Definitely, one day…
It was late at night. The inside of the castle was completely silent as expected, so his footsteps resounded violently in his ears.
It would be early morning tomorrow, but there was always a place to go to when he felt like this.
With a creak, the heavy door opened, and Soo-Won entered the room. He took a deep breath and surveyed his surroundings.
The castle's library was a bit old-fashioned and moldy, but from somewhere a nostalgic fragrance also wafted, and Soo-Won liked it very much.
When he was sad, or wanted to be alone, or sit to think, he had always marched towards this library.
Within the mountain of books and scribbled parchments, some on tables, and some on the floor, Soo-Won would always pick a favorite book to read in his usual seat.
Surely, while turning over a leaf of the book, Soo-Won would eventually fall asleep.
While thinking this, while turning over a book page, for some reason, his heart calmed down.
"Can't sleep?"
A resounding voice of a woman penetrated through the cold room, and Soo-Won jumped.
His body had shaken yet again. So much for calming himself.
Comprehending the voice that had spoken at the library's entrance after a few seconds, Soo-Won looked up, and saw Yona there.
"What is the matter? Why are you here?" Soo-Won inquired with a question of his own, and returned his line of sight to the book on the table, pretending to read.
"I have nothing to do," Yona answered promptly, and stepped into the library.
Picking out a single book from a shelf, she sat in the seat in front of Soo-Won.
But even if the seat was in front of him, in this spacious room, no matter how far he reached out his hands, there was a distance between them that could not be overcome.
The distance between the two was so great that their respective body temperatures and even their breathing could not be heard or felt.
"Can't sleep?"
Gazing at the book, Yona asked the same question again.
Soo-Won exhaled a sigh.
"Yes."
In response, Yona stood still for a moment, and but then turned over a page and answered, "I see."
Only the sound of paper rubbing resounded in the room.
No matter how much he concentrated on the book, Yona's red hair flickered and glimmered in Soo-Won's field of vision, and none of the book's contents entered his head.
It was pointless.
Soo-Won wondered if he should just return back to his room, and just when he was about to stand up from his chair –
"When did you stop being able to sleep?" Yona asked.
Soo-Won inadvertently looked straight into Yona's face.
She too was staring into Soo-Won's eyes.
Long ago, back when Yu-Hon was still alive, the two used to visit the library together and play.
No.
Soo-Won didn't come to the library to play; he planned to study.
However, when Yona came along later to talk, he somehow began enjoying himself and playing hide-and-seek with her in this room.
The spacious library was full of intricate mazes and full of hiding spots.
The two children knew that it was the best place to play hide-and-seek.
"This is so fun, Soo-Won!" Yona laughed with a lovely voice, shaking her red hair.
"If you're too loud, you'll make everyone angry, Yona," a worried Soo-Won restlessly checked their surroundings.
"What's this noisy racket going on here?"
A familiar voice sounded from the shadow of a bookshelf, and a surprised Yona and Soo-Won exclaimed the name of the person it belonged to in unison.
"HAK!"
"Are the Princess and Soo-Won fooling around here instead of studying?"
At Hak's teasing, Yona put her hands on her hips and puffed her cheeks.
"What are you doing here, Hak?"
"I was studying seriously here because Grandpa had told me to study."
"You liar! You probably just napped!"
Yona hit Hak's back, and he happily ran away from the spot.
"WAIT! COME BACK HERE, HAK!"
"You're slow as ever, Princess."
"Ah, Hak, it's dangerous to run on the stairs!" Soo-Won exclaimed to him in vain.
Yona leapt chasing after Hak down the staircase, but missed her footing on one of the flight of steps.
"Watch out!"
Hak and Soo-Won's voices overlapped, and Soo-Won's hand stretched out to Yona, embracing her little body.
Oh no, she'll fall!
Soo-Won was beginning to roll off the stairs as he lost his balance while holding Yona.
In a flash, Hak ran up to him and stopped him with his weight.
As expected of Hak, everything about him was Soo-Won's goal.
Out of breath, the three sat out of breath on the stairs, and loud footsteps approached from outside the room.
"Hak! Where are you, Hak?"
"Crap, it's Grandpa!"
At Mundok's voice, Hak stood up in a panic.
With a wave of his hand, and a quick "cya", he ran just like the wind.
Right after that incident which had tumbled over like a storm, Yona and Soo-Won exchanged glances and burst out laughing.
While wiping tears that had shed from the corner of their eyes from laughing too much, Soo-Won grinned and said, "Let's study?"
When he laughed, Yona smiled and nodded.
"Hey, when did you stop being able to sleep?"
A cold, piercing voice returned Soo-Won into reality, and with a jolt, he raised his face.
The same red-haired girl he had reminisced a moment ago was sitting in front of him.
However, the manner that her eyes looked at him was completely different.
Though he supposed it was the same way he looked back at her.
"…I will be returning to my room."
Without answering her question, Soo-Won stood up, leaving the book on the table, and turned his back on Yona.
Just as he was about to pass Yona, who was sitting horizontal to him –
"Have a good sleep."
Her voice addressed him.
Soo-Won stopped walking for just an instant.
"You too."
Returning the gesture, he left the library.
On the way to his room, Soo-Won realized that despite Yona asking "can't sleep?" so many times, she ended up telling him to sleep in the end.
It was funny; he found himself chuckling.
By the time Soo-Won reached his room, he couldn't stop, and before he knew it, he was laughing too much like back then, and tears were flooding his eyes.
When Soo-Won collapsed down on his bed, he sighed deeply.
With a spring from behind, the soft futon puffed, and a unique scent of feathers tickled at his nose.
When did I stop being able to sleep, indeed…
That was obvious.
He was sure she knew too.
Even now, when he closed his eyes, the spectacle of that night floated behind his eyelids.
Yona's smile and visible tears, receiving his gift.
Hak watching over the two of them with a gentle smile.
And then hours later, King Il's cutting words before slaying him.
Yona's frightened, trembling figure.
Soo-Won slowly closed his eyes.
Strangely, tonight, he felt like he could sleep.
He felt like he could continue the same happy dream that had commenced a moment ago.
However, what appeared behind his eyelids was the usual bright red tint, of his own figure, dyed in red.
He had resolved himself to never return to such happy times where he could sleep soundly, more than he could even comprehend.
And yet.
And yet, the night wind blew, and Soo-Won looked out the window.
The dawn sky he had resolved himself to never turn around and look at again would be shortly arriving.
The next time Soo-Won needed to sleep comfortably, he probably would need the power of Yona.
Would that be when she makes me laugh?
Or would that be when she takes my life?
One day, he would have to find the answer.
But wishing for a little more time, Soo-Won fell into a short, shallow sleep.