๋ก๊ทธ์ธ๊ณต์
Reason to Stay
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๋ฐ์ดํธ:
2022-05-08 12:51:45
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Conquering The Emperorย ย ย Regaining Freedom
We repeated these loops of arguments and passionate love making for almost a week while I was locked up in his room. It was probably on the sixth or seventh day, I didnโt even bother to count the days anymore, that Shin came to let me out. It was an utter disappointment that tore at my heart that the man who finally let me out of that place was Shin and not Ren. I wasnโt sure how Shin came to know of our issue or how he managed to let me out or if he had Renโs permission. I was deeply disappointed, but I was thankful to regain a little of my freedom back. The saddest part was that after almost a week, Ren and I were still not able to reach any kind of understanding. โGeneral Shinโฆโ I heard a manโs voice outside. It must be one of the guards that were guarding my room. If I didnโt hear incorrectly, then Shin was here.Shin! Shin is here?!A few words were exchanged and then I heard the sound of the door being unlocked from the outside. It wasnโt noon yet so usually Ren wouldnโt be b
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-05-08Conquering The Emperorย ย ย Fallen Angel
โAuntieโฆwhy is Jeely being arrested? This must be some kind of mistakeโฆโ I said, still stunned at what I was witnessing. โTreason. The crown prince ordered for her arrest on grounds of treasonโฆโ Auntie murmured softly. Ren ordered Jeely to be arrested for committing treason? She had started to cry openly now. I watched as wet drops of tears rolled down both her cheeks. Jeely grew up in this inner court since she was a little child. To Auntie, she must feel like her very own child. I wrapped an arm around Auntieโs shoulder in an attempt to comfort her as much as I could. I felt her body shaking from her sobs and it tore at my heart. I wasnโt sure if it was my own imagination, but I believed that when Jeely past us on the pathway, our eyes met. She looked straight at me, but she didnโt say anything. Jeelyโฆthis has to be some kind of mistake, right? โWhere are you going?โ Auntie asked in a panic when I let go of her and started turning away. โTo see the crown prince!โ I replied lo
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-05-08Conquering The Emperorย ย ย Unfortunate Truth
โIโll tryโฆโ I replied. โIf you donโt think of yourself, you should think of your future child. Youโve already slept with him, right? You could already be with child,โ Shin said casually.I couldnโt blame him for his words because he probably didnโt know how much it impacted me. Once again, Shin was thinking for my own good. I bit my lower lip as my hand instinctively touched my abdomen. I didnโt just sleep with Ren; weโve done it so many timesโฆWhen we finally arrived at Renโs palace, Shin led me to his study where we found Ren sitting with a frown on his face at his work desk. I remembered the last time I was here, I helped him clean up the room and organized documents. It was a very fun day with a light and cheerful atmosphere. Although it was the exact same room, the atmosphere was dark and overly serious today. โWhy did you bring her here?โ Ren spoke up without looking in our direction. โLady White Lotus would like to speak to you. Iโll take my leave now,โ Shin said and quickly
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-05-11Conquering The Emperorย ย ย Begging
I remembered the prideful look on Jeelyโs face when she told me that she is a princess representing her town. Her loyalty to the crown prince should know no end. How could someone like her commit such a crime? โJeely is the only case where Kin never asked for her to be transferred to his inner court. Yet, he favors her enough to visit her regularly over the years. Of course, I decided to turn a blind eye to all of it. Those two took my mercy for something else which is quite unfortunate for them both. My inner court is like my backyard, how can I possibly not know what goes on there?โ Ren explained ending with a little amused laugh. โBut if youโve always turned a blind eye, why are you punishing her for it now?โ I asked. โIโm not punishing her for sleeping around with my brother. Iโm punishing her for setting you up with my brother,โ Ren said. Although his tone was flat, I could still sense some anger in his words. โโฆWhat?โ I said cluelessly, unable to believe what I have just hea
