The Love They Never Had

"Your Highness, your mother-in-law is here to see you." "For the love of god, does this woman possess no sense at all?" "Maybe you should see her my love, so that you can depose of your wife in a more formal manner for everyone to see." "And here I was, just about to take you out of the palace for a few days with our child. Forgive me, Hui-Jae." "Just make it quick my love, baby and me are hungry." "By the way, shouldn't you be shown more now? Why does it look like your belly is shrinking rather than growing?" "I have meant to see a nurse about it, but your wife has been keeping me rather busy. I only had a little free time now since she is rather busy with her family visits." "Very well, let me handle this and…" "Do you promise to dispose her? By the end of this week?" "I could have done it already if Yeon wasn't still missing, but I cannot wait for her and her lover to magically reappear either. I can only temporarily depose her for now, but if Yeon is still missing by the end of the year, then she will find a reason to reappear in my life sooner or later." This was it now, my hard worker years was finally going to pay off with my child, our child who was going to half imperial blood running through his veins. This palace was going to be my new home after being raised in a brothel and having my heart broken by a pair of best friends that chose each other over myself. And now i was going to make them regret their choice in choosing those younger girls who were nothing compared to the new concubine of the most feared Third Prince. But nothing was set in stone until the Princess Consort was deposed and I gave brith to my son in less than a month. And now all I had to do was to bring Yeon back to the palace so my plans would flourish and i would never have to worry about living in poverty ever again.

"…my brother is still living a rather hard life outside of the capital and changing the coinage rights in his territory cannot be that big of a deal anymore, not after our family members fought and died on the battlefield to secure your father's throne and crown. So i am sure that you will not refuse me for this little request, right?" "Little request? You take a crime against my father's throne as merely a little request? And in case you haven't noticed, your daughters actins have prevented me from meddling in political affairs for almost 3/4 of an entire year." "You ingrate! Do you still remember the kindness of my family! You wouldn't have even survived your childhood if it wasn't for us!" "And i remember quite clearly that in return for your kindness, i married your incompetent, delusional and barren daughter! I am still yet to have a legitimate child, don't you agree?" "You…!" "Now if you do not mind, i have a woman who is currently pregnant with my child whoo is waiting to dine with me. And by the way, for your eternal disrespect and unreasonable demands, i am sending a request to my father to suspend your husband from his duties and to ban my wife's family from the palace until the time that I formally depose of her. And divorce her. Now begone woman and never darken my residence again!"

"No! You cannot do this to us! I shall not let you! My clan members were scattered around on the battlefield around your family who thrived on the throne and our family's glory has deteriorated since then! I only have my brother apart from my immediate family and even now he is being made as a showpiece for criminals, no less! Even if he is alive, his life is no different than the walking dead that comes back from wars! how ungrateful can one person become!" "Honey, your dinner is getting cold! Come on, the baby is craving beef!"

"Who is that! Who dares to disrespect the Princess Consort and her mother! Tell me! Who dares to do this! Come out, you slut! Open your doors so I can show everyone in this palace your shame and dirty secrets!" "My Lady, are you really that clueless as to why your son-in-law has closed his doors?" "Jae! Stay out of this!" "He is only trying to protect you even now, so who are you to call anyone ungrateful, despite how your daughters bought about their own downfalls! Do you really think your clan will be safe if anyone repeats what you have just said to The Emperor himself?" "The death penalty? Why should i fear that after everything my family has been through? Now come out and show me your face!" "If you do not fear the death penalty, then why show up here at all? Your husband could have simply sent in a memorandum to The Emperor as is his duty instead of trying to pressure your son-in-law with your endless demands. And since you value your family so much, then how comes your family has never held a memorial service for your dead ancestors at all? And in front of The Emperor, the man who is indebted to them? Well?" "Like I said girl, i do not fear death and The Emperor will never let my family die, not after everything that we have done for him." "And showing kindness without a reward wouldn't hurt to show your sincerity either. Or do you plan for me to repay your family forever?"

"My love, can't you see what is going on here? This family helped your mother only because they were unsure who would succeed the throne in the past, and this is why My Lady helped your mother marry your father instead." "No! That isn't true! It is because my maternal grandfather and The Emperor share the same paternal lineage…" "Oh, is that so, My Lady? that is why you insist on leeching off of this family for yet more generations to come?"

"You bitch! You vulgar little slut!" "And since I am all of those things, then I hope that My Lady can exercise some mercy and forgive me if i have offended you thus far." "Who do you think you are! You are just one of his many whores that he will never marry officially! You are just an unpaid sex slave at most, you slut! And your child will be a mixed half-breed bastard just like that Nam Seon-Ho!" "He has his own merits and achievements! And if you really feel this way towards him, i suggest that you say this to The Emperor himself! At least he doesn't cling shamelessly onto his family's merits and behaves wantonly like this!" "Hw dare a slut like you try to teach me like this! I shall teach you today the difference between nobility and a lowlife like you!" "Don't even think about it, unless you want me to wipe out your entire clan for harming an imperial child?" "You ungrateful scum! You refuse to give my family coinage territory and now you stick up for an old slut like that!" I was happy only a few moments ago until i was berated all over again just like my days in the brothel that i was raised in and treated just like every other slut that was forced to sell herself to survive.

"Enough of this! Kindness between families can never be settled, since my earlier family members also helped your family even before my mother was born. All of these come and go in time, so do we really need to bring up every single act that our families have committed for and against each other?" "So I am not allowed to ask for favours anymore, is that so?" "You chose to come here and cause your son-in-law trouble, what did you expect was going to happen? That he would forgive you and tolerate you forever? Your disrespect and ill-manners have just caused your family even more disaster than your uncouth daughters her could have in the span of minutes. So what kind of punishment do you think that you deserve?" "I have already made up my mind and now..Jae? Jae! What is wrong with you! Why are you bleeding? Where are you bleeding from! Men! Servants! Drag this old lady away and put her entire family on house arrest! And quickly call for a physician! Now!" "No! Wait1 i didn't do anything! So why are you punishing me! And what for? Your Highness! Your Highness! i entreat you! Please, spare my family and my daughter and…" "Is she having a miscarriage! What on earth is wrong with her! Why won't she wake up! what is happening to my child! My son? Quickly, someone must save him! Now!"

The very last thing that I remembered was cold and dark blood trickling down my legs before they gave way and collapsed under me. I had unfortunately landed right on my belly before i could stop myself and I shattered the coral necklace that The Princess Consort had gifted me. The pain i felt in that moment was completely unbearable and i couldn't help but to scream so loudly to the point where i must have disturbed the entire palace since i could hear many people running up to me and asking questions in confusion. But i was still in far too much pain to open my mouth and form even a simple sentence. My fears were going into overdrive and I was suffering from a panic attack on top of everything that I was already going through. Please, after everything that I had been through, please do not let me loose this baby, otherwise i would have no shame to face Seon-Ho and the Seo's, and all of my suffering and betrayal would have been for naught. i had also been living in the palace since Yeon's 'departure' and i had nowhere else to go, especially if The Third Prince abandoned me after this. And as for the Princess Consort, she would torture me every single day of my life in ways that would only make me beg for death rather than hang onto survival. Please, please let my baby live and my dreams come true, otherwise i was as good as dead and everything I had been through would have been for naught.