"Why should I believe you?" The empress asked. Although the empress sounded suspicious of Hayoon's words, there was a clear change in her expression. The empress' eyes didn't held mockery, she wasn't looking at Hayoon with belittlement as she used to, but there was a hint of cautiousness in the way she spoke.
"Whether you are real or fake, how should I know?"
"I don't feel obliged to prove anything. Whether you believe it or not, is your problem."
Her voice held no emotions, her tone was not begging the empress to take the offer, rather it was empty and distant, as if the offer was a sign of charity.
"Why are you revealing your identity now?" The empress asked.
"Because you are desperate enough to take the hands of anyone that reach out for you. Isn't that why you came here?"
Even the empress couldn't believe that a day like this would come. A day where she would be seeking prince's Han for his assistance. She knew she was shameless, but she had no other choice.
"After what I did, I didn't think you would help me," The empress said, locking her eyes with Hayoon.
"Who said I would help you?"
"But you-"
"Reaching out for you, means that I will give you an offer. It doesn't mean that I will help you."
"What offer?"
Judging from the way the empress was engaged in the conversation, Hayoon could tell that the empress was somewhat interested.
"Expose minister Kim's scheme to the emperor." Hayoon said as if it was a trivial matter.
What Hayoon referred to was a ridiculous offer. Exposing minister Kim's scheme, means that the empress will tell the emperor that he had been fooled to marry a commoner.
Hayoon would be on the gaining side, since this would be the perfect revenge towards minister Kim, a man that that took her everything away from her.
Minister Kim would lose everything for fooling the emperor including his title as the duke and death will be a generous punishment. But what would the empress gain?
Absolutely nothing. If any the empress would even be at loss. She would lose her title as the empress and death would likely await her, and it wouldn't be a peaceful death. The furry of the emperor when he finds out that the one he has been coaxing is a fake imposter, just the mere thought was scaring.
According to the minister Kim's cunning personality, he wouldn't be satisfied with dragging the empress down the fall. No, even Jiwon her little sister, wouldn't be able to survive. There was no gains from agreeing to Hayoon's offer. Absolutely none.
"I can't do that," The empress said defeatingly.
"Since you already know my real identity there is nothing I can do. But even if you reveal my identity to the emperor, I won't betray minister Kim."
"You think that human will be grateful for you loyalty?" Hayoon asked.
"Then should I put my faith in a betrayer that turned her back to her country?"
It was true that Hayoon didn't feel any obligation to her people. After all, she was never taught to bear the weight of the throne, she was never considered the role of the ruler to begin with. Truth is she felt unsympathetic when her country was destroyed.
The throne was something she never wanted. It took away everything that she held precious. The throne stole her only parent and left her with nothing but emptiness.
Although Hayoon didn't meet her father more than once a year, it was enough to let her know about the many sacrifices one have to make to remain seated in that position. Her father always wore the unhappy expression the few times they spent together, and he didn't look any happier the many other times Hayoon secretly observed him from a far. Watching her father, made Hayoon despise the throne even more. To think that she was forced to sit in that position was ridiculous.
Even so, when she was on that seat, Hayoon did what she could to protect the thing that stole her father and their time together. Yet, in return for her sacrifices she became nothing but a betrayer of the country.
It never mattered what people thought about her, since Hayoon had never been anything than a ruler in name. She didn't care that another person had taken her position and ruined her name. What annoyed her, was that the cunning man was gaining from all her suffering. After all the blood and tears he had spilled as a heroic figure, it would be unfair to not repay him.
God, Hayoon nearly forgot how much she loathed that man for so many years.
"He is a man who betrayed his own ruler, what make you think that he wouldn't throw you away?" Hayoon asked in a cold manner.
"You are just trying to drive a wedge between me and minister Kim. I'm not that naive to fall for your lies." The empress tried to sound composed.
"Didn't you came here to because you know how stupid it was to entrust your sister to that human? He is capable of sending his own daughter to death, what is so difficult to break a promise?"
"He won't do that!" The empress shouted.
There was no point for Hayoon to deny the empress' statement, cause both of them knew too well what kind of a man minister Kim is.
The empress' attempt of denying the truth was pathetic, even the empress herself knew that. She just wouldn't admit that Hayoon was right.
Truth is, the empress was afraid that Minister Kim was deceiving her. That was the reason she came here was to beg Han for favor. Aside from the emperor, Han was the only person capable of helping her.
The empress wanted to meet her sister even if that would be on the expense of her own life. It had been over years since she had entered the palace, and she hadn't heard anything from her sister.
All this time, the empress believed that her sister, Jiwon, was living a healthy life, with no worries just as she was promised. Minister Kim was a powerful man and was more than capable of providing Jiwon with that little luxury. Yet, upon hearing Minister Kim himself, telling her that he was sending his daughter as a tribute, the empress changed her mind.
The faith and trust she had for him all crumbled. The empress thought she couldn't dislike anyone more than the emperor and Han, but the thing she felt for Minister Kim today was beyond words. A chill ran down her spine when the man said that he was sending his own daughter as a tribute, as if it was a trivial matter.
She felt scared by his presence and even more frightened by the thought that she entrusted her sister's life to a human that saw people as sacrificial objects.
But if the empress revealed minister Kim's schemes for the emperor, would there be a better outcome?
Would a malicious man like the emperor spare Jiwon, after finding out, that Jiwon's sister was the one that had fooled him?
YOU ARE READING
Your Highness
Historical Fiction"I hate you" She hissed with trembling lips, her body drenched by the rain. The coldness stole the lively colour of her lips and replaced it with a shade of dark purple, but even in this state she was stunning. He stepped closer, the distance betwee...
