Bab 47: "I hate what I see in the Mirror."
Yun Ki wears his freshly dyed course black hair in a Minsangtu, a top-knot worn by men in lower class.
He discards the Royal Red Robe that carries the Golden Dragon and adorns himself in a brown vest, one he'd brought in from Chief Hong's nephew.
He steps into Hemp sandals and stares at his reflection in the mirror.
The Chief stands before him, patting him on his shoulders.
"I hope you aren't met by disappointment, Young Master.."
Yun Ki stares at his own reflection and he feels a pang of familiarity.
It's the face he'd been running from, all his life.
The face that had given him nightmares on the coldest nights.
The face that he shared with a man who'd been hell bent on slaughtering him.
The face that belonged to his estranged Twin, Min Yong-sun.
———Reminiscence——
"Yong-sun Hyung!" Yun Ki screamed as his elder twin placed his hand into a gurgling hot Cauldron.
What had started as giving Yun Ki a greed of Gomtang (Beef bone soup), had turned into his elder brother dipping his hand into the boiling hot soup placed in a Cauldron at a high flame.
He held Yun Ki's hand Inside the burning hot temperatures, laughing in his face as hot streams and sobs left his mouth.
Yong-sun pulled his younger brother's hand out of the stove, red and puffy.
The skin had developed boils on the flexor aspect of it.
He grabbed his 11 year old brother's weeping face.
"Try and get closer to Seokmin Hyung and Appa, I'll cut your face." The elder twin seethes, pressing indents into his younger brother's skin.
Yun Ki's hand felt as though it'd been set on fire.
"H-Hyung, why do you ha-hate me?" He cries, grasping his wrist.
Yong-sun looks at his younger brother's big round eyes, dribbling with clear globules of tears.
"I don't hate you, Yun Ki ah.." He coos, wiping his brother's eyes with the ends of his sleeve.
"I just love torturing you." He mutters, squeezing Yun Ki's burnt hand, causing him to wail out loud, wiggling in his brother's grasp.
"Y-You can't treat me so poorly.. I-I'm the Maknae!" Yun Ki cries, gaining courage.
Yong-sun's eyes widen.
Just as he's about to deliver a slap over his brother's face, the Royal Chef walks in.
"Aigooo, what are the two little Masters doing in the Kitchen?" He asks walking closer to the two boys.
Yong-sun holds Yun Ki by the shoulder, draping an arm across him, affectionately.
"My little brother was being bad. He dipped his fingers into the Cauldron, trying to drink some of the soup..P-Please don't tell Appa. I'm willing to take the blame for him. He-He's naive.." Yong-sun pleads, rubbing his hands before the Chef in apology.
The Chef lets out a loud sigh.
"Master, the soup is contaminated now! I'll have to cook again and I'll have to give the Accountant the reason for using a fresh batch of ingredients, twice.." He complains.
Yun Ki's eyes widen watching his brother act like an innocent responsible brother before others.
He pulls Yun Ki out of the kitchen.
Leans into his ear and says the words he absolutely despised.
"Yun Ki ah, what would you do without Hyung? You better keep your mouth shut if you don't want to receive 3 Caning strokes from your beloved Seokmin Hyung..Besides, you suit better as my shadow. Obey me and stand under me, like the shadow you are..Imbecile." He spits, pushing Yun Ki on the tile and strolling away, down the corridor, looking back at his disgruntled figure on the floor, running a thumb across his throat, mimicking the actions for 'I'll kill you.'
——End of Reminiscence——
Yun Ki shrugs off the bitter memories and looks at his fist.
The burn mark decorating the side of his hand.
21 years later and yet, the memories were as fresh as yesterday.
How he'd get blamed and canned for things that weren't even his fault but had to own up to, all because he was his brother's Shadow.
He wished his notions were false.
That they weren't true.
That Soojin, his wife, had no knowledge of his twin, the master manipulator.
So he sat on the black horse.
Not Casper.
Soojin knew Casper.
He mounts over Black Beauty, Casper's half brother.
He chases after the Sky, setting out to Daegu on foot.
He is backed by Chief Hong and The Chief Guard, on 2 other horses, chasing after him.
The journey to Daegu is a long and tortuous one.
He makes stops, replenishes his energy and watches The Chief Guard grow uneasy with every step.
"Are you alright?" Yun Ki asks of the paling man.
The Chief Guard's eyes are widened and pupils flicker, time and again.
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty. J-Just feel a little queasy. I wonder if I could head back to the Palace and sit this expedition out." He asks of The King.
He hopes he could hurry over to The Capitol and convey before Bohoja that his plan had been foiled and The King knew.
It'd give him time to hide and possibly run out of Baekmin to Silkim.
Yun Ki stares at him.
His intuitions were never wrong.
Even when he'd stepped out of his chamber clad as a Commoner, he'd noticed how startled The Chief Guard had grown, almost as though he was familiar with the face.
