Ha Noon's
CHAPTER 9: The Night of Betrayal

Mom Suri walked quietly with a tray over which was a teapot filled with chamomile tea and a cup. Ningling Jia's illness relapsed and left her unable to sleep peacefully. Therefore, Mom Suri made her chamomile tea to help her calm down. Although Ningling Jia was no longer a Queen, Mom Suri still felt that serving her was an obligation.

“What is it for Jia?”

Hearing this familiar voice, Mom Suri turned around and found Ruyong Niyi standing behind her with a smile. Mom Suri frowned, why is this woman here? A bit of suspicion grew in his mind, but he instantly erased that thought and bowed respectfully. After all, even though this woman was no longer the king's concubine, she was still the daughter of a noble family that she should respect. “True, Mistress.”

Ruyong Niyi smiled bitterly at the changed call, but she covered it with a soft voice, “I'll help you drive her, come back.”

“Nothing, Mistress, I will deliver it.”

Ruyong Niyi pulled the higher her smile, making the wrinkles on her face even more noticeable. He walked quietly and stopped in front of Mom Suri. “It's okay, just give it to me, I'll deliver it to Jia.”

Mom Suri glanced at Ruyong Niyi, and doubt filled her feelings. However, in the end he gave up seeing that friendly smile, “Alright, sorry to trouble you, Madam.”

Ruyong Niyi took the tray, “I volunteered, no need to feel any hassles, come back.”

Mom Suri lowered her head and went past Ruyong Niyi. Ruyong Niyi tilted her head, noticing Mom Suri's step away with her eyes rattled. After making sure there were no distractions, Ruyong Niyi continued her steps.

The door opened, not a single light except for the lantern that lit up beside Ningling Jia's bed. Ningling Jia opened her eyes with a frown, “My head is getting sicker, can't I take the medicine now?”

“I heard from Mom Suri that you will only drink this chamomile tea, Jia.”

Ningling Jia's entire eyes opened hearing a different voice than she expected, she turned her head and found Ruyong Niyi entering her room, and placed the tray she was carrying in the middle of the room, right on the round table.

“Sorry I came suddenly, I just wanted to talk to you before you move to Badiran Island. I heard you were leaving after the Crown Prince's coronation tomorrow.” he explained as he unfolded the teapot, and with his friendly face he took a brown bag from his sleeve, took out a pinch of powder and put it in the teapot.

Ningling Jia slowly woke up from her sleeping position, “We can still talk tomorrow.”

“You are right, but I want to talk to you alone, without any other nobles.”

Ningling Jia frowned. She was not a naive woman, suspecting anyone was part of her ingrained nature. To be honest, even though they both gave birth to a child from the same man, the relationship between the two was not so awkward. In fact, it was extremely rare for the two of them to talk to each other. His second chance to talk was only when there was a tea party with the other noble ladies. Although Ningling Jia felt touched by this visit, but she was cautious.

Ruyong Niyi stood up carrying a cup of chamomile tea, walked slowly closer to Ningling Jia's bed, handed the teacup to her. Ningling Jia was willing to unwillingly accept the teacup with a feeling of doubt. Ruyong Niyi sat on the chair next to the bed, smiling kindly looking at Ningling Jia waiting for her to sip the tea. However, Ningling Jia did not seem to have any intention to bring her lips closer to the head of the cup, she simply stared at the tea that was puffing on the smoke with suspicion.

Ruyong Niyi caught her doubts, and started to open her voice, “You must be very confused as to why I came here to talk when I always avoided you in the palace.”

Ningling Jia turned her attention to the sudden confession.

Ruyong Niyi sighed softly, “I, felt very guilty during my 11 years of marriage with Han Yunji. I never wanted this marriage, but father always humbled me as the only daughter in the Ruyong family. She humbled me by forcing me to marry a king, and I would be of great help to the Ruyong family if I became a concubine. During the years of your marriage to Han Yunji, I knew he only loved you, and you were the only woman in his eyes, I realized that I had absolutely no place in his heart. Even on our wedding night, he did so only as a husband and wife, nothing more. Even if the Ruyong family already has a better degree with me being a concubine, I still feel inferior. Therefore, I feel ashamed to talk to you.”

Every sentence that Ruyong Niyi spoke revolved within Ningling Jia's mind. He and Ruyong Niyi had been close friends since they were very young. The Ruyong family and the Ningling family had different idealists, thus making these two legislative families always feuding even in minor matters. In fact, Ruyong Niyi and Ningling Jia had been their weapons for a long time to fight each other in the fight for the position of queen. However, in the end Han Yunji chose Ninglin Jia as the woman he loved.

