.thirty eight.
After breakfast with Eun's family, the other princes and the King left the table to continue with their day. Eun and Minji lingered just a bit longer, per Minji's request, since she didn't want her former flame to stop and interrogate her. Though she couldn't see him, she could feel him staring all through breakfast, brooding bitterly in his seat. Minji ignored it all and kept absoolutely quiet by her husband's side. Jung pretended to walk off but waited for them in the hallway to observe the two as they passed him by. Eun helped Minji out of her chair and she grabbed into his arm for support. The two walked together into the palace from the court yard area. They had to cut through the inside to get to the front gates in order to return to their home.
Minji smiled proudly at him, her husband who in that moment had gone from being a little boy to being a man who was willing to defend her in front of anyone including his own father who was the King. "You were so brave back there, oppa. Standing up to defend me in front of his majesty." She pointed out, her feet feeling awkward and even wobbly. Now that she couldn't see the world before her, she felt insecure taking even a few steps forward. But she knew Eun wouldn't let her fall. Up until now, he had been nothing but good to her. Probably because he felt sorry for her. But Minji appreciated it anyway.
The little prince coughed awkwardly, admitting to her in something of a whisper so that only her ears would hear it. "That was me on the outside. On the inside I was shaking."
She let out a light laugh. "Still, its the thought that counts. I appreciate it."
As they passed a row of stone pillars on their way out, Jung walked out from behind one of them suddenly, startling the tenth prince in his tracks, which had been the complete opposite of how he had acted in front of his father not even an hour earlier. Now he was the vulnerable little boy again. As Minji felt her husband stop, she stopped as well, and she didn't know who or what was in front of them until she heard Eun's pouty whine giving the information away. "Jung-ah...you scared me." He brought a hand to his heart. He had momentarily forgotten that he was mad at his younger brother, and that because of him Minji was now blind. Meanwhile, Jung had gotten off without even a scratch. As he recovered from his initial scare, his eyes narrowed into thin slits as he glared at his brother.
When Minji heard his name mentioned she lowered her head in shame and she shrunk closer to her husband's body.
"Hak Soon..." Jung called to her, his voice full of hurt.
He couldn't bear to see them together. But what hurt more was that she was actually happy without him. It was like she didn't need him anymore. He was easy to discard.
Minji tried to ignore him and said to her husband, leaning even more close to him, trying to shield herself from Jung's view. "Let's hurry up and get home, Eun-ah. I'm tired and I want to lay down." She tried to keep her steps secure and firm, without showing any signs of faltering. Her eyes trained ahead as though she could still see. She didn't want Jung to know that she was blind because she knew he would blame himself.
Eun nodded and led Minji around Jung. The fourteenth prince watched them both walk away, but he didn't follow after them. He wanted to chase after her, but he knew that if she had already been punished once, the king would probably punish her again if he saw them together.
They arrived back at their home to Eun and Minji's families waiting for them. They had made their way into their home and were drinking tea together as they sought their arrival. Eun bowed a greeting for them, informing them before sitting down with them, "I'll come back and sit with you." He said, and Minji couldn't help but notice how he sounded absolutely burdened. He was only eighteen and the last thing he wanted was a family reunion in which he would have to talk to them and listen to old stories. "Hak Soon-ah is tired and she wants to get some rest. Please excuse us."
