Chapitre 18: Sleepover

Chapter Eighteen: Sleepover

"NO, THAT'S NOT TRUE! IT'S ME! It's me... Lee Beomseok.. that's me.." The last part was whispered as if he's still aware that his past was a very secret.

Haneul looked at him with disbelief and shook her head lightly, "No, you are Wangchul. What are you doing stealing someone's identity?"

'Says someone who stole the identity of his first love! Now he'll gonna think that he's in love with me!!! Forevaaaah you dummy!!'

Wangchul thought that it was expected for her to doubt him. Who would believe that a boy from slums became the Emperor?

He was overjoyed about the thought that not only Haneul did not know his past but also the fact that she remembered his past character. It looks like they are truly meant to be. They even fulfilled their promise to marry each other.

Wangchul was about to say something when someone called outside. "Your Majesties! We apologize for coming so late! We weren't aware where Her Majesty and His Majesty had gone to hence, we looked around the whole palace grounds to look for the two of you."

Haneul looked at the owner of the voice. It was, of course, her loyal dog Kyung Mi together with Wangchul's loyal cat, An Jiho beside her. Both of them were holding a traditional umbrella.

Wangchul scoffed, "Instead of appearing earlier or later, you two just had to appear at this time."

Both of them bowed and apologized again. 'Was that the issue?'

Wangchul pressed his lap to stand up and gave Haneul a helping hand while smiling. Haneul accepted it and stood up as well, straightening her wrinkly dress.

Wangchul snatched an umbrella and drew Haneul close to him. Wangchul faced the two of them with a stern face, "We will be eating at my chamber, furthermore the Empress would be sleeping with me tonight." he announced in a cold voice.

When he looked at Haneul, his face quickly changed into a gentle and joyous one, "We have a lot of things to talk to, don't you think Han-i?"

On a rainy noon, the sky was dark and the lights along the way guided the passersby through their destination. Under a big umbrella was a pair of a wonderful couple; The man was beaming and gratified at the thought of meeting his first love again, and now his beloved wife. The woman, on the other side, was troubled and conscientious about lying for the sake of hiding the truth that she was transmigrated.

Haneul was yet good at lying and making up stories without being guilty. But the thing that she made up just for her to avoid the lion's fangs was bigger than she thought.

The two of them were silently marching, bodies closer together to avoid getting caught up in the downpour, along with their attendees behind them. Wangchul was staring at her intently while Haneul would try to tell him to look straight ahead with a smile as she was in fact, uncomfortable with the stares thrown towards her.

As they got inside the Emperor's chamber, Wangchul carefully guided Haneul, like a delicate flower, at the side of the room with a table set.

Because there are so many things on his plate, Wangchul always eats inside his chamber while working. It was not until he caught Haneul slapping Mo Jieun.

He was on the way to Mo Jieun's quarter when he saw the Empress on the opposite side walking at a fast pace towards Mo Jieun's quarter as well. Her face was cold and authoritative. Wangchul, who was baffled by Haneul's face at that time, ordered his men to get inside silently and see what the Empress would do.

It was when he got inside unannounced a sound of a flesh being slapped by another flesh resonated throughout the whole room. Wangchul felt goosebumps as he saw the cruelty and cold expression of Haneul while wiping off her hand after slapping Mo Jieun twice. It was a silent room dominated by the Empress. Even Han Wangchul, the sun of the Empire himself felt frightened.

He was intrigued by the change of the Empress and decided to pay a personal visit. Along with their conversation, he noticed that the shy and awkward Empress was no longer to be found. The Empress in front of him was confident and expressionless, not the Empress who would always bow her head to other people especially to him. The last time they were in front of each other, Wangchul could undoubtedly tell that Haneul was intimidated by him.

Now, who's intimidating who?

And as of the moment, he accidentally founded out the past that he and Haneul shared at the same time. Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress, his wife, the woman that piqued his interest, and his first love, Myung Haneul is silently eating in front of him. What more could he possibly ask for?

