Chapter 34
Preparations for Revenge
“This is where the medicinal ingredients used by the Royal Clinic are stored.”
When Seorang pushed open the heavy door of the pavilion, the spectacle she had seen briefly before unfolded again. Rows upon rows of drawers holding herbs stretched as far as the eye could see, giving her the illusion of standing inside a library.
The scale and the variety of herbs stored here were impressive even upon a second look.
“You, Danguiin, truly have a deep passion for learning.”
“Ah…”
Seorang appeared to be interpreting Danseol’s sparkling eyes as something else. Embarrassed for no good reason, Danseol closed her mouth and lowered her head.
If he knew her real purpose, Seorang might faint.
“The smell of the herbs is strong, so cover your nose and mouth with this for now.”
Danseol covered her face with the cloth Seorang handed her and stepped into the storage room.
“These herbs are washed and dried outside before they’re brought in. Then they’re classified by effect—”
“Court physician.”
Danseol stuck close to him and called out to Seorang, who was pointing out the various things in the storage.
“You must be busy. I’ll look around myself.”
“Oh, very well. I’ll be here if you need anything—call for me anytime.”
“Thank you.”
Seorang looked a little taken aback at being declined and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck before stepping away to do his work near the entrance of the storage room.
‘This distance should be enough.’
Even if she didn’t completely leave Seorang’s sight, the storage was so large that, if she was careful, she could steal a few herbs without arousing suspicion.
Pretending to browse the storage, Danseol slowly walked between the cabinets.
‘This section must be for treating respiratory illnesses.’
As Seorang had said, the herbs were sorted by effect. Each drawer even had a nameplate, so she didn’t have to open them to know what was inside.
‘I should go a little deeper…’
Danseol glanced toward Seorang near the entrance. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to be paying her much attention.
She moved quietly farther inside. The herbs in front were familiar even to commoners. The ones she sought would be deeper.
Seizing the chance while Seorang was still turned away, Danseol went further in. Indeed, there were precious herbs here—some even dangerous to use recklessly.
‘…Found it!’
A glow came to Danseol’s face as she checked the nameplates one by one. This herb was commonly used as the main component in poison administered to criminals.
Just as she reached to open the drawer containing the herb—
“Physician! Physician!”
A door burst open and a man who appeared to be a palace worker from the apothecary rushed in.
“What is all this commotion?”
“A messenger just arrived from the south.”
The south referred to the region at war with Yuldo Country.
“And?”
“There are endemic diseases and even an epidemic… The border areas to the south are in bad shape.”
“They requested reinforcements, then.”
“Not only reinforcements. They’re drafting large numbers of medical personnel to send south. So please go with them. Elder Sui has ordered that all physicians be gathered.”
Seorang finally grasped the gravity of the situation and hurriedly finished his task.
“Ah—Miss Danseol.”
When Seorang hurried forward, Danseol hastily withdrew her hand from the drawer.
“I’m so sorry. Because of the emergency at the Royal Clinic, you’ll have to leave for now.”
“That’s all right. I don’t mind.”
Danseol smiled politely and waved him off.
“Thank you. I’ll accompany you to the entrance.”
“No, it sounds like an important matter. I’ll go alone. Until next time.”
Danseol refused Seorang’s offer and left the Royal Clinic.
‘That would have been disastrous if I’d been caught.’
When Danseol touched the wide sleeve of her robe, a faint rustling sound came. While Seorang had been talking with the palace worker, she had slipped the herb—used as the primary ingredient in state poison—into her sleeve.
With that, all preparations were complete.
She would kill Lee Gyeom and exact her revenge.
“Mother, General-in-Chief has arrived.”
“Bring him in.”
Led by palace attendants, Cheon Taesu entered the room where Ihwa sat.
“Mother, have you been well?”
“Thanks to the General-in-Chief, I have. Please, sit.”
Cheon Taesu sat opposite Ihwa. At Ihwa’s signal, the attendants who had been standing at attention left the room.
“Have you learned anything about that woman?”
Ihwa cut straight to the point when they were alone.
“She’s from Seolhwa Country.”
Taesu provided the answer Ihwa wanted.
“Seolhwa Country… any more details?”
“General Cheongyeon captured her in Seolhwa and presented her to the Empress Dowager as a palace attendant. Beyond that, we haven’t discovered anything.”
They had tried to get information from Cheongyeon, who had apprehended Danseol, but he knew very little.
“Huh, is that so.”
Ihwa’s face showed disappointment. She had firmly believed that, as Taesu stood at the pinnacle of power, he would know something about Danseol.
‘So she’s truly just a plain commoner?’
That would explain why Taesu found nothing. Nobles leave traces wherever they go, but an unknown commoner does not.
Still, Danseol carried an odd presence for a commoner—her behavior, her speech, and the knowledge she possessed were anything but ordinary.
“Perhaps His Majesty has noticed.”
“…What? His Majesty?”
Ihwa frowned when Lee Gyeom’s name was mentioned. After their argument about Gyeom’s matter, the relationship between them had grown colder. They no longer even performed the formal divination to select auspicious days for their union.
“Stop wasting manpower on such nonsense,” Gyeom had ordered. Though the union with the Empress was important for succession, Gyeom called it a needless affair. There were concubines to bear heirs, so he would not keep the Empress nearby.
Ihwa blamed Danseol for the public shame she had suffered and intended to seize any weakness to punish that insolent woman.
But it wasn’t going smoothly.
“A few days ago we trailed her, but His Majesty ordered immediate punishment.”
Taesu explained that they had only secretly attached people to watch over Danseol. But Gyeom had noticed and had executed the watchers.
‘Don’t meddle with this woman anymore.’
It was less a punishment than a warning—an unspoken threat not to cross him.
“After that, it became difficult to gather information.”
“I take it someone’s obstructing from the middle.”
It wasn’t hard to deduce that the someone was Lee Gyeom.
‘What right does that woman have to be so favored!’
Ihwa ground her teeth.
What puzzled her most was Gyeom’s attitude toward Danseol. Others said he was simply captivated by her beauty, but Ihwa knew better. Gyeom was not a man to be swayed by mere looks; he was coldly calculating.
‘He wouldn’t keep her near him without reason. There must be another motive…’
Not knowing that motive drove her mad.
“Please continue investigating her, General-in-Chief. I’ll help as much as I can.”
“I’ll do my best, but it may be difficult for a while.”
“Why?”
Ihwa’s brow furrowed again.
“There’s a request for reinforcements from the south. I’ll be busy with that.”
A commander for the southern deployment hadn’t been determined yet, but Taesu intended to send forces there.
‘If we gain one more foothold, the preparation time for the coup will shorten.’
Raising an army large enough to strike the capital with only Seolhwa’s northern territories would be tight. They needed another base, away from Gyeom’s gaze, to train private soldiers undetected.
Yuldo Country in the south—remote and rugged—would be ideal.
“With endemic and epidemic diseases raging, and medical staff being sent, I cannot simply stand by as General-in-Chief.”
“State affairs must take precedence.”
Although Ihwa felt inwardly disappointed that her father would step back when it didn’t benefit him, she showed no outward sign.
‘I knew he was like this…’
Cheon Taesu ignored anything that didn’t serve him, even family matters.
‘I’ll do what I must.’
Ihwa resolved to demonstrate her strength and punish Danseol, proving herself to a father who subtly distrusted her.
