Quick on her feet, Jin-Ri shot back, "Apologies, one of the wheels is stuck. I'll be out of your way soon," she reassured the guards. The head guard signaled to two others, instructing them to assist Jin-Ri with the cart. A chill ran down the court maiden's spine as she noticed the guards closing in, thinking, "Crap! They'll get suspicious of how heavy this cart is, the moment they try to lift it."
In a panic, Jin-Ri waved her hands and shook her head at the guards. "No need for assistance! I can handle it," she declared as the men approached. "It's all okay, no need to bother yourselves; this wheel just needs a little kick," she explained, tapping the food cart. Suddenly, the thin wooden door of the secret compartment creaked open, and Eri's arm flopped out.
Jin-Ri's eyes widened in horror, her heart pounding as she noticed the arm sticking out from the drapes. Fortunately, it was out of the guard's line of sight. "What are you staring at?" one guard asked.
"Me? Oh, nothing," she stammered, trying to discreetly shove the arm back into the compartment with her foot.
"Check it out," the head guard barked at the two nearest to Jin-Ri. They moved toward her side of the cart, curious about the commotion.
"Hong Jin-Ri!" a voice rang out. "You little rascal, what took you so long? I asked you to bring food!" It was Prince Young-Sik, swooping in to save the day.
Jin-Ri quickly dropped to her knees, feigning a deep bow before the prince to hide Eri's arm. "Forgive me, your Highness. The wheel got stuck, that is why I was late returning."
With a purposeful gait, Young-Sik made his way to the guard, while Kwan lent a hand to Jin-Ri to push Eri's arm back into the cart. "Is there a problem, guard?" the prince queried, addressing the prison guards.
The guards, maintaining their bows, replied, "No, your Highness. We were just on the verge of aiding the court maiden with her broken cart."
"Captain Gi, has the cart been fixed?" he pressed Kwan, who responded with a shake of his head as they both fought to close the cart's hidden door.
"How's the guard duty holding up tonight?" Young-Sik asked, his nerves palpable as he surveyed the guards. "You all good? Any troubles or worries I should know about?" he asked the guards in an awkward attempt to stall for time.
The guards exchanged bewildered looks, clearly thrown by the prince's concern. They turned back to him, all shaking their heads. But one guard, gathering his courage, raised his hand. "Yes, you—got something to share that might help us?" Young-Sik encouraged.
"Your Highness, to be honest, we're in dire need of new weapons and uniforms," the guard stated, responding to Young-Sik's inquiry.
The prince caught a glimpse of the two still grappling with the concealed door. Young-Sik, with a discreet kick, urged Kwan to hurry it up. "Oh, is that the case? Do you all feel the same way?" he asked the guards with a polite demeanor.
The guards, a bit shy, chorused, "Yes, Your Highness."
"All right, I'll take care of it," he promised them. Just then, Kwan and Jin-Ri finally managed to shut the door and sprang upright, startling the prince. "Wow! You nearly gave me a heart attack," he said, surprised by their sudden emergence.
"Is everything secure?" he queried Kwan, who nodded vigorously. "Then what are you two waiting for? You're dismissed," he said, playfully barking orders.
"If there's nothing else on the agenda, we're off now. I have a court maiden to deal with unless you're itching to peek inside the cart." The prince's challenge to the guards to inspect the cart drew a menacing look from Jin-Ri. Young-Sik shuddered under the weight of her fiery stare.
"There's no need for that, your Highness," the guards chimed in unison. "Who should we consult about our request, Your Highness?"
"Make your way to the supply department and let them know I've requested new weapons and uniforms for the prison guards," he directed. "We're taking our leave now."
"Thank you, Your Highness, your generosity knows no bounds," the guards all said in unison
Kwan and Jin-Ri swiftly pushed the cart, with Young-Sik trailing closely. Once they were out of the guards' line of sight, they sprinted toward a rarely patrolled area of the southern walls, where Mun-Hee was waiting on the other side.
As soon as they arrived, Kwan sprang into action, scaling the wall with agility. He hoisted the still-unconscious Eri while Young-Sik and Jin-Ri pushed her upward. Once she was secure, he lowered her into the waiting arms of Mun-Hee and Yeng, who nearly lost their balance catching Eri.
"Captain Gi, go assist them and escort them back. Stay out of sight," Young-Sik instructed in a hushed tone.
Kwan nodded, leaping over the wall to the other side. He, Mun-Hee, and Yeng carefully placed Eri into the hidden compartment of the rickshaw before making their way back to the Cherry Blossom.
Young-Sik and Jin-Ri smiled and giggled at each other, unable to believe what they had just done. Jin-Ri's smile and higgles were quickly stifled, which the prince immediately noticed. "Is there a problem?" he asked
The court maiden gave a bittersweet smile before replying, "All of this just made me remember my mother. I am left wondering if they are doing fine," She answered truthfully
Young-Sik understood how it is to worry for a loved one, took her hands, and softly spok,e "Would you like to visit them? We could swing by Mt. Yangge village before we continue to Guion,g" he offered
Jin-Ri's eyes twinkled when she heard what the prince said, "Really? Are you sure, wouldn't that prolong our travel to Guiong?"
