The Scarlet Heart (MarkHyuck)

3. The Serilaga Dog

In the evening Prince Minhyung stood alone in the palace, with a mask still attached to his left face. Prince Minhyung looked at the palace and recalled his childhood. When he saw his parents fighting.

-flashback

There was a scream of Queen Soojung from inside her room, Queen Soojung did not accept the King's decision to marry again. The king went out of the room. Crown Prince Taeyong and young Prince Minhyung peek and hear the quarrel of King Donghae and Queen Soojung.

"Your Majesty!. I'd rather die. Our firstborn son just died. How can you marry again? How can you get married at a time like this?" Queen Soojung.

"South Wangya is in danger. This marriage is the only solution to protect South Kwangya for now" King Donghae said.

"Before you were king, you were the father of my children. Aren't you sad? Does your heart not hurt? Don't you want to wish you could die and bring your son back to life?" Queen Soojung said angrily.

"Many lives are at stake here" asserted King Donghae and then left unconcerned with the protest of Queen Soojung.

"Your Majesty!" Call Queen Soojung, stop the King's move. Queen Soojung pulls little prince Minhyung in her arms.

"When that's all you care about then why should we bother to live again?" Said Queen Soojung.

Minhyung called his mother with a sad face. Queen Soojung knelt down and draped a dagger into the neck of little prince Minhyung.

The king saw that. The king did not expect Queen Soojung to be that kind of.

"Did you choose to get married. Or did you choose your son? Kwangya or your son's life?" Threaten Queen Soojung.

"Put down the knife. You can't stop my marriage by doing this" the king said, upsetting Queen Soojung.

"You are different. If I can't have your heart fully, I don't need my son anymore" Queen Soojung said.

Enraged, Queen Soojung immediately swung her dagger to kill little Prince Minhyung. Queen Soojung still insists on killing her son, little Prince Minhyung can only cry, being among her parents who are fighting over daggers.

Finally the King can make the Queen's hand take off her dagger, but the dagger has injured the face of the little Prince Minhyung who is between the King and Queen Soojung who fought over the dagger, the cry of little Prince Minhyung sounded extremely loud.

Crown Prince Taeyong saw his brother lying with a wounded face and full of blood immediately panicked asking for help.

- Flashback end

Prince Minhyung was silent staring at the palace, the reason he used a mask because he had an incision scar on his face.

As the king was walking along with Heechul and Haneul, they stopped to see Prince Minhyung standing alone.

"Have you invited me here to become one of the Crown Prince's protectors?" prince Minhyung said.

"I don't know if you will be a shield for the Crown Prince, or a sword that will kill the Crown Prince" King said.

♡♡♡

Now Donghyuck has begun to adjust to living in Prince Jeno's residence and becoming Haechan.

That morning, Jeongra took Haechan around Prince Jeno's mansion, where many workers were cleaning the yard, and then carried things in a very neat way. Haechan gawked at everything she had never seen.

And on the grounds of memory loss, Haechan has been wondering to find information about Haechan's true self.

"Agasshi likes to play darts, and will bet with other kids. And did Agasshi see that tree over there? We planted it. You're also good at badminton" Jeongra said pointing at a tree near the arrow board.

"All right, so I love playing darts and badminton. I'm here to take care of and look after my sixth cousin. My name is Haechan and you're my servant, Jeongra. Aren't we?" Haechan said remembering everything Jeongra had explained.

"I think I'm starting to remember now." Haechan said trying not to look suspicious, Jeongra frowned because Haechan used banmal language on him.

"What's wrong with you, Agasshi?" jeongra bangtung said,

"I forgot, you don't have to worry" Haechan said. Jeongra smiled happily thinking that Haechan had remembered back.

"I think I'm between remember and no, but you don't have to worry. I'm the kind of person who can learn quickly from one thing and learn 10 other things. So I'll work on it and you won't have to worry" Haechan assured Jeongra.

"Does Agasshi really remember anything? Now it's just the two of us here, so Agasshi can tell me. Agasshi lied? The prince and his wife did not know. I was with Agasshi every day. What's actually going on? Does Agasshi meet men from other families or does Agasshi have a lot of debt?" jeongra said he didn't believe much in Haechan's memory loss, but he believed that Haechan must be lying.

