A\N: Look, just one month instead of three! :)
A couple of things you should know before reading:
First, there's a heavy scene in this chapter. I have tried to leave it as vague as possible, but there are mentions of minor violence: nothing graphic and nothing that goes too far, but still, I think it's best to let you know. I have marked in bold the beginning and the ending of the scene, so if you're triggered by such content, as soon as you see the bold just skip to the next bold and read if from there on. If you're not, I'll ask you to let me know if I can do any better to tag the scene.
Second, because I forgot to mention in the previous chapter: The scene of Soo copying the poem with the same calligraphy was taken from The King and The Clown. It was a little homage that fit the story, so I have no excuses, just wanted to let you know. If any of you were reminded of the movie, it was on purpose, I assure you. (Actually, the scene wasn't even a part of the original plotline. And after I decided to include it, the original draft of 5 chapters became one of 9 chapters... So that's it...)
Enjoy your reading :)
Ten months of marriage with Wook felt like a lifetime in hell.
Of course, the man wasn't the only one to be blamed, as his third brother contributed - and largely - to the burden that Soo now called life. And yet, he was the only one to continuously make himself a target to her brewing hatred.
Soo doubts anyone else would feel differently, were they in her position.
Currently, hell was presenting itself in the form of a birthday party. Her birthday party, to be more specific.
In the past few years, her birthday was a day just like the others, with only some people putting their affairs on hold to congratulate or even gift her. Even the gifts she was given were more sentimental tokens rather than precious and valuable things.
Now, with her social standing of a married woman - to a prince, nonetheless - and her noble status reinstated, it seems that such a measly commemoration is not fitting. Actually, it's less than fitting, and her husband will move heavens to make sure that she gains a huge party that becomes the center of all attention in Songak.
Yes, the 8th Prince is planning on a big celebration for her birthday. And to make sure that everyone - every single one - is present at the banquet of the year, he drags her around the town and the palace to visit his guests.
(Yes, his guests. Soo had no say in the list of people he promised to be all the ones she needed close by to solidify her position as his wife.)
Even before they arrived at the palace her feet were aching, her head throbbing with irritation. And all the while, without bothering to say anything but the obligatory greetings, Soo could only think that this was hell. It certainly was. It could not be anything else.
Looking back, though, maybe it would have been better not to affirm that so soon. Because even though those past months of marriage had definitely been a torment, the worst was yet to come.
And it would come crashing with a blow.
But yes, Soo had been mentally calling her life hell that entire morning - even though she didn't know how certain she was at the time. And she continued to do so as they walked through different buildings inside the palace walls.
Wook walked in front, guiding the way and carefully explaining things and people to her - as if she didn't work for years in the place, as if she didn't know all of those people pretty well. He acted like a thoughtful guide, but she could only see him as a patronizing jailer, especially when he tried to hold her hand from time to time, using stairs and slopes as an excuse to touch her.
Soo walked in the middle, keeping on her uninterested and bored expression, ignoring every word the 8th Prince might think she wants to hear, avoiding as much as possible the need for help to walk. She acted as if she was just a court lady attending another royal guest, being courteous enough to not call unnecessary attention, but not too warm to be considered receptive.
Raeyoun walked in the back, feeling completely out of place. Daeun would behave more controlled if she were there, but Wook didn't have the habit of asking for her when he left with Soo. What Soo won't ever tell is that, although she can't fully trust Raeyoun, she prefers having the girl with her rather than Daeun and Soobin. Raeyoun doesn't act as anything but herself, even if it's to look insecure as she looks around and gazes in awe at the palace's splendor.
In short, that's the posture of the three palace visitors that included Soo. And that's the order they are walking in when they meet the 4th Prince.
"So! What a surprise!" Wook calls out, looking to a direction Soo didn't bother to, and she freezes at once, her blood running cold at the mention of the 4th Prince's name, "I didn't know you were coming back to the Capital."
She hears his footsteps coming closer to them, and she fights, she endures, she resists the magnetic attraction that pulls her to him. She urges her feet to stay glued to the floor, to not move, to ignore her throbbing heart and her burning wish. She locks her eyes to the nearest blank spot, knowing for sure that if she dares to look to the direction Wook is looking right now she will run to you and wrap him in her arms.
"I just came to solve a misunderstanding with the King." His voice. Oh, his voice! His deep and smooth voice makes goosebumps climb up her arms and then down her spine. She barely registers the meaning of his words because she's too focused on his voice, on the sound she has longed to hear for almost a year and that she didn't even realize she missed so bad until now.
It's the voice she has been hearing only in her dreams so far, and they didn't make it justice.
Beside her, she can feel that Wook has sped up his pace a little to catch up with his brother. Then, although she continues to follow him, she makes sure to stay a little further away, fearing that their disguise will come apart if she comes too close to him.
"You came at the best time," the 8th Prince says, and his voice sounds eerily dangerous to her, who now finds it even more dangerous to move her eyes to another blank point, "Hae Soo's birthday is next week, and we'd be honored if you could join us in the special banquet."
"I'll be gone by then, I leave tomorrow." So's voice demands the attention of all present, and yet Soo can only look at his boots at most, "I don't have time to celebrate such meager events."
His words are as cold as the first time he came back to the palace. He sounds callous and almost toxic, leaving no room for warmth or for others to come close. So sounds cold and closed off to the world, as if he's living in anger and resent once again. And that breaks her heart, even though she keeps repeating his last poem mentally.
"What a pity," Wook says, although everyone can see that he doesn't lament that for a second, and continues the pretense with a cordial smile and gentle words, "Then perhaps when we're all living in the new Capital?"
"I'm sure Pyeha will have another task for me by then." Soo can almost see So's piercing eyes staring at his brother as he dismisses the courteous and hypocritical exchange of words, "I have to get going now."
He is gone in the same manner as he had arrived, hurried and firm steps, with no delay nor hesitation. Soo hears as his steps fade out in the distance, waiting for Wook to resume their walking, still looking at nothing in particular.
She doesn't look at him. She doesn't think she could handle to watch his retreating back another time. No without running to him and making him stay.
.
.
.
.
The rest of their stay in the palace is spent in absolute silence, much to the dread of Raeyoun. The poor servant trails slower than before behind her masters, and even Hae Soo feels her own feet weighing her down.
Even Wook is quiet. And although Soo is grateful that she doesn't have to bear with his incessant babbling anymore, she feels anxious. She feels anxious as she wonders what exactly the 4th Prince had come to settle with the King. She feels anxious as she tries to gauge the 8th Prince's mood after the brief encounter with his brother. She feels anxious, as the already hellish life she had been enduring so far seems to be about to get worse.
Her blood still runs cold when they are finally over with the tour around the palace. And not once ever since they parted ways with So has her mind quieted down from the disarray it went under the second she heard his voice.
Her blood still runs cold when they make their way back to his house, despite the adrenaline pumping in her veins and making her body aware of every tiny move around her; despite her ears ringing with every breath she takes as she continues on edge. Her blood still runs cold, and her guard comes up higher than on the day of her wedding.
