***
"Explain." Chaeyoung said coldly, wondering if the Lee Family is only planning to use her because of her talents.
"The Lee and the Zhou families rivalry caused great chaos in the market. This made most of the establishments on Luxembourg owned by either the Lee's or the Zhou's. There is a balance in everything as we rule the country and they rule the black market."
Both Chaeyoung and Lisa narrowed their eyes at Gideon almost at the same time.
Black market.
Luxembourg.
Lee Family
A single name instantly appeared in their mind.
Henry Lee.
Gideon, on the other hand, seemed not to notice their reactions as he continued. "The balance is there... Yet, someone influential and powerful could ruin it anytime. Make one family more powerful, and chaos will ensue."
"So you're saying that I am this person," she stated. "But you also said that the Lee Family had been ruling the country because they are more powerful. So how come my existence could help you when you are already more powerful than them?"
"They have the backings of our enemy," he answered. "These people were just waiting for the right time for them to strike and wipe out our family. The fact that someone who is influential and full of potential is possibly coming to join our family is making them fear that we will strike them once we obtain your support."
"Then a war will…"
Gideon shook his head. "This is not about a war. War will only bring us money. War in our eyes means profit."
"This is about the fact that once you join us… we will become the only hegemon not just in Luxembourg but also to the whole eastern countries."
"Alright… you are still making me confused." Chaeyoung kneaded her temples before looking back at Gideon. "I am a simple woman who is trying to make a living. How would I make you a hegemon? My talents are not something that is not seen for centuries. Why don't you train another person from your family? Make them a master in technology, so you could use them?"
"It's not just you... " Gideon stared back at Chaeyoung before moving his gaze towards Lisa, then into her ring. The ring that Chaeyoung gave her for their engagement. "It's also her. It should be you and Lisa together."
"Tell me… where did you get your onyx ring?" he asked Chaeyoung. "I'm assuming it's from your mother?"
Chaeyoung glanced at Lisa's ring before nodding.
"Do you know what this ring is? If your mother knew that Lisa is wearing this ring then she might scold you for being so reckless."
Chaeyoung's face instantly stilled when Gideon mentioned her mother. Claire was working with them for months now and Chaeyoung was sure that she saw this ring on Lisa. If this ring is so important then why did Claire not say anything? Or warn her?
"Then tell me… what is this ring?" she asked as her heartbeat started to race. Is her mother aware that this ring will bring them danger? If she is… then why let Lisa wear it?
"I cannot tell you that. But if you come with me to Luxembourg and help the Lee Family then… I might change my mind."
Chaeyoung's lips instantly curled into a devious smirked. "That won't work on me. But you already know that…"
"You are a very smart girl."
"I am," she responded.
"Then you should also know that now, the Queen and the whole Zhou family would start targeting you and your family as well as your friend who is still in Luxembourg."
"No information can escape this area. I can assure you that." she confidently said. "Moreover, now that I know who my enemy is, it would be easier for me to target them as well."
At this moment, Chaeyoung is not aware of the true impact on Lisa's ring. However, she was already planning to ask Claire about everything when they see each other.
"I also have to tell you about another thing," Gideon said, ignoring Chaeyoung's previous statement.
"The Zhou Family is planning to change the previous rules. And this might have a very negative impact on the country."
"I believe they are planning another big scheme that would involve the whole Lee Family…"
"Alright… I really don't think that this information is necessary. I won't be going to Luxembourg anyway. You guys can keep your power to yourself. I don't want to get involved in all this." Chaeyoung shrugged. "Moreover, I am not interested in this throne. I hope I won't see you ever again."
Chaeyoung turned her back at Gideon. " I hope you can take care of both the Zhang and the Wu Family for me. Or else, I won't hesitate to ruin them."
"Wait… You need to listen."
"I have heard enough." Chaeyoung said while turning towards Gideon.
"I understood enough to know that my father, whoever he is thought it would be nice to play with my mother's emotion and did not even look for her when she ran away. Then years after when he realized that he had a daughter and that her daughter had some talents that could help his family maintain their power, he decided to tell his king so he could reach out to her."
"My father and the whole Lee Family is an asshole who is not only power hungry, but also too conceited to think that the world revolves around them and their family!"
"Well newsflash asshole, I have a life that I would never leave just to be used by you and your damn ego!"
