Chapter Twenty-one

Promise

"Abort it," said Yifan, absolutely no remorse evident in his voice. Yeonhwa stared at him with eyes wide, completely baffled at the words he uttered.

"Yifan!" she gasped. "How could you even think of such a thing? This is a child, our child, not a plaything you can just throw away!" she exclaimed.

Yifan turned to her and glared at her.

"And this is your life we're talking about. I only just got you back. I am not losing you again, not for an heir, not for anything," he replied.

Yeonhwa did not know what to say. She would like to believe that he was joking, but the fiery look in his eyes told her otherwise. He was dead serious about this. Gathering her courage, she stood up and looked at him straight in the eye.

"No," she objected.

"What?" replied Yifan, his voice low - a sign that he was losing his patience. Yeonhwa felt the tendrils of fear beginning to creep up her back, but she stood her ground anyway.

"I'm not going to get rid of the baby. I don't care what happens to me. I'm keeping our child."

"Han Yeonhwa!" his voice rose in volume.

They both stared at each other, one with eyes so furious that it might as well kill a person, the other brimmed with tears.

"Yifan, I don't care what you say, I won't kill my own baby," said Yeonhwa, her voice almost betraying her.

Yifan gritted his teeth. They both stood there for a moment, the silence almost deathly. Eventually, Yifan took a deep breath and collected himself.

"Han Yeonhwa," he said calmly.

"Abort the fetus. This is an order."

With that, he turned around and left Yeonhwa, who finally released her dam of tears.

-

Two days later, Luhan joined the young Emperor in his office, who tried his best to seem unaffected by the whole ordeal, but anyone would be able to tell that he was suffering. After all, he was put in the most difficult situation where he had to choose between the love of his life and his own flesh and blood.

"Your Majesty," Luhan began. "It seems that Her Highness refused to see the Royal Physician again today," he said.

"Tell Zhang Yixing to keep going until she gives up. I gave her an order, she's bound to come around eventually," replied Yifan, without looking up from the documents he was reviewing.

Luhan stared at him in disbelief before letting out a heavy sigh.

"Your Majesty, as your advisor- no, as your friend, may I offer you some words of wisdom?" asked Luhan. Yifan scowled.

"If you're going to tell me to take back my orders, you can get the hell out of here, Luhan," Yifan replied through gritted teeth.

"Your Majesty, I believe you underestimate the love of a mother towards her child. No mother would ever do anything to hurt her child, even if it puts her own life at risk. Her Highness is no different," said Luhan calmly, ignoring the threat a