Because Wook is quiet, and Soo has already heard what happens in the sea before a huge storm arrives.
Her mind is a mess, her thoughts a loud noise, as her senses try to figure out answers to questions she wasn't expecting. The pieces on her board tossed around as an unexpected variable comes into the equation. And through all of this, she keeps anticipating the powder keg to explode.
The second they step into the house, Wook is already ordering Raeyoun to serve their dinner at his private quarters. The girl dashes away at the command, looking relieved for being dismissed. And Soo knows better than to try to protest his arrangement, so she follows him silently.
She follows him silently, accompanies him silently, watches him silently as he silently enjoys his meal. And when the servants are gone with the trays of food and plates, the storm finally arrives.
"You know," he starts slowly, his voice barely louder than a whisper, his eyelids heavy as his stare pierces her down, "I was having this feeling, and weirdly, things are aligning."
Soo returns his gaze, not moving a muscle, not giving in an inch to him. She has an idea of where he's going with this, and she wants to wait for a better grasp of his feelings and thoughts before showing a reaction.
"I kept thinking that," he continues his monologue after she says nothing, "If you two still had unresolved feelings for each other, then he'd come back for your birthday. I kept telling myself that the lack of news reporting his return to Songak was a sign that things were truly over between you two."
"Wangjanim..." She sighs, as he doesn't really know anything. She speaks, trying to stop his reasoning, trying to shut him out. If only she can make him stop talking, it will be fine. But he's deaf to her words.
"And yet, here he is. In Songak. Just a couple of days before your birthday. Without even announcing it." He smiles, but his face is soon serious again, "Isn't it too much of a coincidence?"
"Wangjanim, you're not making any sense..."
"So Yeon Hwa was right all along?" He explodes, getting up from his chair and starting to yell, walking around her with an intimidating posture, "Those letters! And that hairpin! What else from him did you keep?"
"Nothing." Soo replies firmly, steady, not cowering once under his gaze, "Can't you hear how irrational your assumptions are?"
"Then how do you explain what happened earlier today?"
"The 4th Prince didn't even look at me."
"And how do you know? Were you looking at him?"
To say that she is baffled by his confrontation is a euphemism.
Of course, Soo expected some interrogation. She had been waiting for him to be suspicious, to be annoyed and jealous. She had been anticipating even some sort of backlash, some kind of punishment at the very least.
But that he'd be acting so paranoid and so aggressive was above her expectations. And his overthinking, no matter how correct it was, was going in a direction that scared Soo even more.
"I know because he swore never to look at me again. And no, I didn't bother looking at him either; my pride wouldn't let me," she speaks slowly, trying to make him realize just how unreasonable he was being, "Also, didn't you hear he'll be leaving? That he won't come to the celebration? That he won't come at all?"
"Don't lie to me! And do not play the fool!" He shouts and she regrets letting Raeyoun and Soobin leave, "I know it all already."
"What do you know? What else is there to know that I haven't told you already?" She gets up slowly, making herself sound impatient and unaffected by his accusations, but stands firmly as her voice falls into an authoritative tone, "What? Do you think I've somehow kept a romantic relationship with him? Are you really implying I'm having an affair with So Wangjanim?"
"Do not say his name."
"Why not? I've told you, Wangjanim, we last saw each other on the day the 10th Prince died. There's no way I could be unfaithful to you with him."
Soo is just trying to make a point. She is just trying to use some reverse psychology, to hide the truth in plain sight. She is just trying to control the situation, to control the man she was forced to marry. She is just trying to maintain her façade as long as necessary, without stepping over that invisible line that finally breaks him.
Soo is just trying to manipulate him around a little bit, so she can survive longer.
That's why she doesn't react when he grabs her wrist. That's why she doesn't struggle when he drags her around his bedroom. That's why she offers no resistance when he tosses her in his bed.
The second she hits the mattress he's already climbing up on top of her, and that's when her mind finally regains control of her body.
Soo tries to recall any single rule of self-defense Go Hajin might have come across, anything she picked up from watching and listening to the Princes, any sort of skill from any sort of fight. She tries to recall every single move and to muster every drop of her strength as she fights him off, pushing, kicking, and scratching. But the 8th Prince is still very much stronger than she is.
She doesn't fight for long, because after just a few seconds of struggle, he's got her immobilized and tightly held down.
"Have you finally lost your patience?" Soo mutters in between her teeth, her words burning her throat as they come out. She doesn't bother trying to maintain her speech formal anymore, what's the point.
She could scream, but who would come to help her?
"You are mine. I don't know why I should be patient," Wook argues and leans down on her.
Her mouth closes tightly and she holds back the scream, her hands wiggle under him and she attempts and fails to keep her lips out of his reach.
Before she finally bites his lip off, he parts from her to breathe, He looks livid and satisfied, and she feels tempted to spit on his face right there.
Instead, she opts to do something that will hurt him more.
"The 4th Prince kisses better," she claims with a disdainful face and gains a satisfying annoyed glare from him.
"Do not mention him."
"Why? Does it make you feel bad?"
"He has no right over you!" He snarls angrily and leans down on her lips again. This time, however, Soo manages to evade his invasive mouth, leaning her face sideways.
Her previous words effectively shook him up, just enough for her to manage to free one of her feet. Soo tries to use it to pry herself away from him, from his touch. But only manages to push him from kissing her.
He continues to hold her down, and when her lips are out of reach, he proceeds to kiss her cleavage, making her shiver in disgust when his mouth comes in contact with her skin.
She wiggles and debates, which only aids him by untying part of her clothes, and she fights to not let panic take over her and lose her rationality.
"So-nim…" She moans out loud and is relieved when that works.
"Stop that!"
Wook backs away, at last, looking livid and out of breath. Soo is trembling, but she stands up from the bed, holding back tears and curses.
She could scream, but who would come to help her?
Her eyes carefully calculate the distance to the door, trying to gauge if she can run fast enough, if she has space to evade him in case he goes after her. And yet, she keeps the cold mask on, refusing to let him be the one to crack it.
Not like this. She won't break down like this.
She refuses to break under him.
"There's no future for the two of you." Wook declares with haste, almost in a panic, drawing her attention to him. Then he adds a bit more calmly, although still delusional, "Even if I divorced you, he wouldn't marry you. He can't protect you; he can't do anything for you. He's only using you, Soo-yah."
"So what? You think anything you say about him will change how I feel about you?" Soo scoffs, still prepared to dash for the exit, "The 4th Prince left me years ago, and I know when to stop chasing after someone who doesn't want me. I'm not pathetic like you."
She doesn't see the blow coming, so she can't brace herself for it. She also doesn't anticipate the impact to be so strong, so her body has no resistance against it. Truly, she was so invested in that nonsensical debate that even the not so subtle movement of his hand and not so slow hustle of his feet went by unnoticed from her.
So, as if struck by a lightning, Soo finds herself on the floor in the blink of an eye. The sound of the slap seems to echo endlessly in the room, and the sudden pain in her face makes tears burn in her eyes.
There is a second of stunned silence as she assimilates what just happened, followed by another one as she slowly turns her gaze back to him. The brief movement seems to drag through an eternity, and yet ends as soon as it begins, as Hae Soo is back on her foot in no time, staring up at him defiantly.
