Chapter 54 (1/2)

Ruhae’s answer got longer and longer. He often added conditional phrases to his reply, along with his own prediction and the logic of his emotions. While he answered easily, Ruhae was shrouded in strange uneasiness.

He felt as if all the questions and answers were played out as Bipaan expected. Interposing for a moment, Bipaan continued to ask questions.

“Do you correspond with Prince Binsung often?”

“Yes, I think I see him most often of the princes in the four palaces.”

“If that’s the case…”

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Bipaan’s eyes sparkled sharply. Though it was a pretty subtle change, Ruhae noticed it. And he realized at the same time that something bad was going on.

“It looks like you already anticipated Prince Binsung would ask you to be the teacher of her wife’s prenatal education, right?”

That was the key question.

Having heard this question, Ruhae was now convinced that something happened in the North Palace and that something wrong happened to Heyjin, more accurately Heyjin’s baby. It was clear that her baby’s life was at stake.

So, is this the reason for you charging me with treason?

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“Not at all!”

“Why? You’re excellent in learning and very close to Prine Binsung, so he could ask you a favor comfortably. Didn’t you confirm all this to me just a moment ago?”

“Customarily, the job of a princess’s prenatal education is taken by a civilian official with great knowledge. There has never been any precedent in which a prince in line to succeed the throne has taken on that job. Though I’m very close to Prince Binsung, I also expected that one of the top civilian officials with great knowledge would be the teacher of her prenatal education. So, Prince Binsung’s request was unexpected.”

“Despite that, you gladly decided to take that job when you were busy with managing education and justice affairs, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. I couldn’t refuse his request as he cared about his baby on the way so much.”

“Enough.”

Bipaan cut off his words suddenly. Then, he gestured to someone behind him. Ruhae heard the soldiers moving around.

“How long have you been visiting the North Palace?”

“I think over a month up to now.”

“If you visited that long, I think you must have met some of the court ladies there, right?”

That was a strange question by any standard. Narrowing his brows, he answered, “Nope.”

“Are you saying you haven’t met with any of the court ladies?”

“Well, I have exchanged some routine dialogue with them while staying there, but I have never made any friends with them.”

Bipaan stroked his jaw with his fingers. After answering his answer, Bipaan ordered the imperial army soldiers in the back, “Bring in the court ladies of the North Palace.”

There was heard some sort of very eerie sound from behind the interrogation palace. Ruhae got the goosebumps, but he tried not to turn his eyes to hide his feelings.

Soon a woman stood beside him, and it was quiet again in the interrogation place.

Bipaan gave an order in a casual voice, “Turn your head and confirm the court lady’s face!”

Ruhae turned his face. Right next to him was a big wooden chair with a skinny court lady tied to it with straw rope.

Her white clothes were torn apart here and there, stained with blood. The tough straw rope was tied around her thin flesh ruthlessly. Her face was roughed up so much that Ruhae couldn’t figure out who she was.

“That court lady is….”

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After examining her scratched and swollen face carefully, he could recognize who she was and said something carelessly. She was the very woman that Ruhae bumped into at the narrow gate of the North Palace.

“You said you didn’t know any court lady in the North Palace, but you quickly recognize that woman,” said Bipaan, sensing his restlessness immediately. But Bipaan’s push up to now was only his wild guess.

Ruhae replied without any hesitation, “As I told you, I visited the North Palace for one month, so I could recognize some court ladies’ faces. What you have interrogated me about so far was based on your own suspicion and circumstantial evidence. Don’t you think you’re fabricating the facts if you keep interrogating me like this, with ready-made answers in your mind already?”

His reaction was violent, given his status as a treason suspect and his quiet character.

The high-ranking officials sitting on both sides of Bipaan were surprised. Bipaan clenched his hand on the armrest then looked down at him blankly in no time.

Bipaan didn’t hurry. By throwing small and common questions, he was trying to tighten the noose around Ruhae.