Double update

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The last day before her journey to Yuan as promised to Bolin…

(Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh97MZD7fKc )

Ji Hyo puts the last blanket in the bucket of water. The suds filled bucket as she starts washing the cloths. Roughly washing them, she put in her strength and concentrated.

A shadow covers her and she looks up. Jong Kook, dressed in casual clothing looks down at her. His image reminds her of that time she met him at the palace, where he saved her from the falling the pond when she got lost.

“Mong Ji,” he smiles and sits beside her. He touches the clothes in the bucket and starts laundering with her. The suds overflows the bucket and as the wind blew slightly, the bubbles fly in the air.

Her eyes linger on him.

His sculpted body, his bangs pushed to the side and cheeky smile raised as his eyes became smaller.

He has the manliest smile she had ever seen. His big hands take the cloth from her and soaks it under the water. With his strong hands, the work was done quickly.

He looks up at her, she was lost in his eyes.

She had noticed, for the first time. His eyes were not dark brown. It was a shade bronze chestnut. With the sunshine reflecting in it, she sees his pupil narrow.

He poke her cheek with the soft suds, making her blink back to reality. She scoots back. Wiping the bubble away, she growls at him. They finished rinsing the cloths and hanged it on the liners.

As he was taller, he reached to the higher strings and set the linens on top.

Ji Hyo reached up as she swing the cloth over the string. He stood behind her, pull the end down and straighten the cloth with her.

She turns to move away but is pushed back to his chest as he holds the cloth against her. Circling the light blue cloth over her body, he holds her waist. Without warning, he pulls her up and spins them around.

“What are you doing?” she asked as he spun her around.

Knocking over the bucket of bubbles, it flew in the air as the hanged cloth rustled.

He stops as they enter the inside of the lined cloths. With the light blue cloth still over her body, he wrapped her in it. He turns her around as Ji Hyo wonders blankly.

As a red cloth flew over her head, she could only see red. It was when he opens the cloth did she notice what he was doing.

“I, Kim Jong Kook, take Song Ji Hyo to be my one and only wife. To the nine mountains and eight rivers, I swear to protect and treasure you with my life.”

She couldn’t believe her ears. How can she?

He scoots in, his forehead touching hers. “Happiness is not something already made, it comes from your actions.” He stares into her eyes, “And I choose to be happy with you.”

He moves back, putting the red cloth around her shoulders.

“If you won’t come to the ocean, the ocean will come to you.” Ji Hyo feels tears coming to her eyes from his words.

Tears choked back, she wanted to hit him for making her confused and crazy. With all kinds of emotions stuck in her, she turns her head away defiantly, avoiding his gaze.

Touching the corner of her eye, he wipes away the one tear that threatened to fall.

She almost breaks down from his actions, biting her lip. No, she can’t give in so easily.

Just then an Eunuch announces their arrival and the decree from the King.

“General Kim and Lady Kim has assaulted the 13^th Prince. They are to be punished according to protocol.”

Jong Kook walks over to the Eunuch. “One whose grounds?”

“This is a royal decree.”

He turns his head, glancing at Ji Hyo who was unaware of this. “I’ll go alone.”

“Sir-“

Jong Kook heads out the door. “This is between me and the 13^th Prince. If the King are to give any punishments for not following the decree, I will take the punishment by myself, no need to worry. I’ll come in the next few hours.”

Ji Hyo watches Jong Kook leave to his study room as she wondered what it was.

***

Ji Hyo finished taking down the last cloth from the hanging line. She couldn’t stay still and had to busy herself to get things out off her mind.

Yoo’s words constantly linger in her mind. To leave with him or to stay with Jong Kook? Ji Hyo shook her head as she straighten out the linen.

Turning around, a pair of cold hands wrapped tightly around . A pale, sickly, disheveled Ara glares at her. The grip tightly suffocated her air way, causing Ji Hyo to heave heavily.

She pries Ara’s fingers while she struggled to breathe. With her immediate strength, she tears Ara’s hand from . Twisting her hand, she turned around, kicking her calves, making Ara kneel on the ground as Ji Hyo locked her arms behind her.

“Let go of me!” a weak Ara protested.

“Calm down Lady Go.”

“Let go!” she screams, commandingly.

“Calm down first and I’ll release you.”

Ara’s groans and yelling turns into cries. Feeling that she had stopped protesting, Ji Hyo lets go. Ji Hyo touched Ara’s shoulder while she wails. Ji Hyo stands in front of her, trying to help her up.

Ara looks up at her with her brighten pink eyes. Dark circles were heavy and she looked skinnier. “Didn’t you promise that you’ll leave Jong Kook oppa?” Her voice cracking, “Why did you… why did you take away my child?” she weeps.

Kneeling her head to the ground at Ji Hyo’s feet. “Song Ji Hyo-ssi, please, I beg you. Please pity me. I am the worse person ever. I know I shouldn’t be doing this but I can’t stop myself. Please, please.” Her tears dripped over Ji Hyo’s feet as she muffled her cries to no use.

As a fellow woman, Ji Hyo only sat there, listen and sympathize with her.

***

In JK’s study room…

Jong Kook was busy gathering with the formation of the battlefield and maps. The Mongolians are planning an uproar against Goryeo after the failed arrange marriage. It is only a matter of time before disaster hits them.

He was too concentrated to notice Ji Hyo had entered the room. He stiffens as a pair of arms circled around his waist and head leans on his back.

