Jimin stared at her, "I can't believe that a quiet girl like you can commit such a crime."

"But I did." Y/n replied.

"You broke the rules, you know that? You can get severely punished for that. You are a guest here, but you committed such a crime." Jimin exclaimed.

"What crime? I haven't k'lled her yet. I just scared her." Y/n replied.

"What was the reason for your behavior?" Jimin asked.

"She disrespected me." Y/n exclaimed.

"You have the right to hurt someone from this land. You are not, from here. " Jimin's father said. Y/n looked at him.

"I am, my mother is from Busan." She said, And I made the king interested.

"Which family?" He asked.

"Yuri." One word and the king was shook. "My mother's name was Yuri, she was from here. She left me at my birth and I don't know my father. But he is from Busan too."

He stared at her face, "What do you have as proof?"

Jimin was confused, he didn't understand what was going on. Y/n took off the necklace she was wearing and showed it to him. "Maybe this will remind you."

He looked at her necklace, and he seemed to recognize the necklace. But he didn't say anything.

"Prince Jimin, handle this situation and punish her accordingly." He said to Jimin, who nodded his head. He looked at Y/n. "Meet me again in privacy,  then we can talk more about the necklace."

She smiled and bowed to him. "Your Majesty."

He left and Y/n looked at Jimin who was standing, he asked the court lady and the witness the reason why Y/n did what she did. And they were hesitating so Y/n spoke up.

"They saw my scars and started the rumors that I got them because I was a slave or concubine." Y/n said.

"Still, that does justify your action. Your actions have caused irreparable harm to a member of the court, and the peace of the palace has been disturbed." Jimin said.

"So? She should have mind her tongue,"

"You should mind your tongue right now." Jimin said.

"In light of the severity of your offense, it is my decision that you be demoted to the position of a concubine, effective immediately." He said.

"You can't do that, Jungkook will k'll you." She warned. The guards were about to hold her as she tried to threaten Jimin Infront of everyone.

"He is not here, we will see what he will do when he returns. Until then, you are staying there." He said.

" I did not mean for things to escalate this way." She said.

Jimin's resolve remains steadfast as he motions for the guards to escort Y/N to the designated chambers for the concubines. Y/N's eyes widen in silent protest, her heart heavy with the weight of her undeserved fate.

"Your actions have consequences, Y/N. May this serve as a lesson to exercise greater caution in the future."

Y/N bows her head, her voice stifled by the ache in her chest. With measured steps, the guards lead her away, leaving Jimin alone in the dimly lit corridor.

___

"Gosh, this girl? I heard her body is filled with marks. Who wants to sleep with her?" Y/n could already hear the whispers.

She clenched her fists, she can't cause more trouble.

Y/N stands with a guarded expression, her gaze fixed on the stern face of the head of the concubinage rooms, Lady Hae-won

"As a concubine, you are bound by certain protocols that must be strictly observed. Your conduct must reflect the utmost respect for the hierarchy within the palace walls." He said.

Y/N listens intently, she just needs to follow them for a few days until Jungkook comes back she can do this.

"Your primary duty is to serve the royal household with grace and discretion. Any breach of decorum will not be tolerated."

Y/N's fists clench at her sides, a storm of emotions roiling within her.

Y/N hesitantly steps into the opulent yet suffocating space of the concubine chamber, her gaze darting around the room.

As she walks past the delicate silk screens and intricate tapestries, she feels an unfamiliar wave of empathy stir within her.

"This place... it's not what I imagined." She said to herself.

In the dim candlelight, she notices the other women, they approach her. "Hi, I am Hanni. You are new here?"

Y/n stared at her and her sweetness. Most people who are sweet to her are because of her status, why is she being sweet?

"I am Y/n."

"Y/n? The others were calling you something else." The other one said, she looked at Y/n confused expressions. "Oh I am Dahyun, and you don't have to worry about them, we are nice. The other group that you are seeing there, they aren't. So it's better if you stay away."

Y/n always disliked concubines, she believed that they tried to steal married men and replace the wives.

But while talking, she noticed how nice and innocent some of them really are.

"You all look quite happy, I guess trying to replace the royal wives is an interesting job." Y/n said and both Hanni and Dahyun were silent as they looked at each other.

"It's not what we envisioned, you see. We are not here out of choice, but circumstance. Many of us were chosen for our looks, not our desires." Dahyun said.

Y/N's brows furrow as she listens intently, the pieces of the puzzle slowly fitting together in her mind.

"We survive in this palace, not because we want to, but because we must. We find solace in each other, in the company of those who understand our plight." Hanni said.

Y/N's heart sinks as the reality of their predicament becomes clearer. She realizes that these women, much like her, are prisoners of a system that values beauty over autonomy.

She said to herself, They are not trying to replace anyone. They are just trying to survive.

"I am sorry, I don't know much about you guys, I only heard some things. How did you end up here?"  She asked.

And Y/n was surprised by their stories, they had been separated by their family, kidnapped or either sold.

As the night deepens, Y/N finds herself sitting among the concubines, sharing stories and laughter that echo through the chamber.

