ã€ŠSong Of The Fate - saga of an enduring love (A Joseon Romance)ã€‹


 Authors Notes

    As an avid fan of Korean dramas, I became mesmerised by everything Joseon after watching a series of fascinating historical dramas that are termed as Saguek. The inspiration to write my story came from the tiered organisation of the Joseon societal structure that followed a stringently strict hierarchy segregating men and women. My creative juices were triggered by a 2023 drama series, ''Our Blooming Youth'' which has the female protagonist challenge the fictional Crown Prince with "Has Joseon ever allowed its women to be anything?" To which the Crown Prince replies, "I allow it. Try it. You can do it."

    And the world of possibilities opened.

    What follows is a turbulent mystery story sprinkled with a slow-burn romance (you can check it out on viki.com). I know I am digressing a bit, but hey! I am, at heart, a romance writer, so this is important.

    Now, some trivia on the backdrop of my book Song Of The Fate:

    Quote: "Joseon[a]</a> (Korean: ??; Hanja: ³¯õr; MR</a>: Chos?n; [t?o.s?n]</a>), officially Great Joseon State (????; ´ó³¯õr‡ø; [t?.t?o.s?n.¨Àuk?]</a>) was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years: 1392 to 1910" Unquote (WIKI)

    Background: Yi Seong-gye (Taejo of Joseon</a>) overthrew the Goryeo dynasty in July 1392 in Kaesong, their capital, and established the Joseon dynasty (also written as Chos?n). The capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul and named Hanyang. The rivers of Amrok</a> and Tuman</a> formed the northernmost boundaries after the centuries-long subjugation of the Jurchens</a> (today, these rivers divide North Korea from China and Russia, and their valley has been the location of many important battles throughout Korean history dating all the way back to sometime in 500 BC).

    During its rule of more than 500 years, Neo-Confucianism</a> became the dominant ideology of the new Joseon state. Despite Joseon''s establishment of firm control over the Korean peninsula and the flourishing of classical Korean culture, trade, literature, and advancements in science and technology, the status of women declined, relegating them to secondary citizenship. The women had no identity and were only referred to as an extension of their husbands or sons (his wife, his mother, etc).

    The civil service examinations, known as Gwageo, open only to men, served as the gateway to the seat of prestige and power in the Joseon Dynasty. Those who cleared the revered examination became a part of the elite known as Yangban. Simply put, the Yangban of Joseon would be equivalent to the English aristocracy in the Regency or Victorian periods. The difference is that Yangbans did not have hereditary titles and had to work hard through generations to keep their status.

    Cons of being a Yangban: Only male heirs could carry the family''s legacy forward. Inheritance and owning of property were only limited to male heirs. Widows and divorcees were not allowed to remarry, and if they did, the offsprings could not join the Yangban ranks. Men, of course, could remarry. If an heir of the family failed to secure a spot in the Gwageo examinations for four generations, the family lost their Yangban status. They could also lose their status if they lost the favour of the king, though it happened in rare cases.

    Pros of being a Yangban: This ten per cent elite ruled over the ninety per cent population of Joseon. They paid no taxes and enjoyed the most privileged lives. Men could have several concubines. The ministers came from the scholars of the Yangban schools of Confucian learning and were divided into several factions, and at various points, they wielded more power than the king.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    The following events shape the story of Song Of The Fate:

    1) In the 1590s, the kingdom was severely weakened due to the two failed Japanese invasions</a> of 1592</a> and 1598.

    2) Several decades later, this led to a coup, installing King Injo on the Joseon throne by the Sarim scholars of Western faction. According to wiki: ''On April 11, 1623, Gwanghaegun was deposed in a coup by the Westerners faction. The coup directed by Kim Yu</a> took place at night, Gwanghaegun fled but was captured later.<sup>4</a></sup> He was confined first on Ganghwa Island</a> and then on Jeju Island</a>, where he died in 1641''

    3) This led factional disputes and eventually to an internal rebellion by a General named Yi Gwai in 1624. He failed and was killed. However, this significantly weakened the Joseon army, leaving them vulnerable to outer forces.

    5) Invasion of 1627, during the rule of King Injo: Later Jin dynast</a>y invaded Korea with the target of wiping out the Ming dynasty in China, Joseon''s closest ally.

    6) Invasion by the Qing dynast</a>y led by the indomitable Hong Taji in 1636¨C1637</a>, who defeated the Ming once and for all.

    7) Joseon faced a brutal defeat in 1637. Injo bowed to Hong Taji nine times to save the future of his kingdom.

    King Injo, who has been viewed by historians as a weak, incompetent king, produced two spectacular sons:

    a) Incredibly open-minded and forward-thinking Crown Prince Sohyeon

    b) Tactical military strategist and warrior Prince Bongrim, who later became the Crown Prince and then King Hyojon after the murder of his older brother.

    Both brothers lived as captives of the Qing dynasty for nine years to ensure Joseon toed to their bidding. During this time, Grand Prince Bongrim fought battles on behalf of the Qing against the Muslims and Russian fringe groups.

    Their worldview opened, and Crown Prince Sohyeon picked up many Western ideas that caused him to directly clash with his father, ultimately leading to his murder by poison and execution of his extraordinary wife.

    Fun fact:  Remember the Jurchens</a> who were subjugated and pushed back by the early Joseon Kings? Yes, them. They came back to bite a big piece of a very unprepared Joseon''s behind.

    The Jurchens were a rag-tag group of nomadic tribes that inhabited the Koreon-Chinese-Russian borders and were greatly influenced by the Mongols, ultimately producing the Machu Empire, the last imperial kingdom of China.

    Quote: "They produced the Jin</a> (1115¨C1234) and Qing</a> (1616/1636¨C1912) conquest dynasties</a> on the Chinese territory. A Jianzhou commander, Nurhaci</a> (r. 1616¨C26), unified most Jurchen tribes, incorporated their entire population into hereditary military regiments known as the Eight Banners</a>, and patronised the creation of an alphabet for their language based on the Mongolian script. The term Manchu</a>, already in official use by the Later Jin at that time, was in 1635 decreed by Hong Taji to be the sole acceptable name for that people" Unquote (WIKI).

    To those reading a work on the Joseon era for the first time, some of the words used to get the feel of the period might be confusing, so I will update this with as much information as possible. Please feel free to ask me questions.

 Prologue Ha-nah

    Ha-nah.

    2nd day of first lunar month, 1632, Year of the Monkey

    Let this day be over quickly.

    Lady Choi Ji-na quickened her pace. She clenched the loop of the cloth bundle tighter. The frozen morning air was filled with crisp morning habits people followed without thinking. Bodies brushed past her in leisure and in hurry, going about their business. A man was hawking his wares loudly. Honey. Lady Choi thought distractedly. Her eyes drew to the pretty ribbons and bracelets other hawkers had laid temptingly.

    She shifted the bundle from one hand to the other. She actively disliked wearing her brother''s clothes. Even though the dress was from four years ago, they were still too big for her. The ill-fitting pyjamas were slipping under her heels; the tunic was a tad too long. The soft cloth wrapped around her head covered half of her forehead, and she had to constantly push it back so it didn''t obstruct her view.

    "Just this one last time, Noonim," her brother had begged. "If Father finds out, he will flog me to death."

    "But if Father finds out about my going out dressed as a boy, he will lash me," her fear had been palpable.

    Choi Ji-na spent all of her fifteen years on earth obediently carrying out the duties of a filial daughter. She rose at the break of the dawn, paid her respects to her ancestors, prayed, helped in the kitchen, and left for the noble ladies'' school run by their family. Meticulous in her learning, she could sew, stitch, cook, make lists, do basic bookkeeping, organise servants, recite Naehun by heart and follow the strict code of moral ethics her teachers drilled in her. She only spoke when spoken to and obeyed her parents and elders at all times.

    She obeyed and obeyed and obeyed. Yet, nothing she did was enough for her father or stepmother.

    A small troop of soldiers marched by her. People parted to give way.

    Even though she was disguised as a boy, she kept her eyes down. She could hear her teacher''s voice in her head....

    Do not raise your face to look a man in the eye.

    Do not raise your voice or partake in loud laughter.

    Never show any part of your body skin, including your face. When stepping out of the house, you must always keep yourself covered with a jang-ot.

    If a stranger touches your hand, you must bathe seven times to cleanse your sin.

    Should a man, who is not your husband, lay his hand upon your skin other than your hands, your virtue shall be considered ruined, and you shall be rendered unfit for marriage. You shall be lashed five times. Your father will hold the right to disown you, and your husband can divorce you. Hence, you must keep yourself covered at all times.

    It was not the first time she had been employed by her thirteen-year-old brother to pay off gambling debts. At ten, he had somehow found the company of street gamblers. Once, a small-time habit was now threatening to consume his life. She knew he had started pilfering money and selling small, though insignificant, artefacts to pay off his debts.

    Recently, he enrolled in Seowon {preparatory school for aristocrats}. The thugs he borrowed from would not hesitate to follow him there. While the thugs dared not confront their powerful father, his brother could not take a chance.

    "No one will know. Our parents will think you are in school. Teacher Kim will let you be in the garden because you are getting married, and no one will miss you," her brother implored.

    He was right on that account. Ji-na was the academy''s favourite pupil, and they had let her do whatever she wanted for the last fortnight. No one would miss her as long as she was back by noon. "Moreover, Father will not touch you. He cannot afford to scar you. I cannot trust any of the servants with this. Please, sister, this one last time. You will be married four days later, and I will not have anyone to help me. I promise I will never gamble again." His large eyes had pleaded and sweetened the deal, "I will include Aunt Yu-Joo''s books in your marriage chest when no one is looking."

    Ji-na stopped at a two-way crossing, compressing her lips, trying to remember which way her brother had asked her to go. She was supposed to meet two people, hand them over the bundle he had prepared, and leave. The Palace gates would be on her right, which meant she had to turn left.

    Ji-na looked down the road nervously. She had done this twice before in the last three years. This would be the last time. She could do it.

    The dust around her shoes danced, and the ground beneath her shook. Horses - thought Ji-na. It must be Capital force petrol. They were coming from her right.

    Men parted hurriedly, preparing to give way to the majestic animals ridden by impressive royal capital guards in their finery. A woman picked up her child and darted to a shop by the side of the road. Three young men lazing in the middle hastened their pace to get out of the way. The milling of people thinned.

    At any other time, she would have stopped and watched. Outdoors fascinated her. She was never allowed to venture outside, her world existing between her house and the short distance to the school she attended, always covered from head to toe, escorted by her slave and servant Woo Sa-ri.

    Right now, she was too nervous, her heart echoing the beating of the hooves behind her in trepidation. Ji-na hurried, keeping her head down, the sound of the horses getting closer every minute.

    An anomaly caught the corner of her eye. Amidst the increased din of noise that had filled the air and hurried movements of everyone around her, a tall, blue hanbok-clad figure stood unmoving, as if rooted by an unseen force to the ground. A few others also noticed it and started yelling at the figure to move.

    Ji-na turned her head back to see how far the horses were; to her horror, she could see they were almost upon them. The fellow made no effort to shift from his position, standing directly in the path of the animals bearing down on him.

    One of the horsemen saw the man, and he reigned in desperately, wildly screaming for him to get out of the way, but the horse was galloping too fast, and even if the first horse could slow down, there was no way the other five horses could stop.

    Ji-na didn''t think. She flew and slammed into the man, pushing on his back with her shoulder and head with all her might. The man stumbled, but her momentum was too great, and it flung him onto the side of the road. She tumbled after him, landing on his back, just as the horses flew past them, the riders yelling profanities. Thankfully, they didn''t stop.

    Ji-na was almost draped over him, his sky-blue tunic a blur, her right hand jammed to the ground by his neck. She leveraged herself with her left hand by pushing it against his shoulder blades and snatched her right hand off the ground. Somehow, a bracelet she was wearing got entangled with his hat, so she gave it a jerk and freed her hand.

    Appalled she had touched a man, Ji-na quickly went back on her hunches and stood up. Just then, the man turned around to sit up, a long leg folded, putting his weight on a hand behind him, the other rubbing his temple, still looking disoriented.

    It was the face of a very young man. A very handsome man, Ji-na thought disinterestedly.

    People were coming forward to help the man get up. Murmurs went around her, of concern, of castigation.

    The bundle she was carrying had flown out when she fell. Looking around desperately, she found it a couple of feet away from them. It had come loose, and corners of the two books peeped out. She quickly grabbed and re-tied it, half running and half walking away from the scene as fast as her short strides could carry her.

    Ji-na heard a shout behind her. "Wait, wait -"

    She didn''t pay heed.

    It took her another fifteen minutes to get to the road that would take her to the gambling house. Her throat was parched, her hand stung from the fall. Her legs shook with apprehension. The area was secluded, with untamed swaths of land rising like a vast ocean of green, brown and mush foliage as far as eyes could see. The area teamed with shady figures going about their murky business. Fortunately, people often overlooked children, especially young boys, so no one paid attention to her. Just then, she heard a voice somewhere behind her calling out. Involuntarily, she looked back.

    To her astonishment, it was the man she had saved from getting mauled to death minutes ago. He was looking at her, waving at her to stop.

    Why was he following her?

    Ji-na increased her pace and hid between two bulky men who moved in the direction she had to go. She then darted to a narrow alley between two houses, coming out on the other side. She circled the first house and peeped from its corner.

    The man stood at a bend in the road that disappeared behind him, eaten by the few houses that rose like sentinels, looking around baffled. Another road crossed it, going away from where he stood at an angle.

    After some thought, he started moving along the road that took him away from her.

    Heaving a sigh of relief, she quickly made her way to the gambling house, an imposing structure by a deserted patch of land. She stopped shy of it, counted the houses close to it, and knocked on a large piece of rotting wood that passed for a door two houses beyond it. The dilapidated structure shook with the knock.

    A burly, bearded man came out, reeking of alcohol. A thinner, shorter man followed him.

    "Yellow butterfly sent this for you," she said briskly without looking at them, handing them the pouch. The shorter man took it. His hand brushed her fingers accidentally.

    Ji-na turned and walked away, her heart thudding and her calves trembling. Tears pricked in her eyes.

    She was scared, revolted and felt dirty.

    If a stranger touches your hand, you must bathe seven times to cleanse your sin.

    She would be married in four days and never have to do anything like this ever again.

    Unfortunately, fate had other plans for her because she had barely taken ten steps when one of the men barked at her to stop. "This ain''t enuff money," the burly man with a shaggy grassland for a beard ambled towards her.

    "Where is the rest, you mongrel?" the shorter man with a flat nose wearing strands of hair on his chin sniggered.

    "I-I don''t know, it''s all in the bundle I gave you," Ji-na stepped back, panic rising like fetid gas from her gut.

    He held up a green pouch. "This ain''t enough; those two books will fetch pittance. Yellow butterfly sent a thief now, eh?" his eyes looked dead as he sneered.

    "N-No, you are mistaken," Ji-na darted her terrified eyes for an escape route.

    "Catch him, Gun-woo," the thinner man spit.

    "He speaks fine. If he be a yangban?" the burly man interceded, uncertain.

    Without removing his eyes from her face, the shorter man barked, "He is a thief; catch him."

    Ji-na turned and ran. The men set chase.

    She ran with all her might, but in panic, she ran in the wrong direction. She turned on the nearest bend, hoping to get into an alley to hide, but there was only one house, and the road ended, giving way to wilderness. She stumbled, her obstructing pyjama catching a stray branch and dragging it behind her.

    The burly man caught her first, lifting her up by the collar beneath her neck and dangling her in the air like a rag doll.

    "Search him. He sure is hiding it someplace."

    "Ye sure? What if we not find money?"

    "Then we take his clothes. Silk. Should fetch us some pretty nyangs," the shorter trilled with an evil laugh.

    Ji-na''s heart squeezed in terror. "No, please, don''t touch me," she begged, tears tumbling from her petrified eyes.

    "Crying like a lassie now, mongrel?" The shorter man jeered at her terror.

    Burly dropped her like a sack on the ground. Ji-na tried crawling away, but the man dragged her back like a puppet and yanked her up by her arm. His large hands started roughly prodding and probing, slapping her legs, thighs, back, and chest.

    He paused.

    "He ain''s no boy, Master," concern lacing his voice. "It''s a lass."

    Ji-na backed away, her heavy tongue falling to the back of her throat, terror making it hard for her to breathe.

    "L-let me go, please."

    The shorter man had a strange look in his eyes. "Lass, eh?" He rubbed his crotch.

    "Master, she speaks fine," Burly warned.

    "Yellow butterfly would not send a yangban here. She has to be a cheonin," Burly''s master said. "But even if she is, who cares? She ain''t living to tell the tale." His laugh turned Ji-na''s blood cold.

    He lunged at her.

    She screamed.

    He smacked her, pushed a foul-smelling cloth in her mouth, and slapped a cloth over her head, twisting it behind her in a chokehold. Tossing her up over a shoulder, he ran, holding the end of the chokehold in his hand so she struggled to breathe.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡Þ

    The blue and purple hanbok, with its green headdress, looked exquisite. The skirt bore the delicate horse and lotus lace woven in gold thread his father had brought his little sister from Ming. Lee Seung watched the man fold it expertly and pack it in a colourful bundle. His sister would be thrilled. There was not much he had been able to give her growing up. Their savings had gone towards his school, with little left to indulge in for themselves.

    He expected the tide to turn soon. Seung hoped to make it through the Gwageo this year. Seung had already cleared it once and was ranked at seventh junior rank. At five months short of nineteen, he was already among the youngest ranked officers. Having cleared the chosi and the heosi examinations, Seung was looking forward to clearing the jeonsi in the presence of their King Injo. This time, he was determined to top the exam, which would raise him by four places to third junior rank. Their days of hardship would be a story of the past.

    Smiling to himself, Seung paid and held the bundle lovingly. Just then, a shoulder brushed him. A tall, stocky man with a slight limp walked by.

    Seung suddenly felt blood rush to his head. As if in a trance, he turned and followed the man, trying to ascertain if what he saw was correct.

    The man stopped and took something out of his sleeve. It was a piece of paper. He then looked left at a commotion.

    The scar. It went from his jutted, bearded chin, goring the high cheekbone, all the way to the corner of his slanted eye.

    The scarred man turned away and started limping across the road. Everything turned black for Seung in an instant. Frantically, Seung felt for the hilt of his dagger in his sleeves. Blindly, he followed the man, only to be obstructed by bodies chaotically moving around him.

    Voices crashed in his mind.

    "No! Seung, forget what you saw. Forget it. Promise me!" His mother was shaking him. "Erase it from your mind. You will never speak a word about it. Never! Promise me!" His mother''s hysterical voice slammed him. He closed his eyes to shake it away.

    The blood was still warm under his father''s body. Warm and sticky. The eyes were open, looking at Seung as if demanding he seek retribution.

    Sweat trickled down his sideburn. Noises hammered at his temple. His mother was screaming. He was screaming, but no sound came out. The screams coalesced into white noise he could not process. He saw himself asking his father to get up, over and over, wishing it was all a nightmare. A nightmare he had been living for the last nine years. He needed to go. To find this man.

    His feet would not move.

    Seung felt something slam at his body, uprooting him from his frozen stance and propelling him down.

    Down and down until he hit the ground. A weight shifted on his back. Loud yells penetrated his foggy brain.

    Just then, a cluster of hooves passed them by.

    A small hand was planted next to his face. The hand lifted, only to have a green-looking thing stick in his hat. It was a bracelet. The hand jerked, and the bracelet slipped out.

    Seung sat up. A young boy was brushing his ill-fitted tunic. Though still dazed, Seung was getting his bearing back. He looked up at the child, who was frantically looking around for something.

    The child retrieved a brown cloth bundle and quickly walked away.

    A blue velvet pouch had fallen from it.

    "Wait, wait -" he called out after the child as he hurried away.

    People had gathered around him to help him up. Some were concerned, others were chiding him. He said his thank yous but waived away their help. His hand touched something. It was the green bracelet the lad had been wearing.

    With lightning speed, Seung got up and retrieved the blue pouch. Coins clinked together, a lot of them.

    He could see the child walking at a distance, his improperly sized ash and brown handbok hanging way below the average hem length. The lad was no more than eight, maybe ten at most. Seung knew he could catch up with the youngster if he walked fast. Pocketing the bracelet and the money bag, Seung gathered his bundle and followed the child.

    Seung had almost caught up with him when the boy turned. Surprisingly, the child was walking towards the most secluded and notorious area in Hanyang.

    Seung increased his pace. He could see the lad walking at a hearing distance. He called out loudly. Once, twice, three times. People turned to look at him. So did the child, but then the lad moved between two large men in the crowd and vanished from his sight.

    Seung stood, trying to figure out where he might have gone. It was clear the child was hiding from him. A crossroad went behind the cluster of houses. His chances of finding him there were the maximum.

    Seung wandered around for the next few minutes. He would not leave until he had a chance to thank the youth for saving his life and perhaps escort him back to his home. A lad his age should not roam alone in areas like this. Slave traders were everywhere.

    That''s when he heard the scream.

    Bloodcurdling. Terror filled.

    Seung raced in the direction of the scream. He scanned his surroundings. The landscape was littered with sparse, dilapidated houses. Unruly wilderness claimed the terrain, deciduous trees thickening the belly of the forest at elevation.

    He spied a movement that was out of place, his senses hunting for danger that triggered all his internal warnings. Two men rapidly climbed the forest, one hoisting a small bundle over his shoulder. The pale ash silk hanbok was unmistakable even from this distance.

    They were kidnapping the child.

    Seung sprinted after them, unsheathing his dagger fluidly. He slashed all obstructing vines that hit his face, determined to catch the bastards before they could harm the boy.

    He was panting when he reached where he had last seen them, with no one in sight. Dropping the hanbok bundle on a rock where he could find it later, Seung crept up, listening intently to any sound that could alert him to their presence.

    His efforts paid off. He heard a moan, a keening sound of a terrorised, pleading person.

    Parting the thick vegetation, Seung saw a man hunched over a small, struggling form on a flattened rock in a small clearing. A soiled, sack-like cloth covered the child''s head. A large, overstuffed man with a grizzly beard was standing a foot away from the rock, rubbing his crotch. A smaller man was disrobing the child rapidly, holding the child''s thin, tiny wrists with one while tearing at the tunic with the other. The small figure pinned under him thrashed wildly, clawing, twisting, flailing his legs.

    The man started laughing maniacally, the cackling sounds rebounding ominously from the trees. He then tossed the tunic away, exposing the flesh.

    Seung froze.

    The flesh of a very, very young but unmistakably female form. A greedy, grimy hand closed over a flat, almost non-existent breast that hardly rose from the chest, topped with a large pink aureole that dispelled all notions of Seung being wrong.

    A repressed, muffled scream pierced the air.

    The man freed her hands and reached for the fastening of his pants. The girl clawed at his hands on her chest, frantically tossing her head from side to side.

    Blood drained from Seung''s body before rushing back with an intensity that almost exploded his head. The rage he had felt earlier when he had spotted the scarred man rushed back manifold. Yet he felt cold wash over him, almost like he could see everything in slow motion.

    Seung burst upon them, surprise being his biggest weapon, his boot connecting with the side of the rapist''s head with a crack that threw the bastard off the child, his shoulder hitting the ground with another crack. A painful whelp filled the air.

    While Seung kept his eyes trained on the thugs, with the periphery of his eye, he saw the young girl roll off the rock, her hands desperately covering her nakedness. She yanked off the cloth that shrouded her head and covered her chest with it, but not before he noticed angry welts forming on her delicate skin.

    A rage akin to nothing before slammed his body.

    "Why don''t you deal with someone more your size?" Seung was cold as ice.

    The larger brute snickered; his hand was still folded over the bulge between his legs.

    Seung stood across from the thugs, legs planted apart, his dagger clutched tightly. He gave the girl a quick sideways glance and worriedly noticed her loosely fitted pants slipping down her hips a bit, revealing a large mole at the base of her spine right above the shadow parting the cheeks of her bottom as she extended her hand to grab the ruined tunic.

    The revolting pig licked his lip, ignoring Seung, his eyes fixed on the small scrambling figure.

    She was not out of danger yet, thought Seung, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. Seung was one against two, which could quickly turn dangerous with the girl in the mix.

    Seung moved to shield her from the view of the thug. He almost shuddered with relief when he heard the girl run and disappear into the trees.

    The brute made no effort to follow her.

    "We''re just havin'' sum fun," he exposed a broken tooth and a set of blackened teeth. The smaller man with the goatee groaned and stood up.

    "Ye lookin'' fer trouble, lad?" the lech drew out his words threateningly.

    "Why not?" Seung returned evenly.

    Lee Seung was young, but he stood a good head above most men, his broad shoulders spreading like the wings of an eagle poised to swoop, his grip on his dagger and ice in his eyes sending a clear message to anyone that he was not someone to be trifled with.

    They better not. Seung had spent a decade channelling his rage into ruthlessly bending his body to the rigours of marshall art and mastering weaponry in hopes that one day he would find his father''s killers. And wipe them out.

    The giant finally stopped his disgusting motions and stepped forward. "Ye want me to take him down, master?"

    The goateed thug looked at Seung speculatively. "That lass is a thief. We just wanted to punish her for stealing from us."

    Seung remembered the blue pouch. Shifting his blade to the other hand, Seung pried the bag out of his sleeve and tossed it between the two delinquents. "Looking for this? She dropped it on the road on her way to you."

    The goatee bent and picked up the money bag, juggling it up and down on his palm, checking for its content, the jingling noise satisfying the greed in his eyes. He motioned the giant by his side to follow him.

    "Ignore the bundle on the rock on your way down. Touch it, and I will find you."

    The large brute grunted and came swinging at Seung, who was more than ready. Seung ducked and came back up, his fist connecting with the flabby chin in an uppercut that dislodged a tooth. The man staggered back, howling in pain.

    "Try again, and I will disembowel you. Also, if I were you, I would stay away from that child and anyone involved."

    The goatee kicked burly in his shin, who howled again. "I told you not to use yer brain."

    The would-be rapists slinked away and disappeared from his view.

    Seung released a shaking breath and sheathed his dagger. He then walked towards the dense growth to which the girl had escaped.

    He found her crouched, the ruined tunic drawn around her tightly, folded legs drawn to her chest, her head hidden in her arms wrapped around her knees as she wept into them silently, brokenly.

    Seung did not know what to do. The girl sensed his presence and shrank, edging and turning away from him, keening moans pouring from her in grief.

    "I am not going to hurt you, little girl. I will just sit here if that is all right with you," Seung said gently to her back, a tone he often used with his sister when she was upset. He lowered himself to the ground a reasonable distance away so she felt safe.

    Her small, trembling body wracked and heaved with heartbreaking sobs and shattered breaths.

    Seung sat with her, watching the rocks and vines that loomed above them until he could sense her tiring, her dry hiccups indicating she was calming down.

    After a while, the girl sat motionless.

    "I wanted to thank you for saving my life today," Seung told her softly. "I am sorry if I scared you by following you. You had dropped a money bag when you jumped in to save me. I wanted to return that."

    The girl hung her head back into her arms in reply. "I am ruined," the girl whispered brokenly, another desperate sob breaking from her, bringing on fresh tears, and she rocked herself, her knuckles white.

    Seung felt a strange twinge in his heart at her forlorn figure. Inexplicably, he wanted to draw her into the protective fold of his arms.

    She had to be a yangban. Though Seung could not really make out how she sounded normally, he recognised easily that her speech was exquisitely refined, her posture elegantly poised despite the ravages she had just undergone. How and why she was here was beyond his understanding. He knew she had come to pay money to those thugs, possibly gamblers, which explained her disguise in the obviously rich, though ill-fitting hanbok. She conceivably had a gambling father and had fallen upon distressful times. He cursed silently at the rotten man who had pushed her to her near ruin.

    "You are not ruined. Nothing happened. No one knows, and no one will know. You are safe. I will safely escort you back to your house if you can trust me."

    "I-I cannot go home. I am ruined." She uttered the words in a barely audible voice.

    "Of course you can."

    But he was beginning to see her point. Her tunic was torn; she was clutching it in place with her folded knees and fists, and she was dishevelled. She had even lost the cap she had worn earlier.

    Seung knew what to do. Though his heart felt heavy, he knew it was the right thing to do. His sister would understand.

    ¡Þ

    Ji-na felt as if her life was leeching out of her. The horror of those filthy hands on her body made her feel like bugs were still crawling on her skin. She wanted to throw up.

    She didn''t know how much time had passed. It could have been a few minutes. It could have been hours.

    She had calmed down enough, thankful for the man who had saved her life, though he had been too late to save her honour.

    "Stay here until I am back," she heard him moving away.

    Panicked, she turned, "Dont go, please -"

    The man had just stepped out of the foliage, and she could see his boots and trousers.

    "Don''t be afraid, I will be back. I have to get something," his tone was soothing, almost healing, as he addressed her through the thick screen of the leafage.

    As promised, he came back. Ji-na turned around and hid herself in her arms once again. She could not let him see her face. He had seen everything that no man other than her husband should have seen.

    He and those two evil men. She felt the burn on her chest from the scratches she had received.

    It sickened her.

    She wretched, emptying her stomach on the ground. She puked and puked until nothing more would come out.

    "Are you all right? I am sorry I do not have water to offer you."

    She heard a rustle.

    "I bought this for someone; she is about your size, and this should fit you. Why don''t you change into it? I will wait for you by the rock."

    Ji-na had no strength left to say anything. She heard him leave.

    It was a small bundle that opened to reveal a hanbok. Blue, purple and green.

    Ji-na peeled off her ruined clothes with shaking hands and donned the new hanbok without another word. It was a little loose for her size, but not by too much and the length fit. She had never been so grateful for clothes. She tightly encircled her face with the headdress.

    She slowly walked to the edge of the clearing and peered.

    The man was sitting on the rock, his long legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at ankles, tearing at a twig preoccupiedly. The sun shone directly on his features. He had glowing skin, stretched over high cheekbones. A sharp nose with a narrow base graced his oval face. A square, powerful chin jutted out of a jaw chiselled by a sculptor. Straight brows were currently knit in a frown, shielding eyes that looked deep and dark from afar. He was simply the most handsome man she had ever seen. Handsome and honourable. She would have blessed him with a thousand beautiful lives if she could.

    He turned as she stepped out. She kept her head down, making sure her face was not exposed. She would save whatever she had left of her modesty.

    Without another word, he led the way, and he understood her need for anonymity and kept his gaze averted from her face. She followed him. Then, he let her lead once they were out of the thick foliage.

    The trek down the hill was challenging as she struggled to keep her face covered. Twice, she slipped, and he helped her up by holding her arms from behind. She was ashamed that both times, she jerked away as if burned, and he let go immediately.

    They made their way down without further incident. He walked her all the way to the middle of the town.

    She stopped where she had first seen him and plunged headlong to save him.

    It was ironic. They had both saved each other.

    "I want to go alone from here. Khamzamnida Dari for saving me," she said in a voice hoarse from crying that was just above a whisper. But he understood.

    "You saved my life, too, little one. Khumabda. Go home child and remember nothing happened. Tell no one. In a few years, when you are old enough to get married, pretend this day never happened; your husband will never know. And keep the hanbok. I don''t need it back."

    He thought he heard a sob, but she made no sound. She bowed deeply and left.

    Seung saw her disappear around the corner, her fast gait telling him she was not far from home and felt safe. He wanted to follow her yet also grant her what little dignity and self-respect anonymity brought her. His heart went out to her. She was going to live with the trauma for the rest of her life.

    Belatedly, Seung realised he still had her bracelet with him. A wry smile bent his lips. It was not even noon, and he could already count this as the most challenging day of his life since the one when his father had died in his arms, his life cut short by the cruel blades of his enemy.

    A day when he saw his father''s possible assassin for the first time. And knew he would hunt them and make them pay.

    A day when a little girl endangered herself to save his life and gained a nightmare that would last her a lifetime.

    A day where possibly both could have died but lived.

    Both were perhaps left with a token remembrance of this excruciatingly painful, fate-changing day.

 Prologue - Dul

    Should a man, who is not your husband, lay his hand upon your skin, your virtue shall be considered ruined, and you shall be rendered unfit for marriage. You shall be lashed five times. Your father will hold the right to disown you, and your husband can divorce you.

    Choi Ji-na had run. She had run from the man, run from her fate, and run until she had hit the back door of the building that housed the school. Thick vines covered the entrance. Everyone knew of it, but no one paid heed to it. No one thought anyone would ever use it other than the gardeners.

    Until the most obedient student of the finishing academy, who was supposed to be sewing and relaxing with her earned time in the garden under a Mugunghwa tree, had used it and had come back with her virtue lost.

    When you marry in a few years...

    She did not have a few years. She only had four days. Four days to forget what happened. To deceive the man she would be marrying.

    Ji-na felt numb. The blue and purple hanbok now nestled in her sewing bag.

    Do not tell anyone.

    He was wrong.

    She would not be a liar, even if that meant she could never marry.

    "What?" Her brother looked like he had leeches covering his body.

    "What do I do, Se-min? What do I do?" Ji-na wrapped her hands around her waist, rocking to and fro.

    "Noonim, y-you cannot tell anyone. Father will disown us," fear washed over his chubby face.

    The beige and green walls of her chamber closed in on her. Ji-na had mistakenly hoped the security of her home would lessen her panic. The fear had settled on her tongue like an aftertaste of rancid food.

    Ji-na took in her brother''s terrified face. She knew she could not involve him. Whatever she did, it would have to be on her own.

    Ji-na forced herself not to squirm under Lady Im Nabi''s distasteful stare.

    Her stepmother never made any effort to hide her hatred for Ji-na. Im Nabi, her mother''s sister, younger than her mother Yoo-joo by seven years, blamed Ji-na for her fate of being tied to Lord Choi Si-wan. Ji-na had strained and pushed herself into the world while her twin brother had died with their mother, Yoo Joo, who, after two days of struggle, had become too tired to give birth to him.

    Neither her father nor her stepmother had forgiven Ji-na for being the one alive.

    Ji-na had been five when she had the first inkling of how much Im Nabi hated her.

    "I will not take that spawn of that evil man back."

    "She is your sister''s daughter!" Her grandmother, who had been caring for Ji-na while Im Nabi gave birth to her half-brother Se-min and then two more girls who didn''t survive, had cried out in anguish.

    "And she killed her, and now I am forced to live with that monster," her stepmother had hissed. "Omoni, do something, please. I can''t bear the torture of living with him."

    Im family had been very powerful, but Choi Si-wan had installed Injo on the throne and wielded more power than the King himself. Her stepmother''s fate had been sealed.

    So was hers, Ji-na thought, dragging a jagged breath. Resolute, she gave her stepmother a beseeching look.

    "Omoni, I have come with a confession of a sin I committed. I beg you to punish me for my sins, but I request you to hear me out."

    Her stepmother looked at her with disinterest. Ji-na forged on. "I do not want to marry, Omoni. I want to spend my life serving you and Father."

    "What?" That got her attention. Her stepmother was openly looking forward to getting rid of Ji-na. It did not go down well. "How dare you utter unfilial words from your mouth?"

    Ji-na put her hands on the floor, bending over in supplication. "Mother, I sinned. I let strange men touch me. I was curious about the world outside and went out for a stroll. I made a mistake. I am ruined. Please, Omoni, we cannot let a good man marry me." Hot tears pushed past her eyes.

    She heard heavy footsteps and felt a brutal tug of her hair at the nape of her neck. "You tramp! You harlot! How dare you! How dare you jeopardise the future of my daughter!" Im Nabi shook Ji-na''s hair viciously.

    A stinging slap ripped across her face, while the fist shaking her hair only got more brutal.

    Im Nabi dragged Ji-na by the hair. Ji-na clutched her head desperately, trying to lessen the pain. "P-please, mother -"

    "Don''t call me mother, you whore!" So-won brought down her fists on Ji-na''s back, each blow winding Ji-na out of breath. "We are going to your Father; he needs to know what his saintly daughter has been up to."

    Silent hiccups wracked Ji-na''s body.

    Lord Choi Si-wan had never hit his daughter or raised his voice at her. He also, without fail, deliberately withheld any praise from her and never missed an opportunity to critique her. While all their relatives and her teachers never missed a chance to extol her virtue, her father always dismissed them with a smile. He would often see through her as if she did not exist.

    Today, he was seeing her, studying her silently.

    By all accounts, Lord Choi could be considered a handsome man. He had a round face with a square jaw and a defined chin that had a playful cleft peeking from beneath his sparse but attractive beard. He often smiled, his round cheeks readjusting to reveal two appealing cracks.

    His smiles never reached his eyes. They looked on with a cold, almost glacial expression, freezing out any and all who mistook his smile for his friendliness. Lord Choi used his smile to express his feelings at any given time without giving away too much.

    Like he was smiling now, the smile sending shivers down Ji-na''s spine.

    Ji-na sat motionless. She noticed her father fold a piece of paper and hand it to his faithful servant, Kang Do.

    "So you think we will be deceiving the family by marrying him to you, so you want me to break the marriage."

    Ji-na dipped her head wordlessly.

    "You say the men got their hands to your skin and left scratches."

    Ji-na trembled in shame and sorrow, her face pale and pinched.

    Kang Do entered with something on a tray and placed it before Ji-na. Another servant placed a cauldron full of water beside it.

    She glanced at the tray. A red, glowing, angry charcoal stared back at her from a bed of ash in an iron tray.

    "Daughter, you must be punished for your indiscretion." Her father had risen and was now hunched beside her.

    Dread clawing at her, she frantically looked at her stepmother, who returned her look with loathing.

    Lord Choi reached out and dragged her right hand and pried it open.

    Terror bubbled within Ji-na. She tried to pull it back desperately. "N-no, Father, please," she cried.

    "If you don''t accept this, I will have worse punishments for you, so sit still and do not make any noise."

    Using a tong, Lord Choi dropped the burning coal in her palm and closed her fingers over it. The pain seared her. Ji-na whimpered. Tears flooded her cheeks.

    It was over in minutes. Lord Choi dropped the coal into the water. Then he drew her hand and immersed it in cold water. "Do not worry. This will not scar you."

    Suddenly, Lord Choi grabbed her by her head and forced her face into the cauldron of water.

    Ji-na sputtered, struggling to breathe and gagged as water filled her nostrils and mouth and started burning her lungs. The bottom of the pot floated in waves, the piece of coal touching her nose, though her brain told her it was far from her.

    Just when she thought she would pass out, Lord Choi pulled her head out.

    Ji-na coughed and choked, the canal of her nose and throat burning, the new terror of drowning superseding the terror of being burnt. She shook uncontrollably.

    "Daughter, listen to me very carefully. After today, you will not speak of this to anyone, not even yourself. You will marry and be a dutiful, obedient wife to your husband, who must never know the shameless words that came out of your mouth. I expect rewards for my investment in someone as worthless as you. The man you are marrying has a brilliant political future. You like that, do you not?"

    Ji-na nodded, her throat swollen with fear.

    "You will remain dutiful to your in-law''s family no matter what happens until your sister is old enough to get into the royal concubine selection for Seja Choha. Do you understand me?"

    Ji-na trembled like a leaf. Her sister Li-min was only five months old. Crown Prince Seyhoun was more than twenty years older than her.

    Ji-na had always known her father was ruthless in his political ambitions but did not realise how cruel he could be.

    Monster. That''s what her stepmother called him. Ji-na finally learnt what she meant.

    ¡Þ

    Ji-na had always lived an ordinary, mundane life. She did what was expected of her and spent her time like a shadow under a lamp, always looking out for the needs of others. She would continue to do that as the wife of a man she was expected to wed.

    Expected to deceive.

    Ji-na ignored the tremors the thought brought her.

    Their fathers, best friends since childhood, had promised their firstborns in matrimony. The groom''s family had fallen on hard times, but both families had decided to keep the promise.

    Though custom demanded that her groom stay the first three months in their house, Lord Choi had arranged for a separate house for them while they remained in Hanyang. He did not want his house to lose its order in any way, and her stepmother could not be happier to be rid of Ji-na.

    Ji-na flexed her fingers. They were still stiff and hurt intensely when she moved them, though it was better than before. The angry redness still painted her palm, cracks appearing where the chaffing skin was healing.

    Ji-na was the daughter of the most powerful man in the country. Her wedding attracted the best in the land. Friends, family, and neighbours had gathered in the massive garden where the ceremony was scheduled. Ji-na was laden with precious stones. Her wedding chest overflew with wealth. And it came at a price she was not sure she had it in her to pay.

    "Pretend this day never happened," the man had said.

    Ji-na let out a shuddering breath.

    She would take her secret to her grave. She took comfort in leaving this house forever and making the best of what her married life would have to offer.

    The rich, extraordinarily heavy hwarot was claustrophobic. The gache on her head was heavy, the pearl and gold-laden yongjam making it heavier. She prayed the weight on her head would get lighter for the rest of her life.

    Thirty minutes later, the ground beneath her shifted, and the weight on her head came crashing down, plunging her into an abyss of darkness from which she did not think she would ever emerge.

    ¡Þ

    Lee Seung was dressed in his ranked robes of office. He looked at his friend, who was also identically dressed, chattering away happily. Jo Hee-Bong was almost as tall as him, with a happy disposition, and he seldom worried about life. He was two years older than Seung. He had cleared the state exams and was now a fifth-ranked officer. And he was thrilled about the marriage. Even though Seung''s insides churned, revolting against the idea, he kept his thoughts to himself.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Lord Choi Siwan was no ordinary man. Hanyang ran on his whims, and no officer was unaware of it. Marrying his daughter was a promotion irrespective of rank because it guaranteed a place in the seat of power with a place in the ministry sooner than later. The air of envy among the young noblemen surrounding them was palpable.

    The procession had reached the bride''s house, and the ceremony started. The jubilance in the air was tangible.

    The goose ceremony commenced. The bride''s mother looked like she had swallowed a poison pill, but it did nothing to dampen the air of festivity. A round of ceremonial bowings later, the bride''s mother disappeared to get the bride.

    Soon enough, the bride appeared. Seung had known she was a little more than a child, but he was taken aback to see how awfully young she looked. Covered in layers and layers of expensive finery that overwhelmed her thin frame, she had a non-distinguishable face hidden behind a mountain of rogue and white powder beneath her odiously large hairpiece and a bowed head. She looked more like an inanimate puppet than a living bride. She even moved like a puppet, like someone was pulling her against her will.

    Distaste filled his mouth.

    Seung sighed and looked away from the uncomfortable scene. He could not wait for this necessary farce to be over. He had promises to keep and duties to disburse.

    He glanced at his sister and mother, dressed in their finest, thriving in the festive atmosphere, and immediately felt guilty for his uncharitable thoughts. After a long time, his mother was again back amid the elite she had once been an integral part of, that too at the pinnacle of social hierarchy, no less.

    He promised himself that he would do everything in his power to see that smile stay on her face forever.

    Cheers erupted at the approaching nuptials, and his buddies started ribbing and passing crude wedding night comments. Jo Hee-Bong gripped his shoulder in encouragement, mischief dancing in his eyes.

    Seung chuckled before remembering to raise the ceremonial purple cloth veil, the saseon ??, held up by sticks on either end to cover his face. He turned his attention back to the bride just in time to see her sink to the floor.

    Lee Seung''s would-be bride, Lady Choi Ji-na, had fainted at their wedding table.

    ¡Þ

    Her eyes were playing tricks. Momentarily, her groom had forgotten to customarily veil his face with the saseon ??, revealing the unforgettable features imprinted in her mind, currently softened in laughter as he responded to his friends.

    The man standing on the east side of their wedding table was the man who had saved her four days ago. Ji-na felt the world crashing around her, a painful sound shattering the inside of her head.

    "Pretend this day never happened; Your husband will never know," he had said.

    He was Lee Seung, the man she was to marry.

    And he would know.

    She was now a willing party to the deception of the kind, honourable man who had saved her life.

    She could not breathe. Ji-na felt darkness envelop her as she sank to the ground.

    Ji-na came around to a sharp sting and cold needles sprinkling her skin. She was in a dark chamber. Her stepmother''s face came into focus; her disgust was as tangible as the sting of the slap that had woken Ji-na. Someone was sprinkling water.

    "Stop spraying water; you will ruin her dress and make-up," her stepmother berated the servant.

    Ji-na gingerly stood up. She had no choice but to go through the nightmare. Her legs refused to hold her, and two maids helped her cross the vast distance between the chamber and her fate.

    ¡Þ

    Seung peered at the figure who had returned to their wedding table. It was evident stress had made her faint. If anything, the young woman looked even more unwilling. She barely raised her head from behind her demurely folded arms, hands clasped under the sleeves of the hwarot, her elbows equidistance from her face, and never met his eyes.

    Either she was terrified or as against this marriage as he had been. The only other reason besides the two would be that she was too virtuous even to be curious about her groom to raise her eyes and so nervous about the marriage that she fainted.

    "Omoni, this is too early. She is too young," he had tried to reason.

    "We cannot delay any further, Seung. Lord Choi is too powerful, and he can change his mind. It is the only way to guarantee a good match for your sister. Lady Choi is less than four years younger than you. She is not a child. And all matchmakers I have spoken to have vouchsafed for her pristine character. More than one has told me no woman is more virtuous than Lady Choi in all of Joseon," his mother had been adamant.

    Seung sighed. To live with someone that virtuous would mean a long, arduous marriage.

    Seung knew he should not be complaining. He was marrying the daughter of the most powerful man in Joseon after the King, which guaranteed his sister and mother a secure future. He was aware that if they could, at least a hundred noblemen would switch places with him in a heartbeat. Moreover, underneath all that reluctance, considering her highly vaunted virtuous nature, there had to be a woman who knew her duties and would make him a good wife.

    Most importantly, he would enter the seat of power. And that would make one thing that had consumed his subconscious growing up - find the killers of his father.

    However, as the morning wore on, he grew increasingly curious about how unwilling his bride seemed about the whole thing.

    Against his wish, she had managed to pique his interest. Underneath the mind-boggling volume of clothing, he could make out she was, compared to most women, a wee above average in height and slender in build. Slender was him being too generous, but she might fill out in a few years. If matchmakers were to be believed, she possessed a passably attractive face. What fascinated him was her exquisitely graceful movements. Her entire body moved like the fluid notes of a soulful song. Even though she managed to keep her face hidden, which was easy anyway because he was exceptionally tall and could only see the top of her head unless he deliberately attempted otherwise, she skilfully completed all ceremonial rituals flawlessly and with exceptional grace. Not that he had met too many women, but he had never seen someone so poetically elegant.

    Then he saw the only aberration besides her grotesquely made-up, half-hidden face - the palm of her right hand. He noted it because her hand shook when she encircled the wine cup during their ceremonial drink, and he heard her wince.

    It was an ugly red, as if........his mind could not find a word. He wondered what happened. He would have plenty of time to find out about it at night.

    Despite himself, Seung found himself looking forward to it. His wife, whose face he had not discerned yet, had managed to stir something inside him. The prospect of married life did not seem as bad anymore.

    ¡Þ

    It could be said that Lee Seung was nervous as he prepared for his hapbangrye ???. Seung had always considered himself wiser than his nineteen years. The challenging circumstances of his childhood forced him to grow up faster than other children his age. He had come into this marriage feeling fatigued. There was little he could do to avoid being tied to a child bride. He had devoted his time to honing the skills of both his mind and body, and his idea of a wife was someone as grown up as he, with a sharp mind and possessing worldly wisdom.

    Choi Ji-na seemed to have none of that, yet something about her intrigued him.

    Seung decided he would first ensure she felt at ease with him. They would exchange the marriage drink, and he would tell her that before they embarked on the physical aspects of their marriage, for which he considered her too young right now, they would spend the next few months getting to know each other.

    Happy with the thought, Seung opened the door a crack and peered inside. To his surprise, his new bride was curled on the bed, covers drawn.

    Choi Ji-na moved as he entered. She sat up straight, her back towards him. As was customary, she was dressed in a white hanbok that was transparent at the shoulders.

    What was not customary was that she was not waiting for him at the ceremonial drink table; she was turned away from him and made no effort to greet him.

    Something about that slim, graceful curve of her straight back seemed familiar. Something tangible...for a moment, another memory flashed into his mind...of a terrified young girl...

    Seung shook his head. Before he could think anything further, the woman, now his wife, spoke.

    "My Lord," Choi Ji-na had a clear, strong voice, "I understand you have come to this room with some anticipations. However, it would behove you to lower some of those expectations."

    Lee Seung looked at the white-clad back incredulously. While her speech was classically formal, the lack of respect through formal greetings and exchange of bows left him stunned.

    "I am tired and would like to sleep if you do not mind," Choi Ji-na continued without pausing.

    Her rudeness took the wind out of his sails.

    "I do not have any expectations, Choi Ji-na. But I would like us to share a drink and start to know each other better," Lee Seung, though stung by her behaviour, tried what he thought was a mature approach.

    "I do not possess the aptitude for it at present, so please forgive me if I have disappointed you."

    She was touted to be one of the most virtuous women of the land. None of that virtue was currently on display. Anger stirred at her arrogance. Who did she think she was?

    "Are you not forgetting about your duties, Choi Ji-na?"

    "Forgive me, my Lord," she sulked. "I will resume them on the morrow. This is a big house with empty chambers next door that will serve your needs adequately. All of them would be no doubt better than the ones you are used to," her tone was caustic. "Please feel free to use one of them. Our house is full of servants. Any of the maids will be happy to help you."

    With that, she laid back down, drawing the covers over her.

    Lee Seung stood, his mouth open. He had just been summarily dismissed from his hapbangrye ??? room by his brand-new wife, with not so subtle dig at his humble belongings.

    Lord Choi Si-Wan had raised a spoiled brat. Seung felt apprehensive for his sister and mother. If she was this haughty with him, what chance would they stand against this rich, spoiled woman used to getting her way?

    He wanted to haul her and shake some sense into her. But he had never been violent towards a woman, and he was not starting with his child bride.

    Instead, he went and stood behind her.

    "Please bow," he ordered quietly.

    The room was dim, with one lonely lamp imparting most of the light from the opposite corner of the bed.

    She did not argue. Using those elegant limbs, she nimbly got up on her knees, folded her hands before her face and executed a quick but perfect bow without bothering to look up.

    And immediately after, she turned around and laid back down. "I hope that was adequate, My lord."

    Lee Seung dug his nails into his palm.

    "Looks like you still have some growing up to do, Lady Choi. I am going out. Hopefully, when I return, you will have revisited your behaviour and understand that I expect a wife who knows to show respect."

    If Seung had indeed hauled her up like he wanted to, he would have seen the blood her fingers had carved in her raw palm and the tears that fell as soon as he walked out of the door in anger.

    Seung roamed the deserted streets listlessly. The first two hours, anger had jammed his head. She thought she was too good to be his wife. Selfish, self-centred, vain.

    His thoughts wandered to another girl who had jumped into the path of danger to save him. In contrast to the privileged, spoiled life of his wife, he thought about the terrible circumstances that had brought that girl there in the first place. He wondered if she was all right. She had been so dignified and graceful even through the worst trauma in her very young life.

    A memory juxtaposed itself with the uncharitable thoughts of his wife.....the memory of his young wife''s infinite elegance under pressure.

    Something odd stuck like a thorn at the back of his mind. Something that made no sense. Something that refused to leave him.

    Choi Ji-na spent the entire time with him skillfully hiding her face. Why? Was she disfigured? It could not be. His mother and his sister had met and approved of her. Then why?

    And he could not shake the image of her back - stiff, straight, proud - from his mind.

    There was no way the daughter of the most powerful man in Joseon would be risking her life with shady gamblers in Hanyang.

    She could not have any possible reason to. Her father was a revered figure; There was no conceivable way she could have escaped the millions of servants teeming the house even for a second.

    Yet his gut intuition was screaming. Could it be her? She would have the injuries on her chest. If she was hiding those, she would not show them willingly, and he could not, would not, force her.

    But she could not get rid of one thing that would confirm his doubts - the mole on her lower back. For that, he could bide his time.

    The thought turned his footsteps back to his in-law''s house.

    The daily routine for the Choi household started early. Servants greeted him, a couple of them hardly able to hide their surprise seeing him out at night. He gently opened the door so as not to disturb her sleep.

    The chamber was empty.

    A letter lay on the table, written in shaky, terrible handwriting:

    ''I beg your forgiveness, my lord, but I kindly seek a divorce from you. It is not a marriage I eagerly set my eyes upon. I wish Father had paid heed to my desire for a handsome, rich husband. It is none your fault you are neither; Hence, I wish to find my own happiness. I am aware divorce is not something I can demand, but seeing how miserable our lives will be shall you choose to impose your attention on me, it is advisable you release me post haste.''

    Sweat trickled Seung''s temple. This was a bad dream, all charitable thoughts he had harboured in the last few hours vanishing.

    How spoiled a woman had to be to have this kind of audacity?

    He crushed the letter in his palm and strode purposefully towards the women''s quarters of the villa. His sister had come to say her goodnight the previous night, and he had escorted her back until she entered her chamber and locked it behind her.

    It took two sharp knocks, and his sister opened her door groggily.

    "Oraboni, what -"

    "I need you to go to Lady Choi Ji-na''s bedchamber and ask her to come see me. Now."

    His sister''s eyes cleared up instantly. They swam with millions of questions, but she wisely kept them to herself.

    Twenty minutes later, his pacing was interrupted by a worried Lee Gi-ae. "Oraboni, she is not there. None of the maids have seen her."

    Seung felt blood drain from his face.

    ¡Þ

    The whistles of the rustling wind shaking the branches nearby caused her to jump. Ji-na gathered the woollen jang-ot around her more tightly. The neat rows of shrubs and swaying plum trees that gave her refuge in the sunny mornings during her school intermissions now cast ominous shadows around her. The cold stung her damaged palm. No matter how hard she tried, the dark accentuated her fear, and the memory of crawling fingers digging like claws in her chest brought waves of nausea.

    It had been three long hours, and she was in danger of passing out with cold and fear.

    Ji-na found herself knocking on the window of her friend''s chamber a little later¡ªher only friend who never misunderstood Ji-na''s reticence for arrogance.

    "Choi-Ji-na? How are you here?" Her friend had turned white with shock.

    "Please let me stay with you for a little while. I will leave tomorrow evening."

    Ji-na planned to go to the dock in the morning and secure a passage to her grandmother''s village. She knew she had relatives still living there.

    "Are you mad? You are married."

    "Please, Kim I-On, just this night," Ji-na pleaded desperately.

    "You have a husband now!"

    "I can''t - can''t live with him."

    Kim I-On looked at her as if she had grown horns. "I have not seen anyone more handsome than him, and he is supposed to be very smart. What is wrong with you? Did he beat you?"

    "No! No, he did not. Please, I cannot answer."

    "Is it another man?" Her friend gripped Ji-na''s shoulders.

    "Please, do not ask questions."

    "No. I don''t want to get into trouble with your father, my father or your husband."

    "Please help me; I cannot go home. I will repay you one day, I promise."

    It was late, and Kim I-On could hardly let Lord Choi''s daughter wander the streets.

    "Only for tonight," she said grimly.

    ¡Þ

    Lord Choi''s cold eyes raked Lee Seung from top to bottom.

    "You are accusing my daughter of an unspeakable deed. She would never do this."

    "She has done it, My Lord, and we must find her."

    Lord Choi looked at the letter again.

    "She has not written this letter. It is not her handwriting. What," Lord Choi paused, his eyes lighting up with an unholy gleam that sent shivers down Seung''s spine, "have you done with my daughter, Scholar Lee Seung?"

 Prologue Seht

    Fear makes people lose their sanity, immobilises them, and places them under your control. Its currency to command subjugation is unparalleled. Lord Choi Si-wan had learnt early in life that to succeed, you had to mine fear. Cultivate, nurture, and possessively guard it as your most precious wealth. Then, when the time was right, distribute it in small increments, just enough for people to capitulate to you.

    However, to turn it into the most effective weapon, you had to be fair about disseminating it. You could not be partial to anyone, including those who held you dear. It could not be more; it would be rendered ineffective if the one fearing you had nothing more to lose, and it could not be less, then you would lose respect, and fear would lose its edge.

    It had to be just right.

    "Please, Lord Choi, do not let them arrest my daughter; she will be ruined," Lee Seung''s mother, Lady Ryu In-ah, was distraught. "She is innocent; my son is innocent. Please, please do not let them be arrested."

    "Your son was outside all night, and your daughter was prowling around my daughter''s room. And now my daughter is missing." Lord Choi suddenly increased his volume to fever pitch, "You want me to believe they are innocent?"

    Lady Ryu In-Ah visibly cowed.

    Lord Choi left the chamber, followed by his wife - a quiet Im Nabi-Won - a pitying expression softening her otherwise hard face.

    Fear. Confuse them. Make them doubt themselves.

    Lord Choi padded into his chamber and walked to the window. "Close the door," he ordered.

    Kang Do slowly drew the large pieces of crafted and painted wood together.

    "Find her. She could not have gone far. Find her, and then make her vanish. No one should ever see that bitch again. I have no use for her anymore."

    "My men have been looking since the early hours of the morning, My Lord. Lady Choi does not have friends and has never gone out alone. And none of the households who know you would dare to harbour her."

    "How dare she!" His voice shook. "She will not ruin my plans. I will not let her." Lord Choi turned around and bore his manservant down with a deadly stare. "Find Her!"

    "Yes, Master," Kang Do bowed.

    ¡Þ

    She had to find a way to leave.

    Her thoughts wandered back to last night. Self-doubt plagued her. Did she make the right choice?

    Ji-na was too young, inexperienced, and lonely in this world to understand the enormity of her decision and the real-life challenges that came with it. Her world was sheltered, still black and white, consisting of obedience and disobedience, of righteousness and betrayal, of piety and faithlessness.

    That young, naive, idealistic mind had not seen any alternative. All she knew was she could not be a party to the deception of the kind, honourable man who had saved her life.

    From what little Ji-na had gathered about his character from her ordeal, Lee Seung might still accept her as his wife even though her honour had been besmirched, and he bore witness to it, just out of pity and kindness. But she could not bring herself to let him touch her soiled body. He deserved someone virtuous and pure. She was unsure if he had glimpsed her face that day, but she knew he had seen the scratches.

    He would know immediately.

    Shame bore her down at the thought. She felt so filthy, so impure. The pain of her violation was so much bigger than the pain of her burning palm. If only her father understood the enormity of punishment she would have to endure for the rest of her life.

    If only her father had listened to her and spoken to Lee Seung. At least, if Lee Seung had still consented to the marriage, she would have the consolation of knowing they were not cheating him of his due. Now, it was too late.

    If only she had not gone out to the gambling house.

    Leaving was the safest way to make Lee Seung divorce her. Ji-na knew she had no prayer of returning to her father''s house once she lost the protection of her husband. Ji-na shivered. Lord Choi would brook no interference to his political ambitions. Having a divorced daughter was a sure way of putting a lid on it. He would destroy Lee Seung for daring to thwart him. However, if she left the house on her own, there was little her father could do. Moreover, he would not be able to harm Lee Seung because the matter would be entirely out of their hands.

    She had cried copiously after Lee Seung had left the chamber in anger. Then she had wiped her tears.

    Ji-na did not know where she would go and what she would do. But any place in this world was better than the hell that was her father''s house. Thousands of people lived ordinary lives. She would find something, too, that would not involve deceiving anyone.

    I miss you, grandmother, her heart had cried out. Perhaps she was somewhere, watching out for her and would keep her safe.

    With that thought, she had quickly drawn a paper and a quill, but her right hand could not grip the tool. She had shifted it to the left and started writing.

    Little did she know the terrible chain of events her act of honesty and uncharacteristic rebellion had set in motion.

    ¡Þ

    Showing small mercies makes them glorify you. And magnify your ruthless image in their mind.

    "Simply sign the confession, and I will release your sister," Lord Choi used his words efficiently, every sound uttered cold, calculating.

    "Why are you doing this? What have we done to you and your daughter?" Seung could not keep the anguish from his young voice.

    Lord Choi could see the confusion in the young man''s eyes. Something like pity seeped in momentarily, but the hard stone that went for his heart dried it up as quickly.

    "It is up to you to tell me what you have done to my daughter," Lord Choi said, his lips curved to reveal his famous bloodless smile.

    Lord Choi was counting on the fact that his daughter would not show up again, at least not until he had neatly fabricated a reason for her disappearance that would not blemish his image. He was not too arrogant to admit he had made a mistake. He had crossed the sacred line of ''too much'' with his daughter. Her fear of retribution was too great.

    "She has to be somewhere in the house. Have you even looked for her?"

    "How dare you?" Lord Choi could see that despite his tender age, Lee Seung was not as easy to give in to fear as most people were.

    He would not be as easy to break.

    "My daughter is the most dutiful and filial woman. She has never stepped out of the house without protection. And now she has vanished."

    "I have nothing to gain from it," Lee Seung returned his cold stare.

    Lord Choi shrugged. "That will be for the Magistrate and then His Majesty to decide. However, we can prevent this from blowing out of proportion if you do as I say, and I will let go of your sister."

    "You ruined her," Seung said bitterly.

    "Ah! But that''s a little price to pay in return for her freedom. The sooner you sign the confession, the faster I can drop the charges against your sister. She does not have to face the Magistrate then."

    Fear was all about exploiting weakness.

    Lord Choi slapped a paper in front of him. "This is my daughter''s handwriting."

    The perfectly formed letters in neat, demure strokes stared back at Lee Seung. His heart fell to his stomach. Terror gripped him, his eyes burning with unshed anguish.

    Lord Choi smiled. Terrify them.

    "Warden, bring Lady Lee here."

    The coldness of his eyes matched the coldness of the walls of the prison building.

    The sight of his distraught sister broke every bit of resolve Seung had been holding onto. Her tear-streaked face, her fear-ridden eyes, and her dry, chapped mouth tore at his heart. Her clothes were soiled at the hem and reeked of a smell that hinted at contact with a space lacking chamber pot privileges. Anger and helplessness twisted his heart.

    "Oraboni -" Lee Gil-ae wept, her face hidden behind her hands.

    He had never hated anyone more than he hated Choi Si Wan.

    "I will sign it. Let my sister leave."

    "That is intelligent of you, Scholar Lee."

    ¡Þ

    By mid-morning, it was clear to Ji-na that reaching the pier, let alone securing a passage to anywhere, was beyond her capability. Not only did she not know how someone reached there, but her father had people tracking her.

    "Someone came to enquire after you," Kim I-On worried her hands, wringing them under duress."You must leave, Choi Ji-na."

    "They asked for me?"

    "No, not directly, but Mother said they asked strange, vague questions if we encountered an unexpected guest last night."

    Ji-na sighed in relief. Most girls she was acquainted with were wary or jealous of Ji-na, her aloof, reserved nature pushing them away from her. Truthfully, Ji-na had not learned how to reach out to others or become friends. She had always been envious of the easy way Kim I-On made friends with everyone; she was envious of her easy laugh, but most of all, Ji-na was envious of the bond she had witnessed between Kim I-On and her father.

    A few years ago, Kim I-On''s father had been waiting for her at the gate at the end of the school. Councillor Kim had been visiting Ming on a delegation, and the first thing he did upon his return was to meet his little daughter. Ji-na still remembered Kim I-On breaking into a run and her father joyfully lifting the little girl into the air. I-On had not looked back. She had caught her father''s hand and hopped, skipped and jumped home.

    Ji-na had never seen anything like it.

    She folded her burnt palm as much as she could without crying out in pain and hid it in the folds of her skirt.

    "Lord Choi is terribly powerful, Choi Ji-na. If he learns I helped you, he could cause trouble for my father."

    "My Father would never harm Lord Kim," Ji-na said with more conviction than she felt.

    I-On had been resolute at dawn to send her friend on her way at sunrise. Then she had glimpsed the red and angry-looking palm Choi Ji-na was adeptly hiding within the folds of her skirt and the fleeting expression of terror that had flashed past her unblemished face at the mention of it.

    "I had grabbed a hot spatula by mistake the other day," Choi Ji-na had hastened to explain, refusing to look her in the eye.

    Kim I-On could not help but feel a tremor of unease run through her. She left the tray of food with Ji-na and stepped out, softly drawing the door close.

    "My lady, I saw Scholar Jo Hee-Bong come to meet young Master Kim minutes ago," her maid, Yoo Pil-ran, informed her. "I met Lady Choi''s maid, Woo Sa-ri, as you suggested. She told me no one had seen Scholar Lee or Lady Choi since morning. They may have already proceeded to the new house, but it is highly irregular. Woo Sa-ri was not convinced because she was supposed to accompany Lady Choi along with six more servants to her new house. There is also a whisper that Scholar Lee was not agreeable to the marriage. They have not taken any clothes, and no one has seen Lady Choi since last night."

    Kim I-On nodded. "Keep this to yourself."

    Minutes later, she darted across the stretch separating the women''s quarters from the men''s and sneaked into her brother''s study chamber to face her worried brother and a pacing Scholar Jo. Her heart, as always, sped up at the sight of Scholar Jo, her brother''s best friend, but she ignored it. She had too much to worry about than to think about her unrequited love.

    "Choi Ji-na will not agree. Something is going on," Kim I-On said to her brother.

    "Right now, I am not worried about what fable she has created to convince herself what she did was right," Jo Hee Bong retorted angrily. "She is the reason my friend is in prison!"

    Jo Bong-Hee omitted to tell them that Lady Lee Gil-ae had also been carted off to prison, trying to quell his fear and heartache.

    "You should not have hidden her, I-On. Do you know how dangerous you have made it for all of us?" Master Kim was furious.

    "I am sorry, Oraboni, it was midnight, and -"

    "How did you find out about Lee?" Master Kim cut her off. He was weighing if going against someone like Lord Choi would be worth the trouble.

    "Scholar Lee''s manservant came and informed me. I went to see Scholar Lee in the prison. We have to produce Lady Choi alive at the court and do not have much time left. I am sure that is all the Magistrate will need to be convinced of Scholar Lee''s innocence."

    "But Lord Choi will not take lightly that we were party to his daughter''s scandalous behaviour. My sister could be ruined. I must inform Father," Master Kim said, his expression grim.

    Ten minutes later, Ji-na, her headdress tightly encircling her head, faced Scholar Jo and Master Kim, with Kim I-On silently watching the trio. "You must come with us, Lady Choi."

    Fear overwhelmed her, and Ji-na backed away.

    "Where? I cannot go home," tears welled up in her eyes.

    "Not home, somewhere else. We do not want to force you, but today, we will bodily carry you if you do not come. We do not have a choice," Jo Hee-Bong was not jesting.

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    Ji-na had risked everything to walk away from her life as she knew it. She did not know where she would go from here, but she would not go back to the hell that was her father''s house and would not force a decent man to play husband to the underserving her.

    "Then you will have to use force, Scholar Jo."

    "Lady Choi, your husband is in prison on charges of kidnapping and, perhaps, killing you."

    The ground shifted as the room went out of focus.

    "No! No!"

    "I-On, ask Bon Wo to get the palanquin ready, I will go meet Father," Master Kim turned to his sister, who left the chamber quietly.

    ¡Þ

    The clock struck four at the square. Like a curious onlooker unaware of the actual story unfolding before him but interested to see the outcome irrespective, Lee Seung surveyed the scene. The Magistrate was bent over a ledger. Lord Choi stood on one side, unbridled arrogance of authority dripping from his posture. Afternoon light lit the chamber in a suffused light of oppression. Candles had gathered a pool of wax at their base, struggling to provide enough light for ledgers to be legible.

    "Scholar Lee, is it true you expressed an unwillingness to this marriage multiple times to various people?" The Magistrate asked without looking up.

    "Yes," Seung was resigned.

    "You also expressed unhappiness at the lack of beauty of Lady Choi and her unwomanliness."

    Startled, Seung stared at the man. "No sir, I never said that. I didn''t see her to form an opinion."

    "It says here that you were unhappy with her age."

    "She is too young," Seung retorted.

    The Magistrate paused and looked up at Seung, who was little more than a young, fearful youth trying his best to appear brave. "Impertinence will not serve you well, Scholar Lee." He sighed. His wise eyes had seen too many perish at the crosshairs of the powerful. Lord Choi was a venerable beast of the worst kind. The boy had no chance.

    Seung looked away, his life like an abyss he had tumbled into, and he didn''t know how to claw his way out.

    "You say you left your bedchamber at night, alone. But no one saw you leave. Did you, perhaps, have a baggage to carry, so you sneaked out?"

    "What are you saying?"

    "I am not saying it. Your signed confession says it."

    Sweat beaded his forehead. He didn''t know what he had signed, desperate as he had been to free his sister.

    Seung tried to clear his head and figure out what he was up against. Why was Lord Choi so adamant about punishing him without even trying to do anything to find his missing daughter? Seung was supposed to be his best friend''s son, his son-in-law, someone he had hoped to invest his future interest in.

    A ray of understanding shot through his befuddled mind.

    Lord Choi knew something he didn''t and was trying to hide it.

    Diversion.

    It was only a speculation, and he had no evidence to base it on.

    "I did not do anything to Lady Choi. When I last left the chamber, she was sleeping."

    "And when you returned, you found this letter, clearly not written by her, and she was gone. Why did you not raise an alarm?"

    "I thought she had gone to her bed chamber, or was somewhere in the house," Seung reasoned.

    "My Lord Magistrate, my daughter''s virtue is unquestionable. She would not have disappeared in this fashion unless she was forced."

    A slight commotion behind Lee Seung caught the Magistrate''s attention.

    "Identify yourself," he said.

    "My Lord Magistrate, forgive our interrruption. My name is Kim Tae-Oh. I have brought Lady Choi Ji-na with me."

    Seung felt a sudden wave of immense relief, and then it felt like someone had punched him in the gut. A cesspool churned inside Seung. It had been a trap. A diversion to make a scapegoat out of him.

    And in their selfish, spoilt scheming, serving their own selfish purposes, they had ruined the only good thing he had lived for - his sister. His fingers curled into punishing fists.

    He could sense Lord Choi go rigid in shock, and he almost laughed at the irony.

    "Are you Lady Choi Ji-na, lawfully wedded wife of Scholar Lee Seung?"

    "Y-Yes, My Lord," she managed to speak with clarity despite the tremor in her voice.

    She was afraid, thought Seung.

    Well, she should be. She should be very very afraid for what she had done. And by the time he was done with her and her malefic father, she would wish she didn''t live.

    "Show your identity tag," the Magistrate ordered.

    The woman came forward, swamped in her jang-ot, and extended her tag.

    Seung snatched the fabric covering her and threw it on the ground. He stomped on it. Grabbing the woman by her neck, he slammed her to the wall. "Why? Why?" he bellowed.

    He howled.

    The Magistrate''s voice broke him out of his malevolent fantasy just as the woman took her tag back, put it away under the mass of her covering and retreated.

    It was then he noticed his friend, Jo Hee Bong, who put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

    "Did you write this letter?" The Magistrate asked Ji-na.

    A pause.

    "Yes, Dari, I did."

    "Why does it not match your other writings?"

    "I hurt my right hand while cooking, so I had to use my left."

    "And why did you write it?"

    "I-I was upset that my father had not found a better groom for me. I was foolish. I did not foresee my father''s worry. Please forgive me."

    Seung snorted. She was remarkably poised as if she was informing others about how warm the weather was.

    Scratching his grizzled grey beard, the Magistrate shook his head and looked kindly at them. "Lord Choi, it looks like it was all a misunderstanding. It is good I kept this hearing private. I suggest you speak to Scholar Lee and reach an amicable solution. I have instructed the office of Saheonbu to dismiss the complaint."

    If ice could replace the skin, Lord Choi would be a perfect sculpture. He turned to his daughter. "How dare you?"

    "Father, I -" she faltered.

    "Lord Choi, I am sorry to interrupt, but I want to assure you Lady Choi was safe and under my protection. There is no further need to worry."

    "And you waited all day to bring her?" Lord Choi cut in. It did not bode well for Scholar Kim, but he did not back down, his kind eyes returning Lord Choi''s furious gaze with a serene and cordial look.

    "It was an error of judgment on my part, Lord Choi," Scholar Kim did not blink. "I shall take your leave now," Lord Kim quickly exited with another young man falling behind him.

    "My daughter has been found. Let us all go back home." Lord Choi said emotionlessly.

    Seung was shaking so violently with emotion that he could barely stand.

    "Your daughter wanted a divorce last night. I am willing to grant her a one."

    A vein stood out on Lord Choi''s face, his cold smile belying the rage in his eyes.

    "There will be no divorce in our family."

    "That was all this was about, Lord Choi, was it not?" Seung asked, his eyes twin spots of fury.

    "Lee Seung -" Jo Bong Hee interrupted, keeping a calming hand on Seung''s shoulder, but he shrugged it off.

    "You knew your virtuous daughter was not so virtuous after all," he snarled.

    A fleeting expression of unrest in Lord Choi''s eyes was all he needed to confirm.

    "So tell me, Lord Choi, was that why you were in so much hurry to marry off your daughter to an impoverished man like me, so below your station? Did you think I would never raise a voice against someone as mighty as you?"

    "You are breaching the codes of decency. Do not forget you are speaking with your father-in-law."

    "Father-in-law?" Seung scoffed. "Minutes ago, you were ready to send me to the gallows. You always knew she had left on her own accord, so you made no effort to find her. You also knew she had written the letter with her non-dominant hand. Tell me, was there another man involved? Perhaps he has put a child in her?"

    Seung heard an audible sobbing gasp, and something stirred at the back of his mind, but he ruthlessly stomped on it, his rage overtaking all his sane senses, not caring who he was speaking to. He did not even bother to spare a glance in the direction of the hateful woman.

    Lord Choi''s hands lashed out and grabbed his collar. "How dare you say such unspeakable things? You will not divorce my daughter. If you want the safety of your family, take her back. You are but a worm. I can crush you with my fingers."

    Seung looked down at the despicable man he had once thought of as a replacement for his father. Disgust tore through him like a virulent strain of plague.

    Seung gave a mirthless smile. "You dragged my sister into a public prison and forced her to stay here unchaperoned. You ruined her chances of ever getting married to a good family. And you want me to take your wretched daughter back? I don''t think so."

    Lord Choi let go of his collar, shoving him back roughly. "You will never make it to any upper ranks. I will ruin you."

    "You think I care anymore? You trapped me so your daughter''s nefarious activity could be hidden."

    "Scholar Lee, please stop -" Jo Hee Bong tried to interrupt his friend.

    "I do not have any use for her. You will take her back. I will stop this divorce at any cost," Lord Choi said, his words no more cold or calculating.

    The man was unravelling.

    Seung felt a twisted thrill of triumph.

    "A divorce would tarnish the mighty Lord Choi''s reputation and thwart his ambitions. That cannot happen, correct? It''s too bad you and your daughter did not plan this out better. Forgive me, father," Seung drawled sarcastically, "I do not care what you do with your daughter. I will not accept her back."

    Two days later, Ji-na sat with her back straight and head bowed. She gripped her trembling hands together, determined not to show any weakness.

    Her father''s chamber, at first glance, looked sparse, almost austere, until the discerning eye picked up the hypocrisy in the form of exorbitantly expensive and rare Ming pottery, Persian wall hangings and exquisite paintings by pedigreed royal artists like Prince Yi Am and Prince Yi Gyeong-yun.

    She felt weak. Sweat trickled down her shoulder blades. The small plate of sweets only made her feel more sick.

    "Do you want to stay without food forever? I have told you, daughter, I do not have much use for you. If you die of starvation, it will solve our problem."

    Ji-na did not pick up her head.

    Lord Choi sighed audibly.

    "Get Se-min," he barked.

    Ji-na felt herself blanche. What did Se-min have to do here?

    "Your brother told me a little story, Choi Ji-na. It looks like you encouraged his bad habits instead of leading him down the right path."

    Ji-na felt tremors of terror shoot down the entire length of her body. The door opened to reveal a terrified Se-min. Her brother gave their father a pleading look. "Please, Father, do not punish Noonim; it is all my fault."

    "That is why you are here, son."

    Moving at a leisurely pace that looked like he had all the time in the world, Lord Choi ambled to a cabinet and withdrew a long handle with a thin rope attached to it. Then he turned and looked at his son.

    "Turn around," he ordered quietly.

    "No! No father," Ji-na cried out. "Please, please do not hurt him. I will write that letter to my husband. I will write whatever you want me to write. Please," she bent over her knees, her hands rubbing together in a desperate gesture of forgiveness.

    With a shaking hand that had not fully healed yet, Ji-na penned a long letter asking for forgiveness from her husband and begged him to take her back.

    ¡Þ

    A day later, the reply came, with an order from King Injo''s head eunuch to come to court with his daughter three days later. King Injo demanded both parties be present for the divorce.

    Lord Choi howled like a beast and threw an expensive porcelain pot across the floor, smashing it to smithereens.

    "How dare that lowly cretin threaten me! He wants me to bring my daughter to court so he can divorce her? Yes, I will take her to court. I will take her and show them all what punishment can look like in my hand. Bring that harlot here. Now!"

    Ji-na''s eyes turned white with terror as soon as she entered the chamber. "No, Father, please, please, no."

    Lord Choi had never known mercy.

    Fear had to be distributed evenly, without partiality.

    The whip came down on her back swiftly. She felt a sting. And then another, a more painful one. It came down again. And again. She felt numb, and then burning, like she had never endured before, spread across her back. The last one seared across the flesh. Her ears rang, stars shot across her eyes as blinding pain overtook her whole body, and she sank to her knees.

    That night, she heard her servant Woo Sa-ri crying uncontrollably, with the head servant Da-Son trying to stop her sobs as they tended to the angry welts and several ugly gashes on her tender back that would scar her for life.

    Lord Choi prowled in his room all night. As dawn neared, an unholy thought took shape in his mind.

    He asked for his faithful servant.

    "He thinks he is going to ruin me by forcing me to take my daughter to court and making me a laughing stock in front of everyone. However, it''s also clear His Majesty needs to have my daughter present to grant Scholar Lee the divorce he is desperate for."

    "What are you thinking, my lord?" Kang Do asked in a neutral voice.

    "If she is not available to go, the divorce cannot happen, can it?"

    Lee Seung was stubborn, loyal, and brilliant. But he was no match for the cunning of Lord Choi, the Right State Councillor to King Injo and a key figure Injo heavily relied on.

    There was also the fact that it was Lord Choi Si-wan''s brilliant strategies that eventually raised King Injo to the throne and kept him there through the debacle of 1624 during the Yi Gwai rebellion. All King Injo cared about was his own power. Injo would not go against Choi if the latter played his cards right.

    However, Injo was also known to be temperamental and turned on someone he took umbrage to in a flash.

    "Your Majesty, it would behove for Scholar Lee and my daughter to go through a period of calm and revisit their impulsive acts. My daughter has not been keeping too well after the marriage and needs time to consider what Scholar Lee demands."

    "It is she who wanted the divorce, Your Majesty," Lee Seung said bitterly.

    "How dare you speak without permission?" King Injo''s head eunuch was quick to reprimand Seung.

    "I am convinced it was an act of an overwrought mind, Your Majesty," Lord Choi argued flawlessly. "She has since asked for forgiveness and has been begging to be given a chance by Scholar Lee."

    Seung clenched his teeth. The woman had not said a word in the court five days ago to defend any accusation he had thrown at her. She had not been with the Kim family all night. She would not have bothered to come to court if she had not been forced by Jo Hee Bong. Her letter was another part of her deception. He did not know what game the father and daughter played, but he wanted no part in it.

    "Lord Choi is right," King Injo interrupted his thoughts. "You may consider meeting your wife before deciding anything rash. She is young, and Lord Kim has sworn she was safe under his protection and stayed with his daughter, so no harm was done. You may give her another chance."

    Seung swallowed a painful lump. "And what about my sister, Your Majesty? She was innocent, and now her reputation is tarnished. Can Lord Choi guarantee she will also be given another chance?"

    Injo was no fool. Even a King could not guarantee the marriage of a woman who had a scandal, no matter how innocent, attached to her.

    "You dare stand and try to make a deal? I can throw you in jail for insubordination. If you want a divorce, bring Lady Choi here, and I will consider it. You can go."

    And just like that, they were dismissed.

    "Scholar Lee, you must give up your stubbornness. Let us forget the past. As you can see, His Majesty does not support separating a husband and a wife. My daughter seeks forgiveness. And you might be happy to know she has been adequately punished," Lord Choi felt magnanimous.

    Adequately punished. A raw, red palm intruded into Seung''s subconscious memory for no reason. And it was immediately superseded by the distraught face of his sister. Seung let his rage do the talking.

    "Is that what you heard, Lord Choi? Strange. I heard a King who is either unwilling or incapable of restoring the sullied reputation of an innocent young woman. I also heard a King who could not force a man to take back his wife."

    "How dare you speak against Your Majesty? I can take your neck off!"

    "And incur the wrath of His Majesty for taking a decision out of his hand?"

    Lord Choi was beginning to realise that for the first time in his life, he was meeting a man on whom threats did not work well. Lee Seung knew little fear.

    Lord Choi had made another mistake. Lee Seung''s sister was his weakness, and Lord Choi had used that card too early.

    Seung knew he had cornered Choi. His smile was cold. "Did you think I would not find out your daughter was not with the Kim family the entire night? Or that she would have escaped by boat to someplace if she had not been forced to come to court by my friend and Minister Kim?"

    Seung had the satisfaction of seeing the look of surprise flash through Choi''s eyes, which then hardened into something else that sent shivers down his spine.

    For one moment, Seung paused, but then he ignored the warning bells. He was hurting for his innocent sister and his mother, and no one mattered to him more.

    "You must agree it is quite bold for someone who has never been outside her home. I wonder who is helping her and why... I can only imagine the duress under which she wrote that fake letter two days ago. But it is not my concern. Send your spoiled daughter to me; the sooner, the better, so I can drag her to this court. Hide her, and I will wait for the day I see her. But let me be very clear - the end result, no matter when it is, will be the same. You, mighty Lord Choi Si-wan, must live with a divorced daughter like I must take care of my innocent sister."

    With that, Lee Seung bowed and left Lord Choi, missing the raw hatred dripping from the man''s eyes.

    Ji-na came in and out of her painful haze. The pain burned her every time she tried to move or sit up. She could not wear her clothes. Her maids wrapped her in a soft cloth as she lay on her stomach, hot with fever.

    Her spirit was broken. All day and all night, she dreamt of her husband. She would truthfully write to him. She would tell him everything this time, beg for his forgiveness and beg him to take her away. She would find a way to find him another, more suitable wife one day who would bear him children.

    As soon as she could move her head, neck and hand without feeling like passing out, she would write to him.

    Later that night, Ji-na faced her father. Her head roiled in pain, and she needed support to sit.

    "Kang Do, please ensure my daughter is comfortable," Lord Choi smiled at her.

    Confused, Ji-na looked at her father through the haze of her despair. Maids put cushions around her, and someone helped her lean forward so her wounds did not come under pressure or rub against the hanbok she had been forced into for the meeting.

    "Are you comfortable now, daughter?"

    Though it hurt to move, Ji-na nodded.

    "I learnt you were planning to go on a voyage."

    Ji-na gasped, her vulnerable face transparent in her guilt.

    "I am also now beginning to wonder, is someone else helping you come up with some fantastic plans?"

    Ji-na, her throat parched with pain, barely managed to shake her head. "No, Father," was all she could get out as another searing wave of pain overcame her.

    Lord Choi''s eyes gleamed with pure evil.

    "Hmnn. That''s all right. You see, I have decided that you will indeed go on a voyage that you so desired. I would like you to prepare yourself for it."

    Lord Choi smiled again, a smile that charred Ji-na''s terror-filled heart.

 Prologue neht - magimag

    "V-Voyage?"

    "Yes. My dutiful, obedient daughter, who never raised her eyes, never smelled a flower without permission, never once sought to eat anything more than she was offered, suddenly developed this audacious ambition. It made me think. However, before I decide where to send you, I must know. Why have you been so adamant about dissolving this marriage?"

    Ji-na struggled to comprehend her father¡¯s words. Was he sending her away?

    Choi Si-wan closed the gap between him and his daughter. He hunched down before her. He drew her right hand, opening her palm. Ji-na cried out as a wave of unbearable agony hit her at the stretching of her arm., the gashes on her back whiplashing her mercilessly. She gasped, tears falling freely.

    "You did not protest the marriage as much. Yet you are bent upon the divorce, even though you know how much I can make you suffer." He gently kept her hand back, laying it on a soft, yellow and gold cushion.

    "Daughter, I do not want you to suffer. So could you not make me? I want you to tell me what you are hiding from me."

    Ji-na was tired and terrified.

    "Scholar Lee saved me from the men who hurt me," she said in a feeble, rasping voice, all fight drained out of her.

    Her father didn''t seem surprised. Instead, he gave her a smile.

    "Does he know who he saved?"

    Ji-na shook her head. "He has not seen my face, Father. And I did not realise it was him until the ceremony." She closed her eyes, desperately wanting to lie down to ease the pain and burning.

    "So why do you want to stay away from him?"

    "Because," Ji-na paused, drawing on a pain-filled breath, "he w-will know."

    "But you said he never saw your face."

    Fresh tears spilled. "He....he..." Ji-na sobbed, drawing a hand across her chest protectively, a fiery tide of shame drowning her pain, "saw the scratches on..on my b-body."

    There was a long silence. Choi Si-wan walked away and stood before a large painting, his hands fisted behind his back. A porcelain vase covered the canvas in vivid blue and white. It was filled with flowers that were rich yet obscure in colour. A striking cotton rose lay by the side of the vase. Pink. Vibrant. Lovely. Lonely.

    "Scholar Lee saw your bare skin," Choi observed. "And he was not the only one to see the daughter of the eminent scholar, Right Minister, Councillor Choi Si-wan of Jeseon, unclothed."

    Ji-na half sobbed, half moaned, her skin crawling at the memory, tremors wracking her body. "I am sorry, Father, I failed you."

    "So, before he could throw you out for coming to him ruined, you decided to leave him," Lord Choi observed in a contemplative tone.

    "I-I''m sorry," she hiccuped.

    Lord Choi returned to his daughter. He placed his palms on both sides of her face lightly. "No, no, you should not be sorry. You ruined yourself, but you saved my honour. Now, I understand. You have been doing this to prevent me from ruin. I am proud of you."

    Ji-na stared at her father through the veil of tears, robbed of speech, feeling a faint thump of joy at the words she never thought her father could utter.

    "We now must make sure it stays that way, right?"

    Uncertain, Ji-na gave a slight nod.

    "Why do you not go and rest?" Her father smiled.

    Back in her room, Ji-na sagged with relief. She did not know what her father meant, but she was too tired and in too much pain to think.

    She slept.

    ¡Þ

    Lee Seung placed the last piece of clothing in his carry chest and straightened, looking around to ensure he had packed everything.

    "Oraboni, will you not think on this one more time?" Gil-ae asked.

    "Looks like you are quite taken with Hanyang," Seung said. "Or maybe it is someone in Hanyang you are not telling me about?".

    "Oraboni!" Gil-ae blushed. "How can you utter such improper words for your sister?"

    Lee Seung walked over and placed a hand on his sister''s head, patting the blue baetssi daenggi at the top of her parted hair. His little sister, he thought fondly, always the optimist, carrying forward through all obstacles with easy laughter and a sparkle in her eyes. "If you indeed find someone your heart desires, bring him to me."

    "Oraboni, why are you in such a scandalous mood?"

    Seung laughed, walking back to the large box lying open on the floor. "What can I do, little sister? Scandal seems to be a sweet bedfellow for me nowadays."

    "Why can you at least not try the exam?"

    "If you were me, would you like to work for someone like that one horned clown?"

    Gil-ae burst out laughing at her brother''s nickname for Lord Choi and then chided him, "You must be respectful towards elders."

    "You mean I need to find more respectful names to insult?"

    More laugher. "Come to think of it, his nose does look like a horn."

    The siblings dissolved into another bout of laughter.

    "Do you truly mean to switch to the army, Oraboni?"

    "I am afraid so. I should have done it earlier. I am a better fighter than a scholar. I have had enlightenment recently. Sitting behind books and discussing how to make people who are already suffering suffer more is not something I enjoy. And anyway, Joseon needs more people to fight."

    "I just wish we could do something to make Omoni feel better," Gil-ae said.

    "I know, but this is the best path forward. Hanyang has nothing for us," Seung put everything he had in him to keep the bitterness out of his voice. He looked at his sister earnestly, "And I promise not to die."

