CH 2.2

Everyone knew about that, so no one had considered Jin Ye’s feelings important. After all, it wouldn’t give any impact on the conclusion she drew.

Therefore, Jin Ye was quite entertained by what Mugeon had said. He had a thinking method that people in the palace didn’t have.

However,

“If you’re worth staying alive, then I will keep you alive.”

That was merely as far as putting candy in her mouth to kill time. It was unacceptable for her to ruin her great work just for him.

Yeon Mugeon had no clue about the extreme hardships she had gone through for her to rise to the throne.

She shed a lot of blood. She had made numerous sacrifices. Amidst the numerous curses poured onto her, she endured those and protected her position. It was still not the time for her to collapse, but rather, she had to be more vicious than anybody else.

In fact, there were also times she thought she had become an evil spirit.

However, she didn’t feel the necessity to return to being a virtuous person just because she had come closer to being an evil person. Because such a thing meant weakness.

Nothing changed just because a name seal was engraved on her body, and nothing should change. She wasn’t only a woman with the name Jin Ye, but also the emperor of the Hwan Empire.

Therefore, she only had one choice.

“Yeon Mugeon, you have no value.”

The man who held her precious name with his lowly body. That fact alone was enough to be a reason for the man in front of her eyes to die.

However, Yeon Mugeon objected to her.

“Your Majesty’s name is engraved on this body. Jin Ye.”

“How dare you…!”

As he said the emperor’s name which shouldn’t be said at will, Seoyeob flew into a rage. Jin Ye was on guard against his rage. Calming Seoyeob down by lightly lifting her hand, she continued to talk nonchalantly.

“And your name is engraved on my body.”

Seoyeob made a confused look, never expecting that Jin Ye would play along with such nonsense. On the other hand, Seoyeob was angry at how Jin Ye made an exception for that kind of person. His grip on the sword handle turned even stronger.

“Your Majesty, you have to pull out this insolent person’s tongue right away.”

“Yes. I can lock him in the prison and make him starve for five days.”

Jin Ye calmly replied like flowing water.

No matter what, she would kill him. The only problem was the time and method. Right now or slowly. Killing him in an instant without suffering or making him stop breathing slowly while he savors the gruesome.

However, despite being able to easily estimate Jin Ye’s merciless heart, Mugeon wasn’t afraid. If he were to die anyway, he desired to die after saying everything he wanted.

Regardless of the sword that was slowly coming to his neck, Mugeon spoke calmly.

“Is that name’s value so trivial that I can’t even have my lover before I die?”

Contrary to him, Jin Ye’s expression twisted a bit. Even for Jin Ye, what he just said was something hard to take as amusement.

“Now I see that you’re not simply daring. Pretending to be strong even though you have nothing.”

“…”

“The type I detest.”

She slowly got up from the bed and approached Mugeon without making any sounds. The sharp red eyes looked straight at Mugeon.

“Let me give you some advice, Mugeon.”

Perhaps it was because of the serene night. Her tone was calm, and her voice wasn’t loud or faint, but strangely, it felt like there was weight behind it.

“If you have no power, then you should at least act like the insects that know their places.”

Jin Ye was shorter than Mugeon and a beautiful woman. Nevertheless, her every word and movement was imbued with the weight and dignity of an emperor. Her gaze alone was enough to make him pressed, feeling breathless.

Mugeon bobbed up and down his throat once and took a deep breath. He took a moment because he felt like he wouldn’t be able to properly speak, then he finally opened his mouth.

“… This person always crawls.”

Mugeon didn’t filter his words even though he was in front of the emperor. He didn’t know how to. That was how the world Yeon Mugeon, the son of commoners, lived in worked.

“I have to bow my head when the carriage boarded by high people passes by, and if I’m hungry, I even bow to the merchant passing by. But,”

As he stopped, Jin Ye’s expression turned sharp. Her eyes were anticipating what kind of impertinent words would come out next.

“Now, do I even need to crawl in front of my lover?”

As expected, it was nonsense. A remark said without knowing his status.

“I have never allowed you to be my lover.”

“Heaven allowed me.”

A smirk rang after Mugeon’s rebuttal. It wasn’t from Jin Ye, but Jo Seoyeob who was out of his sight. Nevertheless, Mugeon didn’t turn his eyes and only stared at Jin Ye alone.

“The one higher than heaven.”

While focusing on every movement of her red lips.

“That’s me.”

It was for that reason that she knew.

“I don’t want someone like you.”

How special the woman in front of his eyes was.

A woman out of his league. The unrivaled woman.