Night Prince

Hidden Letters

Even before the sun rose, Prince Ri was already bent over his oaken desk, sifting through the countless documents the king collected all these years. From scrolls to letters, the prince read through all of them in a bid to find Cho Cheol Gang's hideout.

Increasingly, he was getting frustrated over the lack of findings despite the pile of information they had about the rebels. There was nothing new that he read that he didn't already find out about before from his night activities.

Slam

Prince Ri slammed his fist down on the table, not even wincing at the pain of the impact shooting up his hand.

"Why can't I find them?" He growled before he stood up and walked over to his window.

Tapping his fingers over the glass panels, Ri Jeong Hyeok reminded himself to breathe. Nothing good would come out of anger. Opening his eyes, he took the scene in, his eyes zeroing in on a certain beauty walking around the palace gardens. Even from afar, Seri's beauty was unmatched.

Growing up, the prince has met countless maidens who had the best stylists dolling them up for the formal balls and events. Yet, none of their beauty came anywhere near Yoon Seri's. To this day, Prince Ri couldn't quite put his finger on why Seri was so special.

Perhaps it was the way she smiled or the way she treated those around her. Seri was a breath of fresh air with her feistiness, and she was also the most authentic person he has ever met. He could tell that her beauty radiates from the inside and that showed in her genuine love for those around her.

Even now, Seri was chatting away with some of the gardeners, gesturing animatedly as she spoke. The sight of her brought a smile to Ri Jeong Hyeok's face and he could almost faintly hear her beautiful bell-like laughter from where he was standing. Momentarily, he forgot about his burdens as he watched her, lost in the bubbliness she naturally exuded.

Once he felt calmer, Ri Jeong Hyeok turned back to survey the map he had pinned up in his study. Angry red crosses and black dots filled the map, a reminder of his past failures in finding the rebels. The more he looked, the more lost he felt before he realised that there was one particular area that he has never explored.

Prince Ri's finger traced the route on the map, gently sweeping past a few red crosses before stopping at that one dot. Looks like it was time for him to make a trip out. With one last glance at the map, Ri Jeong Hyeok memorised the route before he left his study.

Donning his usual attire, the prince left the palace. This would be Night Prince's first exploration in the morning, but he simply couldn't wait. So focused on finding the route, his usual cat-like senses failed to pick up any unusual activity behind him.

Would he succeed this time?

In the forest, Ri Jeong Hyeok maneuvered through the thick foliage easily, ducking past the low hanging branches and occasionally slicing his way through. This particular forest near the palace was especially unkempt with branches and roots growing in every direction. It has become a maze to the untrained eye and navigating the area was especially painful.

Ri Jeong Hyeok used the daylight to his advantage to identify gaps in the ecosystem surrounding him. Soon enough, he reached a clearing that looked as though it had once been inhabited by someone. An abandoned tent stood amongst the weeds surrounding it, rotting from the years of unuse.

Keeping a watchful eye out for any traps, Ri Jeong Hyeok expertly avoided the stray rocks holding the traps together. Abandoned or not, this place was clearly a walking hazard.

Running his hands through his hair in frustration, Ri Jeong Hyeok kicked the ground when he realised this was another dead end. He froze when he stepped on a soft object and he picked it up to see a little rag doll. There was nothing too special about the doll except that it probably used to be precious to a child. Goodness knows what happened to the family.