𝑫𝑬𝑺𝑰𝑹𝑬 || 𝐽𝑢𝑛𝑔 𝑊𝑜𝑜𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑔✔

Chapter 6

Wooyoung PV

"And thank goodness you're an army officer"
San teases me, while he manages to hit me with the foil.

"I'm letting you win, dear Earl Choi"
We continue to tease each other until we hear a strong thunder, and decide to return from the gardens before a storm arrives.

"I told you not to let her go in this weather!"
Entering the corridors, we find the two grooms, Hongjoong and Seonghwa, discussing out loud.

"What happens?"
San asks in an authoritative tone.
"Hea left to go to the market a few hours ago, but only her horse came back!"
Hongjoong responds in agitation.
"I'm going to look for her-"
"I'm going"
I say interrupting Seonghwa.

"This is no time to be a hero Wooyoung. It is dangerous to ride a horse now."
"She may need help San, I have to go"
I certainly won't stay here knowing that she's out there alone, with a storm coming.

"Hongjoong seddle me the horse."
I say, convinced of my decision.

_____________________________________

Hea PV

I open my eyes, feeling pain in my head.
It takes me a few seconds to realize that I'm lying on the ground, and then I remember the thunder and my runaway horse.

Unable to move, I close my eyes in exhaustion, feeling drops of rain fall on my face.

I feel movement, and I begin to wake up, realizing that I am on a horse, held by arms.
"Don't move Hea. We arrived"
I recognize Wooyoung's voice behind me.

After a while, despite the heavy rain, I see a shed hidden among the trees of the forest.
"We will stay here until the rain stops"
The Earl tells me, helping me get off the horse.

I enter the shed, and I find myself facing the opposite of what I expected.

The ruined walls outside give the illusion that it is an abandoned place;
While inside it is a very welcoming environment, and it might even seem habited, seeing the covers on a sofa and the embers in the fireplace.

"You'll get cold"
Wooyoung says putting a blanket over my shoulders.
"Thanks"
I tell him when I find him in front of me.

"Why did you go out with this weather? You could hurt yourself by falling off your horse"
He tells me in a harsh tone, and continues to rub his hands on my arms to warm me.

"They needed the last things for the ball"
"It is not you who has to deal with these matters. Never do it again Hea, I got worried"
His words seem sincere to me, and I would celebrate, knowing that he cared for me.

"But ... you're injured"
He suddenly says, fixing his gaze on my shoulder.
I look at myself, and I see a red spot on my clothes at shoulder height;
The fall caused me pain everywhere, and I didn't realize it.

"Come here, sit down, let me have a look"
He says, pointing to the sofa in the center of the room, while he takes off his black jacket.
And so he remains wearing only the white shirt, completely attached to his soggy body, and my gaze cannot avoid to wander over his slim and sculpted body.

"Untie the dress"
He tells me, and I barrel my eyes.
"Forgive me, but I have to see the wound"
He seems to understand my discomfort, and tries to reassure me.

I do as he says and let him do it;
I thought I would feel uncomfortable, or that he would take advantage of it, but every time I turned to him, his gaze was always attentive to the wound as he treated me.

"Done, try not to move it that much. Otherwise you won't be able to dance tonight"
He tells me, covering me again.
"I can not dance"
"Why? I demand a dance tonight"
He smiles at me, lighting the fire in the fireplace in front of me.

"I-"
I don't know what to answer, his attitude towards me continues to surprise me.
"You what Hea?"
His tone deepens, and he sits next to me without ever looking away from my eyes.

I can't answer anymore, I'm lost in his dark eyes and his still wet hair that falls on his face.
I move to his full lips and then return to his eyes, which are now on my lips..
And I'm afraid I won't be able to keep my promise to my friend.