As night fell, Princess Sun Hee-Yoo, her sister Princess Jang-Mi Gi, and her sister-in-law Princess Dae Yong-Ji gathered around the dining table. Princess Jang-Mi Gi inquired about the whereabouts of their father and brother, to which Princess Dae Yong-Ji responded that they were out hunting and would return in a few days.
As they began to eat, Princess Dae Yong-Ji reminded everyone to pray to the goddess Johwa before starting. They thanked the goddess for their meal and enjoyed their dinner together.
However, as the night progressed, Princess Dae Yong-Ji's demeanour changed. She gazed out the window at the white temple in the distance, her eyes taking on a sinister glint. In a villainous voice, she spoke of her plans to take the body of the goddess Johwa on the upcoming day of pure light. Her eyes turned red as she gave an evil smile, the darkness within her revealed.
The next morning Princess Sun Hee-Yoo anxiously awaited the arrival of her friend, Princess Jia Yon-Si. Eventually, she arrived with her father, King Micheon, in tow.
Princess Sun Hee-Yoo approached the King Micheon, dressed in a flowing silk hanbok that fluttered in the breeze. She bowed respectfully to the guards, who ushered her inside to meet the King himself. With a deep breath, she entered the throne room, saw King Micheon was standing there.
"Greetings to the King of Goguryeo," Sun Hee-Yoo said, bowing low. She continued "And sorry for the late "
"Greetings nevermind," King Micheon replied, his voice steady and gently.
Princess Sun Hee-Yoo gestured for the King to follow her, leading him to the visitor's room. As they entered, they were greeted by the sight of Princess Dae Yong-Ji, who rose to welcome the King. They sat down, exchanging pleasantries as they enjoyed the tea that had been prepared for them.
Princess Dae Yong-Ji spoke up, her eyes were shining with admiration. "This Cheongug Kingdom is very lucky because of your arrival," she said, his tone sincere.
King Micheon inclined his head in acknowledgement. "Thank you," he replied, his voice ringing out with quiet authority.
Princess Dae Yong-Ji leaned forward. "Is there anything I can do to assist you during your hunt?" he asked, his eyes warm and welcoming.
King Micheon nodded, grateful for the offer. "Yes, I had planned to go hunting with your father-in-law, but I had some political matters to attend to. Can you take care of my daughter in the meantime?"
Princess Dae Yong-Ji beamed at the King's request. "Of course, she is welcome to stay here," she said, her voice ringing with hospitality.
With a nod of thanks, King Micheon rose from his seat. "Thank you, Princess Dae Yong-Ji. It's getting late, so I must take my leave," he said, his voice echoing in the chamber.
Princess Jia Yon-Si, King Micheon's daughter, came running into the room as he was leaving. "Bye dad!" she called out, waving excitedly.
"Goodbye, my dear," King Micheon replied, his voice filled with love.
As he made his way out of the palace, Princess Jia Yon-Si turned to her sister-in-law. "Can Hee-Yoo and I go to the lake?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Princess Dae Yong-Ji had given them permission to visit the lake, but with the caveat to return before sunset. Princess Sun Hee-Yoo and Princess Jia Yon-Si readily agreed, eager to spend as much time as possible enjoying the serene waters.
As they rowed out onto the lake, Princess Sun Hee-Yoo noticed a strange plume of smoke in the distance. "Jia, what's that smoke?" she asked, her brow furrowed in concern. "It must be a war in Jiog Kingdom," Princess Jia Yon-Si replied, her tone sombre.
Sun Hee-Yoo sighed deeply, feeling her heart heavy with sadness. She gazed out at the smoke, her thoughts consumed with the senseless violence and destruction.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the lake, the war raged on. Soldiers from opposing kingdoms exchanged deadly arrows, each side determined to emerge victorious.
In the midst of the chaos, the King of the opposing kingdom scanned the battlefield, searching for his adversary. "Where is that man of word?" he growled, his eyes blazing with fury.
Just then, an arrow whizzed past him, forcing him to duck down for cover. As he rose back up, he saw a figure riding towards him on a horse. It was the Crown Prince of the Jiog Kingdom, Yeong Su-Jin.
Prince Yeong Su-Jin brought his horse to a halt, his eyes locked onto the opposing King. "As you said, the man of word is here. Fight with me," he challenged, his voice ringing out with determination.
The opposing King sneered in response. "I will kill you now in this place and give your head to your father, the King of Jiog," he declared, drawing his sword. Undeterred, Prince Yeong Su-Jin stood firm. "First, you do what you said. Come on," he replied, his own sword at the ready.
