Chaotic Nights — Chapter 227. Dangerous

Translator: Atlas

Weekly Chapter 3/3

—Why didn’t you become King? From that position, you could have ensured your wife’s safety.

—I wanted a private life with my wife.

—Recently, there have been many accidents on the mountain. People can get bitten by snakes or slip on fallen leaves. It’s important to be careful; night hunting is not advisable.

Robin’s words suggested he knew about the night hunts, but Jihak imagined the mountain accidents. He didn’t want a similar accident to happen here. The court’s whispers could turn into dangerous threats.

“Yuljae.”

Jihak lifted a fallen blade with his sword.

“Speak.”

The warrior approached Jihak.

“Do you really think my father only mentioned the Crown Prince was missing?”

Glittering acorns rolled among the leaves moved by his sword. The seasons changed, but Harye seemed the same.

At least, that was his belief.

“What do you mean?”

“If the Crown Prince suffers a misfortune, what would you do as King?”

The answer was evident as Jihak saw Yuljae’s face darken.

“I would likely be summoned back to the palace. I think I know who’s behind this.”

“The Great Queen?”

Jihak nodded, confirming Yuljae’s suspicion.

“Probably. Do you think I can protect Eunha there?”

“There’s no need to worry. The Crown Prince will be safe…”

“My father wants to overthrow the Great Queen. If her ambition causes problems for the Crown Prince, it would be like solving a problem without effort.”

Jihak looked at the scars on his left hand. He had achieved a fragile peace by beheading traitors. It was a hard-earned freedom.

“There must be some trace! We can’t afford delays, it will only get more dangerous.”

As the sun set, a Shadow’s hiss echoed.

“I found it!”

Jihak and Yuljae hurried towards the sound. Passing through dense trees, they saw a red ribbon. Jihak approached it slowly.

The Shadow pointed to blood on the fallen leaves.

“There’s a significant amount of blood. It hasn’t dried yet, so it hasn’t been long. It seems to be human blood.”

Yuljae examined the blood-stained leaves.

If the blood belonged to the Crown Prince, why was he alone?

“It looks like someone helped him because of the ribbon. We must search the village thoroughly.”

“Didn’t you mention a commotion at the clinic?”

Jihak’s eyes darkened as he looked at the bloodstained spot. He remembered seeing the ribbon earlier that day. He said to Yuljae,

“This belongs to Yongi.”

“Yes.”

Yuljae replied worriedly, realizing the situation.

“The Crown Prince might be at the clinic. We must hurry!”