Chapter # 25:

           The Fight.

“Here you go. Have some water.” Haejin- who has been staring at the floor for the past fifteen minutes lifted her head up to gaze at Chanyeol; who was holding out a glass of water for her with a forced smile on his face. His smile didn’t suit the situation at all, but still, she was thankful to him for trying. He was the one she has managed to bump into while she was running away from the goons and he was the one who has brought her and Jihoon home along with Kris. Of course, that was not before they have managed to get rid of the people who have been running after them. Haejin and Jihoon, both were completely terrified to see the fire that has been started by her brother-in-law right in the middle of the Jungle to scare those people away. She was absolutely horrified when she saw that the fire was spreading through the place rapidly and would soon get out of control, but all her concerns turned out to be futile because the fire disappeared as soon as it started. It seemed like it was only in her imagination; like it never happened in reality, but she knew better than that. She knew that – what she saw was more than real. The Princes, including her husband, rarely used their powers. The act itself was so rare that she sometimes forget that they were not like ordinary people; they had deadly powers that can kill thousands of people in a blink of an eye.

“Thanks.” She replied with a weak smile of her own and shifted her attention towards Jihoon; who was being given the medical treatment to prevent infection in all the bruises that were lining his sensitive skin. The young queen gave the innocent kid a smile when his pain filled eyes met with hers before once again turning towards her brother-in-law. Chanyeol and Kris were not happy with her; neither were Sehun and Kai. The rest of the guys were still out along with her husband. Kris has informed all of them about everything that had happened through a call while they were driving back to the castle and she was sure that the rest of them would be arriving back to the castle soon. She wasn’t afraid of their return. What she feared was the reaction that her husband was going to give her. It was obvious that he would be extremely pissed; especially when he had told her to stay away from all this stuff.

“Noona…” Haejin turned her head to face Sehun when he called her and fixed her stare on his expressionless face. It was scary. The maknae has always been so bratty and sneaky; the sudden void of expression was not looking good on him at all.

“Y-Yeah.”

“Don’t ever do that again,” Sehun wanted to say a lot of things, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. He wanted to yell at her for being so irresponsible, but he knew that it was not his place; neither was it his job. He was sure that his Baekhyun hyung would do that task pretty fine. He actually kind of really feared the reaction that his brother would give once he comes back. It was true that his brother was concerned; extremely concerned and he was sure that the latter was really thankful that they have managed to find Haejin again, but it was also true that his sister-in-law has touched something that his brother is really sensitive about. Baekhyun was mostly a really calm person, but it all goes out the window whenever his past is brought along.

“Yeah, let’s not do that again,” This time it was Kai.

“At least, let anyone of us know that you are going out.” He continued and took the glass from her hand when he saw that she was done drinking the water.

“I won-” The young queen started with a crooked smile, but was cut off by a frantic Minseok; who just stormed inside the launch with a deep frown etched on his forehead. She swallowed the lump that was forming in due to the fear while standing up from her place and searched behind her brother-in-law to look for her husband; who was yet to walk inside.

He is going to be so pissed at me.

God! This is so nerve wrecking.

“He didn’t come with me; had some work to take care of.” Haejin fixed her diverted attention down on Xiumin solely when she heard that and nodded her head dejectedly in acknowledgment after she was done comprehending what he had said. The second eldest looked at her with a contemplating gaze for a long moment of silence before letting out a surrendering sigh. He knew that it was not Haejin’s fault. He knew that it was not wrong for her to search for the answers of the things that were being kept from her; especially when they were the sole reason for her marriage with his brother. He knew that they had no right to be angry with her and they were not. The little rage that they all were feeling at that moment was because of the concern that they hold towards her. They were afraid that something bad could have happened to her; something really bad and all that fear was morphing into anger now when they know that she was safe. It was human nature. They can’t help it. They don’t know what she was trying to do, but whatever it was- she had no idea how dangerous the things could turn out to be.

“Don’t wait for him to come back, though. He’s going to spend the night at Minjoon’s.” Xiumin really didn’t want to reveal this part to her, but it was for her own good. He didn’t want her to stay up all night while fearing the moment his brother would walk in and turn the whole castle upside down.

“I-Is it because of me?” Haejin’s stuttered inquiry was merely a soft whisper. The second eldest was shocked that he even managed to catch it.

“I won’t lie. It is because of you-”

“Hyung!” Kris cut his elder brother off with a concerned frown and fixed his stare at Haejin; who looked like she would start crying any second if pushed any further. Minseok threaded his fingers through his hairs roughly when he registered that his words came out in a rather harsh manner and heaved out a heavy sigh to calm himself down.

“Look, Haejin. I won’t say we all are not angry at you. You should have at least, informed us before going out. The past few hours have been hell for us. I won’t talk about it because it is obvious that you were not having a lot of fun either.” He ended his sentence with a humorless chuckle to lighten up the atmosphere a little and brought his gaze up to stare at her guilt-ridden face.

