FNSS ~ 01

Chapter ~ 01

A blizzard raged during the funeral.

The death of the King of Muk, who had guarded the northern frontier.

And yet, his funeral was shabby.

I stood beneath the eaves, gazing blankly at the snow covering the world.

“I heard he died from a fall.”

“That makes no sense…! How could someone who had reached the realm of the Five Flowers die from a mere fall?”

“Shh, watch what you say.”

The people whispering inside glanced nervously in my direction.

As though the King of Muk’s death had something to do with me.

I saw no reason to make excuses.

I knew the truth behind the King of Muk’s death, but…

【The Emperor used poison to kill the King of Muk and pushed him into Yogok.】

I couldn’t exactly reveal everything.

I bit down on my dry, parched lips.

If only I had known a little sooner…

Then I would have stopped His Majesty.

I had been anxiously watching the snow pile up in thick layers when I turned around.

“Where is His Majesty?”

This was the third day since I had attended the King of Muk’s funeral and become stranded here because of the blizzard.

The Emperor had come to attend his younger brother’s funeral. After reciting a formal eulogy, however, he had been nowhere to be seen.

“Her Majesty the Empress, His Majesty is staying in his chambers because of a headache. He ordered that no one be allowed inside.”

A headache?

I raised my head.

A hawk perched on the eaves met my gaze.

【The imperial physician has been in the medical office the entire time.】

A voice echoed inside my head.

I possessed the ability to understand the speech of beasts.

It was thanks to this ability that I had helped His Majesty push aside the Crown Prince and ascend to the imperial throne.

His Majesty knew that perfectly well, yet he was brazenly telling such an obvious lie.

Perhaps it was because of the bone-chilling cold of the King of Muk’s residence?

A chill settled deep in my chest.

“I need to see His Majesty.”

As I began walking, my maid hurried after me.

When I reached His Majesty’s chambers, the expression of the guard standing outside stiffened.

“Inform His Majesty that I am here.”

“Her Majesty the Empress, His Majesty’s headache is severe, so he ordered that no one be allowed—”

“Mmm, Your Majesty~ I’m embarrassed~”

Before the guard could finish speaking, a coquettish nasal voice drifted out from inside the chambers.

The guard’s face went deathly pale.

I stared quietly at the closed door.

“Ha ha, you lasted quite a long time.”

“Your Majesty, how are you still so energetic after what you did yesterday?”

The laughter of a man and woman mingled together.

The moans beyond the door did not stop.

I knew the owner of that seductive voice very well.

My half-sister and the King of Muk’s jaein—the lowest-ranking concubine—Jin Mokyeon.

“Ha…!”

A hollow laugh escaped me.

I didn’t care if His Majesty shared a bed with another woman.

I had never expected that kind of love from him in the first place.

But Jin Mokyeon was different.

“Goodness, did you stumble and fall into the pond all by yourself? How pathetic.”

Hadn’t she despised me and tormented me for being the daughter of a concubine ever since we were children, taking pleasure in making my life miserable?

I clenched my trembling hands.

Her husband’s body probably hasn’t even grown cold yet, and she’s already this brazen.

My eyes fell upon the plaque hanging above the chamber.

Hyeonanjae (玄安齋).

Despite its tranquil name, indecent sounds were coming from within.

“Leave.”

“Your Majesty, but…”

Clatter—!

I shoved the guard aside and threw open the door.

The air inside was thick with the stench of pleasure and debauchery.

Beyond the curtains, I saw four legs sprawled across the bed.

“Did I not say no one was to enter!”

The Emperor, dressed in disheveled clothing beyond the red blanket, sat up.

He raised his voice, but the moment he saw me, he froze.

Yet soon, a smile spread across Emperor Seo Gon’s lips.

Mokyeon also adjusted her clothes and smiled sweetly.

“Oh my, Soa? What perfect timing. I’m glad you came.”

Her shamelessness left me speechless.

“I was just about to call for you anyway.”

Mokyeon swept her disheveled hair behind her ear, her eyes narrowing seductively.

“What are you talking about?”

“His Majesty promised to make me the Empress.”

“What…?”

When I looked at the Emperor, he ran a hand through his sweat-dampened black hair without even bothering to straighten his rumpled collar.

“It has been decided.”

“What exactly does that mean?”

I was the Empress of the Empire.

I was the one who had placed Seo Gon, who had been the Third Prince, upon the imperial throne.

“Your crimes are quite serious, aren’t they?”

“Crimes?”

“I heard you were having an affair with the King of Muk.”

What?

It was absurd.

I had never even had any connection with the King of Muk beyond interacting with him in official settings.

If one counted using my beasts to gather information from the King of Muk’s residence and deliver it to Emperor Seo Gon as a connection, then perhaps that was the only connection we had.

“Mokyeon says she saw it. Apparently, she says the King of Muk even killed himself because he was afraid his affair with the Empress would be discovered.”

“What are you talking about!”

It was an outrageous lie. There couldn’t possibly be any evidence.

And yet—

Clatter-!

Mokyeon, who had been sitting on the bed, threw something at my feet.

“Oh my. Your Majesty! Look what was found on the King of Muk’s bed.”

A hairpin rolled across the floor.

At its tip, an ornament shaped like a lotus flower glimmered beneath the candlelight.

I recognized it at a glance.

“This is the hairpin you lost? What are you talking about? I bought it when I went to the market! Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, Young Lady.”

