Chapter 353 - Bloody War-II

"I can tell but not because I am a light witch. There is an air in you that made you calm, does it come from years of practice? It is my first time meeting someone who could conceal their emotions as well as you," said Madam Yoo, "Not to mention you are still very young," and Haneul only smiled.

Perhaps it was because the village was hidden in secret or if it was the kind nature her surrounding had where all the people she saw seemed to be closely gathered like a family with wide smiles and brimming happiness. She felt relaxed that she could convey what she had hidden for years, "I tend to hide my emotion. I grew up doing so. My mother had not been the closest person in my life and to make her happy, I would have to become someone I am not. By doing that I learned how to hide my emotions."

Madam Yoo watched the girl's expression and pulled an understanding smile. She was this young with a high responsible on her shoulders but then she had to become someone she wasn't to her only family which never had been easy for anyone. 

"It must have been difficult."

Haneul offered the woman a smile as Madam Yoo had sympathized with her. "I had came here to question about the Queen, can you tell me about her?" 

"Of course I haven't forgot what you came for, follow me," Madam Yoo said.

Haneul was led to another house which was large. Upon entering, she was greeted by the spacious hall. In the head of the hall were a wooden table placed on the table. Torches were hang on the walls next to her, holding some light for the dark room.

Madam Yoo take a seat behind the desk, offering her a seat in front of her. 

"The Queen and I know each other quite some long time ago. Around thirty years ago," said Madam Yoo, crossing her legs as she sat.

Haneul's eyebrows crooked up at the immediate second, "Thirty years ago?"

"How old do you think the Queen is, Haneul? Based on her appearance," Madam Yoo said. In time, Seola came to bring the tea, her eyes were sharp when she looked at Haneul but the latter was too focused on the story Madam Yoo had with her to care about the gaze. 

"If it is by appearance, early thirty.," now that Madam Yoo mentioned about it, Haneul realized she had never heard the Queen's age. "All I know she was crowned when she was still in the young age of fifteen."

"She is older than that. Really older," sighed Madam Yoo heavily. "Do you know how our kingdom is very strange of its own because how there was only Queens that ruled the kingdom?"

Haneul slowly nodded her head, "I heard most kingdom ruled by King."

"But not on our kingdom. It isn't because of the rule, Haneul. The Queen that you know, she had never changed since the past ninety years," answered Madam Yoo.

Haneul who was holding the cup, was too startled that she didn't know how boiling hot the cup was. Her hold on the cup loosened on it own.

"Careful!—" Madam Yoo yelled but before the cup or a single drop of the tea could fall over the desk and scald her hand, Haneul's eyes turned silver. From the drop of the tea to the cup, entirely was frozen into ice.

The cup shattered when it fell on the ground and Seola who was looking from behind with a smile now had her eyes widened. 

Madam Yoo was quick to understand what had happened didn't occur because Haneul was too startled or clumsy. Her eyes immediately narrowed and she snapped a look at Seola, "Seola!"

Haneul raised her hands, "Earlier you said ninety years? The Queen had reigned for ninety years? But there was the crowning ceremony of the new Queen."

Madam Yoo still had a deep frown against Seola but she decided to answer Haneul's question first, "It was a charade she put up so people won't question her long life. Since young we have been taught about the existence of dark witches. They are the most wicked witches amongst all witches, the exact other side of the coin with us, " She is the dark witch, the head of all the dark witches, Queen YoungHa."

Haneul had left the building where Madam Yoo was in still confusion. Her head could still hear he words the woman said, 'Our enemy had never been outside the kingdom but deep inside around our surroundings.'

If that was true... why did the Queen kill the black witches and dark witches and hang them in the scaffold? Or beheading them? Was it because those people turned their back on her and she had used the chance to put herself as the good person?

"Sister!" Came a voice from behind. Haneul who was still inside the village was startled by the appearance of the younger boy who then reached out her hands over her.

Haneul noticed the boy was the same boy who was named Seunggo, the boy who she had seen. "You must be Seunggo," and the boy put on a very wide smile that caused her to break into smile as well.

"Uhm..." the boy the murmured as if trying to do something bu was too embarrassed to do it now.

"He want to give you flowers. I really wonder why kids can easily fall in love it must be the look. You are indeed pretty after all, princess," came JaeGil's voice from behind.

Seunggo who hadn't known JaeGil will give him a way like that had his entire chubby face reddened. The boy looked miffed and run to kick JaeGil. Before he left, he didn't forget to stick out his hand that were holding the flowers to Haneul.

Haneul watched the yellow flowers that often grew on the ground and she noticed around the forest. The root could still be seen from the flower that was given and before she could thank the boy, he had run away.

"Aww, look at him. This is what others called first love," chuckled JaeGil while looking at Haneul who was staring at the flower.  "Is it not to your taste princess?" He had heard of how most women especially those who are born from a wealthy family prefer expensive flowers that's clearly different from the untrimmed flower little Seunggo had given.

Instead a warm smile spread equally on Haneul's pink lips, her cheeks bloomed with a happiness, "I was just reminded of the flower I received once too," the flower that danced on the sky upon her blow when she was with Min Hyuk but remembering him, her expression turn a little sullen. 

