After walking for a while, they didn’t seem to be reaching anywhere, making Chaeyeon anxious. If there was a possibility that they were going somewhere else, they would probably get lost.

“Haven’t we been through here?” Sakura asked, making her companion stop.

“Do you recognize this place?” Chaeyeon asked, turning to face the Princess.

“Yes, this is the place where we... Oh, there it is!” Sakura walked towards the path next to them, and picked something from the ground.

“What is it?”

“Aoi threw this cloth while were traveling before the rain started.”

“Why did she throw it?” Chaeyeon asked as she inspected the cloth in Sakura’s hand.

“Aoi used the cloth to clean my face from makeup a few days back, and since it was dirty, and there was nowhere to properly wash it, she threw it from the window.” Chaeyeon held a desire to both choke and hug Aoi senseless.

“Alright, then we better follow this path,” Chaeyeon said, starting to walk, but halted again when she heard Sakura huff tiredly.

“I know we are in a predicament, but could we rest for a while? I’m not used to walking through this terrain.”

“Do you need a place to sit?” Chaeyeon asked sympathetically.

“No, it’s alright. Let me take a breather.” Secretly, Chaeyeon was happy for the rest.

For a moment, there was silence between both of them, which was broken when Chaeyeon spoke.

“Aoi is very protective of you,” Chaeyeon pointed out, seemingly out of nowhere.

“She is,” Sakura admitted, surprised by the random remark. “She was my sister’s maid at first, and I guess she learned to protect me the way my sister always did. When my sister left for Tang, Aoi was sent to take care of me instead. She was there when Rino couldn’t be.”

“When I was about to take you away from whatever was happening at the carriage, Aoi looked panicked when I took your hand. I guess that she didn’t want to separate from you.” Sakura smiled sadly.

“She doesn’t quite trust anyone.”

“I understand,” Chaeyeon said. After all, she and Sakura had only known each other for less than a month, and had interacted very little before this journey. If she was back in the present, no one would entrust someone important, like a chaebol or a primer minister’s daughter, to a stranger. “Hopefully she’s not fretting too much.”

“I find that difficult,” Sakura said jokingly, as if she was imagining her short maid in that moment. However, her smile disappeared.

“We should find them quickly.”

Although she could see that the Princess hadn’t recovered completely, Chaeyeon knew the older woman was in a hurry to find everyone else. “We should.” Their walk started. Still, Chaeyeon felt bad for Sakura, who wasn’t used to doing this kind of thing.

“Do you need help?”

“Help?”

Chaeyeon shrugged. “If you find some parts of the road difficult, just, grab onto my arm?” Sakura turned her head, blushing slightly, but then nodded.

“Alright.”

--

It was already nighttime when they reached the main road, as they had to stop several times to let Sakura rest. Chaeyeon supposed it wasn’t half bad, as they tried making conversation to cheer each other up. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t, but Chaeyeon was grateful nonetheless.

“Your Grace, what do you think we should do?” Chaeyeon asked. “Should we continue walking until we reach the next town? Or should we go back for a moment and rest for the night?” Although the idea of walking more seemed excruciatingly painful to Chaeyeon, whose chest pain had only multiplied in the time hiking back to the main road, she wanted to give Sakura the benefit to choose.

“Let’s rest for now,” Sakura answered, looking everywhere as if to make sure they were safe.

“We’ll be alright, Your Grace. Remember?” Chaeyeon soothed. The Princess turned to look at him, and then nodded uncertainly.

“But what happens if someone finds us?” she asked.

“Then I’ll wake you up and you run,” Chaeyeon answered.

“You’re not going to sleep?” Sakura asked, worry etched on her face.

“Who would take care of you if I don’t?” Chaeyeon said nonchalantly, already looking for a more or less concealed place for them to rest. Sakura blushed, hitting Chaeyeon’s shoulder.

“Why would you say that?” she whispered coyly, but Chaeyeon didn’t hear her.

“Oh, there! Let’s rest there!” Chaeyeon pointed at a place, offering her arm to Sakura, who grabbed onto it and followed him.

“Do you need anything before you go to sleep?” Chaeyeon asked when they already at the place he had pointed.

