The Scarlet Hawk and The Black Knights (Mina)✔️

18: Ha San

Previously...

Momo awoke to the sounds of footsteps coming from outside her room, and immediately sat up as she got off her bed, opening the door of her bedroom to check on the noise. She walked carefully along the halls as the sounds got bigger. After minutes, the girl found herself standing behind a slightly opened door. She saw Gwangman, sitting on the bed while holding something precious. Curious, Momo pushed the door further and entered the room.

"Father, is there something wrong?" she asked with her soft voice. Gwangman turned to look at her and immediately smiled nervously, wiping something off his cheeks.

"Ah, nothing, my daughter. Everything's okay." he nodded. Momo then nodded in understanding and slowly walked closer to the king, sitting on the bed beside him. "I know you are worried about Mi Na and Ji Won. Trust me. I too am very worried about their safety, but I believe they can take care of themselves. They're independent and strong girls." he assured her, patting Momo's back.

"I know too, father. It's just....I am not used to being separated away from my sisters for a long time. I'm worried that I won't be there to see how they are doing." she sighed, looking down at her swinging feet. Gwangman decided to change the topic and showed her something he had been holding for a while. It was a small pendant, gold in colour.

"Pretty, isn't it?" he chuckled, with Momo nodding at his remark. "This was a gift I once bought for the queen, my beloved wife. I bought it for her on our first day of being a couple. I cherished her forever. She was the love of my life." he breathed out while smiling, reminiscing his happy memories.

"What was she like?" Momo looked at him in full curiosity.

"Elegant, most wonderful and beautiful woman I have ever met, truly. There is no one like her, and I will never find anyone else to replace her."

"Did she..."

"I do not know for sure." Gwangman heaved a deep heavy sigh, looking at his adopted daughter with eyes that expressed a painful emotion, the eyes of a person who had been terribly hurt. "Everything was perfect until she disappeared without a trace. I mourned her disappearance for days, until I heard a news saying that she had found another man. Heartbroken I was, but then I realized, maybe it was because she was much happier with the man she had chosen. Money is never enough compared to love, and I know it very well. I forgive her then and now." he smiled in relief after letting his emotions out on Momo, who only looked at him with a smile.

"You did a wonderful thing, father. You did what only true loving men would do, accepting." she nodded. Gwangman glanced at Momo with sympathetic eyes before nodding with a smile, caressing her hair lovingly.

"Go back to bed now, you need to rest and calm your worries down." he instructed. The girl soon complied with a smile, leaving the room. As Momo had finally left the room, and it was only Gwangman alone, he sighed heavily, looking at the pendant as tears began falling down his eyes, dropping on the pendant, soaking it. He sobbed and wiped the tears off before putting the precious object on the table beside him, going to sleep too.

-

Zamang River

Inside the boat, everyone was asleep peacefully, with the slight exception of some of them who seemed to have the habit of snoring. Ji Won was hugging her knees to keep herself warm because of the cold—there was a blanket for her, but she had seemingly and unknowingly kicked it away. Mi Na had her posture fixed and organized, not messily spreading her limbs apart like some of the soldiers.