Ha Noon's
CHAPTER 5: The King and his Brother
Gim Gon knitted his brows at the butt of Ha Noon's head from above, he knew that Ha Noon was feeling disappointed. Her pupils glanced at her eldest brother who was just calmly staring at Ha Noon after saying such a painful thing. Gim Gon switches on Gim Gam, and he knows that Gim Gam thinks the same thing about him. Gim Gam stretched out his hand, pinching the end of Gim Jun's sleeve, making Gim Jun turn to him. The two communicated with their pupils, and Gim Jun let out a sigh of resignation.
Gim Jun bent his knees, closed both boxes, “We will keep this secret.” Gim Jun's words made Ha Noon raise his head. “If this secret is leaked, it is my fault.”
Ha Noon widened his eyes, staring at the certainty convinced by Gim Jun's pupils.
Gim Jun smiled gently, “Would the Princess be back, the teacher must be looking for you. If Your Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen know, this matter will get bigger.” Gim Jun stood up, his hands outstretched to help Ha Noon.
Ha Noon looked at that hand, and his hand stretched out to receive the favor. “Thank you.”
Gim Jun lowered his head as a sign of respect, “Then we say goodbye, Mr. Princess.” Gim Jun took one step back, but he turned back around. “Mr Princess,” Ha Noon looked back at her, “Her arrowheads are so beautiful.”
Ha Noon's faded smile slowly re-bloomed.
“I'd really like to see Mr. Princess use it.”
Ha Noon nodded, “I'll show you one day.”
***
Ha Gungi walked with his boots on the marble in a quiet hallway, making the impact of the heel end of the shoe with the marble floor echo along the corridor. Hearing the sound of other footsteps from the opposite direction, Ha Gungi lifted his eyelashes to find three brothers who were exchanging a few sentences with each other. The eldest noticed Ha Gungi's presence and stopped stepping, followed by his two younger siblings. Simultaneously, the three lowered their heads as a sign of respect. Ha Gungi nodded his head and continued to step past the three.
Gim Gon turned around to hear the sound of Ha Gungi's footsteps getting farther away, his eyes sparkling staring at the steady back of Ha Gungi, “Wah.
Gim Jun smiled gently looking at his sister, his hands raised to embrace her, “Let's go.”
Gim Gon nodded in agreement, and the three continued their steps.
Ha Gungi's eyes sharply and firmly watched the soldiers practice their swordsmanship. The ‘ha’ sound that each soldier makes shows how tired they are with the sweat that keeps falling. However, that shout boosted their morale to become warriors who could protect their kingdom.
“Talk out your horses!” ha Gungi shouted past one by one the soldiers with a sharp look and
jellies. He patted the upper arm of a soldier and shouted, “You will be stabbed if you do it like this!” Ha Gungi noticed other warriors, “What use are your muscles if maintaining a sword alone cannot!?” Ha Gungi pointed at one of the warrior horses, “Defend your horses properly if you do not want to return with a stump!”
“General Ha!”
Ha Gungi stopped his steps, turned around with his eyebrows linked, glancing at a soldier from the tip of his tail.
The soldier stopped his steps and stood firmly before Ha Gungi. “What's up?”
“Your Majesty the King calls you.”
One millimeter Ha Gungi's eyelids were raised, then his pupils calmed down. Ha Gungi nodded, “I'll be there.”
The soldier nodded in understanding, then Ha Gungi made his move to meet the King. It doesn't take long
for Ha Gungi to meet the King. Since he was a King, someone who became the number one and most important in the kingdom, the King rarely left his throne to welcome uninvited or invited guests. It was the main hall of the palace, where all the meetings were held. No matter that they were a noble, an important guest from the outer kingdom, even the people set their feet first here if they wanted to see the King. Normally, the Queen would accompany him next to her, but the entire kingdom knew that the Queen had such a bad physique that this time, she could not always accompany the King.
Ha Gungi entered the main hall, and unfortunately did not find the existence of the King on his throne. Ha Gungi frowned before someone came near him with his head bowed, “General Ha, His Majesty the King is waiting for you, let's follow me.” Ha Gungi nodded in understanding, then followed the personal servant.
