A blissful feeling of waking up after a full and healthy sleep was graced upon Wonbeom in the morning. After years and years of suffering from nightmares, it felt like a nice change to slowly come to consciousness instead of feeling restless all of sudden and waking up abruptly sitting in his bed. Nor special Arabic jasmine tea nor the complete tiredness after exhausting training could accomplish this. Nothing felt better than happiness and Wonbeom hadn’t felt that hopeful and joyful in a long time.
Without opening his eyes yet, Wonbeom vividly recalled the last night. Just one extreme situation led the Queen to open her heart to him quicker than he expected and they definitely shared moments of heart-to-heart bonding. The bonding Wonbeom found as a good sign for the start of rebuilding their relationship. The rest of the… occurrences felt too rushed for Wonbeom’s taste. But when has his relationship with the Queen followed the normal line of behavior? The moment she first kissed him made him realize how much he wanted this. After that, they were too heated up to stop and he lost himself in love, tenderness, and caressing touches.
Still thinking of his Queen, Wonbeom opened one eye to peek at said woman only to find the place by his side empty. He abruptly set up on the bedding, completely woken up and looking around the room.
“Jungjeeeeon1Jungjeon – Queen or My Queen.,” Wonbeom called quietly as if she could magically appear in front of him or step out from some hidden place in the room. But alas, nothing happened. He was still sitting in the bedding naked and all alone. The blanket, thankfully, was intact and placed just high enough to cover his private parts. Still, Wonbeom felt embarrassed by the state of his nakedness and pulled the blanket higher up.
“Jungjeon,” he pleaded a bit louder but again got no answer.
Trying to appease his panic, Wonbeom walked to the doors and carefully slid them open enough for his head to peek outside only to find an empty hallway. He shat doors closed, concluding he’s alone in this, and in order to escape further embarrassment, he must dress up in his night attire and go. If only said attire was in place but Wonbeom only now realized that the clothes are also gone.
How can that be?
Wonbeom knelt down, to check under commodes and closets but the only thing he found was a lonely sock that was forgotten by whoever had taken all the clothes. He hoped it was the Queen herself and no one else saw him naked in her room.
“That’s just…” Wonbeom mumbled frustratedly, sitting back on his heels. Last night was wonderful and what felt even better was when the Queen snuggled closer to him in her sleep. She mumbled he smelled nice while she embraced his waist with her arm and rested her head on his shoulder. All that so she could abandon him in the morning?
Wonbeom tugged from his thoughts when his eyes slid upon the shelf where very old books caught his attention. Some books were even smelly, and some were just in bad condition. The Queen didn’t appear like someone who would neglect anything she owned. She was always so put together, so those books boosted Wonbeom’s curiosity enough to temporarily forget his situation of distress.
With one hand, Wonbeom took a better hold of the blanket that he still used as a cover, and with the other, he went through the old books, reading their titles. A lot of them were rare old editions but he noticed some books that had someone else’s names on them. Wonbeom concluded that they belonged to men based on a few familiar names from the Kim clan and book titles.
“If she studied all of those,” Wonbeom whispered, observing the whole shelf full of books. “She could pass a civil exam!” He was genuinely impressed to discover that Kim Soyong’s education went beyond mere studying for the position of the Queen.
There was one book that stood out by looking relatively new, unlike others. Curious about what that could be, Wonbeom pulled it from the middle of the book’s stack.
“The Path to the Queen” – the title said. Unfamiliar with a book like that, Wonbeom went through the pages, reading bits here and there. It turned out to be a diary where Soyong wrote down all her thoughts on her dream to be the Queen. One page reflected on an interesting discussion she had with one of her cousins regarding Confucian teachings. She was especially upset with women’s position in society and thought it was time for a change. And after such thoughtful text, the other page had something silly like what hairpins she could buy to be liked by the King. The diary belonged to the young naïve girl on her path to becoming the mature figure of the Queen.
“My curiosity about how the King looks led me to have dreams about His Majesty. A few nights ago, I saw the King in my dream for the first time. He was an old ugly man. But in the morning, my father assured me that the King was quite young, healthy, and handsome. The next night the King appeared as if he was made of jade, his dazzling beauty was so overwhelming that I didn’t memorize his face at all. And last night he appeared like my Kim Byeong-in orabeoni2Orabeoni – how the sister refers to her brother in the family.…”
Wonbeom flinched, turning the page aggressively. Why she couldn’t stop on a handsome version of him in her dreams? Out of all people, Kim Byeong-in was someone Wonbeom disliked the most. Because the Queen’s cousin knew her better and they seemed so close, that led Wonbeom to have an unpleasant feeling inside whether he heard Kim Byeong-in mention the Queen or their shared childhood.