"Is Haechan that kind of woman? So, does she pretend to be a good girl but she goes out at night to meet a guy?" haechan's comment heard Jeongra's words.

"He's not that bad" Jeongra replied, before he realized Haechan's obvious speech sounded very strange.

"Why is Agasshi talking about Agasshi as if she is talking about someone else? Agasshi must have been so badly injured that it became like this" Jeongra said worriedly.

Haechan thinks that she better keep her mouth shut because everyone would think her crazy if she said she wasn't Haechan.

"Cheong.... Actually was... There's another girl inside me." Haechan held Jeongra's hand. Jeongra looked dumbly staring at him strangely as if he was already out of his mind.

"Here you go, I don't have to die twice anymore." Haechan muttered inwardly.

"I'm just kidding" Haechan added.

"Jeongra, there are no wrinkles around my mouth, right?" said Haechan holding his face, Jeongra again made tangent. Haechan holding her face felt her skin was very nice and tight and felt that it had been a long time since her skin was like this.

"She took care of her body in Kwangya's day despite eating only vegetables." Haechan's comment looked at the part of the hand and held her face.

Jeongra was increasingly worried to see that Agasshinya was indeed seriously injured because he did not remember anything.

Haechan relaxes the muscles in her body, she thinks it's useful for her to come back to life.

♡♡♡

It is located in Cheomseongdae Palace. Astrologer Heechul was standing on the top floor and was busy making binoculars made of bamboo.

The Princes came into the room and Prince Jaemin was flabbergasted by a new object Heechul had made hanging.

"Whatis that? Heechul!" asked Prince Jaemin screamed at the shape of the hanging plane and then shouted to Heechul.

Heechul yelled out to Prince Jaemin with his hand that stretched out like a plane.

"It was a plane" Heechul explained.

"What is a plane?" prince Jaemin asked what the plane was.

"That's something that can fly in the sky like a bird. One day, your children will have children. The children will have their own children. And people will use this to go abroad and travel." Heechul's story was enthusiastic, all smiling happily at him.

"Wow! Heechul, you always make amazing things." Comments of Prince Jaemin.

"Omong empty! You always look up at the sky and talk weird. What are you saying about the Crown Prince's star prophecy...is that true?" said Prince Jaehyun glanced at the cynical Heechul.

"That's what I want to say, too. The one who knows the will of the heavens is subject to the Crown Prince." Prince Wookhei.

"Everyone in Kwangya knows that. My job is to read the sky. Do you think I'm gonna lie?" heechul said in self-defense, he was offended by the words of Prince Jaehyun and Prince Wookhei.

"Then, Heechul... What's my luck today? If your prediction is correct, I'll assume your prophecy about the Crown Prince is also correct." Prince Kwanhyung challenged Heechul.

"The 13th Prince's birthday, is the time when Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter are all in one line, right? That's how great people used to be in the past. You're pretty lucky in women's affairs." Heechul. The Princes laughed at Heechul's words.

"If it's just like that I can guess it too. Who doesn't know that all the women are huddled in Songak just to see Kwanhyung?" prince Jaemin.

"If that's all you do, I can too, our third brother has great luck in matters of power. Our 9th brother has good luck in matters of wealth. Our 8th brother is endowed with great intelligence." Prince Sungchan said he was moving from one brother to another.

Prince Sungchan stood in front of Prince Jaemin looking at his 10th brother, "Our 10th Brother has no advantages" Prince Sungchan sneered.

"I'm very lucky, because I've been blessed with a sister like you" Prince Jaemin told Prince Sungchan while hitting him on the head.

Prince Sungchan was annoyed to stand up with his eyes glaring, Prince Jaemin did not want to lose to stand but his height was inferior to his sister. Finally Prince Jaemin pulled his sister to fight chest.

"You always enjoy my story. Do you not believe me now?" Heechul complained of being offended that the Princes no longer believed his story.

"We were kids back then, but now we're all grown up so won't be fooled by your story anymore" Prince Kwanhyung said.

"Jaemin Hyungnim, he said we're adults." Prince Sungchan said to Prince Jaemin.

"I haven't grown up yet." Prince Jaemin complained because his body was the shortest compared to the other brothers.

"Unlike that, you grew up in another area." Prince Wookhei commented, all of his brothers stared like strange-minded.

