The Sun's Muse

VI- Reality

Chapter six- Reality

"What?? Why aren't we allowed to see him??"

The uneasiness became more evident on Bo-rim's face as he blocked the door to the book shop's hidden chamber. The young ladies found out where he had been hiding the young man called Yeon from before and they were requesting to see him and converse with him once again.

"How many times do I have to tell you? He is just a painter who works for me, nothing more, nothing less. Stop asking for hi-"

Bo-rim's sentence was cut off when
the young ladies suddenly grew quiet. He looked up and saw the maidens staring at the person who just entered the hallway, and was walking towards them.

The young women stared in astonishment as the young, mysterious man walked among them. They noticed how strikingly handsome he was despite the few fresh scratches he had on his face.

"If you'll excuse me, I would like to pass," Chul said respectfully to the young ladies, completely oblivious to their yearning stares.

All they could do was move to the side, still unable to look away. Chul gave them once last bow before nodding at Bo-rim and bowing down to him as well.

"Ya! Nam Bo-rim! Really, you're just going to keep all these handsome men to yourself, huh? Don't be so selfish, you old hag!" One of the ladies said accusingly, causing a whimper to come out of the poor old man's mouth, who gripped his hair in frustration.

"Oh, God, really! What have I done in my previous life to deserve this sort of slander?" Bo-rim whispered to himself with a look of defeat weighing his face down.

Prince Yeon heaved out a sigh as he heard the ruckus from outside. He was currently busy painting a tentative cover for Fragrance's fourth book, but he couldn't quite get a good vision for it yet.

He stood straight up from his seat when Chul entered the room; this was the first time he has seen Chul since last night, since the young man did not come home.

"My Lord," Chul started, kneeling one knee against the ground, while folding the other and resting his arm against it. He bowed to Prince Yeon who had a worried look across his face.

"I questioned the men from last night. They refused to answer any of my questions about who sent them which leads me to think that this was not something done on a whim, My Lord." Chul continued, clenching his jaw.

The sound of the paint brush's abrupt stop echoed within the room, as a light chuckle escaped Prince Yeon's mouth.

"I knew she looked down on me but expecting a bunch of delinquents to get rid of me that quickly, gosh. I can almost hear how disappointed she must be right now." Prince Yeon said playfully, a smirk curving against his lips.

•••

TW: depictions of torture, violence, and death. Read at your own risk.

If you are uncomfortable with the aforementioned topics please skip this part.

Yelping sounds echoed through the walls of a dark room as the man received a kick to the gut.

"I shouldn't have expected much from the likes of your people." An authoritative male voice exclaimed in anger, before proceeding to land a punch on the man's face.

The excruciating screams continued on until the doors opened and the sunlight entered, almost blinding the man's vision, but just bearable enough to take a glimpse of the face of the person who had just entered.

She had an aura that was so heavy, everyone inside the room dropped down to a bow.

The woman was followed by a man in his late thirties. He was in uniform and he wore a stoic expression that was close to a grimace.

"Your Highness, Admiral Go," the palace guards acknowledged breathlessly.

The woman stopped in front of the delinquent, who whimpered like a child.

"Disgusting. Worthless." She muttered in a voice that was so light in quality, but with a tone that heaved such a resentful weight.

"Y-your Highness, please. Spare me." Seok pleaded.

"Spare you?" She asked in amusement, with an eyebrow raised.
"Wouldn't you rather be with your friends instead?" She continued, mocking him with a cackle.

A look of confusion clouded his face when she said those words, but it dawned upon him after a few moments and he felt a shudder down his spine.

"Admiral Go," She called. The middle aged man nodded at her and grabbed the muscular man by the arms, dragging him outside.

Seok stared in horror and disbelief when he arrived at the scene outside the closed doors.

His men.

All of them, piled up.

After being hanged and quartered.

He cried out as he was pulled away, still begging for mercy.

Admiral Go approached the Queen as she stared at the pile of men in front of her.

"Your Highness, it appears that it will not be too easy to get rid of the prince," Admiral Go said with spite in his tone.

"Oh, don't worry. We have everything planned out, don't we? When he comes home for the royal banquet in a week's time, I'm sure my precious prince will dig his own grave." She said as she let out a hearty cackle.

You'll see who you are truly dealing with, Prince Yeon. I will take everything away from you the same way you almost did to me.

***

A/N: ooohh what's happening 👀 again, I hope this wasn't too hard to understand huhu