38 The Unveiling

Hye jolted awake from a nightmare, his eyes snapping open. He looked across the small cabin to the table, where Chinua still sat, absorbed in her journal. He rose and went to join her.

"You're still awake," Hye remarked.

"I can't sleep," Chinua said, looking up at him. "You called Nabi again in your sleep."

Hye sat down and poured himself a cup of water, his hand shaking slightly. "I did, huh?" he murmured. "I don't know why, but I keep dreaming about her recently."

"Who is she?" Chinua asked softly.

"Nabi… my cousin. We were born on the same day," Hye explained, his gaze distant. He looked up at Chinua, his expression serious. "Chinua... what are your plans for the future? Will you find a good husband, marry, and have children like other women?"

Chinua looked at Hye, recognizing the gravity of the moment. She understood that his willingness to work for her would hinge on her answer. She slowly closed her journal. "At home, I have three beautiful older sisters, and everyone praises them for being beautiful. Their skin is as soft as silk and white as the first snow. They call me ugly. Even the servants call me ugly. They say behind my back that people who look like me, if I was born as a commoner, I wouldn't be able to find a husband." She offered Hye a small, rueful smile. "So, from that day on, I decided I would never like any man romantically."

Hye smiled, a hint of disbelief in his eyes. "Your sisters really told you this kind of thing?"

Chinua nodded. "So, I reject any servants except Khunbish and Khenbish. I want the sisters who speak ill of me to see that even if there is no man out there willing to spend the rest of their life with me, I have Khunbish and Khenbish."

Hye sighed, a knowing look on his face. "No wonder you have a close relationship with those two people."

"We grew up together," Chinua explained. "We trained together, and we had confidence in each other."

"What do your sisters say when you have Khunbish and Khenbish?" Hye asked, curious.

"They're still talking bad about me," Chinua said, laughing, a genuine sound of amusement. "One day my brother told me that when I grew up, I would be the rarest of all the women in Hmagol. There wouldn't be any woman like me in Hmagol. When men hear my name, fear will bring them to their knees."

Seeing Chinua's confident appearance, Hye's heart trembled. "Chinua… you…" His lips quivered, a realization dawning on him.

Chinua continued, her voice soft but firm. "My mother wants my brother to serve in the army, but my brother is disabled and can't walk, so I have to be his leg." She lamented, taking a small breath. "That's why I begged my father to send me to the Northern Training Camp."

Hye had encountered women like Chinua before, with their confident demeanor and air of authority—they were royalty in the court. Chinua was clearly not just an ordinary wealthy Hmagol woman who decided to join the Northern Training Camp on a whim. Hye suddenly remembered the scene in the South Gate Training Camp when Chinua had abruptly ordered Chuluun to keep an eye on Hye, and Mönkhbat had told Chuluun to follow Chinua's order without hesitation. Hye's hand shook violently, and the cup in his hand fell to the table, making a slight tingling sound as it landed.

Hye's lips trembled, and so did his voice. "Chinua must be of high stature if she could talk freely with the Great General of the South. Chinua must be a member of General Mönkhbat's family."

Chinua chuckled suddenly, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "How did you guess?"

"General Mönkhbat treated you very well," Hye explained, rapidly piecing together the clues. "He treated you very well even in front of his wife, who was not jealous at all." He smiled, a touch of self-reproach. "I shouldn't have known at the family dinner that night... Uncle Zamir stood up and bowed to you. As an elder, he bowed to you because you are a member of the royal family." He looked at Chinua, his excitement growing. "Chinua was not just royal. Chinua was upset when other Northern soldiers mentioned how General Mönkhbat was a better leader than the Crown Prince. Chinua argued on his behalf." Hye stood up suddenly, pointing at Chinua with a shaking hand. "You and Crown Prince are…"

Khawn sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes. "What is it?" he asked, his voice groggy.

Hye spun around to find that Khawn, Jeet, and Naksh had all woken up. Jeet asked, his voice puzzled, "Why are you pointing your finger at Chinua like that?"

"Finish what you said," Naksh demanded, his eyes fixed on Hye.

Hye took a shaky breath. "If my guess is correct, Chinua is the Fourth Princess of Hmagol."

Naksh stood up, walking towards Chinua, his expression a mixture of shock and disbelief. "Are you a princess?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Chinua sighed, her expression hardening. "What if I am? What are you going to do? Are you going to go to the soldiers of Tanggolia to announce that the Fourth Princess of Hmagol has stepped into their territory? Capturing me will bring you all the riches you want. Maybe you can be one of their ministers." Chinua stood up, looking at Hye fiercely, her hand slowly reaching for the dagger at her waist. "What is your decision?"

Khawn rushed over quickly, placing himself directly in front of Chinua. "Although I like you," he said to Hye, his young face resolute, "if you want to attack Chinua, I will definitely protect her until my last breath."

