C Chapter 62 – Side Story: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1)

Chapter 62
Side Story: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1)

The scorching sun beat down mercilessly. The cicadas chirped persistently, asserting their presence in the sweltering summer—a season when wearing armor was nearly unbearable. So Dongbaek’s troops were no exception, all of them struggling with their diminishing strength.

As they barely managed to get through each day, today was particularly hot. As feared, the soldiers who had been barely holding on started collapsing one after another during training. When it became impossible to continue the training, Dongbaek clicked her tongue in frustration.

“You’re all impossibly weak!”

“We apologize, Commander!”

The captain bowed his head as they carried away yet another collapsed soldier. Dongbaek pressed her throbbing temples. Even those who hadn’t collapsed were clearly not in good shape, visibly panting and struggling. She had no choice but to make a decision.

“Very well, gather and line up the troops.”

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“Yahoo!”

Dongbaek’s troops let out cheers of joy. Splash! The sound of people jumping into water could be heard everywhere. While the noisy shouts of men weren’t exactly pleasant to hear, it was still better than watching them collapse, Dongbaek thought as she sat watching them with her chin propped up.

Seeing her subordinates falling one after another, Dongbaek’s desperate measure was to give them three days of special leave. But simply sending them home wouldn’t do—they would likely exhaust themselves working in the fields. Giving them leave to boost morale would be pointless if that happened. So she compromised by taking them to a nearby valley for at least one day.

When she suddenly called them and announced three days of leave, telling them they could either rest at home for all three days or stay for one day of fun, they all stared at her with bewildered expressions. In an era where the concept of a superior taking soldiers on an outing was unheard of, they all seemed unsure if they had heard correctly.

“I’ll cover the food and travel expenses. Tell your captain if you want to go or not. It’s not mandatory, so decide freely.”

Only then did they grasp the situation and move in perfect unison. The participation rate was so high that it would have been faster to count those not going. When Dongbaek asked if there was a valley large enough for over 50 troops to play in, Wang Bi nodded.

“I know the geography of this area very well.”

“Good, then Wang Bi, you lead the way.”

Wang Bi nodded firmly at Dongbaek’s words.

The valley Wang Bi led them to was deep and wide enough to easily accommodate everyone rushing in, befitting the continental scale. Everyone seemed unable to contain their excitement at the sight of the crystal-clear valley water that looked cold enough to make them shiver.

As soon as Dongbaek gave permission to go in and play, they all quickly stripped off their clothes and jumped into the valley water. The sight of them splashing around looked quite fun.

While feeling the superior officer’s melancholy of having to just watch her subordinates play, Dongbaek mused with a sigh, well, as long as they’re having fun, that’s what matters.

“How is it, Commander So? Isn’t it reassuring just to watch?”

Wang Bi, who had stripped to the waist, waded through the water toward Dongbaek and showed off his tanned muscles. As soon as Wang Bi finished speaking, all the members of the 7th unit behind him unanimously displayed their physiques. Dongbaek couldn’t help but snicker at the amusing sight.

“I’ll give you 70 points. You there, 50 points. You need more training.”

Dongbaek playfully gave scores to each person.

“What’s with that belly fat? And you, go wash up.”

The 7th unit members sank one by one under the harsh evaluations. Wang Bi, who received the highest score of 70, laughed heartily at his subordinates, looking quite annoying.

“But Commander So, aren’t you going to join us? The water’s nice and cool.”

The sunlight glittered on the clear water, making it look irresistibly refreshing. Though Dongbaek longed to join in and swim, the thought of revealing her body while hiding her true gender was out of the question. She wore a regretful expression as she replied.

“While I’d love nothing more than to join, my wife strictly forbade me from stripping in public, saying it would be dangerous. So enjoy yourselves.”

Dongbaek’s sly smile and deliberately innocent tone were maddeningly teasing. However, no one could argue with her explanation—it was a convincing excuse, after all. For a moment, the soldiers fell silent.

Dongbaek’s delicate and graceful figure was unmistakable under her layered leather armor. Her slender frame and refined presence stood out amidst the rugged soldiers. Coupled with a face said to rival that of the emperor’s favored consort, she was undeniably captivating.

The soldiers, Wang Bi included, quickly banished any stray thoughts that had crossed their minds. Entertaining such ideas felt almost sacrilegious, akin to confessing something absurd. Dongbaek caught the brief hesitation in their expressions and chuckled softly.

“Good, since you seem to understand, I won’t say more.”

Dongbaek waved her hands as if shooing away birds. However, Wang Bi didn’t readily move away and narrowed his eyes, having spotted Jin Jin, the attendant who was busy fanning behind Dongbaek.

Why hadn’t Jin Jin been visible until now? Partly because the diminutive Jin Jin was hidden in the shadows, but also because Dongbaek’s presence was too overwhelming.

