Soondeok’s diary

Yes!!! The prince and I will practise shooting today! I’ve finally made him do it! I won the bet yesterday and he’ll come to hunt with me this autumn, how amazing is that? I can’t wait! We can travel the mountains and enjoy watching leaves fall – riding on golden brown carpets made with fallen leaves and have picnics by the creeks! I hope Prince Jung and Prince So will come as well, wouldn’t that be great? Oh, just the thought of it is good enough! Eun doesn’t like the idea of practising under the sun though, yet I can’t let him get away with it, like what father said, my husband needs to toughen up!

The picnic yesterday was dreamy, but I think what happened before it made my heart flatter the most. Eun literally sang to me in front of dozens of people yesterday! Not that I like this kind of thing, but the fact that he did it without feeling embarrassed of me is good enough. He looks so cute as he wiggled his while singing his love song for me, which is equally funny – the lyrics I mean. My life seems to be too good now, it won’t end, will it? The love the prince has for me now, it won’t end, will it? Even if it does, I suppose I won’t ever be sad, if I remember these precious moments. But let’s not worry about the future now and just enjoy the present – I will protect my husband from that snake of a queen, I will, I promise.

Eun’s diary

It’s a shame I didn’t win yesterday, I could’ve won! If only Soondeok hadn’t pulled me down as I was getting on my horse. Ha! Soondeok think she can get away with it, did she? Well, I’ve got something up my sleeves, I’ll put it to action today. Despite all that, we had a great time yesterday. The picnic was awesome, we basked under the sun and chased each other around like kids – I even fell into the mud! It was really nice, I’ve got to see that side of Soondeok – her laughter makes my heart leap, her smile takes away my breath, and her existence makes my nights unbearable.

Well, as I lost in yesterday’s race, I suppose I’ll have to listen to her now – Soondeok said she’ll be giving me shooting lessons. Honestly, I don’t mind her teaching me how to hold the bow and arrow, but why do we have to do it under the sun? Soondeok insisted we practise outside, I hate it, it’s not even summer but it’s boiling hot already! Is the world getting hotter or what? I really want to walk in my room wearing nothing because it’s just so hot but I can’t because Soondeok’s here. Anyway, got to go, Soondeok’s calling me out.

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(After shooting practice. Soondeok in stable, a maid comes in)

‘My lady, the prince is looking for you.’

‘Me? Are you sure?’

‘Yes, he’s looking for you, he said it’s urgent.’

‘Where is he now?’

‘I was called to his room, maybe he’s in his bedroom now, my lady.’

‘Okay, I get it thanks for telling me.’

(Soondeok goes to bedroom)

‘Oppa! What is it? We just met a few minutes ago, what is it that you need to tell me? Oppa, where are you? That’s weird…no one’s here…after the practice, where did he say he’ll go?’

(Soondeok searches everywhere for Eun, finally she enters the bath house only to find that Eun’s taking a bath there)

‘Oh! Sorry…sorry Oppa, I didn’t know you’re here…I…rest assure, I didn’t see anything.’

(Soondeok has her back to Eun, Eun remains staring at her in silence)

‘Oppa…I heard…I heard you called me…what’s the urgent matter you wanted to discuss with me?’

‘Come here.’

‘What?’

‘Come closer – massage my feet.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘My entire body is aching now! All because you insisted we practise under the sun in midday! My arm hurts! My back hurts! My feet hurt! Deok ah, come over here and massage my feet. Come on, I ain’t got all day!’

‘Why…why should I?’

‘Why? Because you’re the one that made me ache!’

‘Still…don’t you feel awkward? I mean…me…’

‘Awkward? Not at all! Oh! I get it! Deok ah, you don’t want to massage me, right?’

‘Yeah…’

‘You don’t want to massage me, you want to come in and join me, right?’

‘You crazy? Why…why would I want to join…join you? Don’t even dream about it.’

‘Then get on with it, come here, massage my feet.’

(Eun places his feet on the edge of the bath tub, Soondeok walks towards Eun – backward with her eyes closed)

‘Here, my feet are here.’

(Soondeok grabs one of Eun’s feet and starts massaging it)

‘Aish…I can’t believe I’m doing this.’

‘That’s it, massage it well…ah, good, good! Stronger, nice…oh, that’s the spot.’

‘Oppa, how long-’

‘Shh! Keep massaging! Deok ah, don’t stop until I tell you to.’

‘Ya! Am I your maid? Why are you suddenly so bossy?’

‘I don’t know…why did you pull me down my horse yesterday, hm?’

