She shrieked when suddenly hands from behind her clamped both her shoulders and pulled her away from the horse. They found her! She thought with a painful slamming in her chest.

“No!” she shouted as she grounded her foot on his and had the satisfaction of hearing his pained gasp of surprise just before he loosened his arms around her. She ran hastily towards the horse. She had already finished untying the horse when an arm grabbed her and pulled her. She tripped. She felt her face bumped on his chest, knocking him on the ground.  Since he still had his arm on her, her body followed him. The breath knocked out from her when they reached the ground. She heard him groaned out loud. She was lying on top of him. She lifted her face from his chest and stared at him, her hands braced to attack. But when her gaze landed on his, her eyes widened in shock.

“You!” Seryung exclaimed in shock as she pushed her hands against his chest. Her derriere hit the ground as she stared, astonished at him. Her eyes took in his equally surprised face.

“W-What are you doing here?” she finally managed to ask, as she stood on her feet gauchely.

He scoffed. “I could ask you the same,” he said as he slowly stood up, wiping the dirt on his clothes. He looked at her accusingly. “What are you doing, stealing a horse?”

Seryung thought she heard him wrong. “E-Excuse me?”

He snorted as he stared at her from head to toe before he gave her his back. “Repeatedly accused me of being a criminal. Look who’s talking,” he muttered as he reached for the horse’s reign.

Her eyes widened. “I am not stealing a horse! I-I only want to borrow it!”

“Right.” He had finally freed the horse from the tree and settled himself on the saddle.

“I-I need a ride,” she said when he began to nudge the horse forward.

“Not in your life,” he said coldly. She looked at his back disbelievingly. She gritted her teeth. Ransacking her brain for an idea, she shouted, “You don’t want to be arrested right?” He didn’t seem to have heard her.

“Yah! Do you hear me? I said you don’t want to be arrested right? The soldiers are here somewhere,” she said. That accomplished it. He stopped the horse and turned his head.

“The magistrate’s soldiers are near here,” she continued as relief went passed her. Then her eyes widened. “Yah! Where are you going?” she shouted as he nudged the horse again, this time faster. “Yah! I said I need a ride! If you don’t turn around right now, I’ll tell them everything I know! I’ll scream to get their attention and that-”

He stopped his horse and glared at her. He seemed to be on the verge of indecision before he decided to turn around. Seryung controlled her relief. He grimaced at her before he indicated his back. Understanding him, she raised her hand to have him help her on the horse.

But he only darted his gaze to his front and waited.

Gritting her teeth, Seryung reached for the saddle. She had just settled herself when the blasted man nudged the horse abruptly. She shrieked, reaching for his hips, her face bumped his back.

“Yah! Slow down you-” She almost punched his back.

“Who are you running away from?” he interrupted.

Swallowing her annoyance, she said, “This maybe hard to believe. But I am being chased by the magistrate’s soldiers-” Her face bumped his back again as he pulled the horse to a halt.

“What?!”

“Yah! Keep riding!” she said as she unwittingly kicked the horse with her right foot. She screamed and grabbed his waist tightly as the horse abruptly darted forward. He had finally able to control the horse when his head whipped around and regarded her angrily, “You stupid woman! You almost got us killed.”

“Well, you almost got us arrested,” she retorted, though she felt her cheeks reddened with embarrassment. “Don’t you dare slow down now,” she added.

“I don’t take orders,” he snapped. “Especially from a woman.”

“I said keep riding,” she said as she looked behind them. She heaved a sigh when she didn’t see the horsemen following them.

“Stop ordering me,” he growled. “Or else I’ll throw you off the horse,” he warned.

“I am not ordering you! I am just-” Her eyes widened when she saw several horsemen already galloping after them. She recognized Myeon among them. She gripped his clothes tightly. “-Faster!” she shouted, shaking him.

“That’s it. You’re getting off.”

“Faster you idiot!”

“You dare call me an idiot?” he snarled as he skidded the horse to a halt.

“Behind us!”

He whipped his head around and saw the horsemen. She shrieked when he brought the horse to a faster gallop. She wrapped her arms around his waist tightly, holding on to dear life. She turned to see the men behind them.

“Why are they chasing you?” he shouted.

“Now is not the time to ask that!” she shouted back.

“It’s damn well the perfect time to ask it! Considering I don’t know what kind of criminal I am aiding right now,” he shouted.

Her head whipped around abruptly, her hand unwittingly punched his back. “Yah! What are you saying? I am not a criminal!”

