Chapter 291 - Outburst-I

Min Hyuk held Haneul waist to help her hop over and ride the stallion. The touch of his hand knocked air out of her body and a tingling sensation spread throughout Haneul's limbs. It felt ticklish but a different sense than a normal one as now she felt only happiness spreading in her.

Haneul didn't see her mother, which was great and she thought they needed to hurry before her mother found out and stopped her from riding the horse and experience the hunting game with Min Hyuk. She didn't want her mother to come when her sole purpose to attend the hunting game was so she could enjoy it with Min Hyuk.

"Are you comfortable?" Min Hyuk asked her, he was still on the ground as she was on the horse.

Haneul replied with a nod, she felt her heartbeat quicken as she imagined how Min Hyuk would share a single horse with her. He placed one feet on the stirrup and pushed the rest of his body by the other feet that settled on the ground. In a single hop, he mounted the horse. When his back touched, Haneul became more aware of the warmth on her back that came from Min Hyuk's chest, and her entire sense fell on her back, causing her lip to curl.

Blood rush to her ears and cheeks, turning it bright pink. Min Hyuk was gentlemanly enough to give a little gap between them so their body won't press together like the corner of two walls. Regardless, Haneul could feel their feet and her back with his front brushes when the horse begin to make a small walk. She didn't know if it was only her who had been overthinking about the simple ride, but the closure they shared now was different than usual.

"Do you want to try riding the horse?" came Min Hyuk's question, and when he spoke his voice brushed her ears in the softest way that ignites heat through out all corner of Haneul's body.

"I don't dare," suddenly speaking formally, Haneul felt the need of water as her throat had dried up, "I never rode a horse before we'll fall if I try."

"Don't worry, I am an expert and if anything is about to happen I am right behind you to help you out," Min Hyuk could see Haneul's bright red ears and he wondered if he could bite into it but manage to hold himself from doing so, "And I need to hold to my bow and arrow so we could hunt. The Queen is here, I believe if we win she would give us a handsome reward."

"But I don't need anything," Haneul said, "And I have a bad feeling."

"Bad feeling?" Min Hyuk inquired, pushing the vessel that held the arrows to his back. 

"The Queen, do you really think she came to visit?" Haneul had never took the work of men like her father, but she could tell the oddness of the Queen coming to their small town only to enjoy the hunting game. "If she wanted to visit the hunting game there are many other hunting game than our town's."

"Maybe she is bored as she said and wanted to find a new town to visit. Don't worry, the Queen won't do anything," Min Hyuk assured her even though he also shared the same assumption as Haneul, wondering what was the Queen's purpose as the woman never done anything without weaving a plan.

When the hunting game was about to begin, the horses lined before the forest. Haneul who has lined with Min Hyuk kept an eye on the amount of people in the first batch. She noted how there was no Mr. Han which was fortunate. The hunting game held a mix of commoners and nobles which was a sight to see as commoners often fear nobles and likewise, the noble held a detest to the poor people.

The Queen stared at her man only raising her hand for the man to beat the drum, sending signal that hunting game had begun. 

"Hold tight," Min Hyuk whispered and Haneul's hand on the stable tightened. He chuckled when seeing her tense shoulders but know it won't be for long. Haneul eyed Min Hyuk's hand that circled around her waist to hold the reign, "It will be fun," he said and with a kick of his feet the stallion begin to gallop at the same time the sound of the drum rang.

The forest that was filled with voices of the nature and people turn into drumming sound of hooves. Haneul at first was worried and a little scared as this was her first time riding the horse. But all thoughts were immediately blew when the horse begin to gallop through the forest, avoiding the tree and running toward the safest path.

Min Hyuk's stallion was much faster than the other, creating gaps between him and the distance of the people who fall behind him. Haneul was taken in an amazement. She felt air rushing to her face, and her smile widening in happiness. Fortunately she had tied her hair, else her hair would by now block and hinder her view, causing her to enjoy the lush greenery scenery lesser than now. 

"How is it?" Min Hyuk asked once the horse had stopped galloping and take a slower March, 

"It's fun," Haneul smiled happily, beaming with happiness she had just found. She never knew that riding a horse would feel so liberating. "What are we going to hunt?"

"Shush, that one," Min Hyuk said. After stopping the horse, he pointed his hand toward his left side where a boar was. Haneul watched the boar, finding it was eating. She felt bad that she would have to watch the boat killed, but then this was a hunting game. "You can close your eyes if you don't want to see," Min Hyuk advised.

"No, I am fine," Haneul replied, being courageous. She was sheltered but not small-minded.

"If you say so," Min Hyuk chuckled, putting his hand around her, positioning the arrow to come near Haneul's face. It was her first time seeing an arrow even though she had often saw swords. She held her breath as the string of the bow grew tense and when Min Hyuk released the arrow, Haneul had a small fit of wanting to close her eyes, but she didn't. With a single arrow, Min Hyuk had managed to catch a boar and she stared at his skill with fascination.

"You got it!" Haneul beamed, she had heard how hard it was to hunt but Min Hyuk had made it all too easy.

"I did," Min Hyuk answered, feeling proud with his skill that had caused Haneul to look at him with admirations and sparkles. "Let's get closer and take the boar to the nearest post." And Haneul nodded.

Trotting toward the boar, Haneul wondered if she should share to Min Hyuk about her upcoming engagement. If she doesn't hurry and express her love to him, she feared her mother would marry her to a man who she doesn't love soon. Haneul had seen her mother's eagerness and it frightened her as since her childhood, there was never a time where she had succeeded in doing what she wanted. 

Turning her body, she opened her pursed lips when Haneul's eyes widened to see an arrow heading toward them. "No!" Haneul yelled, alerting Min Hyuk who immediately turn his head to see the arrow coming toward them. But he was too late to do anything or avoiding them. 

Min Hyuk acted on his instinct, protecting Haneul by embracing her when his eyes caught the black streak that had suddenly appear on Haneul's left cheek, a crisp sound of wood tore into two followed after that got him curious as the arrow didn't came to stab his back. Turning his head, Min Hyuk caught another arrow that broke to pieces mid-air like firework while the first one was lying on the ground in pieces. Before he could access the abrupt incident, more arrows rained over them.

Haneul didn't know what happened, but they both realized it was something that she had done.. "Continue doing that," Min Hyuk said without getting scared by the sudden burst of power Haneul showed and he moved his feet to have his stallion gallop through the forest, distancing themselves from the people who had aimed their arrow to them.