The Fourteenth Prince, Wang Jung almost couldn't believe what he saw that had entered from the gate of his house.
"Hyungnim (Brother),"
"Jung." Baek-ah marched toward Jung and gave his little brother a brotherly hug. "Good to see that you are healthy."
"Why do you come?" Baek-ah pulled from the hug and raised one of his brows.
"You are sounded like my arrival is not welcome. What? You don't like that I come to visit you, huh?" Baek-ah said in a teasing manner.
"No!" shouted Jung, denying his brother's remark. "It's not like that! It's just... I can't believe that you come at this time."
"What happens?" Baek-ah couldn't help but feel that Jung was a little weird. "By the way, where is Hae Soo?"
"Soo is..." Jung cast his eyes downward and he sounded exhausted. "She is inside the house."
"Why is your tone sounded like she is dying? Or... something bad has happened to her?"
Jung lifted his head and stared straight at Baek-ah. Just then, Baek-ah could see that Jung's eyes were saying the word that he couldn't say out loud. The helplessness that he felt at that moment.
"Jung..."
"Soo... Soo is..." Jung shook his head and sighed deeply.
"Bring me to her. I have something to talk to her."
Jung didn't say anymore and turned his body to lead Baek-ah inside the house. They stopped in front of Hae Soo's room.
"She's inside." Jung looked at the room for a while before he turned at Baek-ah. "I won't bother you two. You can take your time."
"I know." Jung left Baek-ah after that. The distraught attitude of Jung bothered Baek-ah. In his dreams, Woo-hee also said that Hae Soo was in trouble and she needed his help. Baek-ah took a deep breath and pushed the door of Hae Soo's room.
When he stepped inside the room, two things caught his attention immediately. One was how sickly Hae Soo looks, sitting on the chair. And the other was the baby that Hae Soo cradled in her arms at the moment.
"Soo..."
Slowly, Hae Soo turned her head to the voice that called her name. When she saw who it was, there was this elation feeling that she hadn't felt for a long time.
"Baek-ah-nim," A little smile tugged on her tired face. Baek-ah walked and sat at the seat beside Hae Soo. "Is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me," He almost didn't believe that the woman in front of him now was the same Hae Soo, the feisty and lively woman that was also his best friend and his sister. "Are you okay?"
"What do you think?"
"...What happens?"
Hae Soo shook her head. "It's a long story. And honestly, I don't want to talk about that depressing moment again."
"If you say so." Baek-as looked Hae Soo from up to down and he didn't like a bit from what he had seen. It worried him greatly.
"Why do you come suddenly? Do you have something to do with the Fourteenth Prince?"
"No, I come to meet you."
"Me?" Hae Soo was a little bit surprised with Baek-ah answered.
"Yes. Truthfully, before I came here, someone had appeared in my dream and ask me to come and meet you. She said that you are in trouble and you also need my help."
"...Was it Woo-hee?"
"It was."
"... I..."
"What happened between us was something that couldn't be helped," Baek-ah said solemnly. "She and I talked a bit inside the dream and this matter has become water under the bridge. It's thanks to you that I can see and meet her again. Please don't feel guilty for something that is beyond your reach."
"... I'm glad to know that you have come to terms with this matter. Really."
"Enough talking about me. I come so that I can help you with whatever you need." Just then Baek-ah remembered the letters that Jung sent to the King that Jimong mentioned in his letter. "Jung's letters... The letter, is it about you?"
Hae Soo shook her head. She felt relieved when she heard that Jung had indeed sent her letters. She shouldn't have doubted Jung from the beginning. But then, why the king didn't come then?
"That's not Jung's letters. Those are my letters for the king."
"Your letters? Not Jung?" Baek-ah asked in disbelief. Hae Soo nodded her head slowly. If those were Hae Soo's letters, impossible that the king wouldn't read them. Even though his brother was angry with Hae Soo for lying to him about Wook's matter, but deep inside Wang So's heart, Hae Soo would always be the woman that he loved deeply. He knew that much. For his brother not reading Hae Soo's letter was something that he couldn't comprehend.
"Baek-ah-nim... Does the king hate me that much?"
"...Why do you think like that?"
"I hurt him deeply with the Eight Prince issues. He even said to me that he didn't want to see me again. Wasn't that the reason that he sent me away to be with the Fourteenth Prince?" Hae Soo remembered the last time she met with Wang So, which was when he asked her about her past relationship with Wang Wook. "Are there other reasons for him to send me away?"
