It took around 2 hours to reach Sangji Temple by riding their best royal horses. On the way toward the temple, the brothers held some friendly conversation since it’s been so long for them to see each other like this.

“Thanks for accompanying me to Sangji Temple eventhough you’re busy, Hyung” Kyuhyun showed his gratitude toward his brother.

“It’s okay, Phea. My job here is almost done though” Yesung smiled at his brother.

Kyuhyun’s eyes grew wider “Do you mean you’ve managed to get rid of Jung Yunho and his followers from Wonju? But wait.... I told you to not call me Phea again”

His brother chuckled seeing his step brother pouted “I can’t call you by name when your royal guards around”

“Yes, we did get rid some of Jung Yunho’s followers here but not their leader. We lost his track. I hope we have Lord Eunhyuk as a tactic expert right now” Yesung left out a long sigh.

Hearing his brother in law’s name all of a sudden made Kyuhyun a bit annoyed “Why did you mention his name, Hyung? We have a lot of capable yet smart tactician in Jonseong. If you need more, I get you hundred of them to be sent here if you want”

Yesung glanced at him “But all of them are not as a genius as Lord Eunhyuk, Phea. Even Ming Kingdom labeled him as a Kongming from Jonseong”

Kyuhyun turned his glance  away from his brother. He himself actually admitted that, Lord Eunhyuk was the greatest tactician and swordman Jonseong ever had in 50 years. The latter even had exceeded his own father's ability, General Lord Lee Sungjong. His weakness was only one. His sister, Lee Sungmin.

Kyuhyun gave out a heavy sigh and whispered “Do you mean getting rid of him 3 years ago is a mistake Hyung? He nearly killed Seohyun you know?”. It was still clear in his memory when Lord Eunhyuk still had a gut to insult Lady Seohyun in front of him at interrogation room.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Flashback

**********

“What’s the real mission of Lee faction?”

Lord Eunhyuk huffed “Fine. But I am sure it will take forever if I explain it with my mouth. By the way, I heard you like playing strategy”

“Lord Eunhyuk, don’t make a fun of me”

Eunhyuk shrugged “No. I am serious. You will find the answer if you follow my words. So, do you like game?”

Kyuhyun got silent for some seconds but It was just before Lord Eunhyuk giggled at him “Really little Kyuhyun. Do you love her that much? You even gave me 2 platoons of royal soldiers just for protecting that !!!”

Kyuhyun couldn’t hold his patient anymore as he pulled his sword and nearly attached it to Eunhyuk’s neck “Say it again I’ll kill you!!” he threatened him but the latter didn’t flinch at all.

“You haven’t answer my question, Lord Eunhyuk. At least this is the last good thing you do before you go to hell”

Eunhyuk chuckled again “Hahaha... As if you won’t go to that place either. Ah.... pardon me, you won’t. Jonseong folks are used to believe that King is an incarnation of God after all. Do you know who had implanted that  believe to those idiot folks, Phea?”

“What do you mean?” He really wanted to slash his neck with his rudeness but he had to hold it a little more in order to get the information he wanted.

Eunhyuk’s expression turned serious “It’s us. Lee ancestors did that for you. But what we get now? You treat us like your enemy”

“Then why you have been acting like one, Lord Eunhyuk?”

“That’s a part of the game”

“Game?”

He sighed  “You still don’t understand, do you? If you really want to know about Jonseong shadow, I think this is the only way”

“What’s that?”

Eunhyuk smiled at him “So this is the bet. You will be doomed when we’re starting to not care....”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

End of Flashback

***************

“Phea...”

“Phea...”

“Kyuhyun-ah!”

Kyuhyun jerked up from spacing out “Ye..yes..? What did you say, Hyung?”

“I said I don’t mean it’s a mistake. I am sorry, phea. I felt bad about what lady Seohyun had been through too but...(sigh) Just forget it”

“What do  you want to say, Hyung?”

“Would...would you mind to send back Lord Eunhyuk to Jonseong again? We need him”

Kyuhyun shook his head “You’re talking nonsense hyung”

“Do you realize how many rebellions have to be extermeniated since Lee faction lost their influence?”

Kyuhyun became silent for a moment, but right when he wanted to answer Captain Yonghwa approached them “Phea, we have arrived at Sangji temple”

