Chapter 6: Reunited and Suspicious

Huiyeon squeezed her eyes shut and swung the tree branch in her hand.

The sound of the thin twig slicing through the air was surprisingly threatening, but it did exactly what it was meant to do: strike nothing but empty space.

Thinking that her end had finally come, Huiyeon let out a despairing groan.

“W-Wait! Stop!”

It was then that an urgent voice reached her ears. Beyond the blade pointed at her face, a familiar countenance appeared.

“You’re…… alive…….”

At the entrance of the cave, standing beside a warrior holding a torch, was Choyong, her body wrapped tightly in bandages. As if to dispel any worry that she had been dragged there as a hostage, Choyong pushed aside the warrior supporting her and limped toward Huiyeon, shouting.

“Who do you think you are pointing a sword at?! Put it away this instant!”

At Choyong’s voice, which rang loudly through the cave, the warrior frowned and stepped back, sheathing his sword. As the blade that seemed ready to take her life was withdrawn, Huiyeon’s legs gave out, and she sank to the floor. The relief of seeing Choyong, whom she had thought dead, played no small part in her collapse.

“Princess, are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Choyong sat beside her, groaning as she bent her injured body, fussing over Huiyeon with worried eyes. It was hard to tell who should be worrying about whom.

“I am fine. You look much more injured than I. Are you truly okay?”

“Princess…….”

At Huiyeon’s concerned words, Choyong burst into the tears she had been holding back.

“I was so……. hic…… I really thought something terrible had happened to you……. wahhhh…….”

“We have met again, so that is all that matters. I, too, worried that something had befallen you. But…… who are these people?”

Though the sword had been put away, Huiyeon observed the warriors who remained standing as if monitoring them, her eyes full of wariness. They did not appear to be people of the Taeseong Kingdom.

Perhaps…….

“Ah, these people are——”

“So the letter was true.”

A sudden voice cut Choyong off. Huiyeon’s gaze shifted to the cave entrance.

The man who had just stepped inside was scanning the cave with keen eyes. His overbearing and sharp aura made the fine hairs on her skin stand on end. As he entered, the warriors bowed respectfully, and Choyong closed her mouth with a tense expression.

‘That man must be their leader.’

Noticing her gaze, the man turned his head. When their eyes met, he wore a crooked smile and walked leisurely toward her.

Enemy? Or ally?

Huiyeon watched the man approach with a tense face. Seeing that they had treated Choyong, they seemed favorable, but she couldn’t be certain yet.

Stopping right in front of Huiyeon, the man leaned down and abruptly held out his hand.

Wondering what this meant, Huiyeon narrowed her eyes and stared at his hand.

“The ground is cold.”

“Ah…….”

Only after hearing his words did she realize the meaning of the hand offered to her. However, in a situation where she didn’t even know who he was, she couldn’t just take it.

Seeing Huiyeon’s eyes filled with suspicion, the man let out a short chuckle.

“Princess, this gentleman is the Great General of the Hoye Kingdom.”

Choyong, who had stopped crying, whispered from beside her.

“The Great General of Hoye?”

It was hard to believe that the Great General of a nation, not just a common soldier, had come to save her. Huiyeon observed the man once more.

She thought his aura was unusual for a reason, but she still couldn’t easily let down her guard. Watching Huiyeon wary of him like a cat with its fur standing on end, the man spoke with a weary face.

“As you just heard, I am Hong Yu-chang, the Great General of the Hoye Kingdom. Princess of the Taeseong Kingdom, if you would allow it, I shall carry you out.”

“As you may know, the river current is quite rough,” Yu-chang added, raising an eyebrow.

It was as if he were asking what she would do. Even though he knew she had no choice in the first place, Yu-chang acted as if he were being considerate.

She could tell just by looking at his eyes. He had no particular desire to help her, but had come because he had to.

These people were neither enemies nor allies. If anything, they were closer to being future enemies.

Swallowing a bitter smile, Huiyeon composed her expression.

“I shall gratefully accept that help, General.”

As soon as permission was granted, Yu-chang moved to pick her up.

“However, I will walk to the entrance on my own feet.”

Though her legs still lacked strength, Huiyeon didn’t want to show weakness and stood up.

“Well, as you wish.”

Yu-chang withdrew his hand and straightened up. Fortunately, he didn’t seem particularly offended. Since most royalty had strong pride and a stubborn streak, Yu-chang turned around as if he had expected it.

Following Yu-chang toward the entrance, Huiyeon suddenly remembered something and hurriedly stopped him.

“General, please wait a moment.”

“Is there a problem?”

“There is something I must take.”

She couldn’t leave behind the robe that clearly belonged to the man who had saved her. If the man came back to the cave, he might take it, but… she wanted to wash and repair it well so she could return it to him if they ever met again.