In another age, when she was a different person, she would hit him back. She would jump right into the fight, not caring for a second that he was well versed in martial arts or that he was so much taller and stronger than she was. Go Hajin wouldn't hesitate because of his title or his power, nor would she be intimidated by his reaction to her outburst.
But Goryeo had tamed her quite a bit, so she clenches her fists and holds in the urge to strike back. She contains her explosive feelings in a jar of anger and refrains her body from reacting. She didn't need more evidence against her, not with a threat of a king-slayer sentence still hanging over her head.
Instead, she holds her head high and refrains the tears from coming out, proudly displaying her face, now probably marked with a red bruise.
"Did you also hit my Unnie?" she questions, because Goryeo had not tamed her entirely, "Or is violence a new habit of yours?"
The second blow is anticipated, so when Wook punches her again she doesn't step back, doesn't fall. Her eyes whip back to his with no delay, and she almost smirks at his unsettled face after the mention of Myung Hee.
Almost.
"Do not bring her into this."
"You should have valued her more. Perhaps taken her far from the city," she mutters through clenched teeth, and yet it's almost like she's screaming with how close he is, "Who knows? Maybe she would have lived. If not, at least she wouldn't spend her last days in misery." She's practically spitting her words, bitterness spreading in her heart a dimension of her cousin.
"You were at fault too!" He yells, trying to redirect the guilt back to her. Too bad for him, she already has plenty.
"Yes, I was." Soo doesn't even blink before retorting, "But I have regretted and atoned for my sins. What about you, Wangjanim? When will you pay for what you did, and get what you deserve?"
"You are my-"
"I am not truly yours, Wangjanim." She interrupts him, not afraid to raise her voice, tired of his nonsense, "Nor will I ever be. I've been telling you all this time."
"If not truly, then you are legally. And therefore-"
"Before you threaten me, please remember why the King accepted your marriage offer." Her words are brave, but her core starts to shake and revolt at the thought of having him laying over her again, "I'm under his close watch, and I may be used as a scapegoat for the late king's poisoning. But I can always march to the court and claim I did it, under your command."
His eyes bulge when it's her turn to make threats, but he blinks and looks sane again.
"You would be executed," he says in a sarcastic tone as if calling her bluff.
(It was not a bluff.)
"Well, yes, I would most certainly die. But you would surely be named a traitor as well and lose everything, including that throne you so wish for and your life."
"You wouldn't dare."
"I once slashed my wrist to get off of a marriage," she reminds him, and shrugs as if it wasn't a big deal and she almost didn't die back then, "What else do you think I can't do?"
The 8th Prince finally steps away from her and she lets her shoulders relax a bit, although her knees are still prepared for the leap. Her eyes are prickling with unshed tears, her face twinging from his blows, but she stands firm.
"One day, you'll understand," Wook's sweet voice is as sickening as his words, "Marrying me was always the only way for you to survive. When we didn't, you ended up being dragged to the palace and forced to work as a servant."
"You don't get it, do you? You never did," Soo sneers when yet another late realization crosses her mind; the fact that he was never worried about her being married against her will that day, just about her being married to someone else other than him.
The 8th Prince has the nerve to look confused, and she wonders if it would that much of a bad thing to punch him, just a little bit. Then she sniffs, dragging her memory away from the distant past, focusing on the predator in front of her.
He looks at her expectantly, as if he's innocent, even though he just did what he did - even though her clothes and hair are disheveled, her face is marred and probably already swelling up. And truly, she couldn't just keep him waiting.
"Refusing to marry you and letting you go were the best decisions of my entire life, Wangjanim."
"Soo-yah..."
"But marrying me? That was the worst mistake you could have done. And I'll make sure you pay for that."
Wook frowns and snorts, not believing a word she says. Then makes another bold and delusional statement, to which she does not respond nor does listen. Soo just stares at him, hands clenched at her side.
A servant then calls from the door, saying that an urgent message has arrived from his mother. On the inside, Soo cries in relief, but she keeps her face cold and firm as he leaves. The timely arrival of the servant gives her the chance to finally leave his room, to rush back to her bed, to find solace in the vague poems she keeps in her bed stand.
She asks for a basin of warm water and proceeds to wash her face, her hands and wrists, her neck, and even her hair. Her breathing is erratic, as the adrenaline fades away and the shock sets on her veins. But she refuses to ask the servant back for help.
There's no one in this house that she will allow to see this scared expression that finally breaks her mask.
Oh, her life was hell. Now she was definitely sure of that.
And she would make his a living hell as well.
.
.
.
.
The next day the King asks for her.
No, of course Soo doesn't want to go. She doesn't even want to get up from bed, but one does not say no to the King. So, she begrudgingly gets up from the bed and stares at the mirror before making herself look presentable.
The bruises on her eye and on her cheek aren't swollen anymore, and she mentally thanks Oh Sanggung for being so adamant that she learned the healing properties of every single herb or weed that grew in the vicinity of Songak.
The black stains are an easier problem to solve, and she pats herself in the back for being persistent in pursuing a make-up artist career in a previous life. Then she picks up a brush and starts to paint over the purples and blues that marred her pale face.
If it wasn't for the fact that she didn't want to display any weakness or frailty in front of Jeonjeong, Soo would let them bare for the whole household to see. Let the servants and visitors, even the distant relatives whisper and gossip about the 8th Prince's wife, raising all sorts of rumors around the city.
But the King did summon her, and the King was not exactly the patient kind.
Soo puts the brush down, appreciating and inspecting her porcelain face. Not even Wook himself would be able to tell that she had taken a beating last night, so she feels safe to present herself before the King.
Then she inspects her wrists, checking if the brutality of her husband had left any injuries there as well. The only mark, however, is her old scar.
It has been healed for quite a while now, and she barely thought about it anymore. But ever since the night before, she has been thinking about it a lot. A quite lot. And even though the scar wasn't the reason why she couldn't sleep at night, she would be lying if she said she wasn't worried at all.
Aish, I can't have anything...
When the servants arrive to help her to get ready, she's already dressed and with her makeup done. But she sits still as they prepare her hair, casually chewing on the fruits that will be her entire breakfast this morning. And when they leave, she orders them to have her entourage ready to leave for the palace at once.
It's still early, and the King hadn't specified a time for arrival; he'd most likely not even be ready to see her yet. But even so, she will be departing immediately. She doesn't want to stay longer than necessary at the Hwangbo residence, and despite not being very eager to go to the palace either, at least she has the guarantee that no one will try to prevent her from going out. This way she'll have a few moments to breathe, even if it's in a different cage.
Soo stares at the mirror one more time before leaving. She looks beautiful, gracious, and dainty. Just like an innocent and defenseless little girl, despite her cold mask. A porcelain doll, a pretty flower, framed carefully and delicately.
She grabs the knife the servants brought with her meal, tiny but sharp. And without having to think much about it, she hides it under her clothes, near her shoulder, just above her shoulder: within perfect reach of her right hand.
