Chapter 39
Unfathomable Anger
“…A concubine?”
The general, who still hadn’t grasped the situation, rolled his eyes toward Danseol, disbelief written all over his face. It was as if he couldn’t trust his own ears.
A concubine, suddenly appearing on a battlefield—it was no wonder he looked flustered.
“She is Lady Dan, a royal concubine. His Majesty’s current favorite.”
At someone’s whispered explanation, the general’s gaze toward Danseol shook violently.
Now that he looked closely, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
Her fair skin glowed like the moon against the night sky, and her hair, tied up in a single knot, gleamed like silk. Beneath her gently arched forehead sat straight brows, and her large eyes shimmered gold under the torchlight. Her small, plump red lips could drive any man to distraction.
Even dressed plainly—more like a soldier than a noblewoman—her beauty could not be concealed.
Not even in the finest pleasure houses had he seen such a woman.
“Y–Your Majesty! I’ve committed a grave crime!”
The general, finally realizing what was happening, threw himself flat on the ground. Cold sweat dotted the back of his exposed neck.
“Then naturally, you must pay for your crime.”
Gyeom tilted his head slightly as he looked down at the prostrated general, then gave a small gesture.
“Drag him away and punish him according to military law.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
As two soldiers grabbed him by the arms, the general looked aghast.
“Appoint the lieutenant as the new overseer of his duties.”
“That is far too severe, Your Majesty!”
Hearing that his own subordinate would replace him, the general’s face reddened with rage.
“You failed to separate the wounded from those infected, worsening the plague.”
At Gyeom’s cold tone, the general froze.
It was true—he hadn’t separated the seriously injured soldiers from those with contagious disease. They were doomed to die anyway, so he had left them to rot.
“You lined your own pockets while neglecting dying men.”
Gyeom’s icy gaze landed on the man’s smooth, plump face—hardly that of a soldier.
The general had been siphoning off rations meant for his men, leaving them gaunt and hollow-eyed, while he alone looked well-fed.
“You falsified the casualty reports to downplay the extent of the epidemic.”
When the number of dead had skyrocketed, the general had deliberately reported fewer to avoid taking responsibility.
Before coming here, Gyeom had ordered his scouts to investigate quietly. From the hills, he’d already noticed the number of troops in the rear camp was greater than reported.
“And finally, you insulted my woman.”
As Gyeom listed each crime, the general’s face went ashen.
“Of course, that last one is the gravest.”
“Your Majesty! I swear it will never happen again—please, show mercy!”
Breaking free from the soldiers, the general crawled to clutch Gyeom’s robes, his voice trembling. If punished under military law, he would surely be executed. Begging was his only hope.
“Not to me. Beg her.”
At Gyeom’s words—why beg him when the offense was against Danseol?—the general turned toward her in panic.
“How could a mere woman have a say in such grave matters?”
Danseol glanced at the general who had insulted her and spoke in a calm, composed tone.
“If the punishment changes based on my words, it would disrupt military discipline from above and invite dissent from below. Neither would be just.”
“There is not a single fault in Lady Dan’s reasoning. Proceed with the punishment as prescribed by law.”
Pleased by her answer, Gyeom smiled faintly and kicked away the general’s grasping hand.
“Your Majesty! Please—spare my life! Your Majesty!”
The general screamed as the soldiers dragged him away.
“…I’m exhausted.”
Back in the tent, Danseol collapsed onto the cot. After days of riding, her whole body ached.
As if that weren’t enough, she had been stuck beside Yi Gyeom the entire time, doubling her fatigue.
“He really has a talent for making things difficult.”
She sighed, untying her hair. Silky strands cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall.
Just a while ago, she had nearly died from panic.
Who could’ve imagined that a general would dump a matter like that on her? Though she’d managed to handle it with quick thinking, her heart still pounded at the memory.
It was satisfying to see the rude man punished, but she felt no gratitude toward Gyeom.
