Far away from the hustle and bustle of the world, Si-ri was gladly weaving clothes for winter. Out of the blue she noticed some light from the corner of her eyes and rushed towards her window for clarity.
She became a little frightened and suspicious, worried there could be the presence of a human being but it was something else.
“Oh! It’s a lantern, it seems people have started to celebrate the festival,” said Si-ri and closed the window to stop herself from admiring the sky full of lanterns. In this way, she would clog herself from the strong desire to go and see the world, happy faces of people, celebration, colours, crowd and everything.
“If only, father would have been here, I would not feel this lonely. It's been a long time since I haven't seen you father, please come back soon. I am missing you severely,” Si-ri mumbled in her thoughts while resting on her chair. She closed her eyes and shed tears and a lone tear slowly slid down her face as she recalled some memories of her parents.
She had a sketch of her mother that she had made. Touching the sketch delicately, she said, “I still miss you, I miss you every day. You were the centre of my universe, you were my whole world. You know mom, I am now skilled in cooking, weaving and everything that you wanted me to learn. Even though it was not that easy, father tried so hard to feed me after you left, by cooking all by himself but it was totally tasteless, it was punishment for my taste buds that's why I learned everything quickly.”
Her lips and eyes both were manifesting different stories. Her lips were forming a complete crescent while eyes were brimming with tears.
Si-ri suddenly heard someone calling her name at the front door. The voice seemed to be familiar. She ran towards the door and started peeping from the hole first for her security.
“I almost forgot about this maniac.” Si-ri opened the door with agitation and gave him a piece of her mind. Her tone and expression awoke an unwelcoming feeling.
But Si-ri’s words could not affect Min-ho as he was lost in filling his eyes with every ounce of her beautiful face. He was smiling like an idiot and said, “You look really cute when you are angry”.
Suddenly, there was a hushed silence between them. They both were looking at each other as if they were hypnotised or if someone had cast a spell on them. They both held each other's gaze, unaware of their surroundings that reckoned the rhythm of passing breeze, drumming of brittle leaves on windowpanes and the mist that held the mansion in a dark caress.
But as always shyness often gets in the way of intense eye contact. Si-ri shyly broke eye contact but Min-ho was still staring at her. Si-ri coughed to wake him up with the trance.
Min-ho regained his consciousness and felt embarrassed for his words.
“Let’s celebrate the festival.” Min-ho said with a big smile on his face.
Si-ri may look angry from outside on the sudden arrival of Min-ho but somewhere deep down she couldn’t deny the fact that she was happy as someone was there with her to celebrate the festival.
“Let's go to the rooftop”. Si-ri grabbed Min-ho’s hand in excitement and dragged him towards the rooftop.
The moment they reached the rooftop, the sky was full of colourful and bright lanterns. The view was so mesmerizing.
Si-ri took the lantern from Min-ho, started to write her wish, and asked Min-ho to write his wish on the lantern.
“I don’t have any wishes.” Min-ho shrugged.
“It's not right. Our desires are one of those powers that make us feel alive. To dream is like breathing. No dream or desire is like wandering and living life aimlessly in a monotonous way. Dare to dream, there is no limitation on what you can potentially achieve, except for the boundation you choose to impose on your imagination. Set yourself free like a bird in the sky of ambitions, dreams and desires and let yourself soak in the light of accomplishment and failures.”
“Only grey heads have no desires as they are at the finishing line, they just calmly wait for their end. You don't seem to be a grey head then why don't you possess any wishes?” Si-ri teased him.
“Because I am all alone in this world and I am satisfied with the things I have,” Min-ho responded.
Si-ri pressed her lips together and directed her gaze at him.
“But today I want to wish for something,” said Min-ho surprisingly and asked her to write his wish on his lantern.
“I wish that one fine day, this beautiful and kind hearted girl will be able to flee this mansion forever and spend a happy life outside free from miseries.”
Si-ri’s eyes rammed on to him and held for a moment. The corner of her lips turned up shyly and asked him to wish for something for himself.
“You are special to me. That's why I only wish for your happiness,” he said as they both lit the lantern and let it float in the sky.
Looking at the lantern Si-ri couldn’t help but feel butterflies for the first time. She knew she felt something for Min-ho.
“Whenever I would be fortunate enough to leave this mansion and live a normal life outside I would like to meet people like you, who are selfless, pure, kind and honest.”
