== PROLOGUE ==

Day by day feels like I am living at hell. Seem likes there’s no more happiness in my pitiful life. I am still breath but my heart already dead after such ill-fated happened to me like a thunder in a broad day light. But still, everyday I pray so that we can meet again even in our afterlife or be reincarnated as a happy family in our next life.

(May 16^th, 2015)

 

== CHAPTER 6 ==

            Today is the 22^nd day of November. Today supposed to be a happy day for Ki Hyun just like the past 25 years go, but today he only can sit in front of his small house while doing nothing. His mind went blank, he thinks about the past day when he can celebrate his blissful birthday with his beloved one, Ji Hyeon.

            “Saengil chukhahanda, Abeoji [Happy birthday, Father],”

            The swet voice of Hwa Young brough his mind back.

            “Saengil chukhanda, Abeoji [Happy birthday, Father],” said Hwa Rang.

            “What are you doing there?” ask Ah Young. “Come here, I cook the seaweed soup special for your birthday,”

            “Kaja, Abeoji [Let’s go, Father],” said Hwa Young.

            Ki Hyun stands up from his place. Hwa Young and Hwa Rang take him to the bench to eat together.

            “Oraboeni, saengil chukhanda [Brother, happy birthday],” said Ah Young.

            “Gomawo [Thanks],” said Ki Hyun.

            “Ey, what’s wrong with your face? Today supposed to be your happy day, so smile,” said Ah Young.

            Ki Hyun forced his smile.

            “Let’s pray before we eat these all,” said Ah Young.

            Ki Hyun closed his eyes. He prayed to the Heaven. The thing that only can he asks to the Heaven is no one but he wants Ji Hyeon comeback to him, sooner or later. Also, if she can’t back to him in this lifetime, he asks the Heaven to let him be together again with Ji Hyeon in his next life. Slowly, he opens his eyes again.

            “Ja, meokja [Now, let’s eat],” said Ah Young.

            They eat the food that Ah Young cook. The taste of Ah Young food really similar to the taste of Ji Hyeon’s foods, but although its taste similar, it situation is different. Every year, Ki Hyun always eats the seaweed soup that Ji Hyeon’s prepared special for him. But today, he only can imagine as if Ji Hyeon were there, together with him to celebrate his happy day. But then, he back to realize that Ji Hyeon wasn’t there.

***

 

            As she takes every step to the Royal Hall with the Crown Prince beside her, she holds her tears as much as she can. Because the memories about Ki Hyun and their childrens always in her mind. Furthermore, it supposed to be day when she should stay beside Ki Hyun to celebrate their happy day. But today, she is like trapped in a golden chage where she can’t even escapes from the hell-like cage. As the result, she never shows her smile in her wedding day. Although some ministers whispers that the bride looks really sad, but she doesn’t care about that. She only knows that she should be run away, right now, but she can’t do that.

            Different from Ji Hyeon, the Crown Prince smile really brightly. He even walks confidently. Clearly enough that he is really happy because finally he can marry to the woman he loved since long ago. He looks really happy as if he didn’t remember what was happened to Ji Hyeon, as if he didn’t remember that he hurts the man who once he take as his best friend. And no need to be explained that everything that he said before about protecting Ki Hyun and his family is all a lie. Because in the fact, he only thinks of his own advantages where he uses his position as the Crown Prince to win everything that he want.

            The King and the Queen also smile brightly seeing Ji Hyeon dan the Crown Prince entering the Royal Hall. Especially the King, because he thinks that not only a perfect match for the Crown Prince by her visual, but the King also can show off his power to those who always conspire to dethrone the Crown Prince from his position. Just like he shows off his hidden weapon tho those who greedy for his throne, because now he can use his secret weapon that no one can defeat. He proud of himself and the Crown Prince, because now there no more things to worry about the Crown Prince that will take the throne to replace him someday.

