Chapter 4: The First Encounter: Part 1

Sophia's POV

My heart was still racing too fast after what had just happened.

In a split second, he had managed to steer the horse away from the stream, his grip on my waist firm and unyielding. I could feel the strength in his hands as he pulled on the reins, bringing us to a sudden halt.

Just as I turned to look at him, our eyes met. I quickly averted my gaze and my hand flew to my chest.

My gosh! Why is my heart pounding like this?

I dared another glance, but the moment our eyes locked again, I instinctively covered my face with my hands.

Ack! What is his problem? Why does he keep staring at me?!

I bit my lip, when I heard him chuckle—a low, husky sound that sent a strange thrill down my spine. It was deep, rich... oddly pleasant to listen to.

Shocks, Sophia. What the hell are you thinking? You almost died a moment ago, and now you're acting like some swooning heroine? Get a grip!

"I have been quite curious since earlier, but pray, what is that mark upon your cheeks?"

Mark on my cheeks? When I realized he was staring at me because of the silly red dots on both my cheeks, I just wanted to jump off the horse.

"Oh the red dot, huh. It's.. it's nothing. I just got stung by a bee, but I'm fine now," I said, smiling awkwardly.

"Ah, I see…and your hair." he murmured from behind me.

My hair?

I felt my face heat up. Oh no... is he saying my hair smells nice? Of course, it does! I take good care of it—I always go to an exclusive salon in Seoul to maintain its length and straightness.

A satisfied grin spread across my lips. "Ah, it's just L'Oréal Paris, nothing special," I whispered smugly.

"My sincerest apologies, but… I fear your hair keeps getting in my mouth."

"Huh?"

"Oh! Haha, sorry!" I hurriedly gathered my long hair and pulled it forward.

Ugh, this is so embarrassing! All that effort to keep my hair perfect, only for it to fail me at the worst possible time. I wanted to slap my face when I remembered how it had been trapped under my headpiece, damp with sweat from everything that had happened earlier. So gross.

"You appear... different, as does your attire. I daresay you are not of this land." His voice carried a note of curiosity. "Pray, young lady, might I inquire as to your place of origin?"

I'd love to have conversation with him, but I felt like if I talked to him any longer, I'd get a nosebleed from his deep English. TT

"Ah, well... I'm not really from here. I'm from Insadong, Seoul, South Korea."

"Insadong?" he repeated in a puzzled tone.

Aish. Stupid! I smacked my forehead. "I mean... I'm from somewhere far away. Very far. Like... Mars!"

"If that be the case, permit me the honor of escorting you to Mars upon this steed," he said with a cheerful tone. 

I let out an awkward robotic laugh. "Hehe! No need for that. Your horse might end up as dried meat, and we'd probably burn to ashes before we even got there," I mumbled under my breath.

"Apologies? What did you say?"

"Mianhe, Just that it's... really far away."

"Mianhe?"

"I meant sorry," I corrected myself, exhaling in frustration. "Anyway, where exactly are you taking me?"

He urged the horse forward again. "Forgive me, young lady, as I must escort you back to the estate of Count Eltz."

I whipped my head toward him, eyes widening. "What? No way! Don't you realize that man is trying to marry me against my will?!"

He remained silent as his expression unreadable. My pulse quickened. "Stop the horse. I'm getting off!"

"I'm afraid, we cannot," he said, tightening his hold around my waist as I tried to push myself away.

Shocks! We just met, and he's already this clingy? Why won't he let me go?!

"Do not worry, young lady. I shall not allow any harm to befall you."

I gulped. Does he even realize what he's saying?

I wanted to believe him, to trust those words—but something in my gut told me otherwise. When we finally arrived at the estate, my nerves were a mess. My stomach twisted with anxiety as the Count himself stepped into view.

"Schurke! Glaubst du, du kannst noch entkommen?!" ["Scoundrel! Do you think you can still escape?!" the count uttered in front of my face. 

I flinched.  I didn't understand his words, but I could tell by his expression that it wasn't anything good.

The man who had brought me here turned to the Count and spoke in their mother tongue. "Graf Eltz, darf ich fragen, wie diese junge Dame mit Ihnen verwandt ist?" ["Count Eltz, may I ask how this young lady is related to you?"]

