19 Chapter 19

The news that they will have to leave Gongju in a few days had troubled Yoon-Yi for a while. She had never been good with changes and it usually took her a while to get used to one. That was mainly the reason why she dreaded having to go to a faraway college. The prospect of having to live by herself in the vast capital scared her terribly. And now it was happening all over again. She had barely gotten accustomed to her new environment and they had to leave, and for the capital no less. The irony of it made Yoon-Yi feel unenthusiastic.

Her mood had struck Jung-Hee as odd, considering the fact that everybody wanted to go to Hanyang and live in the capital. She kept telling Yoon-Yi stories about the city and its beauties, clearly hoping they would boost her disposition. Instead, it made her feel even more afraid.

Jun-Ho found it amusing to tease her about it, joining his sister in telling all sorts of stories about the shops and the people living in Hanyang. Whenever Yoon-Yi would gasp or look at him wide-eyed, he would burst into chuckles and pat her head in a brotherly way. Despite huffing and crossing her arms in annoyance, she could never hide the blushes that always crept on her cheeks whenever Jun-Ho would act like that.

The only one who did not find Yoon-Yi's disposition amusing, or at all interesting, was Shin. He never teased her, nor did he seem willing to share stories. In fact, he seemed even quieter than before. As per Kim Jong-Seo's orders, Shin stuck closer to Yoon-Yi, especially after the general left for the capital. However, that did not change his behavior towards her.

Even though he was now always around, he never opened his mouth to say more than two or three words. She was lucky if she even heard him coming or leaving. Nevertheless, there was something even more peculiar in his behavior than the silence.

Ever since the Samjinnal festival, there was a weird vibe whenever he was left alone with her. Though he did not outright ignore her, there was an awkwardness around each other, one that she eventually picked up on.

Once, she tried approaching him on the subject, but he wriggled himself out of it with the speed of an arrow. Since then, she stopped trying to understand the strange workings of his mind, deciding it was best to ignore him altogether. Besides, her mind was already too busy trying to arm itself for the imminent departure.

Having to pack and getting ready to leave had also made her forget the unsettling feeling that something was going to happen that year, something that will affect Kim Jong-Seo's family. She soon pushed the thought out of her mind, trying to convince herself her memory was playing tricks on her.

The day of the departure came faster than Yoon-Yi had wished. The weather was so beautiful that it seemed like a sin to be gloomy. The sky was bright blue and clear of any clouds; the gentle spring breeze was warmer now, making the trees sway languidly and the petals fall like white and pink snowflakes. In the face of such beauty, Yoon-Yi decided not to look ungrateful.

Also, she thought it would be best to honor the good fortune bestowed upon her. Having a loving family to take care of her while she was stuck in Joseon seemed like a gift from the heavens, and if that family was happy to go to Hanyang, then she will try to be happy as well, for them.

Kim Yoon-Ah, the general's wife, was to leave first in a palanquin, followed by the cart which held all their belongings. Most of Kim Jong-Seo's personal guards were left there for the sole purpose of accompanying and protecting his family on their trip to Hanyang.

The two young girls followed shortly after Kim Yoon-Ah's departure. Jung-Hee and Yoon-Yi shared a bigger palanquin, one carried by six servants instead of four, while Jun-Ho and Shin flanked them on horseback. Two guards walked in front of the procession, while the rest came from behind. Most of them had gone with Kim Yoon-Ah. Considering the fact that both Jun-Ho and Shin were with them, no one suspected anything could happen to the two girls, therefore six guards were considered sufficient.

As they left the city, the sun rose high into the sky, engulfing them in its warm light. Many bugs and birds reappeared due to the coming of spring and their slow advancement was accompanied by chirping and soft buzzing noises. Outside the city, nature was in full bloom. Trees and flowers were coming back to life and the mountain up ahead was starting to look like it was covered with a green blanket.

The path they took was winding in and out of the mountain, revealing small towns or villages. Sometimes a city would appear, and they would stop to eat and sleep. At the beginning of their journey, the girls had chatted merrily about all sorts of topics, but soon the tiresome travel got to them. Now, they barely opened their mouths and instead preferred to open the small window each had on her side of the palanquin and gaze outside.

The scenery moved slowly, revealing nothing special anymore, and by the second day of travelling they were bored of trees and nature.

Yoon-Yi was leaning forward against the small window, gazing outside. Her eyes moved from tree to tree and she let out a deep, tired sigh. Lazily, her eyes moved up towards the bright blue sky. Several clouds were visible through the small opening of the palanquin and she stared as they came in and out of her vision. The sound of birds wafted inside, and she listened to their rhythmic songs.

Then, she heard a different sound, slowly advancing from behind them. It came closer and closer until she realized it was the sound of hooves against the ground. Sure enough, a moment later Shin's horse came into view. Yoon-Yi's eyes snapped quickly towards the animal, then slowly following its body, she saw the rider as well.

Shin was wearing one of his black costumes, with a white overcoat. His black hair was tied in the same high ponytail as the first time she saw him, the black strands swayed by the wind. He was holding the reins in a relaxed manner, steering the horse effortlessly.