            But different with Lee Jin Yi, Chae Book Gi and Lee Son Ja, as Ji Hyeon’s family who knows Ji Hyeon’s hardship, they smile but it all fakes. They only smile to respect the King, Queen, Crown Prince and those who attends the wedding. Lee Ha Ni and Lee Ah Jin attend the wedding with their husband. Lee Ho Seok and Chae Hyung Woon told them to smile, but Ha Ni and Ah Jin can’t smile either.

            “Smile,” Ho Seok whispers to Ha Ni.

            “Why did you put stern face like that?” ask Hyung Won to Ah Jin.

            The wedding ceremony started. The bride and groom do every single step of the ceremony. Although Ji Hyeon did every step of the wedding ceremony, but her heart already some where else. Even she had a thought that Ki Hyun would rescue her. But it’s impossible. Their childrens’ safety is the moest important thing right now.

            After the wedding ceremonial ends, the King prepares some performance from art departemen. But Ji Hyeon only sit down on the wedding couch with the Crown Prince beside him and no smile or no expression that she enjoys the performance.

            “You didn’t like the performance?” ask Crown Prince.

            Ji Hyeon didn’t give him a response.

            “Should we go in and drink some tea?” ask Crown Prince again.

            “Stop pretending like everything is okay for me,” answer Ji Hyeon coldly.

            Crown Prince looked at her.

            “Ji Hyeon-a, today is our wedding day. Why are you being like this?”

            “Should I be happy after everything that happened to me?”

            “But at least show your smile,”

            “How can I smile in a situation like this?”

            “Ji Hyeon-a…”

            “I’ll never think of you as my husband,”

            Crown Prince startled because of Ji Hyeon’s statement. But it made him realize that Ji Hyeon became like that, it was all because his fault. Because he was the one who made Ji Hyeon lefts her family.

***

 

            As the night comes, Ah Jin starts worrying about what would happen to Ji Hyeon. She can’t stay still and only bite her nails.

            “What should I do?” ask Ah Jin.

            “Mwoga [What]?” ask Hyung Won back.

            “Why you didn’t understand?” ask Ah Jin while rises her voice.

            “Why did you rise your voice?” ask Hyung Won back.

            Ah Jin looks really worried but Hyung Won still didn’t gasp the situation.

            “Ji Hyeon Eonni, how can we save her?”

            “Michyeosseo [Are you going crazy]?”

            “Why?”

            “We only put our life in danger if we tried to save her,”

            “But---“

            “I can understand that it shouldn’t happen, but we can’t do anything,”

            “I think I should really going crazy in order to save her,”

            “YA [HEY]!”

            “Why did you yelling to me?”

            “Believe in your sister, she can face it. Although I didn’t know about her that much, but I do believe in her because she has strong aura and I don’t know but she can protect herself even her beloved one,”

            At the different place, Ha Ni also worrying about Ji Hyeon and she sat down at the pavilion. Even she told her maids to leave her alone. Her mind went blank and only focused on Ji Hyeon. She is worrying about what might Ji Hyeon do.

            “What are you doing here alone?”

            The voice that she knows really well brought her mind back. She smiles with a slight smile to welcome the owner voice, Lee Ho Seok.

            “Geunyang [Just]…” answer Ha Ni.

           “Did something bother your mind? Would you like to share it to me so that I can help you find some solution?”

            “I don’t know here to start but I am really worried about Ji Hyeon,”

            “Ji Hyeon? Why?”

            “I am afraid that she might do something that I shouldn’t even imagine to against this marriage,”

            Ho Seok only smile and then he Ha Ni’s hair warmly.

            “Nothing would happen,” said Ho Seok.

            Ha Ni looked at Ho Seok’s eyes.

            “Although she really hates this marriage to death, but she can’t avoid this marriage. Also, the wedding ceremony already ended and she is now officially became the Crown Prince’s wife. She is now the Crown Princess. She can’t escape anymore. But if she tried to do something that you shouldn’t even imagine, it might end up with put Ki Hyun and her childrens in danger. She loves Ki Hyun and her childrens to death, so she’ll do everything to keep them safe and sound,”

            “I also want to take everything like as you said, but stil---,”

            “No, she definitely wouldn’t do something that only put her beloved into danger,”

            “I hope so,”

            “Put your mind at ease and let’s hope that everything would be okay,”

            “But why such a thing happened to Ji Hyeon? Don’t you think the Heaven really cruel to her?”

