Your Highness

T W E N T Y T W O

C H A P T E R   T W E N T Y T W O

Gwan got Yoon a set of clothes in bright scarlet. It was the clothing for maids in the palace, wearing that Yoon could assist Hayoon as her personal maid. Yoon was taught the interior of the palace, the customs of Great Yong so she could perfectly put on an convincing act as a trained maid.

The royal chamber was tightly guarded, bringing awareness to how important the person inside it was. An eunuch bowed at Hayoon's presence, he let the doors open without making any announcement, as if the emperor already expected this meeting. His eyes a little shaky if Hayoon wasn't wrong, yet she let it slide and proceeded.

Hayoon entered the chambers without Yoon, who had to stay outside. A man was sitting at the table fully dressed in his royal robes, Hayoon didn't lift her head to meet him, she only stopped a few steps away and greeted. Shifting the gaze from the cup in his hand the man turned at the masked ruler.

"Your majesty." Hayoon curtsied, her face lowered. Silence followed, lasting what feels like eternity before he broke it.

"So this is the almighty ruler of Kang."

Her eyes mentally flinched the moment she heard the voice. Though she'd never acquainted the emperor but she knew he was a man in his late years. The raspy voice greeting her wasn't of any old man. It was far from that. Facing her wasn't the emperor. It was prince Hyun.

Hayoon had no idea why the man she least wanted to see was right in front of her face. A million thoughts ran through her mind as her heart banged hard against the ribcage, her mind trying to figure it out but got no answer.

Hyun felt the tension he inflicted. A smirk crept its ways pulling the corner of his lips in a crooked smile. Hayoon could feel the burning eyes piercing a hole in her attire, her face paling from colour yet the veil was able to hid the anxious expression from displaying. She didn't know what he was thinking.

Did he know she was the one he tortured this morning? What was the reason behind his smile? A million thoughts filled her mind with anxiety squeezing her chest tight just enough to make her breath shaky. She had no idea of what he was thinking and had no intention to find it out either. She just wanted to get away from him.

Hyun enjoyed her reaction, his smile grew wider, his eyes filled with satisfaction. Her stiffened tension told him she knew who he was, she knew he wasn't the emperor, she was nervous and maybe even intimidated too. Absorbed in her own circle of questions Hayoon wasn't aware of how she appeared.

"I suppose you know I'm not the emperor." Hyun said, his voice a little playful.

"Anyone would decent hearing would," Hayoon replied fast, gaining her composure in the blink of an eye.

"Your highness sounds far from a man in his late spring."

The fierceness in her tone was challenging, she showed no sign of weakness or fear. Hyun would be surprised if he ever could read her mind, then he would know how much she struggled to keep on her composed facade. How much she struggled to keep a calm expression. How much effort she put up to suppress the hatred to surface in her eyes. Hyun had no idea what Hayoon was thinking, which Hayoon could only be thankful for.

Neither could she tell what was in his mind, she didn't know how curious he was of her, how much effort he put to fight the urge to take off the mask shielding her face from his eyes.

Hyun only got a glimpse of her from afar in the yard and a second at the stage of execution as she appeared to save Han. With the far distance he could only glimpse her figure and had never seen her up close. The veil kept mocking him, only teasing him with an insignificant lift whenever the girl took a breath. The thought of her face lead him to sleepless nights. Right now she was standing in front of him with mere a step of distance.

Fixing her eyes with steadiness Hayoon then raised her head to met his gaze. For the first time were those eyes directed solely at him. Hyun was surprised by the icy fire in her eyes, the fire that wasn't raging but enough to show untamed wildness. For a moment Hyun went silence, awestruck by her commanding eyes.

Hayoon didn't broke the eye contact, she held it as if holding him with an invisible lash. She could tell he didn't recognise her, his look was of one that was seeing someone for the first time. She didn't knew if she should feel relieved or insulted.

Hyun had no idea the girl at the courtyard back then was Yoon and not Hayoon. He could tell there was a difference yet he thought it was because the timid girl had recovered from the illness she claimed to be suffering, hence the veil she had to wear. She had many times rejected to meet him or any other royalties with the excuse of being sick, even the Emperor. She only allowed one person around her which was Han.

He had no idea that the girl standing in front of him was a completely different person. The only thing consuming his mind and feed on his maintenance was the veil that dared him to take it off.

"Isn't this the Emperor's chamber?" Hayoon said snapping Hyun from his trance. He heard every word yet not a single of it stayed in his mind. Unbeknownst he responded in question, the words rolled out before his mind could digest it.

"How are you feeling?" His voice tender, to the point she for a short moment thought it could be pure sincerity.
Then the picture of him from earlier played as a flash of light. He looked like an executioner ready to kill her without hesitation and now he's asking how she's feeling?

Hayoon hates two-faced people more than anything, the anger itched the tips of her fingers, making her hands balled in a tight fist. She couldn't take it anymore, she didn't want to speak nice to someone she without doubt despised. She wanted to just throw the mask, to be enlightened of his expression when he finds out the girl he tortured was the one he was pleading appearance. Yet for Yoon Hayoon couldn't. 

She had to get out before she lose her mind and let her emotions speak on its own. Hyun couldn't hold her back, she was a ruler and not a simple maid he could treat as he please. She was meant to meet the emperor not a mere prince. There was no reason she had to endure a second more in the same space with the man she despised. Heaving a shaky breath Hayoon tried to compose herself.

"My apologies, it looks like I've entered the wrong chamber." Her voice refrained and cold, just as she intended. Lowering her head she regarded him a light bow as she curtsied. As she just was about to make her exit a hand grabbed her wrist, making her unable to move forward.

Her eyes snapped at the hand holding her and then back to Hyun. She was met with the cold eyes, those she'd seen earlier this morning. The eyes that didn't held any life but only enriched with darkness, void of emotion. One of those she couldn't read.