Royal Pain | PJM • slow updates

Chapter 3

Eunjae felt grateful that she'd stumbled across an unsupervised horse rather near her home. She had approached it slowly so as not to frighten or aggravate it. She knew from the prestige of the saddle and armor on the horse that the owner must be a dignified, aristocratic individual, which spelled good luck for her.

After petting the horse for several minutes, Eunjae carefully unzipped a large bag that hung off the side. She contained a content shriek at the sight of a loaf of bread and block of cheese, as well as a canteen. She grasped the bread in her hands, feeling the warmth still radiating from it which signaled its freshness.

Jimin had been creeping closer to the figure until he was planted only several feet behind them. He remained quiet, but as he shifted his weight on his feet the loud snapping of a stick echoed through the still night. He inwardly cringed at the abrupt noise.

Eunjae's eyes widened at the sound that had startled her, her heart beating rapidly against her ribcage. She whirled around, keeping her hood up and head bent to cover her eyes. Upon observing the physique of a man, she prepared to run, gripping the lone loaf desperately.

"Wait!" Jimin blurted before Eunjae could take another step. "Don't run."

Eunjae didn't know why she faltered, but she did. Her body still faced her path of escape, but she angled her head at the stranger. She didn't speak a word, didn't meet his gaze, only waited.

Jimin opened his mouth to speak, then shut it, then opened it again. He wasn't sure where he was going with this now that he had the stranger's attention. He had deduced from the person's height and from the way that their cloak hung loosely around their slim figure that it was indeed a woman, so he had no worries about a possible threat to his safety. Jimin noticed the way the individual clutched the loaf of bread like a lifeline and glanced at his opened baggage, striding over to observe what else was inside.

Jimin extracted the canteen and cheese from the bag and turned to face the still woman. "Were you going to take the bread with you?" He wondered, though he knew the answer.

Eunjae tilted her chin up a tick at the calm demeanor of the man, whom she'd expected to have a more hostile reaction to her actions. "You didn't seem like you'd be missing it."

Jimin's lips quirked up at the sides. He liked her confidence. He strode directly over to the woman and held up the deserted food. "Well, you forgot to take these, as well."

Eunjae's lips parted in awe. She raised her arm to gather the items from the man, but he pulled them away from her grasp. She huffed in frustration. "What do you want?"

Jimin contained his amusement at the situation. "You didn't think I'd just let you just take my belongings so easily, did you?"

Eunjae rolled her eyes from under her hood. "Get on with it."

"It's quite straightforward, really. I'll allow you to keep these if you simply let me look at you."

Eunjae froze for a moment at the stranger's bizarre request. She felt uncomfortable with allowing the individual to see her appearance; she didn't want to run the risk of them being able to distinguish her later down the road. However, what she needed more than anything at the moment was to feed her brother, and his health was her top priority.

She hesitated before answering. "Is that all?"

Jimin found himself anticipating the following moments since the woman sounded compliant. "No catches, no tricks."

Eunjae nodded, bowing her head to remove the hood and fixing her hair before standing upright, meeting the stranger's stare and observing their facial features for the first time. She was shocked at how handsome he was, from his angular bone structure—resulting in a strong jawline—to his plump lips, and of course his hair. The way the moonlight shined through the silver strands of his hair was otherworldly.

Jimin, as well, found himself at a loss for words. He was not expecting the woman to be as young as she was, probably his age or slightly younger. Her dark hair fell in waves to frame her face. Her lips were plump, her bottom one entrapped between her teeth as she analyzed him. He was captivated by the simplicity of her beauty.

Eunjae cleared her throat, shaking herself out of her daze and stretching an open palm out. "I did as you asked."

Jimin expression flickered from astonishment, to confusion, to intrigue all in a moment. "Fascinating." He muttered to himself.

Eunjae raised her eyebrows. "What is?"

Jimin let out a boggled chuckle. "You really don't know who I am?" He wondered, dumbfounded.

Eunjae found the man's arrogance distasteful. "No, am I supposed to?"

Jimin merely shook his head to himself as he handed the woman the rest of his items, which she accepted immediately.

"If that's all, I'll be on my way." Eunjae spoke quickly as she turned back towards her home. She awaited no response from the man before she head off.

Jimin stared after her, still attempting to comprehend the night's turn of events. "What an interesting woman." He commented aloud.

=*=