Jin

He remember wishing that there were more females with curious nature whom were free to express themselves freely in this world. How impressed he had been by the fact that the 4th prince did not rein in his wife's curious nature. But he had not realized how exhausting curiosity could be when he had to look after someone with a curious nature.

It was right after the rainfall while he was celebrating the rain with all the other guards when he had been pulled away due to a summon relayed to him by one of the 4th prince's servants. Not ignoring the order, he quickly went to where the 4th prince will be, right outside Cheondokjeon before his audience with the King. Imagine his surprise, when he was simply given a letter by the 4th prince while he had been standing a roof shaking the excess water from his hair.

A royal child was here in Songak. The child that was held at knifepoint at the bandit's hideout was the missing child of the 4th prince and Lady Soo. Not to mention, this child's existence had been a complete secret from all of their families. His orders were simple, go undercover as a commoner and protect the hidden princess with his life as her caretaker. Even in silence, he could remember the narrowed look in the 4th prince's eyes as he had turned to look at Jin, promising him a painful death if anything happens to his daughter just by the look in his eyes.

Though he was shocked, Jin had bowed to signal that he understood and quickly had went to his quarters to change out of his royal guard uniform to one of the more rougher hanbok, not black sadly but a dark blue plain one. Then after concealing multiple weapons on his body, he pack a very simple luggage in a cloth before quietly sneaking out of the palace. Before the sun had set, he had arrived at the house where the princess currently was residing and the lady of the house silently showed him the way to the princess's room.

He remembered getting ready to act like a harmless man to a toddler, and quietly entering the room. The room the princess was in was small but it was enough for a child and an adult to live. The princess rather than the silk pink robe he had seen on her in the previous night, she was in a rougher cotton hanbok of faded pink top and darker pink skirt and bow. Just like a commoner, only thing that showed that she was different was that her hair had a luxurious ribbon that held a braid together the top of her hair. The princess was sitting on a mattress with her back facing him so he could not see her face. Still, he had performed the proper bow as a greeting to the royal while introducing himself as Jin, her new caretaker. When he sat down on the floor, that was when the princess finally seem to acknowledge his presence.

"Appa, is he well?" It was a clear musical voice and in the time it took him to blink, the princess turns to face him. People had to be blind to not notice the similarities of this child to Lady Soo. Her eyes, her skin, her cheeks it was like an exact copy of her mother. But the slight sharpness of her eyes, her strong chin and nose that was all the 4th prince's. "Don't hide. I know Appa sent you, Jin. Is he well?..What about Eomoni?"

He had let a small smile appear on his face then, that look of determination while trying to look stern was something that he had witnessed Lady Soo doing many times during the relief trip. But that force behind her voice was just like her father's. This child was a perfect mix of her father and mother. But since it was so obvious to him, it just meant that protecting her identity will be harder as the princess's identity was a secret. But first he had to reply to the question asked by the child in front of him.

"Both of them are well, Seol Agasshi." That must be what the princess was waiting for since her frown turn into a bright smile then he had been bombarded with questions. Her want for knowledge knew no bounds. Everything from her parents, the King, the royal family, where were the best hiding places, where can she see a lot of butterflies and so on. That had been the first time Jin had understood just exhausting it could be to answer questions after questions of a curious child. If he had been anything like this when he was young, no wonder his siblings got annoyed with him so often.

Now here they were, in broad daylight and he was carefully trailing after the hidden princess as she ran from one stall to another in the market. She had clumsy feet so he had thought that she will not be such a handful but that clumsiness did not matter. She was fast and she was small. She could disappear from a place in seconds if he lost focus for just one second. Keeping up with this child was just like practice to tail a difficult target. But instead of a target that he could afford to lose sight for a moment, if he lost sight of the princess...he did not even want to think of the consequences.

"Ahjusshi," a tugging on his shirt and there was the hidden princess. She was just in front of him at that stall, now she was here. At least she had not ran towards somewhere else. "Come," and now he was being pulled by his sleeve towards the stall. She had a surprisingly strong grip for someone that was not even three year old yet, based on what her father had mentioned in the short letter.

Seeing that he was being dragged towards a high-end shop with jewellery on display, looks like he will be spending money. At least he had the pouch full of silver that the prince had given for the princess's care to the commoner couple in his possession. Even a two year old princess was still a female and shopping was something that a female likely to so often. A quick glance around the stall showed a few noble ladies but not any that he had seen around the palace. Not likely to recognize the familiar features of Seol Agasshi then.

"That three set of bracelet." Paying attention to the item pointed out to him by the princess, he picks it up and inspects it. It was a three set of identical leather band, and the workmanship was exquisite. On a high quality black leather there was a white, silver and green threadwork. A green butterfly with swirls of white and silver all around the leather. Each piece of leather was long enough to cover a wrist of a child but the bright emerald green string was long enough for a grown man to wear it. Another tug on his sleeve, and he was met with a pair of wide eyes that was wide open and blinking rapidly like she was pleading for him to buy her the bracelets right now without a delay. "It's for Omma, Appa and me." The princess now had added a pleading voice to the combination.

