Empress Of The Lost Kingdom

In the inner court of the Dai Jinlong palace, two figures sat on the bed, staring into nothingness.

They were sitting close to each other, yet their hearts were a million miles apart.

"How much do you know?" Lee Tae Yang asked when he couldn't bear the excruciating silence in the room.

Unlike his usual warm self, Lee Tae Yang's voice appeared unnaturally cold and emotionless,

well, Li Juan was no different, the deadpan look on her face was an equally depressing sight to see.

"Nothing. I want to hear it from you," She chirped while looking at the man who sat beside her,

"I felt it was entirely my fault for the loss of our child. I used to believe that I'm someone who hates violence and gore, but in the end, I was forced to walk down the bloody path so that I could feel less guilty. I came from Xi city after witnessing Ning Jing's death," Li Juan confessed without any hesitations. 

Lee Tae Yang quietly listened as she began to speak,

"But it was Tang Wei Sheng who took her life to repent for everything he has done to me. On the way back, Zhang Zhi Jun said something about me, a truth to be precise," Li Juan let out a condescending sneer, as she recalled his words,

"He called me a sadist who loves to torment my boyfriend as well as my exes," She emphasized the term "Exes" with a bitter laugh and continued, 

"A person who manipulates others by playing the victim card. A silent villain in everyone's lives...a slow poison that gradually kills everyone,"

"Xiao Li!!!!," Lee Tae Yang raised his voice at her, in a vague effort to stop her from blaming herself,

"You are nothing like this..you are...," He held Li Juan's shoulders and almost brawled at her for spewing nonsense.

"Then tell me, Yangyang," Li Juan's snaps back, her aloof facade crumbles down as she raised her hands and cupped his face.

Her dark eyes brimming with tears, probing deep into him. 

"Swear it to me, I'm not the reason why you are forced to live under this mask," Her crystal clear voice quivers as she seeks the truth of his identity. 

"Tell me...tell me that you didn't kill anyone for me," Teardrops rolled down Li Juan's cheeks, like the beads of a broken necklace.

After listening to Zhang Zhi Jun, she realized her mistakes and came to apologise to the man whom she loved and respected.

However, not in her wildest dreams, Li Juan expected such a turn of events. 

On the other hand, watching Li Juan's desperate efforts to prove herself wrong, Lee Tae Yang had no other option but to keep his mouth shut.

Every single word Li Juan uttered was true and he sat there, without making an effort to refute anything. 

More than anything else, Lee Tae Yang's silence hurt Li Juan the most. His silence was proof that the effect she left on him was as same as Tang Wei Sheng.

She may not have intentionally killed anyone, but she has the blood of numerous lives on her hands. More than that, she has made use of men who loved her and turned them into monsters.

Realizing the most painful truth, Li Juan released her hands from Lee Tae Yang and sat like a lifeless statue, blaming herself for being the evil that squeezes out the very last ounce of humanity from people around her and ruins them inch by inch,

"I'm the reason...I'm the only reason why you turned out like a monster, " She covers her face and began to sob, "I should have died...I should have died," 

"Xiao Li," Lee Tae Yang grabs the frail wrists that cover her careworn face and requests in a tender voice,

"Look at me,"

"I'm the reason," Li Juan rumbled manically and refused to look at him in the face. 

"Yes, it's started from you," Lee Tae Yang admitted, rather in an overbearing and intimidating voice as the hold on her wrists turned stronger.

"Li Juan, you are the reason," He affirmed with a pair of honest eyes, that bore deep into her.

The sudden change in his tone and demeanour caught Li Juan off and she unknowingly locked eyes with Lee Tae Yang, unable to believe what he just said,

"But. not. the. only. one," He enunciates each word, loud and strong enough, hammering into Li Juan's chaotic brain. 