    Gil-ae harrumphed, and then her brows furrowed, her eyes fixed on a vague spot behind Seung.

    "Out with it," Seung said. He knew his sister too well.

    "Oraboni, would you not even consider speaking to sister-in-law at least once?"

    Seung sighed. He creaked his neck, trying to relieve the ache of stress that had been sitting on his shoulder for the past week. Sunlight streamed through the windows, spreading the magic of light on all spaces and forcing dark corners to abandon their secrets. Jo Hee Bong had procured this small but adequate cottage for Seung when he had first moved to Hanyang five months ago. This was the only thing he would miss about the accursed capital.

    The scarred man''s face flashed into his mind. And the chance to hunt for his father''s killer.

    He had always been an optimist by nature. Even though a thirst to find his father''s assassins had consumed a good part of his life, he had not let the bitterness overshadow his natural effervescence. He was wise enough to understand what happened to him was not the world''s fault.

    "If she had wanted to come to me, she would have, Gil-ae."

    "You threatened her with divorce if she came to you. Why would she?"

    Seung didn''t reply. He had been furious. He could not forgive them for ruining his sister''s future. However, he had also calmed down since. As Gil-ae had pointed out after he returned from a disastrous visit to King Injo''s court the previous day, she was not particularly unhappy about not marrying into a stuffy Yangban family. She would be happy to marry a kind, honest villager who would understand that a few hours of imprisonment for a misunderstanding outside her control did not amount to anything. Seung had no doubt such people existed. It would not have mattered to him either, and it would be arrogant of him to think he was the only such man existing in Joseon. "I like our village so much more than this big city. Everything here is too bright, too big, too much, too everything," she had chirped.

    But his pride dictated that Choi Ji-na at least made one sincere attempt at reconciling, an attempt that would be more than the dishonest letter she had written.

    "Right from the beginning, she has acted strange. Gil-ae, I still do not know what she looks like."

    His sister''s shock came out in a loud, audible gasp.

    "It''s better if we forget this sordid chapter. I may return a few years later when Choi Ji-na has grown up. Perhaps, by then, she will have outgrown whoever has taken her fancy currently and behave in the fashion a good wife should."

    Gil-ae''s face broke out in happiness at his unexpected words. "So you do not mean to divorce?"

    Seung shrugged. "I do not know what I want Gil-ae. But I do not intend to remarry even if our union is dissolved. So there is no hurry for anything, is there?"

    "Oraboni, at least send her a message through Lady Kim, her best friend. Maybe she had a reason for staying out unchaperoned for so long at night. Maybe she was home without anyone knowing it. Maybe she truly has changed her mind. We do not know. Even if she likes someone else, it''s not like she can remarry after a divorce."

    Now that the finality of leaving Hanyang had come upon them, a strange restlessness had settled upon Seung. Marriage was a sacred act. Even though he had been treated like dirt, he still felt responsible toward the woman he married.

    She has been adequately punished.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    His insides had crawled at those words. Rumours of Kord Choi being a cruel man had started filtering to him. He could not help but feel a slight wisp of worry.

    From his perspective, Lord Choi seemed to have given a lot of freedom to Choi Ji-na, and she felt entitled to behave like a spoiled brat. Yet that was not how anyone who knew Choi Ji-na had described her. The puzzle didn''t fit.

    But then, no one really knew her well enough to form a definite opinion. He shook his head as if that would somehow disperse the cloud of confusion surrounding him.

    "All right. Just one last time. And no matter what the reply, I will not stay in Hanyang."

    Her sister had clapped her hands in glee and run out to inform their mother.

    They had waited with bated breath for the reply.

    It had arrived early morning three days later.

    "Dear Husband, I am relieved you reached out to me privately. I regret the previous letter. I had to pen the false words under my father''s coercion. My feelings have remained steadfast. You do not interest me at all. I do not wish to meet you. Please relinquish the thought of having me as your wife. I would have come to court, but Father prevented me. I beg you to proceed with the dissolution of our union. Perhaps, if we are fortunate, His Majesty will grant it in absentia next time. Please do not contact me again. Choi Ji-na."

    The handwritten note had been similar, yet different from her previous notes, the handwriting more flowery, the language bold. Lee Seung crushed it in his hand. Anger and humiliation had swept through him anew. But more than that, he hated himself for raising his mother''s hopes. Never again.

    It occurred to him that not only did he not know what his wife looked like, but he was not even sure what her handwriting looked like anymore. He seemed to have married a shadow.

    ¡Þ

    The boat, a poetic silhouette of lines and curves against the shimmering silvery reflections on the surface of the moonlit river, drifted away from the safety of the shore. The gentle wind carried the sounds of the soft ripples the vessel left in its wake.

    As the boat grew smaller and smaller, rowed by two people expertly, fading into the horizon, a man remained rooted on the riverbank, looking at it pensively. He felt something warm slide down his cheek. He had not cried since he was seven.

    Kang Do had served his Master faithfully for thirty-five years. It was not just that he was their slave, but he owed his life to Lord Choi Si-wan. Beaten, brutalised and left for dead, the seven-year-old Kang Do had been rescued by Lord Choi, a mere thirteen-year-old at that time; Choi had not only rescued Kang Do at the peril of his own life but also ensured the little boy was cared for until he could limp his way back to health.

    In return, Kang Do never hesitated to fulfil all the whims and fancies that his Master took to. Choi Si-wan was a good master and never trifled with help unless someone provoked him. But his cruelty seldom knew bounds when he was crossed. His first wife had been unable to give him an offspring. To dispel doubts that he was at fault, Lord Choi had Kang Do kidnap two poor women and kept them captive and raped them until they conceived. Once it was confirmed he was not at fault, Lord Choi fed the women potions that had them miscarry the babes, paid them off and silenced them at the peril of their lives. Satisfied with his findings, Choi had turned to his wife. "I will not divorce you. But I would be ashamed to be alive if I were you."

    Two months later, her body had been found floating in their garden pond.

    Kand Do sometimes wondered if there was something inhuman in Lord Choi. Yet just when he thought his Master''s degeneration was limitless, he would be surprised.

    Lord Choi had been a changed man around his second wife, Im Yoo-Joo. Intelligent, cheerful and kind, she had been a breath of fresh air in the mournful house. And for some unfathomable reason, she was not afraid of her husband, who was almost fifteen years her senior and was feared by everyone.

    Lord Choi worshipped her.

    Si-wan laughed more, looked years younger than his age, looked for ways to make his young wife happy and for a very short period, he did not order Kang Do to do anything unacceptable in the eyes of the law.

    It was short-lived. In the third year of their marriage, she became pregnant.

    Lord Choi had howled like a primitive beast and smashed his fist into the wall when she died. He had gone to see his wife''s body and had looked at his newborn daughter with such feral hatred that it had turned Kang Do''s blood cold. He was convinced that Lord Choi would have snuffed the life out of the baby had the lifeless hand of his beloved wife not been wrapped around her daughter protectively.

    At the funeral, Lord Choi spied Yoo Joo''s sister, who looked so much like his dead wife that it was scary. Within six months, he remarried.

    Im Nabi, almost a split image of Yoo-Joo, was nothing like her sister. Hard, greedy, ambitious and mean, Kang Do had watched as she fed into his Master''s monstrosity. He became more depraved with her, and although she hated his shadow, she welcomed it and even revelled in it. They were two sides of the same coin.

    In all this, the only ray of light was Choi Ji-na. Exquisitely beautiful and painfully shy, the little girl had learned early on that the only way to safeguard herself from the vileness surrounding her was to make herself invisible. She had her mother''s gentleness and intelligence, and she was kind. He recalled the day when, all of six years old, she had turned up in his small chamber with a bowl of brown mixture. "It will help your leg feel better, Kang Do." He had been overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness of the little girl who thought of him as a human being rather than an inanimate means to an end.

    "Where did you learn to make it?"

    "Grandma makes it all the time for her maid," she had informed.

    She doted on the only person who treated her like a living, feeling person, her half-brother, Choi Se-min, which is why he had not been surprised when head servant Da-Son had come with her worry days before Lady Choi was to wed.

    "I think Master Se-min has been gambling again."

    "Why do you say so?"

    "I overheard some snippets about returning money to someone. I am scared that he wants Lady Choi to do it."

    It seemed improbable that the shy, timid Lady Choi would even contemplate doing something so inconceivable. Yet, a niggling worry had taken him to her school, and he had watched in astonishment when he realised she had indeed sneaked out of there, dressed in her brother''s clothes.

    With an intent to stop her, he had followed her and had almost caught up to her. However, his injured leg had been uncommonly painful that day, and amidst the crowded streets, he repeatedly lost sight of her. Eventually, he spotted her on the other side of the road. Someone collided with him as he attempted to cross, causing him to stumble and be carried to the side by a bunch of bodies.

    After that, there was a blur of motion around him. Shouts went up, people yelled, and someone pushed him. He landed painfully on his injured leg. He looked up just in time to see Ji-na crashing into a man, saving him from certain death from galloping horsemen in pursuit of someone.

    He had lost her after that, but he had noticed the man Ji-na had saved pick up a pouch that belonged to the Choi household. Instinctively, he knew the man would follow Ji-na, and Kang Do trailed him.

    His effort had taken him to the area of the gambling house, and though he had lost the blue hanbok clad man, he had heard the scream. His veins had turned to ice. He had tried to find the source of that scream, but all he could see were uninterested losers, hoodlums, deserted alleys and forbidding hills. Kang Do, terrified for her and desperate, had walked the length of the place.

    Fear paralysed him when he saw the two thugs running down a hill.

    The larger one was bleeding. "I told ye she be a yangban, ye should not have t''uched her," he mumbled, trying to stench the flow of blood from his mouth. "Her skin..so buttery...how we''r it to tuch?"

    "Shut up," the shorter one had hissed.

    To his immense relief, Kang Do then watched a familiar figure, clad in a dress she had not been wearing before, half running, half skidding down the hill, her face swamped with the jang-ot. The tall man with the blue hanbok followed her. Protectively.

    Kang Do followed them to the square and watched as the two parted. He then followed a sobbing but visibly unhurt Ji-na to the school.

    Or he had thought she was unhurt. Her integrity had led her to confess to her parents. And they had rewarded her honesty by burning her hand.

    Cold with rage, he had returned to the gambling area and shed very little sweat finding the two thugs.

    "Which of you touched My Lady?"

    The giant charged. A quick slash at the side of his neck sent the brute crashing to the floor.

    The shorter thug stood up from counting the nyangs on the round table in the shabby, dark chamber lit with a broken lamp.

    Kang Do ran a finger on the edge of his knife and bent over the big man who was trying to stench the flow of blood from his neck with both his hands. "Whose filthy hand was it?"

    "T''was him. I-I didn''t tuch her, I only luked, only her boo-" he didn''t get to finish as Kang Do''s fist connected with his jaw. The man didn''t even make a sound as he toppled over.

    The shorter man, terror twisting his features grotesquely, shook with fear. "We didn''t know she was a Yangban. We thought she was a thief. N-nothing happened. We didn''t r-rape her. Some Yangban man came after her..." he rambled on nervously.

    Kang Do walked to the side of the chamber and leaned against a broken rectangle table in a cobweb-covered corner. He tossed the knife in between the two thugs.

    "You have one chance. Kill your partner. Whoever lives gets to leave."

    Both men dove for the knife. Burly grabbed it and swung up, catching the shorter man in his lower stomach. He pulled it out and jabbed again, the shorter man slumping down, disbelief etched in his dying face.

    The burly brute spat. "He w''s a scoundrel. I told ''im not to tuch ''er."

    Burly didn''t see the blade coming, neatly slicing the rest of his neck. Kang Do pried open the lifeless palm of the shorter man, inserted the other knife, collected all the money in the decrepit chamber and left.

    A loud splash by a flapping waterfowl startled Kang Do back into the present. He gazed pensively at the departing boat, his features creased with resignation and hope. "Stay alive, little girl. Please live."

    ¡Þ

    Choi Ji-na drifted in and out of consciousness. She could feel the soft breeze, the gentle moon travelling with her, like a newfound, curious companion. The stars looked down at her. Distant. Far. Like everything in her life was from her. Were her mother and grandmother looking down at her? She could not tell. She wondered what happened to someone when they died. Did they travel to another world? Or maybe they still lived with the people they loved, only that no one could see them?

    But then, what about those who no one loved? Her stepmother hated her. She could live with that. Her husband despised her, but she could not fault him. But her father wanted her dead.

    The betrayal had killed her spirit.

    "I have come to keep my promise from yesterday, daughter. I am going to help you keep your secret forever."

    She had barely woken up from a painful slumber, her fever making her hot and delirious when her father had come to her room. She didn¡¯t see any of her maids. Instead, Kang Do had placed a tray before her with a bowl of dark liquid.

    She had understood. Her terrified, questioning eyes had been answered with a smile.

    A smile that reeked of death.

    "Daughter, I did not do a good job raising you. After something so ruinous, you thought of staying alive....how can a woman go through such humiliation and even think of living?"

    I have no use for you.

    Ji-na watched the moon follow the boat steadily, her gaze riveted on the silver disc traversing the sky.

    Kang Do had placed the bowl in her trembling hand. Her father had stood over her until she finished the last drop. Then, he had turned and left her without another glance.

    Pausing to collect the bowl from her numb hand, Kang Do pushed a piece of paper under a cushion and swiftly followed his Master out.

    This is not poison. It''s the mixture your grandmother used to make. In two hours, I will come to fetch you. Do not move or breathe if you hear your father. Pack one set of clothing to carry.

    She had felt Kang Do''s tears drop on her cold skin as he had gently laid her on the floor at the stern of the boat, helping her to curl on her side. He was telling her something, but his voice wove in and out and came to her in fragments. "......this letter....... there......listening? .........care for you...must...please....stay alive, My Lady."

    She closed her eyes. It took too much effort to think. The gentle splash and dip of the oars lulled her senses.

    "She looks in bad shape, Ye-chan," she heard one of the men mumble.

    "Could she be dead?"

    "I am not rowing no dead body," the man named Ye-chan mumbled.

    "She is a noble. We can''t just leave her. The man paid us good."

    "We will get into trouble if she dies."

    Were they talking about her? Was she dying?

    Their voices began to fade. Ji-na was vaguely aware they were still speaking.

    She felt at peace.

    Her husband''s face materialised. Straight eyebrows furrowed in a gentle frown gracing his broad forehead, his eyes soft, a warm smile on his beautiful lips. He was so close. She tried moving her hand to touch him. His face dissolved and then came back in focus. She felt lighter. The pain was receding.

    Nothing happened, child. Go home.

    But there is no home, husband.

    You forgot your duties, Choi Ji-na.

    I tried. I tried my best. Can you take me away?

    Her fingers clutched the small bundle to her chest tighter.

    I even brought the dress you gave that morning with me. Can you give me another chance, Dari? I was wrong. I didn''t know better.

    His face moved away from her.

    It''s all right. Sleep.

    She smiled as she sank into the welcoming embrace of the dark where there was no pain, no betrayal, no deception.

 One - Dispersing In The Wind

    Spring 1636: Year of the Rat

    Ganghwa Island - The Fortress

    "Such glowing pretty skin....you should not stay out for so long in the sun, it will spoil."

    The old woman ran her wrinkly fingers over her cheek gently.

    Dandelions peaked from the stone embankment in abundance. The wooden bridge they crossed hung over a dried ravine winding its way through the valley below, which was coloured yellow and green with broad strokes of spring.

    Kim Min-Jae pressed her fingers into the older woman''s elbow, looking up at the sun, soaking its energy.

    "Who cares about that, Grandmother? It makes me feel alive." She spread her left hand horizontally, making a slight arc. "Isn''t it precious?"

    "Are you staying back for the kite festival, Minjae Unnie?" A young voice chirped from behind. The gaggle of children following her held colourful, rectangular papers with a bamboo spine and cross spars, the elaborate wings tailing them to catch the wind. The fabric tote that hung on her free arm carried the spools.

    "I have to go someplace else. I cannot stay back," Kim Minjae said.

    A chorus of protest erupted.

    "My kite is going to fly the farthest; you need to see it, Noona," a scruffy boy with two missing teeth held up his blue treasure with pride. The kite''s tail ran from his forehead to his knee, fluttering proudly as if in agreement.

    "No, it is going to be mine," a little girl no more than five held her pretty yellow kite triumphantly.

    "You never stay back to watch us. I thought you would be flying a kite too," another disappointed voice said.

    "Noona has to go and help someone," a young woman''s voice chided gently.

    Kim Minjae looked back fondly at the young woman following her with the children. Petite and of average height, Im Ji Won could be mistaken for a child herself.

    "I will hurry back if I can," she promised.

    "The soldiers are joining the competition; it should be fun," One of the village men, following with a large group of men and women, called out from behind.

    "They crowd the place," pat came a complaint from the group ahead of her.

    "How can we compete against those giants?" Added another.

    Im Ji Won giggled. Kim Min-Jae looked back and winked.

    "Kite flying needs skill, not brute strength," Kim Minjae said cheerfully.

    They headed down the hill that opened into a large, sprawling field. Large swaths of azalea shrubs punctuated the landscape, overlooking the vast coastline opening into Gyeonggi Bay''s shimmering water surrounding the island. In another month, the hills would bloom with buds of azalea, carpeting it pink, thick patches of it appearing like a pink cascading waterfall.

    "No matter who competes, they cannot beat our Cha Moon-Sik," someone chimed in.

    Kim Min-Jae felt dozens of eyes fly to her face to see her reaction, and she steeled herself not to blush. Cha Moon-Sik''s infatuation with her was a well-known secret, and it behoved her to keep her thoughts about the situation to herself.

    She was hardly a candidate for the taking, but the village people of Ganghwa lived with a code of their own. Conduct of the opposite sex that could attract ostracising, flogging, and even beheading anywhere else in Joseon was looked upon with an indulgent acceptance in the least to a mild displeasure at the most. Very few Yangban families lived on the island, primarily because of its isolation and the challenges of travelling to the mainland. Those who did live kept to themselves in the north and were rarely seen outside their expensive homes, except the soldiers. The island saw most gentry during conflicts when the royal family would descend to seek refuge from enemies.

    Ganghwa was a fortress island, the soldiers were a fixture here. Even though all of them were Yangbans either by birth or through clearing the Gwageo, they usually chose to mingle with the locals, loosen their stuffiness, and learn to be a little less Confucian, at least when they were out of supervision.

    Their exuberance often shone through during the kite festival that lasted a week, the Azalea flower festival that would commence in a month and the Buddha''s birthday after that.

    Exclaimations of happiness burst around her at the sight of the ground. People of all shapes and sizes were unspooling their strings attached to the colourful kites that were at various stages of flying. Some kites were already scaling the clouds, while others dragged on the ground, much to the frustration of their owners.

    Minjae patiently helped her grandmother cross the outer perimeter of the field, leading her to an area where most watchers sat.

    "Im Ji Won, did you wear your yellow ribbon this year too?" A woman even older than her grandmother called out.

    "Yea, it brings Moon-sik luck, he must win. The mayor has kept the prize big this year."

    Im Ji Won coloured like a pumpkin, her small, round face flaming like a tree in the fall. The entire village knew she held a candle for the village hero, and everyone except for him was aware of it.

    Minjae rolled her eyes but smiled fondly at the rag-tag bunch of her grandmother''s friends who loved to keep an eye out for the maidens of their town. "He does not need any good luck charm, Aunt So-Yin," she retorted crisply, even as Im Ji Won shyly brought her yellow ribboned braid forward, eliciting another eye roll from Minjae and a loud cheer from the older women.

    Her grandmother pressed her wrinkled hand as the old woman settled down, her poor eyesight and ailing memory taking nothing away from the excitement on her weathered face. "Hurry back," she ordered Minjae.

    "I will, grandma. Don''t go anywhere until I come."

    "Tch tch, I am here. Run along," Minjae heard Kim da Bom standing behind her.

    "Ye, Unnie," she smiled, looking over her shoulder at the tall figure.

    Tightening the knapsack on her back and securing her folded jang-ot over the crook of her arm, Minjae trekked back the way she came, hurrying past the enthusiastic crowd shouting over each other as the kites soared, tails flapping.

    Her eyes drew to a group of kite fliers at one end of the field. Soldiers.

    She smiled to herself. Most of the maidens dressed in their best and turned up to see the kite-flying to ogle at the men in uniform, much to the displeasure of the local men. At times, a pretty maiden would catch the eye of a handsome man in his fine livery. Nothing much came of it because their social class was too far apart, and once the men left the island to return to their hierarchical, conservative families on the mainland, they never returned. There had been a few cases where the commoner woman in question had agreed to be a concubine to a young Yangban soldier. Still, those cases had been rare, mainly because families, at the end of the day, wanted legitimate grandchildren.

    Half an hour later, she climbed the stone steps that led to the massive, ornate gate that opened into a large courtyard. Meticulously laid stone pathways cut across the lush manicured lawns, and the neat rows of swaying orchid trees dropped petals of welcome around her. The stunning garden seamlessly segued into a spectacular building, spreading its wings wide in red, green and blue splendour. A young maid ran out of a pagoda in the middle of a large koi pond on her right. "Mistress Han has been waiting for you, Mistress Kim." A foreboding expression on the young woman''s face made Minjae pause. She raised her eyebrows.

    "Inspector Ka is here," the woman informed in a cautious tone, "And Mistress hurt herself."

    "That''s hardly new," Minjae intoned.

    Minjae strode inside and threw open the jazzily decorated heavy maple door. Wooden floors, polished until they looked like mirrors, made one feel that they could glide on the surface. Elegant furniture with refined, clean lines adorned the waiting area. Minjae always had a weakness for the wall hanging and exquisite paintings that broke the monotony of the walls. Someday, she would have a house where she would buy one of these and hang it.

    Minjae turned a corner in the long hallway and met Inspector Ka, who was walking out. She suppressed a groan. She had hoped she would miss meeting him, in futility, of course.

    "Mistress Kim," the man gave her a surprised look, did nothing to control the glint that entered his eyes and gave her a lewd once over.

    Her skin crawled.

    She gave him a respectful bow.

    "Hope you have been well," she said formally.

    "Have you finally decided to be kiseang, Mistress Kim?" he licked his lips suggestively.

    Minjae controlled her urge to kick him in the groin.

    "I am afraid not, Inspector Ka, my temperament won''t suit the job."

    "We need some varieties here, don''t you think?" He prodded laviciously.

    Minjae hid her disgust with her eyelids, determinedly dropping her eyes as she looked at a point between his shoes.

    Inspector Ka was a tall, thin, wiry man whose robes looked like they hung on a scarecrow. His face was angular, and his deep-set eyes reminded her of a hawk, but there was a peculiar flaccidity around him of a person who had not done a single day of hard labour, even though it was known that Ka could play dirty in a fistfight if the occasion arose. His short, beak-like nose and often upturned, thin, sarcastic mouth screamed of entitlement. That a lowly woman like her could thwart him was beyond his comprehension.

    She gave a small laugh. "The twenty-and-three courtesans living here are hugely talented, Inspector Ka. And we are standing in the halls of perhaps the most talented one in Joseon."

    She bowed and walked past him.

    "You should think over it," he called out behind her.

    The roach!

    "Even my husband preferred his concubine over me," she threw it over her shoulder and pushed past the nearest door, slamming it behind her, stepping into a chamber that smelled of flowers and incense that was strangely seductive.

    Her disgruntled, liquid amber eyes met the amused light brown of Han So Ye''s.

    "Ka bothering you again?"

    "What did you do this time?" Minjae countered with a question of her own. And she then gasped. So-Ye''s wrists and ankles had ligation marks, and some skin had peeled. Her throat had slight bluish marks around it.

    "Give me something that makes the marks go away. The darned thing hurts."

    "Who did this to you?" Minjae was appalled.

    So-Ye started laughing. "You are such an innocent, Minjae. Your Captain is not very creative, it seems."

    "He is not my Captain," Minjae blushed furiously.

    So-Ye kept laughing melodiously and laid back into the soft pillows, her lemon and white hanbok folded at sleeves. She stretched her unstockinged feet. "You should try this sometime, you know."

    "You are mad."

    Minjae unpacked her knapsack and took out several bottles. She brought out a mortar and pestle and ground some herbs. She transferred the mixture to a small jar. Using a small poltuce, she gently applied it to the angry-looking bruises on So-ye''s wrists and ankles.

    "Why would you let anyone do this to you?" Minjae asked, capping the wide-mouth jar and placing it on the table by the bed So-Ye was lying on.

    So-Ye sighed. "You will not understand. I could have used silk ropes. But last night, I didn''t want to." She wriggled her toes. "Last night, this man was something special...."

    "He had to be. The bastard hurt you."

    "Ah, language! You should not curse, it does not sit well on you. If nothing else, that good-for-nothing husband taught you how to speak like a Yangban, so don''t. And he didn''t hurt me. On the contrary, he didn''t even want to do it. I had to teach him, but I must say, he picked up very quickly. Though I don''t think he truly enjoyed it as much as I did, but he is by far one of the best I have had. I have seldom met someone who cares for the women they bed. He is stationed here for some time, so I hope to see him more." So-ye laughed huskily.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Minjae looked at her as if she had suddenly grown horns. "Next time, call someone else for this nonsense," she groused.

    So-Ye sat up and pecked Minjae''s nose with the tip of her finger. "I will only call you, my friend. And I am sure you want more details on the last Friday information I gave, don''t you?"

    Minjae sat back. "Sometimes I can''t figure out if I absolutely adore you or vehemently hate you."

    "While you decide on it, have the tea I received from an admirer recently. It is the kind you have not had before." So-ye smiled and rang a pull bell. With incredibly graceful movements, she rose, went to the gayageum on one side of the room, and started running her fingers on it. The chamber filled with the soft, stuccoed sound of the instrument.

    "Do you want to practice?" So-Ye asked without looking up.

    "Not today. I need to go back to the field. Before that, I need to check on Madam Kang."

    The women sat in silent companionship, listening to the melody So-Ye''s incredibly gifted fingers were creating. A maid served aromatic tea; another ushered in plates of delicacies So-Ye''s kiseang house was known for.

    Minjae packed away her bottles and jars in her knapsack and reached for her cup of tea. "Don''t do anything stupid until those bruises heal."

    So -Ye rubbed her wrist gently. The truth was, the bruises on her wrist looked worse than they were. "He could have been much rougher; I have had worse. He was so gentle, yet I could feel a part of him so distant, almost as if it was a part of someone else....," she sighed.

    "Can you drop it," Minjae couldn''t stop her face from flaming red and shifted uncomfortably.

    So-ye looked at Minje contemplatively, sipping her tea delicately.

    "You are worried about Ka''s pestering," So-Ye''s keen eyes observed.

    Minjae shrugged. "I am used to it. He wants me to be a keisang so he can buy me from the state."

    "You should consider offers for being a concubine. Inspector Ka has his eyes for you and won''t leave any opportunity to harm you. Your triflings will not amount to much. Those officers will not protect you. Your reputation for being picky about men has only served to whet his appetite. Your choice to be your own mistress does not sit well with Yangban men who are rank hypocrites behind their scholarly robes when it comes to being chaste with non-Yangban women."

    "The laws aid them, So-Ye. I work as a physician and serve alcohol to drunk men in an inn run by a former Kisaeng. What do you expect?"

    Logically, Sangmins (commoners) like her seldom became uinyeo (Physicians), a line of work mostly reserved for the cheonmin or slaves, and the sneaky relic couldn''t wrap his head around the fact she was not an entertainer and was classified as a merchant because she had the license to sell herbs. "KA is terrified of the Mayor, so I am not worried," Minjae brushed it away.

    "And the Governor?"

    "The Governor values my skills as a physician too much to let Ka get away with hurting me. As long as I am treating his son, I am safe."

    "For now. I heard the Governor might change," So-Ye ran a finger on the rim of her cup thoughtfully.

    Minjae felt a shiver course through her. She put on a brave face, but the reality of shaking her comfortable set-up that warded off unwanted advances was intimidating.

    "Why so?"

    "There are hushed whispers of trouble brewing in the north with the barbarians. They might replace him with a more experienced military governor. I hear the Minister of Defence is on the island. Have you not noticed anything out of the ordinary?"

    Minjae paused. There was indeed an influx of soldiers. There was a rumour of a few who had recently fought with the Ming to push back the barbarians being on the island as well.

    "There are some new faces at the inn recently," She mused.

    "The one I had yesterday was young, but he seemed to be someone of authority and appeared quite battle-hardened." A smile played on her lips. "He is one of the best-looking men I have entertained," So-Ye said dreamily. "I hope there is no war. It''s a shame to allow such handsome men to go to waste."

    "You mean it''s all right to lose them if they are not good-looking?" Minjae asked tartly.

    "You know I don''t discriminate," So-Ye said coyly, and Minjae rolled her eyes.

    "I have not seen any such paragon of perfection walking around, but I have seen more of them at the inn."

    "You don''t notice them because they are so busy noticing you and trying to make you notice them that you spend most of your time ignoring the poor sods. It''s quite an art you have developed, Minjae," So-Ye laughed, observing her friend with the eyes of a connoisseur.

    Golden, butter-smooth skin that tautly stretched over high cheekbones accentuating an oval face, jewelled by large dark liquid amber eyes that slanted up as if sketched by an artist in leisure with double eyelids edged with thick long eyelashes and crowned with two flawless arches, upturned sharp-tipped nose and a succulent bow for a mouth, Kim Minjae was a rare beauty who turned heads just not because she had a face that could cause a stampede, but because she carried herself with rare confidence and wisdom of someone who had fought her own battles and won. But it was a childlike vulnerability around her that attracted most like a moth to a flame.

    Ka had not been the only one who had chased her after mistaking her for a keisang on one of her rounds to So-Ye''s house on a physician''s duty. Many of them invented ailments so they could get ''cured'' by her or found themselves deep in the cups at her sister''s inn, where Minjae helped out in the evenings.

    Minjae''s older sister, Kim Da Bom, a former kiseang herself, had worked hard to save enough money so her little sister would not have to go down the path she did. Da Bom and her father had married Minjae to a well-off merchant relatively young to prevent her from falling into the wrong hands.

    Life had not turned out for Minjae as her dotting sister and father had hoped.

    "Do you think the barbarians might attack?" Minjae asked, her voice pensive.

    "They didn''t tell me. I will let you know as soon as they do," So-Ye said, rolling her eyes.

    Minjae sniffed in mock anger. "You mentioned the war."

    "Do not worry. You know we at Ganghwa have nothing to fear. In fact, the last time the barbarians came, it was very good for business, what with the royalty and their entourage flocking in here and looking for something - anything - to keep themselves from going mindless with boredom."

    "Should I remind you that you are a good year younger than me? You were a babe. You could not have remembered."

    "Babe? What are you talking about? I remember climbing the daimyo trees in Moon-sung''s backyard when I was seven. You would never come; your father would not let you. And your sister would give me an earful back here just because I tried to get you out of your house." So-Ye rolled her eyes. "How would I not remember something at twelve! I had already started as a kiseang a year prior. And by and by, you were already married for four years by then. If there is another war and the royalty escape here, I will make enough money by the time I retire a few years from now."

    "How can you remember such details! To me, it seems a long time ago," Minjae sighed.

    "It was exactly ten years ago. I suppose you can say it was a long time for us. We grew up."

    Grow up, they did. By all accounts, Han So-Ye was a beautiful woman. Long, graceful limbs flowed out of a short body that seemed taller than it was, a heart-shaped face adorned with exquisitely crafted mahogany eyes and lips that looked more inviting than ripe fruits; she was the epitome of perfection trained to pleasure the elites. She wrote sad poetry, drew bold sceneries, played music like a magician and read extensively. She was the life of all Yangban parties on the island. But her biggest weapon was her exceptional intelligence and the ability to ferret out information.

    Kisaengs lived on a moral code of never disclosing what their patrons uttered within their earshot, no matter how delicate or dishonourable. A patron could plot to kill the King, and it was understood the kiseang would keep quiet about it. They were also never punished for not telling on their patrons. It was an unwritten code of ethics that even the powerful Yangban men followed.

    However, some, like So-Ye, would occasionally bend the rules to do something far more consequential than breaking those moral codes would cause.

    "Do you have any new information on those two girls?" Minjae asked.

    "I know one of them was forcibly taken away by a Minister for failing to pay a loan and later sold to a slave trader. The other one seems to be an orphan."

    "Have they been secured?"

    "Yes, they have been."

    Minjae reached out and squeezed her hand. "I will send out a word to Captain Park Hyun Ki."

    ¡Þ

    Lee Seung wanted to be drunk. Very badly. Yet all the spirits he had imbibed in the last two hours seemed to have evaporated from his blood like steam off a boiling pan. He ran his hand over his face. The sand felt soft under his bare feet as they sank into their coarse but spongy depth. His teammates were still sitting in the inn, no doubt drowning themselves in the liquid and hoping to find favour with one of the women serving there.

    Seung wriggled his toes in the sand.

    The petition to change his department had caused a few raised eyebrows as no one ever switched from civil to the military, and certainly not someone as meritorious as Lee Seung. Still, the King had granted his request without further questions. Perhaps it weighed heavily on King Injo''s conscience that there had been no satisfactory resolution to his doomed marriage. Injo was a staunch opponent of divorces, so he might have thought sending the young man away was the best possible solution under the circumstances.

    Seung''s thoughts travelled back to the week before the day he had left Hanyang.

    A day after getting the insulting letter from his wife, Seung had, without anyone''s knowledge, made one last effort to meet his wife.

    The result had been astonishing. Choi Si-wan had first sent his wife to fetch his daughter. The woman had come back alone, in tears.

    Choi Si-wan and his wife had, shockingly, knelt in front of him.

    "Son-in-law, we have wronged you gravely. I do not know where we went awry. My daughter''s sins are unaccountable. But I beseech you, please do not divorce her, at least not right away. I will be ruined, my family will be ruined, I will lose the favour of the Court."

    In disbelief, Seung had watched as Choi Si-wan presented him with a money chest and promised two bags of rice and two bags of beans every year to atone for their mistakes while his stepmother-in-law shed copious tears.

    "You are still young. I have promised my youngest daughter to the Crown Prince when she is ten. And at that time, if my Choi Ji-na still has not come to her senses, I will ask the King for a divorce and set you free."

    Half in disgust and half in pity, Lee Seung had left their home, vowing never to come back.

    Two days later, he had been summoned by someone unexpected: the eminent scholar and a close confidant of the King, Kim Ja-jeom.

    A man of average height and a heavyset face leathered with lines of wisdom and, perhaps, capriciousness, Ja-jeom had offered a strange insight. His father-in-law, Choi Si-wan, never did anything without considering long-term benefits. His daughter''s refusal to stay with her lawfully wedded husband had become well known. And that Choi Si-wan was perhaps orchestrating it himself.

    "I would request you not to slander my good father-in-law or my wife with street rumours," Seung had refused to fan the flames.

    A gleam of respect had lighted up eyes.

    The man had stroked his beard thoughtfully. Seung was no fool and wanted no part in court politics, but Ja-jeom had startled him by admitting as much.

    "I want to bring Choi down with your help. I know you have faced some hard times. In return, I can help reduce some of that financial burden."

    Seung felt the salt in the air, the chill chipping away at the weariness he had been feeling lately. He had to admit flying kites earlier in the day had been quite invigorating, too.

    He had seen the stark hardship of the winter mountains up north, where one ill-timed blizzard, famine or plague wiped off entire villages, leaving the living to the mercy of the mercenaries across the border. Most villagers didn''t live by the moral codes of the Yangban families. For them, survival came first. Selling off their children for food was commonplace. Maurading groups of ravagers wiped off what little self-respect they were left with. Women were the cheapest currency, exchanged for necessities without any second thought. Some were left behind after they were deemed useless to their owners and forced to fend for themselves in brutal conditions and wrote their ends by either selling their bodies or jumping into frozen lakes. Corrupt officials looked the other way.

    Something was different about the air in Ganghwa. People were still poor, but they tended to stick together. He was most impressed with how the community had found ways to care for their orphans and the poor. The freedom with which members of both sexes mingled with each other had shocked him. Lee Gil-ae would love it here.

    A movement caught his eye. Two shadowy figures were speaking in the distance: a man and a woman. The sandy shore ended at a stone embankment that rose to meet the bottom of a hill, adorned with a smattering of small huts with thatched roofs. They seemed to be fighting. At first, Seung tried to ignore it. It was obviously a couple. He could see the woman had her hair tied up, her braids across her head secured with ribbons. But then the man''s hand sneaked out and caught the woman''s. She cried out and jerked.

    "How dare you!"

    He could hear the woman cry out in anger. He had seen enough. He could not stand by and see a woman getting molested. Even if they were married, they could take their discontentment behind closed doors.

    "Hey!" He called out. He was awkwardly holding his boots in one hand and the lantern in the other. He raised his lantern, which no doubt illuminated his military attire of red and yellow dongdari and conveyed the clear message: lay off.

    Both of them turned and looked at him. He could not see their faces, but he could make out the colour of the woman''s dress. It was light peach and seemed vaguely familiar.

    He didn''t have to repeat. The man turned and left immediately. The woman seemed to be frozen on the spot. Worried, he stepped closer. "Are you all right -" Not sure how to address a woman of the lower class, Seung left it hanging. For, she was obviously one from the village.

    The woman turned and left the spot without another word.

    Seung shrugged. He remembered where he had seen the woman. She had been with the children, one of the five women helping them fly their kites. He remembered her because another one in a blue hanbok next to the peach one had caught his eye because of her well-endowed form, though she was too far from him to see her face.

    "Commander Lee!"

    Seung turned to see Wang Jung, his trusted companion and horseman, running at full speed, or at least as fast as he could, with his boots sinking six inches into the ground with every step. He came to a halt, catching his sides. "Here you are! I have been looking for you all over. Why did you not come to the inn?"

    Seung smiled and turned his face towards the ocean. "You are drinking all alone again, sir. And I am sure you have not eaten anything."

    Wang Jung had a flair for dramatics, but in this instance, he was not too far off.

    "Sir, the rest of them have gone off to the kisaeng house, and they wanted me to fetch you."

    Seung scowled. "I have no appetite for another night of debauchery there."

    "She writes good poems and sings beautifully, don''t you think, sir?"

    A faint, foreign sound alerted Seung''s keen ears, and he whirled around.

    ''So do the rest of the others," a new voice joined them. The sand had muted the footsteps. The man bowed. "You are too suspicious, Commander Lee."

    Seung relaxed and gave a slight bow of acknowledgement. "Sargeant."

    "Care to join me for dinner at the inn, Commander Lee? Everyone should taste their beef stew at least once in their life."

    At the inn, Seung was surprised by how spacious it looked when empty. He had accompanied his men only once, two days ago, and half of them had lamented the absence of the ''pretty'' one not at their service that evening. The gossip about the woman had irritated him. He understood the need for his men to be inane. Once alcohol flowed freely, they also became loose tongued. "She is picky, but she picks well" had been the flavour of the conversation. He had stayed away from them and the inn after that.

    A woman with bold features and a sharp nose welcomed them warmly. At least a decade older than him, she was tall and full-figured. She was wearing a blue hanbok. Seung realised with a start she was the one who had caught his attention in the morning, and he felt embarrassed. A short, plump woman came out to take their order. Clearly, she was the younger, prettier one. She had her hair tied neatly at the base of her neck and had a homely, round face with clean features and expressive eyes. She was charming and quite young, but Seung was surprised that she could elicit men to write peans about her.

    Seung reprimanded himself. He was never the kind who trifled with help or any woman for that matter. All that loose speak had gotten into his head. He shook it free and turned to listen to something Sargeant was saying.

    And that is when he saw her. Using a ladle, she was pouring a liquid into a spouted pot. She then turned to face the table he was sitting at and gently placed the jar on a tray with drinking cups.

    She raised her eyes to look in their direction, and Seung felt his breath leave his body.

    Never had he encountered a woman of such exquisite beauty.

 Two - A Bird Calls

    "Commander Lee, you will soon have a colony of flies settled in that mouth of yours if you don''t close it," Sargeant chuckled.

    Dear God. Seung stopped himself from turning away in confusion. Enflamed with embarrassment, he forced his eyes to remain on the woman in an attempt to make light of it. "Is she the one they speak of? I can see why my men are losing their marbles. She is indeed beautiful." He made it sound like a detached observation.

    Only then, Seung turned his head, shrugging his shoulders. "I have seen more beautiful faces in the north," he lied, gaining his composure.

    "More than Kim Minjae? Where? I never saw them, Sir." He saw his portly horseman with long whisps of hair on his upper lip and chin, working his facial muscles to keep himself from laughing. Seung ignored him.

    Kim Minjae. It rolled nicely off his tongue.

    Wait.

    "The village physician who runs the apothecary with her father?"

    "The one and the same," Sargeant said.

    A woman who was not just a pretty face. Seung could see the appeal.

    Right. As if you did not make an utter fool of yourself over her just with a glimpse, an annoying voice inside his head cackled. It is nothing but a natural curiosity, he told the voice inside him sternly.

    "Then what is she doing serving in the inn?" Seung asked casually. Too casually.

    Sargeant looked across the inn at the tall, older woman in the blue hanbok who had greeted them upon entry, deep in conversation with three older men at another table. "Kim Minjae''s older sister Kim da Bom runs this inn who used to be a kisaeng many years ago. The owner''s son bought her from the state, married her, and she took over the inn from her father-in-law. Her husband is a fisherman and is out in the ocean a lot. I believe they have a son. I guess she helps out as a family."

    Suddenly, Seung found himself trying to recall what he had heard about Kim Minjae in the three weeks he had been on the island. A commoner by class, Kim Minjae was married. Her marriage broke down. Divorced, she returned to her father''s house a few years ago, took the merchant''s license for the apothecary, and made a name for herself as a physician when she cured the Governor''s son, who had been ailing for a long time. She was considered to be unmatched when it came to treating wounds. Even garrison physicians preferred her when a severe injury to any of the soldiers needed stitching. She was so good that she had been sent to special training on the recommendation of one of the garrison physicians. There were a lot of opposing rumours swirling about her. Some said her husband threw her out because of her promiscuous behaviour; others said her husband and his concubine had severely abused Minjae, and she had been rescued by her father. It all depended on who you spoke to.

    She was fascinating.

    And he was behaving like a twelve-year-old in throes of his first crush. Seung shook his head clear.

    He could feel the object of his fascination coming towards them. His mind scrambled to find a topic to divert attention from his sudden, appalling fixation with a serving village woman at an obscure inn on a far-off island. To make matters worse, it was not just any woman but one whose favours a quarter of the village and half his garrison had already made a queue for, and it was humiliating to envision himself at the end of that said queue.

    He was the twenty-three-year-old battle hardened commander of the Ganghwa garrison and the youngest commander in the Joseon''s army. He was not untutored in the ways of women. He could do better!

    He was just being curious, that''s all. It must be all the rice wine he had poured into his body that made his head feel light, his body heavy, his breathing fast as if he had just run miles instead of ambling the entire evening away looking at the ocean.

    Seung realised with a start that Sargeant was speaking. "So, Sir, in case you have any ailment that needs attention, you know where to go..." Sargeant let it hang.

    Seung looked at Wang Jung irritably. "How long will it take to get the food?"

    "The nice lady just took the order, sir," Wang Jung protested his unreasonable complaint.

    Then, Seung scowled into Han''s square, neatly arranged handsome face with warm, intelligent eyes and an easy smile, and changed the topic by asking acerbically, "So, what keeps you away from the Kisaeng house tonight, Sargeant?"

    The garrison soldiers had been assigned a relaxed schedule for the festival week on the island to participate in the celebrations, especially the kite flying competition. The Buddhist temples and the shaman shrines thronged with people. Many of the soldiers were local, allowing them to spend time with their families. However, a considerable number of them found their way to the kisaeng house on the island.

    With his broad shoulders relaxed, Han poured some tea into his cup with a slight smile that gave Seung a niggling impression that he had not fooled the Sargent one bit with his diversion tactic.

    "I have a wife I love very much back at home, and I believe in matrimonial loyalty. Kisaengs, lovely as they are, have little use for me. I do like occasional poetry sessions; I will not lie."

    Seung snorted his disdain.

    "I understand you do not believe in fidelity, Commander Lee, if yesterday evening was any proof, but each to his own. However, why did you not return there tonight?"

    Lee Seung did not have a wife to pledge fidelity to, he thought to himself bitterly. Much as it rankled to think well of his father-in-law, Choi Si-wan ensured that his matrimonial status, or the lack of it, was not too well known outside of the small circle close to the King and Seung''s closest friends, for which Seung was immensely grateful. Although Seung disliked the man greatly, he could not deny Choi Si-wan was as much a victim of his ungrateful, whimsical daughter''s caprices as he was.

    "I did not feel like it. I am not in the mood for either entertaining the egos of the local officials or - " he shrugged, stopping himself from commenting further.

    "But I thought you always went there to ascertain the health of a place," Sargeant observed.

    Seung and Han had trained for the special unit forces together and had fought in the Battle of Liaoluo Bay as ground support force and in the two battles pushing back the rebels.

    "There is not much information to be had in the Kisaeng house. It''s mostly our soldiers, some merchants, and the regular Yangban loiters. It''s a waste of time."

    "Waste of time? Kisaeng Han is known to be extremely picky," Wang Jung chimed in. Seung gave him a quelling look. Unperturbed, the older man made an ungainly pout. "And she picked you, Sir! I don''t know why people do not appreciate good fortune when they see it."

    "It''s your good fortune you still have a tongue in your mouth. You should see and appreciate it," Seung warned good-naturedly.

    There was a slight clattering noise to the tray that appeared in their side vision.

    Of its own volition, Seung''s eyes flew to the face of the woman holding the tray. Just for a beat, blink-and-you-miss-it kind, he thought he saw a venomous look flash in those stunning eyes that met his.

    Just a flash.

    Her eyes then dropped to half-mast, and next, when she lifted them, it was to look at the placement of the table to deposit the contents of her tray on it. She then smiled at them, revealing a perfect set of pearl-white teeth. Two incredible dents appeared on her cheeks.

    "Welcome to Boma''s inn, gentlemen. This wine is our specialty, and you will not find it anywhere else in Joseon." She then looked at all of them warmly.

    Lee Seung felt disconcerted. She looked at them with those liquid honey, captivating eyes, beamed at them with a smile that could warm the cockles of a bleeding soldier on a freezing day, and yet, he felt as if he didn''t exist. He felt Sargeant stir beside him and found him looking at her retreating back confoundingly as she made her way to the rear of the inn.

    Wang Jung scratched his head, "How does she do it? Every single time. Makes you feel important and insignificant at the same time...."

    Shrugging, Wang reached for his cup of alcohol.

    Seung felt a bit better at knowing he was not the only one to feel it.

    She had looked at them and through them.

    Yet, he knew he had seen that momentary emotion in her eyes, even though it was one of reprimand. Or something similar.

    Lee Seung stole a glance at her. She had her back to them, working on something he could not see.

    He recognised a challenge when he saw one. The woman in the light brown and beige hanbok who crushed hearts wherever she walked would need to learn that Lee Seung seldom left a challenge unmet.

    Much to his consternation, she didn''t appear again at their table, though he glimpsed her a few times. Rather, glimpsed parts of her. The sleeve of her hanbok, a turn of her skirt, the back of her head....

    The plump, smiling woman who had taken their orders delivered the food and went by the name of Im Ji-won. Another woman, or rather, a girl, came to refill their alcohol pot. Seung had seen her two days ago when he had visited the inn. This one had large eyes on an otherwise non-descriptive face, though her measured walk and graceful movements made her quite attractive. She went by the name of Nam Dami. He gave her his most charming smile. And then kicked himself mentally because his eyes automatically scanned the inn for a glimpse of someone else.

    The girl named Nam Dami, who gave him a shy, sweet smile, wore a light-coloured chima, which could look like peach in the moonlight. Seung wondered if she were the one he had seen up on the hill having the altercation.

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    To his amusement, Wang Jung sat up straight when Nam Dami was around, giving her his best smile and holding the cup reverently when she poured him alcohol. And he was visibly upset when he saw her giving surreptitious glances at Seung.

    "I do not know why you didn''t go to the kisaeng house, sir," he gulped his wine irritably.

    "And let you have all the fun here?" Seung chuckled as he delved into his food. He realised he was thoroughly enjoying himself. The night was young, the air fresh, and he was famished. A low, comforting chatter surrounded him; someone tended to a fire outside. A light-vented bulbul called out, and a cacophonous chorus of twittering birds got spooked somewhere.

    He didn''t notice a pair of intent eyes following his every movement when he was not looking.

    --

    Kim Minjae pressed her shoes firmly into the thick mulch of damp leaves to keep the sound muted. Carrying a lantern would reveal her to anyone interested in following her, so she had to rely on the moonlight to see the path.

    She was distracted.

    "Nam Dami, did you look at table number twelve?" Im Ji Won had poked the girl in her rib. "He is here."

    "Who?" Minjae had asked curiously.

    "The tall officer in the red and yellow dongdari sitting with Sargeant. He came to the inn two days ago and was especially attentive to our Dam Mi," Ji Won said teasingly, poking Dam Mi again. "I also saw him looking our way several times at the field this morning."

    Nam Dami had slapped Ji Won''s hand away, but not in the way they often did to each other in banter when someone took a fancy to a man visiting the inn.

    Minjae''s heart sank. Anyone with eyes could see his gaze had been glued to Minjae the entire time they were at the table. Da Mi''s next words only added to her misgivings.

    "What''s the use? Today, Dari has eyes for no one but Minjae, as usual. Once they see her, we always pale into insignificance." Nam Dami had given her a look so full of dislike that it had taken Minjae back.

    "Da-Mi! That''s not true," Im Ji Won had been more than surprised at their friend''s sudden animosity.

    "And as usual, I am not interested in any of them," she soothed Da Mi. "Why don''t you take over the table, Da Mi? I have to go someplace," Minjae had said cheerfully.

    Da Mi''s belligerence hurt. Minjae had vowed she would never let anything, or anyone ever take away her freedom and the life she had rebuilt with her own two hands on this tiny paradise. At the same time, having been starved of love since she was eight, ignored, ridiculed, starved, terrorised and abused until she was stripped of her self-respect and almost her life, Minjae had come to value the affection of these women over everything else.

    A bulbul twittered, the bird''s loud call piercing the air with its sharp tone, bring her back to the surroundings. Minjae turned her head, trying to peer through the darkness and detect movement that would aid her in the right direction. She travelled parallel to the path below, carefully treading her way into the woods where the bulbul call originated.

    "Noonim!" A whisper called out. Kim Minjae veered to her right, climbing further up the hill away from the meadow closer to the trees, straining her eyes to find the owner of the voice. A tall shadowy figure stepped out from behind a fat tree trunk, grasped her arm and gave it a tug. Even though she was expecting it, the sudden movement almost tore a scream from her throat that she subdued forcibly.

    She followed the figure behind the thick column of the massive tree and then followed him further into the thickening, though not too far from the edge of the woods because they were rapidly losing the moonlight.

    "Don''t startle me like that, Ko Yoon!" She admonished the young man under her breath.

    "Sorry, Noonim! I was worried someone might spot you," Ko Yoon whispered back. "Are you sure Inspector KA didn''t follow you this time?"

    "I am sure. I changed my dress and spent a good amount of time in the inn to throw him off."

    "Did Ka hurt you back on the hill?

    Minjae''s heart jumped at the thought of that altercation. "No, he didn''t."

    "Commander Lee was there, luckily," Ko Yoon sounded upset.

    "Commander?" Minjae repeated.

    "Yes, the man with the lantern. Lee Seung is our garrison commander."

    Minjae chewed on that. "How.....interesting. Is he not a little young for that?"

    Ko Yoon shrugged. "Commander Lee Seung is one of the best. He is brilliant. He topped the Gwageo but chose to go to the border. He fought with the Ming to push back on the Barbarians backed by the rebels three years ago and was a part of two decisive victories, one against the Dutch, though he was called back for other duties. His valour is a folklore. I am glad it was him. He is someone Ka would never pick a fight with. Though you know I would have pulped KA into mush had he hurt you."

    Minjae shook her head at him. "I can take care of myself. Never expose yourself, no matter what the compulsion. Promise me!"

    "Noonim! Neither Hyungnim* nor will I promise something like that on your life."

    Minjae felt a lump in her throat. "Yoon, you are critical to the work we are doing. Without you or Captain, it would have been impossible."

    Ko Yoon shrugged. "By the way, how do you know Commander Lee is young?"

    Minjae was glad of the dark.

    "Ah, I saw you staring at him at the hill. He is so handsome," Ko Yoon sighed dreamily.

    Minjae smacked him on his head. "I didn''t ''stare''. He came to the inn, you idiot. I don''t have time for -"

    "All right, I get it. What do I need to do?"

    "Two targets have been secured in Tosan. Captain needs to send the word out."

    "How long do we have?"

    "The targets were declared to have been eliminated a fortnight ago, so they can''t be hidden away for too long. Monk has communicated to a temple in Cheongju, and we have to arrange for the transfer of the younger one to reside there until they can be assigned to the right place when the time comes. The other one needs to be brought here."

    "We don''t have space for any more here, Noonim. The scrutiny to this island has increased, and all new entries will be looked upon with suspicion."

    "I know, they always are," Minjae shivered in the cool of the night and wrapped her arms around her waist. She brightened. "Don''t worry. I will try to think of alternatives to bringing them here next time. But right now, we need to hurry and remember to be safe. Especially -"

    "Especially what, Noonim?"

    "We have to be careful with the intel. Ears are everywhere with the whispers of war. We can''t be caught. We will put too many people at risk."

    "I understand. Don''t worry so much. We will not be caught. And I will be careful. There would never have been a ''we'' without you, Noonim," he smiled.

    An eerie howl of a lone animal interrupted them. Minjae swung her head involuntarily in that direction. A heavy branch broke and dropped somewhere behind her. A shiver that had nothing to do with the cold convulsed her body.

    A loud gasp from Ko Yoon brought her attention back to him, and she saw his eyes bulge in shock, and he suddenly took off deep into the forest, just as a voice boomed in the still of the night.

    "Freeze and stand down. This is -"

    Like the wind, another figure brushed past her. "Stop, you bastard!" The dark figure of a tall man yelled and disappeared after Yoon.

    It happened so quickly that Minjae barely had time to register, her hands flying to her mouth to stifle her scream.

    Someone had caught them. Without waiting to find out more, she turned and ran, her boots digging into the ground, but her hurried footsteps did little to muffle the sound of her run. It was dark, but she was almost at the edge of the wood. Once she stepped out into the light, she could run faster.

    She heard footsteps behind her. "Stop!" The voice cried out.

    In hindsight, she realised she should have stopped rather than run out into the open like an idiot when she had no chance to outrun the man in the first place. But she didn''t. Adrenaline gave her wings; all she could think of was getting away from that voice pursuing her. She didn''t see the lean, decayed log in time. Not expecting the elevation that the log provided her foot, she stepped on it with more force than needed. She stumbled and flailed her hands to balance, only to land awkwardly on the other foot and feel it twist. She tried to struggle to balance herself, but she could see the ground coming up rapidly as pain shot up from her ankle, bringing tears to her eyes.

    Hands caught her arm before she could meet the forest floor face first, pulling her up to safety unceremoniously.

    The momentum put even more pressure on her injured ankle, and she cried out as he hauled her closer to him.

    Minjae looked up into the stunned eyes of a man she had never imagined seeing in her wildest imagination.

    --

    Anomaly. Incongruity.

    The ability to discern departure from the norm had kept Seung alive in the harsh terrain of the north across Joseon''s border amidst bitter cold weather and bitter, harsh people.

    Masquerading as a silver ore merchant had been the easiest part, as he did not have to pretend. The Haifuki-ho method of silver mining from Joseon had spread like wildfire in Japan in the last decade. Objects produced from silver ore through this method were now highly coveted by the Ming, Mongols and Russians alike. While the Japanese monopolised the silver ore cupellation process and exports to the Ming and the rest of the world, Joseon merchants had also been gaining a steady foothold in the export of silver ore to the Haifuki-ho versed silversmith technicians who catered to the nouveau-rich amongst the Manchu Barbarians and the royalty, so no one suspected him. He liked the money he made from it and made a lot of it in a very short time. Learning the barbarian language had been a little more cumbersome. Slipping into disguises had been a bit more complex. Pretending to be mute on occasion had been hard. Overcoming the suspicion of the people and escaping their notice unharmed, armed with information, and bringing it back to his spymasters had been the most challenging part of his espionage stint. Impeccable memory, swift reflexes, detecting deviation, and pure, old-fashioned gut instincts were the magical powers that helped him survive.

    The bulbul call floated again through the din of Boma''s inn.

    There were no bulbuls in Ganghwa.

    Light-vented bulbuls were seldom found in Joseon, if at all, and most certainly not in early spring, especially on an island like Ganghwa. The little birds were too busy breeding in the northwest and seldom flew over water bodies to change habitat. And they never, ever called at night.

    Seung''s trained senses caught onto the aberration.

    Quietly, Seung placed the spoon face down by his bowl on the table and flipped it upside down. Wang Jung glanced at him and blinked once, signalling he understood.

    The first call of the bulbul was followed by a few more at consistent intervals. Whoever had arranged for the tryst was getting impatient. It also meant they were confident no one would catch them.

    He scanned the cleanly cropped rolling meadows that rose to merge with the woods. The absence of trees and abundant overflow of the moonlight drew his attention to a slim, dark figure in a skirt hurrying towards the thicket of the forest. She stopped and turned to see if she was being followed. Seung ducked and crouched behind a water well next to a small, dilapidated cluster of houses whose inhabitants were snoring after a hard day''s work to put food in their belly, roof on their heads and taxes in the coffers of the King.

    He would be a fool to think that the recently established Qing dynasty of the Manchus would stop extending its espionage endeavours to pivotal sites that would be key to their success if they decided to invade. Ganghwa, with its strategic location as the safe zone for the Joseon royal family, would be at the top of their list. The overarching objective of the Manchu people was to assert dominance over the Ming, and they wanted Joseon to be their ally and recognise Hong Taji as the Emperor in his upcoming coronation the following month. Unfortunately, Joseon''s current King was not far-sighted enough to heed people like him, who warned him that the Manchus, headed by their indefatigable and brilliant leader, would not take no for an answer. Unfortunately, Seung did not think Ganghwa was impenetrable anymore, not with the newly fortified navy that the Manchu barbarians had, with two Ming defectors at the helm and the Manchu princes like Dorgon leading the offensive against Joseon who did not look favourably upon the country. And he had no doubts barbarians and spies were hidden in plain sight.

    It made it more urgent for Seung to break into the labyrinth of any potential spy network threatening the island that could give the Barbarians more advantage than they already had.

    The lone skirt clad figure vanished into the shadows of the forest. Seung quickly covered the ground with his long legs, muting his footsteps by treading the line between the meadow and the woods.

    Pressing himself against the abrasive, thick tree trunks, careful not to break twigs or branches that could alert anyone to his presence, Seung strained his ears. Human sounds, though faint, penetrated his hearing. He got close enough to see two figures, a man and a woman, whispering to each other, their words amplified by the still of the night and the echo of the space around them.

    A few minutes later, he had heard enough.

    "Freeze and stand down. This is -"

    The man took off like a deer. Seung cursed and set chase, yelling at him to stop while registering that the woman was too surprised to move.

    The man was athletic, had the advantage of the dark, and possibly had knowledge of the forest that Seung didn''t have. He disappeared, leaving no trace. Seung had two choices. Call the guards and comb the forest or take the woman into custody and get everything out of her.

    Decision made, he turned to catch the woman. She was no match for his mercurial agility. In a hurry to get away from him, she stumbled, and he caught her like a small rabbit trying to escape the mouth of a fox.

    Seung jerked her to a stop, and adrenaline surged. His lungs suddenly parched as he furiously sucked air in. He was looking at the face of the enchantress who had taken over his consciousness for most of the evening - Kim Minjae, who looked back at him with eyes that were fathomless pools of dark, liquid honey that threatened to drown him.

 Three - A Mist Of The Past

    Her heart hammered like a bird desperately flapping to escape its cage. Minjae wasn''t sure if it was because Lee Seung caught her or because he was so close that she could feel the heat from his body.

    "You are coming with me," Commander Lee pushed past her, with his sword in one hand and her wrist in another, dragging Minjae behind him. Her injured ankle protested, and she winced in pain. Her legs sank without fully folding, and Minjae hung awkwardly by the arm, halfway between sitting and standing.

    "Please, Dari, I have hurt my ankle," she gasped.

    Seung paused, giving her hand enough slack without letting it go so she could drop to the ground.

    "Don''t play tricks with me, Kim Minjae. You don''t have anywhere to run," he said.

    Her shock at him knowing her name must have been evident; he straightened and let go of her, a sardonic smile playing on his lips. Placing the tip of his sword''s sheath lightly under her chin, Seung tipped her head up, meeting her eyes. "A flawless face like yours can be quite a liability in your line of work, Physician Kim."

    Her eyes were not looking through him anymore, Seung observed with wry interest. They were wide and - anxious? Interested? Afraid? He could not tell. He had schooled his hammering heart enough so it settled into a steady beat, his mind alert to any shenanigans his willy opponent could be up to.

    Minjae flicked her head to dislodge the sheath from under her chin and lowered it, hiding her blush at his underhand compliment.

    "I am not playing any tricks," she said defensively.

    "I am glad to hear that. Now, please stand up and follow me for questioning." Seung lowered his sword and walked two paces away, waiting.

    His intense dark eyes had burned a hole into her at the inn, making her feel conscious and flustered. When he caught her arm minutes earlier, she felt he was peering into her soul. Acutely aware of him, she tried to gather her thoughts, which seemed to have turned into cottonwool. She rubbed her ankle, trying to feel if she had broken anything. Under her skirt, she quickly rotated her ankle and wriggled her toes. A slight cramp ran up the side of her left leg. So far, it seemed like a sprain and not a bad one. Nothing that her herb bandage and a good night''s rest would not fix.

    "Are you planning to spend the night on that cold, wet ground, or should we find a drier, warmer place where you can tell me all about the intel you were passing to your friend?"

    Minjae''s heart skipped a beat. How much had he overheard? "I don''t know what you mean. I was here to meet my.....er....friend," she paused to give it a loaded meaning and hoped he would take it and leave it at that.

    "And pray, what were you and ..er...your friend talking about?"

    Lee Seung was nobody''s fool. Minjae changed tactics.

    "What were you doing following me at this hour, Commander Lee? Or do you have an ailment that brings you to a physician for a cure in the dark of the night?"

    He raised an eyebrow at the use of his name and ignored her insult. Leaning casually onto a nearby tree trunk, he folded his hands across his chest, the hilt of his long sword gripped in his fist, hanging by an elbow down to the shaft of his boot at his calf, and drawled casually. "Let me be very clear, Kim Minjae. I am the one who is going to be asking the questions. You can answer me truthfully like an intelligent person who does not want to get into any more trouble, or I haul you to the interrogation room. And I need you to tell me who it was that vanished into the night so I can haul him next."

    Minjae lifted her chin. "The nature of our relationship means we must meet at night away from prying eyes. There is nothing to tell. You are wasting your time. It might not be what you Yangban men expect of your women, but we commoners live differently. Though it would be terrific for people to know you were following me around into the night," she finished in a sarcastic tone for good measure.

    "So it''s going to be like that, eh? Then it will be a long night because I plan to learn everything about your spying activities before this night is out, and I am not quite partial to spending it out in the cold, at the mercy of those howling God-knows-what."

    "Spying?" She croaked.

    "Also, a list of people who will be at risk, as you mentioned. To be very specific, which ''target'' are you planning to bring here? And why Cheongju? Who is the Captain? And the monk. It''s evident we have an infiltration. Either tell me now, or I tie you to a chair and wring it out of you."

    Infiltration? Dumbfounded, Minjae stared back at him. At a loss for words, she felt a sudden laughter bubbling within her. She clamped it down hard, tried to marshal her most respectful voice to her command, and failed miserably. "We are not.....spies, Commander Lee.." she said haltingly, dropping her head as she bit her lip to hide her ill-timed giggle.

    Seung''s brows knit together. Her voice was....patronising! He swore he could hear laughter in her voice. His mouth drew an angry line at the implied insult of her tone.

    Her reaction is wrong. A voice spoke in a deep recess of his mind, but Seung was too annoyed at her for not taking him seriously to pay attention to it.

    To add insult to injury, she looked up at him and smiled, the moon deciding to shine its light on her dazzling face just at that moment.

    And her smile trapped air in his lungs.

    And he realised he was also unsettled because he didn''t like her meeting people at night, no matter her reason.

    And that it was none of his business that she met people at night.

    And that he wanted to make everything she did his business.

    And that he had to remind himself he could only make it his business because it involved Ganghwa Island.

    It made him very ill-tempered.

    "Get up."

    "I cannot. You can see I am hurt," she complained prettily.

    She didn''t sound hurt. Seung was beginning to wonder if she was faking her injury.

    "I saw you move that ankle. There is no reason for you not to walk on a slight sprain. I am this close to calling the guards and arresting you."

    She sighed. Putting a hand beneath her, she made a great show of trying to raise herself and winced loudly. "I would not do that if I were you, not if you want to explain yourself why you dragged an injured, unarmed female physician to the prison in the dead of night to the Mayor or the Governor."

    Lee Seung''s eyes glittered dangerously.

    Minjae bit her tongue. She had hoped to put him off for longer by exaggerating her injury so Ko Yoon could safely get out of the woods into the barracks, but she knew she had crossed the line. Her heart began to pound as he uncoiled himself and walked to her with excruciatingly slow, measured steps.

    "Never threaten me, Physician Kim. I do not care who you have wrapped around your little finger. You can safely store them in your sleeve pockets. Now, either you come voluntarily, or I will force you," his voice was dangerously low.

    The wind gusted, and a shiver went through her. Her mind raced. She knew he would not arrest her, at least not right away. She could slow him down considerably with her limp while coming up with a plausible explanation of the meeting without giving anything away. She just needed to buy a few more minutes until Yoon escaped safely.

    "I really can''t. It looks like I have a bad sprain."

    Sighing, Seung went down to his hunches. He placed his sword flat next to his folded knee resting on the ground and reached out for her ankle.

    "Show me," he ordered.

    Minjae drew her ankle closer to herself. "I am the physician. I can take care of it myself. I just need to get home."

    It didn''t escape his notice the speed with which she moved the ''injured'' ankle. His mouth tightened. Patience was never his strongest suit.

    "You are not going anywhere until you answer my questions." Grabbing his sword, he stood up and stretched his free hand. "Here, hold it."

    She looked at it, making no attempt to do anything of the sort.

    "Why do we not speak tomorrow, Commander Lee," she asked placatingly. "As you can see -"

    He scoffed. "So your accomplices can make an escape at night? I don''t think so." He tipped his hat up, planted the tip of his sword on the ground, placed both his hands on the top of the sheathed blade, and, using it as a support, leaned closer, looking over the sword at her. "Get up."

    In reply, she stuck her toe out and let out a long cry of pain. Very convincingly. Too convincingly.

    Rolling his eyes, he bent, caught her by the wrist, and pulled her to a standing position. She stumbled and started to go back down.

    "Aish!" He blew a breath of exasperation. "That''s it! I warned you."

    Before she could fathom what he intended, Seung shifted the sword to his left hand, bent, wrapped his right arm around her thighs, and, in one swift motion, hauled her slim frame over his shoulder.

    Sudden panic constricted her heart.

    She recoiled.

    "No!" She squirmed. "Put me down, put me down!" She twisted violently, digging her nails into his back, rearing, pulling her knees up to his chest, straining against his arm with all her might. "Put me down!"

    "What the -" Those nails hurt! Seung did not expect her to thrash so viciously. Trying to hold on to her wildly buckling body with one hand and the sword with the other, he lost his footing to the soft, uneven mush of the forest floor beneath his boots and tumbled. She almost flew from his arms backwards, but he grabbed her even as he went down, letting go of his sword and cushioning the fall with his arms around her shoulders.

    And now she twisted beneath him. "No!" She screamed in panic. "Let me go!" She brought her fingers to rake his face, and he caught her wrists instinctively to save himself, trying to subdue her with the weight of his body.

    "No!"

    The more he tried to control her thrashing, struggling to keep her nails from digging into his skin, the more violently she twisted.

    "Calm down! Calm down. I am not going to hurt you. I-am-not-going-to-hurt-you," he all but yelled into her face.

    She stilled momentarily, and he could see the white of her panicked eyes, and something painful twisted inside him. He rolled off her.

    She sat up. To soothe her, Seung extended his hand, almost touching her face. "Don''t be afraid -"

    To his horror, she clenched her eyes shut and covered her head with her hands, crossed at the wrists with the palms spread and elbows jutting out, protecting her face that was turned away from him as if she expected to be hit. His hands fell to his side as he put his weight on his knees and leaned back on the heels of his boots, his heart thudding.

    She immediately crawled away from him and then let out a whimper as if in pain. She gasped and flipped over to a sitting position with her weight on the hands placed behind her, using them and her feet to edge away from him backwards, dragging the accumulated leaves of the fall and winter with her.

    "Calm down. I didn''t mean to frighten you." His voice rang out uncomfortably in the woods, echoing back to them.

    It was as if she didn''t hear him, or perhaps it frightened her more. Shaking her head, she kept moving away from him, her face frozen in hysteria and shock.

    He felt a strange squeeze in his heart, unable to bear the terror on her face.

    It tore him to realise Kim Minjae had been abused. Was it her husband and his concubine, as the rumours said? What had the bastards done to her? Seung felt a furious rage rise to his throat. At that moment, Seung forgot why he was there; his only desire was to protect her from whatever demons chased her.

    "Kim Minjae, please listen to me. I am not going to touch you," he said with fierce gentleness. He sat on his hunches, his hand extended, his palm open in a reconciliation gesture. "It was wrong of me to do that. I am sorry. You do not have to fear me. Do you understand?"

    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    She finally stilled.

    Lee Seung looked at the woman before him. She started shaking in the aftermath, her teeth chattering as she drew her knees to her chest and hugged herself. Though it was too dark to see the colour of her face, he knew it was ashen.

    The unfamiliar pangs of remorse drummed his conscience. He had a million questions to ask, but she was too distraught. It struck him that she had not spoken a word since he had released her from underneath him.

    Seung swallowed. Suddenly, it was crucial for him that she saw him with trusting eyes.

    "Physician Kim, I am sorry...are you all right?"

    She raised her eyes at him. Magnificent eyes glistening with unshed tears and - rage. "How dare you?" her voice shook.

    Seung could not meet her blazing eyes, flinching from the pain he saw in them. He had never treated a woman like he had just now and had no justification. There were rules and protocols to follow when interrogating a suspect, regardless of how heinous the crime was. This was a grave matter, and he should be taking her under custody, not manhandling her. His only loyalty lay to his men and his King. No matter how distasteful it was, that would have been the right way.

    Seung brought a finger to his temple, rubbing it. He had let his emotions rule over his pragmatic senses for the first time.

    "I apologise." He expelled a long, frustrated breath. "Look, Physician Kim, I am sorry for my behaviour. If I could undo it, I would. But you must understand right now, you are a suspect of something truly dangerous. The right thing to do would be to call the guards and arrest you for espionage."

    "Then just arrest me! What stopped you?" She asked furiously.

    You. It came unbidden to his mind. Lee Seung had broken all protocols. For reasons beyond his comprehension, his first instinct has been to protect her. And he realised he desperately wanted her to be innocent of whatever transpired here minutes ago.

    "We shouldn''t even be having this conversation. I might be putting my men in danger because I do not know whether I am speaking to someone innocent or a woman who could be guilty of treason. And I need your co-operation. I want you to answer some questions before deciding if it warrants an arrest. As you mentioned, you are a respected figure, and I don''t want to displease the Governor either," he made up as he went, and the way she straightened, put her knees down and brought her hands to her lap suggested she was listening. He had to make her trust him. He told himself that even if she was guilty, sometimes this was the best way to get a person to confess. "I promise you will not be disrespected in any way. You have my word. But dispel any doubts that I will not arrest you. However, if I do, I cannot protect you from torture. But if that is what you prefer, I will do that."

    There, he said it. He could have laughed at himself. He was allowing a probable criminal a choice to be arrested or go free.

    She bent her head and looked away.

    Seung heard a slight rustle behind him. Jumping to his feet, he whirled around, his eyes narrowing, his hands reaching out for his dagger sheathed in the sleeves of his dongdari. He belatedly realised his sword was well within Minjae''s grasp. Mentally berating himself for losing his senses, Seung studied the newcomer and the woman, alert.

    Kim Minjae made no move to go for the sword.

    "Noona, are you all right?" The man was tall, with slim shoulders, a clean round face and possibly around his age. His dark eyes under bushy eyebrows were fixed on the woman sitting amidst the leafy mush and fallen twigs.

    Minjae lifted her eyes to the young man and swallowed. She nodded at him wordlessly.

    The man turned to him and gave him a bow. "I am the one you want, Commander Lee. Please let Noona leave." Seung could detect animosity in the young man''s voice.

    "Let me be the judge of that. Identify yourself."

    The man reached into his sleeve.

    "Keep your hands where I can see them," Seung barked.

    The man froze.

    "I was taking out my name tag, Sir. My name is Ko Yoon. I am an eighth-ranked cavalry soldier in the Central Army." He gave a soldier''s bow to Seung.

    Seung hid his surprise and kept his face inscrutable. "Do you know the penalty for disregarding an order? I can strike you down for misconduct right at this moment. But I will give you a chance to explain yourself." Seung steeled himself. "I want to see you both at the provincial interrogation room in thirty minutes."

    The man fell to his knees. "Please do not take Noona there, Sir. I will answer all your questions."

    Seung saw the fear in his eyes.

    Lee Seung was the Commander of this garrison, a position only next to the Governor in power. The significance of a commoner woman cowering in his presence wasn''t lost on him. He had fought against the abuse of women all his life. Bile rose as he realised he was at the receiving end of such a suspicion.

    Seung looked at the young man contemplatively. Ko Yoon had not needed to return, yet it was apparent his sense of honour compelled him. More interestingly, he was trying to protect the woman despite knowing that he was so far down the food chain that Seung could slice his tongue off for insubordination, and no one would bat an eyelid. His connection to the woman was strong enough to put himself in harm''s way, and it was evident it was not romantic. Seung also had the gut feeling that the woman would not have divulged a thing about Ko Yoon or the nature of their dealing, regardless of the threat he posed to her.

    "I give you my word she will not be harmed under my watch. But I need answers. What intel were you speaking about?"

    There was a rustle on his left as the woman straightened herself.

    "Can we trust you, Commander Lee?" The woman asked. He looked over at her. She had regained her composure, her voice steady, soft but firm, and she was studying him openly.

    Relief mingled with guilt and something else he could not name. The next moment, Seung remembered his position as the Commander of this godforsaken island. He ran his fingers across his temple. "It depends on whether I can trust you."

    "Noona -"

    "It''s all right, Yoonah." Minjae lifted her outer skirt and drew out the inner petticoat of lighter and coarser material. Holding an end with both hands, she pulled at the fabric in the opposite directions vertically. The fabric tore about three inches. She readjusted her grasp and pulled at it horizontally. The fabric gave away to release a neat strip of cloth. The moonlight streamed from the cracks of the trees, illuminating the top of her head and throwing her face in relief, light dancing on and off her face as she moved efficiently and astonishingly gracefully. Long, elegant fingers searched around for something in the ground. She dug out a small log and placed it in front of her. Placing her injured limb on it, she eased away her shoe, then rolled down her stocking, revealing a slim, white, perfectly formed ankle attached to an exquisite foot with an elegant curve, unblemished skin and long, well-proportioned toes crowned with neatly trimmed squares for nails.

    Seung''s throat went dry.

    She was ravishingly beautiful and so graceful that watching her attend to something as mundane as an injured ankle was akin to witnessing her dance to an unknown melody only she could hear. Seung felt his heart leap and quickly averted his eyes. He noticed Ko Yoon had already turned his back towards them. Seung felt his ears warm as he realised he had been watching her like a deviant. Flushing, he turned a little more away from her but then reminded himself he had to keep her in sight to prevent her from playing any tricks.

    Comforting himself with thoughts of his duties, he turned back but kept his gaze on a vague spot ahead of him.

    But in his heart, he already knew she would not pull any tricks.

    He could see her movements without actually looking at her. She was wrapping the ripped fabric around her ankle expertly like the physician she was.

    "We are not spies, Commander Lee. But what we speak here also cannot be shared anywhere."

    Bringing his focus back to the job and shaking off his uncommon attraction to the woman like some unwanted cobwebs, Seung kept his voice non-committal and hard. "I will decide after I hear what you say and what I need to do with the information you give me. And don''t think of making anything up."

    "I will tell you what you wish to learn about Ko Yoon and my conversation that concerns us, Commander Lee, but I have some conditions." She moved her bound ankle this way and that and then eased her stocking over it.

    "I promised not to disrespect you. Other than that, you are not in a position to lay down any demand.

    "I do think I am. When we committed to what we have been doing, we pledged an unwritten bond that we would not endanger our friends no matter what. As you must have already deduced, what we do might not be completely above board, but I assure you, we do nothing wrong. You should perhaps arrest us because, Commander Lee, if you decide to let us go, you will also become complicit in what we do."

    Seung stared at her. "Do you know who you are speaking to? How dare you try to threaten an officer of the Joseon King?"

    "Noona -" the young man interjected, and Seung could trace a faint underlying panic in his voice.

    Kim Minjae raised her hand in a gesture to silence him. Seung watched in astonishment as the young man shut down.

    She was, very clearly, in command.

    "Dari, I am speaking to the man who commands this island now. I am well aware of that, Commander Lee. My friends and I are also aware that there might be unrest brewing from the north, and hence, our work becomes even more important and urgent."

    Their eyes locked.

    "Let''s go to your inn," he said.

    "We cannot go there. We cannot afford anyone else overhearing what we have to discuss." Her dainty stockinged foot went into the sleeve of her shoe.

    Seung was getting more intrigued than worried. He hadn''t ruled out treason yet, but the more he heard, the more improbable it sounded.

    Their reactions were all wrong for spies caught in the act. Either they were too good, or this was about something else. But his gut instincts told him it was the latter. He had spent enough time with infiltrators, snitches and moles to understand that much.

    But the woman had accepted that their actions could be illegal, so he was treading on dangerous ground.

    "All right. Let us go to my house."

    "Your house?" Kim Minjae sounded on alert.

    "Yes, no will disturb us there."

    She removed her bandaged foot from the log and tried standing up. Both Ko Yoon and Seung automatically moved to give her support. Much to his annoyance, she ignored his outstretched hand and grasped Ko Yoon''s, hauling herself up. He balled his fist crankily. She tested her ankle to see if she could trust it to hold her weight. Then, she let go of Yoon''s arm, squared her shoulders, pulled herself up and met his eyes.

    "Commander Lee, Ko Yoon cannot be seen with me outside. We are not supposed to be on talking terms. And I cannot come to your house. No, I will not come to your home at night. You can arrest me, but if not, either we speak here, out in the open, or please call me tomorrow morning. I give you my word. I will meet you wherever you want me to."

    Seung stared in surprise and reluctant admiration at the magnificent vision before him. Overcoming her terror just minutes ago, Minjae faced him unflinchingly. Her speech and bearing were so refined and commanding that he would have been convinced she was a high-born Yangban woman if he hadn''t known better. Obstinate yet soft-spoken, injured yet resilient, cornered yet formidable, he had never met a woman who could hold her own in a situation so stacked against her.

    Ko Yoon stepped forward. "Commander Lee, I will come with you, stay as long as you want, and answer all your questions. Can you please let Noona go tonight?"

    Seung studied both of them. Both Kim Minjae and Ko Yoon were not a flight risk. There was little they could do overnight. Even if they did, tracking them down would not be too difficult. Ko Yoon''s concern was genuine, and Minjae was no longer faking her sprain. Seriously or not, she was injured. She probably aggravated it when fighting with him in panic.

    Seung sucked in an ashamed breath. "All right. Physician Kim, you will see me tomorrow morning at my house, at the second hour of the rabbit, right at sunrise. Soldier Ko, you will spend the night at my house."

    He could see relief flooding her face. She nodded and bowed.

    With that, she started limping towards the rim of the forest., with Ko Yoon falling behind her.

    Heavens, she was stubborn. Seung looked around, and then, using his height to his advantage, he tore off a thick limb of a low-hanging branch, knifing it to shear it from the tree. He knocked it a couple of times on the log she had dug out earlier. Satisfied, he joined her. "Here, use this for support."

    She took it without protest, looking grateful. "Khamzahmnida Dari," she said simply.

    And just like that, his heart turned over in pleasure.

    A quarter of an hour later, Seung watched her disappear into her house, a small, warm, sturdy mud and stone structure with a thick double thatched roof that whispered secrets of a past he wanted to be privy to.

    Seung turned to Ko Yoon. "Tell me everything you know about Physician Kim''s marriage."

    A look of uncertainty flashed on his young face, but Ko Yoon complied. "She was married very young. After her husband divorced her, she came here with her father and has lived here since. That''s all I know. In fact -" the man stopped, his eyes clouding.

    "In fact, what?"

    "She is the strongest person I know. I have never seen her like this before." His tone had a ring of accusation. Seung looked away momentarily, guilt assailing him.

    "Was she abused by her husband?"

    Ko Yoon looked troubled. "I do not know. She never speaks about it. And I do not give ears to rumours, Sir." Ko Yoon''s head was bowed, but his tone carried a distinctive warning.

    In other words, Ko Yoon was too loyal to Minjae to say anything more. Seung knew he would not get much out of the man. They reached his home twenty minutes later, and Seung''s servant showed Ko Yoon to a small, well-appointed chamber. Seung locked it from outside, pocketing the key. "Don''t try anything smart."

    Seung could have asked more questions about the encounter and probably gotten him to divulge everything he needed to by morning, but tonight, he had more pressing things to do. He was not done yet with Minjae. He would get to the bottom of the reason for those terror-filled eyes, and he had a fair idea of where to start digging for answers.

    Kim Minjae limped to a lamp underneath a latticed window and picked it up. Then, she sagged against the wall, closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She felt tears pressing against the shutters of her eyelids hotly, warring with her to let them squeeze through, but Minjae kept the lid on them tight, refusing to give in.

    She had worked hard to create the hard-boned outer shell, so no one could ever peep inside to witness the demons underneath that carefully curated surface. And she had foolishly let it crack open in front of that one person who should never have seen that side of her.

    A dark figure stirred from the corner of the room.

    "Kim Minjae?"

    Gasping, she blinked hard, stubbornly pushing her tears away.

    "Aboji! You are not asleep yet?"

    Kim Seo Jun was sitting in a corner with several medicinal pouches on the table before him. But he was looking at her intently.

    "You hurt yourself."

    She could detect a faint lace of worry underlining his voice.

    "It''s nothing; it was a misstep," she said.

    "Come here, child," his voice was kind, but there was an unmistakable authority.

    Kim Seo Jun was not someone you trifled with. At an imposing six-and-a-half feet in height, he made a formidable figure with a thick black beard with a silver line in the middle, a wayward crop of salt and pepper hair tied into a severe bun on top of his head, a broad nose that had been broken at some point, and deep eyes set in wrinkle cornered grooves that had weathered many a storm. In his younger days, Kim Seo Jun spent his time thundering into wrestling rings, and his opponents yielded to him like twigs in the face of a whirlwind.

    He could still axe his way into a giant tree in minutes. However, now, he preferred devoting his time to making medicines and caring for a grandchild and two daughters, one of whom spent most of her time tending to others.

    Minjae obeyed and slowly made her way to him. Gently depositing the lamp to a side, she folded herself in front of him, taking care not to put pressure on her injured ankle.

    "Your nightmares chasing you again?"

    He always knew. Mainjae raised her luminous eyes at him and swallowed a lump.

    Kim Seo Jun quietly got up. Minutes later, he returned with a tray with two steaming cups of liquid.

    "Tell me," he demanded calmly.

    Grasping the cup with both her hands, Minjae did as she was told, words pouring out of her in front of the man who had reminded her what unconditional love felt like at a time when all hopes had been lost.

    The light in the lamp flickered steadily. Kim Seo Jun carefully transferred some of the dry powder in the large mortar and pestle into a small, clean pouch. He repeated it for a few more bags, never wavering in his attention to detail, his massive fingers big enough to crush a bone measuring the exact amount of the dusty powder with delicate precision each time.

    "How do you feel now?" Though he did not look at her, his voice was warm

    It was a simple question. But for Minjae, they opened floodgates of feelings she was not ready to feel or even acknowledge. The question gnawed at the emotions that were still too raw, emotions that she could not afford to experience.

    And just like all of the times before, she did not answer.

    "You must learn to let go of your past, Kim Minjae. It''s a war you must win, child."

    Her vice-like grip over her emotions, battered and brittle over the hurtling disaster her life threatened to become, broke. The tears she had been holding back spilt over. "Aboji, I tried to let go of my past long ago, but it refuses to stop chasing me. No matter how fast or far I run, I can''t seem to outrun it."

    Reaching out, Kim Seo Jun took her cold hand in his and patted it comfortingly. "I wish I could help you chase away all your shadows, my sweet child. It was not your fault. It was never your fault. I can only assure you that you at least do not have to worry about Jo Sung Ha ever again, so you are safe. And till the day this father of yours breathes, no one will harm you again."

    Minjae nodded gratefully.

    Kim Seo Jun packed away the pouches on his table in a crate by his side. "Do you intend to tell Commander Lee?"

    "Yes, Aboji."

    "What made you decide that?''

    Minjae paused. "Because...because he is kind and honourable. But most importantly, he does not mind bending the rules if the need arises."

 Four - A Pickle

    Morning, Ganghwa, 22nd March, 1636

    "We rescue abused girls and women," there was a lilting sadness in her soft voice.

    As promised, Kim Minjae presented herself at the first light of the daybreak. Seung had dozed off to a fitful nod on his bed after his investigative sojourn on Minjae that had lasted until the pre-dawn hours.

    Despite that, even before the first crow of the morning rooster split the air, he was up and had rushed to change into something presentable to meet her.

    The allusions to his handsomeness had been quite common while growing up and in adulthood, with one rare exception of his bride, who had found him lacking in both looks and achievements and quite vocally so. While that one irregularity had rankled, he wasn''t naive enough to believe it. He had always been aware of the power of his attractiveness, the doors it often opened, but he had never been vain about it or had taken undue advantage of it. All right, maybe that was an exaggeration. He allowed himself a little vanity from time to time. After all, he had never felt the need to take special care of himself for a woman, not even for his marriage to that very critical, very absent bride. Yet, this morning, he found himself spending a few extra minutes rubbing his teeth with bamboo salt and perfumed straw and then peered into the mirror, making sure his skin shone, his purple hanbok with silver woven buds fit snug on his shoulders, and his gat sat just right on his head, the onyx beads swaying gently around his temple down to his chest.

    He could still feel the pressure on the back of his eyes that usually came with a lack of proper sleep, but one look at Minjae''s dewy, captivating face had all his fatigued winks flying out of the window.

    His observant eyes didn''t miss the faint shadows under her eyes. Her hanbok of dark blue jeogori and grey chima reflected the pensive mood she seemed to be in.

    Half an hour later, a servant entered, placing a tray of morning snacks and tea on a long table by the wall. Seung contemplated Minjae and her companion. It was possible they could be lying to him, but what they were telling him was so fantastic that it would be hard for even the best writers to make up something like that as a cover-up for anything, including a treasonous activity like spying.

    She leaned back in a chair, her injured feet resting on a stool that Ko Yoon had procured from somewhere in his well-appointed Commander''s dwelling unit, the light grey skirt of her hanbok flowing between both the pieces of furniture, anchored by her stretched limb.

    "How do you account for their disappearance?"

    "That is the easiest part, Dari. No one in Joseon keeps a record of girls, or even women for that matter. Men steal young girls from their beds. Loan sharks drag them out of their houses as interest payments. Poor men sell their daughters for a sack of rice. Rich ones starve their daughters and even kill them if they displease their fathers. Husbands lock their wives up, starve them, beat them until the women wish they were dead, force them -" Minjae''s breath caught in her throat, "and there is no record. Once lost, they are just - gone. Few look them up. Most cut them off like bad losses. However, a few of them escape and their luck saves some. But most either die or wait for the day."

