Chapter 25

Lee Han

"There was an emergency in Korea that needed immediate attention. Chief Ji-Hoon will be gone for some time." Chief Yoatián informs Fang Kai, and Park Zixin as my brother and Lady Astari make their escape. My father must have known about this. Most likely, it is the reason they left. Dani doesn't appear surprised and maintains her composure throughout the meeting.

"Isn't that just too convenient, Chief Kwan?" Fang Kai's skeptical voice matches his suspicious eyes.

"Nevertheless, it is where we stand. I will not promise anything else. Did you have something more you wanted to address?"

"I tried to get Xaoi-He to introduce me to Baoxian, but he refuses. Could you introduce us?" Park Zixin.

"Why do you want to meet Baoxian?"

"Seems someone stole something from us and attempted to sell it to him this morning. I was wondering if Baoxian knows where this man is?"

"I couldn't say, but Baoxian rarely meets people in person. Especially if they are members of the State. Why do you think Xaoi-He can help you meet him?"

"I have images of Xaoi-He with him this morning. Xaoi-He claims to know nothing about the thief, though. This is why I would like to ask Baoxian directly." Park Zixin explains.

Prince Ruyun's sharp eyes scrutinize Park Zixin before lowering them back to the table. No one else reacts.

"I will let Baoxian know. No guarantees he will meet you." Chief Yaotián tells Park Zixin before rising and leaving the meeting altogether. His sons and Lord Shi follow him out. Dani and Myom-Li disappear through the door shortly after.

"You will leave my sister alone. She is not interested in Prince Xaoi-He." Hyun-Ki addresses Park Zixin.

"How can you be sure?" At this, Hyun-Ki stands quickly and moves around the table.

Realizing he might seriously hurt a government official, I follow him around the table. Park Zixin laughs and puts his hands up in surrender.

"I won't bother her. I was kidding." Hyun-Ki slams his fist on the table, causing Park Zixin to jump but then laugh.

"Let's go." He tells me.

We leave the meeting room to the two council members. This is why I prefer not to have anything to do with politics. Things we would consider black and white turn gray and blue. Kurtis probably left as soon as it was apparent they needed approval from the head family to force the Yaotián to listen. I wonder what he will do when they figure out we are the head family. We are back in my room before I realize it. Hyun-Ki is looking at me strangely.

"What?" I look at myself from top to bottom but cannot figure out his gaze.

"I was calling your name, but you didn't seem to hear me."

"Oh." I go to the sun room where no sun is shining and pour myself some water. "I guess I am just worried about Kurtis."

"He will figure out a way through this. I am glad I am not a Yaotián. They would definitely try to force me to marry her."

"Why is that necessary?" I take a seat in a recliner by the unlit fireplace.

"It's how Lady Yanyun and Chief Yaotián got married. She's from the Wen clan. In fact, the Wen brothers are her nephews."

"Aren't those the brothers you stayed with when you left The Alliance?"

"I never left The Alliance. I just left Korea. And yes, they are who I stayed with. Well, at their family estate. I still helped and trained some of their troops if they needed anything."

"Interesting." I just watch him from my cup.

His brows crease, then light up as if he figured something out. I am beginning to hate that look. Usually, when this happens, he will ask something that will make me feel uncomfortable.

"Is this what you're jealous about?" He moves to the seat across from me. I just watch him sit.

"You said you would answer my questions," I say.

"Then ask away." He counters, leaning back in the chair, resting an ankle on his knee, and placing his chin on his fist. His eyes roam my body from head to toe. I clear my throat.

"Well, how is it you could possibly be interested in me? I am a man? You have married and had a child with a woman. You even dramatically left the syndicate twice because of her. Then you say you want to be with me. Subsequently, you say you don't care either way. I don't understand." He just watches me for a minute before inspecting his nails. Leaning back, he loosens his hair from the band he had it in, allowing it to fall to his shoulders.

"I am not really sure what you're asking me here. I admit I did a lot for Hana. I met her while I was on a mission in Daegu. My team had finished, and we went to celebrate. She worked as a bartender at the bar there, but she wouldn't speak to me. I figured Hana probably had a boyfriend or something and left her alone. The next day I took a walk in a park and sat near the lake. Even though most of my men had already departed, I wasn't ready to return. I saw Hana again. She was feeding the ducks, looking so beautiful." His eyes trailed off, and I could tell he was lost in the memory. My chest tightened, and I cleared my throat again.

