Chapter 8.1

The next day, Doyoon vigorously grinned his teeth and went out to the palace. Juhwan, who followed him, also guarded Doyoon vigilantly. Doyoon, who changed into a samurai suit, quickly headed for the ferry with a mask covering his face.

“Are you trying to reach the Qing Dynasty now, Father? What on earth are you doing?”

“It doesn’t feel right. I am not the leader of Daewon-gun’s guards. Why would he order me to pick up this officer? Also, I am not the one who has Your Majesty’s closest entourage.”

“You meant my closet spy?”

“If he goes against my will… I will not stay still.”

At Doyoon’s words, Juhwan nodded slowly and held his sword firmly.

“Your Majesty, stand close to me. Maybe the people of Daewon-gun are hiding nearby.”

“I will stay back and check the dynamics. You go get this officer and go to your father’s palace.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I will follow after.”

It was then.

The boat had just arrived at the ferry, people were crowding like clouds. Doyoon, who was watching, nodded quietly towards Juhwan, who turned his head toward Doyoon once and then ran toward the ferry. Doyoon hid behind a wooden pole, covering his face even further. Doyoon, who discovered that Juhwan was facing someone in the midst of the crowd, stepped back from the pillar and stared at the man who was facing him. He was quite tall and looked fierce from afar. Unknowingly nervous, Doyoon thought of the name Yeokgwan. Soon, Juhwan, who stood side by side with the officer, seemed to pass Doyoon and headed for Lee Hak-soo’s palace. Then Doyoon began to secretly pursue them. For a moment, the face of the officer who passed by seemed familiar for some reason. It was the first time Doyoon saw him, but he felt familiar. And Doyoon felt a bit offended about that.

“Have I seen him somewhere?”

At that time, Doyoon was secretly following after Juhwan and the officer. While lowering himself as much as possible as not to be seen.

“Do not move!”

At Doyoon’s neck, a sharp sword was carelessly penetrated. Juhwan, who was ahead, also looked back at Doyoon in astonishment. Suddenly, Doyoon was surrounded by a group of fighters planted by Lee Hak Soo! At that moment, Doyoon injured a fighter with his sword and ran with all his might.

******

“Did you know him, my lady?”

Ah! I think it’s him.”

Eunseol’s eyes got moist. When she realized that the man she had bumped into earlier was the guard’s captain. But Doyoon had already disappeared. Somehow, there was a feeling of regret. Then Yeoju asked.

“Who was he, my lady?”

“He’s the guard’s Captain”

“Yes? How do you know the captain of the guards?”

“Uhmm…actually…”

Eunseol had a bitter smile on her lips and drooped her shoulders.

“How could the captain of the guards be chased so far?”

Eunseol stared at Doyoon’s disappearance and looked worried. Then Yeoju gently grabbed Eunseol’s arm.

“My lady, it’s going to be late, please go quickly.”

“Huh. Let’s keep going.”

Then Eunseol took steps to head back to the book room. But strangely, Doyoon’s cold eyes didn’t shake in front of her vision. Then she sighed and shook her head vigorously to erase Do Yoon from her head.

“By the way, my lady, isn’t it a very unfortunate fate if the princess is alive?”

That question was once again asked. She didn’t know if the princess was alive or not, but Eunseol’s chest felt heavy. What if the princess was really alive? Eunseol, who was walking casually, suddenly stopped walking.

“What is it, my lady?”

Yeoju looked back at Eun Seol and asked, but she couldn’t even respond and was still deep in thoughts. If the Princess of King Seon was alive, she would be a very unfortunate woman. Both her father and brother were killed at the hands of Daewon-gun, and that was not enough. Her mother became a felony and was living in exile in Tamra for the last twenty years. All her family had been destroyed and the throne was taken away… Even if she lived, it was hard to say she was alive.

“What are you thinking, my lady?”

With her head down, Yeoju gently grabbed Eunseol’s sleeve, whose eyes only blinked slowly. Then Eun Seol shook her head and moved again. If the princess was alive. Where was she living? If Daewon-gun knew that the king’s princess was alive, he would surely try to kill her. If she did live, is she thinking of revenge? Is she planning the day when she will get revenge with the Queen, who became a ruin and take back the throne?

“Your complexion doesn’t look good, my lady. Where are you sick?”

Yeoju gently put her hand on Eunseol’s round forehead. Only then did Eunseol escape from her deep thoughts and smile.

“I am not hurt. I was thinking about something for a moment.”

“Why am I putting the woman deeply in my heart, which I have never seen before, and who is not even alive? Eunseol, who shook her head, gave strength to her lips as if she was trying to shake her thoughts.

“Did you think about the captain of the guards? That’s why you were thinking so deeply, my lady?.”

“The Guard’s Captain? What! I didn’t think about him!”

Eunseol shook her head with a smile. After thinking about the Princess of the Seongwang for a long time, Eunseol was in front of the bookstore again.

“Wait a minute. I’ll come back quickly.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Eunseol gently grasped the hem of her dress and entered the bookstore. The smell of paper peculiar of a bookstore stayed at the tip of Eunseol’s nose. Eunseol bowed her head lightly at the unfamiliar gaze of the bookstore’s owner, who was staring at Eunseol.

“I am from Byeongpan’s house. I came to pick up my books.”

The bookstore’s owner clapped his hands and said, “Please wait a minute.” And went somewhere. Eunseol quietly nodded and turned around. Then, as she was wandering around, she went deep into the bookstore. Various books were laid neatly. Eunseol stretched out her white finger and swept the pages. Then someone quickly entered the bookstore. Eunseol turned her head in amazement at the harsh breathing that suddenly was heard. A man was annoyingly frowning while exhaling wildly. And at that moment, outside the bookstore, men with swords were running, causing a cloudy dusty wind.

“…Perhaps he was a man who came to this place to escape while being chased by those men?”

Without knowing for sure, Eunseol was staring at him. The man exhaled a stretch of hot breath and wiped the sweat flowing down his forehead. With only his eyes visible, the sweaty man was still looking outside the bookstore with high alert. The fact that a lot of masked men were searching all over the streets today was a secret question, Eunseol was wondering if anything happened to the country. Eunseol looked at the man silently, then pulled out a handkerchief from her hand and carefully held it out.

“Here… Please wipe your sweat off.”

Suddenly, the man turned around in surprise at Eunseol’s fine voice that penetrated his heart. Eunseol, with her head bowed, reached out to the man.

“You seem to be chased, but rest assured. I won’t tell anyone.”

“…”

The man who was staring at Eunseol’s handkerchief, raised his handsome eyes to look at Eunseol. At that moment, the man’s eyes shook violently.

“You are……..”

The man’s voice was trembling. Eunseol also looked up at the man. The eyes of the two collided boldly. Then the man spoke.

“It’s you again.”

After that, the man took off the mask which he was wearing. Then Eunseol could not help but be surprised at the man’s face. It was Doyoon who she met again as if they had made a promise.

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