As we head outside, Byul is already coming immediately to my side "Master, you had a rough fall and I think..."
"We were having a walk in the garden I believe" I say as I turn around to face him as I smile "Would you like to continue our walk?"
He seems to think about it for a while, knowing that I would still have my way in the end before he says "Not for long"
I chuckle and continue walking "Yes Daddy"
He makes a face there, possibly confused at my choice of words, but I only laugh it off.
We begin walking down the garden again, but I can tell he's standing next to me now, as if to make sure that I can't and won't leave his sight before I pause at a rose bush and stare at the flowers "Do you like the name?"
"What name, Master?"
I turn to him "Byul"
He moves back there as if he's shocked that I asked before he says "Why should I not be?"
"Cause you're Qua Ling" I say "You only changed your name to fit in, and this mask facade too"
I walk to him and reach out for his face before he holds my hand and says "Master..."
I smile "It's okay. It's just us here"
He is still holding me, breathing heavily through it before he lets me go.
I slowly peel the mask off his face as the first thing I notice are his gold eyes, his white hair fluttering with the wind as I smile more "You should not have to hide your face"
"But people..."
"At least not with me" I cut in as I hand back the mask to him "You only have to hide it when you're not comfortable, and I don't want to imagine that I make you uncomfortable, or do I?"
As I turn back to the flowers, I hear him say "No, of course not Master"
"Good"
I stare at the roses, bending down to smell them before sighing and moving back, rubbing my stomach "He likes it"
"Who?"
I chuckle "My baby"
The place becomes quiet there as the wind blows the rose smell around before I say "He must really think his Mother is crazy for putting him through all this stress"
"Master is not crazy"
I turn to him "Are you saying that in all honesty or you are trying to make me feel better?"
He opens his mouth to say something but suddenly pauses before saying "Master is not crazy, but he does do things that a normal person will not do. Like forgive and trust people easily, put himself in death situations and also staying with a man that is as unstable as the wind itself!"
My eyes widen at the outburst as his does also before he suddenly goes on his knees and bows his face "Please forgive me Master. I overstepped a boundary"
I sigh, walking over to him and sitting at his side as I say "I cannot possibly be mad if you say the truth"
He quickly looks up "Master..."
I turn to him "Did he ask of me?"
"He?"
"Chan Yeol" I say as I tilt my head "He must have known about the incident. Did he ask?"
He stares at me for a while, his jaws moving as if he is trying to weigh what the outcome of telling a lie or a truth would be before he says "No"
"Oh"
I laugh and lay on the grass "Not surprising. I suppose I would have been a bit worried if he cared all of a sudden"
"This is not something to be taken lightly Master! You should leave now that he is....!"
"Years ago, I lived my life for one person"
He stops midsentence as I look at the sky, the branches of a tree keeping a shadow over my face as I continue "He was all I had and I had to do everything possible to keep him, even though I could lose him"
Then I lay on my side, smiling "I guess it's habit now, to see something sad and weak and want to take care of it, nurture it"
"But...."
"Like I wanted to get rid of the baby" I say "But I doubt I can, or you, you're all tough on the outside but you worry about your looks like a child"
He pouts there "Master, that is unfair"
I laugh "And so is Chan Yeol. He's like a scared little rabbit"
"A two forked viper"
"Rabbit" I cut in with a shake of my head "And I just want to..."
"And what if you die while doing that?"
'.... you're dying ...'
I sigh and lay straight "You're so pessimistic Byul. Besides, who says I'm dying?"
"Master"
I turn to him, a smile still on my lips "Hmmm?"
He leans in close "You have something on your face"
"Oh?"
His hand quickly brushes the leaf off my face but lingers a little on my cheeks before he suddenly away and looks off.
I raise my eyebrows at the reaction but shrug and keep looking above before I say "Byul?"
"Master?"
"The man who tried to murder me. Is he still here?"
There is no reply at first but after a while he says "Not for long"
"I would like to question him"
"There is no need to question a murder, except when his head is being chopped off and we ask if he would like his balls going too"
I make a face "You have a grotesque imagination Byul"
He turns to me "Why do I have this strange feeling you want to save him?"
"Huh? Is it that obvious?"
He lets out a groan, using his thumb to brush his eyebrow "Master"
"Everyone has a reason for the things they do, right? I mean, um, he might have a family for gods sake Byul"
"It doesn't matter because he should have thought of them before he came for you!"
The outburst has me jerking as he suddenly stands up and begins to pace around.
I sigh, standing up too "I am the one who had a near death experience but you're the one with the high blood pressure. Go figure"
Byul is still walking around as he says "You cannot save him. He broke the law"
"I just need to ask him a few questions, that's all. This is the second time a murder attempt has been made on me. Publicly anyway, we all know the other numerous attempts made by my darling Prince. Quite funny how I keep living if you ask me"
He suddenly stops and grabs me by the arms "Master. You do not understand. Not everything is a joke and not everyone is good. You could die"
I smile there.
"Have you not heard? I died before and came back. What's stopping me from resurrecting one more time?"