The chamber was suffocating in silence after Saha collapsed. The midwives hurriedly carried her away, her fragile body limp in their arms. The echo of her words still lingered, stabbing Younghae's heart with every beat.
Hanuel stood still, her face pale, her eyes unreadable. She turned toward the king at last,
her voice low, carrying no trace of her usual strength.
"Seorin is dead. I killed her."
Younghae's head snapped up, his face etched with disbelief.
Hanuel's gaze did not falter. "She had lowered herself into a demon… and left me no choice.
I will bury her myself. That is all I have to say."
Without waiting for his reply, she turned and walked out, her steps heavy yet firm. The door
closed behind her, leaving Younghae alone in the vast chamber.
The king sank into his seat, his fingers trembling as he clutched the armrest. His mind
swirled, his soul weighed down by the cruel twists of fate.
"Where… where did it all go wrong?" he whispered into the emptiness. His voice cracked, raw with despair. "Was it when I hesitated? Was it when I remained silent? Or… was it the day I allowed my heart to falter?"
No answer came, only the flicker of the chamber's lamps, as though mocking him.
Days turned into weeks, but the palace that once thrummed with life fell into a heavy gloom.
Saha never truly awoke with her old strength again. Her body, frail after childbirth, weakened
further with every passing day. The physicians spoke in hushed tones, their faces grim,
warning the king that her grief gnawed at her health more fiercely than any illness.
Each morning, she lay in her chambers, staring at the ceiling with vacant eyes. She rarely spoke, and when she did, her words carried no warmth. She refused food, pushed away medicine, and only asked for her son—little Taehyung, whose flames still flickered faintly under Hanuel's suppression.
When the midwives brought him near, she would look at him with tears streaming silently
down her face, yet never dared to touch him.
Her whispers carried the weight of despair: "A child born to burn… cursed before he could
even breathe. What mother's heart could endure this?"
Her ladies wept in secret, for the once-bright queen who had filled the palace with her, laughter now withered like a bloom cut from its stem.
Meanwhile, Hanuel kept to herself, her shrine now heavier than ever with her prayers.
Seorin's burial was done in silence, far from the palace walls. No one mourned her but
Hanuel, who stood alone in the mountain clearing, weeping for the sister she had slain.
The palace grew colder with each passing day—haunted by the curse of Taehyung, the
sorrow of Saha, the guilt of Hanuel, and the torment of a king who no longer knew how to
save what remained of his family.
The days stretched into weeks, yet the rift between the King and Queen only deepened.
Every night, Younghae came to Saha's chambers, knocking softly, his voice trembling with regret.
"Saha… please, let me in."
But the doors never opened. The maids would bow in silence, whispering apologies that Her
Majesty refused to see him. Some nights, he fell to his knees before her doors, his palms
pressed against the wood as though he could reach her heart through it.
"Hate me if you must, but do not shut me out. Please… at least look at me, curse me if you
wish, but don't leave me in this silence."
Yet only silence greeted him. Silence sharp enough to cut his soul.
Within her chamber, Saha devoted herself to the child. Every day, she cradled Taehyung's
cradle near her bedside. She could hold him but there are times she could not hold him so
she would sit by his side for hours, watching his small face, memorizing every breath he
took.
When his flames flared, Lady Hanuel would arrive. Without a word, she pressed her palms
gently over the child, pouring her icy powers into him. Each time, his fire dimmed, returning
him to the fragile stillness of a sleeping babe.
Saha always lowered her head, ashamed that she could do nothing but watch as another
woman saved her son.
"Thank you, Unni," she whispered once, her voice weak.
Hanuel simply nodded, her gaze clouded with grief. She could feel her majesty fading day by
day, but she could not stop it.
One night, when the palace was quiet, Saha sat alone by Taehyung's crib. The moonlight
spilled through the lattice windows, bathing the child's small frame in a gentle glow, He slept peacefully, as though he were an ordinary infant untouched by flames or curses.
His tiny fists curled, his lips parted in a soft sigh.
Tears welled in Saha's eyes. She brushed the edge of the crib with trembling fingers, not
daring to touch him.
"My child…" she whispered, her voice breaking.
"I am sorry. Sorry that I will not live long enough to see you grow. Sorry that your life will be filled with pain because of me."
Her tears slid down her cheeks, falling onto her trembling hands.
"It was my fault. I should not have come to the palace. If I had stayed away, you would not
have been cursed. You would not be forced to live under the shadow of ridicule."
She bent her head closer, her voice breaking into sobs.
"Please forgive your mother. Do not hate me. Even if the world calls you cursed, remember
that you were my most precious blessing."
Her body shook with silent cries until her strength failed her, and she lay beside the crib,
whispering apologies until sleep claimed her.
The Queen of Joseon, once bright and proud, now withered like a fragile flower—clinging to
her son as her last light.
The second day dawned gray and heavy, as though the heavens themselves mourned.
Saha's health grew weaker; her once-bright face was pale, her lips faintly blue, her body
fragile as porcelain ready to crack. Even lifting her hand to reach for her child's crib took
effort.
Her voice was barely more than a whisper when she requested, "Bring me Lady Hanuel…"
Hanuel entered quietly, her usual composure shadowed by worry. She knelt beside the
queen's bed, her eyes lingering on the fragile woman who once filled the palace with
laughter.
Saha's lips curved faintly into a smile, weak but sincere.
"Lady Hanuel," she began, her voice trembling, "there is something I must tell you before my strength leaves me."
Hanuel leaned closer, her heart tight.
"The king…" Saha's eyes softened, distant, as though gazing at memories. "He liked Seorin
so much that I used to tease him about it. And truly… I never hated her. Not once. Even now,
I cannot bring myself to.
Her voice cracked, and tears threatened her pale lashes.
"Seorin… she should never have cursed my child, but still—I bear my faults too. If only I had
been her friend from the start… if only I had looked deeper, seen the hints she dropped,
perhaps all this tragedy could have been avoided."
Hanuel's chest constricted. Tears welled in her eyes, sliding down her cheeks as she
grasped Saha's frail hand.
"You are so kind, even to your enemy," Hanuel whispered, her voice breaking.
Saha's gaze moved to the small crib beside her, where Taehyung lay quietly, his breaths
shallow but steady under Hanuel's protective powers.
"My child…" she murmured, her hand trembling toward the crib but not daring to touch.
"Promise me, Hanuel. Promise me that you will keep him safe, no matter what happens to
me. Even if the world turns against him, do not let him walk alone."
Hanuel bowed her head, her tears falling freely now.
"I vow it," she swore, her voice trembling with steel. "Even if it costs me my life, I will protect
him."
Relief softened Saha's features. For the first time in days, she smiled fully, though her face
was wan.
"Thank you," she whispered. "Now… please call His Majesty. I must see him… once more."
Hanuel pressed Saha's hand gently to her forehead in silent promise before rising to leave.
Her steps were heavy as she walked through the palace corridors, her heart burdened with
the weight of both hope and dread.
She knew the meeting between the Queen and the King would not be easy—but perhaps, it was their only chance to speak before fate tore them apart.
"Lady Saha, I also bear faults in this, I saw you as my sister even though we rarely talked but those times.... Those little moments we had together was enough, even more than enough for me to love you as a family. I promise to protect Taehyung even though I couldn't for you. To lose two family within one year due to my ignorant and my hesitant behavior, I guess this is my punishment". Lady Hanuel said in her mind as she walked out of the chamber.