01 Chapter - THEIR STORY

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

My own take of what happened in Episode 15 when Lee Jae Shin confessed to Eun Shi Kyung.

01    CHAPTER - THEIR STORY

          Earlier that night, Lee Jae Shin chanced upon Eun Shi Kyung letting off his frustrations by kneeling and crying alone. She couldn’t help but feel as if her own heart had been squeezed tightly, torn into a thousand pieces and rendered her unable to breathe upon the sight of him.

          Seeing him cry alone and kneel in frustration for whatever reason she would never be able to comprehend, Lee Jae Shin had been given an opportunity to see another side to the stoic and boring royal guard.

          She would never be able to understand the demons that haunt him, but she was determined not to be one of those demons who weighed him down. She was determined to be someone stronger.

          And so, making up her mind, Lee Jae Shin had summoned him in an indoor garden inside the palace for privacy, as she knew that whatever she was going to tell him was of utmost secrecy. It was time for her to be honest to herself. No more hiding, no more pretenses.

          “The treatment… I’ll do it. I’ll try to remember everything.” Lee Jae Shin announced as she looked at Eun Shi Kyung to gauge his reaction.

          “No, Princess…” Shi Kyung suddenly spoke. “If it’s too hard, you don’t have to it…”

          Truth be told, he didn’t like seeing Lee Jae Shin troubled. It broke his heart to see her distressed and scared. He badly wanted her to be the same energetic and brave girl he once knew her to be. 

          It was frustrating on his part to see the woman he had come to like lose her radiance and vitality. And what’s worse? He couldn’t even do anything about it.

          “Are you… giving up on me?” Jae Shin asked, her eyes slowly tearing up.

          “Neh?” Shi Kyung was quite at a loss on how to respond to her question. “No, I-”

           But Jae Shin cut him off. “Joahaeyo...” She suddenly confessed.

          Upon her bold confession, Eun Shi Kyung’s eyes widened in pure surprise as he looked up at her. He simply couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and the fact that his heart suddenly somersaulted inside his chest upon her words.

          “Who would have thought that I would actually like the Captain of the Royal Guard and the world’s most boring person?” She smiled awkwardly and momentarily looked down. “Well, say something at least…”

          In true-blue Eun Shi Kyung fashion, he skirted her confession and spoke in a completely trembling and unstable voice, “You seem very… worried. Mentally-” He paused to cough awkwardly, hoping to steady his voice but it was to no avail. “People… If they are forced-” He was too stunned by her confession to even think straight.

          “You’re right. They’ll become a coward.” She cut him off.

          Despite not getting an answer to her confession, Lee Jae Shin looked up to Eun Shi Kyung with a determined expression on her face. If she was going to confess to him, she might as well tell him everything.

          “I’ve always wanted you to stay by my side…” She continued. “I want to act spoiled and unreasonable. I like joking around and find faults. But then I realized why I acted like that around you. I realized that… Ah, I actually like this person.” She gulped and continued to look straight into his eyes, unblinking. “So please, don’t give up on me. I’ll be like you and muster up courage. I’ll become a woman that could match up to you. Please have faith in me. Definitely…”

          Of course, unknown to Lee Jae Shin, Eun Shi Kyung had been trying his best to suppress the strange mix of emotions inside his chest. There was joy and doubt, even fear and hesitance. And all throughout the onslaught of emotions inside his chest, the only thing that made sense was Lee Jae Shin, and how she’d come to be someone so important to him.

          Taking a deep breath, Eun Shi Kyung tried to say something but the words just wouldn’t come out. He wanted to tell her that no matter what happens, he would always remain faithful by her side without her asking him to. 

          He wanted to tell her that she meant so much more to him than she originally thought, and that she need not change herself to match up to him for she was more than what she appraised herself to be.

          He wanted to tell her just how smitten he was with her. And yet, the words just wouldn’t come out. He was simply too overwhelmed to speak.

          “Yah… You don’t have to be burdened by my confession. I understand that you might not reciprocate how I feel. Don’t feel so bad about it.” Lee Jae Shin finally mustered the courage to speak to avoid the awkward atmosphere between her and Eun Shi Kyung.

          And so, even though her confession received no reply, Lee Jae Shin held her head up high and wheeled her electronic wheelchair towards the door.

          “P-Princess – I mean, your Highness…” Eun Shi Kyung finally spoke. He still looked rattled and jittery but he inwardly decided that if he couldn’t express himself through words, then perhaps, his actions would speak louder.

          Without further words or warning, Eun Shi Kyung suddenly lifted Lee Jae Shin from her wheelchair and carried her up in his arms. Of course, Lee Jae Shin couldn’t help but become wide-eyed and surprised by his actions.

          “W-What are you doing?” Jae Shin asked curiously.

          “I-I’m carrying you to your room.” Shi Kyung replied while looking away from her as he blushed. “It’s late and you need rest.” Stoic and rigid Captain Eun Shi Kyung was actually blushing!

          “B-But if I remember it right, according to Line 3, Paragraph 2 of the Royal Guards Regulations, a royal guard is only allowed to have physical contact with a royalty if there is crisis situation…” Lee Jae Shin’s voice faded as Eun Shi Kyung finally looked straight into her eyes.

          (Note: refer to Episode 11.)

          “M-Maybe I just… I just needed an excuse to hold you…” Eun Shi Kyung boldly dared to admit, which ultimately sent Lee Jae Shin’s eyes to further widen and her heart to uncontrollably dance tango inside her chest. Although Eun Shi Kyung’s voice was unsteady and he was bit a stuttering, at least this time, he was able to speak.

          This time, it was Lee Jae Shin’s turn to be dumbfounded.

          “D-Don’t take this the wrong way, Your Highness…” Eun Shi Kyung looked away from her again upon noticing the very surprised expression on her face. “I’m just carrying you to your bedroom. I-It would be faster this way than with your wheel chair, right? T-That’s all there is to it.” He stuttered but carried her nonetheless.

          That night, Eun Shi Kyung, Captain of the Royal Guards, watched South Korea’s interim Queen, Lee Jae Shin, as she slept.

          That same night, upon Lee Jae Shin’s confession, Eun Shi Kyung was presented with a dilemma of his own. All this while, he had been admiring her from a distance. He perfectly knew that the societal confines of their status were impossible to break. She was a royalty – a Princess. He was merely a royal guard.

          He knew in his heart of hearts that he had come to love her. From that very first night they met when he had to look for her in a concert, she had easily captured his attention like no other women ever had. And when she sang to him over the starry sky in Seoul’s Walled Fortress, she had caught him hook, line and sinker.

          But then again Eun Shi Kyung was a realist. He wasn’t a romantic, much less a dreamer. He knew where he belonged. He perfectly knew that it was impossible between them, and if he really wanted to protect her, he should just stay away.

          But for just one night… Just this once…

          Like a devoted lover, Eun Shi Kyung stayed up by Lee Jae Shin’s side until she fell asleep, watching over her and making sure that the nightmares which haunted her were kept at bay.

          For the first time in many weeks, Lee Jae Shin slept peacefully.

          -To Be Continued…