Next to the main hall, there was a smaller room that was used when the King wanted to have a casual chat
with guests. Ha Gungi was not an outsider, so the King thought there was no need for him for Ha Gungi to greet him respectfully in the main hall just to speak four eyes to him.
The door opened, and Ha Gungi could see the King sitting on a white sofa, waiting for his guest while
enjoy green tea in a white ceramic cup with pigeon carvings encircling the cup. The pupils of the King's eyes shifted hearing the sound of the door, the tip of his lips lifted gently looking at Ha Gingu who lowered his head giving a salute. “Come.”
Ha Gungi stepped his feet, and respectfully sat on the sofa in front of the King. A waiter with a hiccup poured green tea into his cup, and Ha Gungi calmly took the cup and sipped it. The king sighed calmly while putting the cup back on the table.
“Sorry to call you suddenly.”
“It's okay, Your Honor. I'll come whenever you call.”
The king sighed steadfastly hearing Ha Gungi's speech intonation which was very calm and respectful to him. It has been 7 years since Ha Gungi left the palace and cut ties with the royal family. Since then, the King has felt a change in the relationship between him and his only brother. He knew that Ha Gungi only wanted to be polite by following the rules of the kingdom. However, it felt very awkward with this very significant change in attitude.
“How are the kids?”
Ha Gungi looked at the King, then smiled knotfully, “They are fine. You don't need to worry, Your Majesty.”
“Only, I thought it might be better if they grew up in the palace.”
“Your Highness, it's really okay. Yan and Jungi were already used to living in the village. Jungi even, has a desire to become a farmer like her mother.” When saying the last sentence, Ha Gungi's voice trembled slightly.
The king looked at Ha Gungi with quivering pupils. In the past, the two could chat casually without any need
intonation filled with honor. The king smiled bitterly, recalling the old memories that became black-and-white sheets. “How about the Crown Prince?”
“You don't need to worry Your Highness, His Highness the Crown Prince is smart, he can do everything
and perfect. Even when he was preoccupied with political affairs, he never stopped to practice martial arts. His Highness the Crown Prince is very fond of this kingdom, I am sure he can be a good King in the future.”
“Better than me?”
This joke knocked down Ha Gungi's defenses, and the amused laughter that he was trying to hold out came out in one breath,
“Perhaps because His Highness the Crown Prince is very young, his spirit is pushing his potential out.”
The king smiled happily after successfully breaking the awkwardness between the two, “Well, I guess I have already
very old until the potency has melted into ashes.” The king laughed again, took his cup of tea to wet his throat, then put the empty cup back on the table. With a hiccup, his personal servant poured the green tea back with the smoke evaporating out. “You know.. I seem to be too busy with royal affairs, and the Queen's condition does not improve. I feel guilty.”.
Ha Gungi's eyelashes are getting lower hearing the King's story.
“I thought, to give my throne sooner to the Crown Prince.”
Instantly, Ha Gungi's eyelashes lifted, his pupils looking at the King deeply. Whether it was an ordinary shock, or there was another emotion seethed, Ha Gungi's veins stiffened at the King's last sentence. Ha Gungi forced his smile, “I don't think that it is the right time, Your Majesty.”
“You think so too. However, the Crown Prince is growing up faster than I thought. He's so different
of 15-year-olds in general. Even Ha Noon, that night I couldn't believe that he was only 7 years old. You yourself said, that the Crown Prince loves this kingdom very much, and will be a good King. I have no more doubts about handing over my throne to him.”
Ha Gungi lowered his eyelashes, his mind spinning at every word the King spoke. Sighing, Ha Gungi closed his eyes, “However your decision, Your Majesty.”
The king felt that the awkwardness again drowned him, making him unable to bear to continue maintaining the chatter. “I call you in the middle of your busy life, I think you should go back.”
Ha Gungi nodded, then stood up, lowered his head again as a sign of respect, and slowly walked towards the door.
“Gungi.”
Ha Gungi stopped his steps, tilting his head to look at the King.
