Body & Soul 🇰🇷 Part 2

Chapter 196: Seo Yeon/ Seon-Ho

 I had been married to the man I was physically emotionally and sexually intoxicated with every single day for almost over a decade; and when I woke up by his side, in his arms or to himself on top of me, the first thing I always did was read his face to decipher his mood. He was affectionate enough with our children but when it came to me...he used our marital relations and his possessiveness to talk to me in a language that I came to understand overtime. And by the look on his face and my past which he only knew too well, he was already expecting me to have come up with a plan to start fighting those girls back and come home...and he wasn't wrong to expect that of me at all. But I had to put my newborn first, even if it meant executing my plan slowly. When the twins were born he was by my side for everything; the feeding, the changing, the baths and all of their milestones. And even though everyone doted on him and were more than wiling to help me out, he cried more than my twins did and I knew why; he missed his father's scent. I had more than enough money to support myself and the everybody else for that matter since he insisted on me having a private fund that he barely let me use anyways. So I planned to stay here in the hideout for a short while at least while the men helped me out as much as they could and the boys...well who knows what they were off doing but they had taken off all this time from the palace and it was high time that they returned soon as they went shopping with Jeong-Beom and Chief Park in the markets. The poor boys were used to shopping with their fathers...but I was thankful to everyone for helping us nonetheless.

Myself and the children still frequented the palace a lot with their cousins due to my brother who seemed to have a plan of his own to reunite my family; under his protection my family was untouchable much to Nam-Kyu's great displeasure. And sure enough my talented children started receiving more compliments and praises for their skills and conversations despite being only 10 years old. I would always look at my man's face when I could and could tell he was very proud of our children who would frequently run up to him whenever they had him in their sights. Now that I was under protection I allowed them to meet with their father only in public places but only with him and not the Kang family who tried to meet with them privately on more than one occasion but myself or my husband always caught them in time, so they were either with me or with their father in his office although I had to keep making excuses for Hana, hoping and praying that her plan wold work out soon so we could return home.

We took as many opportunities as we could to run into each other...even when his 'wife' came to the palace we really could not resist each other. He never allowed her into his study when the children were around and even sent her right home on a few occasions which drove her into deadly temper tantrums that actually cost a few servants lives. At first she was in total denial about my existence in the palace, taking any opportunity she could to torture my old servant friends that she took for herself that I had become quite close with or to badmouth me. But Seon-Ho had shut down a long time ago and didn't even bother to help them much to my dismay. He only really came alive when he had his children in his arms. As for me however...he tried avoiding touching me in case he hurt me in our present conditions but soon enough he had me working for him as well like in the old days. Imagine his 'wife's shock when she entered the room without knocking; but before she could charge at me as usual Seon-Ho came in time and slapped her so hard she fell on the floor in full view of everyone as she had left his door open. And before she could intervene again he yelled for servants to escort them out from the premise before the children rushed in looked concerned. We settled them down as we set some activities for them to do before I took a break and I made myself comfortable in my man's lap. We didn't talk much but we allowed ourselves some comfort within each other. I felt his burdens, his tensions and his sadness as he buried his face into my neck until we couldn't take it anymore...it had been so long since I felt his embrace. I sent the children to their aunt who also accompanied my brother to the palace sometimes as neither of us were comfortable without our children in the palace without us... and I give myself to my husband who I missed with every fibre of my being. Over and over again, whenever we could like we were teenagers again. We started sneaking out again to meet, despite the fact the broke his promises and went back to his vices. He was upset to keep missing the twins who avoided him whenever they saw his new company with him but I told him that they were upset with the change and ended time to adapt. I told them it was hard for them to be the new topic of gossip but I assured him that they still loved him so much...it was just her they wanted nothing to do with. At this point he completely broke down into my arms and held him as usual before he got everything he needed out of him and he passed out on my lap. All I could do was hope and pray my children knew what they were doing as I had to keep covering for their absences as I continued to help my husband and his new baby bond together as much as possible.

