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

21 ✽ Hidden Intentions

Eun-bi was mistaken.

Accountant Cha wasn't on his way home. His steps were as swift as a fox as he hustled down the empty footpath and towards the southern part of the palace. Twice, he turned around and Eun-bi leaped out of sight. He surveyed his surroundings, checking if anyone was following him.

Her brows raised, wondering what he was doing. Was he going to meet a woman? Or commit a crime?

She was on the mission alone after forcing her court ladies to remain behind and wait for her return. While she knew it wasn't a good idea to tail a man in the darkness, how else was she going to watch him in secret if everybody followed her and caused a commotion?

There was a blend of excitement and nervousness as she felt like an investigator. As Accountant Cha continued on his way, she darted from tree to tree and bush to bush. Despite that, she realised she wasn't fast enough to catch up to that man's pace.

He vanished around the corner and she gave chase, but the next place she stumbled into sparked a great sense of familiarity.

It was the living quarters that were previously used to house the candidates of the Selection. During those weeks that Eun-bi had stayed, she made unforgettable memories and life-changing decisions that brought her to who she was today.

Now, the place sat cold and empty, waiting to be accommodated by foreign envoys and other guests. There was not a single soul in sight except her. Even Accountant Cha had disappeared.

But she knew he was still here somewhere. Where was he?

Why was he wandering about at such a late hour?

She crept closer to the wooden terrace and moved along the outskirts of the rooms, trying to locate him. When she rounded the corner and towards the back of the building, she spotted her target and hurriedly hid behind the wall to watch him.

Accountant Cha stood right by the pond with his back facing her, unmoving and staring into the distance. The glistening water shivered and reflected the crescent moon in the night sky above them.

A vivid memory flashed in Eun-bi's mind then, causing her to flinch. This was the same place where she had encountered the first death that happened during the Selection. Because of somebody's jealousy and greed to win the competition, a girl was found floating dead in the water.

Eun-bi could never erase that scene from her memories. Ever.

But what was Accountant Cha doing here? He couldn't simply be out for a night walk and enjoying the moonlight, could he?

And why was she terribly disappointed that he was doing nothing?

As if sensing her presence, Accountant Cha swivelled around and Eun-bi hid behind the wall. A second later, she heard his footsteps approaching in her direction. Panic gripped her as she looked around frantically, knowing she needed a place to hide fast.

Think, Eun-bi. Think!

There was a window next to her, and she hurriedly pulled it open, silently thanking her ancestors that it was unlocked. She climbed through it, treading gently on the other side, and put the latch in place immediately.

The silence was deafening. Even her own breath sounded so loud that she had to cover her mouth with her hands.

Soon, the shadow glided across the window, startling her. It hovered outside her room briefly before vanishing and moving on to the next.

Eun-bi's anxiety remained, knowing that he could still return. She took a few quiet steps backwards, inching towards the tall folding screen in the bedchamber, when suddenly, a pair of hands wrapped around her waist from behind and covered her mouth. Pulling her back into the shadows.