Congratulations to me.....I'm finally updating a chapter after about a month 🤡
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Soyoung's POV
After Jimin asked me to excuse him and Hosung, I decided to take bath but as I reached the bath chamber, I saw that it was engaged. Thinking that it was mother-in-law inside, I returned back to my room only to find that the room had none of my things in it and it the maids were re-decorating it.
"What on the heck is happening here?!" I asked.
"Soyoung....you're back!" Iseul came rushing towards me and took me to another room.
"You need to do something, Soyoung. Your father-in-law just gave that wench your room!"
I chuckled, "Oh so this is how things are going to be huh?!"
"What?!" Iseul furrowed her brows, "Are you letting this slide?! And for what?!"
"No! What is mine is mine! I'm just taking a step down to to take more bigger steps!" I smirked at Iseul and she tilted her head at me with confusion.
"You know when is the best time to strike your opponent?! When they are enjoying their sweet victory!" I said, still smirking.
"Sometimes I just don't get you!" Iseul furrowed her brows.
"Anyways, where is my new room?!"
"Umm...."
"Oh here you are, daughter!" Mother-in-law entered the room.
I bowed and so did Iseul.
"If she mother-in-law is here that means the person who was inside the bathing chamber is that courtesan?!" I thought to myself
"You'll sleep with Jin tonight!" Mother-in-law declared.
My eyes widened, "Pardon?!"
"You need to bear a son with him in order to be the mistress of this house...I don't want that woman here so you should now play the part of a daughter-in-law!"
"But mother-"
"I said what I said! Make her ready and send her to Jin's room!" She looked at Iseul and left the room.
Iseul came and put her hand on my shoulder.
"Ahhh slowly, you fool! I'm with child!" I saw that courtesan passing by the room. She was yelling at the maid who was carrying the train of her skirt. Her hair was wet indicating that she indeed was in the bath chamber! So she was now using the bath chamber for the noble ladies!
She looked at me, "Ahh you! Come and carry the train of my skirt!"
"What did you just say?!" Iseul frowned.
"Why? I'm the mistress of this household and a concubine should listen to me!" She smirked looking at me.
"YOU-" Iseul was about to say something again but I stopped her and went towards the maid who was holding the train.
"You're nice!" She smirked, "But you should teach your lady-in-waiting how to keep her mouth shut!" She smiled looking at Iseul, who was clearly trying hard not to say something.
I asked the maid to hand me the train. She hesitated for a bit but then bowed and handed it to me.
"Let's go! I'm going to the garden to fry my hair-"
I threw the train down on the ground.
"WHAT ARE YOU-"
"I'm being nice! A noble lady must know how to carry her train gracefully and so should you! I understand that you came from a poor background, but its about time that you learn some elegance....'mistress of the house'!" I smiled
Her eyes widened as Iseul controlled her laughter.
The courtesan lifted up her skirt and glared at me, "I'll see you later!" She turned around and started to storm off when Yunki rushed in and bumped into her. She was about to fall but she grabbed his waist and looked into his eyes. I had no idea I was clenching my fist and the sight until I felt a sharp pain on my palm because of my long nails.
"Ugh...", Yunki looked disgusted.
"Sir....what is this?!" She released him and picked up a herb that Yunki dropped while she bumped into him.
He gently grabbed it and smiled, "This is for you to feel better during pregnancy! You should go to your room and rest...I'll bring you this herbal medicine!"
"A-are you finally accepting me, sir?!" She looked happy, Yunki nodded and I rolled my eyes.
She smiled at him while blushing and then went back to her room before giving me a victorious look.
I took a better look at the herb that Yunki was holding. That's a pregnancy confirmation herb.
He turned to Iseul and said, "Can you help me with this?!" He asked while swaying the herb.
Before she could reply I said, "I'll help you!"
He turned to look at me and raised an eyebrow.
"Follow me!" I said while heading towards my herb store. I could hear footsteps following me.
Iseul's POV
I watched both of them walking towards the herb store, "That new woman will give a hard time to everyone!" I rubbed my temples, "I just hope that she is not pregnant!"
