Yay.... if you're reading this, it is double update! Hope you enjoy it....

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Ji Hyo sees her father stare at her in a more fatherly manner but she could see him masking his own intentions.

“If you’re up, then let’s train again today.” He turns away.

Ji Hyo watches him leave with those cold words, but something made her determine to show him how capable she is, that she is not a weakling.

The rice was boiling and Ji Hyo took off the lid, steam rushed out and the rice was cooked nicely. She looks over at her father and begs for almost a praise but he only glanced at it.

“Again,” he said.

“But it’s cooked nicely.”

“Are you only going to eat one bowl of rice for breakfast?” he questioned her before turning away. “Cook rice again.”

Ji Hyo tries writing again, struggling to keep up with her father’s saying. She bit her lip as she listened to his question and themes, writing a new calligraphy quote.

She holds up the paper to let him see her answer.

“Again,” he said and turned away.

Was her brain really that bad aside from memory loss?

Ji Hyo was disappointed in herself. Is she really the daughter of the Minister?

Jong Kook looks from the side, he smiles, knowing why the minister refused to acknowledged her work from last night’s conversation.

Her father and she stood on the platform. Ji Hyo had changed to her suit while her father watched her pick up the bow. The boards from yesterday have all changed to new ones.

“Get ready,” he said. Ji Hyo picks up the arrow and sets it on the string before pulling it back. This time it was easier for her, she was not trembling anymore but there was this constant doubt.

She lets go of the arrow and it hits the area next to the bull’s eye.

“Focus!” he orders.

Ji Hyo takes another arrow, although she was happy to hit the board, she had a bad feeling. She pulls the string back then lets the arrow go.

*Flashback*

-Whoosh!

An arrow, moves in the air like lightening, pierces through her father as he falters back on his chair.

He fell backward, blood gushed down his body as the guards start panicking to find the shooter.

Teenage Ji Hyo stood in the background, frozen as she gasp unbelievably.

“F-father… Father!” She ran to him as the guards surround them. “Father!” Ji Hyo tried to help him up with the others into hiding in the building. The doctor and guards surround the area as they aided him. Before the doctor checked his pulse, he grabs the doctor’s hand.

“T-Take her away,” her father ordered. “Take my daughter away,”

Ji Hyo shook her head vigorously. “No.” But the doctor looks at Ji Hyo, whose face was already stricken with tears and fear. He nodded at the guard and they drag her away.

“No father!”

“Protect the young Miss,” her father ordered, “and do not let her come inside.”

Ji Hyo shook her head as her eyes pool with tears. Her father’s image furthers away until the door closed and she could not see him anymore.

*Flashback to present*

The arrow hits the last circle outside of the board, scoring a zero. Ji Hyo didn’t care about it, instead turns back to her father as the memory triggered back to her.

Her father looks at the board without looking at her. “Zero.”

He turns to her, coldly. “You have to focus.”

Ji Hyo felt a rush of pain in her chest. “Father…” she whispered.

He glares at her, keeping his poker face. She steps closer and finally realizes everything.

She remembers him now.

-Whoosh!

Ji Hyo sees an arrow and reflexively grabs the sword to hit it away behind her father. But she missed by an inch, only hitting the wooden arrow and not the sharp point itself.

The arrow hit her father, making him stumble back. He fell off the stairs, tumbling down.

“Father!” Ji Hyo’s voice echoed through the courtyard. She sees the man who shot the arrow and grabs the bow and arrows in a haste, running after him.

“Ji Hyo!” Jong Kook calls after her but runs to Minster Song. “Sire!”

Her father looks at him in pain, but luckily the arrow didn’t hit too deep.

“Go after her, now.” He told Jong Kook. The others ran to aid the minister as people ran out to catch the man.

Ji Hyo, driven with madness, runs out after the man as he jumps from building to building. Ji Hyo had caught sight of him and pulled the bow back, setting an arrow on it then let go. It missed the man by a feet.

But again, she continued shooting at the man, this time with 2 arrows. The arrow hit the man’s leg, making him roll off the building. Ji Hyo angrily storms to the man, grabbing the back of his robe.

He turns around to attack her, but Ji Hyo instinctively throws him on the ground, hitting his critical pressure points as the man groan in pain. The man was on the ground, limping in pain. Ji Hyo glared at him.

She took the bow and an arrow, pointing it at the man on the ground. He notices her stance. She was going to kill him. He starts to back away.

Ji Hyo’s eyes burned and gritted her teeth. She aimed at his head, ready to let go as all the anger and frustration bottled up in her chest.

Suddenly Jong Kook grabs her hands, stopping her shooting.

Ji Hyo almost screams.