"It will just be the two of us, we can meet up with the caravan before entering the Guiong border," Young-Sik replied eagerly
Jin-Ri enveloped the prince in a sweet embrace. "Thank you, thank you, Yong," she said before landing a passionate kiss on his lips.
Their kiss was interrupted when a soldier shone their patrol lights at the couple, asking at the same time. "Halt! Who goes there?"
The couple broke away from their tender moment, and the roaming guards shifted to panic when they recognized the prince. "Y-Your Highness, I beg your pardon...I had no idea it was you."
They quickly separated, feigning embarrassment at being discovered. "No harm done...just keep this between us, all right?" Young-Sik said, giving the guards a friendly pat on the shoulder. "So, where to next, Jin-Ri?"
"I'll be going this way, Your Highness... excuse my departure," she said, making a quick getaway.
"I'll take this route," Young-Sik announced, pointing the other way and walking off, leaving the guards scratching their heads.
"I never realized the prince was so reckless," one guard commented. "But to pull that off in public? Bold move."
"Yeah, but he can't do it where he lives," another guard replied. The rest looked at him, confused. "Seriously? With all those guards around, they'd find out. That's why they opted for this location."
The other guards shook their heads. "You're crazy, you," one of them blurted out. "He probably couldn't wait to get to his place, that's why."
"I told you all not to go here, you guys just wouldn't listen." Another chimed in, "Now what do you think he will do to us, for disturbing him?" he added
"Oh no...you think he will get angry at us, for butting in before he could score?" A guard asked nervously
"Let's just do as the prince says and never speak about this ever again," The guard leader advised the others. "Let's go continue our patrol."
The next day, the sun was already at its highest peak when the couple arrived at Jin-Ri's village. The prince looked at the condition of the people. "They're happy," Young-Sik cheerfully said
"After you drove that despicable man away from the village, we were slowly able to build our lives," Jin-Ri happily explained
Once they reached the far side of the village, Jin-Ri dismounted from her horse, and Young-Sik dismounted as well. "This is our house," Jin-Ri told Young-Sik. She gave the reins of her horse to the prince. "There is a small stable at the back of the house, I'll call my father and mother so you can meet them."
Jin-Ri went inside the house, while Young-Sik brought the horses to the stable. He just finished securing the horses and giving them water when he felt a nudge lightly from behind. He turned around and was surprised to see "Freya?" he patted his old horse on the head and stroked its long hair. "What are you doing here? It's nice to see you again, my old friend," he exclaimed
"Yong, these are my..." Jin-Ri enthusiastically called out, but she was interrupted by an equally enthusiastic Young-Sik
"Jin-Ri, you wouldn't believe it..." he turned around "... it's Freya." he stopped talking the moment he recognized the old couple she was introducing to him
"My word, he's the kind soldier who gave us his horse," Seuk revealed while pointing at Young-Sik
Dam quickly smiled at Young-Sik. "How have you been, my boy? It's been a while since we last saw each other."
Young-Sik bowed to the couple, "I'm glad to see you both again."
Jin-Ri, confused at the situation, could only ask, "You all know each other?"
In the heart of the Hong home, the family was gathered around the table, enjoying a simple meal. Seuk looked at Young-Sik and asked, "So, you're the prince?"
"Yes, sir, that's me," Young-Sik replied, trying to keep it low-key.
"Dad, he's already told you that a bunch of times," Jin-Ri piped up, clearly annoyed.
"Well, I just can't believe I'm sitting with royalty! And he's dating my daughter—my future son-in-law! I just had to confirm it," Seuk said, defending his excitement against Jin-Ri's sharp glare.
"Guess who's back!" Dam announced as she strolled into the house, setting a basket down by the wooden stove. She got to work grilling sweet potatoes and fish. "I'm sorry, but we weren't quite ready to host the prince, and this is all we could whip up on such short notice," she explained with a hint of humility.
Young-Sik shook his head, a big grin on his face. "Oh, this is more than enough, ma'am! No need to fuss over more food."
Dam inquired, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Now, now, don't be silly! It's our son-in-law's first visit, after all. So, when's the wedding?"
Jin-Ri, caught off guard, ended up spitting her drink everywhere. "Mom, what is wrong with? What on earth are you talking about?"
"What? We can't call him our son-in-law? Is that even legal?" Seuk shot back at his daughter, clearly baffled.
Young-Sik held Jin-Ri's hands, giving her a reassuring look. "Don't worry, I'm totally fine with whatever you want to call me," he said to her parents.
"See? He's cool with it," Dam chimed in, trying to ease the tension.
"Your Highness! Are you there?" a voice called from outside.
"Who's that?" Jin-Ri wondered aloud, peeking out the window. Her eyes widened in shock. "The whole village? Why is everyone gathered outside our house? And how did they find out Yong is here?" She turned to her mother, who was nervously fidgeting. "Mom, what did you do?"
All eyes turned to Dam, who looked a bit sheepish. "I... might have mentioned to a few friends that my Jinnie is dating the prince."