Chapter 357 - Betrayed Heart-III

Mrs. Sol had cried as if it was her own misery but Haneul didn't she saw the letter with utter calmness. She dislike war or to hurt someone with her power; seeing the letter of course turn her stomach into knots but she knew from far days away that this day would come— the day where the Queen would use her as a weapon— as a sword in which she had introduced Haneul to be.

Even though she wasn't surprised she was staggered and her blood turned cold where she could feel in lieu of blood it was ice water that flows in her body.

"We will have to do something about this..." Mrs. Sol said and it was Haneul's ever first time seeing her mother in tears for her. "You are just a girl even though there is power inside you, you are not made for war!" 

"The Queen's order is absolute," Haneul said, meeting her mother's wide eyes. "I will be fine, mother. I am prepared for this."

The rest of the day came as slow and painful. Without the company of her dear friend Yeseul, Haneul felt how stinging it was to be alone. Her mother had came for her and she felt happy for her company but she was more in tears than her. Not wanting her mother to faint, she had ushered her to rest.

Night came despite how slow it was for her.

Alone, Haneul pulled her blanket and left her room, she went to the garden, the only place where she felt warm because of the memories she shared there with Min Hyuk. It had always been their most memorable place as Min Hyuk would always climb from the walls. Now they were adults and she doubted he would come again.

Haneul came to the back of the garden, deciding to recollect the memories and calm her errant nerves. When she pushed the tall bushes that hid their favorite place, her eyes widened at the sight of a person's figure. His robe was deep in the color of blue. It wasn't too bluish but neither too black. The robe was enough to make him stand out while not engulfing him in the darkness of the night.

A sight was all it needed for Haneul to know who it is.

"I thought you have forgotten," whispered Haneul as she came forward. In the afternoon, she had been too shocked that now other surprise don't faze her but in the closure which wasn't close yet her heart begin to race under her chest.

"The place?" Min Hyuk asked, his face turned a smile on his lips that had her heartbeat hitch, "Or you?" Haneul didn't answer, her cheeks reddening and she was thankful that it was cold so that the pink color on her cheek don't stand out. "Whether it may be, I will not forget both of them. This place and you."

"Did you come after hearing the letter the Queen sent?" Haneul asked. Receiving his nod, she was happy to know he had came here for her. "I am prepared to go to the war I know that one day this will happen. She had been preparing to sent me to war and she is using this as a leverage for me."

Min Hyuk came near her. He raised his hand and settled them on the side of her cheeks, causing Haneul's eyes to turn at him, watching him in stun as her heartbeat drum. 

"I won't allow that, I promised that I will protect you. The Queen, it is time for her to get what she deserve," Min Hyuk said and Haneul watched how his black eyes slowly dipped into red, turning bright and intense. 

Haneul can't help but become a bumbling fool who get excited over the words but then she pulled her brows, "What do you mean by giving what the Queen deserve?" Min Hyuk offered her a smile while watching how her eyes widened in realization.

"No way you are planning to overthrow the Queen?" Haneul questioned and Min Hyuk nodded, "But who would become the next Queen?"

The answer didn't come quickly. Haneul only stared at Min Hyuk who had a wide smile on his lips. All of a sudden he knelt before her, surprising Haneul as he then took out a jade ring from his pocket, "You. You will be the next Queen and beside you I will be your King. Haneul, you have been the light throughout my darkness hours. Whenever I felt that this world was more than I can take you would be there beside me and for your kindness that never fail to impress me, your beauty that took my soul, I love you, and I wish you could be there beside me."

Haneul felt her eyes burning with tears, she didn't hear enough of his words, "Will you marry me?" Min Hyuk asked and a second after his question, Haneul quickly knelt on the ground pulling him to her embrace and hugged him. 

"Yes. Yes!" Haneul whispered, letting the tears to fall. They looked at each other's eyes before Haneul close her eyes as Min Hyuk took the approach of kissing her lips. 

The kiss started gentle but when it mixes with their tongues and the light nibbles, it grew passionate. Min Hyuk's hand slide from her back and Seoyeon's eyes snapped open, feeling as if she should not be here now.

"We should stop here tonight," whispered Min Hyuk, kissing her neck and ear, "Or else I won't be able to stop and instead devour you."

Haneul's cheeks were bright red. She didn't expect how quickly her relationship with Min Hyuk had progressed. That night with the jade ring on her index finger, she talked with Min Hyuk regarding Yeseul, telling him of her power while he discussed with her all about his plan.

