Seon Jo.

I had gratefully watched her happily retire last night as I thought about how to punish the Prime Minister's wife Yi ra.

Young Pil reported everything that occured. Yes, of course, I was aware of everything and how bad it made her feel.

Prime Minister Nam Go followed Grandmother since she was his cousin but, how would I make an example of Prime Minister's wife to anyone who’d think of defying order.

After our previous night together, I hoped that she would love to meet with me again tonight and based on what I heard from Young Pil tonight, I knew she would.

Therefore, I made sure to look my best, not forgetting to hide the fragrant flower petals I took from the jar the royal gardener had placed in my room tonight under my jacket and lastly, the look of assurance and calmness I knew always worked for me.

As I acknowledged her, I offered my smile hoping she wouldn't see the heap of nervousness underneath. I offered her a seat and went on to ask her how her day went.

She was about to pick up the stick where she had left it last night, I pulled the bunch of papers, a brush and ink placing it in front of her with her reaction making the surprise worth it.

She took it all and scribbled all about her day except the attempted murder on her life, which I had hoped she would start with, I watched her admiring how she quickly adapted to the world of mine compared to the heaven she fell from.

I patiently read it and vaguely asked her if that was all and she agreed, though I knew she wasn't saying it all, I still asked her

“why do you look like something else happened?" which I didn’t think she knew was so obvious on her face.

I saw her wanting to reply but realizing she had used all blank papers except for one, that she collected and wrote

“This paper won’t be enough to say it all.” before showing it to me which found it witty and funny that she was obviously smart to my liking, which made me laugh while thinking of a solution.

I remembered the stash I got these from and immediately took her hand with the used the papers, the brush and the ink and led her to where I knew she had no idea of, not until we arrived.

I led her inside the dimly lit but spacious room with beddings, cushions and many pillows at the any angle I deemed it fit.

My private residence, I’d always come to when I wanted to get away from everyone, no one had ever stepped a foot here apart from me.

I shut the door, moved toward my worktable, and lit two candles placing them on each side of the table, then I brought out a bunch of blank papers and placed the objects in my hands on the table.

Then, I went to Hye Jin and pulled her toward the table, sitting her down in front of me and handed the brush over to her and asked her again this time being obvious that I knew she wasn't telling me what I wanted to hear.

“What are you not telling me?” with the kind of seriousness that revealed that I really wanted to know and when she saw I was seriously interested, she wrote down everything I wanted her to tell me before handing the papers over to me which I took from her gently, satisfied.

After reading exactly what Young Pil had reported to me, I held her hand that was resting on the table assuring her never to be scared or worried that everything would be fine.

My sincerity infectiously made her agree and I smiled at her happily grateful that she had began to open up to me and I also hoped that she learn would trust me too, someday, soon and to get it, I must earn it which I was ready to do.

I rolled the papers and thrusted them into the candle’s flame letting them burn to ash before I turned to face at her, and told her,

“You can trust me, your secret is safe with me, just you and me.” I decided to give her something to look forward to,

“Tomorrow, I will take you some where you’ll love.” with my face giving her the promise of happiness,

“We wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise now, would we?” I stopped her, when I noticed she had begun writing ‘where?’ and she responded with a gesture ‘no’.

I was so sure another that night was going to be spent sleepless in my quarters but it was worth it because, the echoes of her laughs resounded in my mind as I walked her to her residence that she had gladly accepted.

We were walking back with no words been said as we enjoyed the most comfortable silence I had ever had in a very long time until we got to her quarters.

When she walked in, I called to her from the foyer and when she turned in time to answer, I assuringly said ‘goodnight’ with a smile that I was hoping would kill her fear.

In the throne room, I sat on my throne with General Yi and Young Pil kneeling in front of me as i stared down at both men.

“General Yi" i called and was replied immediately with respect,

“Yes, your Majesty. ” by the General whose face bowed in reverence to the my satisfaction

“What do you have to say to me? My palace has been intruded like a market square twice this month with the aim of hurting people dear to me. Is that my guards are being over fed and over paid or i should hold you responsible? ” i could feel my anger seethe through my calm voice.

