Forever It's You (It's You Series #2)

32 ✽ Betrayals

When Eun-bi woke up, the first thing she felt was an itch in her cheek.

Her face pressed into a bedding of hay. She turned and shifted onto her back, hearing the wagon creaking beneath her as she pried her eyes open slowly. The tumultuous night sky greeted her back. The eerie silence ringing in her eyes told her she was alone.

Her wrists were bound using a thick rope. She twisted them, hoping to loosen them and freeing herself, but it didn't work. It only made her skin turn raw and red.

With a groan, she pushed herself into a sitting position, though somewhat stiff. There was a throbbing bruise on her head where Accountant Cha knocked her out. That jerk.

A quick glance at her surroundings confirmed her whereabouts—she was no longer in the palace. They were in the middle of a dark road lined by empty shop-houses. Despite being attached to a horse, the wagon she was on remained stationary. The lonesome beast idled in its spot, waiting calmly for its owner to return.

Footsteps shuffled in. Low voices mumbled incomprehensible words as five people in black cloaks gathered around Accountant Cha. Under the dim moonlight, it was difficult to identify them, not when their hoods pulled over their faces.

But not until one of them lifted their head to meet Eun-bi's gaze—a laundry maid from her quarters.

Her nostrils flared with anger. This explained how the last letter slipped past security and ended up in her room.

When faced with money, it tempted people to give in to their greed and fall to their knees.

Accountant Cha exchanged words with his accomplices. "Your job is done. Now leave," he said. "Go as far away as you can."

They took their share of rewards from him—in pouches of money—before scattering off into the darkness. When Accountant Cha returned to the wagon, he found Eun-bi scowling at him darkly. "You're finally awake."

She gave him her best stink-eye. "Do you mind returning the dagger to me?"

With a snarky laughter, he tossed the weapon onto her lap. He watched on as she struggled with her bounded wrists to grapple for the weapon. "Do you need my help with that?"

She snorted. "Yes. It would be helpful if you could untie me and let me hit you straight in the guts."

A small chuckle filled the air. "I'm afraid not, Your Highness. I like to see you take on a challenge." He pulled himself up onto the horse, unguarded, as he left his back undefended. As if he was daring her to stab him. "And while you're busy working on untying yourself, I shall share with you a story."

He nudged the horse forward, sending her sprawling forward immediately. She swore out colourful strings of words as the dagger slipped away from her hands and clattered to the corner of the wagon.

This jerk was really trying his best to get on his nerves.

And he succeeded.

"Cha Ye-joon," she uttered his full name warningly, almost sounding like a growl. "What is the meaning of this?"

"My apologies, Your Highness," he said, finding amusement in her predicament. "I found something earlier that looks really interesting." He lifted a handkerchief that she had embroidered for Yul. "It's an adorable dog."

"A dog?! I did not embroider a dog!" she snapped back, now offended. "It's a horse! Now give that back to me before I run you over with the real one!"

He glanced over his shoulder, his smile never fading once as he studied her work. "It's charming of you to make one for your lover," he remarked, before his voice grew quieter and envious. "I, too, had someone made one for me in the past."