Soo gazes at the mirror one last time. She still looks beautiful, gracious, and dainty. But the discrete weight under her clothes makes her feel less frail than a doll, less delicate than a flower. And that's enough for her to be able to walk outside without feeling scared.
Maybe she'll carry the knife around more often. Who knows? Maybe this way she'll be able to sleep at night?
Soobin comes back, ready to accompany Soo in her visit to the palace. And even though she is one of Wook's people, it's a great relief that Daeun is not the one coming with her. Soo is not in the mood to tolerate Daeun's chirp behavior. Also, Soobin gives her privacy when she requests it, instead of being overbearing.
The King is enough overbearing for her tired and stressed mind.
No amount of tea and peace at the Damiwon, however, could make her experience of dealing with Jeonjeong any better. Nothing she did before or after could ease her or give her solace for their interactions. It has been years, and yet Hae Soo only feels their meetings are getting worse as the days go by. And the tendency is for them to get even more chaotic as his madness slowly it's his wicked mind away.
Some days are better than others, of course. But today is a terrible one.
Today Jeonjeong yells and curses, breaks teacups, and throws food around his room, making Soo dread internally and flinch in horror every time he reaches out to take something else from the tray beside him. And all along she wonders just how many things he has left to break.
It takes an unbearably long time for him to just vent his frustrations, and Soo wonders if the court ladies that attend to him have to go under this same stress every day.
(She's just trying to find some bright-ish side of her current situation; just a tiny bit to not break down under the King's harsh treatment.)
He shouts angrily the entire time, and only when he takes whatever frustration he has built up of his chest does he calm down and start to speak like a bad person rather than an insane person. But when he does, instead of relaxing in relief, Soo only cringes inside, bracing herself for a new fist after she's done with her most recent report on the Chai clan.
The banquet he had ordered her to attend to had not provided him with the information he wanted, and although Soo is only a messenger, that does not stop him from lashing out. Actually, she's pretty sure that the fact that she's an easier target than the Chai clan right now is an incentive for him to take it out on her.
That's why she doesn't get caught by surprise when he grabs her forearm, staring at her with livid eyes. That's why she doesn't flinch, nor does she shake as he holds it tight, twists it hard, while describing all of the pain and suffering he'll inflict his enemies. That's why she doesn't cry when he finally lets go of her arm, not even when the strength of his move makes her crash into and break a bowl of biscuits.
The dull pain does make her wince, though. And that small expression of discomfort seems to be enough to satisfy him and make him calm down.
But when he smiles, Hae Soo still doesn't feel relieved.
Instead, she watches warily as he pours another cup of tea and leans back to his chair. A sign of the beginning of another dreadful "small talk" with her, a habit of his that he's adamant on keeping - for his own entertainment, of course.
"By the way," he starts, even though he's pulling a completely different topic into the conversation, "I was wondering if you knew So was in the palace yesterday?"
"Oh, yes. My husband met him and they both had the most pleasant conversation." She replies with a flat tone, and that seems to make him even happier.
"Yes, I heard of that too," he giggles and then turns deadly serious again, this time to tease her, "Oh, I just wish I could see it in person. I can only wonder how my eighth brother reacted to that surprise."
She resists the urge to roll her eyes, and instead just sighs discreetly. Her patience and limits were clearly being tested lately, and she wondered just how long she could keep it all in.
Her lack of reaction, however, does not prevent him from continuing the provocation.
"You know, when I told So about giving you in marriage, he didn't bulge. Didn't even blink. He just kept that annoying distant expression of his... Aish, that look on his eyes get on my nerves every time."
"Did that disappoint you?"
"It did affect my mood rather unpleasantly. I guess part of me was rooting for the two of you, especially after that brave submission of his when Mu-hyungnim died." He sips on his tea to add a dramatic pause, but she does not fall for his bait and waits silently for his conclusion, "So yes, I was quite disappointed that So was not so loyal as I thought. After all, if he doesn't want you, I have no much reason to keep you as a hostage against him."
He looks at her expectantly, waiting to see how she will react, how will she take the subtle threat.
Meanwhile, she doesn't even blink.
"Then why don't you just kill me?"
Yo shrugs, dismissively.
"That's no fun either. Fear not, your beloved's betrayal did anger me, but it also gave me an idea..." He pauses again, but this time he looks musingly at her, making a decision instead of trying to get under her skin. Then he smirks, just like the day he did when he announced her wedding, sending shivers down her spine, "Soo-yah, do you remember our little talk from a while ago?"
"The meeting at the Hwangbo house?"
"No, no that." He shakes a hand dismissively but continues smiling nonetheless, "Although that was an interesting talk... I was referring to that possibility of you being free from your insufferable husband."
Oh, that! Hae Soo thinks annoyed. Ever since he made that elusive proposal, he has been taunting her with it. Every time they meet, he reminds her of the power he possesses, and just how much she can benefit from it.
As long as she plays by his rules.
"I thought that offer came with a condition."
"And I refused to tell you what it was before. Well, I want to revert that now."
He gets up from his seat, and Soo has to force herself not to flinch, not to run. She has to make an effort to stay still as Yo walks to a chest right behind her, and she continues to hold her breath as he reaches out a scroll from inside.
Jeonjeong stretches his arm, offering it to her, and, after a couple of hesitant seconds, Hae Soo reaches out to take it.
She's confused when she takes and rolls it open, especially when the King keeps looking straight at her, with scrutinizing eyes. But then she reads it and her confusion turns into disbelief.
"A decree?"
"We're the only ones aware of its existence, so you don't have to use it immediately." He scoffs, but doesn't move his eyes from her face, "Or at all. I'll give you time to think about your options. That is, if you really need it."
Soo manages to maintain the cold mask, even as she rolls the scroll closed and hands it back to the King.
"Amazing." She declares in the same emotionless tone she's been using ever since she entered his room, "You will give me time to choose between a life with a man who loves me, but I can't stand, or a life with someone who might as well kill me just because."
He just laughs, as if she just told him the most hilarious joke in the world, and puts the scroll back in the chest.
"Never let it be said that Jeonjeong is not merciful and magnanimous." Yo proclaims as he walks back to his seat and his forgotten tea, "So, what would you rather have, Hae Soo? Freedom or power? Which one will you choose? I'm curious."
The decree has been taken away, but Soo still remembers the words.
Had anyone asked what she would do to get rid of Wook this morning, she would have said: Anything.
But now that she has the choice, even though she wants to say yes, take the decree and never return to that dreadful house anymore, she can't. Not if the other alternative...
She looks at the floor and sighs, and some of her hesitation slips through her mask. She puts on a few signs of fear, of indecision, of helplessness. Then she blinks rapidly, figuring out what best course of action it would be.
If she could leave Wook now, then it wasn't even a question, right?
But if she took the decree, then...
Her hand moves absentmindedly and slowly caresses her wrist. Not the one Wang Yo squeezed earlier, but the one with the scar. That damned scar that has been plaguing her mind since yesterday night.
"I can kill myself and choose neither," she replies and looks back at him.
This time she's the one waiting for a reaction, waiting for his expression to change and his mad mask crack.
