A Kind Goblin's Bird

“Your Highness, the Empress,”

As soon as the conversation was over, Court Lady Yoon hurriedly brought out her words, but

“I’m done with what I have to say, so get out.”

Sa Heon-young stopped the conversation and got up.

The conversation is over. Court Lady Yoon knew that this was the last time. She also realized that she had just returned alive from the brink of death.

No, she can’t go back like this.

Court Lady Yoon remembered the Empress. To Court Lady Yoon, the empress was like her older sister. The person who gave her a childlike existence. The empress was harsh on her, but she always believed in her. She was always the one on the same boat. The empress would be enraged to learn that Court Lady Yoon thought of her as her older sister. The empress was a noble person, and she treated Court Lady Yoon thoroughly as a subordinate of lowly status. However, for Court Lady Yoon the empress was not always a stranger. Court Lady Yoon had sacrificed her life for her empress.

“Your highness! King Mun,……Crown, Crown Orince! I beg of you. Please, please let this lowly woman serve the empress!”

It’s inhuman to inflict such a terrible punishment. Who can take care of the Empress, who neither lived nor died? There is only one in heaven and earth. Sa Heon-young burst into laughter as Court Lady Yoon banged her head on the floor over and over again.

“Try until your head breaks. Will my heart move?”

He meant it.

Court Lady Yoon gasped for breath. Even if her own head breaks  here, King Mun, no, the Crown Prince’s heart will not move.

There was only one thing in Court Lady Yoon’s mind that could move him.

‘I will never meet Lord Heon-young again……?’

The woman who asked her that. She says she’s okay to die if she can’t meet him, if Court Lady Yoon puts the condition that that woman just wants to sleep while refusing food, maybe…….

But. Court Lady Yoon bit her lip. Is it right for her to return the woman to Sa Heon-yeong, who is now the crown prince, who will soon ascend the throne? In just a few weeks, Sa Heon-young went crazy like this. He renounced humanity in the woman’s death and committed treason. It was only a few weeks. But if she gives her back, and after a few years, what will happen then? Will this country be okay? If that woman grabs Sa Heon-yeong’s heart, shakes it, and controls the country…….

Court Lady Yoon knows that she was not that person. But people change! In the end, didn’t even Sa Heon-yeong change like that?

Can she give the woman back? Can she return the woman when thinking of the rivers and mountains of this country? Rather separating them now, no matter how painful or difficult it may be, this is the opportunity God gave her, and,

“Guards.”

The moment Sa Heon-yeong was about to call the guards, Court Lady Yoon shouted without realizing it.

“If!”

Sa Heon-young looked back at her slowly. Indifferent eyes. Looking into the eyes, Court Lady Yoon asked pleadingly.

“If this, this lowly woman, the, the Queen,,”

“…… .”

“If I bring…….”

Sa Heon-young’s gaze changed in an instant. His eyes were burning until now. Frightened of the stride, Court Lady Yoon barely resisted the desire to step back. Sa Heon-yeong knelt down on one knee and made eye level with her. And pushed his face. He looked into Court Lady Yoon’s eyes. As if checking what was in her eyes.

“Bring her?”

“Yes, if this lowly person brings, brings her, will…… will this lowly woman be able to serve the Empress? … Keugh.”

Sa Heon-yeong’s large hand grabbed Court Lady Yoon’s wrinkled neck.

“It was you. You were the one who stole my wife.”

She couldn’t breathe. Court Lady Yoon opened her eyes. It felt like her neck was about to break. She was in burning pain. Your Highness……. She moved her mouth, but the furious Sa Heon-yeong couldn’t hear her.

“What have you done with my wife? Where did you take that poor woman? Where did you hide her? Even the body, the body…… !”

How far should he swore at her, to make him feel better!

I will kill you. When the blue veins stood on the back of Sa Heon-yeong’s hand.

Court Lady Yoon said, strainingly, squeezing out the strength of her chests.

“She, she is alive…….”

Bump, Sa Heon-young’s hands lost strength. Court Lady Yoon fell to the floor.

“What?”

Sa Heon-yeong opened his eyes wide.

He couldn’t believe it. No, that’s a lie. That’s a lie. He can’t believe it. Sa Heon-yeong shook his head. He heard it wrong. Don’t listen to it. He shook his head again. He can’t expect it. He can’t stand it this time. Don’t expect it. Never, never. She is dead. If she was alive, how could she not come back to his arms? She’s dead. She died. Don’t expect it. He heard it wrong.

“She, cough, is alive..”

If he was betrayed by his expectations again, his heart will burst and he will die.

Rather, Sa Heon-young sincerely hoped for this moment.

***

It felt like someone was calling her in the dark.

Young-young opened her eyes. It was a strange feeling. Why did she feel that way? When she got up, her head went blank. Her lips were dry and her heart was pounding. How long has she not been drinking water? It seems that she drank in the morning and closed her eyes the whole time after that. There was darkness in the room. It seemed like it was night or dawn. That’s why her throat was so dry and her lips were dry. Young-young got up. Where is the water, as she was thinking so..

Young-ah.

Young-young looked around the room as if she could hear someone calling. Someone… … , no, actually, the sound of Sa Heon-yeong’s calling kept revolving around like an auditory hallucination. Isn’t he the only one who calls her Young-ah?

She will never see him again.

Young-young pressed her chest down with her palms. Every time she thought that they would never see each other again, her heart ached so much that it was painful to even breathe. Her eyes were dark. How does she live? What will she do? They were only together for a few weeks and her life changed. The world turned upside down. Life without Sa Heon-young was so tedious and painful that Yeong-young wanted to die over and over again.

Young-ah..

Perhaps she was going crazy before she died. Young-young thought blankly, and she slowly opened the door.

The man standing in front of the corridor flinched and trembled violently as if he had been whipped. Young-young was surprised, too, and threw her body back.

The man was very thin. His clothes were loose and his eyes were hollow. His classical features became more delicate. Contrary to him always smiling at her, he was looking down at her with an expressionless face.

Like crazy or dreaming.

Young-young looked up blankly at Sa Heon-yeong. However, Young-yeong ate a lot of herbs and knew what hallucinations were like, but hallucinations were not like this. If she thought about it, Sa Heon-young in the dream was sweeter and kinder than ever. The current man looked down with eyes as if they were about to eat her, but there was no expression on his face.

“Why are you making that face?”

Young-young asked.

“What face should I make?”

Sa Heon-young asked with a broken voice. It sounded like he was genuinely curious. If she tells him what kind of face he should make, perhaps he’ll really do it. The kindness was still there. Sa Heon-yeong in her dreams was just as sweet as Sa Heon-yeong in reality.

“…… Everything is fine except for this face.”

“What kind of face is this face?”

“Unhappy face.”

Sa Heon-young breathed in. He breathed in as if crying, but instead of crying, he let out an empty smile.