"Your Highness the Crown Prince, Prince Jae Hyuk wishes to see you. He has been waiting outside."
At that moment, Jae Jin was standing in front of a tall, towering mirror, looking at the stab wound scar left on his abdomen. The information came from his personal guard.
"Bring him in," said Jae Jin. Then he was assisted by two servants who dressed him in fine silk clothing and a robe embroidered in dark blue. Jae Jin slightly combed his bangs.
Jae Jin had a rather small oval-shaped face with a smooth jawline. Meanwhile, his eyes were slightly large with a calm and intense gaze. His nose was straight and his lips were rather thin. It could be said that Jae Jin had soft facial features.
The guard nodded immediately, returning to the front to bring Jae Hyuk before Jae Jin.
Then Jae Jin stepped toward a chair facing directly toward the large window of his room, displaying the view of the palace's back garden and, far ahead, the buildings of the capital.
Jae Jin sat down, leaning back with his legs crossed, waiting for Jae Hyuk's arrival with satisfaction in his heart.
"You came, Hyung," said Jae Jin as soon as he saw Jae Hyuk step into his spacious room.
"Why is someone who killed me yesterday coming to see me again? Do you want to kill me again?" Jae Jin asked sarcastically.
Jae Hyuk stood a few steps away from Jae Jin. His face was expressionless, unreadable. But his eyes were a thousand times stronger, enough to stop his opponent's movements.
Being stared at as if he would be killed again, Jae Jin fell silent. He swallowed, gripping the armrest of his chair. "What is your purpose for coming here, Hyung?"
Even though he already knew the news that Jae Hyuk would kneel before him to beg for forgiveness, Jae Jin pretended to be clueless. He would enjoy today's game. He had already planned it.
Meanwhile, Jae Hyuk slightly turned his head back. There were many guards and Jae Jin's servants standing behind and at the corners of the room. Jae Hyuk threw his gaze back at Jae Jin coldly. "Send them out.''
Hearing that request, a spontaneous laugh escaped Jae Jin's mouth. "Why? You don't want to kneel in front of all of them?"
"Or do you want to finish me off again when they leave?"
Jae Hyuk remained silent. But his jaw tightened, and all the emotions—pain, revenge, hatred, and despair—were restrained in his chest. Jae Hyuk did not want others to directly witness how he lowered himself, forced to kneel before someone he clearly wanted to kill.
Behind the cold glint in his eyes, something slowly cracked within Jae Hyuk—his pride, which he had held tightly, now being forced to collapse little by little.
"How pitiful you are, Jae Hyuk," Jae Jin hissed softly, only audible to Jae Hyuk.
"Yesterday you were so brave to hurt me, and now you want to beg for my forgiveness. How amusing. Your courage only appears when you have no fault, Jae Hyuk?" Jae Jin took a cup of tea from the table beside him, sipping it without taking his eyes off Jae Hyuk, staring at his brother with a challenging gaze.
Jae Jin glanced at several guards standing a few meters from Jae Hyuk, signaling something with his eyes. Understanding their young master's intention, two guards immediately approached Jae Hyuk. In a flash, they restrained him from the left and right, making Jae Hyuk unable to move at all.
Jae Hyuk was slightly surprised, but his demeanor remained calm even under the grip of the two large men. However, Jae Hyuk finally understood why there were so many guards in this room—none other than to be Jae Jin's hounds to fight or perhaps finish him off. "You want revenge?" he asked directly to Jae Jin.
Jae Hyuk did not struggle at all against the restraint. He quietly took a breath, accepting everything that would happen today. The more he resisted, the bigger the problem would become and the heavier his punishment. He did not mind the wounds from the blows he would receive. At least today, he would enter Gwimun—his destination and the place where he would hone all the abilities he would possess. The place where he would plan all his revenge.
Jae Jin smiled slyly from his seat. He slowly stood up, walked to take an iron rod, and stood facing Jae Hyuk. He lifted Jae Hyuk's chin to look directly into his eyes. "Are you afraid, Hyung?"
Jae Hyuk chuckled faintly. Facing only Jae Jin and his lackeys? It was a trivial matter for Jae Hyuk. It was nothing compared to the harsh experiences he had been forced to face five years ago. Jae Hyuk had even survived his death. Of course, this time he would survive as well—Jae Jin's blows meant nothing to him.