Kyuhyun nodded at him then glanced to his step brother  in a whisper “Let’s stop this conversation Hyung”

~~~~~~#*SJ*#~~~~~~

They were sitting against each other in a wooden shed near the hidden lake. The place when the fate of those two met for the first time. Their view from a far was like a high valuable painting of two beauties since the male one dressed with a hanbok.

The taller one was playing his fingers through every strings of his gayageum. He played it tenderly as if he was carressing strands of a silky hair, producing a calming song which synced beautifully with the music from the leaves of pine trees that surrounded behind their shed. And the female who sat in front of him enjoyed the melodies while playing a brush toward a large plain paper. The song that the former played inspired her to write a poem. She wrote it with a bright smile made the one who’s playing the gayageum couldn’t help but kept dancing his finger toward the wooden instrument with a great mood.

Sometimes between interludes of the song he played, he took a glance to the female and noticed a slight tear dropped to the white paper. He was curious if she was sad but a curved smile still rested gracefully not leaving her lip. He didn’t want to disturb the female by asking so he finished the song he played first.

He lifted up his head to see her and smiled at her “How’s my special solo concert for you, Sungmin-shi?”

Sungmin smiled back and clapped her hands signed him that yes, she really enjoyed the show. Her dream to watch him playing for her had finally come true.

Heechul let out a relieved sigh. It’s the first time he played solo for a female since he always did that to his men customers who rarely took attention with music but busy flirting with him instead “Can you tell me  what you have just written? Well... if you don't mind” he shrugged.

Sungmin turned the paper so Heechul could take a look

I just found this calming strings

High melodies that sang of the sky spring 

What should I do with the sound of leaves?

Please send these words throughout the end of universe

Why don't you stay and rest here?

“Your poem is so beautiful. Seems like you miss someone who’s now far away. Is it for your boyfriend?”

Sungmin looked up at him with a blushing cheek “Oh, I am sorry for that impolite question. Blame it to my blabber mouth hahaha...” Heechul laughed awkwardly because he’s so curious with the person whom Sungmin mentioned in that poem. But luckily his curosity lifted up into the air as Sungmin wrote something in her small book and showed it to him.

‘It’s for my brother’

Heechul lifted his eyebrows “You mean Siwon-shi?” but Sungmin shook her head. Then a flashed of a memory when they went to Lampion festival came to his mind.

“She… she’s barely eat. The last I saw her ate well is when she ate with her brother three years ago”

 “Huh? You mean Siwon-shi?”

“No. The older one. Lor.. I mean Youngmaster Eunhyuk”

“Aah I remember Sunkyu said you have another brother, don’t you? Is he on somewhere far from here for sometimes long?”

Sungmin’s smile disappeared slightly and nodded ‘I hope I know where he is’

She really missed her brother. It had been three years without knowing where he was. She even didn’t get any assurance whether the older was still alive or not. Her brother was the only closest family she had after their parent passed away. She might have a lot of Lee family relatives but only Eunhyuk the family member she trusted the most.

She had a lof of words that left unsaid for him. Like about how much she loved him. How she hoped they could sit together enjoying Heechul’s playing a gayageum for them. She wanted to show her brother how Heechul’s song acted like a medicine for her sorrow.

Watching her became sad like that made Heechul blamed himself for asking her that question. He didn’t like this view of Sungmin. Her sad eyes felt like a sea. Infiltrating his soul with salty water then drown him to the deepest cliff. He wondered who the person who dared hurting those doe eyes. What fate that had separated her with her brother.

He was too drowned with her eyes as he didn’t realize his hand reached her left cheek and carressed it tenderly with his fingers. He didn’t feel anything. Just blanking out as if her eyes had hypnotized him from beginning he saw her tears.

“Heenim!!!!!” A sudden voice filled the air around them all of a sudden made they both jerked up waking from trance.

Heechul yelled toward the new person who stood panting after their shed “Hyoyeon !! Can you make your arrival come more beautifully? You’ve nearly made worms in my stomach jumped from shock!!!” poor wormy-chan

“Heenim, I got two very very bad news” Hyoyeon breathlessly said that with a wide smile hanging on her sweaty face since she had been running to the forest to inform Heechul.

Heechul smirked at her “How much it is bad?” leaving Sungmin a confused face ‘They’re weird’

~~~~~~#*SJ*#~~~~~~

He left Sangji Temple’s gate with an unreadable expression. He finally had met the eunuch of his late father and begged him to give some information about Jonseong’s shadow. But the result was pissed him more as he regreted for going this far to meet him.

“How’s going? Have you gotton your answer from the old man?” Yesung approached him.

Kyuhyun looked at him and tried to switch the topic “Hyung! You said your job in Gaiya village is done, right? Please go back to Hanyang. A dancing competition will be held soon in palace. You have to come” He said as he reached his horse.

“Phea, you’re sweating. What the old man had said to you?” Yesung asked with worries.

Kyuhyun took a long breath and shook his head to assure his brother “It’s nothing Hyung. Just a bull of nonsense....”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Flashback

***********

They met in alone room. The old man who sat in front of him had commanded his pupils to guard the room and made sure that there's no one would hear their private conversation.

The old man bowed at him “How have you been doing, Phea? Judging by how you look, seems like you have some worries. But I am sorry, Phea, if you wish to get some enlightenments from me I think you have come to a wrong person. I am only an old monk in this solitary temple. I can’t give you anything”

“You don’t have to greet me like that, old man” Kyuhyun said by lowering his head to greet the old man back.

The old man carressed his long white beard then chuckled “But you’re a king and also a son of the man who I served for more than 50 years with all my heart”

“I want to ask something”

“If it’s about Jonseong’s shadow. I can’t tell you much”

Sweat started to garner on his face “How...how do you know?”

“It’s all writen on your face son. Maybe this temple is in a remoted area but I still could hear a little winds about what happen in Gyeongbok palace. Lee faction become weaker. I wonder if it’s because of you...”