The next page of the diary had some valuable thoughts on it:
“When I go walking through Hanyang’s3Hanyang was the capital and largest city in Joseon. It was the center of the country’s government and home to the royal family and high ministers. As a result, the city hosted a constant undercurrent of political intrigue between various factions vying for control of the government. Now it’s Seoul – the capital of the Republic of Korea (South Korea). streets, I see various people. The noblemen and ladies in luxury hanboks4Hanbok – a general word for clothes. from the finest silk with expensive embroidery all over it. The other people appear very poor. Their clothes are patched or turned, and their bodies are injured from hard work but if they stop working for at least a day, they would lose the little they have.
I was walking on the streets of Hanyang for years and the abyss between nobility and commoners only became bigger. But what saddens me the most is how everyone I know tries so hard not to notice the obvious unfairness of the state of our country. The most awful atrocities happen when no one is looking… The real tragedy is that no one wants to look.”
Wonbeom shook his head; he didn’t miss the irony of the lady from a very clan responsible for those atrocities being the one who has the heart to notice what is wrong instead of pretending she doesn’t see it.
The steps in the hallway pulled Wonbeom’s attention from the diary. He quickly put it back with a few books on top, making it seem no one touched it.
“Are you awake, Your Majesty?” The unfamiliar woman’s voice asked. “We brought water to wash and clothes…”
“Leave it all outside, I will do everything myself,” Wonbeom quickly instructed.
“Her Highness said to inform you that everyone is waiting for you to join them for breakfast,” the same voice said before leaving.
After making sure servants left as their steps were no longer heard, Wonbeom opened the doors and took both trays inside the room. One had everything for a morning routine. The other tray had a peach-colored hanbok from Wonbeom’s wardrobe. Most likely the palanquin from the palace that he requested last night is arrived.
Quickly refreshing himself, Wonbeom dressed up and fixed his sangtu5Sangtu – high bun\top knot, men’s hairstyle of the Joseon era. which appeared messy after last night’s activities. Feeling better for avoiding the awkwardness he feared, Wonbeom finally left the room.
He found Queen in a gazebo and for a moment admired her from afar. She was dressed in spring colors with pink chima6Chima – a skirt. and yellow jeogori7Jeogori – is an upper garment. Also could be named dangui. The main difference is that dangui is long and jeogori is short.. Her hair was styled differently than in the palace and he noticed the hairpin her father gifted her yesterday.
“Jungjeon,” Wonbeom called when he entered the gazebo. The Queen turned her head and lifted her gaze to look at him. She looked breathtaking with long eyelashes and blush on her cheeks. “You look especially beautiful today, this suits you well.”
“I’m glad you finally joining,” his complement was left without a comment by the Queen. However, Wonbeom didn’t miss the awkward glance away and her cheeks getting slightly brighter.
“I would be here earlier if I hadn’t found myself abandoned with nothing to wear,” Wonbeom teased as he sat by her side.
“Servants come early and asked to give them clothes to wash,” the Queen suddenly dropped her noble appearance, bubbling explanation. “I had to… otherwise they would enter the room and see… I gave everything to them and sent them away…”
Wonbeom chuckled at her reaction: “Thank you for saving my dignity. Although, I would prefer to greet the morning together with my Jungjeon.”
She didn’t say anything to that and Wonbeom started to feel that maybe she was acting cold towards him on purpose. She appeared so different from the Queen who passionately kissed him as a starved person just a night before.
He noticed the gayageum8Gayageum or kayagum is a traditional Korean plucked zither with 12 strings, though some more recent variants have 18, 21 or 25 strings. It is probably the best known traditional Korean musical instrument. placed away: “Looks like I missed your play,” Wonbeom nodded at the instrument, trying to break the awkward silence.
“You never liked me playing anyway,” the Queen shrugged.
How he could even suspect the Queen of being her family’s spy when she wasn’t aware how many times he secretly listened to her practicing with her teacher? To play the Cold King, Wonbeom told her once that he doesn’t enjoy her music at all. However, coincidently, he very often appeared nearby whenever she played outdoors. If she had spies, she would be aware of that. Now Wonbeom needed to break the cold image he created and show the real him: a silly man who would listen to his fiancé’s play in secret.
