Eun-mi's pov:
As the declaration of the king had ended with unexpected turns of events, Taehyung left the palace immediately once the king dispersed everyone gathered on the ground.
Len-ah spared no glance at Taehyung and went to her chamber.
I went to my chamber to pick a few of my stuff before leaving the palace. I didn't even turn back to look at the Palace one last time. I never felt at home here and I know I wouldn't miss this place at all.
I don't even want to be in Kim's kingdom anymore. When my mother visited me saying she would disown me if I failed to become the next queen, I have been thinking of a place I could go to after taking my revenge.
I can only think of Jeon's kingdom, where I spent 10 years of my life with my grandmother.
I loved it there. The only good thing that my parents did for me was giving me to my grandmother. She was a lovely person and she showered me with her love.
And when my mother came back after 10 years to get me from Jeon's, I thought they missed me until I came to know the reason was just that people badmouthed her about sacrificing me for wealth.
I thought they would have realised their mistakes by now and are going to treat me well. But I was wrong. They never showed any sort of affection towards me and I was a burden to them. Every day I wished to return to my grandmother at Jeon's kingdom and live as a commoner rather than staying with my parents at Kim's kingdom as a royal.
As I said earlier, My mother was from Jeon's kingdom. She grew up with my grandmother as a commoner. My father who was from Kim's kingdom visited Jeon's kingdom for some business and saw my mother there and fell in love with her.
So they got married and were very much in love until I was born. My father wanted a male child, but since my mom gave birth to a female child he started to degrade my mother and have affairs.
So my mother blamed me for his change of love towards her. I don't know how one's love towards others changes if one can't meet up to their expectations. Well, I don't even know what love is. How can I understand their justification?
When I returned from Jeon's kingdom, I couldn't get comfortable around the royal kids here. They all seem to be rude and judgemental. So I never spent my time with them.
As days passed I couldn't stay at home with my mother's burning gaze upon me. So one day I decided to stroll around the kingdom and that's when I saw the kids of the commoners playing on the street.
I went and joined them and they welcomed me without any issues. One among them was Len-ah. I find her staring at me quite often and look away when I catch her. And I use to shrug her behaviour off.
As days went by she approached me and started to spend most of her time with me. She was very much invested in my life. I started to open up to her and told her about everything I have been going through at home.
I was very much used to sharing my daily life with my grandmother and I missed her terribly. Now that I got Len-ah, I thought I can rely on someone at Kim's who really cares for me.
Did marrying Taehyung change her love towards me? but she knows I didn't have any choice in that so-called marriage, so why did her behaviour change? I wish to get my answers one day.
Anyway, the only memory I created in this Kim's kingdom is with Len-ah and now I don't even want to think about her. So with no regrets and no turning back, I am leaving this place.
But I wonder what happened to my grandmother. It's been 7 years since I left her alone in Jeon's kingdom. My mother would never talk about her. Well, she doesn't talk about anything with me except chastising me for being the reason for her misery.
Something in me tells me that my grandmother is no longer alive. If she was, she would have attended my marriage. She was the only person I have been looking forward to seeing on that day. But she never came.
Yet I won't be surprised if my parents didn't invite her to my wedding at all. So with little to no hope of seeing her, I am walking towards my destination, Jeon's kingdom.
I wish my grandmother was still alive and waiting for me. I wish to lay in her lap saying what all happened during those 7 years I was away from her. I wish to spend a lot more years with her.
People around my grandmother's home are all friendly and hard working. They have all cherished me with love and care when I lived there. I wish they were all the same. I wish I would be welcomed there.
I should start working to earn for myself and my child. I grew up seeing my grandmother working along with them and I have tried a few for fun before. So I guess I can manage. Anything is better than staying in Kim's kingdom surrounded by fake people.
I guess I have been walking for a few hours now. My throat was getting dry. I stopped to drink the water I took while leaving the palace since I know it's gonna be a long walk and I need food and water, especially that I am pregnant now.
As I started to walk again, I heard someone calling my name from behind. I turned to see Taehyung running towards me.
What does he want now? Did he realise his mistakes since Len-ah betrayed him? Is he here to apologise? With so many thoughts running around my mind, I waited for Taehyung to speak.
He stood bending with his hands on his knees breathing heavily indicating he ran a long distance to reach me. Once his breath is in his control, he steadied himself and asked, "Where are you going?"
I did not expect him to ask that.
"Somewhere away from here", I said, not wanting to sound rude yet not willing to tell him my destination.
"Oh, ok. Can you take care of yourself? Is your lover waiting for you or something?", he asked with concern.
I couldn't even tell whether he is faking it or he is really worried for me. I rolled my eyes with the thought of his fake act he pulled before and asked, "Why do you care, Taehyung?"
"Look, I just asked you out of concern especially now that you are pregnant. You don't have to be a bitch every time", he said in a not so pleased manner, making me annoyed.
