- The Hunter -

Soomi escaped from the ballroom and all the presumptuous nobles inside, leaving them behind when she passed the doors to the hallway. “Your Highness!” someone called after her, making her freeze. Jongin and Sehun, who had been guarding the doors, caught up to her, studying her with raised eyebrows. “What’s going on? Why are you leaving?”

“I’m tired. Today was very exhausting, and I would like to rest now,” she explained with a frail smile.

“I see,” Jongin said in understanding but still somewhat suspicious. “Do you want me to let Baekhyun know?”

“No, don’t bother him, please. Just tell him I’m sorry for leaving early,” Soomi replied, lowering her head. Her husband probably wouldn’t care anyway.

“Sleep well, Your Highness,” Sehun said as she left.

“See you tomorrow,” she answered, ascending the stairway to her chambers. Inside, she lighted a candle and headed to her wardrobe, fetching her nightgown. Usually, Lisa would have helped her take off her dress, but she didn’t want to call for her at this late hour and therefore did it herself. Struggling with the lacing on the backside of her dress, she pulled at it until it gave in, and the dress fell to the ground. She put on a nightgown and brought the candleholder to her nightstand, where she put it down.

When she lay on the canopy bed, she pulled the blanket up to her chin, a few tears rolling down her cheeks. Lord Cho’s words kept rewinding endlessly in her mind, and her desperation grew with every minute. He hadn’t been subtle about the fact that he wanted her to die, and consequently, she assumed that he was one of the few people opposed to the union between Lux and Caelum. She had no idea why someone intended to ruin the peace they had strived for. Her death would plunge the kingdoms into war again, and she didn’t want this to happen.

The door was opened suddenly. Soomi flinched and sat up, expecting the worst. When she recognized Baekhyun’s face, her shoulders slumped. She wiped her eyes in a fruitless attempt to appear calm. He lit a few candles and illuminated the room with their warm light. When he looked at her, he immediately realized she had been crying.

“What is it? Did anything happen?” he asked in a demanding tone that didn’t serve to calm her down. “I was looking for you, and Sehun told me you were tired.”

Soomi pondered whether she should tell him and ultimately decided to do it. Although she didn’t like to admit her fear to him, keeping the threat a secret would be stupid. “I was dancing with a duke earlier, and he threatened me,” she whispered, wrinkling the blanket in her shaky hands. “He said that I would die soon.”

Baekhyun’s gaze cooled rapidly. “Who was it?” he snapped.

“Cho Akihiko.”

Her words were followed by a long and tense silence. He touched his chin in deep thought, his dark eyes narrowing. “A duke with that name does not exist. I’ve never heard it before,” he said, his gaze moving to Soomi, whose stomach churned. “Are you lying to me?”

“I’m not! He… he talked to me just now!” she said, almost breaking out in tears again. “Maybe he changed his name to hide his identity.”

“What did he look like?”

“He had dark brown hair and wore a dark red jacket with black pants and boots. He could have been around your age,” she explained.

After hearing her description, Baekhyun left the room with purposeful strides, locking the door behind him. He stayed gone for about fifteen minutes until he returned, his expression upset and angry. This time, he locked the door from the inside so that nobody could enter without breaking the lock first.

“I spoke to the knights, and they confirmed seeing a man matching your description. However, he left shortly before you did, and we couldn’t find him anywhere on the property. I assume he’s gone,” Baekhyun explained while he disappeared behind a room divider to change his clothes. He returned soon and got on the bed, slipping beneath the cover. Soomi noticed that he put his sword on the floor this time, wondering why he suddenly changed his habit.

“What exactly did he say to you?” he asked, lying on his side to watch her. His ash-blond hair was messy, indicating that he had sprinted through the residence to locate the strange man but without success. Soomi took a deep breath before she repeated his ominous threat, hugging the cover to her chest.

“He must belong to the Alliance,” Baekhyun growled, tensing up. “It’s a group of people conspiring against the royal family. The King warned me about them, but I didn’t expect them to blatantly threaten you when surrounded by armed guards. It proves how reckless and dangerous they are.”

“The Alliance? Why are they working against us?” she asked, unsettled.

“I don’t know anything about their motives. Maybe they want our kingdoms to annihilate each other; maybe they’re after the crown. Any of the nobles might support them, and we wouldn’t even know. The fake duke likely has an accomplice among them, someone who helped him enter the building unnoticed,” Baekhyun replied. Shuddering in revulsion, Soomi recalled her dance with the fake duke. He had been so close to her that he could have easily stabbed her. Her heartbeat accelerated in fright at the idea of dying at such a young age.

“This is terrible,” she breathed, pulling the cover higher as if it was enough to shield her from all her enemies. “I couldn’t even defend myself properly if someone were to attack me.”

“That’s why the royal guard is always around,” he said in an attempt to calm her. “You’re protected by the best knights this kingdom has to offer; don’t worry too much. We simply have to be more careful from now on and avoid gatherings like this one.”

The moonlight falling through the windows illuminated her body shape, allowing him to see her expression. He watched her for a few heartbeats, taking in her deep frown. “It’s been a long day. Sleep, princess,” he muttered softly, studying her until she closed her eyes.

Soomi slept through the night, waking up early at dawn break. She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the weak sun rays reaching her face. Looking around, she noticed that she wasn’t in the castle but a different place. The memories of yesterday slowly returned to her, starting with the time she spent on horseback and ending with the dreadful banquet. Fear pooled in her stomach, and nausea clouded her senses. She rolled her body into a ball, pulling her knees to her chest. However, she suddenly froze when she remembered the sword lying dangerously close to her.

Soomi turned her head, but the sword was nowhere to be found. Instead, she was looking at Baekhyun’s face. His eyes were closed, and his even breaths told her he was still asleep. Since he was typically gone by the time she woke up, she was surprised he hadn’t gotten up yet. She had never seen him in such a vulnerable state and found herself studying his handsome features. His blond hair was fluffy and standing up at odd angles, reminding her of the time when he had been a boy filled with mischief.

Her eyes moved over his cheekbones, following his jawline until they came to rest on his full lips. They had shared a brief kiss only weeks ago, and Soomi recalled vividly how cold and lifeless it had felt. He tolerated her because he had no choice if he wanted to maintain peace and protect his people. The noblewomen’s words had stung yesterday, but Soomi knew they had been right about certain things. There was no love in this relationship; soon, he would yearn to be with someone else… And she would be left alone in a doomed marriage.

Distracted by her glum thoughts, she didn’t notice his eyes opening and focusing on her, discovering her frown. He stayed silent and observed her for a while until he decided he had waited long enough.

“Good morning, my princess,” he said huskily, surprising her.

Her gray eyes widened, a faint blush spreading over her cheeks. “G-Good morning! Did you sleep well?”

“I guess,” he muttered, rolling on his back and stretching his arms with a low groan. “Why are you up so early? You’re usually still asleep when I get up.”