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honou_no_izumi) wrote2020-05-26 01:21 pm
honou_no_izumi) wrote2020-05-26 01:21 pm
Entry tags:
Last Stage [Chapter 4]
Title: Last Stage
Series: 황후의 품격 / The Last Empress
Characters: Lee Hyuk, Na Wangshik
Summary: As the 10th anniversary of Lee Hyuk's reign grows nearer, Dowager Empress Kang schemes yet another plan to foil Oh Sunny's attempt to bring light to the Imperial family's crimes. It'll take more than just the combined efforts of both Sunny and Wangshik to try to bring them down. And will Lee Hyuk finally have a change of heart?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He was greeted with a very bright light the moment he opened his eyes. And with his consciousness returning, so did the burning pain that exploded throughout his body.
Despite that, he willed himself to get up.
xxx
The Imperial hospital was in an uproar as soon as he reached the place. An imperial officer rushed up towards him in a hurry.
"What's the commotion?" asked Hyuk as soon as the man became close enough to hear him.
"Na Wangshik went missing. He probably slipped out during the guards' shift change."
Hyuk frowned. "Find him at once! It'd be bad if my mother's people got wind of this. Close off the area until you get him! We can't let anyone get any word of this out, you hear me?"
The rest of his guards muttered their reply and dispersed immediately to execute his order. Hyuk headed upstairs as he went to look for Na Wangshik himself.
xxx
His ears have started to ring again and his vision's blurry. Yet he needed to get moving. There's a lot of things that he needed to know and he has to get back to Mr. Byeon's place! This was no time for him to be stuck in the hospital by whoever it was that got him here. And he didn't know who it was that took him to this place—
Without warning, the surrounding corridors and hallways around him were suddenly swarmed by black-suited men. Even with his impaired senses Wangshik could tell that these men should be from the palace—there was a certain manner of behaviour that he recognized coming from these men that separated them for ordinary security detail. He bit his lips as he wondered how in hell should he escape this place.
And it didn't seem as if he had any way to contact his allies...
The men surrounding him suddenly parted ways as a man slowly walked up towards him. Wangshik silently cursed out as he recognised the man in front of him.
xxx
"All of you back off now. Secure the area so that no one else can enter this area."
"Yes, your Majesty!" echoed his men as all of them moved to their positions; sealing off the area while maintaining a distance from either him or Na Wangshik.
Na Wangshik snorted as Hyuk turned his glance towards the man.
"Na Wangshik, I need to talk to you."
The man snickered again. "Of course. Why else would I be here again in your custody? I suppose I should thank you for saving my life?"
The man's tone of voice had been neutral, but Hyuk couldn't help feeling bothered at the fact that it lacked the usual warmth that often accompanied his speech. Back before he was aware that Cheon Woobin was in fact Na Wangshik.
It never really bothered him much, prior to the bombing incident. But now...
"Why wouldn't I save you? I considered you like my own brother..."
Na Wangshik frowned at him again.
"Have you lost your mind? Did you forget that my real identity was not Cheon Woobin? Did you hit your head so bad during the last incident that you forgot that I'm your enemy?"
Hyuk hastily shook his head. "N-no, I haven't forgotten—I know that I've done many wrongs to you that I couldn't possibly make it up to you. But I need your help. I... I can't fight my mother on my own. I need you by my side again."
xxx
He couldn't believe what he's hearing. Lee Hyuk, asking him to ally together. As if a few days ago the same man hadn't tried to kill him after having found out his real identity. And nothing much had changed for the man anyway since Lee Hyuk still would not admit what he'd done wrong.
Every time Lee Hyuk appeared to want to turn a new leaf he always ended up being disappointed by the end result. Since the jerk would always end up going back and forth on his actions, leading them nowhere...
So if back then the man hadn't changed much for the better, what's the difference now?
He scoffed at the man. "Don't kid with me. You... allying with me? After all these times, do you think I'd trust you?"
Lee Hyuk started to stutter his replies but Wangshik snapped at him. "Don't think I forgot how you destroyed the evidence that Miss Sunny has gathered before! And I've watched you so many times! Just when I thought you'd start to mend your ways and become a better person—what did you do? You went back and forth so many times that I don't think that you deserved a second chance from me!"
"How dare you expect me to ally with you after what you did to my mother? After everything you've done to the Empress as well as the rest of the people whose lives were changed because of the many wrongs you did!" Wangshik fumed. "Don't think I'd be so generous as to forget all those things and accept you as a friend."
He was incensed. And seeing Lee Hyuk wearing that pitiable look in front of him acting as if he was the only one hurting made him see red.
"Even then, would you really have killed me if you could?"
Wangshik glared at the man. "Why wouldn't I? All these times... every time you asked me to hit you with all my might, every time you gave me a chance to cause you bodily harm—you wouldn't believe just how much restraint I placed on myself to not end you right away. What? I couldn't kill you? As if!"
xxx
Despite everything, somehow Hyuk couldn't help but smile at the man.
"Yes!", he spoke confidently again. "You wouldn't kill me. You're too noble as to attempt to kill a person even if that person was someone you loathed so badly. There's no point for you to taint your hands killing someone like me. Isn't that right? Wasn't that why even that time when you cornered me at the edge of the cliff you stopped yourself from hitting me with the car!"
"Why you—!"
He was expecting Na Wangshik to lunge at him, grabbing his collar tightly and shower him with all of the abuse that he deserved. He almost prepared himself to be manhandled by the man as he closed his eyes tightly. But the assault never came...
Lee Hyuk opened his eyes again to find Na Wangshik staggering towards the wall while clutching his head. He immediately rushed over before Na Wangshik shoved him away with much difficulty.
"Go away...!"
"You're in pain, I'll call for the doctor—!"
