Futile Love

Chapter 132: Chapter 132
Oops…

He scared Woorum again.

He bit his lip bitterly.

“Long live the Crown Prince! I’m honored to see you.”

Kyosul slightly bent her knees awkwardly. She turned her head to look back at him, embarrassed and at a loss about what to do. With one foot on the step stool and the other in the air, she was completely leaning against him.

“I don’t think you are in a good posture to offer greetings.”

“Oh, really? I think so.”

She burst into laughter. His eyebrows wiggled at that.

He tightened his grip on her forearms. He smelled the sweet scent of her tender skin. Something soft and tender pressed against his chest. She was not heavy, but he couldn’t endure her physical touch at the moment.

He lifted and placed her on the floor. Her small figure was ridiculously light.

‘Ah… I shouldn’t smile.’

His face hardened all the more.

After lifted lightly, she set her feet gently on the floor. She stood on the ground firmly, but for some reason, she felt strange. She quickly turned back and said, “Thank you.”

“So, was it worth seeing it?”

“Pardon?”

She shrugged her shudders at his unexpected question.

“I mean the library here.”

He replied briefly and bit his lips, thinking to himself, ‘My conversation with her never goes smoothly. Maybe it’s not right. How did I forget how to talk to her?’

He blamed himself but kept talking anyway.

A little while ago he caught her gladly, and now, he wanted to talk.

The only thing Bipaan had control control over was his expression.

“As you only asked about the library in the outer palace, I thought you didn’t know there was a library in the East Palace. There are more books here than in the library in the outer palace.”

“Ah… . ”

She rolled her eyes, at a loss for words. Seeing her embarrassed, he clenched his jaw and asked, “Don’t you find it more interesting here?”

What stupid question did he ask?

He felt like he was conceited when he said the library here was better than in the outer palace. She and Ruhae were more familiar with the outer palace.

Bipaan felt inferior to them more and more.

“I haven’t read many books here, but there are lots of interesting books. ”

“Will you keep acting like a rabbit every time I speak?”

“Rabbit?”

“You shake shoulders every time I say something.”

He wanted to shut his mouth. Every time he moved his tongue, he said foolish things he wanted to erase. No matter how hard he bit his lip, he couldn’t stop opening his mouth in front of her. All her gestures, words and eyes were so cute that he could not stand it.

He suddenly held out his hands. When she stepped back at that, he felt bitter.

‘Why is she so scared of me?’

He quickly pulled the book she was looking for from the shelf and gave it to her. Then he stepped back.

“Here you are.”

Receiving the book with both hands, she asked him curiously, “How did you know I was looking for this book?”

“Don’t you know I caught you in my arms when you fell while trying to reach this book?”

“Oh, you’re right. You saw me, ” she said awkwardly.

What should he do about this cute lady?

Bipaan had to make every effort not to laugh again, not to say awkward words, and not to touch her rudely.

Patience, patience. He found it very hard to maintain patience around her.

“Bye for now.”

He barely turned. Without knowing how much he got into a stew, she suddenly caught him, “Your Majesty.”

He stopped but did not look back. He felt he could never be the same once he turned and looked at her.

“I was sick recently.”

“You look fine now.”

He thought to himself, ‘I know. You look much better now. I went to visit your place secretly at dawn the other day.’

But he couldn’t say anything about it. Instead, he spoke coldly.

When he felt he was touched, he spat out even worse words. As he had to hide his feelings, he said something in the opposite way. It was a defensive mechanism as he was so clumsy in expressing his feelings.

“When you can do anything freely, does it reflect your heart?”

“My heart?”

After all, she cut to the heart.

His voice, which had no pitch, trembled. As he was agitated, he slurred the end of his words and raised his voice.

He was silent for a while. It was hard for him to say anything. He did not think she would ask so directly.

He recalled her eyes meeting Ruhae’s. It looked like she already decided to give heart to him.

‘That’s why she asked me such a question.’

The only answer he would or should give her would be his approval to do what she wanted.

He knew it, but it was hard to give an answer. He felt as if a blunt knife squeezed through his chest and cut his heart to pieces.

“Given that you are asking me boldly, it seems like you’ve already made a decision. Do you think I can stir your mind if I say anything?”

“…What you mean is…”

“I don’t know how many times I told you. As long as you do not harm my efforts to succeed the throne, live freely. Whatever you do or whatever you choose, that’s none of my business. ”

Bipaan quickly wrapped up his conversation with her and left the library.

He couldn’t stand it. He felt nauseous.

***

Bipaan had to admit that Kyosul and Ruhae advanced their relationship further. Bipaan wanted to focus on his duty without seeing either of them anymore, but he was bothered by them often.

A poisoning incident took place in the North Palace. Ruhae was cited as the main culprit on ridiculous and false charges, and Bipaan was in charge of interrogating him as the Crown Price.

Interrogating Ruhae was a tough job and stressed him out.

Bipaan returned to his residence only when the sun began to set in the west. When he lay down for a rest, an unexpected guest was waiting for him outside .

“Your Majesty, the Crown Princess has arrived. She is waiting for you.”

In fact, she had arrived at the East Palace before he came .

Now, It was more difficult and complex for him to deal with her.

“Your Majesty.”

As if she was about to collapse any moment, she called him faintly.

Without responding, he just looked at her coldly.

She opened her dry, little lips.

“He was with me at that time.”

Her testimony made it much harder to continue with the interrogation. Already exhausted, he felt like he had been beaten.

‘Yeah, I guessed you were together at that time. You would be spending time together without me.”

He hated everything now. He was exhausted.

He clapped his hands slowly and duly.

In the end, he opened his mouth slowly.

“You guys really look pathetic.”

That was the only thing he could in response to their love.

From the moment, he was in charge of interrogating Ruhae. Bipaan knew she would come to see him. He had anticipated this moment lots of times, but every moment was more difficult and painful to him than expected.

“Eight days ago, he was with me. That day I bumped into him when he stopped by the North Palace, so I briefly talked with him. After he stayed with he briefly, he…”

After pausing for a moment, she continued, “He quickly left, saying he was busy handling state affairs.”

As soon as she was done talking, he quickly found out that she lied.

He felt she lied to put Ruhae in the clear. It was true that they met, but it seemed she couldn’t confirm what happened after he parted with her.

Bipaan was also convinced of Ruhae’s innocence, but he was so exhausted at the moment that he couldn’t afford to take her testimony into account.

He questioned her harshly. Although she was embarrassed and agitated, she sided with Ruhae to the end.

She even said, “I’m going to come forward as a witness when you interrogate him.”

Without hesitation at all, she volunteered to testify.

After she showed such a strong resolution even before her scary husband, he was fully convinced that his judgement was correct. She wanted Ruae. Apart from that, however, he was so troubled and frustrated.

“I can’t approve you testifying.”

Bipaan reached for her until his long finger touched her chin and found it surprisingly smooth. Her lips, which must be more soft, were up close, but he could not get closer. At this moment, she was a forbidden fruit that he couldn’t covet.

Suppressing his desire, he reminded her of the same thing, which he had mentioned to her lots of times in the past.

“Don’t do anything that would stand in my way.”

Bipaan was now showing jealousy to her.

It was the expression of his jealousy of Woorum, his first love, and Kyosul who gave her heart to Ruhae.