HWARANG Rewritten✅

28. I am the King

Chapter 28.
I am the King.

The crowned Prince made Seon-woo sick. He was more heartless than Queen Ji-so and that was saying a lot. He glanced down at Ah-ro. Her gaze was, however, fixated on the person beside him.

Seon-woo glanced sideways to see Sa-do heaving as her entire body trembled violently. The death must have sent her into shock. His heart broke for the girl who had always been there for him. It made him feel even more helpless that he couldn't even comfort her. What kind of a brother did that make him?

He looked back down. His eyes flickered from Ah-ro to the Prince, over and over as he tried to think. If fifteen minutes had amounted to just above a minute, eight minutes was a matter of seconds. If Ji-dwi didn't step up, Ah-ro and four more innocent people would be slaughtered.

But if Ji-dwi marked himself as King, this violent blood-thirsty Prince might have him killed immediately on the spot. Ji-dwi was the sole male heir of Silla's throne. If Ji-dwi stepped forward, Silla would be left without a ruler. No. He couldn't reveal himself.

Just like Seon-woo couldn't stand by and watch Ah-ro get killed because she was Mak-moon's beloved sister and he had promised to protect her to himself, Ahn-ji Gong and Ah-ro too. He couldn't stand by and watch Ji-dwi get killed either. He was the King and the realization rang as clear as a temple bell, straight through Seon-woo's heart. He was also his dearest companion and only friend since Mak-moon's death.

Ah-ro was a doctor who healed the Hwarang on a daily basis. She was the reason he was still alive. She was the one who captured his heart. Ji-dwi was the King and the only hope for a better Silla. Seon-woo was no one. Seon-woo wasn't even his real name. He didn't even have a name. He was living a borrowed life on borrowed time. His only real purpose in life was to protect. To protect Ah-ro, and now, Ji-dwi as well.

A hitch of movement to Seon-woo's left had his heart skyrocketing and he shouted out before Ji-dwi could complete the step forward, "I am-" All eyes turned to him. "-the King." Seon-woo clarified, his voice wavering. He strode out of the line, past the hostages, till he stood alone in the middle.

"I am Silla's King!"

A cruel, satisfied smile crawled onto the face of the Sacred Bone who dared to call himself a ruler. "Are you really Silla's King? How can I trust you?" he asked as he stood from his chair.

"The one who made me step forward is you. If you weren't going to believe me, you should not have searched in the first place." There was a highly likely chance that Seon-woo was going to die. He did not wish to waste his time by being polite and sucking up to the arrogant man.

The crowned Prince barked out a laugh. "Wow, you are bold. Alright. I will believe you."

No one else died in the courtyard. The prisoners were taken away to be locked up again. Prince Chang asked his General to escort Princess Sook-myeong back to the palace. This left the five Hwarangs. Seon-woo went back and joined the line.

The crowned Prince walked over to them, stopping before Seon-woo. "Do you know another interesting fact I recently found out about?" Prince Chang quipped, as he side-stepped to Seon-woo's right. "That Silla's Park Young-shil Gong has a daughter and she is here as a Hwarang," he said airily, his beady eyes, practically leering, at Sa-do.

Sa-do gulped. Did her father really condemn her to a life worse than death? Around her, the four Hwarangs were on guard, not liking how close he was standing to her. "I need to speak with the King first. But then I want a private audience with you," the Baekje Prince demanded as he tucked a finger under her chin, forcing her to look up.

Sa-do craned her neck as she tried to get away from his touch. She struggled to maintain an indifferent expression. She would not show weakness to this man. Not when he seemed to enjoy feeding on fear. "How could your father keep a treasure like you hidden till now?" She cringed at Prince Chang's words. Her hands were quaking and she fisted them onto her robes to control it.

"Leave her out of this. Your business is with me," Seon-woo said as he half stepped between the two people.

The crowned Prince shook his head with a chuckle. "That won't be possible Your Majesty. I have instructions and suggestions for what to do with this imposter Hwarang," he informed him. "But no issues. I intend to speak with you first at any rate," he added magnanimously before turning to Ban-ryu. "Thank you."

The four were sent back to the prison while Seon-woo went to talk to Prince Chang. Sa-do was curled up against a corner of the cramped cell. Her breathing was labored and her hands would not stop shaking. Her entire body was quivering as silent tears continued to roll down her eyes, no sound escaping past her lips.

Ji-dwi was slumped against the wall on the other side. He was lost in a daze, his vacant eyes staring at nothing.

Ban-ryu was leaning against a corner. What had he done? He never ever even imagined that his stepfather would hurt his own daughter like this. Sa-do looked completely broken. And it was his fault.

Soo-ho stopped pacing as he grabbed Ban-ryu by the front of his robes and shook him roughly. "Why did he thank you? What did you do this time, you bastard?"

Ban-ryu didn't complain. He didn't move. He didn't even flinch when the other Hwarang punched him in the face. He deserved way worse than this if he was going to rid himself of some of the guilt. Soo-ho was gearing up to hit him again but the softest gasp stopped him midway. The two turned to Sa-do. She was heaving, hyperventilating again, like she had in the courtyard. Ban-ryu took a step forward, only to be shoved back.

"Stay the hell away from her," Soo-ho warned, his voice deadly dangerous before he rushed to her side. He immediately knelt down before her. "Sa-do? It will be alright," he tried to assure her as he placed his hand atop her head.

Sa-do blinked as she looked at Soo-ho. "How?" Her voice was a broken whisper, so devoid of trace of emotion, that it was scary.

Ban-ryu had never felt more self-hatred and guilt before in his life. Never had he felt so much disgust and anger towards his stepfather before in his life. He didn't recognize the girl before him. It was like an empty shell of the Sa-do he had grown to know.

"Oh, Sa-do," Soo-ho murmured softly as he pulled her into a tight embrace. Her silent tears transformed into heart wrenching sobs as Soo-ho continued to comfort her in any way he could as he tried to calm her down.

The sound of Sa-do crying seemed to snap Ji-dwi out of his reverie. "Ban-ryu," he called, not moving from his place, making the Hwarang look down towards him. "If anything happens to her... you are dead."