Vestige of Beauty is the 186th chapter of the Kingdom manga, written and illustrated by Yasuhisa Hara.
Summary
The Queen Mother asks the Ryo Fui if she is fine with it as there is no turning back. He says that he came all the way to the Royal Harem, he has no second thoughts. He tells her she will be declaring her son the enemy for the whole world to see.
Kou overhears the conversation and runs as fast she can to Ei Sei while questioning why the Queen does not ally with her son. She stated she does not care for her son. She only called for him for a test. Ryo Fui deduces that this entire display was for the purpose to lure him to the Harem. They are enjoying the fact that the Ei Sei Faction believe the Royal Harem will ally with them. Kou also overheard that the Queen and Ryo Fui used to be lovers 17 years ago. She gets stabbed as one of the Eunuch sensed a presence.
However, Kou removes the blood from the sword and leaves wounded. When the Eunuch enters, he does not find anything. The Queen escorts Ryo Fui to a place known by a few, the "Room of pleasures". She states that the Harem will only ally with him on the condition he can satisfy her tonight.
Kou falls on the ground, being wounded and exhausted. The Queen has a lot of pleasure, but Ryo Fui is displeased as she changed to much. Ryo Fui calls her by the name Bi Ki; however, she becomes angry at him for calling her by that name and tells him 17 years ago she was during blissful paradise. She was adored by many men. Overflowing with wealth and riches alongside her glory as a first-class dancer.
Because there was a man named Ryo Fui, her most cherished person in the world, who had promised to spend his life with her till they grew old. She had no doubt, but one day, he introduced her to a prince of a foreign state and said to her from today on, this will be the man you love. It was then she realized that everything was an illusion. She tells him that he used her and there is no other man she hates more. She tells from now on they will become husband and wife. Ryo Fui however was already afraid of this and realizes getting involved with this woman is dangerous.
Characters
- Royal Palace
- Shiso (flashback)
- Ei Sei Faction
- Ei Sei (flashback)
- Ryo Fui Faction
- Ryo Fui (flashback and main story)
- Royal Harem
- Queen Mother (flashback and main story)
- Chou Kou
- Kou
- You (mentioned)
- Unnamed eunuch
Highlights
- Ryo Fui allies with the Queen Mother by sleeping with her.
- The Queen Mother doesn't feel anything for her son, Sei.
- The Queen Mother and Ryo Fui are reveled to be former lovers.
- Kou overhears the dialogue between Ryo Fui and the Queen Mother.
- Kou is stabbed by a eunuch but manages to escape.
- The Queen Mother's name is Bi Ki.
- The Queen Mother hates Ryo Fui.
Trivia
- The chapter shows the first sex scene between named characters in the series.