"You have been able to obtain everything that you have wanted over the years; glory wealth and even splendour. You became the seductress and puppet of many men in power Hui-Jae, so what the hell do you want from me? I cannot be love, because you have never done anything for me, so what is it? Power? Control? Are you trying to prove a point to your broken ego or are you simply incapable of being alone? All of these years of torture just because you cannot get Hwi to love you once again? He has a family now with a woman who worships him and you were the one who threw that potential away due to your own greed." "You told me that you loved me and you proved it by courting me in a way that nobody else had tried before…" "and you rejected me severely several times now, so now what do you want from me? What did you think would happen if I didn't choose Yeon? That I would just be happy with you as you waste my money and rescuers to be some sort of socialite? Men never stay faithful to that sort of predictable lifestyle at all, I would have had my own harem if I was with you." "But you cannot accept a single concubine when you are with her?" "Just because Yeon has traditional values, it doesn't mean that she is a conventional woman at all; she gives me the same sort of fun any concubine would so what is the point in me accepting another woman at all? Every single time you mock me like this, you force me into obedience, but it will not work this time." "That is because you have well and truly met your match with the younger, prettier and wiser version of yourself. But a greedy woman with a pretty face such as yourself will never be satisfied, never be appreciated and never be truly loved. You are far too malevolent and manipulative to even understand what peace is."
Peace, was that the answer? Was that what he wanted? What all men wanted? It was already so hard to forge pain, but now that I think about it, it was even harder to remember what sweetness felt like. There was no physical wound for happiness, and there was so little that we learn from peace. He wanted peace in work? In his private life? With his father's clan? Or all of it? Should be he source of his peace? Was that going to be the easier way of bringing him back to me?
"Good morning My Lady, I am here to accompany you to the dining hall for breakfast, the Nam Clan are already quite upset with you for not paying your respects to them yesterday…" "Well what could I have done about that? It wasn't my fault that girl locked me up in my quarters for no reason at all! But anyways, I do expect to see her at the table with the new concubine in tow…concubine? What is it? Why are you looking at me that way?" "My Lady, about the concubine….she was presented to the aunt's father instead of The Lord Nam…" "What? What did you just say?" "My Lady, The Mistress Seo was able to deconstruct every single sentence that girl uttered and turn it around on the clan members! And is infatuated with the girls have heard, he barely leaves her alone!" "That fucking bitch, I have just about had enough of her! You just wait until I see her today…."
"…mother, did you hear all about it? There is a Prince in need of a wife from one of the old clans due to some arrangement that The Emperor has with his mother's family! Can you believe it! I should be put forward for the test and…" "Do not even think about it daughter! That specific 'Prince' will be cared off to the other side of the kingdom, do you really wish to get away from me so? If ever you do find a suitor for yourself, then you and/or husband will both live here with me, and that goes for you also son." "Mother, we are not even welcome here in this dark and gloomy household, especially no after my cousin=in=law stripped the entire household bare of its luxuries! I do not wish too say here anymore! When can we go back home mother!" "We can only go home when my sister concludes her business here with her nephew successfully, then we can all go home, son." "But that could take forever! He refuses to meet wih us also, and I want him to take me to the palace with him! I need to work at some point in time you know!" "Very well, I shall send you along with him during lunch time." "I will just go to his quarters now and wait for him, so that he cannot have a chance to fob me off."
