It's becoming a big problem for Yoohyeon, this whole thing. Does she open her eyes, does she keep them sealed shut? She doesn't feel like dealing with her tonight, not at all - but as she feels a damp, cold piece of cloth lightly pressed against her forehead, she mentally scolds herself for what she's about to say next.
"What is it tonight," Yoohyeon sighs, "what do you want now, Minji?"
Minji laughs through gritted teeth.
"For you to open your eyes, of course! Or, can you not stand seeing me like this?"
"I've grown numb to it," Yoohyeon says, her eyes still closed. Minji, now obviously annoyed, sits on Yoohyeon's chest. The younger woman lets out a quiet yelp, but her body feels too weak to even attempt to push her off. Minji forces Yoohyeon's eyes open with her fingers, to what Yoohyeon whines in pain.
"You're still a fucking sicko, Minji," she says.
Minji finds the queen's words amusing, as always. "I'm a sicko," she climbs on top of Yoohyeon, trapping her abdomen between her thighs, forcing her to look at the nauseating wound in her chest, visible through her blood stained pink gown, "...yet you're the one who's done this". Her blood is now being splattered all over Yoohyeon's bed and Yoohyeon swallows a lump in her throat. Ironically, Minji is the one smiling. Now that Yoohyeon has, again, seen what she wanted her to see, she slides her fingers down to Yoohyeon's cheeks.
"You need to trust me, Yoohyeonie, I'm here to take care of you tonight."
Yoohyeon thinks to herself how that, clearly, is a lie, but she notices a water bowl and some medicine on her nightstand. She's got no strength to protest against whatever Minji's got in the store for her - her fever has been dreadful these past few days. Now that she's got some time to reflect, she realizes she hasn't eaten in a while. Getting out of the bed is a hassle when the fever gets her lightheaded as soon as she leans onto her feet. Taking everything into account, she decides not to say anything as she sighs and closes her eyes. Yoohyeon prays for a peaceful slumber to take over, because this - this is everything but what she wants to deal with right now.
Minji takes the cloth and dips it into the water.
"It breaks my heart to see you like this, Yoohyeonie," she continues, "it's like the emptiness of this castle haunts me.. it's like.. whose queen are you, anyway?"
Yoohyeon fights the urge to bite back.
"Just do what you came to do."
She feels the pressure lift off from her chest.
"Do you want me to get you something to eat? You look almost as deathly pale as me," Minji says.
Yoohyeon laughs weakly. She has to give her some credit for that joke, it is funny. And probably true.
"Sur-," she opens her eyes to a cold, desolate room. Her nightstand is empty, she's tangled into her snow white, definitely not bloodstained sheets. Yoohyeon feels her heart sink, but she is oddly relieved.
It's becoming a big problem for Yoohyeon, this whole thing. And as she falls asleep believing it's her well-deserved fate to lose her mind over this, Minji settles in the corner of the bedroom and in the back of Yoohyeon's mind, for yet another night in the row.