[Time passes as Seol becomes sixteen as her birthday comes soon. To make a surprise party, Jung and Baek-Ah makes up an idea while Seol with her brothers, Cheon Chu-Jeon and A-ji, would go hunt. While searching, Seol reunites with Hwangbo sisters, the princesses, Wang Chi, and the crown prince Ju who were practicing the archery at the forest.]

Jung sighed, anxious as Lady Munhye stayed beside comforting him. Baek-Ah looked at the entrance waiting for his niece. It was Seol’s sixteenth birthday. As what the elders of Chungju clan said, it is traditional for either men or women, must try their first hunt in their coming of age.

Then everyone heard three people approaching. Two young boys and one young girl in the center, with their training outfits. Jung smiled as his daughter held the bow and arrows, confident smile formed form her lips. The elders and ladies from the clan smiled proudly at their heiress.

“You can do it, child.”

“It’s your big day.”

“My, how you’ve grown.”

Seol sighed in anxiety as Cheon Chu-Jeon smiled comfortingly at her.

“Sister, it’s alright.”

Seol thanked her brother. It’s been eight years she was trained by her father with swords, archery, and martial arts. Jung always told her it was to teach her self-defense or in case if she have to face something all by herself. When she had seen him hunt, he taught her how with fair rules.

Jung kept glanced at his daughter and he couldn’t help but feel wistful. Seol has grown up as a beautiful girl, strikingly resembling to her own mother. She had fair skin, doe-like eyes, and same rosy lips as Soo. Her long hair was tied back as a ponytail, wearing a red and black training outfits. Baek-Ah blinked back his tears and gave Seol hug.

“Do your best, our Baek-Seol.”

Seol hugged him back and approached to her horse and hopped on.

“Wish me luck, father.”

Lady Munhye waved her hand as Jung and Baek-Ah nodded their head. Seol looked at her brothers, gestured them to depart.

“Let’s move, boys,” then she pulled the rein letting the horse gallop with: “HYAH!”

The three horses with riders moved towards the hunting area where it reaches to the forest that belongs to Chungju clan. The elders and ladies yelled their good lucks to her as they saw three disappear into the woods.

Jung proudly glanced at the spot where Seol rode off to.

‘She would have been so proud of Seol.’ He thought.

Jung turned to Baek-Ah and his wife, playful smile emerged from them.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Gather up and think of surprise for our Seol!”
Then Baek-Ah lead the elders inside, forming a surprises for his niece’s big day.

At the forest, Seol’s scrutinising eyes were looking around the woods. She heard the noise as her head turned to the left where she saw the boars. One male, one female and their three little offsprings. A-Ji draw his arrow and pulled it with the strings, directing at them, most likely female or the offsprings. But Seol grabbed his arms, shook her head.

“Do not hunt the mother or the babies. Aim at the male only.” She strictly scolded him.

A-Ji obediently nodded his head as he let his arms down. Cheon Chu-Jeon admired his older sister’s fair, wise rules with hunting. She fully understands and analyses the striking similarity between the nature and the country’s lives.

“Do not hunting females and the cubs. And try not to provoke the large predators. They are considered as the lords of the wood as much as his majesty is to Goryeo.” She warned her brothers quietly.

She drew her arrows and pulled the bow’s string, directing at the male. The hand, that pulled the end of the arrows, touched her chin prepare to aim. In inhale she stood still and exhales as she released it. With a quick breeze, the small metallic head stabbed the male wild boar’s neck and collapsed to the cold ground, alarming the mother and her offsprings to run. Seol brought another arrow and drew it, release again and this time, it shot the boar’s heart.
She sighed as her brothers praised her skill.

“Brilliant shot, sister. No woman in Goryeo will surpass your archery skills.” Cheon Chu-Jeon smiled as he heartily laughed.

“You hunted a male hawk just an hour ago. You had done fairly since you aimed at its’ wing,” Seol said pointing at the caged hawk, “father would be so proud of you too.”

Then they heard a noise of arrow stabbed the tree. Seol, alarmed, hopped off from her horse and inspected the area.

“Who’s there?” She asked.