The Count smirked, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Sie ist die einzige Tochter des verstorbenen Barons Harrison Montclair. Sie ist die Zahlung für die Schulden ihres Vaters, bevor er verstarb." ["She is the only daughter of the late Baron Harrison Montclair. She is the payment for her father's debts before he passed away."]

"Und was haben Sie vor, mit ihr zu tun?" ["And what do you intend to do with her?"] the man pressed.

"Ich werde sie zu meiner vierten Frau machen." ["I will make her my fourth wife."] The Count's lips curled in a disgusting grin.

I didn't know what they were saying, but judging from the Count's smug face, it wasn't good.

"Wenn sie bereits Ihre ist, dann werde ich nicht weiter fragen" [If she is already yours, then I will not question further"] my so-called rescuer said, making the Count's grin widen in satisfaction.

Wait—what?! Why the hell this guy's grinning?

My breath caught as the military guy turned to face me, his gaze steady and impassive. "Pray, forgive me, fair maiden. I had hoped to offer my assistance, yet alas, your destiny lies no longer within my grasp. Nonetheless, it has been an honor to make your acquaintance. I must now take my leave."

My world tilted. "What?!" Desperation clawed at my throat. I grabbed his arm. "But you said you wouldn't let anything happen to me!"

He held my gaze. "As I have spoken, your fate no longer resides within my grasp." He finally turned away.

Panic surged through me and followed him again, "Then whose hands is it in? God's?" I shot back, my voice thick with sarcasm.

"If not the Count's, then the one who placed him in power," he answered.

What? Count? Who would have the authority to stop him?

"Who put him in the position then?" I demanded, my last sliver of hope slipping away.

"The Duke," he said, not hesitating. Then, without another word, he walked away.

A Duke? I swallowed hard. Is he talking about those old men with thick beards like in medieval paintings? But a duke is another high-ranking noble. I bet my life that I could be killed by a court guard or whatever before I could get to him.

Before I could process my thoughts, the Count grabbed my arm and yanked me toward him, but I pushed him away.

"Tu oses me repousser, espèce d'insolent misérable?!" ["You dare push me away, you insolent wretch?!"] His hand struck my cheek with a resounding slap, sending me sprawling onto the floor.

Pain exploded across my face as my vision blurred. He raised his hand again but a familiar figure stepped between us, shielding me.

Why… why is he here? Why did he come back?!

"You shall not lay another hand upon the lady, Count Eltz,"he said as his voice as sharp as steel.

Ha, playing superhero again? you coward. 

The Count sneered. "Und wenn ich es wünsche?" ["And if I wish to?"]

"Then you shall face the blade of my sword." In one swift motion, he drew his sword, the silver gleaming in the dim candlelight.

The Count let out a laugh. "Stellvertretender Kapitän, sag mir nicht, dass du bereit bist, gegen mich für dieses Bastardkind zu kämpfen?" ["Deputy Captain, don't tell me you're willing to fight me for that bastard child?"]

My protector did not waver. "I am not your foe, Count. However, I must beseech you to present a document—one that doth declare Baron Montclair hath sold his daughter unto thee, bearing his seal in full."

The Count's smug grin wavered as he greeted his steed.

Wait… is this actually happening?

"Stellvertretender Kapitän, du wirst dafür bezahlen." ["Deputy captain, you will pay for this,"] the Count snarled as he snapped his fingers.

In an instant, his men appeared from the shadows, surrounding us.

My breath hitched. What the heck, Why does this suddenly feel like an action scene in a K-drama with no subtitles?!

The man before me exhaled. "I had suspicions. The Colonel's words about you were indeed true."

The Count grinned. "So, is it the reason of your sudden visitation in my estate? It doesn't matter what you know. You won't be leaving this mansion alive." ["Also, ist es der Grund für deinen plötzlichen Besuch in meinem Anwesen? Es spielt keine Rolle, was du weißt. Du wirst dieses Anwesen nicht lebend verlassen."]

And with that, the count raised his sword.

My rescuer all of a sudden, glanced back at me. "Young lady... art thou acquainted with the art of running?"

My eyes widened at his question. 

Wait… Is he asking me if I can run? Arg! What the hell does his English need to be so deep?

"Sir, you are a brave soldier. I promise, when I return home, I will make sure your name is among the national heroes in every western museum!" I said, patting him on the shoulder. Just as I was about to run, he suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me quickly out of the house. I stood there, frozen, as we ran together.

