Record of Mad Love

After taking a deep breath, Seoyeob took off the mask covering his face with his raging hand.

He, who walked in fast and wide steps because he was in a hurry, headed straight to the chamber, where Jin Ye was. However, the eunuch blocked him in front of the door.

“Her Majesty hasn’t woken up yet.”

It was still before dawn. He knew about it. He knew, but Seoyeob was feeling impatient.

“Please announce my presence, Lord Park.”

“This is too early. Tidy up your attire, and after you return to the palace in the morning, you can have an audience with Her Majesty.”

When the eunuch pointed out, Seoyeob finally took a look at his attire. His appearance covered in black from head to toe was certainly not an attire suitable to meet the emperor.

Without hesitating, he untied the knot and took off the thin outer and dropped it to the ground just like that. Showing the formal attire he wore inside, Seoyeob then asked.

“Is this enough now?”

He saw the eunuch’s expression hardened, but Seoyeob too, had his own situation.

“This is an urgent matter. Hurry up.”

He went to take a look at that ‘guest’ that was said in Prince Hwa’s residence, but eventually, he failed.

Only warm blankets and some furniture were left in the empty room. Also, bandages were scattered around.

Looking at the view of the untidied room, he thought that person might really be alive. That person, Yeon Mugeon.

Although it was by a hair’s breadth, it was a fact that he lost him.

It was another mistake. Gut-wrenching to boot.

However, if he tried to hide his mistake, something bigger would definitely happen. He had to convey this situation to Jin Ye as soon as possible. Seoyeob believed Jin Ye also wanted the same.

The eunuch was displeased because Seoyeob was being stubborn, but eventually, he opened the chamber door. He, who came out after coming in for a moment, opened the way.

“Come inside, please.”

Seoyeob immediately took a step ahead. Looking at the door of the lighted room being opened, he took a deep breath at the sudden nervousness.

Jin Ye let the past mistake slide as if it was nothing, but this time, it wouldn’t be the same case. He passed between the open doors, imagining the worst that would unfold before him.

He silenced his steps as much as he could and walked inside carefully, and then he saw Jin Ye with her hair loosened long because she just woke up from sleep.

When the door closed, Jin Ye stared at him through the red veil. Noticing that he was being more careful than usual, she immediately went to the main topic.

“Alright, how is it going with Yeon Mugeon?”

“… I lost him.”

“You lost him?”

When Jin Ye confirmed it once again, questioning if she heard it right, Seoyeob drew an embarrassed expression. He shut his eyes tight and bit inside his cheeks. It was arduous for him to say a word.

“Please kill me.”

“…”

Jin Ye narrowed her eyes as she looked at him, who was in agony. Thinking that Yeon Mugeon was alive, she felt the drowsiness left her in an instant.

She got a hunch that something was wrong ever since the eunuch woke her up. Well, if it had been a success, even if he was Jo Seoyeob, he wouldn’t have come in this dawn.

Still, the handling of this case wasn’t really like Jo Seoyeob. No less than Jin Ye was, Seoyeob was not the sort to tolerate mistakes.

Jin Ye took the sword that was placed in oblique next to her bed, and then moved aside the veil by pushing the scabbard between the veils. She, who came clear to sight, stared at Seoyeob with her red eyes and asked.

“And so you want to repay it with your life?”

Seoyeob immediately bent one of his knees down.

“I will gladly accept whatever punishment you give me.”

“Come closer.”

Seoyeob held down his breath and slowly approached her with his feet kneeling down. One step at a time, he measured the appropriate distance by looking at her. Once he stopped with his head down, he closed his eyes.

“If it’s a crime to the point of death, it’s often a crime that you can’t pay back even if you die.”

“…”

“Yeon Mugeon that falls into Prince Hwa’s hands, huh…”

At the end of Jin Ye’s remark, a sharp sound rang.

Crack!

When he opened his eyes out of surprise, he saw pieces of broken vase and flowers scattered next to him. Shortly, water flew and wet his knee. Seoyeob clenched his hands tight on his lap. It was hard to breathe under the pressure.

Looking down at him, Jin Ye spitted words out.

“This is the worst situation. I was at ease because I believed in you, Marquis Jo.”

She felt that Prince Hwa was faster than her prediction, but she never expected he would easily get Yeon Mugeon in his hands. The calculation became very complicated because of that.

As she was glaring to the air, Seoyeob hesitated, wondering what to say, and then opened his trembling lips.

“You may, kick me out just like this.”

Hearing that, Jin Ye lowered her gaze and examined his pale face. She wasn’t the one who didn’t understand his intention of talking like that.

There was no next chance after all. It wasn’t strange if Prince Hwa would soon come to the palace with Yeon Mugeon.

Seoyeob obviously talked like that while thinking it was the end. However, Jin Ye let out a vain laugh.

