The Love They Never Had

"…I am most grateful for your advice, Your Highnesses…" "Never mind about that, Companion Cho, it seems to have come in handy after all." "Concubine Kim is right; and even though I always suspected that you were more talented than you let on, but not by this much." "Thank you for your praises, but I only go by on sheer luck this time, and we can never be too careful about the harem's cunning." His Highness's fondest for you will save you from these plots, Companion Cho, don't you worry about that. But it must be hard for you to conceal your talents…" "if I had exhibited them earlier, I would have already been dead before entering the palace. But….may I finally ask about who it is exactly that is helping us from outside the palace to defeat the Noble Consort? Can I meet with them?" "They reside in the exclusive palace brothel, and they are only residing there for safe-keeping, but they will be expected to leave before the New Year starts and we will be left on our own to clear up out common enemy and any of her follows inside the palace and the rest will follow." "Is it…is it who I think it is?" "It isn't who you think it is, although they seem to share the same goal overall, so it doesn't really matter anyways." "Are the rumours true? Is there really such a woman who was trapped in a brothel but came out unscathed? She wasn't touched by anyone at all?" "She had a lover before she was kidnapped by her own cousin out of pure jealousy." "It is also true that every woman who has come between her and her loved ones have all suffered horrible punishments?" "It is as though that woman has her father's spirit constantly looking after her; no mater what she does or what situation that she finds herself in, Seo Yeon will always be 2 seps ahead of others and swim her ways through any obstacles that come her way. No matter where, who, how or even when, nothing can stop her from doing what she needs to do." "So will she really help us all?"

"Companion Cho, His Highness wishes to share a collection of new poems that he has recently collected." "Very well, I shall see him straight away, will you ladies be waiting for me?" "It isn't like we have anything better to do, do we?" "I would really like to know more before I continue, it is probably for the best that we do not meet up so much under prying eyes." "You have finally matured after all, little concubine."

"…I am having a headache, and I need a massage badly." "What it is that is troubling you?" "And how do you know that?" "It is because despite of the jasmine flowers that you keep in your chambers, I can still detect the smell of menthol, and you only have that around when you are truly disturbed." "My dearest new concubine knows me indeed, so why don't you tell me what it is that is bothering me?" "You are concerned about all matters under heaven, so it could be anything, but I am willing to bet that it is because of what happened to day at the banquet?" "You are not wrong, as harem matters are also under heaven's eyes." "It is certainly difficult to manage with no hostess, it is about time that someone shared that burden, don't you think?" "My favourite and most trusted concubines have been in service for less than a year and there are no rules in place for them to take over in assisting with palace affairs? And I need someone strong enough to fight against my wife until my father sentences both of us." "2 powers are better than 1, Your Highness." "Is that so? You know that I will protect you from any harm, don't you?" "But you still need to strike her down once and for all now before she uses your concubines against you and bring down an entire dynasty behind you." "So, shall I go through one more game and bring that wife of mine down enough so that she can take my sins along with her?" "We might as well, since you are being persecuted for most of her crimes, but…." "But what is it?" "Please forgive us Your Highness, but I need to ask you something important and I need to know the absolute truth." "I shall never do anything to make you feel aggrieved." "Will you abandon your entire harem for Seo Yeon?" "Seo Yeon is the perfect woman I need to clean up my mess, but I will not abandon any of you for her." "So do you have to marry her?" "I…am not sure anymore." "Then why don't you bring her in to clean up the mes and see how things go from there? But if her brother has already distanced himself from you, then he will not agree to the marriages and then what? Will you risk loosing him as well? For good?

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"Just ask me what ever is on your mind, Han Hui-Jae, you are far too quiet for my liking." "How on earth did you get the banquet guests to ask your husband for forgiveness? In his condition now, would't they all look down on him?" "Fear reaches places that a lot of people do not think about, and my husband has mastered that. And he helped me simply to ask me for favours once I regain my own favour once again. As highly ranked people, we can rebuild our lives together with the right connections…" "My Lady, The Third Prince has invited you over for dinner with Attendant Choi tonight." "Very well, I shall attend shortly, allow me to get changed." "Does it really make you that happy to be called over and humiliated again?" "Who says that he will do that in front of a pregnant concubine? Go and scald yourself with more hot water, you clearly haven't been punished enough today."

