Jang mi thought, her sister was so evil all this while but she got what she wanted. Her father was the monster but he too got what he wanted. Her mother was innocent, she only wanted a happy life with her but she died like that. Jang mi never thought evil for others or ever did something devilish and was always grateful for every little thing she had but she still ended up like that.
It all just wrecked her mind. She thought only evil people could survive and only they could get whatever they want in life and people who are good, fragile always just cry like her.
Meanwhile, Jae young was looking at Jang mi from the palace. He was aware of everything that happened with her. Jihoon was staring at him in curiosity.
Why is he looking at her? Jihoon thought. He wanted to ask but Jae young looked like he was thinking about something.
Jae young had so many thoughts in his mind. He couldn't stop Minhyuk from getting married and he had to do something soon through which he could go further with his plan. He began to walk forward, gazing at her when jihoon asked,
"Where are you going, Master?"
"You, stay here". He replied.
"It's raining, Your clothes will get wet."
"It's okay." Jae young assured in a warm voice and walked away.
What is he thinking? Jihoon thought.
Jang mi's eyes were on the ground, watching the raindrops bouncing and her mind lost somewhere else when she saw someone standing in front of her with the spatter of raindrops on his shoes.
Jang mi slowly lifted her head to look at him. Jae young stared at her face, her puffy eyes, red nose, clothes covered in mud, water dripping down her chin, her hair.
Looking at her, he got flashback from his childhood when he was alone, crying, sitting on the ground in the rain, left by everyone, unloved, unimportant and a shame for his own father.
It gave him the same feeling. He was seeing himself in jang mi.
The staring continued for a while then jang mi finally uttered.
"What do you want?" Her voice sounded hoarse.
"You."
His voice echoed in her head, her brows slightly came down thinking what he meant by that.
Before she could say anything he sat down at her level and stared deeply into her eyes, his dark hair coming on his forehead, sparkling the raindrops settling like jewels on his head.
Her eyes blinked by the drops pelting on her lashes but his eyes were just narrow enough to look at her with all his focus, without blinking.
"I know, how angry yet mournful you are right now".He said. "And I also know you want them to regret making you feel like this."
He could understand what she was feeling. He knew exactly what she was going through because he went through the same.
Jang mi was just looking at him, not thinking a lot, just looking and listening to what he had to say.
"I know you want to destroy them, but you're helpless because you know they're more powerful than you and you...you are not."
Those words hit her. She did want to destroy them. She did want them to regret making her so miserable.
"They killed your mother, they made you despondent, they left you alone. They don't even care you are crying here, they don't care what your going through!"
His eyes started to burn, he was saying what he felt once in life, he was saying all of it to his old self. He was recalling the same moment when he was left alone.
Tears stung jang mi's eyes. Blood boiled as she felt heat in her body. She was dying and those people were celebrating.
"You want them to pay for it, don't you?"
I do! I want them to kneel down in front of me for everything they did to me!
Jang mi wanted to scream that out loud but instead she screamed in her head.
"You can't do it alone. In fact you can't do it without me. Only I can help you, only I can give you power." His face moved more closer to hers, the drops fell down his hair and splashed against jang mi's face.
"Marry me." His voice echoed.
" I'll give you power, I'll help you destroy them, I'll give you everything, everything you need
What he said messed up with jang mi's mind, why he wanted to marry her was the first question popping up in her head and without wasting a second she asked,
"Why do you want to marry me?"
She was sure it was definitely not because he wanted to help her, based on what she had heard about him. He would never help anyone. He was the person who would laugh at others misery.
"I have my other reasons but...it won't harm you in any way, I can assure you that, in return I'll help you, so isn't it a good deal?"
A deal? she thought. Marriage is a deal for him?
She was not in a position to take any decision, that too such a decision but whatever he said was true. She couldn't do it alone.
"You can take your time, I'm not asking you to marry me right away." He said.
"But I want to remind you something, you know the rumours about you spread all over and you are also well aware of what they do with a scandalous woman! They would bully you, they would even want to kill you since you were once related to the Minhyuk and they believe that you let him down. Your father, he could kill you too, you're not safe alone. You're not safe anywhere, with anyone, except with me."
She knew everything already. She wasn't thinking about it but now he made her think. Jae young was gazing at her face while she was thinking what should she do?
