Chapter 67: Saeloun Geim (A New Game)

I have no idea what on earth happened to Seon-Ho after he disappeared for an entire night, but the moment that he came back to the home, he immediately had his eyes on me, but the look he had on his face suggested that it wasn't going to be good for me. He just...kept calling me into his room for no reason whatsoever and just kept intensely staring at me. Just what was this man's problem? What had I done to anger him so much? He was the one who locked me up, so why was he acting like I had committed a crime by not begging him to let me go? Would he have listened to me in the first place? He was so hot and cold with me, what on earth made him think that I wanted to be near him? Just what did this man want from me? And the worst thing of all was that he could see how badly he was irritating me, but he just kept going in at me all of the time and had started criticising everything that I did, said and even thought about, as if he had the ability to read my mind. I couldn't escape him no matter what he did, and he even started to beat the servant around me whenever I had tried to defy his orders. But gossip in a village couldn't be hidden for long, and on my next day out I finally understood what had happened to have triggered Seon-Ho, but why on earth was he taking it out on me? I wasn't a part of what happened that day, so why was I made to suffer? And why couldn't I escape him? Just when I really and truly wanted to be left alone?

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I already had no choice but to erase the memory of that perfect night with Hui-Jee and the horror it turned into when my so-called fiancé ruined everything. But she was right about one thing; I was on the rise in the palace and marrying a kisaeng would certainly put a damper on everything, despite her small role in the Queen's service. I could still technically take her in as a concubine if I wished, but at the same time I could not risk being the butt of jokes and bad gossip in the palace. Hui-Jee was the most sought out woman in he brothel since she wasn't a kisaeng and it would be a lie to say that I had no competition at all, even the princes wanted her attention as much as I did. I barely got her life spared when I had no choice but to promise 'my fiancé' that I would never come into contact with her again, and I was really upset about it. But there was nothing more that I could do, even after Hui-Jee actually took the time to cook for me and leave me a basket full of pastries that tasted very familiar to me. And Sung-Rok wasn't helping matters either; I understood his grudge against Yeon after Hwi slashed his face in the Liadong war, but he really couldn't stand it when I merely brought up Yeon's name, and it was beginning to piss me off. "What? What! What is your problem with her?" "Me serving you has become a problem! I thought you were the smart one, so why are you confusing the two women you have in your life? Are you really that incompetent or are you just confused?" "What on earth are you talking talking about? Yeon is my eternal companion, but Hui-Jee is a woman..." "...who has been raised in a brothel and who knows how to charm men like you, even if she isn't an actual kisaeng." "Men like me?" "Lonely confused men." "How am I confused? I am telling you that..." "It doesn't matter what you tell me, because it is vey clear that you lack any experience when it comes to the opposite sex. I never thought that long hair and a set of pretty eyes would throw you this much." "I really have no idea what you mean." "Forget it, and let us focus on some work for once." "What do you mean? I am always dedicated to my work." "You were when you had that girl..." "Watch it, do not call her any names or so help me god..." "You can but I can't?" "It's different for me; I can do whatever I want to the girl since we have known each other for so long..." "are you forgetting that she cannot remember any of that?" "Memories or not, she is mine to do as I please, but Jae...what? Stop raising your eyebrows at me like that and let us focus on work." "What an idiot." I could hear him mumble but I chose to drop the subject since I knew I wasn't going to get any straight answers out of him.

But unfortunately or fortunately, I needed an outlet for my emotions which were slowly taking over me even single day that were being repressed by my father, the palace, my ex-best friend and now Hui-Jee. Work was slow, Sung-Rok was tough, and I really didn't have anyone else in my life apart from Yeon, who was just so adorable when she got angry, to the point where I had become addicted to teasing and tormenting when I could, no matter how much I had tried to distance myself because of this. I had an entire home of servants to mess with and vent out my anger, but nobody was as witty, as cute and as vulnerable as Yeon was without her memories. Her rebukes fascinated me, her innocent confusion stimulated me, and her young age made her the perfect vulnerable target for me. I could mould her mind and heart into anything I wanted and she would let me do whatever I wished, she would forgive me for whatever I did and she would always wait for me...