“No, I’m fine,” Sakura answered, although she did feel uncomfortable with the robes she was wearing. “I need to… do something. Wait for me?”

Chaeyeon understood the need for privacy and nodded. “Call me if you need anything.”

As soon as Sakura was out of sight, Chaeyeon deflated, finally letting herself show the pain she had been feeling for days now. Closing her eyes for a moment, she touched her chest slightly in a bide to (ineffectively) soothe the pain. She hissed when she tried to apply pressure.

“Are you in pain?” the worried voice came from behind her, making her jump in her place. Opening her eyes quickly, she saw that the Princess was already next to her, her face betraying concern.

“It’s alright. Don’t worry about it,” Chaeyeon dismissed, hoping the Princess hadn’t seen much.

“Do you need a medic?” she asked insistently. “Don’t you dare lie to me,” she said more sternly when Chaeyeon opened his mouth.

“I think so,” Chaeyeon answered, pinching her nose at her carelessness. She shouldn’t have shown her pain at all. “Don’t worry about it for now, Your Grace. What matters most right now is finding everyone and reaching the next town.” He could see his words weren’t of Sakura’s liking, but she seemed to realize there wasn’t anything they could do now, so she nodded, her demeanor sullen.

“Hey,” Chaeyeon exclaimed softly, making Sakura turn to look at him. “We’ll be alright, all of us.” Sakura tried smiling, but it seemed more like a grimace.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why?” Chaeyeon looked confused at the sudden apology.

“I don’t know why I let Rino get you involved in this.” She knew, of course, but the reason made her feel guilt.

“Don’t worry about it, Your Grace,” Chaeyeon reassured. “I, for one, am glad I was here to help you.”

“Really?” Sakura’s eyes shined, behind all that shame, with some relief.

Chaeyeon nodded. “It fills me with relief to see that you’re safe.” At some point, Chaeyeon felt Sakura was her responsibility, and even if there was an alternate universe where she had parted ways with her, she still felt the relief of being able to save someone innocent from death or hurt.

Sakura’s smile was genuine this time around, making Chaeyeon smile as well.

Chaeyeon cleared . “Well, Your Grace, it’s better if you rest for a while. Don’t worry about me, really.”

“You’ll look for a medic when we arrive to the next town?” Sakura asked in a demanding tone.

“Of course,” Chaeyeon said, although she was sure she just needed to change her bandages. Her assurance seemed to appease Sakura a little, as she sat down, her back resting against a tree.

“Are you sure you don’t want to lie down?”

“With these clothes, I can’t.” Sakura smiled at Chaeyeon’s frown. “Are you worried?”

“I promise I’ll come back for your carriage,” Chaeyeon said, instead.

“Don’t worry now. As you said, we need to reach the next town first and find everyone.” Sakura closed her eyes. “I’ll rest for a moment.”

Although Chaeyeon knew Sakura didn’t sleep for a long while (as she had her eyes closed), she was happy to know that at least they could rest.

–

The morning felt a long time coming, and Chaeyeon was already feeling the effects of the lack of sleep on her body, so when the sun was already coming out, she jumped in her place, trying to wake her body up. However, she wasn't sure if she should wake Sakura, who had fallen asleep a few hours prior.

She waited for a few minutes before she finally tried to awake Sakura.

"Your Grace?" But Sakura was deeply asleep, and did not budge, even when Chaeyeon raised her voice. She was on the fence on whether or not shake her awake, but ultimately decided to. After all, they didn't have the luxury to stay in one place for too long, not knowing what had happened to the rest of the group, neither knowing if the people that had ambushed them were still out there. "Your Grace."

After a moment, Sakura opened her eyes blearily, groaning uncomfortably as she was shaken out of her restless dream. It wasn't until she finally discerned Chaeyeon's figure so close to her that she was reminded of what had happened.

"Chaeyeon, is it already morning?" she asked, her voice hoarse from the terrible sleep.

"It is. We need to keep moving," Chaeyeon said, tending his hand out to the Princess, who accepted it shyly. Helping the Princess stand up, Chaeyeon asked, "How do you feel, Your Grace? Does your body feel sore?"

