CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN
Ha Na's eyes widened as soon as she saw Namjoon leaving the dungeon. What is he doing here? She started to wonder but shook her head and temporarily hid herself behind the tree, waiting for Namjoon to be completely gone.
After a few seconds, her heart quickened for a bit as she took a glimpse at the side to see that Namjoon has left. She let out an exasperated sigh before she approached the guards, pressing her palm over her chest to calm her heart from beating so fast.
As soon as she arrive, the guards looked at her in confusion and immediately realized that the person standing in front of them is the future queen of all races.
"Your Majesty!" The guards greeted, startled by the sudden presence of Ha Na. They slightly bow, gripping their swords on their hands and stayed frozen, not bothering to look up.
No one wants to get into the bad side of the royal family. It's their duty to be respectful towards the higher officials anyway.
Ha Na sighed, looking at the guards who are completely scared. Maybe they're newly hired guards since most of the guards are still dispatched to find the remaining wolves.
But I'm not a queen and I will never be. Ha Na mentally groaned in her head.
"You can look up now." Ha Na huffed making the two guards obeyed at the Queen's order.
"What is it that you want, your majesty?" One of the guards asked politely.
Ha Na looked down and fiddled with her fingers. "I want to see Duke Park Jimin."
They stared at Ha Na before looking at each other in confusion again. They were confuse as to why the King's woman would seek for a sinner, especially seek a man.
The guard gulped down his saliva, trying not to be rude towards the queen. "But you're not supposed to have any interactions to other men, your majesty."
"And who said that?" Ha Na asked sternly and crossed her arms over her chest.
"The King ordered it himself." The right guard explained. "You see, once a lady is announced to become a Queen, it is a custom for her not to interact with any men, unless it's about the national affairs. It has been practised for a thousand years already, Your Majesty."
Ha Na furrowed his eyebrows. "Wait. A custom? You mean Taehyung had a queen before? You served a queen before?"
She was confused because as far as she knew, the King has not yet announce any Queen for hundred years already. She knows a lot about vampires but how come she doesn't know that Taehyung had a queen before?
"Not really. I thought everyone knows about it..." The guard replied. "I mean she did become a Queen but..."
"But what?" The other guard nudged him to stop from blabbering nonsense, and immediately pressed his lips into thin line, eyes widened as soon as he realized what he just said.
"Just guide Her Majesty." The other guard scorned and the one who almost expelled the story nodded before bowing at Ha Na.
Ha Na let out a scoff for having a disrespectful creature not answering and interrupting the interesting topic. She just shrugged her shoulders while the guard guided her towards Jimin's cell. She stopped her tracks as her eyes fixed at the figure in front of her with his head on his knees and arms wrapped around his whole body while sobbing quietly.
It honestly broke her heart to see him in fragile state. She never thought that Park Jimin would be this weak.
Did she perhaps misunderstand him? No way in hell did this man in front of her killed Jungkook and Elisse. He seemed to be the type of person who is soft, fluff, a type of mochi and have a calm nature. She started to have doubts regarding everything. Did he kill Jungkook or not? But it was him who was there at the night. And even now, everyone witnessed how Jimin killed Elisse.
Everyone is saying that Jimin killed Elisse. However, there's something in her that makes the situation not explainable and not understandable enough. If Jimin really killed Elisse, why wasn't Jimin present at the scene and just left Elisse lying on the floor when everyone, including Namjoon, say they 'witnessed' him killing her.
Someone could've caught him or heck, Jimin could've escape the palace for all that matter, and Ha Na wanted to hear from Jimin's side and not everyone else's.
"Jimin?" She called him making him jolt up. His eyes were puffy and red from crying yet it sparkled and dilated at the sight of his beloved who is sure worried about him. "Are you okay?"
Jimin blinked a few times to make sure that the one standing there is really Min Ha Na, the woman he waited to reincarnate for a thousand years, and a smile crept on his lips for a moment but eventually frowned before looking away.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, clenching his fist to prevent himself from running towards her and hug the life out of her because he really missed her touch.
Ha Na was taken a back and had completely forgotten why she came in the first place. "I just..."
"You just what Ha Na?" Jimin scoffed and glared at the lady. "Go away!"
Ha Na furrowed her eyebrows, heart dropped to the floor. "Jimin!"
"I said go away!" He hissed, tears threatening to fall again. "I don't want to see you! Why are you here?"
"I wanted to hear your side too." She nonchalantly replied making Jimin whimpered. Where is the cold and strong Jimin that she knew go? What happened, Jimin? You're strong. What have you become?
"I'm not strong, Ha Na..." Jimin muttered as he closed his gap again by wrapping his arms around his body and leaning his head on his knees. He definitely heard her.
Gladly, Ha Na didn't hear what he said and she took the silence into an advantage to ask him the question she wanted to ask.
"Did you..." Ha Na bit her bottom lip. "Did you really kill Elisse?"
Jimin didn't reply. He was too stubborn to respond to whatever questions she has. He was too weak and emotionally in pain. His mind wondered as to what Ha Na might be thinking right now. She must've hated him for being a monster already, but he didn't even bother to read her mind, and has completely forgotten that he has that kind of ability.
However, Jimin got it wrong. Nothing is going through her mind except for the fact that she wanted to hear Jimin's explanation. Yes—she once thought of him as a monster. However, everything that happened today made her doubt in everything.
Something was off.
Ha Na was growing impatient. She wanted—no, she needed to know what is the truth and what is the lie. She didn't want to immediately accuse Jimin killing Elisse. She didn't even believe that Jimin killed her nephew, Jungkook. Everything seems wrong for her like all that happened to her was planned.
Ha Na waited and waited for Jimin to speak up and defend himself, at least his explanation could be a comfort to her, but she never got an answer.
"Aren't you going to speak to me?" Ha Na sighed. After a couple of seconds, she gave up and turned around but then heard a mumble sound making her stop.
"Please don't believe on what they say, Ha Na." Jimin mumbled, hoping she didn't hear it but too bad she did.
All the things that reminded her of him vanished. Even the death of Jungkook whom she once believed that Jimin killed him.
"You don't believe me, do you? I know you believed that I killed her. Kill me too if you want, I won't stop you." Jimin continue to mumble.
Ha Na turned around and faced Jimin who was behind the bars. Jimin lets go of his knees, sat up and leaned against the wall before his eyes met Ha Na's brown orbs.
Jimin waited for a reply, hence, he didn't expect such blunt and direct words would come out from her sinful mouth.
"I could not bring myself to kill you."
RISEN
Written by Hannah (daddiehoseok)