Chapter 286 - Short-Lived Kiss-II

Seoyeon opened her eyes to see the ceiling over her head was made out of wood. Looking at it with her drowsy eyes, it took her some more second to take in that the ceiling wasn't suppose to be made out of wood but here she is, seeing a ceiling. Not knowing what happened, Seoyeon frowned, pushing herself from the place she had slept on which in fact was the wooden floor and drawled her eyes around, wrapping her mind in what happen.

She recalled last night, she found out about her parent's death and the kiss she shared with Jung Hwa before she slept that she could still feel Hwa's trace of lips on hers. After that, she was too exhausted with what happened during the evening to midnight and immediately fell to slumber when her head fell on the pillow.

Then where was she? Sitting up from the floor she removed the thin fabric which Seoyeon would like to assume it to be her blanket, the pillow which her head rested on had been changed to a stiff rectangular pillow, like a pillow that would come in a historical movie.

Not only was the pillow similar to what may had been used in the past, Seoyeon found the wooden house was also built with wood, quite rare for her to see as she spend most of her time living in the city.

Feeling her head slightly hurt, Seoyeon the placed her hand to where she felt an itch and uncomfortable feeling. Only to feel something similar to a gauze. Not knowing what it was, she quickly went to find a mirror. The house she was sleeping at didn't have pillow or a proper mattress for Seoyeon to lay down, if there was one thing to mention it would only be the haystacks that was placed so high along the three sides of the walls that reached almost to the ceiling; Seoyeon decided that it was best to assume the person who lives here wasn't fortunate enough to have a mirror which could be considered as a privilege.

Water, thought Seoyeon. She needs to find out what happened to her before choosing what she needed to do. Leaving the room, Seoyeon was instantly greeted with a bright light that blinded her, causing Seoyeon to throw her gaze away as the light burnt her eyes. 

Once Seoyeon had gotten accustomed to the light did she begin to look around, finding that the house she live at was a neighbor to a stable, which explain the reason why her room had a lot of haystack. It was because that wasn't her house but the storage to keep haystack to feed the horses. 

"As I thought you are here," came a man's voice from behind and Seoyeon felt her body instinctively moved. Her neck crane to look up at he man. It was strange even though she wasn't very tall, she wasn't this short either, thought Seoyeon.

The man who had called her appeared in his youth. His eyes were deep in black color and his body was clad in a deep navy blue silk traditional clothes where his forehead was covered by a headband and his head tied in a top knot, a symbol of a nobleman, a son of a possibility wealthy family.

Seoyeon didn't want to think of the possibility but after seeing the man's attire who had called her, she was sure she was walking on her lucid dream again. But who was this man? And why was she far in the past?

Seoyeon parted her lips, wanting to ask the man who he was but her voice instead uttered a different question, "I don't think it would be hard searching for me, Lord Min Hyuk." a hint of disappointment and vex could be heard from her words, and her eyes immediately looked away.

Now, Seoyeon had assumed another conclusion that she wasn't in her own body but instead someone else. The man who was called Min Hyuk chuckled at her words, "What can I say, this is not your first time locked in the stable storage as a punishment. Twice might be questionable but after the eighteen times, I don't need to ask to know what happen. Was it your mother who had punished you this time?"

The girl didn't reply and Seoyeon wondered if she was a peasant or someone from the same social class as it seemed she was able to talk with the man without a sign of hesitation or fear. 

Min Hyuk took the silence as an unverbalized agreement, "What is it that you do this time?"

"You are not on my side," complained the girl as Min Hyuk had instead asked for her fault.

"It depends, but you do know how I have always been on your side, don't you?" smiled Min Hyuk and the girl showed him a narrowed look.

"I don't believe in you too much," she replied with a cheeky smile that had the young man to titter.

"That saddened me," Min Hyuk replied after feigning a faint frown on his forehead that had the girl to smile despite being dampened by the punishment her mother had ruled. "Do you really not believe in me?"

"I was joking, I'm aware that out of everyone I've met you're my only ally." She answered, her cheeks redden but not too much for the man to notice that she had blushed. 

"Good girl," Min Hyuk curved his smile. "So do you mind telling me what actually transpired that resulted in you locked here by your mother?"

The girl sighed before speaking again, "Mother locked me because I broke some of her plates. I can tell she loves her plate more than me," the girl looked at Min Hyuk as she speak but it didn't take long for her to look away. "It's not as if those plates have soul in them. But I do."

Min Hyuk pulled his hands behind him, his black hair was tied tightly so no strand could fall on his face. After studying the girl's expression he appeared to have taken a note of something, "But from what I could see, I don't think the problem is only plates? Tell me the truth and I promise I won't tell anyone. I think there must be more to the reason than breaking a plate?"

