“Jung ah, I can’t do this”

“Can’t do what Soojin?”

“Have Minister Joo responsibilities upon my shoulders”

“But it’s an order--from the King”

“I know.” Soojin puffed.

As much as Soojin didn’t want to commit to her new duty it was an order from the king, and everyone knew that anything the king says-goes. Disliking a bit more wouldn’t make a difference.

“There are numerous maids in the palace who would be ready to serve him, yet they choose me” Soojin argued as she sat on her bed, “Why couldn’t one of them be chosen? I was never worthy enough of anything and now all of a sudden they give me such a huge responsibility.”

“All you have to do is make sure he has no problems with his stay, which I highly doubt will happen. I’m sure he won’t do no harm.”

Soojin walked up to Jung ah and clung her hands on to the sides of her arms, gripping her sleeves.

“You don’t understand Jung ah. He’s…different” Soojin released a needy response.

“Different?” Jung ah furrowed her eyebrows, “how?”

Soojin released her grip from Jung ah’s arms and began to pace round her room. “I may not be experienced with men attitudes or people in general, but his aura is…shady”

“Shady? How can you be so sure?”

“The way he-” Soojin paused as she remembered the unsettling welcoming she had just a while ago.

“What did he do?” Jung ah asked in eagerness, tired of being in the dark of to what was troubling her dear friend.  

“Yesterday when King Hae Jong called me to meet him I had to serve them. I thought it was going to like any ordinary welcoming would be like, where you greet the guest and serve them. But when I passed him his drink he held my hand and my fingers and wouldn’t let go of them. It wasn’t as if he was trying to get a good grip of the cup because I tried to pull away and he squeezed my hand tighter.”

“He did what!” Jung ah exclaimed in disbelief, her eyes widening from the new information.

“Not only that, he kept roaming his eyes all over my body and giving me shrewd smirks. It made me feel so uncomfortable.” 

“What about King Hae Jong, didn’t he do something?”

“No. He didn’t do anything.” Soojin breathed out. She wondered as to why King Hae Jong didn’t do anything about Minister Joo’s indecency. His own daughter was a victim of such an act and yet he didn’t react. “It’s either he didn’t see or he saw and chose to do nothing about it.”

 “He really did such a thing in front of the King. I can’t believe that”

“You better believe it.”

“Either way in front of the king or not he has no right to do such a thing. His vulgar gestures where clearly not appropriate.”

“Ugh the way he looks at me is disgusting. I felt like--”

The bedroom doors let off a solid knock releasing an echo round the room cutting Soojin off her words. Soojin walked over to the door to find out who had come to her room.    

“M…minster Joo”, Soojin stuttered as she became faced with the topic of her conversation with Jung ah. She wondered if she was hallucinating due to her distressed mind, but no, Minister Joo was indeed standing at her threshold. Pure flesh.

“Princess Soojin” he cocked his head beckoning her to make way for him to enter.

Comprehending the indication Soojin welcomed him. “Please come in” she initiated.

Minister Joo sauntered himself into the room halting at the centre. He turned back to look at Soojin and then riffled his eyes to Jung ah, signalling to her to make the girl leave.

“Jung ah” Soojin spoke.

Jung ah looked to Soojin reading her face as she released a silent plead telling her not leave her alone with him. She then looked to Minister Joo understanding that he wanted privacy.

“If you could excuse us for a moment” Soojin spoke without trying to convey her nervousness.

Jung ah abode to Soojin’s words and left the room. The sound of the door closing brought Soojin back into realisation that she was alone her room with Minister Joo.

“I came to ensure that you were doing well” Minister Joo spoke as he began to pace round the room.

Acquiring Soojin’s attention she turned to look at him, “Thank you but there is no need. It should be me doing that for you.”

“I know but don’t you think it’s unfair for you to be taking care of me and I do nothing. I must take of you as well, right?”

“…” Soojin mouth moved wordlessly not knowing how to respond.

Minister Joo made a soft chuckle as he watched from under his lashes the flustered girl before him.

“Princess Soojin.” He pronounced as he walked around the room inspected every detail

“Yes” Soojin spoke, it coming out as a whisper.

“I hope you remember King Hae Jong’s words”

“King Hae Jong spoke many things, please elaborate on what you would like me to be aware of”

“Pleasure.” he stopped his inspection and turned to Soojin, his eyes crinkling as he smirked. “You must make my stay here as pleasurable as possible, remember?”

