She had hastily left, not before noting Bolin’s guard had seen her. She didn’t care anymore. She was running towards her heart.

Will she ever be able to forgive him fully for hurting her? She has, hasn’t she? Why bother trying to leave someone when your heart says no? What about Ara’s child?

Suddenly, a group of soldiers charged dwnt he road, not caring about Ji Hyo as she was disguised as a commoner. She tries to dodge them falls off her horse, making it run away. She grits her teeth, cursing the men. She decides to run.

Ji Hyo shakes her head. No. It is Jong Kook’s child. She will love it as her own. Nothing can change the fact that her heart earnestly yearns for him, willing to accept every flaw in him.

Ji Hyo gasp for breath, having ran all the way back from the border gate to the Kim’s Mansion. Silly, she could have taken another the horse.

She stumbles, losing balance as she leans on the wall for support.

Jong Kook, the only man that have imprinted her heart and mind for 17 years. The only person she had dream a future with. Kim Jong Kook, her husband.

I may be wrong, but let me prove why I’m right.

She gulps, drying from the lack of appetite in the last few days.

“Butler Lee,” she calls to him but there was no one at the door. Is he with Ara? Her heart frowns but she shakes her head. No, there will be no jealousy, no conflicts. She had decided to come back with her own two feet.

She stops at Ara’s door, lightly knocking. No answer, complete silence. She decides to open the door and enter. Halting she sees a trembling Ara, disheveled, in the corner of the disastrous room.

Carefully making her way in the room, Ji Hyo touches her shoulder slightly.

Ara’s abrupt reaction, flinching and backing into the corner made her jump.

“It’s me, Ji Hyo. Are you alright, Lady Go?”

Ara slowly turns her head, then her eyes registering that Ji Hyo was present.

“Lady Go…?” worried, Ji Hyo tries to help her sit comfortably.

Instead, Ara grabs her arms, digging her nails. “Why are you back?”

Ji Hyo’s flusters and tris to release her grip. “Calm down-“

Ara sits up, her pale face and messy hair made her look like a lunatic. “You are a en liar! Didn’t you promise to leave Jong Kook oppa? I thought you had agreed to divorce! Are you here to mock me?!”

Her voice then change to fear,

“Wait… are you back to steal Jong Kook oppa away from me?”

“Go Ara-ssi!” Ji Hyo pushes her hands away, standing up.

Ara’s scream fills the room as she scrambles to her feet, holding the wall for support.

“You. You…” she glares at Ji Hyo, “Everything that has happened to me is all because of you! Damn you wench!”

Ji Hyo only stood, appalled at the insults Ara was giving her. She had expected that Ara wasn’t going to be happy about this but not to this extent.

“Because of you, Jong Kook oppa won’t even take a second glance at me. He won’t even talk to me anymore.”

“Lady Go.” Her voice became stern.

“Ha, Song Ji Hyo. Did you think that if the child was miscarried, Jong Kook oppa wouldn’t care about me anymore? No. Even when he knew the child wasn’t his, he still cared for me.”

Ji Hyo held her breath, her mind going into shock. “W-What?”

“How did it feel like when Jong Kook oppa spent the wedding night with me? Did you like what you saw? His doting and intimate actions towards me, did it make you want to scratch your eyes out?” Ara laughs, “Now that you are gone, time is all I need now. When he comes back, Jong Kook oppa will certainly love me again. Why, because I am his first love, his devoted wife who had stayed with him through everything.”

Pang! A red hand mark hits Ara’s left cheek, making her stumble back.

Ji Hyo fumes out anger from her eyes, ready to hurt this woman.

Ara holds her cheek as the pain stings her cheek, she glares at Ji Hyo. “Jealous?” she smirks.

Ji Hyo’s stature becomes that of a soldier. Advancing towards Ara, she looked deeply into her eyes, pouring out the deepest hatred from her heart. Ara still stood, oblivious to the reaction she was getting from the Ji Hyo.

Ji Hyo reaches her hand, holding Ara’s chin, her nails slightly creases into her skin, making Ara wince. Ara tries to move back but Ji Hyo grabs her chin more forcefully, making her look at her.

