Episode 19: She Learns The Truth

When SeonHo and his parents were in their way to Changdeokgung Palace, HyoEun was literally running towards the cemetery that SeonHo mentioned where her former best friend, Geum Yunjae, lies. She took off her high heels in order to be able to run faster.

“Yunjae, you jerk! Why! Why didn’t you at least meet up with me when you were still alive! Yunjae!”

She was running on the sidewalk when a bus full of tourists passed by.

“As you can see on your left is a Korean which you should avoid at all costs when a sale happens in a mall.”

Finally, she arrived at the cemetery. The first thing she did was to look for her best friend’s grave. As she searched and searched for it, she didn’t mind that she was already soaking wet thanks to the rain.

“I must find it no matter what! Yunjae…”

Finally, she found it. It was clearly written on the gravestone when was he born and died. Hyoeun couldn’t believe it and so, she dropped on her knees and started crying.

“Yunjae! Yunjae! YUNJAE! Why?! WHY?! Why did you leave me?! WHY?!... I… I thought we were best friends?! Shouldn’t we be always together?! Why?! WHY?! YUNJAE!”

Because of her intense sadness, she collapsed herself into the wet grass and continued crying there.

“Yunjae… Yunjae! I… I never got the chance to say to… to you… Saranghaeyo Yunjae…”

Back at Changdeokgung Palace…

“SeonHo, do you now accept that you truly are the missing Imperial Prince Tae Hoon? asked Princess Che-Rin.

SeonHo looked at his parents who both nodded with tears on their faces but smiling. He then looked back at the Imperial Family.

“I guess I do then! I’m back!”

They immediately surrounded and hugged him so tightly that he almost couldn’t breathe!

“Guys! Hey! Ahpah, Hyung, Ghomoboo, Ghomo!”

“My son! My son!”

“Dong-saeng!!!”

They were all crying as loudly as can be for finally, they have found their missing family member. Once that was over, Emperor Gojo and Prince Dong Hwan both talked to Mr. Kim about something while Crown Prince JoonSe and Princess Che-Rin were both accompanying Ms. Kim and Tae Hoon.

“I’m so glad that you’re finally back here Tae Hoon! If only my son was…”

“Ghomo (aunt), there you go again! Come on now! Don’t cry!” said JoonSe as he patted her on the back.

“Mwo? Why is that?” asked Tae Hoon.

“SeonHo I mean Tae Hoon, baack then, Her Highness was pregnant but due to some circumstances, she lost her child. It was during the time Her late Majesty, Empress Haewon was hospitalized. Your Highness, I’m truly sorry for your loss.” said Ms. Kim.

“Thank you. Thank you so much for your words Ms. Kim. I am truly grateful.” said Princess Che-Rin while she wipes her tears.

“Oh I see. I’m sorry Your Highness. I didn’t know.” said Tae Hoon.

“It’s alright dear. No harm done.” answered his aunt with a smile.

“So, tomorrow, you’ll be living here from now on right Dong-saeng?” said JoonSe.

“Neh. Wow, this whole thing hasn’t sunk into me yet. I’m the missing Imperial Prince Tae Hoon. I cannot believe that my dad is the Emperor of this country, my aunt and uncle is a Prince and Princess and my brother is the Crown Prince! This is just so huge!”

“Your Highness, when will the Palace tell the world about this?” asked Ms. Kim.

“We’re thinking it might be today, tonight or maybe tomorrow morning. But, it might certainly be tonight. I think I know what your face is telling me. (Ms. Kim’s face was worried) Don’t worry because, right now, there are Imperial Guards guarding your house and the area around the house to prevent any media from coming through as well as your neighbors to prevent any kind of trouble. You know what I’m saying right? The mastermind behind the ambush of the Imperial Family and Prince Tae Hoon going missing eighteen years ago hasn’t been caught yet and that person will most likely be doing something once this news is out.”

Emperor Gojo, Prince Dong Hwan and Mr. Kim was over with their talk.

“Mr. and Ms. Kim and Tae Hoon my nephew, you will be escorted home just like how you were brought here. Tae Hoon, we will be fetching you from your house tomorrow at around 7AM so please be ready. And oh! Your house will be…” Prince Dong Hwan was interrupted by his wife.

“Dear, I already told them about it.”

“Ah I see. And also about when the news will be revealed to the public?”

“Yes.”

“Good then! Well, see you tomorrow, Tae Hoon and welcome back to our family. If only our own…”

“Prince Dong Hwan! Are you crying in front of our nephew? Aigoo! There, there now!” said Princess Che-Rin.

“Ehem! Tae Hoon, once you return here, you will be leaving your old life behind. You will be meeting a lot of people and will be learning a lot from them. Will you be able to adapt and handle all which is coming?” asked Emperor Gojo.

“(looks first at Mr. and Ms. Kim) They raised me up to become a responsible and hardworking son so, I will! I will do my best in everything I would be doing here… Ahpah…”

“Dong-saeng…” JoonSe was looking at him while smiling.

“My son, I’m truly happy that we have finally found you!”

Tae Hoon was the one this time to hug his father. It was joyous moment. Now, when they were being escorted by JoonSe through the halls they went through earlier, he and his Dong-saeng were talking about HyoEun’s visit.

“She did?! But why?!”