Chaeyoung's words left both Lisa and Gideon speechless. The rage in her eyes was as venomous as her words.
"Is that what you think of us?" Gideon asked, as his face turned serious. "Who told you that your father did not find your mother when she ran away? How did you even know that she ran away?"
"Is that what she told you before she died?" He took another step towards Chaeyoung. "Your mother was a liar who disguises herself as another person to trick her targets! She was a liar and a talented one at that. When she realized your father's identity, she ran away. She was the one who left… she pretended to die. She orchestrated her own death so she could get away from him. It made your father crazy… It made him kill hundreds of people just to try and avenge her death! When he realized that she faked her own death, it was already too late. She was gone. No one knew her, and no one saw her, as if she just disappeared into thin air. She... is that good."
"Then your father discovered who she really was… she works for the military as an asset. Someone famous to infiltrate organizations and destroy them. She was trained to kill, to disguise herself and disappear."
Gideon's words seemed to echo inside Chaeyoung's ears. She clenched her fist and signaled Lisa not to take another step when she noticed her walk towards her. Once again she turned her attention to Gideon.
"You are lying," she said. "My mother is not like that!"
"Then how do you think your mother met your father? Do you think they just bumped into each other and fell in love? This is the truth, now it is up to you if you will believe me or not." Gideon took a step back, realizing that he lost control of his emotions. Then he gave Lisa a piece of paper.
"My personal number... It's encrypted. Your friend won't leave Luxembourg alive. The Zhou family already made sure of that. Call me if you need help. I can only help you if you go to Luxembourg." he said solemnly before walking away. Then before he could reach the door both Lisa and Chaeyoung heard him say that he will take care of the Zhang and Wu Family. He instantly closed the door behind him, leaving Chaeyoung and Lisa more confused than before.
...
"He's lying." Chaeyoung murmured the moment Gideon disappeared from her sight. "He's lying," she repeated her words. This time, it was louder, more pronounced.
Seeing this, Lisa walked towards her and silently took her in her embrace. Everything was getting too complicated that both of them did not know who to believe anymore.
Lisa slowly stroked her back, instantly making her feel comforted. "Everything will be alright," Lisa said gently before scooping her into her arms.
Lisa let out a small smile the moment Chaeyoung hooked her arms into her neck and buried her face on her chest. She must have been too tired, Lisa thought. With these in mind, Lisa called for someone to clean their room and change the sheets and went to one of the guest rooms in the mansion.
Then Lisa slowly laid Chaeyoung into the bed and went to the bathroom to prepare a bath for her. In Lisa's mind, her wife needs a simple warm bath to relax and think about everything.
After making sure that the water was warm enough, Lisa went back to fetch Chaeyoung.
Chaeyoung, on the other hand, could only smile as Lisa started taking off her clothes and have her put on a robe. Then once again, Lisa scooped her up and slowly brought her into the bathroom. Without saying a thing, Lisa then took off Chaeyoung's robe and carefully transfered her into the tub.
"Hmm." Chaeyoung closed her eyes as she let the heat soak into her skin.
Not too long after she started soaking her skin, Chaeyoung noticed that Lisa light some scented candles before turning off the light. Instantly making her feel calmer. Then a slow soothing music reached ears.
She could only smile as Lisa kissed her forehead before leaving her alone. Chaeyoung was not the type of woman who liked to be pampered too much. Yet, at this point, Lisa's actions instantly made her feel a little better, a little warmer.
She watched at the steam started to build up and first wonder what kind of oil essentials did her wife used in the water. Chaeyoung instantly made a mental note to ask Lisa to do this to her often. After all, a woman no matter how strong still needs moments like this with her loved one.
The thought of love one only made Chaeyoung frowned. She can't help but think back about the note that she received, telling her not to trust anyone. Was that message directed for her mother? Or was there someone else near here that should not be trusted?
Right now, Chaeyoung can't help but doubt everyone around her. Of course, this does not include Lisa. This is partly because she loved Lisa and partly because Lisa is just like her. Someone who was brought back to life by some miracles.
Miracles.
Yes, that is what she needed lately.
Gideon's presence just made everything more complicated, more chaotic. It was as if the man opened a new door towards uncertainty, towards an unknown location that Chaeyoung was afraid to go.
