Something Beautiful

Chapter - 51

Mingyu rode on a rented horse carriage that he grabbed from the front of the nose of an angry noble mistress halfway around Upper Book Street. "st. Paul," he yelled at the coachman. "And you could not work a lifetime of the wages I would give you if you could take me there in fifteen minutes."

"No way, sir," said the coachman. "There's a wedding that keeps the streets jammed all morning."

During the following minutes, various conflicting thoughts and emotions swirled in Mingyu's chaotic mind, the main thing being that he had to hurry. Since it was impossible to control the flow of traffic, he had no other choice but to sit quietly grimly thinking about this disaster.

Sometimes, as long as he was absent, he thought of the absurd possibility that after a year of mourning, Yugyeom would meet someone and decide to get married, I don't know why he didn't expect this. Yugyeom, like himself, never really wanted to be attached to one woman, though that bond is like the present-day marriage bond that allows husbands and wives to be free to do whatever they want.

Mingyu had also once considered the possibility that someday Lisa would meet someone who wanted to marry her, but not so soon. Not at a time when he should still be grieving! Not at the time when she should have been half-dead love to Mingyu.

But one thing he never imagined, even in his worst nightmare, was the complexity that would occur due to his return. Did Yugyeom because he wanted to be a knight feel obliged to marry poor widow Mingyu? Goddamnit! mingyu thought as the spires of the church tower of St. Paul was finally starting to look, what had possessed Yugyeom to do such a foolish thing?

The answer to that question appeared in Mingyu's head almost instantly. Pity. It was pity that might have caused the man to do so. The same pity that Mingyu felt towards the cheerful girl who had saved his life and looked at him with big eyes full of admiration.

Pity had made all this almost a disaster, and Mingyu had no choice but to stop the marriage at any stage when he entered the church later, otherwise Lisa and Yugyeom will be charged with bigamy in public. It occurred to him that poor future husband Lisa would be deprived of her for a second time, and he momentarily felt regret for going back to ruin the woman's peace.

Before his rental train actually stopped in front of St.'s church. Paul, Mingyu had jumped down and ran up the long steps to the door, hoping he would come in time to stop this cursed marriage before the ceremony began.

The hope was dashed as he pulled the heavy door open and looked inside the candlelit church, the bride and the groom standing behind the audience. Mingyu was instantly speechless, a variety of rude curses flashed through his mind, and he had no choice but to start walking along the alley, instead, his footstroke in a boat knocked on the floor with a sound echoing like cannon fire inside the crowded church.

When he got to the front, he stopped walking, waiting for the moment to come, when he had to speak. And at that very moment, as he stood among the rows of luxuriously dressed guests who had been family, friends and acquaintances, he said, he said it really occurred to them that they didn't seem to be so sorry to lose him because if they were really grieving he wouldn't have to play in the ridiculous and ridiculous charade he would be performing in this fucking church. The thought left him in a cold rage, but the look on his face remained calm as he stood in the alleyway between the second row benches, his hands crossed in front of his chest, waiting for the moments to get closer.

On his left and right, the guests began to recognize him, and loud whispers began to be heard between them, spreading like wildfire in the bushes. Lisa heard the increasingly loud commotion behind her and looked doubtfully at Yugyeom, who seemed to be concentrating on listening to the words of the archbishop, who confirmed, "If any of you in the audience knows the reason why this man and woman should not be united in marriage, please speak now or be silent...."

For a second the silent atmosphere. A tense silence that always accompanies a challenge, but this time the challenge is answered, and the silence is broken by a deep, cynical baritone voice.

"There's one reason..."

Yugyeom twisted the body, the archbishop gaped, Lisa froze, and three thousand attendees swirled in their seats. Inquisitive voices began to appear and spread throughout the church like a tidal wave. At the altar, the bouquet of roses held by Jeon Jisoo slipped out of his grasp. Seungkwan gave a wide grin, and Lisa stood still, convinced all this was not really happening, this was just a dream, he thought confused, or he had gone crazy.

"What do you object to this marriage on?" finally the archbishop asked in a loud tone.

