Jade Hope (Seulrene Historical au)

Lady by the red pine tree

She thought about all the pain, horror, and hate;

Happiness, love, freedom, and of her cruel fate

Reminding her of all her mistakes and future sins to make

As she stared at the lady by the red pine tree over the lake.

CHAPTER 2: Lady by the red pine tree

In the palace garden, Joseon's imperial crown prince could be seen kneeling as she stared over at the lake—or more specifically, at the woman who was hanging on a tree over the lake.

The twelve-year-old monarch numbly stared at the lifeless body, wondering where things had gone wrong, wondering if it ever will be right...

Seulgi wanted to cry, she wanted to scream, curse her father, his kingdom, and the heavens for allowing these atrocities to happen, but she remained silent, she couldn't find her voice—her eyes blinking in tears as she took in the sight in front of her.

Thinking about her life, Seulgi thought about if all this pain, all this pretense was worth it?

Maybe things would be easier if she were to take another cloth and hang herself on the pine tree, next to the lifeless woman—maybe then all would end... and maybe, just maybe, she would see her mother and brother in the afterlife. Perhaps in death, she'll get to live as she wanted.

But if she did that, for what purpose did the lady by the red pine tree die?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

EIGHT MONTHS AGO...

"Get out of my face!" Seulki flinched as her father and king threw his drinking cup towards her. The young princess pretending to be Joseon's Crown Prince knew that if her father was a bit more sober, the cup would've hit her on the face and not the wall over her shoulder.

Fortunately, her father was so drunk, that Seulki did not receive more injuries than the ones she had already incurred when she was thrown against the pillar upon her entrance in the King's chambers.

"Give me back my son! Oh, my son, my precious Seulgi..." King Seunji whimpered. His form swaying as he tried to take a step towards his daughter, an arm raised and ready to give more pain, but the King lost his footing, and with it, his consciousness.

Seulki limped towards the blacked-out form of her father, carefully, she tried her best to carry the King back to his bed. Grunting in pain as she held the weight of her father, her shoulder was already sore from taking the brunt force of the King's temperament.

Still, Seulki laid the King down slowly and with tenderness her father did not deserve.

The young princess arranged her father's blanket and beddings, so that the cold would not bother him in his sleep. Although with the amount of liquor that the King had consumed, Seulki doubted if anything would bother him.

Seulki retreated from her Father's side, hissing in pain as she put weight on her injured foot. She weathered it as she knelt towards the sleeping King, showing her respect, before she rose and turned. Her dead brother's royal robes, heavy on her shoulders.

The only servant standing outside the King's chambers was Eunuch Nam, the only person other than her father and Court Maid Kim who knew of her real identity.

"Seja-Jeoha," Eunuch Nam bowed in greeting, his emotionless eyes scanning over the injured form of the young monarch, who only nodded in return and continued to walk as if nothing was ailing.

Seulki knew that her father's loyal servant was watching, so she did her best in suppressing each jolt of pain that passed through her body at every step that she made. She sighed in relief the moment she was sure Eunuch Nam wouldn't be able to see her anymore.