Heart of Ice

Honest

How does a King punish someone who was already dead? The King had to think on the spot. After killing her, he seemed to have regretted it, because now that she was dead, he could no longer punish her for defamation of the royal family. The King ascended onto the platform where Jinye's headless body lie dormant, and he began the damage control.

"This woman here has desecrated the image of our royal family by spreading filthy lies about our honorable princess," the King said. He was trying to shut down the rumor before it spread, but from the way that people were looking at her, Yewon knew that it wasn't working.

But the King kept condemning the dead girl, saying that he would further punish her by not giving her peace in her grave. She would not be buried, but instead, her naked body would be displayed for the kingdom to see. She would be further mutilated, and then the dogs would be released to gnaw at her dismembered corpse.

As he announced the violent ways in which he would punish her, Yewon sank in her chair, knowing very well that no matter how violently the King punished her, the seed has already been planted in the minds of the public, and nothing will stop the gossip from growing.

It's remarkable how a person can feel other people's gazes without seeing their eyes, because even as Yewon stared at her hands which were on her lap, the could feel the penetrating judgement from the eyes of everyone around her. It was so severe that she felt herself tremble.

A new hand suddenly entered into her line of sight. Seungcheol, who was seated beside her and witnessing the entire farce, reached out and took her hand. He squeezed it reassuringly, as if it reassured her at all.

She was guilty before him, and she guessed that this display of affection was coming from the fact that he didn't believe Jinye's accusation.

She lifted her head towards him, an expression of pure shame painted across her face. She wished to admit her guilt with that expression, to tell him that the accusation was true, but he did not catch on to that at all. Instead, he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.

Others were staring at them, and Seungcheol was well-aware of that. He had never shown her this affection in public before, and so Yewon knew it was a display that made a statement to people who were staring at her with judgement in their eyes. It was a display to show them that he, her husband and the Prince, believed in her.

And had she not been guilty, this would have meant the world to her...

But ironically, the affection which was meant to console made her feel guiltier than ever before.

-

Soonyoung denied it. When the royal family met in the courts after the execution, Soonyoung stood up and with deceptive determination, pledged that nothing had ever happened between him and Seungcheol's princess. The royals seemed to believe it, and they cursed at the dead girl for disgracing the royal family like that.

Yewon wondered how Soonyoung can lie so convincingly and with such ease. She knew she could never be able to do it, and thankfully, none seemed to expect her to. They accepted Soonyoung's testimony and didn't need to hear her own.

When she was back in her room, she let out of some of the suffocating air that was in her heart to Haein. Haein was the only person Yewon could talk to about her affair with Soonyoung, and it helped a lot to be able to talk about it with her. She expressed her fear and her guilt and the uncertainty she felt for the future. She expressed how unnerving it was that Seungcheol believed in her, because she couldn't bear the thought of seeing his face when she came clean to him.

And she planned to. Now that the secret was out, she didn't want to deny it. He had the right to know.

As she was talking to Haein, Soonyoung entered the room. He froze at the doorway when he saw them. He then said with a serious tone of voice, directed at Haein, "may I speak with the Princess alone, please?"