63 Where I Belong Pt.2 (1/2)
Gyuri's eyes fluttered open at the sound of voices overlapping in the background. She groaned. Where am I? A throbbing pain pulsed through her head as she squinted, trying to discern where she was.
”Gyuri?” she heard someone say tentatively. ”Gyuri!” the person repeated, much louder this time. ”Cousin, she has woken up!”
Gyuri's head turned to the direction of the approaching footsteps and vaguely recognised the two figures approaching. She attempted to sit up, only to groan in pain as her upper-body felt sore and heavy with fatigue.
”Steady!” she heard the person exclaim as he rushed to her side to help her up. It was only when he was right next to her did Gyuri realise it was Taehyung. ”How are you feeling?” he gently asked as he offered his arm to her for support.
”Bloody... fantastic” she managed to croak. Her throat was so dry that it felt like her tongue had turned into sandpaper.
”Here.” Seeing her discomfort, Namjoon offered her a saucer of water which she accepted gladly. Ravenously, Gyuri quickly drank the refreshment to quench her parched throat. Namjoon and Taehyung watched as she drank the water with a voracious appetite. Once she was done, she wiped the water, that had dribbled down her chin, with the back of her hand. She returned the pair's stare.
”What?”
Taehyung was the first to speak. ”Thank heavens you are okay!” Without warning, he wrapped his arms around her and brought her close to his chest.
Gyuri blinked in surprise. ”Young-Young Master?”
”Cousin!” Namjoon exclaimed, ”You are suffocating her!”
”Oh!” Taehyung released Gyuri immediately. ”I-I apologise” he stuttered, his cheeks flaming. ”I-I am just so relieved that-that you are awake” he explained, flustered. ”No, I am just so relieved that you are alive!”
”Please be gentle with her, cousin” Namjoon scolded, ”she is still recovering.” He addressed Gyuri, ”How are you feeling, Gyuri? Does it hurt anywhere?”
Gyuri was about to shake her head when she suddenly felt a sharp pain shoot down from her left shoulder. She winced.
”Your body will feel sore for a while” Namjoon informed her.
”What- what happened?” Gyuri questioned as she massaged her head with her right arm while avoiding moving her left. ”How did I get hurt?”
”Do you not remember?” Namjoon questioned. ”You were shot by an arrow.”
Taehyung murmured solemnly, ”You got hurt while trying to save me.”
Gyuri's eyes darted from Namjoon to Taehyung like a pendulum. Her mind was still foggy and thinking made her head hurt. But with some effort, the events that had led up to her near death came crashing down on her like an unexpected avalanche.
Flying arrows; the scruffy peasant; Taehyung; Pain.
Gyuri remembered how she had witnessed the scruffy peasant aim an arrow at Taehyung and how her legs moved out of their own accord to try and reach him in time. She remembered how she had shielded Taehyung with her embrace and how the razor-sharp arrow pierced through her flesh, rendering her immobile.
”You have been out cold for five days” Namjoon divulged, ”but at last, the worst has passed.”
”I've been asleep... for five days?” She still couldn't comprehend how much time had elapsed since the wedding. It felt like only yesterday.
”You were one of the lucky ones” Namjoon added. ”It is fortunate that you were able to overcome the poison.”
”Poison?” Gyuri anxiously repeated. ”The arrows were poisoned?”
He nodded grimly.
”Oh, my gosh...” Gyuri uttered in disbelief. Suddenly, she remembered the sound of bodies crashing to the floor and she shuddered. ”Is everyone okay?” she rushed to question, alarmed. ”Madam Zhou? Pho? Mayu?”
”They are fine” Taehyung replied, but Gyuri couldn't help noticing his mournful expression. ”You should focus on recovering—do not trouble yourself over others.”
”But—”
”Taehyung is right” Namjoon interjected. ”You should focus on your own recovery for now.” He inched closer to Gyuri so that he was sitting next to her on the bed. ”May I? I need to see your wound.”
Gyuri gulped as she hesitantly let Namjoon peel back the top of her robe so that he could peer down at her exposed shoulder. Even though she should be worrying about other things, she couldn't help feeling self-conscious about her current appearance.
Oh, God. I've been asleep for five days! My breath must stink, and my hair must be oily and disgusting.
She averted her gaze, only to find an embarrassed Taehyung, who had turned around. Great, she groaned internally. Even he must find the sight of me repulsive.
Namjoon leaned back as he finished. ”Your wound is healing slowly” he enlightened her. ”But unfortunately, it will leave a scar.”
”The most important thing is that she will recover,” Taehyung remarked after he had turned around. He gazed at Gyuri with concern. ”I was so worried about you” he fussed. But then his expression darkened as he reprimanded her, ”Stupid Gyuri! Why did you risk your life for?”
”To save you, of course.”
Taehyung's face reddened.
”Did you manage to catch the culprit?” she asked, turning her attention to Namjoon.
Namjoon shook his head solemnly. ”The investigation is still in progress. We did manage to apprehend one of the assassins, but they ended their life before we had the opportunity to interrogate them.” He frowned as he continued, ”It seems they intended to die if their plan to eliminate us failed.”
”Who would want to do such a thing...?”
”It must be General Lee” Taehyung contemptuously suggested. ”He has always been jealous of Brother Minseok.”
”Hush!” Namjoon castigated Taehyung. ”Do not accuse anyone if you have no firm evidence of it, cousin.”
But still, Taehyung continued, ”I bet he orchestrated it for revenge—”
”That is quite enough, Taehyung.”
Everyone looked up at the sound of a curt voice booming from the other side of the room.
”Cousin Junmyeon!”
Not too far away from the trio stood a scowling Junmyeon who was standing nearby the entrance. With an arrogant gait, he entered the room as he addressed Taehyung. ”You will do well to hold your tongue when it comes to matters such as these” he lectured, before stealing a glance at Gyuri, ”especially in the presence of a servant.”
Taehyung bit his bottom lip and Gyuri noticed how his hands balled into fists. He stared at Junmyeon with his brows furrowed in a glower.