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

제 77 부

Sae Joo stepped out of his chambers after having a long conversation with the Prime Minister. He trudged down the courtyard, his mind wandering in a faraway galaxy. A quantum shred of trust for Jung Ho—that concept did not exist. That was a given. However, for him to know the entire truth and be free from the chains of his haunted past, he needed to play along. Gamble. After all, he sealed Jung Ho as his best bet. People have said that if you play with the devil, you should be prepared to lose it all. Like planning revenge, you should dig two graves while your foot was rotting under the muddy pit. He had conditioned his mind, his body, and his soul. The moment their deal ended not more than ten minutes ago; he had already sold his life to the hands of the evil forces.

As the dry, freezing wind nipped his red face, he felt something on the top of his head. Cold—he could not say it was soft or hard, just a bearable balance between the two. His curiosity was killing him like a nail clipper pinching his skin. He scooped it from his head, and a smile etched from every corner of his lips. "A snow," he murmured.

Little by little, as he looked around, he saw the gradual falling of the soft ice balls from the sky. Some palace servants seemed ecstatic, jumping and hopping around the courtyard. The end of a season, the beginning of another one. Winter was his favorite. Nights were longer, and the blazing heat of the sun was nowhere to be seen even in supposedly broad daylight. Everything was serene. All people would stay inside their houses, feeling the warmth and love from their families.

Just like the seasons, his heart has changed through time. Sometimes, there even came a time when he was immensely lonely and empty in the cold, not because his love for his family has died out. It was more because his love for himself has extinguished. He did not know how to find happiness from within; he was dependent on how people would give him the joy that his heart yearns. After his fifteenth birthday, he felt that he had no right to be happy at all, for he would just cause misery, havoc, and death to their people. It was a tragic, heart-piercing story that he wished to end in an instant. However, instead of burying himself into the abyss of darkness, he at least tried to lessen the inevitable damage by improving himself. Eight years—eight years of training!

Happiness was a fictitious concept, existing only on artworks. He was willing to let it go, flutter into the winds, and disappear forever as long as he could save all their subjects. All reservations were gone.

Having that in mind, he went straight to the King's chambers to continue with his long-term vision. When Jae Joong permitted his entry, he paid respects and proceeded with his concern. The King offered hot tea and a few rice cakes, which he accepted. Bright fire from the burning logs in the fireplace radiated on his iris as the heat embraced his freezing skin.

"The first snow is not as cold as last year's," welcomed Jae Jong.

"I noticed, Father."

"This is something urgent, isn't it? The sun hasn't risen fully, plus it's snowing outside."

"Don't think so, Your Majesty. I guess I just need to tell this to you myself."

Jae Joong had a measly sip and asked, "Oh? What is it?"

"Balhae... Please let's help them."

The King's eyebrows gathered on top of his nose bridge. "I beg your pardon. Help?"

"You do know what I mean, Your Majesty. Their nation is on the verge of collapsing. People from different regions have been protesting in the capital. Let's set aside these internal affairs first and help the people. They don't deserve to live like this. They didn't choose to be born in a kingdom lacking of iron."

"I know what your heart desires, Prince... but that is not our problem anymore. Those people have rulers like us to help them."

"Father, the rulers can only do so much. I have heard that Balhae has asked help from Yamato, but that nation hasn't responded yet. I'm just saying... we won't lose anything by sharing our natural resources. We have a lot! Would you just turn a blind eye to those dying people just because they are ruled by someone else?"