“Hyung!!!”

Seora pulled herself away from Chanyeol’s lips hearing a familiar voice outside. Chanyeol didn’t hear it, and he remained still, with his thumb softly caressing her cheek in the mean time.

“Chanyeol!!!”

This time Seora heard it loud and clear despite the heavy exhaling coming from the man holding her. “Isn’t it Baekhyun’s voice?” she asked in a whisper. Chanyeol lifted his head this time, and listened.

“Chanyeol-ah!!!”

Chanyeol fidgeted, and Seora quickly got off his lap and stood up. He got on to his feet as well, and went to pull away the ferns that were covering the entrance of the cave. Moonlight came, revealing her flushed face staring at him, which brought a smile on to his lips. “Let’s go out, it’s them.” He took her hand, and stepped out with her.

They could see flames of the torches held by about a dozen men, and soon the soldiers of the Hunter’s brigade came into view, with Sehun and Baekhyun in the lead. “Baekhyun!” Chanyeol raised his hand and called out.

His friends caught sight of him, and rushed to him at once, followed by the soldiers. “Hyung are you alright?” Sehun asked. “Is Seora okay?” Baekhyun asked, checking out the couple from head to toe. Chanyeol nodded and pulled his wife closer, encircling his arm around her shoulder.

“Did you get to arrest them? I think not...they must have fled before you got there.” Chanyeol asked Baekhyun. Baekhyun shook his head in disappointment, and Sehun let out a sigh. “Hyung we’ll take care of that. Now quickly go to the palace with Seora.” He said.

“We can’t go to the palace at this time. And she needs rest.” Chanyeol shook his head.

“It’s his majesty’s order. He told us to bring you two to the palace. Seora can stay in the queen’s palace for the time being. Your mansion is not safe enough.” Baekhyun explained.

Chanyeol agreed with a nod. He looked at his wife and rubbed her shoulder softly. “Let’s go then.”

She nodded and started following Baekhyun with her husband still holding her.

Once they reached the palace and went to the queen’s palace, despite how late it was, King Junmyeon was waiting with his queen for them to arrive. The queen rushed to Seora and held her by the shoulders. “Are you alright Seora? You aren’t hurt anywhere are you?” she asked, checking her with worried eyes. Seora shook her head and smiled. “I’m not hurt your highness.” And she turned to the king and bowed. “I’m sorry for worrying you your majesty.”

The king shook his head. “It’s fine as long as you two returned safe. Chanyeol does anyone of you need treatments? Any injuries?” he asked the general.

Chanyeol bowed to the king. “No your majesty. It’s just she’s a bit shocked, and needs rest now.”

“I’ll take care of that.” the queen said, holding Seora’s hand. “Let’s go in dear, your room is prepared.” She bowed to the king and escorted the girl into her palace.

The king watched them leaving and turned back to the general and two captains who were standing behind him. “Jung Taekwoon, he did this... didn’t he?” he asked. “Are there your men following him?”

“Yes your majesty.” Baekhyun was the one to answer. “There weren’t anyone at the place they were keeping Lady Seora when we reached, but we got the message that he’s heading out of the capital with his men. We’ll soon get news from our men we’ve engaged to follow him, and we’ll be heading out soon once we get news.”

The king nodded thoughtfully and turned to his brother-in-law. “Now you too, go in and get a good rest. They’ll take care of everything, so turn in now Chanyeol.” He said in concern.

Chanyeol slowly nodded, and the king gave the three men a smile. “Good night everyone, I’ll be turning in as well.” with that he left the queen’s palace, gaining bows from the three men.

“His majesty was right Yeol, take a rest now.” Baekhyun said. “We’re on alert, so you don’t have to worry.” He patted on his friend’s upper arm.

* * * * * * * *

Baekhyun and Sehun stayed awake in Chanyeol’s office all night, waiting for news about Jung Taekwoon. About an hour before the dawn, Baekhyun saw Sehun dozing off on his chair, and the sword the young man had been polishing slipped off his hand and fell on the floor with a clatter. Sehun woke up with a jump.

“Go home and get a shower.” Baekhyun said looking at his tired face. “No hyung, I can even do that here.” Sehun muttered, straightening on his chair. “But you can have a bath to your heart’s content here, can you?” the older warrior asked again. “Listen to me and go home now. I’ll be here until you come, and then I wanna go home as well.” he said, leaning back in the chair and crossing his arms. Sehun sighed and got up to leave the office, and Baekhyun closed his eyes and listened to his dying footsteps.

Sehun arrived at his mansion and jumped off his horse, and ran straight in, hoping to meet Ying as soon as he entered the place since it had become a habit for the girl to sweep the front yard every morning right before the sunrise. But the yard was empty except for two security guards, who bowed at their young master at once. He heaved a silent sigh and walked in. on his way to take a bath, he took sneak peeks into the kitchen, but she still wasn’t there, and since he didn’t feel like peeking into her room, he decided to get cleaned first.

“Isn’t it weird? She’s definitely in trouble and is chased by some Chinese men, and she did have the nerve to stay outside at night?”

Sehun haltered on his steps on his way back to his room. Two maids’ voices came from a room nearby, talking about Ying for sure.

“She said she had been helping the local pharmacist these days when she had free time.” the second voice said. “Maybe she was busy with that work and didn’t get to come home. You know, she can work like anything when she sets her mind to it.”

“But what’s strange is...” the first voice started talking again. “She really can work on stuff like nursing and making medicine out of herbs, but when it comes to cleaning and household work, she at them. She pretends to be quite good at them, but her hand says the other. It is as if she was brought up in a well off family which had servants to do everything for her.”

Sehun silently walked back to his room. While changing into a new uniform, he couldn’t help thinking about the discussion he had just heard, which had triggered up many doubts inside him, which he already had, but never really cared about.

Her hands. They were really soft as he remembered. And he assumed that a maid or an ordinary rural girl who had done house hold work for years will never have that much soft hands. And her way of combing her hair. All the other young maids had their hair braided in his mansion, but she always had it loosely falling down her back, only the little half of it gathered and tied in a ponytail with a ribbon he had bought her. Many things about her didn’t imply her as an ordinary Chinese or Joseon citizen.

And what was this about her not returning home last night?

He wanted to run out and look for her, but his duties were keeping his from it. He decided to return to the palace and send some soldiers to find her whereabouts.

* * * * * * * *

Baekhyun dragged his feet into his mansion once Sehun had returned to the palace all clean and fresh. He too was exhausted and willing to get a nice shower and get changed into fresh clothes, and since he thought it was better to visit his mom after getting washed, he made his way straight into his room.

He returned from his bath, changed his attire and went straight to his mother’s room.

And the room was empty.

Then he started opening every single room in the mansion where his mother could be in, and an elderly maid came running, once he had finally reached the master bedroom, where his father usually sleeps with whomever he wants.

“Please don’t open the door young master!” she begged Baekhyun, bending down pleadingly. Baekhyun looked at her. “Is he in?” he asked.

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