“The girl I told you about... she’s finally here, omma.”

He was flashing an intoxicated smile at the flabbergasted girl. Her grip on the straps of her back pack loosened, and the two limp hands fell to her sides.

“She was over the moon when I told her, that I’ve finally met the right girl.”

The absolutely drunken Baekhyun rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I told her everything. Every single thing about you.” he smiled. “You see, she was waiting since a very long time for me to find the right girl.”

Horrified by the scene in front of her, by the urn of ashes before her eyes and by the words coming out from him, Jungsoo just stood there at the door, not knowing how to react. Meanwhile Baekhyun continued to talk, still standing in the middle of the room with the liquor bottle in his hand.

“You know Jungsoo, omma was wide awake when I got here. She couldn’t get up from the bed, but she smiled at me as soon as I entered the room.” His eyes travelled back to the ceramic pot of ashes. “Omma looks the prettiest when she smiles.”

She felt tears rolling down her cheeks, but her hand refused to move up to wipe them off. And he turned back to meet her teary eyes. “And I told her everything. How Chanyeol got injured, how we ended up fleeing from the capital and how I met you again.” He pursed his lips. “And how I actually started...... Uh, never mind.” He nonchalantly brushed off the rest of the sentence with a wave of his hand. “But she couldn’t talk. I don’t know why but the doctors said it’s hard for her to talk so I should not exhaust her by trying to make her talk... But it doesn’t matter... after a long time I got the chance to talk a lot with and sleep beside her... But... When I- when I woke up the next morning... she was gone.”

The smile faded away from his face and his lips started quivering as he spoke. “Two-two days ago... I- I woke up and talked to her but she didn’t talk back.”

The ceramic bottle slipped off his fingers and fell on the floor with a crash ringing through the silence. He looked up at her, the blood shot eyes finally welling up with tears. “She left me Jungsoo... Just...just like that she left me.”

Baekhyun dropped on his knees, confused eyes running everywhere and his breathing becoming shallower as he spoke. “She left me...what do I do now? I don’t have anyone else... I only had her what do I do now...”

She didn’t know how she ran there, but within seconds, Jungsoo was beside him on her knees, pulling the man into a tight embrace. “Baekhyun...” she didn’t know what to say or what to do, but she hugged him as tight as possible.

“Omma left me Jungsoo... the only family I had in this world is gone now... what do I do Jungsoo...”

All the sorrow and all the pain that was piled up inside of him finally broke out, endless streams of tears washing down his pale face and drenching her dress, as he cried his heart out, face buried in her chest. The young man was crying out so loud that all the servants and maids of the household came running to crowd at the two doors to the room, and watch in absolute silence as their young master’s cries echoed between the four walls.

“I can’t live like this Jungsoo... it hurts so much like I’m going to die... I can’t Jungsoo... bring my omma back I can’t live like this...” gripping and tugging at her dress, holding onto her as if his life was in her hands...he wept and wept in her embrace, dropped limply on the wooden floor. The girl cried all along with him, although her silent sobs were buried under his weeping.

Holding him tight and as close as possible, fingers running through his hair and caressing his head that was buried to her chest, she stayed kneeling the entire time, waiting patiently until he got exhausted but all the crying and his sobs slowly died down, hours later.

* * * * * * * *

Baekhyun stood at the isolated river bank, only surrounded by a few servants who actually grieved for his loss, and those who were loyal to his mother when she was alive. Among them stood Jungsoo, waiting for him to scatter the ashes of the passed away to the flowing waters of the river.

The reddish orange rays of the setting sun falling on his swollen eyes, holding the urn closer to his chest, he stood staring at the glinting water, now sober and clad in the traditional off white funeral attire. His eyes were tired and no more tears fell from them, as he finally started to take handfuls of white ashes from the urn and release them to the river. The wind took away the remains of his mother from his outspread palm, as he stood lifeless on the river bank until the skies turned purple and the surroundings started to get dark.

After staring at the river for a few minutes longer after scattering away all the ashes, Baekhyun turned back, and walked through the small crowd standing behind him.

Not even sparing a glance at Jungsoo.

And without getting back on the carriage, he continued to walk past it along the road.

Jungsoo watched him walking away, puzzled.

“Agassi,”

She turned around to meet the pleading gaze of an elderly male servant. “Agassi please, can you go with Young Master? Or he will cause trouble.”

Noticing the worry in his voice, Jungsoo was confused. “Cause trouble? Isn’t he returning home ahjussi?”

“No agassi...he’s probably heading to his father’s house. He told us not to inform the funeral to Lord Byun, and I don’t know what kind of tantrum he’ll throw there!”

And Jungsoo hurriedly followed him. He slowly limped along the street, reminding her the exact reason she had come looking for him in the first place.

Halfway through his walk, Baekhyun noticed the girl following him, but ignored her presence and continued to walk ahead.

After about an hour’s walk, he finally reached an even larger mansion, with two security guards standing outside the gates. Their eyes widened at his attire, but bowing down at once in respect, they quickly opened the gates for him to enter his father’s place.

He walked in, and the girl rushed after him.

The very first sight which caught her eyes was enough for her to know that everything Baekhyun had mentioned about his father was true. Right in front of their eyes, in the lager portico sat a large gathering of elderly noble men, most probably all of them government officials who arrived at the manor to enjoy all the pleasures offered and return the favour later on, using their power in handling state matters. And beside every one of them sat one or two gisaengs, pouring them drinks and laughing out aloud.

At the head of the party table sat Lord Byun, with two courtesans sitting on either side of him and flirting with him in every possible way.

She eyed the young man standing a few feet ahead of her, and her eyes caught the clenching fists at his sides.

Baekhyun took a step forward with burning rage, but stopped right there feeling a hand softly hold onto his clenched fist and step closer. “Baekhyun please...let’s go back. What if he calls the guards and beat you up after causing a ruckus?”

To be honest, what she feared was the older nobleman being attacked by his own son, and not the other way round. She didn’t want Baekhyun to become a son who raised his hand against him own father.

He shook his head at her whisper. “I won’t.” he pulled his hand away from hers, and continued to walk forward as she remained rooted to her spot, worried sick.

All the noblemen raised their heads as the second son of their party host arrived at the table. Everyone’s faces stiffened at once, realizing his robes were nothing else but funeral attire which people usually wore only when a family member died.

Walking past everyone of them, he approached his father, who was staring at him with an almost confused face.

“Having fun, are we?”

He stayed still, standing before his father with blank eyes boring into the aristocrat’s eyes. He bent closer, only to snatch away wine bottle from the gisaeng sitting beside him. And raising the bottle high in the air, he released it from his hold, such that the bottle smashed on the floor in front of everyone.

The gisaengs gasped in shock. “What are you doing Baekhyun?” he dad growled under his breath, and the son turned back to him. “I have a perfect mindset to flip over all these party tables and chase away each and everyone here right now, and maybe to even set this mansion of yours on fire and drag you out to the streets Lord Byun...” he looked around at everyone, clenching his jaws. “But I won’t. Because I decided to stop being bothered by your dirty existence since I recently cut off all ties with you... And because throwing tantrums around won’t bring back the treasure I lost.”

He turned away from his father and walked back to the yard, to look back at him who was still staring with eyes fuming in rage.

“I came to inform you that the mother of your two sons passed away, two days ago. I completed the funeral rights by myself because I didn’t want you to waste your precious time on it... Then, I’ll be taking my leave. Have fun, honourable and respected... your Excellency Noble Lord Byun.”

He heard the clattering of ceramics as his father stumbled onto his feet, but he continued limping towards the gate, not bothering to look back again. Jungsoo followed him close behind, and heard the older man call