"I mean, his feelings and concern for others." Obviously Prince Wookhei for all to be straight-minded. Everyone laughed, Heechul silently stared at the Jung brothers together with haru.

"On our fourth brother... He said he was in the palace. Why didn't he come say hello to Jaehyun Hyungnim?" prince Wookhei said in astonishment.

"I heard that once our fourth brother arrived at the palace, he immediately killed the horse he was riding sadistically and the officials who saw him were made to have nightmares, even all of them immediately took a leave of absence, he said, why would our fourth brother do something like that?" prince Sungchan said what he had heard.

"If he acts like that, I don't want to be greeted by him either" Prince Jaehyun said.

"He may suffer more than we do. Don't behave like that, however he is still our brother" Prince Jeno assured his other brother.

Prince Minhyung suddenly passed by in front of them, all shocked and looking terrified. Prince Minhyung glanced coldly at all his brothers.

Prince Jaehyun just looked at her cynically.

"It's been a long time since we met" Prince Jeno said hello to Prince Minhyung.

Prince Minhyung simply answered Prince Jeno's greeting with a cold smile and left.

Prince Wookhei, Prince Jaemin and Prince Sungchan were seen immediately able to breathe again after being frightened by the presence of Prince Minhyung.

"I almost fainted, did you all feel fine, it seemed like only I felt like I could not breathe" Prince Jaemin said.

"I'm not sure, I got goosebumps" said Prince Sungchan, unsure of the matter by touching his neck.

♡♡♡

"What does the eighth Prince look like, I really don't remember?" asked Haechan to see how much attention Prince Jeno had on Madame Injoon.

"He's the best guy in all of Kwangya. He's as educated as the scholars out there. He was the best, and the best among all 25 princes. Many believe that the current Crown Prince should not be the first Prince. They believe it should be our prince." Jeongra said enthusiastically.

"Is he Jaejoong?" muttered Haechan looked at Prince Jeno who helped put the shoes on Mrs Injoon.

"It seems they have a good relationship." Said Haechan looking at Prince Jeno who was walking along with Madame Injoon.

"of course. He was very caring and considerate of his sick wife. Injoon also believed in the Prince and would follow him anywhere. Everyone was so jealous of him." Jeongra.

Haechan recalled the moment Prince Jeno reached out and he grabbed her the first time he was in Kwangya. Prince Jeno helps her to wake up but not strong, Prince Jeno also helps her to put on shoes. Haechan looked at Prince Jeno with a look of admiration because Prince Jeno was a very considerate man.

"I think I can trust him too." Mumbled Haechan stared inside Prince Jeno who was having tea with his wife.

Prince Jeno looked at Haechan who was staring at him from a distance, Haechan immediately turned her face away pretending not to see him. Prince Jeno immediately turned his gaze back to Madame Injoon who was sitting opposite him.

Princess Minah came with many palace ladies who followed her. He looked at Haechan who was staring at the togetherness of Prince Jeno and Lady Injoon with a gaze full of admiration.

"You are so presumptuous, looking at a married man with such a gaze" Princess Minah scolded cynically at Haechan.

Haechan looked at Princess Minah with a bangturbation because she did not know him.

"Mr Princess" said Jeongra directly bowing respectfully to Princess Minah. "He is Princess Minah, you have to greet him Agasshi" Jeongra said, asking Haechan to greet Princess Minah, just looking at Princess Minah in surprise. Jeongra panicked because Haechan did not quickly bow respectfully to greet Princess Minah, Jeongra encouraged her to bow respectfully.

"So this eanita princess? Well... Of course, if there's a prince, then there's a princess." Mumbled Haechan looking at Princess Minah.

"Leave it... I heard he lost his memory. However, it seemed that he had also lost his manners. What are we supposed to do? It doesn't seem to hurt if you learn again from the beginning." said Princess Minah in a sweet tone.

"He likes to demean people in strange ways." Mumbled Haechan cynically heard Princess Minah's insinuation. As a human being living in modern times Haechan does not accept being denigrated as such.

"You shouldn't see the activities of married couples. I'll do it the rough way if it happens again, even if you're his cousin. Do you understand?" said Princess Minah with her sweet smile.

"Winding eyes and mouth, look at his stiff hand. I've had a lot of bad luck before this." muttered Haechan looking at Princess Minah's body.