‘Oppa…I’m sorry, about what happened yesterday…I just…’

(Silence. Then Eun burst out in laughter)

‘What’s wrong, Oppa?’

‘Aigoo…Forget it.’

‘I don’t get you some times, Oppa…you’re happy one moment then the next you’re angry…’

‘Deok ah, what happened yesterday, I’m not mad about it. Actually, I was quite happy we could go on the hunt together in the future.’

‘Really?!’

(Soondeok turns to look at Eun in excitement but then remembers he’s so she turns back again)

‘Ayy, Soondeok ah, just turn around already! I don’t care if you look at me. Oh, never mind, Soondeok ah…by the way, I want to visit mother at the temples on my birthday, how about that?’

‘But mother told us not to disturb her.’

‘Please? She’ll let you if it’s YOU!’

‘No, I promised I will not disturb her – I promised I will not let you go to her.’

‘But Deok ah! It’s my birthday! I want to see her! Shouldn’t we go?’

(Eun moves around his tub to get closer to Soondeok then grabs her hand, begging)

‘Please? Soondeok ah~~ I want to go on a trip so badly! Please~~~ Let us visit mother, please? We can visit her and then travel to the sea or climb a mountain! Oh please say yes!!! Deok ah~~~’

‘No is a no, your highness…no matter how much aegyo you do…or how cute you look at me, I won’t let you. I promised mother I’ll help you learn how to live independently.’

‘Darn it, Deok ah! I hate you!!! You and mother always come together and go against me…I wanna go! I wanna go!!’

(Eun throwing tantrum and splashing around the tub)

‘If you don’t agree, I’ll just drown myself in here!’

‘Oppa! Stop joking about.’

‘Joking? I’m not joking! I’m serious! I really will! I will drown myself!! Watch!’

(Eun buries his head underwater, Soondeok aware of the long silence so she turns around and look inside the tub)

‘Oppa! Oppa! Come back up!’

(Eun comes back up, splashing water to Soondeok, coughing as he chokes)

‘Ya! Oppa! Now I’m all wet!’

‘Ha! Serves you well! I mean it, Soondeok ah! Let me see mother!’

‘Oppa, can you please stop this childish act already?’

(Soondeok turns to leave the bath house, Eun stands up and shouts at her)

‘Ya! Park Soondeok!! Look at me! I didn’t say you can go yet! Turn around this very instant!!’

‘WHAT?!’

(Soondeok turns around in anger but then sees Eun’s entire body out of the water – she quickly looks up)

‘W-what? What is it? Oppa…’

‘Park Soondeok! Who said you can leave?’

‘I…’

‘Help me get dressed, I’m done bathing.’

‘Why…why should I help you?’

‘Help me, or I will tell your father about your adventure in the palace the other day.’

‘Oh? So now your highness will threaten me?’

‘Not threaten, Deok ah, just taking an advantage of something, that’s all.’

‘I think the chances of you ever meeting father is low.’

‘You don’t think I will? I hear he’ll be back soon, as his son-in-law, I suppose I should visit him then.’

‘No! Oppa, please don’t tell father…please.’

‘Then come over here and help me dry up! Come on! Hurry up!’

(Soondeok sighs, she grabs a towel and hands it to Eun with her eyes closed)

‘Uh? You expect me to dry myself with that towel? Ya, Deok ah, if I will do that myself, why would I call you in the first place?’

‘What are you suggesting, Oppa?’

‘Just open your eyes, Deok ah.’

‘Not in a million years, Oppa. Not with you being in front of me, na-uh.’

‘Fine, do whatever you must. Dry me.’

(Eun gets out of the tub and stands in front of Soondeok. Soondeok starts drying Eun’s hair first.)

‘Ouch! Deok ah! Watch out! Stop poking my eyes!’

‘Sorry, your highness…’

‘That’s why I’m telling you to open your eyes!’

‘Oppa, you’re too tall for me to dry your hair…get down a bit!’

‘Aish…just leave my hair out for now. I look y with damp hair anyway.’

(Soondeok burst out in laughter)

‘Uh? You’re laughing? You dare?’

‘No…I wasn’t laughing, no, not at all!’

‘I’m sure you were…’

‘Aigoo, Oppa, stop overreacting.’

(Soondeok grabs another towel and dries Eun’s chest and back)

‘Aigoo, our little dove is doing well~’

‘Stop calling me that!’

‘Why? I like it, Deok ah. You’re going a good job, keep going.’

‘Why do I even need to do it for you? It’s not like you don’t know how to yourself. Only kids need people to do it for them.’

‘Have you? Helped anyone get out of bath?’