She punched him once again and she heard his hiss.

“You dare hit me?” he growled.

She saw a familiar sharp bend before them and she hit him once again.

“I said stop hitting me!” he growled.

“There!” she pointed to the right.

“Why there?”

“Just go! We need to lose them.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” he snapped before he brought the horse to the direction where she pointed. Ignoring his sarcasm, she said, “There’s a cliff before us. Slow down the horse-”

“A cliff?!”

“Don’t stop!” she shouted when he almost halted the horse to a stop. “I said slow down not stop! There’s a secret path that I knew.” He brought the horse to a controlled run.

“You better knew what you are doing,” he muttered. “I am too precious to die.”

She rolled her eyes. “I wanted you to go diving on a cliff but I won’t consider joining you.” He grunted in reply. Seryung saw the rocky path that will lead to a cave.

“There!” she pointed as she turned to see behind them.  She heaved her sigh of relief. He brought the horse nearly to a halt and assessed the narrow opening. “We’ll hide there,” she said. “They can’t trace the horse tracks with these rocks. But try to be more careful, it’s slippery.” 

“It seems like you have tremendous experience with this,” he said dryly but he followed her command and slowed down the horse. They entered the cave until they reached the end.  Tense silence passed as they waited. Seryung could almost hear her heart pounding against her chest while beads of sweat gathered on her face and neck. Her grip on his waist involuntarily tightened. They stiffened when they heard the gallops of horses before they skidded away. Seryung didn’t realize that she is holding her breath. She expelled her breath slowly, afraid of making even the smallest sound. When she can no longer hear the horsemen, she expelled her sigh of relief and unwittingly brought her head against his back, breathing heavily.

She almost fell when he abruptly got off the horse. Following him, she got off from the horse slowly. He brought his hand on the horse’s reign and began making their way off the cave. The glaring sunlight almost blinded her as they carefully stepped outside. She expelled again a sigh of relief. She started when he upholstered himself on the saddle once again and kicking the horse on the left rump, he began riding away.

“W-Where are you going?” she asked, gathering her skirt as she went after him.

“Now that they are gone, is there a need for you to ride?” he asked.

“Yah,” she started as she halted on her tracks. She stared at his retreating back incredulously. She scoffed as she brought her hands on her hips. “How can you leave a young lady this way?”

“I don’t see any young lady around here.”

Gritting her teeth, she said, “If it isn’t because of me, you would have been caught yesterday!” When he didn’t turn around, she broke to a run and went to his side. “Yah! I even saved you today whether you accept it or not!” she shouted.

He shrugged. “I am not going to aid a criminal.”

“Criminal?!” she shouted incredulously, gaped. “Yah! Who are you calling a criminal? I am not a criminal!” she shouted, keeping herself to his side.

“Really? Then why are the magistrate’s soldiers after you?” he asked, restating her words to his own. She felt herself slapped. She had repeatedly asked him of that yesterday; it felt awful hearing the question being directed to her. Because in the first place, she knew that she was not a criminal while this man was one.

“I am not a criminal,” she said, gritting her teeth. He only shrugged as he kicked his horse once again. She closed her eyes briefly. “Fine!” she said, mentally throwing her hands in frustration. “Do you remember Hyo Jung? The child from yesterday? The nobleman is the Vice Premier and he got me arrested.”

He halted his horse and stared at her disbelievingly.

“I was arrested and accused of thievery.”

He frowned. “Thievery?”

“They accused me of stealing a slave,” she said.

“Put it like that, you did steal him.” 

She glowered at him. “I didn’t steal him! He came to me willingly, and you know that!” she snapped.

“No matter how pitiful the child, he is still a slave and he owed a debt to his master,” he said.

“I don’t stand still when I see injustice,” she snapped.

“And do you think its justice for a criminal to run away from the law?” he retorted.

“I am not running away!” she said exasperatingly. “And look who’s talking, you are also running away from the law-”

“This woman-” he growled.

“They let me leave,” she interrupted. He frowned. She shrugged but there is a positive fury on her voice when she said, “But the damned magistrate deliberately freed me so they could trace Hyo Jung through me.”

“Where is Hyo Jung?” he asked after a moment.

“He is on the-” she stopped. “-I am not telling you.”

“Why not?” he snapped.

“I don’t trust a man who will leave a helpless woman behind,” she sulked.

“Woman,” he started impatiently. “-I didn’t leave you yet.”

“Not yet,” she said. “But you wanted to. Now are you going to let me ride or not?”

