Body & Soul 🇰🇷 Part 1

Chapter 36: Seo Yeon

The royal assembly was in an uproar once I nodded to a friend of mine who sneaked into the palace on time, handed the scrolls I worked months for to get my hands on as a maid to a manor the assembly to hand to the court. I still didn't dare to turn around to face him, but from behind me I could hear my brother cashing him as h fell to his knees, gasping for air. Nam-Jeon, for probably the first time in his life began to plead and beg with the King for mercy all the while keeping his eyes firmly fixed on me the whole time. Then one by one; his followers in the court began to panic and started shouting his other crimes in public to distance themselves from him, eventually uncovering his crime to hold me hostage in order for my brother to kill his son with many witnesses collaborating to the story without having to exert the effort to approach them myself for their cooperation...with Hui-Jee's help of course. Without her leaking their secrets from Ihwaru a few hours before the assembly was due and scaring them out of their wits, they may have still been on their leader's side. Now there was only one thing left to do...
"Your Highness, the evidence against Nam-Jeon is clear. His son however, is innocent. He is and always has been your faithful servant. I implore you, to restore his rightful birth status upon him and cut his ties from his tyrannical father who held me hostage in order to carry out a plot to usurp your throne and assassinate your third prince" I bowed down make my plea, as did my brother eventually. The king was so furious as he kept both the Nam's quite close to him since the battle in Liadong; he immediately accepted my request without hesitation. Hwi and i were then given permission to leave the court. Neither one of us wanted to leave Seon-Ho there by himself but he was ordered to stay behind to discuss 'his new position'. We had no choice but to leave him behind as my brother took me home for the first time in 4 years...but not before I caught a small glimpse on the look on his face. And that look...I will never forget. It was a look that sent chills down my spine and went straight into my soul. And with that I knew, sooner or later, no matter where I was or what I was going to do now, he was going to find me no mater what, even it was just to get answers from me...

By the end of it I was so exhausted that I just bowed and turned around to leave without another word...but I just sucked it up and made my way to stand next to Seon-Ho still without looking at him, making my stance clear. I could feel his swollen eyes burning into me as if I was a person reborn entirely...but I also felt...no, it was impossible right? He had someone else in his heart so why...why could I feel...longing? Devotion?...desperation?

NO! No I...I couldn't possibly allow myself to surrender to my selfish feelings...after having exposed myself I could never live a normal life in society; be it with epilepsy or intelligence as a woman...I couldn't selfishly drag him down with me...but at the same time I was so caught off guard by this that I couldn't help but look back at him to make sure I wasn't reading things wrong. We made eye-contact, and suddenly it was like we were the only 2 people in the room; no one else mattered and no one would care to see us anyways. I tried to convey all the things I wanted to say to him privately with this single look...but before I could confirm that ho got the message we both awoke from our trance to Nam-Jeon's sentencing. By this time the Prince was making his way to his residence with my brother in tow. I made my way to join them but not before handing him the documents I had as proof that would ensure his father's death as a traitor to his country....and I walked away with my heart torn into pieces, not knowing when I would allow myself to see him again.