Ningling Jia had always felt that their friendship had already been ruined when she finally married Han Yunji and became the Crown Princess. In his heart, he did not want to be far away from Ruyong Niyi, but whenever he attempted to tie back that broken rope, Ruyong Niyi always ran away. He had always thought that Ruyong Niyi hated him, but reality actually made him feel guilty. If only he had understood Ruyong Niyi better, they would probably still have been friends who strengthened each other.

Ningling Jia looked back at the chamomile tea that was still puffing smoke, then smiled, “Niyi,”

“Hm?”

“After I came out of the palace,” Ningling Jia looked back at Ruyong Niyi, smiling warmly, “Let's spend some time together.”

The room door was closed, Ruyong Niyi's entire body stiffened, her eyelashes trembled, she clenched her hands very tightly, closing her eyes, trying to control her emotions. Sighing so long, Ruyong Niyi opened her eyes, and a certainty that did not want to regret the decision she had chosen was reflected in her gaze. Ruyong Niyi straightened her head, continuing her footsteps calmly.

Ningling Jia stared at the empty cup above the small cupboard next to her bed, the light emitted by the lantern toying inside the cup.

“Uhuk...” Ningling Jia raised her hand to close her mouth. Sensing the cold iron filling his mouth, Ningling Jia distanced his palm to look at the viscous liquid that had fallen. Ningling Jia smiled bitterly at the red ink that was coloring her white hands.

***

“Uncle..?” Pupil Ha Gilyu trembled at the expression of his uncle who was very calm, but filled with discrimination. He watched every soldier he brought with him a complete weapon, as if they were going to fight tonight. “Uncle, what will Uncle do with these soldiers?” Ha Gilyu's voice shook, making Ka Min turn her head with wide-open petals on her, a worst-case scenario flashed across her head, making her spontaneously touch the tip of her sword.

Ha Gungi raised one end of his lips, “Just want to give a little surprise before you ascend the throne, Your Highness.” Ha Gungi's hand was lifted and one of the soldiers behind him raised an arrow at Ha Gilyu.

Instantly, Ha Gilyu's nerves stopped working. A warrior with the uniform and insignia of the Anthropon Kingdom pointed an arrow at him, the future king-to-be who would lead him in the future. Assault on the night before the coronation, this was clearly rebellion, treason. However, Ha Gilyu tried to reject that fact, she could not accept that the traitorous leader was her own uncle, someone she had always trusted, someone who had always been a place of leaning for her, she said, someone who was even, someone who had always even been a father to him.

The arrow was removed, Ka Min swiftly deflected the arrow with her sword. “What are you doing!? Protect the future king!”

The entire private soldiers of Ha Gilyu instantly took out their swords. Without any other cue, the soldier that Ha Gungi brought forward and surrendered private soldier Ha Gilyu. Ha Gilyu froze in place, her heart unable to accept the fact in front of her even after her mind screamed madly to resuscitate her.

“Your Majesty! Quickly go from here!” with all his strength, Ka Min shouted by continuously killing the traitors with his sword.

However, Ha Gilyu's hearing was covered by her own emotions. Slowly, he had trouble breathing, and his back body became extremely hot while his palms became cold. The secret of Ha Noon, the attack on the border, immediately he got one answer. How long has that guy been planning this? How long has he been pretending? Is everything fake? His attention, his warmth, his gentle words, was everything he received just a falsity for the sake of tonight?

“Your Majesty!”

An arrow pointed right at Ha Gilyu's heart, but Ha Gilyu's mind was filled with her emotions, keeping all her instincts locked. The arrow was removed, and without him noticing, Ka Min was already standing in front of him, covering his entire body from the arrow attack. Instantly, Ha Gilyu's mind went blank, staring at Ka Min's agonized face with the arrow stuck in her body. Three arrows were again released and repeatedly stuck in Ka Min's body.

Ka Min could no longer maintain her consciousness, her pupils raised and looked at Ha Gilyu with a pushy gaze, slowly she said three words with her lips, “Lari, Your Majesty.” Ka Min's body fell, and Ha Gilyu quiveringly caught Ka Min's body. Instantly, his body went limp, and his knees fell to the floor. His pupils trembled at Ka Min's increasingly pale face and froze slowly, his gaze slowly blurring from the stagnant salt water.

