Yay, double update! The next update might be tomorrow or later today/tonight, depending if I have time to write. Thanks for reading and keeping up witht the problematic story.

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A month has passed and the cold tension between her and Jong Kook had continued. Whenever she came to the training camp, he would always be busy with his paperwork or away on a border control guard. He barely returned to the mansion, leaving her hanging and his concubine would always visit him.

Though, Yoo did guide her and helped with the investigation of the weaponry misconduct. Turns out, it was a corruption held by a minister who had a grudge against her.

Ji Hyo had already handle the dispute and the minister had been punished by the King.

Her body ached as she sat leisurely in the hot tub with a cloth over the nape of her neck. The nights have grown cold as fall had arrive and winter was to come.

Tomorrow, the weapon and medicine plan would be officially presented. It was a perfect night to rest.

She sighed and closed her eyes, letting the aroma of fresh roses set in. She should take care of her body, knowing fully well how she had stop caring about herself these days. She takes a sip of wine from the jug. The cloudy steam filled the room with a few drapes of white cloth concealing her bathing area.

It was made especially for her as she was the only woman on the training camp, as well as the wife of the general, daughter of the minister, and idealist of the King.

“So refreshing,” she mutters as she holds onto the side of the tub, and lies her head on the edge. After a long while of bathing, she had enough and was getting out to get dressed.

As she stood up, the door slams open, making her jump back into the hot tub.

“Who is it?!” she yells. The figure quickly shuts the door and was that what she was seeing??? The person quickly takes off their clothes, throwing it aside on the floor.

Her eyes widen, “If you come any closer, I’ll scream!” she threatens. But the figure ignores her and she opens to scream for help as the figure runs through the drapes, pushing it aside. 

It was a disheveled, sweaty, wet Jong Kook. His upper robe was gone, leaving only his white undergarments. With one finger to his lips, he quickly rips off his upper part of his white garment, revealing his tan chest and arms.

Her eyes scan over his muscular body but she did not miss it. He was wounded. As she was about to speak up, he jumps into the bath tub with her.

Water splashed down the sides of the pool and the rose petals scatter. With his body close to hers, she could feel his skin brushing passed her back. The hair on her spine shots up at the slightest touch and the temperature of his body.

He was cold as ice. He rubbed his body vigorously as he shivered. Ji Hyo uses the cloth previously around her neck to cover her chest and turns to face him. Now that she looks carefully, his lips were paled and he was shivering like a lost puppy.

Seeing him react like that although he was in the hot water, she tapped his shoulder. The scars on his back also caught her eye but she gave no focus to it as his condition was more important.

As she touched him, his sudden movement caught her by surprise. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, hugging her tightly. She almost gasp at his sudden attack and coughs out. His icy hands rubbed against her smooth back and trailed to her slender waist as his head rested on the crook of her neck and shoulder.

She raised her hands and rubbed his back, creating more heat. Their chest rubbed against each other and a pump of adrenaline shot through her body. Noticing this, she was about to push him away, but his tight hold wouldn’t let her go. Out of options, she continues hugging him only to accidently touch his wound, causing him to groan.

Soon, there was a commotion outside.

There was a loud knock on the door and she couldn’t help but wonder what in the world was going on. Just hugging him won’t help. The hottest part of the tub was at the bottom as she ordered for hot coals to be placed there.

She pushes him away from her as she sees his tattering teeth and bangs cover his eyes.

“P-pl-pleasse,” he desperately whispered to her.

She moves forward and grabs his head and crashed her lips against his as she pushed him under the water. He tried to move as she, with all her strength, pushed him down with her weight to the bottom of the bath tub. The coal touched his back, warming him immediately but a scorching burn.

He squirms and air escapes his mouth but she holds him tightly. Seeing how he was panicking, she blew air into his mouth, temporarily helping him breathe.

The rose petals circle around them and the white cloth that separates their skin ship floats to the top of the water. His body relaxes as he figured out what she was trying to do.

A big dud echoed above the water as the door is kicked open, right as they ran out of air.

