Chapter 76

After dinner, Seo Yen went upstairs and logged in her laptop. She began to search some information of Josephine and about the wedding gift thing. She went a page by page reading the stuff when her phone chimed. She checked the caller ID and picked up the call quickly.

“He used his hair?” she asked right away without saying ‘hello’ first.

“Some people said so.”

“Listen okay,” she took a deep breathe before started. “Napoleon presented Josephine one wedding gift, a simple necklace of chains of hair holding a gold enameled medallion on which was engraved ‘To Destiny’. Which was the hair, said is Napoleon’s.”

“It’s like a thing now.”

“Really?”

“There’s an antique jewelry store in Amsterdam selling these "hair jewelry" antique pieces. Typically, in instances such as this "chain of hair", the hair was often cut from peasants who sold their hair for profit, though it was also cut from horses as well or it was made from the hair of a loved one who had passed away, as a memorial or mourning piece. So, I doubt that the hair was actually Napoleon's.”

“Gross. That’s like, ugh. “

“Is there anything that you discover more?”

“No. I only search on some particular article about the wedding gift.”

“I see.”

“Wait, they didn’t have child?”

“Nope.”

“It means that. No successor right?”

“Hm. The next king of Italy was Victor Emanuel II.”

“What a waste.”

“Anyway, I found the letter that Napoleon’s once gave to Josephine out of hundred more but this is more special about the other. Do you wanna hear it?”

“Will you read for me?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay then.” Ji Min coughed a little before started. “So this is how it goes.”

“ December 1795. I awake full of you. Your image and the memory of last night’s intoxicating pleasures have left no rest to my senses.”

“Sweet, incomparable Josephine, what a strange effect you have on my heart. Are you angry? Do I see you sad? Are you worried? My soul breaks with grief, and there is no rest for your lover; but how much the more when I yield to this passion that rules me and drink a burning flame from your lips and your heart? Oh! This night has shown me that your portrait is not you!”

“You leave at midday; in three hours I shall see you. Meanwhile, my sweet love, a thousand kisses; but do not give me any, for they set my blood on fire. B.”

None of the two talked. Only the breath of each other heard on the line.

“Um, I shall go to bed right now.” Seo Yeon said, breaking the ice that thickening in the air.

“Oh, sure.” Ji Min replied, awkwardly.

“Night.”

“Night.”

That’s it. The line went off. Seo Yeon finally could breathe properly. She dropped her head on the pillow and looked vacantly at the ceiling and sighed deeply.

Hours passed and she still couldn’t get herself to sleep. She turned left and right thinking that maybe the thing is she didn’t position her body properly. She has drank a whole carton of milk and eventually counted the strains of her hair and yet she still couldn’t get her eyes closed until her phone vibrated, notifying that a message just came in.

It was 3 in the morning and who the hell send message on this hour?

She swapped the locker and opened the message. It’s Ji Min’s.

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