I made my way to the banquet where the Seo's were waiting for me and my best friend was already in his new found father era, where he had his arms open for the both of us. I gave Yeon the first chance to completely emotionally unload on her brother before she stayed by her sister-in-laws side before it was my turn when he took me to the side of then banquet where nobody could see us and well, I pretty much stayed in his arms until I collected myself without having to say anything at all. I was then called out to the front of the banquet to welcome our guests and showed them to their seating areas where I was called out once again to say that there was snotty guests who was waiting for me to pick them up, only to run into the very last person that I was hoping to see at all.
"My Lady, what on earth are you doing here?" "I am here to see my fiancé, why else would I be here?" "Lady Min, I believe that I have made myself clear and on more than one occasion. I will never marry you and your sister doesn't have the weight of her duties to send out decrees anymore." "Why do you look so worried when you are with me? Are you truly that afraid of that orphan girl when you are with other women? Is I because she is still a flight risk and will run away as soon as she sees us together?" "It is because I am the one not giving her space that she might leave, it isn't because of you!" "Is that so? Then why not give her the space to breathe and join me for a while…" "Nice try, My Lady, but Yeon only gets what she wants when she gives me what I want, and she is more than aware of this." "So what else does she want? What else do you plan to give her? She already seduces you in her bed everynight, so much so that you have been planning to get her pregnant for a long time now…" "so you were the one who was eavesdropping on us." "Weren't you afraid that it would be her brother instead? And what he would do if he overheard you?" "In this entire kingdom, myself and Hwi's footsteps are matched because we have trained together for years now, and we can recognise each other's a mile away, so I knew that it wasn't him."
"So what if I tell him now? About what you do with his little sister every night?" "You can tell him all you like, but even if you do, I shall take on his punishment and still come back for my woman." "Is that how far you will go for her? Even if The Second Prince intends on marrying her himself?" "The Second Prince can dream as he likes, but he isn't taking her from me, no-one is." "Not even if he finds out that the man who he gave away his sister's custody to has an opium addiction? Ever since he recovered himself from the last war that he fought in?" "How did you know about that?" "Because of how you're so-called woman is responding to you. It isn't the same as it was before you found her in the brothel, wasn't it?" "That wasn't her damned fault! It was because of her cousin that…" "are you really this naive still? Who do you think gave her the authority to place her in my sister's brothel? It was her, my sister and myself that gave Kim Areum the idea and Yeon herself even knew this. But she hasn't done anything about it because she knows that if you intervene, like you always do and get yourself killed for going up against her. That is her little secret that she is hiding from you, because she like most women want to keep their men alive rather than watch them destroy themselves in other people's revenge." "What are you…" "When we found you, it was Hui-Jae's idea to give you the most addictive drug in that hole, it was her idea for revenge after you savagely rejected her and made Seo Hwi turn against her also. It is why you have become so paranoid about her past as well, am I right? And I am the only person that you know that has an antidote for it, as long as you marry me and kill Seo Yeon yourself. But do not worry, for I shall never betray you and I will keep your little secret until you come to your senses and understand who at this time can help you recover right now, as faithful as you are. To be honest, I am a little envious of her, but I can only blame myself for not winning your heart over sooner…wait! Where are you going! I am still talking to you! Nam Seon-Ho!"
In this lifetime, I really thought that I could only ever suffer injustices from the man who helped to create me, someone who was supposed to nourish me and give me even the bare minimum amount of love and affection. But this parent of mine, my own father betrayed me long before my own mother did when she took her own life right in front of my quarters in that monster's home. And now here I was finding out that my very firs crush that I dared to open myself to had also betrayed me? For what? Exposing the affair that she had going on at the same time? Almost giving her a chance to tie down my life to a baby that didn't even share my blood? She never truly loved me for a single moment and was only punishing me because Hwi had seen through her in time to find someone better suited to him? How was that my fault? Why was I being punished for that? Why couldn't anyone just leave me be? Just let me do my work for the kingdom in peace and leave me alone with my women? Why? I absolutely hated going to the opium dens, it made me feel like less of a man to rely on a damned drug to just keep me going…but if I didn't, then Yeon would recklessly go to the palace and get her revenge herself and get herself killed in the process…and this damned drug? Would it affect me making children? Is that why Yeon hadn't gotten pregnant yet? Was it my fault?