They were interrupted by the Queen’s father, joining them and apologizing for the late breakfast as if it wasn’t Wonbeom who was late. It felt a bit surreal to Wonbeom, to share food with his father-in-law and his wife, like a real family. Back on Ganghwa, he usually ate with Dul Il, somewhere in the shadow of the tree after hard work. Eating together with Yeongpyeong was rare as his brother was often busy planning the revenge plot against their enemies.
“Your Majesty should eat more to stay healthy,” Kim Mun Geun reached out and placed a piece of meat on top rice bowl in front of Wonbeom. A moment ago, he did the same for the Queen and Wonbeom didn’t expect the same treatment.
“Aren’t you too kind to the person who is about to imprison you, abeonim9Abeonim – an honorific form of “father”, Appa – a casual form of “father”.?” the sharpness in the Queen’s voice reminded Wonbeom that she still doesn’t know about the plan regarding her father. Suddenly her coldness made sense even after their closeness from last night.
“Imprison?” Kim Mun Geun blinked. The next moment he suddenly gasped and reached out to touch his daughter’s forehead: “Are you feeling alright, Soyong-ah?”
“Abeonim,” the Queen whispered, looking surprised by his sudden actions.
“Father,” Wonbeom took Kim Mun Geun’s hand away from the Queen’s face. “There’s nothing to worry about! Jungjeon is finally back to her usual state.”
“But how can she not remember about her plan?” Kim Mun Geun still worriedly observed his daughter. “Soyong-ah, do you still have trouble remembering things?”
“I… perhaps,” the Queen awkwardly admitted. “My memories of the last few months are cloudy but everything before that is perfectly intact. If I acted strangely, it was due to…”
“Jungjeon felt a lot of pressure in her new position as the Queen,” Wonbeom came to her aid, looking at her. The Queen simply nodded, agreeing. “But now everything is alright, father, you don’t have to worry.”
Still not convinced, Kim Mun Geun left the gazebo, mumbling about calling for the physician to check on the Queen before they left.
“There’s no need, abeonim!” The Queen shouted but her father was already out of the yard. “What plan?” She turned to Wonbeom.
“I wanted to tell you yesterday but you disappeared from the palace,” Wonbeom smiled. “Your father agreed to expose your clan’s crimes. He cares great things about you and when he found out you might be in danger from your own family or…” Wonbeom stopped for a moment. At the time Kim Mun Geun thought Wonbeom was ready to punish everyone from the Andon Kim clan. Including his daughter. “Or from me…” Wonbeom reluctantly admitted. “He wanted to ensure your safety. Chef Jang came up with that idea and persuaded your father to comply. Your father didn’t hesitate for a bit and even gave up all his wealth to prove his intentions for a change.”
By the time Wonbeom finished his long explanation, the Queen’s eyes were glistening with unshed tears.
“That means…” She blinked, trying to hold back her tears. “All those people are here to protect my father? Not to guard him as a prisoner?”
“Exactly!” Wonbeom smiled wider. “Thanks to your father, many corrupt officials were persecuted and exiled, without their titles and wealth. Some with lesser crimes became whistleblowers as your father and it helped them to get lighter punishment.”
The Queen peered into his eyes, listening every word attentively. Wonbeom thought she must have felt relieved hearing this but if she still doubts, he’s ready to prove his words with the pardon document he prepared just yesterday.
“Appears I must thank you not only for saving my life but for giving my father a chance to reflect on his crimes and do the right thing,” the Queen turned on her sit and gave him a low bow. “I swear, Jeonha10Jeonha – Your Majesty., I will spend the rest of my life trying to clear my clan’s name from this shame. Thank you for giving us this valuable opportunity.”
“I forgot how official you could sound, Jungjeon,” Wonbeom chuckled. Considering what happened last night her way of speaking sounded over the top.
The Queen finally sat straight, looking at his eyes again and Wonbeom didn’t like how pitiful her gaze suddenly became. No good news could come from a person with such sorrowful eyes.
“Jeonha, now that we cleared the question that felt so hard on my heart, I have a personal request to ask,” her voice was solid yet strictly polite, giving Wonbeom an even worse feeling about what to wait for. “Please depose me from the position of the Queen, Jeonha.”
