”5c5779e90fd5c4ec

“It’s alright.”606eb50135b9882b

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On-ah smiled gently at her servant, who was trying to protect her mistress’s dignity.8c5f4348f7e1c36f

Bu Yeong-hyeon was no longer the same person. He was arrogant and haughty and wouldn’t tolerate any slight against him. Byeori could be harmed if she provoked him.a29dad6ceb35e84d

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‘Who knows my situation better than I do?’a3ae43d3b8be068f

There’s a saying that an impoverished noble is more miserable than a slave. Moreover, rumors 7f0f8ee90e were circulating 9b72907dd5 that the 78554c4668 Ji clan 02ac790b23 had fallen 59cd9c646d out of 2b8691886e favor with 06712e0659 Bu Yeong-hyeon.503f19b2e53aec9a

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Visitors stopped coming to their house. Some even suggested taking On-ah as a concubine, as she couldn’t afford a dowry. The past few years had been terrible for the young girl, who had grown up under her father’s protection, after losing him.1f4997e5ba67e3c8

She spent many nights clutching her pillow and blanket, stifling her sobs. Even in the dead of winter, she would wake up early to wash her tear-soaked pillowcase in cold water, afraid of being discovered. She couldn’t show weakness to the servants who served her. That’s how she was taught, and that’s how she grew up.817186f7b58c3b80

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She learned to endure the cold wind alone, huddled in a cold room, with no one to rely on. On-ah didn’t want to chase a past that wouldn’t return. She didn’t yearn for former glory.bce028d73c4664df

A cold wind blew again. On-ah stepped aside gracefully, as if she were a forgotten spirit tablet. Even if only for appearances’ sake, she wanted to uphold the dignity her father had maintained.
“So slow,” Bu Yeong-hyeon muttered, tapping the window with his finger. Even his quiet mumbles carried the weight of power, striking like lightning.8732a2c1ca5de6a0

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“We’ll go faster!”d49878657b5e8837

The ornate 9728fd3213 carriage, pulled fe57a327f4 by six 636e9d62c1 horses, whizzed 61ca3b07fd past. Considering the increasing 448965a797 number of people a828296abf in the marketplace, eace6aed11 it was dangerously 82c407a806 fast.12a03ea1de16cb80

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‘That’s strange. Why is he rushing to the palace like that? Is there an urgent matter?’837ce65b37484b64

State affairs were conducted at Bu Yeong-hyeon’s residence. There was no reason for him to visit the palace so early in the morning. Especially not in such a hurry.b39b273f93edf49b

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What could have caused 0776453411 Bu Yeong-hyeon, who acted 65e8b6e715 as if he were 521f63036e above the emperor, to 5094885a75 rush like that? On-ah pondered 48c3c8d7f1 this for a615221be5 a moment, 9b7df9704f then turned ae9fdcb2ab and headed c7521dc9a2 home.1320e45b591a0143

Even if she knew the reason, it wouldn’t change anything. At least, not now.c9a4f3d8157e3036

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***

“Useless fool! Staying alive should be easy, yet you cause such trouble!”0395e2f124b34452

Yeong-hyeon seethed, gesturing sharply at the paper door. Without waiting for the emperor’s permission, Yeong-hyeon stepped over the threshold, which opened readily, and proceeded directly to the emperor’s bedchamber.2a88083620b4c698

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He had heard bbfb59f78e reports, but seeing 0c58bbf695 it first hand 0594a95d78 was even more d6c013f559 appalling. He glared at 3ed1394248 the physician treating fd55c294ce the emperor, then 14d02a086d turned around furiously.fa1ddf7bda77590d

“What have you all been doing?!”987bbb47c00c744b

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“We beg your forgiveness, my lord!”a6f5d6b1e1f45b85

“I don’t want to hear it! Get out!”fa390b430532e1e8

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There was no 4d5ef58d16 point in berating 55deb070e8 the prostrate, apologetic 8ac917942a courtiers. Bu Yeong-hyeon himself caused 7d2db57ac5 this whole incident by d3ecd14a37 placing the snakes near ed3448226e the emperor.61847f0cebdcee04

