Chapter [14] – Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
The morning sun poured into the grand hall of the palace, its golden rays cutting through latticed windows. Ministers lined both sides, their stiff robes rustling faintly as they bowed toward the throne. The air carried the weight of unease; word had spread quickly—Yunxi had been summoned.
At the center of the hall, a young figure in pale robes entered, his head slightly lowered, hands folded politely in front of him. Yunxi's eyes, soft with fatigue, looked every bit the picture of a boy worn down by grief and injustice. He paused before the steps to the throne and sank to his knees, his forehead brushing the cold polished stone.
"Your Majesty," his voice trembled, quiet but clear, "you summoned me."
Han Ji, the king, sat on his throne, his jaw set, eyes sharp as obsidian. He said nothing at first, only studying Yunxi. Ministers exchanged glances; some whispered among themselves. They all knew—a soldier had gone missing, last seen with Yunxi.
"Kim Yunxi," the king finally spoke, his tone even but dangerous, "where were you on the night the soldier vanished?"
The hall fell into silence.
Yunxi bowed his head deeper. "Your Majesty, I… I was troubled. I wandered. But I swear upon my late grandmother's spirit—I had no hand in his disappearance."
Some ministers softened visibly, sighing as if pitying him. "Poor child," one muttered, "he has suffered much already." Damn, he was so good at this.
But from the corner of the hall came the faintest sound—an amused hum. Lady Meiylin sat gracefully among the womenfolk, her lips curved in a mocking smile, eyes glinting like a hawk watching prey.
When Yunxi's gaze flickered toward her, her smile widened.
Moments later, she rose, her silken skirts swishing softly. With timid grace, she stepped forward, then sank to her knees—her voice trembling.
"Your Majesty… please, do not be deceived by this boy's act."
Murmurs rose. Yunxi's brows knitted, confusion—or the illusion of it—on his face.
Meiylin lowered her gaze, her lashes trembling as tears began to well. "He is not the helpless lamb he pretends to be. He is… a wolf in sheep's clothing." Her voice cracked, and immediately her maid scurried to her side, dabbing her cheeks with embroidered handkerchiefs.
The hall stiffened with sudden tension.
"Days ago," Meiylin continued, choking back sobs, "when I returned from my homeland, I came to greet you, my king. As I was leaving the palace, I encountered him." She pointed at Yunxi with a trembling hand. "He… he hurt me."
Gasps erupted. Yunxi's head snapped up in shock. "I didn't—!"
Before he could finish, Meiylin's maid cut him off sharply. "How dare you speak so to Lady Meiylin before His Majesty! Shameless!"
The ministers looked between them uneasily.
Yunxi turned his pleading eyes toward the throne, his voice cracking. "Your Majesty, I could not do such a thing! I have enough sorrow, enough burdens—why would I add such cruelty to my sins? Please, believe me!"
But Meiylin moved closer, each tear carefully placed as she fell to her knees directly in front of Yunxi. She clutched her hands as if begging the heavens. "Your Majesty… Yuyu was with me that day. He heard him. Yunxi threatened me—that if I did not stop digging, if I did not leave him be—the same fate that befell the soldier would come for me!"
Her voice echoed like a dagger in the hushed hall.
Yunxi's head shook frantically. "Your Majesty—no! She accuses me falsely—she says I killed the soldier—!"
Han Ji's voice cut through like thunder. "So you told her you would kill her too?"
The words struck Yunxi silent. His lips parted, but no sound came.
Han Ji's gaze hardened, his thoughts seething like a storm: You dare… play innocent? You sleep with men, then threaten women who might… care for me? You filthy boy.
Before the silence could settle, another voice rang out.
"Your Majesty!"
All eyes turned—He Ju had stepped forward, his face pale but resolute.
"If Lady Meiylin accuses Yunxi, then I must speak the truth. He could not have harmed the soldier. That night, he was with me."
Han Ji's eyes narrowed dangerously. "…You disagree? You?" He laughed suddenly, sharp and cruel. "Who are you again?"
He Ju faltered but quickly bowed deeply. "He Ju, son of General He. I humbly present myself."
Han Ji's boot crashed into his side before he could finish. He Ju grunted, collapsing to the floor.
"Arrest him," Han Ji snapped. Guards rushed forward.
Yunxi's breath caught. "Your Majesty—!"
Han Ji's eyes snapped back to him, gleaming with contempt. "So. You have allies now? What precious bribe did you give him, that he would lay down his life for you?" He leaned forward, voice lowering into venom. "…Did you not spend the night in his house? In his chambers?"
The word "chambers" dripped with accusation, spat with gritted teeth.
Yunxi's lips trembled. "Tha…that's not—"
"Silence!" Han Ji roared. "Others give gold, others bargain loyalty… but you, Kim Yunxi, you offer your body?" His voice echoed across the hall, slamming into Yunxi like stones.
The court fell silent, ministers' eyes darting in scandalized shock.
He Ju struggled, shouting as guards dragged him away. "That is not it! Please—Your Majesty!"
Yunxi's fists clenched, his shoulders shaking. Tears welled in his eyes, but when the king loomed before him again, Yunxi looked up—defiance glimmering beneath the tears.
"You wanted proof of my innocence," Yunxi choked. "And when I gave it—you drag my alibi away. Yes, I was with him. Yes, I slept in his home… in his chambers… right in his bed!"
The hall exploded into whispers.
"Filthy!"
"Shameless boy!"
"A disgrace to his family—"
The king's palm cracked across Yunxi's face, the sound sharp and final. "Get out!" Han Ji thundered.
Yunxi's body swayed from the force, but he bowed, tears sliding down his cheek, and stumbled out of the hall.
---
That night, the palace graveyard lay silent under the moon. Rows of stone markers stood like sentinels in the mist. In a secluded corner, two graves lay side by side—mother and son, bound in eternal stillness.
Yunxi entered quietly, carrying a small offering. He bowed, performing the rites as tradition dictated. When done, he remained kneeling, eyes lowered, lost in thought.
Unseen, Han Ji stood behind a pillar, watching. His jaw was tight, his fists curled. 'Did you know I would come… trying to soften me with this display?'
Finally, he stepped forward, his voice low but cutting. "Why have you come here, Kim Yunxi? Was it necessary to kneel before the parents of a man who killed your mother… and who may yet kill your family?"
Yunxi did not answer at first. Slowly, he bowed again and again—seven times—before standing. His posture was humble, his voice steady. "Your Majesty."
He turned as if to leave, but Han Ji's hand shot out, seizing his wrist. With a violent yank, he dragged Yunxi back until the boy stumbled and fell onto the dirt.
Yunxi winced.
"Why did you come here?!" Han Ji shouted, his voice raw, his eyes burning but refusing to shed tears.
Yunxi sat frozen, his body pressed against the cold ground, but his mind hissed bitterly: Why this rage, you hypocrite? You killed my mother—just as I killed yours. We are even.
Han Ji stormed forward, grabbing him by the collar, shoving him against the rough stone wall. Yunxi gasped as his back scraped harshly.
"You dare visit her grave?!" Han Ji's voice cracked with fury. He slammed Yunxi harder, forcing his chin up, his hand gripping the boy's hair. "Look at her! Look at the woman your family destroyed!"
Yunxi's eyes met the grave marker, but in his mind, he laughed bitterly. 'You force me to see her… yet you refuse to see your own sins.'
Han Ji's chest heaved with ragged breaths, his face twisted in anguish and fury. Yunxi's lips curved faintly, cruelly, though tears streaked his cheeks.
And as the silence stretched, the storm between them grew darker, more dangerous, more intimate—like two blades pressed to each other, each daring the other to cut first.