Knocking on her door, he tried to pull open the door but it proved abortive. He flashed her a bright smile as she unlocked the door and dashed out towards the porch while pulling him along, the things in his hands falling freely on the ground.

"What are you doing here despite this weather?" she whispered immediately she felt they were out of earshot.

By a stroke of luck, the snow had stopped but it was still chilly. He felt wronged with her question and pouted accusingly.

"I weathered the storm for you, you didn't even give me a kiss before asking me such question. I feel so wronged!"

She gave him a quick peck on his cheeks and smiled. "Happy?" he shook his head vehemently and pointed at his lips.

She surreptitiously glanced around before leaning towards him for a sweet long kiss but they were interrupted by the opening of the door. A head popped out to inquire on her reason for absence and if all was well.

With the quick instinct of a scared human, she had already turned him around to hide his identity.

Myung OK had never been in a more awkward situation all through her life, giving a guilty smile she confirmed she was just talking to a friend who came for a quick visit. She edged closer to shield him from the hawk-like scrutiny of the court lady who found them suspicious.

The court lady stretched herself forward to get a glimpse of the clothing, why does it feel like she's looking at Daejong's most prized wolf jacket?

As she stretched further, the cold air awoke the princess making her step out for a glimpse. She saw the back of a man wearing her father's jacket and screamed, "Royal father!"

In a falsetto, Daejong denied immediately, "I'm not your royal father." But the smart child ran off towards the porch screaming his name which made him run off with Myung OK who had become flabbergasted with the turn of event. She knew the chief courtmaid would already have found out they are together.

"Be careful, Your Majesty!" she fearfully screamed at him who ran wild like a carefree child.

He stopped at her request and beamed. Picking up a handful of snow, he moulded into a ball and shot them into the sky. "Isn't it so beautiful?" he said as the ball hit a frozen tree shattering them into icicles.

As they walked along the icy lake path, she felt oblivious to the bitter winter chill. She felt his warmth in her hands and that was divine. His laughter was contagious with each thunderous chuckle making her smile grow exponentially. At the pitch of his laughter, she had warned him of attracting people but he had rebutted the instance with 'only crazy people would be out in such weather.

The simple stroll through the snow was more perfect than a fancy date, what could be more perfect than a romantic winter walk?

As they were lost in the feeling of euphoria with the assurance of Daejong who believed his people were wading people off from the area, a young lady stumbled upon the duo.

She held her breath as she crouched behind the snow-covered tree, rubbing her eyes to be sure she was seeing correctly. She had been told he had a secret woman but she hadn't believed it one bit as she had never seen it.

Thus, when Daejong boldly told her he had a woman, she had run out from his palace without her maids and carefully hid behind an oak tree so they wouldn't find her. As she sauntered through the powdered snow to find solace she decided to walk the lake path, maybe a little cold would do her some good.

She had just begun her walk when cackles reached her ear, she also noticed they were headed towards the frozen lake leading her to investigate whether a soldier and a courtmaid were going for rendezvous, instead, she stumbled upon Daejong and the physician all cozy in each other's company. An interaction that was abnormal for an emperor and his physician.

Rage, fear, displeasure, pain, hostility, envy and jealousy all boiled inside. Whirling emotions swirled like a storm and threatened to send her spiraling over her.

Her heartbeat thumped with ferocity, her fingers dug inside her palm to keep her emotions at bay, her lower lips became meat for her teeth. She stood up to walk away and end her ache if it will ever stop, but her eyes met Daejong's at that moment.

For whatever reason it was, he had stopped walking, turned Myung OK to face him, smiled s.e.xily at her then cupped her face up with both hands. Leaning closer, he went for her earlobes and licked them e.r.o.t.i.cally, sucked her succulent lips and bit them sensuously, Myung OK hit him back playfully.

"Don't bite," she said sucking in a cold air. Seo-yun marvelled at her attitude towards Daejong. The man she feared was one the measly physician hit, yet he seemed to enjoy it as his eyes twinkled. He apologized immediately and went for a deeper kiss while maintaining eye contact with Seo-yun.

Seo-yun felt her world shatter at that moment, Daejong dared kiss a woman before her, the man whose empress she would become fondled another woman not her and boldly did it in her presence.

Quickly, she turned around to avoid letting him see her pitiful tears. As she wiped them with the back of her palm, she turned for one last final gaze. She blamed Myung OK for taking her man, if it isn't for her existence, the one Daejong would be cuddling would be her.

In haste, she left. The torture was real and painful to watch.

When she arrived her palace, her servants who were on the verge of death due to her disappearance rejoiced. They escorted her in but the lady seemed completely different from the one they knew. She looked like the personification of cold; temperamental, frigid and inherently cold. Ice seemed to run through her veins and she relied on the chills of the blistering winter chills to regain her fighting power which had been dulled by Daejong's affections towards a woman not her.

"Lady Nam!" she bellowed, "Get my father for me"

"Don't worry, I'm here now," the man's voice echoed outside. They opened the door for him and he strode in.

Bowing before his daughter, he said, "The maids had informed me of your disappearance so I came over as soon as I can," he paused when he saw his child's puffy eyes.

"Your highness, you should take care not to have puffy eyes on your coronation day," he admonished.

She chuckled like a mannerless wench, "Coronation?" she mocked, then chuckled again. "There might be no coronation!" she screamed, this time she allowed the tears flow. "It's over now, my dreams!"

Seeing the seriousness of the matter, he signaled the maids to leave.

"What happened?"

She narrated everything she saw and heard but didn't mention Nam Joo's name for he is a name her father shouldn't know.

He ground his teeth at the end of her narration, Daejong dared disrespect his daughter?

"Your highness, don't think about any stupid thing, this father will take care of the matter for you," he assured confidently.

She got scared at the tone of his voice and raised her brows quizzically at him, he roared into laughter at her suspicion.

"Don't worry your highness, I will just negotiate with her. This kind of women are only after money and fame, I will set her up somewhere very far from the capital."

She relaxed a bit but another question posed itself in her mind, what if she's after something money cannot buy?

Like one with psychic power, minister Choi voiced out the answer which froze her body.

"If she can't be bought, then I will erase her existence."