“Then, wouldn’t you die by hanging your neck?”

“…”

“Can you even live if you left my side?”

Seoyeob slowly raised up his head and looked up at Jin Ye. No objection flew out his mouth.

The man named Jo Seoyeob was someone who couldn’t live unless by her side. Even though it was painful by her side like his heart being broken, he couldn’t leave her. If she would really kick him and tell him to never appear before her ever again, it was possible that a few days later he would be found as a corpse somewhere.

Knowing that well, Seoyeob asked in a voice oppressed with nervousness.

“… Then, what should I do now?”

“Well, I think I need some time. If he gets exposed as my fated person, I won’t be able to kill Yeon Mugeon.”

There was a sound of Seoyeob swallowing his breath once again at Jin Ye’s answer. It was visible to the naked eye that his hands on the floor were shaking.

It was obvious he was feeling guilty about the things that went astray because of his wrong judgment.

In addition, although he did not spit it out, Seoyeop secretly expressed his desire to release her from the bondage of the name seal. Yet the matter got twisted like this, so he must be very agonized.

However, both Jin Ye and Seoyeob weren’t a stupid fatalist. They were people that always denied that the thing called fate was nonexistent. Thus, wasn’t that why in the past Seoyeob without hesitating chased after her when he heard Jin Ye was deposed from her position and would soon die? Saying he would protect her.

Just like that, they came to this place. Getting their feet shackled just because of the thing named name seal was an absurd thing.

Furthermore, the difference between Seoyeob and Jin Ye was that Jin Ye didn’t regret things that passed by.

If she had time to regret, it was faster to make a plan to screw over Prince Hwa.

After thinking that far, Jin Ye slanted her lips upwards.

“But, can’t I catch the other body?”

If Yeon Mugeon, her fated person was close to her, things might be easier.

“Are you talking about Prince Hwa?”

When he asked back, wondering if she had a good idea, Jin Ye looked far away for a while. She was organizing what she would do from now on in her head, but suddenly the eunuch looked for her.

“Your Majesty.”

Listening to that voice, Seoyeob turned his head toward the door with a tense face.

“His Highness Prince Hwa has entered the palace.”

The time has come.

Jin Ye came out of the brown study as she heard that, and then made a tired expression. Then, she got up from her seat, holding on Seoyeob’s shoulder.

“What’s his business in this dawn?”

Jin Ye asked back, but instead of an answer, there was a moment of silence. It seemed like he was thinking about how to deliver the news.

Not long after, the eunuch’s voice imbued with perplexity gave the answer.

“It is said he came accompanied with your fated person, Your Majesty.”

It was an answer within her expectation.

The situation had gone this far, so it wasn’t right to avoid him. Preparing her heart to meet her fated person, Jin Ye moved her steps into the mirror that was located in the corner.

Her figure with her dark hair down and light clothes was reflected on the clear mirror. Looking at it, Jinye insinuated the eunuch.

“Bring me a change of clothes.”

Soon after, the doors were opened and a court lady bringing the finely folded imperial robe and light hair accessories entered. Seoyeob then came forward.

“I will assist you, Your Majesty.”

When Jin Ye nodded once as a sign of approval, the court lady handed over those things to Seoyeob.

Seoyeob stood behind her and slowly took off Jin Ye’s upper garments. His hands were careful in case the beautiful skin was touched by his hands.

When the undergarments covering her chest came into view, her shoulders were shown. And the moment he saw the three characters of Yeon mugeon’s name that were darker than before, Seoyeob’s hands stopped.

He felt like his heart dropped to the ground.

If only here was his name.

If so…

Jin Ye, who was looking at his figure through the mirror, cut off Seoyeob’s thought with a low voice.

“Don’t make such a face.”

Seoyeob, who didn’t realize his hand had stopped, flinched.

“… What kind of face I was making?”

“Your face was saying you want to burn my shoulder.”

The muscle on Seoyeob’s left arm twitched at her remark.

“That is impossible.”

When Jin Ye’s smile rang, he realized it was just a light joke, and Seoyeob smiled, relieved. But on the other hand, he felt like his heart was found out, so he felt like he was standing on top of thin ice that would soon break.

Jin Ye might have truly hit the mark. Seoyeob loathed these three characters of name that were engraved on her shoulder. He didn’t want to acknowledge it.

He wondered why the reality was this cruel.

Why did he have to live while enduring something like this?

Jin Ye might know about him, thinking that he would rather die by biting his tongue, but fail and fearing that he would welcome the morning without even being able to see her from a distance.

No…

She surely knew.

His balance broke ever since Yeon Mugeon appeared between their relationship, and his feeling was flooding over that it could not be hidden anymore.

Hiding his heart, Seoyeob put over the imperial robe on her body and tidied up her hair.

Now it was time to go face the horror he had created with his own hands, not anyone else.