Even though she didn’t know his face, wouldn’t he come looking for her if she left a letter?

Huiyeon walked back to where the bonfire had been and picked up the robe spread on the ground.

“It belongs to a man.”

As she folded the robe over her arm, Yu-chang, who had been near the entrance, was now right beside her.

“It belongs to the one who saved me.”

“And where is he now?”

Huiyeon looked up at Yu-chang, who asked the question as if conducting an interrogation. His eyes were sharp as they looked at her.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“Yes, after he saved me, he only left food while I was asleep.”

Yu-chang burst into laughter at Huiyeon’s answer.

“Why are you laughing?”

“I was just thinking.”

Huiyeon stared at him silently, as if telling him to say what was on his mind.

“I was wondering if all of this is the Princess’s own fabrication.”

“A fabrication? What do you mean by that——”

“If one saves a Princess of a nation, they would surely receive a great reward……. Not appearing in person and leaving a letter, and being perfectly fine in a cave like this that would have been hard to find if not for that letter. Well, isn’t everything about this suspicious?”

He left a letter? Did the man inform the Hoye Kingdom that she was here?

It was news to her, but that wasn’t important right now. Huiyeon wore an incredulous expression.

“So…… are you saying that my maid and I jumped off a cliff on purpose?”

“I was just thinking out loud.”

Yu-chang shrugged and let out a smirk, as if asking why she was taking it so sensitively.

Well, if it’s not true, then so be it. That was what his expression was saying.

Huiyeon’s head throbbed at his light attitude. She knew well that the relationship between Taeseong and Hoye was not good, but she had never imagined she would be suspected in this way.

“I was clearly attacked, and my maid and I survived by a stroke of luck. Yet, you call it a fabrication……. For what reason would I do such a thing?”

“If……”

Yu-chang leaned toward Huiyeon and whispered in a low, sinking voice.

“If the Princess had not been injured on Hoye land, you wouldn’t have been able to set foot in the capital, let alone the royal palace.”

It meant that no one in the Hoye Kingdom welcomed a person from the Taeseong Kingdom. And of course, that included Great General Hong Yu-chang himself.

Huiyeon did not avoid his eyes, which were filled with hostility. Even though he didn’t welcome her, it was certain that he would take her safely to the royal palace, regardless of his feelings.

Chewing on that fact, Huiyeon suppressed the rising fear within her.

“I have heard the General’s thoughts. I hope that from now on, you will not voice such delusions.”

Your thoughts are all wrong, Huiyeon dealt him a sharp blow.

At the sight of Huiyeon speaking her mind so boldly despite trembling with fear, Yu-chang burst into a loud laugh.

“Very well, I shall be careful. Is there anything else you need to take?”

Yu-chang asked, glancing at things like the bamboo bowls rolling on the ground.

“I wish to leave a letter, so please lend me writing materials if you have them.”

“If you can show me what you write, I shall lend them to you.”

Yu-chang seemed to have not yet completely erased his suspicion of her. Regardless, there was nothing more to write in the letter other than her gratitude for saving her and her promise to repay him if he sought her out later.

Huiyeon nodded.

“Fine. You may see as much as you like.”

Yu-chang, who was looking at Huiyeon as if wondering what she was up to, called his subordinate.

“Gwak-u.”

At Yu-chang’s call, the subordinate standing behind him pulled out a portable ink stone and brush used for sending messenger birds. Receiving them, Yu-chang let out a lamenting sigh.

“Oh dear, there is no paper.”

If he looked, there would surely be small slips of paper that could be tied to a messenger bird’s leg, but Yu-chang wanted this noble Princess to bow her head and beg him. Or give up on writing the letter.

However, her actions were neither of the two things Yu-chang had imagined.

“If there is no paper, I shall write elsewhere.”

Huiyeon tore a piece of her clothing that had been shredded by the water. If she used a knife, she could have cut it more neatly, but she didn’t want to ask anything of Yu-chang, who was looking at her with those unpleasant eyes.

If they had an ink stone and a brush, there was no way they didn’t have paper. Seeing that he still wouldn’t give her any, his intentions were obvious.

‘He probably wants me to come out and bow down.’

Snorting inwardly, Huiyeon placed the torn cloth on her skirt and began to write. The ink stained her skirt as well, but the ground was uneven, so it couldn’t be helped.

After writing a brief letter, she held it out to Yu-chang.

“See for yourself.”

Yu-chang focused on reading the short text for quite a while. However, there could be no problem with a letter that merely conveyed a message of gratitude.

“It seems there is no problem.”

With a reluctant face, Yu-chang returned the cloth to Huiyeon.

Although she didn’t like his attitude, Huiyeon silently took the cloth and spread it out carefully where she had been lying by the bonfire, then picked up a small stone to weigh it down.

Hoping that her savior would return here and find the letter.

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