"If you don't like me, just say it. I can see that you're just trying to find an excuse to scold me. It doesn't work on me, I'm used to being treated like that." Haechan said defiantly as she returned Princess Minah's smile.

"Woman!g" said Princess Minah, feeling that Haechan's words were very presumptuous. Haechan who heard it immediately glared at Minah's daughter.

"I'm sorry Agasshi, Princess Agasshi is not fully aware yet" Jeongra said bowing apologetically in place of Haechan.

"I'm not crazy" Haechan said, not accepting that he was crazy.

"It's not so Agasshi" Jeongra said, he was confused to say what he was in the wrong position.

"You dare to act in the Prince's residence" Princess Minah said scolding Haechan.

Suddenly a man's voice came from hearing the commotion. Prince Jeno was already standing with an angry look at the two who were fighting.

Prince Jeno then took Haechan to the library in his residence. Haechan stared in amazement at Prince Jeno's library full of books.

"You must have forgotten how to greet people since the accident" said Prince Jeno, who saw Haechan just staring at him in silence.

Prince Jeno suddenly went around from shelf to shelf while Haechan kept trying to follow him.

"There's nothing I can't do. I'm very smart. I am also quick to learn. You'll know after seeing me. I'll be the one you need in this house. I will do my best to learn everything. I won't be a burden to you, Prince." said Haechan while trying to follow Prince Jeno.

Suddenly Prince Jeno disappeared between the shelves. But when Haechan turned around, she almost collided with Prince Jeno. They stood such a close distance that it made Haechan awkward and tense with their closeness.

"You're like a different person" Prince Jeno said, "We've never been this close. Your way of speaking and your behavior, you look like a different person, but I don't mind it" Haechan was frantically afraid of being discovered.

"I won't force you to remember it and won't even question whether or not you're spying on the movers" Prince Jeno told Haechan.

"And don't worry my wife anymore" Prince Jeno said.

"Alright, Prince" Haechan said then rushed off.

♡♡♡

Prince Minhyung looked through the books on the shelf in Heechul's library and picked up one of the books and opened it which turned out to be about the style of lovemaking then put it back and took the other book but it's the same thing. Prince Minhyung chuckled at Heechul's adult book collection.

Heechul suddenly appeared behind. Prince Minhyung. "That's the latest book you want to borrow" whispered Heechul from behind Prince Minhyung. Prince Minhyung immediately threw the book at Heechul.

"Why do you want to see me?" ask Prince Minhyung.

"The servant who served the Crown Prince's breakfast was found hanging. The murder was disguised as a suicide. Doesn't that mean the culprit must be from a member of the royal family? Especially, the culprit was one of the princes. So find the culprit." Heechul.

"You said you found the culprit? Am I a dog? People always call me a wolf dog. So now you really think I'm a real dog." Prince Minhyung was angry.

"Are you happy to kill that horse? You want to stop living as a hostage and live in Songak, right? This could be your chance, Prince. Take the opportunity when the opportunity is in sight. Just look at me.... I said the King will realize his dream of uniting the Three Nations. Now look where I am." Heechul said explaining how he took the opportunity and could stay in the palace.

"Don't mess with me. I'm not a kid anymore who used to love being entertained by you. Don't think you can be anything like me." Firmly Prince Minhyung while pointing at Heechul.

"This is the Crown Prince's wish" Heechul said in a serious tone. Crown Prince Taeyong came at that moment.

"There is information about a plot to kill the Crown Prince during the royal ritual" Heechul said seriously.

"You want me to take the place of Crown Prince" said Prince Minhyung immediately understanding the Crown Prince and Heechul's intentions, "Then what's the reward?" ask Prince Minhyung.

"What if you catch the culprit? Then I'll grant your request." Crown Prince Taeyong said.

"I want to stay in Songak" Prince Minhyung said.

♡♡♡

Haechan helped decorate the lanterns into the shape of a lotus flower with Lady Injoon, Princess Minah and the servants. Haechan tried to stick the paper so that the lanterns were shaped into lotus flowers but he was in trouble.

"Every year, our house has the most beautiful lotus lanterns thanks to Haechan, but it looks like this year will be difficult" Sindir Putri Minah saw Haechan's distress.

"This must be because my wounds haven't healed yet. My hands are not doing what I want" Haechan replied casually.

"Well... How else would you like? You didn't do it on purpose. You need to rest so get out." Said Princess Minah trying to drive Haechan away.

