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“Are you happy now?” Baekhyun yelled, looking at her angrily.

She tried to free her hand from his clutch, but it was useless, “I’m not happy can’t you tell? Are you blind?” she looked at him with glassy eyes which seem like no matter to Baekhyun, “years of running away just made you more coldhearted.”

“You’re father made me coldhearted.” He yelled, banging his free hand on the door of his room, pinning her between the door and himself, and for a second Jieun thought it was going to break.

Jieun didn’t notice the tears in Baekhyun’s eyes before the first one fell on her hand, wetting it.

“I was just eleven when your father killed my whole family, don’t you give me all the right to be coldhearted?” he asked, his tears, magnifying the fire in his eyes.

“I-I can only be sorry.”

“What can I do with your sorrow?” he yelled, trembling as he tried to control his feeling.

“do you think you’re the only one who lost his family?,” she yelled, those two shots starting to take their effects on her, “I was just eight years old when my only friend disappeared without even any goodbye. I was ten when my father almost killed my only pet and so I used my power on it for the first time. It was good seeing your father finally value you but not when he imprisons you from everything and when you lost him to his greediness. My mother died a year later and my father abandon me from even going into her room. Now, do you think you’re the only one? Who needs something more than sorrow?”

He didn’t even look at her in the eyes. Although they were face to face she could see he was looking at somewhere beyond her maybe the crack of the door.

She tried to push herself off the wall but he put his hand on her shoulder, pushing her back.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, and in her eyes, he seemed worried more than angry but again it must be the alcohol.

“I’m not done drinking yet,” she said tried uselessly on his grip.

“I told you to don’t drink anything, didn’t I? Even the weakest drink here is really strong for you that don’t drink nothing but a sip of Tela wine if it isn’t your first time.” he said, gripping his hands around her arm and pushed her away gently to open the door, “just go sleep in my room.”

Loosen his grip around her arm, he pushed her inside and stand still in the doorway himself.

She didn’t know why, but suddenly she felt like she had nothing more to say. There was a voice at the back of her head yelling that for sure it wasn’t the end but it just felt like the end and she was almost happy.

“Where do you going to sleep?” she asked, trying to push the headache she had away.

‘Was he going to sleep with me?’ she thought. ‘In the same room with me.’, she almost yelled to correct her bad choice of word, realizing that Baekhyun didn’t even hear it.

“Your room, where else?”

“my previous room or my current room?” she asked not even trying to stop herself, her head hurt too much for thinking before speaking advice.

“oh god, now do you want me to sleep in the same room with you?” he tried to be serious, but it seem like he was trying too hard to bite back the smirk, “sorry to disappointed you, but your previous room.” he said, eyeing her one last time, “good night.”

And the door closed behind him and the room suddenly felt a lot darker.

‘Was he using his power? Or I’m just too drunk?’ 

He must be right about the alcohol here because she didn’t even remember how she draft into a dream.

When she woke up, strangely her head pounding from the previous night was completely gone. Though it took her a while to remember all the incidents of the night. Baekhyun had given her his room and he stayed in the room she had to stay.

One glance around the room and she finally noticed a new bag that was laying on the ground and also his previous one just a step or two away from the new one. She didn’t realize that his stuff was laying everywhere last night because if she would she at least would put that on the desk beside.

Someone rapped on the door and she lost her train of thought for a second. Standing up from the bed she combed her hair with her finger before adjusting the hairpin in them again, walking slowly toward the door.

“Byun Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun’s voice rang in her ears, “don’t call me by my real name.” and she opened the door -just a slight crack- so she could see his face, “we have to go now.”

“Should I brought your bags then?” she asked, opening the door a little wider so he can see the bags.

“Bags?” he said before his gazed flicked on the two bags on the ground, “ah, t-that, actually I bought you some clothing from bazaar so you can go to woman’s bathhouse.”

It just sounded unfamiliar to go to the bathhouse and she with absolutely zero knowledge of it just found even the thought of going there a little frightening before Baekhyun tore her chain of thought again, “there are really good bathhouses at Vulneria.”

“b-but you know I’ve never been in one.”

Even in the palace she didn’t like the idea of going into the bathroom with someone and always asked Yoohwa to stay out. “Then it’s a good time trying new things, don’t you think? Besides there are separate rooms in the bathhouse so you don’t need to worry.”

Leaving Vinumia was much quieter than coming to it and it wasn’t exactly what Jieun expected. Baekhyun was being much nicer than their first meeting -second technically. But although that, Jieun could still sense the guiltiness he had upon his shoulder because helping her.