The man sees the opportunity to run but the guards had already surrounded him, tying him up.

“Let go.” Ji Hyo commanded but Jong Kook refused to. “Let go of me,” she repeated.

Instead, he broke her grip away from the bow and arrow. “Don’t do it Ji Hyo.”

Ji Hyo furiously breaks free from his touch and grabbed the arrow at the man again. She stab him but her hands shook uncontrollably. Jong Kook knocks the weapons away and stood in her way.

Her eyes lied on the man. “Die,” she muttered. “Die!”

She was about to encounter him but Jong Kook grabs her into his arms as she tried to go to the man.

“Take him away to prison,” Jong Kook ordered.

Ji Hyo grunted in anger and pain. “Let me go! He-He harmed my father. Let go of me!” Jong Kook hugs her tighter as they sat on the ground.

“It’s alright, your father is alright.”

Ji Hyo’s desperation to remove herself from him lessen as she finally stay still. Her grunts turned into sobs as she tried to weakly push him away. But he didn’t let go of her. He kept her close and near, holding her dear.

***

Ji Hyo sat outside of her father’s room by herself. Jong Kook sat beside her on the ground as she refused to budge from where she sat.

*Flashback*

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKiWNdyc-Es )

Her father smiled joyously as he held baby Ji Hyo in his arms. Her mother smiled but bitterly.

“Aigoo~ look at you my child. Looks just like your mother,” he peeks at her mother and touches Ji Hyo’s nose. “What should we name you?”

“Sire,” her mother sat up weakly. He quickly helps her. She bows her head down. “I am sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for my dear?” he asked.

She looks at him in guilt and shame. “I am sorry for worrying you.”

Her father sits by her side and held her while holding baby Ji Hyo.

“Don’t be,” he assures her.

She shook her head. “Not only did I worry you, in the end, I didn’t even give birth to a son.”

“Shh~ Don’t say that,” he ushers her.

“I have disappointed you, my husband,” she looks away. But he softly pulls her into a hug.

“You did not,” he declared. “You did not fail me at all.” he pulls back and stares into her eyes with the softest look. “You survived for me and our child. I could not have asked for more than that.”

“Sire,”

“If something were to happen to you, I would then be really disappointed in myself.” Her mother looks up at him. “You and the child are all that I need. It doesn’t matter if it’s a boy or girl, it is our child.”

She stares at him with gleaming eyes. He puts baby Ji Hyo in her arms.

“This is the symbol of our love.” He smiles. “What good is it if a child is born but out of expectations? She didn’t choose to be a son or daughter. Fate chose her to be ours, Ji Hua.”

She gulps, “Sire…” she bows her head. “I am truly thankful for your mercy.” She pulls baby Ji Hyo into a deep hug as she cried. He smiles and hugs both of them.

*Flashback to present*

Ji Hyo’s father eyes opened softly. Ji Hyo… my child.

The doctor bows at him, “You have woke up sire.”

“Where is the young miss?” he croaked softly.

“She is outside, sire. Would you like to see her?”

He shook his head and exhales. “Tell her to go back. I want to rest.”

The doctor nodded and retreats from the room. Her father turns back and glances at the door.

*Flashback*

“Sire, the madam is bleeding a lot.”

Ji Hyo’s father’s brows furrow in panic. “What should we do, doctor???”

He shook his head. “I cannot guarantee anything sire. I have already told madam of the complications of her second birth.”

“What? And you did not tell me?”

“Madam said she will inform you.”

Minister Song crunches up his fist. “What should be done? Tell me doctor.”

“Madam is bleeding excessively and the child is premature. I’m afraid…”

“Afraid what?!” he yells.

“It’s best to rid of the child now or Madam will lose her life.”

Minister Song falters in hopelessness. “Will… will she survive if the child is aborted?”

“I cannot say…”

Minister storms into the delivery room passed the nurses.

“Sire!” the doctor calls after him.

He stood in front of Ji Hua, who’s now covered in sweat and he could see it. The sheet is covered in blood and she hasn’t even given birth yet.

She opens her eyes and sees him. “Sire…” she whispers. He sits by her side immediately and held her hand.

“Ji Hua,” he wipes off her sweat with his sleeve. She exhales and inhales deeply, her face had gone pale.

“I apologize for worrying you, sire.”

He couldn’t dare to look at her, the situation she’s in, going through such pain and she still apologizes profusely. His heart broke, pulling her into his embrace.

“Sire…” she whispers his name weakly.

Tears drew up in his eyes as he pulls back. “Abort the child.”

Her eyes widen in terror.

He desperately holds her hand. “Abort the child and live. You cannot give birth to it.”

“But it is our child-“

“I would rather lose the child than you!”

