At The End Of The Hidden Greenery

Chapter 56

She didn’t want to hear these words. She couldn’t believe anything he said.

“Akarna…”

He reached out his hand to wipe away her tears. Jiwoo, not wanting his touch, turned her head away.

“I know you can’t believe me. I was the one who brought upon your distrust. So, I’ll try my best from now on.”

The Crown Prince pondered over what he had done. As much as he believed in the other person’s deep love, he thought that she would understand everything.

Rather, he thought it was a good direction for their relationship.

The position of Akarna in the temple, the position of the imperial Crown Prince, was excused for that act. He realized too late that the wounds inflicted without malice would have been more painful.

There’s no way he didn’t love her for all those five years. So he didn’t know how it would break so easily.

When he thought that Akarna might be dead, his eyes became dark.

There was only one image that came to his mind as he rode the horse to Akarna’s dispatch. Tired of crying and clinging. That was all he could think of.

Then he realized.

He caused it.

At the same time as the feeling that the sky had fallen, he was overcome with regret for everything he had done. However, his Akarna in front of him didn’t even let him grovel down and be pitiful.

“Your Highness, we can’t. It’s too late now. Just let me go.”

“I can’t do that.”

The Crown Prince placed his forehead on Jiwoo’s lap. He looked so desperate as if he was kneeling and hanging on her knees, confessing his sins.

The short frizzy hair. The shade under dark eyes. A sharp and ferocious atmosphere that could only be seen on the battlefield surrounded him.

The next moment, what came out of his mouth was a voice mixed with some gloomy obsession.

“That won’t do. Your place is by my side.”

“No, I don’t want it.”

“I’ll prove it. Trust me. The duty of the Akarna that oppresses you will be gone now. Then I’m sure you’ll be able to believe me…”

The Crown Prince’s voice was mixed with obsession and madness.

“Please stop.”

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“It won’t take long.”

“Let me go…”

Jiwoo, exhausted from crying, muttered in a fading tone. Tears continued to fall.

“I won’t take any concubines or keep another woman by my side. You’re the only one for me. I’m just going to ask your opinion about adopting.”

“My opinion is for Your Highness to let me go.”

“I’m sorry. I won’t listen to that.”

How could the Crown Prince, who always held his head upright, become someone who apologized so easily?

Jiwoo looked at him with eyes clouded with tears. She couldn’t tell what expression the blurry face was making.

“You will become my one and only Crown Princess.”

All she could feel was his red eyes ensnaring her, burning like a maned lion tearing down his enemies on the battlefield.

He grabbed her hand and forcibly put the ring on her helpless finger.

His lips touched it.

“I love you, Akarna.”

Akarna.

He ended up holding her back with those words.

* * *

The Crown Prince visited the mansion from time to time. Even during the day when he was in the midst of state affairs, he often visited, and he stayed for quite a while in the evening.

One day, he forced Jiwoo, who didn’t want to lie down on the bed and watch her until she fell asleep. When she turned her back to avoid looking at his red eyes, Jiwoo eventually fell asleep on the bed.

Nothing special. The days just repeat itself.

When the time came, she ate the food that came out in a timely manner, and occasionally when someone came from a boutique or jewelry store, she would greet them and pick out something.

The Crown Prince asked if she needed anything, but Jiwoo would not answer.

Whenever Jiwoo wanted to leave, the soldiers blocked her way. Whenever she did this, the Crown Prince increased the surveillance on her.

Such a life kept repeating.

Again. Again. And again… She was treated as a bird locked in a cage. She was so frustrated that she felt like going crazy.

The Crown Prince, who was working on something alone, told Jiwoo to wait when she was frustrated, but did not tell her what was going on.

Then one day.

Tap.

Tap, tap.

Was the night wind that strong tonight? From the balcony connected to the bedroom, there was a constant sound of something hitting.

Tap. tap. A small sound but could not be ignored.

The sound was a bit loud for a leaf blowing and knocking.

Tap. Tap, tap.

And it was too constant.

It seemed that something like a tree branch had caught on to something and kept making the same sound. She didn’t intend to sleep comfortably, but she thought she’d want to deal with trivial noises because she was stressed out right now.

When Jiwoo opened the balcony window. A large shadow leaped inside.

“W-Who…”

Jiwoo wasn’t the type to scream when surprised. Jiwoo, who was frightened and stopped breathing, took only a few steps back.

When the assailant who broke into her bedroom, took off the hood.

“Uh, ah…!”

Jiwoo couldn’t even say the right words and ran to him and hugged him. A low, merry laugh came above her head. Even that slightly light voice was very welcome.

“Ah, Seo Jiwoo. I didn’t know you would welcome me like this.”

“Tevon, Tevon… Tevon…”

The scent of the forest that she missed so much in a short time wrapped around her. Tevon hugged Jiwoo’s waist with his firm arms. The scent intensified as she buried her face in his arms.

It was not a dream. This vivid touch is not a dream.

“How, how…”

Jiwoo was crying and couldn’t speak properly. It was so stupid, but Tevon didn’t seem to mind.

As Jiwoo continued to cry, Tevon stroked her cheek. As she moved her head and rubbed her cheek against his hand, Tevon’s face, which had been smiling all along, became serious.

“Didn’t I tell you? I’ll go find you, so wait.”

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