At this point, Chaeyoung could only question everything. Including her mother's words. She remembered Gideon mentioned that her mother faked her death to get away from her father. This statement alone made Chaeyoung question her mother's purpose of getting close to her father.
She told her, she did not know who he is. She told her it was Henry Lee who informed her about her father's identity, making her leave and ran away.
But why was she even with her father in the first place? Is it true that she was trained to infiltrate organizations? If she is the… is it possible that she was infiltrating an organization when she met her father? Is it possible that Claire got into bigger trouble because she fell in love with Chaeyoung's father?
Chaeyoung thought that there is a very high possibility that this is what happened or else why would she run away from her father?
However, there is also a possibility that her mother was infiltrating the Lee Family. She must have thought that the person who she fell in love was just a normal member of the Lee Family and got devastated when he was someone important.
But the question is… just who is her father? And why would a King do this in his stead? Was he someone more important than the King?
Chaeyoung shook her head when the possibility of the king being her father came into her mind. That's impossible. Or is it?
What about Henry Lee? What is his role in all this complicated mess? Henry Lee was obviously someone from the Lee Family. So what does he want with Lisa's list? Is he planning to infiltrate the Zhou Family who ruled the black market in Luxembourg?
Chaeyoung let out a long sigh as her mind started to consider the possibility of going to Luxembourg once and for all to ask the king about her father. In Chaeyoung's mind, if she could meet her father then she could ask him the things that would keep her up in the next few nights.
----
Chaeyoung stayed at the bathtub for less than twenty minutes yet, she felt as though she had been there for decades. Of course, she also felt a little lighter and relaxed than she was a while ago.
She wrapped the robe around her body and went out of the bathroom only to see Lisa sitting on the couch, holding a glass of wine while staring at the fireplace.
"Feeling better?" Lisa asked the moment Chaeyoung took a seat next to her.
"Hmmm…" she nodded before easily slipping into Lisa's lap. Then Chaeyoung buried her head into Lisa's neck like a child missing the warmth of her mother. "Thank you," she whispered.
She let out another sigh when she felt Lisa stroke her back gently. "I'm always here for you," Lisa said softly. "No matter what kind of truth awaits us. I am always here for you. That's a promise."
Chaeyoung smiled at her wife's words. Deep inside she always knew that Lisa would stay with her. No matter what dark truth awaits for them to discover, she knows that her wife would always be hers.
"What do you think of this ring?" Chaeyoung asked before lifting Lisa's hands watching the ring reflect the light from the fireplace.
"I examined it carefully earlier and I realize that this ring had a pair."
"Like a wedding ring?" she asked.
"I'm thinking of two rings that can be connected into one," Lisa answered before taking off the ring from her fingers and showing it to Chaeyoung.
True to her words, the ring indeed had a tiny indention. Like it was purposely cut to have another ring fit into it.
Chaeyoung examined the ring carefully and the insignia that was carefully crafted inside the ring. It looked like a rose with a hammer.
"Rose and Hammer. What a weird combination. I wonder what it meant." she thought out loud.
"I have no idea what it meant but I am planning to have my people ask in the black market." Lisa said.
"This ring is so beautiful. Like… it was something that would fit a royalty."
"I agree. Mysterious and beautiful. Just like you and your background." Lisa said while chuckling. "Maybe I should just hide you from the world. So no one would try and take advantage of your brilliance, no?"
Chaeyoung beamed at Lisa's words. She knows that Lisa was trying to divert the attention to make her feel better. And she succeeded. "What about you and your entourage of annoying flies?"
"Entourage?" Lisa raised an eyebrow.
"Well… you seemed to attract flies all the time. Maybe you should wear a mask?"
"Hmmm… Why don't we just run away together after all this? Let's stay on your island. And live the rest of our lives…"
"What island?" she interrupted, instantly making Lisa swallow the rest of her words. If Lisa could only smack her face right now, she would have. Lisa had forgotten that Chaeyoung was still not aware of the island that she named after her.
"It was supposed to be a wedding surprise," Lisa said. "For our big wedding." she clarified. "I bought it before we met and named it after you."
Chaeyoung's eyes sparkled at the thought of Lisa buying an island for her before they even met. Was Lisa this confident that she will marry her?
