They want you

"Aeng-ah."

Han Aeng jumped at the sight of her father sitting at the table leisurely pouring tea. "You seemed lost in your thoughts."

"A little." Han Aeng laughed, taking a seat next to her father at the table. They two had spent countless evenings like this sharing tea and snacks.

The ambiance was warm and inviting, the soft glow of the candle casting flickering shadows on the walls. The scent of the tea filled the air, mingling with the earthy smell of the rain that seeped through the cracks of the window. She held the porcelain teacup in her hands, feeling its warmth against her cold fingers.

"You didn't notice Nanny Na leaving or sense as I came to your room?"

Han Aeng gave an awkward laugh. Telling her father about her thoughts would just be unfair.

Lately, Prime Minister Han had been attending court affairs more often than usual. He went out early in the morning and came home very late at night. On some days, he even stayed over at the palace. She wasn't told the specifics of the situation, but she knew all to well it had to do with Chancellor Yi.

"What's bothering my little girl?"

"No one knows you better than the spouse who shares your bed and the friend that shares your bread." Han Aeng's gaze drifted to the raindrops racing down the windowpane, her voice unnervingly stead.

"You mean?" Prime Minister Han questioned, raising a brow.

Han Aeng caressed down his raised brow with her thumb, offering him a smile, "I didn't mean anything; I was just reciting a proverb an old man taught me so that I wouldn't forget his teachings."

"You're calling me old!?"

"You said it, not me."

Prime Minister Han feigning offense, flicking her forehead with a smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "You think you're old enough to not consult with your Abeoji?"

"Oh, this girl is too unlearned and dare not think for herself, nearly as troubled as His Grace," Han Aeng jokingly bellowed out, promptly going down on her knees to bow, keeping their conversation light-hearted. "Your Grace has worked very hard for our nation with the alliance."

Prime Minister Han gave a cold chuckle, his shoulders slumped, burdened by the weight of conflicting emotions, his whole stance exuding a sense of defeat.

He had come to Han Aeng seeking shelter from all the piling troubles of the marriage alliance, but here she was, bringing them up again. Maybe this was his reminder that he needed to tell her about their demands, sooner rather than later.

Prime Minister Han helped Han Aeng take a seat.

"Aeng-ah, you know..." Prime Minister Han's tone suddenly turned serious. "I suggested marrying the Princess off to Shangwei because I was so sure that it would create the perfect pretext to back down and move with you from the capital to the farmlands. It never crossed my mind that Shangwei would want to take a different bride."

Han Aeng nodded her head. Her father was one to never disclose confidential information to her, so she understood that the matter must have been too much pressure for him to carry alone. "Shangwei wants another bride that isn't the princess? How peculiar. Who do they want then? Who's going to get married to Shangwei?"

Prime Minister Han watched her with a blank face. Her indifference to the problem only added to his own internal turmoil. Did she not realize the implications? Did she not understand that she might have to bid farewell to her life here?

He ran a hand through his hair, the gesture mirroring the tangled mess of thoughts in his mind. Truthfully, Prime Minister Han was starting to feel numb all over.

The weight of everything was slowing, causing his defenses to stumble. The alliance, Han Aeng's kidnapping, court and state affairs, Chancellor Yi's demand, and the King's subtle hints. Everything that happened since he came back from Shangwei was a mess that only got messier the more he tried to clean it.

Prime Minister Han forced his eyes shut, believing it would be easier if he couldn't see her and the way the horrid news would sullen her bright eyes, "I never expected that the person to be married off would be you."

Han Aeng's hand froze mid drink.

"They want you, Han Aeng. They want you to be the bride that goes to Shangwei."

Silence followed his confession.

The storm raged outside, the winds howling as the rain poured down, creating a symphony of nature's fury. The flickering candlelight danced on their faces, casting playful shadows that mirrored the turbulent emotions swirling within. The storm outside matched the turmoil in Prime Minister Han's heart, and the peacefulness of Han Aeng's room became a sanctuary amidst the chaos.

Han Aeng supported her head with her hand as patiently observed her father's pale complexion without uttering a single word.

Now that she took a closer look at his face the toll of lack of sleep and improper diet was evident on his face. He looked exhausted. His cheeks were gaunt, he had heavy eye bags, and his frown lines looked deeper and more prominent. He even looked like he aged a little. It hurt her to think she was the reason behind his worries.