"There are other reasons that made me into a monster that everyone fears...It got nothing to do with your existence," He divulges to explain his part of the story,

"The reasons that remain as the irons pillars of the Lee family for several decades," Lee Tae Yang states as he raised his hand and wiped the tears dropped from Li Juan's eyes, tenderly,

He gazes at her reddened teary eyes for a moment and then casts his gaze at his palms,

"My hands are indeed stained with blood," Lee Tae Yang conceded monotonously,

"But you have no part in it," He reaches out to touch her cheeks with trembling fingers, but stopped his hand in midway, 

"It was my own choice. You came into my life and reminded me that no matter how hard I try, I won't be able to run away from my fate and the responsibilities of being the eldest son of the Lee family,"

Li Juan gawps at him, unable to comprehend the meaning of his words,

"Lee corporation is different from what you have seen so far," Lee Tae Yang began to reveal the dark secrets of his family that he never discussed with Li Juan. 

Lee Corporation- the largest conglomerate in the K country and one of the central powers that steer the economy and politics of the subcontinent.

That's how the world perceived the business tycoons of the Lee family. However, there were more to the story, an identity that has been concealed from the general public, over several decades. 

"The arbitrators"

They were mediators of the conflicts between the government and the crime syndicates in the K country.

Without wavering under the pressure from both sides, the Lee family has grown into the giants who wields absolute autonomy by maintaining a neutral stance. They created an empire out of their sheer hard work and determination. However, it didn't last any longer. 

No matter how good the defence, if the enemy is already someone within the boundary walls, then not even God can save an empire. 

There wasn't any need for an external force to destroy whatever the Lee family has achieved so far.

Lee Tae Wook, the illegitimate son who was blinded by greed, the black sheep of the Lee family did his fair share of dirty work to manipulate his way to own the corporation. For achieving his goals, he came up with a easy yet brutal strategy. 

He executed plans to murder his half brothers.

"You were the reason why I insisted on finding the truth about my parent's death," Lee Tae Yang pauses abruptly and faintly shook his head before speaking, 

"That accident which took my parent's and your father"s life... it was a murder fabricated as an accident," He grunted as he spoke the bitter truth. 

Li Juan's stares at the man who appeared as if he is on the verge of exploding in anger,

The relentlessly fierce side of Lee Tae Yang was something new to her...rather painful to watch,

He was trying hard to stop himself from having an emotional outburst.

She slowly reaches out for his tightened fists to console him.

However, when her fingers almost touched his cold skin, Lee Tae Yang moved away from her, clearly drawing boundaries between them. 

"To gain the authority of Lee Corporation, he joined hands with a drug dealer from Jing city and fabricated an accident that killed my parents and Uncle Ze. However, he failed to get enough support from the board members since he was the illegitimate son of the family. 

He didn't sit idle. He sought help from underworld gangs who had bad blood with the Lee family and continued with his plans to overthrow uncle Tae Joon from the CEO position. But his relations with the partners have resulted in conflicts and eventually lead to the revelation of the truth. He ended up getting life sentence for his crimes. After the tragedy happened to his family, Grandpa decided to quit being a mediator and live an ordinary life. We grew up in a typical corporate family without knowing any of the past feuds," Lee Tae Yang paused aa he remembered the good old days where he remained oblivious to the dangers of the world. 

"Everything was going smoothly, until one day, uncle Joon got into a car accident and our lives turned upside down in a night. Grandpa could no longer trust anyone other than his grandsons and asked me to become the acting CEO in the absence of my uncle," He gasped and closed his eyes for a moment before continuing. 

"While investigating about the Uncle Joon's accident, it came to our notice that there were some similarities with the accident that happened eighteen years ago,"

"It was also-" Li Juan didn't dare to complete her words. For her entire life, she blamed herself for being a curse that took her parent's lives, but in reality, it wasn't her ill fate but someone else's ill intentions that had made her grow up without her father.

"Hmm, Lee Tae Wook did it. He faked his death while undergoing life imprisonment and returned to seek his revenge with a fake identity. He built a mercenary syndicate in soul city with the help of foreign mafia groups and went against us. Before the impending danger, I had to choose between my likes and my family,"

Lee Tae Yang paused to peer at Li Juan's face, which lacked any endearing emotions. 

