4 ❤️🔥 Sacrificial Heart
Seo Yeon woke up and frantically searched around, her breath quickening as panic took hold. She sat up in her room, heart pounding. There were no signs of Yun Yuhua or Hae-ju.
"Hae-ju!" Seo Yeon cried. Seo Ju had just risen and was preparing to wash his face when a nun came running and knocked urgently upon his door. Seo Ju opened it at once.
"Yes?"
"Your Highness, the Empress Dowager is unwell. She is overcome with emotion and calls for you."
Seo Ju's eyes widened. Without hesitation, he rushed toward Seo Yeon's quarters. Inside, Seo Yeon sat weeping upon the bed, struggling to rise. Seo Ju came to her at once and embraced her gently.
"Royal Grandmother, it is I, Seo Ju," he said quietly. But she would not be soothed.
"Hae-ju… Was it but a dream? Did she truly not return?" she cried. Seo Ju understood at once—she wished to see Yun Yuhua. He turned to the nun.
"Fetch the young lady who arrived with me. At once."
The nun hesitated, eyes lingering on Seo Yeon, who trembled in anguish. Then she bowed her head and hurried out in search of Yun Yuhua. When Yun Yuhua stepped out from her quarters, the nun grasped her hand.
"Yes?" Yun Yuhua blinked in surprise. The nun swallowed hard.
"Her Excellency calls for you."
Yun Yuhua's expression turned grave. She nodded and ran without delay. Inside the room, Seo Yeon still wept in Seo Ju's arms.
"Hae-ju… Forgive me…" she whispered through her tears, the weight of guilt plain upon her face. Yun Yuhua, seeing her suffering, reached out slowly and took hold of her arms. Seo Ju stepped back with care, allowing them space.
"Empress Dowager… I am here," Yun Yuhua said softly. Seo Yeon opened her eyes. Upon seeing Yun Yuhua, her tears fell anew. She embraced her tightly.
"You live… You are still here," she breathed. Yun Yuhua gave a small nod, gently rubbing Seo Yeon's back, as though to bear the sorrow with her.
At that moment, Tian Ke and Qian'ai ran into the room. They found Seo Yeon clinging to Yun Yuhua, weeping. Seo Ju stood motionless, his heart heavy. He could only hope his grandmother might finally find a breath of peace from the sorrows she had long borne in silence.
He stepped out with Tian Ke and Qian'ai. Both waited for him to speak, unease between them. It hadn't gone unnoticed—Seo Yeon had called only for Yun Yuhua. Seo Ju led them into a quieter room and, once the door shut behind them, let out a heavy sigh.
"My Royal Grandmother knew your grandmother well. They grew up like sisters. My father often spoke of them. Your grandmother was everything to her. Without her… my grandmother's life might've taken another path."
Tian Ke and Qian'ai heard the weight in his voice—guilt, sorrow, and a burden not wholly his.
"You're saying… you knew our grandmother?" Tian Ke asked.
"I knew of her," Seo Ju said, offering a faint smile. "But only from my Royal Grandfather's side. My grandmother never spoke of her. So I knew a story—never the woman. But when I saw the portrait in the palace… Yun Yuhua looked just like her. And after how my grandmother reacted yesterday, I have no doubts. You are her descendants."
He stood, then slowly lowered himself to his knees. Tian Ke and Qian'ai were startled.
"Seo Ju—"
"For what my grandfather did to your grandmother… I can't begin to fathom the pain passed down to your family. As Crown Prince of Joseon, I want peace for those dear to me. But sorrow can't be erased with words. So I kneel before those still carrying its weight."
His head remained bowed. Tian Ke and Qian'ai struggled to stay composed.
"You didn't commit this sin," Tian Ke said quietly. "That burden belongs to your grandfather—"
"But his blood runs through me. That, too, has meaning."
Tian Ke exhaled as his jaw tightened.
"Our late mother… she longed for the truth. It was her final wish. Because of you, we found answers our father never could."
Seo Ju bowed once more, then rose—not as Crown Prince, but as someone who understood loss. Qian'ai smiled and patted his shoulder gently.
"If your heart still carries guilt, then promise us this—treat Yuyu well. She's everything to us. Our pillar. The embodiment of love."
Seo Ju's smile deepened.
"I will cherish her above all else. She is the only flower I seek."
Tian Ke and Qian'ai exhaled, the tension easing from their shoulders.
"Good. Because if she saw you kneeling like that, she'd scold us for bullying you," Qian'ai teased. They laughed—brief, but genuine.
Yun Yuhua managed to soothe Seo Yeon before they sat to take breakfast together. Seo Ju remained nearby, watching as Yun Yuhua attended to Seo Yeon—feeding her gently, offering words of comfort and quiet encouragement. Seo Yeon stared only into Yun Yuhua's eyes, following each motion without resistance. Yun Yuhua gave a warm smile and nodded. Seo Yeon turned her gaze toward Seo Ju and caught the longing in his eyes—the way he looked at Yun Yuhua, the slight smile touched by something deeper. Her expression turned to concern.
After the meal, Yun Yuhua stepped out with her brothers to walk and speak of their grandmother's past. Seo Yeon reached out and held Seo Ju back.
"What is your purpose in finding her… and bringing her here to me?" she asked carefully. Seo Ju turned to her and gave a respectful bow.
"Royal Grandmother, I brought her here for your sake. I feared that you had suffered alone for so many years. I thought… perhaps her presence might ease your heart," he answered. Seo Yeon looked at him, her eyes lingering longer than usual, saying nothing. Seo Ju met her gaze, waiting.