Dongbaek had always been someone who drew attention. Not just for her striking appearance, but her distinct elegance that sets her apart from others could change the atmosphere just by her being there. Jin Jin wasn’t particularly noticeable to begin with, so it was natural that he hadn’t caught the eye.

“What are you doing there, Attendant Jin? Did your wife also forbid you from showing your skin?”

Wang Bi redirected his teasing toward Jin Jin. Caught in the crossfire while earnestly fanning, Jin Jin glared at Wang Bi’s jest and retorted.

“Where are your eyes? Can’t you see what I’m doing? I’m diligently fanning to keep our Commander cool.”

“But still, you came here to play and you’re just going to keep fanning there?”

Jin Jin just snorted dismissively. No matter how much they prodded, he showed no signs of getting in the water—it seemed he wouldn’t even dip his toes in.

But Wang Bi, with his broad sense of camaraderie, felt uneasy seeing someone sitting out when everyone else was having fun. Even though Dongbaek was off-limits as the commanding officer, Jin Jin was fair game. Wang Bi believed that bonding through playful interaction was key to strengthening relationships.

Contrary to Wang Bi’s optimism, Jin Jin had zero intention of entering the water. He felt very… extremely embarrassed and awkward about showing his bare body as a scholar in front of such uncouth masses of muscle. But suddenly, a thunderbolt of words dropped from his superior, whom he had sworn to follow with his life.

“Haha, I’m fine now, so Attendant Jin should go play too.”

“No, no, Commander! It’s nice and cool here in the shade!”

“Alright, everyone! Attendant Jin wants to join!”

The moment Dongbaek gave her approval, Wang Bi and his cohort lit up their eyes menacingly. Jin Jin, frightened by the approaching men moving their fingers threateningly, practically begged Dongbaek.

“W-wait, Commander! Commander, I—AAAAAAH!”

Pulled down by Wang Bi, who clung to him like a tick, Jin Jin fell into the water fully clothed. Despite her subordinate’s desperate cries, the cold-hearted superior just watched with a subtle smile.

Even in water that only came up to his waist, Jin Jin thrashed about, making a scene for quite a while. Jin Jin trembled at the sight of everyone holding their stomachs, laughing at him. Barbarians!

Dongbaek chuckled at their childish behavior and beckoned to Yue Jin, who happened to catch her eye. The gesture meant to go fish him out. Understanding Dongbaek’s intent, Yue Jin strode toward Jin Jin. The water’s resistance didn’t seem to pose much of an obstacle for him.

He reached into the water and pulled out Jin Jin by the scruff of his neck, like a bear catching salmon with its front paws. Jin Jin, dragged out by the completely unrestrained gesture, spat out water.

“Cough, huk, keh, kehek…”

Once Jin Jin seemed to have calmed down, Yue Jin let go. While both Yue Jin and Jin Jin were similar in height, they avoided looking like a dangling stick bug. It still wasn’t a particularly pretty sight.

His beard had shriveled up like a drenched mouse, and the headband he was wearing was plastered to his face, making him look ridiculous. Flushed red with anger, Jin Jin struggled mightily to get out of the water while breathing heavily.

“You’ve had a hard time entertaining them, Attendant Jin.”

Dongbaek reached out toward Jin Jin, who was grunting and hugging his water-logged clothes. Jin Jin looked at the smooth hand extended to him as if overwhelmed by the honor.

Seeing him hesitate to take it readily, Dongbaek stood up and reached out even closer to Jin Jin. Surprised by Dongbaek suddenly grasping his hand, Jin Jin leaned backward, but Dongbaek paid no mind and applied force. With a light burst of strength from Dongbaek, Jin Jin was pulled up as light as a feather.

“Since you seem so averse to joining in, I’ll leave the others to their fun. We’ll stick to our own thing.”

It was like giving medicine after causing the illness—pulling him out only after pushing him into the tiger’s den to be devoured. But even at such belated intervention, Jin Jin’s eyes welled up as if moved.

Then he directed all his accumulated resentment toward Wang Bi. Just you wait, Jin Jin ground his teeth. The grudge that began piling up from this moment would later contribute to making Jin Jin and Wang Bi’s relationship like that of a dog and monkey. Although it was a one-sided grudge.

Whether aware or unaware of her subordinates’ inner feelings, Dongbaek calmly handed Jin Jin a handkerchief.

“Here, dry your face.”

Jin Jin took the handkerchief with trembling hands, overwhelmed with embarrassment and gratitude. Dongbaek casually advised him to dry his clothes, mentioning that summer colds could be severe.

However, Jin Jin shook his head vehemently, determined not to remove his clothing under any circumstances. With the burly, muscular men all around, he couldn’t stop worrying about how his scrawny frame would compare.

Though Jin Jin was frail, he was unmistakably male from any angle, yet he made such a fuss—in a way, it was understandable why there had never been a single suspicion about Dongbaek being a woman.

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