𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗦, Go Won

𝟬𝟯𝟵. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲

"Wait, wait." The Crown Prince followed behind Uk. "What am I supposed to glean from that kind of information?"

"I do not have much information yet." Uk explained. "Why are you following me?" Uk asked the Crown Prince.

"To meet Shaman Bong." The Crown Prince said. "We do not have to go together. I can got afterward and get him to tell me what he told you. I am the Crown Prince."

Da-hye noticed "I am the Crown Prince." was the Crown Prince's favorite sentence. And she thought she was entitled. They continued walking and Da-hye followed them. She was very sneaky.

"I do not know where he is." Uk said. 

"You do know." The Crown Prince said.

Perhaps Da-hye was paranoid because Gaema Village was creepy, but she felt like someone else was following them as well.

"I really have no idea." Uk said.

It had become dark when they finally found Shaman Bong. Da-hye followed them inside quietly. She hid behind a barrel. The old man who was supposed to be Shaman Bong seemed crazy.

"Can this man really be believed?" The Crown Prince asked. "He seems like a hack."

"He must be something." Uk said.

"You are piping hot." Shaman Bong said. "You have shared something."  Shared something? What did he mean by that? "Are you perchance lovers?" Shaman Bong asked. Uk and The Crown Prince looked at each other confused.

"No way." The Crown Prince said. 

"No." Uk said.

Shaman Bong laughed. "It is my business policy never to breach confidentiality." Shaman Bong said. "You can rest assured. But, the two of you have already shared something very meaningful, right?"

"He is good." The Crown Prince whispered.

"Come on." Uk said. "I heard you have been in Gaema Village the longest."  Uk told Shaman Bong. "Do you happen to know Shaman Choi?" Shaman Bong's smile faded. Da-hye could understand why.

"Shaman Choi?" Shaman Bong asked. "Are you mages patrolling for sorcery?"

Uk laughed. "It is nothing like that." He took out a bag of money. "I just heard she was very good. I just want to find her because of that."

Shaman Bong told them what Da-hye already knew."Some say she died in that fire." Shaman Bong said. "Others say she was burned badly but survived."

"That was when your father Jang Gang was the Gwanju of Cheonbugwan." The Crown Prince whispered. "If Shaman Choi was hunted by the mages of Cheonbugwan, are you seeking her because she bears a grudge against your father?" 

"I do not even remember my father." Uk said. "How can I know who bears a grudge against him?"

Well that was sort of a waste of time. Da-hye already knew all those stuff. Just as the Crown Prince and Uk were leaving, Shaman Bong stopped them.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Shaman Bong said. "Shaman Choi had a brother."

Could the brother of Shaman Choi still be alive? Who could he be?

"Do you know where he is?" Uk asked.

"I have not seen him since the incident." Shaman Bong said. "But there was a rumor that he married a woman from a powerful family."

Married a woman from a powerful family? Who could that be? Wait, could Shaman Choi's brother be Jin U-tak? It made sense, he married into a powerful family and very little is know about his.

Uk and the Crown Prince left, and Da-hye followed behind them.

"If it was 20 years ago, it was when Jin Mu was your father's pupil." The Crown Prince told Uk. "Jin Mu may know something. Should I ask him?" The Crown Prince asked.

"Absolutely not." Uk responded. "Please keep what you heard today a secret." 

"What we learned today does not seem all that important, but I will." The Crown Prince said.

They continued walking.

"Your Royal Highness, did you say you came  here alone?" Uk asked. Did he know Da-hye was following them? Impossible.

"I did." The Crown Prince responded. "But it seems like someone is following us." 

No, how could they know? Da-hye made sure that her footsteps made no sound. She even hid well. Unless, there was someone else following them. But who could it be?

"Shall we split up to see who he is following?" Uk asked.

So there was someone following them. It was best that Da-hye left too. She separated from Uk and the Crown Prince quickly. It was best that she left quickly so she would not be seen.

After a while of walking, Da-hye heard footsteps behind her. She assumed it was a villager but still turned around to see who it was. She definitely did not expect to see the Crown Prince walking behind her. Why did it have to be him?

Da-hye pretended to be confused. It was best that she acted clueless. "Your Royal Highness?" Da-hye asked.

"Young Lady Park." The Crown Prince stopped right in front of her. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I am looking for Uk." Da-hye came up with a lie quickly. "Ju-wol at Chwiseonru told me that he had came to Gaema Village." Da-hye explained. "Although I do not know why he would come to a place like this." Da-hye made a disgusted face. "Why are you here, Your Royal Highness?"

"I came to get a reading from a Shaman." The Crown Prince said. "But I seem to have lost my way."

"You came to get reading, without any guards?" Da-hye asked. "Why?"

"It is quite embarrassing that I feel the need to get a reading." The Crown Prince said.  

Da-hye wanted to end this conversation quickly. "Well, it seems as Uk has probably left already." Da-hye said. "I will be on my way now." Da-hye started walking away.

"Wait." The Crown Prince said. "It is late, I will take you home." 

"No, that is not needed." Da-hye declined. "I am sure you are very busy." She did not want to be around the Crown Prince any longer.

"No, I am not." The Crown Prince said. "I have nothing else to do, actually."

"I do not want to be a bother." Da-hye protested.

"You will not be." The Crown Prince said.  There was no way Da-hye could get out of this situation without seeming suspicious.

"Fine." Da-hye said. "We can walk together, Your Royal Highness."

"Yes." The Crown Prince said. "But, why does it seem like you do not want to be around me?" The Crown Prince stopped Da-hye.

To the Crown Prince, it seemed like Da-hye was trying to distance herself from him? Why? Did she not like him? Was she just playing with his feelings?

Da-hye was starting to get annoyed. How could the Crown Prince not know why she didn't want to around him? How could he not realize it was because he ignored her for so long? How could he not know that he was the problem?

"That is a misunderstanding." Da-hye said. "I did not mean to give off that impression." Da-hye apologized.

𝗢𝗵 𝗺𝘆, 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗜 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 😭. 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗼𝘁. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗜 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿.