Anya's anger at the intrusion got pushed off by the title Hoon Chul had used.

She looked at the man who comfortably went to be seated and leisurely said, "I know you cannot trust me, and truly, how can I blame you for it? The way you have suffered, you have only ever seen me help the person who was your offender."

His eyes were clear of any deceit, his body posture relaxed, "I am trying not to appear to be threatening to you, My Princess. I truly am going against my benefactor because I want to take you away first. I am sick of not being able to save you, sick of just standing uselessly while you keep suffering. Will you at least give me the chance to hear me out?"

Her mind raced at lightening speed, straightening out all that she had heard and the implications.

Hoon Chul was Hoseok's older cousin brother who he trusted with not just his own life but with hers as well. That brother, had obviously harbored ill feelings against Hoseok, may it be due to the injustice he perceived was committed by him to her.

If that would have been the case, then the misunderstanding could be easily cleared up. But, his words regarding a benefactor being involved meant it went deeper than just a common misunderstanding.

I want to take you away FISRT implied something was going to happen. Something, involving him and aimed at Hoseok. Which meant, Hoon Chul was plotting something.

He approached her as a common enemy was shared, thinking her to be suffering.

Keeping aside the manner of address, Anya decided to play along his misconception, wanting to find out the entire picture first, because this was betrayal.

A betrayal that Hoseok would not be able to foresee.

Swallowing a little to wet her suddenly gone dry throat, Anya decided to not think before she found out the whole situation.

She went forward stiffly, "Since the day I was brought to the house, you obeyed him. You bought the letters I did not want. You did not help me the night he took me away from that Inn. You made sure I could never escape, you even made sure of it for the five days I could." She sat in front of him, her face masked in distrust. "Tell, me, what are you saying? Why should I believe you?"

Hoon Chul looked pained, he shifted on his seat, regret plain on his face, "I had to do those things against my will! Every single of the time you mentioned were the times that I kept looking at you, wanting to somehow convey that-"

"Please understand, the way I am living my life right now, empty words will not convince me." Anya stood up, "If you are over here to trick me and then tell your General things that would make my life more miserable than-"

"NO!!" Hoon Chul stood up too and rounded to where she stood, blocking her way, "NO! no. I am not. Time is short for us, let me start again My Princess? Please?"

"Why do you keep calling me that?" Anya asked.

Hoon Chul closed his eyes shaking his head, "A lot has happened to you. A lot has been done to you. Things you should not have suffered." He coaxed her into sitting down again, then began.

"Hoseok was born in the family of Jungs with a bad omen." He sat down too and began with a distant look on his face, "The day he was born, the backyard of our house crawled with snakes. We should have killed him then."

Sighing, he looked at Anya, "My mother was married to my father after he had suffered an accident which left him paralyzed. When the house wanted a child, a discreet affair began between my mother and Hoseok's father. I was the result of it. The connection after that was supposed to be withered, but they were too in love with each other.

As such even after Hoseok's father was married, he kept seeing my mother. He kept loving me. But it all changed when Hoseok was born. Suddenly, he gave up on my mother and me, saying it was improper."

Hoon Chul spat out a curse, "Improper? Suddenly it became improper? Was it proper before?" his face disgusted and angry he continued, "My father had lost respect for my mother due to the affair, he never looked at me. With that atmosphere, I grew up. At first I loved my little half brother, even though I was not allowed to tell him the truth, but slowly I understood what the others said about him was right.

He was odd. He was abnormal. No matter what I did, he never connected, just kept looking at me coldly. For such a child, he appeared to be an adult. Once when I asked him why he did not like me, he had replied, because you are not my brother. Not one of the six. I should have known then, that he truly was the spawn of a demon. Who talked the way he did?"

Anya did not stop him. Nor did she answer.

"As we grew older, he aced me in everything, even though he was younger. Studies, arts, training, fights. Everyone loved him. Everyone. While he became the cause of the suffering my mother and I lived in. No one remembered the bad omens, too dazzled by his abilities, no one saw the real him."

"Then why did you not do anything about it?" Anya asked. She asked because she could sense that Hoon Chul had done something. The something that had always bothered her, the one question that she had always wanted to know the answer to.

Hoon Chul looked at her and smiled sadly, "Would you believe it if I said that I did try? Do you know that the whole family had been slaughtered?"

Anya nodded, while in her chest, dread spread faster than the blood in her heart.

Hoon Chul closed his eyes, "My mother had died a month before when I heard the network report about one spy bringing in a huge news. Before the others, I went to meet him before he entered the town. There were two spies who came with the news of an attack planned by the Palace to eliminate the Jungs." He remained quite after that.

"You killed the spies?" Anya asked, already knowing the answer.