"…you must not fall ill from anger, lest Yeon discovers what sort of a man you truly are now…." "You disturb our harmony as a family and you give us no peace. I shall write to your sister to personally come to collect you from here and stay the hell away from me! I shall find my own cure for this damned addiction myself." "No! Please wait…give me a baby!" "Excuse me? What did you just say?" "Gran my request and I shall give you the antidote of your drug issue. I want this pregnancy plan that you have for that girl; give it to me instead and I shall free you from this obstacle that is tying you down." "My Lady, you are attractive and young, but I do not have any room in my heart for any other woman in this world apart from Yeon. And after all the harm that yourself and your family have caused me, why should I share mix my blood with yours?"
"In the palace, the walls are high and stylish, but quiet and lonely, and with the demise of my family, I have nothing else to wish for, apart from a family, for hope in the future." "Lady Min, I shall never give my body to another woman, because if you really did eavesdrop on my conversation earlier, then you should know that I…" "I know that you said that about liking other men to intimidate Yeon with, you didn't really mean it at all…" "Lady Min…" "what? Why her and not me? Can't you see my sincerity? I have a title and wealth, but she doesn't…" "exactly." "Exactly what? What do you mean? What benefit is there in mating with a nobody.." "There is every benefit in the world; I understand the weight of titles as it leads me to my work and away from my woman. So can you imagine the pure happiness I feel when I come home to a woman who is bound to no titles and nobody else apart from myself? Nobody else should expect anything from her so that I can have her all to myself. She has already wasted so much time in the brothel that I shall arrange plans for us to marry in a few weeks time. And as for you; humans are greedy and today you might have been willing to walk to the brothel and wait for hours to see me, but what of next time?"
"But I truly love you! That is why I want to marry you!" "But I do not love you, and I never will." "Is it that difficult for you to show your feelings?" "Since I have nothing to give to you, you should stop your wild imaginings now." "Seo Yeon, just you wait! Soon, I shall crush your bones into ashes and make you suffer forever! And as Princess's sister, killing someone from our kingdom is like killing a goddamned ant! It is nothing at all!"
I stood just at the door of the quarters as I watched Seon-Ho's shadow walk away from me further and further away until he was gone in almost a daze. From the moment I had seen this man in The Liadong war, had been waiting for his mere shadow to grace my door even if it was for only a few moments. I had only just realised that I had been waiting for him to approach me as if my heart somewhat waited him. And now…
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"This place is truly remarkable, it will rejuvenate anyone who says here and give them another 100 years of life!" "It is clear that you haven't been outside of the palace for quite some time, Concubine Kim." "Do not jest at me ladies and let me enjoy myself for a little bit." "Very well, but we can only attend the banquet and return straight afterwards without Concubine Cho." "We shall miss you, little sister." "It will only be for a while ladies, whilst our husband carries out his plan. But now can I meet the person who has been helping us all along?" "Yes, we have scheduled a meeting with him after the banquet takes place and before myself and Concubine Kim have to return back to the palace." "I want to meet with him first before you all leave me, where can I find him?" "Oh look, here he is now." "Wait, isn't that the man that was seen with The Noble Princess Consort? Isn't that her man that is helping her?" "Evidently he is only helping her to help us, but we will all have a chance to talk to him together when he arrives."
"Ladies, I hope that your travels were alright in getting here? You didn't experience any issues?" "Our travels were well thanks to your men Chief Park and Jeong Beom, Seo Hwi, thank you very much." "Well then, Seon-Ho should be arriving here as soon as the food will be served, so help yourselves and relax before we all adjourn in a few hours."