    Nothing she said was new to him. He had seen worse. He had seen women poked, beaten, burned, and whipped for the slightest of transgressions, stripped naked and sold for pennies, gang-raped as a part of a loot - images that still haunted him at night and made him wake up drenched in sweat, nauseous, his hands clammy, filled with tremors from the feelings of helplessness.

    A haunting memory of a very young girl escaping into the woods, clutching a dirty, soiled cloth to her chest, invaded his memory suddenly. Seung swallowed, closing his eyes. The girl he had saved. He had clung to that image all these years. It had saved his sanity.

    He opened them to find Minjae watching him intently. His eyes met hers, and an inexplicable feeling of knowing connected them, a semaphore of understanding that spoke volumes without them uttering a word.

    She was the first to break contact, a slight blush staining her graceful swan-like neck and the peaks of her high cheekbones.

    His heart strummed. Needing to take a breather from his strangely agitated senses, he turned to Ko Yoon. "What do you do once you bring them away from their unfortunate circumstances? There must still be some records, someone tracking them," he asked.

    "We place them in safe homes, sir."

    "And how do you do that?"

    Silence.

    Seung sighed. He would need a lot of patience with these two.

    "What about the slaves? The owners would never relinquish them easily. The state often intervenes for runaway slaves. You possibly have slave hunters after them."

    "You are right, Dari. They are the hardest to rescue. We try to save the ones who are severely abused. Unfortunately, we often don''t even learn about them until it''s too late."

    Seung stroked his chin, deep in thought. "When did you start this?"

    "My first rescue was a six-year-old slave child who was being brutalised by her master and mistress. They used to burn her hands and legs as punishment." Minjae could still recall her heart ceasing every time there was a mention of the lost child for months. It had been her bravest act of rebellion at a time when she herself had been a little more than a chip for bargaining to be bartered away when the time came. Yet it was from there that the idea had germinated years later.

    "When was this?"

    "Ten years ago."

    "Ten? How old are you?" Seung asked Minjae and told himself he only asked it as a part of his investigation. He was not curious and dying to know. Not at all.

    Minjae''s gaze dropped to her hands that loosely overlapped each other in her lap. "I am twenty-three."

    Seung was startled to learn they were of same age. Even though what he had learned about her last night indicated she was not as young as she looked, he had been so sure she was younger than him.

    "You have been doing this for ten years?"

    The math did not add up. Not if she herself had been so severely abused at her husband''s hand.

    "No. It was my first one and the only one for a long time, but I actively started it only a few years ago."

    After her father rescued her from her abusive husband.

    Seung looked at Ko Yoon. "When did you start helping her?"

    "I joined three years ago when I was posted here, Sir."

    "Why did you join her?"

    There was a long pause.

    "My sister was kidnapped," a slaking of grief still palpable in Ko Yoon''s young voice, "Our father is ill, bedridden. Our mother died a few years ago. My brother is still young. To save money, we moved out of a good neighbourhood and got a house in a more secluded place. I had just been posted here. She had stepped out to fetch my father''s medicine, and they got her. These thugs set their targets and follow them for an opportunity. I went crazy trying to find and save her. I was beside myself with rage - " he left it unfinished, swiping a hand over his eyes.

    Gil-ae''s face floated before Seung''s eyes, a pang hitting his solar plexus. He would kill anyone who would so much as lay a finger on his sister.

    "They wanted to sell her to a rich old commoner who wanted a young yangban bride. She was only eleven years old, Dari," Ko Yoon''s voice dropped. "My Uncle''s son had been visiting home when this happened. He rode all the way here to tell me. Noonim helped me locate and rescue her before the unthinkable happened."

    "We were fortunate; the kidnappers postponed the deal due to a disagreement between the buyer and themselves over the price," Minjae said softly.

    Seung felt an unanticipated jolt of pride at the woman sitting in front of him. She was so delicate and demure, yet he knew somewhere underneath that ethereal exterior was a plate of iron armour that she used as a shield, both to protect others and keep people from getting too close to her. People like himself.

    "Why did you not go to the Magistrate or the Governor?" he asked, bringing his frustratingly errant attention back to the topic.

    Ko Yoon bowed his head, his silence speaking volumes.

    "They refused to help?"

    "They decided my sister had run away. She was too unimportant to waste precious resources on."

    "Where was this?"

    "Wonsanjin."

    Seung straightened in surprise. "That is at least four days'' ride for a good horseman from Hanyang, if not more and further from Ganghwa. It must already have been at least ten days before you reached your village. How did you communicate and organise a rescue from here?"

    Minjae and Ko Yoon fell quiet. The annoying calmness that both would revert to whenever the time came to drop a name or anything that might throw light on the insights of their operation had started getting to him.

    "I guess you have a lot of help?" Seung persisted.

    "We have some good men and women all over the country who help, Sir."

    "You said you give these women a new life. How do you do that?"

    The irksome silence again.

    "So, what exactly is your role, Soldier Ko?"

    "Every month, I have people I connect to on certain days of the month who carry messages outside. Sometimes, rescuing them from a dangerous situation is not enough, Dari. Even though we saved my sister from the kidnappers, she was still ruined. No man would accept her after that. She is doomed either way. The only consolation is she is safe and loved. I will take care of her."

    Involuntarily, Seung''s nails pressed into his palm, his sister''s tear-drenched in the prison face jumping at him. A surge of concord rippled through Seung for the young man. Who knew it better than him....."There are good men out there, Soldier Ko."

    Ko Yoon gave him a lost look. "How do we find them, Dari? We try to make such women independent. My sister makes beautiful bamboo fans. We also try to set up channels so they can earn without the family name getting compromised. And it gives the women a purpose in life."

    Lee Seung understood more than Ko Yoon or Kim Minjae would ever know.

    "And you, Physician Kim?"

    "I am a part of the group that secures the girls and works as a conduit between those who secure them and the ones who place them.

    "This kind of operation needs money, a lot of it. How do you get that?"

    A shadow crossed Minjae''s face. "When I left my husband, I had some money. I used that to start the network."

    "Some?" Seung arched his brows.

    "It was substantial, and I did not need it," she replied.

    "No matter how substantial, it won''t last these many years."

    "We have people supporting us generously," Minjae said, her words carefully weighed. Not all money came through legal channels. Seung could read the unsaid. She was adept at saying a lot without giving anything away.

    The diffused early morning light had started filtering through the windows, penetrating through the mesh of hanji curtains with their colourful pull ropes in the chamber.

    "Coming back to these women - how do you make them disappear from their previous life and place them in their new lives?"

    Ko Yoon shifted uncomfortably. Minjae raised her leg from the stool, her stockinged foot touching the floor gracefully as she stood up. Seung moved without thinking, finding himself beside her in a flash to help her and then wanting to die of embarrassment as Minjae, ignoring him, turned and slowly walked to the table where the servant had placed the hot teapot and cups. At least she was not limping as severely as before. In fact, it was barely noticeable.

    "That is not for us to tell, Dari. We are just messengers and not directly involved in the process," she said over her shoulder.

    "I would like to know, Physician Kim."

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    She picked up the tray and turned. Seung clamped down on his instinct to help her, knowing she would not appreciate it.

    "I promised we would tell you the part that concerns us. You will need to launch an official investigation for the rest."

    Seung folded his hands across his chest and leaned against the pillar close to him.

    "Would you really want me to go that route?"

    Minjae paused for a brief moment, her facial muscles arranged in neutral lines, only a slight compression of her lips suggesting she was giving it a thought - or maybe she was simply focussing on carrying the tray to its destination? She was a hard one to read. Minjae cautiously walked to where his work table sat by his official seat in the chamber. Bending on a squat, she transferred the tray to the large but modestly crafted table and lowered herself to the floor, resting herself on the guest cushion. She placed the pots and cups on the table one by one and slid the tray under the table.

    Expertly pouring the tea, she placed one of the steaming cups on his side of the table, wordlessly indicating him to take his seat. She then turned her head just a tad bit toward Ko Yoon over her shoulder, who bowed and accepted his cup from her and then went and stood by the side. Minjae settled comfortably on knees folded sideways, resting on the floor, angling her injured ankle away from the pressure of her body, with the third cup in front of her.

    Both Ko Yoon and Minjae waited.

    An unexpected admiration lit Seung''s eyes. Minjae was dealing with two Yangban men senior to her in both class and rank, yet the confidence with which she dictated them around without appearing to step out of line, all while maintaining respect for their station, was stunning.

    Kim Minjae was a class act.

    Hiding a smile, he took his seat. Yoon sat down behind Minjae. Kim Minjae bowed and waited until Seung lifted his tea before reaching for her cup.

    Ko Yoon opened his mouth to say something and then changed his mind, looking down into his tiny cup with an uncertain expression.

    For the next few minutes, they sipped their tea in silence.

    "Temples. We have temples and monks around the country who help us rescue and place these girls. And our network depends on their generous participation for the most part," Minjae broke the silence.

    "So I presume the ''targets'' you secured in Tosan are two rescued girls? The younger one will be shifted to Cheongju, and the older one will be brought here?"

    Minjae nodded.

    Ko Yoon fidgeted again.

    "And there are already quite a few inhabiting the island, judging by soldier Ko''s worry that there is ''no more'' space for them? Why is she not being taken to the temple then?"

    Ko Yoon shifted in his seat restlessly.

    "Is something wrong, Soldier Ko?" Seung asked, not attempting to hide his irritation.

    Ko Yoon rose, placed his empty cup on the tray, and bowed deeply.

    "Commander Lee Sir, please forgive my impertinence, but I must report to the morning marching band soon. Can I....am I... allowed to leave?"

    Lee Seung studied the young man thoughtfully. They both had whetted the appetite of his curiosity, and he was just getting started, but he knew he would not be making any arrests and keeping Ko Yoon captive did not serve any purpose and would only raise more questions if he did not report to duty.

    It also gave him opportunities to spend time with Minjae.

    "I will let you go for now, but you are not off the hook. You will report to me every evening and every morning until I decide what to do next."

    Ko Yoon nodded, his face relaxing in relief.

    Reading her intent correctly, before Minjae could jump onto the bandwagon and excuse herself, Seung quickly added, "Physician Kim, I am not done with the questions yet, so you will stay."

    A fleeting look of dismay crossed her exquisite features before she schooled it. But he could see the faint whiteness around her knuckles.

    "Noonim -?" Ko Yoon let his concern hang. Kim Minjae nodded to him silently.

    Ko Yoon hastened to his exit and closed the door softly behind him.

    She was nervous about being alone with him, Seung thought with a pang and decided he would be at his formal best to make her feel at ease.

    "So, as I was asking, why are you not sending this other girl to the temple?" He kept his voice brisk and businesslike.

    Minjae took her time keeping the cup back on the table. Subconsciously, his gaze drew to her graceful fingers before he caught himself and forced his eyes to level at her face, or rather, her bowed head.

    Minjae looked down; her lips compressed. No matter how hard she tried to control it, her heart rocked painfully in his presence. She did not want to be here, alone with Lee Seung. He upset the tranquil waves of her routine life. Her safe life.

    Her lonely life.

    "The younger one will stay in a temple until she is old enough to ascertain if she could qualify for a place in the royal court as a court lady. However, it''s difficult for older girls and women to find new identities and safe places."

    She recalled how much suspicion and backlash Nam Dami faced when she first arrived almost four years ago.

    Nam Dami. She had been the first one Minjae had opened her home and heart to. "Older women have fewer choices than the younger ones. And many of them are inherently mistrustful of men. Some men would be happy to accept a wife regardless of their circumstances, but I, too, worry the women might find themselves in the same quandary they escaped from in the first place."

    A strange knot of disquiet gripped Seung''s insides as he looked at her, his expression serious. "Not all men are the same, Kim Minjae."

    The chamber was suddenly hot, too small for the two of them. She could feel the tremor in her hands, but she forced them to be steady while keeping the tiny cup on its tiny plate. She was infinitely glad he could not hear the galloping of her heart.

    She raised her incredible eyes to his face. "I know, Dari. I have met more honourable men than I can count, and they have far outnumbered the bad ones." She took a deep breath, a gentle crease interrupting the smooth flow of the space between her curved eyebrows. "But the damage those few bad ones do ruins not just the women but many good men, too."

    Seung acknowledged it with a nod, wondering if she saw him as one of the honourable men. He could not bear it if she considered him a ''bad one'', especially after what he had learned yesterday. A sudden vision of that strange, unpleasant look she had given him in the evening at the inn intruded on his overwrought mind.

    Shaking off the morose thoughts plaguing him, he changed the topic. "What did you mean when you said they were ''eliminated?"

    Her large eyes grew larger for a second before they turned downwards.

    "They were declared dead," she answered truthfully.

    "So they would not be hunted or tracked?" He asked the obvious.

    "A lot of effort goes in so they cannot be tracked, Dari," Minjae said.

    "You find them new identities," he stated perceptively, looking at Minjae.

    Her head moved ever so slightly as she concurred.

    "How do you procure those identities?"

    "Neither Yoonah nor I know how it is done." Minjae was nothing if not efficient with her words.

    Seung knew it wasn''t the truth but didn''t pursue it. Compressing his lips, he thought back to thousands of people who were abused every day without anyone knowing their plight or ever coming to their rescue. Many died, their bodies unclaimed. It was not difficult for him to follow the logic of the operation.

    "Let me guess. This is where this becomes illegal?"

    "I cannot answer that, Dari."

    Seung kept himself from rolling his eyes. Minjae wanted to save the branches after the tree had fallen.

    "Who are the captain and the monk?"

    The tea in her cup seemed to arrest Minjae''s interest infinitely. With her head bowed, she was a picture of elegance from the shape of her forehead to the linear curve of her shoulders to the fluid movements of her hands flowing into those graceful fingers...a far-off memory suddenly jogged his brain....a garish headdress, the painted face, the bowed head, graceful hands...Seung felt disconcerted at the sudden, uninvited, unwelcome image.

    "Don''t do that!"

    Minjae eyes snapped up to meet his in surprise at his harsh tone. "Don''t do what, Dari?"

    Seung felt bewildered by his own vehemence. What just happened? Embarrassed, he tried to dissemble his gaffe away.

    "I mean, don''t try to hide anything. I want to know who else on this island is involved. Any operation supported by illegal money can turn dangerous, not just for you but for others on the island as well. Moreover, don''t forget you are still under investigation."

    "I have nothing more to tell.

    "Look, I can launch an investigation and unearth everything within the week."

    "But you won''t," Minjae said softly, with what felt like a faint smile underlining her voice.

    Seung narrowed his eyes. She was getting under his skin and into a few more uncomfortable places she had no right to venture.

    "What makes you so sure?" he asked.

    She raised her eyes over the rim of her cup, meeting his challenging gaze with her deliberative one, her eyes softened in an unmistakable smile.

    They were locked in a strangely seductive duel of wits that went beyond his queries and her responses.

    Just as his heart was madly warring with his mind and winning. His pulse raced.

    A knock interrupted their silent exchange.

    "What is it?"

    His faithful servant Se-Dong''s voice rang.

    "Dari, Officer Wang Jung is here. Should I send him in?"

    An involuntary gasp left Seung. He all but jumped from his seat on the floor, the soft mattress indenting under his weight, a look of pure dismay flooding his face.

    "No, I am busy. Ask him to wait." Seung looked down at Minjae. "It is best if he does not see you here," he whispered.

    Kim Minjae blinked at his reaction. Furrows of perplexion spread on her forehead.

    ''Is something wrong, Dari?" She wasn''t sure why they were whispering, but she followed suit.

    Flustered, Seung looked at her.

    "He - you - it will be hard to explain your presence."

    "I am a Physician; I often visit people at home."

    "Tch! We have garrison physician -"

    "I am licensed to treat soldiers."

    "Can you please stop arguing? He can''t see you here." Frustrated, he went around the desk. His ears were crimson.

    A look of understanding dawned on her face. A mischievous look transformed her features, making her captivating eyes sparkle. "Is he going to tease you because you are seeing a physician first thing in the morning, perhaps?" She whispered cheekily.

    His eyes widened, a telltale flush spreading across his face. "It''s nothing like that!" He whispered back fiercely.

    If only she knew!

    He frowned at her. "Want to give him an update on what we discussed?"

    Seung swore he saw her smile but didn''t have time to ponder.

    "What do you need me to do?" she whispered in a serious tone.

    "Can you please stand behind the byeoldang?"

    Minjae looked at the impressive folding screen framing the elongated side of the mattress by the wall, painted with sweeping green, blue and pink orchids. Seung went and folded the edge of the screen.

    "Can I come in, Commander Lee?" Wang Jung''s cheerful voice drifted in.

    "No, wait! Give me a minute," Seung gave Minjae a pleading look.

    Sighing, she looked back at the chair, the stool and her medicine bag resting against the back of the chair.

    Biting back a curse, Seung ran. Within seconds, he moved the offending pieces of furniture to the side of the room, picked up her bag and came back to extend his hand, motioning her to hold it so she could have the support to get up.

    Minjae bit her lip. Seung sent her a peculiar glance that was part pleading and part threatening, holding his hand out to her in urgency.

    Giving up, Minjae caught hold of the large bell sleeve and rose. But the fabric started to slip from her hand. Losing patience, Seung grabbed her extended arm and pulled her up, holding her with a "Forgive me, I mean no disrespect" as she hobbled the distance to the screen before stepping behind it. Giving her an apologetic look, he handed her the backpack. He turned, and something caught his sleeve at his upper arm.

    He turned to see Minjae tugging at him, her eyes warm brown with laughter, gesturing at something behind him.

    The three teacups on the table!

    "Aish!" Seung swooped down and, picking up the two extra used cups, pushed them under the table on the mattress side just as Minjae pulled the screen door close.

    Giving a once over to the room, he took a deep, calming breath and bellowed, "Come in."

    Wang Jung sauntered in as if he owned the place, his slight belly preceding him.

    Seung gave a loud yawn. "What brings you so early, Wang?"

    Wang Jung presented a flourishing bow. "Good Morning to you too, Sir."

    "I am still trying to wake up," Seung complained.

    "That is what happens when you skip sleeping at night, Sir. We have a meeting at the Governor''s office, and you still need to tell me what took you away from us yesterday."

    "That is not for another two hours, and there is nothing to tell. It was a false call," Seung snapped, trying to think of ways to send Wang Jung on his way.

    "In other words, you don''t want to tell me," he gave a long, suffering sigh. "Anyway, we have to stop by the garrison field to test the kite-flying skills of our soldiers."

    Seung groaned. He had completely forgotten about that. The soldiers had a bad start in the competition the previous day and were now taking it very seriously.

    "Don''t tell me you forgot that! Where is your attention, Sir? I have never seen you this distracted." Although much lower in rank, Wang Jung didn''t hesitate to rebuke Seung if the need arose.

    "I told you, I am still sleepy," Seung fibbed.

    "Why did you not go to Kisaeng Han So Ye earlier in the evening when I told you? Trying to con us, acting like you didn''t want to go."

    Seung''s stomach plummeted.

    "Aish! You almost had us fooled with the looks you gave Kim Minjae."

    Seung''s heart hammered in alarm, acutely aware of the keen pair of ears behind the byeoldang. "What are you talking about? Don''t you have to get the papers in order or something before the meeting with the Governor?"

    "You have the papers. Distracted, are we? I knew Kisaeng Han had you reeled in the night before," Wang Jung laughed fiendishly as he nonchalantly angled over and poured a cup of tea for himself in the one unused cup still sitting on the table.

    Seung''s ears rang in embarrassment and worry. Giving a panicked look towards the screen, he moved closer to Wang Jung intimidatingly and tried to stare him down to shut him up. Unfortunately, these topics were always idle chatter between men, a release for stress, a reason to slap each other''s back when comparing notes, and, in short, no reason why Wang Jung would stop.

    "Seeing that you could not keep away, Kiseang Han must be terrific. Mmnn, this tea is good," Wang Jung slurped offensively.

    Acutely aware of Minjae listening to every word, Seung felt himself go hot and cold. He wanted to sink into the ground, disappear, never to reappear again. And he desperately wanted to stitch Wang Jung''s mouth, or better still, throttle him.

    "Wang Jung?"

    "Yes, Dari?"

    "Shut up."

    "Did I say anything wrong? You are not the kind to listen to poetry or music. Not you, never you. Always liked a good romp. Is she as creative in bed as rumoured? Must be, if she didn''t let you sleep," Wang Jung chortled. "No wonder you are distracted. Does she not remind you of that lass in Ula in the north -"

    Seung''s ears bled in mortification as waves of despair sliced through his body. He seized an arm of his hapless horseman and hauled the protesting man, who hung onto his cup of tea like a sailor on a tattered mast, towards the door. Pushing him out unceremoniously, Seung barked, "I am not ready yet. I will meet you at the garrison field."

    "You look just fine -" Seung slammed the door shut in Wang Jung''s face, cutting him off. He barely held himself from doing bodily harm to the dratted loudmouth.

    Seung slumped against the wall, his hand covering his eyes. Kim Minjae had heard every damned word.

    What must she think of him!

    He listened for the footsteps that would confirm Wang Jung had left. He did not put it past the man to loiter around still. A few minutes later, Seung cracked the door and whispered to his servant to ensure Wang Jung had made the exit. Thankfully, the servant quickly confirmed he had.

    He should have changed the topic. He should have clamped Wang''s mouth with his hand. He should have done sometihing!

    Seung stared gloomily at the byeoldang, dreading opening it.

    Minjae solved the problem for him. The last panel of the screen folded, and Minjae stepped out. He dared a glance at her.

    Her face was white, with two crimson patches glowing like coins on her cheeks.

    "Physician Kim..." Words stuck in his throat. He cleared it, but it sounded like he was being choked.

    Minjae didn''t look at him. She gently treaded the bed and stepped off it, her limp barely noticeable. She slung the bag, the straps neatly placed over each shoulder, their ends attached to the backpack centred on her slim back, disappearing between her elbow and waist.

    Seung tried again. "I apologise. That conversation was not meant for gentle ears. I am sorry if it caused you discomfort."

    Minjae gave him a curt nod, her expression neutral, only the redness in her cheeks indicative of how uncomfortable it had made her.

    And the stony silence more than conveyed how awful her thoughts were about him. Gone were her gentle demeanour and the laughing eyes. She must think of him as a deviant, a fiend, a debauchee. All of a sudden, it became crucial to him that she didn''t misinterpret the intentions of his visit to the Kisaeng house.

    "Physician Kim, it''s not what you think. It''s...it''s not why I went to Kisaeng Han last night. My friend misunderstood the purpose of my visit -"

    "Why are you telling me, Dari?" She finally raised her eyes to look at him. They reminded him of the icy peaks of the glaciers blanketing the barren mountains of the north.

    Indeed. Why was he explaining himself to her? Unable to give one good reason, he looked away.

    "You do not need to explain. Neither you are my patient nor a relative or a friend. You are a stranger, and your actions are none of my business, Dari. I will take your leave now." The curt tone ended their meeting without ceremony.

    Her cold words cut to the quick. Seung had never felt this delinquent ever before. Seung wasn''t sure who the accuser or accused was anymore. But he did know he could not let her go! Not yet.

    "I-er - we are not done with the questioning yet," he tried to make his voice authoritative, but to his utter mortification, it came out strangled.

    "I have told you everything I could. There is nothing more that I can add to it." She was holding the straps of her backpack in a punishing grip.

    "Who are the Catpain and the Monk?" Seung was glad that this time, he managed a much firmer tone.

    Colour rushed to her face, and her magnificent eyes blazed. "Arrest me."

 Five - Tethering A Kite

    Pre-dawn hours, Ganghwa, 22nd March, 1636

    Nothing penetrated the fortress of her solitude, not even the insistent rays of the moon that consistently struggled to find their way in. She had shuttered the windows, just like her heart, mind, and life.

    The wounds of her past, recriminations, remorse and anger, swirled like a vortex in her heart.

    What were the chances? What were the chances that Lee Seung would come back to her life on a remote island? He was supposed to be a scholar, amongst the top learned elite of the country. He should have been wearing an official cap and serving the King''s court, not commanding the army on a godforsaken piece of floating land where time always seemed to stand still.

    Choi Ji-na ached with despair.

    Their divorce must have been through by now. Did he now have a new wife? Children perhaps.

    Hot tears dropped from the corners of her eyes.

    For his sake, she hoped he was happy.

    She doubted it.

    "I would like to share a drink and start to know each other better," he had said that first night.

    His eyes had followed Kim Minjae the entire time he was at the inn.

    Was he, perhaps, interested in her?

    Kim Minjae. She closed her eyes in misery. Choi Ji-na would never stack up favourably against the phenomenon that Kim Minjae was. At times, how she hated Kim Minjae and everything she stood for. Lee Seung''s eyes would never see her the way they had seen Minjae at the inn.

    Lee Seung. Her husband. For her, the dried petals of time fell away. It did not matter if they were divorced. He would be the only one for her for the entirety of the wretched life she had left on this earth. A smile touched her lips through her tears as his face materialised in her vision. His flawless skin still shone, and his endearing smile still melted her insides. Now, he looked even taller; his face was fuller, his shoulders broader. He made her knees turn to mush. He had changed, yet he was the same man she had seen standing by the rock that afternoon, tugging at the stem, deep in thought, or laughing with a carefree abandon with his friends at their wedding table. She remembered the tenor of his voice that had now grown even deeper. She realised she had never seen his eyes before. Beautiful, edged with black, with fathomless depth. Eyes that didn''t see her. Eyes that would never recognise her. And even if they did, he would not acknowledge her. She meant nothing to him.

    She hoped he hated her. At least that would mean he still sometimes thought of her. It would be better than seeing the ''nothing'' in his eyes if the day ever came that he recognised her by some miracle.

    Choi Ji-na looked up at the ceiling of her dark room and wondered what excuse her father had made about her disappearance, as if it could give her an answer. Lee Seung would never have thought to check on her. It would never occur to him. He would never know that she was dead to the world, that her own father had killed her.

    But Choi Ji-na would not be defeated. A strange excitement fluttered in the pit of her stomach. She would make the best of the life she now had. And one day, perhaps one day, show her father, Choi Si wan, how he failed her, and find it in her heart to forgive herself for everything.

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    Evening of 22nd March, 1636.

    A deviant! A fiend! A debauchee!

    Kim Minjae fumed as she marched away - or at least as close to marching as she could get on her throbbing ankle - from the kite flying field that evening, engaging distractedly in monotones to the surrounding chatter out of habit.

    It had been a terrible morning, and the entire day passed without making her feel better.

    How could he look at her with those melting eyes last evening and this morning and then find the time to spend the night with another woman in between?

    How could he?

    But then, why did she ever think he would be any different from other Yangban men? Just because he had been kind and honourable about treating her in distress didn''t mean his conduct extended to other facets of his life.

    She should have known it was too good to be true. Even if she forgot the pesky little fact about him being a Yangban, there was no way a commoner like Kim Minjae could hold more than a passing interest in a high-borne, accomplished man like Lee Seung. Then there was the fact that she had never believed herself to be pretty. From a very young age, she had been told in no uncertain terms how ''unattractive'' she was. The reaction of the village people started changing about some three years ago, when all of a sudden her ''beauty'' became the talk of the town, but she had never bought it. It was a combination of her youth, independence, her talent as a uniyeo and the money she made that made people look at her differently.

    "Minjae, can you hold the basket for a moment?" Jeon Suji jogged to her side, breaking her reverie. Minjae squinted at her and took the basket.

    Suji held a pouch that she drew open and retrieved two rice wine ginger cookies. She shoved one into Minjae''s mouth.

    "Whammm armm you doing..." Minjae mumbled as she bit and started chewing automatically, annoyed. She averted her face as Suji tried to make her take another bite.

    "You look like an elephant has been sitting on your chest the entire day," Suji observed as the other half of the cookie disappeared into her mouth.

    Nothing escaped Jeon Suji''s watchful eyes. Gossipy eyes.

    "You seriously think I would tell you if anything was bothering me so half the town would know it before they went to bed?"

    Suji giggled. "You know I only talk about the spicy stuff. And hey, I never betray a trust, you know that."

    "You are too much of a big mouth to trust with anything."

    Someone started singing a loud, out-of-tune version of Arirang amidst the chatter and the giggles that accompanied the noisy footsteps of the villagers on the narrow, dusty, unpaved path of the hill. "You have changed, you know Jaeya?"

    The wind that had been whipping the kites fluttered their dresses. Minjae removed a single piece of hair from her eyes that seemed to have left the company of the braid sitting snugly on the top of her head. ''We all grow up."

    "Jo Sung Ha was terribly cruel to you, wasn''t he?"

    Minjae''s steps faltered. "Suji-" she warned.

    "Yes, yes, I know you don''t like talking about it. Your husband was a bastard. I say good riddance. You used to be such a chatterbox, though, and I miss that."

    "It was in another lifetime."

    "Do you remember climbing up that hill with So Ye?"

    Minjae looked over the small hillock, covered with green, yellow and some hints of pink. A flat, shaved plateau topped it, with the escarpment graduating into a twin flat-topped hill much smaller but rockier.

    "Why? Do you want to fly your kite from there tomorrow?"

    Suji laughed. "As if! Can you be my spool assistant?"

    "So that''s what this is about. I would be if my ankle weren''t killing me. I already overused it today. I am going to skip coming here tomorrow." Her ankle was uncomfortably stiff, but she had been too angry to pay heed, stubbornly coming to the field, hoping it would take her mind off - unimportant things. However, Minjae now wondered if she had come because she knew she would see that uncomfortable thing and use it as another opportunity to freeze it out.

    "Oh, I am sorry, I completely forgot Minjae!" Suji immediately tried to snatch the basket back, but Minjae refused, holding on to it. Everyone knew Minjae had twisted her ankle by stepping onto her night clothes, thanks to a well-timed complaint to Suji, who had forgotten it over the day but remembered to put it in everyone''s ears before she did.

    "You did well, Suji. The Yangban flyer was good, but you had him in no time."

    Suji was their best kite flier and kept their hopes alive in the competition for at least a chance at second place, if not the first, especially as the children were the best kite hunters, achieving the highest tally for the day.

    She was also the gossipiest resident of the town. Tall with slanted eyes, full lips, narrow shoulders, and wide, inviting hips, she was a proud mother of three sons, all under five. With a sunny disposition and a ready smile, Suji was intelligent, had an elephant''s memory and believed in sharing everything with everyone: food, money, home and, of course, all the linen, dirty or otherwise - theirs and everyone else''s. Her husband was the local blacksmith, and they lived happily with her equally gossipy mother.

    "Is Da-mi avoiding you?" Suji asked chattily.

    Minjae frowned. "I don''t know."

    "Which means she is. Jaeya, Da-mi is jealous of you."

    "Don''t be ridiculous. Why would she be?" Minjae refused to recall the angry expressions on Da-mi''s face the previous evening.

    "People are sometimes like that. Sometimes, it''s because you have helped them, and they don''t like to be in your debt because it makes them feel burdened in the absence of the ability to do something in return. Sometimes, it''s because they want something you have. And then there are those times people are jealous of you just because you exist. Which one do you think it is?"

    "And you are being a preacher because -?"

    "You are not giving me fodder for gossip."

    "I don''t remember you being this shameless."

    Suji released a gust of air from her mouth. "And I don''t remember you being such a yawn. By the way, did you see the new Commander?"

    Minjae set her face into an uninterested expression. "Yes, I have eyes."

    "Captain Park is handsome, but this man is something else. What an improvement from the old grouse they had previously. I could look at him all day," She sighed longingly.

    "Suji, you have a husband who thinks the sun and the moon shine out of your eyes.."

    "What can I do when rays from the sun and the moon illuminate men like Commander Lee so deliciously," Suji said incorrigibly.

    "Not much of a commander to his men, I bet. Such a terrible kite fighter! Lost his within minutes, that too against the Yangban men," Minjae pointed out tartly.

    "Hmnn. You weren''t here, but he was their best yesterday. I wonder what happened today.....could it be because his eyes never left your face even once?" Plucking the basket out of her grasp, Suji smirked playfully at her frazzled expression.

    "Jeon Suji!" A rush of blood pooled in Minjae''s cheeks. Who else had noticed?

    ¡Þ

    Seung didn''t know how she had trekked across the vast distance, over rickety bridges, uphill narrow roads and down the ragged hills on that injured limb, but Minjae had changed into a sunny yellow hanbok and looked like a miniature sun standing amongst an excited group of children and women, spanning an assortment of ages from three to some who looked like they were one hundred and three.

    The competition had heated up on the second day. Divided broadly into four groups - the soldiers comprising the army and navy, the local men from the village, Yangban men from the northern part of the island, and then a group where women and all children under thirteen could participate - their flying frenzy blew up through the clouds as the colourful squares with fancy tails of paper soared. The furious fingers manipulating the strings had started showing nicks and cuts from the starched twines. Those with money could make better kites and strings, and those without banded together and pestered the one-eyed butcher of the village to help them, as he was touted to be the best kite maker Ganghwa had ever seen. But on the field, it was the skill that truly mattered.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    "Commander Lee, I fetched something for you, Sir," It was Wang Jung, holding a smooth, spherical, vibrant green outer husk of a coconut. Seung didn''t realise how thirsty he was. He gulped down the refreshing water and then used a wooden spoon to dig into the encased, soft, creamy white flesh.

    The Yangban men were up against the local Ganghwa team. A giant of a man with silver-flecked hair spooled the thread, while a much younger man, shorter in comparison but tall by average standards, lean and robust, flew a purple kite.

    "That''s Cha Moon-Sik. The champion for the last three years. Our local medicine man, Kim Seo Jun, is holding the spool."

    Seung sat up with interest. That must be Kim Minjae''s father.

    "I don''t know why these Yangban scholars even compete. They don''t even hunt the kites," Wang Jung chuckled.

    Each team had designated ''kite-hunters'', which afforded the teams one point for each kite they collected. As the kites took a dive, they ran to collect the fallen windblown trophies. People had started spilling over the hills and the surrounding plains, looking like a swarming army of colourful dots all over the landscape.

    The Yangban team was always the first to lose out because their kite hunters found it below their dignity to run and collect kites. The last kite up in the sky afforded the most points, but the team that collected the one it defeated also earned half the maximum points. The women and the children group often ended up with the largest tally of the kite hunting points.

    Each team flew their kites within a boxed area. They could not encroach on each other''s territory, or they would forfeit the kite to the team they encroached upon. In fact, most of the teams lost because their fliers kept expanding their flying area and shortening their stockpile of kites and points.

    Seung''s eyes were drawn back to the sunny figure across the field, who was now standing, clapping her hands.

    The Yangban kite flyer had stepped outside his designated area into the empty soldiers'' boxed area. The whole field erupted in cheer as the local men and the soldier''s team added valuable points to their tally.

    "It''s so different here, Dari. It''s nice to see the families celebrating together like this."

    The competition would start just as the afternoon sun headed to its resting place, slowly climbing down the western sky, and the matches would stop as soon as the sun dipped a quarter of its glowing orange body into the horizon. Though the competition was only for a handful of hours, people would start filling the ground in the early morning, bringing food and drinks to share. Some would even get trinkets to sell, even though it was frowned upon.

    An unexpected pang of nostalgia hit Seung. He missed his mother and sister. It would be nice to bring them to the island.

    Perhaps he would.

    "Cha Moon-Sik is good. No one has been able to cut his kite so far. What do you think, Dari?"

    Seung''s eyes drifted to the sky. Kite flying didn''t hold particular interest for him.

    Each group played each other in the first three days. The fourth day would have the final two teams competing, and the competition would get their Team champion. On the fifth day, their teammates would vote for one kite flier from the final two teams, and the winner would be crowned the champion kite flier.

    "You should at least try it for the soldier''s team, Dari. You are our best kite fighter."

    Seung shrugged uninterestedly. Sporting battles meant little to him.

    Soldiers had started with a bad first day but made up for many of the lost points today. Seung, of course, had not helped. He had caught Minjae looking at him across the field, and their eyes had met. An awareness had crackled through the air. Seung''s team went up against the Yangban team, and he lost his red kite to the yellow distraction within minutes.

    A disappointing wave of gasps rippled through the soldiers while the Yangban and the local men booed. Seung could have kicked himself for being so irresponsible. Once his kite was cut, rules didn''t allow him to return to the ring for the day.

    Not that he minded, as he sat on the ground, keenly following Minjae''s every move. She had laughed at him when he lost the kite. But instead of making him angry, it aroused his interest. Kim Minjae would die before admitting it, but she was as aware of him as he was of her. She was too far away for him to see her expressions, but he envisioned her eyes sparkling when she cheered her friends and the children, nipping at her lower lip thoughtfully if someone asked her a question, worrying her fingers if something bothered her or her eyes turning warm, liquid cinnamon if something made her happy.

    "If you don''t try Dari, no one can beat that man. He has a woman to impress, after all." Seung sighed as Wang Jung''s incessant yapping intruded upon his much more interesting thoughts than the love lives of the villagers.

    "How do you know so much gossip about the village people, Wang Jung? No, don''t bother to answer that," Seung shook his head in disgust.

    "You know the woman you were ogling at the inn last night?"

    "I wasn''t ogling. What about her?" Seung asked warily, flushing, trying his best not to sneak a look at Minjae''s slim, yellow-clad form across from him.

    "Yes, you were, Dari. It seems Moon-sik has asked Kim Seo Won for his younger daughter''s hand in marriage."

    What?

    "Kim Minjae apparently has turned him down, and her father is not keen on her remarriage as of now."

    "Remarriage? Is that even allowed?"

    "Technically not. But then most of them don''t have to worry about their children appearing for state exams, so widows and divorcees marry all the time amongst commoners."

    Seung''s eyes narrowed as they followed Cha Moon Sik''s exalted exit from the field. He stabbed the soft flesh of the coconut so hard that an entire side came off and fell to the bottom of the cavity inside the husk.

    Well, he, too, had a woman to impress, thought Seung, grinding his teeth.

    Then, a thought danced in his mind, and his face broke out into a grin, revealing an elusive dimple that softened his face like that of a teen.

    ¡Þ

    Minjae was acutely aware of the piercing gaze on her from across the field, just like the previous night in the inn, stuck to her like a needle to a magnet. His soft, remorseful gaze had followed her in her dreams in the fitful slumber she had managed between waking and sleeping after the fiasco in the woods. The excitement to see him again early in the morning had overpowered the shame of the terrible loss of control over herself before him and trampled down all trepidations that had kept Minjae from opening herself up to anyone emotionally.

    Her stomach had bottomed out when she had first laid her eyes upon him at the hill. Thrown into sharp relief by the lantern light, his face had jumped at her, rooting her to the spot. Her heart had already been in turmoil after her skirmish with Inspector KA, and Lee Seung''s visage had knocked the breath out of her body. She had not expected to see him so soon after at the inn.

    Then Minjae overheard their conversation and realised he was the one who had spent the night with Han So Ye. She had been very disappointed, but she had recovered immediately. After all, who was she to judge the Commander of the island, a virile young man she should not be even thinking about, let alone feel anything about?

    When she started serving in the inn, Minjae had severe anxiety and fear of the men she served. But she was her father''s daughter in many ways. Failure was not an option. So, she had developed a shield. She looked at a spot between their eyes and nose, which made them think she was looking at them, but they could never connect with her.

    Then she broke the rule. She had met Lee Seung''s eyes, connected with him through his dark, deep pools of magic that seemed to have drawn her in like a drug.

    This morning, she had felt special. His eyes had made her feel special. A hope she had never allowed herself sneaked into her heart like a tiny ray of light from a cracked pane of a shuttered window.

    Kim Minjae had also inherited another of her father''s talents - to put people in place with the least number of words. When he had smothered that tiny ray of light so heartlessly, she had cut him cold, wanting to hurt him as much as she hurt.

    She was Kim Minjae, very different from who she used to be - the soft, trusting, timid girl who only wanted to make everyone around her happy. And she had paid the price. She had vowed never to let anyone do that to her ever again.

    Not even Lee Seung, the only man who had made her heart flutter so wildly. So she had steeled herself when she felt his eyes follow her again in the field. He lost his kite almost immediately after walking into the box with five other men. His eyes had been fixed on her instead of the red kite he was supposed to be flying, much to the chagrin of his assistant, who held the spool to feed the string.

    A deviant! A fiend! A debauchee! How dare he!

    "I saw you looking at him, too," Suji was saying.

    "Everyone was looking at him. It''s human nature to look at pretty things which also happen to be very tall and wear a Commander''s uniform," Minjae retorted.

    Suji giggled. "You noticed him all right. He was the only one you laughed at for losing his kite," Suji''s gaze was probing.

    Minjae tightened her jaw, trying hard not to flush.

    "It''s a beautiful day. We did well in the competition, and there were so many pretty men to swoon on. Aunt In-ha brought such great food to feed us, so why do you have this look like you have swallowed a beehive?"

    Minjae shrugged. She knew she had to give something to shut her up. "I had a client, and she said something hurtful, so I, too, said something hurtful to her, and I should not have. I can do better. I am upset with myself."

    "How do you know what you said hurt them? Upset their ego maybe, but hurt? They don''t have enough affection for that. What makes you think these pompous people care about the words of a lowly physician?" Suji snorted.

    Minjae''s steps faltered.

    True. What had made her so sure that what she said would hurt Lee Seung?

    She had been sure. She wasn''t sure how, but she had known. Instinctively. Naturally. Like she knew how to breathe.

    The turmoil in his eyes as she had left him in the morning was etched in her mind. "Physician Kim, we are not done yet. I will send you word when I need to meet you next." His words had followed her as she exited his chamber.

    She knew she had neither the right nor the luxury to feel this erratic thing inside her, this palpitation whenever Lee Seung''s eyes sought hers or the heat of his gaze pricked her. She had never been so aware of herself as a woman. She mentally berated herself.

    She had to get a grip on herself.

    Commander Lee Seung would never belong to the world she inhabited. And she better remember that because nothing good could come out of it.

    "Physican Kim!" A familiar voice called out, sounding a little out of breath.

    It was Cha Moon-sik. Minjae suppressed a groan while Suji smirked.

    "I hear you hurt your ankle?" He fell by their side without invitation, a lantern hanging by his fist.

    "It''s nothing serious," Minjae assured him.

    "How will you walk this long a distance? Let me carry you on my back."

    Speechless, Minjae stared at him dismayed and looked around to see if Im Ji-Won was within earshot. She didn''t need another friend glaring at her disparagingly. Thankfully, Im Ji-won was walking far ahead with a bunch of excited children matching their vocals with the out-of-tune singer.

    "Thank you for your offer, Cha Moon Sik, but I prefer walking. It is good for my ankle," Minjae lied straight-faced.

    "But it will be painful. Please use my back." To her horror, Moon-Sik hunched in front of her.

    She stepped past him. "No. Cha Moon-Sik, please get up," the warning in her voice was unmistakable.

    "Moon-Sika, she does not want the ride. Stop embarrassing yourself," Suji admonished him.

    His face fell. Cha Moon-Sik was a simple man, and Minjae adored him. But at times, her frustration showed because he didn''t get the hint. And as if on cue, Im Ji Won looked back.

    Minjae could have screamed in frustration. "Please get up, Moon-Sik, and out of our way."

    He stood up. "All right, I will walk with you if you need help."

    "Aww, Moon-Sik, aren''t you a lovely boy!" Suji smiled at him and then winked at Minjae.

    Footfalls distinct from the usual shuffle of straw shoes of the villagers approached them from behind. Minjae, Moon-Sik and Suji instinctively turned to find a soldier hurrying toward them. The crowd parted to make way.

    "Physician Kim Minjae?"

    Minjae nodded, infinitely grateful for the distraction. The villagers looked at them curiously before filing past them, their chatter subdued but uninterrupted. Everyone was used to Minjae being stopped or addressed by everyone and their mother on the island at the most unexpected times and places.

    Bowing, Minjae answered. "Yes, Dari?"

    The soldier handed her a scroll. "The Commander has asked to see you, Physician Kim. Please accompany me."

    Minjae grimaced, holding the scroll like a fly-ridden stick. Suji poked her in the side, rolling her eyes dramatically. Minjae made a face at her.

    "Dari, her ankle hurts. How can she see him now?" Cha Moon-Sik immediately objected.

    Minjae bit her lip to stop the instant dressing down hovering on her tongue. Instead, she turned to the solder. Much as she disliked the idea of seeing Lee Seung, getting away from Moon Sik was more urgent.

    "Dari, I will come with you," she said.

    "But Physician Kim-"

    "It''s all right, Moon-Sik. You must get back and get a good night''s sleep. The local team has to win this year," Minjae smiled at him, hoping it took out some of the sting from her curt behaviour.

    Grabbing the lantern from Moon-Sik''s hands, Suji pushed it into Minaje''s. "Don''t be too late. Come Moon-Sik, let''s go home."

    The yellow of her skirt shimmied like a golden flame in the young evening glow, her every step increasing the pace of his heart.

    "You asked for me, Commander Lee?" Placing the lantern gently on the ground, Minjae presented a most respectful bow, her face a mask of politeness, her eyes freezing polar twins.

    Seung unmounted his horse. He had ordered the rest of his men to leave for the barracks.

    He acknowledged her nod and motioned the soldier to leave them alone. "Thank you for coming, Physician Kim. I have heard good words about you from our garrison physician Ahn Ji Soo, and I have a few questions for you," he said aloud, for the benefit of the ears listening to the conversation that he had no doubt would be repeated at some point. "I would like you to accompany me to the garrison hospital for a young patient."

    A surprised frown puckered her forehead. Seung bit his cheek to stop himself from smiling.

    "I see. Can it wait till tomorrow morning?" She was not pleased.

    "I would like your opinion on his wound tonight," he said with a straight face.

    "Oh!" She bit her lip in that delectable way that started doing something to Seung.

    "Unfortunately, I do not have a palanquin. Can you ride a horse?"

    "No, I cannot ride a horse, Dari." She looked back at the throng of people who now looked like a moving dot up the hill. The detour meant she would be traversing the distance to the town alone. "It will take me about an hour and a half to reach the hospital."

    "It will be dark soon. The villagers have already moved ahead. I cannot have you travelling alone."

    "I have a lantern. I assure you, it''s quite safe, and I am used to it, Dari," she said with undue stress. Inspector KA''s face rudely intruded, making her shiver in distaste.

    "Nevertheless, you are coming with us," Seung had no intention of letting her walk alone.

    Perplexed, she looked around. It was just Seung, his horse, two soldiers and their horses. She wasn''t sure where he had been planning to get a horse for her.

    As if reading her mind, he said, "I had considered you riding one of those horses. Since you cannot ride, we will walk. The army road is much shorter and has a smoother way. I can see you have hurt your leg, and it will be easier for you." The path was built for the horses, and villagers were not allowed to walk so the horses could ride fast through the road.

    She pondered on that for a while and looked over her shoulder again at her companions, who were now out of her vision, no doubt crossing the bridge by now. "All right."

    A small bubble of relief burst inside him. He turned to his soldiers. "You both go ahead and join the rest of the men. I will walk with Physician Kim."

    The soldiers bowed, kicked their horses'' flanks, and rode away, leaving Minjae, Seung, and the horse in the soft glow of the dusk.

    Minjae rubbed her hands down her skirt, a slight apprehension palpable in her downcast eyes. "If this is a continuation from the morning, I have nothing more to add, Dari."

    The gentle breeze swayed the sides of his orange and gold tunic of his dongdari while Minaje bunched her skirt in her hands to stop hers from fluttering too much. Seung watched her bowed head for what seemed like a very long time. So many words jumped to his tongue: inane, mundane, conversational, conciliatory, reassuring.....but none rolled off it. For, if tact were shoes, he would have been rendered shoeless. In fact, by now, the blisters would have devoured the soles of his feet, a preferable fate to the imprudent words he never meant to utter that tumbled before he could stop them.

    "I want us to know each other better, Kim Minjae."

    Her head snapped up, her eyes latching onto his in shock. Her face blanched, and then colour matching the orange and pink swathes of the mostly lavender sky flooded her face, and a strange emotion filled her eyes - a look of something he could not put his finger on.

 Six - Game Of Hearts

    I want us to know each other better, Kim Minjae.

    Silhouettes of rugged hills outlined against the dusky sky, gradually painting it in pastel and orange hues as the sun prepared to settle down for the night. It felt like his words echoed around them and bounced back in fragments, whispering through the soft, gentle breeze rustling through the trees. The disbelief in her eyes was probably mirrored in his as well. He wished he could take them back.

    Or did he?

    Seung wondered if she could hear his heart kicking a storm against his ribcage or the freefall of flapping little sting bees in his stomach. He held his breath, trying to tamp the prickles of anxiousness upending his gut. He rubbed the little crescent scar on his forefinger with his thumb nervously.

    But he kept his gaze steadfast on her, unwavering. Lee Seung had never retreated from a battlefield.

    Going bleached and scarlet by turns, Minjae shook her head as if to clear it or, perhaps, ensure she had not misheard him. She dropped her gaze, the shadow of her thick dark lashes fanning her translucent skin, and tucked her upper lip inside her mouth, worrying it with her lower lip. "I d-don''t know what you mean, Dari."

    "Don''t you, Kim Minjae?" he asked, his voice huskier than he had intended.

    He did not know what prompted him to ask her that, but it felt right. While he could not discount that she probably perceived him as the worst kind of libertine, and he might have shot the arrow before the bow was strung, it was done, and it might be truly for the best. For, while he was not entirely sure yet, Seung could bet his life that Minjae felt something for him.

    She made no nippy come back. She did not laugh at his face. She did not mock him. Instead, Minjae swallowed and momentarily closed her eyes. "How can I reply to a question like that, Dari? I hardly know you," she replied.

    He was sure he detected a slight breathlessness in her words. Her fingers were curled in a tight fist, clutching the yellow cotton of her skirt in a grip that had turned her knuckles bloodless.

    "Will you allow me to change that?"

    "It''s not even a day we have met," the tremor in her voice unmistakable.

    "How long do you think two people should wait to decide they want to know each other?"

    The air felt silent around them, heavy with an inexplicable expectation for something that wasn''t yet definable.

    "There is no purpose to this, Dari. We live on the same island and breathe the same air. But our worlds are as different as water is from land."

    "Yet both need each other to survive," he said. His eyes drifted to the sinking sun. "Come, let us walk."

    "Why? You have the horse, Dari. I know the way. I can come on my own."

    Seung shrugged. "I want to walk with you." He knew there was little she could say to that. He slowly ambled, pulling the horse alongside him gently.

    She was still rooted to her spot.

    He had shocked her system. He had shocked his system too!

    "Physician Kim? I only said I want to know you better, not marry you," he tried to tease his way out.

    Her eyes jerked to his face again, her lips compressed this time.

    "It''s not a kind joke to make to a commoner who is also a divorcee, Dari," she flared.

    Seung bit his tongue. Why was he always so unclever around this woman?

    "I am sorry. It was a bad joke and tactless of me. Please, Physician Kim, it will be dark soon, and your ankle needs rest."

    A grim line appeared where her lips were supposed to be.

    Seung turned and walked to her. "If you do not want to come, I will not force you." He picked up the lantern and extended it to her. "But I will not have you walk alone. I will send a guard with you. They are only a whistle away."

    Waves crashed against the shore at a distance, seagulls calling out at the fast-approaching dusk excitedly.

    Minjae''s gaze travelled from the lantern to his face and, beyond him, at the horse.

    "May I walk with the horse?"

    Seung''s brows disappeared into his plumed hat. Hiding a surprised smile, he stepped aside, making way for her. "Of course, if you want."

    She swept past him with purposeful strides, graceful even with her slight limp. With the lantern in hand, he followed. Her ankle must be bothering her, Seung thought to himself worriedly.

    Minjae caressed the black animal''s crest. The horse seemed to melt into her soft hands, turning its muzzle towards her. Her soft laughter filled the air.

    Seung''s heart did a little flip at the sound. Taking out a lump of sugar from his pocket, Seung extended it to Minjae. "Here, feed this to him."

    Using two long fingers and a thumb, Minjae plucked the sugar ball out of his outstretched palms and offered it to the horse. The animal puckered his lips happily, and the treat vanished in his toothy mouth, leaving a tickling feeling that Minjae involuntarily rubbed and gasped gleefully. "You are so beautiful," she said to the horse.

    Seung gazed at her, trying to recall if he had ever seen a more enchanting image. The gloaming light kissing the luminous perfection of her face formed a delicate balance in striking contrast against the massive horse, accentuated by the lengthening shadows around them. Coupled with the splash of vivid yellow against the muscular silhouette of black on the canvas of the dusty rust of the road and the shaded emerald of the hills, it was like a painting done in leisure. It was almost surreal.

    "You are so beautiful..." he breathed, not realising he had said it out loud.

    Minjae''s hand stilled. She turned to look at him.

    Idiot! Berating himself, he tore his eyes from her face.

    "The horse..." he cleared his throat. "He is my favourite horse," Seung said the first thing that popped into his mind.

    "Do you have another treat?"

    "Yes, yes, of course."

    Pulling out another sphere of sugar, Seung walked a little closer. "He loves carrots. I will get them another day."

    Seung realised he was taking the risk of frightening her away, but he wanted her to know this would not be their last meeting.

    She didn''t reply. He didn''t know what to make of it, but at least she did not refute it.

    The horse''s ears twitched at the sight of the treat on the dainty palm, and with a flap of his bushy tail, he nibbled at the sugar ball, eliciting another squeal of delight from Minjae.

    Minjae caught his reins and started walking, but the muscular black form did not budge. She pulled at his reins. Nothing happened. Perplexed, she looked at the horse and then at Seung.

    Chuckling, Seung eased the reins out of her hands. "There are commands that will make him walk." Holding the reins in one hand, Seung gently slapped the horse''s midriff twice with the other. The magnificent animal fell into a gentle gait.

    Seung held out the reins to Minjae. "Watch your ankle. Walking with the horse might aggravate the injury."

    Minjae nodded, taking the bridles, a look of fascination filling her face as she tried to keep pace with the animal.

    "Does your ankle hurt too much?"

    "No, not if I walk in a certain way. You are right, it''s easier to walk on this road. I wish I had better shoes."

    Seung glanced at the straw shoes that peeked out from underneath her hanbok. "Do you not have leather ones?"

    "I do, but walking in them to the field would have caused unnecessary gossip. It does not pay to show off."

    Seung looked at her with surprise. "You choose discomfort over useless chatter?"

    "I don''t care what people say behind my back. It''s just that I do not have a stomach for unnecessary attention and millions of questions from people I do not know or care for. As it is, I have to deal with more than a fair share of it every day."

    Strangely, Seung could understand what she said. "You are a beautiful woman, Kim Minjae. I guess a lot of unwanted attention comes from there."

    Minjae didn''t pause, but he could see a slight hitch in her stride. "You are right. I am dealing with one right now," she said cheekily.

    Seung threw his head back and laughed. "I opened myself for it, didn''t I? Now that is more like you."

    She spared him a glance, and while she wasn''t laughing, there was an undeniable tug to the corner of her mouth and a sparkle in her eyes.

    "Do you like horses?" Seung asked, his long legs keeping an easy pace with Minjae while his observant eyes watched for distress in her walk.

    "Yes. I didn''t get many chances to get close to any, but whenever I was out, I always hoped to see them. I used to love it when soldiers or the cap-" She shook her head, almost as if she caught herself on something.

    Seung wondered what she hadn''t finished. Captain? He realised he didn''t want to ponder on the unknown and unpleasant.

    "I am sorry I didn''t realise you could not ride."

    "Perhaps it''s common in Hanyang, even in other places, but we commoner women do not often have access to horses."

    Seung gave her a half-apologetic look. He had to admit he didn''t think of it. She always looked so self-assured that somehow, he had assumed she would know how to ride a horse.

    "I apologise. Many women I have come across can ride up in the north. My sister can ride a horse as well as I do. So I assumed....I''m sorry."

    She glanced fondly at the horse, making Seung a little jealous. "No harm done. What is his name?"

    "Well, he does not have a name," He said.

    "Then how do you address him?" Minjae was surprised. "I thought everyone had a name."

    "I have been assigned three horses. He is the ''black stallion''. The other two are ''the Arabian'' and ''the brown one''," Seung elaborated.

    "Do you ride all of them?"

    "Yes, but I prefer him."

    "I think you should name him. He is so classically beautiful. Maybe you should call him Bon-Hwa," Minjae suggested.

    "We don''t give names to our horses," Seung said.

    "Why not?"

    Seung shook his head. "They do not stay with one master forever. Wherever I am assigned next, I will get a new set of horses. We always have to be prepared to part with them. If we take them to the battlefield, it makes it hard if you are too attached and something happens to them. And -" his mind strayed to unpleasant memories of despair that he wished did not surge in at the most inopportune time.

    "And-?" She prompted.

    Seung shook his head. "Nothing."

    He sensed Minjae''s keen gaze at him and met her thoughtful eyes that seemed to have intercepted an unspoken message his subconscious had inadvertently expressed.

    Seung sighed. "Sometimes, our soldiers run out of food and clothing, especially during the hard, cold winter. Naming something you know you might have to kill to survive seems unnecessarily cruel when you are already exhausted from losing so much."

    Minjae turned her head to look at the last vestige of the sun as the crescent of the round orange ball lingered for a second before dipping into the arms of the twinkling horizon and fading out of sight. "But then, Dari, how is it different from dying a useless death on the battlefield? If it has to die senselessly, then at the least, in saving lives, the animal dies for a higher purpose."

    Seung stopped and faced her. "It''s not how or why you lose them, but they are not meant to stay with you. When you name an animal, you do it because you care for it. And it can be painful when it''s time to part. It''s not easy to lose something you get attached to, Physician Kim."

    "You are not attached to him? You said you prefer him the most," she said.

    Seung looked at the horse and then at her. "It''s because I am comfortable with him, and it feels like we..." Seung broke off to find the right words, "kind of know and understand each other?"

    "Do you mean you do not feel anything for your black stallion right now? Then why do you seek him out more? Or take the trouble to know he likes carrots?" She stood facing him, the animal waiting patiently by her. "Isn''t the desire to know someone a precursor to opening the channels for your feelings?"

    Their eyes locked. They were not talking about his horse anymore.

    "It is," Seung said softly.

    An arc of seductive awareness sizzled between them. Seung''s heart thumped, and though the dusk was rapidly rolling into the night, he could see the flush on her face.

    "As you said, losing something you get attached to is painful when it is time to part." Did he detect a note of sadness in her voice?

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    "You are not a horse, Kim Minjae, and neither am I."

    Minjae shrugged. "The end result is the same. We inhabit different worlds."

    "What if I say I will bridge it? And I won''t leave your world once I do?"

    Minjae sucked in a breath, her eyes widening for a moment, and a sea of emotion swirled before she shuttered it.

    "Then you are living in a fool''s prison, My Lord," she said, an inexplicable catch in her voice.

    She was a quick learner. She tapped the horse just as he had shown her, and they ambled ahead, the soft taps of the horse''s hooves falling to the ears in a rustic rhythm.

    "You can''t say that for certain unless you know me," Seung said to her back.

    "I know enough to be certain that I do not share your thoughts about increasing our acquaintance beyond what is strictly required," she returned evenly.

    "You say you know enough? All right, let us do this. You tell me three things that you know about me. And I will tell three about you. And we cannot state anything subjective like you are very handsome- "he posed dramatically for effect, his shoulder squared, his chin aloft," or what we have already discussed - like I can ride a horse and you can''t, and the obvious, like - you are a physician, or you are a commander-" he said the last sentence in a singsong voice.

    Despite herself, Minjae laughed. "What would be the point of that?"

    "It''s a long walk, and it will be arduous if we do not speak. So we keep ourselves occupied while I take pleasure in proving you wrong."

    "I won''t be wrong," Minjae said with conviction.

    "And if you are?"

    "Whoever wins gets to flick the forehead of the other person," Minjae said.

    "What?" An unruly bubble of laughter burst out of Seung. "You mean that?"

    "Of course I do. Games without prizes are not worth playing."

    "All right then, why don''t you go first?" Seung said, still unable to believe she would suggest something so childish.

    Minjae lifted a shoulder indifferently.

    He needed to learn much about this woman who was so much more than that beautiful face. Something sugary swirled inside him at the thought.

    They walked for a few silent minutes.

    "Ah, is it that hard to come up with anything about me?"

    "Well, you have to give me time to think, especially if I can''t state anything subjective like you are incorrigible and obstinate," she replied tartly.

    Seung''s shoulders shook with mirth. "And you are hard to please, Physician Kim."

    It had now grown considerably dark, and the temperature was dipping. Minjae stepped closer to the horse as if trying to get some warmth.

    "You like to sit by the ocean when you want solitude," Minjae said softly.

    His face whipped at her in surprise. "You were the one on the hill yesterday evening!"

    Minjae didn''t deny it.

    "Who was troubling you?" Seung felt a sudden wave of anger.

    "It''s not important. Yes or No?"

    Whoever it was had caused her to cry out in alarm. Seung had sensed danger, and he had been correct. A surge of protectiveness swelled in his heart. But he didn''t say anything more, filing it away in his mind. There would be time enough for that later.

    "Yes, it is true. I love watching flowing water, the gentle crest of the waves. It brings me peace. It was one of the reasons I chose Ganghwa instead of Namhansanseong when given a choice," he said.

    "You were given a choice? In Joseon?" Minjae sounded like she had just seen a one-horn horse flying with a colourful tail. "Do your superiors or His Majesty not dictate your course?"

    "I saved the life of someone important and was granted the choice as a reward," Seung said nonchalantly. "That''s only one point. You have another two to go."

    "You do not like music," she ventured.

    A grin broke his face. "Ah! That''s why I said what you learned this morning was misleading. On the contrary, I love music and can play daegeum quite competently."

    Minjae''s steps faltered. "You can play daegeum?"

    "Yes, both Jeongak daegeum and Sanjo daegeum," Seung didn''t try to hide his pride. He didn''t add that he could sing as well.

    "Your parents allowed it?"

    "My sister had a tutor who came to teach her every week. I started sitting with them. My father was -" Seung felt a lump form in his throat "-unlike many Yangban fathers, he didn''t believe in restricting his children. Seeing my interest, he hired another to work with me on any instrument I wanted. I chose Daegeum."

    "I-" Minjae looked away towards the hill.

    "What happened?"

    "Nothing. It....it reminded me of someone," Minjae said softly, an unmistakable tenor of sadness knitted in her tone.

    "Who is that? Someone from this island?" Seung felt a shot of jealousy pulse through him.

    Minjae shook her head. "Someone I knew when I did not live in Ganghwa," she said. Then she compressed her lips. She started walking again, drawing the horse gently with her. "So that was wrong then."

    "Yes, it was," Seung said, wondering what memories she was chasing and whether she was hounding them away or drawing them closer.

    Minjae chewed her lips. It was evident she did not want to lose this.

    "Before - before I say the next one, can I ask you a question?" Her voice had a strange quietness that didn''t bode well for him.

    "Yes, sure."

    Seung stepped a little closer behind her and held the lantern to see the path better.

    "I do not need to know details or any background story. I am not interested in any shape or form, so please do not misunderstand my question. Just so you know."

    "It sounds ominous," Seung tried to keep his unease at bay.

    "Are you married?"

    Seung was very proud that he didn''t cease walking.

    "Yes, I am married, Physician Kim."

    Her shoulders, unsurprisingly, stiffened, and her back straightened with displeasure.

    "Then I win this one. You do not believe in fidelity and will never belong to one woman."

    Seung took a long stride and turned, facing her, forcing her to stop. He raised the lantern so their faces were illuminated with the incandescent light.

    "You do not win this one, Physician Kim. I have never been unfaithful to any woman. Ever."

    Minjae smirked. "You really believe that don''t you? Such arrogance." She raised her luminous eyes, glittering in the light flooding her face. "You are married and yet still go to kisaeng houses. Despite being married, despite spending the last two nights in the arms of another woman debauching, you say you want to know me, and now here you are tricking me into walking with you alone and trying to convince me into-" she broke off, biting her lip.

    "Convince you into -?" He asked huskily.

    She broke off eye contact, flushing, and stepped back.

    She was furious with him. While he expected the anger, her expressions of hurt and disappointment stunned him.

    A ferocious urge to take her into his arms ripped through him and shook Seung, unable to wrap his mind around his combusting reaction to this woman. He gripped the lantern hard to prevent himself from succumbing to the insanity.

    "Yes, I am married, but my wife and I - well, let''s just say we share an understanding of not interfering with each other''s lives."

    "I told you I do not need the details," she shifted her eyes.

    "Liar," he called her out softly. "My wife does not mind me going to another woman. In fact, she is least interested in what I do as long as I don''t interfere with her life. You see, my wife lives with another man."

    Minjae''s eyes widened with shock. "What?"

    Seung shrugged. "It''s a long, sordid story for another time. I don''t want to spoil the mood."

    "Dari, I-I am sorry. I didn''t know," Minjae sounded miserable.

    "I am not looking for your pity. So, as of today, I am not committed to any woman, which leaves me free to pledge my fidelity to this one magnificent woman in the future and bridge the gap to another world if she will allow me," he said, his gaze unflinching as he stared into her wide, vulnerable ones, her chest rising and falling with her erratic breathing.

    He had rattled her.

    The corners of his mouth lifted, accompanied by a satisfied laugh. "And get ready to be flicked because you lose this point, Physician Kim."

    He stepped away, moving the lantern from their faces and onto the road.

    "I can still beat you because you don''t know anything about me," Minjae found her voice.

    "Don''t sound so sure, Physician Kim, I might just surprise you," Seung smirked.

    "We shall see," her back was straight. She had considerably slowed her speed. He wondered if her ankle gave her more trouble than she let on.

    "I suppose saying - you are kind and generous does not count?"

    "Subjective. Much like you being conceited," Minjae came back, "and pigheaded," she muttered under her breath.

    "I heard that!" Seung laughed.

    "Then add hopeless to the list," she wasn''t the one to back down.

    Seung glanced at her, a smile playing on his lips. She had so much spirit and strength to overcome her terrible circumstance and not let it rule her life.

    "And I would add brave to my list," Seung said.

    Minjae froze. Without realising she had stopped, Seung moved ahead.

    "Physician Kim?" He turned.

    Tumultuous eyes looked up at him. "You are wrong, Commander Lee. I am not brave. If I were, I would not be here with you today, on this road, playing this silly game. I would have had the courage to set things right before they went so wrong that I can never go back and fix them."

    The look of desolation on her face rent at his heart.

    "Do we all not harbour the thought at some point that we could go back and do things differently, Physician Kim? Alas, if only we could. All that matters is doing what is in our hands and doing it right. You can''t fight with a roll of fate''s dice. You can only make the best of it. When milk sours, you do not always throw it away. You use it in cooking or baking. Don''t you agree?"

    "When life sours that milk and you cannot muster the courage to fetch what''s needed to salvage it, you can only watch it go rancid and get thrown away."

    "You do not have to bear the burden alone, Kim Minjae. Let someone fetch that onggi and that danji for you. All you need to do is seek out that hand," Seung said gently.

    Minjae was quiet, taking it in. She suddenly raised her incredulous eyes. "You know how to cook?" Her eyes grew wide like saucers.

    A bark of laughter rang out. "Did I surprise you?"

    A look of wonder crossed her exquisite features. "I have never heard of any Yangban man even crossing over to the area where the kitchen is."

    "When on the battlefield trying to survive, your station in life can mean very little. You do whatever you must to get out of that hell alive."

    Minjae sighed. "I know you are trying to garner sympathy, and you have it, but it was your choice to go there. Why did you not stick to the Court as a scholar?"

    Kim Minjae was an easy woman to win over, said no one ever.

    "How did you know I chose to go to the military?" He knew the shock in his voice was evident.

    She slapped a hand to her forehead. "I am foolish. I could have easily won that point!" Minjae sounded positively sour.

    "I am afraid it''s too late. How did you find out?"

    "That you are considered to be amongst the top scholarly talents of the country? Your arrival has drawn a lot of interest, Commander Lee. And our grapevine is fed a feast every day." The laughter in her voice did something to his insides.

    "You love the sun," Seung said, holding her gaze.

    The laughter was replaced by genuine surprise.

    Seung looked ahead. "I have seldom seen someone spread their hand to catch a ray of light like you do. Or look up to the sun and breathe as if it''s imparting you with a hidden magic. Whenever you looked at the setting sun tonight, your eyes lingered on it with the sombre look of someone saying goodbye to a friend."

    Her upper lip disappeared under her lower one as she drew in a breath. "You are scaring me, Commander Lee."

    "That means a Yes," he said happily.

    She walked forward wordlessly.

    "You are a strong swimmer," Seung addressed her back.

    It stiffened.

    "You can''t refute that. Everyone knows it," Seung said.

    "No one has seen me swim," Minjae argued.

    "Grapevine works both ways, Kim Minjae," Seung laughed. "So I already win."

    "I refute. It''s hearsay."

    "That''s cheating."

    Minjae lifted her shoulder dismissively. "You lose that point, Commander Lee. We are now even at one point each."

    The moon hung at the top like a low-lying fruit, bathing them in its silver incandescent glow. Minjae shivered. She slowed down her gait.

    "How much more do we need to go?" She asked.

    "A three-quarters of an hour, perhaps," Seung replied. "Do you want to rest?"

    She shook her head. Were those beads of perspiration on her forehead?

    "Physician Kim? We can rest for a bit." Without waiting for her reply, he stepped closer and reached for the horse''s rein. She turned simultaneously and collided with him. With a gasp, she stepped back and stumbled. Seung''s arms sneaked out instinctively around her waist to steady her, inadvertently closing the gap between their bodies.

    Her palms connected with his solid muscled chest, her soft body whisperingly close to his hard one, and it was his turn to draw in a sharp breath as blood pulsed through his body. Rooted, he stared down at her upturned face, her mellifluous eyes wide with shock and something else that his experienced eyes had no difficulty deciphering, heat flooding his veins at the realisation. His heart knocked furiously under her palms, and he knew the echoes of her heart matched its rhythm to his own.

    The salty tang of the air suspended between them. Beads of perspiration on her forehead now also glistened down her temple. His eyes dropped to her parted lips that drew short, unsteady breaths between them and travelled back to her eyes. Awareness flickered in those liquid honey depths, and she pushed at him. He immediately loosened his grip, his hand falling by his side.

    He cleared his throat. "You do not want to cause further injury to that ankle by over-exhausting it."

    Hunching, he crouched before her. "Physician Kim, let me take a look at it."

    She paused momentarily, biting her lip and then nodded, gingerly moving her foot towards him from under her skirt.

    Seung''s heart skipped a beat at the sign of her trust, a tiny flutter that felt very close to joy. Shaking his head at his silliness, he lowered his head, hiding the ridiculous line of his lips that curved it. Lifting her left foot gently, he placed it on his thigh. Minjae held onto the bridle of the horse for support. Easing her shoe off, he rolled down her socks just enough to reveal her ankle, swollen and angry.

    "This does not look good, Physician Kim; you should not have exerted it today."

    "It appears more severe than it actually is. Soaking it in hot water and getting a good night''s rest will help reduce the swelling."

    "Why didn''t you wrap it like you did last night?"

    "I took it off in the field. It made walking difficult with shoes."

    He pulled the socks back to cover her ankle and held the shoe as she glided her foot into it.

    "We''ll travel the remaining distance on horseback."

    A look of confusion furrowed her face. "Horseback?"

    Seung nodded. "I''ll assist you in mounting, but you won''t be riding. I will. Physician Kim, you know you should not push that ankle any further to carry your weight through the hilly terrain. You should have taken the day to rest," he chided, taken aback by the intensity of his own feelings.

    Seung moved past her to adjust the saddle. He stroked the horse and turned to her.

    "I will hold you by the waist and hoist you up. You place your hands on my shoulders and use your weight to settle yourself comfortably."

    Hesitation battled with common sense as she pressed her lips together. He had come to know the look so well. Seung didn''t make any move to touch her, allowing her to reach her decision on her own.

    Finally, she lifted her eyes to him. "I will get down before we hit the border of the town."

    Seung nodded. He placed his hands on either side of her waist. His hands burned as they dug into her soft flesh, but he ignored the sensation, focussing on the task. She put her hands on his shoulders and helped herself settle in the saddle.

    He slid his foot up in the stirrup and swung himself up behind her in one swift motion.

    A hint of lilac and a strong, sweet, feminine scent hit his nostrils. Seung inhaled, acutely aware of her sitting upright sideways on the horse., her knees touching his inner thigh. His hands went around her to hold the reins, and his knees pressed the horse gently.

    A gasp left Minjae as the horse moved, and she tried to clutch onto something, trying to balance herself against the unfamiliar movements. Instinctively, his hand went around her waist, holding onto her lightly. "Shh, I got you, don''t be scared," Seung said reassuringly.

    As they ambled, he could feel the tension in her body as she tried her best not to let her body touch him, twisting her upper torso away to the front as much as she humanly could, hanging onto the saddle''s horn as if her life depended on it.

    "You are going to hurt your back that way, Physician Kim. Try to relax," he said gently.

    She didn''t respond, nor did she change her posture. Seung gently pressed his fingers to her stiff midriff, pulling her back. She was scared enough that she didn''t object to that either.

    "How do you like being on a horse?" He asked casually, trying to think of something to take her mind off the ride.

    "It''s..it''s scary," she said, her voice unnaturally high.

    "You like to play gayageum," Seung said conversationally.

    Her back straightened like a twig, and she turned to the left to look at him, mouth agape.

    "How did you know that? No one knows that!" He could almost see her effort to forgo wringing her fingers for fear of toppling over. "No one!"

    "And with that, I win this game," Seung laughed.

    "But how..." She went still. "Han So Ye...." She said it so softly that he had to strain to hear her.

    "I also learned how brilliant and disciplined you are. You studied for twenty hours a day so you could learn medicine. As a child, you were the best kite hunter, talked a lot and could beat the local boys in swimming. You know Chinese characters, prefer getting books as payment from your Yangban clients, and you love to stitch. Also, you never miss the soldiers'' parade of the horses or the Navy''s annual sailing event. Few can spin a spool in the kite flying festival as you do. "

    "You....you spoke to So Ye about me?" her voice shook with incredulity.

    "Kisaeng Han was not pleased," Seung gave a sardonic smile. "I disappointed her greatly last night by dashing her expectations of me, and rightfully so. After all, what woman enjoys spending the night discussing the virtues of another woman, even if that woman happens to be her childhood friend."

    Without realising, she leaned back within the encasing of his arms around her, bringing her face tantalisingly close to his chest.

    "Did...was that a part of the investigation?" She ventured, the cogs of her brain whirling transparently.

    "You could say that, but it was not about what I saw in the woods." He brought his mouth close to her ear, her arm flush with his chest. "I want to know what caused the terror I saw in your eyes last night, Minjae," he said, his voice tender.

    She turned to look up at him, their faces so close that he could see the silvery moonlight reflect out of her irises. "She could not tell me, though she suspected you were harmed by your husband," his mouth tightened.

    "You don''t know me, Dari. I still could be a criminal or a spy."

    He smiled at her, his eyes momentarily looking ahead before returning to her face. "You are no spy or a criminal. I have spent enough time with them to know the difference."

    "But why? Why did you want to know...." Minjae breathed.

    "I do not know, Minjae," he said huskily, his eyes intertwined with her, "I have never felt this way about a woman before. I want to tear apart the man who caused you to react like that. You are the most beautiful woman I have seen, but it''s just not the face that makes my heart beat faster when I see you. It''s your mind, your heart, everything. I have never met someone like you."

    Minjae stared at him. Her gaze followed his eyes as they dropped to her lips. Her breathing caught in a hitch, her hand crawling up her throat. She looked away, turning her face towards the road.

    Silence settled upon them as they approached the border of the town. Seung quietly commanded the horse to halt and dismounted. He reached for her and deftly put her on the ground but didn''t let her go, his fingers increasing their pressure on the soft flesh of her waist through the cotton-spun fabric of her hanbok ever so slightly. Her head tilted up automatically and met his swirling, cinnamon eyes shining into hers.

    In a voice that was a low caressing velvet of the night, he said, "Kim Minjae, I meant what I said earlier. I have never been unfaithful to a woman, ever."

 Seven - Lighted Shadows

    Nature disbursed light and dark willfully, whimsically, and never in equal proportion. Thus, it was not all silvery everywhere. Two obscure silhouettes sheathed within the shadows of the wooded trees eluded the lunar glow.

    "They spoke about the Coronation of the Barbarian King in three weeks. From what I could glean, some of His Majesty''s people will attend it. However, I also heard His Majesty and his court are actively opposing it, " the woman said, her hands tightly clasped together.

    "That is old news," KA Min Kyu said coldly.

    "They did not allow the servants in there, Sir," the woman said, trying to suppress the slight quiver in her voice.

    "How is that my problem, wench?" He sneered. Inspector KA Min Kyu raked the woman from top to bottom. "You have other ways to find out."

    Even the shaded darkness of the forest could not conceal the look of distaste that crossed her face.

    "So, is it beneath you now?" He mocked.

    "That is not true. You have taught me well. I have never shied away from what I must do, Dari," she lifted her chin defiantly.

    "Ah! Such fire," he murmured. He grabbed her by the jaw, his fingertips forcing the skin inside of her cheeks to grind into her teeth, her lips forming a forced pout of discomfort. "What are you hiding from me?" He asked.

    "N-nothing, I tried to get as much information as possible, Dari. Please believe me," she gurgled.

    He let go of her jaw.

    "Dari, I am doing everything you asked me to," she pleaded, wringing the hands she kept clasped under the front of her long blouse.

    He stepped closer. His thumb traced her lower lip, toying with it. "Are you worried? You don''t have to, little bird. KA Min Kyu always keeps his word. I will give you a new life away from here."

    A gleam of excitement entered the woman''s eyes. Her mouth opened, and his thumb slid in. She placed her hands on his chest and tried to step closer to him. KA Min Kyu glanced at her hands pointedly. Then he twisted her hands away from his chest and flung them down. He grabbed her by her shoulders and roughly shoved her up against the tree trunk behind her. Bunching her skirt around her waist, his hands roved around her thighs. His fingers pushed inside the inlet of her underpants and penetrated her warm, wet flesh. She closed her eyes and moaned, her pelvis gravitating towards him.

    "Who else did you see?"

    "Only the Minister of Defence and another man, but I d-don''t know who it was," she struggled to get the words out, her hips moving, helplessly responding to his invading digits. "I heard the servants...." she stopped, gasping, her head falling forward.

    His busy fingers squeezed and pinched her delicate flesh savagely. Her eyes flew open, and another moan escaped her lips, this time a cry of pain.

    "Make a sound again, and I will make you regret it."

    "Please....I''m sorry," she begged, a sliver of fear glazing her eyes.

    "What did you hear from the servants?" His eyes were cold as a dead fish.

    "I heard them discuss that we might get a new g-governor soon."

    "What else?"

    "N-nothing, I swear.."

    She clasped the rough bark of the tree behind her until her fingers scraped and her nails cracked.

    He smiled, moving closer. KA Min Kyu was a master at dictating everything under his purvey, including his own aroused body that fed off her fear. His fingers and thumb moved masterfully, controlling her pleasure like a puppeteer pulling the strings of his puppet.

    "You are so greedy," he leered. His torture continued, a predator playing its helpless prey. Her hips jerked back and forth. The woman sank her teeth into her lower lip until they drew blood, trying to stifle her guttural moans. KA Min Kyu observed her keenly as her vision gradually glazed under his expert manipulation of her swollen nub and flooded canal, her breath coming faster as she rode the wave of her lust, and his lips curled in a grimace.

    A movement far away in the periphery caught his attention. He looked over his shoulder toward the town border. Two figures atop a horse had stopped.

    Even from a distance, he could make out the uniform¡ªthe new Commander of the island. KA''s mouth twisted in contempt. Interestingly, the other figure was of a woman.

    KA Min Kyu wiped his wet, dripping fingers on the woman''s tunic and left her panting under the tree, moving to the edge of the bushy growth of the forest around him to get a better view.

    Silence shrouded them as he keenly watched the figures through the maze of bony twigs and lush spring leaves. The Commander helped the woman get off the horse, holding her close for a few minutes before stepping back. Taking the horse''s reins in his hands, Lee Seung led the way while the woman followed. KA Min Kyu could not hear what they spoke but could make out they were conversing earnestly. He saw the Commander throw back his head, the wind easily carrying his laughter across to the wretched darkness shrouding them. A knife of rage twisted his innards.

    Kim Minjae. He could recognise that form blindfolded. Blood rushed to his eyes, his veins throbbed painfully and his erection swelled uncontrolably. He ground his teeth and spit.

    "She is a lowborn, too, and yet treats everyone as if she is above them," the woman behind him said scornfully.

    KA took his time to face her. The darkness did little to hide the venom in his eyes. "You dare compare yourself to her?" He snarled.

    The woman stepped back, her pupils dilating, a visibly trembling hand pressed on her chest. "N-No, Dari, that is not what I meant. Please forgive me for speaking out of turn. I...I can make you happy, too; please give me a chance."

    His palm made contact with her cheek in a slap that jolted her head sideways.

    "How dare a lowly woman like you dream of receiving my seeds in your womb, you wench!" His lips curled in distaste and a morbid self-denial. His hands lashed out and latched onto the hair at the nape of her neck. Twisting the thick base of her braid, he dragged her close to him, his face inches from her bloodless one. "Find out what she is doing with that bastard and report it to me in three days. Do you understand?"

    "Yes, I understand," her voice was hoarse as she cowered within his merciless clasp, her scalp burning in agony.

    "Along with everything that happened behind closed doors at the Governor''s house," his fisted hand shook her by the hair.

    She nodded wordlessly, trying not to whimper.

    "If you please me, I might reward you next time," he said. He pushed her away with such force that she fell against a tree, the rough surface grazing the skin of her back through the cheap cotton hanbok. He tossed five coins at her feet and left the safety of darkness. The woman folded over to the ground. She rocked herself, tears of frustration and rage spilling over.

    Icy hatred coursed her veins as she thought of Kim Minjae. She would pay. One day, Kim Minjae would pay for all the suffering she had caused.

    ¡Þ

    "T-thank you for telling me, but whether you are faithful or not is of no concern to me," Minjae tipped her head up to meet Seung''s eyes, her hands resting on the sleeves of his muscular forearms while his hands seared her flesh through the thick cotton hanbok on her waist. The night whispered sweet nothings into her ears. The cool, heavy, salty mist drifted against her warm cheeks."You are wasting your time, Commander Lee."

    "Wasting my time on what, Physician Kim?" Seung didn''t move his hands from her body, his hold feather-light, his eyes keeping hers captive.

    "I lead an elementary life. Nothing about me would interest you, so let us end this here. I don''t want to play any more games," She tried her hand at sanity through the throat that seemed deprived of moisture.

    "I don''t either. Come on, Physician Kim, you undersell yourself. You should leave it for me to decide what interests me." His eyes were warm and inviting. The gravelly road crunched under his boots as he stepped back. "And you owe me a flick," he said.

    Her waist lost warmth by several degrees while her temperature rose at the feeling of deprivation. She shook her head with a resolute "No."

    "Kim Minjae, you cheat without reservation!" They fell into an amble, with Seung leading the horse. The path was a ribbon, stretching out before them, winding and twisting as it always had, narrow and unkempt, a far cry from the paved horse pathway they had left behind. The tiny gravel littering the path skittered and jumped around their feet, the crispness of the crunch from their footsteps creating an odd symphony with the horse''s steady hooves.

    "This silly game was your idea," she quipped.

    "I do not recall you objecting too loudly either. You forget the flick was your idea," Lee Seung said, quirking his lips in a half smile. He could almost read the thoughts of alarm in her head.

    "You went into the game with an unfair advantage," Minjae said darkly.

    "It was you who said you know me," Seung teased.

    "I did not. You deliberately chose to misinterpret me. I said I know enough to understand I don''t need to know more," said Minjae, her face set in acrimonious lines.

    A sound of crackle and pop came from a distance. Someone had lighted a fire somewhere to chase away the cold. A smattering of seashore noises wafting through the air reached their ears. The fishermen must have sailed inshore.

    "I am afraid I have reasons to doubt the accuracy of that statement, Physician Kim," Seung said.

    "And those reasons would be -?" Minjae raised her eyebrows.

    "I will tell you one day, but now it''s not the time," Seung said, his voice soft, carrying itself like floating snowflakes caressing her ears.

    Minjae tried to squash her rioting emotions under her placid demeanour. Lee Seung affected all her senses. She wanted to run away from him. She wanted to run to him. It felt like a giant ball of woolly cotton had replaced the cavity where her brain was supposed to be.

    "Then I am afraid I have to wait for a very long time," she said in her most disdainful tone.

    Seung threw his head back and laughed.

    Kim Minjae thought it was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard.

    "Kim Minjae, are you in trouble?" Han So Ye peered at her closely.

    You could say that So-Ye, Minjae groaned inwardly. Outwardly, she kept her face calm, her eyes following her fingers that diligently applied the salve to So-Ye''s fast-recovering bruises.

    "Not that I know of," Minjae didn''t raise her head.

    So-Ye leaned back, the tap-tap sound of her fingers drumming the table between them filling the ensuing silence.

    "For the first time, instead of driving business to me, I felt you drove it away," So-Ye drawled.

    "How so?" Minjae asked nonchalantly, carefully keeping any expression of curiosity out of her voice.

    "I saw the officer again," So-Ye said.

    Minjae kept her head lowered, busying herself by snapping the lid shut on the salve bottle. She carefully picked up her backpack and took her sweet time opening the flap, withdrawing a pouch with an assortment of such bottles.

    "Aren''t you curious?" So-Ye asked.

    Minjae methodically dropped the salve bottle in the pouch. "I am sure you are going to enlighten me anyway."

    "He came here the night before yesterday and spent most of it asking questions about you," So-Ye informed, her gaze unwavering from Minjae''s face.

    So-Ye was intelligent and calculating, with a brain that could outsmart most men in robes. She was born in the wrong body at the wrong time. Had she been a Yangban nobleman, she would have eaten and spit every state exam thrown at her. Minjae valued her acumen too much to fool her for too long.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    "Commander Lee caught me and Yoon in the woods that evening," Minjae stated matter of factly. She watched So-Ye take that in, her lips curving in a shadow of a smile.

    Minjae looked away. "He overheard our conversation. He knows what we do, but so far, he has not pursued it further or tried to know who else is involved. He probably wanted to know more about that."

    "How interesting." So-Ye pulled the socks up her ankles and drew the hanbok hem to cover her feet, her knees now folded sideways. "He didn''t mention a word on that. Not that I would expect him to. If he does not know the rest of the players, he would not know of my involvement either. But he wanted to know every little detail about you. I am sure he was positively heartbroken that I could not tell him anything about the day you were born. Unfortunately, I was born too late to witness -"

    Minjae threw a cushion at her, and So-Ye ducked, her sounds of delighted cackle spreading across the room.

    "I have never seen you blush, Kim Minjae. Not once!" So-Ye widened her eyes dramatically.

    "Do you want to die?" Minjae hid her flaming face in her backpack, pretending to search for something urgently.

    "You won''t find the route to escape in that backpack," So-Ye erupted in laughter. "You did not seem surprised he came here, nor were you surprised that he spoke about you. Care to enlighten me?"

    Do In Ah, the faithful maid who followed Han So Ye as a shadow, came in with a tray laden with roasted meat, flaked fish and rice gruel. So-Ye loved her food and made most of the perks her circumstances provided her.

    "He fancies himself fancying me. There is nothing really to tell." Minjae prevaricated.

    "And you don''t?" So-Ye asked shrewdly.

    Minjae''s thoughts strayed towards the powerful connection she felt with Seung the previous evening and wrenched her mind from it. She shook her head vigorously.

    "Why do you deny yourself so stubbornly, Kim Minjae?" Han So-Ye asked gently.

    "I don''t know what you are talking -"

    "Oh please, Minjae. Can you accord me some intelligence, at least? You are attracted to him. My walls, these plates, even the spoons can see it," So-Ye waved a spoon under Minjae''s nose exaggeratedly.

    "What if I am? What difference does it make? You forget he is a Yangban, and I am a commoner, that too, a divorcee. He is so far out of my reach that even dreaming about it is a foolhardy sandcastle. And even if he wasn''t, I will not give up my independence and hide away behind the walls erected by any man."

