ambrosial

XVI. The truth

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┌─∘°❉°∘ 𝘼𝙘𝙩 16...!¡ the truth
NOH WOL  ___________  (노월)
.·:*¨༺ want to continue? ༻¨*:·.
YES NO
⋘ 𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡...

"Yeah... I'm not sure you fully do," she sounded softly, keeping her eyes downcast to avoid looking at his. She knew there was no point in trying to skirt around what they were about to talk about.

"What? You were going to tell me that Mudeok stole the red book. Right?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Wol sighed, her lashes falling on her cheekbones while she massaged her temples. "I have something to say but I don't know if you will like what it is."

"I don't like a lot of things you do or say, but that doesn't stop me from liking you..." He trailed off. "As a friend, of course!"

"No, I know," she said, shaking her head as if she was forcing herself to stop expecting any other feelings from him. "Is it okay if we talk somewhere else? I'm not sure if this is the best place for me to tell you this."

"Do you want to come with me to the tavern?" Yul asked, staring intently at Wol. You might mistake it for some sort of attraction if another person looked at you like that but for Yul, it was simply a matter of respect.

"That sounds nice," she said, smiling as both of them made their way out.

The scorching light of the sun reflected off of Wol's pulled-back hair. She lifted her hand to feel it and hissed when she realized that it was steaming hot. "I loathe extreme weather," she scoffed.

"Is that so?" Yul chuckled.

"Yeah that's so," she scoffed with a roll of eyes. The sun was starting to get on her nerves as her hair was burning and sweat started to envelop her forehead. Even with the shade provided by the small shelters nearby, it was of no help in the weather that was more intense than summer. She etched a scowl on her face that she was certain wasn't going to leave for a while.

Yul glanced at the lass beside him a few times before reaching inside his pocket. His hand scuffled through it and pulled out a white satin towel with baby blue lining. He pulled Wol's arm, gesturing her to stop as he slowly placed the towel in her hands. "Here, this might help."

Wol paused, feeling the luxurious material of the towel on her hands. Her eyes shifted to the man beside her. Her lips curved into a small smile and without another word, she pressed it to her forehead.

"Thank you," she murmured, the towel feeling like a blessing, soothing her reddened face.

Wol was silent the rest of the way to the tavern, her gaze fixed on the towel while her hands compressed it into a ball. Once they arrived at the tavern, Wol followed Yul to a booth in the back. She lowered herself into a chair with a sigh, leaning against the backrest.

"So... what were you going to say?" Yul inquired, looking at the lass. She glanced back at the towel, squeezing it a little tighter.

"Why don't you tell me first? What were you wanting to say to me? Back in Uk's house?" Wol asked, swallowing the nervous lump in her throat.

"Oh. Right," he cleared his throat. "Mudeok. It's about her."

"You know?" Wol asked.

"I— that she stole the book?"

"No. The other thing."

"I think. Do you think it's true?" he asked.

Wol simply nodded. "We know she stole the book. But why? She took your whistle. But why? She knew the exact tune. But How? We heard she was blind. But now she can see perfectly well. But How? There's one answer to all of this. She has got to be Naksu."

Yul sighed. "We can't be sure. If she is Naksu, she would've attacked the majority of us by now."

Wol shook her head. "That's what I was wondering about too. But maybe...she lost her powers when she shifted? Think about it, why else would she be helping Uk? Keep your friends close but your enemies closer. She must be taking advantage of him..."

Yul nodded. "That makes a lot of sense. She might attack us when she gets the chance. She must be trying to evoke the energy inside her again."

"We must keep a close watch on her," Wol spoke as she started sweating a little again. She patted the satin kerchief over her forehead. "We must tell Uk."

"No," Yul said.

Wol was taken aback by this refusal. She had expected his immediate agreement and instead, he had denied her. "What? Why not?" she demanded. "We need to warn Uk. We need to prepare ourselves in case she attacks."

She waited for him to finish his thoughts and then he spoke again, sounding reluctant. "I don't think we should tell him until we have stronger evidence. And I mean solid evidence that can't be disproven. It will only make him worry unnecessarily until then. The poor man is going through a lot already."

They sat in silence for a good minute, unsure of what course of action to take.

"Do you think Naksu is trying to kill him?" Yul asked.

"No. She's trying to save him. Be in his favor. That way when the time comes, he'll be there to support her. I think she is trying to turn him against us..." Wol said.

"No way," Yul stated firmly. "That's not her. She might be brutal but she wouldn't stoop that low."

Wol felt a sudden surge of discomfort in the pit of her stomach as if her insides were twisting into knots. Despite everything that had happened, he still had feelings for Naksu.

Wol was silent for a while, her lips pressed in a thin line. She wanted to argue but how could she, when he knew her better? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting out slow and steady. She was agitated and it was written all over her face. Yul could guess.

"So, we are going to wait." She leaned her head onto her palm, feeling the sweat on her skin. "And what if she simply decides to kill him? Then what?"

Wol's head snapped around as she heard a sudden deep bass voice from behind her. Surprised, she turned to see the crown prince standing there, his presence commanding the attention of everyone in the room. "Kill whom?" he asked, his tone curious yet authoritative. "Are you talking about Jang Uk?"