RIN

"Grandpa sounds a bit displeased with the Emperor"s words," Rin chuckles.

"Hmph! Of course, I am, why wouldn"t I be?" Commander Bai sighed helplessly. "Girl, you don"t realize the wicked schemes that go on within the Palace. It"s not a place to merely eat and sleep but also an endless battleground."

Hearing his words, a dark light flashed within Rin"s eyes - a deep darkness hidden beneath the depths of her emerald gems.

Going completely unnoticed by Commander Bai, Rin lightly grips her teacup before looking at the old man with a faint smile.

"You don"t need to worry. I"m not interested in marriage quite yet." Rin coughed lightly while scratching the back of her head sheepishly.

Commander Bai couldn"t help but arch a silver brow towards her words.

Most girls her age would be studying poetry, literature, music, and arts, eagerly waiting to be sent off to be married hoping to attract a suitable husband to support their family.

Yet here, his granddaughter spent most her times indoors, studying military tactics and training with men.

She had even obtained a significant role in the majority of their fierce battles.

A secret that he forever planned to keep a secret along with something much darker...

Times like this made him sometimes wish he had a normal young maiden as his granddaughter.

However, hearing her say she wasn"t interested in marriage had caused him to be reasonably happy.

A tremendous weight had unconsciously been lifted off his shoulders. But the Emperor"s firm words had still settled in his mind.

Even though she had said she wasn"t interested in marriage, that wouldn"t matter to someone like the Emperor - especially if he was very set on Rin marrying his son.

Thinking this, he couldn"t help but worry. Although he held a large amount of power, he never liked to pressure others with it to use against them.

Of course, however, if it involved his precious Rin that was a different story!

As the old Commander Bai pondered on the situation, he hadn"t noticed the complex expression on the young girl as she sighed lightly before eating her meal.

Who would have thought two days later, the Emperor sent a private marriage decree to the Bai residence announcing the engagement between Bai Rin and the Crown Prince, Kang Tadashi.

When Rin had read the decree, she had remained her calm facade, a faint smile forming on her lips - her thoughts unreadable.

Turning to face her grandfather with a blank expression Rin"s eyes darken before mentioning she"d wish to be excused to her chambers.

Both Commander Bai and General Guo were both concerned for the young girl. Already becoming forced to deal with such troublesome matters when she had such a vast future ahead of her.

It was quite disheartening to those who doted on her, as they could merely hope but to resort to utilizing their divine power to break things off.

Which the old Commander had planned exactly to do the following day after he informed Rin on the matter.

However, what no one would have expected was the following day for Rin to suddenly be missing from her room! Everything was precisely in order - no signs of a struggle or kidnap were evident.

The Bai"s young miss had gone missing!

As the old Commander Bai nearly rushed out to murder whatever sc.u.m kidnapped his granddaughter under his roof and protection, General Guo restrained him while handing him a small parchment of bamboo paper.

s.n.a.t.c.hing it from the middle-aged man"s hand, Commander Bai begins reading the scroll"s contents, merely to have his expression turn sour, quickly flushing a shade of red.

[Have a few errands to attend to. Will return in a few months. - Rin]

That d.a.m.n brat! Purposely leaving saying she had business to attend to at such a time!

And why leave such a short note?!

General Guo who stood by the side couldn"t help but sigh helplessly at the situation. He"d most certainly punish her once she returned...

The old man was huffing in anger due to his granddaughter"s shameless and senseless note. As for the errands she had to run, even Commander Bai was unsure where she had planned to go.

However, deciding to place full trust in his granddaughter he had waited for her return like a good grandfather would do!

When others sought her he"d merely claim she left the kingdom to visit distant relatives of the Bai family.

...

Back in present time, sitting gloomily at his desk Commander Bai huffed in anger.

d.a.m.n brat, it had been two months already and she still hadn"t returned! What was an old man like him supposed to do while she was missing?

She had said a few months, but how exactly long were a few months?

He could only sulk and patiently wait for his granddaughter to return…