Wrote this whilst listening to Jo Jung Hee(조정희) - Everyday (Heartless City OST)   <-- Click here

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A few days ago…

I stared at Yuna in shock as she moved away from me and gave me a slight bow.

“How have you been, my lady?” Yuna straightened up from her bow, the samurai sword in her hand reflecting the beams of the moonlight onto my shocked face. “Have you been well?”

“H-how…why…?” I trailed off, unable to comprehend the situation, “How are you able to see me?”

“Didn’t you know, my lady?” I could’ve sworn that Yuna was smirking at me as she lowered her head, “I’m the daughter of a Shaman.”

Goosebumps ran up my arms and pierced straight through my heart as Yuna lifted her head and stared at me, her eyes suddenly a deep shade of ebony.

This wasn’t the Yuna I knew. No, the Yuna I knew was kind, gracious, gentle and brave.

But maybe I didn’t know her well enough, because the Yuna standing in front of me right now, with a hood covering her beautiful silky hair and eyes as dangerous as the night staring at me, was nowhere near the Yuna I knew.

“You know,” A small laugh escaped her lips, “It’s such a shame you died so early.”

I frowned. “What?”

“I wanted to kill you myself.” Yuna spoke lightly and cheerfully, “But that damned emperor beat me to it.”

‘W-what are you talking about, Yuna?” My voice quavered, “You were the only one who stuck by me where I was humiliated by everyone. You even endured all the bullying from the other maids-“

“-I killed the emperor’s mother, my lady.” Yuna’s cheerful tone dispersed into a sneer, “Not concubine Taeyoung, but me.”

There was silence as I stared at her with sheer shock.

“Concubine Taeyoung only tried to rub salt onto your wounds, my lady, she truly thought you were the one who killed the emperor’s mother.” Yuna continued to speak when she saw that I was speechless, “But do you know why I killed Jongin’s mother, my lady?”

I could only shake my head numbly.

“It was because his mother refused to help me remain beside Jongin. Did you know that before you came along, I was his concubine?”

I didn’t even have the energy to move my head anymore, and I remained silent as I could feel all these memories that I used to think as heart-warming break into pieces.

“I loved him so much, I did.” Yuna’s eyes glazed over with hurt as she spoke, “I did anything I could just to get him to look at me more than the other concubines. And he did, he cared for me more than all these other concubines.”

“But?” My voice came out as a whisper, “But then?”

“But then you came along.” Yuna rolled her eyes, “You, the girl who saved him from drowning. You, the lucky girl who became his favourite concubine as soon as you entered the palace, you, the girl whom he cannot take his eyes off. Did you know how much we all detested you?”

“But…how did you become a…a maid, Yuna?” My mind whirled crazily, “How is it possible-“

“I conspired with some other concubines to put an end to you once and for all,” Yuna spoke calmly, “But Kim Jongin found out. To prove to him that I wasn’t part of the conspiracy, I agreed to his plan of lowering my status to a maid to protect you.”

I stared at Yuna like she was crazy.

“But…I was the one who decided to take you in although you barely passed the test…” I trailed off, when realization dawned on me.

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” My words came out like an accusation, “You knew I was soft-hearted and acted all pitiful for me to take you in, isn’t that right?”

“That’s right, my lady.” Yuna laughed, “Aren’t you a smart girl?”

I cringed at Yuna’s mocking tone.

“Then why…” my words seethed through my clenched teeth like poisonous water, “are you planning to kill Jongin?”

“Because he loves you.” Yuna’s answer was simple, “In the end, after all these rumours, he still chose to love you. He also took my revenge for me, and that’s not something I appreciate, I don’t need him to kill you for me.”

“Weren’t you trying to get me executed through making me take the blame on the death of Jongin’s mother?”

“No.” Yuna’s eyes hardened, “I just wanted you to suffer a bit more until you die. I didn’t want you to die living a happy life, no, I wanted you to die in pain. I thought he loved you enough to at least keep you alive, but I guess I thought wrong.”

“You’re selfish, you know that?” I spat, “You’re a bad, bad girl.”

“What you feel right now is nothing compared to how I felt the past three years I served under you.” Yuna’s voice rose a little with emotion, “I had to serve and protect the girl whom the man I love loves. Do you understand how that feels? Having to stand at one side, up to that little who stole my man away from me-“

Yuna broke off as her lips began quavering and a single drop of tear fell from her red-rimmed eyes, sliding off her cheeks and onto the smooth surface of the samurai sword.

“Now I’m just get