___

Jungkook's gaze softens as he observes the scene before him, a . A gentle smile graces his lips as he watches the maid coaxing a few gleeful giggles from the tiny, cooing bundle in her arms..

Jungkook approaches with cautious steps, his eyes alight with an innocent curiosity as he kneels beside the baby and the baby, Avalon, who beams at the sight of the young prince.

"Well, hello there, little one. How are you today?" He asked.

Avalon's tiny fingers reach out, grasping at Jungkook's sleeve,  a soft laugh from the prince as he gently takes the baby's hand in his.

"You have quite the grip, don't you? You're going to be strong, just like your eomma." Jungkook said.

"Hey, stay away from my sister." Yesol exclaimed. Making Jungkook chuckle.

"At least grow taller before threatening me." Jungkook said.

"How dare you huh? I promise Eomma that I will protect her." Yesol said, which made Jungkook smile.

"I was not hurting her, I was just playing with her." Jungkook replied.

"Still stay away," Yesol said. He looked Jungkook in the eyes. "Eomma is with you right?"

"Maybe or Maybe not." Jungkook replied.

"If she is with you.Tell her to not come back," Yesol said.

"Why?"

"Appa, eomma went through so much, I don't want her to get hurt again. So take care of her until I get old enough to protect her." He said. Jungkook smiled and patted his head.

"Okay, just take care of Avalon. Can you do that for me?" Jungkook asked.

"Her father is here. You don't need to worry." Taehyung exclaimed, he walked to Avalon and looked at her in his arms. He patted her back.

"I almost forgot about your existence, like Y/n forgot she wanted you." Jungkook said.

Taehyung chuckled, "At least she went crazy over me at some point. Meanwhile she doesn't even care about you."

Jungkook got offended by that, "You don't understand, She is my childhood love."

"And I hated her from my childhood, and I still hate her, more than that I love her. In the end, she will choose me, and her daughter. My plan will work."

"What is your plan? Witchcraft?" Jungkook replied.

Taehyung was about to say something but Yesol interrupted, "You both argue like kids. I can come up with better insults than you too."

"I don't need to argue with him," Taehyung replied.

___

Y/n sits beside the king of Busan, her impact was insane, because she had no status yet she was sitting beside the king and having a conversation. She filled up the glass for him with wine.

"Yuri, was she your sister?" She asked.

"She is the daughter of my own brother."

"You have a brother?" Y/N's eyes widen in surprise, a mixture of curiosity and sympathy blooming within her as she absorbs the gravity of the revelation.

"I had one. She was married off to the king of Seoul, at a really young age to end the war, in the hopes of strengthening the bonds between our kingdoms. But fate had different plans for her. Her life took a turn none of us could have foreseen.

Y/N nods. "Why do you think she never stays in one place?"

"She did, she was in love." He said. And it made Y/n more curious.

"Just someone, I can't tell you the name, but she tried to stay with him. But after his death, she moved back to Seoul." He said.

"Is that someone from Busan?" Y/n asked. Wondering if that person is her father.

He nodded his head. "I still don't understand, why did she want her own daughter to get hurt?" She asked

"Which daughter?" He asked.

"Do you know how many kids she had?" She asked and he shook his head. "Yeah, so you don't know who I am talking about,"

"I don't know about daughters, but she was jealous of The young queen of Seoul." He said. "Yuri sacrificed a lot, she never got anything in return, she chose love. But later she realized she should have wealth and status. That was when she went back to Seoul."

She had the drinks with him, and after that she was told to go to Jimin's chamber.

Y/n was surprised by that request and then she doesn't want to. But she had a say and was sent there.

__

Y/n entered the chamber, she looked around and then her eyes met Jimin. "I see, you made a concubine, just so you could get a chance to sleep with me before your brother came?"

"My intentions are not to swallow. And I requested your presence tonight for a specific reason. I wanted to see the scars you bear." Jimin said.

"My scars have become the main topic of this palace." Her relationship.

"I could have ask you to show them infront of everything, but I am asking in privacy."

Y/n does want to see a reaction, of someone who doesn't know her.

"As you wish,"

With a composed grace, she begins to unfasten the garments that conceal the remnants of her past, revealing the scars that mar her skin, a testament to the trials she has endured.

His eyes stared at them and then he asked. "How did you acquire these scars?"

Y/N hesitates, her gaze briefly faltering as she recalls the haunting memories of her tumultuous past, her voice a whisper in the quietude of the chamber.

"It was my husband. His rage often consumed him, and I became the target of his fury." She told him.

Jimin walked closer to her. "You have a husband?"

"Yes," she told him.

"You have endured more than anyone should. I cannot change the past, but know that you are safe here. You need not fear any harm within these walls." He said, stepped a little more closer and kissed her shoulder, the part from her scar start.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. She stared at Jimin's face, as he leaned in and kissed her lips.

Her mind was thinking how pissed Jungkook will be after this, he will be so much that he will kill Jimin. Which is exactly what Y/n wants.

___