Nodding, Hoon Chul did not open his gaze, "That was my first kill. I took Ha-Ru with me and went away in the name of playing. That boy is still devoted to Hoseok, he always was. But still, he is my younger brother. I made sure the news of the attack wouldn't spread and then waited for that family who had been the reason why my mother died, to be slaughtered.

But.

Being the demon spawn that he was, he of course, survived."

Anya sat with an air of nonchalance while her heart pounded hard.

This was bad, she had no idea what he had planned but whatever it was, had to be bad.

Leaving aside these matters, she really wanted to know what to do, what he was planning now.

Hoon Chul looked at her, "I had to grow up with him as he became so powerful that even the King couldn't go against him. I had no hope of doing anything. Which was why, I had to stand on the sidelines as I watched what happened to you."

Anya looked down at her knotted hand, in what she hoped, was an expression of torment, while all she wanted was him to talk.

She heard him move a little, "A beautiful pure hearted girl tried her best to heal him, while he. . . ."

He sighed, "Did you know, he used to drug the little boy you left with him in the night since the day you found the bodies? He made sure the little boy was sleeping as he followed you to your home. Each night. Every time."

What?

Anya looked up at Hoon Chul, her expression of surprise genuine.

That was where the light sleep tonic had gone.

Hoon Chul, not knowing the strength of the medicine, sadly nodded, "Yes, he drugged that child. Forgive me, but I have no idea of what he did at your house as could not follow.

I had to watch him slaughter all the members of the family you loved, just because you had helped him. Hoseok developed a deadly obsession with you, I know that, but I could not imagine him killing every one in your house. He never even frowned, nor did his indifferent expression change as he calmy killed the family of the woman he claimed to love."

Hoon Chul appeared tortured, "No apologies in the world will ever wash away the crime of me simply watching as he took you from your home while you cried to be let go. Following that, he caged you. Every time I brought you that letter, I could see the dead way you would look out of the window, the way you never smiled, never talked to me even though I tried to cheer you up, and it used to make me unhappy.

But that night? That night when you were selfless enough to go help the children?"

Hoon Chul stopped talking to take in a shaky breath. He covered his face with his hands, "I saw you being taken away by him. Honestly it was partly my fault because i wanted to take you out of your captivity, even if it was for a few hours, but to helplessly see him carry you away, being unable to stop him? It felt like I was the one who had wronged you."

Then he immediately shook his head, "No, worse was the feeling of knowing what happened to you that night. What I had pushed him to do to you." His voice lowered, he whispered, "I am your culprit. If I had not taken you out, that would not have happened. He wouldn't have. . . . . raped you."

He breathed a little shallow, "After that things kept spiraling out taking a downward turn for you.

None of us were allowed to help you, only him. We had to watch as only he kept seeing you. Your sleeves kept revealing the torment you suffered, we never saw you again, imprisoned to his lusts as you were.

If he ever allowed you to go, he was always beside you. I know he threatened the last surviving relative you had to make you act like you were pleased while you were in public, but we could still see the bruises that never faded.

He moved in to keep you more in check, every evening, he went to Lady Arissa, and stayed there threatening her, no doubt. We were never allowed to come in. Then he separated little Tang from you, going so far as to take him to the Palace. He kept him close to himself so that you would never leave. On top of that, he asks him everything about you, making him his spy, making him loyal to himself."

Anya inwardly thought of how much of misinterpretation one could have.

Tang went to Hoseok because she requested it. Arissa was the one who he went for guidance, to woo her, to calm himself. But none of that were seen correctly by the prejudiced eyes of the world.

To them, something they labeled evil, could never do any actions other than worse. None would ever try to find the truth.

Hoon Chul continued, "He took you as his prisoner in the war! If that was not enough, he specifically asked us to imprison you during the evening. And we had to obey.

Even during this time when he went away for five days, I saw the way you were desperate to escape. I saw the way you tried so hard to take advantage of his absence to flee. I apologize for what I did, but Ha-Ru was present. He is too faithful. I could not help you with him there."

"You seem to only see these things in a light which paints him into-"

"No!" Hoon Chul stopped Anya's explanation. "No, believe me, I know he is worse than what he has done in front of you.

His obsession for you turned him into a demon latching on to a person taking away everything they treasure. He became wilder. It was like his true self was unleashed. His acts became downright horrendous."

Anya frowned. The description. . . . . . . . had to be exaggerated.

Seeing her ignorance, Hoon Chul spoke with anger.

"He is desperate to keep you by his side. He does not like any eyes that look at you. Many have been killed for speaking about you, many have died because they dared to try to approach you.

When he walked with you, he remembered every face that he saw lust in, in the night those faces lost their eyes. The General would personally see to it.