Without warning, Na Wangshik collapsed to the floor as Hyuk hurriedly ordered his men to get help.
Series: 황후의 품격 / The Last Empress
Characters: Lee Hyuk, Na Wangshik
Summary: As the 10th anniversary of Lee Hyuk's reign grows nearer, Dowager Empress Kang schemes yet another plan to foil Oh Sunny's attempt to bring light to the Imperial family's crimes. It'll take more than just the combined efforts of both Sunny and Wangshik to try to bring them down. And will Lee Hyuk finally have a change of heart?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He was greeted with a very bright light the moment he opened his eyes. And with his consciousness returning, so did the burning pain that exploded throughout his body.
Despite that, he willed himself to get up.
xxx
The Imperial hospital was in an uproar as soon as he reached the place. An imperial officer rushed up towards him in a hurry.
"What's the commotion?" asked Hyuk as soon as the man became close enough to hear him.
"Na Wangshik went missing. He probably slipped out during the guards' shift change."
Hyuk frowned. "Find him at once! It'd be bad if my mother's people got wind of this. Close off the area until you get him! We can't let anyone get any word of this out, you hear me?"
The rest of his guards muttered their reply and dispersed immediately to execute his order. Hyuk headed upstairs as he went to look for Na Wangshik himself.
xxx
His ears have started to ring again and his vision's blurry. Yet he needed to get moving. There's a lot of things that he needed to know and he has to get back to Mr. Byeon's place! This was no time for him to be stuck in the hospital by whoever it was that got him here. And he didn't know who it was that took him to this place—
Without warning, the surrounding corridors and hallways around him were suddenly swarmed by black-suited men. Even with his impaired senses Wangshik could tell that these men should be from the palace—there was a certain manner of behaviour that he recognized coming from these men that separated them for ordinary security detail. He bit his lips as he wondered how in hell should he escape this place.
And it didn't seem as if he had any way to contact his allies...
The men surrounding him suddenly parted ways as a man slowly walked up towards him. Wangshik silently cursed out as he recognised the man in front of him.
xxx
"All of you back off now. Secure the area so that no one else can enter this area."
"Yes, your Majesty!" echoed his men as all of them moved to their positions; sealing off the area while maintaining a distance from either him or Na Wangshik.
Na Wangshik snorted as Hyuk turned his glance towards the man.
"Na Wangshik, I need to talk to you."
The man snickered again. "Of course. Why else would I be here again in your custody? I suppose I should thank you for saving my life?"
The man's tone of voice had been neutral, but Hyuk couldn't help feeling bothered at the fact that it lacked the usual warmth that often accompanied his speech. Back before he was aware that Cheon Woobin was in fact Na Wangshik.
It never really bothered him much, prior to the bombing incident. But now...
"Why wouldn't I save you? I considered you like my own brother..."
Na Wangshik frowned at him again.
"Have you lost your mind? Did you forget that my real identity was not Cheon Woobin? Did you hit your head so bad during the last incident that you forgot that I'm your enemy?"
Hyuk hastily shook his head. "N-no, I haven't forgotten—I know that I've done many wrongs to you that I couldn't possibly make it up to you. But I need your help. I... I can't fight my mother on my own. I need you by my side again."
xxx
He couldn't believe what he's hearing. Lee Hyuk, asking him to ally together. As if a few days ago the same man hadn't tried to kill him after having found out his real identity. And nothing much had changed for the man anyway since Lee Hyuk still would not admit what he'd done wrong.
Every time Lee Hyuk appeared to want to turn a new leaf he always ended up being disappointed by the end result. Since the jerk would always end up going back and forth on his actions, leading them nowhere...
So if back then the man hadn't changed much for the better, what's the difference now?
He scoffed at the man. "Don't kid with me. You... allying with me? After all these times, do you think I'd trust you?"
Lee Hyuk started to stutter his replies but Wangshik snapped at him. "Don't think I forgot how you destroyed the evidence that Miss Sunny has gathered before! And I've watched you so many times! Just when I thought you'd start to mend your ways and become a better person—what did you do? You went back and forth so many times that I don't think that you deserved a second chance from me!"
"How dare you expect me to ally with you after what you did to my mother? After everything you've done to the Empress as well as the rest of the people whose lives were changed because of the many wrongs you did!" Wangshik fumed. "Don't think I'd be so generous as to forget all those things and accept you as a friend."
He was incensed. And seeing Lee Hyuk wearing that pitiable look in front of him acting as if he was the only one hurting made him see red.
"Even then, would you really have killed me if you could?"
Wangshik glared at the man. "Why wouldn't I? All these times... every time you asked me to hit you with all my might, every time you gave me a chance to cause you bodily harm—you wouldn't believe just how much restraint I placed on myself to not end you right away. What? I couldn't kill you? As if!"
xxx
Despite everything, somehow Hyuk couldn't help but smile at the man.
"Yes!", he spoke confidently again. "You wouldn't kill me. You're too noble as to attempt to kill a person even if that person was someone you loathed so badly. There's no point for you to taint your hands killing someone like me. Isn't that right? Wasn't that why even that time when you cornered me at the edge of the cliff you stopped yourself from hitting me with the car!"
"Why you—!"
He was expecting Na Wangshik to lunge at him, grabbing his collar tightly and shower him with all of the abuse that he deserved. He almost prepared himself to be manhandled by the man as he closed his eyes tightly. But the assault never came...
Lee Hyuk opened his eyes again to find Na Wangshik staggering towards the wall while clutching his head. He immediately rushed over before Na Wangshik shoved him away with much difficulty.
"Go away...!"
"You're in pain, I'll call for the doctor—!"
Without warning, Na Wangshik collapsed to the floor as Hyuk hurriedly ordered his men to get help.