Secret of the Red Lotus Flower (빨간 연꽃의 비밀)

Chapter 41

The room felt empty now that the Bon-hwa, Eok-gi, and Jianjun left, yet Ha-neul's sheer presence still seemed to fill every corner. All Soo-yun could do was stand and face the closed door while reminding herself to breathe. She balled her hands up into fists to keep them from shaking as she sensed her husband come up behind her.

"We need to talk, Soo-yun," said Ha-neul behind her. "I wanted to call for you earlier, but I didn't think it was safe while I was fully recovering. If my mother thought for a moment that you might learn things you weren't supposed to in my weakened state, your life would be at risk. I spent the past week since Dr. Jun gave me a full bill of health working up the courage to have this conversation. So, please, Soo-yun, can you turn around and talk to me?"

Soo-yun found herself frozen and unable to turn around to face the Crown Prince during the entire confession. She knew that talking to Ha-neul had been her original purpose for coming to her husband's rooms but it was only now dawning on her that it meant being alone with Ha-neul, a person that confused her and made her emotions feel scrambled up yet also had a magnetic pull that she could not escape. Those heartfelt words were not helping her resolve either.

It had been easy to push those feelings aside when the other three had been here. The mystery of her father's ledgers also gave her something to focus on besides the possibility of being alone with her husband. Unfortunately, Prince Bon-hwa had betrayed her and shut her in with Ha-neul.

She cast her eyes around the room looking for something to divert the Crown Prince away from the conversation her husband seemed to want to have. Her gaze fell upon the sword she noticed the last time she had entered Ha-neul's quarters. Soo-yun skirted around the room, giving Ha-neul a wide berth, until she got to the sword and picked it up.

"What kind of sword is this? A hwando or ingeum? My brother loves to talk about swords. One is double-edged and the other isn't. I can never remember which is which." Soo-yun knew she was babbling but didn't know what else to do. Even from this distance, Ha-neul's sandalwood cologne robbed her of her wits.

"That sword is a hwando and it is single-edged. I also have an ingeum that I practice with if you are curious to see that as well," said Ha-neul. With every step that her husband advanced, Soo-yun retreated until she felt the cabinet press against her hip. The air between them seemed to crackle and her mouth went dry.

"F-fascinating. And the maedeup? Is it new? It reminds me of lotus blossom," Soo-yun said, fingering the crimson tassel that looked like a flower. She kept her eyes riveted on the sword to avoid looking up at Ha-neul.

"That's because it is a lotus blossom. I had it added to my sword because I have recently become inordinately fond of lotuses," said Ha-neul.

Something about her husband's tone made her think about the nights at the archery field and talking about the meaning of her name. She didn't know if that was the intent or merely in her mind, but her cheeks flamed at the thought that Ha-neul might be alluding to her.

"However, you didn't come here to talk about swords, did you, Soo-yun?" Ha-neul took the sword out of her hands. She stifled a gasp when her husband's fingers brushed against hers, sending a spike of molten fire racing through her veins. When the Crown Prince turned to place the sword back on its holder, Soo-yun used the opportunity to break free and move to the center of the room.

She didn't know what was coming over her as she took the opportunity to try to still the heart hammering away in her chest. The room seemed to be shrinking, but not in a constricting way like when she had a panic attack. It was almost like the walls were conspiring to push her and Ha-neul closer together.

"You're right. I didn't come to see you to talk about swords. I wanted to discuss..." Soo-yun faltered as she tried to think of another topic, any topic, that Ha-neul might believe had been her true purpose and then let her leave. "...Seung-wan and Gyeong-Ja!"