Silently, he picks the leather bands up and holding the princess's hand in the other, he goes to find the shopkeeper. Of course, the shopkeeper was at the opposite end of the shop and that face was one full of hidden greed. It looks like the princess had the troublesome luck of her mother in some way. But she was lucky because Jin loves to negotiate prices with shopkeepers. He was not spending money that was given by royalty to satisfy greed. But the charm of a child must still work on human greed because he did not even need to open his mouth except to ask for the price, and the price of three silver was an inflated price but the workmanship of the bracelet was not a fake item so he hand the silver over to the shopkeeper and let the princess hold the bracelets in her hands. The end of the drought must have put the man in a good mood.

"That bracelet in your hand, I demand you give it to me." In front of them, there was a high noble lady, obvious with the amount of jewels in her hair, the braid updo, and the silk hanbok, and there was a broad man and a female servant behind the noble lady, and the shopkeeper was also here. He had let his guard down too soon. But at least this situation can let him practice his intimidation tactics. No matter who this lady is front of them were, he knew that she will never be higher in status than this child right next to him. A chance for a mere royal guard to knock a noble off her high horse and be justified did not happen often, and he will enjoy it.

"We have already paid for these items, Lady. Thus we cannot give my Agasshi's purchase to you." A side glance shows that Seol Agasshi was silently staring at the crowd in front of her, but she had a tight grip on the bracelets. Her silence meant that she trust him to take care of this, so that will be what he will do. The noble lady in front of them was beautiful but her slight facial expression was enough to show him that she was displeased at being refused and a bit haughty.

"You, give those items to Lady Kim right now. Do you even know who you are refusing?"

"It does not matter whom the lady is. These items are now our possession as we have already paid for it. I apologize for refusing, Lady Kim. But once an item is paid for, that item belongs to the owner of that money, which is my Agasshi." Kim, sadly a rather common last name among the nobles but it did not matter, as she was going against a royal he did not have to care much about propriety. Besides what he can do is mild to what the 4th Prince could do to these people, had he been here.

"You man, I will give you back the money. Now, give the Lady those bracelets. Do you want to die?" The shopkeeper obviously wants the chance for a high payment from the nobles rather than selling it to what he thought as a slightly wealthy commoner judging by the clothes he and the princess was wearing.

"I do not need my money back. If you excuse us, I have to take my Agasshi home." With a slight bow of his head, he takes a step to move around them, but the man and the maid both step forward to stop them. Jin was surprised that this noble lady was so stubborn. Usually once they were reminded of the laws or the fear of making a ruckus at the market and having the royal police involved and their names reaching the ears of the King in a dishonourable manner, the nobles in Songak tend to step away. Perhaps this one did not live in the capital.

"You commoner. The daughter of Lord Wol Sung Kim is asking for those bracelets in the child's hand. If you do not give it to, I promise you death. This lady is the future wife of an imperial prince." But Jin did not hear anything about a marriage on the horizon for a prince. How could he believe the words of a man?

"My Lady is still asking you kindly little girl," so the maid had decided that rather than him, Seol Agasshi could be persuaded. This will be fun as Jin had already witnessed the signs of stubbornness in the princess. The princess was just looking at this maid crouching down in front of her with a smile of a snake in front of her. "Or do you want you and your servant here to be killed for refusing a future wife of a prince, and the future daughter-in-law to Chingju Yoo."

"Which prince is the lady marrying to?" Seol Agasshi quietly asks. Jin was also curious. Chingju Yoo meant 3rd, 4th or 14th prince. All of them related to the princess by blood. The maid, the man and the noble lady all had a smile on their face. They must be sure that they will get those bracelets. Everyone knew to not cross Queen Yoo. But he still wonders which prince was it?

"My Lady will soon be the first wife of the 4th prince, Wang So. I'm sure that his orphaned wife will either be divorced or demoted to a second wife. Now, the bracelet." As soon as he heard what the maid said, he knew to be prepared. The innocent princess had a fierce look on her face from the moment, she heard that this noble lady blocking her way wants to marry her father and demote her mother in rank. The smile on her face, that was eerie similar to the face of the 4th prince before he attack an opponent. He checks that he has a knife in his sleeve, as well as a possible escape route. Just in time, as the princess open to speak.

"It's wrong to declare yourself as someone's future wife without proof. Even I know that much. As for the bracelet, if you give me your hand," the look on satisfaction on the maid's face did not stay long, as Seol Agasshi bit the fingers of the maid hard as she pretend to reach the hand to drop the bracelet.

In a split second, he scoops the princess up in his arms and run out of the shop, ignoring the broad man chasing after them in pursuit. The moment he spots a relatively dry roof, he climbs up on top and runs away from the marketplace. The angry sound of the man still following them from below.

"Jin, you are fast. Go faster, faster." The child was enjoying the rush of wind on her face completely carefree. All he could do was to continue running. This incident will be something to tell his fellow guards. As a warning that this little child has feisty despite her cute appearance. He wonders if he will encounter that same Lady Kim again. It will be best for that noble lady to forget about being the 4th prince's wife. He knew what will happen if the 4th prince ever learn the identity of someone trying to take his daughter's items or threaten his wife's position. Not to mention what reaction Lady Soo will have to this news.