The Grey Storm

28

Granny Lady
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Hyo sat alone in the Palace garden, stroking her teacup in thought. Sighing that Iseul has been avoiding her all morning, "There she is!" a loud voice boomed. Turning her head to see the Surprise guest here, "Oh? Do I know you?"

"You shall, you're my daughter-in-law of course." Lady Marié took off her sunglasses off, the scar freaked out Hyo a bit. "H-How?"

"I'm Iseul's stepmother, I married his mother." she blinked in shock taking in the news, getting up to curtsey. "Don't bother, Iseul never accepted me as his stepmother. Relatable?" biting the ends of the sunglasses watching the Korean woman getting uncomfortable, holding the chair to compose herself. Hyo took Lady Marié's words to heart, "Yeah, I guess?"

"Sit," Hyo immediately sat down as Lady Marié pulled the opposite chair, seating herself down. "Forgive me, I-I was just lost in my thoughts?"

"Iseul or Isamiona?"

"Both,"  Lady Marié rested her cheek on her hand, smiling pleased at the woman Iseul fell in love with. "I thought his mother was on her wedding anniversary―"

"My dear Hanane lied, she's in the holiday resort taking a break from Royal duties." (wife) using air quotations marks as Hyo giggled, "Oh?"

"Don't stress, like Isamiona and Iseul can't stand in the same room with each other. So does the mother and her son, apple don't fall from the tree."

"True on that― not to be rude,"

"Nonsense! A Rosemary woman speaks her mind, I came to see the little ones. I came bearing gifts,"

"I. . .I actually don't know where they are?" Hyo panicked getting up again, but Lady Marié placed her tentacle on Hyo's wrist to stop her. Snapping her finger once, "Get the kids," a maid appeared from the shadows bowing low before running to the maze of the garden, Hyo looked at the tentacle as it slid away. "Sorry about that, old age is a bitch."

"You got―"

"Yes, tentacles. Think of me as Ursula from the little mermaid," Hyo seated down once again, pouring her other mother-in-law tea. "Stop fussing on the kids, it makes them recoil. Trust me, I received the bitter end of that." pointing to the scar across her face,

"Iseul did that?" Hyo gasped covering her mouth, Lady Marié hummed taking the teacup and saucer gracefully. "He lashed out, he took it out on me to hurt his mother."

"Why?"

"Like all single mothered children, all they desire is their parents getting back together." sipping her tea as Hyo's face dropped, "He's not a bad guy, he's just an angry little boy. My Hanane hasn't been a great mother, watching the boy who looked like her lover. Someone she couldn't have,"

"Iseul's father? He never spoke of him?"

"Because he doesn't know him, just like Isamiona doesn't know who Iseul was until the accident."

"Why is that?"

"Iseul didn't want anything with Isamiona, but since Isamiona was born in South Korea and he is her only blood relative. Court ordered a six month stay until her stepfather can take her,"

"And Iseul's father?" taking another sip from her tea, Lady Marié and paused a bit, thinking. "Iseul mustn't know of this," she warned looking around first: