Eun’s diary

My temper went off again yesterday, I really am sorry…I shouldn’t have gone mad at Soondeok. I apologized to her last night and she hugged me back, saying it’s alright for her Oppa to throw temper every now and then and that she promised to spend more time with me. I’m glad she thought so. I bought her a new book to replace the one I snatched from her yesterday because it’s soaked through, I hope Soondeok will forgive me. She really loves that book very much – if only she can finish reading it already!

I went to Yixing’s shop yesterday and I heard that one of their merchant team will depart from West sea port next week and head to the middle lands where Yixing is staying now! I want to go with them so badly. I miss Yixing so much! If only I can just go with them and visit him. Last night, I heard someone walking about in our room – was that Soondeok again? I’m not sure, I was too tired to ask who it was or what she was doing.

Soondeok’s diary

Gosh! You’ll never believe what happened yesterday. Eun got mad at me for reading and not playing with him, then he argued with mother over having kids after which he left the house. I went after him and tried to catch up but by the time I’m outside, he’s gone. So I searched for him in the market, the usual places, still I couldn’t find him. But then I saw mother’s maid, Yongju, at the pawn shop and discovered that she’s trying to sell mother’s jade ring, the one His Majesty had given her years ago. I know Yongju is not someone who would steal from mother so I took her aside and asked about it. She said that after the king’s death, the palace has stopped sending money to mother for the daily running of the residence so now we have this financial difficulty. Mother tries to solve it by selling off her things to keep things running well. Yongju also said that she had tried persuading mother to fire some servants and maids to lower the expenditure but mother said she didn’t want to, since many of them have to raise their own family as well.

At first I couldn’t believe her, so I went to the palace and asked one of father’s friend to look into the matter. He told me that it’s all true and that Queen Yoo was the one behind it, so I talked to Yongju in secret last night – telling her to replace mother’s jewellery with mine when she is to sell them off, without her knowing, that is. If I can, I’d like to get back all the ones she’d sold already – they mean the world to mother and I hate to see her selling them off. Besides, it’s not like I need my jewellery anyway – people gave them to me as gifts on my wedding but I’ve never really put them on. I can’t let anyone else know – I can’t let Eun know, I can’t let mother know…I can’t let father know. I really want to kick Queen Yoo out of the palace! No, that won’t be enough – she needs to be banished from Goryeo or imprisoned!!! After all that she’s done! Why does she hate Eun so? Why is she doing that to hurt my Eun? Why is she always like that to him? If only I knew! I guess I’ll have to visit the palace again tonight, I’m so close to sneaking into the room which holds the records – if only I was fast enough last night I could’ve made it in already! But the guards there are so unpredictable…

Wait, Eun’s coming back from bath.

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(Eun sleeping)

‘Soondeok ah, I can’t sleep.’

‘Why can’t you?’

‘I’m too excited.’

‘Excited? About what? You’ve been saying you were bored for days straight.’

‘I’m not telling you why. Just know that I am. Oh, if only morning would come faster! Deok ah, let’s have a picnic tomorrow, how’s that? I think it’s stopped raining, it’ll be fine for us to ride again!’

‘That sounds nice.’

‘Deok ah, don’t tell me you’re still reading. Is that why you’ve been keeping your candle on?’

‘Sorry, Oppa, I’ll blow it off.’

(Soondeok walks to the door after blowing out her candle)

‘Where are you going?’

‘To the library. I can’t keep you awake, can I?’

‘Ya! You need to rest as well. I won’t allow it.’

‘But oppa…I really can’t put this book down…’

‘Then bring over and read it for me.’

‘What?’

‘Deok ah…come over to my bed and read for me, that way I’ll sleep real fast.’

‘You sure?’

‘Of course I’m sure! I could fall asleep in class after reading for 5 minutes, I’m sure this will do. Come on, come over here.’

(Eun lights another candle while Soondeok walks over and sits next to the bed)

‘Deok ah, just read from the first chapter – I bet I’ll be asleep by the end of the first page.’

‘If you say so…Don’t hit me if you don’t like the story though, I’ll hate you for it.’

‘Don’t worry, I won’t. Go on.’

(Soondeok clears then begins)

‘When the skies…’

‘That’s the first chapter?’

‘Yeah, why?’

‘What chapter are you at now?’

‘Still at chapter 4, because someone was bored and that someone took my book away and that someone wouldn’t let me read it yesterday.’

‘Ya, I told you, I’m sorry.’

‘I know I know, I was just having fun. Thank you, by the way, for getting me a new book.’

‘Let’s not talk about that now…carry on. Wait, what’s the name of chapter 4?’

‘The author named it “The War”, things are getting exciting.’

‘Yeah, whatever, I don’t care…read more, try to make me sleep faster…’    

‘From the top: When the skies and the grounds were one, the legends, through their twelve forces, nurtured the tree of life. An eye of red force created the evil which coveted the heart of the tree of life, and the heart slowly grew dry. To tend and embrace the heart of tree of life, the legends hereby divide the tree in half and hide each side. Hence, time is over-turned and space turns askew. The twelve forces divide into two and create two suns that look alike into two worlds that seem alike. The legends travel apart. The legends shall now see the same sky but shall stand on different grounds, shall stand on the same ground but shall see different skies. The day the grounds be kept a single file before one sky in two worlds that seem alike, the legends will greet each other. The day the red force is purified, the twelve forces will reunite into one perfect root, a new world shall open up.’

(Sound of Eun snoring softly)

‘Wow…he really does fall asleep fast like that. And it’s not even the end of the first page. Oh well.’

(Soondeok changes then head off to the palace)

------------------ The Next day -----------------

Soondeok’s diary

I shall be going soon – Eun said he’s got the entire day planned ahead, he sure looks excited. I wanted to bring my book with me so badly to the picnic but he told me not to so I suppose I’ll have to wait till I get back. Oh, Eun’s calling me, gotta go.