Chil Yook felt the soft rustling movement of the dirty-white robe beside him. He examined it, noticing that Lady Jang was starting to wake up from almost an hour of sleep, as they continued traveling down the vast forest. With a soft groan and a grimacing face, Lady Jang opened her eyes. She looked around and slowly absorbed the thought that she was inside a carriage. She gasped when she saw Chil Yook sitting beside her, holding a baby.

"Lady Jang, are you awake?"

The woman answered back in a soft, raspy voice, "Grand Marshal, is that you?"

Chil Yook blinked many times, confirming what he saw. "Yes, it is I, Chil Yook. How are you feeling? The coachman said that you suddenly appeared from the woods and almost got hit by the horse."

Lady Jang sighed and told him her story, "Well, when I woke up, we were already on that abandoned thatched storage house. I heard a soft rustle by the door, and I was shocked to see the Prime Minister. He was the one behind all of these!" she exclaimed.

Chil Yook bowed his head and shook his head. "I know. He narrated everything to me. However, you need to understand that he did those ploys to save us. The King wanted us out of the palace, thinking that the Prime Minister would go weak if we were gone."

"That is ridiculous! Everything is crystal-clear to me now. The Prime Minister did all of these because we are threats to him. He wants us out of the palace and never step back again in a way that it would benefit him. Did you not realize that?"

"I have faith in the Prime Minister."

"How could you still say that, Grand Marshal? He does not need you anymore. He does not need us anymore. If I were you, I would go to a very faraway place, where he could not see even a single trace of my existence. This is enough. My loyalty ends here." Lady Jang straightened up and shook her sleeves and skirt, removing some dirt.

Her attention was grabbed when the baby suddenly whimpered. "Wait, who is that baby?" the woman paused, pointing to the baby Chil Yook was cradling.

Chil Yook's eyes ran sideways, unable to focus his sight to the confused woman. "Uh, uh...."

"Who is he?"

After a deep breath, Chil Yook finally admitted the identity of the baby. "Pay your respects. He is Prince Sae Yoo, the King's second son."

Lady Jang's breath hitched up at the back of her throat. A soft squeal was about to come out but she instantly covered her mouth before she could explode. Chil Yook leaned forward and tapped her shoulder. "Listen to me first. I know this is ridiculous."

"What are you doing?" Lady Jang asked; her eyes widened in total shock.

"It was a long story. I may have ended my duty as a Gukseon—a palace hwarang, but this is part of my next mission as Chil Yook, a plain servant of the Prime Minister," Chil Yook explained.

"I really admire your loyalty to the Prime Minister. If I could just erect some monument for you right now, I would do it. Why do you keep on serving him? Do you still think that raising the King's son is still part of his good principle?"

The man lost his words for a while, having a slight thought about what the former Head Priestess said. All of a sudden, he suddenly recalled everything that happened on the day he met the Prime Minister. "It was almost thirty years ago when I met Lady Manmyeong, the Prime Minister's mother. My father was her personal bodyguard when she became a royal concubine to the King. When my father pledged his full loyalty to Lady Manmyeong, I, as well did the same. Before Lady Manmyeong died, her final words are to take care of Lord Jung Ho, her son."

Lady Jang grabbed Chil Yook's hand and held it. "It is about a sense of gratitude then, just like mine. You are chained to the past, to Lady Manmyeong. I could say that you have done your part already. For the past years, we have taken good care of the Prime Minister by doing all of his orders. We have believed in his principles even for others, his tactics appeared too evil. It is time for us to let go. It is not a healthy relationship anymore."

Chil Yook smiled, "You have changed, Lady Jang."

The woman's cheeks flushed red. She gazed straight into Chil Yook's eyes, "No. I have not changed totally. I am still beginning to change. I have been through a lot; I have cried a lot. I have shown vulnerability and weakness. Now, with this new life, I promise myself not to come back to Seorabeol anymore. I guess the Heavens has helped me escaped death countless times for this purpose. I do not even know why the Prime Minister let me get out alive. If I were you, I would do the same. I will run away and start a new life."

"I appreciate your advice." A half-smile carved on Chil Yook's lips.

"You have changed as well. Where is the Grand Marshal that I used to know? Tough, strong, vile. The looks in your eyes are stranger to me now."

Chil Yook's heart skipped a beat as he looked away, biting his lips. "I guess it is all because of yo..."

