화랑 - a tale of curiosity [ON HOLD]

🌸chapter eighteen🌸

Whilst the Hwarang's were entering the Hwarang house, Ji-ae began wandering once again through the streets, her eyes darting from time to time when she thought she saw a figure peering from behind walls, or crowds of people.

She wasn't scared anymore, nor was she going to run anymore. She was merely being observant and prepared.

Her father now knew that if he wanted her, he would need to get her himself, and that's what he did. Since this morning, he had been trailing her from a safe distance, carrying those familiar red arrows in a quiver, howeve, he had no purpose for them, he just wanted to greet his daughter in the most sickest of ways, and that as by giving her those arrows she had the carpenter make that once, but she had never collected.

On the nearby street, there were a collection of women traditionally dancing and playing an instrument for the entertainment of passers by, and I'm amoungst the crowd he saw that unmistakable figure.

Her dark brown hair, cascading down her back, tied in a pretty half bun that had a delicate rose detailed hair pin pierced through it's centre. Her tall, silm figure but still had a face of a child. Everything about her reminded him if Ji-yeon.

The woman he killed.

A wife.

A mother.

He had taken her soul from the earth, and with that lost his only child. But, no matter how much the blame was on him, he wouldn't feel complete without killing Ji-ae.

He silently approached his daughter, but he didn't know that Ji-ae had already noticed him. For an archer you had to have a keen eye, and that's what she had. She could have spotted him from a mile away.

He came to a stop beside her, and removed the quiver from his shoulder and handed it to her. Ji-ae simply smiled, taking the quiver off of him and remained looking at the entertainment. "Thank you, Father."

He chortled, admiring her wit. "Ji-ae." He said, meeting the said girls cocoa coloured orbs. "Did you miss me?"

"Honestly." She began, beginning to shake her head. "I think you already know the answer to that stupid question." She then looked back to him. "But for the sake of looking happy, and pretending that you didn't kill my mother. I'll say that I'm estatic to see you."

"You should bite down on that tongue of yours if you want to live longer then I have originally intended."

"And you should act as though we are aqquantinces since guards will be surrounding this while area to keep a watch on me." Ji-ae quipped. She narrowed her eyes towards her father and smiled. "Who has the upper hand, Father?"

He lowly laughed. "Shall we?" He gestured for Ji-ae to leave the crowd and to begin walking down the street. "You know, for a moment there, you looked alot like our beloved Ji-yeon."

"I forbid you to speak her name." Ji-ae cut him off, looking at stalls that were selling different sorts of accessories. "You tell me why you aren't killing me, and then be gone."

"I want to start again." He answered, holding his arms behind his back.

Ji-ae laughed, placing down the hair pin she had taken interest in, but the words he just spoke made her insides reel. "I want the truth father."

"I'm telling you the truth, Ji-ae."

"And you expect me to believe you that easily?" She chortled. "You have been hunting me, like how a rabid dog chases a rabbit in the wild, for two years." Ji-ae stated, the grip on her quiver strap tightening ever so slightly. "You claimed that you wanted to see my head on a stick, and I envisage how you would smile at that image." She said through gritted teeth. "You are thirsty for my blood, and still are. So don't try to fool me, because I will not be playing along anytime soon."