“Ugh!”
I screamed, kicking with all my strength at the man’s buttocks, or whatever I could reach, while Kaidel Gongja turned around and swung his sword.
And then, everything fell silent.
Without even sparing a glance at the fallen man, Kaidel Gongja stepped on his back and approached me.
He used his sword to strike down the pillar behind him, freeing the rope. Then, he grabbed my shoulder, pulled me close, and brought me to his nose.
It was only then that I managed to speak.
“G-Gongja-nim?”
“Are you okay? Speak!”
“Ah, not okay. It hurts.”
Finally, Kaidel Gongja let go of me, looking somewhat embarrassed. His cheek had splatters of the pirate’s blood.
I thought he was very agitated, but when I looked closely into his eyes from up close, there was a hint of fear in them, probably because of me. Perhaps he was worried about what might have happened to him because of me.
He exclaimed, “Are you okay!”
“I’m fine now. Gongja-nim, and you…?”
I replied with a strained smile.
Honestly, I wasn’t fine at all. But no matter how much I disliked him, I didn’t want to trouble him with my worries now.
He sighed as if he had finally caught his breath.
“Thank you for being brave in this situation.”
“You’re welcome.”
I meant it, but suddenly, my field of vision lowered. The relief caused my legs to give in, and I sank down.
He approached me, wrapped his arms around my waist, and supported me. Then he kissed me.
I felt so awkward that I avoided eye contact, stammering, “I-I’m relieved now. Haha…”
“Is your leg okay now? Haha…”
I had no energy to resist.
As we fell into silence, distant sounds reached us through the night.
He was staring at me quietly.
“You are indeed worried about Misha, right? Isn’t that true?”
“Not really worried… Actually, I reconciled with Misha not long ago. A bit, for the first time…”
Kaidel Gongja made a complex expression for a moment. Then he spoke slowly.
“Congratulations.”
I shrugged my shoulders, letting out a wry smile.
“But now, it’s like this. If I tell Misha that I couldn’t attend the coming-of-age ceremony because I was kidnapped by pirates, she will never believe it.”
“I would doubt that too.”
“How did the pirates know about you, Gongja-nim? And how did they come all the way to Tagar? Moreover, claiming they had a treasure…”
Kaidel Gongja twitched like a child caught misbehaving.
“Gongja-nim…?”
“Well…”
As I waited for his answer, my throat went dry.
“I wanted to finish the business from the last sea… It felt unsatisfying.”
“Ugh…! Did you come to plunder their treasure? Because there’s no owner?”
This incredibly shrewd human!
“Hmm. It’s inconvenient when we can communicate so well in situations like this.”
“Ha, hahaha… Really, Gongja-nim, really…”
Furrowing one eyebrow, he asked, “Really what?”
“Really…! Don’t you smell something strange?”
I stretched my neck to sniff, and Kaidel Gongja got up to assess the situation.
Smoke was drifting into the shabby warehouse floor.
“I set it on fire! Looks like there were more of them!”
Kaidel Gongja rushed to the door and shouted, “It’s locked!”
“Darn!”
I roamed around the warehouse, searching for any openings or buckets. But there were only a few worn-out buckets.
As the flames started to spread on the warehouse door, I teared up.
I was in a panic. I didn’t want my voice to reach my ears, but I couldn’t stop.
“I have to save Kaidel Gongja now! I need to owe him one. Why is there no water? Are there no animals in this area? Why are there no openings!”
The flames were spreading on the warehouse wall, making the inside brighter.
And in the midst of it, Kaidel Gongja stood there, looking at me with an unbelievably dumbfounded face, as if he were about to die.
I just wiped away my tears.
He took a deep breath, then approached, gently patting both my shoulders. It seemed like he was telling me to calm down.
Then he turned around, reached out his shoulders, and rushed toward the door.
With a creaking sound, the inside of the warehouse became significantly brighter. He kicked the burning door with his foot to clear the way, then turned around, grabbed my hand, and pulled me.
“Let’s go! I’ll let you enjoy the fireworks next time.”
We exited the warehouse. We were at the end of a quiet forest path. The outskirts of the capital were evident.
I turned my head at a rustling sound and frowned.
“Gongja-nim!”
Two giant shadows emerged from the bushes, and Kaidel Gongja immediately swung his sword, taking them down at once.
I opened my mouth wide.
In moments like these, this guy really is an incredible knight.
I stupidly watched the spreading fire in the warehouse and realized something.
“If we leave it like this, it’ll turn into a forest fire!”
“Damn it!”
“Gongja-nim!”
Without a moment to spare, Kaidel Gongja leaped into the warehouse, and I barely suppressed a scream.
He came out with a shovel and buckets, throwing a bucket to me.
“Hey, do you hear the sound of flowing water?”
After hearing his words, I indeed faintly heard the sound of flowing stream.
“I’ll fetch the water!”
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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