She couldn't say the words the yellow witch had said didn't affect her. Instead, it did affect her terribly. She remembered Min Hyuk spoke about the yellow witch which mean they had truly once slept together. But Haneul couldn't exactly blame him when they were not in a relationship. 

The yellow witch's words made sense to her as well as vampires were said to hold a raging hormones through their teenage years... something which was hard to suppress...

"Are you his older brother?" Haneul then asked, seeing Min Hyuk's eyes widened and he seemed to be in a daze. "JaeGil?" She asked.

"Ah? What? No, I am not his older brother. Actually I was an orphan. When I remembered Madam Yoo had took me in after my parents who were light witchess whom live outside the village died from an dark witches attack, I am very thankful for what she did."

So he was an orphan, thought Haneul. She found JaeGil to be an energetic person despite being an orphan which might be unique to her eyes, because she had only seen orphan who were withdrawn. 

In her society orphan wasn't taken or cared well which caused them to be reserved around others. They were often shunned unconsciously which had her to think of how beautiful and compassionate the people in this village were.

"I heard what Seola did,"' JaeGil then spoke again, "She is the younger girl of our coven, people often spoiled her, I am sorry on her behalf. I hope that because of her you wouldn't stop coming here, would you?"

Haneul looked at JaeGil before shaking her head, "I don't think it is you who should apologize. I don't hold grudge or anger against her but I want her to know that what she did was dangerous. It won't do anything if you apologize on her behalf while she thinks of what she did as correct."

JaeGil was impressed by her words and with a nod, he bowed his head, "As you said, princess. I will see through it that she would come and apologize to you after fully learning of her own mistake. As an apology, how about next time you came here, I will show you around the village. We might be small it there is a lot of entertainment around here."

"You didn't have anything to be sorry for," Haneul replied with a raise of an eyebrow.

"But I do, don't I?" Asked JaeGil and Haneul noticed his eyes that fell on her ankle which was wounded, "Let me do this for my self."

Seeing no harm in agreeing Haneul nodded her head. After she had left the village, JaeGil still had his eyes following Haneul.

"Do you like her?" came Seola's voice from behind. Her lips were turned upside down.

"What are you saying? Have you reflected on your mistake?" JaeGil casually placed his hand over her head and usually Sola would be happy but treated like a child and a sister, she swatted his hand.

Her eyes were holding tears as she asked, "I asked do you like her?!" 

"If you ask me whether I like or dislike here more it would be I like—" before JaeGil completed his words, Seola had burst into tears. She stomped on his feet before running way from the spot.

JaeGil's friend who was of the same age of his couldn't help but comment, "You made her cry."

"I don't remember doing anything though..."

"You are dense you know that? Things like the should be ended before they spiral," commented the man whose hair was bright red before leaving the place while still shaking his head.

Haneul spent more days going in and out the invisible village. She enjoyed her time in the village, not to mention how welcoming the people were once they had gotten used to her appearance.

Days turned to week and a month passed since her first arrival to the invisible village. Now the villagers who were mostly light witches welcomed her warmly. At night whenever Haneul could, she would leave her house to the village.

Seoyeon had opened her eyes where a scene cut for her to see Min Hyuk standing alone. "I heard about it, you have been avoided," came the voice from behind which belonged to Raeul. "By the catalyst."

Min Hyuk leaned to the back of the desk and sighed, "I don't know what I did to her. Or why she is avoiding me. It was cute seeing her jumpy at first but now she looked as if she didn't want to see me. I feel like my heart is away from me."

"To think that Hero of the war who could kill without a blink is dying inside from being unable to meet his beloved," commented Raeul.

Min Hyuk can't help but smiled. "You are quite wrong, you know. The only reason why I can be a Hero because in my mind I only want to protect one single person. She is my heart, my blood, my reason to live."

Raeul watched Min Hyuk with a small smile. "Really not anyone can replace her in your heart," and yet the stupid Bom though she could. Most people including him who worked for Min Hyuk respected him for all he did. Bom, the vampiress also had the same respect but deeper into love albeit the fact that Min Hyuk already had someone he loved deeply. 

"What are you here for?" Min Hyuk then asked. It was unusual for Raeul to come into his residence. 

"It is about Miss Haneul," at the mention, Min Hyuk who appeared tired had a stern look on his face. "We have found out that she had been going in and out of the forest for days, the same forest where she almost went missing for more than an hour."

"For how long?" Min Hyuk questioned. How come he didn't know this?

"Almost a month now, every night he left the place except for a handful of days," answered Raeul and he knew what Min Hyuk wanted to say, "Bom didn't convey this message to you because she thought it wasn't important."

Min Hyuk's black eyes were quick to turn red. His brows were pulled tightly, "I have made my order clear to her. Her reason for not telling me the report is because she felt it wasn't important?"

Hearing the harsh tone, Raeul didn't speak because he knew it would only worsen the situation. 

"Put Bom into other mission. With how she is now, I don't think I can put my trust on her," Min Hyuk's voice had been loud and clear, clear enough to convert what needed to be said to Bom whom he knew was standing near the door.

His eyes watched the vampiress who quickly made a run, upset on her face caused her to bite her lips.