🚨 Warning: This chapter includes depictions of (violent) nonconsensual sex with coercion, threats, and emotional/psychological distress. Please remain mindful of this as you read. If you feel uncomfortable, do not hesitate to stop reading. 🚨
“Hahaha. That shaman really is effective, isn’t she?”
“Indeed, my lady. Because of this incident, that sly little vixen will soon be cast out.”
“With this opportunity, even that detestable General Hunmu will no longer be allowed into the palace. It seems heaven is watching over me once again.”
“That is correct, my lady!”
A delicate, lilting laugh flowed from Buyeon Yuhwa’s chambers for the first time in a long while. Ever since the lessons she was meant to take to become queen had turned into endless waiting, hearing her laugh had become rare. Following the shaman’s instructions from the previous visit, grotesque and dreadful things that should never have been brought into the palace were buried near Buyeon Yewon’s quarters, and the result was far beyond anyone’s expectations.
It was said that she followed General Hunmu and left the palace of her own accord. Unless one were insane, there was no way to understand the reason.
However, Yuhwa made no effort to find out. Instead, like someone who wished to tear another out by the roots, she drew out the straw figure the shaman had left by her pillow and lifted a sharp needle with her slender fingers.
“But it’s not over yet. Nothing can be certain until that wench leaves the palace.”
Thunk!
Yuhwa’s slender fingers drove the long needle into the straw figure. As if that weren’t enough, she instructed her maid to bring more needles and stuck them into the figure’s head and chest.
“As for General Hunmu, since he has already been subjected to Gakseok, it will be difficult for him to rise again, and that wench must die for things to be truly settled.”
“My lady, it is said that this shaman was renowned in her youth. Seeing how things have already unfolded like this, everything will soon be resolved just as my lady wishes."
“Haha. Will it really?”
“Yes, my lady!”
Yuhwa placed the straw figure, bristling with countless needles, somewhere in plain sight. Her eyes flickered like a serpent’s as she recalled Yewon’s face from their previous encounter.
While the king was disappointed in that wench, she wondered if she should at least dress herself beautifully and pay him a visit. Countless strategies for survival had already formed in her mind.
“So General Hunmu was quite a man, after all.”
“Pardon?”
“Since he tended to me so carefully, I thought he might be a eunuch. But, as they say, it's the quiet cat that jumps up onto the kitchen hearth first. [1] He treated me with such caution, yet now seems bewitched by that strange woman, hmm?”
“My lady… I am afraid someone might hear…”
“What of it? Even His Majesty subjected him to Gakseok, didn’t he? You expect me to believe a man and woman spent all that time together on a rainy day and nothing happened? Nonsense. They must have long since lain together.”
“My lady…”
“In any case, it doesn’t concern me. Whether they shared hearts or bodies, all I need is to reclaim my rightful place as queen.”
“It shall certainly be as you wish.”
“Now that the weight on me has finally lifted, I feel hungry. Bring me the red sujeonggwa. [2] I shall drink it, thinking of it as the blood of that woman who will soon fall.”
・・・・・
Thwack!
Thwack!
The relentless, thrusting penis slammed violently against my womb. My body could no longer endure it, and only helpless moans of “ugh, ugh” escaped. Without any caressing, the king pushed me down, forced his penis upright with his hand, and spread my legs as wide as possible.
As dawn broke and the room filled with light, he stared at my most intimate parts and thrust himself inside me without mercy.
No matter how much experience I had, every time the penis that entered without any caress moved, my body could not avoid pain. But the suffering I felt was nothing compared to what General Hunmu endured, so even letting out a pained moan felt like a sin.
Had I been my usual self, I would have wanted to ask, ‘What did I do so wrong?’
I had been holding on for days, thinking I was the only one who knew how to return from this strange world, so suddenly seeing that elderly woman was enough to make me lose my composure.
But this was the palace. In a place like this, my personal feelings could never serve as an excuse. Everything here flowed according to the king’s will.
Thwack.
“Heub!”
I could taste the metallic tang of blood on my bitten lips. My mind was in such chaos that I hadn’t even noticed I was bleeding, but the king, who had been watching my lips as he moved roughly against me, immediately pressed his mouth to mine and licked away every trace of blood.
Thwack.
Squelch!
“Heug!”
Even as our lips met, the thrusting never ceased. The king’s hands gripped my breasts so hard they ached, twisting my nipples forcefully between his index and middle fingers. It felt as if he wanted to shatter my body completely and consume every last part of me.
Why did I have to run into that elderly woman in the palace? If it hadn’t happened, even if I wanted to see her, I wouldn’t have recklessly gone out on such a rainy day.
Thwack!
Thwack!
The king’s thrusts grew even more intense than before, and soon, he climaxed inside me without pulling out.