A soldier pulled back an arrow, but Ha Gungi raised his hand to stop him.

From the window, Mom Suri watched as her son was killed with four arrows piercing his body, she could not hold back her emotions, both her hands covered her mouth that would scream, her knees falling to the floor, she said, and the tip of his eye did not stop spitting salt water.

Mom Suri's head was raised with her eyes wide open hearing the terrible sound of screams, her breathing faltered and her heart was beating very quickly. A splash of blood littered the floor, and a servant ran over frantically, she looked at Mom Suri as if finding hope. One by one, the soldiers behind him fell down with scattered splashes of blood.

“Mom's Mom!” The servant grasped Mom Suri's wrist very firmly. “Mom.we have to run, they will kill us!”

Mom Suri faintly heard the approaching footsteps, and swiftly closed the maid's mouth, then stood up and pulled her into an invisible dark place. A few soldiers with blood splashes dirtying their uniform leisurely walking did not find the two.

Mom Suri held both of the servants' shoulders with trembling hands, “What happened?”

The waiter frantically shook his head, “I don't know, Madam. I was on my way to the palace kitchen after delivering tea to His Majesty the King, ah no, I mean, it..”.

Mom Suri understood that this servant did not understand how to summon the previous King because he was a living former king, and this was the first time this had happened. “No need to think about that!”

“It... Suddenly some soldiers attacked other soldiers, and they looked at me as if they were going to kill me, then, then..”.

The painful scene when the four arrows piercing the body of his son protecting the Crown Prince flashed through his mind, making his entire body burn with emotion. This is a rebellion, and the leader of the rebellion is Ha Gungi, he wants to get the throne. Mom Suri let go of her grip on the waiter, “Stay here, don't let them meet you.”

“Where will the Madam go?”

“I have to see Miss Jia.” Mom Suri left the maid and with a feeling of panic filling her heart, she stepped quickly towards Ningling Jia's room.

Ha Noon sipped her lavender tea with her eyes not sidetracked from the book she was reading. However, his focus was interrupted by the sound of an iron complaint and some inexplicable screams. Ha Noon frowned, is there any training of mini mala warriors? But his voice was too clear, and it was impossible for them to do so near the princess, they could not possibly dare to disturb the royal family's rest time.

However, the longer the voices got more and more violent, and Ha Noon could not calm down about this. He placed his book open on the table, and slowly stood up, walking towards the balcony to check on the situation. Ha Noon found two soldiers patrolling the canopied walkway holding lanterns. Suddenly, several soldiers ran towards them with guns pointed at them. The two warriors did not seem to have any idea of the action, and in the blink of an eye the shiny sword tore their vital points apart and a few drops of blood came out profusely, both of them falling down instantly.

Ha Noon closed his mouth wide-eyed, questioning everything within his brain, his legs slowly stepping back. The bodies of the two soldiers did not stop them from advancing with bloodstained swords. What the hell's going on? Why did the soldiers attack other soldiers? Ha Noon clearly saw the uniforms and insignia of the Anthropon Kingdom warriors on their bodies. Are they intruders? That's assault?

“Who are you!?” The sound of clashing swords rang out loud from the outside, Ha Noon turned around with a racing heart, his legs stiffly stepped, his eyes poignant, his eyes agonizing, did not dare to blink and continued to stare at the tightly closed door of his room.

“This is his room?”

Ha Noon could feel some adults standing in front of his bedroom door, and instantly the door was forcefully knocked down from outside. Ha Noon's heart beat faster, his breathing faltered, as salt water filled his vision glass. The break was getting stronger, and Ha Noon's survival instinct made him want to hide, his brain forced his frozen body, but his entire body felt cold. The break grew louder, and Ha Noon finally managed to smash the ice that froze his body, he quickly ran over and hid under the bed. The sound of an open door filling the room, Ha Noon held her breath not to make a sound under the bed.

Ningling Jia felt an unbearable pain in her chest, as if her chest was being overwritten by a boulder. The fishy thick blood did not stop coming out from his throat, making his throat feel a pain like being whipped by a rough rope. His palm had been filled with blood, Ningling Jia was trying to grab the drawer beside his bed, wanting to take the antidote that had always been stored there.

Ningling Jia was not strong enough to endure her sickly weight, she fell out of bed, but she tried to get back up and her hands weakly reached the top drawer.

