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Jang Uk had underestimated all the palace guards. He thought that just because he knew Chisu, he could easily beat them. Well, he was wrong.
10-15 palace guards were in front of him, while on the other hand, he was alone. Swords in their hands, they began to fight.
Uk managed to beat them all by the spells he learnt from all the other ten mages. But he did not leave unscathed. He had cuts all over his face, bruises on his arms, and his whole body sore.
He managed to catch 3 soul shifters with Mater Lee, Yul, and Danggu. Thinking they caught all of the soul shifters, they left the palace and went their separate ways for the night.
Uk felt extremely weak and knew seeing Mudeok would help his pain. And so, he filled his red jade egg with his energy, calling for Mudeok.
They followed the jades and the beating of their hearts, leaving them to meet on the very bridge they saw each other when Uk was trapped in Songrim.
“Is this what you meant when you said the jade has powers?” She asked, eyes on the brightly lit blue egg in the palm of her hands.
“Yea. Once you fill it up with energy, it’ll make your heart pound and the jade will lead you to your other half, which is me,” He informed her with a smile on his face despite all the pain he was in.
“That’s so interesting!” She replied, smiling at how special this jade really is. Her smile immediately dropped at the sight of Uk’s injured face. She was well aware he didn’t get them while training, so now she was wondering where he had been and why he’s injured.
“What happened to your face?” She asked, panic in her voice as she quickly lifted her hand to trace his wounds with her fingers, remembering to be careful as to not hurt him.
“It’s nothing. I just had to go to the palace with Master Lee, Yul, and Danggu,”
He let her examine his face while he just stared back at hers.
“We should go to Sejukw-” she stopped herself from speaking, knowing if they do go there, they’d meet Lady Heo. Mudeok didn’t want that. She loathed the sight of them together.
Jang Uk immediately caught on and continued her sentence for her, “-on. Yes. We should go. My whole body hurts so I think I should stay for a few days,”
“I don’t think we should go. I can just treat you at home,”
“Oh! I can probably meet Lady Heo there. I’ve been wanting to for a while,” he pushed her buttons even more, trying to see how far she’ll hold out.
“Why would you want to meet her?”
“I just feel like it,”
His words started to hurt her a bit. He said he missed her. He even gave her his naive and sincere confession. So why is he coveting another woman who was not her?
She rolled her eyes, turning away from him, “Whatever. You do what you want,”
She began to walk away, leaving him all alone on the bridge. His sudden grip on her arm stopped her from going any further.
“Why are you getting annoyed?” He asked.
“Who said I’m annoyed?” She said, started to get mad at how oblivious he was to how his words affected her.
“I can clearly see that you’re annoyed. Tell me. Just what is annoying you?”
“I don’t want you to go to Sejukwon to see that lady!”
Mudeok couldn’t hold it in any longer. If she didn’t confess now, it’d be too late and Jang Uk will already be with Lady Heo.
Jang Uk’s gaze on her softened, realizing how she truly felt when he was busy teasing her.
“Why?”
“Because I like you. I hate seeing you with her. It gets me all mad and I don't want you next to any other woman other than me,” her voice, soft and low, confessed what she felt for her young master.
“I truly do like you, young master. I do not wish to see you with any more injuries knowing that if you do, it will lead you to see Lady Heo,”
They stared at each other in silence, as if time stopped for the two of them.
Uk took two steps closer, breaking the silence at that moment.
“Then keep loving me to death. Keep loving me until you get sick of me. Keep loving me until you don’t need me in your life anymore. Because I know that I will keep loving you til’ death do us part,”
“Then that’s what I’ll do,” She closed the space left between them with one big step, pulling Uk into a tender kiss.
Uk’s hands found their way to her waist, pulling her closer if possible.
They kissed under the moonlight, not caring about all the people around.
It was just him and her with no care to anyone in the world.