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-05-11Conquering The Emperorย ย ย Honest Confession
โLift your head right now, Rinโฆโ Ren said as his feet came within my line of sight. I could feel his presence close to me and knew that he had come to stand in front of me. โIโll only lift my head after you allow me to see Jeely,โ I stated stubbornly.โRinโฆโ Ren said my name with an edge to his voice. โPlease just let me see her!โ I cried out in frustration. I could hear Renโs footsteps as he paced about, and I could sense his frustration. My guilt bubbled up inside me; I didnโt want to do something like this, but I didnโt have any other options left. I apologized inwardly to Ren. I knew that I was pushing him and that I was being unreasonable but no matter what, I just couldnโt give up on this. โโฆtake Shin with youโฆโ Ren said softly. Did I heard that correctly or am I just dreaming? Renโฆhe finally granted my wish. I lifted my head up and looked up at him. Ren reached out for me and slowly helped me up to my feet. โThank you, Renโฆand I am so sorryโฆโ I said softly. โYou should h
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-05-11Conquering The Emperorย ย ย Understanding
Finally, I managed to say everything that I needed to say. I finally told him everything that really happened that day. What happens from now will be up to Ren. โLet go of meโฆโ Ren said softly as he tugged on my arms. Slowly, I let go of him and he turned around to face me. Before I could say anything more, Ren pulled me into a tight hug. His arms hugged me tightly to him as his large hand cradled the back of my head, pushing my head against his chest. I started sobbing softly into his embrace as he continued to hold me. โRinโฆIโm sorry,โ Ren whispered softly as he stroked my back comfortingly. I blinked in surprise. Did Ren just apologize to me? This is probably the first time that he properly apologized to me. No, this is probably the first time I have ever heard Ren apologize. I stood there stunned at his sudden apology. The crown prince just apologized to me. To be honest, I was more shocked than happy at that moment. โRenโฆโ I whispered his name.I didnโt quite know what to sa
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-05-11Conquering The Emperorย ย ย Underground Prison
Tomorrow, Shin would take me to see Jeely on the condition that he would always be present during our talk. I readily agreed to that, knowing that there was no point in trying to negotiate. Shin was someone that I trust as well, so it wasnโt like I had things to keep away from him. I would probably feel more secured and reassured if he was there with me as well. I spent some time before bed praying that something good would come out of my meeting with Jeely tomorrow. The morning arrived and after getting ready, I met Shin in the living room in my palace. He was early while I was roughly on time. Just as expected, I didnโt get a good nightโs sleep the night before. Naturally, I was worried and stressed over my meeting with Jeely. Although I had pushed so hard for it, when it came down to it, I wasnโt quite sure what I wanted to say to her. Rather, I wasnโt sure how I would handle her reactions or the things that she would have to say. โAre you ready to go?โ Shin asked when he saw me
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-05-11Conquering The Emperorย ย ย Conversations with an Angel
I flinched back in fear at her very hostile attitude. Her frail arms reached out between the bars towards me and I quicky took a few steps backward. Shin took a few steps forward towards us immediately and the look on his face was grave. โShin, wait!โ I cried out to stop him. Shin halted before turning to look at me to make sure that I was alright before turning to look at Jeely. I could tell that Shin was concerned for me; however, it wasnโt like Jeely could physically hurt me since she was behind bars. I nodded a little to Shin to signal that I was ok. Hesitantly, Shin backed away into the shadows again. โJeely. Itโs not like that. Since Iโve seen your arrest, Iโve been talking to the crown prince to help you. If you can just tell me what really happened or if this was some type of misunderstanding, then Iโm sure...โ I began saying; however, Jeelyโs hysterical laugh cut me off.โMisunderstanding? There is no such thingโฆโ Jeely said in between gritted teeth. โYou canโt meanโฆโ I w