His eyes only glint, though.
"You won't," he calls her bluff, not even taken aback by her bold declaration, "You might take the risk of a dangerous decision, but you won't just give up and quit."
(Well, that's what she gets for building an image of resilience for years.)
"Why would you let go of me like this?"
"Oh, I am not letting you off," his eyes darken dangerously despite his smile, "No matter what you chose, you'll still be my little bird. If you don't like that, I'll just kill you." He makes yet another pause, this time to savor his tea, "But you're interesting to watch. Interesting to provoke. What sort of pandemonium will you create now, huh?"
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I'll just watch you crawl, then I'll see you burn.
That's the sort of pandemonium I'll create. I'll watch you suffocate slowly on this cage that drained everything I had.
And not just you, but your dear mother as well. And all the rest of your clan. I'll watch you all flail around at a loss, and before you even know what hit you, you will be nothing but ashes.
You'll pay for what you did – for what you're doing; and I'll make sure you do it painfully. And I won't turn my eye away, not even for a second. I'll watch you burn to the ground, until even the embers are faded.
That's the sort of pandemonium I'll create this time.
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"Do you need some help with that?"
Her hand slips as she startles with the sudden newcomer, and the bandage she was wrapping around her forearm loosens up and falls back in her lap.
"Sorry." Woo Hee smiles sheepishly, certainly a bit baffled by Soo's defensive glare.
"Don't apologize," Soo blinks rapidly, slipping out of her feral stance once she realizes that there's no actual threat, then she smiles - with a tinge of sadness - and relaxes at last in the presence of her friend, "There's nothing for you to be sorry for."
Woo Hee smiles back, although her eyes are sad and sympathetic. And even though Hae Soo didn't say anything, she walks closer and sits down beside her, taking the bandage in her hands.
The woman covers her new bruises with graceful moves, and Soo can only watch her and wonder where did she learn how to maintain such poise. Was it when she was still a princess? Was it after she became a dancer? Was it sometime during her life as a court lady?
They sit still in silence, even after the bandaging is done, with only a small nod as a sign of gratitude from Hae Soo. It's been quite a while since they met like this, as Woo Hee had never again approached her when she visited the palace because she was always with company.
Unlike right now.
Right now, Hae Soo is all alone. She's all alone and at the mercy of the violence of cruel men in high positions, and none of her few and scarce allies can do anything for her. At least not right now. And certainly not Woo Hee, to whom even a small task such as sitting down and helping her with bandages takes a large amount of courage.
The tears she held back when she was before the King sting her eyes once again.
"Have you finally reached your breaking point?" Woo Hee notices her inner struggle and asks calmly, her soothing hands now rearranging her hairdo to a more composed appearance.
And even though Soo really wants to cry, it's clear to her that her friend misunderstood the cause of her tears.
"My breaking point? I'm past that." Soo lets her emotions surface at last, and she angrily spits out the same words Go Hajin used to so long ago, "I'm at my boiling point already. I'm just... Yah! How am I supposed to just endure all of this?"
"You can't," Woo Hee is not taken aback by her anger, but her words go from soothing to calming, trying to control her rising temper, "You just clench your teeth and hope it will end soon."
They fall then. The tears fall just like they did by a lake in a world a thousand years away.
"You know, when I was at the Gyobang, I thought I had hit the lowest point of my life. And when I overcame that, I believed nothing else could knock me down." The tears fall but her teeth are still clenched, her voice laced with a bittersweet feeling, "Truly, ever since the late king Taejo passed, I've never thought that my life could turn this way."
"No one ever does. But that's how life is. Ugly and deformed."
Woo Hee caresses her own arm then, her wrist that Soo knows to be covered in scars. A pain similar to Soo's, but multiplied to a level she couldn't possibly imagine.
They were both deformed somehow. They were deformed, and they were now hiding their scars away from everyone's sight, under fabrics, smiles, and masks. Just like the 4th Prince had been doing for most of his life.
That thought sparks something in Soo's mind.
"Then we should change it."
The tears stop flowing at once as a thousand other thoughts come rushing down on her mind. Her friend, however, doesn't seem to notice the way Soo's eyes bulge.
"How can we change the Will of the Heavens?" Woo Hee asks softly with a tinge of maturity, just like Go Hajin's mother used to do when she said something silly.
And even though her question is a rhetoric one, Hae Soo is already trying to come up with an answer.
Your life won't change just because you want to. Maybe if you died and came back to life.
She had seen how quick someone's life could change, she had witnessed first hand just how fast people turn their backs on others, just for their own sake. She had seen it happen with herself, both in the 21st and the 10th Century. She had seen it happen with others, like So: she had seen just how easily people could throw stones at him one day, and bow down in reverence in the next one.
How does one change the Will of the Heavens?
"You do what you want, then you say the heaven did it," Soo mutters as the realization slowly dawns on her, "It's actually quite easy. I've done it before."
Woo Hee frowns surprised at her loud epiphany, and Soo almost sees a glint of hope in her friend's eyes, but it's soon clouded and drowned, as if she's too afraid to be let down again.
"It's not so simple, Soo-yah."
"It is when you take your destiny into your own hands," she urges her friend to let go of the broken shell, urges her to not give up hope, as she rekindles her own determination inside, "I'm not telling you to make any big decisions now, but you have to be ready."
"Soo-yah..."
She takes Woo Hee's arm, the same one she was holding just a few seconds ago. She doesn't see them, but she thinks of the scars the captive princess has to hide and tries to convey some sort of peace to the woman.
"We both just want a small piece of happiness isn't that so? Then we should fight for it."
Woo Hee's eyes tear up, but she knows that this time is not completely out of fear and despair. That little glint comes back a little less timid, and Soo vows to make not only her own life better, but also hers - everyone's.
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I'll turn the entire palace upside down.
I will scandalize everyone as I defy the logics of this wicked place. I'll bend them and twist them until everything is right again.
The game is on, but I won't play by your rules: I'll just toss your pieces off the board. I'll just bring chaos by doing the exact opposite that you expect me to do.
And yet, I will do exactly what you do.
I'll manipulate and lie. I'll deceive and cheat my way around. I'll copy all of your methods and yet none of your goals. I'll use your strategies and subterfuges, just so I can see you defeated at what you excel at.
I'll accomplish what Go Hajin could not, and you will all pale in the face of the changes that are coming.
I'll turn this place upside down; I'll change it from the upside-down. And none of you will be left untouched.
I'll turn it all around so that none of you can hurt another Go Hajin - or another Woo Hee, Chae Ryung, Oh Soo Yeon - again.
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When night comes and she's at the safety of her quarters (Myung Hee's), Soo finally takes off her make-up.
The process is long - longer than usual - and occasionally painful - when she presses too hard on a bruise -, but she manages to do it without having to ask for assistance nor to cry.
Not that it would have been a problem to cry, as she is completely alone. But she would have considered crying a loss, even without anyone but her bitter face reflected on the mirror around.
(As long as she doesn't break, he doesn't win.)
Her face is as pale as ever, which makes the purple and blue marks contrast more starkly, even under the dim light of the candles. They were fading already, but Soo knew they would continue there for a few more days.
