Syringe in One Hand, Gun in the Other 23 (Patreon)

Syringe in One Hand, Gun in the Other

Chapter 23

-VB-

Jaehwa, Princess of the Imperial Kingdom of Joseon

As she stomped her way over to the foreign quarters of the palace where diplomats and foreign royals usually stayed, Jaehwa could not help but storm about what she was going to say to the foreigners to get them to call off the marriage.

Oh, she knew that doing this would certainly be against her father’s wishes, but she was not going to take her chances with her life by marrying foreigners of all people!

She knew that she had a duty to perform as the princess of this country. But there was a limit to what she could accept and do! Marry a foreigner? Not even a royal or a noble but a mercenary?!

Well, then. She’l just make the mercenary give up on this marriage!

“Princess, please wait -”

She did as her lady-in-waiting asked her, and waited for the … chubbier girl to catch up to her.

Lady Chyeh-ya was the daughter of the Lady of Warm Beauty (Title: sugwon), her father concubine of the lowest rank. However, because Consort Mari, the Lady of Warm Beauty, was a commonborn, they did not share the same noble rank as she did. It was why despite the fact that Chyeh-ya was her sister, she was taught to refer to her as princess instead of sister.

On top of that, their bastard brother of a Crown Prince hated commoners and commonborns like Chyeh-ya. There was a … very good chance that her sister might just disappear one day, if she wasn’t dragged out in broad daylight to amuse her brother.

It would be a fate that she would share if her father wasn’t thinking to use the mercenaries to save her.

“You really should lay off the sweets, sister,” Jaehwa hissed not unkindly but firmly.

“Can’t help it. You know that, princess,” the chubbier girl whined quietly.

Jaehwa knew it, too. Most of the courts dismissed Chyeh-ya. The only place that didn’t was the kitchens because the head of the kitchen was an upright man and many of the kitchen staff were upright people themselves.

But why did one have to be upright to give proper treatment to someone? Where was the decency and goodness inherent in people?

It was this court life.

She hated it.

… But even if she hated this court life, she didn’t want to leave it by marrying a foreigner without her own choice in the matter. If it was some other noble in the country, then she might accept this kind of arranged marriage, but one with a foreigner…?

“Come on. We’re close.”

“Okay.”

And then they were off again.

When they finally arrived at the foreign quarters, she didn’t wait for the courtiers and guards waiting outside to announce her presence. Instead, she barged into the mercenary’s room.

“You!”

And she found herself looking at a dozen of the mercenaries she encountered in the halls of the palace. They still hadn’t taken off their helmets or body armors.

“Yes?” one of them replied nonchalantly as if she hadn’t just broken half a dozen protocols for how visits and talks with diplomats and royals took place. “Did you have a question for us?”

“Of course, I do! Why are you een wearing helmets right now? Are you so ugly that you can’t bear to let anyone see you?!”

She could hear her sister gasping in utter shock behind her as well as one of the other courtiers collapsing from hearing their princess talk so brutishly.

That’s exactly what she was going for!

“No. It’s just the company protocol.”

Her cheeks twitched. “Company protocol? Are you saying that your company has more value, history, and pride than a whole country? How impudent can you be!”

“... So this is what it is like to talk to a bratty princess, huh?” another one remarked from the rear.

“... What did you just say…?!” she hissed.

“The boss is gonna need to work on your attitude after you get married,” some other mercenary sighed. “It’s obvious you’re throwing a temper tantrum because you don’t like the marriag-”

She stomped up to the mercenary and raised her hand to strike him… But there wasn’t anywhere for her to strike because he was armored from head to toe.

Instead, she moved to grab the helmet.

That’s when his hands finally came up and grabbed her wrists.

“Princess… There is a limit to what you should be doing,” he growled, and she flinched at how his words rumbled in his chest and seemed to vibrate her own bones. How the hell was he doing that?!

“Princess, please, stop!” Chyeh-ya urgently squeaked from behind and grabbed her waist to pull her away. Chubbier she may be, her sister was also far stronger than she was, and she found herself flying to the other side of the room in her sister’s embrace. “What are you thinking?!”

The courtiers who had been unable to stop her quickly moved to apologize to the foreign mercenaries. Bowing to them.

Jaehwa gritted her teeth.

Why did her people have to bow to them? This was an outrage! They laid a hand on the royalty! If anything, then they should be kicked out! (even if she started this.)

“JAEHWA!”

She flinched and looked out into the halls.

Her father, the king, was there, looking incensed. No, he looked enraged.

“What are you thinking, girl?!”

Ah, crud.