Chapter: Betraying the Master

"Mr Yun!"

Yun turned around as someone called him out.

"Long time!" The man declared.

"Who?..." Yun asked as he narrowed his eyes and adjusted his spectacles on the man standing on the ground while he stood on the threshold of the bungalow just some stairs steps far away from him.

"It's me, Min Jong!" He mentioned with a bright smile.

"Min-min Jong?!" Yun recognised him and was in shock of an instance.

Min Jong climbed the stairs walking straight towards Yun. He stood in front of him and bowed a bit.

"What are you doing here?" Yun asked being unsure.

"I want to meet the mother queen." He simply replied.

"You-you know she's alive?..." Yun was surprised.

*****

"Welcome Min Jong!" The mother queen exclaimed as she climbed down the stairs towards the sofa on which Min Jong was sitting.

Yun was not present in the room, as instructed by his queen he was outside doing his work.

Min Jong stood up and bowed down.

"Sit down, I don't expect respect from traitors." She said normally making Min Jong uncomfortable as he settled on the sofa again.

Mother queen sat in front of him on her royal throne-like sofa crossing her legs.

"What made you remember my existence?"

"Aren't-aren't you surprised?" Min Jong exclaimed being confused.

"Surprised?"

Min Jong chuckled, "I know...you're alive." He raised one eyebrow. His statement sounded more like a threat.

"So what, does it make any difference?" mother queen boldly and confidently replied.

"But I-"

"Be straightforward Min Jong! These aren't the old day." The mother queen interrupted him making him clear his throat.

"What are you here for?" She asked again.

"Leave the master alone." He said being a bit aggressive.

Mother queen chuckled, "I never even aimed for him, did I?"

"I'm just making my pawn into the kin-"

"What you're doing is no good, my queen!" Min Jong yelled and stood up.

"It will only harm the two peaceful worlds!" He further lowered his voice.

"And since when...traitors started to get worried about the two worlds?" She calmly taunted.

"I'm not here as a traitor, I'm here as a-"

"Slave?" She taunted again and stood up.

"Slave of...In Han Gyeol?" She looked at him as she walked towards him.

Min Jong lowered his head as there was nothing further he could say.

"There's this saying I've heard, once started game should be finished by any means. And this game is no mere..."

"You're ruining everyone's lif-"

"No!" The mother queen interrupted.

"I'm just saving my kingdom that's it!" She claimed.

Min Jong said in a low voice, "By making others your puppet?" Mother queen stood silent

"And you call yourself the mother queen?!" he chuckled.

"And you yourself a slave? Who betrays hid master?" She taunted.

"Never heard of something so....unique."

"What do you mean?" Min Jong clenched his jaws.

"Well, that doesn't matter, does it? Cause you know...in the end, nothing lasts." She baffled Min Jong with her sayings and taunts.

Min Jong looked at the mother queen who stood before him elegantly and proudly,

"I'd never thought that you will use someone just to save Montiara!" He said and walked towards the exit door.

"And I'd never thought that you would betray Han Gyeol one day!" Her voice echoed making Min Jong stop.

He didn't turn around instead just kept looking at the shut door until he heard the mother queen speak again, "What do you think?!" She paused and walked towards Min Jong.

"I wouldn't know who saved the crown prince from Han Gyeol that day outside the cafe?" She whispered.

"Who saved the crown prince from Han Gyeol when his eyes were glowing?" She lowered her voice and Min Jong looked at her with widened eyes.

"How do yo-" His eyes were filled with great terror.

"Even if you don't see me...I'm always near him." She smirked and turned to go towards the stairs leading towards the room.

Min Jong looked at the mother queen as she made her way. A bead of sweat formed on his side locks cause the mother queen wasn't someone you can bargain with let alone this sensitive topic.

He left the bungalow in a hurry without uttering a single on his way out. In his hurry, he didn't notice someone, someone who heard the conversation secretly by accident.

****

Here in the cafe...

"Be careful on your way." Do Yun looked at Hyun Soo who left the cafe just now as she nodded at Do Yun's order.

He sighed as he turned to go inside his room when someone opened the door of the cafe,

"Aera?!" Do Yun exclaimed.

Aera was tripping as she was a bit tipsy.

"I bought some beer cans!" She exclaimed in a singsong way as she walked towards Do Yun.

Do Yun held her and made her sit on one of the tables.

"Why are you all wasted? What's the occasion?" Do Yun asked Aera who was drinking another can.

"Occasion?" She questioned and he nodded.

"Dunno?" She shrugged.

"Lemme name it. Umm...confusion!" She smiled.

"Confusion?" He asked and Aera looked at him with a bright smile and nodded brightly.

"Correct, confusion!"

"What kind of confusion?" He questioned further.

"Well...from where should I start?" She thought while Do Yun kept looking at her.

"I am confused if I should tell you about what I'm confused."

Do Yun chuckled,

"What kind of tongue twister is this?"

"No no!" She said and went towards him.

He leaned his ear and she whispered,

"It's real and very confusing confusion. Trust me!"

"O..kay, okay! Then speak it out."

"Hmm...I can't!" She banged her head on the table.

"Hey! Hey! Be careful!" He made her sit straight.

"Why can't you tell me?"

"I can't even tell you that too, I'm a loyal woman." She added.

Do Yun sighed in frustration as he sat back on his chair.

"But I can...hint out," Aera claimed.

Do Yun leaned forward and looked at her,

"Just one hint only though." She made the rule and Do Yun nodded with a smile at her childish behaviour.

"There is this question in my mind that I always wanted to ask, you always say that you have to take unnecessary favours from anyone then why...did you take favour from Sang Hyeon?"

Do Yun frowned in confusion

"What favour?"

Aera chuckled,

"Stupid! You've been living all these years in her cafe and she treats you as her son. Isn't this an unnecessary favour?"

Aera kept laid her head down on the table above her folded arms after adding this.

Do Yun got lost in his thoughts while Aera again mumbled,

"I dunno why but today I feel a bit afraid for you, what if...Sang Hyeon isn't how you've been thinking all this time."

Do Yun heard her clearly and it bugged him too,

"Why didn't I ever questioned?" He questioned himself as he looked outside the cafe sitting on the chair