Seoyeob shut his eyes tight. He had served her his whole life, but Jin Ye was a woman that was hard to read. Even at this moment, he couldn’t guess what kind of plan was drawn inside her head.
Never the slightest I have such a thought…?
Seoyeob thought over what she said as he came to his feet. The muscles in his back tensed. The sounds of his steps became more careful.
After following Jin Ye to the room, Seoyeob closed the door behind him and scanned the room. The moment Seoyeob’s eyes were caught on Jin Ye’s small figure again, something was blocking him.
Yeon Mugeon.
Mugeon stood between him and Jin Ye.
“What are you doing?”
The unforeseen movement turned Seoyeob’s neat eyebrows stiff. However, despite the quite sharp gaze and voice, Mugeon didn’t cower away.
“Don’t meet her eyes.”
“…”
“That’s what you said before you let me enter this room.”
“You dare to give me a lecture?”
“Although I don’t know about the customs in the imperial palace, at least I know that the one who taught something shouldn’t break their words.”
It was said fools have no fear. Indeed, it seemed that was true.
Seoyeob barely held his vain laugh from flowing out as he looked at Jin Ye behind Mugeon. He didn’t want to act rude before his master. Not only that, but his master also didn’t say anything. That meant she would only watch for now.
If she had intended so, then Seoyeob had to follow it. As his loyalty had no condition.
Therefore, instead of arguing, Seoyeob bowed in silence to the emperor.
“I, Jo Seoyeob, entered this precious place following Your Majesty’s order.”
When Yeon Mugeon looked behind him, he saw Jin Ye smile as if she was excited. She turned her body and nonchalantly accepted his greeting.
“You don’t need to make such an appearance in this kind of place.”
The direction of Jin Ye’s feet as she replied was neither directed at Yeon Mugeon or Jo Seoyeob. She landed her body on the bed with the blankets donned well without any crease.
Sitting, she soon slightly lifted her toes and provoked both men.
“Alright, which one between you two will lick my feet first?”
Both of them looked at each other.
“…”
As no one was ready to make a move, Jin Ye put back her feet on the floor. And, rather than disappointed, she made a bored expression.
“Is there no one?”
Then, when Seoyeob’s lips were about to move in response to the second question—as though she had timed it to coincide—Jin Ye threw a question to Mugeon.
“Yeon Mugeon, earlier, didn’t you say you want to have me?”
Not ‘I don’t want it,’ but ‘I can’t allow that’. It was such an odd speech. It was hard for Mugeon to guess her intentions.
“Seoyeob, what about you?”
“I.”
He wondered the true meaning of entrusting the role of a man to her retainer. Nevertheless, Seoyeob, who received her question, realized that Jin Ye was testing him.
“I’m content with punishing the person who looked down on you, Your Majesty.”
Also, the fact that his master had already noticed his irreverent and disloyal feelings.
However, Seoyeob didn’t get flustered and only showed his loyalty. It was a typical answer.
“Is that the wish of my right hand man Jo Seoyeob?”
Because she was the emperor, not merely a woman. Because she was the supreme woman, who deserved his loyalty.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“It is because of your great contribution, Seoyeob, that I could be in this position. That’s why, I always trust you.”
Their bond wasn’t something that could be cut merely because of her engraved name on someone else’s body. Jin Ye’s words proved that on this occasion.
“I have no reason to not grant a wish of yours.”
As he heard what Jin Ye had said, Seoyeob felt like he was swallowing bitter medicine. The emperor’s order continued.
“Pull out your sword.”
Seoyeob grabbed the scabbard hanging on his waist. The nicely shaped sword revealed its edge along with a sound.
He dared to hold a sword in the Emperor’s bedroom. There was no better proof of trust than this. That sharpened Seoyeob’s blade. The tip pointed at Mugeon’s neck.
Looking at that, Jin Ye smiled as if she was really satisfied.
“You asked me, didn’t you? If you were to die here today?”
Mugeon paid no heed to Seoyeob’s swords that looked ready to cut his head at any moment. His firm eyes only captured Jin Ye. The emotion inside those dark eyes was calmer than expected, and on top of that, he easily brought his death to his lips.
“Am I going to die?”
“Seoyeob wants to cut your head.”
Jin Ye answered lightly, but Mugeon shook his head.
“I’m asking about your feelings, Your Majesty.”
“My feelings, huh?”
In this imperial palace, no one was curious about the emperor’s ‘feelings’. What she had uttered would be a political decision, so there were times when she had to put it on her lips even if she didn’t like the concluded result.