The king smiled, a sincere smile full of regret, “I'm sorry, couldn't support you before dad back then.”
“No, it's not your fault, Your Majesty. I excuse.” Ha Gungi lowered his head again, the King replied with a nod of understanding, and Ha Gungi walked out of the room with a dark face.
the King's regrets swirl in his mind, making him recall unpleasant memories in his life, memories that made him question his own decisions.
***
Plaque!
That day, Ha Gungi was only 19 years old, when he decided to leave the palace, severing his ties with the royal family. The pain from the rough hands is still very imprinted on the skin of his face reddened. Ha Gungi lifted his eyelashes, looked at his father's face that was red in flames, filled with anger, his eyes reflecting a very heavy disappointment. Ha Gungi could not bear to see the destruction, his eyelashes came back down.
“Dad!” Ha Yunji ran over with a worried expression, standing between the previous King and Ha Gungi, trying to stop a fight between his father and his sister.
“Release!” The previous king let go of his son's grasp trying to hold him back. “Do you believe what he just said!?” The previous king looked at Ha Yunji with reddened eyes, while pointing at Ha Gungi with tensed veins, “He wants to leave the palace for the sake of the woman! Breaking off our family relationship just for the sake of that peasant woman!”
“If father does not want to receive it in the royal family!” Ha Gungi raised his voice, his veins almost popping out
from his neck, “Then I will leave the palace.”
The previous king looked angrily at his youngest son, to make his head like it was hit by a big rock, he said,
his balance was gone and his body almost fell. Fortunately, Ha Yunji quickly propped up the King's body. The king tried to catch his breath, digesting every incident, and looked at Ha Gungi with a dark gaze. “Go...”.
Ha Yunji widened his eyes, “Dad..”.
“Go and don't come back! I don't want to see your face again! Don't ever appear before me again!”
Ha Gungi clenched both his hands, his angry gaze pierced the King, “As you wish, Yang
Noble.” Ha Gungi lowered his head in a forced feeling, and with a rough step walked out of the main hall.
Ha Yunji furrowed his brows, he couldn't let his sister leave the palace. “Follow!” Ha Yunji almost
makes his move to pursue Ha Gungi, but is held back by his father.
“Let him go, he is no longer part of the royal family.”
“But dad..”.
“Ha Yunji! Prepare yourself to occupy the throne.”
Ha Yunji's teary eyes stared at his father's expression that was crushed by emotion, his gaze turning to the silhouette of his sister who had already stepped over the door.
Step by step Ha Gungi went down each rung of stairs with a turbulent feeling. This is
the decision he had been thinking about for a long time, and he finally felt relieved after spitting out all the desperate considerations in his throat. However, on the other hand he almost still questioned about his decision. The fact that he was only the second prince and could not possibly have the chance to occupy the throne, made him believe his decision. What will he do in his lifetime to devote himself to the kingdom? Doing everything in the shadow of his brother, it was better for him to leave the palace and live happily with his wife and some children.
Down there, a woman with a brown seedy hood looked at Ha Gungi with sparkling eyes and furrowed eyebrows full of worry. Adam Ha Gungi's apple rolled tensely looking at the gaze of the beautiful woman behind the seedy hood. Lowering his gaze, Ha Gungi walked at a faster pace.
The woman took a few steps forward, “What did Her Majesty say?”
Ha Gungi's face darkened at the question, his hands stretched out and tied his wrists
the woman, pulled him away.
However, the woman was trying to hold back her steps, “Gungi, what did Her Majesty say? Does he agree with our marriage? Ha Gungi!”
Ha Gungi stopped his steps. His chest felt extremely tight, and the breath he exhaled was extremely heavy. Ha Gungi tilts his head, “Till death, he will never bless our marriage.”
The woman's eyes are round, “Gungi, are you..”.
“True,” cut it, “I cut off my relationship with the royal family,” Ha Gungi looked at the woman he loved very deeply, “I want to marry you, without the status of the royal family on my shoulder.”
The woman's eyelashes shook, then her head slowly shook with rejection, “No, if you must
leave the palace for the sake of this marriage, it is better.. better.
