"Me and Lady Sangah are dating," Sooyoung announced rather smugly, a genuine smile lighting up her face as she glanced at Dokja for his reaction.
Today was one of the rare days that Dokja had come over to the Han household for a change. Compared to the Underworld Duchy's manor, Han Sooyoung's family was much less reserved when it came to showing off their wealth. Gold adornments lined almost every surface of the manor, the duke and duchess intent on displaying the fruits of their labor (at least the labor of their several gold mines, that is). Dokja and Sooyoung, very intent on not going blind from all the shiny gold surfaces, were seated in one of the more sparsely decorated parlor rooms, one that Sooyoung had reserved for her use only. Despite being slightly less adorned than the other rooms of the manor, it was no less elegant than the rest of the Han Marquis household.
While Dokja had thought it just a bit strange that his friend had invited him over for a change instead of barging straight into his room like she usually did, Sooyoung urged him to come, saying there was something important she wanted to tell him.
Setting his teacup gently on the table, Dokja's lips curled into a knowing smile. "For a while there I thought you two were already dating. It's about time, witch," he responded, his tone laced with playful affection. He'd already been witness to their budding relationship once, when he had read the novel. Though that version had been a rather tragic one. In the story Han Sooyoung and Yoo Sangah's love had started innocently, until they realized they'd be pitted against each other for supporting Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk respectively during their violent feud. It was quite a Romeo and Juliet-esque tale. And just like that story, their relationship had also ended in tragedy. Han Sooyoung had been captured and sentenced to death for supported Kim Dokja, all the while Yoo Sangah tried fruitlessly to convince an already hatred-filled Yoo Joonghyuk to spare her. The only thing Yoo Sangah could do was watch as her first love was taken from her.
Even if he hadn't already read the novel, the revelation wouldn't have come as a surprise. For months now Dokja had watched as their relationship blossomed, even a blind man could see the adoration the two held for each other. Deep down though, as he watched the two grow close Dokja couldn't help but feel some anxiety for them. The world they lived in now made it impossible for the events of the novel to repeat themselves, but he held some anxiety that the tragedy of their relationship in the story may be an innate component, and that it would one day come to push the two away from each other once more. But so far, it looked like everything was working in their favor. Dokja let himself stop stressing about it for now.
Sooyoung's playful glare shifted into something more intense as she leaned closer to Dokja. A mischievous smile played on her lips as she posed a question. "And what about you? When are you going to say yes to that emo bastard, huh?"
Dokja's smile faded as Sooyoung's words struck a painful chord. Uncertainty settled on his shoulders as Dokja contemplated the potential consequences of his love for Joonghyuk. Being from a different world, he knew that the day may come when he would have to return, leaving behind the life he built in this world.
Thoughts swirl in his mind, questions of what would happen to this world, whether the true Kim Dokja would return, and if Joonghyuk would still love him in his absence. The fear of being separated from his newfound family gnawed at his heart, and not to mention the fate of the baby he carried.
Refocusing his attention on Sooyoung standing before him, he mustered a weak smile. "Ah, that bastard," he replied, trying to push aside his worries. "Perhaps the time will come when I can't resist his handsome face any longer." Sooyoung noticed the tension in Dokja's body, and instantly knew he was keeping something from her. A flicker of concern crossed her features, but she decided not to question him further, not wanting to press him on something if he wasn't comfortable bringing it up.
Shaking off her thoughts, Sooyoung instead tried to lighten the mood by shifting the conversation to a different topic. "Hey Rat," she began, "I have a new novel idea..."
Dokja's smile brightens at her words, grateful for the distraction. He eagerly leaned in, his curiosity piqued.
"Tell me more!"
------
In the empress's opulent sitting room, three figures stood in the midst of conversation - the empress herself, the archduke, and the crown prince. The atmosphere is tense, a shared unease radiating off the three of them. The archduke questioned his daughter.
"Are you sure this will work, Your Majesty?" he shakily inquired. He'd do anything to see his daughter happy, and he had quite the history proving that exact claim. But what she'd just proposed… If any word of this came out, all three of their lives would be forfeited.
The empress, her posture regal and determined, met the Archduke's eyes with unwavering resolve.