    Han So-Ye rose, walked around the food-laden table, and lowered herself beside Minjae. Her violet hanbok gleamed in shades where the morning sun kissed it. "Minjae, you are a young, vibrant, beautiful woman. I understand you do not want to give away your independence. We both know he cannot marry you. But you both are adults. Perhaps you can reach an agreement that suits you both?"

    Minjae almost choked on the piece of meat she had just inserted in her mouth. "What are you saying?" She sputtered between chewing, swallowing, and focusing on not dying of mortification at So-Ye''s words.

    So-Ye tilted her perfectly coiffed hair adorned with little pink embroidered flowers, took her restless hand, and patted it. "Kim Minjae, take your pleasures while you can. There is no shame in it."

    Minjae snatched her hand and wrapped it against a cup of hot tea in a death grip. "Are you out of your mind? How can you even think of saying something so utterly shameless?"

    So-Ye sighed. She got back up and walked to the window. The sun streamed on her soft, upturned face. "You are sitting in a kisaeng house, far away from the Confucian mores that very few of those hypocritical men follow. You are not a green, fresh maiden, Minjae. You cannot be completely unaware of the delights of the body. Sometimes, I feel you have never experienced the pleasure of being in a man''s bed. You were married for fifteen years. Do not tell me you feel obligated to tie yourself to chaste thoughts for that sod of a husband just like those poor Yangban women cursed to a life of piety by the foolish men whose ego blinds them to reality?"

    Minjae flushed a scarlet red. "So-Ye, I know my marriage was not perfect. I don''t have any good memories, but I am still a married woman."

    "The hell you are!"

    "- and I prefer to live the life I have now."

    So-Ye turned to face her. "Even though I know your husband treated you pitifully, you must have experienced something good at some point. And if you didn''t, then there is more reason to think about it. And, it pains me to say so, there is no one better than Commander Lee to share such affections with. And he can provide you with the protection you need. How long do you think you can hold off someone like Inspector KA?"

    Minjae shook her head. "I am not afraid of the likes of KA Min Kyu. I can take care of myself. But I will not indulge in frivolous pursuits."

    "But would it hurt if you tried it? What do you have to lose? Half the people in town already think you take your pleasures without any baggage of commitment."

    "I do not care what people think of me. It is not who I am; I cannot give in to base desires. It will only deviate me from my path, " Minjae whispered. Especially not with Lee Seung, because I am afraid I cannot control my heart, Minjae thought dejectedly. She could not afford to have it shattered all over again. "I do not want a man to complicate my life."

    So-Ye contemplated her friend while taking a dainty bite of a soft rice cake. Kim Minjae had been beseeched by men from all walks of life as soon as she had broken out of her shell almost four years ago. Initially, Minjae had been scared and then detached. She had learned to laugh at it over time and even made friends with a few, leading to hushed rumours about her relationship with them amongst those who didn''t know her better. But she had never shown interest in any of them, ever. Her marriage had perhaps scarred her. But somehow, So-Ye felt that Minjae was not even in touch with her feminity. Men simply didn''t interest her.

    Until Commander Lee Seung. The furious blush that had spread on Minjae''s face at the mere mention of his name was novel. The interest Lee Seung had shown that night in Minjae had been novel, too. It was as if he was in a different world. He did not even see So-Ye that night. It had rankled, but it also made her smile.

    So-Ye was a romantic at heart.

    The truth was, there was nothing remotely base or ignoble about what Lee Seung felt for Kim Minjae. She was not sure what she was more surprised with - her friend''s surprising attraction to a man and the stubborn refusal to act on it or the complete lack of lust she had seen in Lee Seung''s deeply enigmatic, concerned eyes that night.

    So Ye gave her a lazy grin and spooned the bowl of rice gruel. "Take it from this kisaeng, Kim Minjae. It has already been complicated. Now it depends on how soon you accept it."

    Thunder clapped, followed by a streak of white line zigzagging, forking and flashing menacingly, lighting up parts of the dreary, inky expanse as the darkened sky shuddered with another ominous rumble. Minjae pulled her jangot closer to her face. The weather had suddenly turned from a radiant sunny blue to an impending storm''s murky, threatening grey. The slight ache in her ankle returned, though it did not protest much as she forced it to steer her quickly through the dusty, narrow road. A small stretch of the path leading from the Kisaeng house to the village was secluded, surrounded by dense woods and tall grass, and while she had never felt any danger, it did make her nervous at times.

    Her mind wandered to the conversation with Han So-Ye. She forced it on things mundane.

    There would be no kite flying today, Minjae reflected.

    She made a mental list of the things she had to complete by the end of the day. The order for the cattle''s fodder had to be placed with the farmer. Her sister was busy assisting her husband in storing the fresh catch from the sea while the seamen repaired and prepped their fishing boats for the forthcoming open-sea trips. Minjae would have to helm the kitchen along with Kim Da Mi and Yi Hu Ri, their resident cook. She wondered if Im Ji Won had returned from delivering the fresh supply of herbs to the small pharmacy north of the town that catered exclusively to the nobles. But first, Minjae had to stop by Aunt Ko Jin''s house and check on her knees.

    Her mind refused to stay tethered to the mundane, winding itself back to the morning conversation.

    What do you have to lose? So-Ye had asked.

    Everything! Minjae had wanted to cry out. Every stone that she had carefully mounted to salvage an almost-lost life would topple and bury her if she was careless.

    Would it truly be that bad to let go of her fears just this once, to embrace her desires and grasp at that elusive happiness, even if it proved fleeting? Heaven knew how desperately, in the deepest recess of her terrified mind, she had yearned a look of tenderness that would quench her thirsty soul. Yet now that there was a whisper of it becoming a reality, she wanted nothing to do with it. Such was her fate. Her mind became a blur of noise that boomed and cracked around her confused, agitated mind.

    A shadow fell before her, forcing her to stop and raise her head.

    "You seem to be in a hurry, Kim Minjae," a gravelly voice said, the ugliness of his tone sending pinpricks of repugnance down her spine. She bowed as respectfully as possible and said her greetings, "Inspector KA."

    "Kim Minjae, I am disappointed in you. You lied to me," KA Min Kyu said.

    She gripped the straps of her backpack tightly and replied in as neutral a voice as she could muster, "I am certain you are mistaken, Sir. I have hardly met you enough times to have spoken about anything, lies or otherwise."

    He made a clucking sound as he stepped closer, invading her space. Minjae put all her effort into focusing on not recoiling from him. She doggedly planted her feet and returned his stare.

    "You told me that day on the hill that you were out to get fresh air, and you had nothing to do with the new Commander on the island at the beach," he said.

    "That is indeed true, Sir, not that I need to give you any explanation. As I told you that evening, I had not even met our Commander."

    "Yet you were gallivanting with him last night, unchaperoned, letting him touch you," he sneered. His eyes held a strange light of depravity that turned Minjae''s blood cold.

    Minjae knew her face lost colour, but she would never show this slimeball her weakness.

    "Commander Lee very kindly gave me a ride to the hospital as I had to visit a patient," she said. "Now, if I can take your leave, I have work to do."

    "Have you shared your body with him already?" A side of his lip curled.

    A pure cascade of revulsion slammed through Minjae''s body at his disgusting words. Minjae would be a fool to discount that KA Min Kyu was dangerous, and his obsession with her only worsened by the day. She also knew he had been stalking her. The quiet of the forest rang like a death bell, mirroring the terror of her heart. But she would never give him the satisfaction of showing any fear.

    "As expected, Inspector KA, your vileness always touches new heights. I cannot even dignify that with an answer. Have a good day, Sir."

    "I have maintained immense patience with you, Kim Minjae. I can pick you up, throw you down on the forest bed and take you. No one can stop me, you lowly woman. I have held back because I had hoped to win your affection. But if you choose to discard my wishes and be a shameless whore, there is no reason why I should hold back anymore," he bared his teeth, the snarl giving his gaunt face a macabre look.

    Kim Minjae had learned a few valuable lessons in her life. The most important one was never to feed brutality by showing it your nervousness. Retreat was the most prudent course of action. Unfortunately, sometimes, that only delayed the inevitable because timidity bred violence and violent people who targeted the weak were always cowards.

    She stepped closer.

    A flicker of uncertainty crossed his eyes at her unexpected move. He was so used to everyone trembling, bowing and scraping to him that even a little sliver to the contrary threw him off.

    Minjae deadlocked her eyes with him. "Inspector KA Min Kyu, Sir, listen to me very carefully. Touch me, and I will paralyse you. It will not last too long, so you do not need to worry," she said conversationally, "but it will be long enough to turn you into a eunuch. The best part is you will not feel a thing as I am great at making it painless unless you prefer the more painful method."

    Something akin to fear flashed across his eyes, and the skin around his mouth paled.

    She bowed and stepped by him.

    A hissing laugh followed her.

    "I had sent some men to Tosan with a specific work. They came back with some fascinating news. Your husband, Jo Sung Ha, has not returned home in almost four years. Interestingly, he was last seen leaving this island in the afternoon hours. And if my memory serves me right, I had seen your father and brother-in-law leave the island by a boat that night."

    Minjae''s heart slammed like a hammer to a rock, her head feeling light. She slowly turned around. "I do not know what you are driving at, but that is a despicable insinuation to make."

    His reptile-like eyes beaded. "If I were to take this insinuation to the Royal Investigation Bureau, who would they believe? A fifth rank officer of the King or a commoner at the lowest rung of the society?"

    I can only assure you that you at least do not have to worry about Jo Sung Ha ever again....Is that what her father had meant the other night?

    Minjae felt as if leeches were sucking her dry. She tried to command her features into a stony silence, frantically regulating her breath to hide the gnawing fear churning her stomach.

    It could not be. It had to be another of this vile man''s deplorable attempts to cow her into submission.

    "Inspector KA, I am very well aware you have been tarnishing my reputation to anyone who will listen. But implying that my father and brother-in-law might have somehow harmed my husband - this is low, even by your standards. Don''t you agree?" Minjae wore the most condescending air that she could conjure.

    Loathing coated his debased eyes, but he did not attempt to close their distance.

    Her threats had found their mark, Minjae thought with satisfaction.

    Pounding hooves disturbed the still air around them, the powerfully sharp, metallic sound of horseshoes drawing closer.

    They both spun automatically towards the source of the sound. A familiar figure in military attire of red and yellow dongdari on a black horse turned the corner, followed closely by four guardsmen.

    Relief washed through Minjae like a burst dam flooding a parched land.

    Lee Seung reared to a stop as his eyes fell on Kim Minjae. He dismounted.

    "Physician Kim? What are you doing here? The thunderstorm looks dangerous."

    His eyes sized up KA Min Kyu.

    KA bowed deeply. "I have not yet made your acquaintance, Commander Lee. I, KA Min Kyu, Royal Inspector of the goods arriving on the island by the sea and river route, present myself at your service. I met Physician Kim and offered her company to the village as the storm will be upon us soon, and it''s quite secluded here."

    Minjae shivered at his words, not sure if Seung caught the sleazy undertone that she did.

    Seung studied the man, his eyes inscrutable.

    "There is no need, Inspector KA," Minjae said. "I can return to the village myself. I am sure you have duties to return to. Let me not keep you from them."

    "If you catch the storm, you both can get hurt by the fallen limbs of trees around you," Seung said. Turning to a guardsman, he added, "Guardsman Kang, please drop Inspector KA to his official chamber. The rest of you proceed to my office. I will meet you there."

    KA gave another deferential bow. "I am grateful for your graciousness, Sir." He tilted his head towards Minjae. "I shall take your leave, Physician Kim. Do give my words a thought," he said politely while his eyes dripped with naked hatred.

    Minjae watched the man leave on the back of a horse of a guardsman and almost slumped with relief. She turned to Seung and found his eyes watching her closely.

    She coloured under his intense scrutiny. "Khamzahamnida, Dari."

    "Was that man bothering you?" Seung asked.

    Despite herself, Minjae found a small smile playing on her lips. "No more than a certain someone who keeps giving me unwanted attention, Dari," she said impishly.

    Seung raised an eyebrow at her, his lips curving in a half smile. "Does that certain someone also have a black horse you seem to like a lot?"

    Minjae felt her heart lift in a flutter. "What if I said yes?"

    "Then that certain someone will try his best to prove to you that his attentions are not unwanted," Seung tilted his head back and gave her a hooded look, his smile widening.

    Minjae gave in to a smile. "How does he propose to do that?"

    Seung stepped closer until he was upon her. His hands closed in on her waist. Minjae swallowed at the sudden proximity, blood rushing to her head, her eyes widening. Automatically, her hands curled on his chest.

    Seung stood there, looking at her intently. Minjae could feel his heart speed up under her palms.

    "He-" Seung left the sentence incomplete, his eyes dropping to her lips. He bent his head, and she felt his breath in her ear.

    Minjae''s head swam with expectation. Unwittingly, she closed her eyes. Suddenly, she felt her feet leave the ground and her body lift. Her eyes flew open, her hands clutching him for purchase as she felt the ground increasing its distance from her. Seung deposited her on the horse''s back.

    "He plans to do that by taking you somewhere special," he looked up, his eyes alight with humour.

    She didn''t know if she felt disappointed or elated. Seung swung up behind her. "It looks like you are making a habit of riding with me, Kim Minjae," he laughed.

    Surprisingly, Minjae experienced no fear as she sat atop the magnificent black creature. Its sleek coat felt silky beneath her touch, and its majestic black mane danced as it flexed its muscles. She marvelled at how alike the man and the beast were. Strong, gentle, magnificent. She sighed. Seung pulled the reins, his arms encasing her in their warmth, the left side of her back snug against his powerful chest. She held her jangot around her shoulders, feeling safe and imperilled simultaneously. She could feel the heat coming off his taut body, and she wanted to lean back into him. Her pulse jumped at the thought. She took a deep breath to calm her jittery nerves and clamouring senses.

    It took her a moment to realise they had turned towards the woods.

    "Where are you taking me?" She asked in surprise.

    "To a place I love to visit, and it''s most beautiful when it''s raining. Is that all right with you? We can head to the village if you want."

    Minjae paused momentarily before she looked over her shoulder at him, meeting his eyes. "Please take me to that place, Dari."

 Eight - Enigma

    Minjae brushed her fingers lovingly through the thick mane of the horse she was coming to care for deeply, her mind in turmoil. What did KA mean? How could that be? A month after Jo Sung Ha left Ganghwa Island, threatening to return for her, Kim Seo Jun received a divorce petition for Kim Minjae from the Governor''s office.

    Technically, all divorce petitions had to go through the King, but the Governor''s office acted as liaison. Once the man''s family initiated it, there was little the woman''s family could do about it. However, mediation was often called upon, but only if the woman''s family objected. Her father had been more than happy to sever ties with the abusive man and had stamped his approval on the divorce decree. They had never heard from Jo Sung Ha again.

    However, if Jo Sung Ha truly had vanished, as KA claimed, the Royal Investigation Bureau would have come to investigate.

    Unless they did, and her father never told her about it? She had assumed her father said she did not have to worry about Jo Sung Ha because he had ensured the divorce had come through. But what if....

    Kim Minjae would not believe KA''s lies. She would not think about it. She could not.

    "A nyang for your thoughts?" Seung asked from the other side of the horse. He was tethering the muscled four-legged beauty to the thick trunk of a small but confident-looking tree, having chosen the smaller one just in case a lightning bolt decided to strike the ground through the crowning point of an unfortunate timber. Were that to happen, one could safely assume the bolt would unerringly choose a taller pine peak jutting into the clouds.

    Minjae became aware of his scrutiny and flushed. She shook her head, admiring the silky black tresses her fingers sifted through. The black muzzle poked her palm, looking for treats.

    "I don''t have any! I didn''t know I would meet you today," she smiled at the horse. The horse looked at her serenely, and she was almost sure she saw disappointment in its intelligent brown gaze.

    "I will get some to you next time, I promise," she said, transferring her gentle caress to the ridge of his handsome snout.

    Seung walked around the back of the animal and extended his hand to her. An oblong, small, juicy orange vegetable sat in his palm.

    "Oh! You are carrying carrots for him?" Minjae gushed.

    "I should hold on to this, so you must meet us again to keep your promise," Seung said teasingly.

    Minjae made a face and reached out to grab the carrot from his palm. Her fingers closed on empty air as Seung raised his arm, holding it out of her reach.

    Planting a fist on her waist, she squinted at him. "Don''t you find it rather pitiful to resort to such underhanded ploys to manipulate a woman? I expected better from you, Commander Lee."

    "As you know, I am a Yangban scholar, a particularly shameless breed of human specimen trained to prevail at all costs. No scheming is too dishonourable when it comes to achieving our goals," Seung said, smugly holding the carrot higher. "If meeting again does not sound appealing, you are most welcome to figure out a way to get it from me," he invited with an outrageously audacious smile. "From what I remember, when you set your mind to something, you have no dearth of tricks up your sleeves either."

    She crossed her hands across her chest and looked so adorably vexed that he wanted to pull a cheek. He leaned forward and said deviously, "I promise I will not hold it against you."

    Narrowing her eyes, she gave him a look that said all the words her mouth would not utter. She was too classy for that.

    Abruptly, her expression changed. Her pupils gleamed. For no good reason, Seung suddenly had second thoughts about provoking her.

    The corners of her mouth lifted into a slow smile that could only be defined as dangerous. She stepped closer. He looked at her warily.

    Then, she kicked him in the shin.

    "Ouch!" Yelping in disbelief, Seung grabbed his leg, and Minjae happily plucked the carrot out of his hand and let the horse munch it from her palm.

    He made a show of hopping and soothing his shin, which was hurting a bit. "You are bloodthirsty, Physician Kim! And just hit an officer of the King!"

    "You tried to cheat a horse of its treat, and as you rightly pointed out, I do not back down from employing any tricks to achieve my goals. Also, Dari, did you not say you would not hold it against me?" She retorted sweetly.

    Despite her audacious act, Seung could not help but smile. A small surge of pleasure rippled through him at the sight of her delighted face, triumphantly feeding the massive animal. She was bewitchingly lovely and so innocently sweet. He curbed a sudden desire to pull her into his arms and bury her face into his chest.

    He would probably get pushed off a cliff if he tried that antic.

    But he could not just let this slide. Unaware he had moved closer, Minjae turned and found him beside her, his hand resting lightly on the horse''s flank. A gasp whooshed in between her parted lips.

    "You, too, cheated me of a forehead flick," he said mildly, an eyebrow corked sardonically. Trapped between the gigantic horse and Seung''s impressively tall body, Minjae raised her incredibly luminous eyes at him.

    And Seung was lost. He felt he was drowning in those magnetic sooty pools. Seung meant to intimidate her a little, but he didn''t expect his heart to kick like a trussed mare fighting to break free of ropes.

    She broke the contact, averting her eyes. "All right, you can do it." A pale blush stained her cheeks.

    She flapped her eyelids close and turned her face up to him. Seung found himself frozen and short of breath, his gaze luxuriating on her porcelain skin and scrunched-up eyes. He felt something foreignly tender stir inside him. He didn''t want to flick her. He wanted to kiss her.

    Seung cleared his throat. "It''s not enough. Seeing how long you have held off, I need something additional."

    Her eyes flew open. "W-what do you mean?"

    He wished she had kept them closed. The need to touch her was so intense that he locked his hands behind his back.

    "In place of the flick, you must show me a place that is your favourite."

    Surprise flickered the cinnamony depth of her eyes.

    Seung turned and walked to a barely visible path leading up the hill and said brusquely, "We should hurry before the rain gets worse."

    As if on cue, a roll of thunder clapped somewhere above the thicket of pine trees that sheltered them from the worst of the storm''s noisy tantrums.

    "Yes, of course," Minjae said, her legs feeling like they were made of soft clay about to fold over. She hoped he could not hear her heart that vied with the roaring thunders above them. She decided being polite was her best defence against her melting heart, so she added, "I apologise for hitting you. That was juvenile and won''t happen again."

    Seung nodded, not trusting himself to look at her. Minjae followed him. Seung held back and let her pass him, falling behind her.

    "It is a bit of a climb from here. Will your ankle hold?" Seung asked with concern.

    "I have walked more difficult terrain on that ankle when it was far worse than today," she replied, glancing behind her, her chin a bit too high. A half smile was the reward for her trouble and much to her dismay, it made her heart flip, and her hand itched to touch that jaw. What would it be like to feel those lips on her?

    Where did that come from?

    It was all Han So-Ye''s fault for planting un-lady-like thoughts in her mind. Embarrassed at her lewd thoughts, Minjae increased her pace to distance herself as much from Seung as her sudden unchaste thoughts, only to whimper when her injured foot landed on an uneven patch of the unbeaten path that divided swaths of green shrubbery.

    And, of course, she had to lose her balance and wallow in the indignity of her derri¨¨re pointing up to the sky as she grappled for purchase on all fours on the upward slope.

    She craned her neck around to see how far Seung was and found he had moved right behind her. Scandalised, she scrambled to straighten, and her hands failed to grasp anything substantial on the grassy floor and slipped. Seung''s hands reached out to her hips to stop her from sliding down, holding her against his thighs.

    "Watch your step," Seung exclaimed.

    Her head swivelled backwards on its own accord. For a moment, they stared at each other; she bent on all fours while he was positioned where the cheeks of her tush ended, their body oddly joined, almost fitting like an erotic puzzle. Every drop of blood in her body pooled in her cheeks. The warmth of his fingers burned holes in her hips. Her lungs constricted and jammed against her spine. She dropped her eyes, uncomfortably aware of her flaming cheeks.

    Seung sprang back as if burned, took a wide step, grasped an arm and a shoulder, and pulled her up. "Are you all right?" His voice sounded strangely hollow.

    Flustered, she nodded and stole a look at him. A red stain ran up his throat onto the strong bones of his cheeks. He turned his head away, and his ears grew redder by the minute. Seung cleared his throat and stepped away but did not release her arm. Instead, he transferred his grip to her wrist.

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    "Allow me," he said gruffly, guiding her up the hill with the slightest pressure around her wrist that she found oddly reassuring.

    Droplets of rain had started penetrating the thicket around them. The barely noticeable path, dressed with lush undergrowth of ferns, wood anemones, and white trilliums, soon meandered to flat pieces of rocks fashioned into steps leading up to the top of the hill that was now visible from their vantage point. Uncomfortably aware of the man beside her and the warmth of his fingers seeping through her skin, Minjae kept her focus on climbing the ancient steps scarcely visible under centuries of dirt, so when they came upon a clearing, she was unprepared for the view that greeted her.

    They stood atop the flattened surface of a hill that rose from an elevated plane. A stone embankment lined the outer rim of the mountain, its flat, jagged stones layered in descending order down the slope, disappearing into the forest of a neighbouring mountain. Although the hill was not large, its elevation from the ground gave it a clear scape to the sights below.

    So awed was she that Minjae almost dragged Seung to the edge for a better view.

    A crescent had cut inward from the sea into an inlet that shimmered and rolled in the blustery wind that lapped its water. The escarpment fell into a sharp ridge, merging into the inlet, and opened to a panoramic view of the ocean further away.

    Minjae breathed in the stunning sight in front of her. The wind gusted, and the jangot she held on to by her other hand threatened to fly off. The rain droplets were growing thicker, and she could feel them slap against her face.

    "Come," Seung motioned her, still holding her by the wrist.

    "Is that a shrine?" Minjae asked, almost yelling to be heard above the howling wind. They were walking towards a small hut-like structure, dilapidated and old but still standing strong against the elements, sitting at the far end of the hill.

    "It is a guardhouse."

    Beyond it, an opening yawned into what looked like a cave. A curtain of lush emerald moss draped the outer walls while wild tendrils of vine and fern played hide and seek at the entrance.

    Seung led her into the shelter of the cavern. The inside of the cave was smooth like clay. It was not strictly a cave. It was a large chamber formed by a massive slab of rock delicately balanced upon two gigantic but irregularly shaped rectangular pillars that looked more like walls, holding the weight of the overhead rocky capstone effortlessly even though they stood curiously out of symmetry in both thickness and height, giving the space a sloped ceiling. An unshaved part of the imposing hill shielded one side of this formation while the other opened up to a spectacular panorama. Three rectangular, smooth wood stumps were placed strategically, obviously designed as a seating arrangement.

    Seung finally released her hand and drew her attention to their right. "A mountain God is supposed to have erected the chamber to appease the sea God during a particularly tough period of famine. The mountain Goddess blessed the island with rain and created this waterfall."

    A wall of rocky outcrops rose into a steep cliff several feet behind on the side of the sheltered space to its right. Water gushed over the jagged boulders of the ridge in a cascading waterfall that danced into the inlet. She could smell the damp earth as the rain intensified while the wind settled down.

    A mist rose far away into the sea, and the rain made a sparkling torrent that gurgled into the undulating water of the bay.

    It was magical.

    "How did you find this place, Dari?"

    "This is a fortress island, and a part of my job is to know every inch of the terrain."

    "You can see far into the sea as well," Minjae noted.

    "Yes. Especially in ancient days. Now we have better ways to keep watch, so no one has used this for a while," Seung said.

    "I have never heard of the villagers coming here," Minjae reflected.

    "Villagers are creatures of habit, and unless a climb like this produces something to enrich their livelihood, I do not think it''s worth their effort," Seung said perceptively.

    "But it''s the perfect place for someone who does not have to worry about productivity and wants to spend some time in solitude without disturbance," Minjae quipped.

    Seung threw back his head and laughed at the barb. A soft smile captured the corners of Minjae''s mouth at his lack of conceit.

    Seung nodded, a reminiscence of the laugh still tilting his mouth upwards. "It''s also a good place to practice lunging into water without the fear of being sucked in by ocean currents."

    Minjae whirled to face him, her eyes bulging in shock. "You jump off these cliffs to the water below?"

    Seung pressed a lazy shoulder against one of the strangely shaped rocky walls, crossed his hands across his chest and gave her a blazing smile. "Do I detect worry there, Physician Kim?"

    Minjae bit her lip. "I would be concerned for anyone considering jumping from this height. It''s madness!"

    "Not if this is the only way to escape from men chasing to erase you from this earth," Seung said dryly.

    She paled. Her heart squeezed as a sudden image of a bloodied Seung running from men and jumping off a ledge, then going down under the water and not surfacing, flashed in her mind.

    "Do all soldiers have to do it?" She asked haltingly. The grip on her jangot was so tight that her knuckles had turned white.

    A frown crossed his forehead as Seung looked at her intently.

    "No. Keeping the head immersed underwater for a long time does constitute part of such training, but I do this for myself, and so do my men. It can save lives, and not just ours."

    Naked fear laced her eyes, and Minjae quickly tried to veil it by lowering her face and, turning away from him, nodded.

    But not before Seung had caught it. Taken aback by its intensity, that look tore a piece inside him, suspending it painfully. He forced his shoulder away from his lounging spot and moved closer so he was standing inches away from her. He caught her wrist, forcing her to turn back to him. "I don''t jeopardise my life, Minjae," he said huskily. "My men are stationed down there, and we take turns watching out for each other."

    She was still pale, anxiety etched on her face. "Can you be sure it will never be dangerous?"

    "Minjae..." her name fell from his lips in a deep sonor. "I am a soldier. Anything I do will always have some level of danger involved. It''s a part of who I am."

    Minjae bit her lip and tugged at her hand. He let her go.

    "I didn''t mean to scare you. It''s not as hard as it looks. I can teach you too if you want," Seung said gently.

    The rich timber in his voice sent fissures of awareness shooting down her limbs. It made her want to lean into him. Instead, she turned toward the opening that faced the waterfall. The thick torrential droplets splattered and vanished into the gushing water. A heavy mist floated beyond it, enveloping the edgy ridges like a blanket.

    She pulled the edges of her jangot together and secured them under her chin with her fists. "I don''t see a scenario where anyone will chase me to jump a cliff," she said.

    Seung looked far into the mist, hooking his thumb in his belt. "I hope you never have to either, Minjae."

    Something in his tone made her look up at him. "Do you think we might have the barbarians attack us?"

    Seung looked down at his boots, his face set in ambivalent lines of someone torn between telling her the truth or saying something that would ease her mind.

    "My friends tell me if His Majesty does not recognise Hong Taji as the Emperor, there could be war," she said.

    "Kim Minjae, I would not speculate lightly about something as serious as war, especially with the barbarians, and I would instruct your friends to do the same," Seung said harshly, suddenly every inch of the Commander who bore the weight of the island''s safety hinging on his young but capable shoulders.

    "I apologise. I overstepped," Minjae said.

    "I just hope we never come to that, Minjae. Never. The barbarians are...." He shook his head, troubled. The lines on his face were hard.

    His tone sent a shiver down her spine.

    Minjae dared a glance at him and found him studying her, something unfathomable stirring in his ebony eyes. Unnerved and too much of a coward to ask anymore, she decided to change the topic.

    "Did you just happen to come up here by chance?"

    He shook his head. "I found the inlet first. The origin of the waterfall made me curious. The stone wall is not visible from down there, so it was quite a surprise."

    A sprinkle of water needles assaulted their faces as the wind drove the rain towards them.

    She raised her face to the misted downpour. "You really like being near water, don''t you, Dari?"

    Seung studied the beauty in front of him. Seung liked uncomplicated trysts with experienced women. Being a very physical man, he outright rejected the double standards that most of his peers believed in. Seung had never judged women on why they would want to veer from the traditional behaviour of chastity and want to experience the much frowned upon carnal pleasures in secret with someone they were not married to. Once they found their way to him, he accepted them without reservation.

    He did draw the line at getting involved with young girls and anyone who had an existing husband, but those were his only condition, and that too because he did not like complications. He never emotionally tangled with women - the only Confucian principle he upheld with scrupulous regard. Considering he had no desire for concubines or plans to remarry, even if his divorce ever came through, he saw no reason to hold himself back from living a life he deemed most suited him.

    Kim Minjae fulfilled every requirement perfectly.

    Hence, for the life of him, he could not fathom why he felt so irrevocably drawn to Kim Minjae and why he felt no trepidation in effortlessly discarding every principle of non-commitment where she was concerned.

    Granted, she was by far the most beautiful woman he had seen, but then he had met many beautiful specimens of the opposite sex. Women, who were far more alluring and versed in the language men like him understood the most - the language of seduction and non-commitment.

    His initial interest in Kim Minjae might have stemmed from that, but as clearly as the sun in the sky, he knew the feelings swirling inside him for Kim Minjae were too powerful to qualify for fleeting passion. If anything, he had never been more sure of something. What he felt for her was not something he could easily put into words. He longed to see her smile, watch her eyes sparkle, revel in her throaty laugh, and share what went on in her mind. She exhilarated his spirits, invigorated his mind, piqued his interest and delighted his senses. But even more powerful was the connection he felt with her as if he somehow knew her. She seemed familiar in ways he could not explain.

    Whenever he drew close to her, it felt like he had come home.

    It was a burning enigma he could not unravel. And much like before, words tumbled from his mouth before he could stop himself.

    "Yes, I do like being close to water, but I like being near you more," Seung said softly.

    Seung watched the myriad of expressions fleeting across her effusive face. Glistening droplets lent a sensual sheen to her butter-smooth skin. She flicked a tongue to her lips to lick the drops of water or, perhaps, to wet them; he wasn''t sure which. Her gaze was liquid, hinting at unmistakable embers of reluctant desire. Seung felt himself stir, a familiar heat pulsing through his body. He watched her breath hitch. He raised a finger and traced the thin ribbon of water running down the side of her parted lips to her jaw, collecting the drop on his fingertip.

    Minjae stilled. She lifted her face to him. Seung wondered if she could feel the heat or breathe the musk of his body mingled with the rain-kissed air within the small chamber.

    He stepped forward. Minjae gasped and took a step back. His darkened eyes met her wide ones, and he could feel a tremor passing through her, searing his finger. His hand fell away.

    She wiped the lower part of her face with her fingers.

    "I apologise," Seung was instantly contrite.

    She shook her head. "No, it''s just that....it was unexpected." She threw him a glance.

    "Minjae, I have feelings for you," Seung said huskily.

    "I-" She swallowed, veiling her eyes with her thick lashes. "Dari, what do you want from me?"

    A long sigh escaped him. "Kim Minjae, I know we have only known each other for a very short time, but I have already told you how little that has mattered to me about how strongly I feel about you. I will not lie I am not surprised. I am. I have not felt this way for anyone."

    Seung locked his hands behind his back and walked a few paces away with his back to her. The rain was slowing down. She followed his gaze as he looked up, the dark clouds starting to lighten up, a hint of purple beginning to peek from behind them. He studied the overcast grey and lavender hues in askance for clarity he seemed to be seeking for his thoughts.

    "Minjae, I am a married man with a wife who wants nothing to do with me. I do not have concubines, nor do I plan to take one. I have always had passing relationships that have had no meaning for me. I have never sought anything long-term with any woman." Seung studied the stone floor sheltered from the rain by the overhead capstone and thick walls around them. "And that is how I thought my life would be until I met you."

    He turned and faced her.

    "I want to know you, be with you, spend time with you. I want you to be by my side, and I want you to include me in your life. I do not know if I have the right to ask you any of this because I cannot promise you my name or anything other than a lifetime of affection and loyalty," his throat thick with an emotion he could not name. "And despite knowing all that, will you let me hold your hand and allow me to walk with you?"

 Note

    Dear Readers,

    I am so sorry for the delay in posting the next chapter, I apologise from the bottom of my heart. Work, health issues and holidays intervened, but I promise this story is just starting and is going to bring loads of fun, energy, drama and excitement your way. I didn''t expect anyone to even read the story, let alone the love that I have received and it means the world to me, so thank you.

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    I will be uploading sometime next week.

    Stay safe and well,

    Love

    M

 Nine - Still Waters

    Minjae went still.

    Sounds magnified, and the perception of time stretched, unfolding with agonising slowness. Every movement sharpened into a shard of feeling¡ªthe scarce droplets falling across from them on the rugged surfaces, the easing of the wind to a breeze, a wrap of gentle touch on the skin, the clouds floating leisurely, giving way to the pink and purple of the sky. Minjae''s raw senses picked up the soft thuds of her fast heartbeats, and she had the strangest sensation of falling into an abyss.

    Her muscles stretched across the cheekbones, her lips forming a listless smile. "Dari, I must say this is the most impressive suit I have ever received. It sounds quite sincere, too. Unfortunately, I would not be interested even if you had a name to give me."

    Her reply raised a thick eyebrow. "What if I said you don''t mean any of it?"

    Minjae lifted a graceful shoulder, gave him a tight smile and looked him in the eye. "You can believe whatever you choose," Minjae said calmly.

    If Seung was disappointed, his impassive face betrayed nothing. Instead, a lean, muscled shoulder rested against the closest rocky surface. "Why did you come here with me?"

    "I was curious and wanted to spend time with your horse," Minjae said.

    "I see."

    "No, you don''t see!" Her voice rose. She lifted her chin. "I am not interested in you!"

    Seung took a long step, bringing himself face to face with her. "Repeat it," he said, his voice velvet soft.

    Uncertainty flashed in her eyes, and she turned away.

    "Why should I? This is silly! What''s in there for me?" Her tone was clipped.

    "So you are interested but want to bargain?" He asked wryly.

    Minjae closed her eyes. Why was she unravelling so?

    "Why would I want to commit to something so vague?" Minjae said, wanting to sound nonchalant. Seung didn''t miss her averted eyes, a downward shift to her shoulders and an unnaturally loud ring to her usually gentle voice. "I have never claimed to compete for the chastity gate, but that does not mean I take on any company available. I am independent and can always find company if I want to. All kinds of company!" She said with an emphasis that made Seung cringe and smile simultaneously.

    "Having my company will never interfere with your independence, Kim Minjae. By now, you should know I am not quite like my peers. Believe me when I say I understand your reluctance against long-term commitments. I have never made any, either. But would it be so bad if we tried it? I am not binding you to anything. Or do you believe a man and a woman cannot be together without giving a name to their relationship? What are you afraid of?"

    My past.

    "Nothing. Maybe I am interested in someone else," Minjae said, her spine stiff.

    "True. You could be. But are you?"

    Their eyes met. Seung held her gaze unwavering.

    Memories sliced through her heart, her breath laboured, jabbing through her heart painfully, mercilessly, breaking through the facade she had erected so carefully over the years.

    Her lashes swept down on her revealing eyes.

    "I¡ªI can''t," she turned away and ran past him, her desperate footsteps muted on the smooth, wet floor.

    She didn''t get far. Fiercely possessive fingers encircled her wrist.

    "Minjae, wait!"

    She tugged at her hand but kept herself from looking at him.

    "All right, as you wish. I will not force you. I am sure you have your reasons. But can we be friends?"

    "Friends?"

    Seung shrugged. "I do not see why not. It is also a relationship, though not the kind I had in mind."

    Minjae blushed to her roots. "It can never be friendship if you are already coming in with the expectation that it will eventually be something more."

    Seung let go of her hand and looked over at the sea. The grey was swirling away, the golden beams fighting through the foggy mist to shimmer on the cascade of the waterfall.

    A soft smile played on Seung''s lips. "Up in the north, I once came across a wild cat. I saw it sitting across from the road, longingly gazing into my one-room chamber. I gave it milk and made a small bed of straws. It refused to budge from its spot, though, no matter how much I whistled and called at it. God, you are stubborn."

    The silence that followed his words was broken by something unexpected. Birds twittered, and a faint cry of pain whistled through the mellow breeze.

    Every muscle in Seung''s body tensed. He dropped his voice. "There is someone here. I will go check it out. You follow me slowly. If you sense danger, hide. I will find you."

    Leaping with alacrity, Seung covered the ground and ate up the steps, hoping Minjae would follow his directions.

    It took him barely minutes to reach his horse and see two small figures scrambling away, one nursing his rear. Their tiny legs were no match for Seung.

    He seized them both by their collars, hoisting them into the air.

    Two pairs of legs flailed helplessly. They squealed for forgiveness for crimes Seung didn''t know about.

    "Why did you run away after seeing me?"

    He dropped them to the ground and stood over them. "What happened to your butt?"

    The older of the two, barely a lad of ten, rubbed it desperately. Two wet tracks cleaved the grime of dirt-covered cheeks. "The beast bit it!" He spat.

    "Were you here to steal the horse?" Seung raised his brows.

    "We ain''t no thief. We just wanted to see him walk."

    Hiding a chuckle, Seung wore his most stern look. "How did you find us here?"

    "We followed¡ª" the younger one started, but the older one hit him in the stomach. The little boy grunted in protest.

    "We just came to play and saw the horse," the older one supplied too quickly, his eyes darting sideways.

    A cold shiver made its way down Seung''s spine. He delved into his sleeve and retrieved a shiny coin.

    "I am the Commander of this island. Tell me the truth, and I will let you go with this coin. If you lie, I will haul you to prison and -"

    With eyes bulging in shock, the boys bent over their knees. "Let us go. We followed you because the lady said she would give us a cup of beans."

    "Lady? What did she ask you to do?"

    "She told us to tell her what we see. But we dinna see you, but we see the horse, so we pet it and try to make it walk, but it dinna like it, so it bit me -" the boy rambled on in fear and hope.

    "Will you recognise the woman if you see her again?"

    The boy lifted his hands and hooked them over his head, with fists down by the sides of his face in illustration. "Her face was covered," he explained.

    Seung knelt and brought his face to the boy''s level. "If you follow my directions, I will give you another coin, twenty cups of rice and ten cups of beans."

    The dirt on their faces couldn''t dim the luminosity of their small, shining eyes. The boys bobbed their heads vigorously.

    "What are your names, and where do you live?"

    Minutes later, Seung looked ahead, a pensive expression on his face, his hands encircling Minjae protectively as the horse trotted slowly, its muscles moving with rhythmic precision under their weight.

    "Why do you think those two children followed you?" Minjae asked. She would die before admitting it, but it felt nice to have his arms around her. They reached the edge of the forest too soon.

    He hoisted her down effortlessly.

    Seung had not spoken a word.

    Minjae felt out of depth. Their meeting had gone from personal and intimate to distant in a flash. She was not sure what to make of it. But then, she had never been this torn with her feelings.

    She lapsed into silence as she fell into quiet steps by his side towards the village. Seung held the horse''s reins in his hands, the gentle clopping of hooves echoing around them softly. Without looking at her, he asked, his hands gently running down the soft skin of the horse''s crest, "Are you going to kite flying tomorrow?"

    Minjae shook her head. "No, I must make a few urgent house calls for my patients. Also, the boats that arrived yesterday must be unloaded of their haul, so many women would have to stay back as well."

    "Who did you go to visit today?"

    Her face blossomed like the red of crimson peonies. "Kisaeng Han," her voice was barely audible.

    He nodded. "Come to my chambers tomorrow around noon," he said, his expression inscrutable.

    Her brows furrowed. "I am afraid not. I will not -"

    Seung turned, his gaze dark and turbulent. "Those children were not following me, Kim Minjae. They were following you."

    Her intake of breath sounded loud to her ears. "Did they tell you?"

    Seung shook his head. "Those children came on foot, so they could not have followed me. The place I met you had no one around, and these two possibly hid behind bushes when Inspector KA met you. They possibly followed you from the village."

    Her fingers automatically raised themselves to rub her forehead, which now hurt a little. "Do you think someone has caught the wind of our operations, Dari?"

    "You are playing with fire, Minjae. The operation you run can be compromised on many levels and used in ways you cannot imagine."

    "There are knowledgeable people involved, Dari, some more senior and experienced than you!" She countered hotly and then blushed.

    His lips curved up in a tight smile." Do you mean Captain Park Jo Suk? Or Monk Choi?"

    Aware that her mouth hung open quite unattractively, Minjae shut it quickly. Minjae knew it was futile even to ask him how he knew, but she needed to. "I am sorry, I meant no disrespect to you, Dari. How did you know?"

    "You should be more worried about who else knows. Ganghwa is a small island where residents love to gossip. Do you think I didn''t hear of your so-called relationship with the Captain? It was easy to piece it from there. Out of twenty-seven monks, three are from Tosan. Two have recently joined, so that leaves Monk Choi."

    Her ears burned. "If - if you already heard about Captain and me, why have you been pursuing me?"

    A ghost of a smile raised the corner of his lips. "Because your heart is not engaged with him."

    Minjae raised a stubborn chin. "You cannot know that for sure!"

    "If not true, then why do your eyes talk to me differently, Kim Minjae?" He asked softly. Without waiting for her answer, he ordered, "See me tomorrow in my chamber at noon. Take the market road and the path through the hospital; it''s the most crowded. Make sure no one follows you. Do not go out tonight; always have someone reliable next to you when stepping out. Also, if you have to go to the other villages, take someone with you."

    She crossed her arms tightly over her chest and set her mouth in a thin line, her muscles wound in tense knots.

    She reminded him of a wary gazelle.

    "Minjae, I am only trying to help you. I do not understand everything yet, but I can sense danger. I speak to you as someone responsible for the safety of this island and its inhabitants."

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    Minjae looked away and started walking without another word. Her chest felt tight. She looked ahead, treading the soft path towards the village, unseeing the green foliage around them, her pores alive and awake with awareness of the amazing man walking by her side.

    A man who had her heart. A man who could never know.

    It was her secret, and it would stay that way. Her existence depended on it.

    "I will come first thing tomorrow morning. It will be safest at that time," Minjae bowed to him, disappearing down the street to where her house stood.

    O Mahn Sik grinned at his comely wife, his large hands knotting the ropes around the stakes with surprising dexterity. The boats bobbed in happiness on the gentle laps of the ocean, forgiving it for the tumultuous throes of fury it had subjected them to only hours ago.

    Kim Da Bom glowed pink under her massive, swarthy-skinned husband''s appreciating eyes. Her dress was drenched in saltwater, her wet feet coated with coarse sand, and her expert hands deftly adjusted the ropes that secured the boats.

    "We made a good catch, wife. We have two large hauls of jo-gi (yellow corvina/croaker) for which the nobles will pay good money."

    Da Bom flashed her famous smile at him. Young Kim Da Bom had been a lyrical beauty, her dancing drawing scores of admirers at the Kisaeng House, where O Mahn Sik had met her fourteen years ago. Tall and lissome, the sixteen-year-old Kim da Bom had bewitched her audience with her moves, but it was her wide smile, with a perfect set of teeth and two enchanting dimples, that had mesmerised him. The eighteen-year-old had decided on that day he was going to marry her.

    "Don''t they look adorable?" Im Ji Won gushed, nudging Minjae.

    "Look! There is a rainbow!" A child interrupted happily, dancing and clapping her hand at the vibrant arc across the canvas of the sky, a magnificent spectrum of colours stretching from one end of the horizon to the other.

    Minjae smiled at Im Ji Won, and looked at the couple she owed so much to. O Mahn Sik and Kim Da Bom were the rainbow of her life. However, a slight twinge pinched her heart as Seung''s face intruded on her thoughts. Stop! She bit her cheek to prevent herself from fantasising about the impossible.

    Minjae and Im Ji Won joined the women, sorting the catch that the men unloaded in batches after securing their boats. Each had a basket on their side as they quickly worked through the pile before them. With practised hands, the women expertly sorted through the freshly hauled fish, each meticulously examined for size, species, and quality, their movements swift and efficient.

    Some women deftly wielded sharp knives, skillfully filleting larger catches. Minjae knew some of them would appear on the inn''s menu in the evening.

    "O Mahn Sik, you did well with gudeungeo (mackerel) and myeongtae (Pollack)," Aunt In Dah hollered, never miserly either with her praise or her cooking. At forty-and-five years, Aunt In Dah was a petite, sharp-featured woman with steel for a spine. She had never married; instead, she chose to care for young Kim Minjae and her brother Kim Sun Woo. Their mother''s younger sister, Jung In Dah was fifteen years older than Da Bom and had been in love with her brother-in-law, Kim Seo Jun, for as long as anyone could remember.

    In Dah had stepped in when her older sister had died in a freak accident that had also sent Kim Seo Jun into a coma for more than a year. Kim Minjae had been three, and Kim Sun Woo was only a few months old. Unable to sustain the family without an income, their grandmother sold Kim Da Bom to the Kisaeng house. When Kim Seo Jun recovered, already heartbroken from losing his soulmate, the loss of his daughter to a disreputable life had all but broken him. He refused to speak with his mother and ignored In Dah, never forgiving them.

    In Dah had made peace with his hatred and didn''t let it discourage her from caring for the youngsters. She raised Sun Woo as her own. At nineteen, Sunwoo had grown up to be a fine lad and had a knack for the sea, sailing with his brother-in-law from a very young age.

    "You can preserve enough to last the entire village through the next winter, Aunt In Dah!" O Mahn Sik gave Aunt In Dah his most enchanting smile.

    Sun Woo sat beside his Aunt, an adoring expression on his face.

    "Aunt In Dah has pickled the jar of kimchi for you," Minjae told him fondly and watched with indulgence as he threw his arms around the woman who was the only mother he had known since birth.

    "Nam Da-Mi, did you get the candles and the yarns? Get the rest of the girls to prepare the prayer table for the night," Kim Da Bom instructed the petite girl. Minjae watched Da Mi with interes as she hurried away. She was still distant from Minjae. She would have to speak with Da Mi soon.

    Fishers would gather at night to offer prayers and sacrifices to divine spirits to keep the men and food safe from the storms and to prevent the spirits from subjecting the islanders to their divine malevolence.

    Their kitchen would teem with fish that evening, and people would sweep in on the morrow to get them fresh in the markets. The best of the lot, of course, would leave for Hanyang. And KA Min-Kyu would be hovering on each basket, greedily eyeing to pilfer money through as many penalties as he could muster on minor pretexts under the guise of ''inspecting'' them. The tax inspector from the Governor''s office would be there, too. He was a kindly, honest man and did his best to minimise the damage Inspector KA caused to the poor fishermen.

    At least tomorrow, KA would be too busy to follow her.

    Was he the one to have her followed, though?

    Tip-toeing, Minjae returned the jar of soy sauce to its shelf, picked up the spatula, and turned the fish over with soft hands, mixing the garlic, onion, and chilli paste seasoning with the oil over the fish raised on a bed of onions and daikon. It was still dark, and loud snores made the early hours seem more lazy than they were.

    Minjae stoked the fire, her mind travelling to Seung. She was curious about so many things. Did he rise early? Did he like his tea hot? Did he love spicy food, or did he like his food bland? She gave the fish she was cooking a once over. She would know soon. Minjae carefully mixed the grounded fish in the bowl before her, sprinkling a liberal quantity of soy sauce.

    "I know you like cooking, my dear little sister, but I have never seen you in the kitchen this early, ever," Kim Da Bom''s muted voice cut through the pristine morning silence like a blade. Minjae jumped, and the spoon in her hand clattered to the floor.

    "And I have never seen you rise this early when brother-in-law is home," Minjae retorted tartly. She picked the spoon, wiped it, scooped the fish mixture onto a bed of rice, and transferred the ball to a box, neatly arranging a few more next to it.

    Kim Da Bom trotted to the jug of water and poured herself a bowl. Her sleepy eyes became large as saucers. "You are cooking Jogi? For whom?"

    Minjae wasn''t sure how to explain the heat that seared her cheeks and ears in the cold of the dawn. "It''s for a patient," she said, a little too offhandedly.

    "Are you insane? Should your patient not be paying you? You are cooking a fortune for them. That fish is one year''s worth of treatment for most!"

    "I have already kept the money in the box for this fish, so no need to worry. And it''s tax-free money," Minjae said defensively.

    "Don''t be silly!" Gulping the water in one go, Da Bom kept the bowl down and then whisked the spoon out of Minjae''s hand, dipping it into the fish cooking on the stove. She closed her mouth on the spoon.

    "Minjae, you need to cook more. This is divine."

    Minjae snatched the spoon back. "No more steal tasting. I need this fish cooked to perfection."

    Kim Da Bom grabbed Minjae by the shoulder. "What is going on, Jaeyiya? You have been behaving strangely for the last few days. And you are acting out of character. Last night, you kept looking around the inn as if waiting for someone and didn''t even notice the crowd you usually run away from. You conveyed the wrong orders and delivered them to the wrong tables. You haven''t done that since that first month you started helping me out."

    Instead of answering her, Minjae raised her shoulder, half rotated it to slide out of Da Bom''s grasp, took the pan off the small mud stove, and gently transferred the fish to a medium-sized pot. She cut a path diagonally to the other end of the kitchen, returning with a cloth. She laid it on the floor, placed the pot in the centre, pulled two corner ends over each other and secured them, repeating the process with the remaining two ends. She then took the blowpipe and blew into the fire, crackling steadily in the stove. She pushed a few more pieces of wood into it.

    "The fire will hold strong for at least a couple of hours. I am going to boil some water. You can use it for a bath if you like. I took out the tub last night and kept it by the wall of your room. Brother-in-law might need it. I also saw some sores in his arms. Run it by Abuji."

    Kim Da Bom rolled her eyes. "Stop being my mother. And don''t you dare evade the question," she warned. "Is it the new Commander?"

    Minjae was not surprised Kim Da Bom had already caught on to it. Still, she wasn''t the one who divulged anything private unless it was a matter of life and death.

    Arranging her face in a placid expression of disinterest, Minjae placed the cauldron of water on the stove. "What makes you say something so outlandish?"

    Kim Da Bom looked fetching in the misty glow of the lantern lights. Her tall, voluptuous form was clad in a cream hanbok, her hair running freely down her back. Minjae always thought she was someone created to be loved by men. However, underneath that beautiful body lay a mind as sharp as a cat''s claw.

    "Suji isn''t the only one who has noticed a few things, though she is the one who talks the loudest" Kim Da Bom studied her nails, picking a speck of dirt from underneath them. She walked over to a large jar, took out a small clay pot and filled it with freshly made kimchi Aunt In Dah had deposited in their kitchen the previous morning. She handed the pot to Minjae. "Is he someone you know from before?"

    Minjae''s hands slipped from the pot, but Kim Da Bom had not fully let it go, so it lived to see another day. Ashen, Minjae kept her eyes lowered. "Minjae!" Worried, Kim Da Bom clasped her wrist, peering closely at her.

    "I need to go, Unnie," Minjae picked up the wrapped pot and placed it in a cloth bag, sliding the small pot of kimchi inside it. Next, she placed the box of rolled rice and fish.

    "Not before you tell me what is making you lose your sleep at night. You have barely eaten anything in the last few days."

    Minjae looked at the older woman, her gaze stark with emotions. "I am trying to snatch moments of reality from a world of illusions. Please don''t ask any more questions. It''s best if you didn''t know."

    Kim Da Bom watched the young woman leave, her lips pursed thoughtfully. She poured another bowl of water and carried it to her chamber.

    "Where did you go?" Her husband murmured sleepily, dragging her beside him and pulling the cover over them. O Mahn Sik did not wait for an answer, kissing her lips deeply. She felt soft and warm. She felt like home. "I missed you, wife," he said.

    "I missed you too, my beast," Kim Da Bom sighed against him as the big man entered her, his movements urgent, rough, rapturous. She wrapped herself around him, his coarse beard tickling her skin, her long-deprived body loving the attention.

    As they lay spent, O Mahn Sik clasped her hand in his. "Why the crease on your forehead, my beautiful wife?"

    "It''s Minjae."

    "What happened? I thought she was doing fine. She looks well settled in now. She has at least grown some flesh and does not look like a skeleton anymore."

    Kim Da Bom swatted her husband''s hand. "Don''t be mean!"

    O Mahn Sik sighed. Minjae always reminded him of a shy, fragile fawn. Albeit one with a very beautiful face, but still a fawn. He was pretty fond of the chit and felt protective of her like a big brother. "What is worrying you?"

    "I do not know. Minjae has been behaving differently. She seems...lost somehow. I think she is interested in a man."

    That surprised O Mahn Sik. He locked his hands beneath his head and looked up at the ceiling. "Kim Minjae? You must be wrong. She looks at all men as if they have crawled from under a rock."

    "She does not!" Kim Da Bom was instantly defensive.

    "Look at you, woman! For someone who once wanted to kill her for existing, you can now kill for her. I accept Abuji and me as exceptions, and she has bestowed a few kindly looks on Captain Park, but you know it''s true."

    "So you don''t think there was anything between Captain and her?"

    "Nah!"

    Kim Da Bom chewed on the thought.

    "Quit overthinking and come here. I need you again."

    "Sheesh! Minjae prepared for your bath. It will be ready in an hour."

    "I can think of using that time for some interesting things I have been fantasising about in the last two months of hanging out with those boors at sea, and I am already dreading heading out next week. So let''s not waste time."

    "You are a beast!" His wife cooed delightedly and forgot all about Kim Minjae as her husband swaddled her with his body.

    Seung gaped at the spread in front of him. "How early did you rise to cook all this?"

    Minjae trampled a smile, arranging her face into serene lines. "I rise early and need sustenance. Given I didn''t know how much time I would have to spend answering your annoying questions, I decided to ensure I didn''t spend the time irritated and hungry."

    Her face was fresh and dewy in the breaking dawn lights, the graceful curves of her high cheekbones reflecting twin peaks of infused glow. She was clad in an unusual shade of pale pink that looked so soft that it could almost be white. Seung felt a spurt of warm emotion rushing through his blood.

    "Ah! I agree. Being hungry can add to one''s vexation. But I do have food here, you know."

    "I didn''t know you fed people you brought in for questioning," Minjae quipped.

    "What do you take me for? Moreover, I don''t bring people here for questioning. I only bring friends here," Seung said, and she could tell without looking at him that he was smiling.

    Seung''s attendant arranged plates and cups on the large table between them. Minjae poured them tea once the man closed the door behind him.

    Minjae held her breath as she watched Seung spoon in a mouthful of fish. His eyes widened. "You cooked this?" Without waiting for her answer, he dug back in, eating with a gusto that brought a smile to her face. "This is incredible. Your husband must have been the stupidest man on this planet to let someone like you leave," Seung observed between mouthfuls.

    His spoon froze midair, dismay filling him as the pink of her hanbok transferred to her cheeks and then receded with the same speed as it had climbed.

    "I am sorry, Physician Kim, that was dense of me," he said.

    Minjae shook her head. "It''s all right, Dari. I do not mind. If I had been smart enough, I would not have been in this position in the first place."

    "Minjae, you need to stop blaming yourself for being a victim. It might not have even occurred to you that you could do things differently."

    Minjae gave him a sad look. "Yes, it never occurred to me that I could do things differently back then."

    "You were a child," Seung said kindly.

    "More than that, I was naive and thought I was doing what I was supposed to do. I was ready to endure¡ª" she cut her sentence short, returning her focus to the plate of food before her.

    The next couple of hours flew by. Seung could not help but admire her spirit and courage. He had pieced most of it together, but to hear her say it felt different.

    Using the gold Minjae had managed to smuggle with her when she escaped, she had joined hands with the local temple monks and saved young abused women wherever in the country they could. They mainly used navy ships run by naval Captain Park Hyun Ki to bring the girls to the island to escape the notice of authorities at Ganghwa and set up safe passage through small boats across the East Sea and the rivers running through the country. Five powerful noblemen helped their cause, and several commoner families whose daughters had been rescued eventually joined the cause.

    "That is why you could send help to Wonsanjin so quickly," Seung observed.

    "Yes. Places are faster to reach if we use different modes of transport for each leg."

    "What made you start this?"

    Minjae reached for a teapot and poured Seung a cup before filling the delicate white china on her side of the table. She nursed it gently in between her palms.

    "I came upon a young girl once in the woods behind the temple in Mount Taekbasan. She was being -" she paused, looking down and staring at the two leaves that had made their way to her cup - "she was being punished for her crime. Her crime had been to fall prey to the master of the house''s lust, get violated by him, and bear his child, only to face retribution when her pregnancy became evident. They were doing it on the orders of the master''s wife in a forest so they would not be discovered."

    "How did you stop them?" Seung was fascinated.

    A tremulous smile crossed her face, her eyes soft, her face acquiring the gentleness of a very young girl. "I made so much noise that the men ran away. The next morning, with Abuji and the monks help, we hid the girl and created a story of her escape. She stayed with the monks for a month before they found a place for her and sent the child to be raised as an eunuch in the Palace. It was the best we could do at that time."

    Seung nodded.

    "How do you place them?"

    "We kill their present self and give them dead people''s identity," Minjae said, confirming the last of Seung''s hunches.

    "I know you have more than one conduit on the island. I have figured out most. But it''s not always possible to meet in the forest."

    Minjae sighed.

    "It''s Kisaeng Han, isn''t it?"

    "And two others," she said. Then she raised her eyes. "And my Abuji, my sister and my brother-in-law. Nam Dami was the first woman I sheltered in Ganhwa. She was rescued by boatmen in Hanyang."

 Ten: Trepidation

    Four years ago

    Sometime In The First Month of the Lunar Year of 1632, Year of the Monkey

    The light hurt her eyes. The shadows moved urgently, breaking the flow of the dimly lit ceiling, which perplexed her. The floor beneath her felt still. She tried moving her neck to seek her companion, the moon. In its place, she could only see walls¡ªthe long, austere expanse of unadorned walls that held the far-off ceiling in place, interrupted by the latticed windows that filtered faint streams of light.

    Was it a day outside? Did those two boatmen bring her to this place?

    "Do you feel better?" a kind voice spoke. Choi Jina realised she was lying on her stomach, and trying to look at the source of the voice meant she had to lift her head. She simply nodded into her pillow.

    "Here, drink some water, child," the kind voice said. Choi Jina obeyed the instructions, as she had been trained to do since childhood. Her tired lips closed on a wooden spoon, and a few drops of cool liquid ran to her closed throat. Even swallowing hurt her head.

    There were more people around her. Her periphery vision gave her glimpses of dark robes and shaved heads.

    "Where-" Choi Jina tried to use the muscles of her rusty throat-"am I?"

    "You are in a Buddhist temple in Mount Taebaeksan" the kind voice replied.

    A bell tolled. Another man spoke from around her feet, informing the man feeding her water that it was time for prayers.

    The man gently patted her head. "Try not to move too much, child. You might reopen your wounds on your back. I will be back again soon."

    It was then that she realised she was wearing a jeogori backwards. Her back was unclothed, and a sheet covered her lower extremities. She knew she ought to feel mortification, but all Jina could feel was relief that she was still breathing. Jina closed her eyes, grateful to be left alone.

    She was unsure how she had reached this temple, but a strange, inexplicable peace surrounded her, and she drifted back into oblivion.

    *

    Hanyang; Spring of 1632

    Seung paused outside the impressive gates of his in-laws'' house. Anger, helplessness, frustration, and pity vied for dominance in his confused mind. His mother-in-law''s pitiful cries of forgiveness lingered in his ears, as did the sad, ashamed demeanour of the proud Choi Si-wan, who had looked invincible only days ago, thumbing Seung down for wanting to walk away from the marriage, knelt in front of him, his hands folded.

    "We will speak to her and try to convince her. Please give us some time. Please do not push for this divorce. She is stubborn. I do not know what to do, but we will try our best to rectify this. Son-in-law, we have wronged you gravely. I do not know where we went awry. My daughter''s sins are unaccountable. But I beseech you, please do not divorce her, at least not right away. I will be ruined, my family will be ruined, and I will lose the Court''s favour. I will personally request His Majesty to allow you to join the army without compromising your rank."

    The man went on and on about how he would make up for his daughter''s failure.

    Seung tried to be charitable to Choi Ji-Na After all, it was evident she was forced into the match. He could forgive her for not liking him as her husband. However, if a woman could rebel against her parents to this extent and go against the King and the institution of marriage itself, why did she not do it before the marriage? Why wait until marriage, ruin his life, his sister''s life, shatter his mother''s dreams, bring disrepute to her father and reduce a proud man to grovel in this fashion? What kind of woman was she who could rest easy amidst so much ruin she left in her wake?

    His mouth puckered, distaste filling it as thoughts of his so-called wife floated in, the faceless entity that was the source of everything unpleasant in his life.

    A shuffle caught his ears. A feminine voice was calling after him. Intrigued, he turned to find a young woman around his sister''s age approaching him with short, quick steps. Her round, homely face had a pasty complexion. She was dressed in a servant''s attire.

    "Dari, dari, please wait," she pleaded.

    As she came closer, she looked around, her eyes darting restlessly. She kept looking behind her.

    "Do you mean me?" Seung asked, intrigued.

    The woman came closer and bowed deeply. "Dari, I am Woo Sa-ri, Lady Choi''s maid. I must speak to you," she said. She worried her fingers and looked behind her. "But not here. Can I come to your house tonight? I went to help Lady Lee with the marriage chest, so I know where it is," Woo Sa-ri''s words tumbled from her mouth in a hurry, perspiration beading her forehead.

    Seung quickly scannnd the street. He nodded and left.

    *

    Lord Choi slowly sipped from the delicate cup, his eyes half closed as if deep in thought. Three servants, one man and two women, knelt before him, their hands folded.

    His wife, Im Nabi, sat beside him, her face bereft of emotion, her eyes trained on an abstract spot on the table. Only the trickle of sweat running down her temples betrayed her terror.

    The famale servant trembled. "It was a mistake; it will not happen again, My Lord," her voice shook, the tears running down her face into the corners of her mouth.

    "I will ask again. What did you tell him?"

    Woo Sa-ri hiccupped. "I-I just said I had to tell him something. I am to meet him at his house. I swear on my brother''s life, I said nothing else."

    Lord Choi glanced at his wife and said derisively, "I am never disappointed by your incompetency, Im Nabi."

    His white-faced wife lifted her chin. "My Lord, give me a chance to rectify the situation. I shall ensure Lee Seung remains ignorant of any information his ears are not supposed to hear. She will not go anywhere. And I will ensure she is punished appropriately." The woman turned to the terrified servant. "Do you hear me?"

    "Y-yes, My lady. I will not go. I shall n-n-never step out of the house if you do not want me to, My Lord. I made a mistake. Please, please forgive me."

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Choi Si-wan gently placed the cup on the table, the fine china settling in soundlessly.

    "On the contrary, you shall keep your appointment with son-in-law Lee Seung at his home as promised," Choi Si-wan smiled at the trembling girl. His eyes were merciless.

    Later that night, as Choi Si-wan lovingly polished a porcelain vase, Kang Do asked quietly, "Is this the best way possible, My Lord?"

    Choi Si-wan blew vapour onto the vase''s glistening surface and rubbed the cloth on the moist spot. "Are you suffering from residual guilt from last week, Kang Do?"

    Kang Do didn''t move a muscle.

    "If her sense of righteousness drove my daughter to dissolve a marriage, what would have happened had she ever learned the truth? We could not have that, could we? Those letters still exist somewhere. I cannot take chances. She would not have been worth it." Choi Si-wan''s mouth twisted. "She never was."

    <ul>

    <li>©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤?¡ã???¡ã?©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤?</li>

    </ul>

    Present Day: Evening of April 2nd, 1636, Ganghwa Island.

    Lee Seung placed the quill on the table. He shuffled through the pages, tapping to align them. He dipped his neck backwards to relieve the pressure. He was exhausted, not by the work he had put in but by the overwhelming sense of futility that engulfed him. Despite his tireless efforts, he couldn''t escape the fatal realisation that his work had no significance or tangible impact on those he was slogging for.

    The barbarian King Hong Taiji''s coronation was in a week. They were already smarting from the terrible reception they received from the Joseon powers during King Injo''s gentle wife, the late Queen Inyeol''s funeral two months ago. The air was dangerous, and they were looking at another war if they did not pay heed.

    Seung looked at the document in his hands, thinking about the inability of the people in authority to follow caution. He had spent four gruelling years¡ªfirst fighting against the rebels of the Ming dynasty and then disguised as a silver-ore merchant moonlighting as a mute Jurchen vagabond¡ªamongst the Mongolian and Barbarian tribes in the north to shore up as much information as possible on the capabilities of the barbarians.

    If they decided to invade, Joseon, led by a King who refused to lift a weapon, would not stand a chance. Seung knew Grand Prince Bongrim would ably raise an army to fight them off if given a chance, but his father had tied his hands.

    The corners of Seung''s mouth lifted in reminiscence. Grand Prince Bongrim had daringly smuggled himself out of the Palace secretly to fight a battle on a real battlefield. The young prince had no lack of valour, but his inexperience and zeal would have gotten him killed. Seung had helped bring him back to the Palace. The Royal Court had barely managed to sweep the scandal under the rug.

    The loud scraping broke his reverie. Wang Jung waddled in, holding a stack of ledgers. "Are you meeting the rumoured new Governor Kim Tae-Oh tonight?"

    "Not officially. He is still a minister of the court. I am meeting Interior Minister Choe Myeong-Gil first, and I believe Minister Kim will be there."

    At half past midnight, both men were ushered into a modest house clustered amongst the thicket of trees. Though the house was small and elegantly designed, it was the kind that did not draw attention to itself. Seung bent his tall frame to enter a small, efficiently appointed chamber while Wang Jung waited outside the chamber door. The walls were lined with books and occasional wall hangings of cranes and birds. The chamber was well-lit, revealing the impressive profile of Choe Myeong-gil, the Interior Minister, a statuesque man who proudly wore his scholarly robes.

    Four men were seated in rows on each side of a large, low table headed by Interior Minister Choi Meying-Gil. Seung presented his greetings and took his seat at the third table on the left. Lee Shi-baek, the garrison commander of the Hwanghae province, sat across from him.

    A guard announced Minister Kim Tae-Oh''s arrival. A tall, thin man entered. Kind eyes set in an angular face looked around the room, acknowledging everyone''s greeting. They stopped on Lee Seung, surprise evident in his gaze. "Have we not met before?"

    "Yes, My Lord," Seung said. "Unfortunately, our last meeting was not in the best circumstances."

    Kim Tae-Oh looked at him keenly. "You are Lord Choi Si-wan''s son-in-law."

    "Yes, My Lord," Seung replied, keeping his face stoic.

    "My son-in-law only has praises for you," the kind eyes of Kim Tae-Oh smiled.

    "I am honoured, My Lord. Jo Hee-Bong and I go back a long way," Seung smiled back. His best friend Jo Bong Hee married Kim Tae-Oh''s daughter, Kim I-On, sometime during the last four years.

    Kim I-On also happened to be Choi Ji-Na''s best friend.

    Seung''s mouth lifted in a wry smile. His life was going to become a little more colourful in the event Kim Rae-Oh was appointed as the new Governor. Kim''s family was one of the few families that knew about the sad state of his married life.

    "Do you have the details?" Choi Myeong-Gil asked Seung, drawing their attention back to the meeting.

    Seung rose and placed the stack of papers on the rectangular table Choi Myeong-Gil sitting behind before returning to his seat.

    "His Majesty King Injo cannot win this one, Scholar Choe. Hong Taji has the support of Kong and Geng generals," Seung said, his voice heavy with concern.

    "I am trying to persuade His Majesty, but he is surrounded by too many well-meaning scholars whose heads are filled with ignorance. They will not give in." Choi Myeong Gil sifted through the papers Seung had placed before him. "His Majesty cannot forget that he had taken the throne away from his Uncle Gwanghaegun, who had tried to broker peace with the Barbarian forces. He is too fearful of the Western faction that put him on the throne."

    Seung was frustrated. He pointed at the papers he had placed on the table. "I have detailed everything I saw and heard and have notes of, My Lord. I had already sent this information to my spymasters. What is the use of creating such a spy network, putting men and women in so much danger if no one even wants to acknowledge the threat we are under? We can never compete with the Barbarians unless we arm every man in Joseon. They have fortified their army with Red Cannons and warships, and the rebellion of Wuqiao and its leaders Kong and Geng joining their ranks has only emboldened them," Seung said.

    "We should have buried Geng when we had the chance," First Secretary Song Joong Ki muttered.

    Geng, a Chinese general, raided Joseon for supplies and was caught, but he was eventually released due to an understanding between his corrupt superior and a corrupt Joseon court official.

    "Why blame Geng? The Ming delegate sitting in Hanyang empties Joseon''s coffers even as we speak!" Seung burst out.

    "You could be charged with treason for this!" First Secretary Song Joong Ki said.

    Choi Myeong Gil said, "Corruption has eaten the Ming court, Lord Song. We cannot ignore that. The Ming treated both General Kong and General Geng harshly. It''s no surprise they switched sides."

    Seung sighed and bowed his head. "I do not want to sound unpatriotic, but Hong Taji is made differently. The barbarians are......different. They do not have a conscience. Their men do whatever it takes to win. The King cannot win this one, Scholar Choe. Their ranks have swelled, and Hong Taji now commands an impressive fleet of warships."

    "One hundred and eighty-five of them," the Naval Commander of the Province Park So-hoo said.

    *

    Present Day: Evening of April 2nd, 1636, Hanyang

    Unbeknownst to the men gathered in Ganghwa, a different storm blew in Hanyang. Powers were changing hands with the gentle Queen now gone. The King was enamoured by his young concubine Soyong Jo, known for her beauty and alleged prowess in the bedroom that had taken the King captive and, subsequently, the royal Palace by storm. It was becoming widely known that the new Queen Jangryeol didn''t have the clout that Concubine Soyong Jo enjoyed. Moreover, Concubine Soyong didn''t leave any stone unturned to divide a wedge between King Injo and Queen Jangryeol. By all accounts, it was working. It was rumoured that King Injo had not visited Jangryeol for months.

    Hyenas were taking note.

    Choi Si-Wan had orchestrated Soyong''s entry into the Palace with the help of his long-time associate and Concubine Soyong''s brother-in-law, Kang Hyun. Soyong was a querulous woman, greedy and manipulative. Si-wan didn''t trust her, and he was no stranger to her cunning. However, it didn''t matter what Choi Si-wan thought of her. She was his future insurance to power. Because unlike King Injo, his son, Crown Prince Yi Wang, was not easily controlled. It would behove to keep the Crown Prince''s stepmother happy. An heir from Soyong promised a shift in the Palace dynamics, solidifying Si-Wan''s hold on the Royal Court for a long time.

    To achieve that, Choi Si-Wan had to ensure Crown Prince Yi Wang was eliminated without any suspicion ever falling on Choi Si-wan. His work had already begun. Two months earlier, his wife had given birth to another daughter. While he still planned to send his older one to Crown Prince Yi Wang as his Concubine, Choi Si-wan would make arrangements so his newborn daughter became Concubine Soyong''s future-born son''s Royal Consort.

    That night, Choi Si-Wan went to bed smiling and woke up with sweat running down his temples. His second wife, his beloved Im Yoo-Joo, emerged from the clouds of his dreams. Her beautiful face was close to his, her hands reaching out in love, and her eyes suddenly changed. "Will you not go to fetch my daughter home, my love?"

 Eleven: A New Leaf

    Nam Dami scraped the last bit of soil, unearthing the roots and brushing off the dirt before adding them to the treasure in her basket hanging on her back. She wondered if the ship had already harboured. Word was that the ''cargo'' was landing today.

    Dami clambered down the pathway covered with the thick growth of familiar shrubs, which provided some of the herbs and medicines the apothecary thrived on.

    Cha Moon-Sik waited at the bottom of the hill.

    "I told you many times I do not know where she goes. She does not tell me, and I am not her keeper!" Dami admonished him. She was losing her patience with the man. He had been following her like a lost pup for the past two weeks, trying to figure out the whereabouts of Kim Minjae, who had been keeping odd hours lately.

    "You are Physician Kim''s assistant. How can you not know?" Moon Sik complained.

    Dami let out a harried breath, her chest heaving from exertion and frustration. Did the man not have eyes?

    "Even if I did, I would not tell you, Master Cha Moon-Sik. Winning a woman''s heart is not a kite you can pick up in a field," Dami pushed past him.

    "I am not asking for me. Grandmother is sick and wishes to see Physician Kim," Moon-Sik pouted, stepping in front of her, blocking her path. He then lifted the basket off her shoulders. "I will carry this for you."

    Nam Dami pressed her lips together, squinting her displeasure at the giant man bumbling before her. He was so tall that he eclipsed the sun as he towered over her. Wisps of strands escaped the thick hair secured roughly in a bun atop his head. Bushy eyebrows crowned his small but expressive eyes. There was a stain on his beige tunic. His large, rough farmer''s hands held the basket like a toy.

    She took a step around him.

    "Grandmother has never liked Physician Kim, and you know it," Dami threw over her shoulder. "She likes me better, so I will go see her."

    "You are not the physician," Moon-Sik argued.

    "Then come to the inn. It''s Minjae Unnie''s day to serve at the tavern in the evening. But I will go see your grandmother anyway."

    Moon-Sik''s grandmother was a shaman. She had always felt the woman saw more than she let on. Dami wondered if the old woman could see what was inside her heart.

    *

    Minjae dismounted from the horse and handed the reins to Seung.

    "What do you think, Dari?"

    Seung grinned. "You are tenacious."

    "I can''t believe I can ride independently now," Minjae scampered in delight.

    "There is much more to learn, but it''s a good start," Seung smiled.

    "It''s all because of you, Dari," she said happily. Seung felt the familiar kick of pleasure rush through his blood. Seung watched her surreptitiously as they strolled in companionable silence. Loving her came easy to him, like breathing or eating. The thirst to spend every available moment with her had only grown as he met her every morning in the secluded flat land flanked by boulders on one side and the mountain on the other.

    Three months earlier, Seung had visited the apothecary for the first time with a sore shoulder, more out of an aching heart than the discomfort of a nagging joint. To his utter disappointment, while tending to him, Minjae had been professional and brisque to the point that someone would think they were strangers. He could still recall his disbelief when that reticent Kim Minjae stunned him with an unexpected request. She wanted him to teach her horse riding. Questions flooded his mind, foremost being "Why me?" of many he had never voiced. He also knew better than to read more into it.

    He had lost no time and started her lessons early in the morning the very next day.

    Witnessing her commitment firsthand had been a revelation. She was just as he had heard¡ªhardworking, punctual and dedicated. The hardest part was overcoming her natural fear of sitting on a moving object, but she persevered.

    For three months, they had followed the same routine. At the break of dawn, Minjae met him at the field, holding a box brimming with food she had cooked. Seung would impart riding lessons atop the black stallion, followed by a feast of Minjae''s culinary magic, before walking back to the village. She always maintained she brought the food for herself, but he had long since figured out she cooked for him. To test his theory, he casually mentioned his favourite dishes, and each time, she proved him right by preparing them for him without fail. She cooked as she did everything else, with perfection.

    His stomach grumbled at the thought, and he sent her a sheepish look.

    "I see someone is getting very hungry," She teased him playfully.

    With a laugh, she rushed to a flat boulder they had chanced upon the first day.

    He followed her.

    Soon, a mouthwatering buffet lay in front of him. Seung had never felt happier. This was the best part of his day.

    About a fortnight ago, Seung grew confident that Minjae reciprocated his feelings strongly. He had to leave the island for a clandestine meeting with the King and a few handful of ministers. News of their refusal to accept the Barbarian King as Emperor had sparked widespread repercussions, prompting the King to task Seung with coordinating naval and land defences for Ganghwa Island, potentially a refuge for the royal family in case of a war.

    As the meeting had been on last-minute summons, he had been unable to inform Minjae of his absence. When he returned three days later, she almost flew to his arms before catching herself short.

    She had been visibly worried, anxious and upset.

    "You could have sent me a message," She had tried to sound composed.

    Playfully, he countered, "Did you miss me?"

    She had turned away, unamused, anger stiffening every graceful line of her body, until he produced the latest copies of novels he had bought for her from Hanyang. She had squealed in delight at the rare gift.

    She had then dug into her sleeves and retrieved a large white cloth. "I sew these while waiting for you here. You could have at least told me you were leaving the island," she complained.

    She had meticulously embroidered a sequence of mugunghwa flowers onto it, each stitch so delicate it seemed as though a living bloom had been sewn onto the fabric. Mugunghwa - the blossom from heaven; considered a symbol of deep affection since ancient times. That was when he knew that even though she worked hard to hide the depth of her feelings, he had succeeded in paving a way into her heart.

    "Wait, how did you know I was not on the island?"

    She didn''t even deign to answer him.

    Overhead, seagulls glided, breaking the silence, as they scoured for stray morsels that might have fallen, pulling him back from his thoughts. The boulder sat in a clearing overlooking the seashore. The waves played with the sand, pushing boundaries. He observed the woman before him, her lissome figure encased in a deep rose and cream hanbok, her fingers graceful around a pair of chopsticks that pushed a piece of delectable looking fish between her luxurious lips.

    "I never thought eating could be so alluring. Minjae, you make ordinary moments extraordinary just by being by my side," Seung said.

    Minjae blushed and lowered her eyes. And your presence fills my life with warmth and meaning. The words almost toppled from her, but she held back.

    "Dari, you must stop saying such things," she said.

    "Now, why should I do that?" His eyes twinkled. "I never knew true happiness until I found it in your smile."

    "You exaggerate!" She laughed.

    "Your laughter is like music to my ears. It brightens up even the darkest days."

    "Now you are getting ridiculous, Dari!" Minjae started laughing.

    "Your gaze holds the promise of a thousand stars, each shining brighter than the other -"

    "Stop!"

    "Your strength is my inspiration, empowering me to overcome any obstacle-"

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    Minjae''s shoulders started shaking as Seung continued to exaggerate dramatically. She clamped a hand on her mouth to quelch the sounds of her giggles. Seung joined in, the laughter infectious, and for a true moment, the worries of their life became transient as the comfort of food, the warm sun, the rhythmic lull of distant waves crashing against the rocks, and the sounds of gently rustling leaves filled every pore in their body.

    As they sobered, it grew quiet, the silence heavy with innate understanding.

    "I like being with you, Dari," Minjae suddenly said.

    "Why do you like being with me?" Seung asked softly, his gaze on her earnest, expectant.

    Minjae smiled. "Dari, I am not good with words, but I have not dared to be this carefree with anyone else. With you, I feel understood in a way I''ve never experienced before. Every day with you feels like a new adventure, and I wouldn''t want to explore it with anyone else."

    Pleasure surged forth in Seung''s heart like a fountain from a spring. It was the most she had ever said to him. For now, it was enough. He sighed happily.

    "Would you like to visit the temple tomorrow?" She asked.

    "Why suddenly?" Seung mumbled between mouthfuls of seasoned leafy vegetables and pickled cabbage.

    "You once asked me to take you to my favourite place. You missed the temple festival too. Tomorrow is as good a time as any."

    A shadow crossed Seung''s face at the mention of the festival.

    "Are you worried about something, Dari?"

    Seung loved how she understood him without him having to say a word. Around the time of the festival, the Joseon delegation to the Barbarian King Hing Taji''s coronation had fallen apart. He wondered how long they had before the snaking flames of war singed them.

    Pretending to dust a speck from his sleeve, Seung shook his head. This was not the time to think about it.

    "Are you planning to take the rescued girl to the temple?" He changed the subject.

    "At first, yes. The girl will stay with Han So Yee at the Kisaeng house tonight before I take her to the temple tomorrow so she can recover her health."

    "You said she is from Tosan. Why bring her here? Does it not make it difficult for you to place her?"

    "We have narrowed down two houses where she could stay. The message said she is mute, so it''s hard to find a safe family who would accept her. That also makes it difficult for us to eliminate people from the list who might have known her previously. But few people move in and out of Ganghwa, and those who do rarely bother with servants. My sister will take her in if nothing else works."

    "I might be able to help. My mother needs someone to take care of her. You can send her to my village."

    "I have to first check how deep her disability is. Lack of hearing is often the cause of muteness. In that case, she cannot care for a sick person."

    "This is the same girl who was recaptured after her first rescue four months ago, right?"

    "Yes. Rescuing her again took a long time, and the fear of her recapture is still troubling us. I don''t know the details, but she has been our toughest rescue so far. Her previous masters seem to be powerful people. And everyone seems to be on high alert these days."

    "If so, it will make it dangerous for you too!" Seung frowned.

    Minjae clicked the chopsticks in her hand. "It was always a gamble, Dari. I would not change it for anything."

    He followed her gaze to the rolling waves that kept coming at the sand, sometimes whisperingly soft, sometimes lashingly fierce, bullying it to yield to their power and erode, to diminish. Yet the sand stood firm against all ferocity¡ªresolute, silent, defiant¡ªeventually forcing the sea to return what it had taken.

    He understood.

    Seung drank deeply from a flask that Minjae passed to him. She was spoiling him. At times, it almost felt like they were an old married couple. She would ask about his previous day and listen to him intently. He had confided his misgivings about King Injo''s politics and Joseon''s struggle to balance the Mings and the Barbarians. She never pried, respecting his boundaries of how much he could divulge, but she always asked intelligent questions and, at times, came up with inventive solutions. Minjae''s startling beauty paled when compared to her brains. Her thoughts ran deep, and he could spend hours listening to her. She was passionate about medicine, and yet one day, she had blurted how much she had once dreamt of a quiet life with a house full of children.

    Seung wanted to make it a reality. He had never been so sure of anything in his life. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

    Feeling lighter in his heart, Seung helped her clean up, and Minjae produced a carrot for the horse.

    "Did you cook a lot at your - in your previous life?" Seung asked.

    "Not a lot."

    "How did you learn to cook mainland dishes? I have not had some of what you cook outside of Hanyang."

    "I meet people from the mainland all the time. Some of my patients love to exchange recipes," Minjae responded, gathering the empty boxes. Once more, Seung was struck with the infinite grace of the woman before him who made mundane motions seem musical.

    "Ah! I see." Feeling full and satisfied, Seung stretched his arms and moved them in a circular motion, working his shoulders. The woman would make him a rotund glutton if he weren''t careful.

    "Is your shoulder still giving you trouble?" Minjae asked.

    "Not anymore. Your touch is magical. I think I overate," Seung said as he took the tote of boxes from her hand and hung it on the saddle hook.

    "I will come to the temple with you tomorrow," Seung said.

    Minjae looked lost in thoughts on her way back to the village.

    "Are you worried about the girl arriving today?"

    "Somewhat," She acceded.

    "I can be there with you if you want when you meet her today," Seung offered against his better judgment, wanting to ease the tension furrowing her brow, even though as an officer of the King, he was best not involved in such clandestine activities. But he was already too deep into everything. And anyway, he never honestly cared for conventions.

    "It''s all right. Please do not become directly involved in any of this. Moreover, I will not be meeting her today. Han So ye and Nam Dami will take her to the Kisaeng house."

    "All right. I will come to the inn tonight. Will you be there?" Seung turned his hopeful eyes to her.

    A rosy flush brushed her cheeks. "If you promise to behave."

    "What? Do I not behave well with you?" Seung kept a hand on his heart with an exaggerated sigh.

    "Stop it. You know what I mean," she said reproachfully.

    Seung dropped his height to bring his face close to her. "No. You have to explain," he teased, his eyes twinkling.

    Mortified, Minjae brought a hand to her flaming cheeks. "Whenever you come, everyone gossips!"

    On an impulse, Seung lightly encircled her wrist, making her pause. "Kim Minjae, when will you accept that I am the man of your dreams?" Seung''s voice was husky.

    "Only in your dreams," she returned, but her voice was shaky.

    Letting go of her wrist, Seung placed a long forefinger under her chin, tipping it up. "I can give you the life you want, Minjae. Do you not want a family of your own?"

    "It''s an impossible dream, Dari," Minjae said wistfully.

    Tentatively, Seung cupped the side of her face, his touch so light that their skin barely touched. "I feel complete with you, as if I''ve finally found my missing piece. Allow me to be by your side, to be your companion, your friend, your protector, your lover. I will bend this world to make you happy."

    Minjae swallowed. Seung straightened and put an arm around her, pulling her towards him. She didn''t object. One arm encircled her while he placed the other on the back of her head. Minjae kept her hands on his muscle-encased ribcage, and his heart hammered her palms. She rested her forehead on the safe expanse of his chest.

    "Is it so difficult to say yes? I know you enough to understand you want to be with me. Am I wrong?" Seung breathed into her hair.

    Minjae stayed silent. His arms felt so right around her, and tears pushed at the back of her eyes.

    "I do not know what tomorrow holds, but allow us to shape our today. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Just say yes, Minjae, and I will make it happen," Seung entreated her huskily.

    A sound barely above a whisper caressed his ears, "Yes."

    Did he mishear it?

    He pulled her away and captured her chin between his forefinger and thumb. "Say it again," he demanded hoarsely.

    Rubies would pale at the colour that painted her cheeks. "Yes," she managed, but then she made the mistake of meeting his gaze, which changed from gentle to smouldering, and Seung dipped his head.

    Panicked at the thought he might kiss her, she grabbed his tunic and hid her face in his chest.

    Torn between amusement and delight, Seung felt his heart would burst with happiness. He tightened his hold, his veins humming with contentment. He rested his face on her head. "I love you, Kim Minjae," Seung said gruffly. "Thank you for giving me this precious gift. I will speak to your father. And I will make it work," he promised.

    *

    Kisaeng Han So Ye and Nam Dami anxiously watched the rectangular wooden box that Ko Yoon was prying open. The navy ships were beyond the command of the royal inspectors and safe to smuggle small-framed human beings. However, if the ventilation was not proper, the boxes could get claustrophobic, even fatal, at times.

    Its hood opened to reveal a plethora of baskets filled with various food supplies for the army. Ko Yoon and Captain Park wasted no time removing the baskets with practised efficiency. A shrouded figure lay at the bottom.

    "Are you all right there, child?" Captain Park asked gently, peering into the depths of the box.

    The figure moved, indicating life, causing a collective rush of relief to escape through the worried lips of the four figures crowding around the box.

    "How long has she been like that?" So Ye asked.

    "We put her in there before dawn," Captain Park said.

    "So it''s been several hours. The poor thing must be terribly cramped," Dami said.

    The girl unfolded herself, doubling over and sinking a few times before she straightened, a grimace of pain shifting through her gaunt face. Ko Yoon grasped a frail arm, helping the girl to climb out of the narrow box.

    Han So Ye enveloped the trembling girl in a warm, reassuring embrace. Tawny eyes laced with pain and fear darted around the group. What must have been a round face once was now a sunken mass of tissues and bones.

    "You are safe now. No one will ever hurt you again; I promise," Han So Ye squeezed the girl''s cold, bony hands.

    Nam Dami stepped forward. "Once, I, too, was rescued like you. You do not have anything to fear."

    The girl nodded.

    "You are going to stay with me tonight at the Kisaeng House," Han So Ye said.

    The girl''s eyes widened with anxiety, and she tried to step back.