The former Grand Marshal was interrupted when Lady Jang turned her head to the right, opened the door of the carriage and stuck her head out of the window. She noticed that they were already outside the deep woods. There were wide, green rice fields on the sides, blue mountain greeting from afar, and a sweet scent of the afternoon breeze caressing her skin. Farmers were plowing the fields; some young men were walking with their small horses, some were carrying cut branches of trees on their backs. Women were pacing down the rocky road, together with their small children.

With a flash of a smile from her face, she closed the window and asked permission to Chil Yook. "Grand Marshal, my gratitude for letting me rest in this carriage. If I may, I would like to leave already."

"Uh, uh... leave?" he stammered.

Chil Yook nodded as he opened the window on his side and signaled the escorts on the back.

"Halt!" an escort announced.

The coachman stopped the carriage. Lady Jang laid her eyes to Chil Yook's for the last time. She pushed the door and descended. "I will see you when the Heavens allow us to."

After a soft smile, she bowed and walked away.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

~~•~~

While Chil Yook was thinking about his life decisions, back in the palace, the small banquet for the Sae Joo's investiture as a Crowned Prince had already ended. The palace officials went back to their offices, nobles returned to their own businesses. The once crowded courtyard returned to its normal, quiet ambiance. However, the King and the Prime Minister with his son, Jung Min were having a talk in the King's chambers.

"A toast for Prince Sae Joo's investiture as the Crowned Prince!" Jung Ho raised his hand, and the court ladies approached. They filled the brothers' cup with wine.

The King just smiled and quietly drank his wine. "What is it that you want to talk about again, Prime Minister?"

"It is actually about the vacant position for the queen. You do know that based on our customs, the position of the Queen must not remain vacant for a long time." Jung Ho smiled.

Jae Joong curled his lips. "Customs. Correct. Fair enough, but it is not stated in our laws."

"Sire, there are duties and responsibilities that only a queen is allowed to do. Consider the royal household... uh, the food, apparel, and everything about the court ladies. Who do you think should take care of that?"

"I will. I have decided to do a double job, especially now that my son, Sae Joo would need more attention."

Before the Prime Minister could rebut, a court lady suddenly opened the door without asking for any permission. It was actually the Prime Minister's court lady. Her hair was a bit disheveled and she was panting.

Jung Ho's lips pursed into a thin line.

"Do you wish to lose your head? How dare you barge in without asking for permission?"

The court lady bowed. "Prime Minister, forgive my insolence. It is about your wife. If you may, please follow me."

Jung Ho's eyes widened as he blinked many times. He gasped, and when he stood, he immediately strode out of the room, leaving his son with the King. When the door had closed, there was an awkward silence between Jung Min and the King. Jae Joong cleared his throat and spoke. "Jung Min, I have noticed that you have been quiet since Sae Joo's coronation. Is something bothering you?"

"Nothing, Sire. I am just tired," the boy answered, looking down.

"I know you. Something is bothering you. Oh, now that I have noticed, where is Lady Seo?"

The boy did not respond.

"Jung Min, if you have any problems, please tell me not as a king, but as your uncle."

The boy straightened up. "Sire, I wish to rest at my chambers." he stood up, bowed and walked quietly out of the King's chamber.

~~•~~

Three more hours had passed, and the night skies had changed its lively color. The stars were brightly twinkling in a vast space of unknown dimension. The cold, countryside land breeze blew gently. Finally, Chil Yook had arrived at his destination—the wharf. He descended from the carriage, and the escort leader gave him a satchel, which contained gold. The escort guided him to a small pavilion near the port area using a torch. After that, the escort bowed and left.

Chil Yook entered the pavilion; there was a middle-aged man with a messy beard sitting at a small table. Beside the man was empty wooden benches, probably the waiting area for passengers. The former Grand Marshal asked the man, "Excuse, may I know when the ship will arrive?"

The man replied, "About a few minutes from now."

Chil Yook bowed and walked to the wooden benches. A few people would travel to Ulleung Island—about ten only. He looked around, stomping his right foot and cradling the baby prince. A few moments later, a medium-sized wooden ship had arrived. It was just about the size of a two-story temple with huge semi-circle sail at the middle.

The ship officials dropped the ramp, and the passengers went down. After about half an hour, the boarding passengers fell in line. Chil Yook was at the tail of the line. When it was his turn finally, the ship officials asked him for his payment. He gulped and looked at the two officials.

