Apate's Mask
Cupid at Heart
With the Golden Apple of Discord in their possession, moving a mountain became a possibility. Not only had Hyunmi managed to complete Aphrodite’s first task, she managed to completely break off her engagement to Prince Sunggyu. She did not know how her father would react to the news, nor did she want to know his response regarding her escape. She planned to properly explain everything once she returned to the Heart kingdom. For now, she had to visit Diamond where Princess Biah was awaiting their arrival.
Indeed, as the ladies curtsied and the men bowed down before the throne, Biah’s eyes kept trailing to do a headcount. Anyone could tell the meaning of her actions.
“Where is Sir Hoya?” She asked, knowing there was no need to hide her true affections in front of Hyunmi. The Princess of Heart had witnessed them at the Well of the Mermaids before, knowing the kind of loving bond they shared.
“He does not know of our visitation. We left in quite a hurry,” Hyunmi replied apologetically.
“That is a shame,” Biah spoke, pursing her lips in disappointment. “We have been sending letters back and forth to each other, but nothing compares to the feeling of meeting him directly. I miss him.”
“I understand what you mean. A day without seeing your loved one suffocates you. Sometimes it makes me feel dead inside,” Seulyi spoke bluntly, easily relating to the princess.
“Oh! Do you have someone you hold dear to yourself as well?” Biah’s eyes sprung up, elated to have found someone with similar struggles.
“I do,” Seulyi spoke confidently. It took her several seconds to realize the said person was in this very room. Any more question regarding his identity might end up with the reveal of his name.
“What a arrogant man he must be, making you suffer like that. I say he should be punished for his foul deeds,” Myungsoo spoke. Despite maintaining his usual whimsical tone, one could detect a slight displease for once. He forced a jovial tone on himself, perhaps out of jealousy.
“No, it isn’t his fault.” Seulyi panicked, not knowing how to fix the situation.
Myungsoo squinted his eyes. “You must quite like this lad to defend his mistakes.”
“It’s not that I defend his mistakes. But I get to see him now, and that makes me content.”
Myungsoo blinked his eyes, surprised at Seulyi’s sudden statement. Her cheeks flushed red, which he could only stare at like an enchanted rose drawing him in. “So the lad is in this place?”
Sungjong and Hyunmi stared blankly at the hatter, not expecting him to be this slow when it came to his own relationship. He was so full with ideas, how could he not have known it was him Seulyi referred to?
“Idiot,” Sungjong muttered under his breath, shaking his head. He did not know whether he should pity Seulyi or Myungsoo more, both being quite foolish.
Hyunmi then cleared , returning their focus on the second task. “Princess Biah, we’d like to ask you for a favor.”
“Oh, please do tell. I’d help you in any way I can.” The princess smiled kindly. Unlike other royals, Biah’s emotion was always so genuine and one would never detect any pretentiousness.
“I heard you are in possession of Hermes’ staff, caduceus.”
“Yes! I do have it. It’s a family heirloom.” Biah smiled.
“A family heirloom? It must be very important then,” Sungyeol suggested, to which the Princess of Diamond excitedly nodded at.
Hyunmi squeezed her eyes. If it was an important artefact, she would refuse to hand it over at no cost. Another sacrifice had to be made, which she presumed would be the true mission of the second task.
“I am on a mission to find my lover, Woohyun. Perhaps you remember him? That staff is an essential item needed to find him. Would it be possible for me to have it?” She tried asking anyway, hoping Biah’s heart was softer than she imagined. It couldn’t possibly be as bad as Sunggyu’s task.
“Are you two separated? It reminds me of my own tragic tale with Sir Hoya. I can only meet him through these letters. He hasn’t send me one for days,” Biah spoke, woefully mourning to herself.
Hyunmi exchanged looks with the others, somehow having a bad premonition of her dramatic monologue.
“Oh, I have an idea that would make for a fair exchange,” Biah suddenly shouted, lightly hitting her fist against her hand. “I wish Sir Hoya and I did not need to hide our relationship. Please find a way for us to be together, and I shall hand you the caduceus.”
There it was, as expected by her ominous feeling. Stopping her own wedding had taken her months before actually succeeding. Now, she had to stop someone else’s wedding.
“I await good news,” Biah said, clasping her hands together in front of her chest.
Hyunmi had no choice but to curtsy. She wasn’t in the position of making amendments, but had to complete these tasks in order to see Woohyun again.