She sighs, already anticipating all that would come in the morning, when she wouldn't have the audience with the King as an excuse to leave. Reminding herself that she couldn't break, couldn't yield, couldn't show weakness in any way, in front of anyone.
(As long as she doesn't break, they don't win.)
These marks are a symbol of humiliation, a reminder that her entire self is under her husband, a sign that he wants her tamed and behaved, submissive to him alone.
Hae Soo will use them as fuel to the flames she'll spread in the palace and in this household.
She's still staring at the marks when Yeon Hwa comes in, striding pridefully, as though these are her own private quarters and that there's no reason why she shouldn't be there.
They don't bother to greet or say anything, only glancing at each other through the reflection. And yet, Soo doesn't fail to notice that the Princess's fists clench tighter when her eyes linger a little longer in the bruises.
Silence sinks in between them, as Yeon Hwa tries and fails to look at anything but Soo's battered body, and yet eventually that's all she can see. Soo feels her heavy gaze on her, but she doesn't budge, doesn't flinch, doesn't let any of the frailty that has been breaking under her mask come to surface.
She lets the silence cover her embarrassment, smash any tears that still insist on falling, and temper her spirit in the great forge that burns it all.
Finally, the Princess cannot keep silent any longer.
"I do not recognize my brother."
"Don't feel bad for this, Gongjunim," Hae Soo mutters, never looking away from the mirror ever since the woman arrived, "I also thought I knew him once."
Soo doesn't think for a second that the woman is concerned with her, nor that she feels sorry or even bothered by her condition. But she does know that her sister-in-law can't stand the thought of her brother being a complete waste of a human being.
"This is all your fault, you know that, right?" Yeon Hwa finally declares and Soo has to roll her eyes in order to not lash out at the Princess.
"Don't blame me for your brother's poor character."
"He wasn't like this before. This behavior only started after he got involved with you," she struggles as she constructs her feeble argument, "Orabeonim has always been a good man. He could never be this brutal."
Soo turned her chin slightly, placing in the other woman's sight another bruise: the one that started near her ear and went down her robes in the direction of her chest.
"He could. He just never let you know," Soo replies slowly as if explaining things to a naïve little girl who knows nothing of the world, "Nice and pretty masks always deceive more than the confident and strong ones. They're more malleable. They make us accept their delusion, just because we'd rather believe in a beautiful lie than accept a terrible truth."
And the truth is that your brother is a monster, Hae Soo adds internally, Not that you aren't one yourself. And I'm the proof of it.
Her inner words seem to be echoing inside Yeon Hwa's mind as well.
"If you never came here..."
"Gongjunim!" The woman flinches when Soo interrupts her with a stern voice, "Clearly, I'm the only one here who has a bruise on the face, so I'm the one who should know best what kind of man your brother is."
"This is all because of what you said," Yeon Hwa argues as she shakes her head vividly, still refusing to accept the bare truth that was before her, "You told him to be wary of the 4th Prince. That if got in the way of Prince Wang So he would die."
"So what?" Soo snorts, completely taken aback by the woman's attitude, even though she's not actually surprised. She allows herself to roll her eyes as she turns around in the chair, staring directly at her sister-in-law, "Honestly, Gongjunim, my affection and my worry for the 8th Prince were always genuine, he was the one who failed me. He failed me when he doubted me, and he failed me when he left me to die alone."
"He had good reasons!"
"Tell me why, then!" Soo yells, standing up from her seat and turning to the Princess, as her frustration finally reaches a boiling point, makes Yeon Hwa blink and walk back as Soo marches forward, "What did I do to deserve this? What did I ever do that justifies any of this? The torture, the banishment, why did they happen to me?" She raises her arm and pulls out the arm with the bandages, "What about this one? A courtesy of the King. What did I do? Huh? What did I do to deserve this one? What did I ever do for any of you to strike me down?"
"You don't understand..."
"Why? Why are all of you like this?" Her anger doesn't let Yeon Hwa form another lame excuse, as her screams continue, "Do you truly believe that your power makes any of this right? That it doesn't matter who takes the fall as long as you fly high in the palace?"
"I was the one who took the fall first!" The Princess shouts back, and her outburst is just as ridiculous as her previous calm arguments, and it only incites her sister-in-law even more.
"And that gives you the right to be cruel?!" Soo snorts again, this time with both feral and mocking sound, "You're as evil and hateful as your brother, Gongjunim. It's no wonder you get along so well."
"You..." Yeon Hwa pants, still cornered to the wall, and Soo feels too disgusted to keep looking at her.
"Fear the wrath of the Heavens, Gongjunim. One day it will come after you."
Soo turns away, going back to her mirror and to her bruises, containing the flames that had burst inside of her, until it was the time to let them roam wild. She turned her attention back to herself and herself alone, not even noticing the moment the Princess scurried away and left Myung Hee's room.
She takes a deep breath, relishing on each and every small victory, as she prepares herself for the grand act, telling herself she only needs to be patient for little more.
Frustrating Yeon Hwa was a game, but Soo thought it was the best one she had played so far. It always left her with a sense of justice and satisfaction.
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Apparently, after beating her up, Wook did feel a little bit guilty for his actions. Which is just another way to say that he realized that being violent would only serve to push her away even further, and thought that, by giving her something she wanted, his actions would be forgiven and forgotten.
It makes her want to slap him - just like everything else, for that matter - and yet she doesn't complain.
Of course, she doesn't thank him for gaining the right to having privacy and being accompanied only when she wants to. She just remains silent, and quietly rejoice for the possibility of walking around the gardens of the household, no matter how late it is. It's been two days, and yet she has already made a habit to stay in there for many hours, so no one comes looking for her after the sun sets. She doesn't even need a lantern to guide her way back to the quarters, and not a single servant comes after her either.
She can't leave the grounds of the household without guards, though, and she knows better than trying to run away. But the courtyard of the property was quite large, and it had enough trees to give a sense of privacy and comfort as well as a breath of fresh air. And silence. Just what she needed right now.
Soo thinks about the task the King has given her this time. Jeonjeong had been vague when he said what he wished from her, but Soo can't help but wonder what it is that he wants to find out. Is he probing a possible threat? Trying to test some ally? Is he just trying to figure out his opponents' moves?
She won't have answers just by making such questions. But what Soo has learned is that she can make plans and courses of action to possibilities that may come in the future. She's getting better and better at it. The orchard makes her company as she unfolds all the different scenarios in her mind. And when she comes back from her reverie, she realizes that the sky is already dark.
Darkness is good. It means that Wook won't have any eyes on her when she goes back to her room. Darkness is her friend, her cover. It has been for a while, ever since she was a Sanggung and worked under Hyejong's reign. Although back then she had far more simple reasons for sneaking around.
The old habits come in handy now, as her feet move quietly over the fallen leaves in her way back. She doesn't see much around her and relies on the lights of the buildings in the distance and the moonlight to guide her. It's not much, but it's doable. Her steps are slow but firm. And she walks with confidence in the familiar path, that she got to know when she was just a girl.