Those words rang in Wonbeom’s ears as a heavy stroke.
“Why?” the only thing Wonbeom could manage to squeeze out of him.
“I could tell you many valid reasons why you must depose me but I will give the only one that matters: I do not wish to be your wife.”
“Yesterday I felt like we had something meaningful,” Wonbeom couldn’t wrap his head around this. How could they go from sleeping in each other’s arms to basically a divorce request?
“I have no regrets of what happened,” the Queen declared with the same calm and polite tone. “The consequences hopefully won’t follow…”
There could be only one consequence out of it:
“Because having my child would be so awful?” Wonbeom couldn’t believe what he had to say it at loud. Every word from her hurt a million times harder than the previous.
“Jeonha, I believe you meet the woman who gladly would bear your children and I’m certain you would be a wonderful father,” she finally smiled, offering some kindness, even if her words sounded so bittersweet.
“I can’t let you leave the palace,” Wonbeom found the strength in him to say it as strictly as possible. “It would be too dangerous, considering that people are after your life.”
“Aren’t this place under the guards?” the Queen tried to reason with him. “I am not afraid at all.”
“Yes, and because your father at danger too it would be reckless to let you both live under the same roof. Having you live separately would minimize the chances that both of you get harmed.”
“Jeonha…” she pleaded, “it would be harder to let go later, I’m begging you!”
“I’m not forcing you to stay by my side forever,” Wonbeom swallowed a lump in his throat. “Just let me ensure your safety first and if you still want to leave…” he put on an emotionless mask, hoping to hide how truly hurt he felt. “I will let you leave. I give you my word.”
***
Their way back to the palace happened in complete silence. The Queen observed the cheering crowd and waving citizens of Hanyang. There were a lot of young women who were way too enthusiastic upon seeing the King but the only woman he was interested in didn’t even look at him.
Once they arrived at the palace, Wonbeom helped the Queen to step out of the palanquin. He wished he could hold her hand for longer but he knew he couldn’t. Not wanting to make things more uncomfortable, he turned around and paced across the yard to the Royal Investigation Bureau without dropping a word.
He gave her his word and will fulfill his promise to make her life safe. The concern over her well-being filled his mind, pushing painful thoughts of her decision to leave out. It hurt too much. He wasn’t ready to give up, not after he finally got a chance actually to know her.
He didn’t run out of all of his chances. Not just yet.
But before even thinking about winning her heart back, Wonbeom must try to eliminate all possible risks. If someone aimed to harm her outside the palace, there was a possibility they would try harder next time and the palace walls wouldn’t be enough to protect her. With the Andon Kim clan out of the picture, the Queen’s position weakened significantly. And the same clan could be behind the attack. The Queen made so many enemies without even being here.
Wonbeom needed to talk with someone he didn’t wish to visit. He passed the bureau’s main quarters, heading straight to the cells where prisoners against the royalty were held. Director Hong was already waiting for him, and he joined him almost running alongside Wonbeom’s wide steps:
“I knew you would come here,” he started, placing his hand on top of his hat so it wouldn’t fall from the fast pace. “I questioned men arrested last night… They all swear they were asked to only spook the lady but she acted so brazenly…”
“So it’s her fault?” Wonbeom angrily asked. Those scums dared to point a blade at her and hit her across the face and the punishment for that will be severe no matter how hard they try to excuse it.
“Believe it or not, I said the same,” Hong added. “Anyway, there is a mystery part in their testimony. It’s safe to assume the Queen’s family wants some sort of revenge but the description of the man who hired them doesn’t match anyone we know from those who flee or associated with the Kim clan or anyone else.”
Wonbeom stopped abruptly: “Are you telling me it could be a new threat we are not aware of?”
“Possibly…” Hong gave him an apologetic look as if he felt guilty for bringing bad news. “Or they hired someone, it’s probable too. I just assumed you would want to consider every possibility. But Her Highness is safe here, right? There is no need to worry too much…”
If only… With the Queen’s desire to leave the palace, the news about the unknown threat only made things tougher. Wonbeom was sure the Queen wouldn’t be stopped by this. He might not know everything about her but he was sure about one thing: her stubbornness. Besides, no one is stopping whoever planned the initial attack from trying to harm her within the palace’s walls. Except for him, the King, no forces in the palace on her side.
