oo9

"What made you think that you would be able to gather your men fitted to be in the military just by a mere announcement posted on the bulletin board?"

The vice general bowed. "In line with the posters, I also ordered my men to jump from one house to another, breaking the news to the noble clan, requirinng one young man from every family to participate in the assembly. Not only that, I will gather the most experienced and elite masters to train them—"

"Lee Taeyong!" The door to the Emperor's chambers burst open, revealing The Retired Chief-in-command with an angry looking face, the guards on duty behind him trying to reach for the old man who stormed inside without any preamble. However, their efforts were put in vain for they were never allowed inside the king's chambers, and only the king's military teacher would be able to do so haughtily.

If his head will be chopped off, the guards had no clue. 

Both Dongwook and Taeyong looked at the intruder, the younger showing obvious surprise at the rudeness of his grandfather while, the emperor, seemed unfazed by all of it. 

"I believe barging into my door like a madman is still rude even if you're my martial arts teacher," the highest ranking noble commented amusedly, but no hints of disdain can be seen from him, eyeing Taeyong's grandfather. 

Immediately, the youngest's eyes darted back towards the king sitting on the throne shortly before bowing once more, his forehead almost banging to the floor in panic. "Pardon me your highness—"

"You don't get to lead this team, Taeyong," the old man grumbled, cutting his own grandson. The youngest, whose head was sticking to the floor had snapped towards "Not without your father's consent."

"Harabeoj—"

"I'm not repeating things, and that's final." With that, Old man Lee stormed out the chambers, leaving the two guys alone to bask in the awkward silence. 

"You should follow him, Taeyong." The younger looked up in alarm, hearing the king's soft voice. Again, the look of disdain in his face cannot be seen, instead a soft smile on his lips.

 "He must be feeling bad for scolding you in front of me. I know him, he just wants to protect you."

"But your highness—" Taeyong spoke to argue only to cut his self the moment he realized he can't contest to whatever the noble being says. 

"I'll come back once this matter gets settled." He assured and the king gratefully nodded. Getting on his feet, the young general made a bow of courtesy before turning on his heels, walking towards the exit. 

Before completely reaching the door, Dongwook spoke again, catching Taeyong's attention once more. 

"I can't blame him though. Your father's currently fighting in the borders and he can't afford to lose you too, I know because I feel that too, towards Donghyuk."

Lee Taeyong let out a few breath before reaching for the knob of the door finally.

He was determined to make his grandfather agree. 

--

"Harabeoji!" Taeyong called, chasing after the angry man. 

In an instant, his grandfather looked back to glare at him spitefully, stopping on his tracks. The vice general eventually decelerated his pace, turning to a stop once he reached the old man's spot. 

"How can you still be this athletic at that age?" He playfully jested which earned a harsh, "anger can make us do wondrous things." 

Taeyong sighed, before his chuckles died down and his face dropped. "Harabeoji please—"

"I'm not having this conversation with you!" The man hollered then his heels once more. Taeyong rolled his eyes, nevertheless followed the head of his family. 

"Talk to Jaeil!" The man complained. "Only that girl can knock some sense in you." His lips thined.

Really? 

Would she really? 

Everything has changed between them. 

"Please, here me out, harabeoji." Taeyong pleaded once more. 

"I'm not loosing you as well, Taeyong. Your father's fighting in the borders right now and they were barely winning. I'm not letting you fight supernatural beings with the small chance if you surviving. I'm not even doubting your skills right now, but I'm not risking my family as well." 

"Talk to your father about this and I'll agree if he did." 

Taeyong pouted like a child. "Harabeoji!" He whined. "How can I ask for his permission if he's at the borders?! You're the one who's here so you should be the one giving me the go signal to be loyal and serve his Majesty!" He argued, eyebrows dipping at the middle. 

"We both know you're just using Abeoji as an excuse—"

He turned to his grandson. 

"Tell me, will our family name end here? Do you really not consider having your own family and continue our legacy?" 

"A legacy of what? Of being soldiers? Aren't I doing that legacy right now?" The grandson finally scoffed in disbelief, not wanting to be where his grandfather is currently headed to.

"We are a family of soldiers, loyal servers to the royal family. Tell me, aren't I living our legacy like that?" He widened his eyes trying to keep his tears behind his lids, causing the corners of his eyes to redden.

His grandfather not wanting him to be a part of this mission is already one thing, but ridiculing his profession is another, and he wouldn't just let his grandfather judge what he's doing when it was him who trained Taeyong to grow up and be this way when he was still little.

"If you want me to go to abeoji? To gain his permission?" Taeyong gulped, his eyes still red and unblinking. "Fine, I will." He muttered in an undertone before walking past his grandfather, their shoulders bumping ever so lightly. 

"Taeyong!" He ignored him.

"You're not going anywhere, Lee Taeyong! Lift a single foot out of the palace and I'm disowning you!"

Taeyong halted his steps, just standing a few feet away from his grandfather.