“That depends,” he said after a moment.

“On what?”

“On what you would give me in return,” he said.

She scoffed, staring at him disbelievingly. After a moment, she began untying the ribbon on her chest.

“Yah yah yah!” he bellowed. “What are you doing?!”

She stopped in the process of opening her hanbok. She looked at him. “I am bringing out my norigae. It’s stuck under my clothes. What do you think I’m-” She stopped as apprehension hit her, her eyes widening in understanding. Closing the hanbok frantically, she shrieked, “Yah! What are you thinking?!”

“What else would you have me think?” he retorted as he averted his gaze. “You’re suddenly stripping in front of me.”

“I am not stripping!” she yelled, red-faced. “I am just-” With an oath, she tied back the ribbon and began walking away. “Forget it! I can’t believe I would even pay a man just to get a ride. What kind of a man is that?”

“I could hear you,” he said as he nudged his horse forward in a slow pace.

Ignoring him, she continued talking to herself, “Not only that. He is an ungrateful knave! Maybe it’s better if they have captured me. The stinking prison is far better than his stinking presence.”

“I am still here woman,” he said through gritted teeth.

“I don’t trust him either. He looks ready to kill. I bet he is under arrest for killing an innocent-”

“If I offer you a ride, will that be enough to shut your mouth?” he snapped. She whirled around abruptly, her eyes brightening with renewed delight.

“Really?” she asked excitedly, feeling her anger evaporating.

He rolled his eyes and reluctantly offered his hand. She unwittingly took it and she felt herself flew to the air until she landed infront of him. She caught her breath when she felt his hands encircled her waist as he handled the reign infront of them.

“I-I could have managed on the back,” she protested weakly, feeling her heart pounding painfully. She had never felt like this when she was riding on his back a while ago. Her eyes went to the hands around her waist. His masculine thighs seemed to wrap hers, imprinting her body. She expelled the breath that she didn’t know she is holding.

“Don’t you shut up?” he hissed.

Those words had the surprising effect of evaporating whatever she was feeling at the very moment. She glared at him, forgetting her embarrassment. “Yah. Don’t you go saying shut up to me every time you open your mouth,” she fumed. “You could just ask nicely if you wanted silence.”

“Very well. Will you please shut up?”

She gritted her teeth as she turned to fully face the scenery infront of them.

“What happened?” he asked after a moment. Seryung didn’t pretend to not understand his question.

 “When we separated yesterday-” she stopped when she was ahead, remembering his face contorted with fury and his awful threat. Shaking her head, she continued, “-the Vice Premier found us and he had the soldiers with him. They chased us. I had able to hide Hyo Jung before they got me. The magistrate questioned me but he didn’t wring Hyo Jung’s location from me.”

“Did he torture you?” he asked after a moment.

“No,” she said, surprised by his question. “Though what he did to me later is unforgivable.”

“What do you mean?” he asked. Seryung noticed the tightening of his grip on the reign.   

“I told you,” she said, getting confused by the minute. “He freed me in order to capture Hyo Jung.” She felt his grip relaxed.

“I thought he-” he started then stopped.

“You thought what?” she prodded.

“Never mind,” he said offhandedly.

Her stomach growled. Seryung closed her eyes in embarrassment. “That reminds me of my debt,” he said dryly. Seryung cannot decide if she should be thankful that he was reminded of his debt through this way.

***

When the foods had finally arrived on the table, Seryung transferred her longing gaze from the foods to him. “You have to check if you have money first before we begin eating. I lost my purse yesterday and I cannot possibly eat when you cannot pay,” she said sheepishly. He glowered at her as he produced his coins.

Her face brightened as she began eating.

“Abashta!” she shouted in delight, ignoring the curious looks of the other customers. She munched another slice of spicy rice cake while reaching for the mug of water. He scoffed but a smile crept on his lips.

“Thank you for the meal,” she said a moment later, finishing the meal. “I’ll be forever grateful with your kindness." She averted her gaze from his. "Even if it is only to pay your debt,” she muttered under her breath.

He heard it. His lips twitched. “It’s nothing,” he said.

“Even the smallest things could give happiness to a person,” she said. Then hesitatingly she said sincerely, “Thank you Seung-Yu-sshi.” It seemed as if time suspended as they stared at each other.

Seryung expelled her breath slowly.

His eyes darted to her cheek and he frowned. With a start, her hand covered her bruised cheek. His hand encircled her wrist and she had no other choice but to be subjected to his probing brown eyes.

“What happened to your face?” he asked.