Vivian

Before I turned to enter inside, he gave me that smile that imprinted his dimples on my mind but I turned back to him so he wouldn't see me melt.

When I got to the door, I could immediately tell it had been tampered with after I tried to slip in my pinkie finger which didn't go through the little width I had left.

I had to improvise some security tricks now that I know someone's after my life. I realized my room had been intruded because I had left the door open by the width of my pinkie finger like I said, for safety reasons which clearly were paying off.

It wasn't Dong Yi, she had retired for the night and would not return until the morning, neither was it Min Soo, cause he had no to reason to.

Fear found me when I realized that I had left the young kiddo asleep on the bed. Slowly, I opened the door and looked inside, nothing seems touched and Min Soo was still asleep on the bed.

I was almost entering when the King called out and told me not to enter but instead go to him, which I did and watched as a group of guards entered the room instead.

He explained that on his way back, he had spotted figures on the roof coming from this direction so he decided to check on me.

The guards returned and the head of Guards, Jo Ha Kim reported not finding anything suspicious before they were dismissed. After they guards had left, he told me that it was no longer safe for me to stay there, before suggesting I follow him to a new and safer residence, keeping the fact that the intruders came for me to himself.

Since the person inside was left unharmed. I agreed with a baffled mind before going in to carry little cupid so he would continue to sleep while His Majesty led us to this 'safer place’ which turned out to the same place we just came out from -his clandestine abode.

I laid the sleeping Min Soo on the bed and covered him with blankets before turning to the King to appreciate him with a slight bow that he objected.

He mentioned again that it was safer here and my things would be transferred in the morning but from now on until the intruders were apprehended I was not to leave the palace and whatever I needed would be given to me, more maids, more guards would be seen from the morning onward.

With a concerned look, he took my hands to assure me that he would allow nothing happen to me and Min Soo before bidding me goodnight with a lingering apologetic look as he left.

With tiredness and weakness clawing me down, I settled with Min Soo on the bed hoping tomorrow would be worth it. Slowly, I fell asleep praying that I would get my home sooner enough before my newly acquired nemesis get to me.

In The Throne Room...

Seon Jo.

"Your Majesty? Your Majesty??" Eunuch Park called but I was deep in thought since my meeting with the General had finished a while a go.

I could faintly hear and when it was clear enough, i jerked to look at the Eunuch calling out since heaven knows when.

"Yes, Eunuch Park" i answered slowing the pace to hear what he had to say.

"The Queen Dowager's requested for your presence in her residence." He stated respectfully.

I looked at my chambers a few feet away and the required destination still a long way in my mind and sighed silently before I began the unpleasant journey towards her residence.

"His Royal Majesty! " The maid announced bowing when she saw me coming and immediately opened the doors.

Upon entering, i spotted the Queen Dowager sitting afar off with a smile that made me look around carefully and i found nobody not even her favorite grandchild nor the mother with her which made me realize the reason or reasons for her requesting the visit from me wasn't the kind I was in the mood to hear today.

After all pleasantries offered to me by the Queen Dowager, I sat opposite her on the dinner table and a maid arrived immediately by my side to fill my cup which I had to drink reluctantly.

I asked the reason she required my presence but no reply was given instead she ordered the maid to leave then she moved to fill my now empty cup with a smile that lasted longer than her patience making me feel on edge.

She refilled my cup immediately I dropped it after drinking and I began to wonder why she called me after all this time cause i remembered the last time we had sat and conversed like this wasn't a pleasant idea which didn't end up in my favour by the way.

I had taken a stomach upsetting look at the filled cup and its filler before I spoke up again this time dead enthusiasm drowned my voice,

"You haven't said why you called me over." with a little hint of curiosity to why my Grand mother, a woman nobody messed with requested for me.

Yes, we had our differences yet she wasn't a woman to be taken lightly to her face or publicly.

