Hyunjin, In-Yeop, and Riki walked silently up the path towards their home, their hearts heavy with the looming confrontation. The weight of what had happened at the palace hung in the air, and Hyunjin could barely keep his composure as they approached the door.
When they stepped inside, they were immediately greeted by their father's harsh, booming voice.
"Hyunjin!" His father stood in the center of the small living room, arms crossed, eyes blazing with anger. Their mother and Yeji sat on the worn couch, their mother's face pale and streaked with tears. She was wringing her hands, her entire body tense with dread.
Hyunjin swallowed hard, feeling the knots in his stomach tighten as he stepped forward. Before he could say anything, his father's voice thundered again.
"You've brought disgrace to this family!" He stepped toward Hyunjin, his face twisted with fury. "How could you let this happen? How could you shame us like this?"
Hyunjin flinched but stood his ground, his heart pounding in his chest. He opened his mouth to explain, to try to defend himself, but his father's hand shot out, and before Hyunjin could react, he felt the sting of a hard slap across his face.
The sound of the slap echoed in the small room, followed by an eerie silence. Hyunjin stumbled back, a sharp pain radiating through his cheek. He looked up at his father, his eyes wide with shock, but the man in front of him showed no sign of remorse.
Yeji let out a soft cry, her tears flowing freely now, but she stayed seated, too terrified to intervene. Riki rushed to her side, trying to comfort her, while In-Yeop's face hardened with anger.
"Father, stop!" In-Yeop stepped between them, his voice filled with desperation. "Hyunjin did nothing wrong. He—"
Their father glared at In-Yeop, cutting him off with a sharp look. "You will not speak, In-Yeop. You will not come between me and your brother."
In-Yeop clenched his fists at his sides, torn between his loyalty to his father and his need to protect Hyunjin. "But Father, he—"
"I said enough!" His father's voice was like thunder, and In-Yeop stepped back, his heart heavy with frustration. He couldn't defy his father, not openly, but it killed him to watch Hyunjin suffer like this.
Their father turned his furious gaze back to Hyunjin. "You will never go back to that palace. You hear me? Never." His voice was low, dangerous. "It was a mistake to ever send you there, a mistake to believe you could bring honor to this family. You are nothing but a disgrace."
The word "disgrace" cut through Hyunjin like a knife. His vision blurred with tears, but he refused to let them fall. He clenched his fists, trying to stay strong, but the pain in his chest was unbearable.
"You will stay here, in this house, where you belong," his father continued. "And you will not leave your room. You are not to show your face to anyone. You have shamed this family enough."
Hyunjin's world seemed to crumble around him. He felt trapped, suffocated by his father's harsh words. He wanted to scream, to defend himself, to say that love shouldn't be a crime—but he knew it would be pointless.
"Go to your room, Hyunjin," his father ordered coldly. "And stay there. Don't come out. Not for any reason."
Hyunjin stood there for a moment, frozen in place, before slowly turning and walking toward the small bedroom at the back of the house. He could feel his mother's sobs behind him, Riki's quiet attempts to calm her, but none of it reached him.
In-Yeop watched his brother go, his heart breaking as he saw the despair in Hyunjin's eyes. He wanted to help, to do something, but he felt powerless in the face of their father's wrath.
As Hyunjin closed the door to his room, he collapsed onto the small bed, his body shaking with silent sobs. All he could think about was Yongbok—the love they had shared, the promises they had made. Now it all felt so far away, as if it had been ripped from him in an instant.
Hyunjin buried his face in his hands, feeling utterly lost. How could everything have fallen apart so quickly? How could love lead to so much pain?
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황실의 사랑 이야기 (Hwangsil-ui Sarang Iyagi) - The Imperial Love Story
Roman d'amour황실의 사랑 이야기 The Imperial Love Story In the grand halls of the imperial palace, where power and status dictate every relationship, Hyunjin, once a commoner, finds himself as the bodyguard to the sharp-tongued Prince Yongbok. Their interactions are fra...