“The next time we meet, Sir Hoya will join along,” she stated out of faith. No matter how difficult the situation was, its solution shall always prevail.
The soonest they left the castle, everyone exhaled a synchronized chorus of exhaustion. The impossibility of the task became more prominent.
“I have no idea how to solve this. Moreover, the king is stubborn. He wouldn’t agree to another failed engagement,” Seulyi said, kneading the temples of her head.
“Perhaps it would help to visit another god. He might have a solution for us,” Myungsoo spoke up. Without waiting for a confirmation, he led the way to the temple. As always, the rest would obediently trust and follow him.
“The god watching over this kingdom would be Hermes, correct?” Sungjong proved his intelligence even for a cat. A malicious grin crept on his face when the others nodded. “He may just have the perfect solution.”
“How so?” Seulyi asked.
“We might as well ask him to hand his staff to us instead of having to complete Princess Biah’s request. It is a task even Cupid can’t fulfil.”
“That would be like… s-stealing!” Sungyeol remarked, though his wide smile did not show any signs of protest.
“We could use some thrill in our life,” Sungjong said, his smirk sinking deeper. “What do you reckon we should do, Hyunmi?”
Hyunmi followed Myungsoo as he ascended the flowery path leading uphill. “It is worth a try. We are merely borrowing the staff and will return it once we find Woohyun.”
Her reply amused the others, except for Sungyeol who was slightly worried. Then again, the absence of his coffee beans made him anxious of everything. Even as they entered the beautiful temple, he was slightly trembling in fear.
“This looks like a temple for a goddess,” Seulyi remarked, noticing the infinite amount of colorful flowers decorating it. Compared to the isolated temple of Aphrodite, or the orderly temple of Zeus, Hermes’ temple was a beauty to behold.
They entered the main hall which was shaped in a circular room. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming. Instead of a vain statue of himself, the items on display were the things associated to Hermes, such as his winged sandals, his invisibility cloak, and winged helmet. Gold vases of pink and red flowers were placed in between every pillar.
“I wonder what he thinks of this feminine style,” Myungsoo said out loud.
“He does not loathe it,” a voice called out from behind, as breezy as as the first north wind, speaking with such eloquence and diplomacy to hide his mischief.
These deities kept appearing when one least expected it—Hermes summoned himself before anyone even called out his name. He was a handsome young man, appearing one or two years above them. He observed the mortals for a moment before approaching the princess, taking her hand for a handshake.
“I assume you are Cupid’s lover,” Hermes said.
Hyunmi smiled again. “As much as it pleases me to be recognized as Cupid’s lover, I do have a name.”
“Princess Hyunmi, isn’t it? It is a pleasure to be acquainted to you. Cupid has only spoken good things about you,” Hermes continued.
“He has?” The princess’ eyes sprung up with joy. She didn’t realize her lips turning into a delighted smile, masked by the loud drumming of her racing heartbeat. She was absolutely certain that Woohyun’s feelings hadn’t wavered. He had forgiven her.
“Certainly. The majority of us wishes to see you outmatch Aphrodite in her own game. She has been too vain lately, it would be good to see her defeat once in a century.” Hermes chuckled lightly, them grinned at her, his perfect row of teeth showing. “I could assist you.”
“Could you directly hand us the caduceus? That way we shall be on to our third task,” Myungsoo asked, going along with Sungjong’s plan to ‘borrow’ the staff. His proper tone was so convincing it would enchant any mortal to do as he said, but Hermes was no mortal.
“I apologize for I do not have any authority to break the agreement you have made with Aphrodite. However, it is clear whose side Cupid is on,” Hermes said, smirking to himself as if he bore a big secret. From behind his cloak, he took out a Greek theatre mask, bright gold in color, bearing the expression of a sorrowful person.
Hyunmi stared at it in confusion. Could it be another item that would aid for the second task? She wasn’t sure how the mask would aid her. Woohyun sure had an odd taste in the gifts he selected for her, and it made her chuckle.
“Is this a gift from Cupid?” she asked.
“Why, of course! You must love him so much to the extent of understanding his actions,” Hermes spoke, impressed at her assumptions. He handed the golden mask to her. “This is Apate’s Mask. It allows you to become someone else the moment you wear it. Cupid barely managed to obtain the mask from Apate.”
“Who is Apate?” Seulyi asked quietly.