"Wangchul-ah, if you keep on staring at me, you are going to drill a hole in my head." Haneul jokingly said as she gets uncomfortable eating while Wangchul's staring at him.

When Haneul meets Wangchul's deep eyes, the latter picked up a slice of meat, chewed a few times, and finally spoke, "You told me your name was Gughwa."

Haneul softly cleared her throat. 'This is it, this is the time for me to act.'

"Are you truly Lee Beomseok?" she exclaimed, her face in total shock.

Wangchul looked at her and smiled a bit, "It is a very long story, but yes."

This kind of line usually goes along with, 'It's okay, you can tell it to me.' but Haneul long knew what happened, and in detail at that. If she were to respond the same, it would end up Wangchul telling Haneul his deepest and darkest secret, and if he were to find out that he trusted the person who stole the identity of his first love, what more could she get but an execution.

Haneul put down her chopsticks and held the free hand of Wangchul with her both hands. Seeing the gentle grasp of Haneul's hands, Wangchul stopped chewing his food and looked at him with a confused face.

Her hands were soft and warm, not a trace of callouses were to be felt. It was a lovely grasp as if Wangchul's hand was a fragile thing; needed to be taken with extra care. Her eyes were warm and full of concern as if facing a child who just lost a family. Wangchul's heart throbbed at the sight but remained his composure.

Haneul, in her soft and gentle voice, replied, "You don't have to say anything. It was so tough, was it not? You have done a great job."

His heart throbbed once again, however, it was followed by a fast heartbeat.

The first time Myung Haneul looked at him; her eyes were scared.

The second time; her eyes were cold.

and now; it was gleaming with sympathy, understanding, and concern.

Wangchul couldn't help but feel emotional. It was the first time someone asked him if the road he walks was a tough one. As the Emperor, everyone's expectation of your person would be; perfection. No weaknesses allowed, as a sun of the Empire; you must stand tall, unaffected of anything. No one has ever asked him how he was doing.

True enough, he heard praises from countless people and countless times. But the best praise he heard was from the Empress. It was genuine with no ill-intent, just a wife proud of her husband's achievements in life.

After pondering for a moment, Wangchul smiled and placed his hand on top of Haneul's hands and gently caressed it using his thumb.

The Empress was without a doubt an honest person.

"It was, but now that you're here with me, I can see an exquisite road ahead of us."

"..." Haneul just let him misunderstood instead of correcting him.

"That aside, Gughwa..." even before Wangchul could finish talking, Haneul snatched both of her hands and covered her face using the newly freed hands; preventing the Emperor from seeing her laughing in a fake manner.

Seconds later, she huffed and wiped away an invisible tear from her left eye as if coming from laughing so hard. "Did you seriously thought that it was suitable for a name? Of course it was a pseudonym." she lied.

It was lucky enough that the little noble lady's name was Gughwa. If not, she would still make up a good excuse.

Wangchul slightly flushed; feeling embarrassed at the same time just flushed seeing Haneul happily laughing. "Right, Chrysanthemum is your favorite flower. How could I not notice?"

During their exchange, the two had already finished their food and called for someone to clean up and take away the leftovers.

After cleaning up, Kyung Mi and An Jiho bowed, "Your Majesties, we shall retire now." they said in unison.

Unable to grasp the situation, Haneul tugged the hem of Kyung Mi's attire. "Kyung Mi, where are you going?"

'What the heck, are you planning on leaving me here or something?!'

Kyung Mi, however, replied with also confusion on her face, "Your Majesty? His Majesty announced that you would be staying here for a night, did he not?"

It was then that a flashback immediately appeared. 'True enough, his majesty did really announced that I would be staying at his chamber for the night.' Haneul released Kyung Mi and looked at the proud looking Wangchul.

"Han-i, let us take a bath together."

"No can do, let us separately take a bath."