He would stand there without speaking a word while the man would be asked to gouge his own eyes out, or else see his family burn. He was not moved by the cries, stamping over the orbs on the floor before going out, leaving the man lying on the ground, bleeding.

It was because of this, as the rumors spread, no men dared to look at you outside the town. Let alone approach you to provide you with help.

He also did not spare the courtesans he had had relations with. A vial of poison was sent to each to keep their mouths sealed over their relations with him.

With the same intention, he visited the house of every court official. Nothing was said as he simply sat drinking the liquor they offered, but the threat of their demise was clear should they be responsible for you getting to know any of his dark deeds. The court already fears him, no one went against him except the Prince."

Anya was reeling at the side of Hoseok she hadn't known. Though she had known about the two men Hoseok had made blind. Guk had brought the information about what he had heard. Being young, he had not understood what he had overheard or conveyed.

Hoseok had not reacted because of their lustful look towards her. It was because they had visited several prostitutes who had similar features to her and had used quite a lot of girls while calling out her name. Her General, had not been tolerant of it.

But still, she had never known this level of his cold and calm reach.

Hoon Chul leaned a little forward, "The Prince truly does love you. So much so that I believe he would accept you, even now."

"Why do you say that?" Anya was surprised herself at the tremor in her voice. She was as affected by the disclosure of what Hoseok had committed as Hoon Chul had wanted her to be.

But he mistook it for emotions for the Prince, "Did you know, in the war camp, the Prince suspected it might have been you, so he kept sending his men to help you? But Hoseok. . . . . . he killed them all.

That was not the first time. Ever since the Prince has declared to you having been his wife, Hoseok has not rested. He has diminished the Prince's hold and prestige strategically and step by step."

"What?"

Nodding, he replied with a slight strain of horror in his voice, "The Prince had several supporters in place. Not just in court, but also prestigious houses and kingdoms. During the stay for the six days, the first thing Hoseok had done, was to cold bloodedly kill the key players.

They were the heads of the houses."

The ones who had supported the plans of the King which led to the slaughter of his family. Yes. Anya knew that. Hoseok had confessed it to her one night while they had whispered softly, their fingers and bodies wrapped together.

"For the other Kingdoms, Hoseok got involved in a lot of marriage treaties, changing their loyalty to a new faction. The rest of the officials in the court were implicated in various murders, conspiracies against the King and other corruption which would affect the Crown Prince thus angering the King.

The officials quickly understood their status being in jeopardy due to them being in association to the 4th Prince, hence they severed all connections to him. When they went to place their ties to Hoseok, he asked them to support the Crown Prince instead.

This move made the Crown Prince like and favor him while the 4th Prince lost all his support.

Hoseok did not stop there. He raided the most flourishing trading city of the Kingdom directly under the control of the Prince. He was so skilfull that even I could not get a trace. I was left to guard you during the disaster of the drought so I knew nothing of it.

With just a few men, he ransacked most of the city's food supplies. With the famine in full effect, it was a bold move. When the Prince went to investigate, the supplies, were found in the mansion of the local officials under him, who swore that they did it under his instruction.

The public was ready to crucify him, but Hoseok stepped in to generously share his supplies. He framed the Prince in a way where the kingdom abhors him, though he is innocent.

Even during the war, the plans of attacks he made for the squadrons were inept. He asked the Prince to correct the strategies which was impossible to get right without taking a risk of losing men.

When the Prince suggested this logical course, Hoseok went ahead to take the battle with just a portion of us, winning by his own strength and his fiendish carnage. On that battlefield, he had then asked the tally of our men who had died. The answer obviously had been none.

He had stripped the Prince's honor in front of the military making it seem like the Prince did not care for the lost lives of the soldiers."

Hearing all of this, Anya was. . . . . . . . impressed.

Hoon Chul though had a different reaction, justifying his hatred for the half brother he saw could only do wrong.

In a way he was right. The Prince had not done anything to harm Hoseok for him to receive this judgment. He had just dared to love and try to claim the woman the General loved.

Suddenly, Hoon Chul stood up and came to her. he kept his distance but knelt on the floor with a smile, "But now? I have found the way to take the perfect revenge for you and me. I punishment that he deserves."

"You can kill him?" Anya forgot everything else in that moment, her senses sharpened.

"I cant, but I can do something better." His smile growing wider,

"I can get Hoseok convicted for treason of the highest order for having committed grave crime against the throne, have him dragged naked and bound through the capital for the people to throw stones at followed by a public execution of being put to death by slow slicing or beheading with Royal attendance."

His eyes glittering with malice, "I can have history not remember him as a General, but as a Traitor."

🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

If you are enjoying the story, please do comment and vote. . . .