I Became My Ex-Boyfriend’s Concubine - Chapter 47

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 47

Ja-o-cho.
It was a species of poisonous herb, and the liquid extracted from its crushed form was potent enough to paralyze a person instantly merely from grazing the tip of their tongue—such was the venom it contained.
Yet because its natural growing conditions were so exacting, the danger it posed had never become widely known.
It was a plant that could grow only when precise humidity and special terrain converged.
Even within the Capital City, only the Southeastern Region satisfied those exacting conditions, allowing Ja-o-cho to flourish in dense clusters there.
The current ruler had maintained and carefully managed that Ja-o-cho. The lethal paralytic properties, in a manner of speaking, made it an excellent medicinal substance.
It had proven invaluable in medicine—during grave procedures to excise tissue, the affected area could be briefly numbed to ease pain—and so the ruler had been keeping it under strict rationing, maintaining only small quantities.
The problem, however, was that the owner of that private land, the only place where Ja-o-cho grew, was none other than Woo Sang.
“Ja-o-cho wrapped in paper was discovered hidden inside the creature’s molars.”
At the ruler’s quiet voice, the officials stirred and murmured in unison. Immediately, every gaze converged on Woo Sang.
Woo Sang squeezed his eyes shut against the sharp scrutiny bearing down upon him.
Should any trouble arise, the assassins had Ja-o-cho embedded deep within their molars so they could take their own lives—and now, of all things, it had been discovered.
In the weighty silence that settled over the hall, Woo Sang drew a measured breath. Then, composing his expression into one of utter composure, he bowed deeply to the ruler.
“Forgive me, Your Majesty.”
“……Forgive you?”
The ruler demanded clarification, his meaning unclear. Woo Sang lowered his gaze to the floor and bit his lip.
Being caught before the assassins could even take their own lives had been unforeseen, but he could not afford to show panic.
His mind raced.
“It appears I failed in my stewardship of the Ja-o-cho and it was stolen, Your Majesty.”
The ruler’s fingers, which had been tapping against the armrest, stilled.
“Stolen?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. It is entirely my negligence.”
“That precious herb—the one I ensured not a single blade of grass could leave the enclosure without my permission.”
The ruler leaned forward, his gaze piercing through Woo Sang like a blade.
“And the assassins targeting my life happened to choose that very herb?”
“Forgive me. There have been recent reports of suspicious individuals lurking about the fields, and I had been strengthening our defenses. But I never imagined they would attempt something so heinous.”
Woo Sang kept his waist deeply bowed, his lips pressed tight. For now, this was the only way out.
It was not an entirely baseless claim.
Indeed, there were always those who coveted Ja-o-cho for its properties.
It was a hasty improvisation born of desperation, yet it left him an avenue of escape for later.
With physical evidence in hand, he could push forward brazenly.
One need only turn it around—who would take something from his own land and present it as evidence of his own treachery? It was absurd.
Of course, whether the ruler would believe him was another matter entirely.
Just as sweat began to seep from his clenched fists, the ruler, buried deep in his seat, opened his mouth.
“I see.”
Woo Sang’s eyelids trembled faintly. The response was milder than he had anticipated.
“But Woo Sang.”
The ruler’s face twisted into a cruel smile beneath the blood streaking it.
“If what you say is true—that you were robbed—then the guilt of such incompetence could hardly be light.”
“Your Majesty, I shall bear whatever punishment you deem fitting.”
“……Ha ha.”
The ruler’s laughter spilled forth, low and terrible. White teeth flashed between his bloodstained lips.
“Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha!”
Mad, uncontrolled laughter echoed through the Grand Hall.
Woo Sang pressed his forehead to the floor, his fists clenched white.
With each laugh the ruler released, Kim Panseo’s shoulders beside him began to shake like aspen leaves.
After laughing for some time, the ruler’s expression suddenly cleared, and he looked down at Woo Sang.
“Woo Sang. Whether I should admire your audacity or condemn your shameless face that dares strike the heavens, I cannot decide.”
“Your Majesty, I do not understand such words——”
“While I was interrogating the assassins at the Hunting Grounds, I uncovered a most interesting fact.”
