...Flower of Evil...

Iseul looked at the small pavilion near the lake. She burned it when she stepped into the Palace to kill everyone but she rebuilt it when the Prince Jungkook died. It was very similar to the one she burned. But difference was that the new pavilion held no sweet memories of her childhood when she used to play with her brothers.

They used to fool around in this place and laughed so much.

It had been an year since the two Princes ,Jungkook and Yoongi died. She didn't know why but she started rebuilding the places she ruined. But she didn't feel satisfied. When she comes to this pavilion, she didn't feel what she wanted.

Just what exactly did she want? What did she want to feel? Even the Queen herself couldn't answer to this question. What did she search by rebuilding these places.

She sat on the pavilion with a bottle of beach blossom wine. It tasted bitter but she needed it as she stared at the river. Moonlight was grazing over the river creating a beautiful pleasing scene but she only felt empty.

Her eyes held no emotion. She was dead from inside. Eyes were red but no tears. She had been drunk for weeks now.

She looked down from the pavilion railing and stared at her image on the water. It wasn't her.

It was the same when she looked into the mirror. It wasn't her who stood infront of her as the reflection.

She no longer existed.

A dark shadow was the only reflection she could see. As she was staring at the river water,the dark shadow grinned creepily.

She extended her hand towards the reflection of the water and the dark shadow raised its shadow hand towards her.

As their hands were about to touch each other,

_____________

Iseul gasped loudly and woke up. She sat up straight and took a large breath. Cold sweat was dripping down from her forehead as she panted heavily.

It was the nightmare she feared the most. The time she spent after Jungkook's death was the worse nightmare in her life. She was alone. She was dying every day while she was forced to live by the dark shadow in the reflection of her mirror.

She looked at her surrounding and it was still too early to wake up. When she looked at the clock on the bed side table,it showed 2 a.m.

Her throat felt dry and thirsty. She got off from the bed and walked out from her room.

When she entered the kitchen, she was shocked to see a dark shadow near the refrigerator. She almost had a heart attack but when the shadow spoke,she heaved a sigh.

"Why is there nothing to eat?", the muscle man groaned in annoyance as he opened the refrigerator. He looked at Iseul as he had already sensed her presence. "Hungry?"

Jungkook was only wearing a short,looking like half dead because of sleepy face.

"Piss off naked dude. I'm not here to talk to you"

Jungkook looked at his short and looked at her again. "For your information, I'm wearing a short"

Iseul walked past him and opened the other side of the refrigerator and took out a water bottle.

"You look pale. Did you have a nightmare?"

Iseul stopped drinking when he mentioned the nightmare. She looked at him and she hated herself when she felt a relief. She extreamly hated herself and felt disgusted with herself.

She put the bottle inside the refrigerator and looked at him. The only light that illuminated the kitchen was the light inside the refrigerator in which Jungkook had opened.

She hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth. "...You said you lied"

Jungkook frowned as he did not understand her. But he gradually understood when she spoke again.

"In that snowy day,the day you died,you said you lied"

Jungkook went stiff. He stared at her with an unreadable expression. "So,you were listening?"

Iseul looked away.

A silence took over them.

"What did you lie about?", she asked when she felt like he's not going to answer. She reluctantly looked at him.

Jungkook avoided her eyes. "Does it matter anymore?"

"You wanted to speak that time but why not now?", she asked.

He looked at her in the eye. "Yeah. I did want to speak. But you didn't come. Everything has a time. I guess,we both lost our timing. Not only me and you,we all lost our timing, Iseul. It's better to never look at the past"

Iseul,"What do you mean? We all lost the timing? There was something you all wanted to say?", she suddenly became anxious.

He smiled sadly. It was sorrowful and regretful. "It doesn't matter"

"It does", she immediately said.

"Why? Don't you hate us?"

She was at loss of words. She did hate them.

"Iseul,the timing is important. Once it is past,you can no longer bring it back. Only regrets remain. So,don't look back now"

Jungkook closed the door of the refrigerator and turned around to leave.

Iseul was stunned. Don't look back? Why? Did she miss something? What did she miss?

She was scared.

_________________

Iseul was walking towards the school. She really hated this school journey. She stopped in her track and thought for a moment. She avenged Danbi. And now she had no reason to go there. She didn't even know how to read or write. Linghe wasn't there anyway. So,what's the point of going there?

She took a step back.

It's pointless to go there.

Turning her feet around, she decided not to go there anymore. She walked in the busy streets while thinking about what Jungkook said.

As she was walking, she saw Yeonjun walking towards her from afar. She knew that things won't go well if she is to bump into him.

She immediately sneaked into a the nearest mall. But to her shock,he also entered the mall. She cursed under her breath. What the hell is he doing here? Is someone going to die inside this mall? Fuck,gotta hide.

