Chapter 31
As Cho Shiye's tears subsided, Kim Hae-yoon smiled reassuringly at her. The somber violin music had long dissipated and was replaced by a heartwarming tune which made everyone feel at ease. A huge contrast to the cries heard from earlier.
Cho Shiye took Kim Hae-yoon's hands as their eyes met, Cho Shiye smiled softly at her as Kim Hae-yoon looked at her in dazed and blush and looked away awkwardly.
'Strange…' Kim Hae-yoon thought, 'Why does she look… even more beautiful tonight?' She looked back at Cho Shiye's eyes and her heart waver.
"I remembered my mother." Cho Shiye stated as she looked back at the stage with a solem smile. Kim Hae-yoon looked at her and didn't say a word. "She died when I was really young."
Cho Shiye didn't say anything after that and rested her back on the chair and closed her eyes, listening to the melodic piece being played. Kim Hae-yoon didn't pry deeper into the details as she held Cho Shiye's hands.
"My parents died protecting me." Kim Hae-yoon stated as Cho Shiye looked back at her in shock. It was different from what was announced by the palace.
Kim Hae-yoon looked at her and smiled. Strangely, she didn't feel sad or hollow like before, she felt strangely fine.
"Do you wanna hear about it?" Kim Hae-yoon asked worriedly, wanting not to burden Cho Shiye. Cho Shiye held her hand tightly and her eyes looked warm.
Cho Shiye took a deep pause as she tried her best to think of a way to comfort Kim Hae-yoon and opened her mouth. "What happened?"
Kim Hae-yoon took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She could remember that day like it was yesterday.
*****
Kim Hae-yoon was sitting inside at the back of the car happily, her mothers' had agreed for them to go on a secret vacation to celebrate Kim Hae-yoon's birthday.
Without any guards to protect them and the only one knowing their departure was the head Butler, Park Cheol-seok, they went to a getaway happily.
They were driving up the slope in the middle of the night, with no one in sight, when suddenly, a man appeared on the road and was about to get hit by their car.
Kim Hae-yoon decided to get out to see who it was against her alpha mother's orders, she wanted to see if he was hurt.
"Are you okay mister?" Kim Hae-yoon asked as he knelt down, he was wearing a disguise so she's comfortable being seen in public. Kim Hae-yoon's mothers' stayed behind her, looking at the man quietly.
The man stayed quiet as he groaned, he was slumped on the ground and was trying to get up, Kim Hae-yoon tried to reach out her hands and help him when he suddenly glared at her.
"Hae-yoon!" Her alpha mother shouted.
Kim Hae-yoon fell on the ground in fear, remembering the same feeling he felt from the drunk man years ago, Kim Hae-yoon's alpha mother rushed in to create a distance between the two of them when the guy suddenly pulled out a knife and stabbed her.
"Honey!" Kim Hae-yoon's omega mother cried out as she tried to take the knife away from the madman who kept stabbing her alpha mother on the chest as Kim Hae-yoon sat there frozen.
The madman turned his direction towards her omega mother and also stabbed her.
"You bitch!" He shouted, his eyes seething. "This is all your fault!" He kept shouting as he stabbed her to the point that she fell on the ground, her clothes tainted in red, as her blood poured out her body.
She tried to fight back, she tried her best to fend him off, but couldn't as her hands were slashed, ripping her skin off her bones, as she cried out for mercy.
Kim Hae-yoon's alpha mother tried to stand up, her wounds were as lethal as the wounds inflicted on her wife as her consciousness slowly faded, everything looked hazy in her eyes, she wanted to fight back but she couldn't even breathe properly let alone stand up as she crawled.
Kim Hae-yoon watched everything unfold and didn't say a word or move an inch. She could hear her mother's begging for mercy through her sobs as the man kept shouting, blaming her for something— she didn't know what it was.
Her alpha mother noticed Kim Hae-yoon as she crawled towards her, her hands spilled with blood, as she held Kim Hae-yoon's hands.
"Run." She muttered in a low raspy voice, wincing in pain as she looked deep into Kim Hae-yoon's eyes, pleading.
Kim Hae-yoon looked at her and looked at her omega mother who had long lost consciousness as she lay on the ground and was still being stabbed by that maniac.
"B-but—" Kim Hae-yoon tried to object but was cut off by her mother's loud voice.
"I said run!" Her mother shouted which alerted the man as he looked at the both of them, he smiled at Kim Hae-yoon which frightened her. The man looked at her weirdly as he scanned her body, licking his lips as he looked at her predatorily.
"I can't believe that b*tch hid you away from me." He spoke as he walked closer towards Kim Hae-yoon and raised his hand up, as if to hug her. "Don't worry sweetie, that wh*re wouldn't be able to separate us anymore. No one would be able to hinder our love away anymore. Now, come to papa." He smiled sweetly yet it looked so evil that Kim Hae-yoon only shrieked.
Her mother saw that she stopped and pushed for Kim Hae-yoon to run away. "Go!" She shouted as Kim Hae-yoon stood up and ran away— Anywhere, as long as she could get away from that filthy man.
*****
"I don't know what happened after that, I just ran and ran until I could find a place to hide. My feet were sore and I'm tired. Every step felt like a heavy weight and I'm breathless." Kim Hae-yoon smiled deprecatingly, remembering it, she didn't know why she felt strangely detached.
Why can't she feel sad for her mothers' death? Why can't she mourn them like how normal people do? Why does it feel empty? She didn't know, she couldn't understand, like a child. Yes, she's a child, helpless and alone, unable to understand everything.
Kim Hae-yoon felt warm and comforting hands embrace her body. She looked shocked as she looked up and saw that Cho Shiye was crying. Kim Hae-yoon felt numbed, she didn't know what to do or say, she just sat there quietly.
Maybe Kim Hae-yoon didn't notice but a tear dropped down her eyes as she slowly wrapped her hands around Cho Shiye's waist. She's crying, she feels sad, angry, and alone. She wanted to cry, even before, but couldn't. She had a duty to fulfill. She's an empress.
But, maybe it's because the room she's in is dark that's why she's able to cry, yeah, maybe. But, this comforting feeling she could feel just from a single touch of Cho Shiye made her chest feel warm.
'It's nice to be at home.' Kim Hae-yoon thought inside her head as she nuzzled her head.
Just like the same night where Cho Shiye protected her 14 years ago, she's here again to hold her and shield her away from the rest of the world. She could express herself without anyone to judge her, she's free.
She's not the empress, she's just Kim Hae-yoon, a helpless child who doesn't understand anything but all she knows is that she's safe and at home.
'I love you.'