He came while inserted so deeply that the tip of his penis reached the end of my womb, and he remained still in that position for a while, as if to keep his semen from flowing out. I hadn’t had a single period since coming here, and if we continued like this just a few more times, it could truly become risky enough to cause a pregnancy.
“Haa.”
As the king withdrew, the muscles of my spread thighs ached from the strain. His release remained trapped inside me, and only then did the soreness register — my breasts and nipples, flushed like autumn leaves, throbbed with a sharp, lingering sting.
But even so, it was bearable. Because, at my desperate plea while clinging to him naked, the king had finally ordered the Gakseok to stop.
It didn’t matter even if the king’s lips tore into my flesh.
Having been out in the rain all night and hardly slept, my body and muscles throbbed from enduring the king’s violent movements.
Yet, uncertain when his mood might shift, I forced my weary body upright and pressed my legs tightly together whenever he reached for me.
The harder I tried, the colder the king’s expression seemed to become. I thought I was doing my best not to offend him, but with no way to read his thoughts, I could do nothing but watch him carefully, paralysed by uncertainty.
When I lifted my body, the king’s hand naturally cupped my head and brought it in front of his softened penis.
Until now, he had never asked for oral during our nights together, but I couldn’t push his hand away. Without needing anyone to teach me, I parted my lips to take him into my mouth.
“Gasp!”
But just as I was about to take his penis into my mouth, the king grabbed my hair and forced me to lift my head.
"With these eyes watching me, you were always so busy pushing me away with your body, yet it turns out it was this easy to make you accept me."
“...”
“It was wise to spare Hunmu rather than kill him. Even after you bear my child, if your heart remains unsettled, I will punish him in your place.”
“…Your Majesty… I am doing this only because that innocent person might be harmed because of me. If by any chance you are misinterpreting any feelings I have toward him, General Hunmu is simply—”
Swish.
The king’s hand covered my lips. For a moment, I blinked anxiously, wondering if I had misspoken, when he suddenly thrust his hand into my mouth, brushing my tongue as a warning.
“Never let the name of General Hunmu pass these lips again.”
“...”
“Your eyes should always be turned toward me, and your lips should always call out to me. Is that difficult?”
The king withdrew his fingers, giving me the chance to answer.
He said my eyes must always be on him, and my lips need only call for him. Could I possibly claim that anything more difficult than this would be beyond me?
“...It is not… difficult.”
“...”
“I will do as you—mmph!”
The tongue that had been stroked by his hand was suddenly entwined and teased by his own. Meanwhile, the king’s hand forced apart the legs I had been pressing together and slipped inside, caressing the sensitive place as if it were another tongue.
Nevertheless, because I did not resist, he thrust a finger into my vagina and moved it to keep the semen from leaking out.
From his gestures and the atmosphere he radiated, I felt it with certainty: the rejection my body and face had revealed, even while I claimed not to accept him, would no longer be tolerated.
That was also conveyed through the fingers burrowing ever deeper as I stayed still. By enduring it now, out of fear that he might once again decree punishment upon General Hunmu, I had shown that I could bear it, and that this would continue in the future.
It was a warning against every gesture and movement of resistance.
・・・・・
Thwack.
“Haa! …haa.”
Ever since the day I went out with General Hunmu without permission, the king came to my chambers almost every day.
As the sun sank and darkness spread, I would tense at first — but lately, that made no difference. He had already started appearing early in the morning, barging in and pushing me down.
The king never ejaculated outside; he only withdrew after finishing deep inside me. Even after holding me countless times, there was never a single warm word or gentle glance. Though I worried about General Hunmu, I never spoke it aloud, yet his face still carried the same expression and gaze he had that dawn as he sat outside my quarters.
Thwack.
“Ha-ngh!”
Even as our bodies were entwined, the coldness in his eyes stirred a fear that could make my soaked body feel completely dry, and I often found myself turning my head or squeezing my eyes shut.
But each time that happened, the king’s thrusts grew even more forceful, leaving me unable to do anything, trapped in this encounter where I could feel no pleasure, yet it continued.
Even if I were to become pregnant in this state, I wondered if I, someone who couldn’t even properly read a single Chinese character, could raise the child well, or if the child could ever receive the king’s love.
Thwack.
“Ahng… nnnh…”
Was this man, who now held me so relentlessly, truly the same one who had once playfully joked with me while teaching me Chinese characters?
Thwack!
Squelch!
“Hng!”
His thrusts grew even faster. I knew he would climax inside me again, yet in that moment, I couldn’t help but hold a faint, absurd hope: that he might release his anger and ejaculate outside me. But, perhaps, I was already pregnant.
Splurt!