Ji Hyo takes another step and with her height, belittles Ara.

“How dare you,” Ji Hyo’s dark voice speaks, “Mistress.”

Ara’s smirk completely depletes from her face. “What did you call me?” her voice thins out.

Ji Hyo smirks, “Mistress.”

Ara’s eyes pinkens.

“You have another man’s child and didn’t bother to tell him even after a miscarriage, harboring hope that you and your spoilt time will heal him?”

Ara slaps her hand away, lightly scratching her chin. She breathes heavily, taking in the insult form Ji Hyo for the very first time made her infuriated.

“You’ve got it all wrong. I, am General Kim’s first wife. If it had not been for his status and power in the court, he would not have married you. You, are the mistress, the third wheel, shameless and unrepentant.”

Ji Hyo’s eyes turned hard and cold. “And I thought I could understand your pain.” The gaze she gave Ara was full of disgust. “What a pity.”

She turns around to leave-

“I was !”

Making Ji Hyo stops.

Ara’s eyes grew teary, her voice shrinking. “I…I” she closed her eyes as tears drip to her chin, “I was during the time you had amnesia.” She looks at Ji Hyo, “Because I was casted away from the big house to the outskirts of town, that bastard took the opportunity when I was unguarded by Jong Kook oppa to humiliate me.”

Ji Hyo stood still, her back still facing Ara.

“Why? Why do I have to face all the horrible things while you get everything?” Ara’s voice crack. “When I found out about the child, I wanted to throw it away to the depths of hell, I never wanted it. But my maternal instinct for the child did not faze and I… I ended caring for the baby, it was innocent.

Jong Kook oppa is all that I have. I thought that if I had this child, he will love it too. I never meant to harm him. I just… I… acted on impulse. But,”

With hope glimmering in her eyes, “now that the child is no more, I can have a fresh start with Jong Kook oppa.” She gets on her knees, pleading Ji Hyo. “Unnie, I take all my insults back. I was too carried away. Please, I beg you, don’t sway his heart from me. Please. I can’t live without him. Please, Song Ji Hyo. You both are already divorce, please, don’t go back on your word.”

Ji Hyo’s silence scared her more as she kneeled in the messy room. She was ready to kowtow-

“I,” Ji Hyo takes a deep breath, “I love him. I can live without him.”

Ara starts to smile-

“But I cannot imagine a future without him in it. I’m sorry that happened to you, but I won’t give up easily, not anymore.”

Ara’s face darkens as the tears dried.

Ji Hyo turns to glance at Ara, “Don’t beg me to leave him. It proves that he is also in love with me.”

“No,” Ara mumbles.

“Go Ara, I will give you an advice. You are a beautiful young woman. Intelligent and motherly. I envy you. You were the woman Jong Kook once cared for. But, please, respect yourself. Don’t kneel and beg every time something doesn’t go your way. It is suffocating.”

Ji Hyo leaves the room, shutting the door behind her.

Ara’s face twisted in anger mixed with bitterness.

***

Once Ji Hyo exits the room and walks down the hall, she felt the weight lifted off her chest. The child wasn’t Jong Kook’s. It wasn’t…

Why didn’t he tell her? All the more reason why she’ll go find him now.

“Butler Lee!” she calls out as she catches sight of him. “Where is General Kim?”

Butler Lee bows deeply before looking at her attire. He sighs, “Haven’t the Lady heard”

“Heard what?”

“Yesterday, the King sent a royal decree, summoning General Kim to the battlefield with the urgent attack from Mongolia.”

Her heart dropped.

“Where exactly is he?” her face becomes pale.

***

(Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGstXJ_7t7o )

Ji Hyo rides the horse, ready and hasty. As the wind blew against her face, she remembers every word that Jong Kook told her.

How he was wrong and really love her. That he is sorry for hurting her. He had been trying so hard to win her back but she left him.

Now that he is on the battlefield, her heart is about to burst from fear for him.

She stops as she enters the Goryeo warzone against the Mongolians. Getting off her horse, she runs to the scene, looking for Jong Kook.

