Chapter Text
The bustling city streets were alive with chatter and activity, the market stalls brimming with vibrant colors and enticing aromas. Yona, cloaked in a simple dress to conceal her identity, couldn’t help but feel exposed among the crowd. Hak had only left her side for a moment to fetch water, but already she felt a strange unease.
She turned down a narrow alley to catch her breath, pressing her back against the cool stone wall. She was no stranger to the city’s chaos, but today her instincts buzzed with alarm.
“Yona.”
The voice sent a chill down her spine, a blend of warmth and sorrow she hadn’t heard in years. She turned, and there he was—Soo-Won.
His golden eyes widened as they met hers, a mix of shock and something unreadable flickering across his face. She took a step back, but the narrow space between the walls left her nowhere to go.
“Don’t,” she warned, her voice steadier than she felt.
Soo-Won raised his hands, palms outward, as if to show he meant no harm. The sound of soldiers barking orders echoed faintly in the distance, growing louder. They must have been looking for someone—her, no doubt.
“They’ll see you,” Soo-Won said softly, his tone urgent. Without waiting for her response, he shrugged off his cloak and stepped closer. “Trust me, just for this moment.”
Yona hesitated, every fiber of her being screaming not to trust the man who had torn her world apart. Yet the footsteps drew nearer, and instinct overrode caution. She allowed him to drape the heavy fabric over her, his arm wrapping around her shoulders as he pulled her close to his chest.
The scent of cedar and faint traces of ink filled her senses, grounding her in the surreal moment. His hold was protective, almost tender, as if for a fleeting instant, they weren’t enemies.
The soldiers marched past the alley, their armor clinking loudly. Yona held her breath, Soo-Won’s heartbeat steady against her ear. When the sound faded, he released her, taking a deliberate step back.
“You should leave the city,” he said, his voice low but firm.
Yona pushed the cloak from her shoulders, glaring at him. “And why do you care?”
He didn’t answer, only offered her a faint, bittersweet smile that made her chest tighten. “Be safe, Yona.”
Before she could respond, Hak’s voice rang out nearby, sharp with concern. “Princess! Where are you?”
Yona turned instinctively toward the sound, and when she glanced back, Soo-Won was already gone, disappearing into the crowd like a shadow swallowed by the sun.
Hak rounded the corner moments later, his gaze scanning her from head to toe. “Are you all right? What happened?”
Yona clutched the edges of her dress, her mind reeling. “It’s nothing. Let’s go.”
But as Hak led her back toward the bustling streets, Yona couldn’t shake the lingering warmth of Soo-Won’s embrace or the weight of the unspoken words between them.