"I…" a strong growl resounded. Chaeyeon looked at Sakura, surprised, while the Princess just looked down, utterly embarrassed.

"Are you hungry?"

"No." Another growl came from Sakura's tummy, negating the latter's statement. Blushing furiously, she just ended up shaking her head.

Chaeyeon looked at the woman critically. "Please, be honest. I don't want you to starve yourself."

Sakura hesitated at first, as she was fighting with her own pride, but then nodded.

"I am, too. Thirsty, as well," Chaeyeon reassured. This meant that they had to shelf the mission of getting to the next town for the mean time. "We need food and water."

This was a tricky situation. While Chaeyeon hadn't encountered many animals on their way to the next town, she knew that, at some point, they could rely on berries the way she and Yena had for a while to survive, which could shave off the hunger for some time. However, water was the main problem, as they had left the water with the dead oxen, and the last source was quite far from where they stood (if Chaeyeon's calculations were correct).

To get water, they'd have to walk off the way they'd already walked through and probably venture deeper into the forest, which was what Chaeyeon was trying to avoid, as she wasn't sure if their attackers were already gone.

Sure, berries were a source of juice and could also help with the thirst, but for how long? Neither Chaeyeon nor Sakura could predict where they were going nor how long would it take for them to get to the main road, much less to get to the town.

It took a moment for Chaeyeon to decide, but she finally ended up saying, "we'll need to go back into the forest."

Sakura frowned. "Won't we get lost?"

"There is also a possibility of getting lost if we try to get to the main road, and I'd rather we get lost with food and water than with nothing at all," Chaeyeon answered, remembering how she and Yena had roamed deliriously before they were mercifully found by the monks.

Sakura bit her lip in worry, but agreed with Chaeyeon nonetheless. "Alright, then. What do we do?"

Chaeyeon hummed in contemplation. She was deadly afraid of encountering dangerous people, but her fright for nature was bigger, so taking one of her outer garments, she started breaking it into pieces.

"W-what are you doing?" Sakura stuttered, covering her eyes from what seemed an indecent sight.

"We need something to guide our way back to this path, so I'm going to throw this as we go to use as a guide when we go back," Chaeyeon said as she continued with her task. She knew it was probably improper for her do this, but she knew it would be probably even more improper to ask Sakura to shed one of her garments to do this.

"A-alright," Sakura said, still covering her eyes. Although she could understand Chaeyeon's idea, this didn't mean this wasn't too much! How was she supposed to look at him when he was undressed?

"Your Grace, we need to continue." Sakura nodded, and, after a few seconds, she lowered her hand, blushing furiously when met with the sight of a jacket-less Chaeyeon.

"Y-yes," she agreed, walking for a moment with her eyes casted down. Chaeyeon didn't question her change in attitude, knowing that she was probably embarrassed by Chaeyeon's state. She, instead, continued walking, throwing the little pieces of her clothing to the ground to guide them later.

It wasn't until Sakura tripped that she was forced to look at Chaeyeon, who had barely caught her in time. "Please, be careful, Your Grace."

"Yes," she answered hurriedly, not knowing how to act. She, nevertheless, swallowed her embarrassment and continued grabbing onto Chaeyeon, as the section she had walked without help had been very difficult to traverse.

There was quiet for a moment before Sakura suggested, "I'm sorry if it's too insulting, but would you like to wear one of my garments?"

"It's not insulting," Chaeyeon countered quickly, to then say, "wouldn't it be improper for you to shed one of your garments?"

"It's one of many," Sakura explained. "If I take one it's not noticeable." It was noticeable to Sakura, but the woman could not withstand one more moment of grabbing onto an undressed Chaeyeon. As it was, she felt her face was a deep shade of red.

"Alright," Chaeyeon agreed, letting Sakura go. "Is it feasible for you to take off one of your garments?"

"It must be," Sakura said uncertainly. She had never had to dress herself, so she wasn't sure of how to go about it. "I might have to take this belt first…" But that's when she realized that it would probably be even more improper to undress in front of a man. The thought made her fret for a moment before Chaeyeon said, "it's fine like this. I'd rather be the one dressed improperly over you."