‘Of course! All my nephews, I bathed them millions of times.’

‘Oh? Do you do it with your eyes closed as well?’

‘Heck, of course not!’

‘Then why are you now? Your nephews are boys, I’m a boy too! Our bodies are the same!’

‘I…’

(Eun smirks as he thinks of what Soondeok will have to do next)

‘Dry the rest yourself, Oppa.’

‘What?’

‘I’ve done…drying your upper body, haven’t I? My job here is done…’

‘No way! What about my legs?’

‘You…you can do that yourself, Oppa.’

‘Ha! No way! You do it for me too, Soondeok ah. Do you only dry your nephews’ top?’

‘No…’

‘Then come on! Hurry up!’

‘Ugh…’

(Soondeok gets down and dries Eun’s feet first then moves up to dry his legs)

‘Oppa…your leg feels hairy…but your leg doesn’t look hairy…’

‘Really? Mine is not…you should’ve seen my hyungs’! To them, I’m like…hairless.’

‘Maybe it’s because I’m feeling it with my hands instead of looking at it…’

‘My legs are not the only part that’s hairy…’

‘What? Oppa, what did you say?’

‘Nothing.’

‘There, all done! Now, let’s get you dressed, Oppa.’

(Soondeok helps Eun put on his clothes then she opens her eyes.)

‘There, all well!’

‘Deok ah…don’t you want to be closer to me?’

‘I…I do. Of course I do!’

‘Then why did you close your eyes the whole time? I’m sad…’

(Eun acts sad and walks out the door, Soondeok follows)

‘Oppa, please don’t be sad…I did what you told me, didn’t I?’

‘You did it…yes you did…but not the way I wanted it to be done…’

‘You wanted me to gaze upon your body, right? But sorry Oppa…I can’t, at least not now…’

‘Then when? When will you?’

‘Some…someday…maybe…’

‘Forget it…I’ll think of another way…’

‘Oppa! Don’t you dare do something crazy, alright?’

‘Crazy? Well, if that’s how I’ll get what I want, I suppose I should just act that way.’

‘Oppa!’

(Eun walks to his room, Soondeok follows – Eun rolls about on his bed)

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(Soondeok walks over to the bed, Eun sees Soondeok so he turns and faces the wall, ignoring her)

‘Oppa…are you giving me the silence treatment now?’

(Silence. Soondeok sits on bed.)

‘Oppa, I love you…’

‘Hm!’

‘Are you going to be angry till you fall asleep? Your highness…’

‘Deok ah, you say you love me, but you don’t act like you do…’

‘Oppa, I do love you, but…I need time, that’s all.’

‘Hm! Rubbish.’

(Soondeok sits on Eun)

‘Uh? Ya, Deok ah, get off, don’t think I’ll fall for this. Nothing you do will cheer me up.’

‘Oh really?’

‘Really! I’m in a bad mood now.’

‘Bad mood? As bad as the day you married me?’

‘I…’

‘Well, what can I do? It’s my job to cheer my husband up, isn’t it? How should I cheer you up, Oppa?’

‘Nothing you do will cheer me up. Forget it, get off me and just sleep.’

(Soondeok unties her hair, letting it fall. She then kisses Eun on the lips)

‘Soondeok ah…’

‘Feeling better now?’

(Eun smiles but then forces the smile away, pretending to be mad still)

‘Soondeok ah…you…you’ll need to do more than this to make me happy again.’

‘How about this?’

(Soondeok kisses Eun on the neck then down to his chest)

‘Deok ah…you naughty girl.’

‘Seems like you like this kind of things, Oppa.’

‘I sure do, who taught you?’

‘You did, Oppa!’

‘HA! I guess I’m a pretty good teacher then!’

‘Oppa, you’re not mad at me now, right?’

(Eun smiles then pins Soondeok down after flipping over)

‘I never was mad – I just enjoy teasing you, that’s all.’

‘I know.’

‘You knew?’

‘I’m your wife, Oppa, it’s my job to know. I played well along, didn’t I?’

‘Aish…I should’ve kept pretending I was mad at you.’

‘Can you?’

‘No…no I can’t. You have no idea how hard it was for me to not talk to you.’

(Soondeok runs her finger down Eun’s chest)

‘Well…Oppa, you know…why don’t we stay up a bit tonight? A bit of wine, a bit of stories, a bit of craziness – how about that?’

‘Nice! I’ll have the servants get us some for tonight!’

(Eun gets out of bed, Soondeok calls from behind)

‘Oppa! Be sure to order chicken as well! Oh! And some other snacks!’

‘You can count on me, Deok ah.’