CHAPTER #10

CONFRONTATION

“You really thought that you can be around me all the time and I won’t notice that you’re the masked fighter?” It was a rhetorical question; one that did not require to be answered and entailed the news of her doom. Bora can’t believe that he has managed to recognize her once again and the worst part about this whole situation was that now he had a face to associate with her personality. He knew that it was her; he knew how she looked like.

How?

That was the only question swarming through her mind in waves again and again because nothing made sense. How can he know that it was her? Perhaps, her skills gave her away, but the confidence with which Sehun confronted her told another story. It wasn’t only her poorly disguised skills. It has to be something else too; something that always gives her away.

She was sure that the shock and incredulity that was coursing through her system at the moment was apparent on her face. The smirk that the tall male was directing towards her suggested just that. Suppressing the urge to smack the smug guy across his face, Bora slightly shook her head and tried to regain some composure. All was not lost. Sehun had no way of confirming that it was her. Even if he did, he had no proof.

Yeah, he has no proof.

With that thought in her mind, she gulped down the lump that has risen in and hastily attempted to take a step away from his imposing figure but was interrupted in the middle of her actions when he tightened his hold around her fist that she has forgotten was still in his hold.

“W-What-” She attempted to knock some sense into his stubborn head, but Sehun beat her to it.

“What am I doing?” He completed her sentence before taking a step closer- as if to spite her.

“Why am I doing this? You’re not who I think you’re? I have got the wrong person? You don’t know what I’m talking about?” The young King repeated the excuses that she has fed him with throughout all their encounters before finally letting go of her fist. Bora immediately pulled her hand back and this time successfully took a step away from him to maintain some distance between them. He was way too close to her for her comfort.

It was useless to lie. It was quite apparent. No amount of excuses or lies was going to deter him from his realization. It’s not like he was wrong anyway. She should have known the moment would come. After all, Sehun was the King and it was not hard for him to find a masked girl with a sword – not a lot of people would fit into that category to make the search difficult.

“I didn’t know…” Bora didn’t know why she blurted that out, but it was better than nothing. She had the right to explain and defend herself before ultimately being sent to jail by the King who was currently looking at her with a raised brow.

“You didn’t know what?”

“I didn’t know you were the King!” She made her statement clear with a hint of irritation.

Can’t this guy stop looking smug?

“I figured out that much,” Sehun revealed with an airy chuckle before crossing his arms over his chest.

“But why does that matter?”

“It does matter because it’s going to decide whether I’m going to prison or not.” The look of annoyance on the girl’s face would have entertained the young King to his heart’s content if he was not so busy looking at her with thinly concealed disbelief.

“Wait- all this time, you were running away from me because you thought I was going to send you to prison?” The incredulity with which Sehun asked that question made Bora feel dumb and uncertain; as if she has done something really stupid.

“Y-You’re…not?” She inquired back hesitantly before averting her doubtful gaze away from his amused one.

“Why would I?” She didn’t have to look at him to know that he was smirking again. She can practically hear the smirk in his voice.

“I raised the sword to your neck.”

“I challenged you.” Bora really wished that she wouldn’t have looked back up at him because the condescending smile on his face made her blood boil.

“Sooyoung said that it doesn’t matter.” She replied in a clipped tone before sniffing slightly to control her urge to snap at him. The mocking and teasing glint that suddenly resided inside his eyes wasn’t helping her case at all. She was sure that nothing good would come out of his mouth.

“I remember you claiming something along the lines of not caring about my title or status. How come you suddenly became so meek in your speech?” That was the last straw.

Who does this guy think he is?

Just because he wears a stupid crown on his head doesn’t give him the right to mock me like this…

He’s purposely trying to annoy me!

Letting out an indignant scoff, Bora straightened in her place before jabbing a finger against the King’s chest with slanted, glaring eyes.

“Listen, here, Oh Sehun,” She purposely put stress on his name to make sure that this time she gets her message straight across his mulish brain.

“Your title is the last thing I care about.  I was just trying to be respectful, but since you clearly not seem to like it I will talk to you the way jerks like you deserve!” Sehun raised a daring brow at her as soon as he heard that. No one has ever dared to talk to him in this fashion; at least not someone who was not close to him.

“Really?” He humored before leaning forward towards her.

“I wonder how that would work in your favor…” He wondered out loud with a mocking tilt to his lips before casually bringing up a hand and slyly trailing the tip of his fingers along the length of her face. Her skin was supple and complaint under his touch just like he remembered it to be from the memories of the night they spent together. It was the same silky texture and milky complexion that has been haunting him in times of solitude while he’s trying to relax. The broken memories just keep on coming back to him and now he finally has a face to associate them with.

“D-Don’t touch me!” His hand was swatted away in a rather flustered manner, but he didn’t mind. The action may have been rash, but the vibrant blush that was adorning her cheeks down to her neck entirely made up for it.

“Why are you being so shy suddenly? We did a lot more than that-”

“We did nothing!” Bora immediately cut him off heatedly.

“You always lie about that.” He admonished her playfully before chuckling at her bashful reaction; it was almost cute – the way she handled the whole situation whenever he brought up the night in the inn.

“And you always bring it up when I clearly told you not to! It was a mistake.” She retaliated hastily.

“A mistake you enjoyed.” The flustered girl felt herself reddening further as soon as he made that claim.

“I did not enjoy it.”

“We must remember it differently than,” Sehun claimed with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders while sending her a mischievous smile.

“You-” Before Bora can go any further with the insult that she was going to direct at him they were cut off by a couple of shouts of her name.

Oh, Lord!

They can’t see me with him here.

The girl internally panicked before t