Seong remained seated in the empty chamber for a long time before finally leaving, having ordered Ryang to be brought to his chamber. Back in his chamber, he threw himself into a chair and unclenched his hands, which had been tightly clasped. The radiant glow of the teardrop-shaped ruby, now slick with sweat, caught his eye.
He had learned the story behind the ruby from Ryang a little over a year ago. It was a keepsake from the Myeonghyeon siblings' mother, Kyeongseon Jiu. Bedridden after Seon's birth, she had sensed her impending death and entrusted her husband, Myeonghyeon Seung, with keepsakes for both her children. Or rather, they weren't for Ryang and Seon themselves, but for the partners they would one day meet. Ryang had received his keepsake from his father when he came of age, so the ruby was a memento from both his mother and his father.
Myeonghyeon Seung had died before Seon came of age, so she didn't even know of her own keepsake's existence. She had only guessed that Ryang's ruby was precious, received from their father, but didn't know its full story. Seong recalled Ryang's joyful face as he recounted the story, promising to give Seon her keepsake on her coming birthday since she also came of age this year, in their father's stead. That ruby had ended up around Dara's neck, and Dara had handed Ryang over to Hwan.
Seong buried his forehead in his hands, still clutching the ruby. The sound of approaching footsteps and clinking metal grew closer. He straightened and waited for the door to open. Ryang entered, followed by soldiers. After he stepped inside, the guards closed the door. Ryang collapsed at Seong's feet, his neck bowed. Seong looked down at him. A long silence stretched between them. Ryang endured the heavy gaze. Finally, Seong spoke.
"Shall I tell you how disappointed I am?"
"Guardian," Ryang said, lifting his head.
Seong, who had been avoiding Ryang's gaze, finally met his eyes. Ryang's usually bright eyes were now downcast, weighed down by his furrowed brow. Reproach poured from Seong's lips.
"Did you have to do that?" he demanded. "Was it so difficult to just stay silent for a while? I told you to focus on protecting yourself! Why did you provoke them after I explicitly warned you?"
Ryang lowered his head again. "I couldn't hide behind her."
"Now the Ministry will use that against you," Seong said, "to further humiliate you and that servant. Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"
Ryang remained silent, bowing his head even lower. Seong felt a strange mix of betrayal and jealousy at the secret Ryang had kept. Ryang, unaware of Seong's unspoken feelings, pleaded, "It was my fault for not protecting her father, for not properly understanding her circumstances. Please, at least stop their interrogation. Their interrogation is torture. She won't survive it. You know that."
A tear traced a path down Ryang's right cheek. Seong froze at the sight. Ryang continued to plead, "If they want my dismissal, I'll accept it. So..."
"I told you not to say such things!" Seong shouted.
The more Ryang resigned himself to his fate, the angrier Seong became. He was enraged and frustrated by Ryang, who always relied on his own convictions, now pleading for his lord's mercy. Ryang felt the same despair and absurdity. Is my coldheartedness towards Dara, my claim that I am more than her beloved, all a bluff? In the end, this is who I am, a pathetic subject bowing before my lord, begging for my beloved's life. Ryang couldn't bring himself to pick up the shattered pieces of his pride.
"Is it that servant you want me to protect, not you?" Seong asked.
"Dara was only threatened by Cheon Hwan," Ryang explained. "Her father's life was at stake."
"Is that what the servant told you?" Seong interrupted sharply. "And you believed her?"
"Guardian," Ryang said, a flicker of panic in his eyes.
"She's been deceiving us all along," Seong pressed. "She handed you over to Hwan despite holding your heart. How can you be sure what she told you is true?"
"She wouldn't lie using her father's name," Ryang insisted.
"And she could betray her lord and beloved?" Seong retorted. "Wearing this on her neck?!"
He slammed the ruby onto the table. Ryang recognized the object by the sound and felt a wave of despair. Seong, struggling to contain his emotions, spoke again.
"It's true about her father," he said. "Jang'gyeong Yoon said the same thing. But it's surprising that you simply believed her."
"I just... have nothing to say..." Ryang stammered.
"You have nothing to say, yet you keep speaking, defending that servant!" Seong shouted. "I told you to protect yourself, not her! Are you that foolish?! Do you think my orders are a joke?!"
He took a deep breath and declared, "I won't depart without you. No matter what criticism I face, I will protect you. If you don't want to drag me into this mess, let go of your attachment. I'll take care of the rest."
"I won't beg for my life," Ryang said. "But please, at least stop the torture. Have mercy."
