Secret of the Two Kings (89 CHAPTERS - ON HOLD)

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Alongside with a stuck breath in a throat lump, Chil Yook's eyes grew wide as well upon reading the written embroidery. There was a sudden sense of confusion that shaded his head. Things that could not patch up to his mind cycled all at the same time. It was as if there were enormous boulders crushing him spontaneously.

Is that a baby? Who is that? What is happening?

As Chil Yook was deeply thinking about the ludicrous situation, Lady Min handed the presumed baby to the Prime Minister, who was standing on Chil Yook's left. The Prime Minister signaled Lady Min to unlock the chains on Chil Yook's hand with a silver key. After unlocking the man, the matron removed the nylon ropes wrapping around the ex-Grand Marshal's body. Finally feeling the sense of physical freedom, Chil Yook slowly stood up. Breathing heavily and sweating copiously, he thanked the Prime Minister for letting him free.

"My gratitude, My Lord. I thought we are going to die already," Chil Yook said.

Jung Ho did not reply. He just raised a brow and rocked the baby slowly.

Chil Yook cleared his throat. "If I may, Your Excellency, may I ask some questions?"

"Speak."

"How did you find me, and where is Lady Jang?"

Jung Ho guffawed in response to Chil Yook's absurd questions. Lady Min grimaced upon seeing her Lord's exaggerated reaction. "Still no idea, I guess. I will return the question to you in quite a twisted manner, Chil Yook. How come that you woke up in here and not in those bandits' hideout?"

The ex-Grand Marshal just sighed. He bowed his head and shook it slowly. "So, it was you, My Lord. That is why their leader was very familiar."

"Speaking of their leader... Come in!" Jung Ho called.

The leader of the bandits entered, still wearing a black robe and baggy pants, but his face exposed freely. "Greetings, Grand Marshal!" the leader greeted, grinning.

Chil Yook's eyes widened as his muscles stiffened. He was right; he actually knew who the leader was. It was one of the fourteen hwarangdos in the palace—a disgrace in a hwarang clan leader. He walked slowly to the leader, tottering. "You! I knew it! Those men with you, are they all hwarangs as well?"

"No. Those people were actually from a big group of rebels. Different races. Some were from Silla; some were from Balhae, while others are descendants of Goguryeo and Baekje. They are nomadic. I have an acquaintance from there so the Prime Minister talked to me about this whole ploy, and he paid me and some of the rebels," the hwarangdo explained.

Jung Ho butted in, continuing the whole explanation. "This is to save your life, Chil Yook. The King is picking on you since you are the best hwarang. He thinks that if you were out, he could find some useful opportunity to defeat me. However, it was the opposite. Getting rid of you has made me think of a useful plan to completely destroy him in the future."

Chil Yook's eyes narrowed, perplexed with the Prime Minister's statements. He walked back to his Lord and asked, "What do you mean, Your Excellency?"

"This is the answer." Jung Ho handed the baby to Chil Yook. The startled former Grand Marshall held the baby carefully, tucking him into his chest. Suddenly, the baby whimpered. "Shh, hush little baby. Hush." he murmured, rocking the baby gently until it stopped crying.

"I do not understand, My Lord. Who is this?" Chil Yook asked.

"Give him respects... He is the King's son, Prince Sae Yoo."

Upon hearing the Prime Minister, Chil Yook swallowed, and his jaws dropped. He had received too much surprise in a day. First, the Prime Minister organized a major plan to save him, next, the hwarangdo being the bandits' leader, and finally, the most destructive bombshell: the King's son.