The Gon Empire had 54cd13a62d a long-standing culture of 20d365f6ac despising snakes. In historical records, snakes 24e39579af often appeared as guardians 9c2f62d2fb delivering messages from evil 5c6bea4cfe spirits.dd00827a83e9ce27

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That’s why Bu Yeong-hyeon placed the snakes near the emperor. He intended to spread rumors that the emperor was mad due to demonic possession and then remove him from the throne. He already held the power within the palace. Just a little more, and the empire’s ruler would change from the Tae clan to the Bu clan.d8b2b1a5d2b321d8

But what 755017e92a was this e23390ad02 sudden disaster? The fool had fb1f583348 crawled into the 60252cbb88 well-guarded snake enclosure f3b4ad6736 on his own, 9ce11b1c15 ruining everything. They found him early 4ca4425a40 enough to keep him 4f888118f1 barely alive, but the e5780ef3fa snakes Bu Yeong-hyeon had f24e625791 collected were venomous vipers. The more dangerous they 276b745524 were, the more evil 1c3bda4162 they appeared.10c9800595efe60c

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Yeong-hyeon’s plan was to kidnap commoners, throw them into the enclosure, and dump their snake-bitten corpses in the marketplace. He would then spread rumors that the emperor had opened the enclosure. With the justification that they couldn’t overlook the emperor endangering the people by releasing venomous snakes as a hobby, he would eliminate both the emperor and the snakes, becoming a hero in the process.43f94aff3da0ac6d

Such minor details were crucial in the early stages of founding a nation, though they might seem trivial. Bu Yeong-hyeon didn’t just want the throne. He wanted to erase the Gon Empire from the map and establish a new nation. He wanted to become the founder of a new, prosperous empire. He believed that was the only way to satisfy his lust for power.9d3bf20b507a5c58

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After the courtiers had left, Bu Yeong-hyeon slowly paced the emperor’s bedchamber. His sharp gaze fell on the young emperor, whose face was pale.2dc500a381b6479f

No. No. On second thought, it wasn’t a big deal. The fool was useless anyway.104631425868f284

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‘I won’t be defeated by something like this. If he thought he could hinder me by simply dying, he was gravely mistaken.’5ad0b02e0d9d092e

Those damned Taes! Still struggling 94b6905612 even after ac159dd712 being driven d5ec0cc77f mad.764670b952947f19

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“That’s enough treatment.”615761404f26c539

“Pardon?”40dd55502df4e67a

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Yeong-hyeon frowned. Everything of value in this country belonged to him. All the competent royal physicians were at his residence. The young, inexperienced physician who had hesitantly asked back was startled by Yeong-hyeon’s glare and scurried away, bowing profusely.70cdd8fcf29d5d5b

Even upon hearing the news and rushing to the palace, Yeong-hyeon hadn’t thought to bring a royal physician. Or rather, he hadn’t bothered.1d8b55822f3ece74

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“In a royal family already doomed, what difference does it make whether the blood is red or blue? It’s all tainted,” Yeong-hyeon whispered coldly, looking at the emperor dying from the snake venom.3ff0084ac9c3f0b6

“I can just install a double.”2b0d5465f78462ed

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Not many people knew the emperor’s face. Court meetings were a luxury for the mad boy king. He would find someone with a similar build and appearance, install him as emperor, and then kill him. Everyone would believe he was the emperor.d9514bd0df7843d5

Yeong-hyeon removed the acupuncture needles from the emperor’s abdomen. As he removed the needles that had been suppressing the venom, the emperor’s ribs, visible due to his thin frame, heaved greatly.69fcd110d3326f9b

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“Gah! Ugh...”2668bede35f0639d

Blood gurgled from the emperor’s lips. To Yeong-hyeon, the emperor writhing in agony was nothing more than a wingless insect. No one would stop crushing an insect just because it struggled. To Yeong-hyeon, the emperor was no different.201cc05e2430410c

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“Cough! Hack! Gah!“f9858e46985dbd2d

The emperor’s breath came in ragged gasps. The thrill of crushing an insect ran through him. Bu Yeong-hyeon’s eyes widened with cruel satisfaction. He was more aroused than he had ever been during sex; his penis was erect.ea28f5e5601c70a3