“Baekhyun can I ask you something.”

“No, if it is about Baekbom.”

It was about Baekbom and certainly Baekhyun wouldn’t like the topic so she just dropped it, she didn’t intend to piss Baekhyun anytime soon. “No, it’s about EXO actually.”

“What about EXO?” he asked a bit surprised.

“I don’t know, you know there isn’t really much about you guys and not even about Rebels-“

“Rebels?” Baekhyun said with an amused tone, turning his head back slightly to see her.

“Yes, you guys are rebels, aren’t you?” she said, feeling her cheeks burn slightly by his gaze.

“first of all, we don’t call ourselves THAT, MS Kim nor most of the people, you better don’t call us Rebels in front of people then,” he said matter of factly, pride waving in his voice as he shift to make his back straight.

“Then what should I call you, your highness?” she asked sarcastically, cracking a smile.

“Order.” he shrugged.

“Order? Just order?”

“yes,” he answered shortly again.

“How many members does the order have? How many kinds of power are there? How many safe house dose the order have?” Jieun asked excitedly.

“Many, many, and another many. How am I supposed to know? I don’t waste my time counting them.” he said looking at her with wide eyes again, “is it even important?”

“Then what’s important?” she mumbled under her breath, trying hard not to pout like a little girl.

“The people you know, not the number of the people you see, the place you feel safe in, not the number of the place that is safe.” he said as he stopped the horse to turn back completely, “don’t you agree?”

“how am I supposed to know-” she said with the same tone as him, “when the only people I know in my life is my father?” add a lot quieter, she knew the mention of his father would change the atmosphere completely but it was just the only thing that felt right to say.

Vulneria’s motel was much better and nicer than Vinumia’s. It was a white square building with a golden color windows. The main counter also was the same gold color shining gracefully against the white wall of the motel.

“How can I help you?” the man beamed the moment he saw them and she wasn’t surprised since not many people traveling at that time of years.

“We want a room.” Baekhyun said before she could protest, “a double room.”

“It seems like your wife is about to protest,” he smirked, and again before she could protest Baekhyun beat her to that.

“My sister, she’s mute.”

‘WHAT?’ it got many things in her not to yell at him and instead just glared at him.

He put his hands casually around her neck, “play along.” he mumbled through gritted teeth so he couldn’t see.

“ah, she is beautiful tough.” another man said coming from behind the counter and something about the way he looked at her made her so so uncomfortable.

“Is she? Thank you, where is the room anyway?” Baekhyun -to her liking- change the topic quickly.

“Sunghoon show them the room.” the old man that seemed like to be the owner said.

“How old is she anyway?” the man said, bringing the key as he came in front of the counter to join them.

“twenty,” he said emotionlessly, didn’t seem interested in the topic.

“Then I bet so many men head over heels for her,” he said opening the door that supposed to be their room.

“And why is that?” Baekhyun asked, seem surprised by the sudden statement.

“She’s mute and beautiful, isn’t she wife material?” he laughed and took a step closer to her, and Jieun for some reason felt a really heavyweight in her chest as she automatically took a step back.

If it supposed to be some kind of joke, she didn’t find it funny at all.

“You think so?” Baekhyun said and before she could even attempt to take another step, he was already between her and the man, gripping his hand around hers tightly “how much money do you think I could make by her?”

It all seemed like a horrifying nightmare that how much you try you couldn’t wake up from, even though you know it’s not real, it’s happening to you and hurt as much as it hurt if it were real.

“Many actually, even I am knee for this face.” the man smirked and it just made her more disgusted in both him and Baekhyun.

She yanked her hand away and attempted to run but before that the man grabbed her hands again and pulled her closer, “it seems like she doesn’t like the idea.”

Suddenly Baekhyun again was standing between her and him but this time, twisting his arm behind him painfully, “don’t you dare lay a single finger on her, I don’t want to have such a disgusting person in my room for another second so you better get lost.”

“Okay, okay.” He yelled in pain and Baekhyun let go of his hand, “bastard.” He mumbled before slamming the door behind him.

“You’re as disgusting as him,” she said, breathing heavily as she walked shakily to sit down on one of the armchairs near a bed, trying to calm her heartbeat and resist the urge of crying out loud.

