The Flower Among the Flames

Chapter 19

"Is this really wise? I'm pretty sure that if Zhu sees you talking to me, let alone sees me with you, he'd kill us." Seulgi shook his head at the woman as she began pounding against every inch of the walls, seemingly looking for...something. They were nearing the ground floor, and Seulgi felt it would be very uncomfortable to be seen with her like this. One mention of the fact that he was a part-time detective and she was all of a sudden going into Detective Dee mode. Although amusing, it only further reminded Seulgi of his task and that Belefidas was raging in his head. Best not think about the Doomsayer lest he gain some influence over him.

Zhao Meng turned her head to face Seulgi and cracked a smirk. She had told him what Zhu ordered her to do while Seulgi had to wait outside. He was not pleased and was visibly concerned. It was nice to see that he cared about her somewhat, but Seulgi should have nothing to fear of it. Zhao Meng defied the General plenty of times, and the harshest punishment she ever had was solitary confinement for three days. No big deal.

"What's that?" she playfully sneered. "Afraid of the General, are we?"

"Afraid for you," He corrected her, standing firm from the foot of the stairs. "Anyway you look at it, I could be executed anytime and anywhere. General Zhu just needs to say the word, and it's done. You on the other hand..."

He did have a point, she realized, and it was surprising that Zhao Meng did not think about it until now. Seulgi was a prisoner of war. That was an established fact, but since he was Zhu's prisoner, he could be executed whenever Zhu felt the need for it. It was a scary realization for her, but her stubbornness in defying the man's order still stood tall. Zhu wasn't her father and to order no social contact with a prisoner under her charge was counterintuitive. In other words, it made no sense.

"Worry about yourself," she scowled, her attention returned to the scarred walls. Funny. He had told her the very same thing moments ago. However, in truth, Zhao Meng did worry for his safety. His security and the chances of making it out alive were getting slimmer by the minute. Would her interactions with Seulgi cause trouble for him and lead to his death? She hoped not. Zhao Meng had no intentions for not speaking to him. Seulgi was like the only sane person left around her.

"Okay," Seulgi grumbled. "Stop touching the walls. You are not going to find anything about this...child-ghost-thing by running your hands on every scratch and splinter. The keep is too damn big to scour the walls."

She slapped her hands against her legs and spun around to face him. Zhao Meng snapped, "Well then why don't you suggest a better idea, Mr. Detective?"

"Don't call me that," Seulgi said flatly. "I suggest we return to the...'cell.'"

"That's your big idea?" she exclaimed. "That's the same thing as doing nothing!"

"Nothing can be something," Seulgi shrugged. "We are tired. I am tired. I haven't slept for at least a day. Investigating without full concentration will lead to nothing but frustration and paranoia. Plus, we have nothing to go with in the first place."

"Yes, we do," she argued. "We heard the voices, and I had that strange dream."

"True," Seulgi shook his head. "But those are not considered evidence."

"How so?"

"Well, they are, but not the sort that you go touching and examining every inch of the keep," Seulgi admitted. "The voice and the dream; they are intangible. Verbal evidence. We need physical tangible evidence like a secret passage, a body, or a blood trail."

"We have that too," She rolled her eyes. "The bodies outside, remember? And what the hell do you think I am looking for?! I'm not doing this because I think it's fun, you know!"