Painter of the Night: The Runaway Agassi

Chapter 32

A/n: Warning: Sexual Violence and death

She couldn't sleep.

Ae Shin was lying on her bed with her hazel eyes open as she stared the ceiling with deep thoughts. Tomorrow, she's going to palace to officially become a Crown Princess candidates and she probably wouldn't see anybody from her families but something was bothering her.

It was her loyal female servant, Naki. She hasn't heard about the female slave ever since she returned to the Park Residence and it gives her anxiety that there might be something wrong with her.

The young noblewoman get up as she grabbed the lantern beside her bed and she slowly went out for a bit to check on Naki. Ae Shin was nervous, "I get the feeling that something wrong with that child." She muttered while searching the path where the servants are gathering and to her luck, Ae Shin found some servants eating boiled potatoes for midnight snack.

They choked up when they saw the only daughter of the Minister of the Left behind them, "Milady, what brings you in this late hour?" One of the house slaves asked the serious looking Ae Shinas she stood there looking at them and as she looked at their unkempt appearance, it reminded her of her miserable life as a slave within that one and a half year.

But while she's being a slave, she was able to meet Yoon Seungho and for some reason, her chest hurt whenever Ae Shin thought about that promiscous man whom she hurted by pushing him away from her life to protect him.

"Naki. I wanted to see her. Is she alright? I haven't heard any news about her." She told them and she was surprise with their trembling expressions.

She grit her teeth, "Is something happen? What did they have done to her!?" She said outburst as Ae Shin demanded at the same people who were flogging the poor female slave.

The house slaves looked at each other and they decided to helped the Young Miss, "Right this way, Lady Ae Shin." One of the house slaves accompanied the demanding noblewoman to the make shift prison and Ae Shin waited for the door to open and her mouth was agape to see the bloodied appearance of her loyal handmaiden. Naki was unconcious with bruises on her legs, arms, cheeks, gushes, cuts and blooded legs that she could no longer walk because she was flogged for five hundred times by the cruel Minister of the Left.

"NAKI!" Ae Shin shouted with tears streaming down her cheeks as she ran towards the  half-dead female slave whom she thought as a dear friend and a sister. Ae Shin sobbed while she gently placed Naki's skull on her lap, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Naki! I...it's my fault...It's my fault why this is happening to you so please...." Ae Shin cried with heavy tears as she was disheartened of Naki's pitiful state. She doesn't deserve this. Naki doesn't deserve this kind of pain.

Then, heavy eyes went open and Ae Shin was in relief that Naki was alive, "Lady Ae Shin. I'm happy that I was able to see you one last time." She said in a monotone voice as she cough out blood that startled Ae Shin. Naki was flogged horribly to the point that she cried in pain to stop but it seems that the cruel nobleman who was Ae Shin's father wanted her dead for good.

"No! Don't say that! I'm going to get a physician to treat your wounds"

"There's no need for that milady. What matter to me now is that, I'm finally be at peace. I have...already paid my sins for what I have done to your family, milady and I don't regret that. I made you convinced to ran away, do you remember?" Naki said with a sad smile and Ae Shin recalls of her depression of getting married to an older, wicked man.

"Yes and although, I have suffered the consequences. I was able to see the real world and I..." she thought about Yoon Seungho again, if it weren't for Naki, she wouldn't meet that man. that horrible, cruel but alluring man she had ever meet. But then, Naki cough horribly as she vomited a lot blood because of the beating she had suffered and Ae Shin went paled.