A strangled cry tore from Areum’s lips as the royal guards released her, letting her crumple before the king and queen. The humiliation was complete, her knees scraping against the polished marble.
Her mate, Jinwoo, was nowhere to be seen, only the memory of his brutalized form – a testament to resisting arrest – burned in her mind. He’d been dragged away to the festering cells, left to rot.
Areum’s hair, long and tangled, bore the marks of their rough handling. The guards had broken down the door to their humble home, shattering the last vestiges of peace the Kim family had known. Their small cottage, once a sanctuary, had been torn apart.
Her nose bled freely, staining her lips and soaking into the fabric of her tunic. Her eyes, swollen and shadowed with exhaustion, burned with unshed tears. They both knew, sooner or later, they would be taken.
Jinwoo had dared to ask the king for a loan, a desperate plea born of dwindling resources. The king had granted it, seemingly benevolent. But the truth soon surfaced: no deal with the royal family was truly free. Everything had a price, and they were about to discover its horrific weight.
“Please!” Areum wailed, her voice raw with desperation. The alpha king, Taehyung, and Queen, Minji, regarded her with cold, assessing eyes.
Taehyung suppressed a snarl, irritated that they’d had to resort to such force when a simple payment would have sufficed.
“Your majesty,” a guard spoke, his voice echoing in the vast hall, “Mr. Kim was placed in the holding cells for resisting arrest.” Areum’s cry intensified, her body trembling as she knelt before the royal couple.
Her clothes were ripped and stained, her head bowed before the crimson carpet. To look directly at Taehyung would be a death wish, and she couldn’t afford even the smallest spark of defiance.
“Please—”
“Silence!” The command resonated like a physical force, slamming into Areum. Her mouth clamped shut, the sound dying in her throat.
Taehyung’s alpha tone possessed a power beyond measure, amplified by his royal blood. She felt her spine straighten, her knees buckling beneath her, sending her tumbling onto the cold floor.
The guards retreated, leaving her alone, at the mercy of the king and queen’s judgment.
“Where is the payment, Kim Areum?” Taehyung demanded, his voice a low rumble.
A shiver racked Areum’s body. Her hands trembled as she raked a tangle of hair from her eyes, sniffing back a sob.
“W-We don’t have it, your majesty.” She confessed, her voice a mere whisper. She braced for the inevitable.
She’d known, the moment the guards stormed their home, that her life would never be safe. She was trapped, irrevocably in debt to the king.
Silence stretched, taut and suffocating. A trickle of sweat snaked down Areum’s temple as she waited for her doom.
“Very well,” Taehyung said, his voice oddly calm, which only amplified her fear.
“Take her to the cells. She and her mate shall be executed before sundown.”
The words landed like stones in her chest. Her heart hammered against her ribs, threatening to tear through her skin. She felt as if her lungs were collapsing, her breath caught in her throat. She shook her head frantically.
She had to beg, not only for Jinwoo’s life but for—
“Please! I’m with child!” She choked out, her voice raw and broken.
She struggled against the guards’ grip, tears streaming down her cheeks.
As if her words had shifted the earth, Queen Minji raised her hand, signaling the guards to release her. Areum collapsed onto the floor, too weak to even support her own weight.
It was no secret Minji had given birth to a son four years ago. The prince, Jeongguk, was the talk of the kingdom, a source of endless speculation and hope.
Areum watched as Minji and Taehyung exchanged a silent conversation, their eyes locking in a shared understanding.
“Step closer, Areum.” Minji commanded, her voice devoid of emotion. Areum’s heart leaped with dread. If she obeyed, would her head be severed from her shoulders?
Nonetheless, she summoned every ounce of strength and forced herself to her feet, stumbling toward the throne.
She climbed the steps, her eyes darting nervously around the hall. Suddenly, Minji rose, her posture radiating power. The guards dropped to their knees.
Areum felt Minji’s gaze pierce her skin, assessing, probing.
“How far along are you?” Minji asked finally, her voice silken yet chilling.
“Four months,” Areum replied, her voice trembling. She instinctively placed a hand over her belly, feeling a faint flutter beneath her fingers.
Minji’s eyes followed her every move, unwavering. She retreated to her position, a faint sigh escaping her lips – a cruel mockery of compassion.
“I have a proposition for you, Mrs. Kim.” Minji’s voice boomed, jolting Areum back to attention. The mere possibility of survival ignited a desperate hope.
She knew, with a chilling clarity, she would do anything. She had to protect Jinwoo, to protect her child.
“A-Anything!” She begged, her hands clasped in prayer.
“Very well.” Minji’s voice was low, laced with power. “Your debt to the royal kingdom will cease to exist under one condition.”
Areum’s eyes widened, a flicker of disbelief crossing her face. Minji was willing to forgive their debt?
She nodded furiously, before the words were even fully formed.
“Your unborn child is to wed and mate with the royal prince once he or she reaches the age of eighteen.”
A gasp escaped her lips. She closed her eyes, her body trembling. “It would be an honor.”
The deal was sealed with a signature, a small amount of blood drawn to bind the agreement.
Jinwoo was grateful for her sacrifice, assuring her that their child would be provided for, that he would live a life of riches.
Little did they know the torment that awaited him in the arms of Jeon Jeongguk.