𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗦, Go Won

𝟬𝟰𝟴. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

"You brought the ice stone from Jinyowon yourself. You are a priestess." The Crown Prince said. "Are you unable to control it?"

How could Jin Bu-yeon control anything when she was not even the real Jin Bu-yeon? She was So-i the swindler. "I just did what my mother told me to do and brought it here."  The fake Jin Bu-yeon said.

"You are pathetic." The Crown Prince snarled. That is how the Crown Prince and Da-hye were similar, she would have said the exact same thing to So-i.

"Young Master Seo has lost too much blood." Young Lady Heo said. "Without a blood transfusion, his life will be in danger."

"If you need someone's blood, you can use mine." Jin Bu-yeon stood up.

"We cannot use spells in here, therefore your blood is not able to be shared." Da-hye said. "Ugh, this is so annoying!" Da-hye got up. "This is pathetic, hiding around waiting for a soul shifter to kill us. I need to see if Uk and Mu-deok are dead." Da-hye walked to the door.

The Crown Prince stopped her and grabbed her arm tightly. This time, he would not let her go. "Are you crazy?" The Crown Prince asked. "How can you go there when there is a soul shifter who could kill you?"

"We are going to die anyway." Da-hye said. "From either the soul shifter or from being stuck in here.  Let us let it be sooner than later." Da-hye explained.

"Then I will go with you." The Crown Prince said not letting go of Da-hye's arm.

"You cannot go out there when there is a soul shifter, Your Royal Highness." Da-hye said. She did not want the Crown Prince to get hurt in any way.

"Then why will you go?" The Crown Prince asked.

He did have a point. "Because I am curious. But, you cannot go. You are the Crown Prince." Da-hye said. "What if something happens?" Da-hye asked.

"Then I should be there to protect you." The Crown Prince said. No way was he going to let the love of his life go out there alone. Everyone in the room was staring at them, they noticed the tension between them.

"Beom and I will go with Young Lady Park, Your Royal Highness." Gu Hyo said. "You should stay here, Your Highness." Gu-hyo explained. Let the mage who was in love with Da-hye go with her and protect her? No way was the Crown Prince going to let that happen.

"Then I will go too." The Crown Prince said. "You can protect me as well." The Crown Prince told Gu Hyo.

Although, Da-hye liked that the Crown Prince was protective and worried about her, she did not want him to get hurt at all. She could not bear him being hurt in any way. It would just destroy her. "Fine." Da-hye said as she walked away.  Gu Hyo was already following her out of the door. Cha Beom and the Crown Prince followed them.

They searched around Jeongjingak but there was no one else. So, then they finally decided to check Jeongjingak's secret room assuming that Uk and Mu-deok were dead in there. There was a blood stain with a broken wood sword on the floor.  In the back of the secret room, a dead body lied there. 

Just as Da-hye was going to run over there to see who it was, the Crown Prince grabbed her arm tightly. Da-hye looked up at him. "What do you think you are doing?" Da-hye whispered while Cha Beom went to see who the person was.

"I am protecting you." The Crown Prince whispered in her ear.

Cha Beom dropped to his knees, his sword clinked on the floor. "It is the soul shifter." Cha Beom said. "Uk must have defeated him." Cha Beom said as the Crown Prince, Da-hye, and Gu Hyo looked at the soul shifter.

But, it was not Uk who defeated the soul shifter. It was Mu-deok. Because she was the soul shifter, Naksu. She would be able to use her energy in here like Master Kang. Since, Uk's body was not around here, that meant he was alive as well.

"It only took a single stroke." The Crown Prince noticed. "We cannot use spells in here. How did he manage to kill him?"

Da-hye knew the answer to that. But the rest, they did not. It was better she keep quiet. Naksu being Mu-deok was just a secret that Da-hye would have to bury for the rest of her life. "So where are Uk and Mu-deok?" Gu Hyo asked.

"Find them." The Crown Prince told Cha Beom and Gu Hyo.

"Yes, Your Royal Highness." Cha Beom and Gu Hyo both said.

"How is it possible?" The Crown Prince asked when he and Da-hye were finally alone.

Da-hye shrugged. "I am guessing Uk was willing to use his energy to cast one last spell."

"Not that." The Crown Prince said. "I am not talking about that."

"Then what else are you talking about?"  Da-hye asked as she raised her eyebrow. What could he be trying to say?

"How is it possible to for you to be worried about me if there are no feelings left for me?" The Crown Prince stepped closer to Da-hye.

Da-hye instinctively stepped backward. "You waited to ask me that?" Da-hye asked. "It is natural to be concerned about the Crown Prince's safety, specially in a situation like this." Da-hye tried to act normal. But in reality, her mind was racing. She did not like getting confronted, specially about  love. And by the Crown Prince!

"Are you sure?" The Crown Prince got closer to her. This time, Da-hye did not move away. She was to nervous to move. She wiped her sweaty palms on her dress. "Are you sure there is not another reason?" The Crown Prince asked again.

But now was not the time to get nervous. Da-hye scoffed and put her palm up. "I am sure that there is not another reason." Da-hye smiled confidently. "If there was, you would know." But he did not know.

To Da-hye's surprise, the Crown Prince did not believe a word she said. How could he not believe her? Was he really that delusional?

"I do not believe you." The Crown Prince said. "I ignored you for far too long, so now, as a way to make it up to you, I will give you my full attention."

Da-hye raised her eyebrow. "I thought you said this may be the last time we see eachother." 

"Well given these circumstances, I do not believe we will make it out of here." The Crown Prince said.

"Do not say that!" Da-hye said. How could he say that and be so negative? Everyone would go crazy if the Crown Prince died while being trapped in the ice stone.

"Were you not saying that a while ago?" The Crown Prince asked.

"That was different." Da-hye said. "Had I known the soul shifter was dead, I would not have said that." Da-hye shouted. 

"Well,  it does not matter now." The Crown Prince said. "But, whether you like it or not my full attention will be on you from now on." 

"What?" Da-hye scoffed. "Are you really that delusional?"  Yes, he was really that delusional.  "You just made me mad, now." Da-hye smiled playfully. "I am leaving."

"Wait, is that a yes?" The Crown Prince asked.

Da-hye looked back and furrowed her eyebrows. "A yes to what?" But before the Crown Prince could answer Da-hye was already walking away.

𝗜'𝗺 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗔𝗗 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗰 😭. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗮𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗜 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘇𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱.