With a voice as gentle as a summer breeze, Prince Young-Sik beckoned to his court maiden, "Jin-Ri."
At that instant, words eluded her, leaving her in wonder. It felt like the most beautiful tune, like a choir serenading the night sky. Was it the fact that he had pulled her back from the edge of oblivion? Or was it his fearless presence, as fierce as a lion, shielding her from the clutches of danger... or could it be that every little detail combined to create this magic?
Lost in her daydream, she envisioned the delightful sound of birds singing, and replied, "Yes, my Prince?" she said in a soft tone "A soul of gold with a face that can melt even the coldest of hearts...Oh my he is the total package" she said to her self
With a playful flick to her nose, Young-Sik teased, "Next time you pull a stunt like that, I might just let the tiger have you for dinner!"
"Wait, what?" Jin-Ri exclaimed, her expression a mix of shock and disappointment. The lovely bird songs in her mind morphed into the harsh caws of crows, making her wince.
As he dabbed the blood from his forehead, he made his way over to his soldiers, who were busy subduing the tiger that was caught in the net. "Just ensure the poor creature isn't hurt... any more than it already is," he instructed with a hint of concern.
Jin-Ri trailed behind him, curiosity bubbling over. "Where did the cage and net come from? How did you even find me? I never thought it would work, but I was calling for you in my mind. I had no idea it would be effective!"
Young-Sik quickly placed a finger over Jin-Ri's lips, a playful smirk on his face. "You're doing it again," he teased.
"Sorry...I just want to know how you found me," Jin-Ri asked humbly
Two hours ago, after arriving at the village. The chief invited the prince and the soldiers to the great hall to have dinner. After sitting comfortably, Young-Sik asked for Jin-Ri "Jin-Ri? Where is Jin-Ri?"
Everyone looked around, and couldn't find the court maiden. One of the soldiers rushed out and, after a while, came back in. "She's not within earshot, Your Highness," said the soldier.
Young-Sik stood up, picked up his sword, walked out of the hall, and called for his court maiden. He kept calling, but she did not answer, and he started to worry.
The prince then instructed his soldiers, "The five of you check the eastern part of the village, you four the western area, the rest come with me to the southern portion."
The assigned soldiers bowed and quickly left for their designated area. Young-Sik and the rest ran towards the southern part. One of the soldiers asked, "Your Highness, are we not overreacting? The lady Jin-Ri could just be with some of the villagers"
"Most of the villagers are already in the great hall, she would have already been in there helping with the preparations if she was within the village boundaries." He replied to the soldier
They chanced upon an old lady, gathering the dried fish she laid out, it was the same lady that Jin-Ri talked to earlier, "Did you happen to see the prince's court lady?" The village elder asked.
"Was she that lady who talked too much during the meeting?" The old lady asked
"Yes, she is" Young-Sik quickly answered
"Well, she said she was going behind the village to see the sights and... oh my," The old lady suddenly said when she realized that it was already dark
"Oh my what?" Young-Sik asked concerned
"I told her to return to the village before dark because a tiger lives in those mountains. The last place I saw her was...near the foot of the mountain," The old lady said
"Stupid girl... You gather the others and follow us to those mountains. They were about to go their separate ways when something caught Young-Sik's attention, "WAIT" he shouted, "Is that a cage? Can it hold the tiger?" he asked the chief
"Yes, Your Highness, we intended to catch the tiger ourselves, but when the taxes started to go up and we needed more crops to sell, we put it on hold," The chief answered
He turned to the four soldiers he assigned to gather the others. "After you get the others, get a cart, carry that thing, and follow us" The soldiers bowed and went their way. "Grab some torches and get that net, some rope, and bring it with us," he commanded the other soldiers, referring to the large fishnets that were hanging out to dry.
As they were running towards the mountain, they heard the angry growl of the tiger. "That way!" Young-Sik pointed out his heart raced, he hoped that was not the roar of a tiger who just killed its prey.
They arrived at the area where Jin-Ri first encountered the tiger, using their torches to light the ground, they frantically searched for clues. One of the soldiers called the prince "Your Highness over here"
Young-Sik quickly ran towards the soldier who called him, using his torch, he lit a patch of ground with blood on it. Young-Sik kneeled and touched the blood. He noticed the blood was already coagulated and was probably there for over ten minutes. Taking the soldier's torch, he lit the area where the blood led to. He soon discovered footprints, the strides were apart and indicated that she had run away. "Ready those nets, stay out of sight, and wait for an opportunity to subdue that tiger," He said, adding some instructions to his soldiers
Following the trail, they reached the mountain's foot. Shining a light across the slopes, he noticed Jin-Ri's footprints. "She's fine for the time being," he said quietly, relieved to see no bloodstains. The group quickly began their ascent, intent on following Jin-Ri's tracks.
Upon reaching a level stretch of land, the prince took a moment to observe the landscape. His remarkable hearing caught the distant noise of pebbles striking solid rock. "Follow my lead," he commanded his troops.
Trusting his instincts, he quickly made his way to the court maiden. In a burst of speed, he rushed toward Jin-Ri, unsheathing his sword to unleash a brutal overhead strike on the tiger's belly. The impact was so strong that, despite getting hit by the blunt edge, the beast was hurled several feet away.
Listening to the story of her rescue, Jin-Ri felt a surge of respect. "Wow... you really are remarkable," she said with genuine awe.
Young-Sik didn't acknowledge her words, instead sheathing his sword and turning to his men. "Get the tiger under control! Tie its legs quickly!" he urged, his voice firm and commanding.
The tiger unleashed a fierce show of strength, thrashing violently, but even its formidable power couldn't shake off the numerous captors who held it firmly under the net. Four soldiers pinned down its head while two men held each of its limbs firmly in place. Eventually, the tiger, exhausted from the ordeal, ceased its struggle. Young-Sik remained nearby, providing comfort by softly petting and stroking the tiger, treating it as if it were a gentle house cat.
Shortly thereafter, a band of villagers and soldiers rolled into town, hauling along a cage. The chief was surprised to find the prince next to the enormous tiger, petting it as if it were a domestic animal. "Your Highness, how did you manage to catch it?" he asked in disbelief.
Prince Young-Sik stood to make room for the cage. "I had no choice; but to strike it twice with the blunt side of my sword," he said. He proceeded to direct the men in their efforts Ensuring the tiger was safely confined within the enclosure. "Be careful; it's already hurt."
Jin-Ri, driven by her insatiable curiosity, was relentless in her mission to make sure the tiger was safely locked in its cage. As she strolled past the scene of the earlier tiger tussle, her foot caught on an invisible tripwire, sending her sprawling face-first onto the ground. Young-Sik, who witnessed the whole spectacle, struggled to suppress his laughter. He rushed over to help her up, teasingly asking, "Is it a talent of yours to trip over thin air?"
"I didn't trip over nothing!" she exclaimed defensively. "My skirt was caught on something." She peered at her skirt, anxious to see what had snagged it. A piercing scream tore from her throat when she spotted a skeletal hand gripping the fabric.
Young-Sik comforted the shaken Jin-Ri, turning her away from the disturbing image that haunted them. He quickly released her skirt from its grip. The villagers approached to lend a hand, but they were momentarily paralyzed, stepping back in horror at the sight of the lifeless hand.
Young-Sik got up, carefully helping Jin-Ri to her feet. "Please take her," he implored the village elder, who swiftly led Jin-Ri away.
Captain Gi then turned to the two soldiers beside him and instructed, "Start digging." Bit by bit, the skeletal remains were unearthed from the icy soil, and eventually, the soldiers uncovered the skeleton of an adult human.
The villagers watched in dread as the dead body was revealed. "It's the missing magistrate," Young-Sik realized, pointing at the clothing still clinging to the corpse.
Captain Gi approached Young-Sik, saying, "Your Majesty, the situation is spiraling beyond control. This isn't just a matter of corruption anymore. The soldiers you assigned to find the seamstress reported to me that the most skilled seamstress had been missing for more than two months. What are we to do next?"
"For the moment, let's focus on the urgent matter at hand," he said, shifting his gaze to the tiger that was restlessly moving within its cage. "We need to relocate that tiger to a safe distance where it can't pose a threat to anyone."
He glanced back at the skeleton. "Gather a few villagers and ensure the magistrate receives a dignified burial. This information must remain confidential among those here tonight, I want those involved to think they've gotten away with it; we can't let them know that we are on their trail."
After giving his instructions, Young-Sik went to see how Jin-Ri was doing. "Are you okay?" he asked her as she sat next to a large rock.
"I'm fine...just a bit shaken up," she replied, giving a nod. "I was really surprised to find out the missing person was here all along."
"Yeah, he was probably just hidden under dirt and leaves. That tussle with the tiger must have shifted things around, and his hand popped out." Young-Sik explained. He stood up and extended his hand to Jin-Ri "Come on, let's go back to the village. We need to rest up, the two of us have a long journey tomorrow"
She reached out to the prince's hand "The two of us? Just the two of us? Where are we going?" She asked curiously while standing up
"We're going back to the capital, secretly; I don't want the people involved to know I'm back." He glances at Jin-Ri, "You're coming with me so I can keep an eye on you. Who knows what chaotic disasters you'll stir up while I'm away"
Jin-Ri frowns at the prince's remarks, but she still treads behind him. Back in the village outside the great hall, as the people slumbered in their huts, Jin-Ri was tending to the prince's wounds, "Sorry Your Highness," she said to the prince while cleaning the wound and the area around it.
"I am greatly thankful, that you saved my life. Also, sorry Your Highness...you wouldn't have been hurt, if you didn't come after me," She said sincerely, the gratitude overflowing in her voice
"Forget about it," Young-Sik said in reply "Besides, if it wasn't for your near miss, we wouldn't have found a piece of the puzzle"
Jin-Ri smiled at the prince; she understood that Young-Sik was trying to make her feel better. After cleaning and applying a bandage on the prince's forehead, she bowed and said "Thank you, Your Highness, for being...for your understanding, I'll go ahead and prepare for our journey tomorrow"
Young-Sik stayed rooted where he sat, his eyes following Jin-Ri as she drifted away. Just before she entered the grand hall, she paused, glanced over her shoulder, and beamed at him. A wave of exhilaration washed over Young-Sik, causing his heart to flutter. Was it the charm of her smile that enchanted him? Or was it her delightful awkwardness, her lively conversation, or the poise she displayed in that instant? He found himself lost in thought, marveling at her and wondering why at this very moment, she stirred something profound within him.