Ji Hyo slips her hand under his arms and grabs him, pulling him up.

Splash! Ji Hyo pops out of the water first as her hair swings up to her shoulder. Her back faced the audience in the bathing room and the drapes between them. She grabbed Jong Kook, holding tightly onto him as she turns him around to he blocks her from the view.

His back his shone to the audience.

“Who is it?!” Ji Hyo demands as a more awake Jong Kook lies against her body. Using her arm in the water to support him up, she hugs him close to conceal her body.

“General! My lady!” a soldier reports.

His arms snakes around her body, now aware of the audience in the room, and covers her. “What is the matter?!”

The soldier’s face reddens at the scene but holds his composure. “Reporting, there is a violent intrusion at the gate of the training camp.”

“Who would it be?”

“I… sir..”

“Speak!” he commands, making her chest pound at his loud voice, instantly clutching him tighter.

“It is a slave trafficking group! They claim that we have hidden a slave here with the help of a soldier.”

Her ears perk at the report. Hiding a slave?

“I’ll be right out. Leave,”

“Yes, sire,” and the soldier quickly, shyly closes the door in a hurry.

He heaves out a sigh of relief and turns to Ji Hyo. She looks up at him in questioning to the report. However as soon as their eyes met, all thoughts were lost. Remembering that she was lying in his embrace, she quickly pushes him away.

He groans and holds onto his wound, causing her to regret pushing him away immediately. She holds him up, concern over his wound. Grunting, he stops her.

“I have to attend the presence outside,” he mumbles to her. Color has return to his face, rather a pink flush.

She nods and places him on the side that had no coals. Hurrying, she had gotten out of the water, revealing her slender waist and porcelain back to him, full view.

Though he was hurt, the view did cause a moment of distraction to the pain. She covers herself with the white robe and hurries to cover him with a darker robe, concealing the bleeding wound on his side.

She slings his arm over her neck and helps him out of the water. With drops of water still dripping down the side of her face and her messy bangs, she dries him off first.

She turns around to the shelf, grabbing the new bandages, as he dressed himself with the new set of clothes. She dressed his wound urgently, attending his needs. As she was tying his robe, he looks at her attentiveness on him.

He stops her, holding her hand. “I’ll explain everything to you later, I promise.”

She finishes the knot and gently pats his bandaged wound that was concealed under his clothes before looking up at him.

“Don’t collapse out there,” she whispers. Her words somehow created an assurance to him, his lips curve up slightly.

Though she had cover herself with a white robe, her urgency had loosen her robe around. The cloth has shifted loose on her shoulders, creating a deep v-line down her chest. With her still wet body, it created almost a transparency to her body. The bottom of the robe revealed a slit of her leg.

He shakes his head and grabs another robe, a darker one, and covers her. She holds him up, holding his waist as she walks him to the door while his hand holds her shoulder for support.

As the door opens, he stands up straight all while the soldiers looks down, unable to look at them, especially at their Lady.

They stood together, confronting the slave traffickers. Ji Hyo steps back behind him.

“Speak, what is the matter for you to storm into the military training grounds at this time of the night?” he spoke out.

He strong voice made them squirm.

“We have lost a few slaves. From the dogs, it seems like they are hiding here.”

“Your dogs smell slaves here?” he almost laughs.

The man bows lightly, “We would like to search here if General agrees-“

He chuckles dryly. “Of all times, you dare to barge into the military training camp, cause a commotion, and demand a search? Aren’t you being too much here?”

The man looks down but grits his teeth, “We don’t dare to General, but-“

“No buts.” Jong Kook glares at him.

The man shifted his eyes to Jong Kook’s pink flushed face. “We must have interrupted you, General. Are you naturally hot, your skin seems… a bit irritated and cold,” he notices Jong Kook’s bluish lips.

“I-“

Ji Hyo steps up. “The General was dealing a business with me.”

The man frowns at Ji Hyo.

“And you are…?”

Ji Hyo stood poise and confidently. “Lady Song, wife of the general.”

