Oh my gosh, the comments you guys gave me were so encouraging (cries)

I read every single one of them, I promise T T
 

[Soo Hyuk]

  I grunted as another solid punch landed on my stomach.

  These guys can really hit huh? All I did was to provoke them a little for them to fly into such a rage.

  I collapsed as a knee connected with my guts. The hooligans were relentless in raining punches and kicks down on me as I attempted to shield my head or feebly fight back. This won't do, I will probably losing a rib today if I were to continue lie here to give out free hits-

  "Hey you guys!"

  The bashing stopped and I squinted my eyes to look up. At the mouth of the alley stood a small framed woman with her hands on her hips, a fuming expression hanging on her face. 

  What the hell is the Ice Lord's girl doing here? 

  "Us?" One of those rotten bastards said in amusement, pointing his finger at himself as they advanced. Park Dara dropped her arms from her waist and backed away warningly. 

  "Yes- yo-you, sir." Dara stammered, her stance totally gone as she blinked, looking panicked. 

  What the hell, "sir"? 

  "I just thought that perhaps, you may want to consider.. consider changing a target? That guy over there looks rather weak for you." Dara gave a hoarse laugh. Psh, the way she's rubbing her hands already gave away how much she regrets interfering with these tough looking men advancing on her.

  The rat-looking one out of the three turn over and spared me a glance before turning back to her. 

  "I think he's fine though?" He smirks. 

  "Great! I'll just leave him to you guys then!" Dara laughed, quickening her backing steps. I had to muster all the strength in me to not roll my eyes. Then why did she even poked her nose in in the first place? She spoiled everything.

  "I'm sorry friend!" Dara squeaked before turning on her heels to escape. Took me a while before I realise that was meant for me. Friend? That's why she stepped in?

  Can any woman get any more eccentric than her? 

  She wasn't fast enough, those rats ran up and grabbed her forcefully by the arm, pulling her back. "Not so fast, lady." They grinned.

  Wow wow, they did not stoop as low as to just lay hands on a woman now.

  "HEY!" I found myself yelling.

  "We'll deal with you after we're done with her, loser. Be patient." Rat-face snapped.

  I opened my mouth again but airhead-Dara beat me to it.

  "LET.ME.GO.NOW." She said sternly, badly hiding the fear in her eyes as she pointed her finger at ratface. 

  Is she crazy or deficient in the head.

  "IM A FEMINIST, I WILL NOT PERMIT YOU TO SHOW ME SUCH DISRESPECT!" She shrieked, her voice cracking from the nervousness.

  Forget about the rats, even I can't hide the look of confusion on my face. What on earth is a feminist? What planet is she from? Maybe she would want to consider speaking in a language they understand if she wants to get out in one piece.

  "Did you just screamed at me, you.." A string of incoherent insults flowed from ratface's mouth. It was all rather amusing to watch until he raised his hand.

  Not cool man.

  I got up on my feet and dashed over in record speed, bending his outstretched fingers backwards. He hollered in pain as his men swung a punch towards me. I ducked swiftly, and kicked the back of ratface's knee, sending him to the floor. Taking her chance, Dara reached down and bit hard on the man who was grabbing onto her, who instantly let go. 

  I sent another two kicks to ratface, who circled his arms around my leg while lying pathetically on the ground  when I felt a force on my hand. A warm, small force that drags me forward and without consciousness, I followed. Dara ran straight out of the alley, pulling me along. 

  We ran, all the way past the bustling markets and streets to a small hill on a deserted field. Huffing, Dara let go and collapsed back first flat on the grass, huffing. I fell into a sitting position beside her, my lungs feeling like it's going to explode any moment.

  We stared at each other as we tried to catch our breaths, and inexplicably we started to laugh. 

  "Gosh, you really can't fight!" Dara struggled to stop her laughters. 

  What? Didn't you see me trash those bastards back there? All the better then, makes it less complicated for me to clean up later. 

  "Why did you interfere then?" I asked.

  "They were picking on you! Three against one! It isn't fair!" Dara said loudly. 

  Fair? Is there anything in this world that's actually fair? Besides, she almost got her kicked herself, and she's talking about fairness? 

  "It's not funny!" She said, frowning. Opps, hah. 

  I straightened my face. "Does the Ice Lord knows that you're out? Would his masked guard come and grab you back again?" I joked.

  The smile faded away from her face and she blinked away. That didn't go unnoticed by my eyes. 

  "The Ice Lord is..." She hesitated, "busy." 

  "Busy?" I raised a brow, "Or is it a couple fight?" 

  "We're not in that kind of relationship." She grimaced.

  In the denying game now, are we?

  I didn't push it, and we sat silently in the afternoon breeze. I observed her from the corner of my eye. Her eyes were downcasted, her hands mindlessly the grass: A sign that the previous topic we were at affects her. Slightly sorrowful eyes, fiddling hands, silent mood and... a light bruise on her cheekbone?

  "Those rats really hit you?" I said in disgust. My voice was projected louder than I intended it to be.  

  "Huh?" Dara reached up to touch her own cheek and winced, "Oh.. This. Must have gotten it while I was struggling." She grinned foolishly at me. 

  "Don't. It's dangerous for girls to step into fights like this. Don't do it again." I said. Hold on, why do I even care? She's the Ice Lord's girl.

