Chapter 356 - Betrayed Heart-II

Yeseul appeared just as surprised as she was and briskly the maid fell on her knees, "I-I am sorry miss. I don't mean to keep this power a hidden."

"So you know you have that kind of power?" Haneul questioned, receiving no answer because Yeseul appeared to be trembling, she asked again, "Since when have you've been aware of your ability?"

"I-I don't remember. When I realized it happened during my visit to the river when I had accidentally pull your missing ribbon from under the water," Yeseul answered in panic.

Witches had never been taken well by humans. Especially to their kingdom where here were mostly humans compared to the population of vampires or witches. While the yellow witch was regarded well by people, not all witches face the same behavior. 

"Do anyone else know this other than me?" Haneul asked when she received no answer, she could feel her heart falling down. "Who?"

It would be great if the person had a tight lip but she couldn't be sure if the person can still kept her secret under the wrap if one day the Queen discovered her maid's power.

"M-Mr. Han Anhye," answered Yeseul and tears spilled from her eyes as fear and anxiousness mixed in her. 

Han Anhye? Haneul remembered how the human man was, in fact he had just helped and shielded Yeseul much to her gratitude. "How long had he known this?" 

"Since we went to the forest," answered Yeseul.

It was about roughly a month now and Han Anhye didn't spill the secret to anyone which mean he was trustworthy. But to make sure, Haneul thought that she should find and have a good talk with the man.

Haneul then felt a pull from her skirt. She looked down, finding Yeseul had dragged her legs to hold her skirt, a look of desperation settle on her face. "Miss, I won't beg much to you. Please, just let me work under you. I promise I won't be a burden and keep my ability a hidden."

"Oh dear," Haneul bent down and hauled Yeseul to her embrace. She shut her eyes. As much as Yeseul hated to separate Haneul who had taken Yeseul as a dear sister of her own also didn't want her to leave from her side. "Don't worry. I won't tell your power to anyone. Fortunately all the bystanders seem to think that I used my power and not you. But you can't stay with me."

Yeseul sobbed, "B-But miss."

"Tell me how did Mr. Han knew about your power?" Haneul asked first because it was the most important now to keep Yeseul's power far away from the greedy Queen's sight.

"He saved me from falling off the cliff when I was searching for you and wounded his legs. I-I can't help but to heal his wound," Yeseul answered between her sobs, thinking she would be casted aside from her beloved mistress.

Haneul bite her lips. Everything went back to her as if fate was circling around her. 

"I know a place where you can stay. Seeing that your power is to heal, I am sure you are a light witch as only light witch could cast healing magic. I wish you can stay with me Yeseul but if the Queen knew you power, she would try every means to covet them," Haneul said, and hurriedly, she stood from the floor, placing one hand over her lips.

Walking toward the door, Haneul pulled her poker face before pulling it open to see the yellow witch. The woman offered her a crafty smile and tried to look inside her room by sticking out her head. 

Haneul moved to the side to shield her sight, "I would be very grateful if you could bring away yourself from here."

"I heard that the physicians haven't come yet. I have them with me now," the yellow witch tipped her chin.

Haneul sighed while the yellow witch's smile widened. "You don't seem to get it, don't you? I know what you did, yellow witch," Haneul stepped out from her room, closing the door behind her.

She looked around and see the physicians whose face looked dubious. In her entire visit in the Royal  Palace, Haneul knew some physicians but not them.

"I am not sure what you are—" the yellow witch gulped when in instance an arrow appeared on the side of Haneul's hand that she opened widely. 

"Should I tried what you did to my maid?" Haneul lowly threatened, "I am silent to your action but that is never the privilege for you to try and attack those who are close to me."

"Are you threatening me?! Simply because you are the catalyst never make you as powerful as the Queen, Haneul. I will call the guards to drag you to the dungeon!" 

Haneul's eyes flared with anger and in one swift movement, she took hold of the yellow witch's neck. The guards around her was alarmed by her deadly move while the physicians as Haneul had expected pulled out sharp needles that she could tell had been soaked by poison. 

"Y-You! Do you think killing me won't make you went unpunished?" The yellow witch tried to form a smile as her fingernails dug to Haneul's hand. She tried to use her power but her eyes widened when she realize nothing could form to her palm. "H-How can you do this?! Impossible! You only have two powers!" 

"Listen to me," Haneul turn a deaf ear to the words said by the yellow witch and her voice fell on the cold hostility. The pair two eyes she had now had turned bright silver where anger boiled inside them. 

The Yellow witch could feel shivers when she met Haneul's eyes.

Haneul said, "From now on. If you attack my maid or anyone of my family. I will put your head on top of the castle's gate as a warning to everyone who dare to try and hurt my people. You all," her eyes then fell on the guards and the phony physicians. "No one is exempted from this warning!" 

Her eyes stared back at the yellow witch that begin to deter as she felt death inching closer when Haneul's fingernails crawled deeper to her neck, "As for you this is your last warning. Leave this place!" She threw the yellow witch across the ground and turned back to enter the room.

The yellow witch rubbed her hand to her neck that had been strangled. Anger, fear, and shame drenched to the witch whose eyes first turn wider from fear into anger.

When night fall, the yellow witch had come to inform what had transpired, painting Haneul in a blacker color through her story.

"She is as I thought, a very smart and clever girl. She knew that with more power she has, she would be send off to the war which she hate so much," the Queen commented while holding to the teacup.

"Your highness, we cannot allow her to rule over us. That woman threatened to even kill you and she believe she has more power than us," answered the yellow witch, "We need to put a leverage on her."

"Leverage," the Queen hummed, "We have many of them. I only need obedient pawn. The time to teach her a lesson has come. Eunuch Weng," called the Queen and he eunuch came with a deep bow.