    "Please do not fear. You only need to rest tonight and shake off anyone who might have followed your trail. If anyone is chasing you, they will not think of looking for runaways in Kisaeng houses. We will take you to the temple tomorrow, where you will stay for a while to recover. Our Island Physician will accompany you. She is the one who has made all of this possible, and she will personally look after you. Please take a good look at all of us. If you sense any danger, you must alert one of us. Do you understand?"

    With a slight shake of her head, the girl nodded her assent.

    "Can you speak?" Han So Ye asked gently.

    Tears filled her eyes as she shook her head.

    "Nam Dami, please let Minjae know the girl can hear and understand us but cannot speak," Han So Ye said. "Ko Yoon, please get the boatmen ready for tomorrow early morning,"

    "Yes, Noonim," Ko Yoon responded.

    A quick drink of water later, the girl was hastened away in a palanquin to the Kisaeng House.

    The following day, her healing journey would begin.

 Twelve: Sticky Situations

    Their wounds were healing well. Minjae explained the exact doses and durations for the medications to the young men, who gazed at her with both reverence and fascination.

    Minjae checked the sutures on a brown-haired, handsome young soldier whose shin had splintered from a fall two weeks ago. Satisfied that it was healing well, she returned to the physician''s chamber.

    It had been a busy morning. A freak accident the previous week during the construction of a platform had filled the hospital beds with more men than the physicians on the army hospital premises could handle. Minjae and her father had been called in to help. Minjae has sutured dozens of young soldiers. Flu had admitted even more from the garrison, overwhelming the already full hospital.

    Minjae dropped her tools into the pot of boiling water and packed the already sterilised ones. The clapping of horses'' hooves drew her attention to the window, covered with a decorated hanji curtain. More patients. She sighed, frowning unseeingly at water bubbles swimming around her tools.

    Before leaving the hospital premises, she needed to check with the pharmacist for the hospital''s supply to be restocked. The army hospital had been woefully understaffed, requiring local men and women to fill in the spots, many of whom were undertrained. She was scheduled for a suturing training class later in the afternoon, barely leaving her any time to make rounds of her patients in the village before it became too dark for her to do so.

    There was so much to do, yet she stumbled through the morning, trying to keep up with the appearance of doing her job by rote. Her mind was swamped with thoughts of Seung, and her senses were overwhelmed with the realisation of how big a step she had taken out of sheer weakness for a man who had overtaken her heart and soul.

    And how dangerous it could all become.

    What had she done! She must have been crazy to even think of it.

    Yet, she could not contain the thrill of finally accepting her feelings for Seung out loud.

    Minjae suddenly realised Im Ji Won was speaking to her. She looked at her askance.

    "Do you think the flu is dangerous, Unnie?" Im Ji Won asked while winding a string around the scrunched-up neck of a tiny medicinal pouch, eyeing Minjae quizzically.

    "So far, we have not lost anyone, so I am hoping it''s a mild one, like the ones we often get when the weather changes," Minjae replied quickly.

    "Oh, I remember," Im Ji Won said. "The messenger came from the northern pharmacy. They have sent a list of herbs they need immediately."

    Minjade nodded absently. The herbal leaves Minjae grew in the patch of land behind her house were maturing fast. In the early morning, the leaves held a high concentration of essential oils before the sun released them into the air. She had harvested most of the herbs the previous week before leaving for lessons with Seung, but she still had more to prune before they flowered. She would need to dry the ones already harvested and then steam some of them to extract the essential oil.

    "Unnie, I have prepared the poultices. Whom should I give them to?" Im Hi Won broke her reverie, neatly lining up the medicine pouches in a small tray.

    "To Physician Jang On. He is in the surgery room with the soldier brought in from the mountains yesterday night," Minja replied.

    Im-Ji-Won paused. "Unnie, you seem distracted today," she observed.

    With a start, Minjae realised the water had reduced to half, and her tools were overheated. She quickly dipped the tongs to remove them from the pot on the small wooden stove, her cheeks as hot as the boiling water.

    "Where is Nam Dami? Did she come back from the mountains?" Keeping her eyes peeled on the tools, Minjae nonchalantly asked with her back to Im Ji Won, attempting to distract her attention.

    "I don''t know, I have not seen her," Im Ji Won responded.

    Minjae nodded. "I have prepared several boxes already. Go to the apothecary, check which ones are on the list, get the runners ready and drop them off tomorrow morning. Tell the pharmacy I will send the rest as soon as we have the supply."

    "Yes, Unnie," Im Ji Won replied from behind her.

    Minjae felt the air in the room change before she heard Im Ji Won gasp. She turned and found Lee Seung standing in the doorway, splendid in his red and yellow official uniform, his majestic plumed hat adding several inches to his impressive height.

    Talk of the devil...

    Their eyes met, and Seung''s softened for a moment.

    "Physician Kim, it''s been a long time since we met," he lied bald-faced, the corners of his mouth suggesting an almost indiscernible smile.

    Her heart jumped, and her already warm cheeks became brick red. She gave Seung a quick courtesy greeting. Im Ji Won gave Minjae a mischievous roll of her eyes before escaping with, "I will leave first."

    The chamber was fairly large, the spatial space broken by several tables holding a plethora of medicinal bags, boxes, tools, and other supplies. Fragrant pouches hung overhead, and herbal plants grew on a table by the window.

    Walking over to a long table with different kinds of leaves drying in rectangular boxes lined with white cloth, Seung picked a dry leaf, rubbed it between his thumb and forefinger and sniffed it.

    "This does not smell too good. I thought most of the herbs were pleasurable to smell," he observed.

    "These are medicinal herbs. They are supposed to cure you, not please you," Minjae said breathlessly.

    He walked over to her dangerously close, leaned in and inhaled. "There is a particular scent around you that I have never smelled before on anyone else. I find it infinitely pleasing," he said softly.

    Minjae threw a panicked glance at the doorway. "What are you doing here?" She stepped back two paces. Seung followed, shadowing her steps.

    Seung bent toward her, his long upper body effortlessly helping his face reach the side of her neck. The exquisite scent that always clung to him assailed her senses.

    "Even in this room that''s overloaded with so many different scents, it''s the one coming from you that makes me dizzy with delight," he said huskily, his hot breath caressing her ear, sending shards of heat shooting through her veins. His hands were locked behind his back, but the way her body reacted, one would think he was touching her all over.

    A tremor of need washed over her. His body emanated heat with such ferocity that she felt singed. With legs that were suddenly soggy, she turned to create distance between them. Seung caught her arm and pulled her to face him, holding her lightly against his body, the tips of his long fingers imprinting her waist.

    "Dari, someone will see us! People will gossip."

    "So let them. What do you fear? I am yours, and you are mine," Seung replied, running a soft finger across the rim of her forehead, causing feathers to rise on her skin.

    "It''s not proper, and you know it," she complained, though she made no effort to move away.

    "I can''t stay away from you, Minjae. Will you see the sunset with me on the cliff today?" He asked, his face close. Too close.

    "I cannot," she whispered, aware of his eyes fixed on her lips, "I have too many-" footsteps interrupted her sentence, and they sprang apart like thieves caught stealing. Using his long legs, Seung jumped behind a table while Minjae bent over her toolbox, her heart galloping noisily like the hooves of fifty horses beating down a rocky path.

    Two young nurses entered the chamber, their eyes widening. "Commander Lee!" They stuttered and bowed, and their young faces flushed in admiration and puppy crush.

    Seung cleared his throat and returned their greeting with a smile. Minjae felt a pang of jealousy lace through her. She hid her face in her box, meticulously arranging her tools.

    "Madam Kim, Physician Jang On has asked for you," one of the nurses remembered why they had come.

    Minjae made an unintelligible sound of assent.

    "Physician Kim, you were saying something about giving me a tour of the facility?" Seung asked casually.

    "Yes," Minjae managed to get the word out without stammering.

    And that is how Minjae and Physician Jang On ended up taking Seung around the wards, giving him updates on every soldier admitted to the hospital while his attendants furiously took notes. Seung was now on an official tour and maintained a very professional front. Minjae kept her eyes glued to the floor or her patients, letting Physician Jang On do most of the talking.

    "Do you think the flu might spread further?" Seung asked with concern.

    "It''s seasonal and seems local so far," Physician Jang On replied.

    Flu and pox were the two most feared diseases for the army. Considering the possibility that the island was a refuge for the royal family, it would be essential to keep it tightly regulated in the coming months.

    "What do you think, Physician Kim? You are more in touch with the local population," Seung asked.

    "I concur with Physician Jang On, sir," Minjae replied. "However, we might need to watch out for people leaving the island and travelling to the mainland so it does not spread there. People coming into the island also have to be protected."

    Seung nodded. A few Yangban families were scheduled to move in the following month. There were two reported pregnant women. Seung hoped it would subside by then.

    They came to a corridor leading to an open hall on the right and a series of small storage rooms on the left. As they all turned towards the entrance, the area narrowed, constricting the gap between her and Seung. Before she realised what he was up to, Seung playfully squeezed her hand, running a thumb against her palm sensuously before striding ahead.

    Minjae gaped after him, rooted at the spot. The flood of sensations radiating from her palm to her ears curled her toes. In embarrassment, she looked around to see if anyone was watching.

    Seung then looked back and addressed her, "Physician Kim, you seem distracted today."

    The twinkle in his eyes told her he had overheard Im Ji Won. Three pairs of eyes looked back at her quizzically. Minjae fought for composure and eyed him snippily.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    "I apologise, Commander Lee if I come across as such, but I assure you I am not. I do not think you know me enough, and we do not share a closeness for you to know differently," she raised her chin.

    Pure mischief crossed his handsome face, and his eyes narrowed amusingly at her challenge.

    Don''t we? A raised eyebrow teased her. Loudly, he said, "Undoubtedly, it''s my moment to express regret at my presumptions."

    "If you could be kind enough to excuse me, I have to check some supplies," she bowed.

    "Sure, please go ahead. I look forward to seeing you at the inn later tonight."

    Minjae''s eyes glinted like marbles at the blatant display of familiarity in public. As fiery colour rose to her face, she turned around, her shoulders squared, her spine stiff.

    Suddenly, she turned. "Pachouli. The herb you were curious about," she returned.

    A fleck of surprise flashed in his eyes, and Seung smiled at her retreating back.

    *

    That afternoon, Kim Da Bom wasn''t pleased with Minjae.

    "Can you stop daydreaming and pay attention?"

    Minjae hardly heard. Her head felt light; her calves trembled, and her knees felt mush. She worried her lips with her teeth, her restless eyes darting to every man entering the tavern.

    The crowd, as usual, got on her nerves. Why could she never prevent herself from morphing into this caricature of nerves when faced with an emotional overload? She was not a shy village maiden. For heaven''s sake, she was the island''s physician! She had to do better.

    Yet all she could think of was the sensations Seung had created with a simple touch of his fingers, and her body thrummed at the memory.

    A tall figure entered the inn, and her head jerked up, as did her hand stirring the broth. It was someone else. A disappointed sigh escaped her. The soup splattered its objection at being disturbed by the unstable ladle. Minjae picked up a rag to wipe off the droplets. Dismayed, she looked down at her beige apron, now dotted with wet spots. For someone who always prided herself on being well groomed, she was looking a mess.

    Im Ji Won came to her side and took the ladle from her hand. "Are you all right, Unnie Minjae?"

    Minjae nodded at her friend with a grateful smile.

    Kim Da Bom watched her for a few minutes and then barked, "Im Ji Won!"

    The young girl looked up from pouring broth into bowls. "Yes, Unnie Dabom?"

    "Handle the inn for a few minutes." Grabbing Minjae by the arm, Kim Da Bom dragged her away into the resting chamber at the back of the inn.

    With her hands on her waist, Kim Da Bom wasted no time. "I will not have you mix up orders again. Either say yes to him or forget the man. Stop making yourself and everyone else miserable."

    Minjae wrung her hands for a few minutes and then said, "I n-need some help," she said.

    Kim Da Bom took a fresh apron from a shelf and tossed it at Minjae, then watched as the younger woman fumbled gracefully to untie the one she was wearing and replace it with the new one.

    Her lips compressed in a straight line, Kim Da-Bom crossed her arms and looked at Minjae impatiently. "Obviously, this can''t wait for the night, so get it off your chest."

    "Commander Lee proposed today -"

    "He has been proposing to you since day one. So what''s new?" Kim Da Bom poured some tea into a cup. Slapping it on a saucer, she shoved it at Minjae, who accepted it gratefully with a bow.

    "No, I mean he really proposed. He said he wants to live with me and make a family with me."

    Kim Da Bom lifted a cup of tea to her lips. "And you need help to say no to him?" Impatience and sarcasm laced her voice.

    "I said yes," Minjae mumbled.

    "You said¡ªwhat?" Kim Da Bom erupted and choked, the liquid in her mouth spurting out in a projectile, rendering Minjae''s new apron as soiled as the previous one.

    Minjae patted Kim Da Bom''s back and fetched some water in a bowl.

    It was a few minutes before Kim Da Bom noticed her handiwork on Minjay''s clothes. Appalled, Da Bom tried to paw away the wet spots.

    "Leave it be," Minjae said resignedly.

    "Hold on a minute....did you really?" Kim Da Bom asked, shaking her head in astonishment. She set the bowl aside and took out yet another fresh apron.

    Unable to look her sister in the eye, Minjae busied herself for the next few minutes changing.

    "Minjae, look at me," Da-Bom said, grasping her shoulder and facing her.

    "Yes. I accepted Commander Lee''s proposal. He will speak to Father. I must have been crazy."

    "I am surprised it took you this long. I knew it when you started cooking for him," KimDa Bom laughed with an ''I told you so'' look.

    "I wasn''t cooking for him!" Minjae protested.

    "Right. Remind me, when was the last time you ate lotus root?"

    Crossing her arms in vexation, Minjae said, "It was a mainland dish I wanted to try." But then she caught her sister''s sceptical look and could not help but smile.

    And both burst out laughing.

    Kim Da Bom tenderly wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gently squeezed it. "You have made me very happy, Minjae, and Abuji will be happy too," she said.

    Minjae caught her lip in a painful bite. "I don''t think it was the right thing to do. We can never have a future."

    "Do not be silly. It''s all right; do not be scared. It will work out. This is Ganghwa. No one will judge you here."

    Minjae looked at the dregs of her tea, recalling the number of times Kim Da Bom had encouraged her to listen to her heart. She drained her tea in a gulp and set the empty cup aside.

    "I am afraid," Minjae said.

    "You are safe now," Kim Da Bom said kindly.

    "He does not know much about my life..."

    "Is it even important anymore, Minjae? You are safe now and must look ahead. Free yourself. You are doing nothing wrong."

    Minjae rubbed her palm absentmindedly on her arm.

    "But that''s not what''s worrying you right now, is it?" Kim Da Bom peered into Minjae''s face.

    "Well, yes and no. It''s awkward. The thing is, he knows I was married for fifteen years."

    "So?"

    "So, well, you know -" Minjae turned beetroot red.

    "Minjae, what is it?"

    "Unnie, you - you have to tell me how to kiss like an experienced woman," the words tumbled out of Minjae''s mouth in a torrent, and then she turned purple in embarrassment.

    Kim Da Bom looked like she had seen a flying pig. "Minjae, are you joking? How am I supposed to do that?"

    Minjae covered her face with her hands. "I don''t know what to do!"

    "Did Commander Lee try to kiss you?"

    "Y-No, b-but I know he will."

    Kim Da Bom started laughing. "Kim Minjae, you are the strangest person I have ever known. Of all the things to worry about in this world..."

    "You don''t understand! Commander Lee thinks I am an experienced woman!" Minjae was so frustrated she stamped her foot.

    "Relax, little sister," Kim Da Bom wisely advised. "Experience does not always mean you are good at something. Kissing should be the least of your worries. Maybe he would not know the difference either."

    Minjae thought of Han So Ye, and her face fell. He would know the difference all right, but she could hardly say it to her sister.

    "What if he does? What if he...he figures out..." Minjae felt ill at the thought. Even Kim Da Bom didn''t know the depth of her perils.

    "Stop it, Minjae. I have never known a man who was displeased because the woman he courted was inexperienced, especially if he hoped to make her his partner. There are things you cannot work around. And trust me, it''s not the end of the world. Now, can we go back to the inn? It''s a busy evening, and it''s not like you can do anything about it right now."

    Minjae clutched Kim Da Bom''s sleeves. "I am nervous."

    "Look, one thing I can tell you. Experienced women are never shy."

    Kim Da Bom didn''t wait for her to respond. She exited the chamber, still shaking her head at the ridiculousness of their conversation, followed by a very unhappy Minjae.

    Back at the inn, Minjae tried to keep herself occupied, but nothing seemed to help. The butterflies in her stomach refused to settle down. Did she happen to grow a garden inside?

    So when Seung entered, her heart dropped, as did the tray she held. Kim Da Bom scowled at her, and she scowled right back. Im Ji Won rushed to her side. "Are you all right, Unnie?"

    Minjae mumbled something in reply. Two younger helpers joined them to clean the mess Minjae had created. Kim Da Bom plastered a smile on her lips and greeted Seung, who was accompanied by a loud Wang Jung and the sombre Sargeant.

    Minjae took a deep breath and tried to calm her jittery nerves. She stole a look at Seung, her breath catching in her throat. He looked so handsome in a blue and grey hanbok, his gnat angled just right, adding to his height. She felt shy, and yet a desire to throw caution in the air and run to his arms ran through her blood.

    The young girl Kim Da Bom had hired last week was looking at her quizzically. "Commander Lee is handsome, isn''t he?" the girl sighed.

    Embarrassed at being caught ogling, Minjae gave a tight smile and fetched a fresh serving of the tray she had dropped.

    Determined not to look at Seung, she gave herself a hard mental shake and went opposite where they sat.

    To her delight, she found herself face to face with the handsome Captain Park Hyun Ki, who had just entered the inn. Her heart warmed at the sight of the man. Captain Park was one of her favourite people on earth, and she was genuinely happy to see him. Glad to have something to divert her attention from Seung, she greeted the Captain a little more effusively than she meant, "Captain Park! You are back. How good it is to see you."

    Captain Park''s almond eyes flickered with surprise. His charismatic, sharp-featured face broke into a smile. "I didn''t realise you would notice my absence this much, Physician Kim."

    Belatedly, she realised this uncharacteristic greeting was not a very good idea. The villagers had been speculating about her relationship with Captain Park for two years, and she might have given the impression that she was welcoming her lover home.

    She could feel Seung''s eyes boring into her back. Could she do nothing right today? She gave Captain Park an uncertain nod before making her escape.

    Across the inn, Seung kept his attention on the two men sitting with him, pretending to be interested in their conversation, even though his eyes kept straying to where Minjae was, who had so far ignored him to a point as if he didn''t exist. At first, he did not feel as bothered because she had perfected ignoring everyone, including him on all his previous visits, without being insulting, into an art. Still, after the way she had melted into him in the morning, her disregard rankled.

    So when he saw Minjae bow and greet the tall, well-built man who had entered the inn before them so warmly, his teeth gnashed, an unpleasant jolt of jealousy fraying his nerves.

    Irate, Seung slammed the cup he was holding in his hand. "What''s with this ale? It tastes terrible." Im Ji Won, who was placing bowls of soybean meat soup at their table, jumped. "Do you have anything else you can replace this with?" Seung asked irritably.

    "Yes, of course, Dari, we have another wine to offer this evening," Im Ji Won hurried away in fright.

    Unaware of the undercurrent across the inn, a frazzled Im Ji Won handed Minjae a tray with a blackberry wine jar and fresh tumblers and, pointing in Seung''s direction, pleaded, "Can you please replace the ginger wine tumblers on Commander Lee''s table?"

    Minjae looked at the tray in horror. Blackberry wine was a known aphrodisiac for men.

    Reluctantly, Minjae shuffled to the table where Seung sat, her cheeks peeling off with heat. Summoning her best stoic expression, she directed her practised ''look through'' gaze at all three men before exchanging their tumblers and gracefully replacing the ginger wine jar with the blackberry one.

    "Physician Kim, it''s a pleasure to see you. Have you been well?" Seung asked conversationally. Despite her resolve to avoid his gaze, she ended up meeting his eyes inadvertently. He returned her gaze, his narrowed eyes silently questioning, their possessiveness unmistakable. Just as she feared, her interaction with the Captain had not escaped his notice, and her colour rose to the roots of her hair.

    She dropped her eyes. Determined to keep her pretence, she gave the men an exaggerated bow and turned away, only to be blocked by Seung''s massive frame.

    "You reserve your greetings only for special people, Physician Kim?"

    He lifted a quizzical brow, the corner of his mouth lifted in a sardonic smile. He lifted a wine-filled tumbler from her tray and replaced it with an empty one. "You forgot to replace mine," he remarked loudly, then dropped his voice to a low growl. "Or is it just me you do not want to feed this aphrodisiac to?"

    Minjae raised her furious eyes at him, painfully aware of all the eyes trained on them.

    "I warned you," she hissed, lowering her eyes to direct them at the strong column of his throat.

    His large apple moved ever so delicately, betraying his emotions more than words could.

    "Minjae -" he whispered so only she could hear.

    A shadow intervened.

    "You must be the famed Commander Lee. I am Park Hyun Ki, the Naval fleet Captain of the Yellow Sea. Please accept my humble greetings," Captain Park bowed his respects to the younger man and then spoiled the effect by edging himself protectively between Minjae and Seung.

    Both men measured each other. A muscle ticked in Seung''s jaw as he returned Captain Park''s icy stare.

    "Commander Lee, I think we should finish the food.." Wang Jung piped in from somewhere behind her.

    Minjae could scream. "Please excuse me, Commander Lee, Captain Park," she said as politely as she could, extricating herself from the sticky situation for which she could kill Seung.

    She turned to head to the back of the kitchen, only to see Cha Moon-Sik walk in.

    Minjae groaned. The chatter around them had intensified, with curious eyes now fixated on her and all three alleged suitors, their expressions openly speculative.

    Out of nowhere, Nam Dami appeared. "Why do you not go and rest, Unnie? I will take care of the tables."

    Minjae fled.

 Thirteen: A Breeze

    Kim Minjae didn''t make it far. She heard Seung before she felt his grip on her wrist that halted her feet. She didn''t turn, stubbornly keeping her head averted, twisting her wrist to shake him free.

    It was particularly dark tonight, with no sign of the moon. They stood in the middle of a narrow lane illuminated by sporadic fire torches and lanterns, flanked by haphazardly laid huts with thatched roofs, lights from candles and lamps peeking from their windows. A mother sang a lullaby for her infant. A few children gathered around a small fire, playing with stones. They looked up curiously at the two adults, and then, deciding there was nothing much of interest, they went back to their game.

    "We are in public, Commander Lee," Minjae bit out.

    "Can we talk?" Seung asked as he let go of her wrist. Instead, he lightly took hold of her elbow and guided her to the side of the road, under the shadows of the lined huts and uneven walls.

    She faced him, her eyes narrowed. "I do not like attention drawn to me."

    "And I do not like being ignored by you. Is it so hard to acknowledge my presence? Why do you try to avoid me in public? And yet greet others as if -" Seung had a vein throbbing in his temple.

    The hurt in his face threw her off. "Captain Park is an old friend," she automatically defended herself.

    Seung clenched his jaw. "Then who am I?"

    "You¡ª" Minjae paused, biting her lip and turning sideways uncomfortably. She nudged a small pebble with her toe and made a ribbed line in the dust with the pointed end of her shoe. "I need time."

    "I am not asking you to announce our relationship. But I cannot stand it anymore that you simply ignore me like I don''t exist!" Seung expelled a frustrated breath.

    His unhappiness hit her like a tidal wave.

    Minjae had been so lost in her world that she didn''t realise her actions hurt Seung. She felt an awful sense of inadequacy, appalled at her apathy towards him. Seung had made her feel loved, desired, and beautiful, while she had spent most of her time disowning her feelings towards him. A part of her had been unconsciously pushing him away while the other part was trying to cling to him.

    The beautiful, patient man was angry with her. Guilt swamped her.

    "I hurt you," she said, contrite.

    Seung pressed a hand behind his neck, rubbing it wearily.

    "Yes, you did," he said simply.

    "I am sorry, I was not thinking," Minjae said truthfully.

    A long sigh escaped him. Seung gently lifted her chin with a long forefinger.

    "When I saw you greet the Captain and ignore me, it made me jealous," Seung replied with a resigned asperity.

    An unfamiliar thrill coursed through her body at his possessive words. Her fingers fidgeted with the side of her dress.

    "I should have handled it better. It''s just that -" Seung paused.

    "Just what, Dari?"

    He shook his head. "It''s nothing. Forget I said it."

    "I would love for you to complete your thought," Minjae insisted gently.

    "It''s not important. Truce?" His face broke into his irresistible smile.

    She dimpled and gave him a shy nod of assent.

    "Come, I will walk you home," Seung offered.

    Their footfalls broke the soft silence of the evening. Recent rain had softened the dust, turning it more gravelly, making the crunch of their footsteps sound louder than at other times.

    "Today is a very special day, and the evening should have ended better," Seung said wistfully. "I want to make it up to you."

    "Why would you make it up to me? It''s my fault. I will try to do better," Minjae said.

    Impulsively, Seung brushed a knuckle on her cheek, "Don''t go back on your word," he said softly.

    She was glad of the dark; otherwise, he would have easily seen her blush. She became warm at how easily she blushed and gave herself away.

    Then, with his usual enthusiasm, Seung said, "In that case, we both make each other happy. Would you like to learn to wield a sword?"

    Minjae''s mouth fell open. She turned to him. "You mean to teach me to fight?"

    Seung chuckled. "I would not say taking up a sword means you must fight. It only means you can defend yourself if the need arises. It''s an excellent skill to have. We are going to the temple tomorrow, so we can start the morning after."

    Even in the dark, Seung could see her face glow. He had started to know her well, he thought to himself, hiding a smile.

    "I would love to. But I don''t know how to make it up to you, Dari," Minjae said softly, her gaze travelling to his dark eyes.

    His eyes lit up with the lights filtering from the crack of a nearby torchlight, his gaze liquid as he looked at her. "I can think of a few ways you could make it up to me, Kim Minjae," he said, his voice low and deep, almost a caress.

    Minjae''s footsteps faltered. Seung''s hypnotic eyes drew her in like a fly to a fire. Her hand clenched into a fist at her throat. Her veins thrummed, and her lips parted of their own volition, and she sucked in a breath like a fish deprived of water.

    Seung stepped forward, his blood gushing in his ears, his body reacting to the expectation in her eyes. Instinctively, she stepped back as if poised for flight. Seung''s perceptive eyes picked up every minute nuance¡ªher flushed face, wide eyes, erratic breathing.

    He had never kept himself in check with a woman like he did with Minjae, who, at times, reminded him of a very young girl instead of the self-assured woman of the world that she appeared to be on the surface. He did not know how much experience she had in matters of physical intimacy, but he doubted she ever had good tutors. Joseon never demanded it of men, and women seldom complained. He knew he had to take it slow with her.

    Seung clenched his hands behind him.

    "You could cook some seaweed soup for me next time," Seung let out a muffled laugh that reverberated in his chest. Confusion clouded Minjae''s eyes before they widened. Was he teasing her? Minjae pursed her lips, suddenly infuriated. She grew hot at the thought that she had expected something else and suspected Seung knew it. Seung always got away with pranking her. To her dismay, she liked the attention but couldn''t quite figure out how to react, and she wasn''t sure what aggravated her more. She had kept a tight lid on her emotions for so long that these new sensations of headiness were upsetting her equilibrium.

    Turning away from Seung, she walked ahead swiftly. "I cook seaweed soups only for birthdays. And yours is still a couple of weeks away!"

    "Wait! How did you know of my birthday?" Seung asked, perplexed. Birthdays weren''t common knowledge.

    She responded with a shrug. "I have my ways."

    Her answer brought an amusing lift to a corner of Seung''s lips. Seung adored her unguarded responses to any suggestions of impropriety from him. She was irate at his teasing. The look suited her, making his heart race. He desperately wanted her in his arms, and the way her offended feet marched, so did she. Maybe he didn''t have to take it so slow after all! They turned a corner into a darker, secluded lane. Once more, Seung''s hand reached out to imprison her wrist, but before he could complete his intention, a shuffling sound followed them.

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    "Physician Kim!" A man''s deep voice penetrated the night.

    Captain Park caught up with them, a little out of breath but none the worse for the wear.

    Minjae turned in surprise. "Captain Park Hyun Ki! What are you doing here?"

    Seung had a fair idea of why they suddenly had unwanted company.

    A few years older than him, Captain Park was a wide-chested, well-toned man with hazel, boat-shaped eyes stretched at the corners. Swarthy sun-kissed skin stretched over two incredibly high cheekbones and a finely chiselled jaw. His nose had been broken at some point, the tip slightly bent to one side, giving his face an unexpected depth. Full lips softened the incredibly handsome face.

    Seung''s mouth tightened, and his fists curled as he measured his good-looking competitor. However, he carefully kept his face impassive.

    The man bowed to Seung before addressing Minjae, "Physician Kim, I-er-well, had some things to discuss with you regarding-" Captain Park paused, giving Seung a side glance- "about something private."

    "Is it regarding tomorrow?" Minjae asked.

    Looking uneasy, Captain Park gave a slight nod.

    "It''s all right. Commander Lee knows about everything. You can speak freely."

    To say that Captain Park was surprised would be an understatement.

    "Oh! Ko Yoon did inform me of the happenings in the forest, but I was not aware -"

    "Now you are, Captain Park, so whatever you have to say, please say it here," Seung said, raising himself to his impressive height, standing a head taller than the Captain. Seung knew the man was not obligated to heed Seung''s commands because Park reported directly to the Naval Commander. Yet, Seung also recognised that the Captain was not naive enough to defy the established hierarchy of Joseon. These moments were among the rare instances when Seung found satisfaction in wearing a ranked government robe.

    "Yes, you can speak in front of Commander Lee," Minjae agreed.

    "All right. I thought it was prudent to inform you that the rescued girl is extremely unwell, and you might need help accompanying her to the temple. And I would be happy to come along."

    "No need, Captain. I will be accompanying Physician Kim on this trip," Seung said.

    Captain Park Hyun Ki compressed his lips. "Commander Lee, with all due respect, it might be better if I went this time. You are new to the operation, and the rescued girl is already terrified, and seeing a new man can upset her."

    Minjae''s face fell. She had been so excited about bringing Seung along that she had not given the rescue operation enough thought.

    She turned to Seung, her lower lip caught between her teeth. "Captain Park could be right, Dari. I am sorry, I didn''t think this through."

    "Why do we not decide how it goes tomorrow, Physician Kim? There is a first time for everyone," Seung reasoned, the fingers linked behind his back going white with the pressure he exerted on them. "I would want to be a part of something so noble that you are doing, and it will also help to apprise the loopholes if there are any."

    Grasping at the straw, Minjae brightened. "I think what Commander Lee says makes sense. It will be alright if Commander Lee makes this trip. I want to introduce him to the monks, too. We shall see you tomorrow morning."

    Unhappily, Captain Park mulled, obviously unwilling to leave Minjae alone with Seung.

    Like a bug neglecting to notice a flame until it was too late, Minjae was startled by the fierce undercurrent between the two men. Minjae glanced at Seung. The street was lined with closed shops; it was too dark to read his expressions. She wondered how long Captain Park had been following them. Belatedly, she also realised it must look suspicious that she was with Seung so late at night.

    "Is there anything else I can help you with, Captain Park?" Minjae asked warmly, careful not to sound too eager to get rid of him. "Commander Lee is coming to the apothecary to get some salve for his sore shoulder," she quickly fabricated. "Do you also need medication?"

    Hoping he would reply in negative, Minjae bit the inside of her cheek while she waited for his answer.

    Seung pinched the bridge of his nose.

    Captain Park Hyun Ki hummed and hawed, then cleared his throat. "If you do not mind, I would like the mixture you make for cold and headache. The weather has not been cooperative."

    Minjae smiled wanly as she nodded.

    Seung jaws locked in annoyance.

    The two men walked her to the apothecary, where Kim Minjae made a great show of fetching medication and then gave each of them a tight smile.

    "Is there anything else, gentlemen?"

    Seung crumbled the salve bottle in his palm, "I will take your leave. Thank you for the medication. I have some work to complete before retiring for the night."

    "Sleep well," Minjae nodded politely.

    Seung left without another word. They watched the tall man disappear down the street.

    "It is good to be back," Captain Park said brightly. "How have you been, Physician Kim?"

    "I''ve been fine," Minjae responded in a tone devoid of energy. "It''s been a long day, and I''ll need to wake up early tomorrow, as I imagine you would as well." She forced a smile to soften her blunt attempt to dismiss him.

    "All right then, I will see you tomorrow, Physician Kim," Captain Park said reluctantly.

    Once he left, Minjae released a breath she didn''t know she was holding. She bolted inside the safety of her house. The quietness of the interior contrasted thickly with her noisiness of galloping heart. What a day it had been!

    The gentle snores of her grandmother filled the house. Minjae tiptoed to the entrance of her grandmother''s cramped chamber stuffed with knick knacks collected over seven decades. Grandma lay asleep on a thick bed mat, wrapped in a coarse blanket that had faded with age, which she refused to part with. Minjae deftly navigated the maze of boxes, bags, stools, tables, ropes, and even rocks and colourful stones strewn across the floor, leaving little room for movement. Twelve-year-old Pyo Ye Ri was curled up by the bed, her head resting on her folded arms. Minjae gently shook her awake.

    "Unnie, you are home early," the girl said sleepily.

    "Go to bed, Ye-Ri," Minjae murmured.

    The girl didn''t object. Yawning widely, she stumbled and dove inside the covers on the other mat with a hay mattress across the room.

    Minjae knelt by her grandmother. Bending closer to her, she smoothed the wrinkly forehead, running gentle fingers over her snowy hair.

    "I love him, Grandma. And I said yes to him," she whispered. For as long as she could remember, Minjae had loved speaking to the sleeping form of the old woman. She liked to believe her grandmother could hear everything she said and guide her in mysterious ways.

    The old widow didn''t move. Minjae looked at the other small figure curled into a ball, sleeping soundly. Pyo Ye Ri''s father had been Kim Seo Jun''s assistant before Minjae came to the island. Ye Ri''s mother had died during a difficult childbirth, and illness had claimed her father''s life. Kim Seo Jun had adopted the orphaned girl, who repaid the debt by becoming their grandmother''s shadow.

    Minjae crept out of the room, untying the ribbons in her braided hair, which tumbled down her back, its end almost touching the back of her knee. She grabbed two candles from a shelf. Trotting over to the kitchen, she lighted one of the wicks from the still-warm embers of the mud stove. She didn''t have to cook for the next day. She planned to take a basket of pickled fish, oysters, fresh vegetables and sauces for the boat ride. She wasn''t sure of the condition the rescued girl was in, but she had prepared some healing tea bags for her. Captain Park mentioned she was not well. Ko Yoon had earlier informed her the girl could hear but not speak.

    Minjae washed her face in the small basin of the detached bathroom in the courtyard across from the kitchen. While she completed her ablutions for the night, Minjae wondered whether the girl was mute from birth or had lost her speech later on. Minjae had purposely stayed away from the girl to make her stay on the island as inconspicuous as possible. Once they reached the temple, Minjae could assess her properly and begin her treatment.

    She entered her dark chamber, placed the lighted candle on the small but efficient table by her bed, laying the unlighted one next to it, and quickly changed into her old but serviceable night attire. Her nimble fingers freed her tresses from the bindings of her braid, the silken hair flowing over her shoulders like a black curtain, which she then gathered over the right shoulder. Extricating a wooden comb decorated with hemp-beaded pearls from the small box on her table, she began running it through her hair.

    The pointed ends of the comb''s teeth sweetly hurt the tense spots on her scalp, and she sighed. Her thoughts wandered to Captain Park. She had met him through Ko Yoon who had assured him Captain Park would be a big help for their cause. He had been right. As to why Captain Park joined their cause would forever be a mystery. Whenever he was on the island, Captain Park never missed visiting the inn. Minjae typically struggled to feel at ease around men, but with Captain Park, she had been comparatively free of her natural inhibitions, which in turn had caused the speculations about their relationship in the population, whose primary choices of entertainment were gossip and matchmaking. If the villagers had any inclination toward a romantic interest between a couple, the entire village would start planning how to hitch them together. It was a wonder how the denizens managed to be non-judgmental despite being so nosy. It was a paradox that always made Minjae smile.

    It was also why Minjae tried not to show interest in any of the men herself in public. But word travelled fast, as did speculations. A match between a Yangban man and a commoner woman was always high stakes, and she now had not one but two such suitors. Then there were those who wanted the local boy Cha Moon Sik to win. She had no doubts people were placing secret bets.

    Lee Seung. She recalled the hurt in his eyes, and a spear pierced her heart. She had no control over how she felt for Seung, just like she had none over her own breathing, hunger, or thirst. She had loved him for so long that she didn''t know how not to do it anymore.

    Minjae wondered how long she could keep her feelings for Seung a secret from others. If her behaviour at the inn was any indication, soon there would be a banner flying in the village with their names on it. She giggled at the image, which brought a rush of happiness to her heart, the kind she had not felt since she was eight.

    On an impulse, she walked to the window of her dark chamber and, prying loose the thick interlocking wooden bolts, flung the wickets open. It opened to the modest front yard, whose sizable portion was covered by a cluster of herb-growing pots. A gentle breeze ruffled her hair, and strands flew into her eyes, obstructing her mouth and hindering her view. With gentle fingers, she brushed aside the intrusive wisps of hair and tilted her face skyward. She inhaled the air filled with woodsmoke and night blooms. Crickets chirped. A tall silhouette lounged against a wall.

    A scream rose to her chest at the figure leaning against the wall inside the compound before her eyes got accustomed to the tall, dark, familiar man. And her hands flew to her mouth to clamp the shriek she was about to emit. Seung was totally at ease, arms folded. Even in the dark, Minjae could see a sly smile playing on his lips.

 Fourteen: The Flickering Light

    Minjae dashed outside.

    "What are you doing here?" She looked past his shoulder to check whether anyone was around.

    "Trying to figure out which bedroom was yours," Seung laughed.

    "Are you mad?" Minjae could hardly believe her eyes.

    "No, just so madly in love that I can''t stay away from you," Seung said huskily.

    "Shhh!" Panicked, she grabbed his hand and dragged him inside her dark chamber. She lit the other candle. "Wait here," she instructed. Holding the candle like a beacon, she exited the room. Frantically looking for a lamp, she lighted the largest one she could locate and carried it inside.

    While she was gone, Seung''s observant eyes covered the length of the chamber, his gaze interested and cursory at the same time. Seung was surprised to see it so sparsely furnished. The bed was narrow and covered with a coarse, old white sheet. The duvet was thick, faded with age, frayed at the corners. He did not spy any wall hanging or artefact. Even the divider screen was plain, a flat beige. He was struck by the absence of a mirror. For a woman of Minjae''s beauty, he had expected her chamber to reflect vanity and self-admiration and a space commensurate with her disposition.

    The room was devoid of personality.

    Yet Minjae was always dressed in the most beautiful, colourful dresses he had ever seen on a commoner woman. Seung wondered where she stored the dresses. He spied the comb on the table and wondered if someone had gifted her the beautiful accessory that matched her taste but was incongruous with the room. Envy twinged his heart.

    The only other anomaly was a large wooden stand with a cloth clipped to it for embroidering. Next to it sat a large round box, neatly filled with rows of thread spools. Its decoratively carved wooden lid lay by its side.

    A two-inch-thick needle with a dark-coloured thread hanging from its eye was pinned to what looked like a red hibiscus flower. A symbol of passion and love.

    It was a sight he would have expected at a Yangban woman''s house, not in a barely furnished village physician''s modest room.

    Kim Minjae was like a multicoloured rose, every petal revealing an unexpected colour. She was a puzzle with mysteriously alluring pieces he wanted to piece together desperately. It often hurt his heart when he thought of someone as brilliant and capable as Kim Minjae being tortured and locked away for years by a cruel man.

    Seung had done some low-key investigation. The man everyone called her husband had been brutal to Minjae because she had been unable to give him children, driving her to the verge of death. Luckily, Minaje''s father had chanced upon a visit, brought his critically ill daughter home, and nursed her back to health. Enraged, the man followed Minjae to the island to fetch her back. The details were murky, but from what he gathered, the man had eventually agreed to a divorce.

    After the divorce, he had not been seen in his village since he left it on his merchant ship. Seung hoped the cretin was dead. Else, Seung might end up acting on his violent urges towards the man for hurting Minjae.

    Seung was lighting a lamp he had found beside the wooden stand with the candle she had left behind when Minjae entered.

    "Do you want any more of them lit?" he asked.

    Minjae shook her head.

    "What if someone had seen you?" Minjae asked, placing the thick candle back on the table.

    Seung shrugged. "If they had, I would have made some excuse."

    Minjae let out an exasperated breath. The man had no sense of protocol. Sometimes, she wondered how he fared so well in the rigid confines of an army structure.

    Seung dwarfed the room, and Minjae watched him as his eyes swept the room before resting on the bed. A giddy feeling of excitement washed over her as Seung''s presence in her bed chamber sank in, immediately followed by a surge of mortification at the inappropriateness of her thoughts.

    Warmth permeated her cheeks. "If you have finished taking the inventory, you must leave now," Minaje said, trying to inject irritability into her tone but sounding the opposite. Her voice came out deep, punctuated by her erratic breaths like she had been running for a long time.

    She sounded nervous.

    Seung raised two stately brows. "You dragged me in, my dear lady, and I am not in the mood to leave right now."

    "What do you want?" She asked shakily.

    Seung looked at the ravishing beauty before him. Even though her nightgown was as frayed as the other things in the room, she seemed impossibly alluring. The modest cotton of the faded hanbok followed her slender curves, flaring gently at the bottom. With her hair flowing like a waterfall past her shoulders and the satiny angles of her face illuminated by the lantern she held, she looked like a night fairy. His hands itched to touch the silken strands. He had come to her house impulsively and didn''t mean to intrude. It was a bad, bad idea.

    "You don''t want to know," he answered her cryptically. Taking a shuddering breath, he turned and went to the window.

    "Get away from there! Someone might see us!" she hissed. She plonked the lantern on the floor with a graceful, fluid motion and rushed to shut the wickets.

    Seung''s mouth twitched, a glint in his mischievous eyes.

    She pressed her hand against her panicking heart. "This visit is most improper, Commander Lee," she chastised.

    "Physician Kim, just a reminder that you have dragged me into your private chamber and proceeded to close the doors and windows."

    She stared at him in disbelief. "How many times have you wandered into a woman''s bedroom to be so at ease?"

    "Many times," He returned without blinking.

    The look of hurt on her lovely face tore at him. Seung gave up fighting his impulse and reached out to run his fingers through her hair, his hand burying in the depths of the silky strands, the tips of his fingers creating small rings of fire on her scalp above her nape. The movement brought them close, their faces inches from each other. "Minjae, I will never lie to you," he said huskily.

    "You just did! Liar!" she replied automatically, coherence leaving her mind at his sensuous touch.

    He shook his head. "I have done as I pleased but always kept my boundaries. I do not condone infidelity; honesty is important to me. So if you ask a question, expect an honest answer."

    Her stomach clenched nervously, and every muscle in her body was painfully aware of his proximity in the intimate setting. His musky male scent teased her senses. She had to get away before she did something stupid.

    Like, kiss him.

    Minjae took a fortifying breath, trying to stem the shaking of her legs. "Why have you come here tonight?" Minjae asked, her throat suddenly parched. Minjae suddenly had a niggling suspicion. "Did you come to check if Captain Park was still here?"

    Seung didn''t blink, returning her questioning gaze steadily.

    "You did! Why? What if he had been here?"

    "You obviously don''t have much of a high opinion of me, do you? Besides the fact that you are answering your own question and jumping to conclusions, would there be a reason for Captain Park to visit you this late?"

    Minjae hesitated. "He has sometimes visited Aboji during the later hours," she said.

    "But your father is not on the island," Seung said, his voice quiet.

    "Still.....he could have stayed back to discuss about the girl, so it could have been possible. It would have been hard to explain your presence," Minjae admonished.

    Candlelight danced over the chiselled angles of his cheekbones, a tense muscle beating in his jaw. "Would you rather still keep pretending we are strangers? Are you worried what Captain Park might think about us being together?" Seung asked tonelessly.

    Minjae pushed at his chest, exasperated. They were running in circles. He was jealous, and she was edgy about being discovered...and worried she would soon sway into his arms and break all rules of morality. "I did not pretend you were a stranger before him, did I? What else do you expect me to do? It would be best if you went; it''s late. We also have to prepare for tomorrow morning. The boat will leave in the first hour of the rabbit. Captain Park and Han So Ye will bring the girl. We must¡ª" Minjae gasped, her sentence hanging midway as Seung hauled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. One hand possessively pressed on her waist while the other wrapped around the nape of her neck beneath her hair.

    "Dari!" Her eyes rounded like a rabbit''s, half in panic and half in excitement.

    Seung tightened his grip, pulling her deeper into the ocean of his turbulent eyes. "You asked me to complete my thoughts before Captain Park came - no, intruded. At that time, I said it was not important. Let me answer you now. I don''t want to fight for your favour anymore. I don''t want anyone else to ever lay their eyes on you without knowing who you belong to," his voice was hoarse with the intensity of his feelings. "I don''t care about any relationship you might have had with Captain Park or anyone else before, but I don''t share and ever let go of what belongs to me."

    Minjae quivered, the soggy feeling returning to her legs with resounding force. She bunched the fabric of his tunic to keep herself upright, thankful for his arms around her, without which she would have sunk to the floor like a sac of rice. Seung dipped his head.

    And found her lips in a resounding gesture of ownership.

    Shock immobilised her system, freezing her momentarily as her senses accommodated the current that flashed through her body at the contact. Seung''s firm lips plucked at her lower lip and traced the upper, taking it in before lifting his head.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    He looked at her, his eyes askance, his breath fanning into hot twirls on her sensitive skin. A deep red stained the gold blades of his cheeks. Minjae''s eyes dropped to his lips.

    Seung didn''t need any more encouragement. He swept down and stoked her lips open with gentle pressure, moving over them so delicately as if her lips were fragile rose petals. He tasted of blackberry wine and salt, his musky scent overwhelming her senses. His hand held her head in place while the other ran up and down her back in soothing strokes. A fire spread in the pit of her stomach, spreading to places she didn''t know could react in such a scandalous fashion, threatening to consume her. Instinctively, her head dipped back, cradled possessively by his hand. He shaped her lips, tracing them with his tongue, probing her gently, as if trying to find secret gifts and then absorbed her tremors by pulling her closer, securing her to him. Her mind became a cloud of sensations, exploding in tiny stars behind her closed eyes.

    When his mouth finally left hers, Minjae felt adrift. Heat flooded her as she realised she didn''t want it to end. Seung touched his lips to her forehead and pulled her head to his chest.

    "I have wanted this for a long time," Seung whispered against her hair. Minjae shivered.

    He propelled her to the bed with his arm around her back and gently pushed her to a sitting position. Her knees folded under her, unsure of what would happen next. Her heartbeats rang in her ears.

    Seung sat on the floor, facing her. He tenderly took one of her hands into both of his, his thumbs gently circling into her palms. Sensations burst in the form of prickles that sped up her arms. She could not think any more, only feel.

    "Did I scare you?" Seung asked gently.

    Surprised by his question, Minjae raised her eyes, trying to regain some of her bearings. She could only shake her head in denial, not trusting herself to speak. Trying to distract her mind from the maddeningly seductive thumbs on her palm, she tugged at her hand. Seung released it.

    "I will not apologise, but I didn''t mean to rush you."

    Experienced women are never shy. Kim Da Bom''s words floated in. Seung must think of her as inexcusably inexperienced. "I am not a-a maiden unaware of intimate things," Minjae said haltingly. She wanted to tell him that she was not made of glass, to continue what he had been doing, but her strict upbringing had been too ingrained in her to voice any of those wanton thoughts.

    Seung watched her flushed skin, his heart swelling like a fluffy cotton ball.

    "Captain Park is interested in you," Seung said without preamble.

    Minjae''s eyebrows drew together in a furrow. She signed audibly. Here she was, floating in a cloud of passion, and this man was still stuck with someone else.

    "He is not," her mouth turned downward.

    "Maybe you don''t see or feel it, but I can bet my life on it. It''s difficult when half the island competes for you, but at least you don''t respond to them," he complained.

    Minjae shook her head. She had never noticed any interest in his demeanour in the two years she had worked with Captain''s Park. Even if what Seung said was true, she had never felt any interest in him¡ªor anyone else, for that matter. She didn''t have the time or space in her heart.

    "You are wrong. But even if you were right, Captain Park means nothing to me. I thought you knew that", Minjae said.

    "My brain stops working when I see you with anyone else, especially if that person likes you. But you were wrong, too. I would never spy on you. When you said yes this morning, you made me the happiest man in the world. I am not myself and have never felt so out of depth with a woman. I wanted to see you again before the night ended, so I came. Now that I am here, I want to be near you, hear you say my name, learn about your past, and tell you about mine. And-" he paused, tucking a strand behind her ear, "ask you - will you become my partner for life?"

    Her heart skipped several beats, feeling as if she was drowning in the darkest eyes she had ever seen, their depth so intense they seemed fathomless, framed by dense double lashes that resembled small fans against his radiant skin. A sane part of her still resisted the inevitable path she knew deep down her heart had already chosen. "Dari, you do not know anything about the life I led before I came here -"

    A long forefinger pressed on her lips. "Shh. I love you, and you are all that matters. Even without knowing everything, I feel we know and understand each other." He ran a thumb across her jawline. "I am happy to wait, but I am also not a patient man. I do not want to let you out of my sight. I want you as my family."

    "What about your mother, Dari? She might not like you bringing home a commoner-" she persisted, but her objections were dissolving faster than salt in water.

    "My mother will give her blessings to any woman I agree to marry," Seung smiled. "She had left all hopes of me ever bringing a woman home, so you will make her a very happy woman."

    "You already have a wife," she reminded him softly. "If you ever have children with me, they will be illegitimate."

    "For me, you are the only one who matters," Seung said with an assured finality that left no room for doubt that further arguments would be as futile as squeezing water out of a stone. "Let the world think whatever it wants. If our union gives us children, we will love them and make them strong enough to make a good life of their own. So tell me, will you marry me and share my life?"

    Her heart thudded at his words. The silence around them spread like a warm blanket. She lowered her eyes, pressure building behind them as tears threatened. She took a deep breath, determined to hold them back and gave a slight nod.

    "I want to hear you say it," Seung said, holding her chin and forcing her to meet his eyes.

    Minjae knew she had lost the battle¡ªtruth be told, it had never been a battle to begin with. She had lost the very first day she had laid her eyes on him. Seung demanded the absolute, and Minjae gave it to him.

    "Yes, I will marry you, Dari. I have not wanted something this badly in my life." A tear spilt.

    Seung stared at her, his eyes smouldering. He held her face between his palms and drew it closer. He kissed the lone pearl that had dropped on her cheek and softly skimmed her lips before releasing her.

    Bemused, Minjae touched her lips in wonder. Seung watched her with intense eyes, curbing the clamour of his body to take her back in his arms. Minjae was so mysterious in some ways and vulnerably transparent in others. He at once wanted to read her like a book and hide her away like a precious jewel.

    "Once your father returns, I will formally ask for your hand and take you home. I have decided to live on this island, so your work won''t be disrupted. The only difference is that you will come to me when your work is over," he said with a languid smile, and she blushed.

    "What if you are transferred from here?"

    Seung shrugged. "I will resign."

    "Resign? What will you do if you don''t work?"

    "Who said I won''t work? Minjae, you forget, I am also a silver ore merchant. I have made enough money that we will be alright even if I never worked. Besides, I suspect I am possibly going to marry one of the richest women on this island, if not in Joseon, so I am sure we will do just fine," he added cheekily.

    Minjae gave a twinkling laugh, the swanlike curve of her neck moving gracefully, tempting him to caress it.

    Seung moved away and pulled the strings of his hat. Carefully setting it aside on the small table beside the box and comb, he outstretched himself to lie horizontally on the edge of the bed, with his head nestled in her lap. Minjae gasped at the intimacy of the gesture.

    Seung folded his hands on his chest and looked up at her. "If you want, I can get up," he teased, his eyes dancing in mischief.

    Minjae giggled and tentatively put a hand on his forehead. She touched the grainy mesh of his headband and ran the tips of her fingers along its edge. The weight of his head on her lap felt foreign yet so right. Minjae gleaned his features greedily, her eyes memorising the contours of his high cheekbones, full bowed lips, and razor-sharp jaw. His beauty alone could start a war, she thought with a pang.

    He lay quietly for quite some time.

    "Do you like what you see?" He asked.

    Red-faced at being caught, she almost dislodged him from her lap. She looked aside and tried to regain her composure.

    Seung touched her cheek with a gentle knuckle. "You blush so exquisitely," he observed.

    Unsure what to say to that, she kept still. Seung went back to his prone position.

    "I can see myself spending my life like this, with you by my side," he sighed. "I will buy land here, and we can farm. This island feels like home."

    "Have you farmed before?" Minjae asked.

    "My family owned a great deal of farming land. After my father died, it was difficult for my mother to manage it all. Two dry spells and a few floods caused damage my mother could not recover from. So she sold much of the land not entailed to our family. Labour became difficult to sustain and feed, so she sold her slaves and set many of them free. Some settled around our village and continued to work in our lands. I focused on getting a government post to relieve her pressure, but I have always wanted to farm."

    "But would you not continue with mining ore? And how did you even manage to mine silver ore when you were fighting so far away?"

    "I didn''t. My sister and two of my Uncles did."

    "Your sister is allowed to get involved in something like that?"

    "Yes, why not? She is very talented and has the elders of my family dancing around her little finger. Farming never suited either of my Uncles. They always lost crops and ended up depending on my father. But when the opportunity came for this, they turned out to be exceptionally talented. They are not good with accounting, but my sister is. Our family''s combined effort has made us rich beyond our dreams, and we don''t even need as much. I was born into a family of mavericks. I am not the only odd one here," he laughed.

    Every word he spoke was saturated with his deep affection for his family. Minjae listened to him describe his village, childhood home, and life growing up amidst plenty of love but not much wealth. He regaled her with his escapades and passion for learning martial arts and weaponry. "I have never been defeated in an archery competition," he cracked open an eye to see if she was suitably impressed. Minjae laughed at his self-admiration and realised her approval mattered to him. His vanity was not misplaced. His accomplishments in warfare were legendary, which was startling, given how young he was.

    He sounded happy. The wick of a candle faintly crackled, gently melting the wax around it, forming clusters of molten wax that gathered into gooey blobs, clinging to the candle''s surface before slowly dripping downward into sculpted rivulets, creating miniature elongated rock-like formations and channels along the candle''s smooth column. Molten wax gathered in small, circular pools at the base of the candle, reflecting the flickering flame above.

    "Did you know, ever since I first saw you, I haven''t had a single nightmare?" Seung said, staring at the modest thatched ceiling with a crisscross of wooden beams, a content smile gracing his lips.

    "Nightmare? About the war you were in?" Minjae asked with concern.

    Seung shook his head. He took her hand in his, interlinking their fingers, and looked at their joined hands as if they were a work of art.

    "It''s a nightmare I have had since I was nine."

    "Oh!" Was all she could muster.

    He paused, his hands tightening around her fingers before he laid her hand on his chest and covered it with his hands. "My father was murdered by masked men. I stumbled upon them by accident..." Seung went quiet as the images flashed, his mind inevitably wandering into the dark caverns of memories of that fateful day. He immediately regretted bringing it up. Minjae had become as still as a statue.

    Using the leverage of his powerful abdominal muscles, Seung rose to a seating position in one quick movement.

    "Were the culprits caught?" Minjae asked, her voice sounding strained, distant. Horrified.

    Seung looked at his hands, which had clenched themselves into fists without him noticing. He unclenched them and rubbed his temple with his fingers and thumb. "No, they were not. Anyway, I didn''t mean to bring that up. I just wanted to tell you how different it has been since you came into my life."

    Minjae touched his upper arm, "It must have been terrible for you. How did you deal with it for all these years? If you saw them, why were they not caught?"

    Seung expelled a breath. "I do not know. I do not even know why Father had to die that way. More than that, I have always been curious why they let me live. Especially the man whom I had managed to unmask. He could have killed me. Instead, he gagged and tied me and threw me in a closet before running away. How many times I wished I did something different, maybe if I had happened upon them earlier, if I had not taken the book out, if -"

    "Then you would have been killed, too," Minjae pointed out.

    Seung nodded. "You are probably right. I have hunted every inch of the country. I looked through slave registers and put men on the case - anything that would give a clue. But nothing has turned up so far."

    "Do you still remember that man?"

    "I have lost count of how often I have seen that face in my nightmares. He was very tall and had a long scar on his face," Seung gestured to illustrate, a finger drawing a line from his jaw through the cheek to the corner of his eye. Seung''s voice dropped to a tortured whisper, "His image has never left my conscious mind and has tormented my unconscious one."

    "Did - did the man also have a limp?" Minjae asked, her voice strangely quiet.

    Seung glanced incredulously at her. "How did you know?" He was before her in an instant. "Have you seen him? Is he here?"

    "I-I am not sure. I think he might have come to the island - it was a few years ago."

 Fifteen: The Face Of Fate

    A thin line of sweat beaded Seung''s forehead.

    "How many years ago?" Seung asked, horizontal ridges furrowing his forehead.

    "Maybe three or four years ago. I only remember because of the limp and the scar," Minjae said, rolling a strand of hair around her index finger. "I used to get scared very easily those days. He must have been a guest because I never saw him again."

    Seung shook his head. "He could not be a guest. He was a slave. He must have come with his master unless he was sent here to live with someone or allowed to go free."

    "He could be a commoner," she reasoned.

    Seng shook his head.

    "How do you know that for sure?" Minjae asked. "Yangban men seldom come here on visits with their slaves," she said.

    "I saw him once in Hanyang. He was wearing a nobi''s attire. I should have caught him then," Seung said, sitting beside her again.

    "What happened?"

    "I don''t know. Everything had gone black for a moment....it was like I was in a trance..... I don''t remember much. I might have been even mauled to death by the horses of the Capital force if a quick-thinking little girl had not saved me." Seung had a troubled look on his face. "What else can you remember? Was he alone? Did he carry something -"

    Minjae bit her lip. "I am sorry, I don''t remember, it was quite a while ago -"

    Of course. Seung felt like an idiot. How would she know about a random man she might have met years ago and vaguely remembered because of a few physical anomalies?

    Minjae looked at him, her eyes filled with worry.

    "If you ever see him again, what will you do?" Minjae asked.

    Seung''s face hardenend. "I''ll find out why my father had to die and who was behind it. Then I will kill him," he said harshly.

    Minjae paled. "Dari! That''s illegal. Why endanger your life like that when you can have justice carried through legal means?"

    Feeling conflicted, he rubbed his finger and thumb on his temple.

    "I won''t let you harm yourself like that," she spoke with an unusual emphasis, her eyebrows straight with determination. Her face was pale, and she was focused on rubbing an unidentified spot in her hands.

    Seung felt guilty. He had thoughtlessly imposed the burden of his nightmares upon her, compounding it with questions and unsettling her with his revenge talks. Warmed by her protective stance, Seung decided it was time to steer the conversation away from the unpleasant topic.

    "I''m sorry. I''m not thinking straight. Forget about it," Seung said.

    "Dari, tell me about the girl who saved you," Minjae said. A gentle hand reached to squeeze his clenched one.

    A soft smile played on his lips. "I don''t know who she is. She was just there at that moment and risked her life to save mine when grown men stood around me doing nothing." Seung paused, considering how much to disclose. It felt like a betrayal to the little girl''s memory to speak about her ordeal, so he decided to skip it. "I think of her as my protective spirit. Whenever I have been in danger, I have felt her energy by my side. Wait, there is something I want to show you. It belonged to that girl," Seung said, reaching inside his sleeve. He withdrew a small pouch. He retracted a small bracelet and heard Jay Yi gasp audibly. He looked up to find her staring at the green adornment.

    Seung turned the green beads with his fingers. "It''s beautiful, isn''t it?"

    "Yes," Minjae breathed.

    Seung handed it to her. Nestled within the silver framework were vibrant green gemstones. Intricately carved opal leaves sectioned the even number of smooth round beads after precise intervals, reflecting mysterious colours in the steady candlelights around them, creating a breathtaking piece of art.

    "It is beautiful. How did you get this?"

    "It slipped out of her wrist while trying to save me. I wonder if she ever missed it."

    Minjae traced the beads with loving fingers. "Young girls often lose jewellery; she probably did not notice it," she proffered.

    Seung shook his head. "Even if she did, she would not know where to look for it. I meant to give it back, but I forgot, and then it was too late. But I do hope to return it one day."

    "If she knows how this has helped you, she would not want it back, Dari," Minjai said, handing it back to him. "It''s just a trinket. She probably had more of those."

    "It never made sense....this is green amethyst, a rare gem coveted by many, but only the rich and powerful can get their hands on it. If she could afford to wear this, then why -" Seung looked lost in thoughts.

    Minjae clasped her hands together in her lap. "Don''t overthink. You were meant to keep it, Dari."

    Seung nodded, putting it back in his sleeve. He picked up the wooden comb and traced its decorative edge with the tip of a finger. "This is unlike anything I''ve ever seen," he remarked.

    "It belonged to my mother. It''s the only remembrance I have of her," Minjae explained, her eyes soft.

    That explained its presence. It was an heirloom piece, probably passed down from generations. A sudden rush of relief washed away his lingering feelings of melancholy.

    "You must look like your mother," Seung said.

    Minjae smiled in reply. She gathered her hair and draped it over her left shoulder, creating a black silk curtain against her white night hanbok, exposing the satiny column of her neck to his view. With a deft twist, she looped the lower part of her hair around her hand, securing it in her fist, leaving the ends protruding. Taking the comb from him, she began running it through the ends, gently brushing the knots away.

    Fascinated, Seung leaned forward, resting his elbow on his folded thigh. With his chin in his palm, he watched her graceful movements for a ritual she no doubt followed every night before bed. A sense of serene domesticity enveloped him. It was intimate. It was arousing.

    Seung straightened.

    Minjae''s cheeks bloomed red as she grew aware of his intense, warm gaze lingering on her movements, and she stopped. "Please, Dari, don''t look at me like that; you are making me conscious."

    "I can look at you all night, Kim Minjae," he teased, but his eyes burned bright. A wayward strand had escaped her grip. Seung coiled it gently around his finger. "Do you have any idea what you do to me, Kim Minjae? I should leave before I end up doing a lot more than just looking."

    His words sucked her lungs dry. Minjae wasn''t sure what she wanted. She knew it was better if he left, but she didn''t want the night to end, the magic to fritter away. "Stay for a little while more," she said shyly.

    That produced a sudden smile, a flash of white so disarming that her toes curled.

    "Are you not the strange one? A while ago, you could not wait to be rid of me," he chuckled. "Can I have some water?"

    Minjae nodded.

    When she came back, she had a slight frown on her face. She bent to hand him the water bowl and set a pitcher and a plate of ginger biscuits on the table. She picked up the comb to finish what she had started earlier and settled beside him.

    Seung bit into one of the cookies, closing his eyes in bliss.

    "Can I ask you something?" Minjae asked, the hesitation in her voice loud.

    Seung nodded, thirstily washing down the sweet, gooey crumbs in his mouth with the bowl of water, trying not to stare at her lissom movements, which were so graceful that a breath caught at his throat.

    "Is your wife pretty?"

    That got his attention. He looked at her quizzically and paused. He ran his tongue over his teeth to get every last bit of deliciousness, digging it into crevices to capture the escaped morsels. It suddenly felt foolish to admit he had never even seen the face of the person he had married, although ''average'' was how she had been described to him. He evaded. "She was not considered a pretty woman, but even if she was, few could hold a candle to you. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, Kim Minjae," he said matter-of-factly.

    "What if -" Minjae swallowed, said, her voice barely audible, "-your wife comes back to you?"

    He had not taken into account that Minjae might be insecure about her place in his life. If he had any doubts about her feelings for him, her question dispelled them. Something warm blossomed inside him.

    "Then it will be easy for me to take her to His Majesty''s court. In any case, I will request His Majesty to grant me a divorce, even though I know he will not agree," Seung said.

    Minja looked vaguely startled. "Divorce? No, Dari. We can make it work without that. You just said that you don''t care what the world thinks. It will make His Majesty angry. His Majesty has already bestowed his favour on you once; he might punish you for asking it again."

    Seung regarded her with confused eyes. "What do you mean he has bestowed a favour on me once?"

    Seeing his incomprehension, Minjae explained, "I am saying that His Majesty already granted you a divorce once before, so don''t ask again."

    Seung blinked at her a few times. "Who told you that?"

    Minjae bit back a surprised gasp. Letting go of the hair in her fist, she took her time flipping it back, trying to string her thoughts into coherent expression.

    "I thought - I mean, there were rumours you were divorced, but then you told me you have a wife, so I assumed you had married again -" Minjae worried her fingers, wringing them oddly.

    Seung chortled, surprised that rumours about his divorce had reached Minjae. Even his closest associates didn''t know about his actual marital status, with most thinking he was happily married to his illustrious wife tucked away somewhere. She had a better network than he had assumed. "You think I would allow myself to be fooled twice?"

    "So you never divorced your first wife?" She asked slowly.

    "My only wife, though she is little more than a name," Seung''s mouth twisted. "She is the most selfish, narcissistic, inconsiderate woman I have ever had the misfortune to come across. She refuses to show up for divorce, yet has no intention to honour her vows."

    "What do you mean she refuses to show up for divorce?" Minjae asked, confusion clouding her face.

    "His Majesty has refused to grant us divorce until she turns up and tells him personally that she would divorce me. I tried many times to either reconcile or settle the divorce. It never made sense to me until I realised that a divorce would not accord her the freedom that a marriage could."

    With her mouth agape and eyes wide, Minjay looked on in stunned disbelief. "How is that possible?" She was barely audible. "How could His Majesty do that?"

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    Seung carefully set the bowl aside.

    "His Majesty vehemently opposes divorce. He would not grant any to most people. It''s guaranteed to invite his ire. I am fortunate he never held it against me. In fact, if anything, I believe he pities me," Seung''s mouth twisted in disgust. "And she is lucky for being Choi Si-wan''s daughter that everyone wants to brush the sordid affair under the rug as if it never happened."

    Minjae closed her eyes, still shaking her head as if in disbelief. "Do you hate her?"

    "Hate is too strong an emotion to use for her, but I detest her for what she did to our families."

    Minjae''s eyes were gentle. "Maybe she was too young to know better -"

    Seung''s laugh was brittle. "She might have been young for my taste, but she wasn''t so young that she didn''t understand what she was doing. It''s been five years now. She had plenty of time and opportunities to make up for her follies. Instead, she chooses to run into the arms of yet another man."

    Minjae reached out and gently grasped a hand. "You are within your rights to punish her for being undutiful. No one would fault you for that."

    "I might have, but her father and mother begged me to give them time. The divorce has to be carried out quietly. Otherwise, the scandal would hurt her father''s political career," Seung said sadly.

    "But that''s selfish! Pardon my language; I speak about an elder like this, but he cannot ruin your future for his selfish gains."

    "My father-in-law is the most powerful minister in Joseon, Minjae. It''s not easy to disregard his plea that I wait to present a public petition till his younger daughter is old enough to be sent to the Palace as a royal consort. Besides, deep inside, I had held onto the thought that Choi Ji-na might have a change of heart one day. But from what I learned later, it seems unlikely," Seung said coldly.

    "Maybe her father is forcibly stopping your wife from getting the divorce?" Minjae ventured.

    "It suited him initially. I do not deny that. But then how is he not able to force her to do the right thing and honour her wedding vows? Seeing how she floutes every rule of moral conduct without a thought to her parents makes me feel sorry for the man. I do not think he controls much of what she does. They might have been able to save face for a while, but internally, they are ruined, too. Her actions have caused them untold pain. They....." Seung stopped, shaking his head. "When I think about how I had tried to find excuses for her behaviour and blamed her parents for everything, I feel so ashamed."

    Reaching for the pitcher, he poured water into the bowl and drained it in a gulp. "And she happens to be someone you should be wary of. Why do I feel you are defending her?"

    "Because it feels - it feels she still weighs heavily on you, and you have not forgotten her," Minjae said softly.

    Seung almost choked. "Don''t be ridiculous! If she was a man, I would have struck her dead long ago."

    "It''s her loss that she lost someone like you with her foolish acts. While her actions were wrong, dwelling on the past won''t serve you well either. Please forgive and forget her," Minjae said gently.

    "You are too kind, Kim Minjae," Seung said with a tight smile. "I had considered forgiving her once for what she did to me, but I can never overlook how she persists in inflicting suffering on others. And even if I overlooked that, what kind of brother would I be if I forgot the harm she caused my sister with her thoughtless, self-centred behaviour?"

    "Your sister?" Minjae asked, a look of shock jerking her face up.

    "The blasted woman ran away on the night of our wedding. Unable to believe his paragon of virtue could do such a thing, her father hauled both me and my sister to prison on the charges of harming her."

    Minjae went white. "I had no idea -" she clamped her mouth with her hands.

    "My sister''s prospect of securing a respectable match was ruined forever. She has been very accepting of her fate, but I know how much it hurts her to see her friends and cousins getting married or having children."

    "Your sister was innocent. Her records should have been expunged," Minjae remarked, her throat heavy with emotions.

    "Yes, they were, right after we were released. Unfortunately, the word was already out in the circles that mattered. No matchmaker worth her salt would consider her for a match to a suitable man. The offers that came were¡ª" Seung swallowed, looking away. "Not even my position has been able to change her circumstances. It has broken my mother. So, I do not have any reason to forgive Choi Jina, ever." His voice was as hard as flint.

    Minjae''s face crumpled, and she covered her face with her hands.

    Seung noticed and immediately drew her hands away from her face. "Minjae -"

    A tear dropped at the back of his hand. He groaned, kicking himself mentally. "Minjae! Don''t cry," he said, feeling lousy.

    Minjae dipped her head, her hair falling over her face, hiding it from him, and shook her head. "I had no idea how much you suffered. I am sorry. I am so sorry."

    He shifted to sit beside her on the narrow mattress and held her head to his chest, his arm encircling her. He lifted the soft mass of hair from her face and cupped the cheek, using his thumb to brush away her tears.

    "If I knew you would let me hold you like this after listening to my sad story, I would have told it to you months ago," Seung emitted a low chuckle, trying to ease her hurt, hating her tears.

    Minjae gave a muffled laugh.

    "Your sister must hate her," Minjae said, pulling her hair away from her face and tucking it delicately behind her ear. Her eyes still shone with unshed tears. He had never seen Minjae in such an emotional state. No wonder she had chosen healing as her life''s mission. He pulled her closer into his embrace and smiled. "My sister is like a mother hen. She does not care what happens to her, but she goes up in arms at the mere mention of Choi Ji-na or her family for the injustice they meted out to her brother."

    "Your sister sounds like a wonderful person," Minjae said.

    "She is. She has grown a brassy veneer while I was away in the north, but underneath all that hard shell, she is still that naughty, giggly fifteen-year-old I had left behind."

    "I promise to make it up to you for all the suffering you have been through," she said, her eyes brimming with emotion. Without realising it, she reached out to lightly touch the sharp edge of his jaw.

    Surprise flickered in his eyes. He sensed a subtle change in Minjae.

    He clasped her wrist and turned his mouth into her palm. She gasped as his lips touched the thin, acutely sensitive centre, the coarse texture of his skin around his mouth tingling her all over. She watched the banked fire kindle in his eyes, and her heart began to beat with the thundering rhythm of a boulder rolling down a hill. A wave of sudden desire, new and delicious, came over her.

    Seung studied the rapidly climbing colour of her face, the slight widening of her eyes, her chest heaving with laboured attempts at breathing. There was only so much temptation a man could take. Seung drew her to him. She met him halfway as their lips fused in a searing kiss.

    Emotionally wrung after pouring out years of bitterness festering in his heart, Seung turned to her hungrily. Restraint flew out of the chamber as Seung plundered her mouth, overcome with a fierce need to feel her, to taste her, to memorise her. She was his refuge. His salve.

    Her arms crawled around his neck, her hand resting on his shoulder for support. Seung flattened his palms against her back, arching her into him. She stirred, perhaps with shock, perhaps with pleasure, he didn''t know which, as he forayed into her mouth with his tongue. Her unique scent filled every pore in his body. He drank like a thirsty man from her fountain as she softened under him, moulding herself like a putty to his exploring hands. Seung dragged his mouth across her cheek and nibbled at her ear. An incoherent cry escaped from Minjae. He blazed his mouth down the satiny column of her throat, his tongue setting a fiery path of embers that left Minjae''s insides in twisted knots of desire she had a hard time comprehending.

    Seung''s hand slid down her front, his hand shaping a breast that wrenched a sob of shocked pleasure out of her. Desire raced through his blood at the sound, pumping his pulse painfully in his chest.

    She felt a tug at the strings of her hanbok, and the shock of that act brought her back with a thud. Seung sensed her withdrawal before he saw her shaking her head. Minjae clutched his fingers with the string still trapped between his thumb and finger, a silent plea to stop.

    Cursing himself for letting this get out of hand, Seung raised his head and glanced at the bent head. He had always been in total control of his ardour for a woman, but with Minjae, he felt it slipping rapidly.

    He cupped her face tenderly. "I am sorry. I am making a habit of it. I don''t think I can stay any longer tonight without breaching boundaries you are not yet ready to cross-"

    Minjae shook her head. "It''s not that¡ªit''s..." she swallowed. "I need to tell you something. I am not...that is..." Her grip on his fingers tightened to the point that her knuckles turned white.

    Seung sensed her distress. Concern swiftly replaced passion. "What is it?"

    Dark orbs of despair trained themselves somewhere on his throat. "I am flawed. My body is scarred."

    His gaze changed from candescent soft to hard black coal. "The bastard left marks on you?"

    Minjae closed her eyes, lines of strain making the muscles around her mouth stiff.

    "Oh! darling!" Seung enveloped her, and she slumped against him. Seung felt rage burn his eyelids. Her terrorised face in the woods punched him in the gut. His arms tightened. "You are not flawed." He cradled her head within the secure, tight embrace of his arms. "You think a few scars would faze me? I am a soldier. For us, it''s a badge of honour, a sign of triumph, of hope and of survival. It reminds us of courage and resilience. So, never ever think of it as anything less. Do you understand?"

    She nodded silently into his tunic.

    "I hope that bastard is dead. If not, I will find him and kill him for you." Even though he was almost shaking with fury, he gentled his voice, his fingers making tiny soothing circles on her scalp and rocking her gently.

    They sat in a comforting embrace until sounds invaded their cocoon of quietness.

    "That must be Kim Da Bom, returning from the Inn," Minjae whispered.

    "I need to leave," Seung said reluctantly.

    "You don''t have to if you don''t want to. She knows about us," Minjae said, her soft tone inviting.

    A long finger tipped her chin, incredulous eyes meeting hers. "You told your sister?"

    Minjae nodded shyly.

    A spurt of joy filled Seung, and he clasped her tightly to his chest. "Thank you for accepting me, Physician Kim," he said in a voice broken with emotion.

    She gave a small smile at his formal address.

    "Still, I must leave you now. I want to do everything right by you. I will see you tomorrow morning. Promise me you will sleep well tonight?" He gently kissed her forehead.

    On his way out, he met Kim Da Bom, who had her five-year-old sleeping soundly in the curve of her arm, his little head nestled cosily in his mother''s neck. She gave him a surprised bow, and he accepted her greeting with a respectful nod.

    And then he was gone as silently as he had come.

    Kim Da Bom met Minjae in the front chamber, placing a lantern on the floor.

    "What was that?" Kim Da Bom whispered, transferring her sleeping child to his Aunt''s arms.

    Minjae locked her arms around the bottom of her nephew''s little frame; his tiny, tired legs splayed around each of her hips. She looked around from his head resting on her shoulder. "I took the leap," she said.

    "Then why do you look like a thunderbolt struck you?"

    "Because I was arrogant to think I was the only one who could have been this miserable and was reminded once more that suffering loves company."

    ~~~

    Lee Seung didn''t sleep that night. His thoughts churned, alternating between the joy of requited love and the sorrow of memories he desperately wished to erase from his mind.

    You have not forgotten her.

    The image of a slim, graceful, white hanbok-covered back haunted him.

    "I understand you have come to this room with some anticipation. However, it would behoove you to lower some of those expectations."

    Seung closed his eyes. Why, today, of all days, was Choi Ji-na so heavily imprinted in his mind? He didn''t even know how the damned woman looked! She was like a shadow that never seemed to leave him, no matter how hard he tried to shake it off.

    Seung tightened the straps of his gnat.

    Two large lanterns brightened every corner of the chamber. The silver and brown hanbok sat snugly on Seung''s impressive frame. Even though it would be a while before the sky shed its inky cover, Seung was restless and decided to get ready early. After a few weeks of gruelling work, the sojourn to the temple with Minjae was a welcome interlude. Her father was due to return to the island in two weeks. Once he had completed the formalities with Minjae''s father, Seung would travel to his mother to get her permission and pay respects to his ancestors.

    And bring her home. An inadvertent smile broke on his face. How he loved that woman. He loved everything about her - the way her nose crinkled when she laughed, the sheen of sweat on her forehead when she tried to overcome her fear of sitting on a moving animal, her soothing voice when she reassured a sick child, her luminous gaze when desire clouded her eyes. His heart skipped a beat.

    "May I come in, My Lord?" His orderly asked from outside of the door.

    The man entered with a pot of tea and cups, placing them soundlessly on the table.

    Before he left for the day, Seung had some ledgers to review. The orderly poured him a cup of tea and handed it to Seung. The hot sip felt comforting. Holding the ledgers, Seung walked to his seat.

    Then it happened.

    Seung''s grip loosened, and one of the ledgers slipped from his hand, tumbling toward the ground. Reacting instinctively, he reached out to prevent it from falling.

    His servant attempted to catch it, but his arm collided with Seung''s hand, which was holding the teacup.

    The cup crashed to the floor, the delicate porcelain shattering into pieces.

    The servant fell to his knees in panic, bemoaning his misstep. Two more servants ran in, brooms and wipes in hand. A cacophony of apologies poured in, punctuated with "pardon me",...."will fetch you a fresh cup",...."bad luck",....."how did this happen"....."this brings misfortune"...

    Seung half-heard the quiet cries of his servants around him, his eyes frozen on the shards of glass spread across the floor like a deformed mosaic. His mind pulled out a sudden memory of broken glass, caused by a cup flying out of his mother''s hand when she accidentally tripped on the hem of her dress, the fine china dissolving into thousands of little pieces.

    "Enough!" Seung roared in a voice that didn''t seem to belong to him. "Clean it carefully, and I do not want to hear another word on this," he said in a deathly quiet voice and left the room, trying to clear his head of those images from years ago - the fateful morning of his marriage to Choi Ji-Na.

    ~~~

    Choi Ji Na stood quietly, looking into the mirror, rocking to and fro. She wished she could turn back time and set everything right. If only she had not listened to her brother. If only she dared to tell the truth. If only....

    Now, she never could.

    "Jina has always loved you, My Lord," she whispered, her eyes dry. She had no more tears to shed.

    Lee Seung loved Kim Minjae.

    Choi Ji Na could never take her place. She had lost without even having a chance to try.

    Her slender fingers traced the features of the reflection before her, the tips gliding softly over the smooth, cold surface.

    Minjae had something Jina would never have.

    A face.

 Sixteen: Veiled Pleas

    Twilight brushed restless clouds with dramatic shades of periwinkle, tinging their edges with gold and peach. Birds were beginning to leave the nests, some to forage for food, some to test their wings, and others to build a new nest.

    Minjae stifled a yawn, resting the small of her back against a low-lying boulder. Dami pushed a bowl of wild jasmine tea into Minaje''s hands. "You didn''t drink anything, did you?" she stated reprovingly.

    A little distance from them, a ferry undulated on the opaque surface of the bay, its hull outlined by the delicate glow of dawn, its aged but sturdy structural lines merging with the water''s surface. The sails hung limp against the mast, catching the first whispers of the morning breeze. Two boatmen went about preparing it for the journey. They sang to themselves softly, their voices loud enough to carry over the water to the women but not loud enough to attract attention.

    Minjae and Dami stood on a long, narrow stretch of land that jutted into the bay. The sandy, grainy surface of the land mass was wide at the base and dotted with occasional rocks and boulders. It narrowed as it tapered in the deep water, its tip playing hide and seek with the soft waves.

    Captain Park and Ko Yoon took great care to ensure everyone in the group escaped the scrutiny of suspicious eyes. Lee Seung, too, had thrown in his might. It paid to have one of the most powerful men on the island on your side, Minjae thought with a smile. Ever since Seung had caught those two boys following her, KA had never bothered her again. Even though the children had led him to someone who turned out to be a Yangban admirer, Seung had his doubts, and so did Minjae.

    She had been used to KA following her. However, she sometimes felt an unease of unknown eyes keeping an eye on her. She didn''t know what their interest would be. Had they caught on to their operation? She prayed it was not so.

    Nam Dami stood next to her, peering into the faint blue of the landscape.

    Minjae took a long sip of the hot tea. "Why did you carry such a large pot?"

    "I am sure you will not be the only one needing something hot in the morning," Dami replied.

    Minjae looked at her petite companion. In the last few months, Nam Dami had been cagey around her. "You have been evading me. What have I done to make you so unhappy?"

    Dami looked away.

    "Nam Dami, I have never asked for the attention I get, and you know that better than anyone else. I cannot help it if I was born with this face any more than you can."

    "Is it so unnatural to be resentful of something I cannot control, My Lady?"

    "I suppose not, but I prefer if you spoke about it rather than simmer it in your heart until it''s bitter," Minjae replied gently. "I can''t read your mind."

    "Have you realised you hardly spend time with us anymore?" Nam Dami griped.

    Minjae''s cup paused at her lips. Dami had a point. She had been too busy with her burgeoning relationship with Seung and the increased demands on her time due to the recent influx of patients to pay attention to much else.

    "I owe my life to you, but that does not mean I always have to agree or be happy with you," Dai continued.

    "I am sorry, Dami. I will try to do better," Minjae said, finishing the tea. "Give me some more of that."

    Dami asked, "Why do you not like Cha Moon Sik?"

    Taken aback at the suddenness of the question, Minjae exclaimed, "You want me to like that simpleton?"

    "He is not a simpleton. He is sweet, kind, and has a generous heart that''s hung up on you."

    "Those are not the reasons I should like him, or anyone else for that matter, and neither should you," Minjae snorted.

    "Then why don''t you tell him? It feels like you keep him hanging, and he annoys everyone else."

    "I have lost count of the number of times I have asked him to stop bothering me. Even Father has turned him down!" Minjae was losing patience.

    Dami poured the hot tea into Minjae''s bowl, holding the pot with thick quilt squares.

    "Why in the world are you being Cha Moon Sik''s advocate?" Minjae asked irritably.

    Nam Dami coloured. "I am not."

    Minjae studied her ruddy complexion. Was Dami trying to push her towards Moon Sik on purpose? Dami had a history behind her that none of them knew. Nam Dami was not her name, and no one knew where she came from. Her lack of country accent suggested she was bred in the city. The only other thing Minjae knew about her was that she had been rescued by boatmen from Hanyang. It was an unsaid pact. For them, her previous life did not exist. Minjae wondered what other secrets she carried.

    "Do you like Commander Lee?" Minjae pried, holding her breath.

    Dami''s eyes widened like saucers. "Are you crazy? How can I even dare? He is a Yangban man so far removed from my station that even my shadow would think twice before thinking about him!"

    Minjae let out a breath. "Since when did women in Ganghwa care about the station of men they liked?"

    "You should know better than to lump me with the women on the island. I am an outsider and always will be," Dami said matter-of-factly, her voice carrying a faint trace of sadness. "However, you like Commander Lee, even though you can have no future with him. But I wish you would let that become known so others stop their futile chase for you."

    The warm tea went down the wrong pipe. Minjae was still spluttering and coughing when Seung reached them.

    "Are you all right?" Seung automatically caught her by the shoulders. Minjae nodded, her eyes watering, her throat wheezing.

    Nam Dami respectfully bowed to Seung. "She drew air with the tea," she explained needlessly.

    Dami patted Minjae''s back to ease her discomfort. Seung extended his handkerchief, which Minjae accepted gratefully.

    Seung gave her a quick once over, making sure she was breathing properly. Her eyes were still watery, but she already looked better as she took a quick sip from the bowl Dami held to wash away the sudden scratchiness of her throat.

    Seung couldn''t help but notice the change in Minjae''s appearance. Instead of braids tied with ribbons on top of her head like usual, Minjae had her hair in a bun at her nape, held in place by a carved wooden binyeyo. He wondered if she had intentionally donned the Yangban look for this visit. She looked regally beautiful in the light and dark blue hanbok, her navy jangot completing the outfit. His eyes met hers momentarily, and a current crackled between them. His heart chirped like a magpie. She returned his appreciative glance with a shy smile.

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    Captain Park''s arrival rudely interrupted their private moment. He offered Seung a stiff bow and a dry smile while greeting Minjae and Nam Dami with extravagant warmth.

    Seung blistered but kept his annoyance to himself. He halfheartedly heard them exchange mundane gossip about the locals while they all gratefully sipped the tea Dami had thoughtfully brewed for them.

    "The newly retired Minister''s family is an annoyance," Nam Dami said.

    "I heard he has brought in more than two hundred men and women," Captain Park said.

    "His sons are a nuisance. They keep the company of some local ruffians and have been troubling the butcher''s wife in the outskirts," Minjae said sourly.

    Seung''s ears perked up. He looked at Minjae. "Have they been bothering you?"

    "No. I don''t visit the families on that side of the town," Minjae said.

    "Thankfully, they mostly stay away from here because it''s often below them to mingle with army and navy men," Captain Park added. "Also, they don''t like to be in the bad books of the Governor or the Mayor and are wary of all her champions in the village and the garrison, so they know better than to bother Physician Kim or any of the other women within this village."

    The yangban families on the island mainly kept to themselves and treated their servants well. Seung had an inventory of all the families and closely monitored most of them. However, it rankled that he had so little in common with the village people while Captain Park had somehow made friends with most despite his prolonged absences at sea.

    Seung was still smarting when the group they were all waiting for arrived. He drew in a lungful of cool, crisp air to reorient himself. He had all day to savour Minjae''s company, and he consoled himself with a smile.

    Four pairs of eyes turned towards the girl walking towards them. Han So Ye and Ko Yoon were supporting her by the arms.

    Seeing Han So Ye in Minjae''s presence was a tad uncomfortable. Seung shifted closer to Minjae without trying to seem obvious. Han So Ye greeted him with a respectful bow, with no sign on her face they had ever met before. Still, Seung slid a wary glance at Minjae.

    Minjae wasn''t paying attention. Her gaze was transfixed on the girl, a look of horror etched on her beautiful face. Now that he knew how sensitive she was, meeting such victims must always hit her hard. Seung followed her line of sight.

    The girl looked in bad shape. Though her clothes were clean, they hung loose on her hollow frame. She looked to be about sixteen, maybe seventeen. Her cheeks were sunken, and she had bruise marks on her forehead and neck. He could imagine her body being covered with them as well. The girl was having difficulty walking. He felt a sudden wave of compassion rise within him. In the northern borders, he longed to save countless women from a fate worse than death, but he had seldom succeeded. He could only admire the courage of this handful of men and women who made a difference.

    The subject of his scrutiny looked up towards them. Her eyes fell on Minjae and then on him. The girl made an incoherent sound, her face turning white as a sheet, her eyes bulging in fear as if she had seen a ghost. Seung was puzzled by her reaction. Instinctively, he stepped forward, his mind registering a familiar face, a distant echo bouncing off his memory walls.

    Woo Sa Ri. The name rang in his mind.

    His absent wife''s maid.

    The realisation hit him like a blow in the solar plexus. With it came disbelief.

    "I know you," he blurted out, hastening toward her. "You''re not mute!"

