CHAPTER 3
Suryeon’s hands trembled violently as she listened to the conversation between the two of them.
For a moment, she wondered if she had even heard them correctly.
How could anyone be so monstrous?
The Emperor of this nation—her own husband—was protecting his mistress even after their child had died.
And that man… was her husband.
It felt like she had fallen into the cruelest nightmare imaginable.
The shock was too overwhelming for her to bear. Her body swayed unsteadily.
She struggled to keep herself from collapsing, but in the process, she accidentally made a sound.
Perhaps they heard it.
Their conversation stopped abruptly, and hurried footsteps rushed toward the door.
The next instant, the door was flung open with force, and Lee Jun shouted,
“Who’s there?! I specifically ordered that no one be allowed in—”
But the moment he saw Suryeon standing there, his words died in his throat.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
“…Why are you here?”
“Y-Your Majesty, the Empress…!”
It wasn’t just him.
Behind him, Jeong-a, having spotted Suryeon, covered her mouth with both hands in horror.
“You two… How could you do this to me…?”
Her eyebrows quivered uncontrollably under the weight of her overwhelming sense of betrayal.
Even if there had never been love between her and her husband, she’d believed there had at least been loyalty.
Because Sehee adored Jeong-a, Suryeon had trusted her as well.
Yet those two had not only deceived and betrayed her…
They had caused her daughter’s death.
As tears she had desperately held back finally streamed down her face, Lee Jun hurried toward her.
“Suryeon, you’ve misunderstood. I’ll explain everything.”
He reached for her, but she slapped his hand away.
“A misunderstanding?”
A hollow, bitter laugh escaped her lips.
“Fine. Go ahead.”
She smiled coldly.
“Explain whose child that woman is carrying… and explain why you were fooling around with her while Sehee was drowning!”
Her grief-stricken scream echoed throughout Hyangwon Pavilion.
Lee Jun’s expression darkened.
“Lower your voice! What if someone hears you?!”
Even now…
His greatest concern was that someone might overhear.
“I won’t let either of you get away with this.”
She clenched her fists so tightly her palms felt as though they were bleeding.
“I’ll tell the entire world what the two of you have done!”
The moment those words left her lips, she turned and stormed out of Hyangwon Pavilion.
“Suryeon!”
Lee Jun called after her, but she never looked back.
She ran without stopping.
By the time she reached Chwihyang Bridge, Lee Jun had finally caught up to her.
He grabbed her arm.
“Will you just listen to me?!”
“Let go!”
“You’re too emotional right now. Let’s go back and talk—”
“I said let go!”
She struggled desperately to free herself.
The harder she fought, the tighter his grip became.
Just as she was trying with all her strength to wrench her wrist from his grasp—
A commanding voice rang out.
“What is all this commotion?”
“M-Mother.”
“Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager!”
The moment Lee Jun noticed the Empress Dowager, his grip loosened.
Suryeon seized the opportunity and rushed straight to her.
“Mother! I have something I must tell you!”
Pointing at Lee Jun and Jeong-a, who had followed him out of Hyangwon Pavilion, she cried,
“They killed our Sehee!”
Her voice was filled with desperation.
“That palace nanny brought Sehee here so she could secretly meet my husband! She left Sehee alone by the water, and that’s why my daughter died!”
“Suryeon!”
Lee Jun shouted for her to stop.
But she refused to be silenced.
She knew the Empress Dowager had never liked her.
Still…
Surely she wouldn’t ignore the people responsible for her own granddaughter’s death.
Even if she chose to protect her son, she believed she would at least punish Jeong-a.
But…
She was wrong.
“They k-killed my daughter—!”
Smack!
A sharp slap cut her words short.
The burning pain in her cheek wasn’t what shocked her most.
It was…
“Silence. How dare you raise your voice here?”
The one who had slapped her…
…was her mother-in-law.
“M… Mother?”
Suryeon stared at the Empress Dowager, utterly unable to comprehend what had just happened.
The older woman spoke in a cold, measured voice.
“Empress. Conduct yourself with dignity. Do you even realize where you are? What if someone overhears?”
The mother and son…
They were exactly alike.
More than Suryeon discovering Lee Jun’s affair.
More than learning the true reason Sehee had died.
They feared only one thing—
That others might discover their disgrace.
Suryeon felt the blood drain from her body.
Tears welled in her eyes.
She forced herself to speak again.
“…They committed adultery… and caused your own granddaughter’s death. Does that truly mean nothing to you?”
The Empress Dowager scoffed.
“Making such a fuss over the death of one little girl.”
Suryeon let out a hollow breath.
She slowly stumbled backward, shaking her head as she looked from her husband to her mother-in-law.
“You’re all insane.”
It felt as though the entire world had conspired against her.
Pointing at all three of them, she shouted,
“Every single one of you is insane!”
Her heart burned with grief and fury.
She would never forgive the people who had taken her daughter from her.
“I won’t let this go.”
No matter what happened…
She would expose every one of their crimes to the world.
“I’ll never forgive any of you—!”
Smack!
Another slap.
This time…
It came from Lee Jun.
The man who had just moments ago insisted everything was a misunderstanding now looked at her with nothing but icy contempt.
“You should be grateful I was willing to take in damaged goods.”
The blow was so fierce that a shrill ringing filled her ears.
“You’re secondhand—used by my older brother first. You should’ve spent your life keeping your head down.”
His growling words left Suryeon speechless.
“Secondhand… touched by my older brother.”
He was referring to the fact that she had once been engaged to his elder brother.
With those few cruel words…
Everything became clear.
…I see.
So this is how you’ve always seen me.
Not as a person…
But as a possession.
Tears streamed endlessly down Suryeon’s cheeks.
How foolish she had been.
She had comforted herself all these years, believing his coldness was simply because theirs was a political marriage without love.
Now…
She stood before his mistress, having been slapped by both her husband and her mother-in-law.
It was humiliating beyond words.
She had lost her daughter…
Yet somehow, she was the one being treated like the criminal.
Unable to stop her tears, something inside her changed.
She would never endure this in silence again.
“You bastard…!”
Consumed by rage, she raised her hand.
Just as she was about to strike him—
Lee Jun caught her wrist.
“And who gave you permission to raise your hand against me?”
Without another word, he shoved her with all his strength.
She lost her balance.
The four of them were standing on Chwihyang Bridge.
A bridge with no railing.
Beneath it lay a deep pond.
Once her footing slipped…
The outcome was inevitable.
Splash—!
Suryeon plunged into the icy water.
It happened in an instant.
Pitch-black, freezing water swallowed her whole.
“S-Someone… save me…!”
It felt as though countless icy needles were piercing her flesh.
But an even crueler reality awaited her.
Her feet couldn’t touch the bottom.
Her heavy, water-soaked robes dragged her deeper.
There was no escape.
Flailing desperately, she looked toward her husband.
She stretched out a trembling hand, begging him to save her.
Even that simple act became increasingly difficult.
Only then did Lee Jun seem to come to his senses.
He flinched and turned to his mother with panicked eyes, silently asking what he should do.
“M-Mother…”
Unlike her son, who was visibly shaken, the Empress Dowager quickly regained her composure.
A look of resolve settled over her face.
Calmly, she stepped closer to him.
“It’s fine. This was merely an accident.”
She spoke as if discussing nothing more important than the weather.
“She dared raise her hand against the Emperor. Isn’t that no different from the crimes committed by the former deposed Empress of the Yun family?”
“B-But… what about Suryeon…?”
The Empress Dowager answered without the slightest hesitation.
“Leave her to die.”
