Bab 2: Paternal Covet

He looked straight at the new image displayed from the shiny blade pointed at his neck. Sungho's eyes widened from the fear of waking up on someone else's body and not being able to recognize his surroundings and the situations happening.

Was it possible to possess a person's body and mind?

"Oh, Your Majesty," cried the empress on the emperor's arms, "This wife of yours has been worrying about the scholar's wellbeing. Sungho remains the closest person in my heart. Why did the imperial guards make him experience such anguish? I simply cannot bear to see him from that state." She leaned her side on his chest.

There, the emperor occupied and rested on the golden seat before them as the empress sat on his lap. Even though the expression painted on his face was grimacing, it immediately washed out when the empress gave him a peck on his cheek. This showed the people of the palace how the empress was loved by the emperor.

"This wife simply wishes for the Emperor to spare the life of the closest friend of hers and nothing more. Forgive Sungho for what he had said at the festival, he was not in the right mind when he claimed wrong of the Emperor's child."

"I've spared him for a month. I do not see the reason why I should spare him today."

"Spare him for your wife." She slowly trailed her long and beautiful fingers on the emperor's face. "The Emperor shall banish him to the Empire. That way he could live his way far from us and would not ever harass us again. For my good, for you and... our Daehwi."

When Sungho heard the name that the empress recited, he suddenly felt a sharp tingle on his temples.

'No, it is not his! I am the true father of the unborn!' said the ringing voice exploding from his ears.

The emperor roared a laugh after hearing the empress' pleas. "I love that name. Who decided on the name of the unborn?"

A blush on her face was visible as she softly giggled and gracefully covered her lips. "My Majesty, it was the Empress dowager. The name suits him. Our son will be so talented."

Sungho was getting sick from the two lovebirds. However, when he thought that the single tingle stopped, it was then followed with a strong one on the back of his head.

'It is our child! I am the one who came up with the name!'

Sungho felt the sorrow from the voice. Whose cries were ringing in his ears that caused him to feel such unbearable pain in his chest and heaviness in his heart? It was giving him misery, which he had not once felt in his life.

"Our son?" said the emperor in wonder.

"Yes, the midwife has told me I will give birth to His Majesty's son. In just two months, His Majesty shall be seeing his child running around. Doesn't that sound amazing?" The empress rubbed her baby bump while speaking.

Sungho brought his brows together as he listened to the empress. Each word was a strike and a sharp punch in his heart.

"It is not. The Empress's words were false. It is—!"

As he attempted to raise his voice in disapproval, Sungho found after that he was incapable of breathing. It was as if the air had turned heavy and irreparable during that time; his vision abruptly quivered.

How could he fail to control himself? Sungho had no relation with the empress nor did he know who the surrounding people were.

"Your Majesty!" wailed the empress when she was shoved off the emperor's lap.

It was just a matter of time when Sungho noticed that the emperor was currently standing before him, pulling the sword on the imperial guard near, producing a sharp whistle as he drew it on his neck.

"You've chosen death for talking back, vile." The daunting tone from the emperor gave shivers all over his body and broke out sweat from fear; it could be compared to death forcing its way through him.

By the guards beside him pulled to straighten his posture while kneeling, they also pushed down his head that revealed his naked nape for the emperor.

"Your Majesty, the Empress!" Sungho heard a cry from an old woman after a loud thud was made from the ruler's seat. But he could not lift his gaze as he could only watch the footwear of the emperor before him.

However, it was not enough to stop the anger of the emperor. A thin hum from the sword in the emperor's hand sang through the room.

And before Sungho knew it, his head was cut off from his neck.