“This is how the people live out of the palace, they selling their daughter to get the money, this is how your fath-“

“Ah, so it was a lesson for me to learn how my father’s action made the people out of the palace disgusting? Or is it my punishment to have a father like him? Don’t act like you are better than him, my father as well sell me off for the power and you are as bad as him.” she didn’t realize she was yelling and for a second she just hoped nobody hear a mute girl’s voice.

“I- I've never intended to sell you off,” he said quietly and it seemed like her words hurt him physically.

“Is it really matter? That’s how you made me feel.” she knew she might regretting saying it but it was true.

“I- I- think you should rest,” he said, going to the other side of the room, pretending to put his stuff on the only closet of the room.

He, himself, didn’t even know what he intended to do, he just didn’t like the way the man looked at her, but it all twisted in the wrong way as he wanted.

Gathering his courage up again, he looked back at her over his shoulder, “Hey, what are you doing?”

She was still lounging in the chair, her hand under her hands on the arm of the chair.

“What do you mean what are you doing?” she asked, still sound bothered.

“I told you to rest not collapsed into the chair like a sloth.” He scolded as he threw himself on the bed.

“DON’T.” she screamed and made him jump off the bed.

“Hush, you’re going to make everyone aware that I’m lying don’t you?”

“Oh, that would be a good idea that I don’t complain about, but for now, you can’t sleep on the bed,” she said, leaning back against the headrest like a king.

“And why is that empress?” he asked, tilting his head sarcastically to show his confusion.

“Cause you’re dirty.”

“What?”

“I mean, you’re not clean and tidy yet. You can’t sleep on the bed before you go to the bathroom,” she said pointedly.

“So what? Nobody cares when-“

“If we’re going to share the same bed you SHOULD care.” She said, cutting him mid-sentence, “although I appreciate your decision if you want to sleep on the floor.”

“I don’t say anything.” He gulped, feeling like he already lose it to her and it sounds familiar in his head, “what do you want me to do?”

“Me?” she asked, somewhat taken aback by the sudden question. She actually expects him to suggest something or -even better- accept to sleep on the floor.

“Is there any other person in the room?” he broke her train of thought, his mouths cracked slightly apart, a fraction just to show an ironic smirk.

“Let’s go to the bathhouse,” she said, smirking back at him.

“You sure? We'll leave Vulneria tomorrow actually, so you can take a bath at the safe house that is in our way.”

“Don’t want to, I want to try new things as you so nobly encourage me to.” she answered sarcastically, “I just hope you have a better taste in fashion than Chanyeol.”

Baekhyun was strangely quiet but she was offended enough not to want to talk to him.

“It’s here.” he called out suddenly and she looked up to see the bathhouse, “the men’s bathhouse is a few streets away, but stay here when you’re done, okay? Just stay, I’m serious becau-“

“Because you don’t bother looking for me id I don't?” she asked a little insulted.

“What? Of course not! Look, don’t turn me into an , I might be unfriendly to the person I don’t like but I sure as hell am not an .”

“Don’t you think you’re already an ?” she raised an eyebrow looking at how his expression betrayed his feeling immediately, she felt satisfied.

He looked at her straight with grimed eyes but parted his gaze away when suddenly a girl came out of the bathroom.

“Sorry but you can’t be here.” the girl said, “Men’s bathhouse is two streets away.”

“Yes, yes I knew thanks. But it’s my sister’s first time, I was just making sure.” he smiled, drawing three gold and a copper coins out of his small purse, “I want a privet room for her.”

The girl eyed both of them before accepting the money and nodding to her to follow her.

her hair gently she looked at the mirror one last time to check her appearance, trying to decide whatever pin her hair or not.

At least Baekhyun had a better taste than Chanyeol in clothing.

The dress Baekhyun had bought for her was already so nice with her hair cascaded down her shoulders and also, she wasn’t sure if it would be a good thing to tie her hair with that hairpin -that was really looking like the one Baekhyun had bought for her. 

‘Maybe not today.’ She thought with herself, before putting the hairpin in the pocket of the dress.

“Are you done?” the girl said from behind the door.

“Oh yes.” she opened the door slowly and the same girl from before appeared in her sight.

“Your brother told me to tell you he’s down the street on the alley behind the bathhouse.”

“Oh did he? But I don’t know where-“

“He said something about someone with the name of Hyukjea being-“

“Okay, I understand. Can you bring me there?”

But inside she didn’t really. How did he find them this easily, they could’ve been anywhere.

Sure Hyukjea was a good hunter but still even with his power there were so many cities to go and he exactly decided that Vulneria is the best option?

“Yes ma’am.”