News of King Gyeonghye’s assassination attempt reached the Emperor first. The Emperor was casually conversing with Lady Yeo when he learned that King Gyeonghye had barely survived an attack by numerous assassins. Lady Yeo, always anxious about the Emperor's unpredictable moods, attended to him nervously, while the Emperor sipped his tea with a bored expression, fully aware of her fear-stricken face.
The Emperor gently placed his teacup down without making a sound and reached out to take Lady Yeo’s slightly trembling hand. Despite the firm yet soft warmth of the Emperor's touch, Lady Yeo couldn’t stop shaking. The Emperor was markedly different when Kang was present versus when he wasn’t. In Kang’s presence, he was the most compassionate and kind father in the kingdom, but in Kang's absence, he became irritable and prone to verbally and physically tormenting others.
Please, just let me go now. As she lowered her gaze with this thought, the Emperor lifted her chin, smiling with his eyes, and kissed the back of her hand. His lips were moist, and his breath carried a faint scent of tea. The skin where his lips brushed felt as though it was burning. Lady Yeo recoiled in embarrassment, and the Emperor laughed softly while still kissing her hand. His laughter caressed her skin like a gentle stroke.
Her head spun from his unexpected tenderness. When had he ever been this gentle? It was so different from the frosty gaze he usually directed at her that she blushed.
“Hmmm... Your child will be even more precious than this, won't it?”
The Emperor murmured while Lady Yeo was half-dazed. His voice was so low and gentle that only someone close enough in bed could hear it. He held her cheek and made her look at him, her eyes unfocused. The Emperor waited for her to regain her senses, smiling as she whimpered and squirmed.
“Your Majesty...”
“I’m truly grateful to you.”
“Pardon...?”
When she looked at him with a confused expression, the Emperor kissed her cheek, smiling.
“Thank you for giving the Emperor such a precious son. It's a shame I realized too late why Heaven destined you to be the Emperor’s concubine. Had I known earlier, I would have treated you with even more care.”
Lady Yeo watched the Emperor mutter incomprehensible words with a cold gaze. The Emperor was not one to speak idly. He was a cruel man who tasted everything using his position as Emperor and discarded it afterward. His ability to rule was exceptional, and he cherished his subjects, but he was excessively cruel to his close associates and family. He was a wonderful father to Kang, but to his other sons, it was questionable if he was truly their father.
As she assessed the Emperor with a body flushed from his touch but a mind and heart that had grown cold, she flinched at his fingers caressing her lips. Her red lips were moist as if kissed by dew. The Emperor lowered his head to press his lips against hers, whispering softly.
“I wish Kang would grow up quickly...”
“Your Majesty, King Yeonghyeon is already quite grown.”
“You still don’t understand the heart of the Emperor.”
The Emperor’s lips brushed hers with a soft kiss, and he smiled. Despite his age, his smile was still charming, causing her heart to waver.
“If he has your looks and the Emperor’s physique, he will be healthy, won’t he? Do you think he could father three or four children?”
He asked with genuine curiosity in his eyes, and Lady Yeo involuntarily muttered, not fully comprehending what he was saying.
“Pardon?”
“It’s a jest.”
The Emperor chuckled softly and patted her head. Just as he was about to take another sip of tea, urgent voices could be heard outside. The Emperor blinked, showing no sign of displeasure.
“Your Majesty... King Gyeonghye has been attacked! He is currently receiving treatment at King Yeonghyeon's residence, but his condition is critical!”
“Is that so?”
The father, hearing news of his son’s dire situation, remained calm and smiled. He casually soothed the shocked Lady Yeo and spoke.
“When he goes to Heaven, then inform the emperor. I have no interest in it now.”
The guards standing by the Emperor’s chamber stared at him in disbelief. Even the eunuch beyond the door shared their astonishment. The Emperor looked past the door and spoke gently. His voice was so soft and tender that the chilling content of his words wasn’t immediately apparent.
“Since he hasn’t actually gone to Heaven, I don’t see why the Emperor should be concerned.”
Lady Yeo trembled at his indifference toward his son. She couldn’t stop trembling, no matter how much she wished to. The cold seeped into her chest, emanating from the Emperor, who was touching her.
Ever since she became the Emperor’s concubine, she no longer considered herself a person. She was merely a plaything, there to bear the Emperor’s children and cater to his whims. It was a sad reality, but had Kang not received the Emperor’s love, she would have lived a lonely life, growing old without his affection. She clung to the Emperor, responding to his desires, ensuring she remained in his favor. The Emperor wrapped his arms around her slight frame, lifting her onto his thigh, and looked down at her. His golden eyes met hers, and her heart quivered.
Despite their advancing age, he still possessed a body more beautiful and robust than any young man. He was truly a son created by the heavens, without a single flaw.
“Are you afraid?” the Emperor asked Lady Yeo. His eyes weren’t on her, even though he sought an answer. She wanted to ask whom he was looking at, but she dared not speak.
“Are you afraid of the Emperor?” he asked again, his hand exploring her waist. She knew she had to respond this time, or she might face his wrath. Lady Yeo forced a smile on her pale face.
“No, Your Majesty. I am not afraid…”
“Don’t worry,” the Emperor said, caressing her cheek. His dazzling smile was blinding. No matter how many times she saw his handsome face, she never got used to it. She swallowed hard.
“Your child will never die. That child…”
Lady Yeo strained to hear the rest, but the Emperor intentionally muted his words, laughing softly.
‘That child will surpass you and become my Empress,’ the Emperor whispered in his mind, looking down at Lady Yeo with a cold gaze. Though she bore Kang, she meant little to him. He held her out of gratitude, but she had no value beyond that.
In the Emperor’s mind and heart, nothing could be valued except Kang. Nothing else mattered. As he embraced her, he thought of Kang—his disheveled hair, his sweat-dampened, fresh cheeks, his well-formed lips, the masculine Adam’s apple that moved with every swallow and moan, and the belly that carried his child.
As the Emperor embraced his wife, he thought of his son. Perhaps it was for this reason that the heavens, decrying the Emperor’s immorality, poured down rain. Tragically, the cries of pain from King Gyeonghye were drowned out by the sound of the storm.