She stares at him in disbelief. He could not believe himself too, but he couldn’t risk her giving birth at this rate.

He softly tells her. “We have a child already. One is enough for me.”

She looks up at him with tears in her eyes, a moment of silence before she spoke. “I… I want to give you a son.”

He shook his head. “It’s okay. Ji Hyo is enough. She will be better than any son. I promise you, I will raised her to become a good person and marry her off to a good man.”

He stops before having tears in his own eyes, realizing that he was talking too much and noticing the tear drops from the corner of her eyes.

“You… you’re all that I need now… Don’t you want to be with me, Ji Hua?” He asked as his wife cracked.

She sniffs and breaks into a thin smile. “I am thankful… to be your wife… Gwang Hyo.”

He pulls her into another hug as the two teary couple embraced each other.

Four year old child Ji Hyo stood at the door as she held onto her blanket, the one her mother sewed for her.

*Flashback to present*

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz5xwoiMHYE )

Ji Hyo curled up her knees to her chin as she sat outside her father’s room outside.

Jong Kook stood from the corner. He wanted to console her but it may be best to give her space.

She finally leaned back on the wall and sighed. He finally entered and sat beside her. They sat an arm’s length apart, as there was complete silence. He sees her, still shaken about the event.

Silence engulfed their silence as they stare into space in the sky. Jong Kook scoots closer to her and sat beside her.

He finally reached towards her, without looking at her, taking her hand as he tightly held it. She let him hold onto her hand and closed her eyes and cowered down.

Silence, only silence. No words were exchanged as Ji Hyo finally held his hand back, clutching tightly onto his hand. She leaned on his shoulder and rested on him.

No words could console her, only actions.

I have failed. Ji Hyo told herself. You have failed.

***

Her father wakes up and sees them sitting outside as Jong Kook leaned on the wall and Ji Hyo slept on his shoulder. Their hands still clasped tightly. Jong Kook opens his eyes and sees him.

He looks back at Ji Hyo then his father-in-law. He slowly leans Ji Hyo on the wall and stands up, letting the minister and his daughter have private time.

The minister kneels down and looks at his daughter. She had become so skinny, her once joyous smile is gone, cowering in fear. He looks at her bandaged hand and takes it into his own.

Ji Hyo stirs awake and sees her father. His eyes were teary as he looks at her.

“Father…” she sat up quickly. “Are you alright? Does it hurt? You should be resting.”

Seeing her bolt up to his safety pained him. His child…

“I’m fine,” he smiled.

Ji Hyo sighed in relief but concerns over the wound. She kneels and bows to him. “I am so sorry. I have failed…”

Instead of yelling at her, he holds her chin up. She looks at her father as he took her injured hand and pats it.

“You did well.” he smiled, “You did very well, my daughter.”

Tears well up in her eyes and almost shock to hear him say that to her after training her for so many days only to see her fail.

“F-father…”

“Don’t apologize. I should be the one apologizing.” He looks at her. “I didn’t welcome you with open arms when you came. I only ordered you around, not like how a father should be.”

He rubs her head. “You’ve returned home.”

Tears rolled down the corner of her eyes.

“I… Father,”

“Yes,”

“I- I,” she hesitated. “I remember…”

He looks at her in questioning.

“Mother… she… *hicks* Because of me…I-I-“

Her father pulled her close and hugs her, patting her head.

“It’s not your fault. It was bound to happen.”

She shook her head, “If only, if only I was born a boy… then maybe…” she pulls back.

Her father looks at her and wipes away her tears. “You are better than any son I would have had. You are stronger, smarter, and far more capable than any son would be. You are just like… your mother.” His voice crack.

Her eyes widen, “Like my mother…?”

He nods. “From your eyes to your nose, you look just like her. Your cursing and archery skills. You’re just like your mother. Secretive but loving,” he exhales deeply as tears pooled in his eyes. “You, are the best gift heaven and your mother has given me.”

More tears rolled down her eyes as she could see a tear escape from her father’s eyes.

“That’s why we shouldn’t fight,” her father said. “Because we only have each other left.” he smiled. “That’s what you told this old man before.”

Ji Hyo smiled in tears and hugged her father back as they cried together.

Jong Kook looks from the side, seeing the two of them cried together.

They are indeed father and daughter. Somehow, he envied them.

From behind Jong Kook, in a distance, was someone vying with envy.

Gong Yoo.

If only his father was like that too…

Jong Kook turns around and see Yoo looking at them, he caught his gaze. Then the two men looked at each other.

Gong Yoo held onto something in his hand, hiding it from view.

Jong Kook looks at it then back at Yoo as their gazes locked and turned serious.

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