three || crest

"Brother, please." Sohye pleaded as she grabbed Mingyu, who has been constantly dismissing her topic. "There's no harm in trying. No one knows, I might actually win this---whatever it is----and all our debts will be paid, if that happens, we can focus on Ji Hoon's medicine and he won’t have to endure anymore." she said in a very convincing manner, even Mina nodded in agreement, but it had no effect in her brother.

Mingyu shifted his head and met her gaze. "No."

"Why?"

“You don’t need to know.”

“Why?”

"We are done with this matter Kim Sohye." he pulled his arms from her and walked away.

"No! I want to know why?" Sohye shouted, her emotions instantly pouring out that she didn't even realize her loud voice woke Ji Hoon.

Mina sat beside him and inched closer. “Is someone fighting?” Ji Hoon forced himself to sit up as he heard his sister’s voice, but failed nonetheless.

Even from afar, he would never fail to recognize her sister’s voice, her sweet voice that constantly tells him to sleep, to eat, to wake up. Her voice that sings for him, laughs for him, and tells stories for him. It was one of the things that kept him living. He loved her voice as much as he loved her. What could have happened for her to use her voice like this?

“No, they’re just teasing each other.” Mina said as she forced out a laugh to prevent Ji Hoon from worrying. “You need to get more sleep Ji Hoon. Come on, close your eyes.” Mina raised the blanket over him and covered his ears with both hands, hoping that he wouldn’t hear the ruckus.

But Ji Hoon knew better. Her sister’s voice echoed within him. There was pain in her voice, hearing that made him feel the same. He already knew something was wrong.

 "Why are you not letting me help you? Our family? Please brother." tears formed beneath her eyes as she spoke. "I don't want to be useless brother! I want to help mother, I want to help you, I want to help Ji Hoon get better! I don't want him to suffer anymore. Please brother."

All of that and still, Mingyu's decision did not change. He walked towards the door without looking back and opened it. "No." It was the only thing that could be heard from him before shutting the door.

Mingyu closed his eyes as he walked, letting the night breeze hit his face.

‘She’s really growing up.’ He thought.

Mingyu stopped walking as he stood in front of the lake. He sat on the ground beside the water and looked up at the sky.

“Ah, seriously that Heechul!”

That's when emotions finally dawned on him. His heart began pounding hard and his tears started falling down. Still looking up, he covered his eyes and cleared his mind. "Sohye."

What her sister said actually hit him. He knew where she was coming from. He understood what she wanted, but he couldn't just let her do that.

He made a promise to his father long ago that he would take care of his family, that he would not let anything bad happen to them.

The target of those assassins was anyone who carried the royal blood. If they were to openly declare to the whole kingdom that they were legitimate descendants of Marionet, there’s no assurance that they wouldn’t become targets since the case hasn’t been solved.

In his heart, Sohye is his precious sister, his clumsy little sister that needed protection- protection that only he could provide. The world is cruel and she doesn’t know that. She’s too innocent and kind, many people would take advantage of this and hurt her and he wants nothing of those to happen.

"That two-faced trickster! He just had to go and plant a stupid idea inside my sister’s head." he took a deep breath as he lied down and cleared his mind. "I'll definitely kill him when I see him." Mingyu pumped up a fist in the air, imagining Heechul in front of him.

A few minutes later, he sighed and got up. Mingyu took another glance at the stars before finally heading back home. He needed to apologize to his sister.

Mingyu knocked on the door three times, he was expecting one of his sisters to open the door but her mother surprisingly did instead. "Oh, you're home." Mingyu said.

Her mother smiled as she pulled his son into a hug. "You must be tired son." she said and brushed his hair with her hands when pain suddenly made her pull back. Mingyu heaved out a sigh. He grabbed her hands and turned it to him, her palms facing him.

"You have another cut." he looked at her with a worried expression. Ever since their father died, their mother did things she's never done before. She did laundry work, washing dishes, cleaning houses, she even sold the things that are important to her.

Now, she works as a seamstress at his mother's friend's dressmaking shop, the wife of the man he works for. "You shouldn't push yourself, I can take care of the money."

Kim Jung Eun showed him a serene smile and placed her hand on his cheek. "You really are just like your father." Mingyu chuckled a bit.

"Not as great as father though." both of them laughed softly.

In the corner of the room, Sohye lied on the ground and faced the wall, pretending to sleep.

That was the first time that her mother mentioned father after his death.

Without noticing, a tear fell from her cheek down to the cold ground covered only by a thin layer of sheet. She bit her lip trying to stop herself from making a sound. 'I miss him.'

When the night had finally cooled down, silence enveloped the small house.

A few hours before sunrise, Mingyu woke up per his usual routine. He got up and prepared to go to work in the mountains. Just as he was about to leave, he noticed a little piece of paper lying on top of the table. Curious, he walked towards it and grabbed the paper. He wasn’t an expert reader, but he knew exactly what was written there, he wasn't stupid to the point of not being able to understand those two words.

'I'm sorry.'

Mingyu felt his heart sink as he rushed to their room, only to find Sohye missing. "Where's your sister?" This is what he feared. He knew it could happen, just that he didn't think she'd really do it, that she'd run away from home.

Mina jolted up from his shout but her head still seemed to be far asleep, not answering and only staring at him blankly.

The paper crumbled between his hands as fear and anger rose within him. Mingyu ran outside where he saw a couple of people. He walked up to someone and asked. "Have you seen my sister Sohye?" the man shook his head. The same goes for the others.

Mingyu kept asking anyone he came across with until he was already near the gate, which was unusually closed, but none of that mattered now. There, he found his friend, Lee, standing by his post and walked up to him. "Lee!" he shouted as he ran.

Lee happily greeted his friend. "Hey man, you’re up later than usual. Is there something wrong?" his friend's sweat-covered face and heavy breathing caught his attention. He hasn't even gone to work and he's already this exhausted.

Mingyu ignored his question and straightly asked, "Have you seen Sohye?"

"Sohye?"

"Yes, my sister." Mingyu waited for an answer but grew restless as his friend just stared at him blankly. "Kim Sohye, my sister!" he impatiently shouted.

"Ah! Kim Sohye!” Lee raised his habitually raised his hands and smiled as he had a flash of realization in his mind. “That clumsy girl!" Mingyu's eyes grew brighter as he thought there would be news but Lee’s voice suddenly dropped. "Nope, haven't seen her. Why? Is she missing?"

Mingyu did not answer Lee. He just placed himself in deep thought and mumbled to himself. 'Where could she have gone?'

'She couldn't have travelled to the palace, could she?'

'It's five days on foot away from here, she won't last a day out there!'

"She wouldn't leave the village, right?"