Chapter 161: Decisions (Gyeoljeong)

Life at work had gotten tougher, ever since my brother rejected Aerum and the news had spread over town with a little help from myself, which had unknowingly made me the target of her anger and frustration. I was lucky enough that Hwi got me medicine from Moon-Bok so I could start healing my scars and wounds when I bathed but this spoilt brat was trying to scar me even at work. Too many times I had come home to new bruises and scars on my body that I was desperate to wash away. At first I didn't mind that I was scarred, but now that I had a new Seon-Ho in my life I found myself…wanting to please him. The man had been through so much already that…well, it wouldn't hurt me to do things for him that made him smile I guess, after everything he had done for me as well…even if our future was uncertain right now. He was another problem that was heavy on my mind; he had gotten rid of all of my clothes and bought me ones that suited his taste, and I've had to put up with his hungry looks ever since. I had done a pretty god job of covering my new bruises from him as well, at least that was what I thought until I caught him one day as I had just gotten into the bathtub just staring at me with an intense look on his face that completely arrested my movements. I didn't even have time to blush before he he walked in like he owned the place with his own bottle of medicine in his hands and a cloth. I was covered enough by the water for him not to see anything inappropriate, so he easily wet the cloth in my bath and started applying it to me scars that I didn't know he knew about. This jerk must have been watching me when I thought he was asleep! Just the thought of it made me blush but of course he misunderstood it. The smug look on his face only made me blush even more to the point where I had to hide my face. But when I looked up again I got the shock of my life when I saw him climbing into my bath completely undressed.

My first instinct was to leave immediately…but a part of me didn't want to. All I could do was stare in complete fascination as I watched this very built man make himself at home in my own bathtub. I couldn't even think of what to say before he reached out to me and before I knew it, my back was leaning against his very naked body with his arm around me chest so I couldn't move. At this point my natural instincts had taken over me and I cosied up to him. He made me feel like my doubts and insecurities were not a big of deal to him as it was to me. In fact I could come to him full of mud and dirt and he would still only want me. I had never felt this level of security in my entire life, and the way he merely looked at me was so intoxicating. With him, I would never have to struggle again and I know that he would make sure of it. "Seon-Ho…do you think that there is a world for us; a world where we don't have to try so hard? That we can just be ourselves freely where no one will past judgment on who we are and how we live?" I felt him sigh in relief before he replied to me "that is a world I am trying to create. I…I want a family Yeonna, the family that my father craved his entire life. But that family will be built upon my half-breed blood, and with my blood, I will show the world that there is no difference between nobles and low-borns, legitimate or illegitimate birth or even labels." I felt the weight of each word he was saying as his hands worked its way up my body. "So you probably need a noble legitimate wife to start that family/" I whispered in bitter disappointment as I tried to come out of the bath, but he still wasn't letting me move at all. I looked over at him and I immediately regretted it when I saw the look on his face. "Statuses can be gifted or revoked at any time, a woman with a legitimate birth is all I need."

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I waited for Yeon the next day despite the ridiculous rumors that I had been rejected from my marriage proposal. And as for his lowlife sister, well she had better know how to behave with her new sister-in-law who was going to upgrade their whole family. I already had a room made for my husband-to-be and I guess I was going to have to get along with my sister-in-law, for now at least. But as soon as we were wedded then they were just going to have to learn to live without each other, unless she kew how to stop acing like a damned victim every time I saw her, especially now that she had some sort of vulgar relationship with one of the Emperor's closest person. But I was to marry a person close to the Emperor's son, so I wasn't lacking in any way either. I was still prettier, wealthier and healthier than she ever would be, and as long as she knew her place, of course I could be generous and give her a second chance to work for my father.

I waited and I waited, for this girl to come back to the workplace but she didn't show up at all! I couldn't believe the nerve of this woman, didn't she need every single penny she could get just to feed herself? How on earth did she think she could survive with my family's wealth? Wasn't that the reason why she got herself hired with us? Or maybe she was felling embarrassed by her actions when she dared to wear an outfit like that to work! She was just clearly trying to rub her new found fortune into her work colleagues faces since our employees would not stop talking about how that hallf-breed came to her rescue. Maybe she was going to make a grand entrance with him on his arm to be the centre of attention again just like she always was.

Hours went by and I got sick of waiting for her so I ended up storming out after I had gone out of my way to dress myself and go there specifically to put her in her place. I made my way to the market hoping to pacify myself with pretty things I could buy in the meantime…only to see my future husband with his sister in public for the whole world to see! I couldn't believe my eyes at first…no one had ever disregarded me like this in my entire life. I saw red before making my way over to them and I snatched whatever it was that little slut was holding onto the floor without a single care. "Just what do you think you're doing? How can you parade that slut on your arms after my proposal?! You know you have to start caring about your image now right?" They all looked at me like I had lost my mind and Yeon had started bursting into laughter before that slut latched onto my man! I hadn't felt this humiliated in a very long time, not since we were children and Yeon got everything I wanted without even asking for it. Even if I got bigger and better things she always got to it first before I even asked for it, and I couldn't stand it at all. I lunged for her but that insect actually dared to think that she could touch me when I had no idea where her hands have been before she slapped me to the ground whist Yeon districted her brother with something she wanted from one of the market stalls. But Yeon unfortunately knew me all to well; the minute I wanted to get everyone's attention to rant about this kiseng who thought that she could ever be more to him than a concubine Yeon beat me to it with her own rant. She made it clear to the crowd that was gathering around us that her brother had not only rejected my proposal but he also had permission from prince Bang-Won to marry anyone he wanted…apart from me.

I felt my face growing dangerously hot and my ears started to ring as the humiliation suddenly dawned on me as everyone in the market and beyond started to whisper, point and laugh at the whole situation as if it was a drama scene that was going on. I started seeng red like I used to and I wanted to lunge for them again but they already left, leaving me crying in shame in front of everyone until my father's servant came to collect me with a face on him that I knew only too well. "I will see you all at the Prince's banquet and make sure that you will all answer for this!"

But they still were not paying any attention to me at all; very well then, I would do everything in my power to make the Seo siblings pay attention to me, just like when I had them on their knees before the military exam disaster that drove them all apart. "Servants! Bring me that girl that she is always with….Ae-Cha, right? Bring her to my home and prepare the guest quarters, for we shall have her around for a while. I shall also bring her to the banquet to teach those lowly fools to make a fool out of me!" "And what abut Seo Hwi?" "I will make him mine sooner or later, isn't keeping his sister a hostage is what lead to him staying around for her sake instead of simply abandoning her? Very well, so the next time that she comes to work, I shall simply use the same method to make me the bride of his choice." "But Young Mistress, what about Nam Seon-Ho? He is a person close to the Emperor himself…" "Then we have no choice but to kill himself off ourselves. Or better yet, we do not need to dirty our hands at all. Don't we have someone that we can use to do all of that for us?"