“The goddess of trickery and deceit,” Myungsoo whispered back to her, making her blush. “It seems Woohyun wants us to play an act for whatever is going to happen.”
“I can’t suppress my own curiosity. Off you must go to complete the second task,” Hermes said in a rush, slightly pushing them forward toward the temple’s entrance. His eagerness was clear, showing his excitement for their victory.
They had no choice but to leave, riding on the pegasus and chimera toward Heart. Hyunmi kept staring at the mask in her hand, a little dejected by the mourning expression on the sacred item. Without knowing why, it made her frown the more she stared at it. Perhaps it had powers to sadden someone’s heart.
“Well, it seems calamity has befallen our kingdom,” Sungjong remarked. His usual playfulness morphed into an apathetic surprise, horrified at the condition of their beloved home. As soon as the rest set eyes on Heart, a similar expression took them by storm.
The kingdom was clothed in a heavy and gloomy atmosphere. Whereas citizens would normally walk around in bright daylight to resume their daily activities, the streets were empty for once. One could hear the wind whistling a lonely tune due to its emptiness. They couldn’t quite tell what it was, but something had changed.
“We need to find my brother or Sir Hoya. They are on our side. They may know what is going on,” Hyunmi said. When the pegasus landed on the balcony of her room, she immediately jumped off and hurried to her room. She did not want her identity to be seen by anyone else in case it would arise more issues, so she thought of using Apate’s Mask. But when her hand slid the door open, Dongwoo was inside.
The two looked at each other with equally fast reflexes, showing an eerie resemblance in their surprise. At nearly the same cue, it morphed into somewhat of a grateful smile. They ran to greet each other in an embrace.
“I heard about the wedding cancellation,” was the first thing he said. He scoffed, letting his breath tickle the side of her neck. “I assume that was your doing, dear sister?”
“The first task happened to provide a solution,” Hyunmi said, smiling proudly as she released him. She distanced herself, reading the expression on his face. Her brother was always the only one who was genuinely proud of her.
“I can’t express how happy I am for you.” He gasped out loud at the remembrance of something else, and released her from his arms. “For whatever reason have you returned to Heart? Have you completed all three tasks?”
“We are here to complete our second task,” Sungjong interrupted, returning to his cat form. He had settled himself on the princess’ bed. “Your fiancee, the Princess of Diamond, asked for the impossible.”
Dongwoo’s expression fell at once. “Did she ask for mercy on her lover’s behalf?” he asked.
They stared at Dongwoo with deep frowns, not understanding his words. It was only when Seulyi muttered a small “what” that he continued.
“You told me she had a lover. I did not think it would be Sir Hoya. He’s the last person I would think of to betray our family,” Dongwoo continued, a mixture of disappointment and anger in his voice. He faced the floor, gritting his teeth as the rise of uncontrolled emotion.
“You know the lover’s identity?” Hyunmi carefully asked, trying not to confirm it as Sir Hoya.
“Kihyun was in charge of delivering letters to the messenger. It was then when he accidentally discovered the courting letters exchanged between Sir Hoya and Princess Biah.”
Hyunmi gasped out loud, hearing the others follow her state of utter despair. She clasped her hands in front of , trying to comprehend everything she had been told. “What happens to them now?”
“Father kept the letters, forbidding it from being sent to the princess.”
“No wonder she hadn’t gotten a reply from Hoya,” Seulyi remarked softly, remembering Princess Biah’s complaints earlier on.
“And Sir Hoya? What happened to him?” Hyunmi asked, watching the grimness grow deeper on Dongwoo’s face until it completely overshadowed his features.
“He was thrown in prison, awaiting his punishment.”
“In prison? We need to go and save him!” Hyunmi spoke, pulling Dongwoo by his wrist to start moving. But he kept his feet steady on the ground, not moving the slightest bit.
“Father decided to have a public trial,” Dongwoo spoke, swallowing his saliva as he revealed the worst possibility one could think of. “If Sir Hoya is declared guilty, he will be executed.”
Second task is troublesome already~ XD
Btw, I have started writing a new story, which will be college au, following a show choir club. So if you're into music themed stories, maybe you'd like to check it out. It's called CRESCENDITY.
Thank you! <3
Yay! Won the bid today! I hope you will enjoy the story~ Would love to know your thoughts, so please do leave comments too~ Thank youuu <3
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