Acck. He didn't say that we were the ones who were going to run.

He quickly helped me onto a horse, then mounted it himself. I flinched when he held me tightly by the waist and spurred the horse into a fast gallop. I glanced behind us.

Wait, What's going on? Why are they chasing us? Are they going to kill us? And why is he running? He's a soldier. Doesn't he know how to fight?

Damn this life. Earlier, I was on a horse, and now I'm on one again.

"I beseech thy pardon, but I must proclaim that my tail doth not lie betwixt mine legs." he said, laughing.

Ack. How is he able to laugh in this situation? and betwixt, is that even an english word? 

I looked behind us again and quickly shut my eyes when I saw the many bandits chasing us. There were so many, it seemed impossible for us to escape.

Gosh, Lord, I wish I had just died in that river earlier. Huhu! I'd rather die with the merfolk than with these bandits. This is crazy!

I could barely breathe from the speed, but I could still clearly see the path we were taking. Almost everyone we passed stared at us. It's only my first day here, and it looks like I'm going to be famous. A few minutes later, we left the town and entered a dense forest.

"Tsk!" I heard him mutter.

I wanted to ask, but I couldn't because I had a feeling I already knew why. I got really nervous when I saw that we were heading toward a cliff. I closed my eyes as we suddenly stopped. I gasped when I saw how high the cliff was from where we were.

Goodness. What is this? From a river to a cliff. Is this where we're going to die?

"Stay here," he whispered to me before getting off the horse.

"Deputy, this is where the young lady you're with will rest," a bandit sneered.

"Yes, I'm going to rest. I'm fvcking tired!" I shouted. 

They just stared at me as if I'm idiot. Okaay, I'll shut up my mouth. 

"Pray, do not speak with such finality." The man beside me statedd in a confident tone. 

If he's going to fight them, then why did we run here? In a cliff of all places? And there are fifteen people in front of us. Is he out of his mind? Huhu, I'm going crazy now!

Soon, he started to fight the men in front of us. I closed my eyes because I couldn't bear to watch a live-action fight. This is nuts!

"You'll say goodbye now!" I quickly opened my eyes when I heard those words.

I froze when I saw that, in an instant, the man with me was kneeling on the ground, his life being threatened by a bandit's sword.

Wait, what happened? I blinked and suddenly, he's kneeling. What the heck! Is he really a soldier?

As the bandits were about to strike him, I immediately jumped off the horse. He saved me earlier, so I had to save him too.

"I'm the one you need, right? Just kill me."

Arg, that line is so out of character. But whatever!

Instead of lowering his sword, the bandit advanced toward me. "Alright, kill her."

"Wait! I'm just kidding. Gosh. Can't you take a joke?" I said, raising my hand as I'm stepping back.

"Fräulein, es scheint, dass Sie die Situation nicht verstehen, oder? Es ist nicht nur Sie, die sterben sollte, sondern auch der Mann hinter Ihnen." ["Miss, it seems you don't understand the situation, do you? It's not just you who should die, but the man behind you as well."]

I swallowed hard at his words. "Uh, haaa... sorry, but can you speak English?" I wanted to be scared but I didn't understand what he said. 

"Idiot! Worüber redest du?" ["Idiot! What are you talking about?"] one of them raised their sword higher than usual to my face again. 

"Shocks. Okay, feel free to speak your language. I'm used to watching Japanese movies without subtitles! Besides, this is a free country anyways, go!" Gosh. Why is he getting mad at me? 

"Ha, sie redet Unsinn. Jetzt anstürmen!" ["Ha, she speaks nonsense. Now charge!"] he yelled, and all of them raised their swords in unison.

Lord, is this really my end? Am I really gonna die now? Is this for real?

I waited for the sword to strike me when suddenly, another sword blocked it, swiftly swiping it away from me. I froze at what just happened. My heart was pounding so fast, it felt like it was the only sound I could hear at that moment.

Slowly, I lifted my head to see who had done that, and I was stunned when a man, clearly also a soldier, appeared in front of me.

As the wind blew, our eyes locked. I don't know what it was, but in that moment, it felt like something changed in the air. I couldn't even tear my gaze away from his perfect face for a second.