"We're almost there. Go drink some water." He instructs, pointing towards the bank of the river they had stopped against.
The Guard curses under his breath and washes his face, as though it's the last time he'll clean himself.
As though he's cleaning himself of his sin of treachery.
The three men set out on horsebacks in the break of night, dust flying against the hoofs.
Reaching outside Soojin's house had riddled Yun Ki.
Was he doing the right thing by getting his hands on something so personal?
The scroll he had in his jute bag was digging into his waist.
It felt heavy, reminding him of the fact that his wife wasn't his own.
She didn't see herself as his Wife, she saw his Palace nothing short of a Prison.
Had he been the ruthless man he was a year ago, he would've skinned her alive.
Fried her skin over the Cauldron he'd burnt his hand in and enjoyed the crispy meat as a side dish.
However, his feelings were rather strong.
Rather resolute.
His heart was heavier than his Brain.
Jumping off of the horse, he parks the horses 2 houses away, to avoid the tent that'd be lined outside Soojin's house.
He creeps behind the fence, followed by the 2 men.
He's treading on thin ice as he catches a peak of Soojin's dark house, all lights switched off.
They'd all fallen asleep, he was sure.
Until he watches Soojin seated on a chair laid out in the freshly mowed backyard.
She sat in her flimsy nightgown, staring at the stars and a little did she know that she held all of them in her eyes, he thinks to himself.
He sucks in a breath, asking the men to hide themselves as he jumped into the backyard, landing on the grass.
His landing makes a small thump, enough to catch Soojin's attention.
She looks in his direction, startled.
He appears to be a dark figure and she's scared for her life.
"S-Stay away from me or I'll scream.." She whispers, clutching the pendant that hangs around her neck.
The man makes hefty strides towards her, features covered in the shadow the Tree growing in her backyard, offers in moonlight.
She moves away until he steps out of the shadows, light from the moon cascading over his soft features.
And she meets his face.
She lets out a loud breath from her wreathing chest, running forward and into the man's arms.
Her head falls into his muscular chest, arms wrapped round his waist.
"I-It's you.." She mumbles, nuzzling into the warmth radiating off of his chest.
"Don't you ever scare me like that again, Bohoja.." She whispers, clutching onto him for dear life.
She feels him standing against her like a rock.
An unmovable rock, unlike his usual self, who'd suffocate her in his arms.
She breaks the one-sided embrace, looking up at him.
His eyes are wide and glossy as he stares ahead, not looking at her.
She cradles his face in her hands.
"Who told you I'd be here? The Chief Guard? Or, were you following me again?" She asks, standing on her tip toes and delivering a soft peck over his parted lips.
He looks at her with no emotions, and tears rolling down his eyes.
"Why? Are you angry with me? Upset that I'd left you so abruptly, that night?" She coos against his lips.
She grabs his hands, placing them on her cheek, squeezing them like he normally would.
"Say something.." She utters, looking at him confused.
She leans into him, trapping his lips in hers, sucking on his lower lip.
She lets go, with a chaste quick peck.
"Are you startled with me taking the lead?" She teases, finger tracing over his chest.
She stares down at her feet.
"I-I feel conflicted. I feel as though you're not honest with me.." She whispers, running her hands along his torso, feeling the ripples of his muscular chest.
She watches as his hands lay by his sides and intertwines her fingers with them.
"Can you tell me the truth about Yun Ki? I-I want to be on your side b-but, I feel as though he's not all that you make of him..Perhaps, he-he's misunderstood." She squeaks, until a hand is lifting her chin and rough lips are moulding with hers, with dire desperation.
She feels as though he's sucking the life out of her.
Unlike the kisses he'd delivered before.
Soojin's hand runs over his wrist, to feel for the indents of her initials.
The way she'd usually do and…
There's nothing over it.
Her thumb probes his wrist, trying to feel for the inked digits that read out 'Soojin', over the vessel that throbs under it.
The kiss is sloppy, saliva rolling down Soojin's parted lips as his tongue is shoved down her throat.
She feels a tight pinch over her lower lip, sharp edges of teeth being dug into her soft petals, drawing blood.
She pushes at his chest.
He lets her go with a lewd pop, pushing her frail figure over the grass.
Soojin feels at her lower lip, numb and swollen with pain.
She draws her fingers away, watching rouge cover them and a metallic tint being perceived by her own tongue.
She looks up to realise the man who'd been running a palm over his lower lip wasn't the man she thought he was.
It wasn't Bohoja..
It was none other than her very own husband, whose eyes bore fire and wrists looked as pale as the moon she stood under.
"Y-Yun K-Ki.." She cries, clasping a hand over her quivering mouth as she meets his eyes.
A tear rolling down his own, glistening against the light, like a diamond in the rough.
"What I'd thought were the arms of a lover, have transcended into the knots of a Noose..W-Why Soojin?"
Hadiah
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