Everyone, including the soldiers, went silent as they realized the prince was angry with Jin-Ri. After being with him for a while, they all understood the moment's gravity. They rushed to follow orders, keen to leave behind the thick tension that filled the space.
As Young-Sik returned to camp, Jin-Ri stayed put, watching him go while the soldiers quietly walked past her. A tear rolled down her face, and she bit her lip, turning to head back to their campsite. She hurriedly wiped her cheeks, attempting to conceal her tears, fully aware that everyone had noticed her emotional moment.
At the campsite, Jin-Ri spotted her tent all closed up, and it dawned on her that Young-Sik was inside, likely signaling that she had lost his favor. She settled under a tree, lost in thought about the recent happenings. Despite her efforts to stay awake, the weariness and emotional stress overwhelmed her, and she eventually fell asleep.
Jin-Ri stirred awake to the lively chatter of soldiers having breakfast. She sprang up and glanced around. The snug bed beneath her made her question, "Did I somehow sleepwalk back into the tent?" She was pretty sure she had dozed off under a tree. Noticing a basin of water and a clean cloth on a small table by the bed, she splashed some water on her face and dried it off before heading outside.
Just as she took a few steps forward, the prince appeared, balancing two heaping plates of food. "How about we have breakfast in the tent? The soldiers snagged all the best spots," he suggested with a grin. Young-Sik strolled toward the tent but paused to glance back at Jin-Ri.
"What's the hold-up? I'm starving!" With that, he disappeared inside, leaving Jin-Ri scratching her head in bewilderment.
"He must be furious with me. I wouldn't be surprised if he's going to poison my breakfast," she muttered, following him in.
As Jin-Ri stepped inside, she spotted Young-Sik, who had already tidied up the table and arranged their meal with the precision of a royal chef. He was patiently waiting for her, not having touched a single morsel. With a charming nod, he invited her to take a seat next to him. Jin-Ri, feeling a flutter of excitement, settled down beside Young-Sik, who wasted no time diving into his feast.
Young-Sik noticed Jin-Ri was hardly eating her meal, "What's wrong? Not hungry?" He asked casually
Jin-Ri quickly answered the prince's inquiry "It's not that you Highness..."
"Let me stop you right there, I thought we had an agreement you would call me Yong when it's just the two of us," Young-Sik reminded Jin-Ri
"You're right, Yong, it's not that I'm not hungry because I am, it's just that last night I had the impression that you were furious at me, and seeing that you closed the tent, I just slept outside. So did you carry me back into the tent?" Jin-Ri explained to the prince
"I did and I am," Young-Sik puts down his food and looks squarely at Jin-Ri. "I don't know what compelled you to give our location away and then run in between those men just to protect our cargo. You should've told me that someone was harassing you, you should've been honest. Also what you did was idiotic and reckless, if I did not follow you, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now, because you would probably be dead!"
Jin-Ri lowered her gaze, her cheeks flushed after the prince's reprimand. "I'm really sorry, Yong. I messed up. I promise it won't happen again," she said, her voice trembling as she fought back tears.
"Wait, are you crying?" Young-Sik exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Despite the tears streaming down her face, Jin-Ri shook her head vigorously. "Nope, not crying at all!" she insisted, her voice cracking.
Feeling a wave of panic, Young-Sik stuttered, "What... what did I do wrong? Was it something I said?"
Jin-Ri lifted her head and looked at the prince. Her lips were in a pout and her eyes were squinting from the tears, "You shouted at me," she said before going into a full-blown cry
Young-Sik took the washcloth beside the basin and dabbed Jin-Ri's cheeks to dry her tears. "Sorry I shouted, but I was worried for you after you charged in like that"
Jin-Ri suddenly felt a ray of sunshine after hearing what the prince said, in between sobs, she asked, "You were worried about me?"
Young-Sik put down the washcloth and took Jin-Ri's hands, caressed them, and with the sweetest and sincerest voice he said "Of course, I was, why wouldn't I be?"
Jin-Ri's heart did a little dance in her chest as she gazed at the man before her, his confession of worry wrapping around her like a warm blanket. Meanwhile, Young-Sik's hands shook slightly as he clasped hers, feeling an inexplicable connection to this woman who had somehow captured his heart.
They stared at each other, ready to spill the secrets of their hearts. But just as the moment hung in the air, a soldier burst into the tent, shattering the spell. Startled, they dropped each other's hands and scrambled apart, like two kids caught in a game of tag. Young-Sik feigned interest in the ground, searching for invisible treasures, while Jin-Ri, flustered, began to stuff her face with food, as if it could somehow shield her from the embarrassment.
"Your Highness, the caravan is almost prepared for departure; we await your direction," a soldier said, standing at attention.
Young-Sik, with a slight frown, responded, "Perfect! I'll be out in a moment, we'll get moving as soon as Lady Jin-Ri is done with her meal," he replied, trying to shake off the awkwardness that lingered in the air.
Before going out of the tent, Young-Sik took a moment to stop and look at Jin-Ri again, "Just promise me, when you want to do something stupid and idiotic, you'll call me okay?"
Jin-Ri nodded "Yes you Highness," she said in between chewing.
Young-Sik made his exit from the tent, and Jin-Ri quickly put her meal aside, ready to dive into the preparations for their trip to Gyong. In no time, the caravan was off, with the prince and Jin-Ri galloping ahead on their horses, setting the pace for the journey.
The sun shone brightly at its zenith as the caravan rolled into Gyong. The prince gracefully dismounted his horse, to greet the village elder and the captain of the guards. "Your Highness, you have returned just as you promised," the elder said warmly. As he gazed at the procession of carts entering the village, he inquired, "What is all of this?"
Young-Sik stood beside Jin-Ri, and with a kind nod, he encouraged his court maiden to share their purpose. "This is the money that was unjustly taken from the people of Gyong," she articulated with poise and clarity.
A wave of wonder swept through the villagers, leaving them speechless, as the village chief's tears flowed freely in disbelief. "Is this true?" he inquired of Jin-Ri, who responded with a warm smile and a nod.
Turning to the prince, the chief took his hand with gratitude and bowed respectfully. "Your Highness, thank you from the depths of our hearts. This means more to us than you can imagine, not just for our village, but for all of Gyong."
Young-Sik looked down with a heavy heart, saying, "I wish I could do more for this village and all the suffering it has faced due to our negligence. I'm sorry that bandits took some of our supplies while we slept. I also regret that I couldn't bring the one responsible to you as I had promised."
The village chief lowered his head with deep gratitude. "My prince, even if only a small part of what was lost being returned to us would have sufficed; you have truly rescued this village. No, you have saved the entire province of Gyong from despair. We owe you a great debt." In a gesture of profound respect, the village chief released his staff and, though it was a struggle, he knelt, bowing deeply before the prince.
With a voice full of passion, he exclaimed, "Your kindness knows no bounds, Your Highness!" The villagers around the prince knelt, echoing the heartfelt words, "Your kindness knows no bounds, Your Highness," leaving the prince utterly astonished.
Young-Sik hurriedly knelt beside the village chief, helping him to his feet. "Please, I'm not a king; He is the one that allowed the excess taxes to be returned, it is he that should be honored," he insisted, his humility shining through.
The village chief looked at him with deep respect and replied, "I honor our ruler greatly, but it was not the king who came to our aid; it was you, my prince."
Young-Sik's gaze was clouded with confusion as he turned to Jin-Ri, who offered him a warm smile and a respectful bow, as if to suggest, "Let them show their gratitude in their special way, Your Highness."
He took a deep breath, absorbing the moment, and then addressed the crowd, saying, "Your heartfelt gestures mean so much to me and fill my heart with joy."
The villagers erupted in cheers for the prince as they stood up, chanting his name in unison. Young-Sik walked over to the captain of the guards and handed him a rolled-up scroll. "Here are the lists of what was taken from the villages; make sure to return their taxes," the prince said. The captain nodded respectfully and hurried off to carry out the order.
On that night, the sky was tranquil, the stars glittered lovingly. The villagers hosted a lively feast for the prince, under the stary night sky. They laid out a mouthwatering array of delicacies from the Gyong province and sipped on rice wine. To add to the fun, games like arrow tossing into a barrel, and tug of war were held. The children also showcased a charming play they created about Prince Young-Sik's heroic deeds for the people of Gyong.
As Jin-Ri watched the play unfold, her eyes drifted to Young-Sik, and a smile crept across her face at the sight of his sheer delight. The prince glanced towards the court maiden and with a playful nudge, Young-Sik leaned closer and exclaimed, "Wait a minute, you saved me from those bandits?"
With a mischievous grin, Jin-Ri replied, "Let's just say I took some creative liberties to make it more exciting," nudging him back with a wink.
As the final curtain fell, the village musicians struck up a cheerful melody that filled the air with joy. A group of spirited maidens approached the prince, grabbing his hands and inviting him to join their dance. Just as he opened his mouth to decline, Jin-Ri, with a mischievous grin, gave him a gentle shove toward the eager girls. She chuckled, watching him get swept away, but deep down, a twinge of jealousy tugged at her heart—if only she could be the one twirling in his arms.
Just when Jin-Ri thought she was destined to be a wallflower, destiny had a surprise in store. A charming young man approached her, his eyes sparkling with mischief, and asked if she'd like to dance. With a shy nod, she let him guide her to the lively crowd, anticipation buzzing in the air. "I'm not a dancer," she admitted, her cheeks flushing. "No worries!" he grinned. "It's simple! We just skip towards each other, then skip back. After two rounds, we twirl off to find a new partner!"
In the dance area, Young-Sik and Jin-Ri exchanged an accidental glance; he acknowledged her with a slight jut of his chin, while she responded with a casual shoulder shrug. When the participants arranged themselves in front of their partners, the music began as instructed, leading the dancers to skip in time with the melody toward their partners, only to skip away again. This sequence was repeated twice by all pairs before they twirled to greet their next dance partner.
As Young-Sik and Jin-Ri twirled gracefully across the dance floor, their laughter filled the air like sweet music. Each time they switched partners, Young-Sik's eyes would seek out Jin-Ri, while she, too, would steal fleeting glances at him, her heart fluttering with each stolen moment. With every turn and every new partner, they unknowingly drew nearer, their souls dancing in harmony even amidst the crowd.
After a whirlwind of dance partners, Jin-Ri stood captivated before a tall man dressed in a black coat with indigo detailing. Her heart raced with anticipation as she gradually lifted her gaze to meet his. As their eyes locked, the universe around them hushed, leaving only the sweet symphony of their hearts echoing in perfect harmony. Young-Sik gently clasped her hands, cradling them with tender care. Jin-Ri surrendered to the prince's touch, allowing him to rest his hands on her waist while she draped her arms over his shoulders, creating an almost intimate embrace.
The couple began to move in a gentle rhythm, lost in a melody of romance that seemed to exist solely for them. As they twirled and glided together, the crowd fell silent, captivated by the enchanting sight of the prince and his court maiden, their movements harmonizing flawlessly, leaving onlookers breathless with admiration.