Timeless Love || Jinx (Manhwa)

Chapter 22: Wrong place at the wrong time

Hidden on the other side of town, two men were talking in an abandoned house, pondering about the assassination attempt planned on Joo Jaekyung that night. It's a plan months in the working after their last attempt back in spring failed miserably as Lord Joo obliterated all of the men sent to kill him, but with the new information from an insider, they knew how to properly attack now.

―I thought we were going for the head this time. A stab in the back of the neck while he sleeps should be enough, what changed?

―It's not worth it. My eyes on the inside has a better knowledge of where to hit Joo Jaekyung and ensure his death. He has a weak spot on the right side of his abdomen, he heard him say that to his physician weeks ago.

The men smiled cunningly at each other. Along their generations, the Joo's had won a lot of enemies, and that didn't exclude their previous two heads of the family. Murder, thievery, treasons and conspiracies; all of it took the father's life, and the anger of a hurt sibling was coming for the young lord's.

The death of Jaekyung's father wasn't any accident, and neither was going to be the young lord's. Their man on the inside had clear instructions on where to attack in a couple of hours once everyone in the house went to sleep and the lord's guard was down. They drank a cup of liquor, for it was a night of celebration: the end of a long time inner war between nobles, even after their pathetic try at the beginning of the year. They would rise victorious, ending such a powerful family that lacked an heir. Once they were done with him, they would easily move on to end whoever had the ability to spread the surname from the clan.

―Tonight, the Joo lineage comes to an end.

[.]

Dan sighed, looking at the beads resting on his wrist the way Jaekyung had intended before leaving for the capital. He looked pretty determined to find at least a living relative of his in the city, and he had taken the news of his origins surprisingly well. There wasn't an ounce of mockery in his eyes: just pure belief in what he said, as if his word was some kind of gospel that only a fool would debate.

Dan even thought that Jaekyung would at least question it a little more: Could it be that he was weird enough for this to be believable? He did called him a weirdo back in the tent... Or is it because Jaekyung was so desperate to marry him that he was ready to accept anything so long it meant they could do it as soon as possible?

Why was he sure that they could get married? It wasn't even legal in modern Korea*, there's no way it could be now. Is it the power of influences? Could it be possible that they could get married in this time and place? How would this even work out? Although Jaekyung had mentioned eloping, would he be able to leave his people behind just for him? He didn't knew it, but Jaekyung totally would.

He sighed, blowing off the candles in the room, leaving it in darkness, as he approached the bed. His heart was pumping hard on the idea of not only spending the rest of his life in a place he didn't belonged to, but not doing it alone. Despite the early circumstances of their encounter, which were now talked through before Jaekyung left, he was positive that everything would work out for them.

If Jaekyung, who knew far better how things worked in this place, was hopeful, so should he.

He closed his eyes and covered himself all the way up to his head, feeling the chill winter winds coming in from the slightly open window, frowning softly. Should he close it? He didn't liked sleeping like that, but right now he was feeling so tired and his bed was so warm... it could wait until the morning. It's not like some fresh breeze would harm him.

[.]

In the middle of the night someone was lurking in the courtyard, taking advantage of the guards being too busy with the front door to pay attention to the mysterious figure moving in between the rooms; He was looking for someone. The shadow walked in and out of every room in the house, but stopped abruptly when he went into the guest room. It was completely empty and ready to be used; no signs of the cure there.