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She was putting up a damned good fight by herself;. and she still... kept her small frame despite just birthing my son. She actually dared to change her whole look, which only made me crave her more than usual...I had managed to convince the doctor to put Nam-Kyu to sleep for a while so she could calm down whilst I slipped out to watch my family from a distance. Time passed by slower than usual and I kept peeking into the hideout to see my children and I was so proud of them. I tried as much as I could to be there for my son's competitions in secret although I couldn't pick them up from school anymore which absolutely killed me, I always wanted to be kept up to date with their progress. And my child who had just been born....I should be by her side taking care of her in the comfort of our home and teasing her about her cravings and so on...and playing with my daughter who was always too hyperactive before her bedtime...The more I was missing out on, the angrier I was getting...the darker I was becoming. But I still had Yeonnie in my sights at all times so I could...release my frustration and also bond with my wife when I couldn't be with her under these women's noses which was a lot as it happens. The more time spent with her the less she suspected how I was spending my time elsewhere. I just prayed that Yeonnie would return me soon and help me out of this dark place as couldn't allow my children to be near me when I was like this never mind a newborn.

I made my way to the Seo's hideout and I waited for my son to come out but I couldn't see him and I could only stay for so long. As I was about to make my way back home I felt his small hands slip into mine as he looked up to me sadly "where have you been father" in a tone that almost undid me entirely. I told him to run and bring his sister to me as I didn't have long. and they were all I needed to feel relief for a while; a break from my dark side. But when he told me that Hana didn't arrive with them I felt my heart stop for a moment. Where the hell was my little girl? Where had she gone? What did he mean she didn't go with her mother? When it had been almost a month since I last saw her? I asked him all these questions, rather angrily and I didn't even realise I was almost shaking my boy until young Geon had to step in between us and told me that she was still in my home without hesitation. I looked at him as if he had gone mad, but even Hyuk took my face in his hands and told me that Hana wasn't leaving my side no matter what I did or what I was facing. I looked over at the hideout where I was only a few feet away from my wife and baby who's cry I could hear, but right now Hana was my priority as I ran back to mansion on foot to find her.

I looked everywhere I could think of for her while I sent my men to my home; her favourite restaurant, dress shop, arts and craft stall, stationary shop and everywhere else the children passed through when they thought us adults had no idea what they were up to in their breaks when they couldn't join me in my office. Who else did they think were paying their tabs? But as hard as I looked, the more I was filled with complete dread and darkness, something I would rather eat glass than feel ever again. I knew that she wasn't in her grandfather's village either, there was no way she would go without her brother besides her. I searched the entire village thrice over, using more force than I would ever have until I was approached by a half beaten Chul, and I stopped dead in my tracks.

I took Chul into my arms before he dropped to the ground, clearly half starving and god knows what else he had been through before he told me where I could find Hana. I put him into the nearest carriage surrounded by 10 of my men whilst I ran as fast as I could into the home I had placed Nam-Kyu and her husband in after their last minute wedding. I didn't have to look very far as I saw my baby shivering in the cold with her own wounds. The minute I laid eyes on my girl who's face usually lit up the minute she heard my steps and would run straight to me no matter how old she was, was now also half-starved and looked like she was on her way to deaths door I felt myself totally consumed by darkness as I carried her in my arms to the carriage next to her cousin, skiing in pure anger. I was just about to leave when a couple and their child emerged from next door came up to me and told me personally that they saw the children rummaging around for food and were in dire straits. They recognised them immediately and help feed them with whatever scapes they could but eventually they ran out of food themselves. I thanked them for it and I promised to reward them well but the little girl had told me that Hana had told her something that I needed to hear alone. I looked over at my little girl before this other girl took me by the hand and pulled me away from her parents and whispered the secret in my ear. I was completely shaking at this point as I ordered the family to be brought to my mansion as witnesses to what I was about to do. They looked scared but I reassured them that I needed their daughter to confirm something for me and they would be protected the whole time, and that I would double their rewards.