"…what did you add to this herbal soup, wife?" "It used to be made with spikenard, Angelica, cassia twig and bamboo leaves and soaked in pork spleen. This was then sun-dried into powder because I know that you dislike the smell of cassia twig. So I used magnolia bark instead and I added some sandalwood to make it more moisturising and fragrant." "I had no idea that you were so well-versed in such things, wife." "Well, there is a lot of things that you don't know about me, because you have never taken out the time to ask me anything at all." "So are you saying that you always select them attentively just for me? It is fortunate that you know all of this. And let Attendant Choi attend to me, you need not do it yourself." "So why did you call me over today?" "The plague has almost cleared up entirely, and my father will soon reach a decision about us." "So what will you do to save us?" "Who says that I will? You know that I cannot go against my father, or I would have done that already." "So you are prepared to let me tell Seo Hwi your biggest secrets?" "He shall never believe you at all, so you can do whatever you like, but as soon as this is over, I shall officially divorce you and have your father beheaded for his crimes." "What are you looking at, Attendant Choi? His Highness just asked you to serve him, so do it well." "Your kitchen does make excellent food, Attendant Choi." "it is only good if Your Highness likes it." "What profound words." "Your Highness knows that I am bad with my words." "And yet Attendant Choi is very articulate with hers, in fact, I shall call upon her tonight to serve me for the very last time before she goes into the bed-resting period of her pregnancy…" "Is this some sort of a joke? We are being deposed, and all you can talk about right now are women serving you? Right in front of me? Attendant Choi! Since you are so fond of opera singing, then why don't you sing fr myself and my husband for our entertainment, and you are not allowed to stop until I say so." "But My Lady! I am pregnant…." "I am asking you to sing, not dance like the Companion Cho, now sing! Right now!"

"What on earth do you think you are doing, wife?" "You will save me and we can both reclaim our place back into this society." "And why would I want to save you at all?" "Because I can build up your power again just like I did the first time, when you were at your peak and you managed to instil fear into the hearts of everyone around you." "The very last thing that I need is that fearful image of me when I am trying to reclaim my position next to my father…" "you mean the father who hates you? Who despises you? Who hasn't noticed you as soon as your mother passed away? That father of your only pits his sons against each other to fight for his throne and nothing more, even Nam-Jeon was a better father to that half-breed…" "what the fuck are you talking about? How dare you bring up that filthy half-breed whilst I am eating?" "Why does he threaten you so much, husband? He is not even here….!" The drugs that I put in his drink seemed to hit him before he could throw one of his predictable tantrums to show off whatever little power he had left to show to anyone that could continue to indulge him. He fell asleep onto the table in less than 5 minutes and I had him moved to Attendant Choi's bed so that I could deal with him later. But first….

"…Well well, you were incredibly verbose at dinner today, Attendant Choi, so much so that you even seduced my husband right in front of me. Well, why are you so quiet now?" "I beg Your Highness to forgive me…" "Forgive you? Why are you asking me for forgiveness when you were so pleased with yourself that you were waving your supper hands around His Highness? My husband!" "Your Highness! Please do not throw anything at my pregnant belly! If Your Highness dislikes that porcelain vase, then you may hand it over to me as a reward, because it would be a pity to throw away such an expensive item." "Your Highness, your prenatal tonics are brewing outside…" "Servants! The Attendant Choi needs to walk around the Imperial Garden for more than 5 rounds for exercise for her baby, make sure that she does so." "Your Highness…" "Go! And bring my personal servant here! Damned these quick-witted and honey-mouthed minxes."

"I wonder who has upset you now, Your Majesty? You do realise that your husband has a harem for a reason you know." "Shut up girl and brew my tonics for me!" "If you are trying to regain your husband's favour, you might want to make use of these concubines you know, it is what I would do, or you can hang onto you childish jealousy and loose everything all over again. At least be nice to her in front of him and he will respond to your kindness rather than your angry threats…." "Is that how you managed to seduce him, Mistress Han? Well, I am not going to hand my husband over to any woman, because after today, he will never need to look at any of his confines again. Now leave us and watch over Attendant Choi and make sure she does at least 10 rounds of walking in the Imperial Gardens whilst I am left alone with my husband." "Very well Mistress, and I wish you luck on your last chance to rise up to power, just do not forget about me when that happens." "I will see about that later, now go."