"No, I don't have to rest. I'll do anything, so give me a task" Haechan said.

"You're so big-breasted. Then, Jeongra, show him a place to mix the glue dough. You can do that, right?" said Princess Minah, Jeongra panicked at Princess Minah's orders.

"Alright, it's no big deal" said Haechan eagerly accepting the job Princess Minah had given her. Madam Injoon who heard it looked worried.

Haechan stirred the glue dough in a sizable spot on top of a furnace and pitted it against long wood, his face exposed to blackened smoke.

"Princess Minah seems to care about me very much, it turns out she is evil by giving me more difficult and tiring work" said Haechan, feeling she had been deceived by Princess Minah. While banging his arm that feels sore.

"Until when do I have to stir it?"

"I know how to take care of the skin with massage and make up. I have a lot of permits to do all that. But look at me here. I've been like dog food." Haechan said while stirring the glue dough.

Finally Haechan got off the footing and moved her body, to relax all the muscles that felt stiff. Prince Jeno was passing by looking at Haechan bending down and moving her body to the right and left, because seeing what Haechan did was not a common thing for women to do.

Haechan remembered the demon and then went back up on the footing and stirred it again, then coughed as it let out a lot of smoke. Prince Jeno kept seeing her, Haechan realized there was Prince Jeno he was trying to laugh.

"Princess Minah gave me an important glue-making task" Haechan said with a wide smile.

"You said you'd learn everything and go through it. You seem to be doing well. You're a pretty great person" said Prince Jeno and he only chuckled at Haechan's messy face. Prince Jeno is gone.

Prince Jeno joins the other Princes in practicing sword dance for the royal ritual. Everyone did a good dance except for Prince Jaemin who always misdirected his sword. Prince Sungchan tried to correct the direction of his brother's sword.

"I don't want to practice anymore" Prince Jaemin grumbled as he threw his sword.

"You are so lazy" said Prince Wookhei, scolding Prince Jaemin.

"We rest first" Heechul said and stopped Prince Sungchan from going back to fight with Prince Jaemin. They decided to take a short break and gather in the pavilion.

"Where the fourth brother, he should have practiced together because this was the first time he had participated in royal rituals" asked Prince Jeno.

"The Fourth Prince is coming soon" Heechul replied.

"There's a rumor that says once the ritual is over the King will hand over his throne to the Crown Prince." Prince Wookhei said, Heechul was surprised to hear it and looked nervous.

"Is there really such a rumor? Holy hooch! I've never heard of anything like that. Even if it's true, the king will never tell me. I'm just an astrologer. Now I have to meet the Crown Prince and explain his duties in the ritual later." Heechul.

"You go back to training" Heechul said, telling the Princes to return to sword practice and he left immediately.

"You shouldn't say that, because it's too bad that until the King hears it, you're so reckless" Prince Jeno told Prince Wookhei.

"He's not the only one who's curious. Don't blame him too much. Heechul doesn't deny that the rumors aren't true." Prince Jaehyun said defending his sister, Prince Jeno could not speak anymore.

Meanwhile, Haechan momentarily lay down in front of the furnace from exhaustion, after stirring the glue dough, then tidied up her folded clothes.

When he decided to return home by chance he saw Heechul from a distance, and Haechan then remembered that Heechul was very similar to Ahjussi who wanted his corner that he met on the edge of the lake before entering the Kwangya era.

Finally Haechan ran after Heechul until he came out of the palace, and passed through a fairly crowded market. Heechul is seen walking very fast and crossing the river. Haechan lost track of Heechul when she reached the riverbank.

Suddenly someone shouted "That's the dog! Wolf dog!" make people run away in panic. Prince Minhyung drove his horse quickly in the middle of a crowded street.

Haechan turned her back surprised to see Prince Minhyung riding a horse walking towards her, Haechan accidentally pushed the citizen luggage that was on her back. He almost fell into the river.

Prince Minhyung, who was passing through Haechan, pulled Haechan by the waist and raised her on his walking horse. Haechan sat opposite Prince Minhyung on a horse. Haechan was only able to stare at the startled Prince Minhyung who saved her with a half face and hugged his waist. Prince Minhyung just looked expressionlessly at Haechan's face that looked messy with a face that was smeared with charcoal.

...~TBC~...