"Hand me your payment, Ahjussi," one of the ship officials said.

Chil Yook just sighed. When he was about to give two gold coins to the officials, Sae Yoo started crying. "One moment please," Chil Yook said. He went out of the line and rocked the baby, but the cry went louder. Some arriving people even looked awkwardly at him.

"What am I about to do? Why are you crying? What do you need?" he said hysterically, walking back and forth. He went back to the waiting area, and fortunately, there was this woman, around her forties who tapped his shoulder and talked to him.

"Your son is hungry. He needs some milk. Where is his mother?" the woman asked.

Strangely, there was a very unusual feeling that hit Chil Yook's heart upon hearing the word, 'son'. Out of nowhere, his heart fluttered and melted. His ears went numbed; it seemed like he was ignoring what woman had been saying. The only thing that he heard was Sae Yoo's cries. The only thing that he could see was Sae Yoo's eyes.

All of sudden, he went back to his senses when the woman tapped him again. "Mister, are you not going to do something? Your son is hungry!"

"Oh! Yes... Yes, my son is hungry. My son... is hungry. My son. My son."

Because of Chil Yook's repetitive chanting of the words, 'my son', the woman asked him again. "Are you all right, Mister?"

"Yes! I am fine. I appreciate your concern, woman. However, I do not have any milk, and his mother had left me already."

"Poor you. If you would like, I could take you into a local tavern I own a few paces from here. I could ask my sister, who has a baby, to give you some milk. But I think you are going to Ulleung Island, are you not?"

Chil Yook shook his head and answered in a firm tone, "No!"

~~•~~

Four long days had passed. In the palace, the Prime Minister, Jung Min, and all their retinues were kneeling at a dim-lit shrine inside the palace. All of them were wearing long, white robes with black colors at the sleeves. There was a dead silence.

There was a small altar, with food and fruits on the side, various sets of flowers, yellow candles, and a sketched portrait of a woman in the center. A shrine maiden went to the front, dinged a small bell and lit another set of incense.

Afterward, all people inside bowed, almost kissing the marble floor. For that few moments, some were even heard crying, and whimpering inside. After a few seconds, everyone straightened up.

"Rest well, my dear wife. I will take care of our daughter Jin Ri," Jung Ho said, holding a porcelain urn. His eyes were bloodshot and swollen—his prominent dark circles signaled restlessness for days.

After almost an hour, the ceremony ended.

The Prime Minister returned to his room, ready to lay down to his bed after four days of funeral. Then, a lady-in-waiting called his attention.

"Your Excellency, a hwarangdo wishes to talk to you."

"I am not in the mood accepting visitors. Send him away!" Jung Ho yelled.

The hwarangdo insisted, raising his voice. "My Lord, this is important. It is a letter from Man Suk from Ulleung Island."

Jung Ho's eyes narrowed, wondering what the letter could had contained. "Enter"

The hwarangdo entered and approached the Prime Minister. He bowed, handed him the letter, and left.

"What could this letter be?" Jung Ho mumbled. He opened the letter and read its content:

Prime Minister Jung Ho,

This is Man Suk, the man you have assigned to pick Chil Yook up here in Ulleung Island. I have waited for four days; actually, I just stayed here in the port. Unfortunately, there was no man named Chil Yook who showed up. I checked all the ferries coming, and no one fitted the descriptions that you have told me.

Forgive me for saying this. I think that man did not ride a boat, going here.

After reading the letter, Jung Ho's nostrils flared, and his entire face turned red. He crumpled the paper and threw it in the wall. He was about to burst! Any moment, he could scream and yell at the top of his lungs, but he just dug his raging nails into his palm as it rolled into a ball of fist. He was breathing heavily, chasing his breath. His entire muscles were quivering in extreme rage. He sat on a chair and slammed his trembling hands at the table.

As his eyes shaped into a piercing glare, his gritting and rubbing teeth followed. He said, "Chil Yook, hide wherever you are. If I find you, I will tear you into pieces."

__________

__________ [https://em.wattpad.com/cfb8cb32ab26e309d20c66370b1ad982aee90f79/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f67724e554f5f565a69477a6462513d3d2d3635303932353533372e313536343234386436363565333337633836353938383838393633342e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]