Chapter 41

When Young-young opened her eyes, she was in a carriage. 

Rattle, rattle. When she opened her eyes to the shaking, black eyes were smiling over the goblin mask.

“Are you awake?”

Young-young didn’t smile. She slowly turned her head and looked out the window. It was dark and noisy outside the window. They seemed to be passing through the downtown area. 

Young-young hardly ever left the house, so she didn’t know where this was. Where was she? But she knew that her home was in the city.

He said she would never go there again…….

She remembered the house where she lived. A house in the mountains. The hut that is collapsing. Food that arrives once in three or four days, and terrifying hunger, and loneliness more painful than hunger.

It was as if a reddish ghost screamed inside her, but Young-young looked up at Sa Heon-yeong and barely swallowed her words of dislike. She didn’t know if anything troubling had happened to this person. 

She hates it even more. He was a good person. A good person she met for the first time in her life. Someone who wants to do anything for her. If this person wants her to go back…….

Her heart was pounding, it hurts. Young-young grabbed her chest and curled her body.

“Young-ah? Why, what’s wrong?”

“No, no.”

“No, you’re in a cold sweat. Hey, hurry up.”

Young-young opened her eyes wide.

The rattle of the carriage grew worse. Young-young looked around her, not knowing what to do. He didn’t even stop the carriage, but made it run faster. 

What to do. She looked at Sa Heon-yeong.

Will she  never see this man again? Never?

Young-young reached out her hand and tried to remove Sa Heon-yeong’s mask. She wanted to see his face. That beautiful face. A gentle and lovely face. 

But before her hand could even touch the mask, Sa Heon-yeong grabbed Young-young’s hand. Interlacing his hands, he gently shook his head.

“Not here.”

“But when we arrive, we have to part.”

Part?

Sa Heon-yeong looked down at Young-young, not knowing what she meant. Young-young’s face was so serious.

“Show me your face.”

“…….”

“The face, …… Lord Heon-young!”

There was a sense of urgency in Young-young’s voice. When he heard her voice, it was as if Sa Heon-young was acting nonsensical. 

Sa Heon-yeong bit his lip, feeling a little overwhelmed. He took off his cloak and covered her and himself. And he stuck out his face in it. Then Young-young took off his mask, hastily.

Her trembling fingertips touched his cheek. It felt good to touch gently around his eyes, but he could sense that something was wrong. Young-young was trembling and desperate, and she was squeezing out a smile above all else. 

Why did the woman who smiled like a flower when he said he fell in love at first sight just before become so scared now?

“Young-ah, what’s going on?”

He was holding her all the time, who could have scared her in the meantime?

“Young-ah, please tell me. I will take care of everything.”

Who dared to cause fear to the wife in his arms?

The Queen Mother’s face flashed past Sa Heon-yeong’s mind. She was the empress, and to Sa Heon-yeong, she was his mother anyway. However, she was the ruler of the battlefield called the concubinage, where she had been victorious for decades. 

Did she do anything in that short time? When Sa Heon-yeong frowned, Young-young straightened her forehead.

“Can’t we meet again?”

“Why are you saying that?”

“But when we arrive, we have to part. After that……, will you come to see me again?”

“Why do we part when we arrive?”

“If you’re not father’s guest,”

It was then that Sa Heon-yeong realized what his wife was thinking. He grabbed Young-young’s slender forearm.

“Listen to me, Young-ah.”

“Hmm.”

“You are my wife, and you will never step there again. I understand how the wife feels, but”

Young-young’s eyes became confused. Sa Heon-young let out a long sigh and spoke slowly.

“You are my queen, and I’m talking about the deceased mother-in-law. I mean, your mother.”

“Oh.”

“Wife has already moved her place. Tomorrow let’s make a memorial service and move the grave to a good place.”

Young-young nodded her head hastily. Perhaps she wanted to hear more, her eyes urged him.

It was only for a moment that his anger swelled at the thought of her returning home. Sa Heon-yeong looked down at Young-young, who had desperate eyes.