Heart of Ice

Harness

Wonwoo eventually stepped down from the throne and escaped to China with his wife, recognizing that he could no longer exercise power over his people.

As for the royals, some of them absconded after Wonwoo's escape, others stayed behind only for Soonyoung to announce a complete upheaval of the court system. No longer will the wealthiest men be the ones who rule the country alongside the King, which meant that the royals were encroached and gradually lost all of their power.

Shortly after that upheaval, Soonyoung also instigated a tax system which took money from the wealthy to run state projects, like Jeonghan's hospital, which Yewon took charge of and continued to manage.

The plan to marry Yulhee and Jihoon was broken immediately, and Soonyoung declared that Princess Yulhee would marry whomever she chose.

All of the conquering troops were ordered to withdraw from other lands and come back to Solen, where Soonyoung declared a policy of non-aggression.

Of course, Soonyoung was met with backlash and opposition, especially from the wealthy men who were stripped of their power. But these men could not rally anyone against him, for the people loved and supported him, no matter what anyone said. The people had been dreaming for the wars to end, and King Soonyoung had finally made that dream come true.

Sometimes Soonyoung caved under the pressure of being King. No matter how hard he tried to be firm and strong when he made his royal decrees, Yewon knew that he was not the kind of person who enjoyed wielding so much power and responsibility. He did a good job of hiding his feelings when he was in the presence of others, but in his private spaces, Yewon witnessed his mental breakdowns and his tears.

The stress had eaten him up, especially in times when people died on account of his decisions. When things did not go as he planned, when enemies attacked and he was caught unaware, when money was lost, or when he felt he'd done someone wrong, he often revealed insecure thoughts of being a failure as a King.

But he was so far from a failure. The people loved him, and his policies had truly transformed the way they lived. People were happier that their men and young boys were not drawn away to fight in meaningless wars, and Yewon always made sure to remind him of that when he broke down in front of her.

Yewon once ran into the erotic diary that Soonyoung had written out many years ago, and she marveled at how much he had changed. From being a man concerned with nothing but women and his own bodily satisfaction to successfully running an entire country, all the while remaining completely celibate– he was a like a different person.

As the months drew by and everything gradually settled, Yewon felt like her happy ending had finally come. She was content with how things had turned out in the end. She became Queen like Seungcheol had wanted; there were no more wars; and she lived in a country that loved and valued her.

She also had the chance to be a mother to Soonyoung's many children, whom she began to love so much and raise as her own. She thought that was all enough of a happy ending for her, but as it turned out, the happiness did not end there.

-

In more than a year after Soonyoung's reign as King, he had to travel for a few weeks to meet with local governors and gauge the condition of his country, and he asked Yewon to stay beside and rule in his place.

When she was seeing him off before his travel, he kissed for the first time since they married, and her heart skipped a beat.

While he was still on his journey, he sent her a letter in which he confessed that he was beginning to fall for her, and that he was sorry for it, because he knew that she belonged to his brother and not to him. "But I can't help it, Yewon. I just really love you. I'm sorry."

She had thought that the romance in her life was dead and gone, and that she could never love again after losing Seungcheol.

She could have never thought that her heart would open up to someone completely new.

-

Letter #3

Dear Yewon,

I want to use this letter to talk about something that I'm sure you've thought about and doubted me over. My transgressive relationship with Jeonghan... it is strange when you think about it, right? How did I come to fall for my deceased lover's brother, I also wonder.

It's easy to fall for someone who you've always held in high regard, but suddenly you're connected to him inextricably. It's easy to fall for someone with whom you share a common tragedy. It's easy to fall for someone who depends on you for mental and emotional support in a very difficult time. It was therefore so easy for me to fall for Jeonghan.

I never forgot Solbin; she was always on my mind as I indulged in my love for her brother. But I needed him, and he needed me, and this created a dynamic of mutual dependence that so easily translated into love.

Even now, I still love Jeonghan. And Solbin. And you. But Solbin and Jeonghan have receded into my heart's memories and will remain there until the end of my days. And once lovers become nothing but memories, the heart naturally opens its doors for others to occupy the insufferable emptiness.

Love,
Seungcheol