The Kun’s Aran

Chapter 3

Aran lifted her long skirt and removed one of her socks, revealing a badly bruised ankle. It was not sprained, but it must have struck a rock when she fell.

“Oh, no!” her maid exclaimed.

“Go and bring some cold water,” ordered the princess. “I need to soak this ankle.”

“Still, we should have a physician examine it—”

“It is too late for that. We shall find a physician in the morning.”

Jeongwol hesitated, but left the barrack with a bucket. Left alone, Aran took another look at her injury and sighed. The barrack flap opened, allowing a cool breeze to flow in, which felt pleasant on her ankle.

“You have returned already? Let us keep the flap open for a while. It is quite stuffy in here,” Aran said without looking up.

She was startled when a man’s broad hand reached for her ankle.

“Oh!”

She was so surprised that she could not tell whether it was a dream or reality.

How dare a mere guard enter a princess’s barrack?

She was too stunned to make a sound. In the meantime, the man pulled her ankle closer to examine it, and before she could react, he pressed down.

“What are you doing?” The pain jolted her, but it helped her regain her senses. She quickly pulled down her skirt and shouted at the man, “How dare you—”

She fell silent when saw him draw his sword, and stared blankly at the weapon in his hand.

Is he going to kill me?

Without a trace of expression, he roughly lifted her skirt.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

Aran was too shocked and frightened to pull her skirt down again. The man pressed the blade’s side against her ankle—the cold iron eased the throbbing pain.

Oh, he wants to cool my ankle.

While she appreciated his help, it was still too embarrassing to have her legs exposed to a man. Moving carefully, she pulled down her skirt to cover her shins.

The barrack fell silent, save for the crackling of the lamp. The man knelt in front of Aran, one hand on her ankle and the other on his sword, staring at her. She gazed into his eyes, captivated. Those blue-black eyes seemed to make her heart flutter, much like the shadows cast by the lamp’s flickering light.

His silence and unwavering demeanor reminded Aran of her old friend, General Choi Hyeok. Because she was close to Hyeok, a man and general, she was accused of behavior unbecoming of a princess. While Hyeok was a man of gentle features, the man before her was wild and sharp. Yet his presence brought her a sense of comfort, much like Hyeok’s.

“What is your name?” she asked, expecting no response.

To her surprise, the man answered, “Chen Kai.”

His voice sent a chill down her spine. It held a mysterious quality that stirred something within her—perhaps desperation.

“Is your name Kai, then?” she asked.

His lips curled up into an enigmatic smile. It was cold, and slightly twisted in mocking. Whether he mocked her or himself, Aran could not tell.

“I am grateful to you for saving my life, Kai,” she said.

“I did not save you.” He spoke as sharply as he moved.

Hyeok behaves this way, too. Perhaps all generals do.

Aran, growing more fond of the man, chided him with authority, “Even so, you should not have come here. If this becomes known, both of us could face severe consequences.”

The man chuckled softly as he took out a cloth. The lamp’s light made his smile seem warmer, though his tone remained indifferent as he wrapped the cloth around her ankle.

“Are you concerned for me?” he asked.

“I am concerned for both of us. They say your emperor is bloodthirsty. I suggest you leave quietly before anyone finds out.”

The man said nothing. He finished tending to her ankle and rose. His movement disturbed the air in the barracks, making the lamplight flicker.

Aran looked up at the tall man and said, “You have my gratitude, Kai.”

He exited the barrack without a word. He was tall, and the cool air that followed was more refreshing than when Jeongwol had left. The air seemed to purify the stuffiness of the barrack, making it easier to breathe. Aran exhaled and touched her ankle. It was now wrapped in cloth, and no longer ached.

⁕⁕⁕

The next day, Aran learned how Kai had been able to enter her barracks.

“So he is not a guard, but a general.”

“Well, he is too handsome to be merely a guard,” Jeongwol remarked thoughtfully.

She was right. In broad daylight, Kai was strikingly handsome. On a sleek black horse, he appeared very different from the shabby man of the previous night. With a long cloak and glistening armor, even his disheveled hair appeared stylish.

Aran was crouched in a carriage among chests when Kai approached.

“How is your ankle?”

She instinctively pulled down her skirt to cover her feet and murmured, “It is better.”

“Is that cart not uncomfortable?” he asked.