  "Fine, but don't get into fights like this alone again too, okay?"

  Psh. 

  "I'm alone anyway." I smirked at the ground. 

  "I'm your first friend then." Dara bubbled, making a tick with her hand under her chin. First friend? Don't be silly. I haven't got friends. I've never got friends. Who is she to be my friend? Why is she willing to be my friend? 

  I swallowed. This weird, warmth feeling that courses through me is comfortable yet unsettling and remote at the same time. Why is she nice to me? Does she already know who I am? Is she working for the Ice Lord? What motive does she have?

  Why is she nice to me?

[-]

  Dara wandered around the market with her new friend, a half eaten rock sugar gourd in her hands. Her mind was occupied with lots of things. Sometimes it replayed the scene in the manor with Jiyong earlier that morning and other times it was too busy being amazed at the little stalls by the road and their interesting colorful contents that it kept itself off the prince for a while. But occasionally, the memory of the Princess's beautiful face and smile crept into Dara's mind and she feels like a deflated balloon again.

  Soo Hyuk notices everything but did not say a word nor attempted to cheer her up, and instead just silently observes. Conflicting thoughts bombarded his mind too. Is this girl beside him dangerous or simply gullible? Is she a friend or foe? Soo Hyuk decides to pull his guards up, but finds himself unable, and surprisingly, unwilling for the first time, to do so. 

  Lost in her thoughts, Dara walked around aimlessly in the busy streets, and almost bumps into someone in a thick, fur coat and a busy beard with his hands in his pockets. She thought she saw something shiny but it wasn't there anymore in less than a second as Soohyuk casually stepped in between them before they collided. 

  "Watch it." Soo Hyuk said warningly to Dara, before turning to look at the man.

  "I'm sorry!" Dara  apologised as the man walked past them hastily without a reply.

  Soo Hyuk turned his head and followed the man with his eyes until he disappeared among the crowd.

  "Time for you to get back." Soo Hyuk said, snatching the rock sugar gourd out of Dara's hands and finished it with a bite.

  "It's still early!" Dara protested. She didn't want to go back to the manor. Not yet, not when the princess might be still there. Not when she haven't figure herself out.

  "I got to get back to work." Soo Hyuk shrugged.

  "I'll be fine myself." Dara assured.

  "It's not safe out here for you to wander alone." Soo Hyuk said quietly. The change in tone surprised Dara, but he almost reverted back to his usual self immediately. "I'll tell on you to the Ice Lord if you don't." He teases.

  Dara scowled.

  Thank goodness no Kings nor Princesses were present when Dara stepped through the front gates carefully.

  There's nothing more than sleep that Dara looked forward to. Its the first time that she's not cooped up at home for a whole day. Hell, she even productively spent the morning fighting hooligans. She hated physical exercises, and this further strengtened the basis for that dislike. She's drained.

  "Hey."

  Dara stiffened at the voice. Great, someone that she not prepared to talk to now.

  She turned around, and the Ice Lord was staring at her with an unreadable expression, as if he's struggling to find the right words. Jiyong opened his mouth to speak, but his eyes landed on the small light bruise on her cheekbones, and his expression quickly darkened.

  "What happened to your face." He asked, frowning.

  "Oh. That. It's nothing."

  "That isn't, someone obviously did that to you- Tell me so I can-"

  "Where's the princess?" Dara blurted, and for a moment Jiyong froze. Dara feels different now.

  "She went back." Jiyong said quickly, as if that is nothing important. "I-"

  "Congratulations on your engagement, Jiyong. I mean it." Dara cut across him softly, a small smile hanging on her face which shut Jiyong up again. "I'm really grateful for how you looked out for me, and how you had saved my life again and again. I really hope that you would be happy, Jiyong."

  "Do you?" Jiyong asked quietly.

  Dara nodded.

  He felt something that he hasn't felt before. Bitterness. Bitterness unlike the kind he harboured for his father for years. Bitterness which seemed to spread itself inside him, entangling itself to every organ. Bitterness which seemed to weigh a few tons, holding him down. 

  "At least-" Jiyong started, but stopped again. 

  At least say something; anything; if you're not. That was what Jiyong had wanted to say.

  At least say something.

  "I'll just, get going first." Dara whispered. She didn't know why it felt so awful to be speaking the truth. The truth is that she wants him to be happy with the Pyul princess and the truth is painful. The corner of her eyes sting and she just wanted to get away to somewhere where he can't see her.

  And he lets her go.

  "You're reckless."

  "You're obstructing my mission, young master. She has seen the royal tattoo across your chest. She may expose you."

  "She doesn't know who I am yet. Who sent you here? How did you cross the boarders?"

  "The King. Young master- this is the whole Land of Taeyang we're weighing-"

  "I know what I am doing!" A figure in the dark stepped foward agitatedly.

  "Remember your duties, young master. As for the girl-" The second, older voice got cut off by the authoritarian voice almost immediatly.

  "As for the girl, I'll get rid of her myself when it comes down to that. Go back and tell father not to mess with the affairs here. Don't you dare to do anything to her without my permission."

(Satisfied) (Satisfied)

Longer update for y'all lovelies.

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See you in chapter 10!