Soondeok’s diary

Last night was more dramatic than a real drama, I’d say. I won’t call myself heroic, but I’ve got to admit I’ve done something close to that. I do pray that both of them will be able to stay safe with my dad, Mi-ah and the old lady, whom I regret I’ve not yet asked the name of. I was shocked to see a girl in our room last night, indeed I was, it’d be a lie if I deny it. My first thought was, 'ah, so this day has finally come, the day I won’t be the only woman by the prince’s side.' Thankfully that wasn’t the case and I returned just in time to help that poor girl out. I suppose heaven has planned it all from the beginning. Boy was I glad to see Eun again, he didn’t shave at all and it feels weird seeing a bit of beard growing under his chin and under his nose, guess what? I might even ask him to start growing a beard, if he would that is.

So I sneaked out this morning and returned after quite some time, Eun needed that time to get the legal documents from his grandpa, which went exceptionally well because the moment his grandpa wanted to get the documents back, I barged in the front door looking all jolly and happy to see them. There’s something of concern though, the maids and the servants seem to feel sorry for me, I can see it in their eyes, I guess it’s because they all thought that Eun really did sleep with another woman.

We’ll be leaving soon, Eun can’t stand being in this house a day longer so the moment I returned, he started packing things up. A nice temple in the mountains, he said, is where we’d be staying for the next week before we finally return to the capital, like a farewell trip.

I just love to see him pack, he’ll keep talking to himself like, ‘Gosh, where did I put that box?’ or ‘Heck Eun ah, hurry up already won’t you?’, and he mumbles so with his soft husky morning voice that I just can’t get enough of. I think I’d better start helping him now, the carriage will arrive shortly.

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(Soondeok looking at their room, empty. Eun comes in.)

‘Deok ah, we need to go or we won’t make it before the sun sets.’

‘Honey…’

(Eun senses that his wife wanted a moment)

‘Well, I’ll be waiting outside, don’t be long, okay?’

‘Oppa, stay…’

(Soondeok begs with her eyes, so Eun holds her hands and both of them take one last glance around the room)

‘How long has it been, Oppa? 5 months, right?’

‘About so, but it seems way longer than that, doesn’t it?’

‘Many things happened here…’

‘Yes, Deok ah…many things indeed…’

‘I found out about our child here and also about your childhood…’

(Silence)

‘Come on honey, let’s go.’

‘And that bed, Oppa…we had plenty of fun here didn’t we?’

(Eun giggles)

‘Ya, why are you suddenly bringing that up?’

‘Nothing, let’s go.’

(Eun puts his arm around his wife and walks her out)

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(Inside the carriage, they’re pulling out of town, Eun yawns)

‘Aww~ Finally I get to lie down. Gosh all the packing…I’m dead tired man!’

(Eun rests his head on Soondeok’s lap)

‘Thank you for doing all the packing, honey.’

‘My arms are starting to hurt like hell…but Deok ah, can I ask you something?’

(Soondeok his hair)

‘Sure, go ahead.’

‘Why are you calling me “honey” all of a sudden? You didn’t like calling me that, yet you’ve called me that at least 5 times today!’

‘Did I?’

‘Yes…’

‘I don’t know, I guess it’s just coming out naturally now.’

‘It felt empty this morning, me waking up without you by my side.’

(Eun pulls a long face)

‘I returned pretty quickly, in my defence.’

‘Yes, but still, I was worried that it was all a dream, that you’re still somewhere far away from me, that anxiety of never being able to see you again.’

(Eun pouts a bit as Soondeok touches his forehead)

‘My dear prince, you don’t have to worry about that anymore, I’m here now, and I don’t think I’ll ever leave you, never ever, I promise.’

(Eun smiles with his eyes closed)

‘Then seal your promise, Deok ah.’

‘Oppa~’

‘Come on.’

(Soondeok bends down to kiss his forehead softly)

‘There.’

(Eun looks up)

‘Wa, it’s the first time I look at you from down here.’

‘Hm?’

(Soondeok looks down at her husband, Eun snickers)

‘Hahahahaha! Deok ah, don’t look down, oh your look! Ha! You have a double chin!’

(Soondeok quickly looks away)

‘Ya Oppa! You’re mean…’

(Eun won’t stop laughing so Soondeok raises her leg a bit telling him to stop)

‘Aish, Oppa stop it!’

‘Ooh, you’re blushing darling, look at you~’

‘So, are you saying that you won’t love me if I have a double chin, is that it?’

‘Honey, that’s not what I meant-’

‘I kinda miss those days when I’m away from you, your highness.’

‘Deok ah~’

(Eun starts tickling her and she laughed in the end. Suddenly Soondeok looks around as the ride starts to get bumpy. She opens the window a bit and peeps out.)

‘Oppa!’

(Not knowing what’s going on, Eun sits up, alert)

‘What what what what? What’s wrong? What’s outside? Is there a bear?’

‘Oppa, we’re outside of town.’

‘Yes I know, I’m starting to miss the smoothly paved road now in fact.’

