The Cold Curse | MarkHyuck

Chapter 13:

"You know what's funny?"
"... What?"
"We've been friends for five years yet we've been friends for five days in your perspective."
"... Oh? Oh, that's kind of funny."

Haechan shyly smiled at Mark as they continued to walk around the palace. Haechan just finished his therapy with Mark and the results were... not that much upgraded. Although, Mark got it clearly that Haechan was afraid of losing his humanity which was also sad for him.

Mark will literally try everything to get rid of the curse. Even at the time Mark was just an eleven year old, Haechan was one of the major reasons why he studied hard to succeed because he wanted to come back and see him again. Of course his decisions and motivations changed through time but the moment Mark had to choose a place to go, he picked Korea because Haechan was there.

His childhood friend was there.

"How many times did we walk in this palace?"
"... Probably twice a day... Oh, god. You do love walking?"

Mark asks Haechan with an exhausted look. They've been walking around the palace for almost an hour after Mark and Haechan's session ended. Haechan laughed nervously and later looked at Mark who was already sitting on the floor.

"... Why are you sitting on the floor?"
"Because!... Because I'm tired from all the walking- Do you do this everyday?"
"... Well, yes-"
"Why?!"

Mark asks Haechan, confused and in disbelief. Haechan shrugged because he doesn't even know why he walks around too much. Haechan thought that it was because he knew he had no one to help or interact with him as normal people... in the past four years of course.

It was sad but Haechan didn't want to tell Mark about what he felt because he didn't want to ruin the mood.

"Nothing! I just like walking!"
"Well... Walking is actually healthy and fun or even relaxing but walking around in a ten story palace TWICE A DAY is... kind of too much."
"... Yeah, you're right. We should take a break- Oh, god. Just stand up from the floor, Mark!"

Mark's eyes widened with how Haechan complained. Mark thought he looked cute because his innocent looks suddenly popped out within him even in just a few seconds. Mark suddenly realizes that Haechan complained for the first time!

But he's gonna say that good news later after he stands up.

"Haechan... I'm tired of walking..."

Mark says, prolonging the last syllables from his sentence. Mark knew that his body, most likely his legs, ached from all of that walking. Mark was kind of scared but surprised that Haechan does this a lot of times.

Mark knew that he could never do this without Haechan's stubbornness into doing it.

"... What do you love that I love doing?"
"... Books? You read books, right?"

Haechan asks, remembering if Mark told him that he loved reading books.

"Well... yeah! I do read books- We should read books!"
"I have a better suggestion. We should try to read ALL of the books in the library-"
"Wow, you're just-... You're just cute."
"... What?"

Haechan didn't know how to respond to Mark. Even Mark didn't know how he would respond if someone told him that. For a moment, they just stared at each other with confused looks. Mark, of course, wanted to snap out of the awkward moment and just keep going with the flow.

"... Anyways, I think that's a good idea..."

Mark says with an uncomfortable look. He doesn't even know why he said that to Haechan. Mark wasn't the type of guy who would blurt things out as easy as that.

Mark started wondering what was happening to him and he'll find that out someday.

"It'll be very fun to try and read all the books..."

Haechan smiles with mischief but his eyes said otherwise. Mark found out that Haechan started being an "adult" when his curse grew worse. Mark couldn't even imagine what Haechan has gone through. Haechan spent most of the nights sleepless because he just doesn't have the "push" to just sleep.

Those nights were a big whole nightmare to Haechan.

The next thing Mark knew is that Haechan was smiling and giggling with him at the library. It was very clear that Haechan was having fun with Mark and the impossible challenge he made. It was the first time Mark saw Haechan this happy once again.

The last time Haechan was this happy was literally when he was five to ten years old.

Haechan suddenly stops as he clutches his chest. He knew he felt something and his mind was alert surprisingly. Mark tilts his head and looks at Haechan, asking why he suddenly stopped.

"Haechan?"
"... Did I look like I felt something?"
"... In my perspective, you looked happy."

Mark says, smiling at Haechan as he smiles back at Mark. Haechan felt comfortable to smile at Mark because he somehow thinks that Mark always smiled at him to make him smile back. His thoughts weren't wrong, Mark did that to make Haechan smile once.

"... Oh? You're reading that book?"
"Yes... Why?"
"I read that book once... it kind of reminded me of my father..."
"... Which character?-"
"The Prince of the Glaciers?"
"Oh?... How?"

Mark asks in confusion, the certain character Haechan mentioned was a "rude playboy prince". Mark would never think of Haechan's father as rude as that. Haechan walked towards Mark, ready to talk to him about something Mark might find important.

"You know, my father isn't that righteous even if he's the king. He's unloyal to the royal family especially... to my mother."
"... What?"
"When I was about five, a lot of rumors roamed around that my father impregnated a maid and that the child of that maid was born..."
"... Who's the maid?!"
"I don't know... but if I find out that the rumor was true and who that maid is, I'm going to have to tell my father to quit being a king."

Haechan says with no remorse in his eyes once again. Mark felt a bit scared with how Haechan's eyes turned dark when he's looking into Mark's eyes intensely. Mark still thought that it was actually the right thing to do.

It's a crime to cheat on the person you married!

~

"Again, do I have to ask you?"
"... I'll never tell you-"
"Again, Chenle."

The half-blood brother ordered his slave, Chenle, to heat up Renjun's palms once again. Not being able to stand immense heat or fire were Renjun's weaknesses as an elf. Renjun was still stuck in Jisung's "prison", powerless and weak from all of the pain.

It was an advantage that Renjun can heal quickly from the burns but it still repeatedly hurt him.

"Your majesty, your father is calling you."
"I'm coming!"

Jisung replied as he took a glance at Renjun before glancing at Chenle.

"Take care of this bastard."
"Yes, your majesty."

Chenle says in fear. He was also captured by the "new prince" and was forced to do all of these evil things to the people he needed answers from. Chenle hated the new prince and hated doing these things.

"I apologize-"
"Yeah? You apologize?! As an elf, this HURTS!"

Renjun yells at Chenle before noticing Chenle's ears. They were pointy... just like his? Renjun knew that a lot of servants were outside, guarding this specific room. Renjun talks to Chenle in the ancient language of the elves. It was the only basic form of communication he can do to talk to Chenle without getting caught by multiple servants.

"Yueran elf?" (Are you an elf?)

Renjun asks Chenle in their language but Chenle chose to "ignore" him. Chenle, then, forms a hand sign that says "yes" to Renjun. This gave Renjun hope that he will escape from this.

"Mi helf fureum yueil?" (Will you help me?)

Chenle forms the same hand sign, agreeing that they should help each other escape this hellhole.