CHAPTER 24
"You talk too much, Sihyun."
Sihyun tilted his head slightly, feigning innocence.
"Do I?"
Muwon took a single step closer, closing the space between them just slightly.
"If you truly wanted to kill me,"
he said in a low voice,
"you would have done it already."
Sihyun's smirk remained, but there was something in Muwon's words that made his fingers twitch.
The guards remained tense, their unease growing by the second.
Muwon's gaze lingered on Sihyun for a moment longer before he turned sharply on his heel, continuing forward. The guards hesitated but followed.
Yuhyun shot Sihyun a pointed look before sighing and trailing after them.
Sihyun, unfazed, followed at his own pace, hands still tucked behind his head.
He may have said it as a mere observation, but the way Muwon had looked at him just now—it made something stir deep inside him.
And he wasn't sure if he liked it.
As they walked deeper into the woods, Sihyun lagged behind, his fingers twitching subtly. A moment later, thick vines shot down from the trees, wrapping around Muwon's ankle and yanking him off the ground. He barely had time to react before he was hanging upside down, suspended in midair.
The group froze.
Yuhyun's mouth opened, but no words came out. The guards immediately reached for their swords, but they hesitated, waiting for orders.
Muwon, however, wasn't fazed. Dangling from the tree, he met Sihyun's gaze and smiled—amused rather than angry.
"Bold of you,"
he said, his tone calm.
Sihyun smirked, resting a hand on his hip.
"Just making sure our mighty prince doesn't forget his place."
The guards moved to cut him down, but before they could, Sihyun flicked his wrist, slicing the vine with magic.
Muwon hit the ground. Hard.
A sharp thud echoed through the trees as he landed flat on his back. The guards flinched. Yuhyun winced. No one dared to move.
Sihyun gave an exaggerated sigh, shaking his head.
"Oops. My hand slipped."
The guards erupted in outrage, drawing their weapons, but before they could act, Muwon simply pushed himself up, dusted off his robes, and looked at Sihyun with an unreadable expression. Then, to everyone's disbelief, he chuckled.
"You'll have to try harder than that to get rid of me,"
he mused.
The guards exchanged stunned glances. Yuhyun, still speechless, buried his face in his hands.
Sihyun only grinned, pleased with himself.
"Don't tempt me, Your Highness."
"I'll take the lead from here,"
Sihyun declared with a sly smirk, stepping forward before anyone could protest.
"Just follow my lead, and you'll be fine."
Yuhyun shot him a wary glance, his lips pressed into a thin lineg, but he said nothing. Muwon, on the other hand, gave a brief, skeptical glance but followed suit.
The rocks were slippery, but the river was shallow enough for them to manage. He lingered at the edge, a plan already forming in his mind.
Sihyun stepped confidently onto the first stone, his pace calm and controlled as he made his way across.
"It's safe,"
he called back over his shoulder, his eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Just take it slow, Your Highness."
Muwon crossed next, his movements careful, and Yuhyun followed, but there was no hesitation in Sihyun's step as he moved across the river, enjoying the view of his companions carefully crossing behind him.
Once Muwon and Yuhyun reached the opposite shore, Sihyun paused, letting them settle before he cast a casual glance at the guards, who were starting to cross. His fingers twitched in anticipation, then his eyes glow
With a quick flick of his wrist, the river beneath them began to churn. Water rose and crashed against the rocks, forming violent waves that surged upward. The guards' faces contorted in shock as the current grabbed at their feet, pulling them away from the rocks they clung to.
Sihyun smirked, watching the chaos unfold with delight.
"Oops,"
he murmured, almost too innocent, his voice ringing with mock sincerity.
"I guess I got carried away."
The guards floundered in the water, scrambling to hold onto the rocks as the current dragged them downstream. Sihyun's magic held them in the waves, making their struggle all the more futile.
Sihyun, thoroughly amused, turned back to the others, as if nothing had happened. Muwon and Yuhyun were silent, both looking at him with a mix of disbelief and wariness.
"Well, it's not like they'll drown,"
Sihyun added casually, looking down at the river as the current slowed.
"They'll make their way back eventually. It just might take them a while."
Yuhyun sighed, rubbing his temples.
"You're impossible,"
he muttered, though there was no anger in his voice—just a resigned exasperation.
Muwon, ever the composed one, was quieter. His eyes narrowed slightly, the only hint of a challenge in his gaze.
"You do realize this will catch up with you eventually, don't you, Sihyun?"
he said, his tone low, as if warning him.
Sihyun met his gaze with a carefree smirk, unfazed by the warning.
"We'll see about that."
As the night crept in, the sounds of the river faded, but the tension between them only grew. The guards, though tossed away, would surely return. Sihyun was certain of it. And when they did, he'd be ready with even more tricks up his sleeve. After all, he had only just begun.
The moon hung high above them, casting its pale light over the quiet river as the night settled in. Sihyun leaned back against a tree, arms folded behind his head, as he waited for the inevitable.
The night had settled in, and the forest was bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight. The air had grown colder, and a thick silence enveloped the group as the last of the commotion from the river died down. The sound of rustling leaves and the occasional distant call of an animal was all that could be heard.
Muwon sat at a distance, his posture relaxed but his eyes scanning the surroundings, ever vigilant.