“I know we have no right to be angry at you. We all know you were not wrong. It’s only fair if you search for the answers that we are not giving you.” He continued and reluctantly made his way towards her when the first sob escaped past her unwilling lips. Xiumin gently took hold of her shoulders and carefully guided her to sit on the couch beside Kai; who immediately wrapped his arms around her shoulders in hopes of calming his sister-in-law down.  The second eldest too crouched on the floor in front of her and handed her the tissue so she could wipe her tears away with a soft smile.

“We all were really concerned about you and are extremely thankful that you are safe. The little anger that we are feeling right now would dissolve by the next fifteen minutes. I’m sure Baekhyun was concerned about you too. Heck! He was losing his , but Haejin you have to understand that you have touched him where it hurts the most. It was something that he had kept to himself for years. It was his little secret.”

“I really didn’t mean to go there. It was an accident. I swear, I didn’t know.” Haejin justified herself desperately and threw Kai a smile when the latter squeezed her shoulders to assure her.

“Noona, we all know that. Even Baek hyung does, but you have to give him some time to collect his thoughts. He is not really smart when things come down to his past. I bet, he is not coming home today because of he, himself is afraid that he would say something that he would regret. Believe me, it is better if he stays with Minjoon hyung for tonight.” Sehun explained before picking Vivi up from the floor and walking towards the couch she was sitting on. He gave her an assuring smile too and placed his down on the spot next to her.

“Don’t worry. I will send Vivi to Minjoon’s house if he refused to come home tomorrow. Baekhyun hyung will definitely come back home then.” The maknae claimed cheekily and gave his sister-in-law a grin when he managed to make her laugh.

“Okay, I think we should let you guys rest now,” Minseok claimed once Haejin was done laughing and got up from his crouched position while dusting the dirt off his pants. He fixed his gaze upon the kid that his sister-in-law has brought to the castle with her and let out a small sigh once again. The kid looked so frail and weak. He was the ultimate picture of misery and the fact that it reminded him of Baekhyun when they had found him all those years back made everything worst. He just hoped that the kid won’t turn out to be like his brother; one Baekhyun was enough for this kingdom. The second eldest slowly made his way towards the kid and gently cradled his head with a soft smile.

“Do you want to sleep with one of us in our room or do you want to sleep alone?”

“C-Can I sleep with Noona?”

“It’s better if you don’t.” It really was for better. If by any chance, Baekhyun returned back to the castle and saw the condition Jihoon was in; it might open all those wounds that have taken years to heal. It might also cause him to finally blow off.

“You can sleep with me. People tell me that I am funny and read bedtime stories really well.” Chanyeol offered excitedly and sat beside the kid with a sheepish smile.

“Would you come with me?”

“I-I…” Jihoon stuttered and looked at the giant guy smiling down at him with a nervous expression. He was afraid that he would be punished if he refused the offer. He knew that these people were nice, but he still can’t help himself.

“Jihoon, hyung is really nice and funny. You will have fun with him.” Haejin encouraged the reluctant boy; who gave her a weak smile before nodding his head in affirmation.

“So, it’s decided then. Jihoon will sleep with Chanyeol. Haejin, you should go and sleep too.” Minseok claimed while patting the kid’s head softly and turned his head to face Haejin when he was done finishing his sentence.

“Y-Yeah, but…” The young queen agreed hesitantly before spreading out her hand to show the black USB that she has brought with her.

“…you might want to have this.” She finished her sentence with an awkward pause and waited for her brother-in-law; who slowly walked towards her with shock etched on his face clearly.

“It has Baekhyun’s name on it. I found it in the lab.”

“We have been searching for it.” Minseok finally spoke up and took hold of the small device that she has been holding out. It was indeed the USB they have been looking for. He can’t believe that he finally has it in his hands. Heck! Even Baekhyun won’t be able to deny the help she has given them in the end of all the mess.

It was really early in the morning when Baekhyun decided to head back to the castle from Minjoon’s house. He couldn’t even call it a morning since the Sun was nowhere in the sight and he could see the stars twinkling clearly. It was completely dark and there wasn’t a single living soul on the road as he speeded through the empty roads. The King wasn’t planning on returning so soon to the palace; especially without informing his bodyguard, but he had not managed to get even a single second of sleep since the last night which was frustrating him to no end. He couldn’t just lie on the bed staring into space. He had to see his wife by his own eyes to make sure that she was okay. All anger aside, he couldn’t rest assured until or unless he is positive that the people from the foundation haven’t done anything to her. Moreover, he still can’t shake the horror that he had felt when Xiumin has handed over the USB to him; informing him that Haejin was the one who had managed to bring it to them. It was barbarous. His wife had no idea what she has done.

That stubborn girl!

She never listens to me.

