In Another Life

Another Chance

"Hajoon, I want Heeseung to marry Mingyue." Haewon stated.

"What about Jangmi? Weren't you so caught up on her yesterday?"

"Am I not allowed to have a change of heart?"

Hajoon realized very quickly in the marriage that Haewon will always have the final say. She is very stubborn about her beliefs and will fight to the death for them.

Hajoon sighed knowing there's no way he's going to win, "May I ask what caused this?"

"Mingyue did. I had a nice conversation with her plus you can see that Heeseung adores her."

"So be it. I'll go talk with Yoobin."

Haewon smiled with his agreement, kissing him on the forehead. She knows the power she has over her husband, and she also uses it very strategically.

"Heeseung, Mingyue isn't doing too well." Jungwon had ran to Heeseung.

"Where is she?"

"She's at the infirmary–"

Heeseung broke off into a sprint. Maybe it was hereditary, but Heeseung, too, didn't trust this physician. He saw her limp body on the cot, she didn't even look like she was breathing at this point. His eyes made it's way towards the man who wore a devilish smirk.

"What did you do to her?"

"The question you should ask is what didn't I do to her?"

Heeseung was speechless by this perverted man. He would've done something that he regretted if it wasn't for Haewon that ran into the infirmary. She had a syringe in her hand and she immediacy injected it into Mingyue.

At first nothing happened. Haewon's eyes began to water, she had just lost her future daughter in law. Her son had just lost his future wife...

"Mom?" Heeseung's voice cracked, Haewon's glassy eyes looked over to his. Both of them were a crying mess. Before Mingyue's lifeless body, both held each other crying.

An audible gasp pulled the two apart. They looked over to the girl in the cot, she wasn't dead yet. Haewon smiled, tears still fell down her face, but she was relieved that she wasn't too late.

"Heeseung, what do you think of Mingyue?"

"Mingyue is kindhearted, but she's defiantly been through a lot."

"That's not what I meant, I'm asking if you like her."

"Mom, I'm not sure why you are asking this. I already have a marriage arranged, what difference does it make now if I was fond of Mingyue?"

"Hajoon turn down the marriage between you and Jangmi. I want you to marry Mingyue, we have been talking about this with Yoobin."

Heeseung smiled and nodded, all he had to do was as Mingyue if this was something she wanted as well. He knew, very clearly, her views on marriage. But he would promise not to restrict her freedom, he just wanted to marry the woman he fell in love with two years ago.

"Heeseung? What happened?" Mingyue asked. It had been almost a week that she was unconscious, it had also been the longest week of Heeseung's life.

"What is the last thing that you remember?"

"The wedding, I went with you and Auntie Haewon asked to talk to me."

"You don't remember anything after?"

Mingyue shook her head, her amber eyes held perfect contact with his. "You went to the infirmary... my mom gave you medicine. We all thought that you had died–" He was cut off by the painful memories of thinking that she was dead.

"Shhh, it's alright. I'm here now," Mingyue comforted. She held Heeseung's hand, giving it a small squeeze to reassure him that everything was alright now.

"Mingyue!" Haneul ran into the infirmary, her husband, Youngjae behind her.

Mingyue giggled at Haneul. The sister had been the second most frequent visitor, she followed closely behind Heeseung who had barely left Mingyue's side.

It was a day or so before Mingyue could finally leave the infirmary. The walls of that room were making her feel even more sick by the day.

"Mingyue, have your views changed on marriage?" Haneul asked out of the blue– perhaps maybe not out of the blue as the girl made eye contact with Heeseung.

"I guess it depends. I suppose I've already taken away my freedom, but I guess I want to marry someone who will care, you know?" Mingyue said mindlessly, as her focus was more on the game of chess with Sunoo than it was on the topic.

It was a step in the right direction for Heeseung, at least he now knows that he has a chance.

"Mingyue, do you want to be a queen one day?"

"What are with these questions Haneul?"

"I'm just curious~"

Mingyue just shook her head, refocusing on the game. So much had been running through her head since she woke up and it's gotten overwhelming for her to process. She knows that she should get out of the castle and that she will always suffer long term effects from the poison. Haewon told her that it probably shortened her life span, but Mingyue was just happy to still be alive. She felt like she had one reason to live, it was to keep her Mingsheng's memory alive.

"Auntie Haewon," Mingyue greeted the woman with a smile, "What brings you here?"

"Well, I wanted to tell you that we must return tomorrow."

Haewon could see the smile start to fade from Mingyue's face, "Dear, I came here to ask if you wanted to go back with us to Lazica Kingdom."

"I don't know if I can leave Kangdae and Haneul..."

"How would it make you feel if I told you that they supported this decision if you wanted it? They want to put your safety first, I think that you should do that as well."

"Very well, if I'm welcomed, I would like to go." Mingyue said.

"Go get packed, Dear." Haewon patting Mingyue on her knee before getting up and leaving.

That night Mingyue packed everything she found most important– it mainly consisted of the materialistic items from her old life; her drawings, her dresses, everything that had any emotional connection.

"Your Highness, you have a visitor."

"Send them in."