"All this time you have been planning to help me?" Haneul didn't know, "And the Queen knew you will loosen her hold on me— my power. It is why she had sent you to the war. I didn't know."

"Don't blame yourself," coaxed Min Hyuk, "No one expect what the Queen do, nor did I. I am just glad that I get to be with you now. We have problem and waves coming on our way but just this night I want to spend it all with you."

Haneul leaned her head to his shoulders. A small nod came from her head, "I didn't know everything you did for me. Thank you, I love you."

Haneul watched Min Hyuk's eyes softened which also melted her heart, filling them with overwhelming happiness. 

"During the war, all I can think was to see you. I saw my men died, the people that I killed, and the innocent that got to the crossfire. It make my blood curl to think how I still thirst blood while looking at the dead bodies," Min Hyuk confessed. "When I am with you I get to think about my worse side but you also make me think of how I should improve myself as a person."

Haneul smiled, "And when I am with you, I can feel myself growing more powerful."

"I noticed how a few days you have been avoiding me, weeks actually," Min Hyuk brought his point.

Haneul pursed her lips, "I was only a little jealous but it doesn't matter anymore."

"Why not?" Min Hyuk urged her to speak, "You know that there are problem that would get worse if we put them aside."

Haneul thought of how correct his wise words were and she thought it was better to spill what she felt rather than beating herself later. "The yellow witch spoke about how she slept with you. Is that correct?"' 

Min Hyuk stared back at her eyes, "I did," he confessed to her, "But I didn't fully slept with her as you think I might did. The yellow witch held a little secret that might overthrow the Queen."

"And you slept with her for that?" Haneul asked while meeting his eyes.

"I can do anything if it is for you," and Haneul felt bad for the sacrifice that she didn't see Min Hyuk had done to be with her. She remembered how his family was proud vampires who wouldn't agree for them to be together, he must have went through more than her. 

"But," Min Hyuk grinned, "Even if it was a mission I wouldn't want to sleep with a woman who always sleep around. Not that I mind women who sleep with men every night for pleasure, the problem is that she thinks she is the most beautiful woman. She is not a woman I can handle. I love kind woman who is beautiful inside and outside..."

Haneul's eyes widened, "You heard about that?"

"Oh I heard a lot of things about you, Haneul. Like how you..." Min Hyuk's eyes widened while looking at Haneul who had stopped him from taking but he stuck out his hand and lick her palm, turning Haneul's heartbeat to jump. 

"I think I should go and tuck back to sleep," said Haneul in haste but Min Hyuk held her wrist.

"Spend some more time with me here, let's talk about how you pass your days without me."

"It won't be fun, I spent less time doing anything," Haneul curled her fingers and added, "Most of the time I spent thinking about you, just like you did. I thought about whether you are save or if you are alright."

"Then that is fine too. I want to hear you talk. Even if it is mundane," Min Hyuk let her stay beside him for another hours.

A soft yawn escaped from Haneul, "I was thinking to hold a wedding for Yeseul and Mr. Han as soon as possible."

"How about holding the marriage once we become King and Queen? We can then do whatever you wish for," whispered Min Hyuk, watching the girl who slept on his shoulder slowly closing her eyes that turned heavy with drowsiness. 

"I would like that... with you," Haneul chuckled a little before finally sleeping.

Min Hyuk smiled warmly while watching her asleep, waiting for her to fall deeply in her slumber before carrying her. Under the moonlight as the only bystander, he brought her back to her room, tucking her in.

The scene Seoyeon saw the cut quickly. When she opened her eyes again, she wasn't inside Haneul but as her own invisible person. A man who was heavily armored raised his sword over her and Seoyeon quickly close her eyes only to open them again when she felt that the person went through her. 

"Traitor! They are in the South room! Protect the Queen!"yelled the same person who had went through her. 

She looked around the royal palace that was one filled with colors of red where pool of blood can be seen everywhere. 

"Raeul!" A man shouted and the man whose name was Raeul casually lifted his sword to cut the previous man into halves, continuing to kill his enemy. 

"Where is Lord Min Hyuk?" Raeul asked his subordinate after they had defend about thirty people. Being vampires, they were much stronger compared to the human armies.

"He should be in the Queen's room now."

"Great! Let us go and follow the Lord!" Raeul shouted, his voice booming to raise the morale of their armies.