"Are you sure?" Sakura asked out of politeness, but was rather relieved that had given her a way out of her own words.

"Of course." Chaeyeon shrugged. After all, she wasn't as sensitive to the rules of etiquette as Sakura was.

With this, Sakura grabbed Chaeyeon's arm again, aware of her own bashfulness, but knowing this was the lesser of two evils.

They continued their trip, stopping a few times to rest and to collect berries, which were split between the two of them. It was still a little difficult for the Princess, who wasn't used to the terrain. And for Chaeyeon, well, the pain had only multiplied, but Chaeyeon could only clutch her chest when she thought she wasn't being seen by Sakura.

It took them a day and a half to finally get close to a river, and both of them couldn't be more relieved. Despite the relatively short treck, they both were feeling the effects of dehydration.

When they were finally in front of the running river, Chaeyeon said, "you drink first, Princess."

Sakura seemed like she was about to argue, but ultimately decided not to. Chaeyeon stood as straight as she could, guarding the place in case someone suspicious came into sight.

It took a moment for the Princess to both drink water and wash her face, which was already filled with dirt, making her feel extremely gross. "I'm done," she said when she finished.

Nodding, Chaeyeon took a good look at her surroundings before kneeling to the ground. She immediately started drinking water greedily, thanking whatever deity up there for letting them get there in time. However, her bliss was cut short when she heard a shriek, making her stand quickly on her feet.

It was a man who had tried slicing Sakura with a sword. Chaeyeon immediately entered into panic mode and grabbed onto Sakura to drag the Princess behind her. The man was relentless, trying to stab Chaeyeon with the sword, but Chaeyeon avoided it as best as she could. Knowing that the man probably wanted Sakura dead, she yelled, "Sakura, run! Get away!"

The woman obeyed immediately nodding frantically before running into the forest. The man seemed to want to pursue her, but no matter how much he slashed, he could not get Chaeyeon to yield.

As time went by, however, Chaeyeon was was getting more and more tired, still feeling the effects of the walk, her chest pain, and the dehydration hitting at once. She knew that she was one movement short of being killed, so she had to think quick so the man wouldn't get to Sakura.

Running to the river, she jumped into it, grabbing a rock from the rocks nearby, and throwing it at the man, who sidestepped it. She started grabbing more rocks as she walked backwards, throwing them whenever she could. But it was no use. She was getting tired, and having to walk through a raging river wasn't of any help. The man was, again, close enough to swing his sword at Chaeyeon, who tried evading, but, as she bent backwards, she felt the the tip of the sword slice her chin, making lose her balance and fall into the water.

It was then that the man, who had looked ready to kill his opponent, suddenly contorted his face in pain, to then relax it, falling into river. Right behind him was Sakura, who was carrying a rock in her hands. She let the bloody stone fall to the floor, rushing towards Chaeyeon.

"Chaeyeon! Are you alright?" she said as she grabbed onto Chaeyeon, ignoring the fact that her clothes were getting wet.

"I'm alright," Chaeyeon reassured the Princess, grunting when she touch the cut in her chin. "You have quite the timing, Your Grace."

"You're hurt," Sakura said, not taking the bait of Chaeyeon's teasing words. Grabbing Chaeyeon's hands, she pulled the man back to safety.

"And I'm wet," Chaeyeon said, flapping her arms. "I'm alright, Your Grace," he added, seeing the worry in Sakura's eyes. "This is nothing to worry over." It had been fortunate for Chaeyeon that the man hadn't managed to slice her neck or any other part of her face.

"How is this nothing to worry over?" Sakura asked, her voice still panicked. She gazed through the area fruitlessly, wanting to find something to help Chaeyeon's bleeding.

"It is," Chaeyeon said, grabbing the man and pulling him out of the water. "The bleeding will stop in due time, and the cut will heal." Though, to be honest, Chaeyeon knew this type of cut was deep enough to need stitches. Were there stitches in this time? She wasn't sure.

Undressing the man, she took the outer garment, examining it for a moment and then putting it on.

