The young lad looked at the unconscious lass in his arms.
In theory, the young lad had kidnapped her right after she got abducted - in her eyes, he was nothing more than a kidnapper. A few words of who he was and what he was doing would have calmed her down and prevented her from freaking out.
While most would argue that he had let things go too far, the young man firmly believed that none of this was his concern. His grandfather had told him, "Take her and bring her home. I'll distract the chumps," and he did exactly that. His grandfather hadn't asked him to pacify her during the rescue, so everything that had happened between the rescue was not part of his job. He had retrieved her, and now he would return her to his grandfather—nothing more, nothing less.
"Gramps, I brought you a gift."
"A'kai, Aeng!" Insik's eyes widened as he scanned his grandson carrying a motionless Han Aeng on his back.
Not only were they late, but drenched in water with Han Aeng unconscious. Heaven only knows how worried he was when he didn't find the two of them waiting for him when the plan was for his grandchild and Han Aeng to return home immediately.
"Is she okay?" Insik rushed out, his hands instinctively brushing against Han Aeng's cold face. "My poor child, she's so cold. Bring her in."
Rong Xukai rolled his eyes at his grandfather's lack of concern for his well-being. She wasn't the only person who was cold! "I'm fine, thanks for asking."
Insik passed his dramatic grandson a side glance, "You're carrying her, of course, you're just fine. Now hurry, bring her in."
Rong Xukai frowned but didn't entertain the idea of picking a fight with his gramps. He quietly brought Han Aeng inside and settled her down on the bed while Insik ran to get supplies to treat Han Aeng.
Now that he wasn't struggling against her, Rong Xukai was starting to appreciate her appearance. With her delicate features and piety figure, Han Aeng lacked the usual sex appeal he admires in women. However, she looked adorable when she was quiet; he'd give her that.
Rong Xukai ran his slender finger across her tender cheek. Her features were gentle, nothing sharp or bold, but still very strangely distinctive. The more he stared at her, the more he discovered that her cuteness was different from a childish cute but wasn't necessarily a cute teenager charm either. She was just cute.
Rong Xukai felt a twinge of regret. If he had known she was this attractive, he might have acted a little differently—kinder, less aggressive, more humane even.
Taking her hand in his, he slowly channeled small amounts of true qi through her body, hoping it would be enough to wake her up and provide him with a chance to clear the air, to get to know her without the context of being her kidnapper.
However, he quickly noticed that her complexion turned paler as her temperature suddenly decreased.
"Gramps, I think there's something wrong with her!" Just as Rong Xukai alerted Insik of Han Aeng's concerning health, her nose began to bleed excessively. "Oh! Her nose is bleeding!"
"A'kai, block her nose to stop the bleeding and keep her mouth open so she can breathe. I'm coming." Following his grandfather's instruction, he rested Han Aeng against his chest and squeezed the bridge of her nose together. His other hand gripped her chin and slipped a finger into her mouth, prying it open for her to breathe through.
Insik rushed into the room, both his hands full of medicine bottles, clean cloth, and a bowl of water. He placed everything down in a hurry, checking the pulse on her hand and then neck before rummaging through the medicine. "Her breathing is still rigid, but surely the nose bleeding has stopped. Good job, A'kai, wait outside for me."
Rong Xukai complied with his grandfather's words, gently laying Han Aeng back onto the bed and walking out of the room, where he remained from midday till sunset.
The grain of guilt he was feeling was slowly turning into irritation. If his gramps wasn't going to come out any time soon, why make him wait? The more he thought, the more he was convinced that this day was clearly against him, no, forget that, this whole month had been against him.
Rong Xukai started this month by traveling to his grandfather after getting kicked out by his mother for fighting with his cousin. The way his mother favoured that idiot cousin of his always made Rong Xukai questions his birth. It bothered him, his mother's excessive love for his cousin, a lot more than it should, but he would never let her or his stupid cousin know that.
After coming to Jeontu, everything he has done was very uncool of him, and he hated it here. Mind you; he was just frustrated his days of fooling around in his hometown were boiled down to doing frivolous things like fishing, collecting firewood, kneading dough, gardening, and those of its sort because his gramps insisted this would help calm his mind. Plus, the bear he has been hunting seemed to be immortal; he could never kill it.
The frustration of things not going in his favour made him screw up playing the hero in rescuing a damsel in distress. On top of everything, with the way he manhandled her, he blew his chances of the potential of making a friend. While he wasn't necessarily interested a violent girl, she would be something that spiced up this otherwise monotonous and very pitiful life.