The they turned to the sounds of footsteps and Seol was about to give a little chase until she bumped into someone. As if her habits revived, she feigned the injury.

“Ouch!” She exclaimed with her hands on her forehead.

Her two brothers only giggled at her silly antic, until they saw the group of ladies escorted by a two men with a smile that revealed their dimples.

“Seol?”

She looked up and saw the familiar young men who seemed to be around her age. Her eyes grew wide as she recognized them.

“Prince Chi? Crown Prince?”

Then she looked at the young ladies. Three of them were wearing much refined clothes while the two were wearing the same training robes she wore.

“Oh my God, Hwangbo Su!”

And the girls leaped on her, causing Seol to fall down happily.

“Seol-unnie! We missed you~!” Mun-Deok and Hwangbo Seol cried out of euphoria.

Seol managed to stand up as two men walked over. 

The handsome young man with his hair tied in ponytail was Wang Chi. The other was an attractive young man with the same height as Chi, with his hair tied up in knot, decorated with gold and jade, was the Crown Prince. He was making a wide, charming smile with the same dimples his queen mother had when she grinned.

“Look at you! I didn’t expect a day to see you wearing the training robes.” Chi half-heartedly teased.

“And you, young men, you look even more taller than me!” She retorted playfully.

Her brothers approached and gave Ju slight bow.

“Greetings to the Crown Prince.”

Wang Ju greeted them back.

“I heard this your first hunt for your sixteenth birthday,” Ju spoke to their sister, “I should have send you gifts…”

“No, that’s alright. Anyway, how did you came here?” Seol asked.

“We were about to practice archery.” Hwangbo Su replied.

Then, Chi and Ju noticed the dead wild boar. Their eyes were wide in surprise and disbelief.

“Then…did you hunt that all by yourself?” Ju asked, utterly impressed.

Seol smiled in pride, nodded her head.

“Yes.”

The princesses gasped in awe, admiring Seol’s archery skills. Cheon Chu-Jeon grinned.

“She has grown even more better with martial arts,” He added, “we always lose.”

“I tried to improve mine, but it never seemed better,” then Ju looked at Seol, “perhaps, sometimes you could help me if you don’t mind.”

Seol grinned.

“Of course. Just trust my expertise.”

They laughed along as they heard the voice of eunuch searching for the Crown Prince, Chi, princesses and Hwangbo sisters. Seol excused herself with her brothers as they took their way back to their horses after Cheon Chu-Jeon and A-Ji carried the dead wild boar on the horse.

Chi led the girls to their horses as Ju looked at the spot Seol left. ‘Seol, she had grown up fair just as her name…’ He couldn’t help but smile, not noticing the warmness around his cheeks.

“Crown Prince,” Chi called out, “let’s go.”

The Crown Prince gave one last glance on where Seol left, and jumped onto his horse, riding back to the palace. 

Back at the Chungju clan’s residence, Baek-Ah, Jung and Lady Munhye was waiting for Seol and her brothers’ return. Three hours had passed and the family has finished the surprise for their Seol. Baek-Ah noticed the three horses and their riders.

“There they are!”

The elders and ladies of the household looked at Seol. Behind her was her half-brothers with one horse carried the dead animal, presumed to be a wild boar. The people gasped and murmured in awe as they saw Seol’s first hunt.

“It’s a wild boar!”

“Did she caught it?”

“Like father, like daughter…!”

Jung smiled widely as Baek-Ah only shook his head in disbelief, amazed. Lady Munhye could only widened open.

“She seemed to have inherited his majesty’s skills… and her mother’s beauty,” Jung mused, feeling dizzy all of sudden, “what would his majesty think if he sees this…”

“He would definitely faint…” Baek-Ah replied bluntly, shock never leave from him.

They saw Seol waving cheerfully at her father, uncle and rest of her family with big grin. A-Ji and Cheon Chu-Jeon wondered if they could surpass their sister someday as they deeply admire her intelligence and talents.

Note:
Yes, people! Seol inherits her mother Hae Soo’s beauty, intelligence, personality, and So’s talented martial art skills. She is a true combination of SoSoo offspring! This chapter might foreshadow her role in Goryeo.