Jun Hua wakes up early the next day. She had spent a long time talking with Soujin after they eat last night. Most of them are only daily talk without any aim, but she remembers that the atmosphere that night is really pleasing. Because there is no maidservant here, she takes care of the usual thing by herself. Luckily, she had been used with changing clothes herself and all in the military.
Going outside her room, she quickly found Soujin who's supervising his soldiers in training. His stern face turned gentle the moment he saw the little girl.
"You're early today. Have you rested enough?"
Jun Hua nodded. "You have changed their training?"
"Yes, according to what we talked yesterday."
Jun Hua watched the soldiers training for a moment. They are all really serious in their training and didn't dare to slack off. She wanted to know, are they respecting Soujin or afraid of him? That was a really interesting question.
"What are you thinking of, little girl?" Soujin noticed the girl lips are curved a little.
"Noting," Jun Hua turned her head. "When will we return to the capital?"
"This morning, after breakfast, we will return. I cannot keep you here for a long time or someone is going to berate me again."
Hearing Soujin joke, Jun Hua chuckled. There is no way she would berate him as she like being here despite it is only one day. That day is really fun for her and she could do things she loved without worrying about those spies watching her. In any case, her men already keep them on check to make sure they won't do anything harmful to her during this time.
"He won't berate you. Didn't you already tell him about me here?" Jun Hua smiled.
"I did. Let's eat some breakfast," Soujin said as he leads the two of them to dining room. Inside the room is a table full of delicacies. Although they are not luxurious like the one in the capital, they are still good enough and Jun Hua is not a picky eater.
After they finished, Soujin have some people preparing for a carriage. They are going back to the capital of Ming Kingdom.
"You won't ask me for painting again?"
"Do you want me to?" Soujin smiled, his devilish handsome face looks even more stunning.
Jun Hua shifted her gaze to avoid looking at the man face and shakes her head. She looked outside, where she could see the field of grass and forest on afar. The morning sunlight makes the grass looks shining. It is truly a beautiful view.
"Have you stayed on this border for a long time?" Jun Hua doesn't know why, but she wanted to ask this question. She is a soldier too and for years she had been fighting for Jun family on the front line. The time she spends at home is very little as it is only last year she got the change to.
"I have joined the military since I'm 11, counting from that, it should be 10 years already now," Soujin answered. "Most of the time I didn't spend it here because there is time where Kai Kingdom attacks us fiercely."
"How often did you come back?"
Soujin raised his eyebrow. "What about your brother, little girl, don't you know when he returned?"
"After the war is over, only from last year to this one," Jun Hua answered.
"It's the same for me, I can only return back after the war is over. In my side it took years longer to finish everything. Although I could return for a short while occasionally, I had to go back after several days. By the time the war is over and I come back to the capital, I'm already 18 years old."
Seven years. Jun Hua doesn't know how long it take her soldiers, who never got the chance to come back, to return back home. She managed to finish it in three years by a stroke of luck, then returned in time for the party since she's already 14 and she needs to show her face out.
"Do you miss your family?"
"Who would not?" Soujin smiled, this time his smile seems unnatural. "You don't have to think about it. A girl only needs to wait at home and be an obedient girl."
Jun Hua is stunned then giggled. If she was an ordinary girl, she would wait at home for her family to return from the war. But, she cannot do that as she plays important role in Jun family although it's in secret.
She looked outside where the sun is still shining brightly and the field of grass entered her vision. Why did she go to war in the first place? She wants to protect her family and bring them on their glory, not only a chess piece for the emperor to use. They have the right to choose what path they want to take.
From the previous emperor, they have enough freedom to do their matter without him interfering. He even allow talented people to grow even stronger by giving them freedom, which allow the Ming Kingdom to become very powerful.* But now, almost none and many of them had to resort to do it secretly, which mean they will be killed the moment the government found out.
Soujin watch the beauty in front of him. No matter how long he looks, he didn't get tired of her at all. He wants to continue staring, but the girl already opened her mouth to ask a question.
"Do you prefer a girl who stays at home?" suddenly Jun Hua remembers that he said that he like her towards her 'brother'. What does he see in her to make him fall for her? Although she doesn't entirely believe him because the men in this era mostly have many women and the fact that he never showed any interest towards women before, she wants to know.
Soujin arched his eyebrows. "Why did you suddenly ask? Did you fall for me, little lass?"
"… Forget that I ask," Jun Hua feels that she is being ridiculous. Why did she suddenly want to know about that thing?
"I don't," Soujin said as he leaned back in. His eyes watched as the girl looks at him with disbelief before turning her face away to look at the scenery. His lips curled up. If he prefers a girl who can only stay at home, he wouldn't have taken an interest towards her when he sees her making a map in that tent previously.
"Shall we discuss about the training again?" Soujin decides to shift the conversation.
Jun Hua turned her head back and nodded. "Sure, let's see how advance the training we can make together."
With that, their journey in the carriage turned into a discussion of training. When they arrived in the capital, Soujin take Jun Hua to her home before he returned to his home.
