Seora watched her husband walking out of the mansion gates with Baekhyun, after taking at least a several minutes to talk with Jongin at the gate, probably giving him instructions about the security of the mansion. And the two men walked out as Jongin bowed after taking his orders, and made his way straight into the mansion.

Seora heard a knocking at Chanyeol’s bedroom door, where she was in. “My lady, it’s me, Jongin.”

She hurried to the door and opened it to see the guard bowing to her. “Lord Park explained me the situation, and you don’t have to worry about anything at the moment my lady. It’s not a critical situation and just a simple riot outside the capital, and the royal troops will take care of it in no time.” he explained reassuringly. Seora nodded in silence. “If you need anything, feel free to ask me anytime my lady. Since all the servants are out, I’ll provide you help in need. I’ll be at the entrance of the house, so rest assured my lady.” He bowed again curtly, and walked away before she could even reply him. Seora released the sigh she was holding in all the time. “He couldn’t even go to Haesol’s place because he has to guard me.” She mutured to herself and closed the door, to return and curl up on Chanyeol’s mattress, covering herself with his blankets.

* * * * * * * *

“The main suspects of the Chinese maid’s abduction were arrested in today’s riot. So captain Sehun wants the maid to come to the investigations office in order to confirm us on their recognitions.”

Ying rushed to the door of her room and listened. She heard Sehun’s mom talking with the familiar voice she heard a moment ago, and in a few moments there was a knock on her door.

She stood silent for a while before taking a deep breath and sliding the door open.

Sehun’s mom stood there, and close behind her, was standing the man who showed up in front of Ying earlier, glaring at him with his usual devious eyes, dressed in the same uniform as the soldiers of Sehun’s brigade.

Ying stared at her uncle’s chief bodyguard with horrified eyes. He raised an eyebrow at her, as if asking her why she isn’t stepping out already.

“He’s here to take you to the palace Ying, I guess you heard what he said.” Sehun’s mother said. Ying nodded silently, and stepped out of the room. “Let’s go Miss,” Jialun stepped aside, as if asking her to take the lead. Ying bowed to the mistress of the mansion and started walking ahead. The disguised Chinese man too bowed feigning utter respect to the elderly noble lady, and followed the girl without a single word until they exited the mansion.

“You know your uncles temper more than any of us, don’t you?”

Ying turned around to face the disguised guards once they had reached a secluded area in the street towards the Park’s mansion. “You have doubts on me? Did Taekwoon warn you to keep an eye on me?” she asked back. “Not being able to keep up with that jerk doesn’t mean I betrayed my uncle. And you have been with us since way before he started serving my uncle, haven’t you Jialun?”

The young man listened in silence. “So let’s not waste time on useless talks and get to work okay?” Ying turned her eyes towards the direction of their destination. “So are we just going in like this? Or do you have a plan? Don’t expect entering the Hunter’s mansion to be as easy as you did at the Oh’s place. They’ve really tight security and I don’t think even your uniform will help there.”

Jialun shook his head, putting his hand into his robes. “I won’t be entering. Only you will go in. I heard you’re close with some servants there, so it won’t be a problem right?” he asked, while taking out a baton-like metal case out from his robes.

Ying nodded with a sigh. “Fine then. But do you have any weapon with you? Something I can hide easily? Is that a dagger?”

He handed it over to her. “Hide it well so they won’t notice until you enter the premises. And just in case you need our help, I’ve located enough men around the area. They’ll be watching you from the nearby roof tops and balconies. So just finish the task quickly and get out without getting suspected.” He instructed.

“What’s next then?” Ying asked.

“The rest is up to your uncle and Taekwoon. They’ll take care of it. You’ll be leaving the capital with me and meeting them later on.”

The girl nodded and examined the dagger in her hands. “Let’s go then.” She looked up at the guard, and the two started heading towards their destination.

“Captain Oh ordered her to stay the night with Lady Shin, since there aren’t any maids in there tonight.”

Jialun showed up his fake identity tag to the guards at the entrance of the mansion and explained. “I guess you know this maid. She’s a trusted maid from Captain Oh’s mansion and Lady Shin knows her too.”

The guards looked at the girl dressed in a typical maid’s attire and wearing a robe covering her head and shoulders with it, just taking it off for a moment to give them a glimpse of her face. And she bowed down politely. “You can go in then.” One of the guards finally granted her permission. “But only you.” he said, looking up at the guard. “We aren’t allowed even to let in any soldier beyond the given list, that’s why. You can go report to Captain Oh that she has entered the mansion.”

Jialun nodded curtly, and turned around without even sparing the slightest glance at her. Doing the same, Ying entered through the gates, and started walking towards the house in front of her. “Meet chief guard Kim and explain your arrival before meeting the lady!” the guard from the entrance called out, making her turn around and bow obediently again.

She walked up to the main door which led into the entrance hall, and at the door step, was sitting a familiar figure, Kim Jongin. He was sitting on the cold floor and wiping finger marks away from a dagger, and looked up as he heard footsteps. “Oh, isn’t this the maid from Lord Oh’s...”

Ying bowed down and looked up with a smile. “Lord Oh sent me to keep Lady Shin company. May I come in sir?” she asked with a polite smile. Jongin tilted his head, and replied thoughtfully. “Well the maids live no so far away from this place... so why would he ask you to walk all the way here...”