“How dare you treat me like a thief!”

It was my mother’s keepsake, which Mokyeon had stolen from me long ago.

“Soa, why would your hairpin be found on the King of Muk’s bed?”

“Jin Mokyeon!”

Unable to contain my anger, I shouted.

There was no way Seo Gon could possibly fall for such a farce.

Yet Seo Gon looked not merely calm, but bored, as he parted his lips.

“Don’t resent me, Soa.”

My cold fingertips trembled.

At that moment, Seo Gon rose from the bed and put on his outer garment.

“You were constantly defending the King of Muk anyway.”

“I did so to protect this country from Yogok…!”

“How could I make a witch who can understand the speech of beasts my Empress?”

Seo Gon cut me off and tilted his head slightly.

“A witch…?”

I was left speechless.

I had devoted my entire ability to him.

And now that I was no longer useful, he called me a witch?

Seo Gon then bent down slowly until his eyes met mine.

“If you had been less clever, I would have placed you on the throne of Empress despite being the daughter of a concubine, and cherished you for the rest of your life.”

Seo Gon’s voice seeped softly into my ears.

“It’s just unfortunate that you were too intelligent.”

The tone sounded as though he genuinely regretted it.

That made it even more horrifying.

An empty laugh caught in my throat.

How could a human be worse than a beast?

Why hadn’t I realized it?

Even though the beasts had told me so much about humanity’s evil deeds, why had I believed that Seo Gon would be different?

Slap!

Unable to contain my rage, I struck him across the cheek.

Seo Gon’s head snapped to the side.

Then he slowly rolled his eyes toward me and looked down.

“How dare you lay a hand on the imperial body?”

“I was the one who made that body the imperial body. I was also the one who made your position the throne of Empress.”

I glared at him through clenched teeth.

I should never have made him Emperor.

I regretted the past, when I had been deceived by his gentle words and smiles.

I had been blinded by scraps of affection that could have been thrown to a dog.

And only now had I realized it.

“Lock the Empress away and allow no one to see her until the funeral is over.”

He carelessly draped mourning clothes over himself and ordered the soldiers outside.

Then, wearing the same gentle expression he always had, he whispered to me,

“We have shared affection all this time, so let us meet after the funeral procession.”

As if he were granting me a few hours of mercy.

With that, Seo Gon leisurely left Hyeonan-jae.

“How pathetic, Soa.”

Mokyeon rose from the bed and chuckled.

“You should have known your place and lived accordingly.”

Mokyeon put on a red outer garment completely inappropriate for a funeral.

But I could only laugh.

“Don’t misunderstand, Jin Mokyeon. You’re only being used, too.”

It must have been time for him to replace me with a puppet who was easier to control.

But Mokyeon merely gave me a sly smile.

“Well, I wonder if that’s really true.”

She calmly trimmed her long fingernails as she looked down at me.

I didn’t want to stay here any longer.

I started to get up.

But—

Sway—

My body tilted, and my knees hit the floor.

“…!”

“Oh my, what’s wrong, Soa?”

The hand I placed against the floor trembled violently.

Why…?

The strength drained from my body.

My head spun.

“Ah, I guess the incense was too strong for you.”

Mokyeon smiled sweetly, her eyes narrowing as she pointed her chin toward the incense burner.

A sharp, white smoke was rising from it.

“Why? I guess your beasts didn’t tell you about this.”

As she said that, Mokyeon pulled a small bottle from her clothing.

“What good would it do to keep that miserable life going for a few more hours?”

She walked toward me barefoot and grabbed my chin.

Even though I wanted to knock her hand away, I couldn’t even muster the strength to raise my arm.

Mokyeon smiled sweetly as she looked at me.

“The Empress, realizing her shame, takes her own life…”

She quietly removed the stopper from the bottle, then forced open my clenched jaw and poured the liquid inside.

“Ugh, mmph…!”

I tried to turn my head and close my mouth, but Mokyeon’s fingernails dug into my cheek as she gripped my head even harder.

The liquid in the bottle flowed into my mouth.

It was scorching hot, as though I had swallowed molten lava. My throat felt like it was burning.

“Cough…!”

Blood flowed from the corners of my mouth along with the poison.

Only then did Mokyeon release my cheek, tossing it aside as if it disgusted her.

Bright red blood spilled onto the floor.

Through my fading vision,

I saw Mokyeon smiling down at me.

“Goodbye, you foolish witch.”

I scratched at the floor and bit down on my lips.

I regretted it.

My foolish choice.

As the sounds around me grew distant, I thought—

If only I could turn back time…

At the same moment, everything around me went dark.

But then—

“Why are you still lying there? Get up!”

Gasp—!

At the sharp shout, I drew a ragged breath and sat up.

My heart felt as though it would burst, and the air I sucked in stabbed deep into my lungs.

As I instinctively touched my throat,

beyond my blurred vision,

I saw a scene that was unmistakably familiar.

Old furniture, a familiar fishy odor, and the contemptuous gazes of the maids looking down on me.

“You’re useless and lazy to boot!”

The sharp voice jolted me fully awake.

I’m alive…?

I absentmindedly touched my neck.

The sensation of it burning hot was still vivid.

Yet I was unquestionably alive.

I approached the mirror.

A young-looking face.

A body as thin as a dry branch.

A stiff hemp garment so rough that it hurt where it rubbed against my skin.

Eighteen-year-old Jin Soa stood before the mirror.