Kyuhyun tried his best to keep his cool “Just tell me about Jonseong shadow”

The old man let out a long sigh “All about Jonseong shadow had been brought by your father and Lord Sungjong to their grave. All I have known only that concept had been rules Jonseong for 7 generation already. You’re the 7th”

“I want to erase that rule. This country have to be led by wisdom, justice, sincerity, loyalty, and earnest. Not with cruelty, fear, violence, and authority”

“That’s only a child dream, Phea. There’s no country who could stay balance like that”

“What...what did you say?” Angers started building in his chest.

“You’re so naive, Phea. But the country you dreamed about. You’re doing it right now. You nearly get what you want”

“What do you mean, old man?”

The old man’s carressing his beard again “One of King’s duties is to take care all hearts in Jonseong. Some of them are kindly stupid, childish, and rebellious. You had rejected to take care of those hearts of Jonseong in order to have one heart you love the most. You can live your life peacefully because Jonseong shadow leave it’s own heart behind and decide to take care of  the hearts you have abandoned. If it starts to not care, what do you think it will become?”

Kyuhyun stayed silent for a moment then stood up “Quit with metaphores, Old man. I get it now, you mean Lee faction is my shadow to keep my country stay balance with their cruelty, right? Jonseong rules and my loyal people are strong enough to protect Jonseong. I can’t keep my eyes blind to let Lee faction doing a lot of crimes they have done”

He looked up to Kyuhyun “I never say your shadow is Lee faction, Phea”

“So who else?”

He took a long breath “You won’t understand if your heart refuses to understand”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

End of Flashback

***************

“Phea?”

“Ye...Yes? What just you say, hyung?” Kyuhyun nearly got his horse startled because of him. Luckily he still managed to control the horse’s rein.

Yesung chuckled beside him “Are you day dreaming again? I said I will come with you to Hanyang”

He smiled at him “That’s great, Hyung. I promise you, you will be served with all you favourite foods until your stomach nearly explode. You’re a Jonseong hero after all“

The older laughed with the comment “Hahaha.... I can’t thinking if I eat too much. Mentioning about a hero, there is someone who I really want to introduce you. He has been helping me a lot with tracking Jung Yunho’s followers”

“Is he that great so you praise him that much? Is he still in Wonju fortress right now?”

“He is a great warrior from China and so smart too. He is probably in Hanyang right now for a personal matter. I’ll make sure you will definitely meet him”

~~~~~~#*SJ*#~~~~~~

Sungmin watched the two Gisaeng hugged and jumped to each other happily because their team had passed pre-elimination round of dancing competition. First round would be held tomorrow and their team would perform in front of King and Queen of Jonseong.

“Kyaaaa...... I told you. You all crazy es will pass the round smoothly even without winking. All thanks to me” Heechul yelled, still jumping together with Hyoyeon.

“Yes, all thanks to you. ert bastard teacher!!”

Heechul’s mouth shivered and nearly pulled her bundle hair “Aish... it’s that your way showing your love to me?!”

Hyoyeon grabbed Heechul’s upper cloth and smirked at him “That’s a compliment for you Heenim. You should be happy your grade in my heart at least raised from 2 to 4 from 10”

“Hahahaha..... you really never changed Heechul!!”

Heechul frozed with a familiar voice behind him. He thought he was dreaming because as far as he remembered the person with that voice had left to China three years ago. He thought he never cameback.

“Ah Heenim. I said I have two bad news, right. He’s the second” Hyoyeon smiled widely at him.

Heechul turned around. It’s him. The one he missed the most. A honey skin man who had stolen his heart and never gave it back. He walked toward the man with doubted steps. He reached his cheek and slapped it hard “Awwwww It's hurt you know?!!!!!” the man yelled with his accented voice.

“It’s... it’s really you. Han...Hangeng?” Heechul stared at him with a really wide eyes as if they could jumped from their bag.

The honey skin man smiled genuinely “I am back Heechul”

Those two person were too drowned up with each other as they didn’t realize a pair of eyes felt abandoned watching them. Sungmin knew that it’s not right to feel like that. She knew Heechul was a transgender. It’s possibble for him to like man. It’s possible eventhough he’s a man, his heart was no different with another normal women. He might fall in in love to someone of course. Who she was to protest? She’s already married after all. She even promised herself she would only love one man in her life.

But what was this feeling?

A sudden knotted in her chest felt some way familiar with the one she felt whenever she witnessed Kyuhyun lovey dovey scenes with Lady Seohyun. This Jealousy. It’s felt familiar.

She didn’t know why.....

TBC

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Yup, I hope everyone who missed Lord Eunhyuk will be happy with the mentioning about him in this chapter. I also hope you will become more understand about “Jonseong Shadow” concept ^^. Lee faction was Jonseong Shadow in general but the real King's Shadow was Queen Min. I am sorry this is still unbeta-ed. I don’t have time to reread again because times is being y again TT__TT and I have to leave now. I’ll reply all your comments this night ^^.

Thanks a lot for subscribing and commenting in the previous chapter guys ^^. I wish this new chapter won’t disappoint you. Please give me comments again and tell me what you think about this chapter ^^ !!!