The ruler tapped his finger against the armrest. Tap. Tap. With each sound, Woo Sang’s heart hammered louder.
“The Ja-o-cho. For some reason, it was discovered in large quantities in the deepest recesses of Suk Won’s Bedchamber.”
“……!”
Woo Sang’s pupils dilated in shock.
Panic seized him.
‘How could it have been found in Suk Won’s quarters?’
His mind went blank, flashing white. He had never sent the Ja-o-cho to Suk Won, nor had he breathed a word of this operation to her.
With Hyeon keeping such close watch over her, he’d feared that any leak of information would unravel the entire scheme.
Then how—how in heaven’s name had the Ja-o-cho appeared in Suk Won’s chambers?
Was it a blunder by the assassins, or had Suk Won acted independently? After a moment’s consideration, Woo Sang shook his head.
That couldn’t be. She was a child who followed her father’s every word with devotion.
But regardless of the reason, there was only one way out of this snare. Woo Sang drew a breath, his decision made, and opened his mouth slowly.
“Your Majesty… though it grieves me deeply to speak it, all my doubts seem now resolved.”
Woo Sang pressed his forehead to the floor, his voice trembling with emotion.
“The Ja-o-cho was a precious tonic I sent my daughter for her health. The girl’s constitution has always been frail, so I sent her small portions to strengthen her body…”
Woo Sang raised his head brazenly to meet Hyeon’s gaze. Tears had already gathered at the corners of his eyes—tears of feigned grievance.
“How it fell into the hands of assassins aimed at Your Majesty, I cannot fathom. It must be that Suk Won betrayed her father’s love for such a sinister purpose!”
Woo Sang’s voice cut through the air, sharp as a blade.
“Your Majesty! Though she is my daughter, treason admits no pardon under law. I beseech you—as her father, I implore you to execute her according to the statutes!”
The air in the Grand Hall turned heavy and still.
Woo Sang pressed his lips together in silence. This was the only way.
To deny it all would be futile—every circumstance pointed to him. The king would never believe his protestations.
He thought of Suk Won.
She was already a spent chess piece. A pawn that had already served its purpose in the king’s game.
Now it was time to cast her aside.
Then it came.
“……Ha ha.”
A cold laugh bloomed at the corners of Hyeon’s mouth.
He laughed for a long moment before his expression suddenly hardened. His eyes had turned dark as flint.
“Woo Sang. You are indeed a remarkable father—to abandon your own daughter so readily on a mere falsehood from me.”
Woo Sang’s face went rigid in an instant.
“…A falsehood, Your Majesty? What do you mean?”
“No Ja-o-cho was found in Suk Won’s chambers. It was bait I cast to see which card you would play. I did not expect you to swallow it so perfectly.”
The color drained from Woo Sang’s face. He had fallen into his own trap.
Hyeon turned toward the Grand Hall’s doors, a bitter smile playing on his lips.
“Suk Won, come in.”
The heavy door opened once more. At the same moment, Dan Bi stepped inside, dressed in a blue silk robe.
Woo Sang could not bring himself to turn around. His limbs trembled uncontrollably.
Hyeon descended from his seat and gently took Dan Bi’s hand. Then, to the bowing courtiers, he spoke in a voice as cold as winter.
“Your father has just now cast you out in this very place. He called you the ringleader of a traitor’s plot against me, and begged that your head be severed at once.”
Hyeon looked directly into Dan Bi’s eyes as he continued.
“But I saw clearly who it was that risked her own life to shield me from the assassin’s blade.”
Woo Sang’s head snapped up, his ears refusing to believe what they heard.
What?
“You have saved your king’s life, and as the ruler of this realm, I honor that deed.”
Suk Won had saved the king’s life? But why? Had she actually fought off the assassins…?
Unable to comprehend the situation before him, Woo Sang stood vacant-eyed. His mind collapsed inward, unable to find any way out.
“Speak now, Suk Won.”
Hyeon’s voice cut across the back of Woo Sang’s neck like a blade.
“What is your wish as payment for saving my life? Whatever you desire, I shall grant it freely.”
Cold sweat poured down Woo Sang’s spine like rain. The fingertips pressed against the floor trembled without mercy.
His life’s thread hung upon the words that would leave her lips.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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