            “I can’t say anything about that. It’s her destiny. We can’t do anything about someone’s destiny. Because the Heaven already planned it all,”

            “But still---,”

            Ho Seok pulls Ha Ni into his arm. He hugged her warmly.

            “Gwaenchanhgettda [It would be fine],” said Ho Seok.

            At Son Ja’s quarters, Jin Yi and Book Gi also shared their mind.

            “What should we do?” ask Son Ja.

            “Should we take Ji Hyeon to her quarters?” ask Jin Yi.

            Chae Book Gi only can sigh and can’t say anything.

            “I can’t think anything right now,” said Book Gi.

            “I just can’t rest assured every time I remember how sad Ji Hyeon’s face. But the Crown Prince looks really happy as if he won the thing that he really wants,” said Son Ja.

            “It must be really hard for Ji Hyeon. After everything that happened since she was little and now even she would lives at the hell-like golden cage. She would fake everything. Even she would pretend as she is happy even though she is really suffers to death,” said Jin Yi.

            “The King’s sudden order to take her back to the palace didn’t give us some way to prevent this to happen. But now everything already too late since it goes this far already. The thing that only we can do from now on is to protect Ki Hyun and her childrens. Because the childrens that Ji Hyeon have with Ki Hyun is also our grandchilds. And Ki Hyun too, he is our son-in-law. He would be forever our son-in-law. So we should to anything to protect him,” said Book Gi.

            Jin Yi and Son Ja agreed about what Book Gi said.

            “I’ll send someone to always keep an eye on them so that we can get update about their condition,” said Son Ja.

            Meanwhile, the Crown Prince’s quarters, Ji Hyeon only sat at Crown Prince’s room while Lady Song and some maids help her to take off her hair make up.

            “It’s all done,” said Lady Song. “Then, I’ll take my leave,”

            Lady Song and the maids get out from the Crown Prince’s room. Then the Crown Prince entering his room and he saw Ji Hyeon there. He goes to Ji Hyeon side and sit there.

            “Ji Hyeon-a…”

            The Crown Prince tried to Ji Hyeon’s hair, but Ji Hyeon stand up and avoid him.

            “Why?”

            “Don’t you dare to touch me!”

            “But I am your husband,”

            “Didn’t you hear that I already said that I’ll never take you as my husband? My one and only husband is Ki Hyun, your best friend,”

            “LEE JI HYEON!”

            The Crown Prince also stands and tried to grab Ji Hyeon’s arm, but Ji Hyeon avoid it again.

            “Why did you betray your best friend this much? Did you even thoughts of him as your best friend? Or did you only toy him because he is only a petty nobleman?”

            “Do you want me to tell the truth?”

            Ji Hyeon looked at the Crown Prince.

            “I do think of him as my best friend. That’s why I hide my real identity for him so that I can befriend with him. Because I think he is a good person who would never misuse my position or my power to gain something. Actually, I really envy on him. Because he has bright personality and he always told me that he loved someone. He loved a girl that always giving him support. He loved the girl that always being his purpose to life and he even planned to married the girl since long ago. But I never had a thought that it would be you,”

            “But you know that he loves that girl so much, so why did you stoles her from him?”

            “Because I also loved that girl, even since I was little,”

            Ji Hyeon takes a step behind and makes a distance from the Crown Prince.

            “Did you ever know that from the day you left the palace, I always want to go outside the palace only to find you? Did you ever know that I live like at hell because you left my sight? From that day, I always miss you and kept missing you every day. I tried to find you but once I got to known that you’re the girl that Ki Hyun loves, I tried to give up on you. I even want you to be happy with my best friend. I even told the King that I am also against this marriage. But then, everything turned out to be like this,”

            “Should I believe everything that you said since you always that selfish?”

            “Ji Hyeon-a…”

            “I really know who you are. I don’t want to hear anything again from you,”

            The Crown Prince tried to pull Ji Hyeon’s into his arm. But Ji Hyeon kept pushing him.