“Are you kidding me!? We've been through this for more than three years!”
“Leaving your status and responsibility to marry me is not right! Are you going to throw away your 12 years of service to the kingdom just like that!?”
“I'll do it!” chest Ha Gungi up and down full of arsenalin, “I'll do anything for our wedding! Anyway..” Ha Gungi laughs cynically, “My responsibility is done. After His Highness the Crown Prince ascended the throne, I already have no role whatsoever in the palace, then why else would I survive?”
The woman's pupils trembled at Ha Gungi's change in speech towards her brother so quickly. Him
realizing, that this man in front of her had truly left everything for her. The tensed eyelashes slowly softened, the woman lowered her head weakly, calming her rebellious emotions with a gentle breath. Returning her eyelashes, her hands lifted and her fingertips touched gently
the face of Ha Gungi. “Thank you..” Ha Gungi looked at him, the woman smiled, “Thank you for choosing me.”
Ha Gungi's emotion-filled face slowly calmed down, his hand raised to catch the delicate hand of the woman touching his cheek. Gently, his face tilted and his lips landed on the woman's palm. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Ha Gungi lowered the hand, grasped it gently, “Let's go home.”
The woman replied to him with a gentle nod, and the two stepped out of the palace. With a strong determination, Ha Gungi relinquished all his responsibilities and vowed never to return to the palace. He will have children with the woman he loves and make a happy family.
A woman's hand full of job scratches opened the shabby curtains, letting sunlight decorate the windows, making the darkened room filled with the softness of the sun. As the daughter of a peasant family, Ju Miya never missed the sun in the morning. Cooking in the morning, working in the rice fields in the sun during the day, Although she has a face as soft as milk with stunning almond eyes, she has a beautiful face, this beautiful woman filled her beauty with soil and roots in the rice fields. She does not have a nodding attitude, or authority that makes her have to maintain her attitude as a woman. With his shining hand, he held the hoe and plowed the fields, bathed some buffaloes, and,
and burn his body with rice.
“Hah... He works very hard again today.” An old woman with her basket filled with fresh vegetables chuckled in awe at the woman with a white blouse lined with brown corsets as well as wide, black pants that were already filled with paddy field mud. The short gentleness that adorned the side of her face dangled beautifully.
“Such face... How can be born in a family of farmers?” another old woman who also holds a basket
which is full of bulbs.
“What a pity.”
The sound of horseshoes and the rolling of wheels was clearly heard on the dusty streets, making the two elderly women who loved to regret the fate of others stop their complaints. The eyes of the two widened to see a luxurious carriage with a royal emblem stopped. The door opened, and a deep blue high-heeled shoe came out on the street full of orange soil. Some royal warriors began to line up neatly beside the entrance, bowing respectfully at a young lady who was coming out of the horse carriage.
Her beautiful dress made the sunlight want to continue highlighting her, both her hands were coated with a sheath
his hands were white, his black hair was laid out very neatly with some accessories made of gold, his head was protected by a round, dark blue hat with a white ribbon as a decoration. With the shady pandagan, the young lady noticed Ju Miya who was busy working.
“Hey, isn't that Crown Princess?”
“True, what is he doing here?”
Hearing an uncomfortable voice talking about her, the Crown Princess looked at the two old ladies with shady eyelashes, then smiled gently, smiling softly, making the two old ladies flinch and spontaneously lower their heads as a sign of respect. The Crown Princess nodded her head in response, and the two old ladies immediately left. The Crown Princess moved her pupils back
Ju Miya who is still at her own busyness.
After hoeing the piles of dried mud, Ju Miya sighed letting go of her tiredness, her hand that was
naked swept his sweat that slid at the end of his chin. Ju Miya circulated her gaze, and her pupils stopped when she saw the Crown Princess standing quietly inside a beautiful royal dress on the edge of the rice field. Ju Miya could see a royal horse carriage parked inside a blanket of dust and a few soldiers lined up neatly faithfully waiting for the Crown Princess. The Crown Princess smiled gently at Ju Miya, and this made a huge stone suddenly fall on her chest.