The girl shared a glance with Min Hyuk, knowing that this man knows a lot about her and lying won't get her anywhere. Not arguing and wanting to have someone to talk with and share her burden which she bottled for so long, the girl finally spoke,

"A dark witch," was the girl's reply and at the single word, Min Hyuk's eyes considerably narrowed, "That's what my mother feared in me. Last evening, I didn't dropped the plate or hold it with too much pressure. I only placed my chopstick on the plate when it cracked and my mother was sitting beside me when she saw this happen. She panicked upon seeing the crack on the new plate and immediately ordered the servants to lock me here, warning me that I should never do it again. I don't understand. I am her daughter yet she believe I am a witch. It doesn't make sense."

"Again?" Min Hyuk raised his brows with worry.

The girl stared at Min Hyuk, her heart was filled with sadness that she didn't say much but murmured lowly, "I know you must think I am a witch too. But I'm not. I don't know why I did that yesterday either. I barely did anything than to touch the chopstick on the surface of the plate when it cracked. Maybe I am indeed a witch?" She said, surrendering to her sadness and disappointment. "What If out of all, like my mother feared I am indeed a dark witch?"

"What are you saying?" Min Hyuk asked and when she looked at him, he shook his eyes and showed her an encouraging smile. "I know you are not, you are a human just like both your father and mother is. Having a little power in you is not something negative or strange. After all, in this world, there are being like me, a vampire who suck blood out of others, and even amongst us there are a few who have power. It's normal for a human to have a power of their own and I believe it's a talent god gave to protect you. Even if you are indeed a witch, there are possibilities of you being other colored witch and not a dark witch."

"I am not sure about that," the girl answered, her spirit was still low after being on the receiving end of her mother anger. But that was not what saddened her the most. It was the look that her mother gave to her which was sheathed in both fear and disgust.

"If anyone other than you and my family knew I have this little bits of power in me, that could destroy things I'm afraid they would label me as a dark witch and I will be killed like the rest of the woman who was said to be dark witches. I have seen it before— the execution of women who the people suspected as a witch, and I saw it when they were beheaded," with the girl saying it aloud, Seoyeon who was inside the girl suddenly feel goosebumps all over her body after a chill when she recalled the headless body placed in the scaffold.

Her chill was still all over her body until Min Hyuk placed his palm on the crown of her head which instead brought her an immediate warmth. Seoyeon could feel her heartbeat suddenly drummed harder, and it reminded her of the way she was when she was with Jung Hwa, Knowing the emotions and the surge of butterflied in her stomach, Seoyeon became aware of the girl's feeling toward Min Hyuk.

The girl's smile widened but she quickly pursed her lips so her smile wouldn't go too wide to be noticed by the man.

"Don't worry. That won't happen to you," promised Min Hyuk who took a step forward and took her hands, "Even if you are a witch, I trust that you are not a dark witch. They might have a destructive power but breaking things isn't a sign as a dark witch. You don't have to worry. Your mother and father will keep quiet about your power which why they locked you here, and I won't tell anyone about it. I promise," the young man then showed his little finger, his smile widening as he watched the girl's eyes sparkled while staring at his little finger.

An unbridled laughter left the girl's lips, who was happy with his light-hearted promise, "You don't have to promise me, Min Hyuk, I believe in you. As your childhood friend, I know you never lied to me," and her words had the man to softened his gaze. "But I should say, it sounds strange to hear a vampire like you, speak about God," chuckled the girl. "I didn't know you have begin in believing God after a week of not meeting each other."

"No, to date, I still don't believe in God," came Min Hyuk's reply, starting to walk to the nearest horse and he reached out his hand to brushed the mane. The girl also begin to walk and Seoyeon realized she wasn't able to control her body anymore as the girl had taken the control.

"In this world we just need something to believe in. Although I don't believe in God, I think it's a great idea if he is real. With him maybe the children and people who died in the recent killing would be able to go to paradise," said Min Hyuk, running his hand on the horse's neck, his eyes then met the girl's again. "There was another witches attack. It was the dark witches again."

"Is that why you are here?" asked the girl after, seeing the man shake his head, "Is it confidential?" And she saw her childhood friend nodded but her curiosity was still burning in the back of her mind and she asked, "Can you tell me what you came for?"

"I came for the Queen's order," Min Hyuk returned, and Seoyeon could feel a sudden bad premonition washed over the girl when she the Queen, the ruler of the land was mentioned, "It appeared her closest aide, the yellow witch who could predict the future from a glass ball said that there would be a savior in this land that could bring an end to our war with the dark witches to an end."

"Really?" asked the girl, her voice raising a tone in beaming curiosity. "Do you know who it is?"

Min Hyuk shook his head, pulling his hand away after coaxing the brown horse that neighed, "I haven't been able to tell who it was, but the yellow witch pointed that it must be someone from the town your father govern." Which mean this girl was also a wealthy daughter, thought Seoyeon.

"That's concerning," the girl murmured, "I am delighted to hear that there would be someone who could solved the useless war that only victimize our people, but the Queen," the girl whispered very lowly even though she had spoken without being too loud, coming to speak about the Queen, her voice became lower.. "I only heard some bad rumors about the Queen, but you have seen her before, Min Hyuk. Was she like indeed the rumors describe her to be?"