“Haa…”
Once again, the king’s body pressed deep inside me. But it was only for a moment. Once he finished, he pulled away from me without any lingering hesitation. Still, it wasn’t certain that it was truly over, for depending on his condition that day, this struggle could begin all over again.
Bin, who knew all too well that some nights I was tormented until morning, handed me some sweet yakgwa earlier today and said just that.
She said that last night, as the king was leaving, Narae wagged her tail happily, and he just stood there silently watching her for a moment before going.
At some point, she must have said it to comfort me, who grew tense whenever the king appeared, but even so, I wanted to see that moment with my own eyes again.
Gathering my exhausted body, I rose up, thinking he would no longer touch me. As I pulled the blanket to cover my completely naked body, the king suddenly grabbed the edge with a sharp tug.
“...”
I was startled, but if he tried to hold me again, I had no intention whatsoever of resisting.
“Aren’t you curious about General Hunmu’s condition?”
Flinch.
My body trembled involuntarily at the king’s voice, which embraced me almost without a word. Pretending otherwise, I quickly stiffened my shaking body and shook my head in denial.
Even if I were curious, I wouldn’t dare show it, and even if someone tried to tell me, I wouldn’t want to know.
“If you wish, I can tell you about General Hunmu’s condition that I heard today.”
“I am not… curious.”
“I heard he is suffering from an illness. They said it was discovered after he received the Gakseok, and a physician was summoned.”
“!”
“Do you feel like hearing more now?”
“...I… am not curious.”
The moment I heard the king’s words, the elderly shaman's warning to take care of his health came to mind. Could it be that she had foreseen all of this and spoken to us about it in advance?
I was honestly curious about what illness had been discovered while he was receiving treatment because of Gakseok. To be precise, I was afraid to find out just how badly his body had deteriorated after it — but I still wanted to know.
However, since the king had ordered me not to mention General Hunmu anymore, I shook my head, signalling that I did not want to hear about him.
I only hoped that General Hunmu was not suffering too much, and that whatever illness he had, he would recover quickly.
Swish.
“Ah!”
“Your lips say you are not curious, but your eyes look deeply sorrowful.”
"...No... I’m just a little tired, that’s all."
“You say that after doing it just once?”
Now, every time the king asked a question, a sharp anxiety rose within me because I felt I had to answer perfectly. So, instead of the evasive replies I normally gave, I spoke quite plainly.
“…These past few nights… I’ve been spending them like this… and I’m a little tired.”
“...”
“The weather is getting cooler, so that seems to be having some effect. I’ll make sure to rest well.”
The king’s hand, which had been holding my chin, fell away. In that moment, I drew the blanket a little higher to cover myself, and he soon rose from his seat.
“Perhaps I might soon cast aside Buyeon Yuhwa.”
“!”
What did he just say? That he might cast aside the woman who was to become queen?
Even while listening to the story of General Hunmu, I had kept my expression composed, but in that moment, I stared at him with eyes wide as he suddenly rose to his feet.
“What do you think?”
“...Buyeon Yuhwa… I heard that she is studying diligently to become queen… Why would Your Majesty suddenly…”
“I’m thinking of putting you in that position.”
“Your Majesty! I am far too lacking to become queen. I do not even know Hanja characters, nor am I well-versed in the laws and customs of the palace…”
“Why? If you learn the way to leave, will you wish to return?”
“No, that’s not it! I truly lack the qualities to be a queen. I don’t know much, but I’ve heard that a queen must consider many things, even her family. I have no ties here, so I could never… be worthy of it.”
“I am your tie.”
“…Your Majesty… I…”
“And one more thing. You will never be able to find a way to return.”
"What… do you mean by that?… I no longer have any thought of returning."
“I’m talking about the shaman you said you saw again in this palace. I heard directly from General Hunmu yesterday where they live.”
No.
No way.
“By now, she is no longer of this world, so if you harbour any hope, set it aside.”
My heart felt as if it were being torn to shreds, piece by piece, sinking to the floor. The fact that she was no longer of this world meant that he had ordered her death.
As I sat there, lips parted in shock, the king cast me a brief glance before opening the door himself and walking out.
Translator's Corner:
[1] The Korean idiom: "the quiet cat jumps up onto the kitchen hearth/stove first" (조용한 고양이가 부뚜막에 먼저 올라간다) is similar to “a fair face may hide a foul heart.” It means someone who seems gentle or harmless may actually act sneaky or greedy. In traditional Korean homes, the 부뚜막 (kitchen hearth) was where food was kept warm, so a cat jumping up there implied secretly stealing food.
[2] Sujeonggwa (Korean cinnamon punch) is a traditional dessert drink made with cinnamon, ginger and sugar, often served with gotgam (dried persimmons) and garnished with pine nuts.
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