𝑨 𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘 (𝑨𝒍𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒔)

invisible string

Hyorin lay in bed, her thoughts tangled in the events of the previous days. She recalled the sight of Mudeok and Yul on the bridge, the way Mudeok had clung to him, and Yul's frantic push to keep her away. Her heart ached with the betrayal she felt, and she could not shake off the feeling of being a fool. Her mind raced with questions and doubts, even as she fought to trust her husband's reassurances.

In the following days, Yul had decided to stay home to care for Hyorin until she fully recovered. He prepared her meals, sat by her side, and even read to her when she was too weak to get out of bed. His every gesture was filled with concern and tenderness, yet he could sense a distance growing between them. However, Yul couldn't shake the suspicion that she had seen him with Mudeok on the bridge that night

"How are you feeling?" Yul asked gently, placing a cool cloth on her forehead.

"I'm fine," Hyorin replied, her voice lacking its usual warmth. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, the images of him and Mudeok still vivid in her mind.

That evening, as they sat in their chamber, Yul turned to Hyorin, his eyes filled with worry. "Hyorin, please talk to me," he pleaded softly. "I know you're upset, and I want to make things right."

Hyorin looked away, her expression cold and distant. "There's nothing to talk about, Yul."

Yul sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I know you must have seen me with Mudeok that night. But you have to believe me, there's nothing going on between us."

Hyorin's eyes flashed with pain and anger. "You expect me to believe that when I saw you two quite close, it even looked intimate. What was she even doing with you?"

Yul took a deep breath, his voice steady but filled with regret. "She was trying to learn my breathing techniques. I didn't realise it at first, but when I did, I pushed her away. I promise you, I will never betray your trust."

Hyorin remained silent, her heart aching with confusion and hurt. She wanted to believe Yul, but the image of him and Mudeok together kept replaying in her mind.

The next morning, Park Danggu knocked on their door, his usual cheerfulness subdued. "Good morning love birds. Both of you have been absent for a lot of things. Did you hear? Jang Uk, he's been banished from Songrim by my uncle. To make it worse, he also lost his spirit plaque, which resulted in him being flogged a hundred times."

Hyorin brings her hand to cover her mouth, shocked at what Jang Uk has been through in a span of a few days.

“Well, I’m going to visit him. Would you guys like to come along?” Danggu offered.

Hyorin, still feeling weak, shook her head gently. "I would love to visit him, but I'm sorry, Danggu. I'm still not feeling well enough to go. Yul, you should go with him instead."

Yul hesitated, concern for Hyorin evident in his eyes. "Are you sure you'll be okay without me?"

Hyorin gave him an encouraging nod, her smile reassuring. "Go. I'll be fine. Uk needs you more right now."

Danggu chimed in, trying to lighten the mood. "Don't worry, Hyorin. We’ll keep an eye on Uk and make sure he doesn't get into more trouble."

With that, Yul left with Danggu, promising to return as soon as possible. However, that day, Yul didn't come home until late at night. Hyorin waited for him in their chamber, her worry growing with each passing hour.

When Yul finally arrived, he looked exhausted but relieved. "Hey, you didn’t have to wait for me." he said, sitting beside Hyorin and taking her hand in his. "Uk is well. The Crown Prince visited him, and I don’t know how it started, but they got into a duel. Don’t worry, Uk won though. However, he did manage to break the Crown Prince's sword in half."