In the name of love

024

"Time's up."

With an unreadable face, Taewoo held the barrel point blank at the ashen-faced Chaeyoung.

"Seems like your friend is a heartless person after all. I won't be surprised, he's after all, a royal who cares only for himself, just like the rest of his family."

Chaeyoung gulped nervously. She couldn't bring to blame him. In spite of all, she was the one who insisted tagging along on this dangerous mission. She could only lament at her own fate and her failure.

She shut her eyes in preparation and then out of nowhere, an unexpected voice rang out.

"Kim Taewoo!"

The burly man immediately turned his attention to the prince, his gun pointed at him, some thirty feet away. Dahyun temporarily tore her vision away from the threatening gun barrel as she surveyed their condition. Apart from Chaeyoung's injured leg, Dahyun was pleased to know they were still relatively unscathed for now.

"I'm here. Honour your words."

Even though she felt like cursing a string of vulgarities at him, Dahyun had to mince her words carefully. The rationale of his treason was still unclear. From this point now, anything could go haywire in any forms, both possible and the unthinkable.

"Why should I when you lot doesn't?"

"I'm not getting what you're trying to say."

Taewoo merely shook his head, "you are the most interesting bunch of people. Don't you find it tiring, hiding behind a fake mask in the presence of your so-called 'innocent civilians'?"

Her eyebrows furrowed at his words. Dahyun shifted uncomfortably. What exactly did he mean by that?

"Wanna hear a story?" He quipped, his stoic eyes showed no sign of emotion. The gun was still held up high and steady.

"It's about a young palace attendant who was assigned to the quarters of a royal prince. Just like any other fairy tale, the prince soon took notice of her and sure enough, they fell in love. Unable to suppress their growing desire, they did the unspeakable, and it wasn't long before their forbidden affair was eventually discovered. The King flew into a rage and guessed what the prince did?"

Taewoo raised a brow, goading for an answer. Dahyun maintained her silence, unsure of what to say.

"He chose to save his skin."

Taewoo gave a bitter laugh.

"The promise of undying love, eternal bliss was nothing but a mere lie. A fabricated, elaborate lie. Disgraced and dishonoured, she was forced to leave the palace, but no one, not even herself knew that she was already pregnant with a royal blood... but who was to believe her anyway? Alone and without assistance, the young mother had to raise her newborn child single-handedly. She worked and slogged her life, just so she could provide the best comfort she could afford to her child. It was hard but peaceful nonetheless. A few years went by uneventfully before she would see that man again, this time through a televised broadcast of the new King's coronation ceremony. Fascinated by the grand procession, the boy naively told his mother that he would one day become a King to let her enjoy a comfort life. At that instance, his mother held onto him tightly and cried her heart out, shocking the child for he had never once saw his mother shed a single drop of tear despite the tough goings. From that day on, the boy made a vow to never make his mother cry again. But heaven has never been kind to her. A few years later, she succumbed to a serious illness, leaving behind her son, barely ten years of age to fend for himself. All that remained after his mother's death was a box, a shabby looking box that contained her diary and a yellowed crumpled love letter. He came to know the entire truth surrounding his birth, and a father who had forsaken his mother all for status..."