Joseon Dynasty, late 18th century.
Nestled within a kingdom rich in tradition and cloaked in secrecy, a rebellious noblewoman flees her home the night before her wedding, donning the humble guise of a palace maid. Little does she know, within the pa...
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(Lee Hyun's POV)
Jasmine. He could smell a very faint scent of jasmine mixed along with the scents of fig, lavender, citrus, and honey.
His mind, fuzzy with the complexity of the multi-layered fragrance, wanted to draw nearer to the source - he wanted to smell more of it.
"Yah! Gwaenchanha? Are you hurt anywhere else?"
Hyun Woo, startled, opened his eyes and found himself staring into the most beautiful pair of hazel eyes he had ever seen. They were almond-shaped, framed by long, dark lashes that accentuated their depth. The face they belonged to was petite yet perfectly proportioned, with delicate features.
As he gazed into those mesmerizing eyes, Hyun Woo felt a strange mixture of awe and curiosity wash over him. The person in front of him was... She was...
"Yeppeuda," Hyun Woo rasped out.
"What? Appeuda? Where? Where does it hurt?" Concern filled the girl's voice.
Hyun Woo blinked a few times, trying to focus. "Where...where am I?" he asked, his voice weak.
"Don't worry. You're safe now," she replied. "We were chased by bandits. You were wounded, and I brought you here. You fainted as soon as we arrived."
Flashbacks of the recent events came crashing back to Hyun Woo.
"So you're the masked man?" Hyun Woo asked, flustered and somehow, disappointed. And here I thought this person was a woman. His features are so delicate for a man and his scent...
"Oh, t-thank you so m-much... for... saving me." Hyun Woo tried to sit up, but as soon as he did, pain shot through his wounded thigh, and he groaned in pain.
He saw blood seeping through the fresh bandage on his thigh. Blood. His head started spinning. Blood. His heart raced. Blood. His ears rang. Blood. He couldn't breathe. Blood...
"Yah! Yah! What's wrong?" Her voice seemed distant. Before he could utter another word, he blacked out.
He woke up once again to a murmur of voices around him.
"Thank you so much for rescuing my friend."
It was Soo Jin. Thank the heavens.
"It's fine. I just happened to pass him by when the bandits were trying to capture him. It's no big deal."
The person Soo Jin was talking to sounded vaguely familiar.
"Thank you, once again. I don't know how to repay you."
"Ayyy don't bother. It's fine. It's fine. A true gentleman should never walk away from a man in need."
Hyun Woo woke up and rolled to the side of his uninjured thigh.
"Your High-... Hyun Woo-yah!" Soo Jin rushed to his side. "Are you okay? I was so worried about you!"
"His wound isn't bleeding anymore. I changed the cloth upon discovering your friend right here is afraid of blood." The stranger declared teasingly.
Hyun Woo felt his ears and cheeks warm and he shot the man a glare. Only then did his face register to him.
"Hey! You're the thief!"
"Wow, unbelievable. I rescued you from a bunch of real thieves, brought you to my precious greenhouse..." Hyun Woo looked around and surveyed his surroundings. The place was decent, clean, and smelled really amazing. "...and even changed your blood-soaked clothes because you were afraid of blood. And you still call me a thief? Such an ungrateful accusing bastard, you are!" The man seethed.
"I-I-," Hyun Woo stuttered unable to say any retort. "Yah! Who said I'm afraid of blood?"
"Aigooo. Very well, young master," the man said in a voice similar to that of a mother coddling her newborn son. "It's okay if you're afraid of blood. It doesn't make you less of a man." He continued mocking Hyun Woo.
"Gami! Shut up!" Hyun Woo shouted reprovingly. He could see and feel himself turning a deep shade of red. Honestly, he was indeed afraid of blood.
One time, when his mother pricked the tip of his finger to alleviate his tummy ache, he fainted, causing quite a stir among his attendants. As a result, the queen mandated that all palace servants ensure the prince would not be exposed to blood, forbidding him from attending strenuous activities that could potentially harm him. He was also ashamed of the fact that he lacked skill in swordsmanship and martial arts because of this.
"Hyun Woo-yah, let's save the bickering for next time. It's urgent. We really need to go."
To the man, Soo Jin said, "Once again, thank you so much for your help. You have no idea how much you've helped me. I will make sure you're compensated for everything." He finished with a bow and even pulled Hyun Woo to bow along with him.
Reluctantly, Hyun Woo mumbled, "Thank you for helping me."
"Mwo? I can't hear you," the man teased, pretending not to hear.
"Aisssshh... you're really pushing it..." The guy knew exactly how to get on his nerves
The man laughed. Even his laugh sounded so un-manly for Hyun Woo. He really looked and sounded like a woman.
"Ppalli ga!" The man shooed them away, "I bet your parents are already looking for you kids since it's almost curfew."
"C-curfew? Already? How long did I pass out?" Hyun Woo asked Soo Jin.
The man answered instead of Soo Jin, "The whole day, nauri. You were unconscious for the whole day due to your fear of blood."
Hyun Woo was dragged away by Soo Jin out the door before he could say anything.
"You should teach your friend how to fight," the man faced Soo Jin. "You're a swordsman. Next time, don't leave your babo of a friend roaming around Hanyang if he doesn't know how to fend for himself." Before they could say anything, the man slammed the door at them.
"Aish! That guy..." Hyun Woo attempted to kick the door with his injured leg and winced in pain. He totally forgot about his wound.
His whole leg throbbed in pain by his sudden movement and he could feel the cut open up again.
Eunuch Bang is sure to faint from shock when he sees this," Hyun Woo thought to himself. "Well, I'll probably follow suit right after him," he chuckled.
"I apologize, mama, but we really should hurry now before the curfew bell rings," Soo Jin shot him a worried look while hooking an arm around his friend to support him. "Let's talk about everything once we get you safe inside your quarters."