"Now I'm not undressed." But Sakura wasn't amused. In fact, she seemed to be getting angry.

"Come here," she ordered, grabbing onto Chaeyeon's hand and pulling him towards her. Sakura used the sleeve of her outer garment to dab onto the cut gently, ignoring the hisses.

"Don't move," she barked, using her other hand to halt Chaeyeon's movements.

However, no matter how much she tried cleaning the cut, more blood came out of it. It was starting to exasperate the Princess.

"Your Grace, the cut won't stop bleeding. I'll need a medic to look at my injury."

Sakura huffed, knowing that what Chaeyeon was saying was probably true. "Then wash your face, and let's go. We need to get to the town."

Usually, Chaeyeon would feel angry at the bosiness in the Princess's tone, but right now, there was no time to argue or get mad, as Sakura was right. She needed medical attention. She couldn't just continue bleeding like this forever.

"Alright," she agreed instead. Looking at the river, she said, "we should walk next to the riverbed. There's a bigger probability we'll find the town if we follow it."

"And the guide you threw?" Sakura asked.

Chaeyeon shook her head. "We don't know if we were going the right way, and if we were, how far we are from the town."

Sakura huffed, feeling helpless about the situation, but nodded right after. There was no time to argue, only time to get Chaeyeon a medic. "Alright."

"Let's go."

--

Chaeyeon could barely contain her excitement when she saw the town in the distance. Sakura looked different shades of relieved, sighing when they were but a few steps to the entrance.

“Well, Your Grace, the first thing to look for is an inn for you to rest. Then, I’ll go look for the rest of the group.” At her words, Sakura frowned.

"You need a medic," she retorted.

"But what about Mina, Juri, Aoi, and Yena?" Chaeyeon asked. "Should I abandon them for my own well-being?"

Sakura felt torn by the question, thinking that yes, Chaeyeon needed to get better (although the bleeding wasn't as abundant as when Chaeyeon was first cut, she could see that Chaeyeon looked weaker), but she couldn't forsake her friends.

“Isn’t there anything I can help you with?” she asked finally.

“Don’t worry about it, Your Grace,” Chaeyeon reassured. “It’s my duty to keep you all safe, after all.”

Sakura grimaced at Chaeyeon’s words. I wish I could be more than your duty. The thought of Chaeyeon’s words yesterday made her happy, and gave her hope that maybe there was a chance. “Am I only your duty?”

Chaeyeon was surprised at Sakura’s words. What's up with that question? “Not at all, Your Grace.” It wasn’t a lie. While Chaeyeon wasn’t sure how to classify Sakura, what with them knowing each other for a short period of time (and disliking each other the majority of time), she knew the Princess was not just a duty anymore. She was maybe… a friend. “Not at all.”

The vague reassurance gave little peace to Sakura, but she could take the denial at face value, much more now that there were more pressing matters.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?”

“I’m sure, Your Grace. I don’t want you to be in danger again.” Walking towards a small building that had a wooden carved sign, she asked the woman sweeping outside, “Excuse me. Is there an inn here?”

The woman just pointed inside, baffling Chaeyeon. Sakura huffed at her side, ready to give the woman a piece of her mind, but she was stopped by Chaeyeon.

“It’s better if she doesn’t know,” Chaeyeon murmured. “If no one comes to know you are here, then you will be safer.” Entering the inn, she got closer to the counter, but she stopped when Sakura gasped.

“Aoi! Mina! Juri!” Turning to look at Sakura, she saw the Princess run towards her friends, who stood up from the table they were eating at.

“Princess!” Aoi rushed towards the Princess, grabbing her hands tightly. “You are alright.” Aoi looked ready to cry.

“How have you fared?” Sakura asked.

“Thanks to Yena, we found our way here soon enough,” Aoi answered, waving the question away, as if it wasn’t important. “How about you, Your Grace?”

“Chaeyeon protected me.” Sakura turned her head to smile at the man who was now walking towards them, relief on his face.

“It’s a huge relief to see you all alright,” Chaeyeon commented, happiness and relief radiating on her face. She never knew she would feel like this by looking at Aoi’s face. “Where is Yena?”

