Chapter 17.5: Il Minjoon (Lee Wong's Betrayal)

Lee Wong sat across Minjoon, who was again reading another book.

That boy now grew to a height he couldn't imagine. It made Lee Wong laugh as he recalled the memory of him calling the boy little.

That little boy was now taller than him by half a head. And Lee Wong couldn't joke that much about the boy's height anymore, because if he did then the joke would be on him.

He glanced at Minjoon, noticing the movement of the boy's cerulean eyes, similar to his mother.

Lee Wong then looked at the boy's silvery white hair, hair that the boy inherited from his father.

'Even if that couple looked a bit disoriented, I'm glad this boy came out good.' Lee Wong thought as he nodded, smiling to himself.

Feeling the old man's gaze, Minjoon lifted his eyes from the book and looked at the old man with a deadpan expression.

"What is it, old man?"

Sighing, Minjoon closed the book he was reading and stretched his back.

"You keep looking at me like you want to eat me, it's starting to creep me out."

'On second thought, I think the child is a little bit disrespectful.' He thought as he stroked his chin, his eyes twitching. Instead of rebuking back, he just laughed it off.

"How was the book? Was it fun to read?"

Suddenly, Minjoon's face became glum. He held the book in his palms, his hands tightening as he gripped the book. His half-lidded eyes stared at the book as he shook his head.

Lee Wong leaned on the table, his chin resting on his clasped hands. He nodded at Minjoon,

encouraging him to tell him more.

Minjoon's eyes then bore at him, Lee wong could see the hidden frustration and resentment within.

"It... was about a soldier from the past civil war. He wrote that he had a wonderful family. A loving mother, and 2 younger brothers, and also a father that taught him the ways of the world."

Lee Wong froze, his back becoming rigid.

"He wrote that his father was very wise, being the commander of the Kingdom. He had to always go to him whenever he had troubles or when he was indecisive about things."

"He emphasized that his father was the best, and along with his mother, his father was invincible. He felt grateful that he was born into a loving and complete family."

"Yet one day, rumors of an incoming war rattled the whole kingdom, along with their household. It marked the end of their peaceful days and severed the ties of their family."

"It was then that for the first time, he felt that his father wasn't very wise."

"Father! Why would you side with those officials? They have robbed the citizens of food, money, and land! They have done a deplorable act towards the people!"

A tall handsome man dressed in armor slapped his hands on the table, creating a loud sound.

In front of him stood a man that had the same features as him, albeit looking a bit older with his growing beard.

The older man's eyes were resolute as he stared at his son, who was complaining in front of him. He glared at his son's eyes, eyes that looked similar to his own, as if staring at his own reflection.

"It is the kingdom that we must follow and protect."

Looking away, he once again looked at the document on his hands ignoring his son.

"Anything other than that, nothing else matters."

The tall handsome man slowly retreated his hands from the table. His shoulder was hunched, his hands forming a fist.

The man's jaw tensed as he gritted his teeth, glaring at his father.

"The people matter. Everything matters. But they-those wretched officials-do not matter."

He closed his eyes as he blinked. Taking a deep breath, he whispered.

"I thought you were wise."

He turned his back on his father.

"Maybe I was wrong."

Then he exited through the door.

"The soldier fought to protect the citizens and his father fought to protect the kingdom. He always wondered why his father would turn his back on the people. His father was the first one to tell him that the people always came first and foremost. Yet now, why would his father turn his back on them?"

Minjoon clenched his fist as he recalled what happened in the book.

"But he did not find an answer. He died before he could even find out."

Minjoon closed his eyes, leaning on his chair. His brows were furrowed looking a bit troubled.

"It's quite depressing since all the journals that I have read are journals from people that have died."

He then looked at the ceiling, his eyes somber.

"It would've been nice to hear from a person that still lives. Then, it wouldn't be like this, hollow and incomplete."

Silence ensued the following seconds.

Lee Wong looked at the leather bound book on Minjoon's hands. A lump was forming in his throat as he listened to Minjoon's words.

He hummed as he responded to Minjoon.

"Then I will tell you a story. A story of a man that still lives up to this day."

Lee Wong's intense eyes moistened as he began with his story.

"There was once a simple man who lived."

"He lived with the principle to do or die, and that helped him rise from the ground and stand high up in the clouds. He was always resolute with everything, he knew how to make decisions. That made the people around him look up to him and fear him at the same time."

"They regarded him as benevolent, strong, wise, unyielding, cruel, and a bit cold. Whenever he heard these words, he felt this overwhelming guilt rising up from his heart."

He closed his eyes taking a deep breath.

"Yes, he knew how to make decisions. But it wasn't always the right one."

Lee Wong recalled the time when he decided to leave his wife for a council meeting, even when she was ready to give birth. He recalled the time when he had to leave his family for a year because he had a war to win. He recalled the times when he missed all of his sons' birthdays and did not even come home due to his duties as a commander, and as a teacher of the crown prince and his future aid.

"He sacrificed his family, his time, everything for the kingdom. Because he strongly believed that when the kingdom prospers, his family would also prosper."

"Never once did he thought that the kingdom would turn its back on him."

Lee Wong remembered the council of officials along with the Emperor, Daehyun's father, summoning him. He couldn't forget the words that were uttered to him, deceiving him with lies.

"I command you to eliminate those who oppose the kingdom's orders."

A younger Lee Wong dressed in black armor stared horrified at the Emperor in front of him. He kneeled on one knee, bowing his head.

"Your majesty, I..."

His lips formed a thin line, bowing his head more.

"... I fear that this servant cannot accomplish such a task."

