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Chapter 4: Prepare for War (part 2)

"Can we go back?" Minsun asked, taking Mark aback for the second time. "I think it's better to go home."

"Oh, okay then." Mark said, adjusting the black shirt he was wearing. He unbuttoned his top button, allowing himself to breathe better.

They packed their belongings, making their way back to the castle. Minsun seemed exhausted, falling asleep, so Mark decided to let her be while he contacted someone else instead.

"What do you want, loser?" Grace asked, picking up the phone. Despite her words, she knew that she didn't mean it, genuinely wondering why he was calling.

"I'm going back to the castle with Minsun so I was just checking to see what you were up to." Mark told her. He glanced at Minsun who had soft breathing noises coming out of her nose. He leaned forward, adjusting the blanket over her body.

"Isn't it early?" Grace asked, reading Mark's mind. "You're not staying the night?"

"No, Minsun wanted to go home." Mark told his younger sister.

"That's not like her."

"I think something's wrong." Mark said, just as Minsun began to stir. A yawn escaped her lips, arms stretching out.

"Talk to me about it when you get home." Grace said. "Just spend time with her for now, I know you miss her."

You know me too well, Mark thought, the corners of his lips raising upwards. "Tell Jisun I love her."

He could hear sounds of disgust coming from the other end before Grace replied. "I should have never picked up this call."

"You didn't sleep?"

Mark put his phone away, shifting his attention to Minsun. "No, I stayed up."

"You should rest. You're probably exhausted." Minsun said, spreading the blanket so it covered his legs too. She must have realized how out of place he felt, awkwardly tucking her hair behind her ear. "Ah it's weird that I'm not a child anymore right?"

"It's fine." Mark reassured her. "Like I said so many times before, I'm still here for you. I'll listen to anything you have to say and support you in any way that you need. I'm not your father but we're still related."

Minsun slowly nodded her head, fiddling with the hem of the blanket. "Actually, there is something."

I knew it, Mark thought, trying not to make his inner thoughts obvious. "What is it?"

"I normally wouldn't leave Ombra so quickly, but... Xun told me something that was concerning me. I didn't feel safe there." Minsun confessed.

Mark held his hand in his fist, trying to recall the spell he had learned. When he called out the driver's name and he didn't react, he knew he had succeeded in soundproofing the back area.

"What is it?" Mark asked, turning back to Minsun. "What's happening in Ombra."

"It's the queen." Minsun said, eyes still on the driver. "Xun said that her mother has been sneaking out."

"Rosa?" Mark asked. Minsun nodded. He took a moment, thinking about why Rosa might be doing that. "Is she seeing someone in the village?"

"That's the thing." Minsun mumbled before sighing. "Xun followed her once and she didn't go to the village. She went to the forest. Going to the forest at night means business."

"Did Xun find out who his mother was seeing?" Mark was getting curious. What is going on? Why are people sneaking out?

"It was Haesoo."

"What's wrong with that?" Mark immediately replied. "They see each other frequently, don't they?"

"It's what they were talking about." Minsun said softly, like if she was louder, it would be problematic. "They were talking about seeing Chanyoung. And not on the battlefield, and it was like they were meeting him daily."

Mark was uneasy with the new information, shifting in his seat. "I see."

"Look, I don't want to cause problems because I didn't see it with my own eyes but Xun would tell me if he wasn't concerned." Minsun told him. "It's his own mother, he wouldn't betray her unless it was something big."

Mark knew that Minsun had a point but couldn't show it. He didn't say much, glancing out the window instead. "We're almost home."

"I'm sorry." The words barely reached Mark's ears, obvious that Minsun was embarrassed. He gave her a reassuring pat on the leg.

"You're just trying to help, don't worry. I'll talk to Jisun and Grace about it and we'll figure things out." Mark told her.

Once the vehicle came to a stop, they both got out, heading into the castle. Grace was already waiting there with Jisun, who naturally found herself in Mark's arms.

"Miss me?" Mark chuckled, pressing a soft kiss to his wife's forehead.

"You seem exhausted." Jisun responded, holding onto him tightly. "Rest tonight. Don't do any more work."

"I will, don't worry." Mark said, looking over Jisun's shoulder and meeting Grace's eyes. She looked fed up which made him want to hold Jisun tighter just to spite her, but there were bigger issues on his mind. He stepped back, brushing Jisun's hair behind her ear. "But we have other business to deal with."

"It's not going to take long, Jungwoo's waiting for me too." Grace said, arms crossed over her chest. "It just seems like some people I thought we could trust might be playing with the enemy."

"Like who?" Jisun asked, visibly confused. "Who could possibly side with Chanyoung after all that he did."

"I don't have the answer to that." Grace said, eyes darkening before turning a shade of violet. "But I think Lee Haesoo does."

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so this updating twice a week is not happening so... once a week? hehehe