Chapter Text
“Look. The maids are here with the water.”
“Finally, the general’s training is going to kill me.”
Said general just laughs at the men’s terrible shape while he stands in perfect posture. Abby doesn’t understand why they are so tired already, a soldier should have enough stamina to endure this much. But then again not everyone has a body like his, perfect abs in full display, especially since his shirt is off.
“More like the fan club is here.” One of the guards snickers. The group of maids giggle amongst themselves as they prepare the water, not so subtly taking peeks at the general’s glistening muscles dripping with sweat. “That one over there might need some water herself for how thirsty she is.”
Abby turns to the maid that was mentioned. He finds himself looking at a girl with dark hair tied up into two buns, unabashedly staring with a terribly suppressed smile. Too distracted, the cup she is pouring water into starts to overflow without her noticing. It isn’t until her friend nudged her that she realised how much of a mess she made, leaving her chuckling awkwardly before finally looking away. He can still see her slightly messing up despite properly focusing on her task.
Cute. Abby thinks as he walks towards the group with his fellow soldiers.
The ladies start handing over the drinks, smiling politely as they pass the cups along. Abby gets closer to the girl who caught his attention, who further beams when she sees him.
“Oh hello. Would you like some water? What am I saying? Of course you do, you have been training for hours.” She says as she pours a cup of water for him. He thanks her, drinking as he secretly glances at her. Slightly shorter than the rest and freckles decorating her face, she has a certain charm that shines. Maybe it is because most of the palace servants are trained to be prim and proper, that’s why seeing someone who wears their heart on their sleeves is so refreshing.
“Do you need another cup? Or maybe a cloth? It is rather hot today, don’t want you and the other guards to faint from the heat. It is never good to overwork yourself. I have a friend who is like that and I have to make sure she doesn’t over do it. Also…”
”Calm down little lady. We know you are the general’s number one fan but you are doing too much.” The guard from earlier chimes in, earning a few laughs from the other men. The girl’s face immediately sours, her mouth opens as if she wants to say something in retort but the words are stuck in her mouth.
”And you are going too far. Go and give me twenty laps.” The guard begins to laugh again until he realises from the stern look that he wasn’t joking around. Defeatedly, he leaves and goes on another round of training hell.
”Sorry about him. I don’t think you are doing too much. It shows how much you care about me…I mean us soldiers.” Abby quickly adds the last part, not wanting to sound overly egoistical. But from the sunny smile he is getting, he realises he is overthinking too much.
”Thank you general Abby. You didn’t have to do that. I heard your training is extremely tough so I kind of feel bad now.” She looks behind Abby’s large frame, the guard already dying and seeing heaven’s gates.
“Ignore him,” a strange possession washes over him, wanting to keep the girl’s attention on him. “It seems like you already know my name. Wouldn’t it be fair for me to know yours?” He bends down more so that he could make better eye contact, loving the way her cheeky grin widens more.
”It’s Zoey. And is it weird for me to know who you are? I mean you are a popular topic in the maid chambers.” Zoey clamps her mouth, as if she just exposed a major secret.
“Am I now? Is it my abs? The royal painter once told me they wanted to paint them.” Abby laughs, throwing a playful wink as he gestures to his body.
“What happens in the maid chambers, stays in the maid chambers,” Zoey giggles and winks back at him, “But you have plenty of other good qualities other than your physique.”
The man’s brain paused for a moment. No one has ever told him that. Every one of his men always jokes about his rigid training, complaining how unfair it is for him to be born with ungodly stamina to get such a body. And every other person compliments his strength and achievements during battle. Aren’t all of his best qualities related to his abs?
Zoey doesn’t notice his stunned silence and rambles on, “You always get along with your comrades and all the other people in the palace. Do you know the kitchen ajummas love you? They all want you as their son in law. You even care about the feelings of people you don’t even know. Like how you just did with me. And you always work so hard in training, even when everyone else has left.”
”How did you know about that?” Abby feels his face starting to flush.
The maid stops in her tracks, realising she has made another slip up. “Umm…sometimes during the night, I pass by the training grounds. You would practice your swordsmanship and I would stay a bit to watch you train. I actually never really notice how creepy that sounds. Forget about that.”
Zoey tries to leave out of awkwardness but Abby grabs her wrist to stop her. “Hey, the next time you see me train, you can come over to watch. Some would say I work best with an audience.” What is he doing? He tries to portray a confident facade, hoping it would fool her. But his nervous thoughts and his pounding heart seems to have betrayed him, his smirk hanging a bit too strange.
All his worries fly away the moment her bright smile shines on him again. “If you personally invite me like that. How can I say no? Oh, I have something for you.” She leaves to grab a small wooden lunch box. Opening it reveals eight rice balls of all different flavours. She takes one and hands it to him. “Here, something to help you get through today’s training. I usually share these jumeok-bap with my friend during lunch time but I’ll make an exception for you.”
Abby gently pushes Zoey’s hand away, “How can I possibly eat from a young lady’s lunch.” He tries to push it away again but Zoey’s hand stubbornly stays.
“I insist. And I personally made them myself. Do you think I am trying to poison you?” She pouts which made him immediately fold and take the rice ball. But judging by how the corner of her lips subtly raises, he knows he has completely played into her hands.
“I’ll see you tonight then.” Zoey takes back the cup before giving a wave goodbye. Abby watches as she slightly lifts up her dress to run back to the group of maids. The other ladies crowd her, seemingly asking her a lot of questions and teasing her. The smaller maid gives them various exaggerated expressions in quick succession which just garners more laughter.
How could he not want to court her?
Abby has always been the type to dive in head first. If he wanted something, he would immediately take action to strive for it.
And this time, he wants to see that beautiful smile everyday for the rest of his life.
“That girl should talk to the general more often. This is the longest break we ever had.”
“Don’t let him hear you, he will definitely make us go longer out of spite. He is the demon general after all.”