The forest seemed to close in around them as they pressed forward, the tension palpable in the air. Despite the urgency of their escape, Sung and Diana forged ahead, their footsteps quickening with each passing moment.
But then, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over Sung, and his eyes began to twitch with a dark intensity. Diana's heart clenched with fear as she watched the dark stain of blood spread across his pale skin.
"I'm sorry, it's my fault...!" Diana's voice trembled with guilt, her words choked with emotion.
Sung's gaze met hers, his eyes filled with a mixture of pain and understanding.
"Lady Diana," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
But before Diana could respond, a voice broke through the darkness, cutting through the silence like a knife.
"Your Highness!"
Diana's head snapped up, relief flooding through her as she spotted Master Danro and his soldiers emerging from the shadows.
"Master Danro! Oh, the reinforcements are here...! Your Highness is injured!" Diana exclaimed, her voice tinged with worry.
Sung, however, waved off her concern with a weak smile.
"I'm fine..." he reassured, though his words lacked conviction.
With Master Danro's arrival, hope flickered once more in Diana's heart. Perhaps they stood a chance of escaping this nightmarish forest after all.
Diana's voice cut through the urgency of the moment, her tone firm and resolute.
"He's not fine at all, so let's go somewhere where we can treat his wound. Hurry!"
There was no time to waste on formalities or royal decorum, not when Sung's life hung in the balance.
Master Danro hesitated for a moment, his expression torn between duty and concern. But with a nod from Sung, he quickly rallied the soldiers, his voice commanding and authoritative.
"Your Highness, lean on me," Master Danro offered, stepping forward to support Sung.
But Sung, ever the jesting prince, flashed a smirk despite his obvious pain.
"Oh, I have someone else I want to lean on," he quipped, his words laced with playful defiance.
Diana shot him a warning look, her eyes flashing with determination.
"You have to keep your dignity," she admonished, her voice firm and unwavering.
Sung's smile faltered for a moment, replaced by a pained expression that tugged at Diana's heartstrings.
"...I don't know if I've been hit by an arrow here as well. My heart hurts too," Sung confessed, his voice barely above a whisper.
Diana took the lead, her steps quick and purposeful as she guided them through the forest. But as they paused to catch their breath, she turned her attention to Sung's wound, her hands steady despite the tremble in her heart.
"Now I have no choice but to wash it off with water..." Diana muttered to herself, her determination shining through as she tore a strip of fabric from her skirt.
Diana's hands trembled as she tried to staunch the flow of blood, her mind consumed by a whirlwind of regret and despair.
"Why isn't this working...?" she murmured to herself, her voice barely above a whisper. If only she had returned to Seoul sooner, if only she had never set foot in Chosun at all... But dwelling on what-ifs only served to deepen her despair, like tangled roots sinking ever deeper into fertile soil.
Just as darkness threatened to engulf her, a familiar voice cut through the silence like a ray of light piercing the night.
"You know," Sung began, his voice gentle and soothing, "why don't we think about it the same way?"
Diana felt his hands cup her cheeks tenderly, the warmth of his touch chasing away the chill that had settled in her bones.
"For example," Sung continued, his voice soft and reassuring, "what about our first encounter?"
Slowly, Diana lifted her head to meet his gaze, her heart fluttering at the memory of that fateful day.
"That day..." Sung's words echoed in her mind, transporting her back to a time when everything had seemed so simple and carefree. "You treated me like this as well."
Their eyes locked, and for a moment, the world seemed to fall away, leaving only the two of them in their own little bubble of intimacy.
"Lady Diana," Sung whispered, his breath mingling with hers in the chilly night air, "I like you. I admire you, Lady Diana."
In that moment, surrounded by darkness and uncertainty, Diana found herself inexplicably drawn to the warmth and sincerity in Sung's eyes. And as she gazed into his eyes, she felt a glimmer of hope flicker to life within her heart.
His words cut through the darkness, each syllable resonating within Diana's heart like a painful echo of their impossible situation. Sung's lips moved with a clarity that seemed to mirror the clarity of Diana's own conflicted emotions, stirring a longing she had harbored deep within her for so long.
"I... We can't be on the same page," Diana murmured, her voice trembling with the weight of her decision. She knew what she had to do; she had to leave, even if it tore her apart inside. Tears streamed down her cheeks, a silent testament to the agony of her choice. Why now? Why did it have to be now, when their connection felt so achingly real?
"You... You are cold to me until the end," Sung observed, his voice tinged with a mixture of sadness and resignation.
Diana felt a pang of guilt at his words. "Are you blaming me?" she asked, her voice barely audible above the turmoil of her thoughts.
Sung's smile softened as he gently brushed away her tears. "That's not all," he confessed. "I resent you, I hate you. I don't want another woman as my wife, but you don't even try to ask me about it... It's sad to think that you might believe in the rumor."
Despite his words, Sung drew closer to Diana, his expression tender and reassuring. He pressed a gentle kiss to her wet eyes, his touch a balm to her wounded soul.