"I have considered every possible outcome, Father. This plan is our best chance to ensure the stability and prosperity of our empire. We must proceed with caution, but I believe it will succeed." The crown prince stood beside his mother, warily eyeing the small vial of powdered crystals in her hand. "As nice as it would be for us to just poison the Underworld brat and get everything done with, it would be too rash of us, this will have to do instead…"
"But Your Majesty, we've all seen first-hand what happened to our previous allies found to have used the White Kill, are you sure this is the direction you want to go?"
His daughter nods solemnly, her expression determined. "Yes, Father," she replied. "The White Kill is our last chance at this. With Joonghyuk supporting him now, nothing else will be able to come close to finishing him off." Yoo Joonghyuk and Kim Dokja were bound to marry each other at some point, if not for power, then for the genuine love they share. When that happens, the combined might of their respective ducals would be enough to challenge that of the royal family. Since Joonghyuk was already a strong warrior and familiar with her more underhanded methods, this left them with no choice but to try their hand at taking out Kim Dokja once more, permanently this time.
Maybe it was better this way. Giving Joonghyuk a quick death would be merciful. However, having the love of his life die under his watch would be something he'd be forced to live with for the rest of his life
With a devilish smile still lingering on her face, the empress turned her attention towards the door as a voice called out.
"Your Majesty, two commoners have come to the palace seeking a private audience with you," they informed her
The empress's expression shifts, her smile fading as she raised an eyebrow, her disdain for commoners evident.
"And what exactly is so important that mere commoners seek the empress out in person? If they are simple beggars, then just give them some money and be done with them. I have important matters to attend to," she dismissed, appalment written all over her voice. The concerns of commoners held no significance in her grandiose world. The speaker just outside the door paused for a moment, as if hesitant to say what they did next.
"Err, no, Your Majesty. They claimed to want to speak regarding… the heir to the Underworld."
The empress exchanged surprised looks with her son and father. These days Kim Dokja was an elusive figure to the public. Where in the past he would constantly instigate challenges against Joonghyuk publicly and privately, these days he kept to himself in the comfort of his duchy's household. The few times he did leave his home was to either to go to the palace's banquets or to discreetly wander around the town surrounded by his family and acquaintances, making him untouchable to the public. Yet here they were now, with two commoners claiming they had information about him.
Most times the empress wouldn't have the patience to deal with commoners. But this was important; this would have to be their final operation carried out against the man and they would need all the information they could get, no matter how flimsy the source. Commoners were at least useful in that they blended in easily and could be paid off without hassle. And if worse came to worse, they could be silenced with little trouble.
Silently agreeing amongst themselves on the next course of action, the empress looked away from the two men to respond back to the person outside the door.
"Fine, bring them in, and be discreet about it."
"Of course, Your Highness"
After a bit of shuffling outside the door as the speaker went off to fetch the guests, the room's occupants didn't have to wait long. The door opened to a royal knight, behind them two men dressed in hunter's garb.
"Greetings, Your Majesty, Your Grace, and Your Highness," the knight addresses them respectfully. His eyes briefly shift towards the two commoners. "They have come to speak with you, Your Majesty, regarding the important matter."
Behind the knight the commoners' smiles widen, a glimmer of excitement dancing in their eyes. One of them took an eager step forward. "Yes, Your Majesty! We possess knowledge that no one else has about the Heir of the Underworld Duchy,"
"Not a step more, or I will have my knight cut you down in an instant," the empress seethed out, glaring at the two men. "You are in the royal place, in the presence of the empress of the Seoul Empire. The empire has no need for scoundrels who cannot follow basic etiquette, so know your place and respond appropriately when addressed. Now, tell me about this information you supposedly have."
The empress's command didn't do a thing to make the eager men back down. If anything, their smiles only widened in amusement.
"Of course, Your majesty, my comrade and I wouldn't dare do anything to offend the empire's shining star!" the other man started mockingly, " But still, wouldn't it be a shame to kill us off now when you haven't even heard us out? Oh, and I hope you didn't actually think we'd divulge the info without expecting something in return."
Besides the slight twitch of her eye, the empress maintained her demeanor "Fine," she declared, her voice steady with authority. "Tell me, what do you desire? Gold, treasures, land? Name your price."
The commoners' expressions morph to faux contemplation. "Those are indeed part of our request," one of them responded. "But there is another crucial element that you will come to know once we reveal everything we have witnessed."
"Enough with the suspense. Reveal what you know and state your other request. I don't have all day."
