If You Claim the Fallen Heiress - Chapter 6

She had never gone against her father’s teachings. She had not coveted wealth, had been happy with what she had, and had listened to the words of those in difficulty. She had also devoted herself to sword training every day, hiding from people’s eyes. She had endured the frightening and difficult times by imagining herself protecting Kim Seon.

Sadly, Kim Seon would know this fact well too.

She closed her reddened eyes deeply. If they were going to kill her here like this, they shouldn’t have made that promise to come for her…. Knowing that she would wait like a fool, looking only at the door every day, how could they do this….

There had been moments when it was hard to wait for Kim Seon in this place. At such times, Yuseol would comfort herself by imagining going to her father’s grave with Kim Seon. In that imagination, Yuseol vowed to help Kim Seon care for the people with love. Making all those moments meaningless, what she saw before her eyes was poison.

It was another way of saying she was now a useless person. In other words, it was a suicide order from the man who had promised marriage.

For a woman who had dreamed happy dreams, the ending was futile and quiet. Deep sorrow finally appeared in Yuseol’s previously calm eyes.

“I… I have not a single point of shame before Your Majesty, ugh!”

An officer gripped her shoulder as if to crush it. As Yuseol raised her head in pain, she again saw the mouth movements of the man on the stone wall.

‘Refuse the poison.’

She wanted to refuse as he said. She wanted to live more in this world that still looked beautiful to her, and she wanted to clear herself of the false accusations.

But she could not refuse a royal decree that had already been issued. She was afraid of dying in a more painful and hideous state.

Swallowing her sobs, she lifted the bowl with trembling hands. She only needed to drink it. Compared to everything she had experienced so far, it was ridiculously easy.

She calmly emptied the bowl. She felt her insides grow hot as if she had swallowed a ball of fire.

It felt like punishment. Not punishment received from the king for treason, but divine reproach for the sin of easily giving up her life. As tremendous abdominal pain surged up to her heart, breathing became difficult. She wanted to vomit everything out right away.

However, she struggled desperately to hold back the nausea. If she vomited it out, the poison would be administered again. Drinking poison until her breath stopped was a painful and miserable affair. Rather than experience that, it was better to kill herself.

She covered her mouth with both hands and collapsed forward, retching. Suddenly, it became as painful as if someone was strangling her neck. This seemed to be how she would die from suffocation. With that thought, after struggling, she collapsed sideways.

Through her dimming vision, a man was walking toward her. The figure of the man against the backlight was particularly dark. A Han (韓) character earring bearing her surname glinted darkly on his ear.

It was that person she had met at the waterfall….

Yuseol’s fading eyes fixed on him. She had something she wanted to say to him. She didn’t want to leave unfinished business with anyone, but only with him….

Yuseol tried to crawl toward him. Seeing this, the man stiffened his lips and pulled his hat down low. He seemed angry. She didn’t know why.

He stopped in front of Yuseol, who was struggling desperately. She grasped the hem of his pants with her dirt-covered hands.

“Geon, Geon. Please, please take care of him. Please, please….”

Her voice barely came out, but she cried out as if begging him to listen just once.

It was the breath she had been saving.

***

Oh dear, what shall we do!

People whispered in sympathy.

The man with the Han (韓) character earring looked down at Yuseol, whose breath had stopped. She couldn’t even fully close her eyes. The large, rough hand that closed those eyes moved gently. It was as if soothing the heart of a pitiful woman.

Myoyeon, who had been watching the situation with a pale complexion, approached. Soon he felt Yuseol’s pulse and bowed his head deeply.

Jo Cheol-ong belatedly approached and felt Yuseol’s pulse, then gestured to an officer. The officer brought a straw mat and spread it beside Yuseol. Though no pulse could be felt, they intended to take her away to ensure her death.

The man seemed displeased with this. His eyes watching Jo Cheol-ong held murderous intent.

Seeing this, Myoyeon spoke harshly to Jo Cheol-ong instead of the man.

“This place is private property, not under royal jurisdiction, so you cannot take anything out.”

Hearing Myoyeon’s words, Jo Cheol-ong couldn’t back down despite glancing nervously at the man beside him, who looked ready to cut him down immediately.

“B-but… according to the royal decree….”

The man cut off Jo Cheol-ong’s words as if that was enough.

“It seems you want to lie on the straw mat instead.”

Jo Cheol-ong’s face turned troubled. As they said, this Museolwon belonged to the Choi family, the former royal family. If they didn’t permit it, nothing could be taken out.

Not knowing what to do, Jo Cheol-ong confirmed Han Yuseol’s death with the officers and stood up. Though he was called the grim reaper in the palace, he felt truly sorry for the death of the youngest daughter of the Han family, who had once been loyal subjects. She should have died in the harsh winter weather like the other criminals confined to Museolwon. No, she could have lived as if dead, so why did she keep sending letters to the palace….

It had been an unpleasant day for him as well.