Where flowers wither {Completed}

Chapter forty three(a)

"He enters this house and comes out after hours and for some days he never does"
"I have been suspecting it has another exit somewhere"
He said in front of a small wooden house.

"Does that mean he knows you have been following him?"his friend asked.

"Hardly, he wouldn't be coming back here often if he did"
I remained quiet even though i am curious to what is going on.

"You should stay here, we will be out soon"

"No, let's go together"

"Here then" he said giving me his sword.
'How does he know i can use a sword?'

"What about you?"

"Don't worry"

"It is empty"
"And it doesn't look like a hideout"

"It looks bigger from the outside, meaning there's a hidden room here" i said.
I went on to knock on the walls but it didn't make the empty sound so we went on to check the floor.

"Knock! knock! knock!"
"It is here" his friend said lifting a rug.
He raised the lid up and Chae min went in first taking careful steps down the stairs.
'He is really fearless seeing how he entered without a sword'

There was a small shelve with books and a round table covered with maps and papers.

"What now?" I asked.
He went through the books and papers.

"They are smuggling iron today"
"There names are written too"

"Why would anyone make that mistake?"

"It is to ensure they won't betray each other"
"Let's pack everything plus the ropes and follow this door, they mustn't have gone far"
'He doesn't only want to follow a group of smugglers, he intends to capture them'

The King's POV.

"Your Majesty" the soldier i asked to watch my lady today came kneeling.

"Report"

"He went out of the palace but he wasn't alone, he was with another royal guard and his highness prince Chin mae"
"They went to a house at the end of the capital and after waiting for hours with no sign of them, i entered"
"But it was empty"

"Empty?where did they disappear to?"

"I haven't checked because i rushed here to report to your Majesty"

"Commander let's go"

Prince Chin mae's POV.

He sent his friend to fetch someone and reinforcements from the palace discreetly and we are now following the smugglers unnoticed.

"Why is it taking so long?" I whispered.

"Are you tired?"

"No, but the sun will set soon"

"They will rest too in a short while"

When it was dark they made a small fire and sat around it to eat.
My stomach churned.
"Should i get you something to eat?"

"In this dark forest? no don't bother"

"It is cold, i wish we could make fire too"
He started removing his upper garment.

"Here" he said placing it on my back.

"What are you doing?aren't you cold too?"

"I will collect it when your warm" he said going on to remove his hat.
Under the bright moon i could see he has a lot of hair and he looked like a woman even with the beard.
What if what his Majesty meant by they are not related is...
And seeing Ahn hyun ki's man here shows...

"One second" i said lifting his sleeve to analyze his wrist.
He jerked his hand away or should i say 'she' because there is no way a man can have a hand like that.

"I am sorry" i apologized.

The General definitely doesn't know what she is up to, then does that mean i now have the responsibility of protecting her?

"Chae min right?"

"Yes"

"Do you care for everyone like this?"

"Not everyone, it is because i like you"

"I am warm now take this back and use mine too"

The king's POV.
I have searched the house and the surrounding area but there was still no trace of her.

"The morning light is here i will go out and search" the Commander said.

"I will come with you"

As soon as we were out we saw the Ambassador and younger brother carrying a man with a black hood and some men being dragged by men in black with my lady following right behind them.

Yoo hwa's POV.

I made sure the iron was hidden properly before coming out of the forest.
It didn't take long for me to be pulled into the dark and i removed my dagger immediately.

"Your Majesty" i said startled dropping it to the ground.

"My lady, what is going on"

"The sun will rise soon so we have to get to the palace before people come out"
"I will explain everything later"
"Commander did you bring horses?"

"My lady"

"They are iron ore smugglers and the unconscious person is Ahn huyn ki's man"

"I will take him on my horse before he wakes up" the commander said.

"Nobody should know he is with us"

"I will be careful"

"Take my horse and return, you should be exhausted" his Majesty said.

"A guard on the king's horse?"

"I will take his Majesty's horse" the commander suggested.

"Do so" he replied.

"Let's hurry your highness"