Soo Hyuk shook his head, biting down on his finger absentmindedly, his eyes darting toward a bald, drunken man in the market square who was shamelessly picking his nose.
His face twitched in disgust.
"Jeez!" he cried, lightly smacking his own head.
How could he have been so brazen to say that to the king…?
He hadn't even thought it through. The words had simply slipped out of his mouth, and now he was burdened with the impossible task of finding someone who could protect the crown prince with their life—someone loyal, unwavering, and impossible to sway.
And where, exactly, was he supposed to find such a person?
Soo Hyuk slumped forward, his head hanging in frustration.
There was no one in the bustling market who looked even remotely capable of guarding the crown prince.
No one could be as brazen as Haesoo!
The thought crept into his mind uninvited, making his cheeks warm. He patted his face lightly, smiling to himself.
Where was that crazy woman anyway?
He hadn't seen her since that day.
Just as he was wondering, a familiar figure dashed past him.
Haesoo?
He jolted, snapping out of his thoughts.
No. Impossible. He must have imagined it—he'd been thinking about her too much.
Still, he inhaled instinctively.
"…Wow."
It really did smell like Haesoo.
Before he could think better of it, Soo Hyuk dropped his notepad—the one meant for jotting down potential candidates for the crown prince's secret guard—and followed after her, careful to keep his distance.
Where was she going?
He had been tailing her for nearly an hour now.
A strange thought suddenly crossed his mind.
His eyes widened.
She isn't involved in something illegal… right?!
His heart began to race.
He laughed nervously at himself.
No, that couldn't be it. She might be reckless, even insane—but she didn't seem like someone who would break the law.
Suddenly, Haesoo stopped.
Soo Hyuk froze.
Had she noticed him?
Panic surged through him. He quickly tried to hide, but his foot slipped on a wet stone.
His breath hitched.
He bit down hard on his lip to keep from crying out as his body slid down the slope, crashing violently into a rocky hollow beneath a large tree—like falling straight into the bottom of a ravine.
"Oof—!"
He groaned, teeth clenched, pain shooting through his body.
Dragging himself upright, he glanced around in alarm.
Where was he?
And worse—how was he supposed to get back?
A chill ran down his spine as the image of wolves lurking in the dark crept into his mind.
He shuddered.
No. No. Absolutely not.
Soo Hyuk turned on his heel and ran.
He had to find a way out before nightfall. Being remembered as the prince who got eaten by wolves was not how he wanted to go down in history.
He walked for a long time.
The sky slowly darkened, shadows stretching longer with every step.
Tears pricked the corners of his eyes.
He remembered the queen's constant warnings about his recklessness.
Mother…
A faint rustling sound made him flinch.
Then—figures.
Three men stood ahead.
Relief flooded him, and Soo Hyuk hurried toward them.
He laughed breathlessly, tapping one of them lightly on the shoulder.
"Excuse me—"
The man tilted his bamboo hat, revealing a faint, unsettling smile.
Soo Hyuk looked up.
His heart sank.
The man let out a short, humorless laugh.
"Long time no see."
Soo Hyuk stared at them, speechless.
How could fate be this cruel?
Of all people—these three.
The same market thugs.
He couldn't believe his luck. After bailing on Haesoo that day, he never imagined he'd run into them again—here of all places.
The man in the bamboo hat stepped closer, his smile turning cynical.
Soo Hyuk shrank back.
Dear heavens…
Being eaten by wolves wasn't enough—now he was going to be beaten to death too?
The three men grinned at him, eyes gleaming like a pack of wild beasts ready to devour their prey.
Soo Hyuk suddenly burst out laughing.
The thugs blinked, confused.
"What are you laughing at?" the leader demanded.
"What?" Soo Hyuk laughed harder. "Of course you—you ugly pigs!"
That did it.
They charged at him in rage.
Soo Hyuk dodged swiftly and swung his fist straight into the leader's groin.
"Ugh—!"
As the man crumpled in pain, the others lunged forward.
Soo Hyuk didn't wait.
Sensing his impending doom, he turned and bolted, screaming as he ran for his life, the furious thugs chasing after him through the darkening forest.