Jet-black hair cascaded in smooth, unruly waves, framing a face with a proud, aristocratic nose, sharp and defined like a statue's chiseled profile. His eyes, a mesmerizing blend of green and gray, shimmered with an almost otherworldly intensity, holding a depth that seemed to gaze into eternity. His lips, a perfect shade of red, were finely sculpted, giving his face an air of refinement and mystery. And his skin—oh, his skin! It was as if it had been carved from translucent porcelain, glowing with an ethereal, almost divine radiance that blazed brightly when kissed by the sunlight, as though he were a living embodiment of grace itself.

I gulped multiple times. Trust me on this, but I've never seen a man so utterly handsome in my entire life. He looked like he walked straight out of a painting or a fairytale book. He's face so stunning. It's beyond beautiful!

"Colonel!" the man who had saved me earlier, now behind me, called out the guy who just appeared in front of me. The man he called Colonel looked at him, but my gaze remained fixed on him.

I don't bluff when it comes to face cards, I've seen a lot of idols and actor but local and internationally, but none of them I've seen could even come close to the beauty of the man they call Colonel.

 I may sound exaggerating, but he is indeed so PERFECT. 

"Freidrich, pray tell, why do you kneel? It appears your sword is succumbing to rust." the Colonel said, waving to help the man who had saved me, now called Freidrich, to his feet.

"Miss, would you please return to the horse?" Freidrich said to me, but I couldn't stop staring at the man he called Colonel. It felt like a waste not to look at his face even once.

"Young lady!" he called, snapping me back to reality, and I quickly mounted the horse as he had ordered.

"It is fortunate that I found you alive, Deputy," he said calmly as if there were no bandits around.

"I knew you'd come, Colonel."

Colonel? If this man is the Colonel, then he must be the highest-ranking officer in the military? OMG, I almost gasped for air just imagining how powerful he is.

"It is truly remarkable that you still stand before me after beholding my countenance." He said with a grin as he turned to face the bandits.

True. With his otherworldly beauty, even I nearly lost my life. His face is lethal!

I clutched my chest as I watched him smile. (AN/The Colonel is literally grinning lol) Okay, goodbye Taeuhyung oppa. I'm officially stepping down as your number 1 fan.

"Colonel, it was never our intent to confront you, but we cannot allow the young lady behind you, nor the deputy, to live." One of the bandits sneered, making the Colonel turn toward me.

When he looked at me, I felt thousands of butterflies in my stomach. Ugh, fvck butterflies. I feel the whole damn zoo!

"Du kannst das Mädchen töten, aber lass den stellvertretenden Kapitän in Ruhe." ["You can kill the girl, but leave the deputy alone,"] Colonel said in their language while still staring at me.

I don't know what he said, but it felt like he was telling them they would have to go through him before they could kill me. Ack! Is this a fairytale?

"In that case, we'll have no choice but to finish all of you off," the bandit shouted, signaling for all the bandits to charge toward us.

I don't know what happened, but with every kick, punch, and sword swing from the Colonel, I felt something stir in my chest. He's so handsome and so composed, watching him fight was like watching an action movie.

The battle was almost over when suddenly, someone appeared beside me.

Gosh! What does this ugly one want? I gasped when he tapped my horse, causing it to rise on two legs. I gasped again when the horse suddenly turned, heading straight toward the cliff.

What?! No, not the cliff!

"Waaaaah! Nooooo!" I screamed as the horse sped up.

As the horse rushed down, I closed my eyes.

God, how many more times is my life going to be in danger because of this horse??T.T

Seconds later, I could almost see the bottom of the cliff as we reached its edge. My heart was racing, and I was starting to believe this would be the end for me when I felt someone grab my hand.

I immediately looked at the owner of the hand. It felt like the speed of the horse wasn't the only thing that increased, but also the beat of my heart when I saw how closely our horses were riding, and he was holding my hand.

"Upon the count of three, I shall pull you. Prepare yourself." he yelled at me.

I didn't hear clearly what he said, but it was as clear as day that I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. I was still staring at him when he started counting, and before I realized it, he had already pulled me. The force of his pull sent both of us tumbling to the ground.

When I opened my eyes, I was on top of him. When I looked at his face up close, everything seemed to slow down.

My heart raced, I heard music, and I felt a thousand butterflies in my stomach.

*****

Dear Diary,

I don't believe in love at first sight. But at this moment,

It seems like I've been struck by lightning.

Wild Grass, Sophia.