The officials around him erupted, threatening him, pointing at him like a traitor.

"How dare you-!"

"This idiotic man I ought to-"

"Your majesty! He should be-"

The Emperor raised his hand, silencing all the officials.

He rose from his seat, staring down at Lee Wong.

"Hasn't the country treated you well and with respect? We have given you gold and almost half the spoils of war. We have given you the position of commander and a prosperous land for you and your family to live in."

"Is this how you repay the kingdom of the kindness given to you?"

The Emperor's eyes sparked with a cruel glint, a grin forming on his chauvinistic face.

"I heard you have three sons. How are they?"

Lee Wong's back became rigid hearing his sons being mentioned.

"They-They are doing well, your majesty."

The Emperor hummed, sitting down once again.

"Then that is fine."

His fingers tapped on the golden throne, the sound resonating through the room.

"This is an order, commander. I couldn't care less about your morals and feelings. All I care is that you follow my orders."

The grin on the Emperor's face slowly faded, forming into a slight frown.

"Because if you don't. Then the promise that we both made..."

The emperor rested his chin on his right hand, then with his left, he made a motion of snapping his fingers.

"... will be broken with just a snap."

Nervous sweat trickled down Lee Wong's back. Standing up, he saluted while keeping his eyes away from the Emperor.

"Yes, your majesty."

The younger Lee Wong clenched his teeth, forcing out the words from his mouth.

"This servant... will heed your orders."

Coming back to the present, Lee Wong clenched his clasped hands tighter.

"It was all for his family, for them to live a lavish life and to be free of worries. Yet he did not expect his eldest son to join the people's army."

"He tried everything to dissuade his son, but that persuaded his son more to fight. "

"Despite knowing that, he decided to just hide it from the council. They wouldn't know anyway, he was the one in charge of the elimination and extinction of the people who rebelled against the kingdom."

Lee Wong's haunted eyes continued to stare at the book in Minjoon's hands.

"But one day when he came home, everything was in tatters."

It was a wonderful day, the council decided to revoke their decree of eliminating the people rebelling the kingdom. They formed an agreement that the people would be given back what the kingdom stole, and that they will provide them with their necessities.

The council dismissed him stating that he can now go home. He bowed and left feeling elated, but he couldn't help remembering the smile that the Emperor wore before he was dismissed. He suddenly felt like something was wrong.

He traveled on his horse to come back home. When he stood in front of the door, he noticed that it was too silent.

He opened the wooden doors with his own hands. No matter how hard he knocked, no one came to open the door.

His heart filled with dread the moment he saw the servants on the ground, dead.

He ran and ran, he shouted calling his wife's name. He called each of his sons' name, repeating it one by one.

Stopping in front of the main house, his hands trembled reaching for the knob.

Opening the door, he felt his legs become weak.

He fell on his knees, his eyes wide. A whimper sounded on his throat as he crawled to where his family was.

They all lay on the ground, blood seeping out of their chest. His three sons were the first who greeted his eyes, each holding a sword on his hand. They lay on their backs, a huge gash along their front.

Lee Wong squirmed towards his sons. Small sorrowful and excruciatingly painful cries can be heard from Lee Wong's mouth.

"Ha... Ha... Ha..."

They all died with their eyes wide open.

His trembling hands reached for each pair of eyes, closing them one by one.

Tears were flowing endlessly from Lee Wong's eyes. His eyes were shaking as they blurred, snot coming out of his nose.

He crawled forward reaching for his wife.

Unlike his sons, his wife died with eyes closed. She was holding a cloth on her hand. Lee Wong's eyes shook as he looked at that familiar cloth.

It was the cloth he gave her on their wedding day. He told her to hold it when she is afraid and he will miraculously come and save her. Many times he did not fail her, and as time passed, she did not resort to holding that handkerchief again. It meant that she already felt safe for her to let it go.

Yet now, after a few decades, she decided to hold this handkerchief once again, hoping for him to come and save them.

But he was too late.

He held his wife in his arms, rocking back and forth.

Pitiful wails sounded from the heartbroken man looking at his dead family.

He was whimpering as he cried harder, heart-wrenching sobs fueling him to cry harder.

Lee Wong was not strong, nor wise. He wasn't a dragon nor a heartless beast. He was just a simple man who wanted what's best for his family.

A man who stood on many battles, winning wars, braving the frontlines. And also a man who endured the humiliation of those people up above him, just for the sake of his loved ones.

He endured it all, swallowing his fears and surviving it all for his precious people, in order to protect them.

Yet they still died because of him.

"The civil war ended. After that, the man decided to leave the palace for good. But before he left, he warned his students of the dangers to come."

Lee Wong looked at his students with a solemn gaze, telling them these words.

"I failed as a man, a teacher, a commander, and as a father. I failed to protect my precious people, and it was too late before I realized what was wrong."

Lee Wong looked at them with intrepid sorrow as he warned them.

"You both, heed my words. Our enemies are closer than we think."

Minjoon felt his heart becoming more burdened as he listened to the story from the old man. He looked at the old man's somber gaze, the latter's eyes moistened, tears threatening to fall.

Minjoon decided to ask.

"Where is he? What is he doing now?"

Lee Wong's eyes shifted to Minjoon's own, gone was the dark look he previously wore. He coughed loudly as he straightened his back. He peeked a little at Minjoon before closing his eyes, leaning on the chair.

"Who knows. It's been a while since I last talked to him."

Lee Wong slowly opened his eyes, looking at the ceiling above. He felt helpless as the guilt ate him away.

'That's how I felt.'

'I have betrayed my own family.'