Her guard is down, although not entirely, as no one who survives for very long in her condition by being fully vulnerable. But it's still not enough to prepare her for being tackled and dragged back to the shadows.
Soo tries to scream and immediately finds out that her mouth is being tightly held shut, as strong arms hold her tight and close. She panics, already struggling to break free from the larger person that now has her captive.
"Soo-yah! It's me."
Her body goes limp as soon as his whisper reaches her ears. Her knees grow weak once she realizes that it is the 4th Prince who is holding her right now.
"Oh..." It's all that comes from her lips (and honestly, what else could she possibly say?). But then her brain starts working again and she gushes, "Wangjanim!"
They both smile as they kiss. A long and slow kiss that does little to satisfy the longing they felt for each other all this time, but that they grab with all of their strength. They latch desperately onto this moment, so brief and dangerous because is the only one they had in far too long.
But then they have to break their kiss, although they never let go of each other. So leans his forehead on hers, and takes a deep breath before finally speaking.
"I missed you so much."
"I know. I missed you too." Soo buries her face in his chest, not minding anything but him, his presence, his body, his smell. She relishes in this brief surprise moment, and even though she did miss him a lot in the past months, the weight of her feelings seems to only hit her now. She even almost cries. "Honestly, why didn't you stop me when I came up with this ridiculous idea?"
"I told you to come with me..." He squeezes her a little tighter, teasing her and healing his yearning at the same time.
"You also told me you would abduct me and start a war."
He moves her around just a bit, so they are behind a sturdier tree to prevent them from being seen from the house, and yet to have just enough light to see each other.
Again, it's not enough, but Soo will take this very little with him with great joy. She won't even mind that he's getting leaves tangled in her hair, as long as he keeps caressing her back and her waist like that.
"Why do you have a knife?" He pulls away and asks confused, and she cusses herself internally, having already forgotten about the concealed blade that he now palpating under her clothes.
"Just in case." Soo shrugs, not wanting to worry him, but he can see through her little lie.
He can see through it all, and his eyes are already darkening, his hold on her becoming tighter. However, So manages to not immediately march to the house and kill his brother, remaining grounded right there with her.
She can feel that his resistance to that urge is very thin, though.
"What did Wook do?"
"Nothing I can't handle."
"Soo-yah," he says more sternly, his hands carefully raising her chin for her to look at him, although his eyes burn in fury, "What did he do?"
She blinks hard, feeling those damned tears threatening to come down again, but succeeding at a smile.
"It's fine."
"No, it's not fine." So's voice reaches a deeper tone as the impulse gets stronger and he detaches himself from her, "I'll kill him. I'll kill him right now."
"Wait!" She grabs his arm and almost yells, and her urgency makes him freeze, "Wait, just let me look at you first." He scoffs awkwardly at the following statement. But he does melt a bit, especially under Soo's loving gaze, which takes about five seconds. When they are done, she lets go of him unceremoniously, "Okay, now you can go kill him."
"Now I want to look at you."
So pulls her closer by the waist again, lowering his head for another long and slow kiss, letting go of his anger. He's still tense and annoyed but gladly focuses on her alone, reserving his aggressive feelings for another time.
"You shouldn't be here," Soo says, at last, bursting their happy bubble with a sharp prickle of reality.
"I don't care."
"I'm being serious here," she complains, shutting down his teasing banter, even though she'd love to talk about anything else rather than their overwhelming situation, "You're conspiring against the King! It's high treason and you could be killed! He already suspects you're up to something, and now you stay in Songak, even though he dispatched you back to Seokyeong weeks ago? If someone sees you here, he won't need any other proof to take your life."
So glances down, seriousness taking over his face. And yet, his hands move affectively to her shoulders.
"Everything is prepared," he admits quietly, clearly feeling terrible for not having taken a move already, "I'll be invading soon. I just need the right moment to come up."
Soo nods understandingly. These things take time, and she doesn't blame him for moving with extreme caution, even if it takes a long time.
And yet she pouts a bit, letting the frailty finally take over her, and the tough façade recede a bit. It's okay to be vulnerable in front of him. She likes being vulnerable in front of him.
"Then take me with you." She mutters, her eyes shining with tears, as her tiny and scared self surfaces.
He winces, and she knows what his answer will be, even though he had been offering the same thing to her just a couple of minutes ago.
"Too dangerous. I can't," he takes the role Soo would usually take, of saying what is the logical thing to do, despite their wishes, reminding her that there's a reason for them to go under through all of this. So caresses her face, wiping away tears that did not fall, and speaks with a calming and comforting voice, "Stay here, be protected. Fight back if you must. I'll move things as fast as I can."
Soo nods slowly, feeling that their brief moment has already come to an end. The bitter goodbye comes to her lips, but she doesn't say them, she doesn't want to say them. She doesn't even want to part ways with him again, she won't say any words that may make this any harder than already is.
"Alright." She smiles, saying it to both of them, holding him tight one last time for the last time, "Everything will be alright."
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The banquet, as usual, was a dreadful event. She attended it with her husband, sitting beside him through the meal. Unlike her behavior back at the Hwangbo household, she ate tiny bits of the food served and drank little sips of the tea. She kept her mouth full when necessary and engaged in the conversation when she had to.
It was a tedious and exhausting activity, but Hae Soo made the reading of the mood and of the topics the ones sitting around her were sharing, analyzing their behavior, and verifying what she saw with what she knew. Soon her head was aching, and she had to control her temper from snapping or her face from scowling.
Occasionally she had to distract herself with some wife or daughter, making some brief comments about makeup or clothes, and sharing information about the food and the drinks.
Soo never tried to probe those women. they were unmarked waters for her, and she didn't want to sink before she could even sail.
The event was over before she yielded to the pressing desire of yelling at the top of her lungs. And although it was quite a pain, she had to admit it was quite productive, and informative as well. Actually, by the time she arrived home she had her report for the king ready. Even though she would have to wait weeks until she delivered it.
The Chai clan could present a problem, yes, but only for the 8th Prince. And that would be because the Chai loyalty was to the Yoo clan.
Of course, Soo said to the King only that they were fully loyal to him, forgetting to mention the fact that their leader would very well follow any other son of the Yoo, be it a man in a throne or a man in the battlefield. Instead, she had preferred to affirm - with some liberties, of course - that they had been feeling that their position in the kingdom was not very secure and that they could be easily dissuaded to make an alliance with other clans.
Soo knew that, although not very big, if the Chai clan removed their support of the Yoo, soon other small clans would follow them, be it to support the opposition or to stay neutral in any sort of conflict. And if the Yoo clan were under the impression that they might actually lose the Chai, they would do anything to maintain one of their lineage on the throne. Just so they could guarantee the strategic support of a rather harmless clan.
(Either that or the King had other spies feeding him more accurate intel. But Jeonjeong was most likely to laugh at her naivety than punish her for incorrect implications anyway.)
In any case, this could provide as a complication for the Hwangbo, who, despite having strong allies, could do little to persuade smaller clans to their side. In that aspect, they were being slowly defeated by the Chai. And to become a King one couldn't continue losing. Not even in tiny battles. As a matter of fact, if his allies kept receiving blows, he would never find the right timing to move forward and take the throne.