Standing up he spoke,
"You can come to me anytime." His eyes on her. Jang mi lifted her head to look at him while he walked away. Then he stopped and turned around glancing at her. He removed his coat and covered her with it. With that, jang mi's eyes widened and glittered, her gaze stuck on him.
Lowering his eyes he walked away.
Later,
Jae young was sitting in the living room while Jihoon standing next to him.
"You asked her to marry you?" He asked in a astonishing yet calm tone.
"Why? I can't?"
"No but why...why would you marry her? "
"She can be of my use." Hearing Jae young, Jihoon furrowed his brows.
We want the same things. Her revenge can help me getting closer to the throne in many ways because one of her target is Minhyuk. Moreover she's helpless and alone. If I'll help her she will help me too and if she gets to know anything about me, I'm sure she will not use it against me. I have to get married anyway so I think she is perfect for me.
"Are you gonna tell her about your plan?"
"Of course not but if she gets the idea of my intentions, I think I can trust her with that. Marrying her is the best option rather than bringing in some woman I can't trust." Jae young said.
"I was waiting for the right time to get married and if I'm getting married it should favour me. She's perfect for me because I can use her and I'm also helping her. So, it's only fair." He added.
For a moment, I thought he felt bad for her. Jihoon thought, sighing .
"What did she say? Is she going to marry you?"
"She will." He answered, confidently.
"At the end when she will realise she has nowhere to go, she will come to me." A slight smirk formed on his lips.
***********************
Jang mi walked on the road, feeling too weak, face dull, drunken eyes, when she reached outside her house.
She thought a lor. Going back to that house wasn't an easy decision. She wandered for two days here and there alone and starving. She didn't want to see her father's face. She knew it would make her want to kill him.
But at the end of the day, where else could she go? It was her house, she was born and raised there. The memories of her mother were connected to that house which were mostly bad but with her she used to be happy.
As she entered inside, she decided to face him. The guard told him about her so he came out. Looking at his face, her blood boiled and her eyes burned. She clenched her fist to reel her temper.
"Why did you come here?!" He roared harshly, his voice making her more angrier.
"What do you mean why? This is my house!" she spat. Listening to Jang mi, Choi Geung scoffed at her face as he spoke.
"Your house?! Since when?! You were a burden for me. A shame!" He voiced angrily." You ashamed me so much that I want to kill you!" He clenched his fists.
"But -- I'm happy right now, because my daughter is going to become the crown princess, that's why I'm not in a mood to dirty my hand"
Jang mi gritted her teeth, glaring at him. Looking at her gaze, he huffed.
"Move your eyes down! HOW DARE YOU GIVE ME THAT LOOK ?!!
"This is my house, I'm your legitimate daughter, your responsibility!"
"You're not my daughter! You and your mother were a burden on me! I'm half relieved that she's dead! Why don't you go die too?!!" Hearing those words, a tear escaped her eye.
"My daughter made me proud. She married the 3rd prince, what did you do? You ashamed me like always! You can't be my daughter. Your mother must have had you with another man. Your just as shameless as your mother " he roared making her burn in anger.
"SHUT OFF YOUR DIRTY MOUTH!!!" Jang mi shouted at him while walking towards him but before she could reach him the guards gripped on her arms to stop her. She started moving her hands and legs but she still couldn't free herself.
"Throw her out!" He turned his back on jang mi and walked away.
"IF I STAY ALIVE, I'LL MAKE YOU REGRET CHOI GEUNG!!"She yelled, her voice echoed in the mansion.
Two days later,
Jang mi hadn't eaten anything from two days and her body was too weak now, she could hardly walk when she entered the town.
That look in people's eyes started to worry her. She didn't know if they were staring at her because she looked like a beggar in expensive clothes or because they recognised her. What Jae young told her started to repeat in her head when people began to talk to each other, staring at her with disgusted look on their faces.
They were gasping, staring, walking towards her while she was trembling, her eyes half closed and her mouth dry.
≥ " I think she has gone crazy since the 3rd prince abandoned her"
≥ "Why isn't she dead yet! She deserves to die!"
Her feet began to move back when they went too close to her but before they could say or do anything to her, she ran away.
She was running, panting when her feet stopped in front of a mansion.
"Lord Kim Jae Young's Mansion"
Catching for her breath she read his name. She didn't know why she was there. She just had nowhere to go, her feet brought her there in hope it was a safe place for her.