The open market never went quiet except when business hours ended. Still, some shops in the area continued operating until late at night.
Most of the businesses that opened after sundown were called Dark Hour shops by the locals. These included tea houses, jockey shops, midnight snack stalls, and bars, as well as underground establishments like pleasure houses and gambling rings.
Because of their different operational hours, these shops were usually located on the other side of the open market, in a more secluded area far from residential zones to avoid noise. Due to the remote location, this area attracted many criminals, such as robbers, pickpockets, and scammers. The government struggled to control the problem, exacerbated by immigrants and locals with varying agendas.
Which proved something.
Not everyone is good. Just as there is Heaven, there is Hell!
Uk strolled among the crowd in the Dark Hour area. His sharp eyes scanned each person he passed, identifying each face in the crowded space. It was a challenging search in such a bustling area, but he couldn't give up because it was an important matter.
The entire household of The Red Ruby had noticed Min Jun's disappearance minutes after Uk's encounter with the steward in the forest. When the steward was caught, the head eunuch wanted to punish the poor boy, but Uk stopped him. The boy was innocent, forced to take Min Jun's place by the prince himself.
Instead of joining the commotion inside, Uk decided to search for the runaway prince outside the palace walls. It was getting late, and Min Jun was still missing. Uk's instinct told him that Min Jun might have visited the Concubine Lane again.
So, he already had a place to start.
When Uk arrived at the pleasure house, the lady who greeted him said the young prince hadn't visited that day. After some light pressure, the lady insisted that the last time she saw Min Jun was the night Uk first met the prince. Nothing since then.
With a heavy heart, Uk continued searching for Min Jun in the Dark Hour area. Slowly, he lost motivation. It was hard, with the area flooded with people and noise, making it difficult for Uk to find Min Jun.
Eventually, Uk gave up. He stopped at a stall to take a break. The waiter took his order quickly, but there was a long queue.
As he was about to sit, he noticed a group of people running towards the stall.
"There's a fight at the teahouse!" one man shouted to the crowd. Uk was still standing, waiting for his tea, but his instincts kicked in. He quickly rose from his seat and ran towards the direction of the commotion.
***
A small body dodged kicks and punches, laughing aloud while running around. There was no pressure for him during the fight.
But eventually, he made a mistake, and his opponent took advantage. He tried to fight back but was too slow, ending up on the ground, defenseless.
The crowd gasped as the opponent swung his fist towards the boy. Some expected the worst, while others cheered. The weak man shut his eyes tight, waiting anxiously.
Then, there was a pin-drop silence.
He opened his eyes to see a well-built man tossing the bad guy away from him.
"Uk-ssi!" Min Jun gasped. The former knight turned around at once.
"Are you okay, daeg...?!"
"Watch out!" Min Jun jumped up and pushed Uk aside. He used his forearm to block the bad guy's attack. Uk took the chance to kick the man's belly, causing him to stagger back.
"Dae-"
"Don't expose me, you idiot!" Min Jun hissed. Uk imagined smacking his head. He was too concerned about Min Jun's well-being and almost exposed the prince.
"What exactly happened?!" Uk asked desperately.
"No time for that!" Min Jun ignored Uk's question, got back on his feet, and charged forward as the bad guy regained consciousness. Uk backed him up, distracting the bad guy. Both men were skilled fighters, which surprised Uk about the prince.
When the bad guy was defeated, Uk and Min Jun finally relaxed. They exchanged glances, Uk unconsciously smiling at Min Jun, making the young prince's heart stir. His cheeks suddenly felt hot.
"Yarh!"
They were startled when a group of men approached. They exchanged brief glances, silently communicating.
"I never expected this scammer will have a group..." Min Jun said. Uk shook his head slightly. Just when they thought the problem was solved, another arose.
"Are you sure you can fight this?" Uk asked softly. He should be angry at Min Jun for causing a scene, but instead, he felt more concerned.
"Can you fight them?" Min Jun asked back.
"I think I can. But I don't know if I can survive," Uk replied. Min Jun cracked his knuckles, forming fists.
"Then there's only one choice left..."
Uk glanced at Min Jun. The prince gritted his teeth and shut his eyes. Uk was on guard, ready for a fight.
But...
Min Jun grabbed Uk and dragged him through the crowd, escaping the trouble.
"I thought we were fighting them!" Uk yelled.
"Forget being heroic, Gisa Ahn! No one's dying today!" Min Jun replied while running.
"You could have let me fight them!" Uk stopped midway. Min Jun cursed under his breath, clicked his tongue, and glared at Uk.
"Yarh, who's gonna take care of me if you die?!" Min Jun's anger startled Uk. The prince looked upset and angry, unlike his usual self. He seemed to hate the idea of someone dying for him, which made Uk somehow felt important.
But, his slow stead side was unable to respond to the prince properly. Instead, he just stood there in static.
Uk's unresponsiveness made Min Jun even angrier. He charged forward, trapping Uk's face between his palms and forcing him to look at him.
"If this is how you guard me, you're the weakest bodyguard I've ever had!"
"But I'm trying to save you!"
"By sacrificing your own life?! That's the best you can do?!" Min Jun squeezed Uk's face hard, making him wince.
Min Jun harshly let go before crushing his head. Uk breathed heavily, touching his jaw.
"You're not a hero, Gisa Ahn! You're just a bodyguard. Your job is to guard me, not give up your life for me!" Min Jun vented his rage. "I expected more from you, but I guess I expected too much!"
Min Jun stormed away, leaving Uk in a daze. The prince's words were sharp, cutting deep. Uk realized he had been doing his job wrong.
Min Jun was right.
He's not a knight anymore. He's now a bodyguard.
And his job is to guard, not to kill or get killed.