"Is it a taboo to ask me my son over for a drink?" She asked with poise and sarcasm.

We both knew that of all things she never meant, 'this whole my son charade' makes the top point yet i smiled drinking my third.

"You stopped noble women from entering the palace except with royal summon, why?" Looking at me with motherly expression i knew she only did either she was about to wrongly make a statement or about to remind me that i didn't deserve to rule.

"They make the palace look and feel like a market square where they can just come and go anytime and since assassins could infiltrate the palace like 'no problem' I have decided to start taking precautions wanting a repetition of last time. " staring at my cup thoroughly while speaking before sipping hoping she won't ask more because that was far form the reason i did it.

Uninterestedly, the Queen Dowager drank from her cup while rolling her eyes to the obvious lies I was telling but that is not why I was here cause she wouldn't care if i kept beggars at my table.

"That's out of the way, I called you here because of the brown skinned stranger......" the smile on her face fading like her tolerance for me while I mentally prepared to hear the worst words of the day.

Vivian

The knock on the door woke me up but not Min Soo who was already preparing for another new adventure today. I sighed as the knock sounded again but this time slower than the first.

I went outside to see who was there after asking Mon Soo not to bother, one can never be too careful.

“It’s Dong Yi Your Grace...” I was hugged immediately like a lost and found teddy bear when I opened the door to Dong Yi, who was muttering a prayer underneath her breath.

“I heard what happened last night, Your Grace. Word spread all over the palace this morning, Your Grace, are you ok?” she rushed to Min Soo to hug him too but he blocked her off so as not to rumple his neat attire earning him a pat on his butt.

“I was in the garden, I... think when they came. I just wanted some fresh air but before I came back, they had already left and I noticed that the door had been tampered with. That's why His Majesty came asking me not to enter…”I tried telling the part that I wanted them to hear.

“…His Majesty?!” Min Soo and Dong Yi chorused stunned and I looked at the duo that just made my heart skip a beat, now becoming more cautious of what to say.

“Yeah… he said he saw some figures jumping the ceiling and decided to come check the direction they came from, which was here.” I told while turning to sit on the cushion behind me.

“So from on, we stay here together, there’ll be more guards and maids...”,

“Till when, Noona?” Min Soo asked with disappointment and worry in his voice and I hated that because he should be having the time of his life.

I looked at him trying hard not to reflect his emotion back at him with a smile concealing my worries.

“Till they are caught but until then, no more trips outside the palace, King's orders.” I concluded looking at both of them with false hopefulness.

As if he could see through my façade, Min Soo walked up to me and hugged me assuring us that we were going to be fine as long as the King knew and was doing something about it, I was moved.

As he spoke, I smiled asking when he became so brave,

“Since I started eating palace food.” he cooed and we all shared a good laughter.

“Your Grace, do you know the King has stopped noble women from entering the palace? Except on royal summon which only happens on a very rare occasion... ” Dong Yi told me with expression of surprise and excitement leaving me not entirely sure how this was a good thing.

“Why?” I asked.

“No one knows, even the Queen couldn’t stop him and according to the King's words “it is always so rowdy and noisy when they come and the air would be dusty, filling the palace with fine dust.” Your Grace...” I was laughing hard because of how Dong Yi tried saying it in the King's voice until we heard footsteps surrounding the residence.

We all rushed to take a look, well, I MOVED FIRST and they followed, just to be security conscious.

we saw it was the newly appointed guards taking their places, just as two maids approached us and Dong Yi proceeded to introduce them to me.

"Your Grace, you remember Ga-eul and Beom my lady previously met?”

“yeah, I do.” I replied,

“Well Your Grace, they're Your Grace's permanent maids.” she revealed which made me comfortable that they weren't new faces since Shin Ah and Sun Ae had been placed under kitchen duties for the Queen..

Dong Yi informed me that they had to leave to prepare breakfast and soon as they left, I settled with Min Soo as we decided on what would keep us busy since touring activities was stopped until further notice.