(Soondeok quickly shuts the window and sits on Eun’s lap, facing him, which caught him by surprise)

‘Ya ya ya ya, what do you think you’re doing Park Soondeok?’

(Eun leans back cautiously as Soondeok leans forward and rests her head on his shoulder, whispering into his left ear)

‘Oppa, the trip is long, what say we do something meaningful?’

‘Like…like what?’

‘If we don’t do it now, you’ll have to wait for another 2 weeks~’

‘Do what? Wait…Why’s that?’

‘We’d be staying in the temple for a week you said, we’re not allowed to sleep together in the temple, remember? And afterwards, I’ll be having my monthly trouble so…’

‘Still Deok ah, you must be mad! We can’t do it here!’

(Soondeok brings her face close to Eun’s, making him breathless)

‘Oppa, my body has been wanting you for so long. Please? For me…I feel like my body’s going to explode soon~ Oppa~’

(Soondeok does her aegyo, wiggling her about and rubbing Eun’s cheeks with her palms, Eun can’t believe it)

‘Wa, Soondeok ah, boy am I glad you can’t have kids. I swear if you can get pregnant, we’d end up having a dozen kids before we know it!’

‘Then thank the heavens I can’t, my dear husband.’

‘But the sounds-’

‘You really think people can hear us outside? When we’re travelling in this noisy thing, up in the mountains, with half a dozen of horses pulling all our carriages?’

‘You’ve thought this through haven’t you darling?’

‘I paid them extra to take the long way too, Oppa.’

(Eun can’t hide his smile of content, his wife truly is an amazing person, his person)

‘Deok ah, remember what you said before you left?’

‘What?’

‘You told me to keep something for you and return it after you come back.’

(Soondeok pretends she doesn’t remember)

‘I did? Really?’

(Eun knows what she’s trying to do so he plays along)

‘Oh yeah, and I said I’ll return it, triple time.’

‘My dear prince, oh please tell me what it’s all about. What did I give you?’

‘Why don’t I just return it now, hmm?’

(Eun pulls Soondeok’s head in with his hands and starts kissing his wife with all the love he has, not letting it stop, not letting it get a break, not letting it get shallow. Both smile brightly as they danced together with their lips, Eun’s tongue fills his wife’s mouth the way she likes it. Soondeok though, is starting to get impatient, she wants to take things to a new level. The rest is up to your imagination, it was pretty automatic though - thanks to the rocky road.)

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(Soondeok resting her head on Eun’s shoulder as she dozes off, her hair messy, her clothes loosely put on, her fingers interlocking with Eun’s. He’s been humming her to sleep, he too, in fact, wants to take a nap as they’re both equally tired after all the exercises they’ve been doing for quite a long time. Around the time of the sunset, they can hear a bell ringing nearby, Eun slides open the window and looks outside.)

‘Honey, we’re here, wake up…’

(He gently pats her on the cheek until she finally responded with a murmur)

‘Deok ah, wake up now, we’ll get off soon. Oh dear, look at you honey, you have a comb?’

‘Hm? I…I do, I think…where’s my…bag…?’

(Soondeok rubs her eyes as she tries to stay awake)

‘Is it this one?’

‘Yes…there should be a comb in there…’

(Eun takes out the comb and starts combing his wife’s dark silky long hair.)

‘Wa…it’s the first time I combed your hair, Deok ah, why do you have so much hair?’

‘Don’t bother combing it, Oppa, it’ll get messy in the end anyway. Just tie it up in a bun for me.’

‘Nope, you’ll need to tidy up for our guests.’

(Soondeok turns around)

‘Guests?’

‘Yes, Deok ah, Haesoo and hyung! Didn’t you say you wanted to hunt with them? Well, I invited them.’

‘Daebak! Oppa, so they’re waiting for us at the temple?’

‘Yes! Now, let me finish combing your hair…sit still honey.’

‘Why didn’t you say so? Oppa, I’ll do it from here.’

‘It’s alright, I can do it.’

‘You’ve never tried doing it before, Oppa! I’ll do it. I can teach you how to some other time. Gosh, I have marks on my cheek…’

‘You slept pretty deeply just then.’

‘I know…gosh, So Oraboni won’t see it right?’

‘Soondeok ah, you look beautiful, you don’t need to worry about a thing.’

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(Eun and Soondeok gets off the carriage and stretches themselves out after being confined inside it for hours.)

So: ‘Eun ah! Soondeok ah!’

Eun: ‘Hyung!’

Soondeok: ‘Oraboni!!!!! You’re here! You’re really here!!!’

(Soondeok runs up to So and gives him a hug)

Soondeok: ‘Oraboni! When did you get here?’

So: ‘This morning.’

(Soondeok looks around)

Soondeok: ‘But, where’s Haesoo?’

So: ‘Ah, she’s in the kitchen preparing for dinner with the maids. You guys must be hungry from the long trip, come on in, let’s get your stomach filled up!’

Soondeok: ‘Yay!’

(So and Soondeok walks in, chatting away, leaving Eun behind, feeling somewhat left out)

Eun: ‘Ya! Deok ah, don’t forget, I’m the one who invited them! Deok ah! Hey, wait up!’