She ran towards the escalator and went to the second floor. There were so many people around and she was sure that she won't bump into him now.

Fuck,she really had to jinx it by thinking like that. Yeonjun was directly walking towards her.

Like a criminal who runs away from the police,she started to run around the mall to avoid the reaper. She looked back to see if he was following and heck yeah,he is following her. He was signalling her to stop but she didn't stop.

"Why the fuck is he chasing me?!"

When she took a turn,she bumped into someone and fell on her butt. When she looked up,Yeonjun stood there with crossed arms.

"Why the heck are you running?", He asked.

She stood up. "You are the one who ran after me! What do you want me to do when suddenly a grim reaper started to run after me?"

Yeonjun looked at her as she was a fool. He shook his head and sighed. "Come with me. I need to talk to you"

Iseul freaked out. "I swear I didn't do anything! I didn't go to Beomgyu or anything!"

Yeonjun, "I know it. Neither of you two can come close to each other because of that damn curse shackle in his neck"

Iseul was dumbfounded. "Curse shackle? What curse shackle?"

"Your brothers put that damn thing in his neck to prevent him from going to you"

Iseul, "...."

Iseul didn't know how to respond now. Her brothers are really something.

"It's not important now. There is something I need to tell you. About Beomgyu"

Iseul immediately became serious. "What is it?"

"Let's go to somewhere comfortable. We can't talk like this"

They both left to a restaurant near by. They chose a table near a corner and sat with their drinks.

"What's wrong with Gyu?"

Yeonjun looked distressed. "He was supposed to stand in the court because of the forbidden spell he performed to bring you back. But suddenly, he disappeared. Reapers are accusing him for running away but I don't think he ran away. He was ready to go to the court"

Iseul frowned. "I also don't think he ran away. He said he will take the responsibility when the time comes. There is no way he ran away"

"That's what I am saying. I need your help"

Iseul was taken back. How is she supposed to help him? "Me? But -"

"Not you. I know you are useless. Your brothers. I need their help. Please,ask them to help me"

Iseul was not so sure about this idea. "Them? How can they help? I mean - will they even listen to me? They are trying to kill me and you are -"

"Your highness! Are you dumb or something? If they wanted to kill you,they would have done it a long time ago. This whole time,they had been trying to protect you from something. Even an outsider like me could tell it"

Iseul, "...what"

"Do you remember the day you tried to save a pregnant woman? She was supposed to die that day. But your brother saved her because of you. Just because you didn't want her to die. Why would he do it if he wants you dead? And in that cruise ship too"

Iseul stared at him with an unreadable expression. She was blanked but shocked. It was like she couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it.

"...that's not true"

Yeonjun sighed. "Your highness, for Beomgyu's sake,you have to believe it. Your brothers are not trying to take revenge or anything"

Suddenly, Iseul remembered Jungkook's words. She was anxious and nervous. She didn't like where she is heading but she couldn't turn back now.

"Gyu said there are some unsolved problems in my past. He wanted to see my memories and try to research", she mumbled and looked at Yeonjun. "Is there a way we can solve my past?"

Yeonjun stared at her. If things could be solved as Beomgyu wished,then maybe they could even find a way to loosen Beomgyu's punishment. If there was really something which could back up Beomgyu, then it is a good opportunity.

"There is a time machine. I used it once to show Beomgyu his past. But at that time,I could use it because my friend had it with him because of his works. He had returned the time machine to the high lords. If we can get our hands on it,I think it will be possible to what happened back then"

Iseul," Can't you just ask for it?"

Yeonjun, "It isn't easy as you think. I'll have to explain the reasons. But if they got to know I'm helping you,I'll be locked up. You really have a bad reputation among our colleagues. Plus,time machine is extremely dangerous. If we get stuck in time,no one can help us. Therefore, high Lords won't let us use the time machine unless it is necessary"

Iseul, "Then what should we do?"

Yeonjun thought for few seconds before snapping his fingers. "My friend is busy with a project related to the past kingdoms so he often has to borrow this time machine. I'll ask him to do me a favour again"

Iseul nodded agreeing to him.

Yeonjun was about to say something but frowned. He was looking behind Iseul. "Uh,isn't that your teacher? No wait,your husband?"

Iseul looked back to see Zhang Linghe sitting in another table with a friend. His eyes were glaring at them as he drank his drink by a straw.

Iseul looked at Yeonjun with a sheepish expression.

Yeonjun, "He is glaring at me"

Iseul was a bit confused. "Why is he glaring at you?"

Yeonjun looked at her. "How should I know? ",...."wait a second, he is jealous?", He widened his eyes. "He is jealous! Dude! He is your boyfriend?"

Iseul didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

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