The Farmer - Choi San

The Peasants

It has been two days since San's visit to the Palace and since they havent seen each other. Y/N finally got a chance to sneak out again. Wooyoung wanted to follow but she wont let him because she wanted to spend time with San. She had so many things she wanted to ask him.

So she left the palace in secret again, with no Jongho on her tail this time. She wanted to spend time with San and San only.

She quickened her pace as she imagine about seeing San. She quickly wants to go to him, to console him and to apologize for her Father's act towards him.

But as she passed by a crowd, she heard screams and cries. As she was a nosy person, she decided to see what had happened in the village.

As she neared the place, she was shocked to dead at what she sees in front of her. A rather old farmer was brought to an execution place where a rope was hanging around his neck as his hands were tied to his back.

Among the crowd were two children with a middle aged woman who were crying, begging for forgiveness, begging for mercy to be brought upon them as the people around them hold them back from reaching the man to be hanged.

The King's officer took out a scroll as he read

Park Moonhyuk has gone against the King's order of giving half the worth of his Land to the King, he is hearby declared to be executed.
This will be considered an example that if anyone is trying to go againts the King's order, he or she shall be punished he King's seal.

As soon as the man was dropped to be hanged dead, Y/N eyes widened more than before and tried to make a run for it but a hand cupped her mouth and grabbed her waist before pulling her away from the crowd.

She tried to pull away in panic but notice it was only San. So she breakfree and hit the boy, realizing the farmer was already dead by now. She cried in guilt. Was this what the King been doing behind the Palace? Was this why he never allowed them to go to the villages?

San pulls her towards him again as he gives her a warm comfortable hug as she cried in his chest. Her tears full of anger and guilt.

How could the King, her Father do this to his own people? Executing his own people for a mere cloak of money. All these times she has been respecting her Father, wanting to be like him, only to realized the everyday lie she has been living all these times.

"There was nothing you can do" San whisper in her ears as she tried to calm her breathing. She was not crying anymore and only breath heavily out of anger.

"I could have atleast tried" She glared the boy as she push him away. San took her small hands into his which fitted perfectly.

"This is the life of the peasants. No one can save us".

The happiness she felt when she left the Palace in thought of meeting San was all gone. Infact, another stress had been added into her life. She had just witnessed a man getting hanged, ordered by her own Father. Moreover, the farmer had just left his wife to be a widow and his children, father-less.

She tried to blink her tears away but it wont. No matter how much San told her it was normal for them, it was not for her.

Right there and that moment, she made a vow that she, Jung Y/N, the Princess of the Kingdom of Magna, will be the one that save the peasants from their cruel life, from their suffering, from their fate.

"Are you feeling better now?" Asked San. The two had visited San's garden again, the best place she could go to if she ever feel stressed out.

"I now understand why you dont want your parents to see me"
"What do you..."
"I know you've been avoiding to let me see your parents all these times, I just didnt know the reason...but now I know"
"Y/N..."
"Its not their fault. If it was me, I'd not want to let their Son introduce the Daughter of a murderer to me too".
"Y/N stop"
"Dont you hate me too San?"
"I said stop!"

San finally snapped making her jump in horror. He noticed his action and suddenly leaned on his knee in front of the Princess before taking both of her hands in to his. He tilted his head upwards as he stares at her like he never did before.

"I cant and will never hate you" San firmly says before looking away.

"In fact I feel the exact opposite"