    The girl''s expression turned distraught, and her face dissolved into a mask of terror as she looked at him. She began to sink to the ground, shaking her head vehemently. Ko Yoon and Han So Ye struggled to keep her upright, a look of anger and dismay lining their faces.

    Seung was so engrossed in the tide of unpleasant memories that his anger and shock blocked out everything else momentarily. "There is no way she is mute. She is a slave in one of the most powerful families in Joseon. This could be a trap -"

    From his periphery, Seung saw a whirl of blue pass him.

    It was Minjae. She grasped the girl''s arms, preventing her from sliding to the ground. Minjae cupped her face gently and shook her head, perhaps imploring the girl to trust her, possibly to soothe her fear.

    "My Lord," Captain Park interjected respectfully, "with all due respect, she is indeed mute."

    "Dari," Han So Ye added, "my physicians confirmed it last night."

    Seung ignored them. A muscle ticked in his jaw. He kept addressing the girl, even though in the back of his mind, Seung knew he was intimidating her, that he needed to back off. "How did you come here?"

    The girl visibly shrank into Jay Yi''s embrace, terrified. She hid her face in Minjae''s neck and started crying, her sobs heart-wrenching.

    "If this is another of your Mistress''s foul tricks-" he began.

    "Commander Lee!" Kim Minjae''s piercing voice cut through. "Stop! Please. She has no past. You''ve never met her." Minjae turned her head to look at him, shielding the girl protectively. Her face, covered with tears, held an emotion so strong that it hit him like a whiplash.

    Seung fell back, his heart thudding painfully.

    Seung looked around him. Four pairs of accusing eyes stared back at him.

    Minjae had implicitly believed in him when she included him in their small, secret group. Like a green cadet, he had compromised the victim''s safety by blowing her cover. Seung could read Minjae''s disappointment from every muscle in her stiff body.

    "I am sorry," he looked away, awash with the humiliating realisation that he had messed up, even though he knew that a million questions raging in his mind were not misplaced. Minjae expected better of him. Heck, he expected better of himself, too.

    "Commander Lee, it''s better I accompanied Physician Kim with the girl," Captain Park said in a kind voice.

    Minjae didn''t turn, nor did she object. She had her back to him, still running hands on the girl''s back while murmuring soothing words to her, who was sobbing heartbreakingly into her shoulder. Nam Dami went to Minjae and extricated the girl, giving her a warm, reassuring embrace. Together, they walked towards the bobbing boat.

    Seung could kick himself for being so juvenile. Even if Woo Sari was pretending, he should have been more discreet. Seung had made a rookie mistake. He had let emotions overrun his common sense. "Minjae -" he called after her, desperate to stop her and apologise for bungling this so badly.

    Minjae didn''t look back.

    A gentle hand on his shoulder restrained him. "Let her be, for now, My Lord. She is angry and upset," Captain Park said quietly and left to follow the women.

    Throat clogged with emotions, Seung watched the ferry turn a corner and vanish from his sight.

    "Nothing means more to her than rescuing these women, Dari," Han So Ye said gently.

    Her sing-song voice suddenly grated on Seung.

    "I do not need you to tell me what is important to Minjae," he said coldly. "For all I know, she could be walking into a trap. There is no way that girl is a victim. It cannot be."

    Han So Ye studied the gorgeous man under her lashes, taking in his pale face, the angry clench of his jaw, and the hauntingly deep eyes seeped in pain. He looked so far removed from the indifferent young man who had strolled casually to her bed chamber all those months ago that if she didn''t know better, she would have thought that encounter to be a figment of her imagination.

    "Dari, I apologise. I did not mean to overstep," Han So Ye bowed her head. "However, our people endure great pain and risk their lives to rescue these women. Do you not think they would take enough precautions, especially as she was our most challenging case?"

    "Maybe she is being used as bait to catch you all! What other information do you have on her?"

    Soye tilted her head, crossing her hands under the sleeves of her hanbok respectfully. "We have a rule. Only the people who rescue them know. And they never share the history. It''s better for all of us. Joseon is a small country, and most citizens are tightly regulated by the Office of Censors. It''s a dangerous game."

    Seung shook his head obstinately. "There has to be a mistake."

    Ko Yoon stepped in. "There was no mistake, My Lord. The girl was rescued from Tosan. We have no idea who she could be. She had been in captivity for at least four, maybe five years."

    Seung''s heart dropped. She had come to see him around that time. Was it coincidental? He wanted to believe it was all a sham, a ruse. But deep down, he knew¡ªthe girl had not been pretending.

    "How can you be sure she is mute?"

    A bleak look crossed Han So Ye''s perfectly made-up, mannequin-like features. "She was mutilated, possibly as a punishment for escaping. In captivity, she was treated like an animal by the underbelly of perverts."

    Fissures of unease prickled down Seung''s spine.

    "She is also pregnant," the break in So Ye''s voice was unmistakable.

    Seung closed his eyes. "I am sorry."

    "I do not know what upset you, but whoever she is, Dari, I hope you keep it to yourself. People who owned her are ruthless gamblers and slave racketeers. Our entire operation will be in danger if they get wind of it."

    Worse, we might end up being their targets. Han So Ye didn''t say it, but Seung could hear it loud and clear.

 Seventeen: Wounds

    Sweat ran down his spine like free-falling streams. Saline rivulets dripped from Seung''s forehead and temples, running into his eyes. He irritatedly wiped the salty moisture with the back of his hand, ignoring the burn in his eyes.

    How was it possible? What happened? Was the woman kidnapped?

    Seung pushed his muscles, the wooden rod''s thunderous clash with the punching bag resonating around the arena.

    A slave missing from such a powerful household would cause commotion in the offices across the country, with her face plastered everywhere. Joseon men were nauseatingly possessive about their slave population in direct service to them.

    Another sandbag burst under his merciless assault.

    Did she run away, or was she punished for coming to him that evening?

    He didn''t wait for the sandbag to be replaced. Instead, he turned his ire on a subak wooden stand, slapping and punching it with precision. His fingers and palms moved with a practiced rhythm while the cords of his arms rippled angrily in response.

    Dari, I am Woo Sa-ri, Lady Choi''s maid. I must speak to you...

    Seung could still recall his curiosity when Woo Sa Ri appeared in his modest house that evening, looking terrified. Another elderly woman who accompanied her stood outside. Yet when Woo Sa Ri had stammered and stuttered to say her piece, it had only succeeded in repulsing him. She told him nothing new, and he had wondered why she had even risked the visit in the first place. He tried recalling her exact words but failed. She had blabbered something on the lines that Lord Choi Si-wan adored his daughter to the exclusion of all his other children because she was the only child of his beloved late wife. Spoiled and selfish, Choi Ji Na successfully duped everyone with her model behaviour while planning to escape with her lover but was caught. However, her father refused to believe she could do such a thing and blamed her half-brother for leading her astray because he was jealous of the attention Choi Si Wan gave his daughter.

    She pleaded with him not to visit Lord Si Wan anymore because he punished his son Choi Se-min whenever he was upset. Seung had not been surprised to learn that her mistress, Lady Jina, was selfish and only thought of herself. Lady Choi would never divorce him because it granted her freedom. What bothered him, though, was the maid''s allegation that Choi Jina actively sought ways to punish her brother. Even back then, it did not agree with the peripheral image he had of the woman in the court. But he had been so enraged with the entire situation that he gave it little thought when she pleaded with him to consider Lord Choi Se Min''s plight. It had been the strangest request. "Please help him, My Lord. Please forget about her. She is not fit to be your wife. And Lady Jina must never know I have come here. She will make life unbearable for me."

    He might not have liked Choi Jina, but for some strange reason, it had angered him to have a maid speak so disloyally about her mistress. Disgusted, he had shown her the door with a strict warning never to come back again. Woo Sa Ri left his chamber so fast it seemed she was being chased by demons.

    Eventually, he deduced Choi Se-Min might have sent the maid. Seung shook his head, trying to clear his memory. Was there something else that he didn''t see? Who had sent her to him? It was clearly to dissuade him from returning to the Choi household. But why would a maid take such a risk only to say something so inane and disloyal?

    While living the life of an undercover spy with his life at stake every moment, Seung had learnt to distrust everything. If it didn''t fit, his hound-like senses became overactive. Woo Sa Ri''s picture didn''t fit.

    Seung tried to recall if something else was missing from his memory.

    All that crowded his mind was the strange, dejected look Kim Minjae had given him in the morning.

    Despair underscored his mental exhaustion, so he continued to punish himself physically. Seung kicked and pounded more sandbags and burst the seams of another few.

    His men watched him from the sidelines with concern.

    "How long has he been here?" Sargeant asked.

    "More than three hours now, My Lord," Wang Jung replied, scratching his wispy-haired chin.

    When Sergeant Han entered the arena with his wooden sword, Seung was ready for him. His muscles howled with fatigue but didn''t stop him from attacking Sargeant''s sword with rare viciousness.

    "I thought it was your day off today," Sargent observed as he warded a blow from Seung.

    Seung jabbed. Sargent parried.

    Seung made a slash. Sargeant was well aware of his style and successfully averted it.

    "Did you perchance have a quarrel with our esteemed Physician?" Sargeant pondered.

    No amount of practice could leave anyone standing when Seung was a wounded bull. He leapt and brought his sword down in one sweep, breaking Sargent''s sword in half.

    Sargeant looked sorrowfully at the broken end of the sword in his hand. "I hope your thoughts are a little more charitable towards me than they were for this poor piece of wood," he lamented in his understated tone.

    "Then you should keep your nose out of places it does not belong," Seung retorted in a clipped voice.

    "Ah! So a quarrel it is," Sargeant said with the slightest hint of a smile. "But Commander Lee, it''s unfair to make it personal in swordplay."

    Seung expelled a breath. "Everything is personal here," he retorted, gesturing at the expanse of the arena, and then turned on his heel.

    "We have news, Commander Lee," Sargeant said to his retreating, sweat glistening back.

    Seung paused, turning slightly, a questioning look in his eyes while he towelled himself dry.

    "I was going to come to you tomorrow, but seeing you are here, it might be better if we discussed it today," Sargeant said somberly.

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡Þ

    "She is losing the baby," Minjae said. Her face was grey, her lips pinched.

    Captain Park Hyun Ki showed no emotion outwards, but his stomach lurched. Nam Dami sank to her knees, and a painful cry escaped her lips.

    "You both must return. I have to stay back. Send Ko Yoon tomorrow morning with these supplies," Minjae handed him a small scroll.

    "Will she live?" Captain Park asked.

    "I don''t know," Minjae looked at him bleakly. "She is malnourished, injured and is losing too much blood. Even if she lives through this, she has infected lacerations that might still kill her."

    "I will stay with you," Nam Dami whispered.

    "No. Abuji has not yet returned; we have folks to medicate on the island."

    "Yes, we will return home," Captain Park said quietly, his expressive eyes deep with understanding. He looked at Minjae thoughtfully. He had seldom seen her so distraught, even though there was not much she had not seen as a physician.

    ¡Þ

    Later that night, as he knocked on Seung''s work chamber, he couldn''t help but wonder if Seung knew about the stark contrast in Minjae''s behaviour when she was in his presence compared to who she used to be before Seung''s arrival on the island.

    Commander Lee Seung welcomed Captain Park with an expressionless face.

    "How is the woman doing?" Seung asked, his voice resigned.

    "Not well. She might not make it, My Lord."

    Seung nodded, looking down. His fingers played with the edges of a page in the book he had been reading.

    Captain Park studied the man.

    Even as a man himself, Captain Park could appreciate that Lee Seung was among the most handsome men he''d ever seen or that he had accomplished remarkable feats when men his age were still trying to secure a government job. But it was that certain air about him, a particular vulnerability, that gave him depth and made him irresistible. It was no surprise why even someone as reserved as Kim Minjae would be captivated by his charm.

    Captain Park curled his fingers until his nails dug into his flesh. He disliked Lee Seung viscerally but also felt sorry for the man. However, as a soldier, he knew his pity would only earn him a punch in the face.

    Seung asked after Minaje on a formal note until Captain Park handed Seung the scroll from Minjae. Seung sat up straight. Hope flashed in his eyes before Seung schooled it.

    "It''s a supply list for soldier Ko Yoon," Captain Park said helpfully.

    The ungrateful man summarily dismissed him without another thought. So much for feeling sorry for the ass, Captain Park thought sourly as he determinedly strode towards his final destination for the night.

    Han So Ye wasn''t pleased to see him either.

    "You need not have inconvenienced yourself, My Lord. Nam Dami has already conveyed the details. I will be sending some extra dresses and money tomorrow."

    "I am not here to talk about others," Park Hyun Ki said softly.

    "I cannot play for you tonight, My Lord. I am sorry to disappoint you," she said, bowing extravagantly before turning her back towards him and facing the window. "I am not in a mood."

    "I paid good money, so I better get the return I seek," he drawled to her shapely, elaborately dressed back.

    "You can take it back. With interest," Han So ye said snarkily.

    The silence stretched, suffocating them.

    "You let that bastard sleep with you," Hyun Ki said, dropping all pretense.

    "So you still have snitches on your payroll," Han So Ye said in a brittle voice.

    Park Hyun Ki closed the distance between them, yanking her against him. "Did you? Did you sleep with the Commander?"

    Han So Ye pushed at him, struggling to loosen his hold. Failing to make any difference, she raised her chin. "Yes, I did. What is it to you?"

    His mouth twisted. "I want to kill him for being near you. Did it not even matter that your best friend likes him?"

    "She did not know him then," Han So Ye defended herself reflexively. Then, she closed her eyes in disgust. "I don''t need to explain myself. Please get the refund on your way out."

    "You could not wait for me?" He was pale around his mouth.

    She glared at him, her eyes lined with a film of unshed tears.

    "Why?" His cry was hoarse. He roughly palmed the back of her neck. "Why?" His hand tightened.

    "Why not! Did you think I was jesting when I told you I did not want to be exclusive to anyone? I am free to do my bidding. No one holds a sway over me, My Lord. I do not belong!" Han So Ye said, her tone defiant, but the soft sheen in her lotus-shaped eyes spoke of a different story.

    "Why him?" his jaw was locked, his rage in his eyes palpable. His hand snaked around her, trapping her against his hard body.

    "Because he is rich and the best looking man I have seen. Because he is powerful."

    His hand shifted, his fingers running small circles on her lower back. "Why, Han So Ye?" He asked again, his voice low and husky.

    Han So Ye struggled in his grip. "Because I could. Because he made me forget the poisonous thoughts in my head for a night. Because I didn''t have to risk my heart! So let me go."

    "Is that why you made him bruise you? So you could forget me?" His gaze shredded her bare to her soul.

    "You give yourself too much credit, My Lord," Han So Ye said acidly.

    "I can make you forget every man you have ever laid your eyes on," Park Hyun Ki''s voice cracked as he caught her hips, grounding her against him.

    "You cannot afford me," she retorted bitterly.

    "I will make it happen, Soyea," he clung to her desperately.

    "I am one of the most expensive Kisaeng in Joseon, My Lord, way beyond the reach of a struggling Yangban naval Captain with no money to speak of," she said cruelly.

    "Then you don''t know me, Kisaeng Han. When I set my mind to it, there is not much I do not achieve," he gripped her head, angling it towards him so her lips were inches from him. He let his fingers glide over the buttery angles of her cheekbones, wet eyelids, the pert ridge of her nose, his touch featherlight. His thumb ran across her full lower lip.

    She turned her face away. "The state does not pay me for this. You need to pay extra," she spat at him.

    Park Hyun Ki''s grip loosened so suddenly that Han So Ye stumbled. Revulsion contorted his face. "You are right. I cannot afford you. I don''t even think I want to anymore. I have been hoping and praying I would find the woman who gave me her heart all those years ago. Yet, I only see a woman who is but a mockery of who she used to be. You might want to call back that rich bastard again. That poor sod is mopping over the Ice Queen. He might benefit from some thawing."

    Han So ye''s palm connected with his cheek with a crack.

    "Careful, Kisaeng Han. You dare raise a hand on a Yangban?" His eyes glittered dangerously.

    "Get out," Han So Ye heaved, her red and yellow silk handbok rippling down her slender form like a gentle stream.

    "With pleasure. I hope your nights of debauchery are enough to fill the empty shell that enclosed my heart once," his voice had so much grief and revulsion that it hit her like a gail.

    Han So Ye watched him leave through the wet film of her blurry eyes. Talons of pain clawed deep within her insides. She sank to the ground as his angry footsteps faded.

    You are the reason our family has been unable to have an heir? How dare you lure our son into your filthy life, you whore! Killing you would have been an easier option, but your death will create too many questions. Turn him away, or we must strike him off our family registry.

    Han So Ye locked her hands around her knees, brought them to her chest, and rocked herself, trying to stem the plough of anguish that raked her.

    ¡Þ

    "The bleeding has stemmed," the weathered, leathery face of the old man relaxed a little, his eyes reflecting the light of wisdom collected through decades of observing the world through the seraphic gaze of a monk. "Her fever has broken. You should rest for a while, My lady."

    Kim Minjae wiped the girl''s forehead, which looked like parched paper. Minjae watched her closely. Her breathing was soft and rhythmic, and her forehead felt cool to the touch.

    Minjae dropped the towel in the water dish and dipped her head back, creaking it to ease the tension. She gently patted the girl''s forehead and unfolded herself.

    Cold hands gripped her warm one. Minjae''s eyes snapped to the girl, who was looking at her with a pain-dimmed but clear gaze.

    Her mouth moved, and sounds came out, almost indecipherable. "Irr wzzz nrr in weyzn...uii err rive.."

    The girl struggled to form the sentence, but to Minjae''s ears, her words were as clear as a rainbow in the sunny, moist sky.

    Minjae looked up at the ceiling, trying to stem her tears.

    "...rakn uii...drrn reve me."

    "I won''t," Minjae broke down, her tears spilling over like a restrained river breaking the crack of a dam. "I won''t leave you. Please sleep. Please....Woo Sa Ri, please, I need you to get well."

 Eighteen: Far and Near

    Sitting in brooding silence, Minjae gazed at the heavily sedated sleeping form on the floor. Freshly changed and medicated, the girl was motionless, but the even rise and fall of her chest indicated she was in a deep sleep.

    She is a slave in one of the most powerful families in Joseon.

    How did Lee Seung know or even remember a slave from a family other than his own?

    And why did the girl say what she said to Minjae?

    "What happened to you?" She asked the sleeping girl in a pain-filled whisper.

    For a moment, Minjae looked down into the bowl of warm soup one of the young monks had forced into her unwilling hands with a "You must eat something, my lady," and tipped it into her mouth, letting the warmth seep into her cold insides. She looked round the austere room in the yellow lantern lights, noting the need for repairs in the cracks and tears in the thick paper walls. Her thoughts drifted to the mundane. The temple needed funds, and the monks needed to fill the storage with enough food for the winter. The impressive buildings of the temple had seen extensive damage when the Japanese had invaded forty years earlier but had been painstakingly rebuilt since. Some of the royal women patronised the temple, though they had not visited in at least seven years. She would have to do something. The head monk had always been unwilling to accept help from her. He thought she should save everything she could; one never knew when and how she might need it.

    Minjae managed to nod on and off through the night as the monks took turns keeping vigil on the girl, who was out of danger for now but not out of the woods yet. Gravely injured, she had travelled without proper medication and dismal circumstances for over two weeks and had lost a lot of blood in her miscarriage. A deep stab wound had barely missed her lungs. It was already a miracle she was still hanging on. But if she made it through the next couple of days, the rest were primarily cuts and bruises from which she would recover. Except for....Minjae closed her eyes, her shoulders slumping.

    A soft voice broke her pensive reflections. "The messenger from the island has arrived, my lady." It was a very young boy with sweet, soft eyes. Dawn had started seeping in, rendering the lanterns superfluous. He extinguished the flames of the lanterns one by one by blowing in them and then reattached the glass covers. His shaved head gleamed in the early morning light, and he wore the deep red monk''s attire with reverence.

    She could not go back today either. Wearily, she trudged down the stairs of the temple.

    Her heart lurched at the figure that greeted her tired eyes, her wayward attention snapping into focus. He stood tall, his broad shoulders accentuated by the first light of golden rays illuminating them, reassuring her with his strength.

    "Dari!"

    "Minjae," Seung stepped forward, his hands opening wide to embrace her, but then they fell to his sides as he remembered he was standing in a temple compound. His tender gaze roved over her face, taking in the faint shadows under her eyes, the pinched mouth, the stoop in her walk.

    "Your supplies," he said, handing her a small bag.

    "How are you here?"

    "How could I stay away? I am so angry at myself for upsetting you yesterday and jeopardising her cover. I have been here for two hours now, waiting for the day to break so I could ask for your forgiveness for being such an ass yesterday."

    "It''s true I was angry yesterday, but I understand it too. It must have been sudden for you. And more than that, I was upset at myself for not anticipating something like this earlier." Minjae could still recall the gut wrenching anger she felt towards herself for putting both Seung and the girl in such an untenable situation.

    "Minjae, I have been involved in things that are far more clandestine in nature, and I should have known better that to respond in such a juvenile fashion. Yes, it was sudden, but it''s still not an excuse. You had a right to be angry; I let you down."

    "Oh, Dari!" she breathed, her throat closing with tears. "You mustn''t think like that. In the end, nothing happened, so don''t blame yourself. We all needed some time. I am sorry we could not come together -"

    "My presence would have only further frightened her. Don''t be so forgiving, Minjae. I was an idiot, and we both know it."

    Minjae shook her head. She understood Seung would not forgive himself for a long time, so she changed the topic.

    She said instead. "You must be tired. The sea could be rough at night, and the temple is far from the shore."

    It had taken him a good part of the night to reach. He didn''t realise it was so deep into the mountains.

    "We have a unit posted in Mount Taebaeksan, and I borrowed a horse from them. Wang Jung came with me, but I left him back there. And I am hoping you will not turn me away to make another half-day journey back to the island without first giving me a chance to apologise to you properly," his tone was teasing, but his eyes were serious.

    "Why did you not come in earlier?"

    "I wanted first to make sure I did not offend anyone else, so I met the priest and the monks. They gave me their blessings to meet you." He looked around the impressive courtyard edged by various structures. They were standing in front of the main hall, Daeungjeon. Several small pagodas, some beautifully eaved buildings that he assumed to be lecture and prayer halls, a smattering of roofs peeking from the thick trees that could be the monks'' dormitories, and other ancillary buildings surrounded them.

    "It''s so peaceful, so quiet here." He breathed deeply, his thick lashes fanning his cheeks when he closed them, pausing to internalise his bliss at being next to Minjae in this beautiful place. "I have decided to donate rice and beans for their storage. I am also undertaking the immediate repairs." Seung looked at her expectantly. He knew how important this place was for her.

    She could only look at him with her sparkling eyes for an answer. "That will cost a lot, Dari," she said.

    "I have more money than I have a use for, Minjae," he said gently. And he would spend every penny if that meant he could make her eyes sparkle like they were. "And I now have even more things to for which I need to make it up to you."

    The pall on her shoulders lifted magically.

    "Would you like to see the glade with me?" Minjae asked on an impulse.

    Seung walked to the giant stone water tub in one corner of the large compound. A larger cylindrical stone structure fed water to a stone bowl divided into two sections, with a snout coming out of the smaller part that flowed into the oversized tub, completing the water fountain. The soothing waterfall created lyrical harmony with the soft bells tolling some distance away. He picked up a basket from the massive slab of rock beside it. "Aunt In Dah packed this for me to bring to you," he said.

    A happy smile transformed Minaje''s face. Her absence meant Aunt In Dah would have stepped in last night to help with her nephew and Grandma. "You met them?"

    Seung shook his head in self-deprecation. Her family doted on Minjae, and Kim Da Bom and their Aunt had grilled him until he felt the only thing left for them to learn was how he would look without clothes, and sheer modesty prevented them from going that far.

    "Well, I have seen some criminal interrogations to be less intimidating," he said dryly, and Minjae emitted a strangled noise of half laughter and half shock.

    "Let me check on the girl, Dari. She will probably be sleeping through the next few hours."

    Twenty minutes later, they were sitting on the plush carpet of green grass that rolled down the hill. On one side, tall, evergreen pine trees shaded them. A natural stone outcrop stood sentinel at the edge of the glade, the escarpment offering a commanding view of the panorama of emerald peaks and valleys dense with ancient trees, splashed with occasional colours of wild blooms.

    "How do you know the monks so well?" Seung asked.

    "When my father rescued me, he brought me here first so I could recover before taking me to the island," Minjae said.

    Seung swallowed, a knife twisting his guts at the thought of Minjae in pain.

    Minjae didn''t miss the dark expressions on his finely chiselled face. "When I came here, I was nowhere near as bad in condition as her, Dari," she hastened to reassure him.

    "How long were you here?"

    "About a month," she said. "Are you still willing to teach me swordplay?" Minjae asked.

    Seung smiled at her blatant attempt to change the subject.

    "You can bet your life on it," he laughed. He left her to dig something in the bushes while she watched curiously, admiring the six-foot-something with lean, raw power digging through the dirt of leaves, twigs, shale, and branches.

    He walked back to her, proudly brandishing two long, smooth sticks. He handed one to her, saying, "Come along; I must keep my promise."

    Seung helped position her hand and fingers on the stick and adjusted her stance. He then taught her several moves for the next half hour to start her swordplay journey and continued until she was out of breath.

    She looked exhausted. Still, her eyes were sharp as a blade, keenly following every movement he made. She was surprisingly agile and followed his moves perfectly.

    "Have you done this before?"

    "Not with swords. Father taught me to use a bow and arrow. And Ko Yoon taught me to fire guns."

    She knew how to fire guns?

    "Please don''t get Ko Yoon into trouble for that," she added as an afterthought.

    Seung shook his head in wonder. Kim Minjae kept being the multicoloured rose. He didn''t know which beautiful colour would reveal itself at any turn.

    Seung watched her with his heart in his mouth. She was panting, and a sheen of sweat glistened on her forehead. He focused on showing her the moves, but all he wanted was to snatch her in his arms and drown her in passionate kisses. Twice, she had lost her footing, and he had held her close, his heart knocking his ribcage as he enveloped her soft form against his hard one, but both times, she straightened and went back to her lessons.

    He was going to be a particularly bad teacher.

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    When she stumbled the third time, he gave up. He caught her cleanly but didn''t release her.

    "That''s enough for today," he said, throwing his stick.

    She looked a tad disappointed. "I am clumsy," she said.

    He took the stick from her hand and slowly pulled her closer. "I am not being a good teacher."

    Something in his voice arrested her eyes. They clung to his, her already flushed face turning even more pink.

    "You never told me if you forgave me," he said softly, his breath fanning her cheeks.

    "What will make you believe that I did?" She asked breathlessly, and her clouded eyes told him she knew the answer.

    Seung''s gaze moved over her in a tender caress, watching as her translucent skin glowed in the faint shadow of the sun. Her lustrous brown eyes shone at him, an anticipating curve lifting the luscious bow of her lips. She smelled of fresh wildflowers, filling his arms with her soft feminity.

    "Giving me company for some food should do it," he replied, his eyes glinting mischievously.

    She made a face and flopped down to open the basket.

    Chatting about everything under the sun, they plundered Aunt In Dah''s basket of goodies, deliberately avoiding the topic that was foremost in their minds.

    After packing the basket, Seung laid his head on Minjae''s lap. He stretched his long legs.

    "Do you want to nap?" Minjae asked softly.

    Seung sighed contentedly. "We must head back, Minjae. It will take us several hours to reach the island, and with you, I don''t want to travel in the dark."

    "I can''t come today, Dari. She still needs me. I will have to stay for at least three more days."

    Seung bolted upright. "Is she really in that bad a shape?"

    Minjae nodded, explaining her condition succinctly.

    "Will she live?" Seung asked with a heavy voice.

    "I hope so, Dari."

    Seung nodded, though he caught the barely perceptible nuance of uncertainty in her voice. "I will come back to fetch you," he said.

    Minjae gave him a tremulous smile. She shook her head. "I might come back sooner or maybe take another day. I am not sure. One of the monks will accompany me back, so please do not worry."

    For the next few minutes, they sat quietly, breathing the balmy air, drinking in the dazzling beauty of nature that lay like a treasure before them.

    "Dari, how do you know that girl?" Minjae picked on a long blade of grass.

    Seung paused. He looked overhead at the powder blue sky laden with cotton wool clouds.

    "She was my wife''s maid. A few weeks after our marriage, this girl approached me one afternoon and told me she had something urgent to tell me in secrecy," Seung said.

    "She approached you?" Minjae had gone very still. "That is not natural."

    "Yes, exceptionally so. However, what struck me as odd was that when this girl later came to my house that evening, she didn''t share any new information, except that Choi Jina had decided against divorcing me because it secured her a cloak of respectability. She advised me to avoid visiting them because Lord Choi would discipline his son Se-min whenever he was displeased. She also mentioned nonsensical claims about her brother being punished whenever Choi Jina made mistakes. Now I wonder if she had something else to say and never said it?" Seung looked down. "And I wonder if it''s a coincidence that she disappeared right after and turned up here."

    "You think her mistress is to blame," Minjae said quietly.

    Seung shook his head. "It does not fit. Everyone in that house says things that make no sense. Choi Si Wan is a spineless bastard who probably lets his daughter get away with anything as long as it does not hamper his ambition, so I imagine he is playing along with her to delay the divorce. However, Choi Jina might be many things, but she is not devious. I saw that woman in the court. When Choi Jina heard I had been imprisoned, she came and owned up to everything in front of a magistrate, including writing a letter that night asking me to divorce her, even though it made a fool out of her father. It was very bold, brave even, especially for someone so young. She might be selfish and inconsiderate, but she is not a coward. It''s not her style."

    The blade of grass snapped in Minjae''s fingers.

    "Monsters!" She drew in a long, shattering breath.

    The storm in her voice alerted him to her painful thoughts. Shifting closer to her, Seung caught her hand, enveloping it in his large one.

    "Minjae, your hands are cold," he said, taken aback by the tears in her luminous eyes. "I am sorry," he said, tenderly brushing her jaw with his thumb.

    Then he gently drew her closer and folded her in his warm embrace. "Let me keep you warm, safe, away from the thoughts that plague you," he traced a finger down her forehead, down the bridge of her nose, to her lips.

    His head dipped, obliterating the terrible images from her eyes as she closed them, hot with need. His tongue caught the line of moisture on her cheek and moved across. When his lips touched hers, she burned. She clung to him, and they both sank deeper into the soft, mossy grass beneath them. His arms wrapped around her, and his hands swept up and down her spine. He delved deep into her mouth in a dance so erotic that Minjae thought she would go up in flames. When he moved his lips away, she protested, only to throw her head back when they found the pulse at the base of her throat.

    This time, when his fingers untied the strings of her hanbok, she didn''t protest.

    He lay her down on the cushiony, velvety earth beneath them. He tugged the waistline of her skirt down to her lower midriff, his mouth picking on the smooth skin of her flat belly and then moving back to the tantalising swell of her mounds spilt over from the binds. He traced her cotton-trapped breasts one by one, caught her sensitive nipple through the fabric bindings, and then followed it with his mouth. She ached and burned in a lava of desire, biting hard on her lips to stop herself from crying out.

    Minjae shifted her position, and with one quick tug, she released the knot of the binds on her chest.

    Seung''s eyes widened. He looked deep into her eyes, knowing how far she had come to trust him. A slight tremor shook his hand as it closed around the rounded flesh. "Dear God, you are beautiful," he said thickly. He covered her mouth, his fingers creating sensuous magic with her body. The ravenous lips melted a path of fire to her chest. The hot, wet circles his mouth left behind on her peaks made them painfully sensitive to the cool air that brushed them. She jerked, her fingers digging into the back of his head as cries of pleasure tore from her. His fingers moved down, gripping her hip and moulding her to his hard contours. She arched into him, her hips leaving the ground. She writhed in a pleasure so pure and stark that her blood rushed violently to her body''s most sensitive, secretive crevice.

    "Minjae, you drive me insane," his throat was heavy with passion. His hands grazed her fabric-covered thighs, perilously close to the place that ached for his touch. "I want you so much that it''s difficult to stop."

    "Then don''t -" she whispered.

    He could read her overwrought and emotional state even through the haze of his fiery desire.

    "We must," he said huskily.

    "We don''t have to stop. I-" she bit her lip, "I want this." She didn''t waver as she looked at him, her heart in her eyes.

    Seung forced himself to remain still against her hand, which caressed his face, tracing the hard planes with a gesture so loving that tenderness turned his heart over.

    He revelled in the pure delight of her words. "You never do anything halfway, do you, Physician Kim? You have no idea what it''s taking me to stop. But not here, not when we might have pious monks rain down on us and start preaching the teachings of a man they fundamentally disagree with," Seung laughed throatily. "Though your allure could sway the patience of Confucius himself were he here." Seung tied the strings.

    Minjae hid her face in his chest. He enveloped her in a tight embrace.

    "I don''t take this trivially. I want the whole world to know when I finally make you mine."

    "I am yours. I have always been yours," Minjae said, her voice muffled into the comforting planes of hard muscles that encased the steady rhythm of his heart.

    It was more than what his heart could take. He covered her mouth with one final hungry kiss before pulling her up from the ground.

    ¡Þ

    When Minjae landed on the island four days later, she learned that Lee Seung had been called to the capital on an urgent mission. He had left a note for her that he could be away for nearly two months. He promised to return as soon as he was allowed to and complete the formalities with her family and that she should wait for him.

    "I will visit my mother, pay respects to my ancestors, and take their blessings to bring you home. I apologise for not taking your father''s permission first, but I hope he will not hesitate to bless our union and forgive my presumptive action."

    Kim Da Bom heard the glass hitting the ground from the next room and barged into her chamber. She extricated the letter from Minjae''s curled fingers.

    "I just thought I would have a little more time with him," Minjae said quietly, her chin resting on her folded hands on her knees, which were closely drawn to her chest.

    "Do you have to do this, Minjae?"

    "I can''t put everyone else into danger anymore. Please believe me."

    "I believe you," Kim Da Bom said, her voice thick with tears. She wrapped her arms around the silent form of the woman she called her sister and rocked her gently. A collective flight of wings somewhere disturbed the peace of the night. "You always have a home to return to, just know that."

    ¡Þ

    Minjae inserted the key in the lock that secured the lid of the plain wooden box. She twisted the lock free and lifted the heavy iron latch. Its narrow rectangular eye eased out of the rounded hook with a rusty metal squeak, and she pushed the heavy lid up.

    Inside another smaller box within the larger box lay nine gold bars the size of her palm and the width of two fingers, lined in a leather belt with three empty slots. Clustered beneath the belt were a variety of gems, dozens of silver nuggets and several bags of coins.

    She retrieved a handful of silver nuggets and a bag of coins and tucked them in her sleeve. While pulling the lid down to close it, she stilled, her eyes stuck to the neatly rolled white satchel nestled among various gold and silver hairpins belonging to her ancestors from the Silla and Gyereo periods, precious gemstone bracelets, and several norigae that filled the rest of the box.

    Trembling, she touched the satchel and snatched her hand back as if it would burn her. Then, before she could change her mind, she grabbed it. The rolled bag had not seen daylight since she had stitched it sealed and dropped it in the box.

    The sky still wore the fire of the pre-dusk sun. Minjae could glimpse the narrow path of the slope. Loose shale made her foot slip, but there was enough foliage to help keep her balance. It wasn''t long before she found what she was looking for¡ªher refuge, a place in this world she always thought of as her own.

    Hidden in plain sight by dense vegetation and rocks was a cavern nestled between two large boulders that went deep into the hill. Minjae squeezed through the narrow opening behind the larger boulder and crawled inside.

    She rested her back against the cool surface of the cave''s wall. Drawing her knees to her chest, she curled into a ball.

    "Irr wzzz nrr in weyzn...uii err rive.." Woo Sa Ri''s voice tore her like a butcher''s knife gutting the insides of an animal.

    It was not in vain. You are alive.

    Minjae shook her head from side to side, the pain inside her unbearable.

    "......she had something urgent to tell me in secrecy."

    She always knew she was living a borrowed life, but to learn she was the reason for Woo Sa Ri''s harrowing plight was a new kind of hell.

    And here she was, living in perfidy as if her existence had not decimated the lives of so many.

    Minjae clutched the satchel to her chest and bellowed, the primal sound piercing through the air, reverberating into a crescendo of raw, unfiltered emotion she could not keep bottled inside anymore. Her broken cries bounced off the chamber walls.

    She cried until her ribs hurt, her eyes burned, and her cheeks felt parched. She cried until her throat was scratchy. She cried until she could only heave.

    She then stared at the white satchel for a long time as if willing it to turn back time. A slender finger traced the seam of the stitch. Using her thumb and fingers, Minjae picked open the knot and pulled the thread, tearing it along the seam. The white coarse fabric parted to reveal tightly rolled blue and purple silk.

    The hanbok spilt out, its delicate gold lace patterned with horses and lotus gleaming in the natural light that flooded the chamber through numerous crevices and fissures. With shaking fingers, she unrolled the dress, its green jangot still as pristine as the day she had worn it that fateful day on the hill behind the gambling house. She traced it lovingly.

    Something dropped to the floor. It was a roll of two intertwined scrolls.

    She unrolled the first one.

    "Brother, I entrust you with the flower of the tallest tree outside the Joseon Palace. Save her, treasure her, keep her safe. It is the only repayment I will need. I will consider your debt paid."

    Fresh tears blurred her eyes, spilling over in warm rivulets she brushed away despairingly.

    She unrolled the second one.

    "My Lady, if you are reading this, I can rejoice in the knowledge that you lived. Do not look back. Should we ever cross paths, treat me as a stranger. Erase your present, forget your past and begin anew. Do not be afraid anymore. The people who saved you will safeguard you and die for you. The chest belonged to your grandmother. She wanted you to have it when you married. Find joy, my lady, so that in my passing, I may face your kin with peace. Your faithful slave."

    Hysterical laughter bubbled inside her. Erase? Forget? Joy?

    She never could run far enough, wide enough.

    She could never erase being Choi Ji Na.

 Nineteen: The Physician

    Late spring, 1632

    Temple in Mount Taebaeksan

    Choi Jina refused food and ignored her medication. The pain was a welcome distraction, and the fever let her sink into an oblivion that was devoid of all thoughts. She was aware of men tending to her lacerated, infected back but had become immune to their presence.

    Until the physician, an imposing man with charcoal ash hair, lost his patience one day and yelled, "I am already losing one. I refuse to lose you too! EAT!"

    A sliver of alarm had run through her body at his raised voice. The monk with him immediately admonished the man for his impudence. However, conditioned to obey a command from a male authority figure without question, she complied immediately. She wriggled up from her prone position and reached for the spoon. For the first time, she had been aware of someone as a person, rather than shadows she relegated to the periphery of her pointless existence, though if someone asked her, Jina could not tell what she had eaten.

    The man later patted her head when he thought she was sleeping and said, "I am sorry, child, for being harsh. But you will not die under my watch."

    Jina had not opened her eyes, but she had listened. Despite her attempts at noncooperation, she started healing.

    However, Choi Jina''s body recovered faster than her mind, which refused to mend. It had fallen apart, and she could not figure out how to pick up the pieces and fit them correctly.

    Her mind would be blank for days, and she would stare at the cherry blossom tree outside the chamber window. Jina watched its bare limbs sprout miniature nubs that grew into green sprouts. Soon, the tree was laden with cherry blooms that bent the branches to their tune. Magpies nested somewhere deep within its rich, flowery limbs. Silvereyes flapped their little olive wings, probing each pink flower with their tiny beaks, unable to decide which bloom tasted the best. She watched the tree shed the pink and wear just green emotionlessly. She never missed its olive feather friends, either.

    The abyss to which her mind retreated at night was anything but empty. Instead, it was filled with dark spectres that woke her up and kept her awake, her body drenched in sweat. In a recurring nightmare, she would be tossed over a shoulder, thrown into a ditch, and Seung would appear. "Take me home," she would cry, but he would turn away, and then her father would appear with a lash in his hand.

    She stopped sleeping at night.

    Jina started wandering out, only to meet kind gazes that led her back to her chamber like a lost waif. It didn''t stop her, though.

    One night, faint sobbing cries drew Jina to another chamber not too far from where she lodged. She stood outside the door for some time, listening to muffled sobs of what sounded like a grown man.

    The following evening, her feet walked in that direction on their own accord. When she peeked into the chamber, she saw a woman under many layers of covers, with an old monk sitting by her side, reading his scriptures.

    An exceptionally tall man with wet salt and pepper hair hanging around his broad face approached the chamber. It was the giant man, the physician, who had yelled at her a few days ago.

    "How are you feeling, my lady?" The man asked in a gruff voice. Alarmed at being found outside her chamber and worried he was upset, Jina lost her nerve, nodded awkwardly and retreated without answering.

    Two nights later, Jina''s curiosity took her inside the chamber. The woman was small, frail and unconscious. The young monk attending her whispered. "She is gravely ill, my lady." Beaten and hit on the head, the woman had slumped and never recovered. The woman slept on her back, her hands lying limply by her side. Jina looked at her wrists. Horrified, she had let out a muffled cry. They had severe bruising and had marks as if she had been chained.

    Jina smoothed the young woman''s forehead with her hands, tears clogging her vision. She was grey and lifeless, even though the slight up and down movement of her chest indicated she was still hanging on to her life by a thread.

    The woman died the following evening.

    Choi Jina was overcome with grief that seemed strangely personal. She didn''t know the woman, did not know what her name was. Yet Jina felt a rage that ravaged her insides. Another nameless woman who had lost her life because the humans who held power over her decided she was not worthy of living.

    Jina sightlessly stumbled into the woods, trying to escape the vile ghosts that chased her. Hatred, shame and hopelessness spewed a volcano that bubbled within her.

    That was when, in a twist of fate, Choi Jina came upon a young girl being cornered by two men, one of them with a knife glinting in his hand. "Don''t make it difficult for us. We will make it quick," the man with the knife crooned.

    The evening was raw, trying to hold onto the last bits of the light, which left its fold rapidly. The girl backed up from them and picked up a rock. Even in the dim light, Jina could see her terror-filled eyes rounded in shock and despair.

    Something snapped within Jina. A lava of fury simmering inside her burst open and devoured her. All that was left behind was a red haze, a cloud of insanity that demanded complete submission of her rational mind. A keen sound emitted. Jina wasn''t sure where it came from, but when it turned into a howling, unholy wail of wrath, she knew it was her.

    Jina charged down the hill, unmindful of the prickly bushes or loose gravely soil her feet slipped on. Frantically, she grabbed whatever was within reach and hurled it at them. Her hands clasped around something twine-like, which she yanked from its roots ferociously, her rage giving her a strength she didn''t know she had. She wildly swung it at them.

    While her efforts of assault were futile, her raging bellows were not. Taken aback by her sudden appearance and ensuing eruption, the two men instinctively recoiled in fear at her raging dance of madness. Her unexpected presence in the woods and the fact that she didn''t quite look like she belonged to this world, the dusk giving her deathly pale complexion a ghostly aura, caused the man to drop his knife. The men turned tail and scattered into the thickness of the bushes.

    Jina didn''t think. She grabbed the girl who had been as frozen in fear at Jina''s crazed state as the men and dragged her by the wrist. The girl, after one moment of hesitation, followed Jina.

    Jina''s howls brought unexpected help. Two monks carrying swords appeared at the top of the hill, led by the giant man in grey attire she had come to think of as ''the physician''.

    Jina wasn''t sure of the order of the events that followed. One of her wounds had reopened, and the physician was tending her, his eyes red and moist. The monks had led the rescued girl away. Jina shivered in the aftermath, curling into a foetal position, vaguely aware that her fever had returned.

    When the important-looking man in official robes came the following morning at dawn with several men holding fire torches, Jina was utterly unprepared. The official was a massive man with a girth that could accommodate the trunks of three oak trees. Two of his men dragged her outside and threw her at his feet.

    "We found this woman, My Lord."

    She was surrounded by the monks, all kneeling on the ground.

    One of the men yanked her by the hair and exposed her face to the man.

    "She is not her," the official roared. "Where is she? Where did you hide my slave?"

    The head monk stepped forward. Giving a respectful bow, the monk knelt in subjugation. "My Lord, two of my monks rescued a lost girl in the forest yesterday, but she was gravely injured and died in the night. She is being buried even as we speak. We did not know she was a runaway slave."

    "I don''t believe you. She cannot be dead. Where are you hiding her?" the man yelled, looking around furiously. Jina thought she detected a note of desperation in his voice.

    "My Lord, if you follow me, I can show you where she is being buried."

    The fat official demanded all the people in the compound follow him, ordering his men to keep a tight watch so no one could escape. When they reached the burial, a good stretch away from the monastery, the men at the burial site had already started throwing dirt in the grave. All they could see were the feet and a bit of the skirt of the slave girl.

    The official gave a cry that sounded quite like misery. He hurried to the pit as fast as his massive body allowed and sat on the edge. "Sui Ni..." he screamed. "You cannot leave me! Take her out, take her out. I want to see her. She cannot be buried here; I want to take her back."

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    The monk spoke calmly, gently, and persuasively, "My lord, we have read the prayers for the dead for this grave. Changing a grave can cause unrest to the departed soul. Moreover, there is a disquieting thing the girl told me before she died. She was pursued by two men who attacked her on the orders of a lady of their household. Also, this girl was carrying a child. Disturbing her can cause her soul not to find a release and wander to revenge on those who wronged her and her unborn child."

    The man paled at the thought of having the dead girl haunt his home. He turned on his men and soon had the two men who had chased the slave girl on the orders of his wife dragged away. But his anger had not diminished. To Jina''s horror, the man walked to her and grabbed her chin, tipping it up. The eyes that stared back at her had a strange gleam in them. "This face....who is this woman?"

    His touch repulsed her. Nausea threatened as fragments of another disgusting touch flooded her fragile mind. Jina tried to twist away her face, but his vice-like grip only ended up bruising her chin. The man licked his lips.

    "Forgive me, my lord," a heavy, gravelly voice said. It was the physician. "Her name is Kim Minjae. I beg for forgiveness if her presence offends you."

    "Oh, she does not offend me at all. What a rare beauty. How could I not have seen you before, Kim Minjae?"

    The unfamiliar rage returned, and Jina pushed his hand. "Please do not touch me, my lord," she said coldly. The man''s eyes widened in surprise and narrowed calculatively.

    "How is your speech so refined when your clothes are not? Did you serve a rich master?"

    "My lord, she is not a local. She is only a devotee; she has come with me," the physician said.

    The official looked the physician up and down. "You are the visiting physician of our village, right?"

    "Yes, I am, my lord," the physician replied calmly.

    The obese man observed the physician with narrow eyes. "So why is she with you?"

    "I am her unfortunate father, Kim Seo Jun. I have brought my daughter here so she could pray in repentance."

    Jina started in shock but kept her head down, swallowing her surprise at the turn of the conversation.

    The official made an odd sound and grabbed the physician by the collar. "It must have been you who tended to my woman and killed her. Looks like you can perhaps pay for your terrible blunder. You could not save my favourite slave girl, so I will take your daughter instead."

    Pure terror turned Jina''s blood into ice. Jina tried to steel herself against her rising panic, ironically the first tangible feeling she had felt since her father had thrown her away like a rag doll. She dug her nails into her thighs through her thick skirt to keep her hands from shaking. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the monks move; all of them abruptly coiled like panthers as if ready to pounce.

    The physician said, "She is not worthy of you, my lord. She is married. Her husband beat her after a powerful lord forced himself on her and threw her out."

    The official''s eyes narrowed, and he pushed the physician away. "Then she is even more fit to be my slave. I will pay good coin for her."

    "She is scarred, my lord."

    Before Jina could comprehend, the physician approached her, grabbed her by the arms, and lifted her to her feet. He then ordered her to loosen the strings of her coarse jacket. Terrified, Jina looked at the head monk for help, and the tall old man gave her a slight nod, his kind eyes asking him to trust them.

    As soon as she loosened the jacket, the physician turned her around roughly and lifted the back of her coat. An audible gasp rose behind her, and the flap of her jacket was dropped almost as fast as it had lifted.

    "My daughter is not fit for you, my lord," the physician repeated.

    "A lower-class man dared to do that to his wife because of a lord?" The man sneered.

    "My son-in-law is a rich merchant in Tosan, my lord. His name is Jo Sung Ha. He commands merchant ships, and he is angry because my daughter committed the sin of carrying another man''s child."

    The toad gave Jina a speculative glance.

    "I see. So, she has already been soiled and discarded. This is a waste of great beauty. Getting rid of a child should be easy, physician. And I don''t mind a few scars. I might even consider making her a concubine if she behaves."

    The physician was breathing angrily, aware that his excuses had only worsened matters. His hands were bunched around the fabric of his tunic so tightly his knuckles were white.

    The old monk moved closer to the obnoxious lord. "My Lord, taking a devotee from a temple is not advisable. If the word gets out, it will reflect poorly on you as well as us," the old monk said, but this time, there was a dangerous undertone in his voice that had been absent earlier.

    "My men will never dare to speak about this," the toad boasted.

    "I am afraid I cannot allow something like this to occur at this sacrosanct place," the monk said, his voice deathly quiet, his tone brokering no argument to his intent.

    The toad opened his mouth, about to say something, then stopped as he became aware of his surroundings. Even though he had come with several men, he was still outnumbered by the monks, renowned across Joseon for their martial arts prowess, all of whom were well-trained warriors. His men would stand no chance. The royals visited this temple, and the King would ruin him if the word got out.

    An ugly red spread on that man''s rotund face, his cave-like nostrils puffing with fury.

    "I will investigate, and if I find any part of your story untrue, I will disembowel you with my own hands and then take her!" The man spewed spittle on the physician''s face.

    The party of the official disappeared.

    Shaken, Jina tried to coalesce her runaway thoughts. The monks led her back to her room. A little while later, a young monk guided her to the head monk''s chamber.

    The physician knelt before her. "I apologise, my lady. I deserve to die for my audacity to let impure eyes fall on your person. Please punish me as you see fit."

    "We apologise for putting your honour at stake, my lady. Please forgive us," the monk said.

    So much had happened so quickly that Jina found it difficult to process, but she understood that the unthinkable act of disrobing her back to strange men might have saved her life and prevented bloodshed.

    "I am ashamed, but I also understand," Jina whispered, the heat of mortification slowly creeping up her cheeks. "Did the rescued girl die?" She asked, her spirits broken.

    "No, my lady, it was not her," the monk said quietly. He explained it was the woman who had died the previous evening. They had switched her clothes with the runaway girl, and they had already stowed her away until they could send her somewhere safer.

    "Where will she go?"

    "We do not know yet, my lady. We have helped people in the past, but not runaway female slaves. We will need to raise some funds before that. But please do not worry. Right now, we need to think about your safety. You will have to leave the temple immediately. We will have to move you somewhere else," the head monk said.

    The thought of going anywhere new, away from the safety of these people she had come to trust, made her want to throw up.

    "Why? He is gone."

    "He might come back, so we cannot risk it. You still need medical attention. So we have decided to send you with Physician Kim Seo Jun to Ganghwa until you recover."

    "Ganghwa?" Jina tried to calm her panic. "But I don''t know him. And why would he take me?"

    "You will travel as his daughter, Kim Minjae. On the island, you will live as his daughter. No one will suspect," the old monk said. "Moreover, even if Sang were to investigate, our story would line up. You must leave the temple and go to Ganghwa, my lady." Jina''s tender ears, conditioned for years to pick up nuances of discontent, did not miss the steely resolve in his voice.

    Jina felt hysteria rise in her chest. "I am very thankful to all of you for getting me out of a difficult situation, but I cannot go with a stranger. I want to go to my grandmother''s village."

    "Your wounds are not healed and can turn poisonous. And you do not have a place to go even if we send you to your grandmother''s village. And," the monk paused, "if someone like Inspector Sang causes trouble, we will not be able to help."

    Jina felt the fragile comfort zone her mind had found in this temple slip away rapidly. Growing desperate, she pleaded, "Then let me stay here."

    "Unfortunately, temples are not the safest places for women. You are not out of danger. He might try to kidnap you, and if he succeeds, all of us will be forced to accept you as his woman by law," the monk said.

    "That''s preposterous! I am a married woman; he can''t do that. My father will have his head. My husband -"

    Choi Jina stopped, aware that colour was slowly leeching out of her face.

    She had no father, no husband.

    Jina swallowed, fear bunching her insides as the reality of his words sank in.

    "My lady, if I may interrupt," the physician spoke up from the back of the room. He slowly came forward and bowed. "Inspector Sang has his eye on you now, and the man is known to take away vulnerable women forcibly he takes fancy to. He was not prepared enough today, but he will come after you. The monks can fight him, but it will cause bloodshed and bring the wrath of the King upon the temple."

    "What is the guarantee that man won''t come after me on the island?"

    "Official Sang might want you but will not leave his village or travel across the sea for you, my lady."

    "Why are you going to such lengths for me? You do not even know who I am," Jina asked. She was not yet ready to give up the voice she suddenly found out of sheer desperation. The world was too big, too strange, too unknown and too scary, and she could not trust a stranger, even if he were one who had seemingly risked his life to save hers.

    "You are correct; we do not know who you are, and we do not need to know. It''s up to you to disclose it when you deem fit," the monk replied. "However, you are in our safekeeping, my lady. We are indebted to the man who sent you to us, and we will protect you at all costs. Moreover, Ganghwa is only half a day away from here. Physician Kim Seo Jun can always bring you back here for visits."

    "It would be an honour if you came with me. You will live like my daughter, and I promise I will protect you with my life," the physician added kindly.

    "People will know I am not your daughter, and our ruse will be up." Jina felt a calm hatred of a cornered animal resisting its inevitable demise.

    "No one has seen my daughter on the island since she was eight. It has been twelve years," the physician reassured her.

    "I understand Kun Seunim''s (monk) motivation. But why are you helping me, Physician Kim Seo Jun? What if your daughter comes back?" Choi Jina asked the physician, still adamant, though she knew her objections would make little difference as the head monk had already made up his mind.

    The proud man''s shoulder stooped, and his voice broke. "My daughter will never return, my lady. We just buried her in that unnamed grave. If I can save you, I will feel her death was not in vain."

 Twenty: Subterfuge

    1636 September

    Outskirts of Ujju, Northern Joseon border

    His straw hat covered half his face, the other half covered by fuzz and grime. His tall frame was stooped at the shoulders. Ugly, crisscrossing scars marred the back of the hands, a testament to knife battles fought in dim back alleys. He peered at the cards in his hands and leaned on his left towards Seung. Loudly, he growled with a heavy slur, "You son of a flea-infested dog, I know you won by cheating in the last three games; this game is mine."

    Seung tossed a bag of coins at the centre of the table. "If you drank less, you might have a chance to win, foul mouth," he said derisively to the offensive man.

    Scarred-hands let out a snigger. "Want to bet, cutie?"

    Seung''s impassive face gave away nothing. He studied his nails nonchalantly. The ink stain he used to dirty his cuticles might be difficult to scrub off before he met with the ministers later that evening.

    The shabby chamber was saturated with the stench of sweat, greed, and stale food. The coins rattled as they banged and scraped against the wooden surfaces. Cries of dismay were juxtaposed with shouts of joy. Eager hands swept winnings off the tables while desperate men wagered even more of their dwindling luck. Young, garishly dressed women counted coins and bartered objects at cash tables. They filled the fast-emptying wine cups while allowing the men to grab and pinch their bodies, but adroitly escaped their leering hands before they went too far. Bouncers grabbed people by the neck and escorted them out at regular intervals.

    Scarred-hands banged his empty cup and hollered at a boy passing their table. "Hey, pig-tailed rat, fill my cup," he ordered.

    "I don''t want any vomit, assholes," a large, heavily bearded man with muscles that looked like they were made of granite slabs glowered from behind him.

    The drunk man waved his scarred hand. "Understood, understood, ain''t no vomiting. But I am breaking his pretty nose if I catch him cheating. Nobody hustles Hwi Yung and gets away," the man bent tauntingly towards Seung, baring his blackened teeth that took an even more revolting tinge in the dim light of the scone torches around them.

    Seung stared at the man, unfazed. "You are losing, scum." The two men sitting across them snickered, eyeing their cards with calculative gleam. One of them threw another bunch of coins. "Five more from me."

    "Pyo Min, you will lose again," his shabby neighbour groused, picking his yellowed teeth with a grime-encrusted finger.

    "Mind your business, Song Ka," Pyo Min scolded.

    A few minutes later, Pyo Min was sweeping the table with glee. Song Ka whined and retrieved a few more coins from his stack.

    Hwi Yung leaned on the table and glared at Pyo Min. "I saw you cheat, bastard," he snarled.

    "He didn''t," Song Ka jumped to Pyo Min''s defence.

    "This place is infested with insufferable gutter worms," Seung got up to leave the table.

    "Where are you leaving rice cake? You took my money. If you leave, I will slit your throat," Hwi Yung slurred heavily.

    "Try it. I won that fair and square slimeball," Seung countered, collecting his winning and dropping the pouch in his sleeve pocket. He drew his cone-shaped straw hat further down his face so that only his jaw, shadowed by soot, was visible. A dark mole on his lower jaw stood out. "I am done for tonight."

    "Who ya callin names? Aish-" Hwi Yung grabbed Seung''s tunic.

    "Settle your brawl outside," the granite slab yelled at them.

    Seung drew a long, cold breath outside the claustrophobic, shady chamber. People were milling around him. The sun barely shone in this part of the world during this time of the year, and the temperature had already dropped. Soon, the landscape would be covered by powdery snow that would eventually harden into rocks for a significant part of the year.

    Hwi Yung followed him. He grabbed Seung from behind, but Seung shook him off.

    The large man came at him again, held Seung by the collar, and dragged Seung close to his face. "Give me my money -"

    The man was a brute, and even though Seung was exceptionally tall, the man who called himself Hwi Yung still managed to clear him by a few inches. Seung twisted the hem of Hwi Yung''s hanbok at the throat until the man choked.

    "Fuck off," Seung yelled at his face.

    Disinterested eyes glanced at the two squabbling men briefly before they moved on, too inured to violence and too absorbed in their own miseries to care.

    Seung lifted a brow from under his hat. "Need I go on, or we keep this going?"

    "If you want me to speak, loosen your grip, you thumbsucking ingrate," the man coughed.

    Emitting a low laugh, Seung loosened his hands around the man''s throat.

    Suddenly, the man dropped his voice to barely a whisper, "You have a snitch on the island."

    Seung shoved the man, swung his fist, and connected it with his jaw. Hwi Yung stumbled around a wooden pole, and Seung followed him. Hwi Yung wrapped his trunk-sized forearm around Seung''s neck in a vice grip, and both men tumbled into an alley. However, this time, Seung''s tone was low and urgent. "I have had my doubts. Any leads?"

    "Find out who has a white porcelain jar with plum and bamboo designs on the island. He could be the leader or at least a part of the treasonous gang."

    "How much do they know?" Seung asked.

    Hwi looked around them carefully while Seung scanned the area with his penetrating gaze. There were other men, some sitting, some lounging, and a few prone on the ground stoned, but they all had one thing in common - they had no interest in what went on around them.

    Blend or stand out¡ªtwo basic rules of disguise. If anyone asked after them, people would remember two tall men who looked like gamblers and had run-of-the-mill gambler''s fight, a common sight outside the teeming gambling and whoring alleys of the mountains. One had scarred hands, and the other had a mole on his chin.

    Distraction.

    However, there was a strong chance that they were not the only ones undercover here. In reality, Hwi Yung was Sim Junho, the chief of special operatives of Joseon''s undercover operations. They had to be careful and quick.

    "I am not sure. Three Mongolian barbarian mercenaries were caught in Pyongyang," Sim Junho said, his face close to Seung, with no trace of slurring in his controlled, carefully modulated voice.

    Junho then pretended to shake Seung as if carrying on their fight. Seung grasped the scarred hands holding his collar. "They had details of all the men posted in Ganghwa and the layout of all the Palaces on the island," Junho continued in his low voice. "Kong Yeude and Geng Zhongming have been placed in charge of the western coast and Ganghwa. The mercenary presence has increased in Jeong Ju here in the north, mainly around the villages. Barbarians are doling out money and arming the local lords with their men. General Im Gyeong-eop is fortifying the Beakma Fortress, but it''s not enough. We need more men, or we need a peace treaty. Also, the news is that someone powerful is trying to replace you as the Commander so that their person will be in charge of Ganghwa if the war happens."

    Seung''s mouth tightened. "They are targetting Ganghwa. Kong Yeude and Geng Zhongming do not want to fight me. So they are greasing someone''s hands."

    "Yes. Fifteen bolts of cotton and fifty bags of rice were stolen from storage in Anju, but there is no trace of where they disappeared," Sim Junho said.

    Seung then shoved him. Sim Junho slumped and fell flat on the ground.

    Seung crouched and bent over Junho''s face. A decade older than Seung, with mammoth experiences gleaned from many battles his seasoned body had fought, Sim Jung was Seung''s mentor and had personally trained Seung in the art of espionage. "I am sorry, Hyungnim. I hope the punch didn''t hurt much."

    "You want to declare your love for me numbskull?" Junho muttered, lolling his head on the side. "Leave before they marry us off."

    Seung gave a soundless laugh and rose. For good measure, he kicked the prone man on the side and left him. The gambler Sim Jung would soon slink away into the night and probably turn up as an obscure Ming Prince the next day somewhere, Seung thought amusingly.

    ¡Þ

    Interior Minister Choi Myeong-gil looked disturbed when Seung related the information to him soon after. As a leader of the peace-seeking group of ministers, the man had already lost hope of reconciliation after the abject failure of his negotiations with the Qing generals. "We have similar information from the Admiral of the western fleet. If true, you must fortify Ganghwa before it changes commands. You must return to Hanyang immediately and persuade His Majesty to Ganghwa so you can plan their defence."

    ¡Þ

    Seung returned four days later and tried convincing the King and the Crown Prince to proceed to Ganghwa. His closest ministers objected vociferously. Would that not mean their King was afraid of the Barbarians and was running away?

    Even though he was terrified of the war, King Injo was too indecisive to fight his powerful ministers. However, he agreed to move his consorts, children and grandchildren to Ganghwa, including Grand Prince Bongrim.

    Two weeks later, Lee Seung sat, all expressions wiped clean off his young, hardened face, listening as the self-serving ministers spewed foam, fervently urging the King to declare war on the Qing barbarians. Fuelled by the news that the newly named Qing''s barbarian emperor, Hong Taji, had refused to meet the Joseon envoy Choe Myeong-gil, the courtiers pressed the King to dismiss Myeong-Gil. They were convinced Ming would come to their aid if the need arose.

    "Ming is no position to help, Your Majesty," Choi Myeong-gil tried to reason with the ministers, but even though not one of these ministers had lifted a finger to prepare Joseon against an invasion, they kept badgering the King to wage war.

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    Choi Si-wan was a part of that sanctimonious troupe.

    "What do we have to fear? We have enough fortresses on the northern border, and our infantry and navy are matchless."

    Seung wondered why a man as intelligent as Choi Si Wan would support a war against the barbarians. He seemed terribly short-sighted for someone planning to send his daughter to the Crown Prince.

    Later that night, the ministers convened a separate council where lower-ranked officials could voice their opinions. Despite widespread reservations against the war, few dared to speak up.

    A lanky, round-faced man with sharp but melancholy eyes approached Seung. It took him a few minutes before Seung recognised the newcomer.

    Choi Se-min, Lord Si-wan''s eldest son.

    "Brother-in-law," Choi Se-min greeted Seung, his face pinched. "How is my sister?" He asked Seung in a hushed tone.

    Seung wondered if his face betrayed the surprise he felt. A corner of his mouth lifted in a ghost of a smile. "I am sure she is well, Choi Se-Min, and appreciates your concern."

    "Son-in-law Lee, I hope you are keeping well," Lord Choi Si-wan appeared behind his son. Seung bowed his respects.

    Lord Choi turned to Se-min. "Did I not tell you not to bother Lord Lee? Do you not understand how grateful we are for his graciousness?"

    The young man paled. "Yes, father. Thank you, my lord, for accepting my undeserving sister and giving her another chance. Please take good care of her," he said in a tone so low that Seung had a hard time catching his words. The young man left, his shoulders drooped.

    Seung''s eyes narrowed.

    "Your Excellency, is this the new story? Now, Lady Jina is supposed to be with me? Last I heard, she was fooling around with someone."

    "As her father, what else can I say? Reconciling the difference is the best option right now for both our families. Fortunately, even my daughter agrees with that."

    "Really? Your Excellency, I mean no disrespect, but since when did your daughter turn so filial?"

    A hard look came over Lord Choi''s eyes before he schooled it. "She is older now and understands more about her duties than before."

    Sure. Seung thought uncharitably. Though Seung felt sorry for the man, he was too immune to the sufferings of Choi family. "In other words, she is now seeing the benefits of power. Unfortunately, I do not have a stomach for your political ambitions, Lord Choi. I have not changed my mind about the divorce," Seung said coldly.

    "Do you think His Majesty will take kindly to your petitions at a time like this? Can you deny you have benefited from being related to me? You are commanding Joseon''s most critical military space because you are my son-in-law."

    Seung scoffed. "I thought that was because I had rescued a prince from a place where he was not supposed to be."

    Lord Choi emitted an ugly chuckle. "Do you think your posting happened without the backing you have in this court? Even if we assume that were true, some people are actively working to remove you from that post."

    Seung didn''t have the bandwidth for Lord Choi''s manipulative machinations. "And you are helping me stay there? You are sadly mistaken if you think you stand to benefit from my position in any way. I would rather resign and leave Ganghwa than let that happen."

    "You are mistaken, son-in-law. I only want you to pretend you have accepted my wayward daughter back. His Majesty was particularly pleased to know you and my daughter have reconciled your differences, so I do not think he will heed those men. And why would you want to leave Ganghwa? I know how important that place has become to you. I hear it has a particularly comely physician who has piqued your interest."

    Seung felt blood drain from his veins. He had forgotten Lord Choi''s power and how far his tentacles spread.

    "Leave her out of this," Seung''s voice was dangerously low.

    "Oh, do not worry, son-in-law. I have no curiosity about your interest in other women. I am not asking you to tolerate your marriage indefinitely. You know His Majesty will not give you a divorce unless my daughter meets him personally. I have told you many times I shall help you with your divorce when the time comes. Help me keep the pretence of your marriage for a few more years, at least until the danger the barbarians pose to us is over and my younger daughter is old enough to go to the Crown Prince. In return, I will help you stay in Ganghwa for as long as you wish. I can even provide a dowry for this commoner woman you fancy if you want her as your concubine."

    "Let me spell it out for you, Your Excellency. Leave. The Woman. Alone. Keep out of my business." If the blade in his tone could kill, Lord Choi would have been six feet under.

    The change in Seung''s tone of address was not lost on Lord Choi, who smiled. "You should call me Father. I believe you have not visited your mother in a while? Please convey my regards to her."

    Lord Choi''s power in Joseon was absolute. Seung had not considered him to pose a problem for Minjae, and he didn''t trust himself to reply.

    ¡Þ

    Ganghwa Island

    Within a few hours of Woo Sari regaining consciousness, Minjae realised that staying close to her could be vital for her recovery. Her doubts were soon confirmed. When it was time to leave the temple, Woo Sari clung to Minjae''s hands, her breathing becoming increasingly laboured, the panic in her eyes spreading to her white face.

    Woo Sari was healing much slower than Minjae would like, but miraculously, she was recovering her lost speech rapidly. Her words were still somewhat garbled and came out with a heavy accent, but understanding what she said was getting progressively easier.

    Choi Si Wan had planned to kill Woo Sari on the day she had gone to visit Lee Seung. Ironically, the man entrusted to do the job had double-crossed Choi Si Wan and had sold her instead.

    Tears welled up whenever Minjae thought about it. She was so thankful to have this woman alive. Based on Woo Sari''s account, Minjae knew Kang Do had no hand in Sari''s disappearance.

    But then, her mind would wander to his connection to the murder of Seung''s father. Minjae''s heart clenched with terror whenever her thoughts connected the obvious dots. Kang Do executed most of her father''s dirty deeds. But why Seung''s father? They had been childhood friends, united in the cause of getting King Injo to the throne. It defied all reason. In that light, it was inexplicable why Choi Si Wan would marry his daughter to the son of the man he had murdered in cold blood. Hatred for her father burned deep within her.

    If it weren''t for the safety of Woo Sari, Kang Do, and her adopted family, Minjae would relish the shock on her father''s face if she suddenly appeared before him with Lee Seung in tow and declared herself his concubine.

    Lee Seung. Her husband.

    Seung had been gone for over two months now. Minjae often visited Seung''s quarters in hopes of getting news. Wang Jung had kindly told her he had no idea where Seung was. A month after he left, Minjae received a letter from Seung telling her how much he missed her.

    She ached in his absence.

    Woo Sari grasped Minjae''s hand in her small, coarse one. "I am glad Lord Lee found you, my lady, even if he does not know the truth." she sighed happily.

    Much to Minjae''s exasperation, Woo Sari refused to drop the honorifics when speaking to Minjae. Woo Sari was born into the Choi household to slave parents and had been Jina''s companion and maid since she could walk. They had grown up together, and Woo Sari had frequently shielded Jina from Lord Choi or Lady Im''s wrath.

    When Minjae returned to the island with Woo Sari, Kim Da Bom was aghast. With her hands on her hips, she asked in a stunned whisper, "How are you going to hide her?"

    "Why, with your help, of course! I couldn''t leave her there," Minjae said.

    Kim Da Bom had always suspected Minjae was a yangban, and Woo Sari''s dogged honorifics confirmed this.

    Woo Sari was terrified of Kim Da Bom. Whenever Da-Bom entered the room, Woo Sari would struggle to bow to her.

    "Make her stop, Minjae," Kim Da Bom had exploded irritably one day. "At this rate, you could tattoo ''runaway slave'' on her forehead, and it will be less visible. She will be a sitting duck for those slave killers one day!"

    Minjae sighed.

    "You can''t call me ''my lady'' anymore, Woo Sari. I am a commoner, just like you," Minjae whispered, holding the spoon gently to the convalescing woman''s dry lips.

    "You know I cannot do that! Do you ever plan to tell Lord Lee who you are, my lady?"

    Minjae had considered the idea long and hard in the past two months. Leaving with Woo Sari would have been the easiest way out, but Kim Seo Jun had disabused her of the idea.

    "I never knew you to be a coward, Minjae. Do you think a man like Lee Seung would let you vanish? He would tear the country apart to find you." Her astute adopted father had correctly gauged that her relationship with Seung went beyond her time in Ganghwa, though Minjae had refused to confirm anything like she had been doing all these years.

    Minjae pressed her lips together. She had foolishly wished she would spend a little more time with Seung in the make-believe world she had created. But she could hardly be his concubine while also being his wife, could she? Yet she knew if Seung were to learn the truth, it would break his heart. He would probably hate and despise her and drag her to court to divorce her. And she would have to live with that. But then, Minjae also knew he would let her leave with Woo Sa ri and not endanger her, no matter how much he hated her.

    But deep within her, Minjae also hoped he could find it in his heart to forgive her, especially once he understood why she had behaved the way she had. After all, he still had held on to that bracelet. That had to mean something.

    And she prayed her love would hold.

    A light pressure on her clasped hand drew her attention back to the present.

    "My lady?"

    Minjae sighed. Caressing Woo Sari''s forehead lovingly, Minjae said, "Yes, I do plan to tell him."

    ¡Þ

    The boatmen rested their hands and let the junk boat drift in. Their oar handles made clunking sounds in their oarlocks, and the flat of the paddlers dripped water as the boat slid against the shore. Seung jumped off eagerly, exuberance filling his chest at the prospect of seeing his sister and mother.

    The village had not changed much since he had left for school. As he strolled past swaying fields of bountiful millet and the familiar cabbage patches being irrigated, memories of home-cooked meals flooded his mind, particularly his mother''s speciality cabbage dishes. Two months earlier, he had missed meeting his mother, who was visiting her sister in a neighbouring village up north. His Uncles had patted his back, brought their families and cousins to meet him, and tried convincing him to give up everything and join them in mining the ore. The business was booming. After all, he was the only son in the family.

    Unsurprisingly, Lee Gil-ae immediately noticed his dreamy disposition and had no trouble determining that her brother was smitten. In less than an hour, she had ferreted out Kim Minjae''s name and spent the rest of the time badgering him for details. Contrary to his initial, completely superficial objections, he had no difficulty divulging every detail about the woman who had captured his heart.

    He had droned on for so long that his sister had fallen asleep on him.

    This time, though, the conversation would be much more sombre. Seung only had a day to persuade his family to move from this village. His Uncles had families in the south, where barbarian attacks were less likely. He also had to convince his mother to leave their family home and move to Ganghwa with him.

    Preoccupied with his thoughts, Seung swung open the imposing doors of his home and stepped into the compound. But the sight that greeted him was so unfamiliar that, for a moment, he thought he had come to the wrong house.

    A young, voluptuously built woman was berating two men kneeling on their knees, her voice hard, cold and unrelenting.

    Seung almost turned around but then paused. Clothes hung out to dry on the lines fluttered gently. The familiar facade of his sprawling childhood home sat like a comforting beacon at the far end of the compound. Patches of flowers and vegetables adorned the space, lovingly tended by his sister, who excelled in horticulture. Female servants scurried around with baskets, cutting a wide arc from the woman who had gone quiet as she became aware of the new arrival.

    The woman turned to him. She was dressed in a fine silk hanbok of lavender and green. Her oval face was lined with cat-like amber eyes, a small, defined nose, and full lips. It was an intriguing face - a sultry face, Seung thought dispassionately. Who was she? A visiting distant cousin, perhaps?

    Her eyes caught his attention. They went over him boldly, intimately. A slight smile lifted the corners of her plump lips, and she bowed.

    A fissure of unease ran down Seung''s spine.

    "Oraboni!"

    Lee Gil-ae appeared from behind one of the large white sheets on the clothesline.

    Seung''s face broke into a wide smile as he spread open his arms to envelop his little sister. But instead of running to him, she stopped short and bowed to him. Seung''s arms fell to his side, and he noticed her pinched face.

    "Gil-ae? Are you unwell?"

    "No, Oraboni. I am doing very well. It''s time for our family to celebrate," Gil-ae said in an overbright voice. "Sister-in-law has come home."

    At his look of complete incomprehension, the woman stepped forward.

    "I apologise, my lord, I was amiss in introducing myself. I am Choi Ji-Na, Lord Choi Si-Wan''s daughter and your recalcitrant wife. I am here to apologise and repent for my past behaviour if you will accept me."

    Lee Seung felt violently ill.

 Twenty One: The Switch

    The day Seung returned, Minjae wished he had never come back to the island.

    The mass of people in Ganghwa started swelling the previous week, with many of the officers'' families in the Governor''s office trickling in, sparking speculations about a potential visit from the Royal family of Joseon.

    Meanwhile, the garrison was abuzz with activity as more army men joined and the naval borders tightened.

    Minjae had a tiring day and longed to get home and dip her hands in the well''s cool, refreshing water. She tuned out Su-ji, who was ambling alongside her, rattling off the newest gossip.

    There had been a gangplank accident at the pier a few hours ago, and several injured soldiers were in the hospital. After helping her father at the apothecary to treat several more wounded men and women, she later helped Kim Da Bom at the inn. Several palanquins had arrived when the stampede happened, causing chaos. A few of those yangban women looked so lost! Suji giggled. Others strutted around, ordering those helping them arrogantly. Underneath all the fancy clothes, the villagers realised most were so plain-looking, Suji remarked gleefully.

    Minjae rolled her eyes. Additionally, there had been one torture at the magistrate''s office, two thefts reported, and three individuals jailed; of course, none of them were linked to one another. Two village families were locked over the ownership of a rooster. The new ox the Pyo family had recently acquired? Their nine-year-old son had injured himself attempting to ride it. Byeong family''s widow was having an affair with the old but wealthy patriarch of the Hwang family, much to the consternation of his sons and daughters, who had threatened to report the matter to the magistrate. In retaliation, the patriarch threatened to strike the children off the family registry for being unfilial and not give them a nyang of his fortune.

    Minjae wanted to tell Suji to shut up, but the truth was that her chatter also kept her distracted.

    For the past many weeks, Minjae has gone about her days as usual, but her eyes wandered. In the evenings, her gaze had scanned the inn, her heart pounding with the hope she would see him, his amused expression teasing her. Aware of the pitiful gazes of Kim Da Bom and Nam Dami and the now questioning gaze of Suji, she tried to keep her expressions unconcerned, but she was fooling no one.

    What was taking Lee Seung so long?

    Was it, in a way, a blessing? Ever since she made up her mind to tell him her identity, her heart had been in a perpetual state of disorder. The truth about her hidden identity was not her only concern. That her father could be the one to have murdered Seung''s father left her frozen with fear. She would have to find a way to help him uncover the mystery without jeopardising Kang Do and her siblings. Minjae had imagined many scenarios with Seung, yet she still wasn''t sure what to expect. Disbelief, anger, acceptance, dismay, happiness....maybe even hate? However, at the end of every scenario, she imagined him forgiving her because the alternative was agonisingly painful, and the thought of losing him was unbearable.

    That fear had made her ambivalent. She had even considered running away with Woo Sari and living anonymously somewhere. But she knew Seung would dig her up, so she soon disabused herself of the thought.

    Kim Minjae could no longer make the same mistakes that she had as Choi Jina. Of course, she would not tell him right away. She would have to find the right time, and the right place. And then, Minjae would not let Seung go. She would hold on to him. She would do everything in her power to convince him of her sincerity. She would throw herself at his feet, beg for his forgiveness, become his slave...

    Footsteps alerted her to new company. A pot-bellied man holding a fire torch was huffing his way to her.

    "Physician Kim, I have been looking for you."

    Fifteen minutes later, Minjae entered a small mud house with a thatched roof on a different side of the settlement, part of a seemingly haphazard but methodical cluster of homes closer to the sea, followed by Suji. A small, curious crowd had gathered outside.

    Inside the hut, a middle-aged woman''s prone form lay on a mat on the mud floor. From what she learned, the woman was a high-borne nobility and most possibly a part of the entourage that had arrived on the island when the accident happened. The current theory was that the woman had exited her palanquin in the ensuing stampede. Injured and disoriented, she must have fainted along the edge of the woods a little distance away.

    Removing the thick cotton quilt from the woman''s body, Minjae checked for pulse. It was possible the woman might have had a stroke. She gently grasped her chin to check her eyes while Suji held a candle close to the woman''s face, and the floor beneath Minjae shifted in shock.

    Astonished, she peered closer, sure that her eyes were deceiving her. Her heart leapt with nervous excitement when she realised they weren''t.

    She was looking at Lee Seung''s mother.

    The realisation hit her like a thunderbolt, catching her breath in her throat. Lee Seung took after his mother. The bold curve of her forehead, the defined nose, and the oval face were all unmistakable resemblances to her incredibly handsome son.

    It was not a face she could forget. It was neither the resemblance nor the fact that Minjae was good at remembering faces; it was Minjae''s memories of Lady Ryu''s kind eyes that had looked at her all those years ago, almost as if the older woman had recognised the frightened, timid Jina underneath all the garish makeup her stepmother had piled on her. Memories of people who made one feel safe in an intimidating environment often made lasting impressions. Lady Ryu Inah was a very kind woman.

    Without thinking, she said, "Request Commander Lee to come here now and tell him we have his mother here."

    While the men around her busied themselves carrying out her directive, the women helped shift the older woman to a more comfortable position. Not in her wildest imagination did Minjae think she would ever meet her in-laws'' family like this¡ªfirst, her husband, now her mother-in-law. Did Seung arrive with his mother? Despite the apprehensions, a spark of happiness kindled inside her.

    Minjae dressed a small gash and applied ointments to a few scrapes on Lady Ryu''s forehead, satisfied that there seemed no serious injury. Her unconsciousness was troubling, though she had not yet vomited, so that was a good sign. Her pulse was steady, her eyes responded to light, and she reacted to external stimuli. Her breathing was regular. Minjae quietly stroked her mother-in-law''s hair, aware that it was not a luxury she might not easily afford again.

    It wasn''t long before she heard Lee Seung''s familiar footsteps entering the hut. Her heart crashed against her ribcage, but she stopped herself from turning around, aware of the curious eyes on her, especially that of Suji, who was watching her closely. Minjae rose and stepped back, giving Seung space.

    Seung knelt, bent close to his mother, and gently gathered her hand in his.

    "Omoni?" The fear in his voice tore something deep inside her.

    Minjae wanted to throw her hands around and comfort him, yet convention demanded she comport herself with requisite decorum. Despite spending many years in Ganghwa, where rules were shockingly lapse, Minjae''s upbringing in the Choi household''s stringently conservative environment was so entrenched in her that she could never wholly shed Jina''s persona or habits. So, instead, she sat behind him and settled for calm, comforting words: "Dari, she is unconscious but steady."

    Seung cast a look over his shoulder, offering the side profile of his face, allowing her to gaze over the shadow of his thick eyelashes brushing his cheeks and the strong outline of his blade-sharpened jaw. He was in his full uniform. Minjae wondered how long he had been looking for his mother. He must have been worried sick.

    "How long has she been like this?"

    "We are not sure, Dari. The villagers found her about two hours ago, but she was possibly unconscious for a while."

    Seung slowly rose, and she quickly followed suit. His worried eyes searched her face. "Physician Kim, what is taking Omoni so long to wake up?"

    "We don''t know what caused her concussion. It could be that she fell on her head or passed out from exhaustion. It could be a stroke. She does not look to be in danger, but it can take a few more hours," Minjae said comfortingly.

    Seung nodded and glanced at her gratefully. Even though this wasn''t the meeting she had wished for, she knew he was glad she was by his mother''s side.

    Seung thanked the people who had rescued and helped his mother, promising to return their kindness, and then turned to Minjae.

    "The palanquin to take Omoni is here. I am ordering one for you, too." When their eyes connected, months fell away to nothing. What his mouth didn''t say, his expressive eyes did it for him.

    Please be there with me.

    Even if he had not asked her, she would have come, but knowing he wanted her by his side unfurled a warmth inside her like a spark kindling a flame on a cold night.

    The house the palanquin took her to was different from the one she had been frequenting previously. The new house was bigger, luxuriously appointed, and closer to the royal palaces.

    As Minjae cut across the spacious courtyard dressed with now bare apricot trees, pretty shrubs, a large cot, a few gigantic chests and other knick-knacks, she noted Seung speaking to a woman attired in an elegant cream and peach hanbok. The woman nodded to whatever Seung was saying to her.

    Was she Lee Gil Ae?

    Mentally shrugging, she followed the two attendants into a large chamber. Minjae focused on making her mother-in-law comfortable for the next few minutes, directing the maids to place several pillows under her head as she lay elevated. Relief flowed through her to see that Lady Ryu was still breathing evenly. One maid sponged her forehead while the other gently massaged her feet.

    "Have you eaten anything?"

    She had not heard Seung come in. Minjae rose to her feet in one graceful motion and bowed.

    It was a mundane question, yet Minjae had no difficulty in reading the wealth of emotions behind it.

    "I am fine, my lord," she replied.

    "You have lost weight," he observed.

    Startled at the openly personal remark, Minjae threw a cautious glance at the two maids in the chamber and caught them exchanging surprised glances. Turning pink, she hastened to establish a more decorous distance. "It is my job to look after people; I would not dream of inconveniencing my lord with such trifle matters," she said, trying to make it sound formal.

    "To take care of others, you must first take care of yourself, Kim Minjae," Seung said softly.

    Minjae gulped. Even the most untrained ears would pick up his sensual tone and lack of formal address. Minjae wondered if the maids could hear the ferocious thundering of her heart.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Before she could voice her objection to his inappropriate tone of address in front of those who appeared to serve his mother, her reverie was rudely interrupted by a swirl of cream and peach silk as a woman wedged herself between her and Seung, sitting beside Lady Ryu.

    Minjae scrambled back instinctively to give space and stumbled, and Seung''s arm shot out and grasped an elbow to steady her. She could feel the warmth of his fingers seeping through the sleeves of her hanbok.

    She tilted her head back slowly and looked up, acutely aware of the warm, mahogany eyes roving over her face with a hungry intensity that knocked her breath and curled her toes.

    Did you miss me? Seung mouthed soundlessly.

    Minjae flushed and tugged at her arm, but he refused to let go. Aware that the maids were now openly gawking, she met his eyes and felt lost. They were brimming over with emotions she could almost touch. It was as if she would drown in them. For a wink, the world ceased to exist.

    Their moment was shattered by the loud cry from the figure clad in swaths of expensive silk, bending over the woman on the mat.

    "Omoni! Omoni, please wake up. You can''t leave us."

    The woman was probably Seung''s sister, Lady Lee Gil-ae, worried sick for her mother. Kneeling beside the woman, Minjae said gently, "We must give her time to come around."

    The woman looked at her sideways. "Who are you?"

    Minjae was surprised at the unfamiliar face. But then, she might not have remembered Lady Lee Gil-Ae''s face that clearly. Minjae had met her fleetingly when she had come to meet her right before the wedding. Minjae''s stepmother had piled layers of awful powder and rouge on her face, and she doubted Lady Gil-Ae would recognise Minjae as Choi Jina were she to appear in her yangban attire, let alone in the coarse garb of a lower-class woman, stones heavier and sporting a different name.

    "I am the local physician-"

    The woman didn''t let her complete her sentence and waived her hand dismissively. "I see. You can leave now."

    Minjae controlled an urge to bite her lip. She remembered Lady Lee as soft-spoken and happy. How did she turn into someone like this?

    Was this Minjae''s fault, too?

    The woman rose abruptly though quite gracefully, Minjae had to admit reluctantly, and bowed to Seung. "We must allow Omoni to rest, my lord."

    Minjae rose and bowed, as well. "My lord, if you allow, I would like to be there when My Lady gains consciousness. It''s essential to watch out for impairment once she comes around."

    "No need," the woman interrupted rudely. "We have skilled physicians of our own."

    Minjae felt her temper rise. She had not expected Seung''s sister to be so obnoxious. The ''brassy veneer'' Seung spoke about was an iron plate of ill- manners and apathy. Minjae gripped her skirt tightly, her knuckles showing white spots of anger.

    "Physician Kim stays," Seung said. Minjae kept her eyes glued to the ground, but she felt a rush of pure delight at Seung''s uncompromising tone.

    "Yes, my lord," the woman replied, chastised. Minjae''s eyes flicked at her involuntarily, and the loathing in her gaze took her aback before the woman shuttered it.

    "I asked you to stay away from this chamber for the time being," Seung added disparagingly.

    "I apologise, My Lord. Once I learned Omoni was injured and Lady Lee being away, I could not stay away,'' the woman replied in a low voice.

    "Is Gil-Ae back yet?" Seung asked.

    Surprised, Minjae stared at Seung.

    "I already sent someone to fetch her from the shaman''s house as you ordered, My Lord," the woman replied demurely.

    Unease slithered down Minjae''s spine.

    Who was this woman?

    "Send Gil-ae in as soon as she comes. Please leave us now," Seung ordered the woman.

    At a loss of words, Minjae could only bow as the woman departed. The woman twisted her lips into a nasty sneer as she passed by Minjae. Minjae''s eyes lingered on the woman''s retreating figure, her mind swirling in turmoil.

    A long sigh brought her attention back to Seung. "I wanted to come to you as soon as I landed. I am sorry it took so long for me to see you."

    Even though Minjae was aware that the maids were listening to them, she suddenly didn''t mind that Seung''s words revealed the intimacy of their relationship, for it soothed the band of tightness that insecurity had curled around her heart.

    "I am happy that we were able to find Omoni on time. There is nothing for you to apologise for. You must have been so worried," she said gently.

    "I was. Minjae," Seung paused, the muscle in his jaw ticking furiously, "we need to talk."

    She had so many questions, yet voicing them didn''t feel right. Or perhaps she wanted to delay their conversation willfully. After all, whatever Seung said would pale compared to the news she would break to him. She would be lucky if he didn''t bodily throw her out of his house after learning her truth.

    "Dari, please do not say anything more. I wish for Omoni to recover as quickly as possible. That is all I hope for right now."

