𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐁𝐄𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 [Jo Yeong × OC | The King: Eternal Monarch]

⁸ The Mystery

Lee Seul was welcomed back at the palace like she never left. She had spent her free time riding Prima with Gon, and accompanying Court Lady Noh around the palace when she feels like it. She also got to know the palace guards better, and most importantly, stealing glances at Jo Yeong when she thinks he's not looking.

Damn, the four years apart feels like nothing happened at all. She still likes Jo Yeong. She never stopped liking him. She hopes he thinks that she has moved on from him, but the other part of her wishes that even after four years more apart, that somehow, someway, that he misses her too. But Jo Yeong would always be Jo Yeong, always undecipherable. Always stoic. Always puts his King first than himself. Always far away from her.

Always in her heart.

Seul has made it less awkward around him and Gon, making jokes here and there in hopes he would respond. But Yeong is still Jo Yeong, her brother's Unbreakable Sword.

She sighed.

Now, Seul was leaning on her desk, re-examining the forgotten book she got from Prince Buyeong.

Her heirloom.

Hers, not Gon's.

Hers.

She opened the book and took out the paper slip and reread the note again.

"In the hall that makes way
and under the light of the moon
shall you find your destiny
shining to you.

In the room of knowledge
shall you get
the truth that you wanted
on the farthest
and below the cracks of oak
the task meant for you.

You shall not speak of this
to another that you do not trust
shall this fall in the wrong hands
then the evil may win."

"In the hall that makes way... The hallway?" She thought.

"The palace's hallway? Since grandfather made this... It is quite possible." Seul whispered to herself.

Seul took the book and went to the hallway. She passes it almost everyday, and sometimes even stayed there for a while to admire the beautiful pond that resides.

As Seul arrived, she searched around and nobody was there, only her. She looked outside and coincidentally, the moon was in it's full state. It was pretty bright.

"Under the light of the moon?" She took out the book and examined it under the moon. She flipped the pages and found nothing. She huffed and closed the book.

"Wait..." Seul held her breath. The cover of the book was shining!

As she examined quickly, there was a slight sparkle on the title in the cover.

Seul rubbed against the words and felt a bump in the O from the word Oak. She took out her cellphone and turned on the flashlight and shined it to the O, and it shined even brighter. She quickly took a seat in the hallway and proceeded to take out the shiny thing in the cover.

All it needed was a little push from the inside, and it plopped on her hand.

It was a ring.

A silver ring.

She quickly recalled the first paragraph of the note.

"My destiny..." She looked at the right and at the book. Realization hits her. This ring was her destiny!

Seul was happy that she solved the first paragraph's puzzle. She then took her book and stood up, examining the ring better.

It was a normal silver ring, no engraving. Just bland, silver band.

Seul turned around to get back to her room, only to be shocked by a figure standing in front of her.

"Omo!" She jumped and held her heart. The ring fell on the floor at her surprise.

"Jo Yeong! You surprised me." Seul huffed.

"Sorry, Your Majesty." Yeong apologized. Seul blew a rhaspberry and looked around in the floor. Yeong noticed she was looking for something, and his eyes automatically searched as well.

"Were you looking for this?" He said as he bend down to take the silver ring near the back of her left foot. Yeong held it in his hand for Seul to see and her eyes widened.

"Eo. Thank you." She took the ring quickly and scrambled away back to her room, leaving a confused Jo Yeong who raised his eyebrow.

The next day, Seul was set on figuring the second part of the note.

She figured that the room of knowledge meant the palace's library. How lucky of her to see Gon and Jo Yeong there as well.

She sighed.

"Oh? Seul-ah! What are you doing here this early in the morning?" Gon said as he put back the book he was reading back on the shelf and turned to Seul who was approaching.

"Finding information, now move." Seul said quickly as she shoved Gon out of her way, startling him.

Gon and Yeong shared a look. Yeong shrugged then checked his watch.

"It's time, Your Majesty." Gon nodded as a reply and sighed. They both then went to the stables, leaving Seul alone in the palace library.

"On the farthest..." Seul went to the very edge of the room from the door.

"And below... The cracks of Oak." Her eyes traveled down below the shelf to the floor. There was a crack on the wooden floor.

"Huh, it looks like I can... Aha!" Seul lifted the floor board to see a book inside a small compartment. It was pretty dusty, and Seul blew the dust off top. Seul coughed at the dust and sneezed too.

"Well this is old." She chuckled, closed the compartment and then went back to her room with two books in hand. She smiled as she passed a few guards who saluted to her, but hid the book from their views.

She got to her room and locked the door, not wanting to be disturbed.

She took a breath and opened the new book she got. It looked more like a diary, and as Seul guessed, it was the continuation to the book she got from Prince Buyeong.

She read the book carefully at it explained by the time she found the book, she would also have discovered the ring. It also stated that she should never tell about the ring to anyone she doesn't trust. Even worse, never even tell it to anyone.

It has also stated that the ring also had a counterpart, which Seul found surprising. It said that she would find it if it's destined, and didn't explain further.

Seul slept with many questions in her head, tired of reading the books in one sitting.

Her fate, huh?