“It’s nothing,” she said, trying to snatch her hand back but he held on.

“That doesn’t look like nothing at all to me.”

She shrugged. “I was hit yesterday,” she said.

She felt his whole demeanor stiffened. “By Maru?” he asked harshly.

She looked at him, surprised. “You know him personally?”

“I asked you a question,” he said gravely.

“Oh maybe you know him personally because you’ve been to prison several times? Being in a first name basis is just-”

“Answer me,” he interrupted.

She shook her head. “No, it’s the Vice Premier,” she said as she flung her hand away from him. She saw his face darkened and she caught her breath, suddenly remembering his furious countenance yesterday when she had unwittingly crossed the boundary.

“He hit you?” he asked in disbelief.

Despite her sudden uneasiness, she had managed to smile ironically. “Ironic isn’t it? The magistrate’s favor is on him. No matter how much I rationalize my actions yesterday.  I can’t let them capture me. It would lead them to Hyo Jung,” she said as she reached for her mug and began drinking thirstily.

“You don’t want to be caught because you don’t want the kid to be taken back?” he asked in disbelief. His eyes probed to hers.

“Is that so hard to understand? Like what I’ve told you, I don’t stand still when I see injustice,” she said. “But, where are you going?” she asked, trying to divert the topic. When he didn’t answer, she persisted, “Won’t you answer?”

It took him a moment to answer back. “For once, I wanted to be free,” he said.

Her brows rose. “You have been imprisoned too much you wanted to-?”

He glared at her.

She bit her lower lip. “Sorry,” she said.

Slowly, he averted his gaze and turned to stare blankly on space. “Exactly. I am a prisoner all my life,” he added almost absently.

Seryung realized that his words though spoken softly, they were words tinged with pain. With remorse, she said sincerely, “I’m sorry. I know I tend to speak my mind too much. I know society deemed it inappropriate for a woman to argue with a man-”

“With good reasons,” he muttered.

She glared at him. “-but if women are only meant for the most trivial things, then why are we created with brains?” she asked, almost sullenly. She saw a twitch on his lips which made her doubt as a ghost of a smile before he drank his water. 

“It just gets me angry when we are only required to serve men and do household chores while men get to pursue politics and important paper works,” she said.

“Women,” he retorted. “-are specified to follow their fathers, husbands, and sons.”

She twitched her lips in distaste. “I hate that Filial Piety. It imprisons us women. When I start talking about these things, my friends will remind me that I’m a woman and that I should start looking for the right norigae that goes for my hanbok.”

He chuckled and she looked up to him in surprise. “How long are you required to hide the fact that you have a mind?” he asked.

She chuckled at his question, feeling at ease. “All my life. They said I cannot possibly marry. Men don’t want outspoken women.” She smiled dryly, “Do you find it tedious listening to me? I was told that men will be bored to tears when women start speaking this way.”

“I think it is a fresh alternative,” he said.

Her brows rose. “Is that a compliment?”

“You’re amusing. It’s not everyday that I witness a woman like you.”

 Her lips twitched. “Why do I have the feeling that your compliment is laced with insults? It sounded as if you’re amused with a dog playing a trick.”

He rolled his eyes. “You have a very wild imagination,” he said, then his eyes turned gravely. “How’s your cheek?”

She shrugged as she absently laid a hand against it. “It’s fine. Don’t think too much about it,” she said. Then she looked up to him abruptly. “Are you concerned?” she asked in disbelief.

When he didn’t answer, a smile broke on her lips. “Waah…you are concerned,” she said. Pointing on his face, she said, “Your face says you worry about me.” Her smile widened.

“Aisht,” he growled. “What are you talking about? How can I not talk about it? You face looks like a half-ripe tomato.” She felt her cheeks reddened.

“Yah! It’s ungentlemanly for a man to insult a woman’s face,” she snapped.

“As a woman, how can you not look at a mirror at a time like this? You might meet some potential husbands along the way,” he added with a sneer.

She shrugged. “Since I don’t see any man with good standards as of today,” she said while pointedly looking at him, “-what’s the point?”

His eyes widened. “This woman-”

“Do I really have to mind how I looked? That’s too vain.”

“You are not like any other women I knew,” he said after a moment.

“Why? Are there women in prisons as well?” she asked.

He glared at her. “I am looking at one right now.”

Her eyes widened then she glared back. “Yah! I told you I am not a criminal! They set me free!”

“But they are still chasing you,” he retorted.