Meanwhile, Princess Sun Hee-Yoo and Princess Jia Yon-Si were in awe as they stood inside the magnificent temple. The shimmering pillars caught the light, reflecting it in every direction, while the intricate Sakura flower design on the floor added to its grandeur. As they looked up, they noticed intricate carvings depicting the life history of the goddess Johwa. And in front of them stood a statue of the goddess herself, radiating grace and power.
Princess Sun Hee-Yoo exclaimed, "I have never seen anything so beautiful before!"
Princess Jia Yon-Si nodded in agreement, "Me neither. It's like a dream come true."
On the other side of the city, Prince Yeong-Su and the King of opposite kingdom were fiercely fighting on horseback with swords. Prince Jeong Hye-Yi King of Jiog Kingdom's eldest son was also in the midst of the battle, fighting alongside Commander Wan Kyung-Lim against the enemy soldiers. The battle was intense, but finally, the King fell under Prince Yeong-Su-Jin's sword.
Prince Yeong Su-Jin declared, "This is what you deserve for your sins!"
Commander Wan Kyung-Lim announced, "Victory to Jiog Kingdom!"
Prince Jeong Hye-Yi exclaimed, "That's all!"
Prince Yeong Su-Jin ordered the commander to lead their soldiers to the castle while he attended to other matters. "Commander, you bring our soldiers to the castle, I'll come in a while," he said with a commanding tone. Wan Kyung-Lim, the commander, obediently replied, "Yes, Prince."
A little later, Prince Jeong Hye-Yi asked Prince Yeong Su-Jin "Now what brother ." His oldest brother Prince Yeong Su-Jin , said "Follow me." Yeong Su-Jin then turned to look at the king.
Meanwhile, Princess Sun Hee-Yoo and Princess Jia Yon-Si were engaged in a conversation about the statue of Goddess Johwa. Princess Jia Yon-Si pointed out that the statue they saw in the tunnel yesterday was the same as the one in the other kingdom, except for one detail: the wand in the right hand of the Princess Sun Hee-Yoo agreed but added that she was unsure about what the goddess was holding in their kingdom. Princess Jia Yon-Si suggested that it might be another version of the goddess, but Princess Sun Hee-Yoo refuted that claim, stating that there was no such another version of Goddess Johwa.
Suddenly, someone opened the tunnel door, and Princess Sun Hee-Yoo swiftly summoned a shiny diamond sword into her hand. Princess Jia Yon-Si transformed into a mysterious figure, donning a black dress and white-painted face and wielding a sword. A few moments later, Prince Yeong Su-Jin appeared, covering his face, and his brother carried the body of the other king of opposite kingdom.
Princess Sun Hee-Yoo demanded to know who they were, her diamond sword at the ready. The air was thick with tension as everyone waited for an answer.
Princess Jia Yon-Si cautiously spoke up, "You are all from Jiog Kingdom, right?" Princess Sun Hee-Yoo interjected, her voice sharp with warning, "Tell me, or your head will be slayed." Jeong Hye-Yi, feeling compelled to tell the truth, answered, "Yes, we are from Jiog Kingdom, but we came to save the King of Haneul."
Princess Jia Yon-Si was still sceptical and asked, "How can we believe you?" Prince Yeong-Su remained silent, his expression unreadable. Princess Sun Hee-Yoo demanded to know the identity of the black-dressed stranger and why he was covering his face. Prince Jeong Hye-Yi quickly came up with a lie, "Actually, he doesn't want to show his face to anyone. Even I don't know how he looks like."
Prince Yeong Su-Jin knew that time was of the essence and said, "There's no time, I need to save him." King Jeong Hye-Yi carefully laid the King's body in front of the statue of Goddess Johwa. The King's body was covered in blood, but Prince Yeong Su-Jin knelt down in front of him and raised his hand. Suddenly, a long, glittering diamond wand appeared in his grasp. Prince Yeong Su-Jin began to chant magic words, holding the wand with both hands above his head until it glowed brightly.
Princess Jia Yon-Si and Princess Sun Hee-Yoo watched in wonder as the blood on the King's body disappeared. He stirred awake and saw Princess Yeong Su-Jin standing beside him. Prince Yeong Su-Jin, with a hint of humour in his voice, asked, "So, how was the war?"
The King lay on the ground, bewildered by the sight of the man who had once taken his life now offering him salvation. "Wait, you're the one who killed me, and now you're saving me?" he asked incredulously.
The man, Prince Yeong Su-Jin, replied coolly, "I tell you first to get up." The King slowly rose to his feet, eyeing Prince Yeong Su-Jin warily. "As you said, I'm a man of my word, but at the same time, I don't love to fight and kill people," Prince Yeong Su-Jin explained. The King couldn't help but ask, "Why?"