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2022-05-13
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Conquering The Emperorย ย ย Forever with You
โReally? I think youโre as young and as pretty as beforeโฆif not more prettyโฆโ Ren said reassuringly before he bent down to kiss my cheek tenderly.Although I knew that he was probably just saying it to please me, I couldnโt help but feel my heart flutter at his words. The truth was that I have aged, and I definitely donโt look as fresh or young as I did all those years ago. Even I wasnโt foolish enough to believe that I havenโt aged. โThank you, Renโฆbut thatโs not really the pointโฆโ I replied with a small laugh. โCanโt we try for one more? Pleaseโฆjust one moreโฆโ Ren pleaded sweetly. โBut we already have three childrenโฆโ I pointed out. โBut we donโt have a daughter yetโฆโ Ren said with a sigh as he looked depressed and deflated. I wanted to roll my eyes at fate. Most women had problem pleasing their husband and his family because they couldnโt produce a son. In my case, I had no problem producing sons, but my husband was adamant in wanting a daughter so that he could spoil her like
Conquering The Emperorย ย ย Proud Achievements
My political influence changed again when I became pregnant with my second child and soon gave birth to another very healthy son. Having two sons for the emperor gave the entire empire confidence that the line of succession is secure. Despite Prince Kinโs women giving birth to a few sons as well at that point, it was clear that the line of succession will continue in Renโs branch of the family, much to the dowager empressโs joy. Strangely, I have developed an amicable relationship with the dowager empress over the years as she had taken much interest in her great grandchildren. Naturally, I was favored without needing to do anything much. Unfortunately, the dowager empress passed away from old age before she got to see the face of our third child. To my utmost surprise and to many othersโ jealousy, she had chosen to leave all her treasures to me so that I could distribute it to my childrenโs wives when they got married. I cried so much at her funeral that Ren had to step in and lead
Conquering The Emperorย ย ย My Children
Lately Ren has found his work as the emperor boring and repetitive. As a result, he has been spending more time with me and our children. That was a great thing for me and our family, but I wasnโt sure if it was best for the empire. โShin can take care of most things. Heโs unmarried, has no kids, and loves the empire. Heโs perfect for the job,โ Ren said before laughing loudly. That was his response when I asked him about skipping out on some of his royal duties. Itโs been around 7 years now since Ren and I got married but Shin was still as single and free as a bird. Despite our efforts to get him to settle down, Shin had some how successfully evaded the topic of marriage all together. Even an arrangement by the previous emperor couldnโt tie him down. Shin now considers my children as his own and acts as their loving godfather. โฆWhen we arrived back at the main palace, I was greeted by my second son, Rem. Rem is more of a carefree spirit compared to Rou. He doesnโt seem super devot
Conquering The Emperorย ย ย Starting a Family
โIt sounds very complicated. In my town, weddings are something that you celebrate with your close friends and family in a simple wayโฆโ I mumbled. โIโm sure that doesnโt apply if you marry a prince or if youโre becoming the next empress,โ Ren said with a laugh. โI guess youโre rightโฆโ I said with a nod of my head. โDonโt worry too much. Weโll both have it easy until the day itself. If youโre not too picky, you can leave the preparation to the officials and the staff. Theyโll get everything done and if you have any special requests, just let them know and theyโll figure it out,โ Ren said before he patted my head. I guess planning my own wedding was out of the question. I was sure that whatever the officials in charge had in mind would be very different to what I wanted. Recalling the minimal version of the wedding dress that Ren once made me wear to appear in court, I shuddered at the thought of the real wedding dress itself and the ceremony involved. โIโll leave it to them then.
