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The sun had nearly set, and at last, it was time for the banquet to begin. Hundreds of lanterns hanging above illuminated the once-dark hall, and the silk laid across the floor shimmered like rolling waves beneath their light.

The two foreign delegations, along with Jaeul’s royal family and officials, made their way to their assigned seats, exchanging a few words with those beside them. Palace maids and eunuchs stood ready nearby, serving food and drink or waiting to attend to any need.

The imperial guards, swords at their sides, stood at intervals throughout the hall. Sahol watched them intently, while Seo-oh, glancing at him, took a moment to survey the grand scene. To fill such a vast space with so many lavish decorations—Jaeul truly was a land of wealth.

‘No wonder Susa never stood a chance in the war.’

She clicked her tongue, recalling the Crown Princess who had so foolishly dragged Susa into battle.

Bu-yeong arrived at the banquet hall, her heart pounding with nerves as she stepped down from the palanquin. Despite her dislike of Gok-heon, she was the rightful and duty-bound empress of Jaeul. Surely every eye in the hall would turn to her, if only for a moment.

If she had wanted to humiliate Gok-heon, she would have appeared in rags that not even a street woman would wear. However, Bu-yeong didn’t want outsiders to underestimate Jaeul. That was why she endured the crushing weight of her finery, even though her head was throbbing.

Jaeul was the country her father had loved. He took pride in serving as an official and earning his salary through state work. Bu-yeong remembered how her father would smile with satisfaction when he saw people living a little better each day. For his sake, she refused to undermine Jaeul’s dignity.

She didn’t care if Jaeul’s people looked down on her or mocked the fallen empress. However, in front of the Susa and Sui delegations, she wanted to appear as dignified as possible.

Standing at the entrance to the banquet hall in her purple ceremonial robes, Bu-yeong steadied herself. Just then, Gok-heon approached, having descended from the dais. Sensing someone nearby, Bu-yeong glanced in his direction. Seeing him wearing a crown and wide purple court robes, she was struck, just for a moment, by the realisation that Gok-heon truly was an emperor.

Gok-heon turned his head absently, but when their eyes met, Bu-yeong quickly looked away in surprise.

“His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress are entering!”

At the chief chamberlain’s loud announcement, everyone who had been sitting and chatting stood at once. Bu-yeong stepped forward and walked alongside Gok-heon. All those who had risen fell to their knees, bowing to the emperor and empress.

Perhaps because she was walking beside Gok-heon, the distance felt impossibly long. The floor beneath her feet might as well have been rough gravel rather than silk; with every step, she wobbled and felt the strain on her neck from the weight of her ornaments.

Suddenly, Bu-yeong’s knees buckled slightly, causing her to trip over her own feet. She nearly stumbled, but Gok-heon quickly caught her by the forearm and pulled her back. In that instant, their eyes met. This time, it was Gok-heon who looked away first.

They continued walking and stopped at the foot of the stairs. Bu-yeong was at a loss. How was she supposed to climb up with all this weight on her head and her long, cumbersome skirt? What if she fell?

Then Gok-heon reached his hand out to her. She hesitated for a moment, then took his hand. Gok-heon’s eyes widened in surprise — he hadn’t expected her to accept.

Together, they climbed the steps and mounted the dais. Gok-heon seated Bu-yeong first, but as soon as she was seated, she quickly withdrew her hand from his grasp. Gok-heon let his hand fall limply before taking his seat beside her.

At his signal, the dancers waiting in the wings glided out to the centre of the hall, while the musicians near the entrance began to play the pipa and beat the drums.

The dancers’ silk costumes clung to their bodies, accentuating their slender waists, while their ankle-length skirts revealed their legs as they danced.

“I’d bet one blow would snap them in half.”

Sahol watched the dancers and made a comment. The Sui tribe’s idea of beauty was a sturdy frame and a healthy build, but these dancers were nothing like that.

Of course, Sahol himself didn’t really understand those standards. Perhaps, he thought, the reason he’d fallen for Bu-yeong was that she was the first woman he’d met whose tastes matched his own.

Seo-oh watched the dancers with a hint of regret.

“If this were Susa, you’d see not just women but handsome men performing as well.”

When the music ended, the musicians set down their instruments, and the dancers lined up and withdrew in order. At the same time, the banquet hall fell silent. With the opening performance over, it was time for the emperor to speak.

“You have all traveled a long way to reach Jaeul. I hope you enjoy your stay here in comfort during the days to come.”

Gok-heon added a few more words of welcome, then raised his wine cup. The chief chamberlain stepped forward and filled his cup to the brim. As soon as Gok-heon emptied his cup in one swift motion, everyone below the dais lifted their cups and drank as well.

