Chapter – 41
The Princess and the New Queen
Lacquer tree—an ingredient that appeared constantly in palace intrigue.
“Since ancient times, lacquer tree has also been used as medicine. It can be ground into powder to form pills, or finely milled into an ointment.”
Amang gave a small nod.
Iso explained the powder stuck to her fingers without a hint of hesitation, as if she were already well accustomed to situations like this.
‘The problem is… sometimes it’s used for more than just medicine.’
Every medicinal herb carried a bit of toxicity.
Sometimes, it became a miraculous cure. But other times, even a small amount could serve as a deadly weapon.
Anyone who knew how to use it properly would never be ignorant of that fact.
‘If mice were dying and palace maids collapsing…’
It was unmistakably malicious.
“H-how can medicine be dangerous?”
“Some people experience severe reactions to lacquer tree. A small number are born with a constitution that doesn’t agree with it.”
“T-that’s…!”
“I’m not blaming you. I’m simply explaining the sequence of events.”
Myeong’s frantic behavior was suspicious.
Under normal circumstances, one might say it was loyalty to her mistress, the Lady So.
But this…
It was too much. She looked like someone who had been caught doing something wrong—like a criminal.
A criminal?
“How strange. Why would lacquer powder be here? Unless someone was sick, it shouldn’t be here at all.”
“Your Highness is correct! In my humble view, whoever received this prescription might be the culprit who tried to harm Lady So.”
“Right? Geumjin, you think the same, don’t you?”
“If Your Highness also thinks so, then my insight is still far from yours.”
There is a saying: with three people, you can create a fictitious tiger.
Iso, Amang, and Geumjin.
The trap was set.
Now they only needed to calmly wait for the prey to step into it.
It didn’t take long.
The guilty always tremble on their own feet!
Under the psychological pressure, the truth could only spill out.
Amang knew Myeong well.
She didn’t care about Myeong’s personal background or preferences. But she knew very well what kinds of words shook her. She had figured that out with just a brief counseling session.
Guilt, remorse, and self-blame.
Myeong’s shoulders trembled—and then she prostrated herself on the ground.
“I-it’s my fault! Everything… everything is my mistake!”
As expected.
“What do you mean? How is it your fault?”
Amang squatted down in front of Myeong with a natural, innocent expression.
Her clear, merciful gaze fell gently upon the kneeling maid.
“I’m the one who brought that powder!”
Oh? That was unexpected.
“Really? Why?”
“For several days, I’ve had trouble digesting food… My stomach was upset.”
Hmm.
Sounded like a lie, didn’t it?
“You could have gone to the court physician for digestive medicine.”
“At first, I planned to do just that. But as Your Highness knows, the Meteor Palace has been so busy recently. So busy I barely had time to breathe, much less visit a physician.”
“So you took another route?”
At this point, a question arose.
How did an ordinary palace maid obtain lacquer powder?
Myeong hadn’t even considered its potential danger.
“A-another maid gave it to me. The lacquer powder…!”
She gave it? A palace maid?
“That’s impossible. It’s extremely difficult to obtain.”
“I also found it strange, warrior.”
“Who was it?”
Iso’s face hardened.
Myeong hesitated, fidgeting with her fingers.
“It was the maid who collapsed earlier.”
A totally unexpected identity.
“She told me to mix it with water and drink it for digestion. And it actually worked.”
“That much is true. It does work.”
Amang slowly rose to her feet.
The bright, lively sparkle in her eyes vanished, replaced by emptiness.
“Lacquer tree has powerful effects. Like Iso said, if used properly, it’s medicine. But if the toxins aren’t removed, it can harm others.”
Was there anyone trustworthy in this palace? Honestly, Amang just wanted to live as an ignorant child.
If only this weren’t a palace filled with constant danger.
“The fact that someone intended harm does not change.”
Sadly, the target wasn’t the palace maids of Meteor Palace.
The person currently at the center of all attention: the low-ranking concubine carrying the emperor’s child.
Once a servant of the Purple Flame Palace—now no longer.
If she bore a prince or princess, Lady So wouldn’t remain alone.
But only if the child was born safely.
Why…
Why did this wretched palace never have a quiet day?
Amang swallowed her sigh.
“Let’s ask that maid ourselves.”
“Your Highness.”
“Iso, Geumjin, and me. Myeong, take us to her.”
Myeong wiped her tears and rose with determination.
She seemed to have made up her mind.
Good.