“Pleasure?” Soojin blinked, she racked her brain trying to remember.

“Yes. I do hope yours and my definition are the same” he gave another of his signature smirks.

“I’ll being going now, I don’t want to late with my meeting with King Hae Jong. Do remember to--” he took one more examine of Soojin’s body, “take care of yourself.”

And with that he left the room leaving a confused Soojin. The door soon knocked, Jung ah entered on her own after waiting some time and not hearing an answer. She stumbled across Soojin who stood still in where she had left her, her eyebrows knitted close to together and her fingernails digging into her palms hard enough to create small pink crescents against her pale skin.

“Soojin?” Jung ah called the shaken girl who didn’t answer. She walked over to her and gave her a little shake. “Soojin?”

Soojin snapped out of her trance and turned stunned to Jung ah who possessed a concerned face.

“Huh…Jung ah when did you arrive here” Soojin spoke as she tried to bring herself together.

“I saw Minister Joo leave so I was knocking and you weren’t answering so I allowed myself in, sorry I didn’t mean to come in without your permission but it was just that you took longer than before to answer.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, you don’t need to wait for me to answer. I’m sorry for not answering it’s just that I was trying to come to terms with just happened.”

“Didn’t anything happen?”

“Apart from the continuation of his crude comments and gestures. No. As if my life wasn’t complicated enough. Oh I don’t know how I’m going to cope with all this.” Soojin puffed and covered her face with her hands.   

“It’s ok Soojin in due time everything will work its way. Good things always happen to good people and you’re a good person. All you have to do is wait.” Jung soothed the agitate girl.

Soojin waited long enough and she was on the verge of giving up.

***

The days went by sooner than ever and Soojin considered that it was well overdue time to free herself again. Staying in the palace had always made her feel stuffy but now with the added presence Soojin was finding it harder to breath than ever.

With the aid of Jung ah Soojin was able to make it out of the palace without anyone’s knowledge. She was now at her place of tranquillity slowly absorbing in the clear air that seem to wash out the suffocating feeling circulating within her. The past days had somehow made her life become more complicated than how much it already was and as strange as it was but being in a deserted area of the woodland right now Soojin thought it was just pure delight.

“Boo!”

“Ahhhhh” Soojin stumbled back and fell losing her footing.

“Sorry, are you ok?” A familiar voice asked.

Soojin slowly look up through her dark lashes. It’s him again. She quickly scramble to her feet avoiding all forms of contact with the villager.

“You always seem to be falling for me” Jongin chuckled 

“Excuse me?” Soojin blurted out.

“Nothing, just trying to lighten up the atmosphere” he said whilst rubbing the back of his neck.

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t.”

Only up till now Soojin felt a stinging pain shooting through her hand. She looked down and saw small red droplets emerging from her palm.

“You’re bleeding”

“You don’t say genius, and whose fault is that” Soojin muttered under my breath as she held onto her wrist wincing.

“Come.”

Jongin pulled Soojin towards the lake before she could even resist. He sat her down on the outskirts and used the water to clean the wound. He then ripped his shirt sleeve to make a bandage. When their hands became in contact again Soojin felt a warmness that sent short sparks running through her veins. An unusual sensation.

Soojin sat in silence observing Jongin’s face. The way his eyebrows knitted together, the way his tongue seeped through between his plump lips as he concentrated, the way his eyes never left her hand until he had finished. Jongin finally looked up their faces centimetres apart. Silence took over and all that was heard were their soft breaths and lightly pounding heartbeats.

“Why aren’t you crying?” Jongin spoke breaking the silence.

After a moment Soojin realised she hadn’t responded. She was captivated by his face and their close proximity.  

“Why should I cry when it doesn’t truly hurt to the point I can’t handle it anymore?”

Jongin stared at Soojin dumbfounded, “Most girls would cry at such an injury”

“I’m not like other girls.”

And the silence returned.

“Even though you’re the cause of this…thank you for…urm…tending to my wound” Soojin expressed her gratitude breaking the stillness. “I should be leaving now” Soojin removed her hand from Jongin’s grip. She looked down to her hands which were held just seconds ago feeling as if she had lost the sense of security.

“So you’re still not going to tell me your name”

“No.” Soojin answered her eyes not shifting from the dressing covering her wound.