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"…early in the morning, I saw the grandmother follow her husband and new concubine to the hot springs. My servant even saw her put something in their food, so…." "Its isn't like you to report to me when you are not confident about news that you have for me, wife. But in the past, he did have the power to cut down on the soldiers in the army in the past, so he does have minor lingering reputation despite the declining of his clan." "So who will get the maturity of his legacy if he passes away? Not his wife, surely?" "It will most likely go to his grandsons, but I have no idea who and I don't really care to be honest. A stupid will isn't worth anyone's life when all of life's glory awaits you in the palace…" "That is true; you used to dine with The Emperor himself and snack on the finest pieces of meat with all of those women around you…" "that I never took a look at or touched, I hope that you know this wife." "Why won't you take your cousins with you in the palace? They cannot just lounge around in our residence forever with nothing to do, you should at least take up some responsibility for them if you want them to start earning for themselves and…" "Forget it wife, those boys will never amount to anything in their lives. They will waste away my grandfather's inheritance over vices and never work hard to regain their family clan to what it once used to be. I expect them to leech off of me for the rest of their lives." "Go easy on them husband, they are still children…." "Children my foot! And speaking of children, avoid stepping out of your quarters for as long as you can to avoid anyone giving you any hassle." "Yes husband, come and take your lunch that I have packed for you although it will be cold, since you will not let me serve you in the palace." "I still have things to work on, and as for this marriage to The Prince, I think I shall put some of our kisaeng girls forward to the job, what do you think?" "Of course, I shall come up for the best applicants for you and then you can go from there I suppose. Or I could help you even more if you let me see them, just every now and again." "I will see about that…" "Uncle! I am ready to go into the place with you!" "Don't even think about it nephew! I have a lot of work to do and…" "And that is why I have been studying in my spare time so that I can help you! Come one, I am already dressed for the occasion and I even had my aunt here pack me up some lunch as well!" "You cannot avoid this forever husband, just let him come with you a few times a week to allow him time to really think about his future! Go on, I shall wait for the both of you here at home with your favourite meals." "Very well, let us see how this goes and we shall see what will come out of it."
So this was what my uncle was up to? He was just going to keep my away from the palace and rot here in his own resddicen? I was just as good as the boy that he was fawning over, but that didn't help solve my issues at all. I needed money, I needed my own home and I need freedom away from suffocating family who had their eyes on me constantly since the downfall of my clan. Who was going to marry me if I carried on living like this? Every other man in my clan had been successful other than myself and what was I going to do? Wait for that bastard nephew of his to overshadow me? No, I need to take my chance and I had to do it now before anyone else surpassed me again. But I had to come up with a way to prove myself too him surely, otherwise I fear that I may never see him even though we lived in the same home.
"Wait! Uncle! I mean…cousin! I want to come as well! Please take me into the palace with you!" "Who the hell is this? And who the hell let him in here? The palace isn't a playground you know! Go back to your mother's side and…" "No please uncle! I beg of you to…" "Uncle? I am your cousin you fool!" "Enough husband! Nephew, go and wait for your uncle in the carriage with he lunchboxes, he shall join you shortly…" "Do not even think about it wife, I am already taking a big risk with my nephew, so why should I do it again with this leech of a…" "You should help me because I can help you uncle. I mean cousin; I can help you with the clan and you know it!" "Oh really? And how did you come up with that idea?" "Because I know you stripped your entire home of it luxuries to donate it to the new natural disaster that took place only a few days ago, because how else are you going to rebuild your damaged reputation?" "Why you little…" "Husband! For goodness sake, stop trying to aggressively kill your own family members like this and jus calm down! Hear the boy out and then you can make your decision peacefully!"
"I can help you by being the rest of my grandfather's wealth!" "Sure you can, do you even know where it all is?" "Of course I can, why else would I suggest it? And not only that….I can solve the issue of the Prince's issue of finding a wife!" "Is this little by serious wife? Forget this, I have to go before I am late…" "My sister! She was squealing like a pig about it this morning, she really wishes to marry the Prince to help the clan and so on and…" "Is that so? You don't care about never seeing your sister again after marriage?" "She is a woman, what does she matter in the family?" "You know what….very well. I shall take you into the palace with me, but not today. You come up with a solid plan for your suggestions, and if I approve of them, I will take you into work with me at least once a week." "Very well, I shall get onto it straight away and…" "And you will do it in the comfort of your own chambers, not in the one that my wife inhabits." "But I need to protect her from those 2 concubines…." "Nice try but don't even think about it. Proving yourself to me by getting close to her is the wrong way to go."