CHAPTER #4

THE AFTERMATH

“You are doomed to make mistakes. This is life’s greatest paradox.”

Bora still remembers the time when her father read that small line of wisdom out from many of his treasury books. She still remembers the amused smile on his face when her kid-self has refuted that saying immediately and had claimed to know better than that. She had oh-so-confidently told her father that she would never make a mistake; not willingly. She has promised him that none of her decisions would ever be a cause of harm to her. She has claimed to be smart, but alas! Just like what her father has claimed even smart people have their moment of folly. He had told her that it was not a bad thing to make mistakes, but repeating them was bad. He had advised her to always learn from her mistakes. The amount of truth that was actually hidden in those words hit her straight in the face as soon as she woke up this morning with a splitting headache and a growing sense of dread. She has made a mistake; a really big one and the worst thing about it was that she made it willingly.

What have I done?

The remorseful inquiry swam through her mind as she took in the sturdy, masculine figure who was sharing the same piece of sheets that were covering her body. The dread that she was feeling increased by each passing second as she looked around the room to find something remotely familiar- but there was nothing. She has spent a night in a stranger’s room and in his bed no less. For a second the reaction that she would have received from the people of her town entered her mind, but then she shook her head furiously and turned her attention towards the man. She knew him. How can she forget him? He was the sole reason for her misery at that moment. Only if he hadn’t stepped between that fight, only if he hadn’t riled her up; nothing of this would have happened. She would have continued living in that hell; which again wasn’t that ideal. Actually, she was a bit confused about whether she should hate him or thank him.

I don’t remember anything…

She really didn’t. The last thing that she could recall was her encounter with Sooyoung and even that was quite blurry. She could only remember small snip chits of the conversation that both of them have shared so hoping that she would remember anything that passed between her and the still nameless General was stretching her luck a little bit too much. Heaving a sigh, she willed her hands to reluctantly lift up the covers from her body. She was still clothed, she could feel it and the male beside her was too; though the way his shirt was practically ripped open didn’t assure her case much.

Please, tell me I’m still a .

The troubled girl thought to herself and gently lifted her body off the bed, though she halted in the middle of her actions as soon as the man on the bed shifted in his place.

Don’t wake up!

Bora screeched mentally and quickly sprang away from the bed before wearing her shoes. Thankfully, she didn’t feel any kind of soreness between her legs while she was moving which should speak volumes.

It means we did nothing, right?

Some of the weight that has been dumped on her shoulders as soon as she woke up was lifted up; giving the poor girl some open space to breathe. Nevertheless, just to make sure that her assumption was right she felt for the bandage around her chest that she has wrapped there to compress it. She was sure that she wasn’t sober enough to wrap it back up if she has taken it off once; thankfully it was still intact. It was actually kind of dangerous to sleep with it, but she was still alive and kicking which meant that it was a matter that she could worry about later. For now, she needs to get out of this place before the guy wakes up. She seriously can’t afford that.

My mask!

The sudden thought of her mask left her wondering that whether the guy was sober enough to remember her face or not. He had to be pretty drunk to actually bring her to his room considering that he was an official of a high ranking and was really close to the King. Plus, she was also the girl who has dared to go against the norms of the society and had a fight with him. There was no way in hell he would have brought her to his chamber at night if he was sober.

Let’s just hope that he won’t remember my face or else my face is going to be on wanted posters all over the Kingdom.

With that thought in her mind, she frantically searched around the bed for her black mask and would have probably given up on it with a heavy heart if she hadn’t spotted it lying on the floor near the room’s door at the last moment.

How did it even end up there?

She thought to herself with pursed lips before shrugging the matter off with a sigh of relief. Bora silently made her way towards the black piece of cloth and carefully bent down to pick it up. However, she halted in her actions as vague images from last night started appearing in front of her eyes like a broken film. It almost felt like she was watching a bad quality picture with worst graphics. Nothing was clear except for the few slurred words that they have exchanged between themselves and the bad quality background music that accompanied their whole encounter until they arrived inside the calm and peaceful vicinity of the room; which of course, has been broken by their ragged breath and broken pants.

Oh. My. God!

The poor girl mentally screeched at her predicament before straightening up abruptly. The whole encounter was still blurred and completely incomprehensible, but so far from what she has remembered things were not innocent at all. Even though her optical memory was not supporting her well, still, the receptive part of her brain was sending her blaring signals that it still recognized the stout muscles and heated skin under her hands a night prior.

No…

This is so embarrassing.

From the looks of it, Bora thought that it won’t be wrong to assume that the state in which she found the General’s shirt when she woke up was her doing. She has freaking ripped his shirt open with her own bloody hands. When did she become so violent? That man was dangerous, that place was dangerous. Heck! That whole damn town was dangerous and she needed to get out of there as soon as possible. Taking in an audible nervous gulp, she brought up the mask to cover her face again and prayed pretty desperately that there won’t be any soul outside which would have the unfortunate privilege to be a witness to her shameful escape out of this room. Nope. Things were going to be really difficult if that happened.

“Who’s there?” Bora’s figure went rigid almost instantly as soon as the firm, but groggy inquiry rung inside the room. Damn! That guy wasn’t only dangerous. He was also a sin; a temptation that was extremely hard to resist if you consider the low timbre of his voice along with the rawness of his chords. It was hoarse but pleasing.

It’s not the time to think about this stuff.

Bora was starting to seriously question her morals. Since when did she start taking interest in men like she was interested in the stupid general who has ruined every single ounce of peace that was possibly still instilled in her life with his presence. Her rigid figure jolted in its place when she heard the low shuffle of the blankets being moved.

I need to get out of here.

Taking a shaky breath, she psyched herself up and mustered all the courage that she could find inside herself before bolting for the exit door. It was her only chance. The remotely nameless guy was still tangled in the mess of the sheets so it would take him some time to get out of it; that time alone was enough for her to run away (she silently hoped that his foot would get stuck in the sheets and he would end up falling on the floor face first).

One can always wish…

She had it all sorted out and if she was