“What now?” She heard Jungkook from the other cell.

Sunji sighed, looking at the patch of starry sky she could see through the tiny window close to the ceiling. “Tomorrow I will receive my punishment and that’s it.”

“That’s not it, my lady! The shame will stay with your forever, you don’t understand. This is not only a dent in the Hwang household name. This is your downfall, my lady!”

“And just what could’ve I done? It’s going to be alright. Even if I lose everything,” Sunji’s fingers clenched around a handful of dirty straws, “I’ll still have myself. And I’ll know that I did not depend on anyone to save my life.”

“And you’ll have me too,” the warmth in Jungkook’s voice stopped her shivering. “I’ll stand by you even if everyone turns against you, my lady.”

She felt like choking on air, so she lept silent while her hurt pride spilled heavy and burning tears. Stripped of her silky gown and forced into the white one of the prisoners, Sunji felt her entire world was shaking, threatening to collapse. She did regret not calling for the king’s favour, but the anger towards herself and the prime-minister kept her still in her decision. Better to die with her head help up high than admit defeat to such a scheming man!

“I don’t think that Jung will manage to get us out of here,” Jungkook’s voice made Sunji snap out of her thoughts. “He’s not good at diplomatic stuff.”

“Don’t expect anything from anyone if you don’t want to be disappointed,” Sunji instructed in her usual tone. “But I believe in Master Jung. He’s proved himself to be a good friend. And if not, at least one of us got away with their reputation intact.”

››۝‹‹

The sunrise surprised Sunji still awake. Her sadistic mind kept on taking her to that day in the magnolia garden, where she had been offered everything on a silver plater. And she threw it away…

“I don’t regret anything,” she whispered, straightening her back against the cold wall of the cell.

“I do,” a voice echoed from the darkness. “I regret you not trusting me with your safety,” the king stepped out of the shadows. He was wearing the clothes she had designed for him and he looked most dashing. “Why don’t you trust me, Lady Hwang?”

She staggered up on her feet to bow. Only her eyes refused to lower and kept his stare. “Your Majesty knew, yet he did not rush to my side. So how can you speak of trust?” She asked in return, surprising him. “His Excellency Prime-Minister Kim must think I am a weak opponent for not putting much of a fight, but when one is drawn in an unfair scheme, shall he succumb to its sweet bait or look away from it?”

“Again, you seem to avoid speaking truthfully about your own feelings, Lady Hwang. I don’t agree with what the prime-minister did. Yet he gave me what I most desired… you,” the king looked at her with sincere eyes. It pained him to see her wearing the white of traitors when she indeed had done nothing but follow her heart.

“Avoid speaking of feelings?!” Sunji felt the anger winning over her reason. “My feelings are the ones who brought me in this situation, Your Majesty. I wanted only to convey my heart, as hidden as I kept it and look what happened to me! I have lost everything because of a man’s whim, because you giving up on me wasn’t satisfying to the one who is supposed to serve you. I have lost everything because of the feelings you are talking about,” her voice raised strong as her eyes never shied away her anger. “You speak of feelings, yet you do not feel as you claim. Had Your Majesty favoured me like you insist you do, it wouldn’t be me in this cell, but the prime-minister himself.”

“Should I punish him for giving me the opportunity to see and talk to you once more? Perhaps his loyalty took him too far, but it wasn’t completely wrong to try to please me.”

“You are speaking of greed, my Liege.”

“Am I not allowed to be greedy at least once in my life?” His eyes were sad seeing her unable to see the man under the heavy crown.

Sunji sighed, tired and suddenly sad. The trap she was in allowed but for one safe escape… “I should accept my lashes as the punishment for daring to appear in front of Your Majesty,” she lowered her eyes for the first time, her eyelashes leaving long, dark shadows on her white skin. “And I shall become a nun; they’ll speak of me like they speak of the Taoists Immortals. That shall be enough, yes,” she then turned her back on him.

The door came unlocked as if through magic and with two long steps, he was right behind her, his arms pulling her against his body, gathering her entire being which was shattering in front of his eyes. “Tell me what do you want me to do, Lady Hwang. Tell me!” He demanded with her in between his arms.

“Your Majesty…”

“Tell me!”

“Let me be free.”

››۝‹‹

Despite being hidden inside her palanquin, Sunji still felt the stares of the people on the way back to her residence. Everyone knew now everything: from being arrested to the mysterious release, with all accusations removed by royal command.

“Welcome back home, Lady Hwang,” she heard a lady saying from the market after they entered her hometown. “We prayed for your safe return and Buddha heard us.”

Sunji opened the small window of the palanquin and offered her a sincere smile. “Thank you, I am happy to be home indeed.”

“But is it true?” The woman eyed her with pure curiosity. “Has the king ordered your release himself?”

“His Majesty is a very sharp man. He must have noticed the injustice of my accusations,” Sunji said before retreating to the solitude of the palanquin. It was the price she had to accept, or maybe an opportunity.