Turning around, he faces a grim Ji Hyo. She seemed exhausted. Seeing the red marks on her neck, he quickly moves the collar to examine it.

“What happened?” 

“Nothing.”

He could see the finger marks and growls. “Who did it?”

Ji Hyo ignored his question and faced him.

Ji Hyo stood in front of Jong Kook. “I have made my decision.”

What she had just said made him froze.

“W-what?” He stuttered. Ji Hyo clenched her fist and confidently states her declaration.

“I found someone that I love.”

Jong Kook almost couldn’t speak, his tongue paralyzed. It shouldn’t be a surprise to him but why is it?

“Who is it?” He managed to ask with his serious expression.

“Gong Yoo.” She spoke with no hesitation.

“Gong Yoo…”

“Yes.”

It took him a moment to digest it all. He turns away and shakes off his anxiousness.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“You promised me… that if one day, I find the one I love you will let me go.”

“So?”

“I found someone I love and I want you to-“

“Let go?” He interrupted her. She slowly nodded.

“Yes.”

He chuckled, making her wonder what was so funny.

“Are you sure that he loves you? He could just be using you.” He confidently claims.

“No. He loves me.” Ji Hyo claim, darkening Jong Kook’s face. “He cares for me, dotes on me, show me his interest.”

“That doesn’t necessarily mean its love.” He blurted. He flinched and tried to calm down.

But Ji Hyo is not shaken by it.

“At least it’s more than what you give me.” Ji Hyo stated flatly.

“Song Ji Hyo.”

“For you, Ara is love and I am a responsibility.” Their eyes lock. “Is it not?” After studying his face, Ji Hyo holds up a thin smile. “I hope you will keep your promise, Kim Jong Kook.” She lightly bows her head before leaving.

***

The sun was setting and Jong Kook had not return. She had packed her things, ready to leave tomorrow. She held Bolin’s message in her hand that was slipped into her room early this morning.

Ara had passed out and starved herself for days. Because of the emotional distress, she was crying nonstop.

What would she have done if she had lost Jong Kook’s child? Ji Hyo closed her eyes. She would have gone crazy too. Crazy mad, hateful towards the perpetrator. But she wasn’t the perpetrator.

How would she bring justice to herself but protect the Kim’s reputation at the same time?

She passed by the gate, looking at the calligraphy, when another Eunuch came by, announcing a decree to her.

“The King has forgiven General Kim and Lady Kim for the assault of 13^th Prince Hanbin. General Kim is to be engaged in the field and Lady Kim is to enforced in the Kim’s mansion. Wait for further instructions, that’s all.”

“Thank you for your majesty’s mercy.” She kowtows and takes the scroll. The Eunuch sized her up and sighed.

“You are lucky to have General Kim as your husband.” He snickers. “Having someone else take your punishment, especially a soldier too.”

Ji Hyo frowns, “What punishment?”

“You didn’t hear earlier? Eunuch Nam Gil came by earlier and called on General Kim to the Palace for punishment.”

“Where is he?” she became frantic.

“General Kim should be back by now.”

(Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgPRnX2JN8A )

Ji Hyo darts out the gates as the scroll clutched tightly in her hand. She ran at least 30 steps before she caught his shadow in the distance.

She covered at the sight of his injuries.

His once cleaned face became shabby with bruises and sweat at the side of his temple. His clothes were ravaged.

She froze, unable to take another step.

Looking up, he sees her frozen stature. He gave her a firm smile, though the wincing pain at the corner of his mouth stings.

He walks towards her. With every step, it felt like shards of glass and his back arched from the whips. The back of his shirt stained with bloody whip marks. His right hand dripped with blood.

Halting his steps as he stood in front of her. “What are you doing out here?” he asked warmly, “It’s too chilly, you’ll get sick.”

Ji Hyo’s eyes burned with tears at the terrible sight of him. She slowly reached toward his right arm that bled. Was it fearing or unbelief of the extent of the punishment he received on her behalf, her hand trembled. Her right hand squeezed the scroll tightly, her hand turning purple from the grip.

He winced lowly at her touch as she turn his arm to see his back. He stops her but she insisted and there, the red marks of his torture.

As the bamboo scroll clanks to the dusty ground, Ji Hyo lightly touched his side, touching the whipping mark. He stops her as her gaze glued onto his injuries.

She looks up at him, “W-Why?” her voice tremble. “Your injuries- why?” Angry tears filled her eyes as her hate for the 13^th Prince increased ten folds.

He touched her face with his left hand, the least hurt hand. “Don’t cry.” Holding back the pain, he smiles bitterly, “I’m fine.”

“Fine?” she retorted. “This is fine to you? If it was me would you say the same thing?!”

“But it’s not you. And I’m glad that it’s not you.”

She closed her eyes, taking in deep breaths.

“No matter how injured I am, it won’t be as much as what you’ve gone through.”

She clenched her teeth. He is one to say that. Is he making her guilty or is it guilt that she feels from saying those words to him?

Taking his arm over her shoulder, she straighten her voice. “Let’s go home.”

He lightly smiles with surprise, “Should we?”

As she supported his weight and her right arm circled his back she could feel the warm blood seep into her sleeve.

He groan as he limps, his legs were sore from the flogging and walk back home. Ji Hyo held him up. They walked home to the Kim’s mansion, side by side.

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