“He didn’t come with you?”

“He went to look for us?” The girls looked at each other bewildered.

“He left since yesterday night. We thought he would find you quickly.”

Chaeyeon hummed in thought. While he worried about Yena, she knew that he had a better sense of direction that she did, and would, most likely (hopefully), find his way back. On the other hand, she couldn’t just stay put, in a comfortable inn while he was looking out for her, with the inability to know her whereabouts.

"What happened to you?" Aoi asked, frazzled at the sight of blood.

"It's just a little cut. Don't worry about it," Chaeyeon answered, not wanting to tell Aoi, of all people, that Sakura had been in danger.

The Princess looked peeved at her words, but said nothing.

Turning to the Princess, Chaeyeon asked, “Are you going to be alright with the girls here?”

“Are you leaving without even resting?”

Chaeyeon nodded. “I have to.” The Princess didn’t like the answer, but she understood that Yena was important to Chaeyeon, so she nodded in agreement, giving him permission to look out for Yena.

Chaeyeon rushed out of the inn, hurrying towards the entrance to the town. Although she trusted Yena, she knew that the more time she spent walking towards the woods they had been during the storm, more possibilities for her to completely miss her friend.

The thought made her run faster, but she stopped altogether when she saw a man fumbling to drag a carriage.

“Yena!”

“Chaeyeon!” the man exclaimed, moving so suddenly the carriage fell from his hold, barely leaving him time to avoid it.

“Where were you?” Chaeyeon asked, marveled at Yena’s strength.

“I can ask the same of you, tough guy,” Yena answered, grinning at Chaeyeon.

“We had to stay for a while in a cave while the rain wore off. Then, we were lost, so we ended up tracing our way to the main road and into the town. You?”

“Oh, we actually found the main road quite quickly. I settled the girls in the inn and I went out to look for the both of you. A cave, huh?” Yena wiggled his eyebrows greasily, making Chaeyeon hit his arm.

“Shut up. Nothing happened.” Except the supernatural lights that changed the writings they had brought from Silla.

“I didn’t say anything,” Yena raised his arms in surrender. “Give me a hand, please.”

Chaeyeon choked on her breath when lifting the carriage. The pain was incredible, but she couldn’t let Yena carry this thing alone, so she bore with it.

Yena huffed at having to lift the carriage again, but didn’t complain. "What happened to your face?"

"We were ambushed, but the Princess was pretty tough on the man." Chaeyeon's words made Yena laugh, not understanding that it was true.

“Where is your Princess?”

“She’s not my Princess,” Chaeyeon countered. “And she’s at the inn, with Aoi, Mina, and Juri.”

“Oh, good, good.” Yena wheezed. And there were no more words, as the carriage was too heavy to be making casual talk. It didn’t matter to Chaeyeon, they would have more time to speak to each other.

When they finally were able to put it in front of the inn, Yena groaned in relief. “Do you have any idea how heavy it is to carry a carriage on your own?”

“Why did you do that, you idiot?” Chaeyeon asked, cringing at the mental image of Yena carrying the thing through the whole road to the town.

“Well, I found it when I was looking for you both. How could I leave it there?”

“Is everything still inside?”

“I’m not sure.” Yena shrugged her shoulders. “Did you already eat?” Chaeyeon shook her head.

“We just arrived. I went to look out for you as soon as I knew that you left.”

Yena patted Chaeyeon’s head. “Aw, aren’t you a great friend.”

“Shut up,” Chaeyeon snapped playfully, shoving Yena’s hand away. “I’m very hungry, though.”

“That makes two of us,” Yena said before entering the inn. “I’m back,” he hollered, making some of the guests to turn to glare at him.

“Sorry,” Chaeyeon apologized on Yena’s behalf, then followed the man towards the girls, who looked at both of them with relief.

“You came back quickly,” Aoi said, her voice filled with relief.

“We found each other at the entrance of the town,” Chaeyeon answered before turning to look at Sakura. “Your Grace, are you alright? Are you hungry?”

“I’ve already requested a meal. Thank you, Chaeyeon.” Sakura smiled at him. “Shouldn’t you be eating, too?”

