Chapter 15 - Let Her Go

All I want to do is to protect her and make her happy.

"I don't believe one you talked about," Won hissed. "Get out of this house."

Sehun's jaw tightened. "I'm telling you the damn truth. You don't know what you're going to face if you're involved in this," he warned, his voice cold as ice.

"Get – out," Won growled.

Sehun's guards stepped forward, thinking how crazy Won was to say such a thing to the prince, but Sehun gave a signal to them not to move.

"I'm not going without her," Sehun stated, his voice filled with implacable authority. "And I have the right to take her." Now, it was full with emotion he couldn't control.

Won stared at him in disbelief and couldn't help but mock in disgust, "You're insane. Who the hell do you think—"

"She's my wife."

One sentence… One fact…left Sehun's lips, and shock skated all over Won’s face, horror in his eyes. "I repeat…" Sehun glowered at him, making him see that every word said was true. "She's my wife."

It was like stabbing Won right in his heart. Within seconds, he went mad, storming at Sehun like he was about to rip Sehun apart. Yet two of Sehun's guards blocked him and gripped his arms. "You bastard!" he roared, and Sehun knew he deserved those words.

He wasn't being fair to Won, having forced Irene to marry him even though she had been betrothed to Won.

Won struggled to break free from the guards while Sehun took off his armors.

"You can do whatever you wish to me now, but you have to let her go." He gave Won the chance to let out his anger towards him.

Won glared at Sehun, his body shaking with rage.

"What? Isn't this what you've been waiting for?" Sehun smirked. "To try to kill me?" His dark eyes pierced Won’s. "If you can."

Won stormed at Sehun, breaking free from the guards before knocking his fist on Sehun's face.

Sehun swayed a little to the side. He hadn't made any attempt to escape from Won's attack. In fact, he had no attempt to fight back. This was Won's only chance, for he wouldn't let Won be with Irene. Ever.

She didn't belong here. Won had to accept the fact that there was nothing he could do about that, except letting his anger towards Sehun, now, once and for all.

"Leave us," Sehun told his guards, who were reluctant to obey his command.

Won gripped his collar and peered into his eyes. "You're definitely going to die in my hands," he hissed. Another punch Sehun in the face again, sending him a few steps backward.

He spat the blood from his mouth and glared at Won. Man… Won wasn't that bad. That was some spirit he got.

Sehun’s guards were about to attack Won with their spears, but the icy look on Sehun’s face made them freeze. "I said… Leave us," he repeated his command, and there was nothing they could do when Won landed a kick on his ribs, smacking him down to the ground. Girls' screams echoed, but all he could see was Won's angry face above him. He was getting prepared for another strike on his face when a pair of arms pulled Won away from him.

His eyes widened.

Irene.

She hugged Won tight, her face buried on Won's chest. A soft sob escaped from her lips, her body pushing Won away from him. "Won… Don't. Don't do this," she cried, her shoulders shaking. "I'm sorry." Now, her voice was barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry. I should have told you earlier, but—" She stared up at Won with tearful eyes and swallowed. "But, I-I have no intention to betray you. P-please believe me. I—"

"How!?" Won roared, making her jump.

Joy and the other girls, who had just arrived at the house with her, watched the scene in fear.

"How the hell could such a ridiculous thing happen? You're married to another man! And I thought we were in love!?"

Won's words crushed her heart. Those words hurt her the most. "I-I had no choice. I almost died myself when that marriage happened. I didn't mean to—I really didn't mean to betray you," she cried, shaking her head in denial. "Won… If there's someone I'd like to marry then it would be you. It would always be you. When I was alone there, I always thought about you…every day. I always missed you. I felt so sad. You don't have any idea how I was feeling. I was so scared! I-I didn't know what I should do. And you weren't even there with me, I—I—" she tried her best to explain what had happened, and Won's eyes softened at the sight of her broken form. Her sentence stopped as she couldn't finish it. She just cried there to the point that it became difficult for her to even breathe.

"Anya." Won pulled her into a tight hug and closed his eyes, kissing her hair. His voice now became tender and soft. "You're still Anya, right? Anya, the woman I love?" Yet it was filled with insecurity. He was indeed scared… scared to death she would be taken away from him… forever.

Just like what Sehun felt.

"Of course. Who else would I be?" was her answer, and Sehun stared at them in disbelief as they stood there in each other's embrace.

Reality finally struck him. He could bear being beaten and tortured to death—physically—but this, he couldn't stand. To hear those words… to watch this scene… It was too much for him. The next thing he realized was grabbing Irene’s arm and pulling her away from Won. She screamed as he dragged her into one of the bedrooms. He slammed the door shut and locked it from inside.

"Anya!" Won roared, slamming his body against the door. "God dammit. Open the door, you bastard!" he cursed, trying to break the door. It wouldn't be that easy.

Sehun had some time before Won could finally break in. "Irene." His eyes were cold when he turned to her, trying to control the anger that was burning inside him. "What do you think you're doing?"

Her lips trembled as her eyes fell on the dangerous look on his face. She tried to answer his question, but nothing came out from .

"What do you think you're doing?" he repeated, but still he heard nothing. "Answer me!" he roared, making her jump.

She stared at him in fear, stepping backward. Her eyes traveled around the room to find something she could use to protect herself.

Did she actually think he would harm her… or hurt her?

Won was still shouting outside the room, but Sehun didn't give a . "Why did you lie to Tzuyu and Taeyeon? Why!?"

Damn. She was now in trouble for what she had done earlier today.

"Why did you tell them the exact opposite thing to what I had told you this morning? When I had made it clear that you shouldn't step outside the castle!" he snapped, waiting for her explanation.

"Because I wanted to leave!" she snapped back, matching his angry tone and expression. "You kidnapped me and imprisoned me in that place. Did you forget about that?"

That was her point, but he ignored her. "Do you have any idea how your life could have been in danger because of that?" He stepped forward, glaring at her. "If the Silla soldiers had arrived earlier before I even had a chance to attack them on their way here—and if they had found you, Irene— you would have been killed!" The thought of it made him want to break something.

Oh, Gosh. He was mad. Really mad. But she didn't care. "But you didn't tell me that Sangju will be destroyed. If it had been so, my family would have been gone forever. If it had happened, I would have hated you. Even now—even now I hate you!" she cried.

He stared at her in disbelief, cursing the fact that she had overheard the conversation with his soldiers the night before the fire incident at the stables happened. "You knew this village will be destroyed, yet you still came here?"

"I had to see my family and to make sure they're safe," she said.

"I'd be the one who will make sure of that!" he snapped, not tolerating any objection.

Yet she didn't think the same. "You don't need to. I never asked you for it!"

His heart sank.

Was she saying she didn't need him?

"We are not doing this. I'm taking you back." He stepped closer, but she retreated, panic rising within her.

"No, don't you dare come closer."

His eyes widened as she grabbed the first thing her hand could reach— a small wooden table at the side of the bed— and threw it at him. He managed to block it and threw it aside, causing it to crash the wall and break into pieces.

She panted, her breaths unsteady.

"Irene—"