It took Fei a lot more to get Dohyun into her small apartment. While Hermes did drive them to Ethos, it was still weird carrying a fully grown man like he was a fragile princess. Minjae was nowhere in sight and Hikaru made sure nobody could see a woman of 5’5 drag someone twice her height and weight up the stairs like it was nothing.
However, once he was tucked safely in her bed, Fei realized that everything that happened was her fault. She asked him to come with her even if she was aware he could get hurt. Of course, her usual winter conferences were boring and she couldn't leave until very late at night or early next morning. It was barely eight in the afternoon and yet she was home already.
And then Fei remembered that it wasn't her life they wanted but Dohyun's. Furies are vengeful spirits that target men and occasionally some women. But for furies to do the dirty work was unheard of. They respond to Hades and only to him so whoever convinced those two furies to rebel must have been very smart.
Dohyun frowned in his sleep so Fei leaned in to caress his forehead. It calmed him down immediately and she couldn't help smile. Then her eyes lowered to his chest. The hit was severe, she pushed the lance with all her power in order to get the furie. She sat next to him and thought about all the odd things that Dohyun did. The first was simply holding the lance. Nobody, NOBODY, except her and another Greek god could touch and hold the lance. Ares was paranoid enough to create weapons that only he could use and he gave it to her because he trusted her. But the lance couldn't hurt humans which meant Dohyun should be fine. With this thought in mind, Fei unbuttoned Dohyun's shirt down to his bellybutton.
"What are you doing?"
Minjae chose a bad moment to enter. But Fei couldn't care less about the situation. There, in the spot she stabbed Dohyun was a burning sign left by the lance. He was very much alive but it was uncommon to have a leftover mark. She grabbed his hand and noticed his fingertips and palm were also slightly burnt. Fei took a step back and watched Dohyun's sleeping face with a raised eyebrow.
"What do you mean he has a burn? And what about the crystal eye?" Minjae asked still not believing her recollection of today's events.
"You don't understand how worrying this is. Furies do not rise from the underworld and go against Hades for a simple human." Fei stated knowing the unspoken rules of the Afterlife like the back of her hand.
"I told you he was bad news. That face of his brings only troubles." Minjae mumbled crossing his arms in front of his chest and leaning back in the couch.
"But he is not a reincarnation. He has no connection to the royal families, his predecessors were either scholars or blacksmiths. I looked him up in the records and there is nothing unnatural about his birth either. He is just a boy." She explained sitting next to the raven.
"Maybe you saw wrong. You were hurt and had a lot of adrenaline from the fight." Minjae tried to reason but Fei was normally a calm person.
"What about my face then? How can you explain that he drew my real appearance in his webtoon?"
"Coincidence."
"You don't believe that, don't try to fool me. There aren't records in the world about me. Even in the warehouse there are very few books that mention me, and even those are vague."
Minjae leaned back his head and groaned. The day begun so well and ended complicated.
Dohyun's dreams were just as odd as the whole day has been. Maybe weirder.
He could feel it was not real, his brain was aware of it but at the same time it felt like it did happen at one point in time. Dohyun was dressed in common Joseon clothes and he found himself running from somebody. He tripped and fell on his face and when he turned around, that ugly looking man shouted profanities at him.
"You stole from the wrong guy! Give it back to me and I won't kill you." He said through gritted teeth. "Come on. Give it to me."
Dohyun looked down at his pockets and realized it was money he had taken. Actually, it was a gold coin that disappeared from the palace.
"It's not stealing if it wasn't yours to begin with." He said looking up into his eyes.
"You rascal!"
Dohyun held his defying gaze until the end. But someone interfered and hit the man in the head with the hilt of a sword. He stared as his saviour came to him and grabbed his cheeks, looking for any damage.
"Are you alright?" She asked.
She was a foreigner. Her big eyes were green with a tint of red, just like the colour of leaves during the change from summer to fall. Those eyes were so beautiful and her rosy cheeks and black hair seemed to underline how serene she looked. His heart skipped a bit.
"I'm fine now. Thank you." He mumbled covering her hands with his.
The scene changed and he was in the palace.
"Why do I have to welcome the foreigners? Can't mother do that since they are fabric merchants?" He asked his head eunuch as he was taking a stroll to keep himself busy.
"But sir, you are the-"
"I am not the king yet." He said and stopped. "The king is not dead, no matter what the rumours say. I know the word travels fast but as long as he is alive, I am just a mere prince."
"But you are the crown prince! You will be king soon."
Dohyun ended up welcoming the merchants. He looked at each and every one of them and stopped when he reached the only woman in their group. She rose her eyes to look at him and his heart skipped again. Seeing her react to being scolded was even more endearing and although she was translating very well, he couldn't focus on the words.
By the time they finished, he was thinking how he could make her return to the palace.
"I guess it went well," Papa Kurm said with a content smile.
"If you say so. He seemed to be getting bored halfway in. This king doesn't like fabrics as much as others." She commented thinking back on how he seemed to be lost in his own thoughts rather than listen to her.
"They do dress differently here. Maybe I should show one or two of our dresses, get them hooked on how elegant they could look in certain colours." Kurm's assistant said, already thinking ahead.
"Wait!" A man dressed in green robes hurried to them and stopped in front of Kurm. "The king would like if you could accompany him to a custom event."
Kurm could understand that much and was more than happy. But Fei raised an eyebrow curiously, not because of the invitation but because she swore the king was eavesdropping.
"I don't like this..." Fei mumbled grumpily. "Why do I have to be the model? Can't you use one of the skinny guys?"
Kurm chuckled in his very Korean robes while she stood out like a bright dot of gold. The material was shiny but it also gave her a royal sense, one that didn’t fit her personality.
"You look beautiful, Fei. The women of the court will love it too." Johan encouraged her with a half-smile.
Fei scoffed and rolled her eyes. She was not one of those royals, she was never part of the high society.
But when she walked inside the house of the same minister that scolded her, into one of the biggest rooms in that place, she felt even more exposed than before. Every eye was on her but the king was staring at the table.
Nothing much happened, they drank and she was forced to go around for the women to touch the fabric. The king’s eyes followed her in an obvious way even if he did think he was subtle. When she ended her rounds, she excused herself and went out for a breath of fresh air.
"Why did you come out? Aren't you the host of this event?" She asked hearing his steps.
"They are busy enough drinking and talking. Why did you come out?"
"We are in the house of a man who glared at me and looked down on me yesterday. I can't believe the king chose this place instead of a big hall in the palace."
"I'm not the king yet. My father is ill but he is not dead." He found it vital to correct her.
"Well then you should go out and play more. You like the adrenaline of a good run and almost getting killed in a side street. Once you take the crown, you take full responsibility for this country and its people. No more fun." She sounded serious but the glint in her eyes made him understand she was being playful. Besides, the simple fact that she did recognize his face flattered him.
They walked by a cherry blossom tree and Dohyun harshly pulled on a branch making the flowers fall over them.
"Don't. Let me do it." She said stopping him before doing more damage. She placed her palm on the tree and smiled. A breeze came and the petals blew calmly over them.
"What did you do?"
"I asked. Nature is very kind with those who respect it." She said and they both looked at the scenery. The blowing petals were enough to surround them in what looked like a friendly atmosphere. They looked at each other and Fei smiled. It was the most peaceful Dohyun felt in a long time.
"So, if you are not the king, how should I call you?" She asked staring deep into his eyes.
"Hyang. Lee Hyang."
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