THE MINISTER WHO CRIED
620 Words
*EPISODE 7: "THE MINISTER WHO CRIED"*
_∼2050 words_
_4/12. The one who smiled while others starved._
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*1. THE NEW TARGET*
The list. 9 names left.
Tae-hyun runs his finger down to #4.
_Minister Hye. Minister of Relief._
_Crime: Stole famine rice. Sold it. Bought silk. 3000 people died. She cried at their funeral._
"She cries a lot," Min-ho says.
"For the cameras," Tae-hyun says.
Her house is different.
White silk curtains. Lotus pond. Children’s paintings on the wall.
She adopted 2 orphans last year.
For PR.
*2. THE PLAN*
"We don’t kill her in her house," Tae-hyun says.
"Why?"
"Because she’ll use it. _‘They killed me in front of my children.’_"
Min-ho nods. "So where?"
"The orphanage she funds. Tonight. When she goes for her monthly visit."
Perfect.
Let her see the kids she let starve.
*3. THE ORPHANAGE*
It’s clean. Too clean.
New blankets. New bowls.
Paid for last week after Jae died.
30 kids. Ages 3 to 10.
Eyes that look like ours did.
Minister Hye arrives in gold robes.
With painters. With scribes.
"Smile for the portrait," she tells a little girl.
The girl doesn’t smile.
Tae-hyun and Min-ho are in the rafters.
Black. Silent.
Watching.
*4. THE SPEECH*
Hye stands in the middle of the room.
"My dear children," she says. Voice soft. "The empire has not forgotten you."
She pulls out a rice bowl.
"This is from my own table."
Min-ho’s jaw ticks.
Tae-hyun puts a hand on his arm. _Wait._
Hye keeps talking.
"Last year was hard. But we are strong. Because we have each other."
One of the kids, a boy about 5, whispers:
"You stole our rice."
The room goes silent.
Hye’s smile freezes.
"What did you say?"
"My sister died," the boy says. "Last winter. You sold the rice."
*5. 4/12*
That’s when Min-ho drops down.
No sword.
Just stands between her and the kids.
Hye stumbles back.
"Guards! Guards!"
The painters run. The scribes run.
The guards are outside. Too late.
"Minister Hye," Min-ho says. Quiet.
"Do you remember Boy #7 and Boy #12?"
Her eyes widen. "N-no... I don’t—"
"You called us glass," Tae-hyun says from the rafters. "Said we’d break in the cold."
He drops down beside Min-ho.
The kids are watching.
Not scared.
Watching.
Hye starts crying. Real tears this time.
"Please. I have children. I adopted—"
"You adopted them 2 weeks ago," Tae-hyun says. "After Jae died."
"I can explain—"
"Explain to them," Min-ho says. Nods to the kids.
Hye looks at the kids.
No one looks away.
The sword comes out.
*6. THE MESSAGE*
They don’t make it bloody.
Not in front of the kids.
Clean. Fast.
On the wall, in rice paste:
_“4/12. For the 3000. And for the boy who spoke.”_
On the floor: A silk robe. Cut to pieces.
And 3000 grains of rice. Counted out.
They walk out.
The kids don’t scream.
The 5-year-old boy looks at Tae-hyun.
Tae-hyun nods once.
*7. THE CITY AFTER*
By morning, the painting of Hye "with the orphans" is torn down.
The new story spreads:
_The Glass Boys didn’t kill her in her palace.
They killed her in front of the kids she lied to._
People are talking.
_"Did you hear? They let the kids watch."_
_"Good. She should’ve seen their faces."_
The Emperor doubles the guard.
Triples the bounty.
And in the streets, more peaches appear.
With needles through them.
Back at the tree:
Tae-hyun crosses off #4.
8 left.
"You think the boy will be okay?" Min-ho asks.
"He spoke," Tae-hyun says. "That’s enough."
_“Blood oath?”_
_“Blood oath.”_
*END OF EPISODE 7*
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