??? POV:
He observed them kissing.
"Don't you think he's playing with his food too much?"
"He's due in time for a wife. But this is so scandalous, his majesty falling in love with a pawn?"
"She's clearly fallen for him too." The figure nudged his partner.
"I think it time, we ruin this relationship."
"Let's start with his father."
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Third Person POV:
For the next few days after the kiss, Minjae had visited Hanni everyday. Bringing her snacks, gifts and trinkets, but each time he would come, he would wear his disguise. At first she would brush it off as Minjae being busy and taking precautions but it was starting to bother her. Why would he keep his face hidden away?
Sometimes Hanni would purposely get close to study his face. But Minjae would back away or leave in a flustered mess.
I have to think of a plan. What can I do to unmask this mystery man?
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Some scheme plotting later, Hanni was finally able to make a plan with the help of a little alcohol.
"Min!" Hanni drunkenly slurred out. "Where have you been my prince charming?"
"I've been around?" Minjae replied with a slight stammer in his voice. "How many drinks have you had?"
"Doesn't matterrr, I haven't seen you all week!"
She swayed her way over to Minjae. Nearly falling if Minjae hadn't caught her in time. He flung her arm around his shoulder. She started to pucker up her lips making kissy noises at him.
"Kith, gimme,"
Minjae had to restrain her from kissing him. He can't let her kiss him in a place like this, there were eyes everywhere. A scandal would spawn for sure.
"Let's get you to your room, then bed." Minjae firmly said.
"B-but my kiss." Hanni pouted as Minjae dragged her out of the garden party.
"Not here, not now." He said in a hushed voice.
Hanni furiously turned around to look at Minjae with glossed-over eyes. Her breathing was heavy and uneven, her heartbeat was pounding in her ears as she tried to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over.
"Why?" Hanni hissed at Minjae, "Why won't you just kiss me already?"
Minjae ignored her even more which made a drunk Hanni more rowdy. Hanni made more obnoxious comments as Minjae dragged her back to her quarters. With both of them being together the patrons who were drunk out of their minds, hooted and hollered.
"Someone's getting lucky tonight!"
"Get 'er tiger!"
"Your world is gonna get rocked tonight milady!"
"That kissaeng, was-was m-mine!"
All these comments made Minjae's blood boil, he had to push through and hurry.
"Aw, are you mad?" Hanni taunted him, "Mad that people think we're gonna fuck?"
Minjae had enough at that point and stopped walking, turning to look at her dead in the eyes he hissed. "Keep your voice down."
"Or what?" Hanni challenged him, "Gonna kiss me quiet?"
Minjae knew it was no use arguing with her in this state so he continued to pull her along towards her quarters.
Until a drunken noble threw himself in the way. He pointed to Minjae.
"D-d-didn't you hear me? -Hic- That damsel, t-that damsel!" He continued to slur nonsense until he wasn't.
"She's mine ya hear?!"
"Sir-"
He lunged and latched onto Hanni's arm. Tugging her away. In an instant, Minjae was done keeping his anger under wraps. With a swift kick in the gut, he was down in a second. The nobleman clutched his stomach in pain as he yelped and whined like a dog. All the other nobles who had just witnessed this turned silent. Some averted their gaze and pretended that nothing had happened but some watched on with great interest, amused by the show that was about to unfold. Minjae had lost control and was beyond pissed. He grabbed a hold of the nobleman by his collar and glared at him menacingly.
"Listen here and listen well, I'm done with being nice. You don't touch her again or else it'll be more than a simple kick in the gut." Minjae threatened.
Minjae threw the nobleman to the ground and gave him a deadly glare before returning his attention to Hanni. Who was currently sobering up from the sheer fear of Minjae's actions. He didn't say anything as he scooped her up into his arms and carried her off to her quarters in silence.
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Once at her room, he put her down gently on the bed.
"I can't undress you, so I'll-"
"No, stay."
"But I can't-"
"I don't care."
"So, you're gonna sleep in your stinky smelly party dress?"
Hanni raised a brow and pulled down the side of her dress revealing her smooth leg.
"I-I-I I mean y-you know what never mind, I'll leave!" Minjae turned beet red as he shot up from the bed and made a beeline for the door.
"You're a coward," Hanni said nonchalantly. "Stay with me, please."
Minjae stood there, awkwardly, with his back towards her. He was motionless. Hearing the silk layers come off her body and the occasional footsteps around the room. They shared the same parts but why was he so nervous? Seeing Hanni's body would be no different than seeing his own, right?
"Done."
Minjae awkwardly turned back around. Hanni was in a silver laced nightgown, he recognized it as one of the many gifts he had given to her. She looked as beautiful as how he imagined it would look on her the first time he saw it in the market stall.
