Chapter LVIII
1125 Words
오십 여덟의 왕관 (58)
Jae Kyung was just a helpless kid.
She’s too weak to defend her mother and stand against her father.
“You can’t even give me more money to make me happy, you f*****g b***h!”
“I’m sorry, honey. I really tried my best to sell Odeng-guk and rice cakes but I only sold a few,” her mother responded between painful groans and sobs.
“That’s because you are nothing but a f*****g useless b***h!!!” Jae Kyung heard another loud slap that she couldn’t help but gasp and cover her ears, trying not to hear anything.
This is not what she wanted.
This is not what she wanted to witness.
“I wish you all die! You both die!”
She gasped when the door suddenly opened and she tried her best to stand up and run away but her tiny legs were too weak to stand for herself. She’s trembling in so much fear as soon as she locked gazes with her father.
“A-Appa…”
He looked terrifying.
“Don’t call me that, you f*****g kid of a bitch.”
Like a monster.
With a sharp, deadly glare, he spoke at the young Jae Kyung. “You are the reason why I became like this.”
“I wish you just died the day you were born!”
Those words, those words that wounded her emotionally and gave her so many traumas such as questioning her own existence flashed in her mind.
“Jae Kyung-ah…”
Destiny is really playing f*****g games on her that she’s now facing the least person she didn’t want to see, not in million f*****g years.
“Jae Kyung-ah… you’re here too…”
Her dad. She’s facing her father once again.
“Kim Joo Won,” she muttered.
Her dad looked so glad when he finally saw his daughter. “You still remember me, my daugh—”
Jae Kyung was trembling. She actually felt weak that she couldn’t even feel the bouquet she’s holding. She felt so suffocated that she could feel that any moment now, she’ll going to faint.
Do Wan noticed how Jae Kyung started to pale so he held the bouquet she’s holding and talked to her biological father. “I’m sorry to interrupt, Mister but Her Highness has an urgent appointment to attend so please excuse us.”
“Oh, really? But I could talk to her, right? I could talk to Jae Kyung. I am her father—”
“My father…” Jae Kyung managed to finally speak. “Is in Jeju.”
That actually made Joo Won shut up. He stared at her in awe while Jae Kyung was staring straight on somewhere. “J-Jae Kyung-ah, I—”
“Do Wan, I need to go. His Highness is also waiting for me. Let’s make this quick,” Jae Kyung tried her best not to make her voice crack nor shake nor tremble as she spoke in English. Albeit she didn’t want to talk to the person in front of her, she just didn’t want to appear rude and she didn’t want to reject him by herself.
She’s not yet really ready to talk to him or more like… she didn’t want to talk to him.
“I beg your pardon, Mister but Princess Jae Kyung is really in a hurry so I hope you don’t mind if we’ll pass through,” Do Wan said to him.
“Oh…” Joo Won muttered as he nodded. “M-Maybe I could talk to you next time, Jae Kyung—”
“Your Highness,” Do Wan interrupted as he looked at Jae Kyung’s father in seriousness. “Please address the Crown Princess properly, Kim Joo Won-ssi. And if you wanted to talk to her, please do set an appointment with the officials, Mr. Kim,” the bodyguard smiled at him then escorted Jae Kyung towards her mother’s grave.
When they finally walked away from Jae Kyung’s father, she almost fell as she felt her legs and feet weaken because of too much tension and trembling she had been experiencing earlier. Luckily, Do Wan was there beside her to hold her.
“Are you okay, Your Highness?” he asked while holding her arm securely and gently.
“Yes…” Jae Kyung’s eyes settled on her mother’s grave. Her picture was actually smiling at the former that Jae Kyung couldn’t help but felt her eyes starting to pool some tears. “Yes…”
“All this time, when I already have the ability to protect you, this happened. Mom, why did you let that monster see you again? Why did you let your abuser see you again?”
“Welcome home, Your Highness.”
Jae Kyung bowed to them as well. With a low, monotone voice, she spoke to them. “Is the Crown Prince already home?”
“Jae Kyung…”
Jae Kyung turned her head to Prince Yi Eul who’s now standing a meter away from her. The three servants bowed at them and left them to talk in public. Silence already engulfed both of them as they both stared at each other’s eyes.
It took a minute or two for Prince Yi Eul to speak.
“I know…”
With that, Jae Kyung’s eyes started to pour tears that she suppressed after that conversation and visiting her mom’s grave. She finally felt her body started to feel weak for trying to compose herself in front of her dad that she let the Crown Prince walked closer to her and engulf her with a hug.
“I tried… I tried…” Jae Kyung tried not to sob as she felt her tears rolling down her cheeks nonstop.
“I know, I know.”
“A-Appa talked to me… and I’m still terrified. I’m still terrified that he’ll wish that I should go suffer and die…”
Prince Yi Eul didn’t really understand.
Even though his parents left him at a young age, he still felt how much his parents loved and cherished him like he’s the most precious thing in the world they ever had. That’s how they love him so much.
He didn’t actually know how to make Jae Kyung forget anything just to stop her from getting hurt from her traumatic past. He didn’t know whether he felt emphatic because after all, even if their marriage is fake and she’s just his employee and all, or he just sympathized with her.
He didn’t know.
But most of all, he didn’t understand.
He didn’t understand why the family broke like that and hurt each other.
He didn’t want to see a family like that. He will never want to.
- Writer