"Is there anyone outside?!" I heard sir Jin calling for a maid from his room. I looked around and saw that no one was there except me. I went near his room and asked, "Yes sir?!"
"Please take these clothes out to the laundry room!" I heard him. I opened the door and saw him in front of the mirror, fixing his hair.
"Ahh and take this too-" He paused when he noticed me.
"You?!" He asked, "I was looking for a maid! I didn't call you!"
"Sir, there's no maid here right now! I'll take your clothes to the laundry room!" I grabbed his clothes and he grabbed my wrist, stopping me. My eyes widened as I looked into his eyes.
"You are not a servant and you ain't doing this! Go and send a servant!" He said softly while staring into my soul, making my heart flutter.
"Ok! I-I will do that!" I took a few steps back and bowed before leaving the room quickly. Once I was out of his room, I released my breathe which I didn't know I was holding.
"This is so wrong...if this continues, I'll fall for him. I can't betray Soyoung! I'll have to keep my distance from him!"
Soyoung's POV
I was grinding the herbal leaves but could feel Yunki's stare on me.
"I thought you didn't care?! But here you are now....do you have feelings for me?!" He smirked.
My eyes widened at the question, "No!"
"I saw you clenching fist earlier though!" He said while picking up a book on medicines from the shelf.
"DON'T TOUCH MY THINGS!"
He chuckled a bit but kept the book in its place and settled down on a chair.
"So umm....I already told you that she is pregnant so why do you want to double check?" I asked
"I thought someone said that she doesn't care?!"
I looked at him, "Its just that I got really curious because the other day I saw you with her and you were giving her a flower bouquet."
His playful expressions vanished and he stood up to come near me, "That was for you, not for her!"
My eyes widened, "Huh?!"
"I prepared that to apologize to you but she came out of nowhere and thought that the bouquet was for her just like how she thinks that I am the father of her baby! And don't get me wrong, I know you confirmed that she is pregnant and I totally trust you but something in me is saying that she is faking it?! I want to uncover the truth!"
I looked into his eyes. He does seem to be telling the truth and if he is repeatedly insisting on that the baby is not his, then probably he is right and there's no harm in double checking whether she is really pregnant or not. But if she is really pregnant and if the baby is not his, then then is it......
Lord Cha's?!
My eyes widened and I recalled how I saw Lord Cha with that courtesan in the kisaeng house that night.
Yunki snapped his fingers in front of my eyes, "Are you listening to me?"
"I trust you!"
"Wait really?"
I nodded with a smile and gave him the medicine, "If she is not pregnant, she'll feel nauseous just by the smell of it and after drinking it, she'll immediately throw up!"
"Ok!" He took the medicine with a pleased smile.
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At the palace,
All the ladies were standing in the royal arena. They looked confused because they all were the ones who failed the test. The few ladies who passed the test, were sitting at the audience along with His Majesty and sir Eunsang.
"Let the game begin!" Sian ordered with a smirk and the arena gate was lifted up.
Yeji looked at Sian with an anxious and confused look while on the other hand, Eunsang smirked looking at him.
The whole arena became dead silent as a roar was heard.
"Get them kitty!" As soon as Sian said that, a tiger jumped into the arena and grabbed one of the ladies. Everyone started screaming.
"YOUR MAJESTY!!! HAVE MERCY!!!!" They begged as the tiger started to tear them apart one by one.
"You thought it's that easy huh? NONE OF YOU STANDING THERE PUT AN EFFORT...DO YOU THINK ITS A JOKE?!" Sian yelled.
"YOUR MAJESTY PLEASE FORGIVE US-AHHHHHHHH." The tiger dragged the woman away by her leg.
The women who were sitting at the audience were terrified and closed their eyes shut while shaking with fear.
Sian looked at them and smirked, "Everything has a price here! AND DON'T YOU ALL DARE TURN AWAY YOUR EYES FROM THE ARENA! LOOK CAREFULLY AND REMEMBER THIS SCENE WHEN YOU SIT FOR THE NEXT TEST!"