But between you and me, Rong Xukai's everyday life, besides picking fights with his cousin, actually had nothing interesting to offer; however, he enjoyed pretending it did.
While Rong Xukai was rolling in self-pity, Insik finally walked out, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead as a sign of his hard work. "You're still here?"
"You told me to wait," Rong Xukai blankly stated. He wanted to be mad at his gramps but hesitated a bit seeing Insik's distressed expression. His grandfather is not the type of person to get overwhelmed easily; neither was he someone who looked stressed over anything, so it made him somewhat worried. Was the little girl's situation that dire? "The little girl, how is she?"
"She hasn't woken up yet. She tried her best to keep herself alive, so she ended up straining her body." Sighing in defeat, Insik sat down on the doorstep, nonchalantly wiping his face with a towel. "We'll just have to look after her till she wakes up."
Rong Xukai nodded his head. The guilt was once again creeping in; maybe he had played a small part in her current condition. "You need to tell her family that we'll look after her or something?"
"Rong Xukai?" Insik called out.
"Mm."
"What is your head doing instead of carrying a brain?" Insik whacked the back of his grandson's head. "How will you explain her current state? How will you explain who we are and what we're doing here? Aiya, and you want to take after your father's position."
"Tsk, won't her parents be worried?" Rong Xukai responded, rubbing his head. He was trying to be thoughtful of her, who knew that he would only make him lose face in front of his grandfather - not that he had much to lose.
"You think they won't be worried when you say we'll look after her?" Insik stood up, dusting off the dirt.
Han Aeng's disappearance would generate a tremendous amount of agitation. Her father would not sit for it for starters; while he was a patient man, his daughter meant the world to him, and he would go the distance for her as he had proved on many occasions. The Princess will most likely stress when she doesn't see Han Aeng at the palace, and for sure, that news will reach the King's ears. No one could predict the actions of the three most prominent figures of Jeontu when they find she's missing. It's most beneficial for Han Aeng to handle this situation herself, not only to reduce the impact of her disappearance but also to provide sufficient detail to avoid punishment and controversy.
"I'm going to sleep for a while, so look after her," Insik stopped speaking and faced Xukai with a stern look, "Look, don't touch. Just watch her from a distance and call for me if anything happens."
"But I want to sleep too."
"It's your punishment for not looking after her well."
A'xx = a prefix used to signify intimacy
Somebody seduce me. We can get married within the next few year. This has nothing to do with the fact all my cousin are either officially engagged/married :'}
Rong Xukai groaned, his expression filled with annoyance. He couldn't argue with his grandfather's words, knowing he had indeed been careless in handling the situation. Reluctantly, he nodded and took his position by Han Aeng's bedside, resigning himself to the fact that he would be on watch duty for the time being.
Rong Xukai's initial irritation slowly transformed into curiosity as the hours passed. He found himself captivated by Han Aeng's delicate features, her peaceful expression as she lay unconscious. With each rise and fall of her chest, he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of familiarity toward her.
His gaze lingered on her face, studying the details he had overlooked before.
There was a subtle elegance to her features that he found alluring. Her lips, slightly parted as she breathed, held a hint of innocence that contrasted with her fight spirit he'd experienced.
Lost in his thoughts, Rong Xukai's eyes were drawn to her hand resting on the bed. Without thinking, he reached out and gently took her hand in his, his thumb tracing circles on her palm.
A faint stir in Han Aeng's body caught Rong Xukai's attention. His eyes widened as he felt her fingers twitch slightly in his grasp. Excitement surged through him, hoping that she was finally awakening from her unconscious state.
"Gramps!" Rong Xukai called out, his voice filled with urgency and anticipation. He gently released Han Aeng's hand and leaned closer to observe her closely, hoping to catch any further signs of awakening.
Refreshed after his nap, Insik rushed into the room. "What happened?"
"She moved, her fingers twitched," Rong Xukai explained eagerly, his gaze fixed on Han Aeng.
Insik approached the bed and examined Han Aeng carefully. He placed his hand on her forehead, checking her temperature and pulse. "It seems she'll be fine."
Rong Xukai nodded, a mix of relief and dread flooding his emotions. She wouldn't tell his grandfather what had happened between them... would she?
Insik gently stroked Han Aeng's cheek, murmuring soothing words. "Han Aeng, can you hear me? It's time to go home now."
....
A little afternoon, the trio left Mt Keun and entered the busy market, ready to execute their plan.
Rong Xukai left early, attired in black, as he suspiciously walked around to obtain the patrolling guards' attention. Meanwhile, Insik disguised himself as a poor cabbage seller, pushing a wagon with Han Aeng securely hidden inside. It was a perfect cover for their mission.