"Very well, Your Majesty," the commoner began, both men straightening themselves out to a more serious disposition. Despite their attitudes thus far, they knew that anymore prodding around and it'd come back to bite them. "You may have heard whispers about the existence of mystical creatures occupying the woodlands of the empire."
With how widespread the rumors were, it'd be more difficult NOT to have heard of them. The prevailing belief was that the creatures were demonic in nature, possessing dark magic and luring humans into the forest to consume and corrupt their minds.
The empress huffed, getting impatient. "Yes, there have been many talks about them. How is this relevant to Kim Dokja?"
The two commoners exchange a glance before nodding in unison.
"Well, what if we were to say that we witnessed Sir Dokja interacting with those very same mystical creatures?" they posed.
Incredulous and intrigued, the empress inquired them further. ""H-how?" she stammered.
The commoners respond without hesitation, recounting their encounter with the mystical creatures. "We stumbled upon them while hunting for animals.We heard a commotion in the distance and decided to follow it, only to witness Sir Dokja interacting peacefully with the creatures. The creatures didn't make one move to harm him, as if he's tamed them somehow…"
The empress's gaze shifted to the crown prince, her expression mirroring his bewilderment.
"How is that possible?" the crown prince murmured, his voice barely audible but heard by all.
The Archduke slammed his palms onto the table, a resounding thud reverberating through the chamber. "There's only one explanation for this," he declares with conviction, his voice filled with suspicion. "He's in league with them, perhaps the one commanding them all along. He must be some sort of fiend to be able to control them."
"Indeed," the commoner agreed "Why would a human willingly form a contract with demonic creatures unless it is as you say, maybe he's seeking to deceive us all!"
The crown prince's voice broke through the room, his hand resting thoughtfully on his chin. "Come to think of it, there have been rumors circulating about Kim Dokja being the adoptive son of the rulers of the Underworld Duchy, haven't there?"
The empress silently nodded along to her son, though internally apologizing to him for not confessing to him that she was the one who spread those rumors to begin with.
"If we are to take your words to heart," she spoke pointedly at the hunters, "Then there could be two explanations for why they adopted Kim Dokja. Either they were unaware of his true nature and fell victim to his dark magic, or they were aware of his devilish nature and willingly took him in."
"Regardless of the reason," the Archduke asserted, teeth gritted in frustration, "we must still find a way to bring down that brat." The memory of Dokja's arrest lingered in his mind, the way that boy looked at him with his mocking eyes.
"Should we let the emperor and ministers know about this?" The crown prince's question hung in the air. The empress considered the implications of involving outsiders in the matter. After a moment of reflection, she came to a decision, her voice measured.
"We should exercise caution," she advised. "Revealing this information right now may have far-reaching consequences. It is imperative that we gather more evidence and assess the situation before pulling anyone else into the problem."
The empress's eyes gleam with purpose as she silently formulates her plan. If the information was to be trusted, it would be a wonderful way to assert control over Dokja. It was just one more piece of leverage she could hold against him, other than "that" of course.
Turning her attention to the crown prince, she addresses him directly. "My son, I will require your full cooperation in this matter. You are aware of the plan, aren't you?"
"Anything you need of me will be done, Mother…but are you certain about this?"
The empress's laughter fills the room, a sense of sinister satisfaction accompanying it. "Indeed, whether he is a devil or not is inconsequential," she confidently declared. "All that matters is that we can use this to our advantage, and finally bring the both of them down."
The empress redirected her attention to the two commoners, realizing that she had momentarily overlooked their presence. Clearing her throat, she addresses them with a smile. "Since you have brought me such intriguing information, I shall grant your requests, on the condition that not a word of this is to be spoken to anyone else outside these walls."
She was about to dismiss them, but then recalled something that they had brought up earlier.
"Oh yes, you mentioned that there is one last wish. What might that be?"
The hunters looked at her eagerly. "Your Majesty, if you would be so kind as to allow us to, we would like to capture one of the creatures for ourselves. No doubt, it will be a marvel to behold across the empire. Whether alive or butchered down to its hide, bone, and meat, it will be sure to fetch a high price."
The empress's eyes widen in surprise at the commoners' request, but she eventually lets out a resigned sigh. "Very well," she conceded, "I will see to it that your request is met. Besides, I am also curious to see what these mystical creatures are like."