Hanni scooted to the side of her bed to make space for Minjae. Minjae stood there, staring.
"Come here." She beckoned patting the space beside her.
Minjae still stood there. Unmoving.
"Fine, don't join me." Hanni huffed and turned on her side facing away from Minjae. "Be cold to me."
"No! It's not that! It's just..."
"Just what?"
"I'm nervous okay! It's my first time sleeping in a woman's room...well bed!"
"Relax Min, you're not gonna die or something." Hanni patted the spot beside her again. "Join me."
Stiffly Minjae settled onto her bed. He sat with his back to the headboard while Hanni had her head on her pillow.
"Sooo...it's getting kinda late, I should leave."
"Well I'm preventing you from doing that by doing this."
Suddenly Hanni laid her head on Minjae's lap.
"What are you doing?!" Minjae exclaimed.
"What does it look like? I'm lying on your lap."
"O-okay, but why?"
"Because you're warm."
Minjae gently stroked Hanni's hair as they laid in silence. Soon enough the room was filled with only the sound of their soft breaths.
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Under Minjae's breath he sang a song to Hanni. But the song he chose was one that she could relate to the most.
'Bom-da-bom-da-bom, Bom-da-bom-da-bom, Bomm.'
Hanni stirred in his lap, he paused for a moment. Thinking she was awake but continued when she didn't say anything.
'When you can't sleep at night and are afraid of the dark.'
'When you can't hide your tears from me and cry out loud.'
'I will hug you tight and sing a song for you.'
As the moon rose higher into the sky. Minjae too fell asleep with his hands tangled in Hanni's hair.
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Hanni's POV:
As the world went from blurry to clear, I could see a face. The face of someone I love. And I think he's sleeping. This is the moment, the moment that I've been waiting for. I reached up to his gat and slowly took it off.
I was met with pure shock. Min was breathtakingly beautiful. Glazing over his features, they were were flawless, a perfect mix of soft and sharp.
Pfft. Ugly my ass. I reached up to trace his features. All those times you told me you were ugly, it was just because of the scar, wasn't it?
As I was about to caress his cheek, he started to stir. I froze in place, hoping that he wouldn't wake up.
Mmmphf. His head rolled to the right.
Thank god, my little view wasn't going to wake up. Finalizing my act of reaching up to his scar, I touched it with tenderness. But a thought crossed my mind.
He looked familiar. It's like I've seen him before but I couldn't place where. I continued staring at him while trying to recall where I had seen him.
The eyes soft but fierce. The nose so sharp that it could cut. And lips so full and-
It hit me like a train. I had seen him before, no, no , no fucking way. No fucking way. No fucking way, I can't believe it. How could I be so stupid, so dense. I should've realized it sooner.
This was my enemy. He was my enemy. I was developing a crush on my enemy. I touched my lips and I kissed him. Dear god.
I recalled the moment where I had first met him, nearly dead in the middle of the battle field. I mentally beat myself up.
'I should've left you for dead.'
But out of the kindness in my heart I took you to safety and nurtured you back to health and you didn't even repay me. When you were healed you had left me.
Your name alone should've gave you away. Minjae. It used to sound sweet but now its bitter.
You're my people's enemy. Your father and his father before you were ruthless to my people, I expect you to be no different no matter how charming you look. But the images that were drawn of you in my dad's journals were so fierce and demonic. I never imagined that an emperor looked this handsome, except for the scar, that kind of stuck out to me. But it gave you character. Shaking my head I pushed the last thought away.
Now, I regret ever meeting you. Regret picking you up from the battlefield. Regret falling for you. For this-this monster who hurt millions of people like me. Who let their cruelty run rampant without abandon. I was truly upset at this world of men. First it was my dad, who I thought loved me. He had told me the lie that I'd inherit his place and had me raised with the best of best. So I studied hard, aced tests, learned etiquette, dance and even things as crazy as sword fighting. Then it turns out that I was just a pawn. A pawn to be used. A pawn that would not be allowed to assume any real power. Come to think of it, I was just a fancy peasant with a different title than peasant. Then came you, who I thought would be different.
But no! Your treatment of me might've been greater than my dad. Giving me presents and coming over every day to see me, you were treating me like a friend instead of some person you have to see, deal with and see on a semi-regular basis. But all of this kindness, was a lie. You don't really love me do you? After all, I am just an item of use to you. A pawn. It's the same cycle everytime. Deceived. Discarded.
Tears clouded my eyes. It seems like it's always like this for me. I can never seem to catch a break, can I? Maybe someday I can look at my life and point to one specific memory and say 'yes, that was the best memory of my life and I would cherish it for ever'. Someday maybe, but certainly not today.
"Fuck you. Minjae you fiend."