“Then you have to be disappointed because there is no one like that,” shrugged Min-ho.
“Maybe. Tell me something about life outside because till now I have only seen the world from the eyes of my father but I want to know your perspective,” asked Si-ri.
“Just like every coin has two sides, you can live here in two ways. First way is to take birth in a well off family, where you can dominate and harass people who are lower than you. Second, do hard labour from day to night to earn your bread from the corrupted high class people for whom you are a mere slave,” Min-ho said.
Silence crept between them again.
“I know everything about the prevailing injustice of the kingdom. Father told me everything about how the top officials of the palace are misleading the King. They continue to fill their pockets with the hard earned money of the poor.”
“And what do you do for a living?” asked Si-ri, narrowing her gaze.
“I work at a gambling house. Impressed with my fighting skill and strength gambling house owner hired me to deal with people who couldn’t offer him timely payment on his loan.” Min-ho answered.
“So, do you think your service at gambling house will make any positive change for the poor people? It’s not a noble job at all. Just think about it once, are you positive about spending your life without any aim? Moreover, what is so good in threatening poor people for payment? You’re simply wasting your time and precious life by doing this measly work.” Si-ri tried to explain Min-ho.
“You’re good at fighting, why don’t you try to seek a place at the palace and serve our kingdom. Think about it you never know amidst this you may find the goal of your life too,” smirked Si-ri.
Min-ho slowly nodded in agreement, they continued to chat for a while until it was time for Min-ho to leave.
“It is getting late Si-ri, I must take my leave,” said Min-ho. Si-ri gave him a sad smile before agreeing.
As they were going back downstairs, Si-ri slipped. She quickly closed her eyes on instinct preparing for the impact when she felt muscular arms circle around her.
She slowly peeled her eyes open and was met with a pair of eyes filled with concern looking at her. She felt herself being hypnotised by his gaze. That’s when she felt her heart pounding in her chest. In sudden anxiety and fear, she pushed Min-ho off.
Min-ho tensed up a little and asked Si-ri, “Are you alright?”
“Yes I am fine. Thanks for saving me,” Si-ri responded hesitantly.
Min-ho wished Si-ri goodbye and proceeded to leave, with a gentle smile on his face.
Si-ri’s gaze followed him across the door till he disappeared into the dark forest.
On his way back, Min-ho couldn’t stop thinking about Si-ri’s words to set a goal instead of living aimlessly.
“I wondered how I would ever understand the meaning of life and that inner strength to accomplish something but Si-ri made me understand that as long as we have the gift of life everything is possible. I still have my life and my dreams. As long as there is life in me, the possibility of fulfilling my dreams can never die.” He smiled and continued.
Meanwhile, Si-ri couldn’t get her mind off Min-ho. She kept reminiscing in the memories of her and Min-ho.
“The way his eyes were intensely looking at mine as if he was staring into my soul. Those hazel eyes are full of lights as one could see a beam of serenity even in the state of chaos. Every time I look into his eyes, I find a weird solace and comfort in them”.
Then, she remembered the wish he made and admiring him for having a pure and pious heart in a crowd of deceivers.
All curled up in her bed Si-ri slept peacefully with a smile. After a long time she felt happy. Min-ho has started to fill the void in Si-ri’s life.