Blood and casualties were everywhere at the base camp. The soldiers, hundreds of them were being nursed throughout the camp.

Every tent that she runs into, she is met with groans of heavily wounded soldiers. The nerve racking adrenaline flowed through her body, threatening to throw her deepest fear at her.

Where does she find him? Where? How?

She bumps into a group of wounded soldiers that were just brought in from the field.

She grabs one of them, the one she always sees sparring with Jong Kook.

“Where is General Kim?” she demanded.

He stares at her, holding onto his chest where the slash was made. “L-Lady-“ he coughs blood.

She grabs his collar, “Speak!”

“G-Gen-eral-“ he faints due to the blood lost, making Ji Hyo lose her wits. She grabs the first aid kit from the stationed doctors and nurses. They tried to stop her, not recognizing her. She hastily tore his armor off, and starts aiding his wound.

She needs him to wake up. Desperately, she fixes his wound in a quick pace and efficient pattern, the doctors and nurses decides to stop and help the other as some tries to assist her.

She finishes the last stitch and covers his mouth with some herbs, hoping to bring back his consciousness. His lids slowly moves as she nervously leans over to his ear.

“Where is General Kim?” she asks calmly.

His lips moved slightly, his throat raspy.

She leans in to listen carefully but she couldn’t make out the sound.

“B-bor-der fr-r-ont… many… died… G-Gen-eral… Gene-ral…” he lost his consciousness again, driving Ji Hyo nuts. She grabbed her hair before slamming her hands on the table and grabbing him by the collar.

“Soldier Yang!” She didn’t care if he was injured now, he’ll live. She shakes him forcefully. “Where is General Kim?! Speak!”

The nurses pried her off him as the blood smeared all over her clothes. The others look away. This was by far one of the deadliest battle that was unforeseen. No one knew where the General was. He charged upfront without hesitating, leading the best soldiers with him.

If his own soldier is this wounded, they can only think of the worse.

But Ji Hyo refused to. She storms out of the tent, rummaging through every tent and group of wounded and dead soldiers, her breath stopped.

Her physical and mental strength was depleted when she heard of a truce announcement. She ran to the front, looking for any signs of him, not caring how crazy she looked.

The suspense stopped when she came face to face with him. He was in a bloody mess, in the middle of assisting with the medical procedure of one of his soldiers fatally injured.

Her eyes glued on him, all the energy earlier depleted from her body. Her voice was nowhere found.

He was reaching for a wet cloth to sanitize the wound when he caught sight of her, stopping. Seeing the blood all over her, he stood up, slowly realizing that she had no opened wound.

They stood across each other in the distance. Ji Hyo calmed down but tears burn in her eyes as she sees the dried blood across his face with the fresh wounds on his body. The black and gray marks from the smoke smeared on his face and his hair is disheveled.

He, on the other hand, couldn’t believe she was there. He thought she would have already left but thought he was having an illusion when he saw her there.

Slowly, they made their way towards each other in the midst of the chaos in the base camp. Their gazes never left each other.

They stopped as they stood a meter from one another.

“Why are you here?” he broke the silence.

She observes him for any other wounds before answering. “I,” controlling her emotions but her eyes burn as the scary thoughts earlier scared her to death. She gulps, “I came to look for my husband.”

His jaw drops, his gaze softening.

Ji Hyo looked at Jong Kook, carefully and lovingly. He looks at her with a teary smile. As they slowly walk toward each other, Ji Hyo’s smile grew wider. With another step, she darted towards him, throwing her arms around his neck.

He hugged her back tightly. The fear in his heart faded and his hope heighten. Ji Hyo refused to let go as the two of them held on for life, each taking a deep breath of relief.

“I thought you…” her voice trembled with uncertainty, “I was so scared.”

“I was scared too.” He whispers back. “That I wouldn’t get to see you again.”

Clutching on tight to each other, as if one misstep would tear them apart. He kisses her forehead and burrow her in his chest as she sobbed silently, seething and holding onto him while he did the same.

She has chosen him.

“If I did anything right in my life, it was when I gave my heart to you.”

-quote-

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