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Just a little more!56cc58e4f4127023

Just a little more and the Tae bloodline would be severed. Yeong-hyeon felt his long-held patience wearing thin as he reached for the emperor’s neck. The emperor was going to die anyway, but the pleasure of personally ending the Tae Empire with his own hands was immense.cafc7fa0f01c8211

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Unable to resist, Yeong-hyeon lunged and pressed down on the emperor’s neck. He pressed down until the pillow beneath the emperor’s head crumpled. The emperor’s blue veins disappeared into the reddening flesh as Yeong-hyeon’s grip tightened. Deprived of air and blood, the emperor’s lips gasped desperately. Then, he stopped breathing.d2363530b32dc7d2

“Hahaha!“4270f7813efcea45

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Yeong-hyeon looked down 81457acaca at his bloodstained 3640f16ea2 hands and laughed 98f5864048 heartily. With a 2060acf504 single gesture, 06985379fc he had 3aa85c97ac brought down 288fe39bad a vast 37212d4992 empire. What a magnificent gesture. It was a shame 5443ba79f8 there was no one 01126cafa2 to witness his triumph.47b4e059b2420626

“I don’t have time for this.”5ab71eb9f095cdb4

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He had to dispose of the emperor’s body, find a replacement secretly, and quickly seize the land. He had too much to do and too little time. Rising hastily and forgetting his composure, Yeong-hyeon ran toward the door.1275d08f5925c9d8

“Should I 968d6e4d66 thank you 90e252916d for this? Thanks to you, I 5573472925 found a suitable body.“f0ac3a2cc31f14f2

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Yeong-hyeon stopped a7b88714bf dead in f19346bf49 his tracks 6bd21b4d02 at the 2886770f91 door. He was the 1ad49633c0 only living person 800e373a37 in the room, 4ba267531a yet he heard 5430b89e7c another voice behind 825595a10a him.57771e1e9caac308

His trembling 68ef9a667c fingers gripped d94a54c34a the doorknob.Click. But the door only rattled; it wouldn’t open. Yeong-hyeon pulled on the door with all his might, his fingers turning white. Sweat dripped from his brow. His back was drenched in sweat, and his silk robe clung to his skin.b529e964939e0cac

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He couldn’t bring himself to turn around. He told himself it was just an illusion, an auditory hallucination.4d078f5c4d8101f7

“I-Is there no one there? Open this door at once!”c0035fbf754bb4e7

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Anxiety gripped him. It was a symptom 5d0fb45613 that had begun the d3a3178d27 day he killed his cf72be3aed best friend. The tremor in d36a362100 his heart grew 85ece08fe6 fiercely. He had b9fb538946 forgotten it 8a92e54ae8 while boisterously 30f5eb7b25 laughing and 3ac9f32262 commanding people 6e1cdfd333 with a cd16aa6155 wave of 3fcc95ffd1 his hand. The years be0610b8b5 of suppressed 83a985b896 emotions were 8dabd46404 to blame.92d4c4d4da805a61

No matter how hard he pulled, the door wouldn’t open. It was as if the emperor’s bedchamber had a hidden mechanism he didn’t know about.1cb494b4268c5b7b

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“Aaagh!“b340d5ea02d7b590

Yeong-hyeon shouted in a 2a7a8ded73 fit of rage and 14bd3e7cf5 pulled the door.046aa4eb7b0dcc9b

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“You useless fools! Are you not doing your jobs properly? If something like this happened, you should have told me first! Where is everyone? Why aren’t they showing up when they’re supposed to? Is there no one out there?!”1105cf1783d60c0e

He hadn’t been like this during the day, but it seemed like his illness was worsening. Yeong-hyeon tried to think calmly, imagining medicinal herbs and delicacies that would boost his energy.f98d1da81d238b94

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He slowly turned around to confront the illusion. He felt like he could regain his composure if he saw the emperor’s corpse. But he froze. His shoulder muscles stiffened. Frozen like a statue, Yeong-hyeon collapsed as his legs gave way.bea124719edf4fca