"Abeoji, is this why you've been wearing a long face all week? So what if they want me to go." Despite the weight of the revelation, her face remained relaxed, a mask of calmness that belied the storm of emotions within.

"Why- Why aren't you protesting against it? Are you willing to go?" His usually steady voice wavered slightly, revealing the depth of his emotional struggle as he attempted to form coherent words.

"I'm willing to go," Han Aeng responded without the slightest hesitation, "Besides… the king already made up his mind. Hasn't he?"

Prime Minister Han stood up in shock. His eyes were unfocused, lacking their usual sharpness and clarity.

He didn't understand: no matter how hard he tried to come to terms with the development of the alliance, he couldn't. He tried his best reasoning with both the King and Chancellor Yi, and tried to delay this decision for as long as possible.

But just like that she was willing to leave?!

Prime Minister Han's heart clenched with the revelation, his mind racing to process the implications. Images of Han Aeng as a child flooded his thoughts—her innocent laughter, her tiny hand gripping his finger, and their short-lived moments of joy and love. The weight of losing her, of letting her go to a distant land again, pressed heavily upon his shoulders.

How could she be so calm?

Didn't she understand the gravity of the situation? Didn't she realize that her departure would tear his world apart?

Was it fair to burden her with the weight of his emotions: after all without her what would become of him? No, it wasn't fair but how could he bear to let his light fade, and watch her slip away into the arms of a foreign land where he couldn't see her even if he wanted?

Hundreds of emotions swirling in his mind while his mouth remained mute. The storm seemed to mirror the tempest within his soul, the turmoil of decisions and sacrifices.

Han Aeng stood up taking Prime Minister Han's hand in hers. Her back was straight and her shoulders squared, exuding an air of self-assurance. "One day or another, you would have to let me get married. You knew this day would come. So why are you hesitant now?"

There was a sense of quiet strength in the way she carried herself as if she had already accepted the inevitable and was prepared to face it with grace.

At a tender age, Han Aeng came to terms with the fact that she would leave; rather, she would have to leave. Everything she loved and cared for would one day have to be her past, a place she couldn't return no matter how badly she wanted it. While she understood, while she had come to terms with that knowledge, she wasn't ready to let go. Truthfully, she didn't want to let go.

No matter how much she hated it, fate had its cruel ways like that: it bargains by taking the things closest to you and demands you walk the path it sets.

"Abeoji, I know it may seem surprising, but we have considered the practicality of this situation. It's pretty much impossible for me to stay safe in Jeontu. Shangwei may be foreign, but it could be safer than here." Han Aeng reasoned her voice tender, each word carefully chosen and delivered with poise.

There was no assurance that her words were directed toward Prime Minister Han or herself, but there was no denying the tightness in her heart.

Prime Minister Han held her gaze filled with a mixture of pride and sorrow. He realized that his daughter had grown into a woman of remarkable strength and wisdom, far beyond her years.

The room, filled with the soft glow of the candle and the aroma of tea. And yet, even within the calmness, the tension between father and daughter lingered, a silent acknowledgment of the challenge they face.

Han Aeng wanted to further reason with her father, but her own emotions were getting caught in her throat.

If there was anyone she owed anything to, it was him. No matter what, her father was the man that raised and sheltered her at the expense of his sanity. He was her safe ground, her secure shelter. Somewhere she could return to and know she would be taken care of, regardless of whether he loved her or not.

Han Aeng sighed, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have been so lovely to catch Chancellor Yi's attention."

Prime Minister Han only hugged her tighter than before, realising she no longer fit into his arms as she did as a child. Back when she barely reached his waist, she would cling onto him with her arms wrapped around his neck and laugh about having her feet dangling in the air. She would always hide behind his robes whenever the brother-sister duo played hide and seek, she would even crawl up to his chest to fall asleep.

He felt sorry for the little girl she was. She went through so much for a child her age and somehow still managed to turn out into such a beautiful young girl. "Thank you for growing up so beautifully, my child."

Prime Minister Han kissed the crown of her head. "I will always be here for you. You'll always be my little girl. You know that, right."

Han Aeng nodded her head, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. She knew she couldn't handle looking at his eyes because the second she would, she'd break down in tears. "I know."