Crimson Petals ambw ( 18+)

6•

The heavy wooden doors swung open, and Minister Yoon strode into the King's private chamber with an air of confidence. He came to a halt before the king and bowed deeply, his movements precise and practiced.

King Hyunjong sat rigidly on his cushioned dais, watching Yoon through narrowed eyes. "Speak, Minister. I trust you have the list I requested?"

"Indeed, Your Majesty." Yoon's voice was silky smooth as he straightened, unrolling a long parchment scroll with a flourish. "This past week, we have carried out the executions of Lee Han-bong, Choi Sang-hun, and Kang Jun-sik for the crime of theft."

The king's brow furrowed deeply. "Theft? Were these mere beggars stealing to feed themselves?" He leaned forward slightly, his tone laced with disapproval.

Yoon did not miss a beat. "They stole goods from merchants, Your Majesty." He stated the fact flatly, refusing to be cowed.

King Hyunjong leaned back again, pondering this with a sigh. "No person should be forced to steal food in order to survive. Poverty drives good people to desperate acts."

"You are most gracious, my king." Yoon allowed a slight sneer to curl his lip. "However, laws must be upheld, and lessons taught. Theft cannot be tolerated, no matter the circumstances." He met the king's gaze levelly, his voice hardening.

The king's eyes narrowed dangerously at Yoon's tone, but the minister did not falter. Undeterred, he continued down the list. "We also executed Park Yong-duk for the crime of speaking ill against Your Majesty's reign."

King Hyunjong's frown deepened as he shook his head slowly. "I had hoped criticism and dissent could be met with more lenient punishment. Public executions only breed further resentment among the people."

Seizing his opportunity, Yoon took a purposeful step forward. "Dissent is the root of insurrection," he stated firmly. "It must be quashed with a strong fist before it can spread like a plague."

His eyes glinted with something sinister. "They may turn against you like they did fifteen years ago, when they tried to kill the queen after attacking our allies from foreign lands. Their kind that have survived have been spread about the country. Your thoughts are still haunted with guilt over those dark days, are they not?"

King Hyunjong paled visibly at the memory, his hands clenching on the arms of his chair. After a tense moment, he gave a tight nod. Minister Yoon remained stoic, taking the reaction as permission to ruthlessly continue.

"Finally, the servant girl Chun-hee was put to death for the crime of...improper relations with a member of the palace staff." This time, Yoon's sneer was one of utter disdain, his lip curling in revulsion.

The king's surprise was evident. "A harsh penalty for such a minor transgression, is it not?" he questioned, appalled.

Sensing an opportunity to drive his point home, Minister Yoon took another calculated step inwards. "She broke the sacred laws governing proper conduct," he countered smoothly. "We cannot show weakness or favoritism, even towards the lowest members of the household staff."

King Hyunjong pondered this in heavy silence, his expression taut. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, he gave a slow, resigned nod of acceptance.

A ghost of a smile flickered across Yoon's face as he bowed again, deeper than before. "I appreciate Your Majesty's wisdom in these matters of justice. Shall I have the execution reports sent to the royal archives?"

"Yes...yes, please do so," the king muttered, waving a listless hand in clear dismissal.

Minister Yoon bowed once more, his face betraying no hint of expression as he turned on his heel and strode from the royal chamber, back straight and head held high.