The man quickly looks down, not without smirking, “We deeply apologize for our intrusion. However, we would like it if the General and Lady Song will cooperate with us to searching the training camp.”

“O’ hoi! You barge into the military grounds bestow by his majesty to the General, causing a discomfort for the soldiers and safety of confidential matters. Yet you dare to command for cooperation that was caused by your own carelessness. You are asking for a word with his majesty, aren’t you? Do you take the General as a joke?”

Her words made the men coward down and they apologize on their knees, swearing on their allegiance and innocence.

Jong Kook steps forward and holds her shoulder dearly, “Leave.”

The men bid their apologies and left in a misfit. As soon as they are out of sight, he continues holding her. He turns to the soldiers and orders for heighten security before leading them back to the tent.

As soon as they enter the tent, his legs became weak as he falls on one knee. Ji Hyo struggles to pull him up, dragging him to the bed. She lets down the drape and runs to grab handful of medicinal herbs from the shelves.

Munching the fresh herb in , she grabs a powder and pulls his robe apart, removing the bandages and he grunts. She spits the freshly munch herbs onto his bleeding wound and spread the powder over it.

There was a knock at the tent, “Lady Go is here,”

The tent drape was about to be open as Ji Hyo could see Ara’s bottom half and the soldier’s hand opening the drape. She grabs his robe and cover him quickly.

“Don’t!” Jong Kook panics. “I am tired, please send the Lady away.”

Ji Hyo presses his wound to stop the bleeding and he groans, heaving deep breaths.

“Yes sire,” the soldier closes the drapes and dismisses Ara.

Making sure the coast was clear, Ji Hyo removes the robe and finishes bandaging his wound. She dressed him before covering him with a blanket.

He grew cold sweats and was becoming paler. His body has become cold again. From his condition, earlier, he may have fallen into cold water.

It was extremely windy too, he could have caught a cold.

Should she do it? Ji Hyo wipes his forehead with the hem of her sleeve. He closed his eyes, trying to warm his body.

She grabbed a few blankets and lie them on top of him before jumping up and down to create her own body heat. Finally, she slipped into the bed and embraced him in her arms. He slowly opens his eyes.

Although her image was blurry, he knew it was still her. She worriedly leaned her head on his and wrapped her legs around his legs.

“Ji-“

“Shh, don’t speak. You still have tomorrow. We’ll talk tomorrow, just rest for now, understand?” she shush him.

Despite his protest, she insisted on his silence, leaving him no choice. Finally, he snuggles up to her neck and lays his head softly in her chest as his body shiver. Ji Hyo almost held her breath but his safety was all she could think about now.

His grasp was definite and he refused to let go of her as his teeth clatter. The night passes by slowly as Ji Hyo wakes up back and forth, checking his temperature, while trying to get out of his grip to do so.

***

For the nth time, Ji Hyo sighed in relief as his temperature finally rose to regular warmth. He stopped shivering and slept more soundly. She laid on her back, still with his arms circled around her waist.

What a tiring night.

She turns her head to face him. His usual grouchy face and confused demeanor had annoyed her yet his sleepy face erased it all. A thought of it pinch her chest. Was this what it was like sleeping next to him?

She bit her lips. She had convinced herself to not ever envy anyone for something she did not have that others have. But here she is, fumbling and envying the thought of how lucky Ara is to wake up to this adorable face every night and day.

Yet, she can’t look away.

He mumbled inaudible words, catching her attention. She leaned closer and his grasp was tighter. She tried to wiggle loose to breathe but a small whimper in his voice stopped her.

“Don’t.” he whispered. “No… jdbkbjf…. It can’t happen….nsjkdbfbjn… No… Uncle… Uncle…Aunt-“ His eyes shot open. He panicked and tried to get up but she stopped him, pulling him into her embrace.

Ji Hyo quickly pats his back and hugs him. “It’s alright, I’m right here. It was only a dream, everything will be fine.”

She soothes him back to sleep as he clings onto her like a child. She hummed and pat his back, assuring him she was there. They lay in each other’s arm as dawn was coming.

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