Chapter 37 (1/2)

Yuuljin was his childhood name.

He didn’t miss it, though she called his name in spite of herself. He quickly snatched her little hand before she could remove it.

His face began to regain vigor. He looked at her with shining eyes.

“What did you call me, Your Highness?”

“…”

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“Your Highness, how did you call me?”

“…”

At his asking, she just stepped back, with her face turning white.

But he followed her step by step and didn’t let go of her hand.

“How did you call me, Your Highness? Please call me once more.”

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When she flinched and moved back, he lowered his head deeply. His tears dropped on his shoes.

I missed you so much.

He vowed for the first time that he would have what he wanted by all means, but he took caution because he didn’t want to wound her heart. He kept pondering over how best to approach her. In the meantime, time passed helplessly.

When he finally bumped into her like this, he felt this was a golden opportunity to achieve his goal. Even before he judged it was a coincidence or opportunity, he called her unconsciously and ran to her.

When he stood before her, though, he was embarrassed about what what to do as she reacted in a rigid manner.

The fact that she took a step backward when he approached her wounded his heart.

“You are….” He said in a wet voice. He had never called anybody ‘you’ before. He always showed manners to her by calling her by her official title, but today he called her ‘you’ for the first time. That reflected his genuine feelings toward her.

“Do you not like me at all? Do you hate me? How come you are avoiding me like this?”

Kyosul’s eyebrows wiggled. Her narrowed eyebrows seemed to put pressure on him. Her face turned white. As if she realized suddenly that she gave her hand to him, captivated by him, she pulled it from him with surprise.

He couldn’t hold her hand any more, letting go of her hand.

No, I don’t hate you.

Kyosul was reciting it deep inside. She held both hands because she felt she might stroke his dishevelled hair in spite of herself.

While looking sadly at his haggard figure with her trembling hands folded, she barely turned around. She had never known it was so difficult to turn back and look at him. She turned her body only halfway, she felt short of breath as if she were lifting his whole body.

I should get out of here as soon as possible.

She kept thinking about it only. She was scared. She was nervous for fear he could read her mind. When she was about to turn, he called her desperately.

“I’ve made the decision.”

It seemed that he found it difficult to say the first few words, but once he opened his mouth, he began to speak.

“For the first time in my life I will follow the road that I want, not the one given to me nor the one that I had to follow up to now. I will take the road that has touched my heart, and do what I want to do.”

Kyosul’s little shoulders trembled. Looking at her who now turned back, he didn’t hide his confession. “You are the woman that I would like to convey my genuine feelings for the first time in my life.”

There was no reply from her. A cool breeze blew over them.

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After catching his breath for a moment, he went on in a sad voice.

“You came to me crying. On that sunny spring day, on that balmy day you jumped into my arm, crying sadly.”

On that spring day when Kyosul arrived in the Mok Kingdom, she came out of the sedan chair, shedding tears.

That indelible image of hers haunted him. Her tears, her laughter: this little woman from the Hwa Kingdom impressed him so strongly.

“What should I do? You came into my mind first. I dare say I can’t drive you out of my mind.”

In the end, he confessed to her. He confessed to her why he stayed beside her in the name of a friend.