The Untouchable Prince | A Norenmin FanFiction

九十一

Ninety One
Updated: August 14, 2023

Author's Note
Warning for graphic depiction of torture and the gore and pain that goes along with it in the first part of this chapter.

Minhyung was the First Prince of Lee. He was the first born, the oldest cousin of the Crown Prince Lee Jeno. He had a reputation to uphold in not only the Lee Empire but also in the other two. Afterall, he was marrying the oldest prince of the joint marriage between Na and Huang.

However, despite this title, the experience under the Fifth Commander's whip was no different from the common criminal.

It had been three days since it started. And three days since he and his servant knelt on the straw ground with blood dripping down from their back. Wounds that scabbed overnight, reopened the day after, seemingly becoming worse and worse. The wounds that Minhyung suffered from Kang were no different. Weeks of torture that had only just begun to heal, suddenly formed new ones on top. Blood and sweat mixed under the stained and ripped clothing that were replaced night after night. The pain was unbearable, yet Minhyung and Geunseo remained as silent as if their tongues had been cut out of their throats.

Snap.

Another whip came down on both of their backs, stinging and cracking open skin and old wounds. The warmth of their own blood seeped down, drenching everything. And as the whips kept coming, the blood began to splattered.

"Prince of Lee," said the Fifth Commander in his domineering tone, "you've spent months in the Kang Imperial City, yet you claim you don't know the location of our Crown Prince?" He walked around to face the two, a blood-drenched whip held firm in his blood-stained hands.

"I know nothing," Minhyung huffed between gritted teeth. Sweat formed droplets on his forehead before they dropped down to his chin and onto the straw in front of him.

The commander handed his beloved whip to one of his soldiers who kindly used a rag and wiped off the blood while handing the commander another rag to clean his hands. "Brave words for someone who was betrayed by a brother."

He was referring to Yimu, who Minhyung had poured his heart and soul into helping only to suddenly be thrown into a lowly dungeon and beaten to his last breath by the same man.

"He clearly doesn't value you anymore, Your Highness. Yet, you still seem so attached." He took the whip back from his soldier. He then gasped at a sudden revelation, "Ah, you couldn't have fallen for him, could you? I mean... I won't blame you for it. That Lee Yimu doesn't have a bad face." When he turned back to the prince, he crouched down in front of him and lowered his tone as he spoke tauntingly, "you could say I'm just slightly surprised. You have a beautiful fiancé waiting for you at home, yet you can't help but want to run into the arms of someone who threw you into the streets? Is he that much more special to you?"

Minhyung glared at the commander, not falling for his taunts, but that only fueled Commander Kwon even more.

"Do you really want to protect your lover that much? So much that you won't say anything even if it costs you your entire life?"

"I know nothing," he repeated, seething in pain.

"Really? Nothing? You had to have done something wrong that made your lover throw you into a dungeon, right? I mean, he didn't even want to let you go. You must know something."

Minhyung didn't say anything this time.

"What a pity," said Commander Kwon as he straightened himself. "Your fiancé loved you so much for most of his life. The Three Empires valued you and cared for you for years and years. Even the Hwang Crown Prince; he looked up to you. Yet, you threw away all of that to be with your lover all the way in Kang? Don't you think they suffered enough pain because of you?"