Scarlet hearts Ryeo: Live To Forget

Chapter 16

Asumi arrived home to find Baek Ah waiting for her at the door.  She knew that he wanted to talk about the way she'd spoken to him in Damiwon. She sighed and tried to walk past him and head to her room but he blocked her way.
  “Orabeonni please let me go” she said not wanting to look at him.
  “Was that really necessary?” he asked.
  Asumi looked up at him “What would you have done if you were in my shoes?”  Asumi asked. She didn't want to fight, she didn't have the strength to.  “I didn't mean for this to happen, I tried to fall in love with you but I-”
  “That is the problem, you weren't supposed to try. Love happens naturally, it's not something you make happen. I told you not to marry me out of obligation or duty now all you can say to me is sorry” Asumi said and stepped closer to Baek Ah and grabbed his wrist, she dragged him to her room and opened a large chest that lay at the foot of her bed. Baek Ah looked at the contents and stumbled back, the chest was full of baby clothes.
  “I sewed them all myself hoping that our child would wear them but that is just a dream now” Asumi said and closed the chest.
“If you're offended by what I did then I'm sorry, I will apologize to Woo hee as well” she whispered and left her room. She wanted to go back to being Nicky, that life was so much easier than this one.

The King summoned Asumi to the throne room to play music for him.
  Asumi reluctantly dressed up and went to the throne room with a Haegeum. She found Yo by himself, drinking tea. She bowed and then went to sit beside the throne and proceeded to play.
  “You left the ring again, why can't you just take it back?” he asked her as she started to play.  “You gave me that ring asking for my hand in marriage, I'm already married so I can't keep it” she replied.
  Yo didn't say anything else and just watched Asumi while she played.
  Woo hee walked into the throne room and Asumi stared at her in shock, what business did she have with the king? 
  “What news do you have for me?” he asked Woo hee after she greeted him. Woo hee stared at Asumi nervously and then at Yo. Asumi pretended not noticed and kept playing her instrument in a quieter tone.
  “You can ignore her, rest assured that nothing you say will leave this room” Yo said.
   “Wang So is working with some of the powerful families in Songak, they're delaying the construction of the new castle. They're mixing in too much gravel and making the walls crumble, they're decreasing man power”  Woo hee said.
  “Are you sure of it?” Yo asked.
  “Wang Sik ryeom is very ill, they say the construction isn't being done properly”
  “Why, why why!!” Yo exclaimed and banged his fist on the table in front of him.  “What is his goal in doing this, he cannot just be doing it to go against my orders” Yo muttered to no one in particular.
Asumi pretended not to be paying attention though she secretly watched them.
  “The throne, he's after the throne isn't he?”
  “Before I answer, I need to ask you something. Why have you broken your promise?” Woo hee said.
  “Promise?”
  “What is this about being drafted into slave labour if you can't pay your taxes? The Hubaekjae people are being forced to work in construction and are dying. If you do this, what use is to me to be your eyes and ears, your majesty?” Woo hee said.
  Asumi stole a glance at Woo hee, had she been working for Yo all along, was being with Baek Ah just part of a cover up?
  Yo chuckled “So what, you want to quit?”
  “Yes, if I don't get anything out of this deal” Woo hee said.
  “Princess Woo hee, it has been a long time since anyone has called you that hasn't it?”  Yo asked.
Asumi watched as Woo hee's facial expression changed.
  “Baek Ah has always hated dirty things. People who like beautiful things tend to be like that. If he finds out that you were my dog, what will his face look like” Yo said.
  This time Asumi stared boldly at Woo hee, had she really been deceiving Baek Ah this whole time? Did she have ulterior motives for returning to Goryeo?
  Woo hee bowed and then left the throne room. Asumi stopped playing and looked up to find Yo staring at her.
   “Did you know about their relationship?” he asked.  Asumi nodded.  “Why haven't you done anything?”
  “It won't change anything,he is in love with her and there's nothing I can do about it” Asumi said.
  “So you're just giving up?”
  “There is no point in trying to do anything because I won't be around for much longer anyway” Asumi said and cursed under her breath as she felt tears running down her cheeks.
  “Are you going back to Japan?” he asked her.
  Asumi shook her head “ I'm dying” she whispered. Yo suddenly stood up and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her to her feet.
  “What do you mean by that, what sort of joke is this?!” he exclaimed.
  “The poison I took when your mother was trying to kill the crown Prince, it did further damage to my brain from the accident I had as a little girl” Asumi explained.
  “Thats why your ears are always bleeding, why didn't you tell me this sooner! How much time do you have left?” he asked her.
  “I don't know”
“I said how much time?!”
  Asumi closed her eyes and took a deep breath, she'd seen the doctor recently and he was finally able to give her an estimate of how much time she had left.  She opened her eyes and smiled at Yo, touching his face gently. He would be the only one to know the whole truth...