The maids were fixing the emperor's robe, when Eunuch Jung relays the news to him that Royal Physician Han has come to meet him to talk about Concubine Seo's sickness.
"Tell him to come in," Sinjong says while checking himself in the mirror.
The royal physician enters and bows to show respect. Eunuch Jung signals him to start his speech.
"Can I talk in a bit of privacy, Your Imperial Majesty?" Physician Han asks in a humble voice.
Sinjong signals the maids and eunuchs to leave and turns towards Physician Shin Bee .
"Start now."
"Your Imperial Majesty, last night I was confused about the diagnosis after checking Concubine Seo. So, I was waiting upto this morning to observe her. I have checked her again. She is in the third to fourth week of her pregnancy."
Sinjong remains expressionless hearing the news. He pours wine in his glass to make himself calm. So, was Yun Hee in a physical relationship with someone else other than him? How can Yun Hee be pregnant while she was always on birth control?
"What's your explanation about this? She was always on birth control. The baby isn't mine, right?" Sinjong asks in a cold voice while sipping the wine.
"Our birth control preparation is mainly based on herbs. Concubine Seo has a severe allergic tendency to herbs. We couldn't get any appropriate effective herbs suitable for her. She was on birth control made of persimmon pedicles. It isn't effective for everyone. We were searching for an effective one, but meanwhile, she already had a physical relationship with you, Your Imperial Majesty. During that time I wasn't in the palace. My fellow physician counted on their luck that it would work for her. But maybe it won't be, she is someone from a coastal area. Seaweed is one of the neutralising agents for toxicity resulting from such birth control preparation. I think the neutralising agent of this birth control is in her blood. My fellow physician couldn't make a suitable decision for her. There's a greater possibility that Concubine Seo is carrying your baby, Your Imperial Majesty. The Royal physician academy will take responsibility to punish those physicians. Your Imperial Majesty, please don't turn your back to our academy because of some particular person's fault."
"Okay, leave now. But be ready, I will call you at any time to see you in front of me without any delay."
As the royal physician takes leave, Eunuch Jung enters to serve the emperor again.
"Eunuch Jung! Call the guards who were in charge of keeping an eye over the Chinese emperor and also all the spies from the concubines' palace. And cancel the morning assembly saying I am not feeling well to attend," he says while loosening the robe from his body.
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Concubine Seo is now sitting on the floor of her room hugging her knees. She is utterly afraid, the door of her room is locked from outside. She has several times requested others to unlock the door, but no one is responding.
Suddenly the door of her room opens, revealing Consort Kim and Concubine Park behind. Concubine Seo isn't feeling so well about this sudden entry. She remains seated on the floor.
"Our Concubine Seo was enjoying her palace life until getting caught for infidelity. So who is the palace guard with whom you slept?" Consort Kim asks with hatred in her eyes towards Yun Hee.
"What do you want me to say?" Concubine Seo looks at the consort through the corner of her eyes. She knows that Consort Kim will never say anything fair to her.
"Which one is that precious palace guard who helped our innocent Concubine Seo to get rid of her horny demands. His cum shot helped you a lot to calm down."
"Stop your dirty talk to me. I don't like what you're saying," Concubine Seo replies without looking at the talking lady.
"Whose baby are you carrying, Seo? Did you think you could fool everyone, slut? Who is the father of that bastard?"
"What!!!" Concubine Seo gets shocked.
"What makes you think you can remain in this palace after doing these? The Chinese emperor will get a cheap slut like you as an offering. You deserve this, slut. I pity you, Concubine Seo," Consort leaves the room leaving both Concubine Seo and Concubine Park behind.
Concubine Park was about to leave, but Concubine Seo's voice stopped her, "Seung Deok, is that true?"
"What's true, Yun Hee?" Concubine Park turns towards her.
"The baby? The offering?"
"Yes," Seung Deok replies timidly.