“Report to me if you find out more,” Wonbeom instructed his friend. There was no need yet to tell everyone of the Queen’s plans and Wonbeom’s concerns until he learned more.
Dul Il nodded and left the yard, leaving Wonbeom alone. Even though the threat could come from someone new, Wonbeom still wanted to meet that one important prisoner, as he had something to tell him.
Wonbeom approached the wooden bars to see an old man behind them. Kim Jwa Geun, the former Training Commander and true power behind the Andon Kim clan, was sitting on the floor covered with straw. He was so still and calm, that his breathing was barely noticeable. His gaze was on the floor before him but once he heard Wonbeom’s steps, he lifted his eyes.
“Ah… Your Majesty the King, what an honor!” Kim Jwa Geun’s lips formed a mocking smile.
It was the first time Wonbeom visited him here since he ordered to arrest him. He knew Kim Jwa Geun’s power came from the way he persuaded people to obey his wishes and Wonbeom didn’t want to give his defeated enemy even the possibility to try playing his manipulative games on him. If it wasn’t for the Queen, he would never visit Kim Jwa Geun and let the man face his exile without seeing Wonbeom’s face ever again.
“Do you know what day was yesterday?” Wonbeom asked, stepping closer to the bars, the shadow of his figure covered Kim Jwa Geun’s face.
“The Queen’s birthday, everyone knows that,” he shook his head: “Poor thing was always so sorrowful on those days. The easier it was to plant the idea that her late mother wished for her to be the Queen.”
Kim Jwa Geun looked almost happy talking about his masterful manipulation of the teen. He sounded too proud of himself. And Wonbeom hated it.
“Did something happen?” Kim Jwa Geun smiled wider, meeting Wonbeom’s cold gaze.
“Nothing I can’t take care of,” Wonbeom said. “I came here to warn you, that if you somehow decide to harm the Queen, the consequences will follow.”
Kim Jwa Geun burst out laughing: “I never realized how much in common you have with our Queen!” He stared right into Wonbeom’s eyes, and his cheerfulness completely disappeared: “She too, foolishly, thought she could protect you.”
It took Wonbeom’s whole strength to keep his cold appearance. He knew Kim Jwa Geun wanted his reaction, the angrier the better.
“You make the same mistakes as her in the past,” Kim Jwa Geun shook his head, continuing. “You’re the root of the danger for her, Your Majesty. Just like she is the reason you can’t sleep at night without seeing your deepest fears in your dreams, Your Majesty.”
The words of his old nemesis didn’t affect Wonbeom the way Kim Jwa Geun probably hopped. Instead of shock at the revelation of the Queen’s “evil” deeds, he felt disgust with his opponent. Kim Jwa Geun had fallen so low, that he thought it would be possible to blame his niece for everything.
Wonbeom stepped right to the cell, his shadow now fully covering Kim Jwa Geun’s frame as if he were so little.
“Don’t try to shift the blame,” Wonbeom calmly said. “This is all on you and no one else…”
Wonbeom remembered how scared he was sitting at the bottom of the well, all alone, feeling abandoned. He was surrounded by darkness, thinking he would die there soon. But one brave girl gave him a promise to come back for him and when he had almost accepted his fate, he saw her face hovering above, looking for him. The night sky with bright stars shined behind her but she was the brightest one for him.
“She saved me,” Wonbeom declared confidently.
He will forever remember her. The girl, who saved him all those years ago, forever has a place in his heart. He knows he probably doesn’t deserve a second chance with her. But maybe… just maybe, he still could win his way back to her heart.
==== POST CREDIT SCENE ===
The palanquin was waving from to side as the King’s and Queen’s procession made their way through the crowd of Hanyang’s citizens. Instead of looking at her husband, Soyong preferred to gaze at the cheering people, especially young women. They all were enthusiastic to see the King, waving their hands and smiling widely at him. Some exchanged a few phrases among each other before breaking into shy giggles.
Soyong understood those women very well. When they first met, the King took her breath away as well. He’s too dashing for his own good. But even if Soyong felt a bit of jealousy, she hoped the King could meet a woman who would make him truly happy.
For the whole morning, Soyong was deep in her thoughts on what her future would bring to her. The night she spent with the King didn’t change anything in her decision to leave the palace.
That night was a farewell. A farewell to her first love.
