𝐆𝐎𝐃𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐃™ · 𝟐™ ♔ ✓

〔10〕

"All I want is to help," you do not budge an inch. Instead, you kneel down to meet his level and cup his face, thumb skimming over the scars that have been plonked on his angelic face. "You're overexerting yourself, Jimin." You say, reminding him of the time he wanted you to bring some attention to yourself when you were heavily engaged with charity.

Loosening his grasp on the blade plough, Jimin rests the tool beside him and comes closer to you. Once he takes your hands into his own, you realise how rough and abrasive his skin has become. You take a sharper look at his hands and then notice the splinters scattered around his palms.

"Jimin..." You trail off, your voice cracking as you swallow harshly while tears form in your eyes.

"I'm fine, baby," your husband gifts you with a soft, loving kiss. He gives you a small peck before saying, "Now come on, go back to sowing seeds. We both what a strong hand you have at cultivation." He chuckles.

You hug him, arms wrapped around him securely as to not wanting to let go of him. He hugs you back, burying his face at the crook of your neck, his embrace just as tight as yours. Oh, heaven. It felt like you had been seperated from him for longer than an eternity.

"We'll get out of here, I promise." Jimin breaks the hug and kisses you on the forehead. Tucking your hair behind your ear, he gives you a painful smile. "Those women need you," he gestures at the other forced labours who are working by the fields. "Do your thing."

You nod, pursing your lips to hold back your shaky breaths. "I'll get going then?" You brush your thumb over his cheeks one last time.

"Yes, my queen," the sincerity in Jimin's voice is assuring enough to give you the strength to retreat.

Within the next few seconds, the atrocities against the slaves of the city resume. Jimin puts the blade plough back on his shoulders, body straining in an instant.

You pick up the small harrow and start to plough, giving small instructions to the other labour women with you as you all start sowing the seeds. One young maiden — who you assume to be the girl In-hye — brings in the watering equipment, dousing at the points where the seed shave been sown.

"You're In-hye, is it?" You ask helping her push the wagon of watering cans as she proceeds to switch the cans and then abide with her work.

"Yes," she answers after a brief pause. "You heard the rumours, didn't you, Your Highness?" She then asks, heaving a tiny sigh as she takes two steps further and waters the next seed.

The skin between your brows creases and you question, "Rumours? No, In-hye. I haven't heard of any rumours; I wasn't even aware of any. I've heard of your beauty though." You hope the last sentence makes her smile.

It doesn't. She does not react. Instead, she turns to you and inhales sharply. "There are rumours that speak of my connections to prostitution, Your Highness." She says, and you instantly feel a wave of woe.

"I never asked, In-hye. It doesn't matter," you say. "Also, stop calling me Your Highness, I'm nothing of such sorts here."

"You're still a queen," In-hye says with a slight spurt in confidence. "If not for Changwon's atrocities you would be home, in your castle, now. I'm sorry if I've said too much."

You shake your nod in refusal, assuring her she hasn't crossed the line. You both water some more crops before she speaks again.

"The rumours are true," her eyes turn into mists of dolour. "I am a trull, from the island of Macuori. I have been a doxy as well, but not for long."

You don't say anything to that. You're a bit taken aback by her sudden disclosure; not because of line of work, but because of where she's from. Macuori wasn't known for sending it's people out of the island. They were always excluded from the rest of the Korean mainland, by all accounts believed to have cut off all connections due to some old feud. They were an indigenous tribe, one of the oldest of Korea.

[A/n: people, Macuori is NOT a real place. It's an imaginary island I created for this particular part. Just wanted to let y'all know. Now you can go back to reading, sorry for the interruption.]

"You're from Macuori?" You eventually fight your speechlessness and ask.

She nods.

"I was told prostitution is not appreciated there," you blurt out.

"That was long ago. It's been about a century since women have begun to sell their bodies." She clarifies.

"How did you come here? To Changwon," you ask.

"We were sold off by our emperor. Changwon bought us for labour work." She replies. "It felt like we went back to our early days in the brothels." 

"I'm so sorry," you sympathise, not wanting to make her feel any worse.

"It's alright, Your Highness. You haven't disrespected me or any of the other girls. Don't mind it." And with that, you both go back to working in silence.

You turn to look at Jimin by the lands. You feel your throat clog as soon as your gaze lands on him. Involuntarily, tears start streaming down your face.

The rays of the sun are sharp and stifling. The sweltering weather causes Jimin's throat to go dangerously dry while he lunges forward, pulling the blade plough against the soil with him.

The searing heat makes his head heat up and he goes dizzy. With his vision now blurred and hazy, Jimin feels his head spiralling violently as he holds his head tight before he falls on the ground, cheeks instantly going harsh due to the dry and rough soil.

He lays on the ground, head throbbing with the uneasiness the heat's causing him and breathing faltering as the dehydration takes over him.

Aghast, you drop everything and run over to him.

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A/n:
Unedited.

How long has it been? A month?
Gosh! I've been experiencing a sort of laze with this book idk why :/ even though I have this all planned out, for some reason the wording isn't coming on right and I'm having to write a sentence about twice lotta times.

N e hoo, how did y'all like the chappy? Is there any subtle (or obvious) detail that you like/dislike?

A small little survey:
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Love, BG ❤️