What Lies Beneath ✅

Peal 3

I held Youngjo back and pulled him away. "Are you fucking crazy!?" I asked as Youngjo struggled in my arms.

The doors opened and the trio had come in.

"What happened?" Hwanwoong asked, concern clearly heard in his voice.

Youngjo started to calm down and dropped the bloody shattered pearls in his hands. The large pearls in the room started to shrink in size.

"Did he do this?" Dongju asked as he looked around.

"What in the world?" Keonhee said as he shifted his gaze from the room to Youngjo.

Dongju looked over his parents and the servant. "They're fine, just unconscious." I sighed in relief then looked at Youngjo. His expression was unreadable.

"What should we do...?" I asked as held Youngjo close as he passed out a while ago.

"Well, we could stay and possibly feel the wrath of his parents. We could leave and have a search party after us. Or maybe they'll come to their senses and see just how wrong they treated him." Dongju said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"That last one seems very unlikely." Keonhee commented flatly.

"Just as unlikely as Dongju and I getting along without fighting." I chimed in to add an accurate comparison.

Dongju glared at me while the other two nodded.

"Let's stay." I said and received nods in return.

The door opened and a well dressed man had stepped in. "So you're the guests..." He looked at Youngjo who rested in my arms. "Little Jo..." He approached me then moved Youngjo's bangs out of his face.

"And you are?" I asked with a wary tone.

"Kim Sunghak, his older brother and middle child." he replied instantaneously.

I glared at him. "Why are you being so gentle with him? Aren't you a part of this too?"

"Unfortunately, but I had no choice. I'm mainly the reason he survived long enough to run away. Sadly he doesn't know that." Sunghak said with sadness in his voice.

I didn't trust his word that easily. "We can't believe that to either be true or false."

"Fair point. Enough about me, how is he? Has he given you any trouble?" asked Sunghak as he looked over Youngjo once more.

"I met him 7 months after he left home, so I don't know anything then. He never talked about it either." I replied with a bit less hostility.

"Sunghak, I'm sure the servants told you what happened earlier. Do you think you could, smooth things over?" Hwanwoong asked in an almost pleading manner.

I looked at Hwanwoong in a bit of surprise.

"I can try." replied Sunghak with a small smile.

"Thank you. I'm sure he only lashed out because of what your parents said to him..." Hwanwoong said loudly before trailing off towards the end.

ㅂㅂㅂㅂ

I lifted Youngjo up as we walked down the streets of Aaneksul.

"Do you think he'll really smooth things over?" Dongju asked with uncertainty coating his words.

"He will." I said without a doubt.

"What makes you so sure?" Dongju asked with a bit of skepticism.

I looked back at Youngjo then to the street ahead of me. "If he really wanted Jo to suffer, he probably wouldn't have let us leave. And if not that, then he at least wouldn't let Youngjo leave."

They seemed to agree with my assumption as none of them had spoken up afterwards. I noticed people were gossiping like before and caused me to quicken my pace. The last thing Youngjo needed was to wake up to people talking about him.

"Geon, slow down. You might drop him." Dongju had whispered to me with worry.

"Sorry. I just want to get out of this toxic place. It makes me sick." I replied with bitterness.

Youngjo was born in the wrong family. I then remembered what he told me that night I had discovered my powers. "He considers me family..." I glanced back at Youngjo who rested comfortably on my back.

"Geonhak..." Youngjo said quietly as he opened his eyes.

"Everything is okay. Your real family is right here." I said softly as I gestured to myself.

He laughed lightly then motioned for me to put him down. He slid off my back then received hugs from the trio. I never expected to see Dongju hug someone. Not in my lifetime anyway. I guessed he was just as worried as we were.

ㅂㅂㅂㅂ

I quietly watched Dongju from afar as he paced around by himself. I couldn't help but notice he stayed away from us ever since he ran from me that day in the woods.

"Staring at your husband?" Hwanwoong asked with a small smirk on his face.

I responded with a fist to his head while keeping my eye from twitching too much. He rubbed his head then scooted closer to Keonhee.

"Go to him. You're the only one who can get through to him." Youngjo whispered before smiling.

"I'm sure Keonhee could do better." I said while shaking my head slightly.

As if on cue, Keonhee had gotten up and walked over to Dongju. They spoke low as we weren't able to hear what was said. Things seemed fine until Dongju turned his back to Keonhee. "Why is he so stubborn? We're clearly worried about him..."

Keonhee had tried to turn him around, but was thrown to the ground by Dongju's swift movements. We winced when Keonhee had collided with the ground.

"I'm definitely not going after what just happened." I said a bit shaken.

Dongju was pretty fierce when upset.

"I'll get Keonhee..." said Hwanwoong as he quickly hurried over before anything else could occur.