“Nona Jia!” Mom Suri entered Ningling Jia's dark room, her eyes widened to find Ningling Jia falling on the floor with blood filling her mouth and palms. “Nona!” Mom Suri swiftly approached Ningling Jia and propped up her body, her entire face wrinkled at Ningling Jia's weak state.

“Teh it...”ucap Ningling Jia with hoarse voice, “Niyi put poison into that tea.”

The memory of when Ruyong Niyi offered herself to deliver tea to Ningling Jia caught her mind, making her regret for accepting the scheming woman's offer. Quickly, Mom Suri took the antidote from the drawer and directly drank it on Ningling Jia. Ningling Jia swallowed the bitter antidote, but a second later the blood came back out.

“Nona!”

“Free... The poison is too strong.”.

“I will call a healer.”

“No, no use. Suri...” Ningling Jia pulled Mom Suri's arm, “Listen to me, meet Noon, this is a rebellion. Protect Noon, don't mind me, please, this is my last request.”

Mom Suri's hands trembled violently, her eyelashes trembled, her pupils froze staring at Ningling Jia's increasingly paled face, she had already begun to have difficulty breathing, and blood did not stop coming out of her mouth, she said, the light in his eyes began to disappear. He wanted to save Ningling Jia, he couldn't let Ningling Jia lose her life, but…

“Suri.. this is command.”.

The sentence resuscitated Mom Suri, slowly she lowered her head restraining all her emotions, “Good, Your Highness.”

Ningling Jia smiled relievedly, “Thank you.” His eyes slowly closed, his chest that was rising and falling as a result of the choking breath slowly calmed down, and his entire body lost strength. Mom Suri slowly released Ningling Jia's body and started running towards Ha Noon's room.

Ha Gilyu looked at Ka Min's paled face, she could no longer feel Ka Min's heartbeat, nor her breathing. Ha Gilyu's heart was pounding, her pupils slowly staring at Ha Gungi who was looking at her calmly. The last soldier protecting him finally breathed his last, and he realized that he was alone. Ha Gilyu's gaze turned quieter and sharper, “Explain to me, what does all this mean, Ha Gungi?”

Both corners of Ha Gungi's lips lifted in mockery, “Heh, you did not call me by the affectionate appellation ‘paman’ again, Your Majesty. Forgive me, did the death of that soldier anger you, Your Majesty?”

“Traitor.” said Ha Gilyu in a heavy voice.

The mocking smile on Ha Gungi's face instantly faded, he took out his sword and pointed it at Ha Gilyu. “Children like you, still do not deserve to hold the throne, let this good ‘paman’ take your burden, Ha Gilyu.”

Ha Gilyu slowly laid down Ka Min's body, she stood up and pulled out her sword, “See who is unable to take this throne and must beg for help on other kingdoms.”

Ha Gungi stepped forward with his sword, swinging his sword towards Ha Gilyu, but Ha Gilyu deftly avoided the sword. Ha Gilyu quickly turned her sword swinging it towards the left, making Ha Gungi retreat. Ha Gungi frowned, this was what made him sick of Ha Gilyu's sword technique. Ha Gilyu created her own sword technique, making her movements more flexible to swing her sword from any direction. It was a sword technique that was difficult to master even though the results were very promising.

Ha Gilyu again turned his sword and swung it backwards, Ha Gungi held the attack with his sword, both of them trying to push with their strength. Ha Gilyu bent her knees, and focused the force on her two hands to push Ha Gungi's sword, then spun around to attack Ha Gungi's feet with her feet. However, Ha Gungi managed to dodge the attack, and the return attack did not let Ha Gilyu prepare with his next defense.

Ha Gilyu aimed the sword over his head, resisting Ha Gungi's attack, but both of his hands became weaker due to the previous push, making Ha Gilyu step back forcefully, making Ha Gilyu step back forcefully, and Ha Gungi managed to injure him on his left shoulder. His blood spilled onto the floor, Ha Gilyu retreated so far as to avoid Ha Gungi, but Ha Gungi did not let him survive. Ha Gungi continued to attack him, making other wounds on his body.

“I told you, Your Majesty, you should spend your time together with the stacks of books in the library instead of playing with the sword!”

Ha Gilyu grimaced in pain, making Ha Gungi find a gap and quickly Ha Gungi split Ha Gilyu's arm, and stabbed him until his sword pierced through Ha Gilyu's body. A mouthful of blood spilled from his mouth, and instantly time came to a halt.