"Brother? Brother?" "For goodness sake, stop calling me that! We have no blood ties!" I really couldn't help but to wince every time she addressed me as such, it made me so uncomfortable. "Well, what should I call you then?" "You will address me by my name as I do to you." "But it is inappropriate! As my older..." I had been used to being ignored my while life, but I could not stand it when Yeon did the same thing. Even her brother had all the reasons in the world to disrespect me, but certainly not Yeon. And I made it known when I caught hold of her arm and I held it a little tighter than usual, which was something that my father always did to me to show his displeasure. In fact, I still want't fully aware that I was doing it until I saw her wince a little. I didn't mean to touch her more than usual, but I couldn't help but to blow on the area which I just hurt her and rub the pain away with my fingers.

I could feel her curious eyes burning into me, but I didn't mind it this time. I had slowly come to appreciate her gazes rather that of those other people around me. "Is this how you always look at me behind my back?" I couldn't help but to ask her, and I got the unexpected pleasure of watching her face turn into a deep shade of red that I had never seen on her before. "What do you mean? Who watches you?" "Didn't you make the hole in my window? During your first year here?" "No! It wasn't me! It was...probably Chun-Ae! What? What are you laughing about?" "It's funny how you like you like to oppose on other's, but you cannot handle it coming back to you." "Listen to me, I might be a lowborn, but I still have some manners! What would I watch you..." "Yeonnie, you already have an unusually high pitched voice, and it only goes higher when you lie. I know everything about you, remember?" "I...I.." "Forget it, you must have done it out of your everlasting concern for me, right?" She hated being teased and we both knew it, especially when she tried to break free of my grip and walk away in a huff. But I wasn't going to let go of her, and I made it known when I pulled her in so close to me that she felt against my chest when she tried to fight me back. And despite her beauty, her wisdom and charm, she was still an innocent and pure child at heart when she practically buried her face in my shoulder in embarrassment since I still wasn't letting her go.

"What are you doing? Why aren't you letting me go? Seon-Ho?" "Say my name again." "Have you lost your mind? Let me go! Let me go..." "I will not let you go until you give me what I want! And even then I will not let you go!" I couldn't help but to snap at her angrily whilst I tried my hardest to resist smelling her hair and neck where she was the most scented. And even...and even her corners of her jacket seemed to be scented as well. I had never come across a more sensual person in my entire life and just her presence alone was beginning to tantalise me in ways that I never thought I would have the chance to experience. And with all the pressure around me, the suffocatingly corrupt decisions that I was forced to make each and ever day under my father's rule and the fact that I had couldn't help the woman that I love was forcing me to get a closer to Yeon than I have ever planned to.

"...Seon-Ho, Seon-Ho please..." "Please what? Why are you acting so scared around me? Don't I do a good job in taking care of you? I am not going to hurt you!" "I...i thought you always told me to maintain my distance around you? Remember? I..." "I made one comment and you ran with it, didn't you? You have used every single excuse under the sun to stay away from me, haven't you? Just like everyone else does!" "No! No that isn't what I...you told me yourself! Not to do anything and just stay in my quarters! So I have! And I have almost driven myself crazy just staying inside all of the time! You are not the only one who is suffering!" There was a fire in her eyes that certainly wasn't there previously, and it just made me want to keep provoking her until she exploded.

"If you are suffering, then what is stopping you from begging me?" I was beginning to loose myself further and further in my loneliness and I was starting to say things that I never thought I would say in my life. Just what on earth was I doing? What was I torturing somebody so innocent in the way that everyone else had done to me? Wasn't I supposed to be protecting Yeon from this?

"I am not a slave, why should I beg for anything?" Her defiant tone was starting to stir up something in me that I have not felt in such a long time, and god forgive me, but I wanted to keep on going and never stop. "So, you think that you can just do what you want and achieve what you set your mind to? Without asking me for help at all?" "I know that I can! I have so far, haven't I?" "You god-damned brat..." "Ever since I woke up here, I have been taking care of both you and myself! I am the one that feeds you bigger portions of food, I am the one who fills up your hot bath for you after your excessive training, I am the one who sews up your tattered clothes so you have more money to spend and I am the one who always take care of your damned horse! And I..." "Why?" "Wha...excuse me?" "Why are you excessively taking care of me?" "I...because you are a fool who doesn't know how to take care of yourself! Just like every other man..." "Other men? Who? Who else do you know apart from me? Has anyone else approached you? Where? Who? In the marketplace? Tell me!" I had lost complete control of myself for the first time and who knows what I would have done to he ran my rage if the concubine hadn't announced her presence and almost ripped Yeon apart at the sight of her alive and well under my father's roof.