Prince Yeong Su-Jin looked down at the ground, his face clouded with emotion. "There are many reasons, but still, I have fought and killed a few people. It has given me guilt, so I don't kill anymore."
The King was surprised by the man's candidness, and he asked, "Why did you save me?"
Prince Yeong Su-Jin replied, "In your Kingdom, everyone believes in you. That's why I saved you."
The King was grateful for the man's kindness, but he couldn't ignore the reality of his situation. "Thank you, but if I go back, another war will happen."
Prince Yeong Su-Jin nodded in agreement. "I know. For the next one month, you must stay in a secret place."
The King looked around, wondering where he could possibly hide. Princess Sun Hee-Yoo, a woman who had been silently listening, suddenly spoke up. "I know a place," she offered.
Princess Jia Yon-Si, who had been standing by her side, whispered urgently, "What are you talking about? Keep quiet!"
Prince Yeong Su-Jin was sceptical. "How can I believe you?"
Princess Sun Hee-Yoo looked him straight in the eye. "I'm a person of my word. I don't betray people. It's a promise."
Prince Yeong Su-Jin considered her words for a moment before nodding. "Okay, then."
Prince Jeong Hye-Yi voiced her concerns, "Can we really trust them?"
But Prince Yeong Su-Jin was resolute, "Get moving."
With that, they journeyed through the forest, their footsteps crunching on the leaves and twigs beneath them. They walked and walked until they reached the center of the forest, where they found a small city teeming with children.
Princess Sun Hee-Yoo pointed to a group of children and said, "These are the kids that I and Jia Yon-Si have adopted. The King can stay here for only one month."
The King expressed his gratitude, "I am indebted to you."
But Princess Sun Hee-Yoo and Princess Jia Yon-Si shook their heads, "It's our pleasure."
Prince Yeong Su-Jin saw a familiar face amongst the children, a child he had thought was dead. Without hesitation, he ran towards the child and enveloped him in a tight embrace.
"Who are you, Uncle?" the child asked.
Prince Yeong Su-Jin lifted his face mask to reveal his identity, "It's Yeong Su-Jin."
The child hugged him back, and Prince Yeong Su-Jin whispered, "Don't tell the people standing there, okay?"
"Alright," the child replied before shouting excitedly, "Chinjeol brother is here!" Prince Yeong Su-Jin quickly covered his face. It was a name that held great significance to him – Chinjeol, meaning kindness.
As soon as Prince Yeong Su-Jin revealed his face, the children ran towards him with arms wide open, leaving Princess Sun Hee-Yoo, Princess Jia Yon-Si, and the King puzzled. Prince Yeong Su-Jin warned the children to keep his identity a secret from anyone who wasn't present, to which the kids agreed before calling him "Chinjeol," not "Need Brother." Princess Sun Hee-Yoo asked why the kids were so excited to see him, and Prince Jeong Hye-Yi explained that Prince Yeong Su-Jin had known them since they were young but something had changed, and they were unsure what it was.
Princess Sun Hee-Yoo and the others approached Prince Yeong Su-Jin, and the kids confirmed that they knew him as Chinjeol. One of the children, Joon Hwan, asked if Prince Yeong Su-Jin remembered him, to which he replied yes and was rewarded with a kiss on the cheek. Prince Yeong Su-Jin then created a large pink glowing bubble, which burst into a beautiful Sakura tree, and a white, glowing bubble that exploded into snow. Prince Yeong Su-Jin promised the kids that the snow and the Sakura tree would last forever.
Princess Sun Hee-Yoo asked how he did it, but Princess Yeong Su-Jin replied that it was none of her business, and he cheerfully informed the kids that he would see them again the next day. Before leaving, Prince Yeong Su-Jin instructed Prince Jeong Hye-Yi to accompany him, and he bid farewell to the King, warning Princess Sun Hee-Yoo and Princess Jia Yon-Si to take care of the children or be prepared to face his wrath.
Once he had gone, Princess Sun Hee-Yoo asked Prince Jeong Hye-Yi "Why Yeong Su-Jin was acting so differently." Jeong Hye-Yi explained that he used to be different, but they were uncertain of what had caused the change. Princess Jia Yon-Si suggested finding out more about him, and Princess Sun Hee-Yoo agreed, and they headed back to the palace.
The next day, Princess Sun Hee-Yoo and Princess Jia Yon-Si went back to the forest to visit the children, and they found Prince Yeong Su-Jin and Prince Jeong Hye-Yi playing with the kids in the snow. Prince Jeong Hye-Yi greeted the princesses with her usual playful words, but Princess Jia Yon-Si rebuked her, insisting that they should talk normally. Princess Sun Hee-Yoo asked for the King, and Prince Yeong Su-Jin informed him that he was doing meditation.