Ying looked up straight into his eyes with the smile still plastered on her face. “I’m being watched by men from rooftops all around, so please let me in without making them suspicious, so I can help you.” she talked while smiling.

Jongin straightened up his posture, and glared at her. But he was quick witted enough not to whirl his head around and look for the men she was talking about, and decided to keep his eyes straight on her and not stand up from his position. “Who are you?” he asked in a lower tone.

“Let’s go in and talk. Please.” Ying said with the smile still on her lips, her voice turned to a pleading one. And after a short moment of silence, Jongin stood up and stepped into the entrance hall. “Follow me.” He muttered and started walking into the house, making the girl quickly follow him.

“Who are you and what brings you here???”

He pushed the girl against a wall as soon as they entered the living room blocking her with his arm and hissed at her. “Who sent you here?”

Ying held up her hands in defence, before taking in a shaky breath and answer. “I’m Shao Xuan’s niece.” She watched his eyes widen with horror and disbelief, and continued. “I was staying at Lord Oh’s place as a spy, and it was true I helped my people with many work from there-”

“So it was you who helped them abduct Haesol!!!” Jongin growled at her while pressing his forearm right below her neck, making the girl suffocate. “And you still had the nerve to appear in front of me?” he snarled.

Ying shook her head, trying to catch her breath. “They want to kill her.” she finally managed to say. “My uncle tried to marry Lady Shin by force, and then he tried to abduct her, and since nothing worked, he’s now going to kill her, and the Hunter as well.”

Jongin scoffed. “Kill the Hunter? You think those homeless pig heads can kill someone like the Last Hunter?” he asked.

Ying bit her lip hard and shook her head again. “At least they managed to send me here to kill his wife, didn’t they?” she asked, making the guard’s face turn dark again. “But now please, listen to me and believe me. I don’t want to kill her and I’m here to help you.”

He stared at her. “And why should I believe you?”

The girl sighed. “I may support my uncle but I don’t want to kill an innocent girl who did absolutely nothing wrong. So stop wasting time and let me exchange my clothes with her. Then you can take her out of the place and escape from the capital. I’ll wear her clothes and distract them while you are escaping.” She explained.

Jongin stood still, thinking for a while. And finally his arm across her chest dropped to his side, freeing her from being trapped between him and the wall. “There’s a door out from the room right next to the kitchen.” He said, taking her hand and gripping it by the wrist before dragging her out of the room. “If you walk out of it, there won’t be any guards at the exit, and you’ll see a small gate leading to the mountains. I’m sure it’s not that well patrolled by the guards at night.” he said while dragging her towards his master’s room. “You can exit from there, and find a way back to the main streets.” He stopped at Chanyeol’s room and knocked on the door. “My lady, it’s me, Jongin.”

* * * * * * * *

“The maid is leaving because she’s not well.”

Jongin said, walking out the girl dressed in the maid’s clothes and covering her head and shoulders with a robe. The guards in the mansion nodded and watched the girl stepping out, and quickly walking along the street.

“Wait at the flower shop my lady. It’s closed at night but you can enter the back yard easily. Go and wait there for me. I’ll leave a bit later and meet you there.”

Seora recalled Jongin’s words as she quickened her pace towards the flower shop at the end of the street. Trying her best not to hold in the fear and get herself away from the sudden danger she got to know a few moments ago, she rushed along the street, not daring to lift up her head and look around for a single second.

“Jongin!”

Seora rushed to the guard, as soon as he entered the yard she was waiting in, about ten minutes after she had arrived there. “My lady, are you alright?” he asked, checking her from head to toe in concern.

Seora nodded. “Will Ying be okay? I still can’t believe what’s going on Jongin, and why are we here when I’m the safest inside the mansion?”

Jongin shook his head. “The mansion is not safe anymore my lady. Given that Lord Oh’s maid turned out to be Shao Xuan’s niece, whom can we trust now? Even the guards around the mansion cannot be trusted at this rate.”

“So what are we doing now?” she asked, trying her best to suppress the fear that was shaking her inside.

“Let’s get out of the capital for now.” He suggested. “There’s a martial arts school run by a friend of mine in the mountains, we’ll go there and stay low for now.”

“What about Lord Park then?”

Jongin nodded showing he hasn’t finished with his words yet. “From there we’ll send a message to Lord Park, so he can arrange whatever the best thing that should be done.” He explained.

Seora was silent for a while, before she finally sighed and gave in, nodding in approval. “Let’s go then, because we don’t have any choice right now.” She mumbled.

* * * * * * * *

Meanwhile the Chinese girl was running through the small wood behind the mansion, which she entered after taking the route Jongin explained, and exiting the Park’s place. Pulling up the heavily lined and frilled dress of Seora which she exchanged for her shabby maid’s dress, she ran with all her might, hoping Seora will escape without wasting time and getting caught by her uncle’s men.

“Shao YINGYUN!!!”

The girl automatically came to a stop, hearing the voice she heard giving her instructions not too long ago. Turning around on her heels, Ying came to face about a dozen men, making their way towards her through the woods on horses, led by the one who was in charge of completing the murder with Ying.

“Jialun...” she mumbled under her breath.

She heard the man scoff before he jumped off his mare and started walking towards her. “Nice one Yingyun... you actually was able to fool me and my men, into chase you thinking you’re the Shin girl.” He stopped just one foot away from her with a devious smirk. “Had fun fooling us?” he ask