"Don't you believe me? At least you know how I am. I don't know how this happened. But I never slept with anyone except His Imperial Majesty. If I am carrying a baby, then it's only His Imperial Majesty's baby," the helpless lady sobs.
"I trust you. But you know these things have never happened before. Not in the concubines' palace, not in the harem. And even if it's His Imperial Majesty's child, you can't keep it, Yun Hee."
"Why?"
"Only the Andong Kim clan will have the crown prince and firstborn child of the emperor. Other concubines aren't allowed to have a child before the Consort gives birth to the crown prince. The Andong Kim clan has a deal with the royal family."
"But I didn't ever want this to happen. Consort couldn't, that's not my fault," Yun Hee says while wiping tears from her cheeks.
"You are saying this because you don't know the rules and deals of the royal family. Consort conceived twice before, but she lost them because of her sickness. She has a rare sickness for which she is receiving treatment now. Before her, none of us were allowed to give birth to any heirs for the royal family."
"So they are going to kill my baby! But how will they kill the baby without killing me?" Yun Hee says hiccuping.
"The way they killed Court Lady Cheon's baby," Concubine Park replies, closing her eyes. Court Lady Cheon was raped by a royal administrator in the darkness of night, later she became pregnant. The baby was aborted to maintain the honor of the Cheon household and the lady was sent as a maid to the harem.
"So, they are going to send me as a maid to the harem like Court Lady Cheon?"
"I don't know yet. But Consort Kim was talking about sending you as an offering to the Chinese Emperor. That's better than being a maid of the harem," Seung Deok tries to say something positive.
"Death is better than doing these," Yun Hee says in an expressionless voice.
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Concubine Seo is now sobbing in an empty room. They locked her again after Concubine Park left. For the second time, the door of her room gets opened. Yun Hee keeps sobbing without lifting her head to see who has entered. The footsteps reach near her.
"I want your explanation, Concubine Seo," Sinjong asks in a soft voice.
"Will my explanation change any deal or rules of this royal family?" Concubine Seo lifts her face. She has decided not to show fear anymore.
"Maybe," the Emperor replies shortly.
"I am not going to beg you to let me keep this baby. Because you won't. The only person with whom I had a physical relationship is you. Even if I beg you to let me keep this baby hidden from the world, you won't. I am so done with palace life where everyone has started to call me a slut without any reason. Even my husband wants to send me as an offering to another emperor. I won't say don't disrespect me by sending me there, because maybe a low rank's respect isn't a fact to be concerned about. Can I request you to please kill me with this baby? That would be your kindness to me. Please, have some pity on me."
Concubine Seo doesn't care to wipe her tears anymore. She let her tears overflow from her eyes.
The emperor kneels In front of her and lifts her head. He wipes the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs.
"Who said I won't accept the baby, Yun Hee?" He runs his thumb over her red cheeks cupping her face.
"Will you?" Concubine Seo asks with teary eyes.
"Why won't I? Will you please stop crying now?" Sinjong smiles. He has got the information from guards in charge of the Chinese Emperor that Concubine Seo didn't let Emperor Zhu Qizhen even touch her hand and the spies from the concubines' palace have also given information of this concubine's innocence. Sinjong also believes that Yun Hee is one of the most innocent persons he has ever met.
Concubine Seo closes her eyes and tears overflow her cheeks again. She can't believe this is happening.
The emperor hugs the concubine. He pats her back to make her relaxed. After some time he breaks the hug and holds her hands. She has stopped sobbing.
"Okay now? Now let's eat something and change your dress to meet the Queen Mother."
"What if the Queen Mother doesn't accept the baby?" Concubine Seo's eyes become teary again.
"I have come here after meeting the Queen Mother. She has no objection to my decision. It's royal rules to give the Queen Mother the news of the pregnancy to receive her blessing. After all, the Queen Mother will select a festival to announce this news to the general people and will worship our ancestors to protect our baby."
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