“Shush! (Tae Hoon let his parents who was before them go a little farther away from them) They don’t know what HyoEun did to me back then. I havent’ told them about it yet. Neh, she did come to our house. She said something which I can’t remember because she said that when I saw her outside our house during the strong rain. I wasn’t able to hear her quickly so that’s why.”

“I see. So, tell me more.”

He told him about what they talked about and when it came to Yunjae…

“No way! He’s your cousin?! That guy… me, HyoEun and him were like the best of friends back then! We were so close back then. I can’t believe he’s gone… Oh! HyoEun! Where did she go?”

“She went to the cemetery not far from our house because that’s where he’s buried!”

“In this rain?! Why didn’t you stop her?!”

“I did but I lost track of her because there was almost zero visibility because of the rain!”

“Aish! Tae Hoon! Come with me! We need to find her!”

“A… araseo!”

They both ran towards Mr. And Ms. Kim and told them where they are going.

“But why?! What’s the matter?!”

“It’s HyoEun. Remember? She went to the cemetery where Yunjae is buried!”

“So that’s where she went! O-okay then!”

“Um, Ahpaha, Oemma, if you don’t mind, could me and JoonSe go now? We’re worried about her you see.” said Tae Hoon.

“Araseo but, you should be back at the house okay? Wait, if possible bring her there at the house too so that she could rest and we’ll have someone from her house to fetch her.” said Ms. Kim.

“Gomawo!” The two boys then bowed and ran quickly as they can outside. They told Mr. Kwon to get another car for Mr. and Ms. Kim and that they would be taking the car already waiting there. Once on board, they told the driver their destination and drove off.

When they arrived at the cemetery, the rain has stopped already.

“Tae Hoon, where’s Yunjae’s grave?”

“There! Over there! Let’s go!”

They ran as fast as they could towards the site and when they arrived, they saw HyoEun lying down on the grass.

“HyoEun!” said JoonSe.

She heard him and when she looked up, the first person she saw was Tae Hoon and, thinking he was Yunjae since she said they were very much alike, she immediately stood up, ran towards him and hugged him!

“Yunjae! YUNJAE!!!”

“HyoEun! I’m not Yunjae! It’s me Tae…” He didn’t continue what he was about to say because JoonSe was mitoning to not say he’s Tae Hoon.

“Oh! Um, ah… It’s me SeonHo! HyoEun!”

She then looked at him and then stopped what she was doing to him.

“Yunjae…” She dropped down on her knees again and started crying.

“Dong-saeng, call our driver and tell him to come here with a blanket from the car or something that could be used as such. (JoonSe kneels down as well and hugs HyoEun) We need to bring her into your house now. HyoEun’s having a fever. And it’s a bad fever.”

“Got it!” Tae Hoon immediately ran towards the car and did what he was asked to do. Minutes later, they have arrived at the Kim residence where Mr. and Ms. Kim were both waiting.

“Okay, bring her to your room SeonHo I mean Tae Hoon! Aigoo! I don’t know what to call you!” said Ms. Kim.                                       (Author: Me too!)

They brought HyoEun upstairs and into his room where they laid her on his bed. He and JoonSe both got other blankets and laid all mof it on her to make her warm as possible. Then, JoonSe got his phone out and called HyoEun’s home and asked someone there to fetch her. By that time, HyoEun has calmed down and was fast asleep but her high fever continues to persist.

“Talk about bad timing! This brownout hasn’t been lifted yet!” said Mr. Kim but, after he said that, the power went back on! “What am I? The on and off switch of this city’s electricity?!”

“Good then! We can bring our heater to your room! Boys! Please bring it there!” said Ms. Kim.

“Right!”

An hour later, HyoEun’s ride has finally arrived at the Kim residence.

“We’re so sorry for the inconvenience she might have caused you.” said Ms. Lee.

“Don’t worry about it. She didn’t cause any inconvenience. We hope she gets well soon.”

HyoEun and her guardians then went away.

“Dong-saeng, see you tomorrow then.” said JoonSe.

“Neh. See you tomorrow! Shouldn’t you be with HyoEun right now?”

“Hmm, you’re right. I should’ve come along with them. I guess I’ll just be following them. Oh by the way, Princess Che-Rin told you guys when the news will most likely come out right?”

“Yes. She said it might be tonight or tomorrow.”

“But I really think it would certainly be tonight but, don’t worry okay? The Imperial Guards will be here to guard your house. I’m glad that I finally found you, Dong-saeng.”

“Who knew that you were my older brother! You even asked me to be your pretend little brother! Hahaha!”

They hugged each other and then JoonSe left.

Night time, Kang Residence…

In her room, HyoEun was sleeping soundly in her bed while JoonSe was sitting beside her, watching the news. Slowly but surely, she began to open her eyes but he didn’t notice her and also, she could see and hear everything the TV was saying.

“Breaking News! We have just received word that Imperial Prince Tae Hoon, who have been missing for eighteen long years have now been found by the Imperial Family! (they show a picture of SeonHo) Apparently, Prince Tae Hoon was not brought out of the country but, he was here in Korea all along under the name of Kim SeonHo!”

HyoEun’s eyes widened and so she got up and shouted: “WHAT?!!!” But because of her fever , she collapsed back again!

“HyoEun! HYOEUN!!!”