Chapter 56
A Perfect Defeat
As autumn reached its final days, the lands of Hwangseon Kingdom were painted in vivid colors. Under the high, clear sky, the mountains shone in peaceful hues of red and gold. Yet, inside the imperial palace, tension hung thick in the air.
That quiet, suffocating tension was suddenly shattered by a single, ringing voice.
“His Majesty has returned! His Majesty has returned!”
The calm palace was thrown into chaos at the news of Gyeom’s return.
“Summon all officials at once! Prepare to receive His Majesty!”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
“We’ll hold a banquet this evening to celebrate his return. Make sure nothing goes amiss!”
At the Grand Dowager Empress’s command, the palace attendants moved swiftly and precisely.
“When will His Majesty arrive at the palace?”
“He passed through the city gates not long ago, so he should arrive within half an hour, Your Grace.”
The Grand Dowager clicked her tongue softly.
“If only he had sent word beforehand…”
It irked her that her grandson, Gyeom, had only announced his arrival when he was practically at the palace gates.
Had he sent a message even a few days earlier, preparations for the welcoming banquet could have been perfect.
“He must be in another one of his moods again.”
Whenever Gyeom was displeased or irritated, he acted out in such childish ways.
Surely… it can’t be because of Lady Dan, can it?
She had once promised to persuade him not to march into battle, yet that very woman had followed him instead. At first, the Grand Dowager was furious. But as the days turned to weeks, and weeks to months, anger was replaced by worry.
Losing Danseol would be a tremendous loss.
Not merely because of the imperial heir she carried.
To the Grand Dowager, Danseol had become more than a concubine — she was family.
With her, the loneliness of palace life faded, and she could rest her mind.
Danseol was one of the few people she could face without the need for schemes or caution.
Having once owed Danseol her life, and knowing the woman had followed Gyeom for the sake of Hwangseon itself, the Grand Dowager’s trust in her grew deeper with every passing day.
“Your Grace, shall we go to greet His Majesty?”
“Yes, let us go.”
The Grand Dowager led the procession from the Hwayeong Pavilion to welcome her grandson home after several long months.
The news of Gyeom’s return soon reached the Empress, Cheon Ihwa.
“Did they say Lady Dan is with the procession?”
The first thing Ihwa asked her maid was about Danseol’s whereabouts.
If all had gone as planned, Danseol would not have been there.
But the maid’s uneasy expression shattered her hopeful tone.
“They say Lady Dan was seen at the head of His Majesty’s procession, Your Majesty.”
Bang!
Ihwa slammed her fist down on the table, making the maid flinch.
That wretched woman!
She had sent Danseol to a perilous battlefield hoping she’d never return — yet the woman had not only survived but come back alive. Ihwa wanted to tear her apart.
“When the procession arrives, send word to my father to come to Geonwol Hall immediately.”
The maid’s expression grew even more troubled.
“Your Majesty… it is said that the Grand General did not return with the procession.”
“What? You mean my father hasn’t returned to Hwangseon?”
“Well, that is…”
At Ihwa’s sharp tone, the maid hesitated nervously before stammering out her words.
“Th-the Emperor has ordered that the Grand General remain confined at his estate… until judgment is passed.”
The maid’s voice trembled, close to tears.
Ihwa’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“…A criminal? What nonsense is this?”
Her father had gone to bring glory to the empire — how could he return as a criminal?
It was impossible. Unthinkable.
Her father, Cheon Taesu, stood at the pinnacle of power. Not even Gyeom should be able to disgrace him publicly without irrefutable reason.
“I—I only heard rumors, Your Majesty. I don’t know the full truth.”
The maid fell to her knees, trembling.
She knew what happened to those who angered Ihwa.
But the Empress barely noticed her fear.
“I’ll confirm it with my own eyes.”
Until she saw it herself, she refused to believe such madness.
She stormed out of Geonwol Hall, her attendants hurrying after her, exchanging anxious glances.
They could only hope nothing disastrous awaited them.
* * *
“Your Majesty… could you please let me down now?”
Danseol shifted uncomfortably, whispering in a low voice.
“Why?” Gyeom asked calmly.
“We’ll be at the palace soon.”
“So?”
Her brows furrowed at his tone, as if he didn’t understand the problem at all.
“There will be too many eyes watching. Please… let me down.”
Even as she pleaded, Gyeom didn’t release her.
Instead, he tightened the reins and pulled her closer into his arms.
“Your Majesty,” she warned softly.
“Is this really such a problem?” he murmured, his tone relaxed and unbothered.
She couldn’t see his face from where she sat, but his voice carried an unmistakable amusement — and that made her even more uneasy.
