Ha Noon's
CHAPTER 6: Devotion of Members of the Royal Family
The Crown Princess sat quietly in a hut on the edge of the rice field accompanied by Mom Suri, while the soldiers still faithfully stood on the parked horse carriage. Before long, Ju Miya came carrying a tray containing a teapot made of clay, with two aluminum cups. Ju Miya lowered her head in honor and was replied with a nod by the Crown Princess. Ju Miya placed the tray beside the Crown Princess.
“Sit.” the door that makes Ju Miya inevitably have to land her butt next to the Crown Princess. The Crown Princess looked at Mom Suri and replied to a nod of the head by Mom Suri, then she went towards the horse carriage. Mom Suri brought back a mahogany box, gave it to the Crown Princess. “Miya,”
Ju Miya's heart skipped a beat hearing the Crown Princess call out her name. Rigidly, Ju Miya looked at the Crown Princess. A mahogany box the size of two palms was handed to her, making Ju Miya raise her eyebrows, and instantly forget her position by looking at the Crown Princess with wide eyes.
However, the Crown Princess did not take this situation seriously, she smiled gently and thrust the box closer to Ju Miya, “Sorry I could not attend your wedding.”
Ju Miya instantly became aware of the situation, she immediately shook her head, “No, Your Majesty. Shouldn't Your Majesty attend the wedding of the farmer's family.”
Crown Princess's eyelashes bowed limply, “This is a wedding gift from me. Accept.”
Ju Miya raised her eyelashes again to look at the Crown Princess, then turned to the mahogany box. He felt unworthy to accept the lavish gift, but he had no right to refuse it. This gift was given directly by the Crown Princess. There is an order tucked away from every thing given by the royal family, and receiving this gift is one of those orders. Rigidly, Ju Miya raised both of her hands, receiving the gift with her head bowed. “Thank you, Your Highness.” Ju Miya looked at
that mahogany wooden box, and unknowingly his thumb gently stroked that wooden base, “I really appreciate it.”
The Crown Princess smiled in relief seeing Ju Miya greatly appreciate her gift. “Actually I want to see sister-in-law too, but I don't think she'll be happy to see me here.” Ju Miya raised her head, looking at the Crown Princess with teary eyes. “Don't worry, I understand sister-in-law's feelings.”
Ju Miya lowered her head, “Sorry..
The Crown Princess smiled, her hands raised and touching Ju Miya's shoulders. “No need for you to apologize.” Crown Princess pulled her hand and stood up, “I have to come back soon, sorry I can't enjoy your tea when you've bothered to make it.”
“No, Your Majesty!” Ju Miya spontaneously stand, “An honor can be visited by His Majesty.” Ju Miya bowed her body as a sign of deep respect.
The Crown Princess smiled, her hands outstretched at Ju Miya. Ju Miya looked at that hand, and doubt enveloped her feelings. The Crown Princess was aware that Ju Miya had doubts about receiving her greeting, and without a second thought the Crown Princess took a step forward to warmly hug the woman, making Ju Miya widen her eyes. The Crown Princess gently patted Ju Miya on the back. “Miya, remember this. Whatever happens, your husband is still my brother-in-law, and I always think of you as family. If you need anything, come to me.
Whatever His Majesty says, I will use my family name to help you.”
Ju Miya's eyelashes trembled, a puddle of water already almost filling her eyes. Unable to contain it, a droplet of saltwater shot out from the tip of its tail. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
***
Mom Suri followed the steps of the Crown Princess entering a large room. The Crown Princess let out a rough sigh looking at her husband who was sitting drooping weakly on a single sofa. The Crown Princess continued her footsteps, sitting beside the Crown Prince. “How is mother's condition?”
Ha Yunji shook his head weakly with a face that sank in both of his palms, “Worse.”
Both Crown Princess's eyebrows were linked, her hands gently touching Ha Yunji's shoulders. Ha Yunji caught the hand, wanting warmth in it.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty!” This shout suddenly resuscitated Ha Yunji, his pupils wandering around to find out what was going on. On the side of the bed, the servants and healers shouted with panicked faces even their eyes almost dripping with salt water staring at the figure on the bed with frowns. Without a second thought, Ha Yunji stood up from his seat, running towards the side of the bed with a smashed expression.