"...I'll take you there, Lady Diana," Sung promised, his voice filled with resolve. "To the place where we first met."
As they stood together amidst the chaos of Bukchon Street, Diana felt a sense of urgency wash over her. There was no time to waste, no room for hesitation. With Sung by her side, she knew they could face whatever lay ahead, together.
Diana's fingers trembled as she carefully tied the bracelet of Life and Fate to her lucky catcher, her movements slow and deliberate. With each knot, she felt the weight of their shared destiny pressing down on her, a tangible reminder of the choices they had made and the paths they had yet to walk.
Sung's touch on her hand brought her back to the present moment, his presence a comforting anchor amidst the storm of emotions swirling within her.
"I just... I can't go alone like this. Can't you just... Come with me?" Diana's voice wavered with uncertainty, her gaze pleading with Sung to reconsider.
Sung's response was gentle but firm. "...No, I can't."
Diana's heart sank at his words, her desperation rising to the surface. "Why...? You have to save your life... Come to Seoul with me...! You can just come back by the time when things have calmed down. Right? This is the only chance we have. So Please!"
She was pleading now, her words a desperate plea for them to be together, if only for a little while longer.
But Sung remained resolute. "...I can't do that. ...And you know that well."
Diana's eyes filled with tears as she struggled to accept his decision. "I know, but...You... You're just letting me go like this? It's our last chance... It's really our last chance..."
In a tender gesture, Sung lifted her hand to his lips, his breath warm against her skin as he spoke.
"Though I'm the king of Chosun, I am a man who loves you. So, I'm not gonna let the felon unpunished who has targeted you."
His words resonated within her, a testament to the depth of his love and his unwavering commitment to her safety. As they stood together in the fading light of dawn, Diana knew that no matter what trials awaited them, they would face them together, united by a bond that transcended time and circumstance.
The air between them crackled with unspoken words, heavy with the weight of their impending separation. Diana's heart ached as she looked into Sung's eyes, knowing that this might be the last time she would see him for a long time.
"Really. You're talking like you to the end. That's... That's why... I love you," Diana whispered, her voice barely above a breath as she fought to hold back her tears. They stood facing each other, the gate between them a painful reminder of the distance that would soon separate them once again.
Sung's voice was heavy with regret as he spoke. "I'm sorry."
But unlike the day they had first met, when they had opened the closed door to a new beginning, now they stood before it to close the chapter that had brought them together.
Diana's heart clenched with desperation as she realized that time was running out. "Oh! W-Wait a minute, Lord Sung! Please take this!"
With trembling hands, she pulled out a small gift from her arms—a thread bracelet woven from red and gold threads, a symbol of their love and the promise they had made to each other.
"Don't forget me, okay...?" Diana's voice trembled with emotion as she held out the bracelet to Sung, her eyes pleading with him to remember her always.
Sung's hand closed around the bracelet, his expression softening as he looked at her. Despite the sadness in his eyes, there was a steely determination there, a promise that he would keep their love alive even in their separation.
"...I will visit you as soon as everything is over. By the date I've first knocked on this door at the latest...! I'll be here," Sung vowed, his voice filled with conviction.
Diana nodded, her heart overflowing with love for this man who had captured her heart. "Yes...! Please remember me...! "
In one swift motion, she pulled Sung toward her, pressing her lips to his in a desperate bid to hold onto the moment for just a little while longer. But even as they clung to each other, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed in the distance, a reminder that their time together was running out.
As the door of the workshop gate with the lucky catcher swung shut, sealing Sung's fate within the confines of Chosun, a voice pierced the air, shattering the fragile moment of farewell.
"Over there! Get him!"
The urgency in the voice sent a shiver down Diana's spine, and she turned to see the source of the commotion, her heart pounding with fear.
"M-My lord!" Diana's voice trembled as she reached out, her fingers grasping desperately at the closing door, but it was too late. With a final, resolute click, the latch fell into place, sealing Sung's fate within the confines of Chosun.
"Oh... No... I need to open the gate once more!" Diana's hands shook as she frantically grabbed the handle, pushing against the heavy wooden door with all her might. But despite her efforts, the door remained steadfastly closed, refusing to yield to her desperate pleas.
As she struggled against the unyielding barrier, a gust of wind swept through the open courtyard, carrying with it the scent of autumn leaves and distant memories. And then, in the blink of an eye, the familiar streets of Seoul's Bukchon came into view, a stark reminder of the world she had left behind.
"How... How could this happen...?" Diana's voice trailed off into a whisper as she stared in disbelief at the scene before her. A single red maple leaf drifted down from the branches above, brushing past the back of her hand with a gentle caress.
It was autumn. She was back. Back to a time before she had ever known Sung, before their lives had become entwined in a tangled web of fate and destiny. It was a cruel twist of fate, a reminder that sometimes, no matter how desperately we cling to the past, we are powerless to change the course of our lives.