    Seung sat by his mother, holding her hand while she sat beside him. When Lee Gil-Ae joined them, she wasn''t surprised that Gil-Ae didn''t recognise her, while she had no trouble recalling Gil-Ae. And to her relief, Lee Gil-Ae was still as sweet as she remembered her.

    After changing into more comfortable clothes, Seung returned while Gil-Ae saw to her meal.

    "Thank you for caring for Omoni, Physician Kim," Gil-Ae said earnestly. "I heard so much about you from Oraboni, but you are even more beautiful and skilled than I imagined."

    Minjae spied a ghost of a smile on Seung''s lips and blushed. They sat in companionable silence. Lady Ryu loved music, so Gil-ae played a delicate, calm tune on a mandolin. Thankfully, the obnoxious peach and cream clad woman didn''t return.

    It was another three hours before Lady Ryu moved. Minjae immediately flew to her side, checked for the vitals, and asked her to count the fingers. To her immense relief, Lady Ryu recognised Seung and Gil-Ae right away. Minjae gave the mother and her children privacy while instructing the maids to prepare a medicinal concoction.

    As she shifted closer to check for the dressing on the wound, Lady Ryu''s hand suddenly shot out and caught Minjae''s hand tightly. "Im-Yoo-Joo?" She asked, her tone clouded with confusion.

    Minjae froze, her heart skittering to a halt.

    "Im-Yoo-Joo? How -" Lady Ryu shook her head, struggled to sit up, and then clutched her head as if in pain.

    Gil-Ae rushed to her side. "Omoni, she is Physician Kim Minjae, from the local village. We are in Ganghwa."

    Lady Ryu looked even more confused. She looked at Minjae and shook her head again. "But -"

    Seung gently wrapped his arm around his mother''s shoulder and helped her lay on the pillow. Taking the bowl of medicine, he instructed her to drink.

    "Please drink very slowly, My Lady," Minjae advised automatically.

    Lady Ryu looked at her, then looked back at Seung and nodded.

    "She can''t be, can she....I am sorry for the mistake. Yoo Joo has been gone for so long," Lady Ryu said sadly, sipping the medicine.

    Minjae swallowed. Even though it was dark and Lady Ryu was disoriented, Minjae knew there was no mistake. Growing up, she had always despised comments about her resemblance to her aunt and stepmother, Im Nabi. Im Nabi bore such a striking resemblance to her older sister and Minjae''s mother, Im Yoo Joo, that despite the age difference, they could have been mistaken for twins. Yet, it had never dawned on Minjae that this also meant Minjae looked like her mother, a resemblance so uncanny that someone might even mistake Minjae for her mother years later.

    What she didn''t know was that Seung''s mother had been acquainted with her own mother and that they had been close enough for Lady Ryu to remember her vividly more than two decades later.

    She looked down at her trembling hands.

    "Physician Kim, do you think Omoni is out of danger now?" Seung broke through her thoughts.

    "Yes, Dari. Please ensure she gets enough rest and has no fever," she replied, forcing herself to sound professional.

    "Gil Ae, where is Choi Jina?" Lady Ryu asked, turning her head to scan the chamber.

    Choi Jina?

    Minjae''s head snapped up, her heart somersaulting. Why were they taking that name? She thought she heard it wrong.

    Did they know?

    "Omoni, Lady Choi visited you earlier," Gil-Ae said reassuringly.

    Confused, Minjae looked at Seung, who avoided her gaze. Gil-Ae looked embarrassed. What were they saying? She was sitting right there, yet they spoke of her as a third person.

    She saw Seung''s back stiffen. "I asked her to leave the chamber, Omoni. I do not want her here," Seung said, his tone filled with reproach.

    The woman in peach and cream.

    The puzzle pieces fell into place like a trampled maze, adding to a decipherable picture but leaving gaping holes full of questions and heart-wrenching pain.

    Minjae felt the world tilt on its axis.

    "Lee Seung, you must let yourself forgive her, son. Bury the past," Lady Ryu said pleadingly. "I expect better of you."

    "And I have done my best to be a filial son, so please drop it now," Seung said cuttingly, then gentled his tone. "You must rest, Omoni. Gil-Ae will be here with you. I will see you tomorrow."

    Numb, Minjae felt disembodied as she processed the exchange. An unfamiliar emptiness gripped her, so when Seung offered to see her home, she nodded reflexively.

    "I am sorry you had to find out like this, Minjae," Seung said, his voice heavy with emotions once they were outside. Minjae didn''t trust herself to reply. Seung helped her on a horse and swung behind her. They cut through the fields by shortcut to the part of the village where her house was.

    "Are you angry with me?"

    Minjae shook her head, keeping her eyes ahead of her. Shades of silver inked the shadows of the far-off mountains with broad brushstrokes while swabs of ink stretched beyond what eyes could see. The trees had shed their leaves, their hardened stems preparing themselves for the long, hard winter. Barren. Cold. Some of them withered, perhaps forever.

    Shaved ice slithered through Minjae''s spine, and it had nothing to do with the rapidly dropping temperature of the night. Seung caught her tremor, and his arms tightened their embrace, pulling her closer. Her soft back melded with his solid chest as they rode silently, the hollow thuds of the hooves beating the soft ground beneath them.

    "Minjae, say something," Seung murmured close to her ears.

    "Does she- is she anything like how you remember her?" Minjae asked, her throat choked.

    "I don''t remember anything about her at all." Seung sighed. "I felt like a fool saying this earlier, but I never even saw her face during the wedding, and I don''t know anything about her."

    "Do you not find it suspicious that-that this woman turned up so suddenly?"

    "It''s suspect for sure. I don''t trust any of them. Lord Choi and his wife came to drop Choi Jina off at our home while I was in the north. Apparently, she is repenting her actions," Seung gave a humourless chuckle.

    "Does this worry you?"

    "Do I look worried? I could not care less. Though I admit when you asked me what would happen if she ever came back, I did not think of it as a likely scenario ever, let alone this soon."

    "How can you take this so lightly? -"

    "I am stuck at a place I can''t wriggle out, but her being here does not make any difference to me."

    "Then why is she here?" Minjae could not keep the grief out of her voice.

    Seung paused.

    "My mother feels guilty about not doing enough to get her son settled. I could not meet Omoni when I went to our village after I left the island, so I could not tell her about you. By the time I went back home, Lord Choi had already dumped his baggage on Omoni''s head, and now she feels she must set things right between us. Unfortunately, I am no more interested in having Choi Jina as my wife today than I was yesterday."

    Minjae knew very well how revoltingly persuasive Choi Si-wan could be. He probably made Seung''s mother feel inadequate as a parent. Choi Si-wan was very good at making people feel small and lacking, convincing them that they deserved every misfortune that befell them, that somehow it was their fault. The hysteria building inside her made her feel nauseous.

    "Moreover, I was wrong about her."

    "You were?" Minjae repeated. They dismounted some distance away from her home. The night was older, eager to retire and pave the way for a new morning.

    "Yes. My memories are possibly muddled because I thought despite Choi Jina''s flaws, she was not deceitful. However, I feel she is scheming something whenever I look at her now. I cannot put my finger on it, but the woman creeps me out. But even if she had been the perfect specimen of a woman, I still would have nothing to do with her. Nothing changes."

    "Does it not?"

    Seung caught her wrist and pulled her to the shadows behind the tree he had tied the horse to. An arm encircled her waist, pulling her close to his hard body. Placing a palm to the side of her face, he tilted it up. "No." He looked into his eyes. "You, Kim Minjae, are the only woman I need and want." He buried his face in her neck. "I have missed you so much, my sweet darling." His lips touched the side of her face, and a tongue traced her ear.

    Minjae shivered.

    "And you mother?" She asked.

    "Omoni will come around. She is a creature of conventions. Give her some time," Seung said, his hand digging into her waist.

    She knew he would kiss her, and she let him. Minjae wanted to pretend nothing had changed. When she felt his tongue coax her lips apart, she opened up like the sunflower to the first rays of the sun. She felt the soothing urgency of his hands on her body, on her breasts, on the small of her back. He was aroused and made no effort to hide it. He wanted her, and she wanted him back so badly.

    She had the right; she was his wife. Yet she was a nobody. She didn''t exist.

    He was wrong. Everything had changed. She wished he had not returned this time to the island.

    Lee Seung had no way to know that Choi Jina had died all over again.

 Twenty Two: The Lying Mirror

    The mirror seldom lied. It told her that she was a beautiful woman. At twenty and four years of age, Soo Hyun was in full bloom. Few people could ignore the invite of her sultry eyes or the lure of her classically cut high cheekbones encased in petal-like flawless skin. The silk of the pink hanbok kissed her shoulders, flowing smoothly down her body. She knew how to move so that the hint of her voluptuous breasts beneath the shapeless hanbok bodice drew attention.

    Or so she thought. Soo Hyun let out a long, puffy breath, waiving at the maid to leave her alone.

    She had learned very early that sex could be used as a weapon. Men loved being drunk on power. If they thought they were in control of their environment, these men often became placid and easy to manipulate.

    Soo Hyun had been born in plenty. She grew up surrounded by arrogance and domination stemming from wealth and power. She had been eleven years old when her father - the rebellious but corrupt Interior Minister - and her older brothers had been dragged out and butchered in the wake of the coup by King Injo and the scholars of the Western faction in April of sixteen-twenty-three. Her mother had been forced into becoming a government kiesang, while Soo Hyun had been sent to become a slave in Choi Si Wan''s realm. She became an identity-less face among the hundreds of slaves in the far-flung properties of Choi Si Wan.

    The first time she made her escape, she was able to hide for three days and realised she had been one of so many that no one even missed her. Those who kept track of her never reported her missing because they feared they would be punished for letting a mere eleven-year-old escape. However, just as soon, she learned that she could not survive alone. Chased by opportunistic lechers, she hid in a ditch for two days. Lack of food and shelter drove her back to Lord Choi''s farm. Her supervisors pretended she had been lost in the woods and let it pass.

    Soo Hyun was a little more prepared during her second escape. She stole money and clothes and escaped hidden in a rice cart.

    Unfortunately, her supervisors were also better prepared. They caught her five days later. This time, they beat her and locked her up for a week in a cold, bug-infested hut. Undeterred, she again made an escape a few weeks later but was caught within a day. This time, they dragged her back, raped her, and made her their personal slave.

    For the first six months, she was terrified of their footsteps. She begged them to stop, promising never to escape again, but it only seemed to excite them more. But then, she learned they didn''t behave like monsters if she played along, and the encounters became short and painless. When she started her monthlies, they stopped bothering her altogether. Perhaps they got bored, or maybe they were too scared to make her pregnant.

    It didn''t matter. For the next two years, Soo Hyun observed and learned. Slave girls disappeared all the time. Sometimes, they were mourned. At other times, no one bothered. However, if a slave girl caught the eyes of their overseer manager, she became a part of the inner circle. No slave could ever escape after that. If they did, they would be hunted down like rabid dogs and punished brutally.

    Soo Hyun kept her head down, learned to become invisible and worked diligently. She sniffed out men who yearned to feel powerful, even if it was fleetingly, and used her wiles to avail herself of things out of her reach - better food, warm clothes, shoes, bedding.

    When she was fourteen, the Manchus invaded, and the country became even more rife with political machinations and corruption. One of the supervisors sold her to a commoner with a Yangban father, Sang Min, to settle a debt. Sang Min was a reasonably good-looking man in his mid-thirties who treated her with respect and offhand affection. He was a patient lover, and she was a quick learner. However, he was also someone to whom money mattered the most.

    Soo Hyun struck a deal with Sang Min.

    It worked like a charm. They became ''husband and wife,'' a perfect facade for their schemes. Soo Hyun would honeytrap wealthy men, extracting information Sang Min could exploit to his advantage. Other times, they lured young, wayward Yangban into their web, especially those ensnared by illegal gambling.

    Sang Min would join in the drinking and gambling and bring them home, eventually feigning unconsciousness. Soo Hyun then assumed the role of a sad and neglected wife, seducing the young man and initiating an "illicit affair." She would milk him for all he was worth before engineering a ''discovery''. Playing the aggrieved husband, Sang Min would blackmail the young lord and his family, leveraging the gambling habits as ''revenge'' and threatening to expose everything to the magistrates for ''justice.'' Desperate to avoid scandal, the fathers would pay handsomely to bury the sordid affair.

    Slowly, they expanded their net. Sang Min and Soo Hyun moved towns frequently to evade attention. Targeting young gamblers in the new towns was the easiest. News of a young Yangban man embroiled in illegal gambling pits was a surefire way to get them expelled from prestigious schools, crippling their path to prosperity by making it nearly impossible to clear the state examinations. Panicked, they often paid generously to silence the ''husband'', with the understanding that the couple would leave the town forever.

    The deal proved lucrative beyond their wildest imagination. Soo Hyun planned to retire at some point and become a tradeswoman. In the next four years, she made a neat nest tucked away towards her eventual goal. Sang Min wanted to buy a house in Hanyang and live his life surrounded by the privileges the money would buy him that his Yangban family denied him for being born out of a maid.

    As days passed, emboldened by their success, Sang Min became more audacious and greedier. He started taking shortcuts. Instead of going through elaborate channels, he simply picked on young gamblers and blackmailed the family. Soo Hyun, for her part, when not honey trapping a victim, took lovers she liked and exploited them for riches until it was time to move.

    Avarice eventually brought them to Hanyang. The shiniest city of Joseon would provide them with easy picks and riches that they hoped would help them reach their goals much faster.

    None of them realised that they had only been ensnaring small fish and were no match for the sharks that populated the buildings of Hanyang. And they made the mistake of trying to entrap the biggest one of them. Sang Min received a tip-off from two shady gamblers about a young Lord mired in the worst gambling habits. Immediately, he sent a missive to the family to pay.

    They didn''t even have a chance to collect the money. Captured, they were imprisoned in an underground chamber without food for two days. When Lord Choi Siwan entered the room, Sang Min first tried to brazen it out. Choi Siwan had only smiled, fed them, and then left them. This time, they were left with food but no water.

    Two days later, just when they thought they would go mad with thirst, a tall man with a limp and a scar dragged in Soo Hyun''s supervisor, who had sold her to Sang Min, followed by two fat, shaggy looking men carrying various tools. The gravity of their predicament finally dawned on them, but it was too late. The man was tortured slowly while Choi Si Wan sat, smiling through it. By the time the last breath left the mangled body of the supervisor, Sang Min had become unintelligible with fear, ready to do anything that Choi Siwan wanted him to do.

    Soo Hyun sat through it all without blinking an eye. Strangely, she felt nothing when the supervisor who had violated her brutally was being tortured. She didn''t enjoy it, but she didn''t hate it either. More surprisingly, his screams had left her unmoved.

    Soo Hyun never wasted her energy on vague concepts like revenge or emotions that caused attachment. In the world she inhabited, everyone did what they had to do because either circumstances forced them or they had made choices that led them to their current crossroad. However, she did feel something akin to sadness for the state Sang Min had been reduced to. The man had been good to her, and she hoped he would not meet the grisly end her unscrupulous rapist had met.

    Choi Siwan had watched her closely. Sang Min was dragged away, incoherent, while Choi Siwan approached her, his gait controlled and graceful. He ordered her to rise from her kneeling position and offered her water.

    "You are not afraid," he had observed thoughtfully. "Tell me why."

    Soo Hyun had not hesitated. "Powerful men seldom kill women who are not a threat to them, Your Excellency. Either they want to bed her or put her to work where she would be useful."

    "You tried to blackmail me," he said.

    "As your slave, my words carry no weight, Your Excellency," she replied.

    Choi Siwan smiled.

    "Good. I have great use for you. You will erase everything you know about my son from your memory. Please harbour no misconceptions. One mistake and your limbs will be found scattered in every town you have lived in," Choi Siwan said.

    Soo Hyun never heard from Sang Min again. She was taken to a secluded house surrounded by deep woods with a stream flowing behind it. Several maids were at her disposal who took care of her every request. She wondered if Choi Siwan wanted to make her his concubine. A few weeks later, a beautiful woman turned up at her doorstep, ordering Soo Hyun to address her as ''mother''. Yet, Soo Hyun received no warmth or love from the woman, only frigid vibes and a critical eye. Instead, she received a new name - Choi Jina. She was ordered to study books, paint, cook and, most importantly, learn embroidery.

    However, none of it prepared her for the day when Choi Siwan entered the well-lit chamber of the receiving room and announced that she would be introduced to the King as his daughter, Choi Jina. She had a role to play, and her training would become even more rigorous.

    She had been overjoyed and had cried happy tears into her pillow. Not in a million years had she imagined she would be adopted as a daughter into the most powerful family of Joseon and would be able to live the life her birth should have destined for her.

    Choi Siwan was an angel the spirits had sent to her.

    It was an entire year before she realised that she was not being adopted, but instead, she was replacing a missing daughter.

    "How did she go missing, Your Excellency?" She could not contain her curiosity, and her fondness for Choi Siwan lowered her guard around him.

    "My daughter displeased me greatly. So I killed her," Choi Siwan had answered her dispassionately.

    For the first time in her life, naked fear had dried her blood.

    A sudden noise pulled So Hyun back to the present with a thud. She went to a window and lifted the hanji curtain. A tall, familiar figure in the splendid red and yellow dongdari and plumed gnat exited the courtyard, the setting sun bouncing off his impressive shoulders. Soo Hyun caught her lower lip softly with her upper teeth as she watched Lee Seung''s retreating back.

    Lord Choi had prepared for every eventuality when he implemented his plan to plant Soo Hyun as Lee Seung''s wife. From a list of people she would avoid meeting under any circumstances to narrating a story about getting carried away by a young lover and eloping with him so that the real Choi Jina and her story would line up, Lord Choi had all aspects covered.

    Soo Hyun wondered if that might have been the reason for Lord Choi killing his daughter. However, she didn''t ponder on it for long. All Choi Siwan needed was a grandchild and proof that Lee''s household was prospering. It would be the easiest thing to achieve, Soo Hyun had thought with a smile. All she had to do was manipulate Lee Seung into her bed a couple of times, a task made much easier because Lee Seung turned out to be one of the most handsome and charismatic men she had ever laid her eyes on.

    The night Seung first arrived at his ancestral home, her ''mother-in-law'' and ''sister-in-law'' helped Soo Hyun dress for their first official wedding night.

    No one knew what had happened during the original wedding night of Choi Jina and Lee Seung. The information she had piecemealed from her faux stepmother was sketchy at best. There had been some kind of altercation, and Seung had left the room. Choi Jina had left a letter behind for him (a letter Soo Hyun had rehearsed by heart) and had run away but had turned up in a court to absolve Seung and his sister of all alleged crimes against her. Before dying, apparently, Choi Jina had confirmed Seung had never known what she looked like. Soo Hyun had been sceptical about it, and when Seung or his family members didn''t refute her presence, she had been genuinely surprised. It seemed Choi Jina didn''t leave any impressions on any of them at all.

    Determined to set things right between her son and daughter-in-law, Lady Ryu left no stone unturned to celebrate the occasion. They had a formal drink exchange ceremony with the family before Soo Hyun was ''ushered'' to the room where her wedding night would be held.

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    Seung never came.

    Experience taught her that men were most vulnerable and amorous in the early morning, so she had taken matters into her own hands. With padded footsteps, she made her way to Seung''s room. She slid the heavy hanja door open with whisper-soft hands and stepped in, closing the door behind her just as softly. Her eyes tried adjusting to the inky blue haze of the room. A large mattress lay in the far corner, covered with a quilt.

    A ghost smile played on her lips. Soo Hyun undid the ties of her gown and stepped forward.

    Everything that happened next was a blur. A hand came down on her shoulder, and she was whipped around roughly. She was thrown against a wall, a hand clamping her mouth while the cold edge of a dagger pressed against her throat.

    "Next time you try something like this, I will slit your throat," the giant figure holding her captive said in a tone dripping with ice, his face so close that she could see the blaze of his eyes in the dark. Soo Hyun felt the terror ball up in the triangle beneath her chest bone, the pain making it difficult to draw breath.

    When he let her go, she slid against the wall. She gathered her scattered wits and fell to her trembling knees. Being scared never paid.

    "I know I have wronged you, My Lord. I have seen the error of my ways, and I repent. I have thought long and hard and will do anything to compensate for my sins," she said, adding a dramatic flair to her tone.

    "Will you now," Seung had emitted a throaty, sarcastic laugh. He sheathed his blade. "I wonder what brought this on after all these years. You got bored of the men you were fooling with? The key to your grandmother''s mansion? Or the threat of finally being cut off from your father''s infinite fortune?"

    "I understand your anger. I am not the virginal wife you had hoped for, My Lord, and I regret my folly. I got carried away by youth and false words. I wish I could revert it somehow," Soo Hyun had said, and strangely, for one moment, she had even meant it. Had her father been alive, her family not butchered, could she too have been the wife of a nobleman, untouched, naive, with stars in her eyes? "If you accept me, I will do everything to make you happy."

    "Your not being virginal has nothing to do with me not wanting to have you in my life, Choi Jina. I would be a hypocrite if I did that. I have had my fill of beautiful women in the last five years. I would have respected you if you had remained true to yourself." Seung haunched down before her. "You are different than I remember," he observed, sounding a little perplexed.

    "I am?" He remembered Choi Jina?

    "You are a fraud," he said softly.

    Soo Hyun''s head snapped up in fear. Had he figured it out? Soo Hyun''s tongue felt thick with dread, the ghostly pressure of the blade lingering on her throat.

    "You don''t want to be here any more than I want you to be here, Choi Jina. I have seen cats out in the frozen mountains with more warmth in their tiny paws than you have in your entire body."

    Soo Hyun released a panicked breath she didn''t know she had been holding.

    He was wrong. Soo Hyun wanted nothing more than to be the wife of Lee Seung. She had spent five long, hard years in captivity preparing for that. Her life depended on it.

    He was only a man. How long would Lee Seung hold out?

    For very long, it seemed.

    Seung rose to his feet and towered over her. "Let''s set some ground rules here. I will tolerate your presence for my mother''s sake until the opportunity arises for me to get the divorce, with or without your consent. You are free to seek out pleasure in secret, but if anyone else even gets a whiff of it, I will bodily throw you out and castrate the man. And if you ever claim to carry my child, I will have you executed for infidelity."

    Soo Hyun had never made a miscalculation of this proportion about a man. She had met many men across the country. All kinds of men, old, young, rich, poor, handsome, plain, intelligent, foolish, and everything in between. No one had ever left a lasting impression on her. Now she understood why Choi Siwan might have made the deadliest gamble of his life.

    Lee Seung was as unyielding as granite, impossible to break. She had rarely encountered anyone, especially as young as Lee Seung, who was this immune to her beauty and the temptation in her enticing eyes. He saw through her, treating her like an unwanted weed he could not wait to rip out.

    However, Soo Hyun was no fool. She would not let something as insignificant as a man''s disinterest derail her plans.

    It had been over a month since they were on the island, and she barely saw him. But then, patience was her strength, and fear was her drive. She was determined not to meet the fate of the real Choi Jina. Moreover, she could only gain by impersonating the dead woman. Lee Seung''s disinterest did not bother her. In fact, it perfectly aligned with the expected social structure of their elite world. Husbands rarely cared for their wives, while the latter devoted themselves to furthering their husbands'' interests by making meaningful social connections in the right circle. Soo Hyun had already started taking control of the social narrative in Ganghwa. Lee Seung held a unique position of power in the hierarchy of things, and as his wife, she benefitted greatly from it all. She fussed and fawned over his mother, even though the old woman always seemed wary of her. Perhaps because Soo Hyun ran the household with an iron fist. For people to never question her origins, she had to instil fear in them, a lesson Lord Choi Siwan had taught her and had taught her well.

    However, to achieve her ultimate goal, she needed to either remove or neutralise the distracting object from Seung''s orbit. Before coming to Ganghwa, Lord Choi had mentioned in passing that Seung might be interested in some low-class woman on the island, and she had to lure him away from her to secure the grandchild Lord Choi wanted.

    The first night on the island, Soo Hyun had made the mistake of trying to dismiss the woman haughtily, not realising it was the physician attending to Lady Ryu that Seung was interested in. Soo Hyun had watched him give her a ride on his cherished horse that night. To confirm, she had put two of her trusted slaves to work.

    Unfortunately, Seung had caught on to her servants, who tried to follow him almost immediately. The slaves had been removed from the island, and Seung had sent in a warning slip of paper that read:

    "Do not let my eyes catch a person from your quarters doing anything but attending to you physically within the confines of this house. I shall not repeat it again."

    Since arriving on the island, Soo Hyun''s interactions with Lee Gil-ae grew colder. Both women tried to avoid each other, but it annoyed Soo Hyun to see how warm Gil-ae was to Kim Minjae. It was especially grating because Kim Minjae, while kind, remained aloof. Soo Hyun wondered if Gil-ae knew about her brother''s interest in Kim Minjae. If she did, then his interest was far more serious than a passing fancy. Soo Hyun had tried to extract information from Gil-ae, but she had been non-committal.

    She watched Kim Minjae closely whenever she visited Lady Ryu. Soo Hyun''s critical eye for detail could detect the acute intelligence behind the woman''s stunningly gorgeous face. Her demeanour was serene and professional to a fault. She confined herself to checking on Lady Ryu and departed as quietly as she would arrive. However, Seung always seemed to appear out of nowhere and be there. While Minjae would always treat him with the utmost politeness, Soo Hyun did not miss the longing in his eyes whenever he looked at her. Soo Hyun had caused many men to writhe in the throes of desire for her, but what she had seen in Seung''s eyes for Minjae was different.

    So, Soo Hyun changed track once more. She was good at cutting deals.

    Three weeks ago, she called Minjae for a meeting under the pretext of discussing her mother-in-law''s health.

    Even though Kim Minjae was far beneath her rank, Soo Hyun decided to humour her and hopefully sweeten the deal. She had her maid offer tea to Kim Minjae.

    "I cannot accept a drink in your presence, My Lady," Kim Minjae had politely refused to touch the cup.

    Intrigued, Soo Hyun observed the young woman surreptitiously. Despite being a low-ranked commoner, Kim Minjae had a regal aura about her that was hard to miss. Her movements reminded Soo Hyun of a swan. Even more surprisingly, her speech was as refined as the royals. Anyone else would have fallen over in gratitude at being offered a drink at the same table, let alone go against a high-born Yangban woman''s order without batting an eyelid.

    Soo Hyun tucked the needle in the belly of the vibrant swan she was stitching on the canvas stand and turned to face Minaje.

    "Let me cut to the chase, Kim Minjae. I need you to stop enticing my husband," Soo Hyun said.

    Minjae barely raised her head.

    "You vastly overrate my charms, My Lady. My wishes are hardly of any consequence," Kim Minjae replied.

    Soo Hyun realised this was new to her; she had never cut a deal with a woman before. "I am not asking you to stay away forever. Rather, I am approaching you as a woman. Stay away from him until I get a child," Soo Hyun insisted.

    "How will my staying away give you a child?" Minjae asked.

    "Well, not stay away exactly, but I want you to encourage him to come to me. Then, I will bring you in as his concubine myself if that is what he wants," Soo Hyun proposed.

    "Are you offering me a deal, My Lady?" Minjae inquired.

    Soo Hyun smiled. She had managed to extract a reaction from the unflappable woman.

    "You can think of it however you like," Soo Hyun replied. "I know my husband might take many concubines in the future, and I will welcome them all. You would be no different. But not before I become the mother of his child," Soo Hyun said firmly. "If my husband wants a woman to love, I will happily facilitate it as long as you do what I say," she added, trying to inject warmth into her voice but knowing that she sounded dry. Businesslike.

    "You do not like him, do you?" Minjae asked softly. "Is that how you have lived your life, My Lady? Buying and selling emotions?"

    Soo Hyun froze, her fingers tightly clasping the small loop of her teacup. She was struck by a reluctant admiration for the stunningly beautiful and intuitive woman sitting before her. She could see why Seung had fallen so deeply in love with her. In another world, they might even have become friends.

    "You are too big for your boots, Kim Minjae," Soo Hyun said.

    "I apologise, My Lady. Unfortunately, I cannot help you. My Lord Lee despises anything related to the Choi household," Kim Minjae said, a strange sadness lacing her voice.

    "He has apprised you of things then?" Soo Hyun asked. It suddenly occurred to her that he might have told Minjae precisely what had happened between him and Choi Jina before Jina disappeared from his life.

    Minjae nodded.

    "Has he told you what happened on our wedding night?" Soo Hyun asked, feigning nonchalance.

    She found Minjae looking back at her with an odd look in her eyes. It vanished before she could process it completely.

    "You mean the night his wife wrote a letter and ran away?" Minjae asked.

    Soo Hyun cleared her voice, giving a dry laugh. "Yes. Wasn''t I foolish? Though I was glad I could come back to help him in the court," Soo Hyun said, hoping Minjae would add something she didn''t yet know.

    "Did you know Lord Choi had Lady Lee Gil-ae imprisoned, too?"

    That was news to her, and her stunned reaction didn''t surprise Kim Minjae at all.

    "Obviously, it''s inconsequential for someone like Lord Choi to ruin a young woman''s future and never drop a sweat of remorse," Minjae said scathingly.

    "I am sure something can be done about it," Soo Hyun said, completely taken aback at this new piece of information.

    Minjae shrugged. "There is nothing for me to do here, My Lady. If Lord Lee wants me by his side, I will gladly take it," Minaje said, her chin angled challengingly.

    Soo Hyun looked out of the ornate tearoom window adorned with intricate wooden latticework, her eyes lost like the sun''s rays in the deep shadows of the trees swaying in the expansive courtyard; she knew she was on the back foot.

    "I heard you are the best person with needles on this island. You have stitched thousands of wounds. However, have you ever wondered how it must feel when a man is skinned alive?"

    Minjae''s eyes narrowed. "Are you threatening me, My Lady?"

    Soo Hyun shook her head. "Do you know how it feels to see a man you care for dragged away and wonder if he was tortured the same way and wished he died quickly instead?"

    Minjae turned white, her fingers clutching her skirts. "You saw a man tortured?"

    "My father is a ruthless man, Kim Minjae."

    Minjae''s face was white as a sheet.

    "Who-who was the man?" She asked hoarsely.

    "He was a slave who had displeased Father. He stops at nothing to achieve what he wants. And he wants me to have a baby with Lee Seung. He is obsessed with it. He took me to His Majesty, King Injo, and had me pledge my pious lifelong devotion to Lord Lee Seung."

    Minjae reeled, her fingers pressing the sides of her temples. "Why are you telling these to me?"

    "He knows about you," Soo Hyun said.

    "What do you mean?" Minjae asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

    Soo Hyun shrugged. "He told me that my husband was interested in some woman on the island. His tentacles spread very far. If he knows that you could be an obstacle to him having a grandchild, he might hurt you or your loved ones."

    "Or, if you displease him, he could kill you too," Kim Minjae said, stunning Soo Hyun with the intensity of her hatred.

    "You are running away with your imagination, Kim Minjae. I am sure he would never hurt me," Soo Hyun made light of it, even though her stomach emptied at the thought. "I am worried about you."

    Minjae gave a choked laugh. Unseeingly, she reached for the teacup she had refused not too long ago and poured the hot liquid down her throat with trembling hands. She clutched the empty cup in her hands for a few minutes, lost in thoughts, and then placed it back on the table with control so firm that it felt like her bones would crack under pressure. Then, Minjae spoke with a rich clarity that Soo Hyun envied, conveying a finality that Soo Hyun knew even Seung might not be able to shake.

    "Believe me when I say this, My Lady, I am the last person who could help you. I cannot convince Commander Lee to come to you. However, I give you my word. I will remove myself from his life."

    True to her word, Minjae visited his mother only when there was no chance of Seung coming until Soo Hyun instructed Lady Ryu to stop Minjae''s visits. Seung had seemed agitated lately, and he didn''t object when she started taking care of his food routine when he was home. It was apparent he missed Minjae. Soo Hyun almost felt sorry for the handsome man people thought was her husband.

    He still saw through her. His disinterest didn''t even insult her any more.

    Soo Hyun would sometimes get tempted to take Kim Minjae''s last advice before she left the tearoom that day. "My Lady, if you want to win his affection, try coming clean to him." Minjae had looked straight into her eyes. "Tell him the truth," she had said. Soo Hyun had felt a tremor of apprehension pass through her, almost as if Kim Minjae knew her secret, which, of course, was impossible.

    If only.

    Seung might help her if he knew the truth. He might even agree to give her a child. But Soo Hyun could not take the risk. She was a slave, and she could never escape. Lord Choi Siwan was too powerful, and he could erase all of them from the face of this earth.

    Soo Hyun took one last look at her reflection in the mirror.

    Mirrors did lie sometimes, after all.

 Twenty-Three: I See You

    Ka Min Kyu was a man consumed by discontent. His desires were thwarted at every turn, leaving him in constant simmering frustration. The ''Master'' had imposed a ban on his interactions with Kim Minjae since Lee Seung''s arrival, a restriction that rankled him deeply.

    "Did I not warn you about being greedy? Leave her alone. She is too useful to trifle with. Understand?" the Master had warned. Though Ka Min Kyu had not readily agreed, he had little choice but to accept it. Even though he was a meticulous long-range planner and Minjae was one of his life goals, he judiciously laid low, keeping a tight lid on his ambitions. The Master ran the spy operation with an iron hand. A slight mistake and a body could be found separated from its head, floating in the salty water of the bay. Their numbers in Ganghwa were small, and it was essential to keep suspicion away from them. If everything went according to plan, they all stood to gain, much like Ming General Keng had after rebelling from the Ming and joining hands with the Manchu barbarians, who now called themselves Qing.

    However, Min Kyu wasn''t someone who would sit idle. He might be out-manoeuvred by his superiors, but he still had a few cards up his sleeve to secure his interests.

    One such move had taken him to Hanyang and into Lord Choi Si-Wan''s home. It took him three weary trips to the capital and multiple visits to the eminent minister''s house before he was allowed past the gate. When Ka Min Kyu informed Lord Choi Si-Wan of his son-in-law''s uncommon interest in an unfittingly low-born commoner, which could hamper the prestige of the most powerful man in Joseon, Lord Choi Si-Wan''s reaction was unreadable. He returned disheartened.

    The fact that Lee Seung''s family, including his wife, had moved to Ganghwa uplifted his spirits. Perhaps his message had not gone to waste.

    Things were looking up after all.

    His eyes and ears on the ground sharpened, and he reserved the best for last.

    When he shared the news, his Master''s ordinarily stoic face betrayed a slight ripple of excitement.

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    "Can you verify it?"

    "I have it on proven sources that she was brought back from the temple. I have dispatched my men there to find out more."

    The Master''s gaze pierced the night, his stoic posture revealing nothing.

    "Isn''t it intriguing, Master?" Ka Min Kyu''s bony hands moved nervously, rubbing together under his long sleeves. "What could have led someone as astute as Kim Minjae or Kim Seo Jun to commit such a rookie mistake of harbouring a runaway slave?"

    A few distant lights flickered in the dark valley below. "The details are not important. What''s significant is that it could be our windfall. This could potentially make the removal of Lee Seung and Captain Park from the equation a breeze. Even Grand Prince Bongrim would be powerless against this." The Master''s eyes met Ka''s, filled with contemplation. "You''ve done well, Inspector Ka."

    Ka Min Kyu felt an arousing shaft of pleasure run through him. A compliment from the Master himself! Perhaps it was time to reward his informant after all. And maybe allow himself to derive some carnal pleasure out of it as well.

    "But I have heard there are items on this island that, if discovered, will directly lead to us," the Master said in a deathly quiet voice. "We are not the only ones making gains. They know there is a leak in Ganghwa. Our conduits in Hanyang are in grave danger of being exposed."

    A chilling fear sliced through him as the Master stared at him, eyes betraying nothing but intensifying his terror. "You still do not understand, do you, Ka Min Kyu? The Joseons preach about their love for their country, but their patriotism is deadly because it does not care for the actual outcome in pursuit of the righteous path," the Master bit out each word slowly as if speaking to a child. "But they do not know how insane the barbarians are, who will stop at nothing to eke out a win, no matter how the odds are stacked against them. They sniff and smoke out their enemies and tear them apart piece by piece. Is that where you want to be, you moron?"

    Ka Min Kyu swallowed his pride to keep his head intact on his shoulders and fell to his knees to ask for forgiveness and ensure the Master no such thing would ever be found on the island.

    He knew how to secure his interests well. Ka Min Kyu looked at the woman cowering before him. "There should be no mistake. Understand?"

    The woman nodded, gingerly holding the white porcelain jar adorned with a plum and bamboo design.

    Ka Min Kyu wasn''t leaving anything to chance. He needed to eliminate competition, and Lee Seung had outlived his welcome on the island.

 Twenty Four: Riddles

    The air was thick with the earthy scent of the fresh harvest. Where the fields had once danced in a rich bounty of stubbly gold and brown, now vast expanses were garnished with rows of brown clumps, marking the end of rice harvesting season in Ganghwa. Boats carrying heavy loads of the white grain left the shore while other goods exchanged hands. Unaware of the strong winds of war blowing their way, the villagers were busy celebrating the harvest with festivals and market fairs. Sweet potatoes, chestnuts, and persimmons flavoured the food served at almost everyone''s house. The poor found some respite, their bellies full of meals for a change. The young urchins took breaks from lugging stacks of wood on their backs and played in the fall foliage, wearing new sets of clothes and, in some cases, new sandals.

    Seung was in no mood to celebrate. Unlike the quiet land that held the promise of rest and renewal, unrest filled Seung. Nothing seemed to be in his control anymore. His mother was still sick, and he had frequent issues with the new army section chief from the Capital force that had recently arrived to oversee the Royals'' arrival at the beginning of December. The Magistrate was in a foul mood because, with the influx of people, the crimes had increased, and he wasn''t pleased at the prospect of helping Seung find the snitches on the island.

    Whoever it was ran a smooth operation. Even Seung had to appreciate the low-key network. So far, they had not been able to sniff out anyone. All suspects had been cleared. Two people suspected and interrogated had revealed nothing of import.

    "Have you considered we could be looking in the wrong place?" Sargeant pondered loudly.

    "Wrong people definitely," Wang Jung said, rolling his thumb against his forefinger, which he often did when he thought deeply, which was not frequently. "These are clever people, smart at hiding their spies in plain sight. But we have run through almost every person on this island, and almost everyone checks out, except for a few, but we have had an eye on them for months, and nothing unusual has been found."

    "Sargeant is right. We are being thrown off track. The information being leaked is too detailed to be from someone ordinary. But we could be looking at someone ordinary all this while and not realise they are anything but," Seung clenched his hands.

    Sargeant nodded in agreement and glanced at the letter in his hand. "I will leave tomorrow evening. At least we have some leads in Hanyang," Sargeant said.

    "I will go," Seung said. "This is highly sensitive and could become dangerous. You handle it here."

    "Your absence could be conspicuous," Han protested.

    "His Majesty has already decided to transfer the royal seals and shrines in case of invasion. I need to oversee the route anyway, and I need to be at the court. I can combine both," Seung said with the finality of his position. They all knew it was a command. "Moreover, why should I be the only one to suffer the obnoxious Royal section chief?" Seung smiled at Han, taking away the zinger.

    ¡Þ

    After the men left, Seung stretched his neck, feeling the stiffness ease slightly, picked up his plumed gnat and stepped out. He hadn''t seen Minjae for over three weeks. He knew she had been avoiding him since the night he dropped her off over a month ago.

    Seung had clung to her that evening, desperate to assure her she was the only one for him. Yet, he had felt her withdrawing as surely as the tide retreating from the shore. "Please give me some time, Dari," she had pleaded.

    Through the first week, he at least got the chance to see her during her visits to his mother, even though Minjae cut a wide arc and refused to speak beyond her professional capacity. Then, she simply vanished from places where he might encounter her. There had been no message, no explanation. It was almost as if her form had evaporated, even though her presence lingered everywhere. She stopped frequenting the inn, and at the apothecary, he only came across her father, Seo Jun, while suspecting she hid somewhere out of his sight. Minjae made it a point to visit his mother while he was away from the house. A week ago, determined to catch her, he stayed back, hoping for a glimpse. Instead, the young woman named Im Ji Won, who often accompanied her, checked on Lady Ryu. When he inquired about Minjae, Im Ji Won seemed visibly flustered. He understood the reason for this when he saw Choi Jina following Im Ji Won out of his mother''s chamber. His wife had not expected to see him at that hour, and he could see the surprise in her eyes. He had often thought the presence of his wife would unsettle him, but Choi Jina simply left him indifferent and annoyed with life at the moment.

    Later, Seung asked his mother, "Omoni, did you ask Physician Kim to stop coming here?"

    His mother looked at him sadly. "That is for the best."

    "Omoni, you are only making it worse for Lady Choi," Seung warned her quietly. "My mind is not going to change."

    The night was cold and weary. Seung pulled his hat low over his head, tucking the woollen flaps of his heavy leather coat around his ears. He stood outside Minjae''s house, the November chill seeping into his bones. Her room was dark, and he couldn''t tell if she had retired early or hadn''t yet returned home. It was unusual for her to stay out this late unless she was working at the inn or responding to an emergency medical call.

    This was the sixth time he had visited her in the late hours. The first three times, a young child opened the door and informed him Minjae was not home. The last two times, no one responded. He then knew Minjae didn''t want to meet him.

    Seung drew a long, freezing breath, exhaling a puff of white vapour into the still night air.

    Haven''t you missed me, Minjae? Seung swallowed the painful lump of loneliness that threatened to consume him.

    He had known Choi Jina''s arrival would hurt Minjae badly. She had already been skittish about getting into a relationship with him, and the prospect of her pulling away entirely unleashed something dark inside him.

    Determined to see this through, he waited. It was late and disrespectful to Kim Da Bom, but he was beyond propriety. Life as they knew it was fast plunging into uncertainty, and he vowed to the heavens that he would not allow the one remaining certainty to slip through his grasp.

    He silently watched Kim Da Bom make her way to the house. Her pace was quick, and she drew the cloak around her head more tightly to keep out the cold. The cloak obscured her peripheral vision, making her jump when he suddenly stepped out of the shadows and appeared before her.

    Kim Da Bom quickly recovered and gave him a bow. She was tall, and Seung could see her look back at him thoughtfully. They both knew why he was standing in the freezing weather before a commoner''s house so late at night without his men.

    "Can I meet with Minjae?" He asked.

    He was not sure he appreciated the fleeting glance of pity in her eyes, but he was past caring.

    "Please come inside, Dari. It''s freezing."

    A few minutes later, Seung found himself seated in a large, well-lit chamber. He sat behind a table in one corner, reminiscent of a tea table in a tea room, surrounded by comfortable seating cushions. Across from him sat Minjae and Kim Da Bom''s father, Kim Seo Jun. Seung was a big man himself, but Seo Jun somehow managed to dwarf the room with his presence.

    A lone flame crackled somewhere in the room. Kim Seo Jun inhaled deeply and said in a baritone, "Send some tea, Da Bom."

    Kim Da Bom disappeared. Would she call Minjae? His heart sped up. He was done with beating around the bush. He needed Minjae in his home, by his side. He wanted to hold her hands, see her laugh, and watch her eyes become translucent with love for him.

    Seung regarded the man he had come to respect greatly. He had intended to follow the proper procedures through established channels, yet here he was, compelled by a foreboding anxiety gripping his heart. He forged ahead before he lost his nerve. "Please forgive me for being abrupt and out of protocol, and I apologise for not doing this through proper channels more formally. I, Lee Seung, son of Scholar Lee Dong-gu, humbly seek your blessings for a holy union with your daughter, Kim Min-Jae. I solemnly promise to protect, cherish, and provide for her in every way within my power. I implore you to grant us your blessings, Father," Seung said, his head bowed and his hands resting on his knees.

    The silence that followed weighed heavily on Seung. He stole a glance at the bearded man, unsure what to expect next.

    "My Lord, I never thought I would see a day when I would have someone like you asking for my daughter''s hand," the big man smiled. "I will happily send a formal request to your mother for a union so that my daughter can become a part of the Lee clan."

    Seung looked up in surprise, aware that a happy disbelief had overtaken his features.

    Seo Jun threaded his fingers through the white column of his heavy beard. "However, does your mother agree to this match?"

    "Omoni will not refuse," Seung said in a low voice.

    "She might not go against your wishes, but she might not agree to it happily. Moreover, your wife belongs to the most powerful family in Joseon. I do not see Lady Choi accepting Kim Minjae with open arms. My daughter might be a commoner who has led a difficult life, but now she is independent, respected for her talents and as happy as her circumstances allow her."

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    "She will have every freedom she desires, I assure you, Father. I have never followed rules that my heart does not agree with, and I don''t intend to tie Minjae to them. Furthermore, I intend to divorce my wife, Father," Seung said.

    Kim Seo Jun took the time to respond to that. "On what grounds, if I may ask? His Majesty makes breaking a union difficult unless you can prove something egregious about your wife. Especially for people in your rank, My Lord. And you belong to the most illustrious Yangban families in Joseon. It''s even more difficult if the wife is reluctant to leave her husband''s residence. From what I gather, Lady Choi has assured His Majesty that she will do everything in her power to rectify her mistakes and be a good wife to you," Seo Jun said.

    Seo Jun''s words hit Seung like a punch in the gut, the shock leaving him reeling.

    "I see you did not know. I am sorry. Lady Choi met with Minjae soon after she came to the island," Kim Seo Jun said gruffly.

    Seung pressed his nails into his palm with such force that the veins in his hands popped.

    Kim So Jun''s observant eyes didn''t miss anything. "I am nobody in the scheme of things, My Lord. There is little I can do to stop you if you have decided to take my daughter as your concubine, but seeing that you wish for my blessings, I would never agree to a union that will curb her talents and confine her to a life of mediocrity under someone like your wife." Kim Seo Joon''s voice was gentle but steely.

    "What can I do to assure you I will do everything I can to keep Minjae happy?" Seung hated the tone of desperation in his voice.

    "Respectfully, My Lord, but I do not have an answer for you. However, if Minjae wants to be with you, I shall not stop it either," Seo Jun said.

    Seung inhaled and looked away, relieved to have the distraction of the chamber door opening. His heart missed a beat before he realised it was not Minjae. A maid entered with a large tray, closely followed by Kim Da Bom.

    "I am afraid Minjae can''t see you tonight; she has already retired for the night," Kim Da Bom informed him.

    Seung recognised a dismissal when he heard one. With one quick movement, his tall frame unfolded. Rising, he thanked Kim Seo Jun for seeing him this late.

    And he did a double take as his gaze fell on the maid. It was Woo Sa-ri, Choi Jina''s maid. Her plump, round face had more colour than her entire body had when he had first seen her four months earlier.

    "What is she doing here?" Seung rasped.

    "Minjae brought her back from the temple and nursed her here," Taken aback by the reprimand in his voice, Kim Da Bom replied cautiously.

    "This is foolhardiness! How can she be so reckless?" Seung thundered, his fury and despair crystallising into something more tangible. "Does Minjae not know how dangerous it is to harbour someone so recognisable?"

    Woo Sari turned pallid, her hands flying to her mouth. Seung stepped closer to her. "Do not go out during the day, and hide your face from everyone else other than those in this house. There are people on this island who will recognise you."

    The maid trembled as she sank to the ground on her knees.

    Seung knew he had frightened the maid but could scarcely control his feelings. His anger and fear were like a tempest, threatening to consume him.

    Seung paused, taking a deep breath to curb the turmoil churning like a whirlpool inside his guts. "Make sure she is well hidden, and under no circumstance should she ever be seen with any of you, especially Kim Minjae. And keep her away from the Choi household."

    Seung bowed and strode out.

    "Dari!" Kim Da Mi had followed him, "Please wait!" She caught up to him.

    "What is there to wait for?" Seung said, a bleak look in his eyes. "She doesn''t even want to meet me anymore."

    "Dari, sometimes, things are not as you see them," she said.

    "What do you mean?"

    "Dari, I''m not sure if it''s my place to say, but no matter what, please don''t lose faith in your feelings for Minjae or question her love. She may not realise it, but she needs you more than anything in this world." Kim Da Bom''s voice wavered, her eyes filled with concern and urgency. "You are the only one who can keep her safe."

    ¡Þ

    Soo Hyun heard Seung''s thundering footsteps much before he slammed her intricately latticed hanji door open. Intuitively, she knew he had learned of her meeting with Minjae, something she now regretted with all her being.

    So far, she had met three kinds of men in her life. Those who lusted for her, those who wanted to feel powerful by controlling her, and those who wanted to use her to further their interest.

    Seung was the fourth kind who only wanted to murder her. And this would be the night.

    Panic turned her stomach over.

    Soo Hyun did the only thing that came to her mind. She sprinted to her bed behind the low, ornate table and disrobed, hopelessly wishing she had not sent her maid to bed. She barely managed to be halfway through before the door slid to a side on loudly protesting hinges.

    At best, she hoped Seung would be so distracted by her half-naked state that he would fall into lust with her.

    At worst, he would be a gentleman and give her time to dress before he twisted her neck.

    He did neither. Seung grabbed her by the throat and shoved her against the wall.

    "Why did you meet Minjae?"

    Soo Hyun choked and spluttered. "Please Dari," she grasped his wrists, "I am sorry....just to ask about Omoni...."

    The disgust on his face was palpable. "You bitch, you dared to go to His Majesty with your lies?"

    Tell him the truth. Minjae''s words came back.

    So did Lord Choi''s indifferent face, telling her he had killed his daughter.

    "I had no choice; Father made me," she managed to gasp through the pressure on her throat.

    His fingers tightened.

    "I am telling the truth. Father threatened me," she gasped.

    "Really? Threatened you? After all these years? You want me to believe that?"

    "Father wants me to have a child with you," she admitted, her voice wavering between a plea, fear, and an apology.

    The revulsion with which he looked at her made Soo Hyun feel like she had crawled out of a chamber pot. He let go of her throat and threw a bed sheet at her.

    "What else did you tell Minjae?" His eyes darted venom at her while she wrapped herself like a shroud with the bedsheet.

    Soo Hyun took a deep breath. "I asked for her help to get close to you," she replied truthfully.

    Seung looked at her with a distaste that made her feel less than a speck of dust under his boots.

    "And I-I asked her to stay away from you," she rushed her words. She wondered if he would smash the fist he had formed in her face.

    Instead, he turned and strode away.

    "My Lord," she called after him. He didn''t seem to hear. "I offered to bring her in as your concubine," she called out, desperate to get, if not in his good books, then at least out of his people-to-be-butchered books.

    Seung halted and turned around. The pinch around Seung''s lips became more prominent in the strategically placed lights of her chamber, and his eyes narrowed dangerously.

    "She-she refused," she finished lamely.

    The expression of dejection that flashed on his face pricked even her cynical, hardened heart.

    Once he left, she stared at the open door for one long moment. "Kim Minjae, you are such a fool," she whispered into the empty air.

    ¡Þ

    Lady Ryu In-ah watched her son stride out of the courtyard, his long legs eating up the length to the gate of the house like a storm gathering speed across the ocean. Her heart wavered, caught in a tempest of fear and valour, battling for supremacy in her mind. For a lifetime, she had been haunted by the dread of losing her children. Her husband had been a brilliant man, foreseeing his own death and ensuring their enemy would not only be prevented from eliminating his family but would be compelled to sustain them in prosperity.

    The plan involved marrying their children. How Lord Lee Dong-gu managed the feat was still a mystery. Seung''s union with Choi Siwan''s daughter would act as a safeguard, preventing Seung from becoming a liability to Choi Siwan. Choi would also be vested in keeping Seung safe, as he would undoubtedly look after his daughter''s interests.

    Lady Ryu had an increasingly foreboding intuition that her astute husband might have miscalculated.

    She knew well the depths of Seung''s obsession with uncovering the truth behind his father''s murder. As she watched her son depart, she feared that should he ever learn the full extent of the deception, his quest for vengeance would consume him, leading him into a perilous abyss from which none of them would ever emerge. The fact that Seung was hell-bent on rejecting Siwan''s daughter only exacerbated the matter.

    Choi Siwan, once their closest ally, had transformed into a malevolent serpent, more sinister than Lady Ryu could have ever fathomed. He was capable of devouring his own offspring to secure his immunity and would not hesitate to wipe them out if the need arose.

    Casting her gaze across the courtyard, where the faint glow from her daughter-in-law''s room spilled onto the darkened ground, Lady Ryu took a shuddering breath. When Choi Siwan and his wife appeared at her husband''s ancestral home, she was taken aback by how different Choi Jina looked and behaved from the young woman she had met briefly five years ago.

    Back then, though the girl had been painfully thin, Lady Ryu had been struck by Choi Jina''s uncanny resemblance with her childhood best friend and Jina''s mother, Im Yoo Joo. Jina had been pitch-perfect in her manners and knowledge of what was expected of a noble and virtuous wife and daughter-in-law. Jina had been timid and shy until Lady Ryu attempted to draw her out by asking about her grandmother. The girl had bloomed before her eyes; Jina''s face, though covered by ugly powder and rouge, had glowed as she reminisced about her grandmother with shining eyes and a warm, rich voice. That fleeting encounter had left a lasting impression. Yet now, Jina seemed an entirely different person, almost unrecognisable not only in her looks but also in her demeanour and presence. She was cold and guarded, her voice a study of pretentious enthusiasm.

    At first, Lady Ryu had attributed the changes to the passage of time, Choi Jina growing mature, and her own faulty memory. But then, they came to Ganghwa. As the days wore on, a sense of unease began to creep over her, and the nagging feeling that something was terribly wrong grew stronger. The more she observed Jina, the more convinced she became that her metamorphosis was not merely a result of time but something far more sinister that went beyond the surface and was unsettling.

    Despite Lady Ryu''s best efforts to maintain a rational perspective, she found herself inexplicably drawn to the seemingly absurd possibilities, her thoughts circling back to them repeatedly.

    Why had Choi Jina been sent to them after so many years? What had precipitated her remarkable transformation?

    Most importantly, Lady Ryu''s mind was consumed with questions about the enigmatic woman her son was fixated on, the one who seemed determined to sever all ties with him. Why did Kim Minjae resemble Im Yoo Joo to this extent?

    Who was Kim Minjae?

 Twenty Five: Winter Wind

    Minjae found herself in a desolate ditch, the cold, damp earth seeping through her clothes. Seung was standing on the edge, his hand outstretched, soothingly cajoling her to hold it. But before she could reach out, a force struck him from behind, the impact reverberating through her body. A dense mist engulfed her, its cold tendrils suffocating her, and she was adrift in a crimson sea, the metallic scent of blood filling her nostrils. Minjae awoke, her body drenched in a cold sweat, her heart pounding in her chest.

    The nightmares had returned, this time with the macabre twist.

    How long would it be before her secret was blown apart?

    When she had travelled to Hanyang to study medicine, Minjae was consumed by a constant fear, a fear that someone would recognise her. However, being part of an outcast group of women, she was invisible. No one paid attention to the mousy, thin, sickly-looking girl who kept her eyes down and studied around the clock. She rejoiced when she returned to her sanctuary after training and receiving her license. One of the main reasons she had stayed in Ganghwa was because she was sure Choi''s family would never come to the island. Lord Choi had many properties around the country, and the family would be sent to the South to hide in case of war. Even though none of her father''s male acquaintances had ever seen her face, Minjae would still run a check on each Yangban house she had visited over the past five years in case they had a woman who might by chance recognise her or see the resemblance with her mother and wonder, just like Lady Ryu had. Families from Hanyang rarely visited Ganghwa; still, Kim Seo Jun and Kim Da Bom ensured Minjae never encountered anyone who could remotely identify her.

    In short, she had secured her anonymity in no uncertain terms.

    Seung''s arrival on the island was a twist she had never anticipated, disrupting the carefully constructed life she had built. Not only was her heart shattered and her life pieces of broken glass, but she now had the burden not just to stay alive herself but also to ensure her adopted family, Kang Do, Woo Sari and Seung''s family, and Seung were not put in danger.

    She wondered about the charlatan who called herself Choi Jina. It was evident she was coerced into playing the role. If what the woman said was true, Minjae shivered at the ordeal she must have suffered. The woman was stunningly beautiful and had obviously been trained to impersonate Jina but was so far removed from her as a person that Minjae wondered what forced Choi Siwan to devise such a plan. For him to risk planting an imposter as his daughter, something significant had to be at stake, something much more than a simple desire not to have a divorce in his family.

    It was likely connected to the murder of Seung''s father. It made little sense for Lord Choi to let Seung and his family live and even wed his daughter to Seung. When he realised Minjae could be an impediment in his path, Lord Choi simply killed her and replaced her with someone else.

    Why? None of it made sense.

    However, she did have an advantage over Lord Choi¡ªshe now knew the depth of his depravity. It made her feel ashamed to call him her father.

    Even so, a part of her ached deeply. Had she been so utterly insignificant, so easily disposable?

    Was her brother in it, too?

    Minjae shook her head to clear it. She had to stop thinking. Otherwise, she would go crazy with conjectures that only brought her numbing pain.

    The men carrying her palanquin came to a stop and lowered it to the ground.

    Minjae detested visiting the Kiesang house at this time of night. Exquisitely crafted lanterns blazed around the entrance, flooding the area with blinding light, cloyingly enticing men who wandered in for a night of excess. From the confines of her closed palanquin, she could hear a variety of soft music drifting down, blending with the tinkling laughter of the coy courtesans and occasional guffaws of bawdy, drunk men, whose sheer number spilled over from the insides of the enchanting building and lazed around the stairs and the hanok in their expensive hanboks, the buzz of the conversation humming in the air like a hive of busy bees on a quest for nectar.

    Minjae sat for a moment to collect herself, then grabbed her medicine bag, slid open the door and climbed out of the closed carriage. Two large, buff men sprang forward and immediately fell by her side, shielding her from the sea of people. Minjae dragged the hem of her jangot closer to her face to avoid curious gazes. Her appearance often created a stir, and she wanted to avoid it at all costs. Thankfully, few paid her any mind.

    Mounting the worn but immaculately maintained steps to the opulent Kiesang house, Minjae wondered what sort of trouble So Ye had gotten herself into this time. She rarely called for Minjae in the dead of night unless it was a dire emergency. Unscrupulous customers could inflict serious harm on a kiesang, and the thought made her heart ache. She could only hope that the women were safe.

    The men escorted her to the private parlour at the back of the massive building, accessible only to the highest-ranked kisaengs and officials. The intricately woven latticed door slid open immediately. Minjae stepped into the dim room, lit only by two lanterns, a few scented candles, and alluring incense. Her eyes took a few moments to adjust to the muted light. Han Soye walked to her, looking perfectly fine, though her smooth forehead wore a few worried folds.

    "Kim Minjae, please know I would have never agreed to this if it wasn''t for Kim Da Bom," Han So Ye said in a clipped voice.

    It was then she noticed the tall frame of her sister to the left of Soye.

    "What are you doing here at this time of the night?" Minjae asked, and suddenly, a queasy feeling flipped her stomach. She whirled to her left.

    Lee Seung lounged against a pillar, arms folded across his chest, his shoulder resting against a wooden pillar nonchalantly, his lazy stance belying the coiled tension in his muscular frame. Even from a distance, she could see the burning intensity of his eyes on her.

    Furious, Minjae turned on Kim da Bom. "I told you not to interfere!"

    Kim Da Bom stepped closer. "This is Ganghwa, dear sister. Haven''t you learned that putting our noses in other people''s business is the secret to our longevity?"

    "It also is the main cause of putting most of those noses out of their joints," Minjae returned angrily. As she made a move to leave, Da Bom grabbed her wrist. "You owe him an explanation," she said quietly, "My Lady," she added in an undertone, giving her a telling look.

    Minjae paled. Acutely aware of intense mahogany eyes watching her every move intently and feeling the impact on every pore of her body, Minjae raged, "It''s none of your business."

    "The day I called you my sister, everything in your life became my business," Kim Da Bom said so quietly that Minjae knew only she could hear it. "I am not forcing you to go with him, but no one deserves to be cut off and left hanging like that without explanation. Running from it will not make it go away."

    Kim Da Bom''s gentle rebuke, spoken without rancour, hit Minjae like a whiplash. She was consumed by a deep sense of shame at her cowardice, so powerful that it threatened to double her over. Yet, digging herself out of the emotional avalanche she had been buried under in the past month was too painful to bear.

    Her father''s betrayal had cut deep and ripped open her wounds. She was not ready to do what she had to do. Not now. Not yet.

    And wasn''t this what she was really good at? Running away?

    "Have I become so unbearable that you can''t even spend a few minutes with me, Kim Minjae?" Seung''s husky voice pierced the tense air.

    Minjae closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to steady herself.

    "Kisaeng Han, please leave us alone," Seung ordered.

    Han So Ye''s gaze snapped to Seung. She gave him a deep bow. "My Lord, with due respect and at the risk of your anger, I want to let you know any disrespect towards Physician Kim Minjae will not be tolerated. My men are ready to act if needed," she declared sternly, leaving no room for doubt. "Minjae, I''ll be just outside if you need me. A single ring of the bell, and I''ll be by your side."

    Seung barely registered her words, his gaze fixed on the woman before him. Minjae''s clutch on the hem of her garment tightened, the fabric constricting her throat. Even in the dimness of the room, the pallor of her face was starkly evident.

    "So Ye, stop being the mother hen," Da Bom placed her hands on Soye''s back and pushed her gently towards the doorway. "Minjae is more than capable of looking after herself and, if given a chance, everyone else as well. Trust me, she has got it all under control. She always has things figured out, don''t you, sister?" Da Bom threw over her shoulders sarcastically. Minjae threw daggers at her retreating back.

    The door closed softly, leaving the two of them alone.

    "Why do you still have Woo Sari with you? Don''t you know how dangerous it is, just not for you but everyone else?" Seung broke the silence, his voice filled with concern.

    "She might not have made it if I had left her behind," Minjae firmly defended her decision.

    "My house is teeming with people who might recognise her," Seung argued.

    "There is no chance of them ever seeing her," Minjae said confidently. Or recognising her, she thought to herself, because the mistress of that house was an imposter, surrounded by servants who had never laid eyes on either Woo Sari or the real Choi Jina. The irony of the situation would have been comical if it wasn''t so hurtful.

    "Must you be so obstinate about everything, Minjae?" The frustration in his voice was palpable. "I am trying to help you, keep you safe."

    "Help me?" Minjae scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Is that what you call it? Tricking me into seeing you in the middle of the night? Undermining my decisions by going behind my back to my sister and making me suffer through snide comments? If that''s your idea of help, I''d rather you didn''t."

    Seung unfurled himself and moved to the centre of the room. A large round table, polished to a mirror-like shine, held a tall, elegant pitcher of alcohol and beautiful, colourful porcelain cups. He went down on his hunches, upended the snout into a cup, filled it to the brim, and brought it to her.

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    Minjae accepted the cup he handed her.

    "I am not the one making snide comments here, Minjae. I know you feel angry I went behind your back. You left me little choice," Seung said calmly, unapologetically. There was a moment of tense silence before Seung spoke again, his tone softer but no less serious. "I asked for your hand from your father."

    Numb fingers clutched the cup as Minjae turned her head slightly sideways to take a sip, trying to quell the tremor in her hand. She could feel the intensity of Seung''s gaze on her, and it took all her strength to not spill the alcohol.

    "But you already know it. You were there all along," Seung remarked, the gentle accusation more piercing than any expletives he could have employed to express his frustration, the sense of betrayal palpable in his voice.

    She desperately blinked the moisture that had gathered in her eyes. Her heart was aching, the weight of her secret threatening to crush her.

    "You never asked me before going to Aboji," She replied, stubbornly refusing to reveal the reality of her tattered heart.

    "To ask you, I would need to meet you, don''t you think so?" A mocking smile played on his lips.

    Minjae''s throat tightened, and she felt a wave of indignation and sorrow. "You don''t understand," she began, hardening her voice and her heart against him.

    "Why are you punishing us, Minjae?" He interrupted softly.

    His gentle tone was almost her undoing.

    She walked to the large chest by the wall to her right and rested her cup on it. "I need some time away to clear my head," she said, her voice betraying none of the storm raging up inside her.

    "So your idea is to simply vanish without a word?" A flicker of irritation crossed his face.

    "Maybe I want more space than you are ready to give me, Dari. Maybe I am too weak to withstand all this unnecessary pressure," Minjae said, appalled at how shrewd and cold she sounded.

    Seung took a step closer, his expression hardening. "Maybe you need someone to push you to be stronger, to know how to accept love."

    Minjae met his gaze, unflinching. "And maybe you need to learn the difference between loving someone and pushing them away by suffocating them. And it''s not like people in your home have been exactly welcoming," Minjae said untruthfully.

    "I did not know Lady Choi spoke with you. I am sorry; I should have foreseen it. I would have forbidden it had I known," his regret and apology came from somewhere deep within.

    "Anyone in her place would have done the same thing," Minjae constructed her words carefully, her voice echoing around the opulent chamber brushed in hues of pastels and reds.

    "The world does not operate on the whims of Choi Jina," Seung said, his voice laced with a firm, unyielding tone. "I have no sympathy for her."

    "She could be under duress. Her father might have forced her," Minjae said.

    "Is that the bull she fed you?" Seung said derisively, his eyes narrowing and lips curling into a sneer. "Lord Choi is busy running a country and has turned a blind eye to his daughter''s caprices for half a decade. She hasn''t changed, still blaming others for her weakness. She probably realised she can''t survive on entitlements alone."

    "How can you be so naive, Dari?" Minjae said, frustrated at Seung''s selective blindness to Lord Choi. "My family and I could be in danger if Lord Choi finds out you prefer me over her," Minjae said, knowing very well Seung had no idea how scarily close she was to the truth. "Lord Choi is a ruthless man."

    "She has frightened you, has she not? She is lying. Even if we were to assume Lord Choi forced her, he is far from someone who will harm you." Seung was losing his patience. "The man even offered a dowry for you!"

    "What?" Minjae''s eyes widened in shock.

    Seung chuckled, but there was no humour in it. "I''m not here to discuss Jina. I want to discuss us," he said, his tone sharp.

    "You think I''m overreacting, don''t you?" Minjae could not suppress the bitterness in her voice.

    "I''m not dismissing your worry, Minjae. But your fear is misplaced. You''re choosing to believe a woman who has never hesitated to drag her family through the mud to achieve her ends over someone who has watched her manipulate everyone around her without a care for anyone else."

    "What will it take for you to believe she could be a victim?" Minjae asked hotly.

    "You are being stubbornly intransigent about it, Minaje! I can''t believe you are taking her side," Seung''s voice rose, the tension between them palpable.

    "I am not taking any sides!"

    Seung''s tone softened, his desperation seeping through. "I understand you''ve endured much, and you''re inclined to believe a woman in distress. But trust me, Choi Jina is not one of them. Please, Minjae, don''t drag us through this, don''t let her come between us," he implored, his voice a blend of desperation and foreboding.

    "I''m sorry, but I don''t believe there''s an ''us'' anymore, Dari," Minjae declared, her voice firm, her gaze unwavering.

    It hit him like a punch in the gut, the blood draining from his face at her stark words.

    "How can you say that like it means nothing to you?" Seung''s voice thundered in disbelief, his fury and hurt raw and exposed. "Did I mean so little to you? You can''t do this. I won''t allow it."

    His face was a deep shade of red, the muscles of his chest defined against the stretch of his uniform, his furious eyes boring into her.

    For a moment, Minjae faltered, then closed her eyes against the temptation of giving in. "When I agreed to be with you, circumstances were different," Minjae said, and then she went for the cut. She knew it would wound him and make him turn away from her. "And anyway, who is to tell you would not get bored of me once the thrill of your physical attraction fades?" Her voice dripped with a nastiness she hadn''t known she was capable of. "Who knows, maybe I''ll get tired of you too."

    Seung caught her by the shoulders and turned her towards him, his grip not so gentle anymore. "Say that again?" he said, his eyes narrowing dangerously, momentarily making her wonder if she was going too far.

    "Isn''t that all this is about? Physical attraction. I should have never let it progress this far. This dalliance was foolhardiness," Minjae said derisively.

    Seung''s hands fell to his side.

    "Is that what you think, Kim Minjae?" His voice, barely a whisper, hung in an air so thick with tension that it could blunt a butcher''s knife.

    She shrugged, her voice a barren wasteland of emotion. "You''re not the first to lust after me, and," she met his gaze unflinchingly, "you won''t be the last. Just as I''ve desired men before you and will likely desire them after you. It''s the novelty you crave, nothing that a few tumbles between the sheets would not take care of" she declared, hating herself for the crude words. "We should have gotten it out of the way right at the start."

    Seung went white around his mouth.

    "Then what is stopping you from ''getting it out of the way'' now, as you so lucidly put it?" He pressed coldly, his eyes locked with hers.

    Even a fool could sense the danger of provoking a man to the brink of madness. But Minjae, in her clouded judgement, was oblivious to the peril.

    "Complete disinterest," she lied.

    "Did your kisaeng friend not apprise you of how interesting I can be in a tumble between the sheets?" Seung growled crudely.

    Minjae flinched.

    "I assure you, Physician Kim, once we ''get it out of the way,'' disinterest won''t be a word you would associate with us, ever. Shall I demonstrate it to you?" His voice was ominously low and deliberately disrespectful. He pointed to the luxurious bed behind him, his gaze lingering on the satin-covered mattress on the floor across the room, his eyes ablaze with fury and an indiscernible emotion.

    And a promise.

    As his words sank in, alarm flapped in her belly, making her go weak in the knees. But she dug in, raising her chin defiantly. "You are only proving my point, Dari!" She scoffed. "If this is a game you are playing, I am winning," she said, forcing as much scorn as she could muster into her voice.

    He took measured steps, closing the gap with deliberate laziness that belied his rage at her words.

    "Now that''s a game I am happy to let you win," He said roughly.

    Her heart plummeted to the pit of her stomach, then pounded with the ferocity of a trapped bird threatening to break free of its cage. She had never felt so vulnerable, so utterly exposed, as she did in this moment of dismissiveness. Losing her nerve, she backed away but abruptly stopped as the cold, hard edge of the ornate wooden chest dug into her back.

    Seung placed his hands on the top of the polished wood of the armoire behind her, entrapping her between his arms. His body was so close that she could feel the manic heat emanating from it, the muted lights of the room magnifying his potent male form.

    "You don''t seem as interested in winning anymore," he mockingly observed, his furious eyes taking in her flushed face, parted lips and rounded eyes, nervousness written all over the delicate lines on her lovely forehead.

    "Just because I love you, you think I am easy?" He snarled. "How dare you?" Seung''s voice rose, his jaw clenched so tight it felt it would snap.

    Panic bubbled inside Minjae''s chest. "You are frightening me," she blurted involuntarily, her voice trembling with apprehension. She ran her tongue over her dry lips. She had gone too far. "I am sorry, Dari," she whispered.

    Seung closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. When he opened them, they were brimming with despair.

    "I would never hurt you. Not in a million years. What do I do to make you believe I love you, Minjae?" His voice cracked under the weight of his emotions, his eyes filled with raw desperation and love.

    Miserable, helpless, and determined to push him away, she did the only thing that occurred to her.

    She lashed out.

    "Love? What do you know about love?" Her voice trembled with raw anguish, eyes blazing with tears held back for too long. "You see a woman one day and think you love her. You don''t even know her!"

    His brows snapped together. "We are back there? Again? You feel what you feel!" He was incredulous. "I am not going to engage in that vague argument with you. I don''t care to dissect what I feel, nor do I need to explain myself to you," Seung said, glaring at her. "And I know you love me too. I can feel it here," he held his fist on his heart and then transferred it to her chest, pressing against the soft swell of her breast, right over her hammering heart. "Deceive yourself all you want, but you can''t deceive me, so don''t even attempt it," he warned her huskily, dropping his hands and turning away. He strode to the table and poured himself a cup, draining it. He poured another.

    "Everything is a deception," Minjae said, her eyes boring unseeingly into his back. Seung stiffened and turned once more to face her. Minjae raised her face.

    A tear fell. Followed by another, and then another.

    "Minjae!" Seung''s brows furrowed, and he closed the distance in a flash. He cupped her face so gently as if she would break. "Don''t cry..."

    "Everything you know about me is a lie, is a deception. I led you on, and I was a fool to do that because I, too, wanted to have some of the fun everyone spoke about. But I can''t do it anymore."

    "What do you mean?" Seung watched her, alert, a muscle ticking in his jaw.

    "I lied to you. I never intended to become your concubine," Minjae choked between her sobs.

    The drink in his hand sloshed, then shattered on the floor as he stepped closer, his eyes wide with disbelief. Seung stepped closer, his eyes dilated in shock.

    "Stop with your lies right now!" he managed to get the words out of his choked throat.

    "Did I ever tell you that I love you?" she asked, derisively laughing through her tears. "No. I never intended to be your concubine because I¡ª" she swallowed¡ª"because I am still married."

    Seung was rooted in his spot, staring at her uncomprehendingly, his mind struggling to process the magnitude of what he had just heard. "What are you saying?" He grasped her shoulders and shook her, repeating himself, "What are you saying!"

    "There was no divorce. And there will be no divorce. He is the only man I love, the only one I have ever loved. I would do anything for him but never divorce him. I love him."

    Seung was white as a sheet.

    "Do you hear me?" she bunched his collar with her fists and yelled in his face, pausing for a trembling breath, her tears spilling over like a swollen river breaking its dams, "I love my husband so much that sometimes I feel I will suffocate. It hurts. It hurts so much that I feel someone carving out my heart every time I breathe while knowing that I cannot even touch him," she said brokenly, her tiny fists hitting him through the hiccups of her sorrow.

    Seung stood frozen, his soul disintegrating in the frosty gales of his heart''s wintry expanse while she slumped against him, weeping. The shattered cup lay forgotten at their feet, the alcohol leaving stains on every part of the fabrics it sloshed on.

 Twenty Six: On The Move

    The whirlwind of her mind slowly winded down, leaving soft hiccups that still wracked her body. Minjae became aware of the gentle thudding of Seung''s heart under her cheek. His hands hung limply by his side. She yearned for them to be around her, rock her, and reassure her the world would one day right itself, that she didn''t have to deceive anyone any more.

    But he stood still like a rock, only his gentle breathing indicating he was a living, breathing man she had hurt. Perhaps irreparably, beyond forgiveness. It was her wedding night all over again.

    Slowly straightening herself, she stepped back, unable to look at him. She probably would not be able to look at herself in the mirror after today.

    When the silence became like bags of stones on her shoulder, she dared a glance at his face¡ªand met with a look that was as unreadable as the dark of the night.

    "Are you done?" Seung said, his voice betraying nothing.

    He retrieved a cloth from his sleeve and extended it to her. She gratefully accepted it, wiping her face and squeezing her watery nose into it.

    "Thank you. I will wash and return this to you," she said politely.

    "And what about my heart, Minjae? Will you return that, too?" A bitter chuckle escaped him. "First, you were incensed by my wife''s return. Then, you belittled our emotions and cheapened our relationship. Now, you claim to be still married and in love with your husband while clinging to me like an ivy. Tell me, Physician Kim, which part of this drama you just pulled is the truth?"

    Minjae stared at him like a wooden doll.

    Seung looked away and then looked back at her. "What would you do if I kissed you right now? Will you think of your husband?"

    Something in his tone turned her knees into watery mush. Without a preamble, her gaze dropped to his lips. The pace of her heart quickened, and her body responded of its own volition to his promise. His knuckles traced the high cheekbone of her left cheek, his touch as tender as silk.

    "Your words and mouth don''t match, Physician Kim," Seung said. "But you still want to push me away? All right. If I leave today, I will not seek you again. For that, all you have to do is stop me now and ask me to leave. Or I make you mine for eternity."

    His head bent, excruciatingly slow. She knew he was giving her time to withdraw, to reject, but she felt paralysed, her emotions overwrought. When her lips felt his touching hers, they simply parted. Her eyes closed, and her head fell back, her body straining itself to connect to his hard torso, her arms entwining themselves around his neck.

    He took her lips by storm. His kiss was everything he promised physically, but it gave nothing emotionally. She could feel the anger, the resentment, the hurt as he plundered her, no, punished her.

    His hands didn''t stray, holding her against him by the nape of her neck, using her own need to crush her against him. It was not a kiss of love. It was of possession, of proof that he knew she was lying.

    She would never forget the confusion and rage in his eyes at her reply as long as she lived when he lifted his face and asked her, "Tell me now you were thinking of your husband, that you want me to leave."

    Once more, treacherous tears filled her eyes as she looked straight into his and said without hesitation, "Yes. Every moment. With every breath. Please leave and never come back."

    The chamber shuddered at Seung''s exit. The finality of it felt like fangs of grief tearing her insides. She wound her hands around her middle and rocked herself. When Kim Da Bom and Han So Ye found her, she was still rocking herself. They had been overcome with concern, with Han So Ye ordering her to drink a strong cup of alcohol while a maid cleaned the shattered glass spread around her feet.

    Kim Da Bom''s fury erupted like a volcano. "Why have you done this to yourself?"

    "Because this is the only way to keep all of us safe," Minjae replied automatically, her throat burning with the spirit she swallowed.

    Han So Ye looked at them, perplexed.

    "Commander Lee has no idea what his father-in-law is capable of," Minjae said, looking into the beloved woman''s eyes she had truly come to think of her as a sister. "But I do. I am living proof of it."

    Something clicked in Da Bom''s eyes, a realisation that drained the blood from her face, leaving her pale. For the first time, Minjae spotted something akin to fear in her eyes.

    "Minjae, are you -" Kim Da Bom swallowed.

    "You do not need to know anymore. However, there is something I need to do. Han So Ye, can you please summon Ko Yoon?"

    ¡Þ

    Hanyang

    Driven to insanity at Minjae''s words that night, he had ridden home in a daze and had drunk himself into a stupor to escape his thoughts. Yet nothing had dulled the pain. He had broken down, aching and sobbing, eventually sweeping books and papers off the shelves of his bedchamber in a fit of black rage.

    And his eyes had spotted the plum and bamboo jar, sitting quietly, nestled at the far end of a dusty shelf, obscured by the clutter of new and old.

    Determined to drive as much distance between him and the island as possible, he had left for Hanyang within hours, the jar safely tucked in, his chambers locked, and straight to Minister Gil''s private chamber.

    Minister Choe Myeong-Gil turned the white porcelain jar in his hand with utmost care. The copper and silver coins previously lodged inside the jar were now displayed on a copper plate on the impressively carved wooden desk.

    "Whoever dared to plant this at your house," Minister Choe''s voice echoed angrily, "Could they be hoping to bring charges against you?"

    Seung shook his head and said, "Just having this jar would not prove anything against me."

    Minister Choe carefully placed the jar back in the box. "But it would be enough to plant suspicion," he said.

    "Possible, Your Excellency. However, I believe whoever hid it likely planned to retrieve it later. My family just moved, and our house is cluttered with artefacts. Sneaking one in would be easy." Seung gave a dry laugh. "It was a clever move."

    "Only shows how cunning and audacious they are and how emboldened they have become. However, it also means the person has access to your chamber. Clearly, someone was bribed to plant this. We can narrow down the suspects."

    "It''s more complicated than we think, Your Excellency. The Ganghwa population is tight-knit and gossipy. One careless word and our operation will be exposed, laid bare. No one knows I have uncovered this, and I prefer to keep it that way until I have more substantial leads," Seung''s voice was laced with caution.

    Myeong Gil nodded, keeping the jar back in its box gently.

    "It gets even more complicated," Choe said. He reached into a drawer of his desk, retrieved a bulky envelope and passed it to Seung.

    "What is this?" Seung asked.

    "A roster of young men we suspect may be involved with the Barbarians and linked to the letter intended for the Ming Emperor that fell into Manchu hands," Minister Choe responded.

    "The one for which my father-in-law tried to put the blame on you?" Seung asked, with a trace of apology and anger.

    The feud between the factions that wanted the war, like his Father-in-law, and the ones that were staunchly against it, like Choe Myung-Gil, was out in the open with all its ugly laundry.

    "It''s immaterial. Even His Majesty knows how ridiculous that idea is. But you should see the list."

    Minister Choe Myeong-Gil watched the young man pry open the flap of the thick envelope and withdraw a wad of paper. "Lee Seung?"

    "Yes, Your Excellency?" Seung asked, preoccupied with unfolding the paper.

    "Have you been keeping well?" The older man asked gently.

    Seung stopped, his mind going blank. When he eventually lifted his eyes, he found himself under the scrutiny of wise eyes that silently studied him.

    "Yes, Your Excellency. I apologise if I have caused you any concern. By your grace, I remain in excellent health," Seung lied.

    "Your father was my dearest friend, and I am very proud of how you have turned out. I wish I had a daughter to give you in marriage," Myeong Gil said with a smile.

    Marriage. The word brought a bitter taste to his mouth, and Seung''s heart twisted at the thought. Once, before meeting Minjae, he had sworn off bringing a woman to his family. And he now meant to stick to his vow, no matter the consequences. Unless....

    Giving a small, perfunctory smile to the older man, Seung unfolded the sheets in his hand, not sure why Myeong Gil looked so concerned. After all, Seung''s life could hardly go more wrong.

    However, as soon as the name on top of the list popped up in his vision, the chilling realisation dawned that it just did.

    Choi Se-Min. Choi Jina''s brother.

    ¡Þ

    Home of Jo Family, Hanyang

    An Evening

    Jo Hee-Bong exchanged a warm smile with his wife, who was overseeing the dinner they were being served. Under her watchful eye, the maids carefully laid the dishes on the tables. Ever the attentive husband, Jo Hee-Bong sprang up to help his visibly pregnant wife lower herself to the floor.

    "You worry too much, Royal Inspector Jo," his wife chided indulgently while Jo Hee-Bong looked at her with complete devotion.

    Seung looked with disgust at his best friend, who was fawning over his wife, and then at his two school friends also seated for the meal, each with an identical table before them. Seung half-listened to the animated discussions of his three scholar friends engrossed in a debate of Confucian texts over freshly caught fish, turnips, potatoes, cabbage, and a variety of seafood spiced up with scrumptious-looking sauces in appetising plates and bowls. There was a time when he was the ideal scholar, steadfast in his beliefs and a master of the texts. His years in the north had shown him the wide gap between the theory of Joseon mores and the practical life people led.

    "What''s your opinion, Lee Seung?" One of the scholars broke his revere.

    The past mastery came to his rescue as Seung effortlessly joined the conversation while silently wishing all of them to perdition.

    "Is the food not to your taste, My Lord?" Kim-I-On asked worriedly.

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    "It''s delicious, Lady Kim-I-On", Seung was quick to reassure. Too quick.

    "Are you feeling unwell, Lee Seung?" Jo Hee-Bong asked, his voice laced with genuine worry.

    "What''s with all of you? I''m perfectly fine," Seung retorted, his irritation thinly veiling his discomfort. Did he have his heartsickness carved on his forehead or something? He closed his mouth on the mound of rice on the flat of his spoon and forced himself to chew it.

    The conversation soon veered in a different, even more unpleasant direction.

    The two scholars were adamant that Joseon should only side with the Ming and that their soldiers would be prepared in the event of a war. Cold fury overtook Seung at the sheer ignorance of the two men he called friends, who had their heads buried in the sand. He could hardly fault them, though. Arrogance was a widespread malaise amongst theoretical scholars who had little idea of what happened on a battlefield. But that didn''t stop him from putting them in their place, incencing them further.

    "Commander Lee, how can you side with those who are being cowards in facing our enemies? You command Ganghwa, so don''t tell me Ganghwa is not in good hands," Kwak''s face was flushed red with antagonism.

    "Don''t worry about Ganghwa, worry about yourselves," Seung said caustically, after pointing out that many of them could be called upon to hold a sword and, heavenly spirits forbid, lose their lives, which, judging by the purple faces of his so-called friends had not occurred to them yet.

    "I am looking forward to joining my father-in-law, Governor Kim Tae-On, on the island," Jo smiled to diffuse the situation.

    "Considering how little confidence our Commander has here, you should be worried about going to Ganghwa too, Royal Inspector Jo," Kwak was inching towards being punched in the face.

    "Rest it, Kwak," Seung warned.

    "There are few better than Commander Lee Seung in our army, Scholar Kwak." Jo was not smiling anymore. "Don''t forget he was the one to turn down the robe to wear a soldier''s uniform, or else you would have to be very careful how you speak to him."

    Kwak reddened at the reprimand but went quiet.

    "War is never good for anyone, especially families," Lady Kim I-On''s gentle voice intervened.

    "I have heard Ganghwa is a great place for families," Rho tried to soothe ruffled feathers.

    "That''s what our esteemed Commander Lee assures us of. I would be lying if I said I am not worried because of Lady Kim''s condition," he said, an unmistakable anxiety underlining his words. "The number of physicians on the island is limited, and most have been employed by the royal family physicians because both the Crown Princess and Royal Consort Gwi-in are pregnant, and there is worry about smallpox spread."

    Seung paused. "The island is home to some of the most exceptional physicians I have ever encountered. Among them, Physician Kim Minjae is a standout. Her skills are not just remarkable; they are unique. Lady Kim will undoubtedly be in good hands with her," he said, without realising how much pride his voice carried.

    "But Commander Lee," Scholar Rho interjected, "would it not be more comfortable for Lady Kim I-On to have a female physician?"

    Seung blinked. "Kim Minjae is very much a female physician," he said drily.

    "But how can she be a physician if she is a woman, that too working for commoners?" Kwak''s Confucian eyebrows drew a straight line.

    Seung shrugged. "She is an herbalist with a merchant license, but everyone calls her a Physician on the island because she is one of their best. The army physicians sent her for special training for uinyeo."

    "Wait, the soldiers are treated by a woman?" Scholar Kwak''s eyes bulged.

    Seung laughed. "Just not soldiers. I know a few officers and Yangban men who prefer her treatment over other physicians."

    "That''s preposterous! It goes against - against all norms of morality!" Kwak was frothing around the mouth.

    "Ganghwa is a bit different. Most women of the Yangban and the present Governor also prefer her over others. She cannot treat the royals, so probably that''s why she has never attended to the old deposed King and his family. Kim Minjae is more talented than many men I have seen. She is the most hardworking, kind woman I know and immensely good at what she does," Seung said, his spoon suspended in the air, a faraway look in his eyes. "Every soldier wants her to stitch his wound, especially on their faces, because it''s so fine that it scarcely leaves a scar. But if you see her, you would never mistake her for anything but a woman," he chuckled as Minjae''s myriad expressions floated before his eyes. "But don''t let her delicate look deceive you; she is made of steel," Seung sighed.

    Only to look and find four pairs of eyes gawking at him.

    "Despite the fact that even the deposed King lives there, they can break those rules?" Kwan sounded unhappy. "Scholars like you should not attach this much importance to such low-born people; it does not suit your station," Kwan said condescendingly.

    "Scholars who don''t want to have their jaws misaligned should learn to keep such opinions to themselves," Seung said, his voice dripping with acid, his eyes locked in a challenging gaze with Kwan.

    Kwan could only take so much heat from a furious Seung. He shifted uncomfortably.

    "Let us not spoil the decorum, scholars," Jo Hee Bong said mildly, but no one missed the warning undertones.

    Deeply embarrassed at disrespecting the hospitality of his friend, Seung dug into a bowl with a spoon, only for it to meet an empty cavity of metal instead of food and echo in the silence of the room.

    "Let me get some more soup for you, Dari," Kim I-On quickly covered for Seung, her intelligent eyes full of empathy. Unable to meet her eyes, Seung grabbed the cup of wine and took a sip.

    "I apologise," he said quietly, his voice barely audible.

    Jo Hee Bong nodded. "It''s a relief to know the island has good medical health people."

    After the meal, Seung and Jo Hee Bong, a man with a deep love for books, withdrew to a room lined with them. Kwak had huffed off, followed by a concerned Ryo, and Lady Kim-I-On retired for the night.

    Jo handed Seung a scroll. "Rho is clean. The meeting he had with the spy was accidental."

    Seung nodded.

    Jo Hee Bong was a crucial player in the team. Their investigations were paying off. They had apprehended two Yangban men for selling information to Manchu spies and discreetly neutralised a suspect prominent family. All culprits shared a common trait: expensive habits. One man wanted to buy a state kisaeng, and another was addicted to land purchases and consequent debt.

    However, Choi Se-Min lacked any such vices. Once, he was rumoured to be a gambler, but nothing was ever proven.