The young male turned his head slightly to gaze at the laptop that has the USB attached to it and tightened his grip on the steering. He had watched the whole thing; from the very start to the very end- his whole experience. He had to watch it even if he didn’t want to; it was necessary.  The young King had to know about all the stuff that was inside that device and he couldn’t ask anyone else to do it. He just couldn’t let anyone see what happened to him. He had never told it to anyone either. It was a mystery to everyone and he liked to keep it that way. He had to relive his past once again last night and to say it had made him miserable on a whole new level won’t be a lie. He had felt as if everything was happening in front of his eyes once again; as if everything happening on the screen was happening to him at that moment. He could feel the fresh pain and misery; he could even taste his own salty tears that he had shed because of those cruel people back then, but this time he had refused to cry. He had refused to cry in front of anyone and he had refused to cry by himself too. The day that he had decided to pick himself once again after the whole incident, he had promised to himself that he would never cry again and he was planning on keeping that promise for as long as he could.

It’s better this way.

He had learned to keep things to himself and bottle up his feelings really well, but this time he was feeling himself crumbling once again like he had all that time ago. He was miserably failing in keeping his cool. The young prince desperately needed someone to hold him and tell him that it was okay; he needed someone to take off the huge burden that has once again settled itself down on his shoulders and was pressing him down, but there was no one who could share his troubles. There was no one because he has refused to let anyone know that he was not feeling okay, that he needed someone’s support too and most importantly he had refused to tell them about what had happened. How could someone understand his pain when no one even knows about it?

God knows, how many lives they have ruined.

 Baekhyun pressed down on the accelerator with a little bit more force than needed when the thought of the foundation crossed his mind again and he locked his jaw tightly to contain himself. He could feel the anger that has settled down throughout the night rising up his throat once again. Every single time, he had dared to close his eyes the last night- images of his past has plagued his mind like a broken record. It was like someone had placed a mirror in front of him which was showing everything that happened to him, not missing a single detail.

I can’t really control these feelings, can I?

The eldest thought to himself with a bitter smile and brought his car to an abrupt stop when the castle gates came into his view. He watched with an expressionless face as the tired guards got up from their places immediately to open the metallic gates for him before he drove past them with an acknowledging nod. He was sure that everyone in the castle was sleeping at that time; especially after the tragic events of the previous night. Baekhyun knew that it was not smart to avoid his wife and he knew that he couldn’t avoid her forever, but at that moment he didn’t have any energy to face her. He didn’t have enough strength to confront her and give answers to her questions. He just wanted to go in there hoping that Haejin would be sleeping, hold her in his embrace for a while, before going to work without waking anyone up. He needed that. He really, really needed that.

I just hope that she is sleeping.

Baekhyun parked the car outside the palace with a sigh before taking hold of his laptop and getting off the car. He slammed the door shut before locking it and handed the keys over to one of the guards so they could take care of it. He raised his head slightly to stare at the castle for a long silent moment trying to bring himself to walk inside like nothing has happened; like he always does with confidence, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. Allowing another sigh to escape his lips, he walked inside the castle with quick, light steps and immediately made his way towards his room; so he could do what he had come for and leave for Minjoon’s house once again.

Here goes nothing…

The young King quietly opened the usually noisy door and hesitantly entered the dimly lit room. The room was completely encased by the darkness saving for the small streak of light coming from the bedside table that his wife had left on before sleeping. Baekhyun slowly skimmed his eyes over her figure to look for any kind of injuries that may have been caused by those people and was really relieved to notice that there weren’t any major. He made his way towards the wooden table placed near the couch once he was satisfied and bent down to place his laptop on it.

“Y-You are back.” His bent figure froze immediately as soon as heard Haejin speaking. This was not good. This was not good at all. He really didn’t want to face Haejin at that moment; not when he was not emotionally stable himself.

“Baekhyun?” Haejin tried gaining her husband’s attention once again when the latter refused to turn around and give her any kind of response. The eldest closed his eyes to let out a shaking breath before straightening up slowly.

“Yeah. Why? Can’t I be in my own room?”

“I didn’t m-mean it like that. I was just a little bit…surprised.” Haejin stuttered out in a nervous manner and gulped down her saliva to release the tension in before training her eyes down to her lap. However, her head soon snapped upwards when she heard the unexpected scoff escaping her husband’s lips before he turned around to face her with a crooked smirk.

“You were surprised?” He asked in a mocking tone and shook his head with a humorless chuckle.

“Shouldn’t I be the one being surprised? After all, you came back alive.” He was pissed. He was so damn pissed and the young queen was not blind to that fact. She was already shaking in her place.

“I-I’m so-” Haejin started in a hesitant voice, but was cut off by her husband who was anything, but happy at that moment. She wasn’t surprised by his reaction. It was something that she had dread all night long; to the point where she was not even able to get a single second of sleep.

“She must have been happy.”

“Who?” She was sure that the hesitance she was feeling at that moment was not a secret to her husband.

What is he getting at now?

“Your mom. I mean you went all the way to the Moonlight Palace to see her. She was ought to be happy, right?”

That’s not why I went there…

Haejin was sure that her husband won’t be pleased with that information so she decided to keep it to herself for the time being. Though, she was a little bit skeptical that Baekhyun didn’t manage to figure that out yet. Considering his perceptiveness, the reason why she went there should have been the clearest thing to him at that moment.

“Y-Yeah right.” She still decided to push her luck a little bit more in order to avoid the dire circumstances and results that she has feare