The Crown Princess stood up, her entire body stiffened, like a bucket of ice water suddenly drenching her body. His mouth was beating fast, and his head was emitting hot smoke. The mixture of feelings that make it like being in between Antarctica and hell only with a body covered in human skin. Instantly, his hearing died. Everyone who was in the room wrinkled, their expressions shattered, the sound of crying did not stop, and desperate cries echoed. However, the Crown Princess could not hear that. His gaze only focused on the pale face of the Queen, lying weakly on the bed with an increasingly stiff and cold body. In fact, the tears released by his son were not able to give warmth to the body.
***
Ju Miya had just finished her work. Looking at her small house, she realized that her husband had not returned. Since coming out of the palace, Ha Gungi really never once told the royal family, or even set foot in the palace. He worked in farms, taking care of farm animals all day and sometimes came home very late. As a former military force, of course it was a difficult thing for the first time. He thought that taking care of farm animals was the same as taking care of game animals. However, in order to take care of the farm animals, he had to take care of them while they were still alive and keep them healthy, it is very different from a game animal where he will not care how the animal is as long as his hunger during duty is resolved.
Ju Miya had already told her to take care of one of her family's rice fields, but Ha Gungi had a hard temperament. Even in the woman he loves, he still has a high ego. Ju Miya felt this was a natural thing for a man, let alone a former military force, of course she knew how to administer them. In the end, he could only succumb to Ha Gungi's decision. As long as they can live well so that it is not difficult to support their children in the future, he does not have a problem living like this.
Ju Miya felt sultry in her body. After a long day of work under the sun and in the mud, he could not stand the condition of his body. Ju Miya had already prepared the cooking ingredients, she would go to clean up first and prepare dinner. Ju Miya was born with a naturally shining beauty. Even if he only cleansed himself with running water without any treatment like the nobles did, his skin still shone like the sand of the beach. His curly hair also expands and sparkles with a stunning black color.
Ju Miya inhaled the smoke-generated aroma that billowed from the warm clear soup inside the clay bowl. Although he came from a farming family, it does not mean that his family is poor. They can still eat with a few tons of meat every week. Only, their families only managed a few acres of rice fields. The paddy field was the private rice field of their families, and they themselves cultivated it by raising some workers with enough pay to eat. Their families were already often offered to sell their rice paddies at high prices, but that paddy field was the only way they ate, they could not sell it for a few pieces of gold. Even if that gold can ease their hunger in three years, but it does not guarantee their life in ten years. Being poor leaves them with no future.
Waiting for her husband to come home, Ju Miya was curious about what precious gift the Crown Princess had given her. Ju Miya opened the box slowly, and her eyes opened wide. Inside the wooden box, a bun made of gold lay warmly. Ju Miya's fingers were raised to pierce the bun. At the end of the bun, there are three rubies that have a combination of red and purple, then there are several small pearl grains that hang into two chains at the end of the head of the bun.
The pearl granules were very small with a slightly dark color.
Ju Miya could not help her enthusiastic feelings. Slowly, he lifted the bun, watching him end to end with sparkling eyes. His smile slowly expands. She was born in a peasant family as a woman, making her required to have productivity in her work,
followed his parents to the rice fields every day to take care of the rice. Even when other children were in puberty and very fond of spending their parents' money to buy jewelry and makeup, she resisted her lust for rice fields. Never once, did she think of gathering gold and silver inside her jewelry box. In fact, she did not have the jewelry box. Seeing this beautiful bun prick, made her realize, how the people around her praised her beauty and
he was born into a farmer family.
Drrt….
Ju Miya spontaneously stood up to hear the sound of a wooden door opening. Ha Gungi had just returned from his job, his two pupils pecking at Ju Miya.
Ju Miya smiled, her hand holding the bun stitch stiffened, “You're home.”
