The Repressed Secret 억압된 비밀 | • baek nakyum painter of the night x female ocs

Chapter 26

"Lady Yooha is here to visit, Your Highness" one of the eunuchs announced with his head bowed down in front of the emperor and the empress. 

Yooha walked through the big entrance door, standing before them with her head hung low "Here at your service" she said stoicly. Unlike her usual proper self, the empress can feel Yooha is different now. Her eyebrows frowned, getting worried for the young lady. 

"Kang Yooha? Is it okay for me to ask you if you are fine? I don't think you a" The door burst open, revealing the crown prince himself. Hangyul stands next to Yooha "Mother! You didn't tell me that you are going to invite Yooha here today!" he whined, pouting before turning to look over at Yooha "Are you free these days? I heard you have been busy these days. I was worried you know" he smiles as Yooha keep her gaze down. 

As if he was so used to it, the crown prince continued talking before replying to whatever his parents were discussing. 

Yooha was in her world. Her head couldn't stop thinking about the boy back home. Her head had been throbbing too since the morning but she ignored it. Yooha doesn't mind getting used as a tool for the royal family but for some reason, she didn't want this. Yooha never goes against whatever the emperor and the empress say but this time, she had a sudden urge to just walk away.

Even though her head was yelling for her to walk away, Yooha didn't. She stands there, almost too mannequin-like. 

"Yooha?" the emperor called out her name. Yooha looked at him, apologising for being rude "It's okay. we understand that you are tired since you just came home from a war. We take no offense for it" Yooha looked at them with her poker face on. Yooha didn't understand why wouldn't they. 

"Let me ask you, are you okay with the agreement?" he asked, looking back and forth from his son to Yooha. At that question, Yooha's heart aches. Her hands tremble, and her throat feels drier than it already is. 

"I'm sorry for acting ungrateful. I am so thankful for the attention and favors that I got, however, I don't get it. Why it should be me?" for the first time, Yooha looked head-on at the emperor. "I am just an average noblewoman who is also a warrior of this kingdom. It's my job to protect the people of this kingdom but not from the position of a crown princess" Yooha's hands clenched into fists 

"My hand dirtied. I killed countless people with and without a reason. Am I even qualified for this?" she asked genuinely at the royals. Yooha turns to Hangyul "Why would you love me, Your Highness? I can't even carry your heir. I am infertile and..... unlike other women out there, I don't like being touched" Yooha's words come out smoothly from her mouth "And what people are saying is true. I....do indecent things with guys. I can't sleep without doing it. I might even be addicted to it. I am the m-" the door burst opened again. 

This time it was her father instead. Yooha turned her head, looking at her father's figure walking closer to her. She wasn't ready to face him yet. Right now, her head was so full of thoughts that she couldn't think straight.  Yooha gulped, hiding her trembling hand behind her back. 

"Your Highness, I hope my daughter doesn't do anything reckless. Apologise for the inconvenience that she might have caused you" his head bowed before looking up "The agreement is still going on so you don't have to worry" his head turned to Hangyul "Yooha will be your wife soon, His Excellency the Grand Prince" he show a smile which have never been shown to Yooha before. Even his tone is something Yooha has never heard before. 

Hangyul's eyes meet Yooha and unlike before this, he doesn't show any reaction to what Master Choi is saying. His eyes were watching the melancholic looks that were shown on Yooha's stoic face for the first time. The crown prince wants to ask her what's wrong but for some reason, nothing comes out of his mouth at all. He can't even respond to something that he used to get excited about. 

His heart aches.

For her, the only one he had been in love with.

Yooha's father grabbed Yooha's wrist before bowing his head at Hangyul's parents "Excuse us" he said, dragging her away, away from the watch of the crown prince. His hand almost reached out to stop them but once again, he couldn't do it.  

"Hangyul?" his mother called out, looking at her beloved son concerned "What's wrong, my dear?" Hangyul shook his head "It's nothing, mother" he flashed a smile, clenching his fist, and headed back to his room.

*smack*

Her cheek was red. It's throbbing and aching as the hand that slapped her earlier lifted again in the air. Just like before this, Yooha let him hit her again and again until the anger he had vanished. 

"I should have just cut off your tongue," he said gritting her teeth, punching her instead of slapping. 

Yooha just bears everything. This is something that she had used to anyway. She deserved this. That's what had been playing inside her head the entire time she stood there. As if she was trying to make sense of everything, those words kept replaying in her head. 

All of this happened because of that person you've been keeping at home, right? Is that why? He yelled, pushing her down onto the ground. If you're going against me because of him, then I should have killed him, just like you killed your brother. Yooha snapped at those words. Her eyes widened in horror as she stared at her father. "What?" His face stared back at her, and he scoffed. "Out of everyone, you should know better. I am more than capable of killing someone like him. I hear he has been living in Kisaeng his whole life. That makes everything much easier." Yooha looked at her father, feeling like her whole life had come to a halt.

Yooha stood back up, grabbing her father's hand "Y-you can't do that!" her whole body felt like collapsing. "He hasn't done anything at all! Trust me! This is all my fault and I should be given the punishment instead! I accepted everything but not that. Father, please" At the unflinching expression of her father, Yooha knows that nothing went through. He will do whatever he feels like doing. He will do it. 

Yooha's knees collapse. She grabbed Master Choi's legs "Father, please.....don't do that. please, I am begging you. I w-will marry him. I will do it so please let him be. Don't touch Nakyum. He doesn't deserve this. Without him, I am nothing but a alive corpse" she pleaded, groveling on the dirty ground hoping to gain her father's pity. 

"You should experience how it felt to have your loved one taken from you. You take two away from me, you should taste your own medicine. That's what you get for a murderer like you" Her father grabbed her hair tightly

"Ever since you are born into this world, there's only one thing I have been praying for. That's for you to die shamefully. You have been nothing but bad luck to me and I still hoped for you to die. How about take that and die?" Master Choi chuckled, leaning closer "I won't touch Nakyum if you did so. What about that?" he let go and walked away.

Yooha looked down on her two hands. Tears that rarely come out start pouring out of her eyes. The smiles of Nakyum flash in her head. The way her world always seems to lighten up when he shows his smile. The way everything felt right with Nakyum. The way her heartbeat saw his cute face. Yooha is content to know in this dark world of her, there's someone who loves her for being her. She doesn't have to hide the scars. She didn't have to fake an act of being proper around him. How his presence doesn't make her think of a war.

How his presence makes her feel like everything is just a beautiful blooming flower.

".....I miss you"

the whispered call for her angel wasn't heard. For the last time, she wanted to hear him, kiss him, hug him, and tell him about everything. How much she loves him. How much his presence means to her. 

He saved her. 

the world isn't as dark anymore.

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