Sakura's Petals
Treacheries

THE TEMPORARY RESIDENCE OF PRINCE YUNTI

“Wah, I always hear from the house servants that your house is very luxurious. But this is clearly more than I could have imagined. Your house is like Joseon's palace.”

Yunti smiled, little. His lips still felt stiff to be able to smile loosely, after being indirectly rejected by Hwa Ryong. “Wear this room for a while. Rest, you must be tired of wandering all day.”

Hwa Ryong smiled. Yunti's heart was made to beat because of it. He realized that he could not really lose Hwa Ryong. He could die if he lost it. “You always understood me.”

Yunti turned around and walked out. Before leaving, he whispered to the room maid. “Lock the door.” The waiter nodded respectfully. “Do not let anyone in, unless he has got permission from me.”

Hwa Ryong who was arranging his luggage, was shocked when he heard the sound of the key being closed from outside. He stood up and checked the door. His heart was stabbed when he found the door locked. What the fuck, he thought. “Is there anyone outside? There's someone here, don't lock the door! Please!”

Yunti, who was still walking a short distance away, turned to Hwa Ryong's room. “I'm sorry, Hwa Ryong-ah. I have no choice but to.”

Hwa Ryong fell in front of the door. His legs felt limp, when he realized that he had been tricked. He sat silent for a long time until the morning sun did not feel it had arrived. Hearing the sound of the door lock being opened, Hwa Ryong immediately stood up and hid behind the door. “Agassi! We bring food.” call the waiter while entering the room with a large tray filled with food.

Hwa Ryong immediately ran out of hiding towards the outside of the room. But how shocked he was, when it was not until two meters he stepped in the hallway, the female servants had caught him and dragged him in again. “Let me go! Bring Prince Yunti here. Bring him here now! Let go of me.”

The servants seemed to have no ears, they did not answer a single word and dragged Hwa Ryong sitting on the bed. A tray of food was placed in front of him. And with great respect, the servants prepared the dish. “Please enjoy, Agassi.” As if nothing had happened, they came out of the room and locked the room again. Hwa Ryong could only sit on his bed, helpless. The tears that he had been holding up all night, finally fell as well.

ON MARKET

In a tavern, the Crown Prince drinks his tea, quickly. Pouring it again and again. Until Eunuch Hyun stopped him. “Don't drink too fast, Your Majesty. Your Majesty can choke.”

“My heart is burning, it feels so hot here.” Both of his hands were pressed against his chest. “What should I do, Hyun?”

“Speedly or later, the soldiers will be able to find him, Your Majesty. Please have a little more patience, Your Majesty.”

“Patience a little? My heart feels like it's going to explode now.” he replied, beavering.

Suddenly a general came closer with a man dressed in a moustache behind him.

“Report, Your Majesty! This guy confessed that he had seen the girl in the sketch, Your Highness.”

The Crown Prince smiled with relief. “Is that true?”

“Then do you know where he went?”

“I'm sorry, Your Grace. The only thing I know is that he went with a young man on a horse. The young man looked so hasty as he rode the horse away. I just almost got hit by him when he crossed.”

“Youth? What's again? What else do you know? Try to remember again.” urged the Crown Prince, impatient.

The man was silent for a moment, visibly thinking hard before then answering. “The man's clothes are so luxurious. And I am sure that he is no ordinary noble. At least, he looks like a minister. And again that horse, I who had worked as a horse nurse in the noble house, knew exactly that the horse was not a horse from Joseon. The horse looks so sturdy and I am sure that it is a horse from China, Your Majesty.”

“China?” repeat Crown Prince, shocked. What this has to do with China's illegal trade or not... Qing Empire, he thought, in a rage.

THE SHIM FAMILY RESIDENCE

Mr. Shim was sitting on the front porch, staring at a painting he had done with Hwa Ryong when Hwa Ryong was seven years old, a moment later one of his personal bodyguards half ran towards him. “Master! You should see this.”

A sheet depicting a sketch of Hwa Ryong's face was printed clearly before him. Mr. Shim's eyes widened instantly. “What happened exactly?”

Gasping for breath, the bodyguard explained. “When we were looking for Miss, there was a city soldier who put this paper on the city notice board. Not only that, other soldiers are also distributing these leaflets to all public places in the city.”

“Do you know who sent them?”

The guard was silent for a moment. “This is what astonished me, Sir. I heard they were sent directly by the Crown Prince.”

Mr. Shim let out a long sigh. The thing he was worried about would happen would finally happen. Accidents and tragedies start here.

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" The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from an enemy, but a friend. "

- NN

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