Soyong was sure even as years passed, the King’s smiling face would be the one she would remember fondly. And she was happy she had a chance to see his sincere smile directed at her. However, it only made painfully obvious she should leave before that smile disappeared.
Soyong glanced at the King’s profile for a moment. He’s so young, Soyong realized. The history book said so too. It said he died too young. At 32 years old. Only 32. After struggling with various health issues for a few years and eventually dying from an unknown illness as official documents from that time said.
But there was also an unofficial theory of what happened: the Queen must have slowly poisoned him. She became the prime suspect because there was no reason for anyone else to kill a young King who brought prosperity to his Kingdom. Especially when he had no heir, which meant that even rival clans still needed him at least for that.
The Queen was labeled as guilty by various ministers in power at the time. They wrote their nasty accusations in their letters and historians put those words into books declaring her as a culprit. They said she had a nasty character and spent years planning the murder of her husband to avenge her family. Or out of jealousy because of the various concubines the King had. Or because she apparently went crazy for some reason.
Soyong found it ridiculous how sure they were she poisoned his meals but somehow her motive wasn’t clear. Some historians outright wrote that the Queen was a sinister woman who didn’t need a solid reason for her atrocities.
However, Soyong too found it suspicious how badly the King’s health declined according to those books. And since she knows it can’t be her or Bong Hwan in her place, who was solely focused on women and his career as a chef, she must warn the King that someone very close to him might betray him. This is the least she can do for the King before she leaves.
With those heavy thoughts, Soyong didn’t notice how they arrived back at the palace. The King gallantly offered his assistance, holding her hand for the first time since last night. But once both her feet were on the ground, he let go of her hand and left without saying a word.
As Soyong watched him walk away, she thought again about his sad fate. Those books in the future were cruel, changing every time Soyong opened them. Seemed no one but her noticed those changes. Maybe it was due to the possibility of time traveling.
Soyong understood that history wasn’t settled and every decision could lead to a change. She might decide to come back to the past and books would reflect on it as she recognized more of herself in the Queen from books. On the other days, she would consider if she might stay and live as a man, and the Queen in books was nothing like her. There were also times when she couldn’t decide if the Queen was her, or Bong Hwan, or someone else entirely.
Everything was so confusing in those damn books. However, the King’s early death was the only constant in history.
One time the book said the King and his Queen from the Andon Kim clan were the best of friends, ruling together as equal partners but no more than that. The other times it said the King was suffering from one-sided love. Books could tell he had three concubines but never consummated marriages but the next day it said he had more and even kids were born. Poor kids who were victims of various clans fighting each other for power. Because every clan wanted their daughters to give the country an heir while the Queen was incapable or refused to consider it.
The King’s figure disappeared around the corner and Soyong was left alone in the courtyard. Her troubled soul didn’t know what would be the best decision for both of them. She didn’t want to stay and see him lose everything he fought for because of early death. She didn’t want to live in misery herself, labeled as a cruel woman who sought revenge on her husband.
But would it be enough if she simply warned him? She promised herself to become selfish for her own sake. Being selfish is how she can protect and save herself.
However, deep in her heart there was hope she could make a difference. And history books would change again making a completely different future for both of them.
Author’s notes
Hi all, how have you been? Thank you all for your kudos to this and other of my stories, I really appreciate it and the comments too of course, feedback in any form makes me want to write more and faster. I’ll try better on the faster part XD In December I found stray kittens and couldn’t abandon them, so every day I feed them since I can’t take them in my rented apartment. And I lost my Project at work and need to find a new one ASAP before I become jobless. So I’m 50% anxious for little kittens and 50% anxiety for maybe losing my job. But hey, it’ll be alright! Now I have more time for writing.
So, the King knows SY saved him 8 years ago, what a shocker, all major conflicts were resolved “off-screen” here. And SY knows the future from books and it plays a part in why she wants to leave.
Previously one reader left a comment that SY isn’t as cold as it was written in the fic’s summary and I must admit I exaggerated this part. I wrote it mostly keeping in mind the whole picture and Cheoljong’s pov. Considering what going to happen closer to the end, I would say SY is cruel. CJ will have hope but she will shatter it more than once. I’d say it’s cold on her part. It’s not like we going to have angst then fluff and a happy ending. It’s kinda false hope fluff then drama and even more drama and maybe a happy ending in the last chapter. So, more suffering will come eventually.
Fighting, Soyong-ah…
Go, go, Soyong! <3