When Bu-yeong reached for her own wine, Gok-heon caught her wrist.

“It’s best if you don’t drink, Empress.”

“Why? Did you add something to this wine, too?”

The words slipped out and Bu-yeong immediately felt uneasy. In fact, a dose of medicine had been mixed into the wine — a ball of ground and kneaded herbs. The night before, the Sui tribe and the Crown Princess’s people from Susa had knocked out the guards in the wine cellar and done the deed.

The palace’s chief physician was supposed to sample and inspect the wine before it was served at the banquet, but only the large casks. No one usually tested the individual bottles of wine brought to the banquet tables. Even if someone had, it wouldn’t have mattered. The substance in the bottle wasn’t poisonous.

No, what lay at the bottom was nothing more than a lump that would dissolve completely after about a quarter of an hour, leaving those who drank it deeply asleep for a long time. Sahol, Seo-oh and the other envoys had already taken their antidotes, as had Bu-yeong, who had obtained one from Gye-geum.

“I’m just worried about your health.”

Bu-yeong stared right at Gok-heon and deliberately drank her wine in one gulp. Gok-heon, apparently not expecting her to listen to him anyway, simply watched the drops glisten at the corner of her lips before turning his gaze forward.

As the musicians played the flute and the singers began their songs, Sahol suddenly called out.

“Wait a moment!”

“What is it?”

Bu-yeong feigned innocence.

“With such a grand banquet, isn’t it a shame to listen only to the musicians? I’ve heard the second princess of Susa is quite skilled at the sword dance. Would you show us?”

Sahol signaled to Seo-oh, who rose from her seat as planned.

“It’s not difficult to perform a sword dance, but isn’t it against the rules to draw a sword in the banquet hall?”

That was true, but the envoys from both the Sui and the Susa had managed to secretly smuggle swords into the banquet, concealed at their thighs or waists. Even if the imperial guards were searching for weapons, they couldn’t frisk every inch of a diplomat’s body.

Sahol jumped to his feet and pressed his palms together in a respectful gesture towards Gok-heon.

“Your Majesty, may we have the honor of seeing the princess’s sword dance?”

The request came from the Sui chief himself. If Gok-heon refused, it would imply that Jaeul’s imperial guards were afraid of just one swordsman, rendering them the laughing stock of the entire assembly.

“It is permitted.”

As soon as Gok-heon gave his approval, a member of the Imperial Guard handed his sword to Seo-oh.

“A sword dance wouldn’t be the same without music. Your Majesty the Empress, would you honor us by playing the zither?”

Sahol asked. The moment he finished speaking, Gok-heon looked at Bu-yeong and, in a hushed voice meant for her alone, said,

“You are the empress of the victorious nation. You don’t have to answer their request.”

“I will play the zither.”

“You don’t have to.”

“I will. It’s not as if they’re asking me to dance with the instrument—there’s no need to ruin the mood.”

Before Gok-heon could say anything else, Bu-yeong stood up. At that moment, Chief Court Lady Oh approached her, took her arm and steadied her. Careful not to step on her skirt, Bu-yeong slowly and deliberately made her way down from the dais.

Two eunuchs brought the large zither to the centre of the banquet hall. Bu-yeong sat down in front of the instrument and rested her fingertips on the strings. She hadn’t played in a long time and wasn’t sure how she would fare, but it didn’t matter — before the piece was finished, everything would be set in motion.

Poised and ready, Bu-yeong glanced at Seo-oh. When he nodded, she began to pluck the strings.

The other musicians joined in, beating the drums and playing the jade flute in harmony with her.

Sahol studied Bu-yeong’s profile, narrowing his eyes.

‘Such a beautiful woman. She should have been mine.’

He then glanced sidelong at Seo-oh, who was now dancing with sword in hand, her blade slicing through the air.

‘There’s always a need for a twist.’

Suddenly, Sahol stood up from his seat, strode over to the musician playing the jade flute, and snatched it from him. He began playing it himself. On the surface, it looked as if the three of them—Bu-yeong, Seo-oh, and Sahol—were simply performing together, but the atmosphere was growing tense, almost dangerous.

As the music reached its cl*max, some of Jaeul’s ministers and royal family members began to rub their eyes, fighting off drowsiness.

‘Now.’

Without warning, Sahol spun around and slammed the jade flute against the floor. The broken end of the flute was now sharpened to a point.

At that moment, the zither’s melody abruptly stopped—because Sahol was pressing the sharp jade flute to Bu-yeong’s neck.