I'm The Boss's Secretary?!

Their hug lasted long and Haneul continue to bury one of her ears to Min Hyuk's chest, to make her that his heart was beating. The coldness the air held helped her to remember that all of this wasn't her stupid dream. He had came back, finally, thought Haneul and when she thought of that it took her time to realize his hand that covered her back, softly caressing up and down in a gentle motion.

Haneul pulled herself away carefully. Her eyes met his when she looked up and crane her neck but that makes it all too awkward because of what happened during their last meeting.

Seoyeon who was inside Haneul felt her view blurring and they went back to the past before today when the Queen revealed to everyone about her power in front of the castle. As it was an important ritual, Haneul was dressed in a gown which was said could only be worn by the catalyst. The gown was a pure white one with the outer robe holding silver embroidery of clouds and white peonies. 

Haneul stood at the top of the tallest gate of the palace. She was told to stand there and danced a dance in which the dancing teacher of the Royal Palace taught her, as an introduction to the common people about her power and who she was.

The result of the dance was satisfactory but while many other guests stayed in the banquet hall, Haneul sneaked out from the crowd and came back to the room she was assigned to with a heavy sigh.

She recalled back how the villagers's eyes looked at her upon seeing her dance, none of them think the dance was beautiful and neither were they impressed by it or her. Haneul didn't mind if they think so, but it was the cold and fearful gaze the villagers gave that saddened her. 

Her room wasn't lighted by any candles as she had came without anyone notice, lighting the candles would only make some people aware that she was in the room when all she wanted to be alone. 

As the maids didn't knew she had came back to her room, many of them passed by the corridor where her room was, letting their mouth speak freely as no nobles were around them, "The catalyst they said but she is no different than a witch."

"I heard only a dark witch have those power that could destroy while others don't. The Queen mentioned about her being the sword of this kingdom, which mean she is capable to do things like the dark witches?"

"How frightening," whispered the other women while Haneul who went unnoticed by the maids inside the room right where they were standing in front of felt her heart sink.

"And I pried that the Queen won't merely take in any normal dark witches. We know how the Queen detest dark witches and maybe she would only tolerate them if their power is indeed stronger than most dark witches," said the other maid and Haneul now understood it better of the gazes which the villagers gave to her during the dance she had earlier. It wasn't that they don't welcome her, they don't trust her, or to be exact her power. 

The continuous chatters of the maids which they did mindlessly hurt more of Haneul's feelings. While she can come out and scold the maids, her heart felt so heavy that her body was unwilling to move.

"She is no different than a butcher for this kingd—"

"Watch you mouth unless you want the Queen to heard that word of yours and punish you for slandering the catalyst's name," came a man's voice that disturbed the maids from their discussion. Haneul who expected the talk to pass until the maids leave the corridor was startled by the newcomer's voice and her head which she bent down raised up immediately. 

Like her, the maids who stood outside, were startled on who it was and all of them bowed by bending their legs to the wooden floor and hit their heads to the floor. 

"Milord! We apologize for our careless words..."

"Leave now unless you wish the Queen to catch wind of your rude behavior," Min Hyuk answered and being the person who had spent years of loving him, Haneul immediately knew who it was. 

Haneul could see the shadows of the maids left then, their steps hurried and she sat while watching the tall figure. Now that Min Hyuk was outlined with shadows, she realized how his build was larger than most men and so was his height.

His shadow became smaller when he walked closer to the door that was wrapped with paper, allowing more shadows from outside to be seen from inside. 

Haneul questioned if Min Hyuk knew she was inside the room but then most people didn't even know it and she doubted he knew it either. Her doubt was proven to be false when Min Hyuk's voice rang from the other side of the door again, "I do think I deserve an explanation."

Haneul didn't reply, she was still startled that Min Hyuk knew she was inside the room.

He said again, "You asked me whether to believe the Queen or not and I thought I had expressed it all on how no one should ever put their trust to the Queen. Your power... I thought you have decided to seal it and keep it as a secret."

Haneul scowled made her way to the door after pushing herself from the floor. Her eyes then was quickly met with the bright red ones of Min Hyuk and he raised his palm to cover his eyes as if not wanting her to be taunted by his bloody gaze. 

Haneul who sensed this, reached out her hand and pull it down, "I am aware that I cannot trust the Queen, Min Hyuk, and you as well knew how the Queen is. During my talk with her do you know what she said? A butterfly will run to her hand if they don't have any more flower to go back to," and that... "that was enough threaten from her to say that if I don't do what she requested, she would do anything to posses my power. The Queen doesn't fear hatred from me, Min Hyuk."

"Why?" Min Hyuk asked and he held her hand, his frown was severe on his forehead, "You can show her your power, enough to silence her."

"Not when she use the lives of people whom I treasure in exchange," Haneul replied with her eyes looking deeply on his and when she felt his hand slipped from her hands, her heart also slipped at the same time, "I also asked the Queen to stop the war and her constant wish to conquer other lands. With my power, she also hesitate if one day she was to lose control over me and if I go against her."

Min Hyuk shook his head, "This is not your fight, Haneul. You are a lady."

"A lady with power," Haneul replied with a wry smile settling on her lips, "You've heard what those maids said and they are not wrong. I cannot handle this power alone and the yellow witch have offered to teach me how to harness them."

"You cannot believe her either, she is someone who work for the Queen," Min Hyuk warned. "Forget about it. This is dangerous and you fully know about it. I will request to the Queen to dissolve your position as the catalyst."

Haneul's eyes snapped wide and she clutched to his robe, "No! Dissolve my position? Then what was all my hard work gone for?" She cannot let Min Hyuk do that, not when some of the decisions she made was for his sake too. "Not only you would be in danger for requesting something which the Queen would never agree to, there are many others who would be affected as well! You are not thinking rationally."

"Tell me how should I think rationally then?" Min Hyuk asked as he took her hand in exchange. Haneul was startled by the sudden hold that was with force but not enough to hurt her as he was being considerate to use his power. She knew something suddenly changed but cannot point her finger what had changed other than the air that turned tenser.

Her eyes that met his also saw how Min Hyuk's gaze on her had turned fiercer. Taunted by the gaze, when Min Hyuk took a step forward, she can't help to take more steps backward until they passed by the door threshold and he closed the door behind them.

The loud thud of the door quivered Haneul's heart.

Alone in the room between the darkness had her heart to race in all different beats and causes. Her nerves were on the edge and when she comes into it, she had been cornered to the wall. The darkness stole her vision but her senses could feel the warmth breaths that brushes against her ears.

The closure they shared tickled her and her toes curled in the coming expectation of what was going to take place. Haneul's breaths hitch when she heard his lips open.

Min Hyuk said, "The woman whom I have been protecting for years, watching from morning until night without missing a single gaze, the only person in this world whom I have sworn to make her happy to my last breath is going to sacrifice herself for an insane woman who is hungry for power and in lust for greed. How can I think rationally, Haneul? Tell me."

Haneul's eyes snapped wide. They were so close to each other that the darkness didn't hide or dim the burning gaze Min Hyuk had on her.

"What you are doing is standing on the edge of a blade, something which I cannot allow.. Forget about everyone, your safety is the priority to me."