“Well it was worth a shot asking”

“As I said before I will be leaving so if you will excuse me,” Soojin turned to leave.

“Wait!”

Soojin turned to Jongin who had his hand on her shoulder to stop her from departing.

“Why do you always rush to leave when you see me?”

Because I’m afraid “Because I want to be here alone.”

“Why?” Jongin cocked his head to the side.

Because I’ve never faced a commoner before “Because I like to be by myself.”

“Why?”

Because I’ve never got the chance to interact with people “Because I feel comfortable.”

“Who would feel comfortable being by themselves?”

It’s not because I want to “Me.” Soojin lowered her glaze to the ground.

“Why?”

It was true, why would anyone be comfortable being alone by herself? Soojin looked up to the boy who probed her with questions.

“Because---” she halted her words. 

“Because…”

“I’ve answered enough questions.” Soojin retorted evading the truth.

“Sorry, it’s just that I find it strange that somebody would want to isolate themselves for the world.”

Me Too.

Soojin released herself from the grip Jongin still had on her shoulder, “I’ll be leaving for real this time. Please don’t stop me.” She walked away without sparing Jongin a second glance. 

“I guess I’ll see in a few days’ time Tofu.” Jongin shouted out.

Soojin turned to see Jongin grinning and waving frantically. Meet again? Jongin expected her to return, he believed that Soojin would be there again.

Before Soojin would have ran away not wanting to spend another moment with Jongin but here she stayed long enough to answer questions. Jongin didn’t even know her and yet Soojin felt that he was being nice to her; a feeling she only felt when it was shown to her by Jung ah.

***

“Your hand.”

Soojin looked down to her hand that was covered by the fabric that Jongin had ripped from his clothes.  

“Urm…I was…ah…I was sewing and cut myself” Soojin tried to provide a believably answer. 

“Such a wound from a merely needle.”

“I…while I was cutting the fabric the knife grazed me. Nothing serious, I’m fine.” Soojin reassured.

“Do you think that dirty dressing is going to help heal the wound? If anything it would infect it.” Queen Yeon Joo scoffed.

Soojin softly the bandage, “This dressing…its fine.”

As if Queen Yeon Joo was truly concerned she moved onto why she really had come to see Soojin.

“Minister has requested to meet you,” She eyed Soojin head to toe then back to the dressing, “look presentable.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Queen Yeon Joo left the room leaving Soojin to find her way to Minister Joo. It was logic that the wound wasn’t disinfected properly and the cloth wasn’t the most hygienic of dressings, it wouldn’t allow the cut to heal, but Soojin didn’t want to remove it. It was a sign that Jongin cared enough to help cover her wounds, even if he were the one to inflict the damage.  

***

Again with the constant staring. Soojin looked down at the floor not wanting to give eye contact. Eye contact with Minister Joo made her uncomfortable.

“How have you been Princess Soojin?” Minister Joo spoke, his voice echoing the hollow room.

“I’ve been doing fine.”

“Fine?”

“Yes.”

Minister trailed his glare to the dressing on Soojin’s hand, “By the looks of it, it doesn’t seem you’re doing fine”

He got up from his seat and walked towards Soojin. She panicked as she felt his presence coming closer. From her eyes facing the floor she saw that Minister Joo stopped roughly seven steps in front of her.

“Didn’t I tell you before, chaste girls like you must take real good care of their bodies.”

Upon hearing the confession Soojin eyes widened, she looked up giving the eye contact she was avoiding. A smirk appeared on Minister Joo face seeming to like Soojin’s flustered state.

“How are you supposed to take care of me when you don’t take care of yourself?” he cooed as he stepped further.

Minister Joo took Soojin wounded hand within his. She looked at him speechless at his boldness.  

“I called you to see if you were doing fine and obviously you aren’t. Princess Soojin please take of yourself”

“…” Soojin’s mouth moved wordlessly, no words being able to form.

“You can leave.”

Soojin pulled her hand away from his grip and bowed. She left the room feeling disturbed. Minister Joo didn’t call her for help or assistance---he called to present her with his vulgar comments and gestures. Purely eye candy.

 

 

 

A/N

Finally updated this story after how long *pats self on back*

I feel as if the story is taking too long to develop so I might just speed up their relationship, what do you think?

Happy reading and don’t forget to comment and subscribe :)