“Maybe I should,” Chaeyeon acquiesced, sitting down in front of the table where the maids had already been eating their meals, but now were waiting for the cook to bring Sakura hers. “What can we eat?”

“I’m not sure,” Juri admitted. “We just asked for his recommended dish, and that is what he brought us.”

“Maybe I’ll have the same thing. You?” she asked Yena.

“I’ll have whatever. I’m starving.” Yena patted her belly, groaning as if to exemplify his hunger. The maids giggled at his exaggerated gesture, surprising Chaeyeon. Maybe they also had enough time to get on better terms like she and Sakura had?

“Here it is, Miss,” the man said, putting the plates on the table. “Is there anything else we can do for you?” The man was exceedingly polite, perhaps because of the dirty, but finely made clothes all the girls had, which might not betray that she was the Princess, but it might make them think she was at least a noble.

“We want two more plates of what they had, please,” Chaeyeon asked, nodding to herself. The man seemed to regard them more ambivalently, but he nodded politely regardless, leaving the table.

“We’re finally here,” Chaeyeon whispered, as if reaffirming to herself that the worst had already passed and they were now together. Sakura seemed to hear what he had said, as she turned to look at him, concern in her brow. “It’s alright, Your Grace,” Chaeyeon murmured, even when she felt the tiredness of these past few sleepless days hit her at once.

“I found the carriage and brought it here,” Yena boasted, puffing his chest in pride. Contrary to what Chaeyeon would’ve expected, Aoi thanked him sincerely, alongside the other girls.

“Does it still have all our things?” Sakura asked, giving a sip to her soup.

“I’m not sure,” Yena said hesitantly. “I didn’t check.”

“I’ll go check if you’d like, Your Grace,” Chaeyeon offered. Sakura looked at him critically, as if chastising the young man for trying to work more.

“We’ll see later. First eat,” she said, her tone more demanding. “And then we'll call the medic.”

Chaeyeon nodded, not willing to argue on that. It was becoming more difficult to even keep her eyes open.

Finally, her and Yena’s meals were brought to the table. Yena dug in with gusto, while Chaeyeon gave small sips. She hadn’t eaten in a while, and she knew if she ate unrestrained, her body would reject the food later.

“Hey, Chaeyeon-ah, you should go rest,” Yena directed softly, making Chaeyeon open her eyes suddenly.

“Ah,” Chaeyeon exclaimed without energy. “Sorry.”

“Go rest,” Sakura demanded. Chaeyeon thought about it for a moment, but then nodded, getting up from the table and walking towards the innkeeper.

After learning Yena had already rented a room (with what money? She'll have to ask later), she walked towards the directed room, leaving her friends behind. Once she was inside the room, she opened the robe, determined to get herself out of those dirty bandages.

Her once soft skin was now rough and dirty. There were some parts where her skin was scrapped off, making her hiss as she took the bandages off.

Was that a sore?

Feeling an upcoming headache, Chaeyeon rubbed her temples. She didn’t want to deal with a doctor now that she had company. Maybe she’d deal with it later, when she had some rest.

At the very least, she could breath normally again.

Putting the robe again, she laid down on the floor, not caring enough to make the bedding.

As soon as she closed her eyes, she fell into a deep sleep.

–

It was a deep darkness, one that filled her heart with fright and panic. It reminded her of being thrown into the treacherous ocean to drown, to die irreparably.

She could hear a soothing voice say,

“Four… four is the number. Three gods and Izanagi.”

She suddenly started falling, as if she being engulfed by the darkness. She could only scream for help even when she knew that no one would come to her rescue.

–

Chaeyeon woke up, having a vague feeling of something humid on her face. Whining, she tried turning her face away, but it wasn’t meant to be, as her whole body felt like lead.

She wasn’t able to open her eyes, but she could hear someone move hurriedly. Paying no heed, she whined again, feeling now her whole chest in pain.

She heard someone talking, but she couldn’t discern their words, nor if it was actually important.

It was better to sleep for a while, she decided hazily.

And so she did.

Stream FIESTA! Stan Daydream!