"Ah, yea, needless to say, that was the first time Hana spoke to me. She asked me to feed the ducks with her. After that, I visited her often. You know what happened after that." His gaze returned to me. Yet I couldn't figure out what he was thinking.

"You clearly still care about her."

"I do." Is all he says. But I can see his eyes are bright as if enjoying this.

"Never mind." I move to get up. I don't want to play this game. As if sensing I am about to leave the room, Hyun-Ki stands, blocking me from escaping.

"Do you always run away from your emotions?" He asks me.

"I am not running away," I answer, darting past him. He gently pushes my chest, causing me to lose balance. I fall back in the chair, and he stands over me.

"For someone as honest as you, why do you lie to yourself? I told you I would answer your questions, but you haven't asked me anything. What do you want to know, Lee?"

"I already asked it." My voice shows my annoyance. "You know I am a man. How could you be interested in me?"

"What does it matter that you are a man? Because of my wife?" Hyun-Ki puts his hands in his pocket, gazing down at me. I don't like the angle, so I stand with him so that we may be eye to eye. We are so close I expected him to back up. He doesn't move.

"Yes." I am trying hard not to yell at him. It's been so long since I lost my composure. Since I met him, I have tended to lose sight of who I am more and more often.

"Hmm…" He tilts his head slightly, staring at my mouth before his dark eyes return to mine. I feel like he can read my mind without me even having to voice it.

"I have no particular preference. I have been with men and women before. I just have never been serious about a man before." He watches my reaction as if waiting for something. His brows crease slightly, but he doesn't say anything else.

"You have been with a man before…?" I trail off.

"Yes."

"Then, are you even serious about me?" Shit, I didn't mean to say that out loud. I turn to leave, but again he is blocking my way.

"I am serious about you. I was serious about you before I knew who you were."

"Then why haven't you even approached me since then." Fuck it. I give up. He smiles. Looks at my lips again, then back into my eyes. That twinkle in his eyes makes my stomach do weird things.

"Do you want me to kiss you?" He asks me. I shrug him off me and put space between us.

"You stayed with the Wen family. Did you have relations with them?" At this, he tenses up and looks away.

"I did. But it wasn't anything serious. We both had responsibilities and knew it would never be anything."

"You say that, but did you end it with him?"

"I promise it wasn't like that. I told him I had to go back and marry after Chief Kwan came to me about training. Then I met you."

"You aren't getting married now, though."

"I know."

"Don't you think he knows? Who was it anyway." I demand. Hyun-Ki tilts his head again as he watches my reactions. Sighing, he sits back down and runs his fingers through his hair.

"It was Wen YunChi. He's the oldest of the Wen siblings. He approached me a few weeks after I arrived. I told you I would do things with people regardless of their orientation. I was still upset about Hana's death and missing Mari like crazy. These aren't excuses, just facts." His eyes are earnest and expectant. I nod my understanding before sitting across from him.

"YunChi was a distraction from those feelings. I was with him if I wasn't on a mission or not here, learning from Chief Yaotián and sometimes the Yoatián elders. YunChi is the next head of his family. He cannot shirk those duties. I tried explaining that to him, especially since it was still very fresh for me."

"He has feelings for you," I say more than asking. I can tell by the way Hyun-Ki was reluctant to talk about it. Hyun-Ki doesn't speak. "Well, you're free now. You can be with him." This time I don't stop when Hyun-Ki grabs my arm. Twisting my arm, he lets go.

"Lee, I don't want to be with him."

"Then you need to end it properly. How could you just leave Wen YunChi like that? Now you've returned. You think he doesn't have expectations?!" I yell at him.

"Why do you care? Since when have you understood the feelings of others."

"I have feelings too, Hyun-Ki. Besides, if it was my father or mother and either of them did what you did to the other, they would be heartbroken. It was already hard enough being away from Kurtis."

"You have feelings for me?"

"Just go."

"Lee."

"No! Get out!" I shout at him. His face is clearly surprised, but he does leave me alone. "Don't come back until you properly end things," I tell him quietly as he walks past me.