He did not address her as the princess she was. She thought about mentioning it but decided against it. The languages of Gayan and Seo were similar enough to allow simple conversations. Even so, since they were different languages, she felt that making an issue of his manner might cause unnecessary problems.

“I do not believe it matters,” she mumbled.

“Why is that?” Kai asked, adjusting his horse to match the slow pace of the carriage.

Aran looked around, noting that only Kai and the carriage’s driver were present.

“The emperor will not hesitate to kill me if I cause him any annoyance, so I would rather endure.”

The war had ended, and so had her people’s suffering. For that, Aran was grateful. However, if the emperor killed her, Seo would have no choice but to resume the war, knowing it would lose.

“How do you know the emperor will kill you if displease him?”

“That is what everyone in Seo says,” Aran replied.

Kai tilted his head slightly. He was smiling, with an expression that seemed either amused or mocking. Aran blinked. Strangely, Kai’s eyes showed no emotion. They appeared even more enigmatic in the sunlight.

I still cannot tell if they are blue or black.

Aran found herself gazing into them, those strange yet vacant eyes. She stared at him blankly, leaning her head out the carriage window. Then the carriage jolted over a bump, and she snapped out of the trance.

“You should avoid speaking to me in this manner. I fear it might bring you harm.”

“Bring me harm in what way?” asked the man indifferently.

With an exasperated sigh, Aran explained, “What if you fall out of the emperor’s favor?”

Kai tilted his head and asked in a flat tone, “Why are you concerned about me?”

It was an unexpected question. Aran stole a glance at him, unable to answer. Unlike the previous night, it seemed there was no reason for her to be concerned about Kai. He held the reins with one hand, his body swaying slightly as the horse walked. The exquisite scabbard at his waist moved in the same rhythm.

That emblem is quite magnificent.

In the sunlight, she could see that the sword did not belong to an ordinary general but someone of higher rank, such as a commander-in-chief. Suddenly, she realized that many soldiers from her kingdom must have died at his hands. She went cold inside at the thought.

I cannot believe I had a friendly conversation with a Gayan general.

Blaming herself for feeling a connection to Kai, she bit her lip. He continued riding alongside the carriage, waiting for her response, but she did not wish to speak with him any longer, so she retreated deeper into the carriage after giving a curt reply.

“I am not worried about you.”

Fortunately, Kai must have understood her thoughts, as he urged his horse to speed up. As the sound of hooves faded away, his horse kicked up a cloud of dust that mirrored Aran’s troubled heart. She placed a hand on her injured ankle. The cloth wrapped around it felt as rough as Kai’s words.

Aran must have been drawn to him because she was being taken to a distant land. Perhaps she saw General Choi in him because he was lonely and cold, but was still there to take care of her. She realized she had come to depend on him. However, she knew that forming a friendship was a luxury she could not afford. She was now the emperor’s woman—a hostage.

He is not my friend.

Then her interpreter came running to inform, “Your Highness, we will stop for a short rest.”

The carriage slowed down and soon came to a halt. Aran and Jeongwol carefully stepped out. They had not noticed when they were inside, but they had climbed up a high ridge and were now looking down at their surroundings.

Jeongwol exclaimed in awe, “The scenery is breathtaking.”

Aran took a deep breath.

“The carriage was headed north, so that must be south.”

Aran bowed in the direction where her parents were and then stood up. A cool wind blew from behind her. She turned to face north again, but then she noticed strong gusts rapidly climbing the mountain.

The wind is blowing too fiercely.

She had encountered such wind years ago. They had gone hunting in the mountains, only to meet an abrupt downpour. Aran raised a hand, and her long sleeve fluttered. She spotted Kai approaching on his black horse. His cloak also billowed, the rising wind lifting it high.

“I am grateful you are here. Please inform the emperor that we need to descend this mountain immediately.”

“What do you mean?”

“The wind is abnormal. Clouds will gather soon, and there will come a downpour. We must descend this mountain without delay,” Aran said with urgency.

Kai looked up to the north sky with his black eyes. It was clear and blue, without a cloud in sight. However, he glanced at Aran and then rode off on his horse.

“Jeongwol, we should return to the carriage.”

The maid, though uncertain of the situation, followed her princess’s command. For some reason, Aran knew Kai would trust her and ensure everyone descended the mountain in time. He had turned to look at her just before he rushed away, and she had seen something in his eyes for the first time—trust.