"Just hit me," Jae Hyuk said softly.
"I will make you kneel with blood on your face," said Jae Jin, drawing the iron rod back. In one swift motion that cut through the air, the rod swung, striking Jae Hyuk's abdomen with a dull thud. Not stopping there, Jae Jin attacked wildly, repeatedly slamming the iron rod into Jae Hyuk's solar plexus and ribs without giving him a chance to breathe.
Jae Hyuk winced, his body jerking each time the iron rod landed. He tried to endure the pain that began to spread through every nerve in his body.
For a moment, Jae Jin stepped back, tilting his head. His target shifted. This time his aim was Jae Hyuk's head. He would smash that calm face.
"YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED FIVE YEARS AGO!!" Jae Jin roared.
The iron rod swung again, this time aiming for Jae Hyuk's head.
SLAP
A hard strike landed on his left temple, followed by a swift swing from the right that threw Jae Hyuk's head to the side. Finally, a direct blow landed squarely on Jae Hyuk's face. Fresh blood flowed, seeping from the corners of his eyes and dripping down his chin. Jae Jin continued to swing without stopping until the face before him was no longer visible, covered in blood.
Not yet satisfied seeing Jae Hyuk drenched in blood, Jae Jin gave a harsh signal to his seven subordinates. "Finish him!"
Instantly, Jae Hyuk's weakened body was thrown onto the cold floor. Seven large guards immediately surrounded him, locking his movement. Without warning, a rain of kicks and punches landed all over Jae Hyuk's body.
The sound of boots striking ribs and fists pounding his back filled the room. Jae Hyuk could only curl up, trying to protect his head with trembling hands.
Meanwhile, Jae Jin returned to his seat, leaning back as he steadied his heavy breathing. He watched with satisfaction as Jae Hyuk was brutally beaten by his seven subordinates. They would not stop until Jae Jin said so. And Jae Jin was thoroughly enjoying this. Satisfied to see how powerless the former crown prince was, begging for forgiveness to avoid execution.
Seconds turned into painful minutes. There was still no sign of when Jae Jin would stop. For Jae Jin, every drop of blood spilling from Jae Hyuk's body was repayment for the hatred he had long harbored.
In the middle of that circle of hell, Jae Hyuk lay curled up, hugging his own head with both hands on the floor, now slick and reeking with his own blood. Each time the guards' boots struck his back or ribs, fresh blood seeped from the corner of his lips.
The world around Jae Hyuk began to dim. The sound of Jae Jin's curses and the pounding blows slowly faded, turning into a faint ringing in his ears.
The sensation of pain from the strikes slowly dissipated. The burning heat turned into a cold numbness. Jae Hyuk could no longer feel the kicks or the iron rod.
But behind his swollen eyelids and blurred vision, a small flame still burned in his chest.
Not yet.
He would not die here. Not on this filthy floor, and not at the hands of a coward like Jae Jin. If death had not taken him five years ago when he was supposed to die, then these blows were nothing more than a small bluff from fate. Jae Hyuk was still breathing—even though each breath was heavy and tasted like iron—he was still there. He would not die this easily. This torment was merely the price he had to pay before rising and turning the tables, killing everyone who had ever hurt him.
Suddenly, one of Jae Jin's servants rushed in from the entrance and whispered something to Jae Jin, causing him to freeze. The satisfied expression on his face immediately turned tense.
"Stop," Jae Jin ordered, making the seven subordinates halt. They immediately withdrew, returning to their positions.
Jae Hyuk slowly opened his eyes. With the remaining strength he had, he pushed himself up. His face was covered in blood, his right eye swollen and bruised. Many bruises were clearly visible on his body. Meanwhile, blood continuously flowing from his head.
Jae Hyuk spat to the side, throwing out the blood from his mouth.
"What are you doing, Hwan Jae Jin?!"
That voice did not come from Jae Hyuk's lips, but from someone who had just arrived at the entrance and witnessed directly the figure slumped in the middle of the room with blood scattered everywhere.
Seeing her arrival, all the guards and servants immediately bowed deeply, full of respect and fear. That person carried absolute authority, and the room suddenly fell silent.
That heavy, pressuring voice belonged to the Queen. Lee Sang Ah.