Page 54 of Gumiho Kiss
Chin Sun’s brain screamed at her to move, draw the dagger out of her clothes, dosomething, but she found herself paralyzed, waiting to see if he’d keep going.Wanting him to.
He hesitated, searching her gaze like he wanted to make sure he had permission before he touched her, before he unveiled her secret once and for all.
Hyun Soo’s fingers grazed the top of her cheek, pausing on her skin.A shock ran through her, stoking the fire growing in her belly.She leaned into his touch, eyes still locked on his.
His lips parted as he drew in a sharp breath.His hand drifted toward the knot holding her mask in place.
A rush of footfalls sounded nearby, and Chin Sun jumped back, head swerving toward the main road.Had the pirates caught up with them?Or perhaps some patrolmen passing by?Either way, she couldn’t afford to be seen.Chin Sun gave Hyun Soo one final glance, then stole away into the darkness.
* * *
Hyun Soo was relieved when the vigilante slipped out of sight, identity still unconfirmed.Part of him hadn’t wanted to unmask Gwishin.Not when he was sure he’d find Lady Lee staring up at him.
That had been several hours ago, and now he stood in his room with his back to the door, the first light of dawn peeking in through his open window.He pressed his hands to his forehead and groaned in frustration.He’d barely gotten a wink of sleep.This mission had seemed so simple when he’d first accepted it.If he’d known it would make him question everything, he’d have declined Dol Sam’s offer.
Gwishin had been a thorn in his side for weeks, yet when he’d seen the masked figure trapped inside the burning building, he hadn’t hesitated to jump into the inferno.Protecting Lady Lee was his top priority, but what if all his instincts were wrong and Gwishin wasn’t his mistress in disguise?Had he just sabotaged himself?
Except ...Gwishin had saved his life.
What kind of criminal would risk their neck for someone who’d tried to kill them?
He called to mind the charges stacked against the elusive vigilante: assault, robbery, murder, destruction of property.Could they all have come from trying to protect the lowborn?
Hyun Soo was guilty of just as much, yet the law didn’t condemn him because he’d done it all for the throne’s sake.
He lowered his hands and stared out at the pink sky, wishing it could give him the answers he sought.Or better yet, that he could turn to his father.The sage minister had always been generous with his counsel, earning Hyun Soo’s respect and admiration from a young age.He hadn’t realized until years later just how important his father was, for he was none other than Byeongjo Panseo, Minister of National Defense.
And Hyun Soo was his greatest joy.
Until someone found a series of letters in Hyun Soo’s quarters that detailed the palace’s weapons arsenal and guard assignments.That was when everything changed.Hyun Soo was searched, questioned, and eventually arrested on suspicion of selling country secrets.He had no idea how the messages had gotten into his satchel, nor whom they were for.He couldn’t even read them since they were in Japanese.But all his cries of innocence fell on deaf ears.
When his father heard what happened, his influence kept Hyun Soo from standing trial, but the young guard’s reputation and position were lost.
Hyun Soo’s relationship with his father disappeared next, for a son branded as a traitor was an embarrassment for a man who’d lived his entire life seeking to bring honor to his country.
“I would have thought my message clear.You are not welcome here any longer,” Father declared when he finally exited his chambers.He stood several paces away on the veranda, but his booming voice easily reached Hyun Soo’s ears where he bowed with his face to the ground.
Hyun Soo didn’t move from his position, but he couldn’t hold back the tears streaming down his face.He’d been kneeling in the family courtyard for hours, unwilling to move until he’d gained an audience.
“And where shall I go?Without you and Mother, without the Park name, I am nothing.”
“You should have thought of that before you betrayed this great nation.If it weren’t for my influence, you’d be behind bars right now.”
Hyun Soo’s head snapped up, eyes locking with his father’s.“I am innocent.Why can’t you believe me?”
Father turned his back on him, and Hyun Soo’s hurt spilled over.“You spoke often of the importance of loyalty, that the bonds of family were stronger than any other,” Hyun Soo said.“Were those just words you could toss aside when things got hard?”
Father whipped around, teeth bared.“An archer has no use for a broken arrow.”He strode down the stairs to Hyun Soo and wrenched his son’s sword from the scabbard, his tiered gauze hat making him appear as tall as a grim reaper.
When Father raised the sword, Hyun Soo stretched his neck forward and shut his eyes, ready to accept his fate.If there was nothing he could do to change Father’s mind, perhaps this was best.If he could restore the Park family name with his death, so be it.
He waited for the sword to fall, but when it did, it stopped short, slicing his braid rather than his skin.
Hyun Soo let out a weak cry, then peered at the sheared hair in confusion.Had Father changed his mind about killing him?Was this mercy?
Minister Park turned his back on him once more, chest heaving.“Just as that is severed, so is our family bond.We are of no relation henceforth.”
The servants had thrown Hyun Soo out shortly after, and Dol Sam found him passed out in a tavern that evening.He would only later realize the finality of his father’s dismissal.The audience Minister Park had granted him that day would be the last gift his father bestowed.