This time it was undeniable that the heavy, deep voice was so familiar and real in Lisa's ears. Waves of shock lunged up and down on his spine, making his entire body tremble. His heart was full of joy so that all the betrayal and deception of the man disappeared in his memory. Slowly he turned around, afraid that this was just a cruel game of fate, then he raised his eyes to look at the man. That's right Mingyu! He's still alive. Looking at his handsome face, and rough like hewn almost makes Lisa's knees weak. The man stood there, looking at her, a faint smile expanding on his firm lips.

Lisa's entire body seemed to shine, in her heart she tried to reach out to touch the face she loved so much and convince herself that the man was real. The man's smile warmed up as if he could feel his touch. The man's eyes turned to look at his face, noticing the change in Lisa's appearance, then for some reason, Mingyu's expression froze, and he stared intently suspiciously at Yugyeom.

On the front row bench, the grandmother could not move, the woman looked at Mingyu while her right hand pressed against her throat. In the gripping silence that followed later, only Uncle Monty seemed able to speak. That bottle of whiskey he had drunk secretly must have made his eyes unable to recognize Mingyu's figure. Nonetheless, the man could clearly remember the warning of old Mrs Kim that she should keep etiquette on this wedding, she said, so he felt it was his duty to warn this newcomer. Leaning toward the bully standing in the alley, Uncle Monty gave a warning in a thunderous voice,

"Please sit down, sir! and don't move in the slightest until the archbishop walks out. Otherwise, you will be severely punished by Mrs Kim!"

The voice seemed to break the spell that wowed everyone. The archbishop suddenly announced the wedding ceremony could not be continued and walked out. Yugyeom grabs Lisa's trembling hand and guides her to walk into the alley. Mingyu stepped to the side and let them pass. The graceful grandmother slowly rose from the seat, her eyes fixedly staring at Mingyu.

A little drunk, Uncle Monty happily thought the event was over, and, based on his next instructions, he reached out his hand to Mrs Kim and took her gallantly down the alley behind the bride, his face beamed kindly to the spectators who also started to stand up and looked at them in bewilderment.

Outside the church, Uncle Monty kisses Lisa loudly, pulls Yugyeom's hand and shakes it vigorously, but soon Mingyu's rude voice leaves him speechless. "Bas stupid, the wedding ceremony is off! Do something useful and bring my wife home." Holding her grandmother's hand, Mingyu walked towards the waiting horse carriage. Looking back, he said curtly to Yugyeom, "I think we should get out of here soon, before the hordes there swarm over us. The morning newspaper will review my amazing return. You can read it there. We'll meet at my town house on Upper Book Street."

"You can't possibly call Kim's rental car" said Uncle Monty, taking the initiative when he saw it, neither Lisa nor Yugyeom seemed to move. "Not one rental car. You're coming with us."

While pulling Yugyeom's hand forcefully in one hand and Lisa in the other, he pulls them towards Yugyeom's carriage.

Mingyu guided her grandmother to her elegant carriage, gave orders to the stunned coachman, then got into the carriage and sat down next to the old woman. "Mingyu...?" whispered the woman, looking at Mingyu's face while glazed happily while the horse carriage slid forward. "Is this really you?"

A sympathetic smile softened his gloomy face. Wrapping her hands around the shoulder of the old woman she loved, Mingyu gently kissed her forehead. "Yes, Grandmama."

The woman placed her hand on Mingyu's brownish cheek, an expression of affection that she rarely showed, then she suddenly withdrew her hand and asked angrily, "Mingyu, where have you been all this time? We thought you were dead! Poor Lisa almost wasted her life in grief, and Yugyeom.."

"No need to lie to me" Mingyu interrupted coldly. "Yugyeom seemed utterly displeased to see me, and my 'sorrowful' wife looked like a happy bride."

In his mind Mingyu looked at the beautiful woman who turned the body on the altar to look at him. During a fun and frightening moment, he either thinks he's getting into the wrong marriage, or Yoon misrepresents Yugyeom's bride, because Mingyu doesn't recognize the woman, until the woman raised her eyes that were of unforgettable greenish hazel to look at her. Only then did he feel certain who she was, and he also knew with certainty that Yugyeom married the woman neither out of pity nor out of a generous attitude. That beautiful woman standing on the altar could arouse passion in every man's body, but not pity.