            “Saranghae [I love you],” said the Crown Prince.

            “NWA [Let go of me]!” said Ji Hyeon.

            Ji Hyeon pushed him. But then, the Crown Prince force to kiss her. But after the kiss, Ji Hyeon slaps the Crown Prince.

            “Geureohke shirheoyo [Do you hate me that much]?” asked the Crown Prince.

            “Leave me alone!” said Ji Hyeon.

            The Crown Prince only looked at Ji Hyeon. Then he leaves Ji Hyeon alone, as Ji Hyeon’s wish. He go to another room and let Ji Hyeon’s stay at his room for tonight.

***

 

7 years later…

            Yoo Hwa Rang, now he is 13 years old. Such a good boy who resembles his father so much, who even more mature and became a good farmer like Grandsire Son (Eunuch Son) who always taught him to be the good farmer. Yoo Hwa Young, now she is 11 years old. She resembles her mother so much. Even at this age, she even learned how to cook from Ah Young because she wants to cook good food like her mother. Yoo Yoon Gi, Yoo Yoon Jin and Yoo Yoon Ah, the triplets that now are 9 years old kid. They grow up healthy even without their mother. And Yoo Ki Hyun, now he is 32 years old nobleman who gains popularity because of his achievement at Ministry of Education office. Even the Minister of Education Chae really fond of him.

            “Do you really not planned to get married again?” asked Minister Chae.

            “No,” answer Ki Hyun.

            “But your ex-wife now became the Crown Princess and even she had 3 childrens with the Crown Prince,”

            “Ex-wife?”

            “Yes, ex-wife,”

            “She would be forever my wife. I never take her as ex-wife, because she would be forever be the mother of my childrens,”

            “Although she married another man and even has 3 child already?”

            “Yes,”

            “Such a determination,”

            “I also never had a thought that she left me and my children. Because I really known her well more than anyone else. She only tried to protect me and our childrens. I believe it,”

            “But look, there are a lot of womans who wait for you. If youw wife can marry to another man, then don’t you think you should the same?”

            “I am not that kind of person and I do believe that someday she’ll be back to me,”

            “What if I give you my daughter?”

            “Minister Chae, I know that you are really fond of me and I also respects you so much as the person who always be by my side. And even I can get into this positions, it’s all thanks to you. But, as I always said that I’ll never married to another woman, eventhough she’s your daughter,”

            “Aigoo, this kind of thinking and loyalty that even made me more fonds of you,”

            “Gamsahamnida [Thank you so much],”

            “But what if I give my anothers son to your cousin, Ah Young? I heard that she’s not married yet,”

            “You can ask her personally about that,”

            “Okay,”

            “Minister, I am sorry but I’d like to take my leave now,”

            “Why?”

            “Because my daughter, Hwa Young, asks me to have a lunch at home, so I’d like to take my leave now and be right back here after my lunch,”

            “Did Hwa Young cook the food?”

           “Yes, she starts to learn cook some food because she wants to eat the food that taste like her mother’s cook,”

            “Such a smart kid,”

            Ki Hyun excuse himself and heads to his home. Just the halfway until he reached his home, the triplets already waits for him there.

            “Aga [My babies],” said Ki Hyun.

            “Why it takes so long?” asked Yoon Ah.

            “Didn’t you know that we were waiting for you?” asked Yoon Gi.

            “I have some talk with Minister Chae earlier,” answer Ki Hyun.

            “Did he scold you?” asked Yoon Jin.

            “Aniyo [No], he just asks about some matter with me,” answer Ki Hyun.

            “Really?” asked Yoon Ah.

            “He really didn’t scold you?” ask Yoon Jin too.

            “Jibe kaja [Let’s go home], the food must be waiting for us,” said Ki Hyun.

            “Ye, Naeuri [Yes, Master]. We’ll you there,” said Yoon Gi.

            Ki Hyun and his triplet children head their home to have a lunch together. Without Ki Hyun or the triplet knowing, there’s someone who watching them from hidden place.

 

To be continued…