My deep soul

Chapter 25

The room was silent except for Jinyoen’s sobs. Her small frame shook as she clung to Jidiwi’s shoulder, her voice raw with the weight of a memory buried too long.

“They were killed, Jidiwi,” she whispered brokenly. “They killed them… in front of my eyes.”

His arms tightened around her instinctively. He stroked her hair, pressing his cheek against the crown of her head. “Shh… you don’t need to tell me, Jinu. You’ve suffered enough.”

But she shook her head against his chest, her fists curling in his robes. “No. I need to… I need to let it out. If I keep it buried, it will kill me.”

He said nothing, only held her closer. He could feel the sharp edge of her pain pressing against his own heart.

Her voice softened, trembling. “I missed my brother so much. I begged Chang Father to send me home early. When I returned… my father’s eyes weren’t the same. He was worried, afraid. He wouldn’t tell me why.” She wiped her tears quickly, but more kept falling. “That night, my brother woke me.”

“Jinu, Jinu… wake up.”

She blinked up at her brother’s face, eyes heavy with sleep. “What is it, brother?”

“Come with me,” he whispered, urgent. “Make no sound.”

Confused, she followed him to the stables.

“ what is it?” she asked, clutching his sleeve.

He knelt to her level, gripping her shoulders tightly. “Jinu, you must promise me something. No matter what happens, you must stay hidden here. Make no sound. Do not come out. You must live.”

Her heart thudded. “Why, orabeoni? What has happened?”

He hesitated, then said softly, “Do you remember the boy I told you about? The one I visited at the clinic?”

She nodded.

“He is the king.”

Her eyes widened in terror. “No… no, this can’t be. They can’t kill you! If they punish you, then they must punish me too. I’ll tell them I saw his face as well—”

“No, Jinu!” he interrupted fiercely, shaking his head. His voice broke. “You must live. Do you love me, Jinu?”

Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Yes, with all my heart.”

“Then you must live for me. Promise me.”

Before she could reply, the sound of galloping horses tore through the night. Soldiers dismounted, and then—she froze. A woman stepped forward from the shadows.

The queen herself.

Jinyoen’s heart dropped as she heard the venom in her voice. “Did you think to survive, Keng Haneul? Ah, your son is here too. How fortunate. And your daughter… is she sleeping? Good. Let her sleep. She won’t feel the pain when she dies.”

“No!” Kwan-Hyun growled, stepping in front of his father.

The queen smirked. “What are you waiting for? Finish them.”

Steel flashed. Her father’s body crumpled first. Then her brother. Blood stained the earth before her eyes.

Jinyoen bit down on her dress, nearly choking on her own cries, to stop the scream that burned in her throat. She saw soldiers drag their bodies away, saw her home set aflame.

“Now,” the queen said coldly, “the people will believe they died in the fire.”

Only when they were gone did Jinyoen crawl from the stables. Her body shook, her soul shattered, but she remembered his last words. 'You must live.' Somehow, she climbed onto a horse and fled, carrying nothing but grief and the unbearable silence of survival.

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Her tears streamed fresh as she spoke. “People believed my father, my brother, and I died that day. Only a few know who I truly am.”

Jidiwi’s chest tightened until he could hardly breathe. His hands shook as he held her. ‘How cruel… how cruel my mother can be. The boy who saved my life, who gave me friendship when I had none—slaughtered because of me. And now… the girl I love bears the scars of that night.’

He swallowed hard, fighting the storm inside him. “Do you… do you hate the king for this?” he whispered, terrified of her answer.

Jinyoen shook her head slowly, her voice soft but steady. “Hate is too heavy, Jidiwi. It was not his fault. I don’t even hate the queen. I… I cannot bring myself to hate anyone. My brother told me about him—how sad he looked, how his eyes sparkled when he asked for a friend. Having Queen Jiso as his mother… that must be the hardest burden of all. She sees people as possessions, but she is wrong. The people do not belong to the ruler. The ruler belongs to the people.”

Jidiwi’s throat tightened. She spoke the very truth his heart had longed for someone to understand. *You see me, Jinu. You see me more clearly than my own mother ever has.*

She blinked away tears, tilting her head. “Tell me… how did you know my brother?”

His voice dropped into something fragile, almost boyish. “I lived in the capital for some time. He… he became my friend. My only friend.”

Her lips parted, eyes glistening. “What did you two do?”

So Jidiwi told her. He spoke of secret meetings in the night, of games and whispered dreams, of the laughter that warmed his lonely childhood. His words softened, almost tender, as if he was weaving the ghost of Kwan-Hyun back into the room.

But halfway through his tale, he noticed her head had grown heavy on his shoulder. Jinyoen had fallen asleep, her lashes wet with tears, her breathing soft and uneven.

For a long moment, Jidiwi simply stared at her—this fragile, beautiful girl who carried pain so gracefully it tore his heart. Slowly, carefully, he lifted her into his arms and laid her on the bed. He drew the covers over her and lingered, watching as she curled toward the warmth.

He bent down, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face.

“You understand me more than anyone ever has, Jinu,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “More than my own mother. You see right through me. And now… I cannot let you go. You are mine to protect. Mine to love. Even if it kills me, I will keep you safe.”

His hand lingered near hers, aching to hold it but stopping short. His eyes burned with silent devotion. *You survived that night for your brother’s sake. From now on, you will live for mine. I won’t let this world hurt you again. Not while I draw breath.*

Jidiwi sat by her bedside the whole night, watching her as if she were the most precious thing in the world—because to him, she was.