"You think I will believe in your fake concern again. Look Taehyung, I thought you are finally going to apologize for the shits you had put me through. But you proved to me that you will always be that asshole who thinks highly of himself", I fired back at him.
"Why should I even apologise to you?", he asked me nonchalantly with an eyebrow raise.
I scoffed at his question and replied, "Because you have always been a jerk to me for no particular reason. Tell me Taehyung, why do you even hate me so much? What did I do to you to deserve this?"
I have always wondered why he treats me so ill. He is a well-mannered guy and treats everyone with respect except me. What made him hate me so much? I don't think it's because I agreed to marry him. He knows I don't have any other choice as well. I really need an answer today.
"I do hate you Eun-mi. But not because you did something to me. It's because of what you did to Len-ah", he said, making me confused.
That's when I remembered the day Len-ah asked him about 'him treating me nice even after knowing what I did to her'. Now I am more curious about what I did to her. Did I do something to make her hate me unintentionally?
"What did I even do to her?", I asked him hoping to get my answer.
He scoffed with an eye roll and said, "Don't ask me like you don't know what you did. All those years of bullying her and showing your royal power towards her. She was a helpless commoner. How can you hurt her? Don't you think you went overboard by tearing the dress her late grandmother gifted her? How can you even expect respect from me after doing all that to her?"
I stood flabbergasted by the accusations he was throwing towards me. Years of bullying… when did I even do that?
"Who even told you all those stories?", I asked him, still in a daze.
"Of course Len-ah told me", he said as a matter of fact.
"And you believed her, just like that? Wow Taehyung, I thought I was the naive and stupid one here. But no, your stupidity overtook mine", I told him.
I still couldn't digest that Len-ah made up stories to tell him. Why would she do that? If Len-ah lied about me to him even before our marriage, does that mean she never thought of me as her friend?
My thoughts got interrupted by Taehyung naively asking, "What do you mean?"
"Len-ah's grandmother from her father's side was dead even before she was born. So it's not possible for her to gift Len-ah. And her grandmother from her mother's side is still alive. So it can't be counted as a late grandmother's gift", I told, expecting him to understand that Len-ah had lied to him.
"Do you mean that s-she l-lied to me all along?", he stuttered out finally understanding.
"What do you think?", I sassed. I know it's not the time to be sassy. But I will blame it on my pregnancy hormones.
"But why would she even do that?", he asked me, still in a trance.
And I don't have an answer myself as to why she did all these. "You should ask her that. If you get the answer, please do tell me. That is if we meet again"
I don't think we would ever meet again. And I wish it that way. I want to start fresh, leaving back my terrible past here. But at that time, I didn't know that many more terrible things were to happen in my future.
For now, in hope of a bright future, I started to walk my way out of Kim's kingdom.
"Wait, Eun-mi", he called me, making me halt my steps.
I turned and raised an eyebrow questioning, why be stopped me.
"I am sorry", he finally apologised. It's not like I was waiting to hear it from him.
I just smiled at him and started to turn back and yet again he stopped me saying, "Say something before you go, Eun-mi"
What's with him now? I sighed at his behaviour and faced him completely.
"What do you want me to say Taehyung? That I forgave you? It's not that easy Taehyung.", I told him honestly.
He was facing the ground while saying, "I know… I know what I did was so wrong when you did absolutely nothing.", he hesitated but still continued, "Can you please speak to me for some time. I feel like everything is falling apart. I can't believe that I was living most of my life around lies. I am not asking for you to forgive me. But can you give me some of your time.", he didn't let me speak and replied to himself, "ohh God, I know I am asking for too much. I was never there for you. Why would you help a guy like me? I am once again sorry for my behaviour towards you. You can go, Eun-mi. Have a safe journey", he said on the verge of crying.
I understand how he feels. Good or bad, his life has always revolved around Len-ah. Now that he is trying to process all the happenings and not having anyone to talk to about his feelings, he is seeking help from his least favourite one, aka me.
I am kind of happy that at least now he is wise enough to believe me rather than to believe Len-ah blindly.
"It's ok. I understand Taehyung. You loved Len-ah so much that you only thought about her. I think I can spare you some time. My legs are hurting too, let's sit and talk", I said and moved to sit in the shadow of the nearby tree.
He followed my action and sat nearby keeping a respectable distance between us.
"I am not talking to you because you asked for some of my time. It's just that I thought it's gonna be the last time we see each other. So why not?", I told him because I don't want him to feel that I was obligated to speak to him because he requested me. I wanted him to feel free.
"Why? Where are you going for me to not see you again?", he asked me with puppy eyes.
Maybe he is afraid that he can't see the only person with whom he can speak now. But that isn't my problem and he is not my concern. So I replied with, "Not gonna tell you that"
He looked sad and said, "oh ok", later pouted like a kid.
Nope, this pout is not gonna work on me. So I tried to change the topic.
"So, tell me Taehyung. Do you want to talk about anything specific at this time I am offering you?", I asked him playfully.