They all gulped and slowly opened their eyes only to see the arena filled with blood and bodies. Their shrill and desperate voice begging for mercy was terrifying. The ladies who at the audience held the edges of their seats tightly forcing themselves to watch the scene while tears rolled down from their eyes.
Yeji, on the other hand, had a similar smirk on her face as Sian as she watched the entire thing. Sian noticed that too and his lips curled up in a playful smirk. As soon as Sian turned back his gaze to the arena, Yeji's breath became uneven, her legs and hands started to tremble. This time, Eunsang noticed her and all he did was rolled his eyes.
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At Cha mansion,
"Here it is!" Yunki smiled as sweetly as he could and gave lady Park the medicine while Soyoung was standing outside the room on Yunki's request. He just didn't want to be alone with that woman in a room.
Lady Park smiled at him and took the medicine while brushing her fingers on his hand. Yunki fought the urge of immediately retreating his hands.
She lifted up the bowl in front of her mouth to sip from it. Yunki was staring at her closely and he thought her face turned pale but within a fraction of second she put the bowl on her table and grabbed his arm.
"What are you staring at?" She came close to him and he took few steps back.
She put her hand on his chest and asked, "Did you think of any name for this child?!" She asked putting her other hand on her belly.
"Yunki, can you come here and help me?!" Soyoung came inside
"How dare you come in without my permission?! And go and ask one of the maids to help you with whatever you need!" Lady Park frowned. Yunki took this moment to release himself from her grasp.
"He is my husband and I need him! Sir, you don't have any problem, right?!" Soyoung looked at Yunki.
"Of course not, my lady! Please excuse us, lady Park!" Yunki said, grabbed Soyoung's hand and went out of the room.
On the other hand,
"So you all are telling me that lady Soyoung is actually a supernatural creature?!" Hosung raised a brow.
"That's right and we must uncover the truth!" Jimin nodded.
"What are you all doing in this dark room?!"
They all flinched and turned around only to see that it was Jin. They sighed with relief and explained Jin everything.
"You all are overthinking!" Jin laughed.
"There's no harm in checking, right?!" Taehyung said.
"She is heading towards this direction with Yunki!" Namjun declared as Jimin lighted up the fish oil lamp.
They all saw two shadows casted on the translucent door as they both passed by the room but since Yunki was taller and muscular that Soyoung, his shadow practically covered up her shadow and nothing could be understood. They all sighed but then Jimin pointed at the door with wide eyes.
Two shadowy tails were clearly visible on the door.
Meanwhile, Soyoung and Yunki were walking down the corridor together....
"She is not as stupid as I thought she would be!" Soyoung said.
"I need to find some other way to feed her that medicine!" Yunki said.
"I think she knows what that medicine does....now I am more suspicious of her!"
"She doesn't look so smart!" Yunki said still thinking about whether her face really turned pale upon smelling the medicine or not.
"I don't think that she'll take the medicine. I'll find another way!" Soyoung said looking into his eyes.
He nodded.
"Now I will take my leave!" She bowed an left. Yunki stood there putting a hand on his heart till she was out of his sight.
Soyoung went to take a bath.
"Ugh what a long day it was and I didn't even get to sleep last night!" She said while opening her long hair.
"And its literally evening now! Sigh!" She removed the overcoat of her dress and checked the water in the tub.
She recalled how she would have to spend the night with Jin tonight, "Sigh! I know I can trust him but it is still awkward!" She was about to remove her dress when the chamber got filled with with smoke.
"Huh?!"
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At Jeolla province,
"I knew this was not going to work!" Jeongguk laughed and took out his ring from the ashes. He was about to leave the room but suddenly it filled up with smoke. He sensed someone else's presence. He grasped his sword and turned around to put the sword on the trespasser's neck
"Jeongguk?!" Soyoung gasped looking into his eyes with confusion. Jeongguk dropped the sword and looked into her eyes taking a few steps closer to her....their faces were inches apart and they both were surprised.
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I THINK I'll update every weekend from now onwards.