They decided it was too risky to bring her into the residential areas, considering it would be practically impossible to escape with the tight security. Instead, they opted to create a scene in front of the Amenity Inn, a business run by han Aeng's family. The place was monitored, but not as heavily; moreover, there would be enough people gathered to cause a scene and more than enough people to blend into effortlessly.
Insik played his part effortlessly, pretending to be a weak peasant selling cabbages as he made his way to the inn. He managed to sell a grand total of seventeen cabbages, impressing even himself. Meanwhile, Rong Xukai gained much-wanted attention, with two guards constantly keeping an eye on him.
When Insik turned to the street he was waiting at, Rong Xukai marched to meet his grandfather, with guards speedily following after him.
Rong Xukai immediately noticed that the wagon's bulk was significantly smaller than what he had packed. Did his grandfather have a talent for taking a yard when given an inch, or what? "Did you honestly sell cabbages while there is an unconscious girl in your wagon?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow.
Insik chuckled mischievously, shaking a small sack of money. "I made a living, nothing wrong with that. She won't mind."
Rolling his eyes, Rong Xukai swiftly pushed Insik out of the way and took the wagon off the main streets. Insik dramatically fell, attracting more attention as he shouted, "Ah, someone! Someone, that man took my cabbages. Help me!"
As the crowd gathered, Rong Xukai picked up his pace, luring the guards into a chase without waiting for backup. He craftily led them to Amenity Inn, where he faked his capture.
"I knew something was not right about you the second I saw you." Two guards waited on either side, their hands gripping their swords as they observed Rong Xukai's actions. "Don't you feel bad for stealing from an old man, young lad?"
Rong Xukai didn't respond but patiently waited for them to make an advance so he could plan his escape. His silence had somewhat annoyed the patient guards trying to reason with him. "Come on, lad, do something. Say something."
The commotion had formed a minimal crowd, including some of the Inn's workers and, of course, a very dedicated Insik.
Committed to his role, Insik pushed his way through the crowd with a loud cry. "Ah, my cabbages, my cabbages! You darn brat, give me my cabbage before I break your kneecaps!"
Break his kneecaps? Rong Xukai stared at his grandfather curiously; either he was too enthusiastic about his role or sincerely meant his threats.
Playing to his grandfathers' tunes, Rong Xukai picked up a cabbage, toying with it before throwing it into the crowd with all his might. The shrieking crowd moved, allowing the cabbage to shatter into pieces as it met the floor. "Here's your cabbage, old man. Come on, take it. I'd like to see you try!"
"You-!"
Just as he had planned, the guards' advanced at his words. He waited for them to come a few feet from him before abruptly kicking the wagon to the guards. Taking the chance to flee at the expense of their shock, jumping over into the walls of Amenity Inn.
The guards followed suit, but Rong Xukai long fled the scene quite comfortably. Along with Insik, who swiftly slipped away from the crowd during the uproar.
This obviously left the wagon with Han Aeng in it unattended. But as the nature of humans would have it, people got curious and crowded around the wagon.
One of the nosy Inn workers couldn't resist and opened the wagon cover, only to quickly slap it shut in shock. She might have been thoroughly shocked finding Han Aeng's body securely placed in it, but she knew more than well not to make a scene - especially since the person involved was her Young Lady.
"We'll keep it till the old man comes for it." In a hast, the Inn worker quickly called a few people and transported the wagon into the Inn.
Onlookers watched.
They shut the doors to their business and closed the gates before gently carrying their Young Lady into one of the carriages and rushing her to the Han Manor. Treating her in the Inn was outside the question, so much as a fingernail being chipped would cost their lives, and none of them was willing to take the risk.
The rest of the process went surprisingly smoothly, leaving Insik amazed at how quickly everything fell into place.
So much so that even the Royal Doctor and Princess were at Han Manor by the time Insik and Rong Xukai returned to Mt Keun.
"That was quite a performance, Xukai," Insik said, a proud smile playing on his lips. "You had them all fooled."
Rong Xukai dropped his head, his shoulders shaking with anger. "I never want to see that girl's face again!"
I figured it'll be fun to see how the two got Aeng back to her manor
Komentar Paragraf
Fitur komentar paragraf sekarang ada di Web! Arahkan kursor ke atas paragraf apa pun dan klik ikon untuk menambahkan komentar Anda.
Selain itu, Anda selalu dapat menonaktifkannya atau mengaktifkannya di Pengaturan.
MENGERTI