Ju Miya shook her head, “I'm waiting for you.”
Ha Gungi's pupils turned to the open wooden box on the table, then looked at Ju Miya's hand which was hiding something. As a former military force, it was impossible not to be aware of this obvious movement. Ha Gungi's hand slowly reached for Ju Miya's hand which was holding a bun stitch, then opened her fingers, “What is this?”
Ju Miya breathed a sigh of resignation, “Yang Mulia Crown Princess came here and gave this as a wedding gift.” Ha Gungi's hand stopped moving, Ju Miya lifted her eyelashes to look at her husband, “If you don't like her.”.
“No,” cut Ha Gungi, he took the bun stab from Ju Miya's hand, then slowly lifted Ju Miya's fine hair, making it a small, messy circle, then stick that bun, and smile, “Sit's perfect for you.”
Ju Miya smiled amusedly, her two hands quickly wrapped around Ha Gungi's waist, hugging him warmly. Ha Gungi melted with this warmth, he returned the embrace with the warmth of his love.
The sun had just cast its rays on the earth, and the whole population had gathered in one place frowning them, with whispers that rejected reality. Ha Gungi frowned, wondering what hot news was stirring up the residents to wake them up so early.
Before long, the sound of running horse legs was heard approaching the village, making the whispers of the residents drowned. A trumpet sounded, and a soldier advanced several steps into the middle of the population with his horse. He took out a scroll of paper, opened it firmly. However, that determination is only
his mask as a soldier. A reflection of the emotion emanated on the pupils of his trembling eyes.
“Delight news for the entire Anthropon Kingdom! Her Majesty the Queen, has breathed her last on the 20th day of the sixth month.” The entire population immediately held their breath, this news precisely struck the crown of their heads. The soldier swallowed a mouthful of saliva, “For the entire people of the Anthropon Kingdom, it is expected to pay your final respects to the late Her Majesty the Queen in the main courtyard of the palace!” After saying the last sentence, the soldier immediately rolled back the paper in his hand and pulled
control of the horse, continued his journey to inform this news to all corners of the kingdom.
The entire population spoke in trembling tones to each other, still not believing what they had just heard. Ha Gungi, standing in the middle of them with quivering lips, had his entire body squeezed by a boulder so that his lungs, unable to pump properly, made it difficult for him to breathe. Slowly, slowly,
the red color on his lips faded, one by one the grains of salt water flowed from his forehead, making him between Antarctica and hell. As if losing his way, Ha Gungi returned to the direction where he started. His entire bones felt stiff, the steps he made seemed to be bound by a long anchor in the middle of the ocean.
Ju Miya's heart skipped a beat hearing the unexpected news. He was very worried about Ha Gungi. Even with a long pale cream pajama, she ran out with bare feet following her husband. The sad news was so horrendous that even the residents who were not in place when the soldiers arrived, quickly received the information.
With a face filled with wrinkles of worry, Ju Miya looked sadly at Ha Gungi who walked like he had no soul in his body. Ju Miya sped up her steps, her hands raised touching the dark face of the man. Sensing the warmth that touched the side of his face, Ha Gungi could no longer hold back the dam of his tears, the sound of excruciating sobs seethed his heart. A drop of salt water fell from the tail of Ju Miya's eyes, her hands curled around Ha Gungi, feeling the pain felt by Ha Gungi. Ha Gungi's hand was raised to return Ju Miya's embrace, hugging her as a complaint of her life's fate, as a treatment place for the pain in her heart, as a cloud that held her tears.
All the people bowed their heads, sending prayers in their honor to deliver the soul of the late queen to heaven. With his black hood, Ha Gungi stared at the white jasmine flowers that were scattered on the pond with a large painting of the late queen in the middle of the pond, his hand clasping tightly onto one white jasmine stalk in his hand. With an iron heart, Ha Gungi offered a prayer for his mother's soul, sending her calmly to heaven. Gently, Ha Gungi threw the flower into the pond. His head lifted, his red eyes staring at the King and the Crown Prince who bowed their heads on the throne, hiding their tears. The Crown Princess stood faithfully beside the Crown Prince with a refreshed feeling.