Conquering The Emperorย ย ย Our Baby
โWhy didnโt you tell me about the baby?โ Ren asked the moment the door to my bedroom closed behind us. โIโฆI was just waiting for the right moment to tell you,โ I said honestly. โWhen did you find out?โ Ren asked. โAbout a month ago while we were still in the middle of war,โ I confessed softly. โYou should have told me,โ Ren insisted. โBut you were so busy, and you were out there fighting every day. I didnโt want to add to your burdens,โ I explained. โRegardless, you still should have told me,โ Ren repeated his same opinion. โIโm sorry, Ren. It wasnโt like I was trying to keep it from you,โ I apologized sadly. โI would have taken care of you betterโฆโ Ren muttered. Is that why he was so mad? โYouโre so sweet, Ren,โ I said before giggling. It was probably the first time that I think I saw Ren blush. I couldnโt stop myself from giggling at the sight. โThank you, Rin. I canโt wait to raise our baby together,โ Ren said as he hugged me close to him. โMe tooโฆโ I replied before sm
Conquering The Emperorย ย ย A Gamble
โBut if you go, they might kill youโฆโ Shin said. โIsnโt there someone who can help me?โ I asked as a thought struck me. โYou canโt be seriously thinking aboutโฆโ Shin muttered as he probably caught on to what I was thinking. โPlease, Shinโฆplease help Renโฆplease help meโฆโ I begged. โShitโฆthis is crazyโฆโ Shin said in pure disbelief. I watched as Shin sprinted off. After he was gone, my legs lost all its strength and I eased down onto a nearby chair and concentrated on keeping my breathing calm. I placed a hand on my tummy as I prayed that all three of us would be safe. โฆ**Back to the present**Everyone looked towards the entrance of the hall, where a frail old woman walked in slowly with her most trusted eunuch supporting her arms on both sides. Despite her age and her weakened body, the Dowager Empress walked with a straight back full of pride. In unison as if they had practiced it beforehand, everyone stood up from their seat and bowed. Ren and I did the same. โMotherโฆโ the em
Conquering The Emperorย ย ย Opposing Tides
After quite a long while had passed, all five doctors were done with inspecting my body. Ren returned back to my side before he placed a comforting hand on my shoulder as we all waited for the verdict from the doctors. โSo, what is your opinion regarding the Lady White Lotus,โ the emperor asked impatiently. Each doctor was asked to present his view one by one starting with the least senior and ending with Doctor Pai, who was the most senior of them all. โYour Majesty, I believe that the Lady White Lotus is with child,โ the first doctor stated before bowing deeply to the emperor. The whole hall erupted in whispers and gasps of shock. Some members of court who had undoubtedly been eagerly waiting for the next royal heir cheered and clapped their hands. โSilence. Nextโฆโ the emperor said firmly as he invited the next doctor to give his opinion. โYour Majesty. The Lady White Lotus is indeed pregnant,โ the second doctor said before bowing to show his respect. โNextโฆโ the emperor said
Conquering The Emperorย ย ย My Announcement
I can do this. I can do this. I can do this! โThere is no need to punish the crown prince because I am without a doubt loyal to this empire. I wish for a bright future for this empire because that would mean a bright future for our childโฆโ I said, making sure that my voice rang loud and clear. โRinโฆโ I heard Ren whisper my name. โWhat are you saying?โ the emperor asked as a frown formed in between his brows. โI am with child. I am pregnant with the crown princeโs child,โ I stated firmly. I could feel and hear everyoneโs shock. Loud gasp of surprise filled the room followed by whispers. I could feel everyoneโs eyes on me, and I placed my hands over my stomach as if to protect the baby that was inside. โWhat are you saying? Leave with Shin right now,โ Ren hissed to me as he came to my side. โNoโฆI am not leaving youโฆโ I said stubbornly. โIs it true, Rin?โ Ren asked softly, I could feel his gaze on my stomach. I smiled weakly at him as I nodded. His eyes widened in surprise befor
Conquering The Emperorย ย ย Proof of Loyalty
Ren stood up from his seat and all eyes were on him. He took in a breath to calm himself before facing the emperor and the members of court. โI believe that the punishment decided for the town of Amber Leaves is just and fair. The emperor who also approved it seem to share my beliefs. The people of the town had no knowledge of what was going on and did not benefit from the enemy. Because of this, I believe that they should not be punished. I spent more than three months fighting the war. Compared to someone who had never stepped foot on the battlefield or the town itself, I believe that it should be fair to say that I am more knowledgeable about the situation,โ Ren said calmly.โWhat about the punishment for Lady White Lotus? It is indeed her town that rebelled against the empire,โ a senior member of court inquired sternly. โThe Lady White Lotus has failed to deliver a royal heir for this empire as well. It has been a very long time and she is not yet with child,โ the empress spoke