“He said, ‘You should go rest while I attend the meeting.’ How kind.”
He had stirred everything up, then calmly gone off to his war council—truly infuriating.
“I need to think carefully about what to do next.”
Lying back, she stared at the tent ceiling.
Following him here had been hard enough, but what lay ahead would be even harder. She took out the poison herbs she had secretly stolen from the royal infirmary.
Her plan was simple—use them to take revenge on Yi Gyeom and escape in the ensuing chaos.
It would be difficult, yes—but she had no other choice.
“I’ll do it… somehow.”
Her murmuring voice grew drowsy. Fatigue from the journey weighed heavy on her, and her eyes fluttered shut.
Danseol soon drifted into sleep.
“Your Majesty, allow me to escort you to your tent.”
Tayeom, who had been waiting outside, quickly followed Gyeom as he left the council. They had been in the meeting for two full hours since arriving at the rear camp.
“Where is Lady Dan?”
“She seemed tired and fell asleep without eating, Your Majesty.”
At that, Gyeom clicked his tongue. The only food she’d had was a rice ball and some dried meat earlier in the day—unsatisfactory.
“Make sure she’s served a proper meal tomorrow.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
They had been eating hastily on the move for days, but now that they were stationed, there was no need to continue like that. And Gyeom disliked seeing Danseol grow thinner by the day.
“If fruit can be found, serve that as well.”
“As you command.”
Danseol preferred fruit over meat. When Gyeom learned she had been more delighted by the fruits sent by the Grand Queen Dowager than by the meat dishes he had sent, he had felt oddly irritated.
He couldn’t understand her tastes—but since she ate so little, it was better to get her what she liked.
Lost in thought, Gyeom was making his way toward the tent when—
“Your Majesty.”
A man suddenly knelt before him, blocking his path.
“Who dares stand in His Majesty’s way?”
“I am Joo Dan, royal physician of the Medical Corps.”
At Tayeom’s question, Joo Dan introduced himself.
“What brings a physician here at this hour?”
Joo Dan was one of the medics treating the wounded and plague-stricken soldiers. He had no reason to be here before the supreme commander.
“I have a request, Your Majesty.”
“Speak.”
“We wish to ask for Lady Dan’s assistance.”
At the unexpected request, both Gyeom and Tayeom were momentarily speechless.
Then Gyeom’s expression darkened.
“…Why is everyone trying to lay hands on what’s mine today?”
His low, dangerous chuckle made Joo Dan flinch—but he did not back down.
“I know it is a bold request, but we truly need her help.”
“And why is that?”
If the reason wasn’t good enough, Gyeom could already feel his temper rising. He was weary from the march, and his nerves were raw from dealing with that insolent general earlier.
“As Your Majesty knows, we lack enough medics to care for the sick and wounded.”
“And?”
“I have heard that Lady Dan is well-versed in medicine and pharmacology…”
Joo Dan’s voice trailed off as Gyeom unsheathed his sword and drove it into the ground before his face.
“Unbelievable. I will not entertain this request.”
“I only speak as a physician—my plea is for the good of the realm.”
“More likely, it’s due to your incompetence. Or perhaps the Empress put you up to it.”
“……”
“I will pretend I didn’t hear your request.”
Gyeom brushed past him and continued toward the tent.
‘Why am I so angry?’
Even as he strode quickly away, his fury wouldn’t subside.
The absurd part was that even he didn’t quite understand the reason.
It simply enraged him whenever others treated Danseol carelessly. Perhaps, because she was his concubine, any slight toward her felt like a slight toward himself.
At first, she had been nothing more than a tool—something to use and discard. But now, she was affecting his mood.
He stepped into the tent—and froze.
Danseol lay asleep on the cot, completely unguarded. Despite his repeated warnings, she slept in trousers that showed the shape of her legs, her serene face calm in slumber.
She not only affected his emotions, but now even her mere sleeping form held his gaze captive.
What a dangerous woman indeed.
