The Royalty ||Park Sunghoon FF||

Chapter 12

"Lord, when shall I grow accustomed to this weird sensation of teleporting? It makes me feel quite nauseated." Nari murmured, rubbing her temples in mild distress.

"I understand, my dear. It is difficult at first; however, once you become familiar with it, teleportation will feel like you are in another of life’s fantasies." Raven responded with a gentle smile, her words making a smile from Nari as well.

"Let us follow this wall and reach the village as swiftly as we can. Taeoh maybe awaiting our arrival." Nari stated, taking purposeful steps forward, with Raven trailing closely behind her.

"Nari, when was the last occasion you had... some blood?" Raven inquired suddenly, her tone both casual and yet curiously intent.

"The day you arrived at the palace. I had a little that morning with Taeoh. Why do you ask?" Nari replied, a tinge of surprise in her voice.

"Oh, it's nothing." Raven shrugged, attempting to appear nonchalant, though her abrupt question left Nari with a faint frown. Together, they quickened their pace toward the village gates.

Standing right out side the gates their eyes vigilant for any palace guards. To their surprise, only a sparse few guards were present, which allowed them to slip through with relative ease. However, to their dismay, they soon noticed numerous wanted posters displaying Raven's likeness plastered across the village.

"What shall we do now? They will recognize me immediately if I enter openly." Raven whispered, casting a wary glance around. Nari, however, merely smiled, reaching into her side bag to retrieve something.

"Wear this." she instructed, handing over a face covering. "It is a standard mask worn by palace guards. Fortunately, I thought to bring two, as I suspected we might need them."

"But Nari." Raven replied, a bit hesitantly, "won't people think us strange, wearing these in such sweating weather?"

"Do you have another option?" Nari countered with a raised brow, gesturing towards three men nearby, each wearing similar face covers. She began tying her hair to fit beneath the helmet, securing the face cover. Resigned, Raven followed suit, recognizing the necessity.

Abruptly, Raven drew Nari into a tight embrace, taking her by surprise.

"I will miss you, Nari." Raven murmured, her embrace tightening.

Nari, momentarily startled, responded warmly, "Raven, don't worry, I will see you again soon, I assure you. Let us focus now on fulfilling our task to ensure the success of our plan." She stroked Raven's back reassuringly. After a few more moments in each other’s arms, they pulled apart, exchanging smiles of encouragement.

They entered the village, adopting an air of nonchalance to avoid unwanted attention. At last, after weaving through the bustling crowded village forks, Nari spotted Taeoh standing near a vendor. She signaled to Raven, and they made their way toward him.

"Is there anything I can assist you with?" Taeoh inquired, his brow furrowed in mild confusion as he regarded their disguised faces. Raven and Nari exchanged glances, equally perplexed by his lack of recognition.

"Taeoh, it’s us." Nari whispered, giving him a playful tap on the shoulder. Realization dawned on his face, and he immediately broke into laughter.

"What’s so amusing?" Raven asked, her tone slightly annoyed.

"Well, I daresay you both look utterly ridiculous! Was there truly no better way to hide yourselves?" Taeoh chuckled, only to receive a hard hit from Nari, prompting him to immediately stop his laughter.

"Much better. Now, let us proceed." Nari said, casting him a stern look.

"You’re remarkably strong." Taeoh muttered, rubbing his arm where Nari had hit him.

"Follow me." Taeoh said, leading them toward a secluded alleyway, where a brown horse was tied.

"Raven, mount the horse." Taeoh instructed, gesturing to the animal.

"I can manage on my own." Raven replied defiantly, her eyes glowing with a fiery red hue.

"Raven." Nari interjected, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, "use the horse. Expending your powers further will only weaken you."

"Weaken me? Whatever do you mean?" Raven asked, a hint of uncertainty creeping into her voice.

"No need to feign strength; I can tell you’re thirsty. You haven’t had blood in days, have you?" Nari noted gently, causing Raven to clear her throat, clearly embarrassed.

"You noticed?" Raven admitted, finally settling herself on the horse. Nari gave a reassuring nod.

"I shall see both of you again soon. For now, farewell, Taeoh, and Princess Nari." Raven said, bowing respectfully before slowly  urging the horse forward.

"Follow the alley, and at its end, jump the low fence with your horse to reach the forest. From there, follow the trail; it will lead you beyond the kingdom's boundaries." Taeoh quickly instructed, earning a nod from Raven.

"Take these." Nari offered, handing Raven a small pouch of gold coins and a water flask, bringing a grateful smile to her friend’s lips as she mouthed a silent thank-you before riding off.

As Raven disappeared from view, Nari released a quiet sigh of relief. "It feels as though a great weight has been lifted. I feared for Raven’s safety here, but now, she may be safe once more."

Removing her face cover, Nari glanced at Taeoh, who chuckled lightly.

"What now?" she inquired, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Were you overheated under that?" Taeoh teased, stepping a little closer to Nari, who looked up at him with surprise. Standing together in the narrow alleyway, Taeoh reached out, gently brushing back a few damp strands of hair clinging to her forehead. His touch sent a jolt through her, as she suddenly became acutely aware of the closeness between them. He tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled softly.

"Much better." he murmured, his gaze meeting hers. Momentarily flustered, Nari cleared her throat, stepping back.

But before she could process her thoughts further, an ominous whisper echoed in her mind: "He is using you. He is using you."

Nari's eyes widened as she looked at Taeoh, her expression troubled.

"Dont Tell me you didn't hear that…?” she murmured, frozen in place.

"Hear what? Are you hearing the whispers again?" Taeoh asked, concern in his eyes. Nari nodded, her voice barely above a whisper.

"But this time, it was different. Usually, it just repeats 'puppet' endlessly. But now… it said 'he is using you.'"

"What could that mean? I doubt it’s a good omen." Taeoh muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, clearly unsettled.

"Let’s see if it says anything more. For now, it’s nothing we need to dwell on." Nari replied, taking a deep breath and stepping forward, with Taeoh following close behind, silent yet watchful.

════ ✣✤✣ ════

Guys, sooo sorry for the late updates of the story. I have been busy lately and couldn't type any. I will try to update frequently as much as possible. ♥️♥️

Please vote the story and follow my account so that I can be encouraged to post more frequently. ♡♡♡♡♡