"I... I swear I really didn't know.. your majesty" the helpless concubine cried infront of the King of Goreya. Emperor Kim Seokjin who is watching him sadistically.

For the people in the kingdom, emperor Kim is like a god. A god who saved their lives with his extraordinary sword skills in wars. Who demolished lot of taxes and ranking hierarchies and let them live in peace. who is generous when it comes to help. Who is the life savior of them. In simple, it was a golden era ruled by emperor Kim.

But inside the palace, emperor Kim is a different person. He is a sadist. Cold, arrogant and cruel person anyone could ever ask for. He have the biggest harem in the whole dynasty with lot of concubines, prostitutes, and court ladies. Still, no one can expect mercy from him. Everything is just for his pleasure. Just his.

The person crying infront of him, is one of the concubines who got married to Seokjin for the sake of saving his birth country. A political arranged marriage. They didn't even ask the opinion of taehyung. He was just passed to Seokjin like a mere object. Like an offering.

"Enough concubine taehyung. Are you cheating on me with that security gaurd? Don't you know it's a treason and the punishment is putting your head down" Seokjin's voice is stern. Emitting hatred.

Taehyung shook his head franatically while sniffing a cry.

"No no no.. I.. *hiccup* I was hungry . He said there is a royal kitchen there. I..*hiccup* I didn't know anything" taehyung sobbed.

A smirk appeared on Seokjin's face. He know. His concubine isn't that talented. Don't get him wrong. His concubine is innocent. Seokjin know. Still. He can't trust anyone blindly. Trust is the root of betrayal. So here he is. Making the concubine cry with his fierce eyes and accusations.

"Come here" Seokjin said while patting his thigh and opening his arms. Taehyung who was now sitting on the floor looked at Jin with teary eyes. As soon as he saw the open arms he sniffed, wiped the tears with his long sleeves, ran to Jin, sitting on the lap, hugging him and crying.

Jin just patted his back in a comforting manner. Yes he was cruel and cold to others. He is still the same. But the innocence of this younger did some magic to him. He handle taehyung differently. Just like now.

"Sh.. don't cry.."

Taehyung pulled off his face from Seokjin's neck and looked at him with teary eyes. His lips formed a pout. The cheeks were red and swollen because of crying for hours. The nose tip is red. Eyes were puffy and teary.

"Is wanting to eat japchae wrong? I.. I really didn't know.." taehyung started to cry again.

Jin chuckled. This is what made him like\~ no. Love taehyung. This innocence. Whatever you teach. How long you teach. His innocence is still the same. That made Seokjin protect him from the whole world. May be from his own monster side too.

"Ok.. let's say you don't know anything. Now tell me what happened." Seokjin spoke slowly, feeling guilty for making the poor concubine cry.

"I..I was in the garden playing with\~\~ *closes mouth and looks at Jin in shock*

Jungkook know taehyung is hiding something.

"In the garden, playing with?"

Taehyung shook his head.

"No no no. I was not playing. I was... *Thinking*.. ah walking.. I swear I didn't play"

Jin can't help but to chuckle. The lie is written all over taehyung's face. I mean the quivering lips, avoiding his gaze, sweats in forehead. Enough to prove taehyung is lying.

"Now are you lying to me to cover up your secret lover taehyung?" Seokjin growled.

Taehyung's eyes widened in shock. He shook his head. Tearing up again.

"Then tell me the truth. Only. The. Truth. If I find your lies you know the consequences." Jin warned. Taehyung's sobs got louder.

"Tell me now. Or get ready. You'll be sentenced." Seokjin said with a poker face. Clearly aware that taehyung might die in fear and crying before even he was sentenced.

"I.. I..was in the garden.. playing.. playing with kittens... " Taehyung looked at Jin with fearful eyes.

Except for birds like doves and parrots, animals like rabbits and horses, nothing is allowed in royal palace as per royal rules. Taehyung know that. But he can't help but to create a small shelter with the broken wood planks for the stray cats which he found in the garden a month ago. Since then, he is feeding them, playing with them, secretly raising them in the garden without anyone's notice.

"Playing with kittens??" Jin repeated. Taehyung quickly hugged Jin and started to sob.

"Please.. please don't kill them.. they are poor. They *hiccups* they don't have eomma.. and no house too.. *hiccups* I'll send them away if you say.. *sobs* please don't kill them" taehyung cried. Hiding his face in Seokjin's neck not have courage to look at emperor.

If at all he looked at Jin, he could have seen the emperor silently chuckling at him.

"Then? What happened?" Seokjin asked in a cold tone. Hiding his smile.

If the rumours spread and taehyung got suspected for having affair with some one, he'll be sentenced to death then and there. That serious the issue is. But all taehyung care about is the life of stray cats. How can Jin not like him?

"They grown alot and want .. want more food... so..*sniffs* so..I..I feed them my food too.. *sobs* I.. *sobs* I.. got hungry and want food.. *sobs* I.. want to go to ask the court lady but.. *hiccups* but a guard come and said there is a royal kitchen next to garden.. *sobs* I went there.. *sobs* it's all wood. *Hiccups* suddenly that guard came and smiled at me.. he try *sobs* he try to touch but jhangu attacked him." Taehyung finished with too much hiccups and stutters. Even the thought of that incident scares him.but what more scares him now is his majesty.

It was a normal day for taehyung. He took his food and books and informed the court ladies and guards that he'll be reading books in the garden so no one have to disturb him. He used to read books in garden sometimes before. But after finding the cats, he use that as a cover up and start to spend the whole day in garden since it's not like Jin gonna visit him in day time because the emperor is busy with royal courts and things. Even at nights Jin never visited him except for the two times: one when they had non consent sex and two when taehyung broke his ankle.

That was before Jin know about taehyung and developed feelings for him. Taehyung is still not aware of Jin's feelings for him.

"Jhangu?" Jin asked with a raised eyebrow. Realisation hit taehyung. His eyes widened, he start to cry again.

"That's my kitty. *Sobs* please don't kill him. He really helped me. Else..else..*hiccups* that guard could have killed me..." Taehyung cried.

Jin can't help but to smile at taehyung. Today he was in discussion with the ministers regarding political matters in the pavilion near garden. He saw taehyung's court lady, guards and others standing near the entrance of garden. When Jin asked, the court lady said taehyung is studying in the garden, so they are waiting for him. But the bizzare information is taehyung always spending the whole day in garden, and ordered no one to disturb him the entire day.

So Seokjin walked in into the garden and saw the matress with empty tiffen boxes and books. Jin ordered his men to search around. Few minutes later, they found taehyung crying and shivering near the other end of garden which was abandoned a long ago. At first Seokjin thought taehyung lost his way and crying in fear. but then a guard informed a man ran away from where they found the concubine. And here they are. After enquiring taehyung for hours, making the poor boy cry, here he is. Having taehyung in his lap, holding him like a baby. Comforting him for not to cry over a cat.

"Are you saying he tried to touch you but the cat attacked?" Taehyung nodded from Seokjin's neck.

"Did you see where the cats attacked him?"

Taehyung shook his head.

Seokjin's blood boiled at the thought of someone else trying to touch his concubine.

"Stay here" Jin ordered before walking out of the room, leaving taehyung cry again thinking emperor must be mad at him. Or at worst, sentence him to death.

--------

Jin walked out of concubine's palace to his personal prison base in royal palace. His men bowed to him. Jin just nodded and walked in where a tall well built man is tied up. Seokjin lifted the sleeves and saw rashes from cat claws and dried blood. Seokjin smirked while taking the spear in his hand, swirling it skillfully while walking to the tied up man.

"Y..your majesty..." The man looked at Seokjin with atmost fear.

"Oh finally you recognized me?" Seokjin mocked.

"I'm sorry.. I'm sorry... concunbine taehyung asked me..I don't know anything.. concunbine taehyung insisted me.." the man pleaded making Seokjin scoff.

"So.. concunbine taehyung asked and so you agreed. You're not at fault right?"

The man nodded.

"Yes.. I deserve death.. please ..please show some mercy.. your majesty"

Seokjin looked at him; frowning while rubbing his chin as if thinking.

"Correct. Concubine taehyung asked you. so you agreed. It's not your fault. Concubine taehyung has to be the one to get punished."

"Correct. Concubine asked so you agreed. It's not your fault. Concubine taehyung has to be the one to get punished."

The man's eyes widened. He didn't thought Seokjin would buy his lie so easily. He nodded franatically. Agreeing with the emperor.

Jin nodded. The man sighed in relief and was about to smile but Jin looked at him with a sadistic smirk.

" 😳😳😳 "

"Even if concubine taehyung asked and insisted you to have affair with him, you should have come and reported to me? Shouldn't you?"

The man started sweating. Seokjin smirked and looked at his trusted man, Kim Namjoon, a force commander and royal inspector.

"Ain't I right?"

Namjoon silently chuckled. Well aware of Seokjin's act.

"Yes your majesty"

Seokjin looked back at the tied up man with a smirk.

"Your majesty... I deserve to death..please show some mercy.. please show some mercy..."

"Did you forgot? I'm the merciless king" Seokjin mocked before stabbing the spear straight on the man's right thigh. The man's scream echoed the whole base. But that didn't stop Seokjin.

"You dared to touch what is mine and have the audacity to lie to me?" He asked and before even the man reply a sword cleanly cut his hand from the body.

"This hand dared to touch my concubine?" The emperor asked while pointing the cat rashes in the now cut hand which was on floor with oozing blood.

The other guards in the base gulped. They know Seokjin is ruthless. But this is the first time they saw him this mad. He looked like a psycho.

Seokjin stabbed the man mercilessly. The man is screaming in pain. Pleading Jin to kill him as it pains too much. Jin didn't bulge, he continue to stab until the man start to lose conscious. Jin held his hand out for sword which Namjoon quickly placed.

Jin circled around the half unconscious man, eying his work. There is not even a single spot without blood. He faintly breathing. Jin smiled in satisfaction and start to speak in a slow soothing voice.

"You shouldn't have tried to touch him.

You shouldn't have tried to scare him.

You shouldn't have try to lie to me.

You shouldn't have tried to put the blame on him.

And.... YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE HAVE THE THOUGHT OF TOUCHING MY CONCUBINE.FUCKING MINE"

Jin screamed at the last, the sword passed through the tied man's neck, the head fell on ground, Sending shivers to everyone watching the scene.

Jin glared at the head which is now rolling on the floor and then looked at his sword which is drenched in blood. Without second thoughts he shoved it in the neck of corpse vertically. Now instead of where the head has to be, there is the handle of sword.

Jin shrugged while wiping the blood on his hands and hanbok.

"Place this body as it is in entrance of royal gaurds training building. It should be a reminder for everyone." Jin ordered before walking out of the base.