writer. Jin Seok-jin
{The Tyrant's Woman}
The chill of dawn had made life in the palace even more lonely and desolate. Listening to the chatter of the court ladies passing by was a source of pleasure, but there was no soothing the emptiness in my heart. Naturally, I was eager to join her and chat about the world, but then a beautiful woman I'd never seen before followed behind me.
"Your Majesty, may I come in for a moment?"
"Oh, okay. Lady Kim, please come in."
The only person who could soothe my heart was Court Lady Kim, who offered me some company. So, naturally, I was delighted to see her, eager to join in and chat about the world's delights. But then, behind her, a beautiful woman I'd never seen before followed in.
"Who is that woman?"
"Ah, greetings, Your Majesty the Empress. The girl, my name is Im Su-ah, from the village of Gangnyeongchon down there."
"Okay, we've been introduced, but what brings you here?"
"Uh... Your Majesty..."
Ah, that expression again. That expression Kim Sang-gung only appears when something embarrassing has happened or when she has to deliver embarrassing news. Then I could guess.
"His Majesty has ordered that this child be given the title of concubine."
It was exactly as I'd expected, but I felt a pang of loneliness. It wasn't just jealousy; it was the feeling that all the power of the empress had been taken away by the emperor. Clearly, the authority to control the concubines belonged to me, as the head of the Ministry of the Interior. But now, I was being arbitrarily manipulated.
"I'm sorry, mama..."
And you just happened to find a girl from a family you liked while out hunting and brought her back to me and asked me to give her up as your concubine?
"What do you have to be sorry about? It's just that this happened because I failed to fulfill my duty as a wife."
"Mama...! How can you say such outrageous things?"
"Kim Sang-gung."
"Yes, Mama."
"Take me quickly to where His Majesty is."
-------------------------
"Your Majesty, the Empress has arrived."
"..Tell them to come in."
For some reason, there were no sounds from his concubines or courtesans in his room. Or was he expecting me to come?
"empress."
The room he entered was surprisingly quiet. Normally, the concubine's vest would be tossed to the floor and groans would erupt.
"Yes, Your Majesty. I have come here suddenly to speak to you."
"Oh, yeah. That's what it is."
What should I say? His words were more hopeful than brazen. His eyes were also fixed on me, expectant, as if I were going to do something for him.
"You sent me a cute girl today."
"Yes, that's right."
When I mentioned her, his gaze grew more expectant. Was he really hoping I'd give her a concubine's hand?
"I came to protest about that."
"Aha, I see."
There was definitely excitement in his voice.
"The affairs of the internal affairs department are strictly my authority. Even if Your Majesty is a high-ranking official, don't you know that it would be wrong to take away my authority?"
Why, his eyes shone even brighter after hearing my words.
"Yes, that's right. So?"
"I hope you will refrain from such behavior in the future."
"Yes, I was so foolish this time. It will never happen again."
What? His overly animated response caught my eye, and I couldn't help but feel a bewildered expression on my face. Perhaps it was because this was the first time I'd ever spoken to him about the concubine's secrets, but I expected him to quibble and quibble over my words. This was completely unexpected.
"And next time, if you want to give me a concubine's letter, please tell me when you are with me. If you send someone to do it, it will obviously make people's views of Your Majesty and me worse."
Ah, at that moment. His expression began to harden, one by one. Wasn't this supposed to be a better way to say it to him? Or was there something wrong with what I said? Seeing his hardened expression, I froze along with him, searching for the problem with my words.
"Empress... Empress, don't you ever feel jealous?"
"yes?"
"The child I showed you today alone would be my 34th concubine."
"Oh... is that so?"
"Isn't now not the time to talk about someone else's business?!"
Naturally, I couldn't help but flinch at his raised voice. Then, perhaps noticing my reaction, he sighed and continued.
"Three years, Your Majesty. That's three years I've been waiting for you."
"..Your Majesty."
"Since you wouldn't look at me, I tried to turn you back to me by doing this. But since you're still my wife, I thought you'd get jealous, or at least angry, and tell me to stop."
It's been a little over three years since he and I got married. I've always thought of him as the king of this country, and rarely as my husband. I assumed the imperial couple were like that.
"I'm so annoyed I could go crazy."
"Why, why are you so indifferent to me? I've been struggling for three years. And yet, I still haven't found the answer."
His anger exploded. This was the first time I'd seen him like this, and I didn't know what to do. I never dreamed he could truly feel this way.
"If I can't win your love, I'll have to fight for it."
"..your majesty."
"Lee Naegwan!"
He, who had been speaking to me in rapid succession, stopped crying at some point and called out to the official. The official, flustered, quickly opened the door and came in.
"From today onwards, the Empress will live in my bedroom."
"your majesty..!!"
"All of the Empress's necessities are to be moved to my room. Also, the Empress must not be allowed to leave here even for a single step."
"your majesty!"
"Anyone who disobeys my words will be beheaded without mercy."
When I saw him again after three years, he looked surprisingly cold and harsh, like someone consumed by loneliness and obsession.