Chapter 12: Il Minjoon

Yoonjae walked, his steps wide but slow, seemingly waiting for Hae Gi to catch up. The luggage in his hand felt light, unlike its wide appearance. It eased his strides as he marched ahead.

He expected heavy pieces of baggage, yet at the same time, he didn't. Maybe because he'd grown accustomed to the autocracy of this woman. Having the highest title and prestige that a woman can have, the title of Empress bears weight on one's shoulders.

A woman with that bearing scrubbing clothes and sweeping like no tomorrow, it made him laugh and think.

No matter high up you are, you will always come back down.

He leads the way to the carriage. As they walk, a line of soldiers stood on each side reinforcing a secure path. It was not as plentiful as before, but they still count more than one's hand.

The dainty woman finally caught up to him, her scent wafting his nose. The familiar warm, vanilla scent with a mix of burnt wood spread and calmed his mind. He glanced at the woman at his side, her lovely irises wandering and looking around. Her dark ebony hair swaying, bouncing as she walked. He couldn't help but admire her really.

Yet he knew that it was impossible, she was taken before he knew it. That deep bellow in his heart swelled even more.

The carriage came into view, the golden tresses dangled as Yoonjae opened the door. A servant suddenly rushed forward and kowtowed, acting as a step.

He watched as Hae Gi frowned, disliking the notion. He was curious yet again, this woman seemed to frown at all normalities. It was usual for servants to be stepped upon. Even the daughters of the lowest officials do this on a normal basis. Yoonjae wanted to change this at first. He thought of it as inhumane, having experienced countless hardships. But he knew that even if his own morals disapproved of this, he couldn't change the whole world to fit his beliefs.

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the servant and leaped up. He then offered his left hand to the woman staring at him, her moist eyes twinkling with wonder.

Hae Gi took his hand and leaped. Yoonjae tightly grasped the rough hands and pulled her forward. Her foot touched the wooden panel, followed by the other. At last, Hae Gi was at the carriage.

Both took ahold of themselves and sat at each of the seat's end. Yoonjae placed the luggage at the cushion in front of him and sat comfortably.

The trip lasted for a few hours considering the distance was only one town away from the palace.

Yoonjae stared at the window, occasionally glancing at the woman at the opposite end. Her head almost leaning on the wooden mahogany as her tired cerulean eyes stared into the window. Lush rich lands were displayed in the open frame, showing vast fields filled with crops along with various farmers propagating the land.

People often stopped and stared at the carriage, whispering to one another. Little children followed the moving vehicle, curiously peeking on the window wishing to see who's inside. They saw a woman with lovely blue eyes staring at the open field, her thick luscious hair swayed as the wind gushed a bit strongly.

A little girl named Choon Hee stared at the woman in the carriage as she trailed along the path, carrying her small bundle of potatoes. She could sense the sophisticated but exquisite aura emanating from the miss. It was similar to the aura that her grandpa exudes yet she couldn't help but feel like there was a distinct disparity between the two. Her granddad expresses a dignified aura along with an authoritarian stance that the woman in the carriage similarly displays, but the woman in front oozes with refined composure and gentility that comes as if she was born with it naturally. It was both domineering and warm at the same time.

Suddenly, the woman peered right looking at Choon Hee's path. Gorgeous clear eyes stared at her, looking deep in her soul. Choon Hee slightly felt a connection with the woman as they both stared at one another. A gaze full of appreciation and bliss sparkled right at her making her feel happy.

Choon Hee expressed her eagerness by waving her hand wildly up in the air. The woman saw this gesture and suddenly grinned letting out an unrestrained, hearty, joyous laugh.

Yoonjae almost jumped out of his seat at the sound of Hae Gi's blissful laugh. It reminded him of the brighter days when he was a child, the playful memories that he shared and experienced. The moments when the sun brightened, clearing the sky. It made him open his eyes and see in a brighter side. The poignant thoughts within his mind blew away with the sound of her tinkling laughter.

Moments passed by and the carriage was almost out of site. The people and the children wondered who was that dazzling miss. Some were curious while some were charmed.

Her beauty wasn't one of the best, but her ambiance and aura made her shine.

They thought of her as a daughter of a merchant, or maybe a noble's daughter, while some thought of her as the princess from their favorite tale.

Little did they know that the woman in the carriage was their empress, the mother of the country, just passing by.

Moments later, they've reached their destination.

Yoonjae got off the carriage and helped Hae Gi down. Slowly, they've reached the ground and now stared at the rough, stony soil. It's the path they have to trek to fulfill their purpose. It was a bit rough but considering his capabilities and the toughness of his footwear, he could easily walk through the familiar track. But looking at Hae Gi's dainty shoes that looked a bit too thin and worn out, he wondered if she can comfortably thread along the path.

Hae Gi took a deep breath and sighed. Without hesitation, she exclaimed while advancing forward.

"Let's go."

She slowly staggers, carefully moving forward to try to gain a foothold and avoid slipping. She resembled a waddling newborn duck, still learning how to walk. It made Yoonjae smile, masking it with a cough. Composing himself, he also started walking. After a few steps, Yoonjae surpassed Hae Gi.