Oh, if only Wook could find out why his plans were always frustrated...
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Soo was glad that people in the 10th Century Goryeo didn't have a habit of celebrating marriage anniversaries. That way, the day of her wedding was just another day in the Hwangbo household.
After the poor excuse of her birthday banquet and the one she attended to at the palace, she had grown tired of such celebrations. And even though it had been already a couple of months, she was sure that anyone would agree that even one celebration with the 8th Prince was already too much for an entire lifetime.
But yes, the day was rather ordinary. Actually, quite dull. She had the privilege of having her meals alone that day, and Daeun didn't even show up to be a nuisance. She walked around the garden before lunch, but didn't meet Gunwoo and Minsoo, and reached the kitchens before her meal was served. Even the palace's gossips were dull, almost dead silent, and she had nothing to think of for the entire morning.
In the afternoon she painted random landscapes, almost wishing that the King summoned her, just so she could have something to do. And in the evening she decided to move to the visiting room to have some tea.
She's looking to a random point in the distance, just savoring the taste of her beverage and comparing it to the one she used to serve in the palace. It's been a long and tedious day, and she's just waiting for an acceptable time to sleep and it be finally over.
That's when her husband walks in.
His semblance looks alarmed, almost as if he had witnessed some tragedy. He walks with rushed steps, his robes, and hair for once not meticulously neat. His eyes don't leave her as he approaches and kneels by her side, surprising and confusing Soo.
"I have to travel to deal with some business of the clan. It's urgent and I don't know when I'll be back," Wook says as if anyone present cares about it, and then adds in a tone that is a mix of a command and a recommendation, "Don't leave the house."
"I don't have anywhere else to go," she mutters absentmindedly, trying to imagine what exactly is going on with the Hwangbo clan that could make the 8th Prince behave rather recklessly.
Her tone doesn't bother him, as she has barely spoken to him ever since he hit her. But he doesn't move from his position and his voice then becomes more passionate.
"Go see your Unnie, then."
A frown deepens in Soo's blank face, the disgust at hearing him mentioning Myung Hee making her mask crack.
"I know I had a poor behavior, but I'll be better now, I promise." That's all he has to say about the past few months of oppression, and Soo turns her eyes away, not bothering to even look at him. And still, none of that seems to discourage him, "When I come back, you'll be a queen, and everything will be alright."
Those words finally do something, and Soo's eyes fly to his instinctively. She reanalyzes his posture and his behavior, trying to see just how much she can draw from this statement. She's afraid of what it all implies, the silence in the town, the lack of guests and the lack of news, and now the 8th Prince leaving in a rush.
She's afraid, and yet she's relieved that this time has finally come.
"I suppose," Soo says slowly, her dead expression not revealing just how many things were going on at once in her mind, "Things need to go back to how they should be."
"And they will, I promise." He moves to kiss her forehead and she clutches her fists to not strangle him. "I promise," he says again as if anyone present believes it.
Wook leaves, at last, ready to make his move.
Too bad he was still a few moves behind.
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The tea grows cold in the table, untouched ever since Wook left her. Her eyes, before empty and unfocused, were beaming with determination. Her hands were anxious and yet she waited until the sound of the horse-hoofs faded away in the distance. When all the commotion outside quiets down, she finally moves.
Soo stands up, walking with firm and decisive steps, her blank face finally betraying some emotion, as apprehension and anticipation begin to solidify in the bottom of her stomach. But she doesn't even reach the door when another presence comes in the room.
"I just don't understand exactly what you plan. What do you wish to achieve? What could move someone like you?" Yeon Hwa says after moving out from her hideout, slipping out from the shadows like a stalker who finally reveals themselves. The image is both creepy and funny, like a picture out of place, and Soo can't really feel intimidated by it.
"Ever since you've arrived here you've been pretending to hate him, and you even reject the clan's support." The Princess continues, despite her sister-in-law's silence, "But it's all a plot, isn't it? You were always good at those."
Soo is pleased by the accusation. She is rather a novice on plotting and manipulation, only having one year to get familiar with said maneuvers. Being called good by someone who was on the game far longer than she has is actually a compliment.
That's why, instead of denying and calling the Princess delusional, Soo nods, acknowledging the fact that yes, it's all a plot, but not admitting to what exactly her plot is. Soo lets the woman draw her own conclusions from her own narrow view.
"I wasn't always good, though," she adds almost immediately and smiles, not resisting the urge of teasing Yeon Hwa, "I just paid attention and got familiar with how you all move in the game. I'm like that, Gongjunim. Whenever I learn something, I pick up ten other things along the way."
Soo shrugs, demonstrating that it wasn't even hard to become what she is now. Her moves are light, as she feels no remorse, no guilt in her consciousness, no bitterness in her heart. And her carefree attitude seems to upset her sister-in-law even more.
"You're an awful woman, you know that?" The fact that it is Yeon Hwa, of all people, who says this almost makes her laugh out loud, but she contents with a sneer.
"Just like you, I only wish to protect my heart and my people. What's wrong with that?" Soo raises an eyebrow and then murmurs, "Still, unlike you, I do not kill others."
The Princess doesn't seem to hear that last bit, as she maintains the arrogant face and proclaims in a proud voice.
"Things won't end as you expect them to."
"You heard your brother, Gongjunim." Soo sighs, already tired of this conversation, "When he returns, I'll be a queen, everything will be alright, and things will go back to how they should be. Meanwhile, you'll still be just a sister of a king."
Soo leaves before the silence drags for too long. Not that she wouldn't mind another round at the Princess, but right now she had things to do, secrets to unveil and pieces to move. That was the endgame and turns out that Yeon Hwa could only strike thrice before she was finally neutralized.
That was a bit disappointing, now that Soo thought about it.
A\N: Not gonna lie, this was the toughest chapter I've ever written (and I think it's also one of the longest, but I'm not sure...) only because of that Wook's bit. I've debated a long time before deciding to include it, and even though I could finish the story without it, it was one of the original scenes that I could not make myself let go. It didn't make it any easier to write, though. I kept making pauses at each sentence to breathe, so I'm not even gonna ask for forgiveness - it hurt me too, and it made hate myself... And no, I could never write anything further than what I described in there.
Now, for the other bits... How joyful it is to write Soo going off on Yeon Hwa! And twice, at that! And how happy I was to include So after the poor girl had to endure both Wook and Yo in the same chapter! My heart was craving for it like crazy... Oh, and look, things are moving fast at those last bits!
If it's too fast, I'm sorry, but it's what I can do. I'm not good at creating schemes and plotting, especially when it involves politics and whatnot. If I go too deep in these aspects it'll just sound dumb. You'll have to take these vague mentions as I only scratch the surface of it all.
Thanks a lot for reading!
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mikanMD: Yeonhwa never stood a chance! Not with me in charge! Thanks a lot for reading :D
silkyjacob: Thank you so much! And yes, some moments of Soo besting the Hwangbo siblings was just what we missed in the drama...