Bab 35: Chapter thirty-five: l failed to protect the young miss

The tracking bird hovered around the prefecture office, it's trail of smell ended here . Sensitive to its environment , it moved closer to the rooftop of the prefecture office and screeched , with it's beady eyes it surveyed the surrounding with great acumen and screeched again while returning to it's master to lead it to the source of it's findings.

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The empress is fondling with some ornaments that a merchant with special order brought to the palace.

"Very good" she nodded her head while admiring the beautiful piece of Jade ring she's holding.

Her palace attendants are very happy that the empress is exceedingly happy and the bold ones dared to compliment on her mood and her beauty.

"Your Majesty, the accessories don't even do justice to your beauty because the most beautiful thing on earth is you"

"Your Majesty, only you can give honor to that jewellery"

"Your Majesty, you are the most beautiful woman on earth and the accessories are just decorations that show your opulence"

Your Majesty this... your Majesty that... filled the air , every court maid has something to chip in , either to gain favor or make her happy.

Well, it wasn't in vain as she ordered the merchant to give all the people that complimented her something that fits them while the silent ones regretted not saying anything but it was too late.

"Mister Geun , do you have anything for males ?... I want to pick something for my son"

"Yes your Majesty, here is a rare leather belt made from the skin of a tiger and here is a hairpin made for males with aesthetic appeal and taste , here also are male's money pouch embroidered with golden thread and scented with lavender "

"Wow, money pouch made with golden thread and scented with lavender?... I need two of those...in fact I need the best things for my son from your collection, don't mind the price and give me only the best or l will remove your head from your neck"

The happy merchant despite the threat of death happily brought out all the best and most expensive things made for males, as expected of royalty, money is no big deal for them.

Satisfied with everything brought out , she ordered her chief maid to pay him in gold and just as she was about to dismiss him, she remembered that while purchasing the goods she didn't get anything for her daughters .

She smacked her head in her mind for forgetting those two and immediately she opened her mouth to issue out an order to call them to pick anything of their choice, they arrived.

"Speaking of the devils..." she exclaimed.

"My babies, mother was about to call you to pick things from merchant Geun but there you two are"

"Greetings to mother" they both chorused and curtsied.

She waved her hand as a means of inviting them closer and Min-seo ran like a spoilt brat to the empress. The empress just chuckled and held the child in her arms tightly while Ha-eun just sat down opposite her mother while watching her younger sister amusingly.

"Good child, quit being so adorable or mother might not be able to contain herself and pinch your cheeks" the empress adoringly hugged her tighter while smiling.

"But mother... Min-seo missed you so much that I dragged elder sister to come pay you a visit"

"I know my child... I know it was your idea... Ha-eun will never visit mother without a summon " the empress complained while looking at the loving face of a child not born out from her womb, but born out of the heart and pure maternal instinct to protect and cherish her.

"My child do you know why you are the most adorable?"

"Yes mother... because I smile alot" she replied happily.

"Yes...yes ... good child, you smile alot while your elder sister is the grumpy one right from the first day she was laid in my arms...l almost cried when she refused to smile at me but always smiled whenever the crown prince calls her name or carries her " the empress pouted.

"Hello?... I'm still here... remember?" the object of ridicule raised her hand to remind them that she's not invincible and can hear them loud and clear.

Feigning ignorance and buying the act ,the empress jokingly asked "Oh... Ha-eun...is that you?...when did you arrive?"

She didn't even know what to say to her mother hence she ignored them both and went to the table to pick up the cookies lying there .

The empress feeling that she's done playing with them ordered the merchant to bring his goods so that her daughters can pick whatever they like. Min-seo jumped out from the empress's arms and circled the goods while contemplating what to pick, after her survey she ran back to the empress and demanded her to pick it out for her .

She happily obliged and picked up the flower hairpin that complements her babyface while picking up a perfume satchel for her too.

Princess Ha-eun quietly came there and picked up the pearl earrings she first laid her eyes on and went back to her seat.

"Ah Ah... Ha-eun, you should pick more things... is that all you like here?"

"Mother, the earrings are enough for me... I don't need more things"

The empress ignored her daughter and picked up another perfume satchel for her and even added a golden hair band to it. Satisfied with her purchases, she ordered that more golds be added to the merchant as payment.

The happy man, went down on all fours and kowtowed to his biggest customer in the whole city while praying that everything she ever wants shall be granted to her. The empress just dismissed him with the wave of hands and focused back on her daughters urging them to try out the new products.

After the sampling and complimenting, she took them with her to go see the crown prince and give him his own gifts , and also have lunch together with all of them.

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Jae joon and Seohwa followed the excited bird to the prefecture office where it led them to.

Apprehensive due to the fact that servants are not allowed in , they devised a plan to go inform the old master back home while one of them stay back to observe what was going on.

After little deliberation, Jae joon opted out as a lookout and took up the role of the informant because of his guilt of not protecting the young miss. He positioned Seohwa where she will have the best view without being detected and ran towards home like a mad dog under heat.

Once he saw their manor , he started shivering and finally he broke down in tears. He may not be close to the young miss of the house but he had earlier sworn to protect her for showing him kindness, in less than 24 hours of that promise, her situation became compromised yet he was nowhere to protect her.

He doesn't know what happened but he knows that whatever it is that happened must be very serious because of the river of blood he saw earlier on. He has only one prayer in mind "Please be safe for me"

He knocked loudly with all his might and the gate swung open. The servant that opened the side gate immediately ran to open the main gate thinking that the young miss was back but Jae joon breezed in leaving the servant confused.

"Master!... Master!!" he kept shouting like a wounded animal.

The master came out and was alarmed to see the panicked state of his new guard, immediately the panting guard opened his mouth to say something, he signaled him to be quiet while he dragged him to the side house away from the main building.

After making sure that they won't be eavesdropped on, he motioned him to report whatever it is that made him come back in such a state.

The guard knelt down and on the sharp stone positioned on the ground ,and brought out the small dagger hidden in his waist to his neck while allowing the stream of tears cascade down his cheeks.

"My lord , l have failed you and I don't deserve to live anymore"

The man getting an inkling of what he was about to say , composed himself and allowed him to continue without interruptions.

"My Lord... I failed to protect the young miss... right now, she's at the prefecture office...l don't know what happened...l don't even know if she's hurt from the fight... I don't..."

"Wait... what fight?" he interrupted him .

He narrated everything that happened that day according to his findings and the testimony of the old man . The master just shrugged his shoulders while lamenting his woes.

"So there was no solution to the bloody cycle about to take place?... so the cycle already begun?"

Jae joon shivered at the voice of his master and was about to take his life when the master slapped the dagger away disarming him.

"If you feel that you failed to carry out your duties , shouldn't you atone for your sins by making sure your miss is OK rather than choose the easiest way out?"

Feeling ashamed for the first time in his life by his own actions, he wailed silently while waiting for his master to give an order.

Master Kim just raised him to his feet and ordered him to compose a letter ,finished with the letter , it was passed down to one of the maids with strict orders to be given to their madam only if after 4 hours they were not back.

With that done , they left quietly but quickly with the horses towards the prefecture office.

Seohwa on the other hand, kept on darting her eyes from the prefecture office gate to the road where she's expecting both the old master and Jae joon, immediately she saw them, she ran towards the old master and knelt down while asking the man to take her life for failing in her duties, but he just ignored her wailing and ordered them both to enter the office with him .