She felt exasperated and a bit annoyed at this. Thankfully, Yoonjae always stopped and waited for her. He often extends a hand to help, but due to her pride, she subtly denied.

Another hour was spent and at last, they've reached their destination.

Under the sunlit skies, a wide splash of blue greeted their eyes. The chirping of the birds chorused with the splash of water. Tiny ripples followed after as the fishing rod was pulled by an old man sitting on a stump of wood at the edge of the lake. A little bit to the right and a small house can be seen facing the water. Hae Gi guessed that it was probably where the old man lived.

Hae Gi wondered if that old man was indeed Lee Wong, therefore she asked the man beside her.

"Is that Lee Wong?"

Yoonjae solemnly glanced at the familiar back of his teacher. The one who acted as their father and pillar of support.

He slowly nodded, affirming that the old man is indeed Lee Wong.

Hae Gi slowly approached the old man. As she walked, her thoughts were scrambled trying to process what to say. She unconsciously bit her lip as her palms became clammy with sweat.

Stopping a few meters from the old man, she decided to speak. As she opened her mouth, words couldn't come out. She stood agape, mouth opening and closing, not knowing what to say.

She stood for a while, the once confident and aloof aura of hers became that of uncertainty and hesitation. She was too nervous to speak. 'This was it' she thought. It was her path of salvation. In order to change the plot, she chose this route.

This was her way out, yet she couldn't take a step further. She was too scared, too insecure to even express her thoughts.

The general, Yoonjae decided to help.

"Teacher, I have come to visit."

The old man-supposedly Lee Wong-just sat, indifferent to the words of his past student.

Yoonjae patiently waited, yet not even a word came out. So he tried again.

"Teacher."

The man sitting on the stump continued to hold the fishing rod, a somber gaze looking at the distance.

Hae Gi stared at the man at her front. His hair full of ashen grey hair that looked similar to the emperor. But with only a glance, the color is akin to that of a person aged. His eyes were expressive and astute, like that of a man that had experienced too much, seen more than enough. It made him look venerable as he sat with his back straight, not even bending once.

She could see the dim grey from his left eye, in contrast to his right. A long scar ran from his left nape to his cheek, his ear a bit misshapen. From there she realized that this old man had faced many battles, his face tired and worn by wrinkles, maybe the result of untold worries.

She deduced that maybe this aged man couldn't hear nor see them, he was blind and deaf on his left.

So she decided to stay at his right and sit at the grass, becoming engrossed at the view.

Yoonjae sighed, his frustration oozing as his teacher ignored him. It was just like before when his teacher ignored them to teach them a lesson. No matter what they did, he wouldn't speak nor budge. Not until they've sat down and waited. This made him narrow his eyes as he saw Hae Gi sit on the grass.

'Had she given up?' he thought. He couldn't believe that Hae Gi knew of how to deal with his master. Maybe she was tired from the road, it made sense. That's why she decided to disregard courteous manners and sat on the grass.

Never would he thought that Hae Gi knew this man. Not really knowing him, but knowing what he felt. He wanted peace and quiet, to be alone.

From all the countless work she had done from the past, disregarding her health and thoughts, it made her tired. It made her crave peace of mind, and it's something that this place provides.

Together, both sat facing the lake. The tranquility flowing in waves as the water ripples and the wind blows.

The corner of the old man's lips lifted slightly as he took a deep breath. Closing his eyes, he continued to hold the stick in his palms.

Hae Gi opened her mouth as she stared deep in thought.

"I wondered about many things."

She clasped her hands together tightly holding her legs in place as she gazed at the lake.

"It filled my mind like a wave, making me drown."

"It toughened me yet at the same time it made me scared. "

"I didn't know what to do to cause a change, I fooled myself to think that it was easy and I can do this by myself. I wouldn't have expected that it made me realize how powerless I am. How stupid I was to think that this would be simple."

Yoonjae glanced at Hae Gi. This was her thoughts, the one thing that he questioned while observing her proud gallant figure. It was now being answered and presented to him personally.

"But it wasn't."

"I am weak. My incapability hindered my sapling from blooming wonderfully."

Hae Gi recalled the original Minjoon who was miserable, who toughened despite his ignorance of his mother's love.

"He had to rely on others to grow, I couldn't provide him what he needs."

Recalling the times when Minjoon cried on the way to the garden, going back home all tired and drained.

"And so I come before you today."

At last, the old man inspected the woman on his right sitting on the ground.

"I have nothing to offer you but the power that my title holds. Yet I beg of you to raise Minjoon, the emperor's son."

Lee Wong knew that the woman sitting on the grass was the Empress. He last saw her a long time ago on the marriage ceremony. She was luxurious back then, her attire filled with priceless gems and luster signifying her power and wealth. The fabric of her gown almost encompassed the whole stage, it's worth a fourth of the country's riches.

He wouldn't have thought that that glamorous woman back then would come to this humble place with a plain robe. And even daring to sit on hard cold soil.

Without warning, the string pulled. The old man grasps his old rod and reeled in effortlessly. A huge fish the size of a man's arm was seen hanging from the string.

The man suddenly stood. Unhooking the fish from his bait, he turned to face the two.

"Let's eat."