All the sounds in the world that had been ringing loudly seemed to come to a halt. Jiwoo also did not say anything for a while.
Jiwoo.
Hearing it came from his mouth was very strange. Was it because it’s been such a long time? The old memories that Jiwoo had forgotten also came to mind.
Despite the temple’s opposition, Jiwoo and the Crown Prince continued to meet.
Avoiding the eyes of the high priest, they secretly met in the corner of the temple, holding hands, playfully promising the next time they’d meet again.
Then one day he asked.
‘By the way, what’s your name?’
‘Seo Jiwoo.’
‘Seoju?’
‘Seo-Ji-woo. Last name Seo, given name Jiwoo.’
‘Then can I just call you… Jiwoo? Jiwoo.’
‘Yes, if we’re close… just call me Jiwoo.’
The Crown Prince laughed.
‘……Jiwoo.’
He suddenly took her hand. She was so surprised that she couldn’t answer.
A shy voice called out once more.
‘Jiwoo.’
‘…Y-Yes?’
The fingers that she always fidgeted with in front of her. His hesitant hand, taking hers. Like she always wanted to. As he finally held her hand, he brought it up and kissed it.
A memory that Jiwoo forgot because she was so tired of loving him.
Even as she stopped holding on to the carriage when it fell off the cliff, the last thing that came to her mind was that small memory.
‘Jiwoo.’
‘…Yes.’
He kept calling her for no reason. When he called and she looked back, he laughed with a stupid face. Stupid face. It was the only expression that no one else knew and only Jiwoo knew.
The feeling of holding hands while whispering love in vain, alone in an empty place.
Originally, she should have died in that carriage accident.
An Akarna’s power was expressed by the will to live. What kept her from dying in that accident was neither the stubborn lingering feelings left in life nor the longing to return to her hometown. Nor was it even a coincidence.
What kept her alive was the memory of loving him.
As it has been for the past five years.
—Well… Is it okay to say something like that…?
—What? Ah, the word Akarna? It’s okay. Akarna is not only a temple Akarna, but also a vernacular term for a lovely significant other.
My Akarna. My lovely significant other.
It wasn’t that he forgot her name, but the Crown Prince kept calling her that.
Why did she keep doubting? Maybe it’s because they had walked too far on crossroads after some time.
That even such precious memories had become clouded.
YOU ARE READING
At The End Of The Hidden Greenery
RomanceShe dedicated five years of her life serving as the Akarna of the temple while she was the crown prince's lover. "Do you not understand? If you cannot give birth to an heir, then you can't become the empress. It's just... It's just a political marri...
