Chapter 25: The King Awaits
’If there was one place in this entire kingdom I wanted to avoid, it was definitely the royal palace,’ Hajin thought, leaning his head against the seat.
’That place is just completely filled with overbearing guards, annoying nobles, and people who will ask me way too many questions.’
He genuinely wanted to just turn around and walk away, but Princess Didi had been extremely insistent.
He shifted his weight, putting his elbow on the small armrest so he could look out the carriage window. The capital streets blurred past them due to the fast pace of the horses, but his eyes easily picked out the squad of knights riding directly alongside the carriage.
His gaze locked onto the tall knight serving as the captain, specifically noting the bright red handprint perfectly outlined across the man’s left cheek.
’She really slapped the soul out of him back there,’ he thought, keeping a perfectly straight face while he stared at the red mark.
The man had genuinely believed he was acting like a heroic, loyal knight when he tried to grab Hajin in the courtyard. Instead, Didi had walked right up to him, completely dropped his ego with one lightning-fast slap across the face, and then ordered them both into her carriage.
The memory almost made him laugh, but the carriage rattling over a bump dragged his attention back inside.
Juna sat directly next to him, her arms crossed tight against her chest while the tip of her tail flicked angrily against the seat. She clearly hated being locked in such an enclosed space, but she stayed completely quiet.
Sitting across from them, Didi leaned forward a little, her sharp eyes studying him from head to toe.
"You look completely malnourished," she said, finally deciding to break the long silence.
He blinked a few times, genuinely caught off guard by the bluntness of the statement.
’Well, that is definitely one way to start a conversation,’ he thought, looking down at his cheap clothes before looking back up at her.
"I prefer the term lean," he said, giving a small, casual shrug. "But realistically, cooking deer meat over a fire every single day isn’t exactly a perfectly balanced diet. I just eat whatever I can afford to hunt on the edge of the border."
She crossed her arms, her brows pulling together as she looked at his thin frame.
"It is a complete miracle you have enough energy to walk, let alone survive a close encounter with a monster like that," she said, her voice carrying a heavy tone of suspicion.
"Like I told you back at the cave, I didn’t actually fight it," he said plainly, tilting his head back against the seat again. "I just grabbed you and ran as fast as I could while it was completely distracted with your knight. If I tried fighting something like that, I would be dead in exactly two seconds."
She didn’t look completely convinced, her eyes narrowing while her fingers tapped lightly against her arm, but she gave a single nod anyway.
They rode in silence for another few minutes while the road beneath them began to incline slightly, leading them away from the crowded market districts and up toward the palace.
’She still suspects me,’ he thought, sensing a faint, uncomfortable pressure in the air between them. ’She knows a supposedly talentless person shouldn’t have been fast enough to pull that off. But as long as she remembers her promise and keeps my real identity a secret, she can suspect whatever she wants.’
The carriage suddenly slowed down, the sound of the wheels screeching before it came to a complete stop.
"We have arrived at the palace gates, Your Highness," the captain’s voice called out from outside the window, his volume lowered and completely stripped of his earlier arrogance.
Didi didn’t even look toward the window.
"We are going straight to the throne room," she replied, her voice dropping the casual tone she used with Hajin and turning ice-cold again. "Do not stop this carriage until we reach the main courtyard."
"Understood," he said quickly, the faint sound of his armor clanking carrying through the glass as he bowed his head.
Hajin watched the walls pass by the window, starting to feel surprisingly nervous about going inside.
’Right, I just need to get in, get the reward, and get out,’ he thought, dropping his hand from the window ledge. ’The sooner I leave this place, the better.’
The carriage came to a stop in the courtyard a few minutes later, the door swinging open as a guard pulled it from the outside.
Hajin stepped out first, landing on the ground, and turned around to help Juna down before Didi followed them.
"Your Highness!" a sharp, frantic voice echoed across the courtyard before Hajin could even take a full look around.
A young woman wearing a traditional royal maid uniform came running down the steps of the palace entrance, completely ignoring the knights guarding the perimeter.
"Your Highness, are you safe?" the maid asked, stopping right in front of Didi and frantically checking her arms and shoulders. "What happened? You did not return yesterday, and Sir Gazel’s detachment never sent a messenger. The entire palace has been in a panic!"
"I am fine, Elina," she said, letting the maid fuss over her for exactly two seconds before gently swatting her hands away.
The maid finally stopped checking her, her chest heaving as she let out a long breath of relief. Then her eyes shifted, landing on Hajin and Juna standing awkwardly a few steps away.
She looked at Hajin’s cheap clothes, then at Juna’s wolf ears, her nose crinkling in obvious disgust.
"And who are they?" the maid asked. Her voice dropped all of its frantic worry, replacing it with pure disdain. "Did they cause the delay?"
Didi didn’t say a single word. She just reached out, pinched the maid’s right cheek tight between her fingers, and pulled hard.
"Ow, ow, Your Highness-" the maid whined, leaning into the pull while trying to gently pry Didi’s fingers off without actually pushing her away.
"Be kind to my saviors, Elina," she said, her tone light but carrying a clear edge underneath. "If it were not for him, I would not be standing here right now."
The maid’s eyes widened, turning toward Hajin again while Didi finally let go of her cheek. The nasty look completely vanished, replaced by an expression of pure shock.
"H-him?" she asked, rubbing her red cheek.
"Yes, him," Didi said, stepping past her. "Now stop wasting time. Where is my father?"
"His Majesty is inside the throne room," Elina answered quickly, bowing her head. "He canceled the morning court session when he heard you were missing."
"Good," Didi said, turning her head slightly to look back at Hajin. "Follow me. We are going straight there."
Elina hesitated, taking half a step forward while wringing her hands together.
"Your Highness, forgive me, but it might not be a good time to enter right now," the maid warned, her voice dropping a little.
Didi stopped walking and turned back around. "Why? You just said my father canceled the morning session."
"He did," she said quickly. "But the head of the Flint family arrived for his royal summons regarding the new Gate assignment. His Majesty decided to proceed with the meeting while waiting for news from the search parties."
Hajin stopped walking entirely, his foot freezing halfway up the step while the words registered in his head.
The head of the Flint family was his own father, the exact man who had formally stripped him of his name, thrown him out into the slums like garbage, and promised severe consequences if he ever tried to return.
’Are you actually kidding me right now?’ he thought, staring blankly at the doors at the top of the stairs. ’Out of all the days he could visit the palace, he is waiting right inside the exact room I need to go.’