At that moment he was looking forward, his eyes gazing at something beyond Yoon-Yi's line of vision. She wondered what he was thinking about. His expression was unreadable, and therefore she could not figure out whether he was tired, upset or simply bored.

As if feeling her intense stare on him, Shin turned his head. Their eyes locked and for a few seconds they stared at each other. It is unsure whether they communicated through that silent gaze, but whatever happened between them at that moment, it dissipated when Jun-Ho's voice reached them from the other side of the palanquin. Shin's head snapped back to its former position and Yoon-Yi sighed.

"I think we should take a break." Jun-Ho said, stopping his horse and dismounting.

That sounded like good news to everyone. Yoon-Yi noticed with a pang of remorse the flushed faces of the servants. She wanted to go and apologize to them for having to work so hard but knew it would be considered undignified. The last thing she wanted was to come across as weird to Kim Jong-Seo's household.

Jun-Ho and Shin steered their horses into a small glade they found near the road, while the servants helped the young girls out of the palanquin.

"Heavens I am so happy to get out of that thing!" exclaimed Jung-Hee, putting into words Yoon-Yi's exact feelings. They both felt their body numb and wanted nothing more than to stretch and walk a bit.

"Brother, are you sure we couldn't have taken the horses? It would have been quicker and more comfortable I believe." Jung-Hee said, walking back and forth in front of Yoon-Yi.

"My dear little sister. I do not think arriving in Hanyang on horseback is what our father had in mind for you. Remember whose daughter you are." Her brother admonished, but only halfheartedly. Soon he broke into a smile and patted his sister's head gently. "We will take half an hour break. Make sure to enjoy it as much as you can."

He then ordered the guards to surround the area, while the servants flopped onto the ground. They leaned back against the carrier they had been holding, looking exhausted.

Jung-Hee grumbled to herself and swatted her brother's hand away. Yoon-Yi on the other hand, who knew better than to whine, was absorbed by the view. They were on the foot of the mountain, in a glade surrounded by trees and bushes. Large rocks were piled in the middle of the open space, allowing anyone who climbed them a better view of the upcoming path and mountain slope.

Curious and in need of exercise, Yoon-Yi decided to climb the strange rock formation. She was halfway to the top when she heard Jung-Hee calling out to her to be careful. She looked around, smiling and waving at the girl. Jun-Ho had his back turned, but Shin was nowhere to be seen. Thinking he might be around checking the area or doing something else that was private for any human being, Yoon-Yi continued to climb the rocks.

Wearing the large silky dress and having leather shoes on her feet, made Yoon-Yi's escalation difficult. Nevertheless, being stubborn and unwilling to give up, she finally managed to climb to the top. It took her a full ten minutes to get there, but she was happy and proud to have succeeded. With her face flushed and eyes sparking from the effort, she looked around the area. She could see the top of the trees surrounding the glade and the mountain slope rising on their left.

The path they were supposed to continue on snaked its way in and out of the forest, finally reaching a small city. She did not know, nor did she care what was the name of the city. All she cared about was the fact that it meant shelter and food.

Satisfied with her achievement and deciding the break would soon be over, Yoon-Yi started her climb down. It was proving to be trickier than going up, especially since the rocks were slightly slippery. Once or twice she felt her feet slipping onto their surface, but she managed to maintain a firm hold with her hands.

When she was about two meters away from the ground, her right food dislodged a small rock from its place. It slid down, making the others topple down, taking Yoon-Yi down along the way. She tried to grab with her hands, but to no avail. The rock formation seemed in the process of falling apart slowly. Seeing the ground getting closer by the second, Yoon-Yi felt terrified she would meet it with a loud crash and that would be the end.

She let out a high-pitched shriek and raised her hands, trying to protect her head at least. Then she waited for the impact, which never came. Instead, she felt herself fall into something strong, like a net. Slowly, as if afraid to see what had happened, she removed her hands from around her head and that is when she saw a face staring at her.

Shin had caught Yoon-Yi just in time and was now holding her in his arms, looking down at her with narrowed eyes. His expression seemed to be on the border between anger and worry. His eyes were looking her over, lingering on her face and eyes, then moving slowly across her body. When this examination proved to be satisfactory, anger took over his features.

"I swear woman, you are a public menace. You should be tied down and not allowed to move." He grumbled under his breath.

Not knowing what to reply and feeling her throat strangely dry, Yoon-Yi remained silent and watched his face carefully.

Despite his harsh tone, Shin's movements felt gentle. He placed her down slowly, waiting for her to find stable ground before releasing her completely. His hands remained around her shoulders slightly more than it would have been necessary and Yoon-Yi felt her breath catch in her throat.

The scare had already made her heart beat faster but feeling Shin's arms around her body and seeing his eyes looking at her like that, made her heart leap. Her stomach fluttered and she quickly looked away, afraid he might see her flustered state.

Her doing so made it possible for Shin to hide his own embarrassment. Despite him appearing composed and unaffected, his eyes betrayed emotion. The moment he had seen her fall, his body moved instinctively, and he had reached the rock formation in three long strides. Even now he could still feel the emotion surging through his body, making his head spin. Brushing a hand across his forehead, Shin turned his back and left Yoon-Yi alone beside the rocks.