"Mercy..." Seong scoffed. "The Ministry was right about one thing: that servant almost ruined Wicheong. Mercy? Just like Dara has a father, there are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters within Wicheong. That is the situation here."
"Guardian," Ryang pleaded.
"I won't protect that servant," Seong stated. "It's hard enough protecting you."
As Seong was about to end the conversation, Ryang spoke again. "If you want to protect me, you must not allow them to interrogate her. Do you think they only want to uncover her other crimes?"
"What kind of relationship did you have that you have to worry about such things?" Seong retorted accusingly.
Ryang remained silent, his head bowed. Seong's frown deepened.
"You, honestly..." He sighed, unable to find any other words for Ryang.
He finally dismissed Ryang. Even after being left alone, Ryang's silence, his inability to speak, lingered unpleasantly in Seong's mind. He didn't want to imagine how happy Ryang might have been while embracing that woman, who seemed so insignificant to him. Have I misjudged Ryang all along? The more frustrated and disappointed he felt with Ryang, the greater his anger towards Dara grew. Because he couldn't abandon or hate Ryang, no matter how pathetic his words or how much he disappointed him, Seong directed his resentment towards Dara.
For Seong, Ryang's only crime was keeping secrets from him, his lord and closest friend, and prioritizing the protection of the detestable Dara over his orders. It wasn't about the other crimes the Ministry of Emissary Divine sought to uncover. He knew Cheongro's interest lay in the same thoughts that were now plaguing Seong's mind. The interrogation could easily twist the narrative to portray Ryang as a lustful man. Seong didn't want to see Ryang reduced to a tattered image by his side.
Seong summoned Norahn, who appeared more hastily than usual.
"You called for me?" Norahn asked, bowing respectfully as he entered and sat before Seong. His face was grim, as he couldn't miss the reason for the summons.
"I have no intention of punishing the High Councilor," Seong stated without preamble. "Nor will I allow an interrogation. So, you will silence the Emissaries."
Norahn lowered his eyes and exhaled slowly. "That is impossible," he replied.
"Norahn."
"This isn't something that can be resolved by summoning me and pressuring me," Norahn stated. "Although I hold the position of High Emissary Divine due to the duty of my bloodline, I do not make decisions for the Ministry alone. The Emissaries have no intention of following the High Councilor after this incident."
"If those immature fools act recklessly," Seong argued, "then mobilize the elders..."
"The Council of Elders is also firm in its decision," Norahn interrupted. "This matter..."
"This matter is just an excuse," Seong interjected.
Norahn paused, then replied, "I won't deny there's an element of pretext to it. However, the Ministry needed a pretext because the Guardian has ignored our voices until now."
Sensing a shift in Seong's demeanor, Norahn continued his candid counsel. "The High Councilor has monopolized your trust and made all decisions alone. It's terrifying to think he harbored a threat right under his nose. Not only his own life but everyone's lives were at stake. If you overlook this incident, there will be significant backlash from the Emissaries and many soldiers, and Wicheong will be destabilized. Do you wish to be seen as a petty lord who only protects his own?"
Seong glared at him. "Are you threatening me?"
"Please do not misunderstand my sincere counsel," Norahn said, bowing deeply.
Seong considered Norahn's words, then retorted, "Sincere counsel? Speaking of sincere counsel, let me remind you of something you seem to have forgotten. Joon, whom we sent to retrieve Hwan, has not returned. We need to send out a ship tomorrow, merchant or military, to find him. Can the Ministry handle that? If you remove the High Councilor, who will take on his responsibilities?"
"The position of High Councilor is rightfully hereditary in House Myeonghyeon," Norahn replied. "Is there not Myeonghyeon Seon?"
Seong scoffed. "Do you think she will be easier for the Ministry to manipulate?"
"Guardian." Norahn seemed troubled by Seong's sarcasm but remained firm in his resolve.
"Now is not the time to dismiss and appoint," Seong pressed. "Do you think Wicheong will function properly without him?"
"Will it function properly if we don't dismiss him now?" Norahn countered, pressing his point before Seong could respond.
"You believe the High Councilor is righteous, and that you, by following his advice, are also righteous," Norahn continued. "But you must consider how it appears to those other than yourself and the High Councilor. If I, not the High Councilor, had committed the same offense, would you have protected me in the same way?"
Seong was taken aback by the childishness of the question. He frowned, but Norahn's narrow eyes held a hint of resentment. Seong softened his tone, trying to appease him.
"You are the only High Emissary Divine," he said. "If you had committed the same offense, I would have done the same."
Norahn didn't accept the reassurance. "Then when that day comes, you can punish me accordingly. The Ministry of Emissary Divine will not change its stance."