He didn't know why, but at the time, when his grandfather seemed to be challenging him into something, words in his mouth flowed like a harsh stream hitting the boulders. 

"As for the record, I'm marrying Moon Jaeil." He mused lowly, his grandfather mirroring his expression at his revelation. 

"What did you say?"  

"In exchange," he announced, his voiced the loudest this day, "allow me to lead the men I'm gathering to protect the Crown Prince and this nation."

The fazed man remained looking at the grandson who was staring at him intently until Taeyong broke it by bowing. 

"I promise to continue our family legacy and do my filial duties as the youngest of the Lees after winning this battle. I'll give you a great grandson who will follow after his great grandfather's foot steps and will make sure that you'll grow proud of him." He sighed as the tension in his shoulders finally lessen, seeing how his grandfather seemed to be convinced finally. 

He starightened his back with a determined look on his face. "so please, Harabeoji. Allow me this mission once and for all."

--

It was one of the rare times when Lady Moon is in the house, and so she was spending her afternoon by the garden with her youngest, watering the flowers. 

She had also heard the dreadful news about Taeil the last night when she arrived, thus the headache attack which rendered her weak. 

The two could not be more than relieved to know that she's recovering now. 

"Taeyong indeed is a great guy, don't you think so?" Lady Moon squealed, eyeing the pink petals Jaeil was watering. 

Her youngest just smirked, a silent disagreement to what her mother said. "Have you thanked him already?" The mother probed and she never thought she'd be in an uncomfortable position inside her very own house. She paused from watering.

"H-huh?" She chuckled nervously. "Y-yes." She mumbled. "Yes." 

Her gaze couldn't focus on one, and her eyes kept on shaking as she tried zeroing out at the flower she's tending to.

"You should invite him then, I'll make him good cookies. It's rare to find a great and notable man these days, his wife will be very lucky to have him."

Jaeil coughed, finding the statement awfully ridiculous. Lady Moon eyed her dumbly, lowering her watering can. "Are you alright?" 

"I-I-I'm fine," Jaeil defended, avoiding her mother's gaze. 

However, lady Moon isn't having any of it. 

"Are—"

"Moon Jaeil!" Both heads turned to the royal astronomer who was standing on the Manor's patio, looking at them from afar. When the mother waved signalling her eldest child to approach them, Taeil ran towards them, approaching his little sister until he got hold of her sleeve gently, whispering in her ear. 

"I heard something from the Lee's." He started and took note of how her body slightly stiffened. Meanwhile, their mother frowned seeing how her children seemed to be so secretive around her. 

First, Jaeil's unusual behaviour and now, her Taeil's peculiar actions. 

"Are you marrying Taeyong?" Taeil bored his curiosity after casting a wary glance at his mother. Last night, hearing the news that he almost got beheaded in public made her lose her balance, and they had no other choice but to call the family doctor to check on her health. Luckily, it was just due to the shock and no other serious causes. The three slept in the same room last night. He can't afford to shock her with this news once more. 

"Why?" She smiled at her mother swiftly before dragging her brother farther away from their mother. 

"Who told you?" She hushed annoyed, gripping onto his sleeves as well as she looked up at him in alarm. 

"Who told me?" Taeil eyed his sister as if she had grown two heads. 

"It's all over the place!" He muttered in the same softness as her. 

"Hey, you two!" Lady Moon arrived at their place, her arms crossed on her chest. 

"Is this about Taeyong and Jaeil's marriage?" She asked with a smile and the sibling's jaws dropped. 

"How did you know?!"

"Who told you?!" 

Both said at the same time causing laughter to erupt, coming from their mother. 

"I bumped with Taeyong's grandfather earlier and he told me you two decided to marry each other. In fact, they're planning to visit tonight, so I'm going to cook cookies and palatable dishes myself." 

--

Taeyong browsed through the statistics record in the library, jotting down several households with no son. 

He knew he was playing with fire riskily but he cannot afford losing the prophesized boy. He has found him already and he would do every means he could to capture a real night walker that'll heal the crown prince. 

Of course the league of soldiers to protect Donghyuk is real and will be trained just like a real soldier. But at the end of the day, everything is only a facade, just so they could lure the vampire into the capital.

Minhyung is near the capital, thus the frequent attacks from the unknown night walker. Lee Taeyong was sure of it. 

He stopped his brush after gathering enough household names in his hanji, the ink from pressing the brush too hard ruining the once blank slate. 

He just need to choose one household where he could falsify Minhyung into being their son in papers for his admission and everything will be well. 

Folding the piece of paper into half and hiding it inside his robe, Taeyong heaved a huge sigh as he looked straight, his eyes focused on the door of his chambers. 

All that's left is to fetch Minhyung from the stables. 

--

His efforts was put into vain however, when he took sight of the ruined stables at the middle of the woods. Gone was the group of men tending to the military horses. 

All that's left were some corpses of the animals that is now getting fed on by scavenger animals. 

Another sigh was heard once more, the burden of the happenings finally taking its toll on him. 

"Where ar