After a while, the soul-introduction ceremony was completed, the entire populace was disbanded from the palace. With a furious pace, the Crown Prince walked down the corridor, accompanied by his entire personal servants and warriors. They understood how the Crown Prince was feeling, so none of them attempted to calm him down. Because after all, their position was only as subordinates serving his physical needs.
The Crown Prince stopped stepping looking at the shadowy figure blocking his path. Lifting her eyelashes, she found Ha Gungi standing there with a black hood covering her head, and her red eye bags. Instantly, the Crown Prince's emotions exploded, he moved forward and grasped Ha Gungi's collar as hard as he could, pushing him until the sound of his back impact with the corridor wall sounded. “What do you want!? What are you here for!?”
Ha Gungi looked at his brother's red eyes with quivering pupils. She knew how her brother felt, blaming him for his mother's death. In the depths of his heart, he knew clearly the reason behind his mother's death. He left the palace without seeing his mother's face, even he did not say ‘well stay’ to his mother. He knew that it brought a great surprise to his mother, moreover his father was a stubborn man who must have been very strict to forbid his mother from going to see him.
Ha Gungi could only lower his head, and speak in a drowning voice, “I'm sorry, Brother.”.
Ha Yunji's grip on Ha Gungi's collar grew stronger, his fist raised and hovering violently on Ha Gungi's face, making Ha Gungi fall to the floor. Ha Yunji could not hold back all his anger, he reached back to Ha Gungi's collar, “After you said that you would never set foot in this palace again, you came back to throw jasmine at mom's corpse and apologize!? After that what!? You will come back after hearing the king's death and carry a sprig of jasmine flowers in your hand!? You'll only come to celebrate death!” every sentence that the Crown Prince shouted shook, making
Ha Gungi lowered his head even deeper. “May you live long in the house you love, to be able to keep hearing the news of death from the palace!”
“Enough!” This heavy hoarse voice stopped Ha Yunji's entire outpouring of emotions. Ha Yunji slowly released his grasp on Ha Gungi's collar, stood up and lowered the head of the King who came with his personal servants and warriors. Ha Gungi raised his head, looked at the standing King and looked at him
with a raised chin. “Ha Gungi, follow me.”
Ha Gungi stood up, the King continued in his footsteps. Before starting his steps, Ha Gungi stared at his brother's shattered expression, and his neck felt suffocated by a feeling of guilt. Subduing his head, Ha Gungi caught up with the King.
Ha Gungi knelt stiffly before the King who had said nothing since they entered the room. “This is my fault, Your Majesty, please forgive me.”
Apple adam King rolling heard the intonation of speech that was still full of honor even in the presence of the corpse of his mother, “This is not your fault, Her Majesty The Queen has had the disease for a long time, it has been, he can't hold it anymore.”
Ha Gungi's eyelashes trembled to hear him, a drop of saltwater fell, and spontaneously he lowered his forehead touching the floor, prostrating with a quivering voice, “This is all my fault, Your Majesty, I beg you, please, I will do anything to break my sins. I beg you, Your Majesty.”
The king looked at his youngest son who was prostrating with an extremely heavy feeling before him. With a heavy breath, the King lowered his body, touching one of Ha Gungi's shoulders gently, “Then, return to the military forces, please, devote your life to protecting this kingdom from any kind of danger.”
Ha Gungi gulped down a mouthful of saliva, and replied in a trembling voice, “I am ready to take orders, Your Majesty, I will devote my life to protecting the kingdom of Anthropon from any kind of danger whatsoever.”
***
Ha Gungi stared intently at the blade of the sword he had just cleaned, ignoring all the cries of the soldiers who were training. His ears raised heard a familiar pattern of footsteps. Without saying anything, or even hearing the orders, a soldier brought his earlobe closer to Ha Gungi
with his head down.
“The Crown Prince will ascend the throne in five years, send him his letter.” whispered Ha Gungi with his hoarse voice. The soldier nodded his head in understanding, then left after hearing one command.