Sensing her thoughts Lisa smirked at her. "Of course, I know you will fall for me. I am pretty, smart, rich and I love you. I am everything that you want." Lisa said, her chin raised, eyes full of mirth.
"Right," she said before giggling. Lisa is indeed everything that she ever wanted.
...
Chaeyoung woke up in Lisa's arms, she was feeling lighter and happier. Last night, she and Lisa did not stay in their room. Instead, they chose to spend the night in a guestroom.
She looked at Lisa, who was still sleeping and slowly removed her arms from her waist. She then tried to move out of the bed, only to be held back by Lisa, as she once again wrapped her arms around Chaeyoung.
"Thirty minutes." She heard Lisa murmur, as she hugged her tightly.
In response, Chaeyoung snuggled closer to Lisa and made herself comfortable as she inhaled Lisa's scent. Being in her wife's arms was making Chaeyoung feel more secure and loved. It was as if, Lisa's arms were some sort of cage, which would protect her from the incoming storms. It felt like a tall tree was protecting her from the scorching heat of the sun.
Lisa's warmth was a reminder that she was not alone. Oh... just how lucky was she? Not only did the gods brought her back to life, but they also gave her a woman like Lisa.
Chaeyoung let out a long sigh, as her mind started wondering about her mother and father. She once again remembered the message that had been sent to her. Fortunately, she had forgotten to tell her mother about that message because she was too focused on Henry Lee first, then on helping Jennie. Sometimes, she couldn't help but think that everything that had happened so far had its reasons. After last night, Chaeyoung thought that there might be another reason she forgot to tell her mother about the message. And this was it.
Although Chaeyoung loved her mother very much, she couldn't deny that the King's words were very convincing too. When he mentioned about Claire faking her death to get away from Chaeyoung's father, she instantly felt that her mother's words were not very credible all along.
In her reasoning, if Claire was able to fake her death once... then... what's stopping her from doing it again? If she was that good in disguise, then... what if... she had also faked her own death years ago and just fooled Henry and Chaeyoung into thinking that someone is after her?
In the first place... why would someone want to kill her mother? Why was she so scared of people knowing that she was still alive?
Chaeyoung was aware that the good night sleep that she had with Lisa helped her think things through: like thinking about the King and her father.
From Gideon's words alone, Chaeyoung was able to understand that he knew who was her true father. His outburst showed that he had accompanied her father in sadness when Claire had left him. His emotional words showed that he was very close to Chaeyoung's father.
So... who had the capability to be this close to the King? Could it be the Prime Minister? From Chaeyoung's research, she found out that the Prime Minister was very close to the King. It was also rumored that they were best friends while growing up.
Chaeyoung furrowed her brows when she thought of the things that she knew about the Prime Minister so far. It was said that he married someone from the Zhou family and had two adopted children.
It was never mentioned that the Prime Minister had a biological child with his wife. Moreover, he also never showed any closeness with his wife when they were together. Chaeyoung assumed that it was just because they were in public. However, she now realized that there might be another reason.
It might be because he never loved his wife, and just got married to fulfill his duties towards his family.
However, things still did not add up. Why would the King meet with her, instead of sending the Prime Minister? The King's position was more important than that of his friend's so… why would he risk his safety just to see her?
What about his words, concerning the total annihilation of the Zhou Family from Luxembourg? For some reason, Chaeyoung did not believe it when he told her that she was the key that could break the balance between the two families.
She found it almost comical. She was not someone special… Without the money she had, she was not really that outstanding. Even more, there could be more talented people in the Tech Industry than her. So, his words couldn't be true at all.
And lastly, Chaeyoung couldn't seem to wrap her mind on the fact that Lisa's ring was another reason the King approached them. The ring was not something special or unique in Chaeyoung's eyes. In fact, she could easily buy that ring at any jewelry store. It might be very beautiful but it was also common.
The most intriguing feature of that ring was the insignia and the letter next to it. Once again, she rummaged every part of her brain, just to think if she had ever seen that sign before. But once again, she ended up with nothing.
Chaeyoung could only let out a sigh before kissing Lisa's chest.
"Hey... Lili? We need to go. I'm sure Grandfather and Uncle want to talk to us." She softly said. She was a hundred percent sure that Jackson told her grandfather about the things that had happened last night. Because of that, she needed to explain to them a lot of things.
Including her father's bloodline.
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