Your Highness

F O U R T Y T W O

C H A P T E R   F O U R T Y T W O

Blinking twice didn't make the question disappear. How could a person be at two places at the same time? Either was Hayoon mistaking or Yoon who was blind. Hayoon put her vote on the last option, or else she were to admit she was held in the hands of a complete stranger. The mere thought made her sick, every nerve in her body felt betrayed and she was disgusted by her own skin.

Hayoon bit her lips, shaping her facial expression in a sour grimace as she pushed herself away from the person on the bed. Within the darkness her senses served as her pair of eyes. She couldn't see but fully sensed the gust of wind sweeping her hair back as an arm wrapped its way around her neck.

While a normal reaction would be a gasp or a flinch, Hayoon would return with a glare in the direction of the man trapping her within his embrace of a head lock. Despite the glare that penetrated the darkness, the man couldn't possible see it, how Hayoon wished he could. 

"Yoon-!" Hayoon was unable to finish the line before the man pinned her down to the bed, covering her mouth with his icy hands. It wasn't hard to the point of taking her breath but with enough strength to prevent any sound escaping the tip of her tongue.

Gritting her teeth, Hayoon made unsuccessful grunts, her attempt to get free only turned in vain. In the little space between the window the faint light of the moon glittered through, enough for her to glimpse the silhouette of the man above her, yet it wasn't sufficient to help her differentiate the spectre of colour. A dark figure with shoulders broad to the point she was captured within his shadow, his hair long and fell as curtains on both side of her.

"Lady Yoon," Gwan's voice louded outside.

"General Gwan." Yoon said, delightedness rang in her tone as an animal discovering water in a dry dessert.

"I've informed the servants to deliver the breakfast in the morning, so lady Yoon don't have to retrieve them yourself."

"Thank you general."

"Is there anything else I can help with?"

Banging her fist against the bed, Hayoon tried to gain a little attention from people outside but the madras was thicker than necessary, and only made a noise no different from air hitting air.

"If it's not to much inconvenience, I actually need something from Prince Hyun's wing."

"I'll immediately get it for you, please show the way... it is not proper etiquette of me to mess with the properties of her royal highness." Agreeing with the reasoning Yoon followed Gwan, leaving the chamber and Hayoon with it.

Both Hayoon's hands was held in place by the man's one hand while his other easily covered her entire lower face.

"Let..g..o." Hayoon's words muffled. Though the words was unclear, the message was fully registered. The hand retreated from her lips but was right next moment grabbing the lashes of her veil.

"What are you doing?"

The man didn't answer her question, only continuing what he was doing. The veil used to her face was now wrapped around her wrists as handcuffs, while her bare face was exposed for the darkness.

Placing his hand on her jaw, the man put a pill into her mouth and made her swallow it by raising her chin a tad. It happened so fast that Hayoon had no idea of what was happening and what it was she had just swallowed.

When the pill took effect Hayoon then knew what she had swallowed. A really really strong kind of sleeping pill. Maybe it was due to the many sleepless night, or maybe it was due to the super strong essence of the pill that left her powerless. Either way she had no strength to fight back. When her eye didn't had the strength to keep her eyelids disclose, Hayoon slowly drifted away.

When her eyes were tight closed the man retrieved his hand. The veil taking off her hands and put next to her pillow while he silently sat there observing Hayoon for good passing seconds. A pondering look flickered in his deep black eyes as he watched the girl engulfed by silence.

"How could she tell it was me?" His voice just above a whisper.

The emotionless eyes scanned her from head to toe, taking in the rare view of Hayoon obediently silent without a sense of resistance. It was a rare sight to see her in such a pieceful state, without arguing, talking back and giving him the gaze that always held intensified anger and hatred.

He was surprised when she said his name, surprised that she was able to identify him. He wondered if she had just as brilliant sight as him, being able to see despite the darkness. Yet it was different. When Hayoon pulled away upon hearing Yoon, he knew he was wrong. Hayoon didn't have the sight to see him.

She couldn't see it was him, yet she spoke his name clearly as if She actually saw him. But how? His physique was no different from any ordinary man. His hair didn't expose him, neither did the light betray him. Then how was Hayoon able to tell it was him? Was it a coincidence merely a lucky guess? Either way, it was better if She didn't recognise.

"It's better if your highness don't know." Han said softly, as if he was speaking to her. His voice held a bitter-sweet nostalgia, as if he was deceiving himself to believe in those words. The words held an unknown depth, one he couldn't explain but had to keep secret for himself.

"I hate you..." Hayoon said in her sleep as if she had caught his voice. The unfamiliar expression of surprise took form in the prince's face. Han was taken aback by her tone that sounded clear as if she was fully awake.

Yet, her eyes were still closed tight, giving him assurance that she spoke in the stage of delirious. His brows gathered as he looked at her with curious eyes. Han had no idea why it felt so personally, like those words were meant to him. He already heard those words dozens of times that the words were more than familiar to his ears, but why did those word still inflict a sense of friction? He thought long that he had overcame the pain those words held him captivate to.

"I hate you..." Hayoon said in same clear tone. Tears slowly gathered around her eyelashes, running down as tripping droplets, causing more confuse and curiosity evolve in those dark eyes of Han. The reason she was able to recognise him, could it be by the hatred she had for him?

Han never bothered what people thought of him, or so he told himself, but strangely he would feel a rush of conflicted emotions when those harmless word came from this strange girl. What bothered him more than those words was the tears running down her small cheeks.

Why is she crying? Why did her tears bother him?

A/N: I tried to reread this couples of times and hope it isn't as bad as The other chapters you've been through. 🤧 my apologise for the many grammatical errors🙏