"I believe it was you that asked him to go out of the palace."
"But at first, he didn't allow me to leave him. He was so adamant for me to stay by his side." Wang So didn't have anyone that he could trust except her after Baek-ah left Songak. And Hae Soo understood his situation. She was torn between staying at his side or leaving him alone at the palace. If not because of her pregnancy, maybe she wouldn't leave his side, even though she was tired of all that happened inside the palace.
"If one thing I can be assured about my fourth brother is his love for you. Never doubt that he loves you dearly, Soo. He did angry with you, but not to the point of hating you."
"Then... Why he didn't read my letters? I have sent so many since I gave birth to Seol two months ago. But he never comes and sees me like what I asked him in my letter."
Baek-ah darted his eyes to look at the baby. "Is it his?"
Hae Soo kissed her daughter's forehead and when she looked at Baek-ah, he could see the love that exuded from her body. "It is."
"Does he know?" Hae Soo shook her head. Baek-ah stared at the baby when something clicked inside his mind. "You wanted to leave the palace because of the baby, didn't you?"
"...I did."
"Did you write about the baby in the letter?"
"No," Hae Soo shook her head again. "But if he read my letter and come to see me, he will know about her. It was never my intention to hide her from her father." Right then the baby opened her eyes and a sweet smile adorned Hae Soo's face.
"Your daughter is very pretty."
"Baek-ah-nim... I don't have much time left."
"Don't say it like that. You have a daughter that you still need to care about. And my brother will not like it if you are not around. And neither do I."
"No, my days are number and I know that my body will not be able to hold on any longer. The royal physician that came to look after me during my pregnancy had warned me that if I continue my pregnancy, it would be dangerous for my body." Baek-ah didn't need to ask what was Hae Soo's decision for this. The baby in her arms was the answer. "I never regret giving birth to our daughter. I know what cost I have to pay, and I will pay for it. It's just... I want to see him before I go." Baek-ah could feel the longing for his fourth brother from the way Hae Soo talked about him. It was the same tone that he used when he talked about Woo-hee.
"Hae Soo-"
"No, I know that my time is almost up." Even though Baek-ah very much wanted to deny Hae Soo's remarks, he didn't have to be a physician to know that his best friend was on her deathbed. His throat suddenly became dry.
"You... want to see His Majesty? To see So Hyungnim?"
"More than anything else you can imagine... Baek-ah-nim," Hae Soo handed Baek-ah a letter that was on the table. "Please give this letter to him. I want to ask the Fourteenth Prince to send this letter before, but I will trust this letter to you instead. This will be my last letter to him. Please... Please, help me send this letter to him."
Baek-ah accepted the letter and slipped it carefully inside his shirt. "I will give this letter to him. Don't worry. I will make him read this letter even if I have to force him and be sentenced to prison."
"Thank you very much." Hae Soo thanked her best friend with a weak smile.
"You have to hang on until then. Don't you dare to leave without receiving my reply. Got it?"
"I will try my best. But, please be quick."
"I will go as fast as possible. And you, get some rest. You look so pale, you know."
"I know."
Baek-ah got up and then walked to the door before Hae Soo called him one last time. "Baek-ah-nim."
Baek-ah stopped and turned his head to see Hae Soo.
"Really... Thank you very much. And, please... bring him to me if you can."
"You have my words, Soo."
Baek-ah left Hae Soo's room and searched for Jung. He found his brother in the courtyard.
"Jung." Baek-ah approached Jung while the latter turned his head expectantly as he had waited for him to come.
"Hyungnim! How is it going?"
"I will be going to Songak right now as fast as I can. Give me the fastest horse that you have. We... Hae Soo can't wait any longer."
"Right. Maybe if you go and see him, you can convince him to come here. At least he doesn't hate you as he hates me."
"Jung."
"No, it's not a time to argue. I have tried everything that I can for him to come here but... he never comes. Yes, I don't like him... I, maybe, despise him for all the things he had done to mother and Yo Hyungnim. But... Hae Soo wants to see him. She... She really wants to see him. And I want to grant her wish."
"I will make our fourth brother come here. Even if I have to drag and tie him up, I will make him come and meet Hae Soo."
"I will prepare the horse then."
Jung called the servant that was assigned to the stable to prepare the horse and then he told the other servants to prepare the needs for Baek-ah's journey.
Baek-ah saw the hustle of the preparation while making a vow to himself that he would make sure that Wang So would come and meet Hae Soo. Whatever the cost it would need.