They knew the cause. They knew why the mice had been dying.
Everything was proceeding smoothly.
A little too smoothly.
“We’ll meet that maid and find the real culprit.”
“Of course, Your Highness! You will punish the culprit, just like in the tales of justice triumphing over evil!”
…Would she, though.
Geumjin’s habits had clearly taken a wrong turn somewhere.
Once a model student, now a dopamine junkie.
Grand Tutor Geum, I’m sorry.
But since you sent her to serve me, please bear the consequences.
Amang soothed the overly excited Geumjin while following Myeong.
All the while, she didn’t lower her guard toward Iso.
Who knows what that crazy emperor might have ordered her to do.
Amang replayed her own words from moments earlier.
How could a ten-year-old know so much about medicinal herbs?
And lacquer tree of all things—the kind of detail that wasn’t even her field of study.
Well… that’s just palace intrigue dramas talking.
Those shows were full of shocking schemes. Amang used to be startled every episode.
“Something terrible has happened!”
As they stepped out of Meteor Palace toward the physician’s hall, a palace maid came running toward them, breathless.
“What is it?”
“T-that maid who collapsed… she has just passed away!”
“What?”
Damn.
Amang clenched her fists.
“H-how…”
“She died with foam at her mouth—just like the mice that died in Meteor Palace.”
Everyone’s expressions darkened.
This was the imperial harem, a place where servants dying like flies was nothing new—but the weight of a death never grew lighter.
And here was one princess who would never tolerate it.
“Your Highness!”
Before her attendants could catch her, Amang sprinted off.
Once again, she acted on her own.
Okay. Think calmly.
Amang understood exactly what this meant.
The maid who could have given the most critical testimony was now dead.
“A clean cut.”
It was strange.
Laundry maids could enter the palace regardless of status, but this was different.
How could a mere maid have lacquer powder?
She wouldn’t even know it existed without someone higher telling her.
And she likely had no idea it could be poisonous.
Which was why she became a victim to it herself.
The real problem was the superior above her.
I didn’t expect they would go as far as cutting her off like this.
Amang ran.
She ran toward the one person she could talk to about this.
Not that she wanted to go to Wu Je on her own accord.
Funny how he’s the most trustworthy person here.
He was, after all, the one with the most influence in the palace.
As Amang rushed forward, she tripped over a stone.
“Ah!”
“Oh dear, you must be careful.”
Her palms stung—they were scraped.
Amang looked cautiously at the hand extended toward her.
Long nails, adorned with lavish jeweled guards.
“Princess. Where are you rushing off to in such a hurry?”
Only one person in the palace could wear ornaments dazzling enough to hurt the eyes.
Empress Soryeong-ah.
A woman who hid blades behind a gentle smile.
“Greetings to Your Majesty the Empress.”
“No need for that. There’s no ceremony between us.”
The empress helped her up gently.
Amang was nearly pricked by the nail guards, but fortunately she wasn’t.
Still, she didn’t relax.
She terrified me so many times already!
Every time the empress offered her fruit confections, or whenever they crossed paths in the corridors, Amang felt like her life was in danger.
Though the empress had never actually done anything to her.
It’s just her vibe! It’s terrifying!
A smiling face with unreadable intentions.
And now, of all times, they ran into each other.
I have to go see Wu Je right now…
She couldn’t flee like this.
No—maybe she could, if she acted fast.
“Oh! I scraped myself when I fell! I must summon the imperial physician at once!”
This was the Operation: I Will Now Make My Escape First!
“Wait. I can’t let you go like this. Come to the Purple Flame Palace. I will treat you myself.”
“…Pardon?”
“Come. Let us go.”
That was… bad.
Amang had run ahead faster than her attendants, so she was alone.
The only people nearby were the empress’s own attendants.
If she were dragged into the Purple Flame Palace…
What would happen to her? She couldn’t even imagine.
It might be something horrible.
No. Absolutely not!
I want to live! Please, someone—save me!
“Your Highness!”
Thank the heavens.
Just in time, the three people chasing after her arrived.
“…Your Majesty the Empress?”
“I see Iso is here as well.”
The empress paused when she noticed Iso, but quickly regained composure.
Something was strange between the two.
What’s with this atmosphere?
Amang tried to quietly slip away.
But before she made it to Geumjin, a hand seized her wrist.
“Good. You’re all here. Let’s go to the Purple Flame Palace together.”
The smile curling on the empress’s lips…
Was the most chilling moment of Amang’s life.