“No matter how favored I am, this is against the royal code,” she said firmly.
The imperial palace thrived on strict hierarchies.
Even the Empress herself could not publicly ride in the Emperor’s arms before the officials.
Such behavior would only tarnish the sanctity of the throne.
“Then I’ll just change the code,” he said simply.
“That’s not what I meant—”
“What kind of law forbids a man from holding his wife? Useless laws shouldn’t exist.”
His deep voice rumbled above her head. Danseol exhaled quietly.
Is he doing this just to torment me?
She could only think of his actions as cruel teasing.
After all, they weren’t truly husband and wife.
There were no feelings between them — only distrust and resentment.
“Laws exist for people, not the other way around,” he added.
“Do as you please, Your Majesty,” she muttered.
Turning away, she fixed her gaze on the autumn-colored mountains instead.
It irritated her that he justified his whims with noble reasoning.
And worse, she hated how helpless she felt — unable to do anything but turn her head away.
Every breath that brushed the back of her neck, every faint contact of his chest against her back, made her pulse quicken despite herself.
“Long live His Majesty, conqueror of Yuldoguk and bringer of glory to Hwangseon!”
“Long live His Majesty!”
As Gyeom and his returning army passed through the great palace gates, officials lined up on both sides, shouting their praises in unison.
This is mortifying.
Danseol wished she could disappear.
She hadn’t earned any of this praise, yet here she was — seated at the Emperor’s front, the center of attention. It was unbearable.
“Your safe return brings me great joy, Your Majesty.”
The Grand Dowager Empress approached with a warm smile.
“All thanks to Lady Dan, of course,” Gyeom replied smoothly.
Every head turned toward Danseol, and she wished the ground would swallow her whole.
“I did nothing worthy of such words.”
“Did you not attend to me day and night, body and mind alike?” he said, his tone soft — but laced with dangerous undertones.
Her neck flushed crimson.
The way he said it made it sound… indecent.
The knowing glances and raised brows around her confirmed that everyone else thought the same. Heat crawled up her face.
“And she discovered the cause of the epidemic among our soldiers,” he added, voice calm and deliberate.
The sharp looks aimed her way turned to surprise.
Danseol let out a quiet sigh of relief.
“I was worried when I heard you’d joined the campaign,” the Grand Dowager said kindly. “But you’ve done splendidly.”
“I am honored, Your Grace.”
“Thanks to you, His Majesty has returned safely. I am grateful.”
Danseol smiled faintly — but the calm didn’t last long.
“Strange,” Gyeom said suddenly, eyes shifting. “The Empress doesn’t seem pleased by my return.”
“Of course I am, Your Majesty,” Ihwa replied quickly, forcing a polite bow.
But her composure cracked at his next words.
“And where is the Grand General? I don’t see him.”
Though she already knew, Ihwa feigned ignorance — denying the truth with her last bit of pride.
“You must not have heard yet,” Gyeom said coolly.
“Grand General Cheon Taesu violated military law and is confined to his estate awaiting judgment.
It wouldn’t do for a criminal to enter the palace on such a celebratory day, would it?”
“What could he have possibly done—”
“You look pale,” Gyeom interrupted, not even letting her finish.
“You must be tired.”
He didn’t look at her again. His gaze shifted to Danseol — a complete dismissal.
“I’m fine, Your Majesty,” Danseol replied softly, glancing at Ihwa from the corner of her eye.
Such arrogance…
Ihwa’s jaw tightened. From Gyeom’s arms, Danseol looked down at her with that faint, polite smile — as if mocking her.
And she was right to feel mocked.
Danseol’s mere presence there — held by the Emperor, aware of Taesu’s disgrace — was a blatant insult to the Empress herself.
That filthy wretch dares!
Ihwa seethed with fury and humiliation.
Despite her plain face, unadorned hair, and masculine trousers, Danseol shone brighter than anyone.
Next to her, Ihwa’s jeweled silks felt gaudy and hollow. She clenched her embroidered skirt in trembling fists.
She felt like a flower with no fragrance — one that bees and butterflies ignored.
Her father had returned in chains, while that lowborn woman basked in glory.
Without lifting a finger, Danseol had utterly crushed the Empress.
“Your Majesty,” the Grand Dowager interjected quickly, sensing the growing tension. “You must be tired. You should rest before the evening banquet.”
“Ah, that’s right,” Gyeom said, turning toward Ihwa as if recalling something trivial.
“Oh — Empress.”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“There’s no need for you to attend the banquet.”
“…Pardon?”
“It’s only considerate,” he said with a faint smile. “Given how troubled you must be over your father’s situation.”
Then he turned away — leaving Ihwa standing there, her face frozen in silent, perfect defeat.