He wasted no time and asked, "How did you know we weren't going to help you and were just pretending to help?"
Maybe it was bugging him how I got to know about their plan. Does he think someone told me about his plans? I laughed a little and answered him truthfully, "I heard you and Len-ah talking in the garden on the day of the party"
He nodded at my answer and said, "Did you see the irony? I tried to throw you out of the palace but ended up being thrown out", he tried to laugh it off.
"I know you are hurting Taehyung. Don't try to put on a facade in front of me. Try to be a better person at least starting now. Use this time to know about the people of your kingdom. Ask them what they need. Help them around. Try to be a good man, that will lead you to be the good king in future", I tried to knock some sense into him.
He looked at me with evident shock on his face and later realised what I was saying, he asked, "Why are you even talking about me becoming a king?"
I answered him with what I predict to happen in the future.
"King will take you back to the palace if you prove to him that you have changed and become a better person", I saw my words giving hope to him.
His eyes sparkled when he asked, "You think so?"
He looked like an adorable kid. I smiled and replied nodding, "I know so"
He smiled back saying, "Let's wait and see"
I nodded my head and asked, "Anything else you want to talk about?"
He thought for a while and finally said, shaking his head, "I seriously don't know what to say, Eun-mi. I felt very lonely and wanted someone nearby me listening to me, even though I don't know what to speak about "
I nodded my head, understanding. It was silent for a while but there was no awkwardness.
After thinking for some time, I let out what I have been thinking, "dogs"
He looked at me confused and questioned, "What?!"
So I explained saying, "Dogs are good listeners and a great companion. You will never feel lonely with them around. And most importantly they won't judge you and stay loyal to you"
He smiled amused upon hearing me. I guess he understood what I was trying to imply.
Before we could start on another topic, I said, "Well I gotta get going, Taehyung. I still have a long way to go before it gets dark"
His face fell once again and another pout occurred on it. But I can't just sit and waste my time upon him since he feels lonely, right? I shrugged off his puppy eyes and got up to continue my journey.
He knows his time is up, so he didn't persuade me further to spend more time with him. He cleared his throat and asked hesitantly, "Do you want me to give you company till you reach your destination?"
I just shook my head no and said, "I can take care, Taehyung. Thanks for asking"
He sighed knowing he had no way to convince me. He looked into my eyes and said, "Thank you so much, Eun-mi. For being nice to me even though I was anything but nice to you. I know you don't have any reasons to sit and talk with me after all the shits I tried to pull up on you. But still, you were nice enough to hear me out. I was all clueless after leaving the palace about my future until I saw you. You showed me a path. I don't know how I am going to return the favour. You are an angel"
I never knew Taehyung was a man of so many words. He had always been distant with me except for the time he pretended to be friendly with me. Even then he didn't express much to me. This Taehyung was new to me.
And I was not used to these praises as well. So I dodged it and said, "Wherever I am at I will be waiting to hear how good of a king Taehyung has become. Don't disappoint me", I winked playfully at the end and started walking towards the direction-finding my path of survival.
I felt him staring at my back for quite a long time. Yet I never turned back. It's not like he meant anything to me.
I know how it feels to be lonely and has no one to talk to you. Especially when everything is falling apart. I did not have in me to leave a person alone when I know that they are suffering. I hope I helped him a little at least.
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With a few more hours of walking and taking a few rests here and there, I kind of neared Jeon's kingdom. I was almost near the entrance of the kingdom when I saw a large number of people gathered at the entrance.
What is happening? They all look so happy.
Are they celebrating something? What day is today?
With so many questions in my head, I entered Jeon's kingdom.
I got startled by the sudden bursting of music and crackers. People started squealing and throwing flowers all around in joy. But I couldn't understand what they are all cheering for until I hear them shout,
"Hail to the queen, Eun-mi"
Now I get it. They are all welcoming their Queen. I smiled thinking how lucky the queen is to have these many people loving her and welcoming her with such enthusiasm.
My smile instantly vanished when I realised that the queen name they mentioned was Eun-mi. Is it a coincidence that their queen's name is Eun-mi too?
I looked around in confusion when people started to make a way for me to move forward. And there stood a horse with someone on it in the path the people created for me to walk.
As I neared the horse, I raised my head to look at the person who was sitting on it. My eyes went wide seeing 'TripleM' sitting mightily on it.
Upon seeing me, he smiled ever so gently and offered me a hand to climb onto the horse.
Ok, now I get it. I am either dead and an angel has come on the horse to take my soul. He is asking for my hand to take me to the afterlife.
(Or)
I have fainted or fallen asleep somewhere on my way and dreaming all these.
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It's a long chapter I guess.
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Posting after a long time.
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Sorry for the wait.
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Hope you like it.
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Did Eun-mi turn nuts? What's happening?
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Don't forget to vote and comment.
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Thank you for reading and supporting 🌸
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Especially to that single soul who DM.ed me asking for the next part. You gave me the strength to continue this. 💞