The Gilded Cage

enly stopped and turned around.
His usually cold expression now carried a smile.

“When the Crown Prince wakes up, remember to tell him that I dropped by to see him.
Tell him to also have a good rest and don’t worry too much.
The Crown Prince is still vital to the kingdom.
As I am unmarried and have no issue, the Crown Prince position is still his.”

Chu Ning was shocked and looked up instinctively.
However, he had already turned around and left the hall.
She could only see his wide profile under the setting sun.

“Don’t get caught up in these things because of women.
Do you think that Kim Na-Yool or any other woman says they like you because they really do? They are just after your looks.
Then how about when you get old, huh? If you don’t have any abilities, then…”

“You’re so ugly I can’t hear you.”

“You fucking bastard!” Sang-Hoon sprung up from his chair and slammed the table as if about to jump at Si-Jin.
Si-Jin chuckled.

“Seems like you yourself are well aware of your unattractiveness.”

“You, let’s get out.
Let’s take it outside, just you and me‒”

“‒Where do you think you’re going?” Na-Yool cut Sang-Hoon off in an extremely weary voice.
“As I said, this person is just someone from work.
There’s nothing between me and him, and I’ve done nothing to be ashamed of while meeting with you.”

“And you expect me to believe it?”

“…There is also nothing between us anymore, so even if you don’t like what you’re hearing, just mind your own business.
You and me, we are done, aren’t we.”

“……”

“Because you dumped me.” Her calmness, without a hint of irritation or sarcasm unlike before, had Sang-Hoon at loss for words for a while.
“And I accepted it.
Since you said that’s what you wanted.”

“……”

“To not see my fed-up face anymore.
To put an end to our failing relationship.
To stop hearing me apologize over and over for working late.”

“I, Na-Yool… Fuck, none of this make any sense.
To just break up like this, just over something like this…”

“As for expecting me to cling to you, I did it all that day.
I apologized as I felt sorry, I checked with you many times if you were not asking to break up on the spur of the moment.
And when I asked you if we had to break up ‘just over something like this’, what did you say? That to you this little thing was everything.
That it was that big of an issue to you!”

“……”

“But now what? Just over something like this? Are you kidding me?”