"Your wish, your highness," obliged the eunuch.

"Write a letter to the Sol house and the entire kingdom. We should go against the kingdom of WongRyeo. Add to the message that the Catalyst should lead the war."

Seoyeon who had been inside the room, watching the scene cut to this could feel her own heart stopping in shock. She wasn't able to hear anything else as her consciousness was sucked back inside Haneul.

This time, they had came into the village of the light witches. JaeGil walked beside her, "It surprises me to know that there is a light witch who work under you."

"I am surprised as well. Do you think she would be able to adapt well here?" Haneul questioned with her brows frowning in worries. 

JaeGil watched her expression before breaking into a smile, "Why of course! Haven't you seen the people of our village already? All of them have kind nature like me, especially when we met our own kind. Because we knew there are only a few of us who are light witches, we tend to stick together. No matter what we would be together and be there for each other."

Haneul can't help but smile, "Like one big family."

JaeGil nodded in response, "Perhaps it is because our nature as light witches but we can't just hurt anyone. Care and concern always come to us first rather than anger or greed."

Haneul looked at the people all around her whose smile was gentle, "Indeed. Maybe the world would have been beautiful if everyone adopt the same belief and characteristic as light witches."

Seoyeon could see the fondness Haneul had to the light witches. It had her question why she would destroy and mass slaughter them when they had a good rapport?

"World wouldn't be one without evil and greedy people, Haneul. Think of them similar to spices in a food. There are some that taste good and some that you can't handle. Don't you think that's what made them interesting?" JaeGil questioned with his bright smile.

Haneul slowly nodded, "Please take care of Yeseul."

"That I will but I think she is more concern about you," JaeGil stared at her and at the same time wind blew, he whispered, "as much as I do."

Haneul didn't notice the word and only Seoyeon could hear them well. It appears that JaeGil held a secret love to Haneul which the girl didn't notice. Unfortunately for him, Haneul was deeply in love with Min Hyuk.

The next day, Haneul was thinking to visit Han Anhye but the man unexpectedly took the first approach by coming to meet her early in the morning when the sun had just appeared.

"I am glad you are here, Mr. Han. I need to talk you about Yeseul," said Haneul, beginning the conversation. "I heard that she had heard you using her power."

"You knew?!" Han Anhye appeared to be surprised. "I thought Yeseul had to keep it a secret from you."

"She did and I found them. Are you here to find her?" Haneul questioned, watching the man with her black eyes studying.

Han Anhye pursed his lips and move aside from the place he sat to offer her a deep bow. Haneul was startled and she heard the man says, "Please allow me to be with Yeseul, Miss Sol. I had heard it from her that while she didn't have a family, she had always thought of you deeply as her own family. She wishes to be with you as her sister. As she is an orphan, I wish to ask your permission to marry her."

"Marry her?" Haneul was once again startled and Seoyeon was even more startled. 

The fortuneteller had told her that she remembered her husband's name before she was reincarnated to be Han Anhye. Now it made perfect sense to her! The fortuneteller was Yeseul, Haneul's maid. 

Haneul appeared flattered and happy that Han Anhye had taken a liking and even ask for Yeseul's hand in marriage but she immediately schooled her expression.

"Are you and Yeseul in love with each other?" Haneul begin her interrogation.

Han Anhye met Haneul's eyes and she could tell his determination. "I can't attest them without her presence but I believe she loves me as much I love her enough to sacrifice everything I have."

"But she is a witch," Haneul said with her eyes narrowing. The matters of love and marriage was all on Yeseul's hand but Haneul was also responsible as a friend. She sees it as her responsibility to see for herself whether Han Anhye was the man who could protect and love Yeseul with his entire life.

"Your parents are humans as you and I have seen to know that they will ever allow you to marry her," Haneul showed the bargain.

"I know," Han Anhye said but instead of being deterred he remained resolute, "Which why I have come here to ask for her hand in marriage and elope. I will find a place where I can be with her without needing anyone's approval."

"Even by discarding your parents and the position you have now?" Haneul questioned again.

Han Anhye remain firm, "I have long been prepared for that."

Haneul stared at the man for a good two minutes before giving a nod, "I will approve but I hope you can stay with your promise until the end of your breaths that you will stay by her side as you had promised. If you don't I will see it for myself the punishment for breaking your promise."

Han Anhye's smile widened, "Thank you very much, Miss Sol!"

"Yeseul is currently in a very safe place. I don't suggest you to to run away into a far kingdom but stay in the village together. Yeseul is like a younger sister to me, Mr. Han. I hope you can protect her when she is not with me," Haneul requested and the man bowed his head deeply.

"It is what I had promised to her, milady. I will take care of her with everything I have and make every day a happiness for her."

Haneul nodded in approval. She thought of immediately showing him the way to meet Yeseul when the door of her room was opened.

Mrs. Sol entered her room with a complex expression. 

Just as Haneul was questioning in her mind what had occurred again, her mother came to her and shook her head. "Oh god, why did you do this to her?!"

Haneul was confused when her mother pulled her to a hug. On one hand she was happy her mother had hugged her as it was something she rarely do but she was confused at her mother's sudden tears.

"What happened, mother?" She asked, finding her mother shaking her head again as she cried in tears.

Haneul saw the long parchment that her mother held and took it to read the first two letters.

'....the catalyst, Miss Sol Haneul should participate in the upcoming war as the pivot of our proud army...'

At the same time the letter was sent to her, another letter of the same content arrived at Min Hyuk's door. Reading what happened, a loud burst rang from his room. The wall of his room had turn to fine dust when he had punched his hand on the wall. 

"That damned Queen!"