The Reunion

Sang-min has now entered the palace officially and joined the army to learn all the things that he missed out on. It was his only way to stay in the palace and also search the insides of the main palace chambers. During the course of 1 month, he saw many concubines—all the beauties he had ever heard of—except for one person named Kim Ara. He had doubts about who she was and why she was kept secret, not only from others but also from the people of the court.

People only talked about her beauty and the way she keeps attempting suicide. Listening to all those rumors, Sang-min felt pity for her. In his goal to search for Ha-ri, even though he felt sorry for Kim Ara, he didn't pay attention to her situation. Sang-min was so tired after finishing all the training to become a government official; he had been working hard for the past 30 days since he entered the palace. As each day passed, it seemed like he was getting closer to finding Ha-ri. His sole willpower was to find her, hold her in his arms, and console her for all the days she had to live without him.

One night, as he walked by the pond to relax before the exam day, as the slow breeze brushed his face, he saw a beautiful woman across the pond standing opposite him. She was like the moon in the night sky; his whole attention was grabbed by her. As he saw her and smiled at her, she jumped into the water. Sang-min was taken aback by the scene. But he immediately jumped into the water. As he swam deeper and drew closer to the woman, he felt a deep sense of sorrow as her body seemed to sink in a mournful manner. However, as he reached out and grabbed her hand, he twisted her around, only to realize that she was Ha-ri. His heart pounded 1,000 times faster as the love of his life was dying in front of him. He swam out of the water faster, placed her in his arms, and tried to wake her up, but there was no movement. Desperately, he pressed his lips to hers, breathing life into her with each tender kiss. At that moment, every breath he took was infused with a fierce passion to save her and bring her back to him. And as he poured his love into her, willing her to return to him, he prayed that their bond would be strong enough to defy even death itself, but there was no moment in her. He cried out loud, hugging her, remembering how he made the mistake of leaving the village one and a half years ago and how he should have listened to her. He stayed in the town until the festival of lanterns passed. He kept saying, “Please come back to me; I would never do anything against your will, and I am even ready to die in your place, but please come to me, Ha-ri ya.

As Sangamin held her close, his tears cascading onto her limp hand, her motionless form seemed to embody the weight of his anguish. But then, like a miracle unfolding before his eyes, Ha-ri stirred. A cough escaped her lips, followed by the sound of water being expelled from her lungs. With each gasping breath, she began to regain consciousness, her eyes fluttering open to meet his gaze. In that moment, the world seemed to hold its breath as they were reunited, their love transcending the darkness that had threatened to consume them. They hugged each other in a rush of overwhelming emotion and embraced each other tightly, their tears mingling in a bittersweet symphony of joy and relief. And then, as if drawn together by an invisible force, their lips met in a passionate kiss, sealing their love in that moment of raw vulnerability and undeniable connection.

As they comforted each other under the moonlight on the side of the pond, Ha-ri told Sang-min how she had lived this whole time. As she told him what she faced, Sang-min's anger ragged to peek, but he controlled himself and looked at Ha-ri, who was shivering. He kissed her forehead and hugged her tightly, making her feel safe in his arms and not afraid of the crown prince.

As Ha-ri gazed into Sang-min's eyes, pleading for escape from the palace and the cruel world that had tormented her, she saw the fire of vengeance burning within him. His words cut through the air like a blade, filled with fury and determination to right the wrongs inflicted upon her. With a heavy heart, Sang-min dropped to one knee, taking Ha-ri's trembling hand in his own.

In a voice tinged with both anguish and resolve, he made a solemn vow to her. Despite his own disdain for the throne, he swore to ascend it and wield its power as a weapon against those who had caused her so much suffering. With every fiber of his being, he pledged to tear down the walls of injustice, to seek retribution for every tear she had shed and for every moment of anguish she had endured.

And as he made this vow, Ha-ri saw in his eyes a fierce determination that both frightened and comforted her. She knew that their path ahead would be fraught with danger and uncertainty, but she also knew that with Sang-min by her side, she would never have to face it alone.

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