Her indifference and nonacceptance to the truth- it was one of the things he feared the most and restrained him from confessing any of these.

What if she refuses to understand his intentions?

"To keep my family safe, I had to get rid of everyone who posed a threat. I chose not to be benevolent enough to forgive those who hurt my family or leave them to the law," His words appeared cold like the frosty winter blizzards that pierced into Li Juan's ears,

"I killed him," Lee Tae Yang's confession came out unflinching as he prepared himself to face the worst,

"I wiped out his entire gang with my own hands," 

As soon as the terrifying truth fell from Lee Tae Yang's mouth, Li Juan gaped at him in startlement.

"The people who once mocked me for a weakling came around one by one, submitting to the fear of the ruthless beast I've turned myself," He went on describing the fear and authority he gained over the people,

"For my actions, I answered to no one, except your mother," He recalled the promise he has made to Li Qin, "I want aunt Li to know that her daughter is not a cursed child as everyone says. I want to serve the justice she deserved and I did it," He stated in a resolute tone,

"Grandpa Guan feared that his grandson might turn into a murderer if he let me go loose, so he helped to quench my bloodthirst by giving me a new identity," He paused for a moment and said while looking directly at her eyes,

"An undercover assassin who works for the government," Lee Tae Yang revealed the alternate identity that he has kept hidden under the mask of a hardworking businessman,

All of his crimes has been justified as a service to ensure the peace and integrity of the nation.

"I felt no guilt nor regret the lives that I've taken to ensure the safety of everyone I loved. But in real, there is only a thin line of moral distinction between being a murderer and a government-sponsored assassin. I strongly believed that as long as I'm alive, I will not allow anyone to hurt my people until our child has taken away from us, "

Lee Tae Yang reached out to hold her hands with his and pressed them against his forehead as if he blames himself for the loss of their child.

"Xiao Li," His voice was deep than usual and very hoarse, but soft and fragile at the same time as if his heart would break any moment,

"If you feel that I'm not worthy of you, I will get out from your life. If you tell me to surrender to the law, I'm willing to do that," Lee Tae Yang tightens his hands over hers and waits for her reply,

Hearing his words, Li Juan felt an aching pain striking her heart and suffocating her,

It was true that he hid everything from her, but before his conscience, whatever he did was right.

For the safety of his family, he sacrificed himself and wore the facade of a ruthless man.

She gazed at the man without discerning that her silence has put him in agony and suffering,

Li Juan slowly pulls away her hand from his grasp,

Feeling her hands out of his reach, Lee Tae Yang froze in place without moving.

"It's over. Li Juan is going to leave," He stares at the emptiness that prevailed in her big black eyes,

He had prepared himself for this moment countless times, but there was a little hope left in his heart that Li Juan will understand him and stay with him.

However, oblivious to his thoughts, Li Juan lifts her hand and touches his face,

"I do not blame you nor I'm angry with you," Her fingers gently caress his cheek and smiled faintly,

"You said there is only a thin line between being called a murderer and an assassin, but I would like you to remind that you are a guardian who protects everyone,"

Lee Tae Yang remained spellbound at her words. It wasn't the answer he anticipated from her,

She was shocked by his revelation but couldn't blame or hate him for what he had done.

She asked her conscience only one question,

"If she was in his position, how would have he reacted? Not the Lee Tae Yang who sat before her, but the man who loved her all of his life. Will he ever hate her for protecting her family?"

And the answer was "no"

"How can I leave you when you are the only one I've ever had?" Li Juan asks and wraps her hands over his neck as she pulls him towards her,

"You..you are not scared of me?" His shoulders tremble in the emotions swirling around him, making him struggle to breathe,

"I'm not scared of you. What I fear is a life without you," She braces his trembling body into a warm embrace,

"Xiao Li, I'm so sorry," Lee Tae Yang hugs her back as the streaks of tears break away from his eyes.

It was like all the feelings he has bulked up in his heart broke free as soon as he heard her words of acceptance.