"Have you ever asked her if she wishes to become the Queen of Joseon? Such a title carries with it burdens few can bear," she asked, not unkindly. Seo Ju faltered and looked to the floor.
"I have not asked… But I shall," he replied. Seo Yeon let out a low sigh.
"Seo Ju, you must ask her. It is not right to bind her to a life filled with sorrow and shadows. I will not stand idly by and watch Hae-ju's only descendant suffer as I once did," she said firmly. Seo Ju's fists tightened around the folds of his robe.
"Royal Grandmother… my heart has long been hers," he confessed, quietly but without hesitation. Seo Yeon frowned and struck the table between them with her palm.
"Love is but an illusion! The palace is rife with serpents and wolves! What will you do when you can no longer shield her from them?" she demanded. Seo Ju clenched his teeth, his eyes squeezed shut, holding back emotion.
"Royal Grandmother… I can face it all. Please, allow me to speak with her," Seo Ju said, steady but urgent. Seo Yeon hurled her tea at him, the cup clattering loudly as it hit the table.
"Will you be as selfish as your grandfather? Because of him, Hae-ju perished!" she cried, her pain rising. Seo Ju's breath grew unsteady, his body trembling to hold himself still.
"And what of you?" he said sharply, barely holding back the weight of years buried deep within. "When Father died, where were you? I was but five! When Mother passed, I was twelve. You left me alone. Three years ago, I lost my Crown Princess… and still, you did nothing. You remained here in this temple, praying for your sins to be washed away. And what of me?"
Seo Yeon froze, her eyes wide. Her lips parted, but no sound escaped. A single tear trailed down her cheek, heavy with years of silence.
Yun Yuhua returned with her brothers, her chest tightening as she learned what Seo Ju had endured. The flower she had picked for him slipped from her fingers.
As soon as Seo Ju saw them, his breath caught. Without a word, he turned and stormed out of the temple, shoulders tight with rage—or pain.
Yun Yuhua followed closely and hastily, but she was too far behind.
"Seo Ju…" she called softly and uncertainly.
He didn't stop.
Her frustration flared. She glanced around, then, with a huff, kicked the nearest tree.
"Ow!" she yelped, hopping once on one foot. Seo Ju turned at once.
"Yuyu?"
She forced a faint smile, trying to hide the sting in her toe—and in her heart. Without waiting, she ran to him and threw her arms around him, holding him tight. He tensed, tried to push her away, but she only clung harder.
"Breathe… Please, remember to breathe," she said gently. Seo Ju paused before breaking down, gasping for air. She held him, offering comfort.
They sat by the river, Yun Yuhua watching him closely, waiting for him to speak. Seo Ju glanced at her and nervously smiled, sighing in relief before placing a soft kiss upon her cheek.
"I beg your pardon… I did not wish for you to witness that side of me…" he whispered. Yun Yuhua smiled warmly and brought his face closer to hers.
"Then, what side of you may I see?" she asked with gentle curiosity. Seo Ju closed his eyes, then kissed her lips with tenderness.
"You must tell me. Which side do you wish to know?" he asked. She chuckled softly, guiding his head onto her lap and soothing him by brushing through his hair.
"Perhaps I shall share my own story with you," she said softly. "I was raised without a mother. Her face is but a fleeting memory. Yet… when I look at my Ba, I feel as though she lives within him. He was both Ba and Ma to me."
Seo Ju smiled faintly. "I have heard as much…"
Her eyes shimmered with the weight of the memory.
"He taught me much," she whispered. "He often said that true peace begins within oneself. There are those who hurt others, for reasons we may never understand, but there are also those who protect, those who choose peace for the sake of others."
She gazed at Seo Ju, her voice trembling yet firm.
"If you are one of those, then you have already made the first great choice."
Seo Ju blinked. "What do you mean?"
"You care for others. You love. That alone is the beginning," she said, swallowing hard. "Sacrifice does not always mean losing yourself. It means acting out of love. Even if you are far from those you cherish, your deeds carry them with you."
Seo Ju stood and looked at her, his heart moved. She smiled through the tears, which fell freely. He reached out and wiped them away.
"Your father was a man of great virtue… He imparted the greatest lesson to his children. I only wish I could have met him before his passing," Seo Ju said softly. Yun Yuhua laughed quietly.
"He would have struck your hand for daring to touch me," she teased lightly. Seo Ju chuckled and leaned forward, kissing her once more.
"I have long harbored a question, one I have struggled to voice…" Seo Ju paused, uncertainty in his expression, but then he spoke, "What would you say to becoming my Crown Princess?"
Yun Yuhua stared at him, breath caught in her chest. Her heart raced as the words settled within her. For a moment, she was silent, unable to respond. Then, as the meaning began to sink in, she flushed with embarrassment, and a soft smile began to form. Seo Ju observed her in silence, knowing she needed time. His own smile deepened, causing her cheeks to burn even more. She quickly raised her hands to cover her face, and he let out a soft chuckle at her reaction. Moving closer, he gently leaned his head against the back of her hands.
"You need not rush to answer," he murmured. Slowly, Yun Yuhua lowered her hands and peeked at him through her fingers. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips, and then she lowered them fully. Leaning forward, she pressed a light kiss to his forehead, catching him unawares. He looked at her, his eyes wide in surprise.
"If ruling over all with you means I may remain by your side for all my days," she whispered, "then I would be most honored to serve as your Crown Princess."
The sunlight shimmered upon the river beside them, and Seo Ju's smile softened, his gaze locking with hers.
"To be with you forever," he echoed softly, before kissing her, pouring into the moment all the feelings he had long kept hidden.