Jun Hua wakes up early the next day. She had spent a long time talking with Soujin after they eat last night. Most of them are only daily talk without any aim, but she remembers that the atmosphere that night is really pleasing. Because there is no maidservant here, she takes care of the usual thing by herself. Luckily, she had been used with changing clothes herself and all in the military.
Going outside her room, she quickly found Soujin who's supervising his soldiers in training. His stern face turned gentle the moment he saw the little girl.
"You're early today. Have you rested enough?"
Jun Hua nodded. "You have changed their training?"
"Yes, according to what we talked yesterday."
Jun Hua watched the soldiers training for a moment. They are all really serious in their training and didn't dare to slack off. She wanted to know, are they respecting Soujin or afraid of him? That was a really interesting question.
"What are you thinking of, little girl?" Soujin noticed the girl lips are curved a little.
"Noting," Jun Hua turned her head. "When will we return to the capital?"
"This morning, after breakfast, we will return. I cannot keep you here for a long time or someone is going to berate me again."
Hearing Soujin joke, Jun Hua chuckled. There is no way she would berate him as she like being here despite it is only one day. That day is really fun for her and she could do things she loved without worrying about those spies watching her. In any case, her men already keep them on check to make sure they won't do anything harmful to her during this time.
"He won't berate you. Didn't you already tell him about me here?" Jun Hua smiled.
"I did. Let's eat some breakfast," Soujin said as he leads the two of them to dining room. Inside the room is a table full of delicacies. Although they are not luxurious like the one in the capital, they are still good enough and Jun Hua is not a picky eater.
After they finished, Soujin have some people preparing for a carriage. They are going back to the capital of Ming Kingdom.
"You won't ask me for painting again?"
"Do you want me to?" Soujin smiled, his devilish handsome face looks even more stunning.
Jun Hua shifted her gaze to avoid looking at the man face and shakes her head. She looked outside, where she could see the field of grass and forest on afar. The morning sunlight makes the grass looks shining. It is truly a beautiful view.
"Have you stayed on this border for a long time?" Jun Hua doesn't know why, but she wanted to ask this question. She is a soldier too and for years she had been fighting for Jun family on the front line. The time she spends at home is very little as it is only last year she got the change to.
"I have joined the military since I'm 11, counting from that, it should be 10 years already now," Soujin answered. "Most of the time I didn't spend it here because there is time where Kai Kingdom attacks us fiercely."
"How often did you come back?"
Soujin raised his eyebrow. "What about your brother, little girl, don't you know when he returned?"
"After the war is over, only from last year to this one," Jun Hua answered.
"It's the same for me, I can only return back after the war is over. In my side it took years longer to finish everything. Although I could return for a short while occasionally, I had to go back after several days. By the time the war is over and I come back to the capital, I'm already 18 years old."
Seven years. Jun Hua doesn't know how long it take her soldiers, who never got the chance to come back, to return back home. She managed to finish it in three years by a stroke of luck, then returned in time for the party since she's already 14 and she needs to show her face out.
"Do you miss your family?"
"Who would not?" Soujin smiled, this time his smile seems unnatural. "You don't have to think about it. A girl only needs to wait at home and be an obedient girl."
Jun Hua is stunned then giggled. If she was an ordinary girl, she would wait at home for her family to return from the war. But, she cannot do that as she plays important role in Jun family although it's in secret.
She looked outside where the sun is still shining brightly and the field of grass entered her vision. Why did she go to war in the first place? She wants to protect her family and bring them on their glory, not only a chess piece for the emperor to use. They have the right to choose what path they want to take.
From the previous emperor, they have enough freedom to do their matter without him interfering. He even allow talented people to grow even stronger by giving them freedom, which allow the Ming Kingdom to become very powerful.* But now, almost none and many of them had to resort to do it secretly, which mean they will be killed the moment the government found out.
Soujin watch the beauty in front of him. No matter how long he looks, he didn't get tired of her at all. He wants to continue staring, but the girl already opened her mouth to ask a question.
"Do you prefer a girl who stays at home?" suddenly Jun Hua remembers that he said that he like her towards her 'brother'. What does he see in her to make him fall for her? Although she doesn't entirely believe him because the men in this era mostly have many women and the fact that he never showed any interest towards women before, she wants to know.
Soujin arched his eyebrows. "Why did you suddenly ask? Did you fall for me, little lass?"
"… Forget that I ask," Jun Hua feels that she is being ridiculous. Why did she suddenly want to know about that thing?
"I don't," Soujin said as he leaned back in. His eyes watched as the girl looks at him with disbelief before turning her face away to look at the scenery. His lips curled up. If he prefers a girl who can only stay at home, he wouldn't have taken an interest towards her when he sees her making a map in that tent previously.
"Shall we discuss about the training again?" Soujin decides to shift the conversation.
Jun Hua turned her head back and nodded. "Sure, let's see how advance the training we can make together."
With that, their journey in the carriage turned into a discussion of training. When they arrived in the capital, Soujin take Jun Hua to her home before he returned to his home.