Min-ho was thinking about Si-ri’s advice. He screeched to halt in a nearby tea shop for a while. After some time he noticed the damnatory gazes of people around him. Some of them were so startled with his presence that they started to leave the shop. Min-ho couldn’t help but scoff at himself. “Some people are scared of me because of my arrogant demeanour and others look down on me scornfully because of my work and idleness. What kind of life am I living?” “I never got affected by these people but on the contrary I never wanted to see disgust and fear in their eyes for me but this is what I have earned in all these years, I only realised it now when someone poked me. It’s like I have been lost and stuck in a wasteland where there was direction where I could run but not sure in which direction, lots of faces
Lord Yong and his disciples finally reached Noam. Lord Yong was happy that finally, he had the book to save Si-ri but at the same time he was agitated with the remedy that leads to break the curse. Lord Yong and the others placed the book in the shrine located at Lord Yong's house. Lord Yong opened the book and started looking for the antidote to break the curse. He continued to turn page after page with a menacing taste of what's to come. The front page of the book was dark and coarse, the pages had turned yellowish. Spells and amendments were written on each page of the book. The pages of the book are said to be made of vellum of animals. Sentenced to death for breaking his monastic vows, the monk offered a proposal to the King that he would create a book with the world's knowledge in return for his life. The King accepted the propo
As the sky turned dark and an inky black sky appeared, the furrows between his brows grew deeper, as he sat with anxiety written all over Lord Yong's face.Lord Yong had decided to disclose the complete truth to Si-ri before it was too late. He bought some gifts for Si-ri and stepped towards the dense forest with a torch.Standing in front of the mansion Lord Yong knocks on the door. Si-ri rushed towards the door, sensing it must be her father and hastily opened the door. Si-ri was grinning from ear to ear and hugged her father."I missed you a lot, didn't you miss me?" asked Si-ri, making a puppy face."Do you really think your father could forget you? I missed you so much and prayed for your well-being," Lord Yong cupped her face an
"A few months later, as predicted by the girl, the Queen gave birth to a pair of twins, a boy and a girl. In fear for her children and of the throne becoming heirless again, the Queen asked the shaman for a solution. The wicked shaman convinced the Queen to sacrifice the princess for the well-being of the prince and for the future of the Kingdom of Noam. The King hearing this furiously declined, refusing to sacrifice his daughter. But going against the King's decision the Queen handed the Princess over to Mi-sook for her to be sacrificed. Mi-sook transferred the Prince's curse also over to the Princess and told the Queen that the girl had to be burnt for the ritual to be complete. The Queen summoned me for this heinous act as it could only be done through pious spells. I assured them that I killed the Princess and the Queen ordered me to leave the Palace forever."Lord Yong slowly turned
Sleep eluded Si-ri's eyes last night. She spent night by spinning here and there on the bed sometimes and staring at the darkness other times. Maybe, she was looking for the answers that no one could answer. However, she had complete faith in her father and she was certain that everything will be alright soon. Even after knowing Lord Yong was not her biological father, Si-ri's love for him didn't flutter even a bit. Her immense love for Lord Yong was intact. On the other hand, she was feeling pity for her own father who had to hand over his new born to someone. Still she decided to not go to the palace after breaking of her curse. She would rather live with the man who adored her like her own daughter than to be with someone who she barely knows. Early in the morning, Si-ri stood on her balcony filling her eyes with the soothing sight of the rising sun. She still had many unanswered questions and th
Moving forward in the dense forest, they came across the tree titled as the Treeof Empyrean.It was the same as mentioned in the book. Standing in the middle of the forest, illuminated in silver rays of the moon, it was covered with beautiful blue flowers with a hint of purple in them. The tree was not as tall as others of the forest; it was average in size but there was something truly majestic about it, it was a feast for the eyes. Bathing in the angelic moonlight the scene felt like it was from a fairy-tale. All of them were in awe of its beauty. Lord Yong, Si-ri and Nyang stood there for a moment astonished by the charm of the Treeof Empyrean. "My child! The commencement of breaking the curse begins with this tree. You should take your first step to break the curse," said Lord Yong to Si-ri, brea
Lord Yong and Nyang walked through the streets and noticed the decorations that were being put up. The streets were dancing in a variety of colours with smiles plastered on almost everyone's faces. It looked like the preparations for a grand celebration. Nyang asked one of the people about the decorations, then they got to know that the preparations were for the Prince's marriage. In the Palace Queen Iseul walked around the palace instructing everyone, from the maids to the cooks, she wanted everything to be perfect for her son's big day. Her face was glowing from joy as she made sure everything was to the Prince's liking. She couldn't wait to see her son getting wed, it was a dream come true. Her smile hadn't faded even for a moment through it all.
The sound of chirping birds fell onto Ruyi's ears. She moaned from the streaming sunlight against her face and wondered how long she had been asleep for. Suddenly, she felt a feathery sensation caressing her cheeks, it was so soft yet tickling. "You look even more gorgeous while sleeping, my Princess". Ruyi heard a familiar voice and came to her senses. With a mental sigh she allowed her brain to focus and cautiously open her eyes. She slowly opened her eyes, only to be met with a pair of glittery ones looking at her with much affection. While exchanging glances, Ruyi recalled their last night, a flush ran down her body and she quickly pulled the duvet over her head to hide her face. The Prince bursted out laughing looking at his wife's adorable act. "My dear, since you are shy, I w