Your Highness

HUNDRED AND NINETEEN

That evening, Han and Ailee were supposed to meet. Han was summoned to the emperor's wing, a place where Ailee was residing. The letter he received earlier remained a secret from Hayoon. Han didn't want to concern Hayoon with unnecessary worries. Han wasn't going to marry Ailee or any other woman.

There was only one reason why Han agreed to see Ailee. He wanted to know what happened at the temple. Why Ailee had been missing for so long and why she suddenly showed up.

After a long walk, Han reached the chamber and the servants let him in. Ailee was sitting at the table in the middle of the room as she waited for Han. It has been years, and yet she hadn't changed much.

"Princess," Han said. It was a title Ailee had not heard for who knows how long.

"Evening Han," A soft smile graced her lips.

Han looked at her eyes, the blacks orbs that held thousands of unspoken thoughts. He wanted to ask her how she had been doing, where she has been all this time, and why has she remained hidden, but he didn't know where to begin.

"What's the reason why you want to meet me?"

"I thought I made it pretty clear in the letter,"

"I believe there is another reason," Han persisted.

"There is not," Ailee said with a carefree smile.

"Just as I wrote, I want you to marry me."

It was ridiculous how serious it sounded.

"Marriage?"

"Uh-huh,"

"Is the emperor forcing you to do that?" Han asked, his voice hinted with irritation.

"Are you being threatened?"

"You think Hyun is capable of forcing me?"

"Then why are you doing this?"

"Simple. I need to restore my status, while you need a shield from the emperor's suspicion. Marriage would grant us both. I will be granted a title with a new identity and Hyun would stop pestering you. It's a win-win for both sides."

It made Han upset that Ailee sounded so carefree. As if this was just a matter of a game. The Ailee Han knew always hated this game of power, she didn't like to involve herself with political matters and despised the thought of strategical marriages.

Ailee used to say that she would rather die than get married for strategical purposes. Despite receiving many proposals from outstanding noble men, she never blinked an eye to turn them down. Then why was she suddenly doing this, acting completely out of her character?

"Princess is a person, not a shield. I'm capable of protecting my people, that includes you. Even without the emperor's help, I can still guarantee you a life no inferior to others."

Han didn't have the power before, but now, he was fully capable of taking care of his own people. He was no longer the prince that held no value to the empire but was an unerasable figure in Great Yong's history. Only a few people could rival his power. Ailee more than anyone should be aware of that, and yet, the person she sought help from was not Han but the emperor?

"What is the real reason for you to act like this?" Han asked. His calm eyes pierced through hers.

Just as always, Han was able to read her like an open book. Ailee hated that part of him.

The real reason why Ailee was proposing marriage was because of Hayoon.

Ailee despised the fact that everything always went so easy for a person that didn't work for it. Besides giving Han troubles, Hayoon didn't do anything to deserve his love.

Hayoon caused him danger when she was the ruler of Kang. When Han needed someone by his side, Hayoon disappeared from the earth's surface. And when Han finally met her, Hayoon pretended not to know him. The stupid girl had broken the tiny amount of expectation Ailee had for her.

More than anyone did Ailee know what Han had been through. How hard he had worked to get to this place today. In her eyes, Hayoon did not even deserve to stay by his side, not to mention becoming Han's life partner.

What right did Hayoon have to enjoy this luxury when she wasn't there during the times he suffered? Where was Hayoon the years Han was sick and bedridden? Where was she when he was alone and hurt?

"The reason why you rejecting my proposal is due to that maid in your room isn't it?" Ailee said instead of answering Han's question.

"Princess... Have met her?" Han asked, his eyes growing in surprise. It never crossed his mind, that Ailee and Hayoon had met each other after the incident two years ago.

Ailee wondered why asked that. Why didn't he ask if 'do you know her?', but instead 'have you met her,'?

Han finally understood why Ailee was acting this way. If Ailee was aware of Hayoon's existence, then it all made sense. From Ailee's perspective, of course, she would hate Hayoon. From the beginning, Ailee had never been fond of Hayoon. On top of the things that happened, it was only natural for Ailee to dislike Hayoon even more.

"It is because of Hayoon?" Han asked in a low tone.

Ailee couldn't hide the surprise in her eyes. The fact that Han said that name, meant that he to some extent remembered the past.

"You remember her?"

"I remember it all," Han confessed.

"You remember everything, and yet you want to stay with her?!" Anger caused Ailee to explode. "Do you have a brain!?"

"She left you as easy as someone abandoning their dog on the street, yet, you cowardly ignored that and forgave her that easily? How long will you be able to deceive yourself and pretend that nothing is wrong?"

"She left you once, doing it twice isn't impossible. Are you sure you'll be able to handle it when that time comes."

Han couldn't confidently say that he would be fine, and he wished he could say that it wasn't going to happen.

In fact, the image that Ailee was making was something Han didn't want to think of. It was a future he wouldn't accept.

Han can't go back to those days where Hayoon wasn't by his side. The days where Hayoon's image was hunting his subconscious was a living hell. The illusion of her appeared from time to another, only to disappear into smoke and dust when he reached for it. The memory was too painful that he wished to bury them a place far away from his head. Those pictures suffocated him, making him recall the pain as if it was yesterday.

Han wished Ailee hadn't reminded him of the pain of loneliness and the world that he so desperate wanted to escape from. 

I was just fine without those memories, why did you make me remember them again, Ailee?