Jeet stood next to Khawn, his stance firm. "Chinua saved us, and we promised Khunbish and Khenbish that we would protect Chinua on their behalf until she returns safely back in Hmagol."

Naksh moved to stand alongside his brother and Khawn. "Like Khawn said, if you want Chinua, you have to go through us first."

Hye looked at the three men standing before him, their expressions grim and determined. He shook his head, a wry smile touching his lips, and gently pushed Khawn aside. He sat back down at the table and poured himself another cup of water, taking a long drink to cool himself down. He thought deeply as he drank, and when he looked up, he saw the other four people still standing, watching him.

Hye gestured for them to sit. "Sit down. It's not like I can beat you three. As soon as I go for the door, you three must have broken my arms and legs already."

Chinua sat back down, her gaze still fixed on Hye. "So, knowing my identity, what are you going to do?"

"What do you want me to do with your identity?" Hye asked back, his voice calm.

"I'll leave it to you," Chinua stated, a test in her voice.

"I know my position," Hye replied. "I always tell you to leave other people's problems alone. You can choose to tell whoever you want who you are."

Chinua pressed him, "You refused to serve under a Hmagol leader. What about me? Am I worthy to be your friend?"

Hye knew he would have to choose a side sooner or later. "Under one condition," he said, his eyes meeting hers.

"What?" Chinua asked.

"If I work under you," Hye began, his voice firm, "you must guarantee that you will never harm civilians and soldiers who surrender. Never let your soldiers commit war crimes such as rape, theft, and torture."

Chinua finally understood why Hye hated the Northern soldiers so intensely. It must have been because of the battle to retake Nui-Li City. Nui-Li City must be where Nabi was killed, which was likely why Hye harbored such a deep hatred for the soldiers of the Northern Camp.

Chinua approached Hye, her expression solemn. "I, Chinua, promise that I will never allow my soldiers to commit war crimes such as rape, theft, and torture of surrendering soldiers or civilians. I will not harm anyone who puts down his sword and surrenders to the Hmagol army."

Hye looked at Chinua, his gaze searching. "Remember your promise. If you break your promise once, I will no longer serve you, and I will surrender myself to your enemy."

Chinua met his gaze, her voice ringing with conviction. "I stand by my words."

The next morning, the trading market was a hive of activity, people's discussions echoing nonstop. Chinua, Khawn, Naksh, and Jeet followed Hye as he navigated from one vendor stall to the next, searching for peanut seeds. As more businesses opened, the crowd thickened, making it difficult to move. Chinua spotted some seeds, grabbed a handful, and turned to ask Hye if they were indeed peanut seeds, but she found no one behind her. She started to walk ahead, spotting Hye's back a few yards away. She began to zigzag quickly through the dense crowd, trying to catch up.

Naksh saw Chinua walking ahead rapidly, so he grabbed Khawn's hand. "Come on, Chinua is over there," he urged.

Khawn yelled, "Chinua, wait!"

The two hurried to follow, desperately trying to catch up with Chinua, but the shouts of a peddler caused the crowd to push them aside.

"Opium! Selling opium! It's good for painkillers. Buy five, get one free!

Opium! Selling opium! It's good for painkillers. Buy five, get one free!"

When Naksh and Khawn finally broke free from the thickest part of the crowd, they had lost sight of Chinua.

Hye, who had remained behind after talking to a vendor, said, "I don't see any seeds. Let's go to the pier." He turned to find only Jeet following him. He quickly scanned the area, a frown forming on his face. "Where are Chinua and the others?"

Jeet, still happily eating loquats, held a branch full of the fruit in his left hand. "They are right behind me," he said, turning around. His eyes widened. "Oh... this is bad…" He looked at the hundreds of people surging through the market.

"Let's find them while looking for peanut seeds," Hye decided, his voice serious.

"Should we spread out?" Jeet asked.

"No, let's stick together," Hye countered. "I'm sure they won't leave the market area without us."

While searching for their missing friends, the two scanned for any merchants selling peanut seeds.

Chinua quickly caught up with what she thought was Hye, but it turned out to be a different person. She turned around, realizing there were too many people, making it impossible to spot the others. Chinua decided to walk slowly through the market, hoping her companions would find her.

She stopped in front of one of the vendors. "What are these instruments?" she asked, pointing.

The peddler picked up a slender pipe. "This is a flute," he said.

"How to play?" Chinua inquired.

The peddler demonstrated, playing a soft, sweet melody on the bamboo flute. Chinua listened, but knew instantly she was not a musician and would never learn to play such an instrument. She smiled politely at the peddler and placed the flute back on the table.

Just then, a soft white hand reached out and picked up a flute. "I didn't know Chinua was interested in flute," a voice whispered beside her. Chinua turned to her left and saw Ge Ming smiling handsomely at her.