She opened to speak again then closed it. She heaved a sigh. “Put it like that, it seems like we are both criminals.”

“Yah! Do not put me in the same sentence. I am not a thief!” he growled.

“I am not a thief as well! You know the situation from yesterday,” she snapped. Then, she looked at him haughtily. “You should have been imprisoned too. You’re the one who carried Hyo Jung,” she muttered under her breath. He glared at her then stood up to leave.

“I-I’m sorry! Yah! Aren’t you going to pay the food?” she shouted. “Yah!”

***

“So where are you going?” she asked when they finally went outside.

“That is-”

“None of my business,” she said.

“Since you know, you should-”

“Shut my mouth,” she finished.

“Are you mocking me?” he growled.

“I won’t dare mock you,” she said while looking daggers at his back. “And since I don’t want to be in debt to you, I knew I ate too much today compared to what you ate yesterday, so here,” she slipped her hand through her hanbok. He stopped on his tracks and turned to look at her. His eyes went to her chest. Her hand stilled from reaching the norigae beneath her hanbok.

“Yah! Stop thinking about it!” she said, her cheeks reddening once again.

He rolled his eyes but he averted his gaze. “I am not thinking about it. It seems like you’re the one thinking about it. erted woman.”

She gritted her teeth as she held a norigae on her hand. “Here,” she said.

His eyes darted to the accessory then to her face. “You know what it means when a woman gives a man a norigae right?” he asked mockingly.

She felt her face reddened. “Just take it!” she snapped. His hand rose to reach out but she saw his whole demeanor stiffened before he s his hand on her shoulder and hauled her abruptly to his chest. She caught her breath when her face bumped his hard chest. Her eyes widened in alarm.

“When I say go, go to my horse and take off,” he whispered harshly near her ear.

“W-What? Why?”

“They’re here.”

She heard the upcoming gallops of horses and she didn’t need to turn her head to confirm that they were the magistrate’s soldiers. She could see the answer of Seung Yu’s face.

“H-How about you?” she asked, feeling her heart would burst from too much tension.

“Go!” he shouted, pushing her to the direction of the horse. She almost stumbled but her hand managed to grip his. Putting the norigae on his hand, she looked up to him, her eyes wide with apprehension.

“T-Thank you,” she said. Knowing she wouldn’t meet him again, she added, “I won’t forget you.” She hesitated then whirled around. She had finally managed to untie the horse from the tree and upholstered herself on the saddle when she dared look back at him.

Their gazes locked. For a split second, Seryung thought of joining him, unable to believe that she is leaving him this way. But the warning look in his eyes probed hers deeply. With a sigh, she averted her gaze and whirled the horse around, without looking back.

***

Seung Yu stood watching as the woman disappeared on a sharp bend. He kept himself still as he heard the approaching footsteps. Slowly, he turned around and his eyes clashed with Maru’s dark countenance. For several seconds, neither spoke.

Raising a brow, Seung Yu broke the silence, “What took you so long?”

Maru bowed his head lightly but his face remained imperturbable. “You gave us quite a chase, your highness,” he said as he looked at the direction where the woman disappeared to.

Seung Yu shrugged as he pocketed the norigae. “Now that you found me, what do you intend to do with me?”

“I have to bring you to the palace, of course.”

“Of course. Chasing me all over the country must be tiring on your part.”

Maru shrugged. “It’s my job,” he said.

“Too bad.”

“Well, how about it your highness? Should I use force?”

Seung Yu stared at him for several seconds. “You wouldn’t dare touch a prince.”

He shrugged. “I’m just doing my job, your highness,” he said. “It’s time to do yours,” he added with meaning. Seung Yu stiffened, then smiled wryly, “So it seems.” Regarding Maru with a measured look he said, “This time, I’ll forgive your insolence. But the next time you use again that attitude on my face, I’ll have you fire from your office.”

A tense silence passed.

“Forgive another round of my insolence, your highness,” Maru started. “-but you don’t have the power to fire me.”

“Yet,” Seung Yu said softly.

Maru bowed slightly, indicating one of the horses vacated by a soldier. “Please precede to the palace your highness. His majesty is looking for you.” For several tense seconds, Seung Yu only stared at him then bringing out his handfan, he began walking forward towards the horse. Seung Yu smirked at the man's audacity.

Maru stared at his back, his fists clenched tightly to his sides. “Not until you’re out of the palace,” he muttered. He slowly released his fists as he tried to suppress the accumulated rage simmering inside him for years.

“For good,” he said with finality before he followed him.