    Jo fitted the end of a carved peacock key into a lock resembling a dancing peacock''s bust, opened a medium-sized wooden chest, and cleared his throat.

    "How is Lady Gil-ae?" Jo asked.

    "She has been admirably holding up," Seung replied.

    "You understand the scandal had nothing to do with me marrying Lady Kim I-On?" Jo asked frankly.

    Seung had always been aware of Jo Hee-Bong''s tendre for his sister and the tacit understanding between their families that Jo and Gil-ae''s match would happen once Seung was married. Seung had been a little upset when Jo, under pressure from his family, married a much more suitable Kim-I-On instead, but he couldn''t begrudge his friend the evident happiness he now found with his wife.

    "Lady Kim I-On is wonderful and suits you perfectly. Do not worry about Gil-ae," Seung said, his tone ending the topic.

    "Do you like this young physician, Seung?" Jo asked.

    Seung looked ruefully at his friend. "I was embarrassing, wasn''t I?"

    Jo looked at him with the clear brown eyes of a friend who had no guile about wanting the best for his friend. "I have never seen you so quick to anger. We heard about your family''s move to Ganghwa. We were unaware that Choi Jina had returned to you. But, given your silence on the matter, I don''t believe you''ve changed your mind about her. Have you?"

    Seung felt a lifeless curve lift the corners of his mouth. He was married to a woman he despised, and the woman he loved claimed to be still married and in love with her purported divorced husband, all the while her melting eyes and body promised themselves to him. It should have been hysterical but he was too heartsore to see the humour in the situation.

    He shrugged in reply.

    Jo Hee Bong reached into the chest. "I do not want to pry, but you should not be distracted now. It''s dangerous. Commander Lee Seung, your happiness is our priority, but the war seems inevitable. You must stay focused," Jo advised with a sigh. He retrieved a scroll from his chest and handed it to Seung. "This is from Grand Prince Bongrim. He wants to see you in private."

    ¡Þ

    Hanyang seldom slept. As the sun rose, the city awoke to the chaotic pattern of foot traffic shuffling against the packed dirt and cobblestones.

    Seung kept his head down and the brim of his hat low as he threaded past the sound of merchants hawking their goods, which blended with the jingle of coins and the haggling of buyers. Tapping hammers, scraping wood, and the soft whirring of spinning wheels created a steady background rhythm, magnifying the drumming in his temples, a constant reminder of his sleepless nights.

    Seung turned into one bylane and then another, ensuring no one had followed him. He jumped over a small wall, cut across a courtyard, and came out to another small lane. The aroma of freshly baked rice cakes and grilled fish wafted from food stalls hit his nostrils, accompanied by the sizzle and crackle of cooking fires.

    He bought a basket of fresh food, taking his time to look around. Satisfied he was alone, he ducked into another small lane and climbed a good distance uphill to a small, unassuming, thatched house.

    A middle-aged woman dressed in a simple hanbok stood over a large cotton loom. Her hands danced over the loom with a precision born of years of practice, expertly guiding the shuttle back and forth. Each pass added a new thread to the growing fabric, the cotton threads interlacing tightly to form a durable, smooth cloth. The repetitive motion of the loom created a steady, rhythmic sound¡ªthock-thock, thock-thock¡ªthat echoed softly from the walls.

    Seung dropped the basket of food and a fistful of coins on a side table.

    The woman bowed and fetched a large piece of woven fabric hewn in blue and gold. She wrapped it in a soft muslin cover.

    "He has not returned for two nights, Dari," the woman said emotionlessly. She handed Seung a piece of paper. "The man you had him follow received this two days ago."

    Seung took it expressionlessly, "Well done. Please do not worry; your son has his instructions. He will be back soon."

    The woman nodded gratefully before resuming her work at the loom.

    Seung opened the note and smiled grimly. Finally, a movement from Choi Se-Min.

    ¡Þ

    In Another Part of Hanyang:

    The mid-morning wind was chilly and unnerving. Minjae shivered, but it wasn''t truly due to the cold. Hanyang frightened the daylights out of her. For her, it was the city of nightmares, its enclosed walls suffocating her, trapping her in a web of unsettling memories.

    Her grandmother''s house, her only safe sanctuary in this monstrous city, had not aged, sitting serenely on its raised foundation, the mud-plastered walls with its teal doors and windows as warm and inviting as they had been when she lived here. She had taken the golden light and shade around it for granted, now she breathed it all in, as if she wanted to immortalise that glow within her.

    When she was eight, her grandmother died. Minjae went to stay with her father and stepmother. Every month, without fail, she returned with a handful of servants and scrubbed, cleaned and polished the house, ensuring it stayed as immaculate as her grandmother had kept it.

    "How will you get in? The lock to the front door is solid," Ko Yoon wondered aloud.

    Minjae only smiled, lovingly looking back at her childhood home. "I hope I have not grown too large for the opening I have in mind," she laughed.

    "Is it safe for you to go in that house, Noonim? I''m not comfortable leaving you here," Ko Yoon asked worriedly.

    Minjae smiled. Ko Yoon reminded her of Se-min. "No one knows this house better than me. Someone I love used to live here. Do not worry. You do not know how much what you did for me means to me. Meet me by the boat at sunrise tomorrow, and do not put yourself in peril. Don''t be seen around this house again, no matter what. I will be safe, I promise."

    "I am a soldier, Noonim; a simple task like this compares nothing to the battle I might have to fight sooner than later," the young man gave her a disarming smile before jumping over the fence and disappearing, with the promise he would come back for her if he didn''t see her by the boat on time.

    Stepping into the courtyard, Minjae felt nostalgia wash over her. She was surprised to see the expansive grassy enclosure still meticulously maintained. She gingerly walked on the stones lining the dirt pathway, smiling as she glanced at the familiar trees to the right.

    At the far end of the grassy floor was another smaller, single-chambered building with a tiled roof, light-coloured walls, and a dark wooden frame that sat on a higher foundation, anchored by a stone wall, with three slim steps leading to a narrow path connected to the dark brown door. It once was a storage room, but her grandmother turned it into a temple. Not many people knew that her grandmother also practised medicine secretly, something her grandfather had been very proud of. When he was alive, he doted on his wife and hired a woman who used to help treat poor people. In reality, her grandmother was the healer, and the woman was only a face.

    Her room brought home a wave of recollections. The bed that used to look big and spacious seemed small, but she could still imagine herself sleeping in it. A single mirror graced the side table. She slid open a cupboard to reveal a few dresses she had left behind. They looked so tiny that a smile escaped her. One day, she had hoped to pass them on to her daughter. She sighed.

    The other rooms were frozen in time as well. Every article was clean and in its place.

    Her grandmother''s room unleashed a torrent of tears. She tenderly traced the bed, stoking bittersweet memories. Overwhelmed, she lay down on it, hoping to capture a fleeting echo of her grandmother''s presence.

    Grandma, show me the way. She whispered to the spirit that she felt transcend the room.

    Why, oh why, did her father choose the path he did?

    The wall before her caught her attention. Rising, she approached it and tested it with her fingers. A fresh, new patch of colour stood out, a stark contrast to the rest of the room. Someone had recently plastered it. But why? Why would they focus on this small part of a wall, leaving the rest untouched?

    She checked the other rooms. Most looked untouched, except for her grandmother''s room. All its walls had large patches as if they had been dug and repaired. She then noticed the floor. It was new.

    Minjae suddenly recalled the dolls her grandmother had fashioned out of yards of cotton for her. She had a few left behind that she would play with when she came to clean the house, a luxury she could barely indulge in at her father''s home. All of them were missing.

    Minjae moved her eyes around. One of her grandmother''s chests was missing, too. She lifted the bed. The keys to the chests were still there. She checked the remaining chests and found them full of knick-knacks, jumbled and tossed about carelessly as if someone had rummaged through them.

    As if looking for something.

    What could it be?

 Twenty Seven: Chasing Shadows

    The kitchen table held an assortment of food, there was water in a pitcher, and part of the floor was warmer closer to the kitchen. Someone had spent the time heating the furnace to kickstart the ondol heating underground in a house that had been uninhabited for over a decade. Minjae felt an overwhelming sense of loss as her gaze lingered on the roast braised beef ribs toasted with chestnut, her favourite food.

    Kang Do had not forgotten it.

    The previous evening, Minjae had watched Kang Do look frantically around after he read her note. She hid behind a cart of haystacks, trying to hold back her tears as she watched the old man limp across the streets and alleyways, hoping to glimpse the person who had sent the child to hand him the note. She knew by now that Ko Yoon had dropped the second note for Kang at the pre-designated place with instructions to meet her in this house.

    Ignoring the food, she spread a mat and a blanket and flopped down, every nerve on edge, to wait.

    The click of the locks on the main door snapped her out of the drowsy daze she had fallen into. She positioned the needles in her hands and crossed to the window, lifting the hanji curtain to scan the outside.

    Kang Do had come alone.

    Still, she could not take chances. Kang Do turned into the open area leading to the kitchen. His body leaned more to one side now to compensate for the lack of strength in his limping leg, though he was still as agile as he had ever been. She silently sneaked up behind him and drove the needle at the base of his skull.

    Kang Do sank, his body loose and overcome with lethargy. "My Lady!" he whispered, his old, gentle eyes a cloud of confusion.

    She quickly patted him, looking for weapons. She found his dagger and removed it.

    Minutes later, as she sat facing the man who had saved her life at the peril of his own, Minjae felt a lump of emotions clogging her throat, emotions she didn''t have time or space for. His once-black beard was now threaded with silver, and new wrinkles creased his slanted eyes. White woolly whorls escaped the knot on his head. His teeth were yellow, and a few were missing from the sides. His face looked leathered, the scar cleaving his face darker, more ominous to those who crossed his path on the wrong day.

    He tried to rise.

    "Sit down, Kang Do," Minjae ordered quietly. He nodded and then bowed to her. She helped him have a drink of water. "Your body will regain the energy in an hour."

    "My Lady," the man''s voice was gruff as if crying, "Why did you come back to Hanyang? I requested you never to come back. What could have possibly driven you to return to this place that demanded your sacrifice?"

    Minjae swallowed, giving herself a few moments to collect her emotions into a tight bundle and tuck it away.

    "I need answers," she said, as emotionlessly as possible. "I know you saved my life, but I do not trust you today."

    The face of the man she had come to think of more as a father since childhood crumbled.

    "I could die if that meant you would live, My Lady," Kang Do said, his voice heavy with emotions.

    "You are my Father''s slave, bound to follow his orders. So why did you defy him and not kill me?" She asked. Even though it was not the most important thing, still, she had to know.

    "I hoped the monks would help you recover. Last I heard, you were safe, but I could never tell for certain, and I never tried finding more in case it raised suspicion." He looked at her wordlessly and then said, "You do not know how thankful I am to see you alive. You look so much like Lady Im Yoo-joo now, and yet somehow you are different," he remarked in a voice marked with reverence. "Have you been well, My Lady?"

    "I am alive," she answered. "The question is, why?"

    Kang Do again skirted the question. "Please leave this area as soon as you can. Go back to the place that has kept you safe all these years. Please, My Lady-"

    "Why did Father send an imposter to be Commander Lee''s wife?" Minjae cut him off, her eyes bereft of the rage that stormed inside her.

    Shock widened Kang Do''s jaw. "How did you find out, My Lady?"

    "That''s not important," she sucked in an impatient breath.

    "After your grandmother died without a male heir, His Majesty deeded this house to your son if you ever had one. Your Father, His Excellency, needed to present you to His Majesty to reclaim possession of this house by proving you had agreed to the marriage and ensure your younger sister''s match with the Crown Prince in a few years," Kang Do said.

    "That''s it? He sent her in my place because he needed this house? Don''t lie to me! Father has never shown this kind of interest in any of his many properties around the country. He never even liked this house, never set foot in it when Grandma was alive. So why now?"

    Kang Do shook his head. "I don''t know, My Lady," he said.

    "Does this have anything to do with Father killing my Father-in-law?" She asked, point blank.

    Kang Do''s eyes bulged, and he looked around in terror as if he expected someone to materialise out of thin air. "Shh, My Lady! I do not know how you learned this, but you must never speak of it again," he pleaded.

    "I am not the child you saved all those years ago, Kang Do. Tell me what you know," Minjae ordered clinically.

    Kang Do looked down as he started speaking.

    With Choi Se-min''s sword still twisting in his guts, Seung''s father warned Se-min that his secret would stay safe as long as the Lee family lived. A very young Seung had wandered into the bloody scene, and before the child became a casualty, Kang Do had tied his eyes and hands and pushed him into a cabinet. Lady Ryu In-ah had not been home, but she knew who had been behind her husband''s murder.

    "Omoni knows?" It was Minjae''s turn to be shell-shocked.

    "It was a bargain with the devil," Kang whispered. "Two days after Lord Lee''s death, His Excellency received a letter. I do not know what it said, but it had something to do with your and Commander Lee''s marriage and the secret."

    "It means there is something Father hoped to gain in return once the marriage was solemnised."

    "When Master was ordering me to - ", Kang Do closed his eyes for a moment, his mouth turning downward, "to kill you, he mentioned another letter that he received a day before your marriage. It seemed to have information on more such letters. Then, a few months back, he received another one. After he got the possession, he had people search this house and turn it upside down."

    "So Father hoped to find letters in this house? How?"

    Kang Do shook his head helplessly. "He never shared."

    "Grandma used to have a small chest she treasured; it''s missing from her room. Do you know if Father found anything?"

    "He punished one of the ''butchers'' in frustration, so I know whatever he was looking for, he didn''t find it."

    The butchers were the code name for her father''s slaves, who she now knew were his henchmen who lived in the shadows.

    "Did that impersonator come to this house?" Minjae asked.

    "Yes. Your stepmother brought her as a part of her training."

    Minjae emitted an anguished noise. Why would it be surprising that Im Nabi would always have a hand in everything that would destroy and delete Choi Jina from existence?

    "Have you met Commander Lee in the past years?" Kang Do asked in wonder.

    "Yes, but he does not know who I am. I have met the woman in Ganghwa," Minjae said, an insidious feeling of jealousy ripping her at the thought that the fraud sullied whatever was precious to her.

    "You went to Ganghwa?" Fear glazed his features.

    "It''s obvious she has been trained to impersonate me," Minjae sidestepped the question, blinking back tears, resolute to stamp out any weakness the thought brought her. Her mouth drew a straight, furious line.

    "Who is she?" She asked caustically.

    "She is your father''s slave," Kang Do said. "She was not born as one. Her father once was a very powerful minister. He was stripped of power for corruption and conspiracy with the barbarians against His Majesty and the old deposed king. She became a government slave to His Excellency, but she was sold to someone illegally. Later, with her new Master, she trapped young men for money."

    That explained her refined language and ease with servants.

    Minjae laughed acerbically. "Non-existent moral compass and easily disposable, is she? And frightened into doing anything he will ask her to because she watched someone die a horrific death."

    Kang dragged his sleeves across his eyes wordlessly.

    Suddenly, a terrible idea occurred to her. "Did Father find her before he ordered you to kill me?"

    Kang Do''s leathery complexion reddened and then lost colour, but he didn''t deny it.

    "Five years....." Minjae''s voice shook, "For five years, he trained her to be me. He slandered me so her lack of maidenly innocence would have a backstory and planted her in Dari''s house. Why? WHY?"

    "It''s tied to your marriage, My lady," Kang said.

    "Father thought I was not filial enough and hampered his quest in finding these letters with my divorce-speak. So he decided to manufacture another Choi Jina."

    "Please, My Lady, don''t do this to yourself. It''s irrelevant. You are safe, and that''s all that matters. You have a new life; don''t let your past colour your future. Let it go, and please leave Hanyang and Ganghwa as soon as possible."

    Even long after her supposed ''death'', her father still controlled her life.

    Minjae shook her head. "I must find out why Father killed Father-in-law and how my marriage is tied to this sordid business."

    "I am not very sure of this, but from what I gathered, he must have a grandchild from you and Commander Lee to get the remaining letters," Kang Do''s voice was anguished.

    Minjae shook with rage and grief. She needed to occupy herself to stop herself from screaming.

    She rose and fetched her knapsack. Retrieving a pouch, she extracted a few needles. She worked on the leg Kang limped on for the next few minutes.

    "You were always a precious child, My Lady, but now you evoke memories of Lady Bak, your grandmother. She would insist on giving me herbs that would alleviate my pain," Kang Do''s voice softened.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Long dormant emotions surged through her at the mention of her grandmother, and her heart swelled when she heard the pride in Kang Do''s voice.

    Kang Do rubbed his neck slowly. "Where did you learn this, My Lady? You were as silent as a cat. I have never witnessed such precision with needles, not even from seasoned masters." A look of sheer horror dawned on his face. "Are you the island physician Commander Lee is rumoured to be in love with?"

    Her dejected look said it all. "I thought I should tell you before Father dispatched you to kill the woman who is keeping his son-in-law away from his precious fake daughter he is hoping to get a grandchild from," Minjae emitted a brittle laugh.

    Kang Do paled.

    "Has Father already ordered it?" Minjae asked, suddenly feeling disembodied as if she was speaking of someone else.

    "No, My Lady," Kang said soothingly, but Minjae didn''t miss the hint of fear in his pale brown eyes.

    "But he has discussed the possibilities," she gave a mirthless chuckle.

    "It''s too dangerous to do something like that away from Hanyang without drawing unwanted attention, and because you and Commander Lee are part of a local gossip, my Lord Choi could fall under the suspicion of murder," Kang reasoned. "You are safe."

    "Wise choice. People would hunt him down if he touched me in Ganghwa," Minjae said with a touch of haughtiness that startled Kang Do. "But then, if that happened, Father would not stop at one murder, would he? If anything happens to anyone I love, dead or alive, I will make sure he pays through his blood." She didn''t realise how much of her father''s deadly determination she had inherited. "Stay away from Dari and Ganghwa. Dari remembers and will come after you if he ever sees you."

    Kang Do was silent until she finished her ministrations.

    "And tell Father," Minjae said as she packed away her needles and handed him two bottles of medicine, "he has nothing to fear from that lowly physician. She has ensured Commander Lee stays away from her."

    "My Lady," Kang Do spoke, his sharp brown eyes briefly rising to meet hers and then lowering again in deference. "Perhaps it''s not my place to say, and I apologise for my impertinence, but it seems fate has intertwined you and Commander Lee. You are fated to be together. Do not push him away."

    Catching her off guard, Kang Do''s wise words pricked her tender heart like the spiky ends of soft feather stems. She could almost feel the gentle, comforting touch of the feathers'' soft ends brushing her bruised and lonely heart, yet they remained hopelessly out of reach.

    ¡Þ

    "Are you serious? If he even gets a whiff of this, His Excellency Lord Choi will hang our heads as ornaments outside of Hanyang gates," Wang Jung whined pitifully.

    Following suspicious men was not how Wang Jung had intended to spend the night, but he could always trust Seung to foil his plans.

    "You can turn back if you want," Seung whispered, the corners of his mouth twitching.

    "Your head will feel lonely hanging out alone on that stake looking at the wilderness," Wang Jung groused reasonably, ducking back into an alley so they remained undetected. Despite all the protests, Seung knew Wang Jung would take a knife before letting any harm befall him.

    And then there was this small matter of sketching suspects that Wang Jung excelled in.

    They found themselves in an open neighbourhood, laid on a gently sloping hillside, with houses positioned at different levels. Paths and stone walls connected the various buildings. Choi Se-min climbed a small flight of stone steps on the side of a small connecting hill towards his destination, his eyes measuring the ground, deep in thought. Following him would have been easy had it not been for the two suspicious-looking men who followed the young man, making it hard for Seung and Wang Jung to keep up with Se-min without revealing themselves. The hilly terrain fortunately gave them enough coverage in the dark.

    He had been in this neighbourhood before, Seung thought with surprise. The vegetation was a bit different, but the layout was immensely familiar. He remembered a large, tiled-roof house at the top, overlooking all the other houses, its ground covered with lush grass he had loved to grab in his small, dirt-caked hands. Faint memories surfaced of a little girl dragging a doll, trying to calm his bawling sister by offering her the toy.

    Seung shook his head. Not a good time to chase memories from his childhood.

    Choi Se-min stopped in front of a sprawling house that stretched impressively across the land¡ªthe same house from Seung''s memories. It rose spectacularly behind its fence, sitting on an impressive elevation.

    Unlike other houses, which had at least some faint light seeping through shuttered windows, this one was pitch dark. It was also the only house with no smoke from its three chimneys.

    Choi Se-min checked the lock on the formidable gate, then circled and disappeared around the corner behind the stone fence wall.

    "What do you think he''s doing in an uninhabited house? Are there people inside?" Wang Jung whispered.

    Seung watched intently as the men followed Se-min and then vanished from view. After a few minutes, the men returned, sneaking into a shadowed corner, clearly waiting for something.

    Seung and Wang Jung exchanged a glance and then circled the hill to the back of the house. They found no open entrance, indicating that Se-min had likely jumped the fence. The fence itself was not too tall, but the hilly elevation made it almost impossible to scale.

    Seung squinted, trying to recall the contents of the letter:

    ''Don''t let the bolt keep you out. Bring your aunt''s books as you promised. Remember the stars we collected on that last day? I could gather only half of what you did. Gather all of them together and lay them at the door where chestnuts are plenty. No more than one pair of shoes, with eyes that don''t see and ears that don''t hear, unless you want more scars to bear.''

    "The house probably has a chestnut tree or trees," Seung whispered. They ran along the periphery and found the gnarly trunk of a giant chestnut tree, at least forty feet tall, bordering the wall. Its branches hung inside the compound, over a lone outpost building that looked like it might belong to the gardener.

    Moments later, Seung and Wang Jung mounted to a roof, crouching behind its sloping eaves for an unobstructed view of the house and its grounds.

    "Are you sure he went into this house?" Wang Jung asked, peering into the dark compound dubiously.

    Seung wasn''t just sure; he could bet his life on it.

    Se-min''s visit could be completely innocent. However, he highly doubted it. Meetings held in a dark, cold house, padlocked from the outside, were hardly ordinary unless they were covert in nature. The letter was filled with cryptic instructions: the front door would be inaccessible, so the chestnut tree would serve as the entry point. Seung was confident someone inside would grant him access. The significance of the stars eluded him, but the rest of the message made it clear that Se-min had to come alone or face dire consequences.

    "Get a good look at whoever he is meeting with," he said.

    Wang Jung''s portly appearance was deceptive. The man was as stealthy as a cat and could walk on tiptoes without breaking a sweat. He climbed trees and walls like a monkey. Few people paid attention to him because he gave the impression of being inept.

    Within minutes, he was gone.

    Seung inched closer to the edge of the sloping eave that granted him an unhindered view. He watched Wang Jung''s shadowy figure cut across the extensive grounds and take cover beneath the large, shuttered windows of the mansion. His small frame made it easy for him to bend while he tiptoed, his body plastered to the exterior wall until he disappeared from the view.

    Seung wondered why the men were following Se-min. Was someone else keeping a watch on him? The men looked less like spies and more like bodyguards. In the dim light, distinguishing features was challenging, but one appeared older and muscular, the other younger and leaner but taller.

    Se-min had been inside the house for at least three-quarters of an hour. They were inching towards pre-dawn. If daylight broke, they would have to abort the mission.

    A thunk! broke the eerie silence of the night. Worried, Seung glanced at the mansion. Did someone catch onto Wang Jung already? Se-min could easily recognise him, having met Wang Jung at least twice.

    A while later, Seung caught the portly shadow of Wang Jung racing across the compound. At the same time, another movement caught his eye. From the other side of the mansion, two figures emerged. One was Se-min, and the other was a woman swamped in a jangot. They walked close to the fence, where the two men stood, crouching in the shadows on the other side. The couple spoke for a while. Seung would give a lot to exchange positions with those two mysterious men and listen to what the couple talked about.

    A soft rustle alerted him to Wang Jung joining him.

    "Did you catch the woman''s face?"

    Silence.

    Seung looked at him and found Wang watching the couple at a distance with a peculiar expression. Seung tapped his shoulder.

    "Answer me," Seung whispered.

    Wang shifted uncomfortably, not meeting his eyes. "It was too dark, so I could not get a proper look. And I stumbled, so I had to hurry away."

    "Did anyone see you?"

    Wang Jung shook his head.

    They watched with curiosity as Se-min held the woman''s hand and brought it to his forehead. His shoulders were shaking, and he cut a sad and lonely figure. He then swiped his sleeve across his face as if wiping off tears. Se-min was tall and well-built, and the woman barely reached his chest, yet she seemed to have a commanding presence. It was hard to tell, but Se-min looked - afraid?

    "How old did she seem to be?" Seung asked.

    Wang Jung cleared his throat. "I think she is quite young."

    ¡°Did you hear anything?¡±

    "Only murmurs. They were speaking too softly,¡± Wang Jung said. This time Seung didn¡¯t notice any hesitation in his voice, which was at odds with his earlier replies.

    Perplexed, Seung watched as Se-min climbed the fence and descended the tree. The woman watched him leave silently and then disappear, only to emerge outside the house and walk in the opposite direction of Se-min. Alone. How did she get out? Seung shook his head.

    Was the woman his lover? It didn''t make sense. There were a thousand ways to meet lovers outside, but choosing an old, uninhabited mansion in the dark of night seemed peculiar. No Yangban woman would risk coming to such a place alone at night, and a commoner would not need to go to such lengths. Furthermore, no sane man would let a woman leave without escorting her to safety.

    Even more surprising was that the men, instead of following Se-min, were now following the woman.

    A foreboding knot twisted inside Seung. He didn''t have a good feeling about it.

    "Wang Jung, follow Lord Choi and see if he meets anyone else. I will follow the woman."

    "Why do we not reverse it, Commander Lee, sir? I''ll follow the woman," Wang Jung suggested, sounding unusually concerned.

    "Don''t worry about me. I can take all three down in no time if needed, but I can''t draw to save my life. Find out if Lord Choi has another company for tonight and report to me," Seung said, jumping off the roof and landing on the ground with the stealth of a jungle cat. His footsteps were sure and silent, as if padded like the paws of a ferocious beast on the trail of blood.

    The woman and the men had a head start on him, so Seung had trouble locating them through the winding alleys. He clambered onto a roof and began hopping across the interconnected maze of rooftops. Soon, he caught sight of them. The woman was now walking fast, almost running. She had sensed the men following her.

    Heart thumping, Seung followed, trying to cut them off by circling along on the sloping eaves that would take him ahead of them. However, before he could reach them, the men accosted her.

    It was too dark to see clearly, but the muscular man yanked off her jangot. There was an incoherent cry and a scuffle. The tall, younger man folded suddenly to his knees. Taking advantage of the shock, the woman kicked the other man in his belly and fled. The muscular man recovered and chased her.

    Seung fished for his dagger, readying himself to charge the man. He hopped from a higher slope of a roof to the one closer to the ground. But before he could move, a tall figure wearing dark clothes and a black straw hat emerged from an alley and kneed the muscular man. The man doubled in pain. The figure caught hold of the woman''s hand and dragged her to an alley.

    The man had a very distinct limp.

    A burn spread from Seung''s chest to his head. A storm kicked up in his gut, all fury and no sound, and his senses felt crushed like a boulder smashing into him. His brain ceased functioning and ceded its power to his body, which moved on impulse - an impulse to fly, to grab the limping man by the neck so he could wring the answer to the question that had plagued him in his nightmares as long as he could remember.

    The woman was his accomplice, which meant even she could know something about it.

    Seung tracked their path with dogged obstinacy. He could not see them, but the air carried faint rustles and muted footsteps. He instinctively knew that the muscular man must also be following them now. Seung had to get to them before anyone else did.

    He could hear the faint gushing of water. The woman and the limping man were headed towards the river. Seung mapped the area in his head, changed his route, and took a shorter one. When he reached his desired spot, he saw the duo emerge from the shadows with grim satisfaction.

    The woman sprinted ahead while the tall man, despite his limp, kept up admirably. Seung was so fixated on the man that he paid no heed to the woman''s back, receding away from where he was. The moonless night shrouded their features, but Seung could see the scar on the man''s face in his mind as if a blazing torch illuminated it.

    The limping man didn''t see him coming. Seung was before him in a flash, a carefully extended leg sending the man sprawling on the ground with a loud thud. Seung crouched and held his neck in a chokehold, the dagger digging into his artery.

    "No!'' The woman turned.

    "Stay where you are!" Seung thundered without looking up; his senses reduced to a raw nerve of pain as he choked the man tighter. Up close, his eyes met the man''s pale ones that looked back at him unflinchingly.

    "Why did you kill my father?" Seung''s hand tightened around his neck, the dagger digging deep.

    "I will answer your questions, Commander Lee," the man said, with not a speck of fear in his eyes, "But please take her to safety first. They cannot find her; they will kill her," he pleaded.

    Seung saw the woman''s skirts move closer and said hoarsely, "You think I care? I will kill her before they do. Now speak!" His dagger dug deep.

    "My Lady, leave before they find you," the man begged without breaking eye contact with Seung.

    "She moves, she dies," Seung said, twisted the man''s head and threw his dagger. It sailed and nailed the woman''s skirt to the ground.

    The woman gasped and fell.

    "No!" the scarred man struggled in his grasp. "You will regret this; you don''t know who she is."

    "Stop!" The woman''s soft voice rang out. "Stop it, please."

    Seungs blood froze as her voice penetrated the raging fog in his mind, his arm going slack. He lifted his gaze and met the incredible eyes of one woman he could never have dreamt of meeting in his wildest dreams on the banks of Han River in Hanyang on this terrible moonless night, her skirt pinned to the ground by his dagger while she looked back at him with the same self-assured intensity that never failed to sear his soul.

 Twenty Eight: The Gift

    His ears roared, and Seung felt as if he were plummeting into an abyss from which he would never escape. Yet it felt like it was someone else, someone who didn''t belong to this surreal scene. Or maybe it was the haunting figure from his nightmares, the one who looked disturbingly like him.

    There were times when nothing made sense. All facts could be presented to you, yet nothing registered. The brain didn''t process; the heart refused to acknowledge.

    Kim Minjae''s attempt to pry a knife out of the ground to free her skirt and herself didn''t make sense. The woman meeting with a stranger suspected of being a spy in that dark, unoccupied house, turning out to be Kim Minjae, didn''t make sense. Her letting that stranger touch her didn''t make sense. Men chasing her through the forbidding alleys of Hanyang in the wee hours of a moonless night didn''t make sense. The scarred murderer struggling in his almost slack grip didn''t make sense. Kim Minjae defending him didn''t make sense.

    Yet, the vase mysteriously appearing in his office back at his house in Ganghwa made more sense than he cared to admit.

    Fury surged through his temples, threatening to burst a vein. His breath came in harsh puffs. But then, a sudden calm enveloped him, numbing his senses like the cold had numbed his skin. There was no emotion; instead, a chilling survival instinct took control. Only a keening, unheard sound remained, which welled up from deep within pits of desolation borne out of betrayal.

    "Don''t try to use that knife, Kim Minjae," Seung said, feeling disembodied. He focused on breathing, a task that had suddenly become painfully arduous.

    Minjae''s hands stilled.

    Snaking his sinewy arms around the man''s throat again, Seung whipped out another knife from his boots. "Do not try anything funny if you value his life. Or yours."

    She raised her eyes, and whatever she saw in his gaze terrified them. It should have brought him pleasure, but her fear twisted his gut.

    He clamped his jaw so tight that his temples throbbed.

    "Please don''t hurt him, Dari; he was only trying to help me escape those men."

    "You knew him all along, didn''t you? You knew who it was when I told you. Was it all a plan from the beginning? The day I caught you in the woods? Everything you showed me was just a ruse to cover your activities," Seung gave a self-flagellating laugh. "I can''t believe I fell for the oldest trick in the world."

    She flinched as if he had slapped her.

    "Take me then. Please let him go," Minjae''s face shuttered.

    "You have no idea what I plan to do to you, Kim Minjae," Seung''s voice was laced with acid, his gut roiling in a putrid mess of retribution. "Before I finish with you, you would wish those men had taken you."

    Minjae turned white as a sheet. "You don''t mean that, Dari."

    "Don''t I? Try me," he sneered.

    The man in his grasp struggled. "Please, Commander Lee, please, I beg you, take her to safety. She is -" he coughed as Seung''s arm tightened.

    Seung was getting tired of this little drama.

    "Shut up! I want you to answer only what I ask. Why. Did. You. Kill. My. Father," Seung punctuated each word. He dug the knife, and a trickle of blood appeared.

    "Don''t hurt him! Please," Minjae cried, her eyes desperate with worry.

    She knew. She had always known about this man and kept it from him.

    "I will do anything you want, please....Dari," she begged.

    Anything you want..

    Unholy thoughts assailed his mind, and he was stunned at his own depraved thoughts.

    "On whose orders?" Seung''s voice clawed itself out from a column so icy that even he had difficulty associating himself with it.

    "My Father. He worked for him," Minjae''s voice quivered.

    Seung would have laughed if he had not been so incensed.

    "Your Father is a physician who has devoted his life to helping others. Don''t dare take his name through your dirty mouth," the temperature of Seung''s voice dropped even further.

    Surprisingly, Seung felt the man relax in his hold. "My Lady is telling the truth. There are letters -"

    "My name is not Kim Minjae," she interrupted the man, drowning his voice. "I am a runaway slave."

    The wind left Seung''s lungs.

    The man in his arms became stiff. "My Lady¡ª"

    "It''s all right, Kang Do. I know what I am doing," Minjae addressed the man he held captive.

    After all these years, Seung finally learned the name: Kang Do.

    "Kim Seo Jun is not my father. He rescued me from a temple. I was a slave," Minjae''s words were rushed. "My Father used to be a Minister of Court, and your Father caught him for corruption, so he ordered the murder. My father was caught and executed, and I-I was sent as a government slave, but this old man rescued me. Th-those men chased me because they recognised me and wanted to recapture me," she stuttered, fidgeting her fingers, her eyes downcast.

    So Kim Minjae was a slave and a rescue herself? What she said made sense, but it didn''t ring true.

    Even if what she said was genuine, why would she be in Hanyang, meeting a man under such dangerous circumstances at the risk of her life?

    I love my husband. The bitter words tore at him. Was Choi Se-min her husband? There were no reports of the man ever travelling outside of Hanyang. Minjae lived a busy life in Ganghwa. Even if Seung considered her stay in Hanyang for training five years ago, Se-min would have been too young for a clandestine marriage, especially to a slave, as Minjae claimed.

    Moreover, he could not ignore that Minjae had full access to every corner of his house if she wanted. Sneaking in that vase would be almost effortless for her.

    Also, Minjae never fidgeted. Or stuttered.

    "I thought you had a husband," Seung said coldly. "Why would your father''s execution make you a slave?"

    Kim Minjae looked like a dear caught in the light of blazing flares.

    "You want me to believe that cock and bull story so that I let go of this murderer. Am I right, Kim Minjae?"

    "I am telling you the truth. My birth father killed your Father," she said, her eyes unflinching.

    "Who is your father, and what is your name?" Seung asked.

    She gave him a blank look and flicked a glance at the scarred man. Seung''s eyes narrowed as she faltered.

    "Her name is Soo Hyun, My Lord," the man said in a coarse voice.

    "Really?" He was tempted to squeeze the life out of the neck, deadlocked in his arm.

    "My name does not matter anymore, Dari," Minjae interrupted. "You know rescues never speak about their past. Please let him go. The man who ordered him to kill your Father died long ago."

    "I do not believe a word you say," Seung said, his eyes coldly flicking over Minjae''s still form. She didn''t make any effort to free herself anymore. Her eyes glazed over with hurt and sadness.

    Seung''s heart stumbled, and he tamped down the sudden restlessness at her look. "Even if you are a runaway slave, you have colluded with a murderer. I am arresting both of you on charges of conspiracy -"

    Seung didn''t have a chance to finish his sentence. One of the men who had been chasing Minjae burst upon them. He saw Minjae pinned to the ground and raced towards her, a dagger glinting in his hand, his intentions clear.

    "Stop right there!" Seung ordered. "I am an officer of His Majesty''s court."

    The man looked at Seung wrestling with the man in his grasp and paused, then threw the knife at Seung.

    Seung let go of Kang Do and bent back as the knife sailed from between him and Kang Do.

    The man whipped out another knife and ran at Minjae. Seung caught Minjae''s movement as she fell back, yanking at her skirt. She could have saved herself, but rendered immobile by a piece of fabric, she didn''t stand a chance.

    Just like that, Seung''s grip on his new reality fell away. Terror plummeted his heart at the sight of the man lunging for Minjae, the glow of his blade cutting a ghostly arc.

    Seung didn''t think. He simply reacted. He intercepted the muscular man right before he could reach Minjae. He tackled the goon from behind, and they went flying to the ground and then rolled off before springing up, circling each other like predators. From his periphery, Seung saw Kang Do crawl to Minjae and wrestle with the knife, which had dug deep into the soft ground of the river bank with the force of his fury.

    Everything after that happened in a blur.

    A guttural cry wrenched from his throat as Seung threw his shoulder into the assailant''s chest. It was like hitting a slab of muscle. The assailant barely stumbled an inch before swinging at Seung. Their daggers clashed with a metallic screech, the force of their blows sending sparks flying. Seung''s quick, precise strikes were met with equal skill by the goon, who deflected each attack with calculated ease.

    Seung saw a whirl of skirts and realised Minjae was free. Relief poured through him. "Get away from here," Seung barked as he held off the attacking man.

    "Leave, My Lady!" Kang Do urged.

    Seung managed to tackle the assailant to the ground and hold him down.

    "Kang Do, you traitor!" The man growled.

    Right at that moment, the other assailant came sailing in. Seung watched in horror as the taller goon threw a knife - aimed at Minjae. With a cry, Kang Do stepped in the middle, the blade lodging in his upper arm, who stumbled with a cry.

    With a hoarse cry, Minjae rushed to Kang Do.

    Kang Do pushed Minjae away and met the younger goon head-on, the knife still sticking out of his arm.

    Seung''s momentary distraction cost him. The goon under him twisted, throwing Seung off with brute strength.

    Both sprang to their feet.

    Seung had to get Minjae away from these men. He spun and twisted to evade the muscular goon''s lethal strikes.

    A misstep by Seung gave the man an opening. With a swift, vicious strike, the goon''s dagger grazed Seung''s arm, drawing a thin line of blood. Seung winced but quickly recovered, the pain sharpening his focus. He retaliated with a flurry of rapid thrusts, driving the goon back.

    The goon, desperate and with a wild look in his eyes, launched into a frenzied assault, his dagger slicing through the air in a blur. Seung parried and dodged with remarkable speed. The goon overextended with a wild swing; Seung sidestepped and, with a lightning-quick motion, drove his dagger into the goon''s shoulder.

    The goon dropped his dagger, clutching his wounded shoulder with a cry of pain.

    The taller man meanwhile deadlocked with Kang Do and delivered a blow that brought the tall man to his knees.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Seung sprang and grabbed Minjae''s hand, pulling her after him. She resisted, pulling her hand out of his grasp.

    "I will not leave Kang Do behind," she said as she went to the older man, doubled in pain.

    The idiot woman just refused to care about herself.

    With a curse, Seung turned his attention to the lanky man. They locked blades, their faces mere inches apart, teeth bared, muscles strained as they pushed against each other, the daggers trembling with the effort. Though much leaner than his stockier companion, the man was surprisingly strong.

    Seung broke the deadlock with a sudden burst of strength, twisting his body to deliver a swift kick to the man''s side. The goon staggered, momentarily off balance. Seung twisted and delivered a kick to his chest, taking the man off his feet and throwing him four feet away. The man landed with a thud, his head hitting a rock. He lay motionless.

    However, Seung didn''t realise the other goon had recovered from his blow and was primed to attack Seung. He turned to find the man with his hand positioned to piston the knife at his heart.

    He heard a hoarse cry and saw a swirl of skirt that slammed him with full force. The impact threw him sideways, and he fell to the rocky surface. The knife swished past Minjae, grazing her arm and taking a chuck of fabric.

    She stumbled forward with the force of her motion to the edge of the cliff. Her momentum was too great to break her fall, and she lost her balance and disappeared.

    A deafening splash shattered the eerie silence, echoing through the still air and sending shockwaves down Seung''s spine.

    "My Lady! May Lady! She can''t swim, she can''t swim!" It was Kang Do''s voice.

    For a moment, Seung''s mind blanked out. Then he leapt.

    ¡Þ

    Earlier That Evening

    The meeting with Se-min had stirred up a storm of emotions within Minjae. Her brother had always been larger than her, but now he towered over her. Yet his classically cut, beautiful face had crumbled with emotions the moment his gaze fell on his sister. His broad shoulders sagged under the weight of his sins that had caused his sister to suffer, and it was evident he had never forgiven himself.

    Fragile and broken from years of mental anguish, he had cried like a child. Minjae had soothed his back until he calmed down. She brought the food for him, and the siblings shared a meal in a dark, unoccupied house whose stone walls had provided more warmth than their parent''s entire existence had done.

    Se-min produced a small roll of paper and handed it to Minjae. It was a raw sketch of their grandmother.

    Minjae blinked away the burning behind her eyes obstinately.

    Se-min loved to draw, and his dream once had been to become a painter. When Choi Si-wan learned about his son''s inclination, he bought him boxes upon boxes of drawing paper and colours and then had the child watch them burn to cinders. Se-min never asked for drawing paper again.

    "Does Commander Lee treat you well, Noonim?" That had been his first question.

    Her heart turned over. Minjae hated deceiving him, but it was important for his safety, and everyone else''s that Se-min didn''t try to ever meet the imposter and allow Choi Si-wan to have any reason to hurt him, of which Minjae had no doubts. Choi Si-wan would eliminate his son if he so much as doubted his son could be a threat.

    "Commander Lee has had his reasons to dislike me, but he is the kindest, most beautiful man I have ever met," Minjae said truthfully. "He takes care of everything I need. We do not have a relationship that married people often hope for, but he treats me well."

    "You have no idea how thankful I am to hear it. After- after you were hurt and suddenly vanished, I had thought of the worst for a very long time. Even Omoni refused to tell me clearly what happened," Se-min''s voice trembled, and Minjae''s heart hurt for the terror her brother must have lived through. If only he knew how well-founded his fears were. Yet he could never find out. "Where have you been all these years? I am forbidden to meet you; the rest of the family is not."

    "Father had kept me in isolation as a punishment, Se-min, until I agreed to return to Commander Lee," Minjae lied. "I am still forbidden to step foot in the house, though I guess Omoni and our sisters can visit me if they want."

    She wondered if Se-min could hear the bitterness in her voice.

    "Have you told Commander Lee why you wanted to break the marriage? I do not know why Father let such horrible rumours about you reach his ears."

    Minjae had closed her eyes against the fume of hatred that arose from within. Why did Choi Si-wan have to debase her to her little brother? "You heard them too?"

    "I didn''t believe it for one moment, noonim. Brother-in-law Lee must know that none of that is true. Please tell him the truth if you have not. I do not know why Father didn''t."

    Minjae looked at her hands. "Perhaps Father wanted to protect you. The knowledge that you gambled would have destroyed your future," she ventured, which had received an unfilial snort in reply.

    "At the cost of yours? It does not make sense," Se-min shook his head.

    Minjae took a shuddering breath. "It does not matter anymore."

    Se-min had brought her mother''s books. She lovingly caressed the old, yellowed covers as Se-min filled her in on the rest of the family. One sister loved embroidering like her, and the youngest had already started walking. Do-min hero-worshipped his father like before, and the brothers seldom spoke. He also refused to do anything with Choi Jina.

    Se-min was still studying to pass the Civil service exams but had little success, and Choi Si-wan was getting increasingly upset about this.

    An unnatural sound had cut short their conversation. Putting a finger on her lips, Minjae investigated but saw nothing unusual. But she took it as an indication to curtail the visit. It was time to return to Ganghwa.

    "When can we meet again, Noonim?" Se-min asked when she walked out with him. He thought she was staying the night and that her slaves would fetch her in the morning.

    "We cannot meet again, Se-min," Minjae said firmly, although her heart broke into pieces.

    "What if I visit you in Ganghwa? Father will not know," he had pleaded.

    "That would be particularly unfortunate, Se-min. You should never even think of visiting me. Do you want Father to punish Commander Lee or me because of your foolishness?" Her voice had hardened.

    Se-min grasped her hand, bringing it to his forehead, his shoulders shaking in grief. "I am sorry, Noonim. It''s just that I have missed you so much."

    Minjae''s iron control over her emotions eroded.

    "I have missed you too, Choi Se-min. I can''t say when, but I will meet you again. But until then, you must be patient. And please remember, Commander Lee should never know I met you. Nobody can. Ever," she emphasised.

    As she crawled out of the small, hidden opening behind a bush by the fence and then pushed the stones and rocks back to plug the tiny hole, she wondered if Se-min would ever be able to bear the weight of their father''s duplicity and extent of cruelty.

    Minjae was so lost in her thoughts that she didn''t notice the two men following her until they were right behind her. At first, she thought they were regular muggers, but then she saw her recognition reflected in her father''s most hated henchman, the leader of the ''butchers''. His eyes went round, and something akin to fear glazed them as if he had seen a ghost. The younger pulled her jangot, and the ''butcher'' realised she was a living, breathing woman. "Ken''t be! I cover you grave myself !" His voice came out hoarse.

    She saw the flash of his blade and the intent in his beady eyes just in time. Terror gripped her heart, but she kept her calm. He ordered the younger man to "finish her," but she was ready with her needle, incapacitating him. However, she stood little chance against the brute force of her father''s most feared enforcer, but she would be damned if she gave in without a fight. The butcher swung, she blocked it with her knapsack, swinging the bag with all her might, catching him in the face, its metal hook tearing the soft flesh on his cheekbone. She sprang and kicked him in the midriff, and fled.

    Kang Do appeared as if by magic and took out the hated man, giving them a chance to escape and leading her toward the river. The danger wasn''t over, but if she could get to the boat...

    Instead, their escape led straight to Lee Seung, and her world turned upside down.

    Minjae ached at his hurt, bewilderment, and what he saw as betrayal. She understood his fury, bitterness, and coldness. While he had uttered words that raked her soul, she just sat, wanting to wrap her arms around him and erase the emptiness in his eyes, not knowing how to. Yet the moment he had sensed danger, all he had thought of was saving her. When she saw the man aiming a dagger at Seung, her world narrowed to that moment of truth¡ªwithout him, her existence would be meaningless.

    As the frigid waters of the Han River closed over her, the shock of the cold winding every breath in her body, pulling her down and inviting her to surrender to its depths where pain could no longer touch her, Seung''s face emerged in her subconscious. It disintegrated before she could grasp onto it, her lungs burning as she went under.

    Minjae kicked.

    She kicked and thrashed with everything she had.

    ¡Þ

    It seemed an eternity before his body hit the freezing river. His soldier training kicked in as he took a deep breath to brace against the cold and let the water close over his head.

    Seung resurfaced, regulating his breathing and saw her flailing at some distance. Time was of the essence. Despite the initial sharp pain and intense cold, his body acclimatised itself as he focused on getting to Minjae. Using efficient strokes, Seung swiftly moved through the water, thanking every spirit in the world that there was no ice formation yet.

    He reached her just as she started sinking. Seung grabbed and pulled her up, her slight body floating against his as he fought the river current to the river bank. Despite the shore not being too far and her not having been in the water too long, he could feel her getting heavier. He had to get her out of the cold, which had already numbed her into unconsciousness and would soon reduce her blood flow to a crawl. It would be a matter of time before her organs shut down.

    Terror clawed at his insides, raking him raw with fear.

    He had fought colder waters in dire circumstances. His body was hard-wired and trained for rescuing much heavier loads than Minjae''s, but he had never felt so panicked.

    His heart started pumping harder, the adrenaline jacking his body to go faster. His muscles cramped and burned at the same time. "Minjae, please stay with me, sweetheart," he pleaded, his voice raw with emotion. Something warm dripped on his cheek, cutting through the icy numbness of the water. He had never been so glad to lay his hand on solid earth as he was while lifting Minjae and placing her on the ground. She lay motionless, spreading a rush of black panic through his veins. He positioned his hands on her chest and gave it a few quick pumps. He pinched her nose closed and covered her mouth with his, making a tight seal, and breathed into her mouth. He repeated until her chest rose, and she coughed, spilling out water, and then curled to her side.

    And opened her eyes. They were unfocussed. She placed a cold, trembling hand on his cheek and said, "You came...you came. Father can''t hurt me anymore...I love you, Dari, always....." before she closed her eyes, a shudder wracking her.

    Seung didn''t know what she meant. He didn''t care anymore.

    With a hoarse cry, he placed his arms under her back and hoisted her up effortlessly over his shoulder. She was semi-conscious and hung like a limp sack, but her shallow breath remained steady.

    Seung half ran and half jogged until he came to a small but serviceable inn. He banged at the door furiously until a short, middle-aged man opened the door sleepily.

    "We don''t have room -"

    Seung cut him off by shoving past him.

    "I am a Royal Army Commander, and she is my wife. We were in a water accident," his clear, authoritative voice rang out. "Get me to your warmest space, and fetch me some hot water. I will pay you double and pay for everything extra."

    The innkeeper didn''t argue as he led the way. The room he opened for them was small and had a narrow but cosy bed.

    "Fetch me all the quilts you can spare," he ordered.

    The innkeeper disappeared.

    Seung didn''t waste time. Minjae''s face was ashen and was starting to take a tinge of blue.

    Seung first stripped his hanbok, leaving his pants on for the moment. He had already lost his hat, so that was one less thing to worry about. He then began the difficult task of prying the clothes off Minjae''s body. The wet knots were jammed, making it impossible for him to untie them. His hands shook, but he managed to peel the soggy and torn jeogori. It was weighed down by a few items - a few books dripping wet and a scroll. Seung tossed them aside. He quickly checked for the knife wound and sent a quick prayer upwards at her blemish-free upper arm. The skirt and the underskirt followed soon after, making the sodden heap of clothes bigger. She was now down to her bloomer underpants and chest cloth, both soggy and sticking to her. Minjae was faintly conscious but too exhausted and probably too numb to be cognizant. She shuddered and then shuddered again.

    Seung turned her on her stomach.

    Shock roiled his stomach. Her back was a crisscross maze of scars, something that was a common sight on soldiers and prisoners but never on a woman as delicate as Minjae.

    I have scars.

    Her hesitant words came to him as a whiplash. He felt nauseous with rage and tenderness.

    He gently pried open the knot and turned her, laying her on her back. Thankfully, the floor was warm. Once the fabric came loose, he unwound it until the end ribbon of her bind lay on her chest, barely covering anything but still leaving her with a modicum of modesty. He laid her on the bed and covered her with the quilt.

    He pulled the soggy fabric out, gently eased off her underpants from beneath the quilt, and added them to the pile.

    A knock on the door alerted him to the innkeeper, who had brought hot water. The man gave Seung fresh towels, extra quilts, a tray of hot gruel, and a clean set of pyjamas, apologetic that he didn''t find anything large enough to fit Seung. He also had a woman''s dress set in his hands.

    "This belonged to my wife. She was about My Lady''s size," he said.

    A young boy, about eight years old, peaked from behind his father, who was holding a pot and two bowls on a tray.

    "You should drink this so you can help her," the child advised sagely.

    Seung took it gratefully. He handed them the wet clothes, and the man carried them away to dry.

    Seung instructed the innkeeper not to disturb them unless he called for them. He paid the man three times the room rent, making his eyes glisten with gratitude.

    He wrapped the hot towel around Minjae''s feet, letting the warmth seep into the coldest part of her body. He wrapped the dry towels around her head.

    Stripping off his wet pants, he vigorously dried himself and dragged the short but serviceable pyjamas, which fit his hips but came only up to his calves. He piled the extra quilts on top of the one covering Minjae.

    Seung tried to feed Minjae a few spoons of the hot gruel. She protested feebly. "You must Minjae, you can''t sleep off. Drink this." he ordered. She was too feeble to protest further and some heat went past her throat. Seung finished the rest, his cold body welcoming the hot liquid with great pleasure.

    Minjae had started to shiver, slight moans escaping her. "C-c-ol,,,d" her voice came from very far away.

    Seung quickly dove under the covers and pulled her naked, frozen body against him. "I know darling, I am here. I will keep you warm."

    Violent shudders wracked her as soon as she came in contact with his warm skin. Seung pulled the quilts closer, arranging them so they covered them entirely.

    "Don''t sleep!" It wasn''t a good sign that she was falling asleep. She was not out of danger.

    Seung wrapped his arms around her and draped one long leg over her, engulfing her in warmth, trying to cease her movements.

    That night, long ago, she hadn''t lied about not being able to swim. The child Kim Minjae had been rumoured to swim like a fish, and she could have grown up to be a woman who could dive to the bottom of the sea.

    This Kim Minjae could not swim.

    She had gifted him his life by almost snuffing hers out.

    It no longer mattered that she could be a spy, that she claimed to have a husband she loved, or that she had met another man just hours ago under suspicious circumstances.

    It didn''t matter that she knew the scarred man and protected him or that she had concocted a story about being a runaway slave.

    It didn''t matter that she claimed to be the daughter of his father''s killer. The truth or her lies, he couldn''t discern. All that mattered was that Kim Minjae was safe and alive in his arms. And he knew it was him she spoke to when she came around at the shore.

    "I love you..."

    "I love you too, Kim Minjae, so much that I could die today if something happened to you. So you have to live. Come back to me," he said to her cold and shuddering form, holding her tightly to his chest, afraid and hopeful.

    And then he prayed. Prayed as he had never prayed before.

 Twenty Nine: Mine!

    Warmth had begun to seep into Minjae''s skin.

    "You can''t sleep, Physician Kim, not yet," he whispered.

    She didn''t reply, only swayed her head from side to side. She was bone-weary, exhausted, and too weak to respond.

    The towel on her head loosened. Seung dragged his upper torso out, unwrapped the towel, and freed her hair from the plaids that secured it. The wet, silky strands spread like a fan above the bed. Minjae protested as the temperature around her changed during the movement.

    "I am right here," his mouth curved up, and he felt a shaft of pleasure at being needed by her. He pushed himself back in, again drawing her close.

    "I didn''t know you have such beautiful hair," he said softly, knowing she could hear him. "Are you still feeling cold?"

    Minjae signalled ''no'' with her head.

    It had started to feel like a furnace inside the covers, but now he wasn''t the only one sweating. Beads of perspiration appeared on her lips and gleamed on her forehead.

    Minjae tossed her head, trying to throw off the cover. "No, you don''t," he snuggled her semi-awake form and clamped her thighs with a heavy leg until she calmed down.

    He dragged her even closer. The soft mounds of her breast squished against his hard chest.

    An arm went around his midriff.

    He sighed, dropping a kiss on the top of her damp head. His heart melted into something painfully vulnerable at the feeling of her chest moving with a reassuring rhythm against him.

    Reality had hit him in the harsh, icy water of the Han River. His mind would never wipe off the image of Minjae sinking lifelessly into the water.

    His father was gone, and no amount of revenge would get him back. Minjae was alive and with him.

    Only you can keep her safe. Kim Da-Bom''s words mocked him bitterly.

    He had been so blinded by fury that not only did he not keep her safe, but he willfully put her in danger. Despite knowing the men who chased her meant harm, despite Kang Do pleading to let her escape to safety, he had made her a captive and then promised retribution while she watched helplessly.

    Nausea roiled as he recalled her bravely facing his murderous gaze, pinned to the ground by his dagger, knowing that the assassins were after her, and yet not once had she asked him to let her go.

    All the while pleading for another man''s life.

    The realisation that the men had meant to kill her twisted his inside into a knot.

    She didn''t deserve it, even if she was guilty of everything he thought she was. Seung did that with the woman he loved. What kind of man did it make him?

    The truth was, he had poured all the hatred he had bottled up, made her a target of his bile, and punished her in pettiness for all her perceived transgressions against him.

    Shame and remorse engulfed him.

    "I am sorry, Minjae, I am so sorry," he whispered to her.

    The arm around his waist tightened in response.

    Deep inside him, he knew no one as selfless as Minjae would ever engage in anything that would harm anyone.

    Nevertheless, the possibility that she might not be Kim Minjae was starting to creep into his subconscious.

    Kang Do kept calling her ''My Lady''.

    Perhaps her story held water. She could be a noblewoman turned runaway slave. Even her Hanyang presence could have a valid reason, like rescuing another woman.

    However, Seung always believed his gut instinct, which told him she was also not a woman named Soo Hyun either; he could bet his life on it.

    Espionage was his speciality; even a layman could see the tapestry of this story was tattered.

    His father''s killers had never been caught. Assassins didn''t target slaves. Moreover, a minister who was executed for such a crime and his family destroyed would be an open knowledge. Getting the details would take him less time than boiling a kettle.

    Then, it was also a matter of inconsistency. Even though her life story was a patchwork, there were nuggets of hard truth in what she shared with him over the past many months, and the puzzle didn''t fit.

    She would have merely been a child when all of this happened, so her feeling guilty about her past actions was a glaring note. One thing he was sure of was that she was married, and the possibility was that her husband rejected her when her family went down, though it still didn''t explain her slave status.

    Was her husband the one who had put those marks on her? She had been hit by spiked lashes, the kind that could kill grown, muscular men. He vowed he would destroy the bastard who had dared to touch her, no matter who it was.

    Seung would be a hypocrite if he pretended he was not burning with the need to know everything about her. The sleuth in him would not rest until he figured out what made Minjae into who she was.

    But today was not the time.

    Minjae stirred again. She was so small, so soft. So vulnerable.

    He had never felt this overwhelmingly protective about a woman before.

    She snuggled closer, and his hands came to rest on the rounded curve of her hips. Seung had also never ached for a woman so brokenly. Seung closed his eyes, refusing to let his mind drift there. He brought his hand up and gently stroked her temple with his thumb.

    And realised she was fully awake.

    Her eyes fluttered open. A few of her hair strands fell across her face as she moved to look up at him, staring into his eyes, awareness flooding them like stars on a clear night.

    "Do you know how badly you scared me, Kim Minjae?" he whispered to her.

    She looked back at him unblinkingly. "Are you not angry, Dari?"

    "Should I be?" He hummed, continuing to ease his thumb from the corner of her eyebrow bone to the hairline above her ear.

    "You have a right to be," she stated simply. "Yet you saved my life."

    He felt her nipples harden against his chest, and her breath came in short puffs that blew on his already scorching skin. However, she didn''t make any effort to move away.

    "And you saved mine," he murmured, his heart flapping like a songbird as he drank her in.

    "So we are even," she addressed the bobbing ball in his throat.

    He shook his head. "I put you in danger, so we are nowhere close to being even."

    "With you there, I was never in danger," she smiled.

    She had no idea how wrong she was, but he didn''t push it. He was simply too grateful to have her safely in his embrace to ruin the moment.

    "How do you feel?" He asked gently.

    "I am sweating and uncomfortable," Minjae replied.

    Seung pushed back the damp hair from her forehead, using a finger to tuck a thick band behind one ear.

    "We need to be like this for a little more time; your temperature can still drop", he said softly. He moved a little away so he could look down at her face. "I hope the methods I employed passed your test, Physician Kim."

    She nodded, red blooming her throat and face. She nestled under the covers, almost wearing him like a fabric, as if hiding herself from his penetrating gaze. He could feel every pulse, every cleft, every inch of the silk of her skin. "Yes, you did well, Dari. Often people die because those saving them are too tied with decorum," she said matter-of-factly, but she sounded like she was swallowing a rock.

    "I don''t know if I would ever want you to save a man''s life in this fashion," Seung chuckled. "In fact, I completely forbid it."

    Seung knew he was pretending they had not parted on that bitter note two weeks ago and that none of the terrible things had happened throughout the night.

    "How did you take that other man out in the market?"

    Her eyes widened. "You saw that?" She swallowed.

    "I was planning to intervene when I saw the tall bastard fold like a pack of cards."

    Lashes fanned her cheeks deliciously. "I know nerve points of limbs that can numb muscles temporarily."

    "Needles?" Seung marvelled. He had heard of the art form but never met a master who employed it.

    "Yes. Aboji knows a bit of it, and Kim Da Bom knows one handy trick, but I experimented further."

    "Any other trick up your sleeves, Physician Kim?" His laughter gurgled.

    "How long - I mean, how much did you see before that?" Minjae asked. Seung easily saw the fissures underneath her unconcerned question.

    "Not too long," he evaded. "I didn''t recognise you."

    Minjae placed a hand over her heart and closed her eyes.

    A twinge of jealousy wretched up his gut.

    He eased away from her, reached for the kettle, and poured her tea.

    "This is probably cold now, but it will help." He brought the cup to her. Minjae sat up, pulling the quilt, securing it with her arms and tucking the edges under her armpits. Her hair cascaded over her bare skin like a curtain, exposing the golden rounds of her curvy shoulders and shapely, slender arms. There was a small, dark mole where her clavicle joined her right shoulder.

    Seung sucked in a raw breath and counted to ten. He was aware of her eyes taking in his naked upper torso and felt the back of his muscles flex in response.

    "This is still hot," she sipped it delicately, trying equally to make a mundane conversation, a flush running across her neck down to her slender arms betraying her bashfulness.

    He got back inside the quilt, the movement loosening it from her body, giving him a glimpse of her stunning breasts, peaked by erect, rosy shadows. Minjae''s flush escalated, spreading like wildfire over her ivory skin, and she quickly pulled up the quilt. He looked away. He grabbed a dry towel and draped it over her shoulders, pulling the ends close to her chest.

    "You are hurt!" She exclaimed.

    Seung looked down at the thin line that ran horizontally on his upper arm.

    "It''s just a scratch," he said, glad to have his attention drawn away to something other than his painfully erect muscle threatening to sear a hole in his pyjamas.

    "I have a balm in my knapsack," she looked around.

    "It was soaked and would have added extra weight to you, so I had to let it go in the water," Seung said sheepishly. "But your dress had a couple of books and a scroll. They were wet, so I kept them aside. I didn''t have time to dry them. I was too busy warming you," he flashed his dimple.

    Minjae was quiet, but a shadow of a smile hovered on the corners of her mouth. She finished, and Seung took the cup from her hands and placed it on the side. He pulled the quilt up, lay down, dragging her to him. She didn''t protest.

    "I am sorry I could not save your knapsack, but as you can see, I worked very hard to save you. So, Physician Kim, can I have the rest of this night with you as a reward?" He asked huskily.

    "Why?" A glint that suspiciously looked like laughter specked her eyes. "So you can do those awful things you promised that would make me wish -"

    Seung''s hand clamped her mouth. "Don''t," he warned, a flush creeping up the strong column of his throat. He closed his eyes. "I had...I had thoughts....you don''t want to know. They were not pretty. I was angry and -" he choked on the lump.

    "And felt I betrayed you," she finished gently. "You would never hurt me," her voice was so dulcet and earnest that Seung felt a painful pressure behind his eyes.

    "You say that after what I did to you and said?" It was more of an angry exclamation than a question.

    "You didn''t mean it. You don''t have it in you to be cruel, even if you want to," she said, sounding so confident that his disgust for his actions nauseated him.

    "You were afraid," he said, self-contempt flagellating him.

    "For Kang Do, yes," she said. Her toe wriggled against his calf, "But not for myself."

    His heart missed a beat.

    "I can''t tell you a lot, but.." she began.

    "Don''t," Seung said hoarsely. "Not right now."

    She swallowed. Her eyes glistened. "I am the daughter of your father''s killer," she completed her sentence stubbornly, the guilt in her voice clear that she whole-heartedly believed it.

    Seung pulled her head under his chin, her tremoring voice touching a raw nerve. "It''s not your fault. I also understand your desire to shield Kang Do. That''s his real name, isn''t it?"

    He felt Minjae nod her head.

    "If it wasn''t for him, I would not be alive today," her gaze lingered on Seung for a moment. "Do you think he might have made it out alive?" The catch in her voice pricked him.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    He ran his fingers through her semi-dry hair, the strands sifting through his fingers like silk threads.

    "I don''t know," he replied truthfully. "But I hope so."

    With a start, Seung realised he meant it.

    He felt her relax like someone had unspooled her tightly wound body.

    "Can you forgive Kang Do?" Minjae asked, a hopeful lilt underlining her mellifluous voice.

    "I saw him take a knife for you. That man would protect you with his life. And I can''t ignore the fact that he also saved my life when I walked in unknowingly to witness my father''s murder." Seung played with a strand of hair absentmindedly. Kang Do was the most interesting slave he had ever met.

    "But I have chased him in my nightmares for too long, Minjae. However, I needed some answers, and I got a few. They were not what I was looking for, but none of it would bring my father back. I almost lost you today and put you in danger trying to chase the shadows of my past that I can''t change," Seung''s voice was rough with self-recriminations. His hand cupped her face. "When I saw you sink in that water," Seung clenched his eyes, the muscle moving the small bone at the end of his jaw under his ear visibly, "it felt like my life would end if you were not in this world."

    She placed a tentative hand on his cheek, her thumb brushing the tear trickling down the corner of his eye. "Please don''t love me so much. I cannot love you back -"

    "Shh. Do you remember what you told me when I pulled you out of the water?" He asked.

    Colour flooded her cheeks. "I didn''t think I would make it out alive. My body was shutting down."

    "They say you always tell the truth when you are either drunk or have a close shave with death," Seung smiled.

    "You also hallucinate and speak drivel," she sounded rattled, her emotions in disarray. She tried to move away.

    Seung bit back a smile. "Shhh....I don''t need you to love me. I have enough for both of us. Just stay with me," he said, tightening his grip on her waist and burrowing her head in his neck.

    A finger tentatively followed the muscled line of his chest, the tip leaving trails of heat in its wake. The tremors travelled south, and he shifted painfully. It was almost as if she knew his sensitive points.

    His mouth twitched, and he realised she probably knew which points to touch. The towel draping her was coarse against his hand, a sensual contrast of feeling against his other hand that lay on the buttery soft skin of her waist, heightening his senses.

    "What would you have done if my father were alive?" She asked.

    Midnight had settled in her eyes, and he fell captive to it.

    "If that were the case, I would be aggrieved and want to go after him," he replied truthfully. His observant eyes noticed the colour leaving her face.

    "But then, if he were alive, you would not have been left to your devices, and I might have never found you. So it worked out admirably."

    "Are you - are you not curious at all?" Minjae asked, a confusing look filming in her eyes.

    His face shadowed. "I am," Seung replied. "I won''t lie to you. I am going to dig until I reach the truth, Minjae. But I don''t want to ask you anything you don''t want to tell."

    "You accused me of being a spy," Minjae alleged. "What if -"

    "Then I would like to know why you would get involved in something so dangerous. Besides," he paused and looked at her warmly, "You are an incredible woman. You would never do anything for personal greed."

    "I have people who want to hurt me," she pointed out reasonably.

    "Yes, but it''s not because you are a spy. You were not expecting them, were you?"

    She shook her head.

    "I have my reasons to believe you, but also, I know you are not telling the complete truth." Seung didn''t make it sound like an accusation.

    Her chin shadowed the hollow at the base of her throat. "You don''t know that."

    He grasped her chin to lift her face.

    "I do not want you to lie to me. You will get caught," he said, holding her gaze. He pushed the towel off her shoulders. Minjae''s eyes widened in surprise. Seung ran the tip of his finger around the mole, making a rim around it. His hooded eyes took in her brightened eyes, his gaze following her lips, which parted to inhale the sharp breath.

    "Soo Hyun..." he softly called. A faint smile played on his lips when she didn''t respond, too preoccupied dealing with the sensations his touch aroused.

    "Minjae -" she automatically lifted her eyes to him and saw his smile. Belatedly, she realised she had been outmanoeuvred.

    Her throat moved visibly.

    "Soo Hyun is not your name either," he said without judgement.

    "I don''t want to talk about my past, Dari, but I never tricked you," Minjae said, the thorn of hurt threading her voice.

    "I am an ass. On second thoughts, I do not know if being tricked into loving you sounds all that bad," he chuckled. "It''s better than you pretending I was invisible."

    Flustered, Minjae looked away.

    A thin film of perspiration glazed her neck, and it distracted him.

    He moved his hand, slid it over her arm, and his finger traced one scar on her back. Her eyes widened in shock. She visibly shrank.

    "Don''t be ashamed of them. Did I not tell you they are a badge of honour, of courage?" he said tenderly. "I will not ask about your past or why you came to Hanyang. But I need you to answer me truthfully. Who did this to you?"

    Her eyes flew open, a large, vulnerable pool of pain and indecision.

    "Tell me," he commanded his voice a deep thrum, coaxing her.

    "My Father," she whispered.

    It was like a fist socking him. If someone had thrown a spear and shattered his ribs, it would have been less painful. An intense need to crush the hand that had held that leash blinded him.

    "I had displeased him," she said, training her eyes on his jaw. He watched her eyes follow the swallow of his throat.

    "Then I guess he should be thankful he is dead," Seung said dangerously. Anguish filled him as he imagined the young Minjae injured by the very man who should have been her protector.

    Seung leveraged himself up and cradled his head in his hand, his elbow resting on the soft mattress. His arrowlike gaze delved deep into her.

    "You are even braver than I imagined," Seung breathed.

    Her gaze was an endless pool of wonder that locked with his, so close that he could see the fleck of light dancing with an emotion that turned her eyes into honey.

    His pulse ratcheted up furiously. Seung held his breath, afraid to break the magic. His entire being was filled with feelings that overwhelmed his senses, making them feel raw and scabless.

    A whimper escaped her lips as his fingers continued tracing the scars on her back, her skin sensitive to his touch. The quilt slipped to their waist. Her hair scattered as she shivered, the sensations having nothing to do with the cold. Her fingers curled on his chest, her lower part fused with him while her upper torso arched. The weight of her breasts shifted, bringing the column between them tantalisingly close to his mouth.

    Seung felt fire spread through his veins and the beads of perspiration steam off his skin.

    When he suddenly stopped the movement of his fingers, he could hear her silent protest.

    She had just recovered from an accident. "Minjae, the innkeeper, gave you a dress that will fit you," he said feebly, trying to stop an axed tree crashing through the forest.

    Minjae placed a finger on his lips. Then, she traced the rubbery softness with her thumb.

    He strained painfully against her belly. He grasped her wrist. "You are not -"

    She continued the torment with her fingers. "I am the physician."

    "Does not mean you know everything about your body," he said roughly.

    "Then I hope you will teach me, Commander Lee," she said, raising her eyes to meet his.

    A minuscule slime of insecurity reared its head in Seung''s heart.

    "Are you planning to ''get this out of the way'' Physician Kim?" Seung regretted his words the moment they came out, but he didn''t take them back.

    "What if I said yes?" She asked, a challenge in her eyes. "You said you would make it interesting."

    His ribs cracked with the pressure behind them. Subtlety was never Minjae''s strongest suit. And he loved it.

    She pushed herself up and leaned in, closing her mouth on him.

    Seung responded like a traveller parched. Her mouth opened to him like a flower offering nectar to a bee. His heart quickened, rolling out thumps until they thundered. She was a chasm of honey he was sinking into and could not get enough of. She arched, and her tongue snaked out. Seung flattened his hand on her back, drawing her closer as he shuddered with need. His hand slid down to her breast, lifting the soft, silken weight, moulding it in his rough palms that wrenched a sob out of her.

    He lifted his face.

    She opened her mouth to say something and then shook her head, visibly changing her mind.

    Seung paused. He needed to be absolutely sure she wanted this. They were in an untenable situation where lust extinguished all other rational thoughts. His arm circled her, and his fingers tried another set of scars on her back.

    "Tell me you want to be with me here, now," Seung said, the friction of the thin fabric of his pyjama only adding to the excruciating pressure of release, and raw desire dripped from his tone.

    She turned and went flat on her back, forcing him to withdraw his hand from her scars and place it on her flawless waist. He spanned it but didn''t move his hand. The points of her breast became hard like pebbles, standing out, inviting. Her eyelids drooped with the intensity of her feelings, her lips swollen from his onslaught.

    "Yes, yes, I want to be here with you, Dari" she gasped, her gaze fast becoming unfocused.

    He bent, his breath feathering one rose pebble, and she shivered in anticipation. "Who do you think of when I am doing this?"

    "You, Dari," her voice was the melting vapour on a glass.

    He took it in his mouth, and she bucked. "And now?"

    She threaded her hand through his hair, grabbing at his scalp, an incoherent moan escaping her.

    "Answer me," he ordered as his teeth came together to apply a slight pressure.

    "You...ah!" She twisted her head in pleasure, her eyes clenched shut in ecstasy, her lips barely forming the words. He rewarded her by paying loving attention to its twin before leaving trails of his possessive assault on the underside of her breasts. She tasted salt and dew, and her skin was so hot, it was melting him softly. He was unravelling, and only an ironclad control borne out of sheer will held him in check."Say you want me, Minjae; I want to hear you say it."

    Her face dissolved into defenceless lines of passion. "I want you, only you. I am yours, Dari," she whispered, looking so exquisite, so ethereally ravishing, that Seung had to force himself to hold back.

    "Yes, yes you are mine! And don''t you forget it!" Seung cried hoarsely. In reply, Minjae quietly tugged at the waist of his pyjamas.

    With shaking hands, he untied the knot and peeled it away, revelling in the feel of her skin.

    His mouth found her throat, not leaving an inch without tasting her deeply, his hands gliding in and out of her wild mass of damp hair. She writhed while his mouth tugged at the translucent peaks cresting her breasts, his tongue and teeth taking turns creating havoc, while his fingers slid down to her stomach and made a blaze around the rim of her navel that he knew would elicit a wild response. He was rewarded by a shudder that had her arch against his hand, the jet of pleasure shooting straight into his belly and down, threatening to burst his already overstretched arousal.

    His fingers travelled down to her thighs, smoothing, grasping, and caressing until his fingers breached her wet, swollen core. She was so ready, so delightfully aroused, that he almost came off at the feel of her.

    Minjae''s eyes snapped open in shock, and she clasped her thighs together. "You - you can''t, you are not supposed to -" she stammered.

    He chucked devilishly and took in a deep breath. "I can, and I am." His tone gentled. "Open for me, darling," he coaxed. She could only moan in disbelief as his finger traced and rolled a small pearl she obviously had no idea existed in her own body. Using her heels, she pushed herself away. He pulled her down and held her as she whimpered and thrashed in protest. His fingers tested the slippery depth of her core, and his thumb teased the most sensitive point of her body.

    And just like that, a jolt shook her, tremors rolling down her body as a powerful orgasm rocked her. Seung had to hold her down while her unfocussed eyes clouded in confusion at the aftermath of pleasure that still sent ripples through her body. Her toes curled, and her fingers clenched the sheet under them.

    She went limp, but he restarted his next onslaught immediately. He swamped her with himself, not letting her take a reprieve. His mouth replaced his fingers. Minjae twisted away in a desperate bid to get away from sensations that seemed unbearable, but he was unrelenting. He watched with fascination as the crescendo of her need built once more, this time the thrill of anticipation increasing their pleasure manifold. Just when she was about to give in to the tumultuous sensation, he drew back.

    Her eyes fluttered open in protest.

    He touched her forehead with his. "I need you," he said hoarsely.

    Her eyes gleamed, and she grasped her shoulders and raised her hips towards him. He entered her in a desperate swoop.

    And tore past an obstruction.

    Seung went rigid with disbelief as her head jerked back, her eyes clenching shut, and a cry of pain wrenched from her.

    He knew his face was frozen in shock. Minjae bit her lip and avoided his gaze. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead as he used the last of his willpower to withdraw, but Minjae wrapped her legs around him, preventing him.

    "Please don''t leave me, Dari," she pleaded tremulously. Her cry emanated from an unfathomable depth as if she spoke of something far beyond their present moment.

    His resistance dissolved. "Never, Minjae, never," he vowed. His head hurt from the amount of control he exerted to not hurt her any further, but when she started moving with him, soothing his back as if he was the one who was hurting, he came undone, spiralling into a vortex of need outside his control. He picked up speed, and so did she. He felt her clench around and buck under him, shudder after shudder rolling through her. She dug small crescents into his back while she rode her tide, and he exploded with her, his release so powerful that his mind went blank, filled with a white light that made him feel he was floating.

    A primitive thrill coursed through him at the thought that he was her first and only one, even though it raised more questions than answers and added a crater-sized hole to her story. Every pore in his body was alive and kicking. He gathered her close and noticed her tears.

    Worried, he cupped her face, kissing the delicate crystalline beads on her long lashes. "I must have hurt you so much. Why did you not tell me?"

    Minjae shook her head, placing her hand over his. "I am not crying because it hurt; it''s because you have made me very happy."

    A deep rumble of delight originating from somewhere deep inside his chest emitted from his lips. He smoothed her hair away and kissed the delectable mole on her shoulder.

    "Are you upset I didn''t tell you?" She asked tentatively.

    "No, no, I am not. But if you had, I would have done it differently instead of trying to feast on you like a starving beast," he chuckled at her innocence. "But then, I have been starving for you for an eternity," he said huskily.

    "Me too," she said, then blushed furiously at her admission.

    "I know," he said gently, realising how much that cost her. He kissed her. "It''s going to be much more interesting from now on, I promise," he said with a wolfish smile.

    She scrunched her nose at him. "You only asked for the night, and I can see the day peeking, so-"

    "This night gets over when I decide," Seung bit an earlobe. She gasped at the new sensation. He laughed at her expressions. "But right now, you must eat something and sleep."

    Something struck her, and her eyes rounded. "Ko Yoon!"

    Seung gave her a quizzical look.

    "He must be mad with worry. I must get to him. We are supposed to return to Ganghwa."

    "Ah! So that bastard is the culprit. I need to teach him a lesson or two for leaving you alone."

    "I asked him to. I was-" Minjae bit her lip.

    Seung sighed. "I will take care of it. You will not step out in the streets of Hanyang alone, and I will take you back to Ganghwa. Do you understand?"

    Seung had no intention of letting her get out of sight at all. He left the chamber to dispatch a couple of messengers to Ko Yoon and Wang Jung. Their clothes were still drying, so Seung cleaned up in the common bathing room, wrapped a few towels, ignored curious looks, grabbed a tray of hot food and came back in.

    His lips twitched. Minjae had already donned the borrowed dress from the previous night. There were several wet towels heaped on the floor.

    "I asked the innkeeper to fetch you some hot water," he said mildly.

    "Cold water is more invigorating," she shrugged, smiled demurely and ate ravenously. The seams of the sleeves cut close to her armpits, restricting her movements, but she still managed to look so graceful that it took his breath away.

    "Why are you staring at me?" she flushed.

    "You are exquisite," his words fell on her petal soft.

    She barely finished the meal before he was on her. The ill-fitting dress came off in a flash.

    He took his time showing her how infinitely interesting he could make it.

    An hour later, she languidly stretched, drowsy, and sated.

    And yawned.

    "I am sorry; I should let you sleep," he was contrite.

    "You should sleep too, Dari. You must be exhausted," a thumb caressed his jaw.

    "I can''t recall my duty being this invigorating ever," Seung chuckled. "Get some winks. I have an important meeting I can''t miss. After I am back, you won''t be sleeping for a while," he teased, flicking a thumb over a nipple and sighing with content as she bowed back with pleasure.

    A shadow crossed her face, and she pulled the cover to her chin. "Where did you learn all those tricks?"

    "Minjae, none of those women ever meant anything to me," he said, reading her correctly.

    "That''s hard to believe," she said unhappily, and his heart jumped at her jealous tone. However, he knew she was thinking of Han So-ye and didn''t want anyone to spoil this precious moment.

    "I think of all of them as teachers who taught me something valuable. However, it was just my body." He laced his fingers with hers and brought it to his chest, "Can you feel this beat for you, Minjae? It feels like my heart will burst with pleasure when I am with you," he quickly stamped his words with a kiss. "Question is, do you like those ''tricks''?"

    It earned him a raised eyebrow and a sly smile. She turned to her side, curling up.

    "Do you?" He growled in her ear.

    "Too much," she laughed.

    "Ah! It''s just the beginning," he spooned her and kissed the delicious spot on her neck. "I love this mole," he said.

    "You have one on your left shoulder blade," a soft arc curved her lips.

    She was becoming less conscious of her scars, Seung noted with satisfaction. He realised he loved playing with the maze on her back, tracing them over and over again. Minjae shivered and twitched.

    "I do?" He asked, surprised.

    She nodded, spasming delectably again as he ran his finger down her spine. The cover slipped, exposing her back all the way down. He took in the dip of her tiny waist, the flair of her wide hips, and the line dividing her cushiony bottom.

    His finger stopped. "You have another large one here," he observed oddly.

    "Where?" she looked over her shoulder at him curiously.

    "Right here," Seung pressed his finger at the base of her spine, right above the delectable line dipping lower, and swallowed.

    His ears felt warm, and he snatched his hand back as if burned.

 Thirty: Sand

    "One''s throat was slit, the other thrown off from the bank to the rocks below," Wang Jung said, swiping his nose against the cold air and pulling his collars close to his ears.

    The Royal Investigation Bureau officials were carting off the bodies for identification. People were standing around, gawking and whispering, their faces frozen in expressions of shock, horror and curiosity.

    Seung had fabricated a story about losing the two dead men and the woman they had been following. Seung was aware of Wang Jung''s probing glances though he refrained from asking questions.

    Kang Do had vanished.

    Seung couldn''t help but feel a wave of relief wash over him as he saw the miscreants being neutralised. It meant that Minjae was safe, at least for the time being, from whatever she had been running from the previous night.

    "What do we do now?" Wang Jung asked.

    His thoughts went unbiddenly to the woman he had left behind in the inn, who he wasn''t entirely sure would still be there when he returned. He wanted to run back to her, make sure she didn''t leave without him, but he still had work. Seung realised one weak thread of the interlaced fabric of the web had unspooled. Somewhere in the midst of it, Minjae''s obscure past was intertwined.

    "Master Choi needs to give us some quick answers," Seung said.

    Getting past the scholars and masters at Choi Se-min''s School of Scholars was surprisingly easy for Seung. His fame as a scholar preceded him, which was helpful in such situations. Given how far removed his life was from being a Confucian scholar, he found such situations spectacularly funny. Few discerned the difference. What mattered was that he had once aced those tests, forever cementing his place in the scholarly fame roster. Paying proper respects to proud teachers and a few pointers for succeeding in jeonsi to the students granted him access to the inner quarters. Afterwards, it was easy for the two scholars who kept tabs on Se-min to keep everyone else busy while Seung snuck into Se-min''s chamber.

    It was unfortunate that Choi Se-min was away. Even more unfortunately, his room didn''t reveal much. It was a sparse room that Se-min shared with another scholar. Long hanji hangings quoted profound philosophical texts. Two desks and several shelves flanked two narrow, sanitised beds in each corner of the warm winter floor. Potted plants gave life to the otherwise austere set-up.

    Seung quickly went through Choi Se-min''s desk and shelves. Other than meeting Minjae, nothing indicated Se-min was involved in anything clandestine. And Seung wanted to bet every last drop of blood in his body for Minjae to be as far away from espionage as the desert from water.

    So, how did his name appear on the list?

    Quick scans of the scrolls and books revealed many different writings, but nothing suspicious. Then, shoved behind stacks of books were more scrolls, which revealed rolled paper hidden within.

    They unrolled into sketches. Beautiful, bold, detailed sketches. Some depicted village lives, others filled with flourishing strokes depicting life within the royal palaces. Birds, strays, and even scholars going about their tasks found a place.

    Choi Se-min was a remarkably talented artist. One particular sketch caught his eye: a little girl embroidering while a matronly woman watched her with indulgence. Seung''s lips quivered with a fond smile. It was likely his little sister, who had gifted him the scrap of her creation the other day. Others had one teen and a young boy in a sword-fighting stance with a few cheerleaders looking on, a few more of another little girl and a baby surrounded by servants, and more sketches with the older woman and the little girl in the embroidery sketch, some with the girl dragging a large cloth doll.

    A memory jogged, his brows furrowing. She was not the child he had met at his in-law''s house. The features of the child were bold and somewhat familiar, but he couldn''t place her. The drawings with the matronly woman always depicted only the two of them together. In one, the woman bent towards the little girl holding a few herbs in her hand amidst what appeared to be a garden surrounded by plants. A majestic building loomed in the background.

    The house where Minjae had met Choi Se-min.

    But the one that dried his throat was of a bride draped in an ostentatious bridal dress of coral green and red, with the gache on her head looking like a mountain under which she seemed to be sinking in the ground. Cracks underneath her feet swallowed her feet, but the girl stood stoic, her graceful lines accepting of fate foisted upon her. The gache sparkled with shimmering stones, a stark contrast to her face, frozen and painted white into undistinguishable lines - as in death.

    ¡Þ

    Staying in an inn had its advantages. Minjae soaked in the small iron tub, feeling the aches and sores ebbing away. A delicious lethargy filled her.

    If she were smart, she would have left the inn right after Seung left, hired a boatman, boarded a ship, returned to Ganghwa, and never seen him again.

    Instead, she slept, ordered flower petals and herbs from the market, and spread her mother''s books to dry.

    Water sloshed around her toes as she wriggled them.

    She was tired of being smart.

    She was tired of running.

    She was tired of denying herself happiness.

    Ganghwa had taught her that men and women could do the deed not to procreate but just for enjoyment but she never thought she could ever bring herself to experience the delights of sensual pleasure. She had been drilled with her lessons of chastity so thoroughly that even thinking of fornication made her feel unchaste.

    Until her husband came crashing back into her orbit, upending everything she knew about life in general and herself in particular.

    Minjae blushed at all the things Seung had done with her at night. The morning was still young. He had said he would return late in the evening, so she still had time to clean up, dress, and maybe take another nap -

    The door slid, and for one moment, panic sped up her heart, and she sank further into the tub before the tall length of Seung bent his head at the doorway, entered the room, and slid the door close behind him. Relief washed over her, quickly followed by another kind of apprehension that had nothing to do with fear.

    Their eyes met.

    Minjae saw his eyes change from anxiety to relief and then settle into something else, which made every part of her body, inside and out, throb with anticipation.

    The fire in his gaze could melt the iron tub she was sitting in. Her body reacted viscerally to the heat. She swallowed and sank a bit deeper, aware the flush radiating from her freshly scrubbed, drenched skin generated steam.

    "Surprised to see me still here?" She curled a nonchalant brow, trying to hide her nervousness.

    A slow, appreciative smile emerged on his face, flashing the even, sparkling set of teeth, telling her he saw right through her bluster. "The thought did cross my mind."

    He deposited the muslin packets he carried to a side of the room and crossed the floor to stand at the edge of the tub. The water was covered with petals but did little to hide her body from his hot gaze. His closeness buzzed with a sensuality that started to work its way to a spot that made her want to move her hips to an ancient rhythm of bliss. She drew her knees closer to her chest.

    "Is that why you took my dress?" She kept her voice neutral.

    It earned her an amused look. "Would the absence of a dress stop you from leaving if you wanted to? The night ended when I left. You had enough money on you." He bent, placed his hand on the rim of the tub and touched her forehead with a long finger, dragging it down the bridge of her nose to the cleft between her lips and nostrils before outlining her lips. Her gaze blurred into a mass of sensations. "You are the most disobedient woman I have ever known, so my instructions would not be it," he said, looking into her eyes, "So what held you back from leaving, Physician Kim?"

    Seung straightened and pulled at the ties of his lavender hanbok that accentuated his broad shoulders and tapering waist like a second skin. Her skin sizzled just looking at him. As the hanbok fell away, the temperature rose to unbearable.

    "What are you doing?" The pitch of her voice matched the temperature of the room.

    "The water looks inviting," Seung tilted his head to a side, watching her flustered face with eyes that swam with amusement and desire.

    Her eyes went round with disgruntlement and craving as his clothes came off. He was magnificent.

    So beautiful.

    Her breath serrated. "You can''t do this; it''s daytime!"

    "Has His Majesty passed a new law against bathing during daytime?" His velvety voice glided over her.

    "Only for men who plan to get into occupied tubs already too small for them!" She quipped, half scandalised, half crazed with desire.

    "I have seldom followed the rules; I am afraid you are stuck with a renegade," his chest rumbled with laughter, starkly contrasting his eyes that smoked.

    "There is not enough space; you are too big," the words tumbled. It was one thing in the middle of the night but entirely another in the middle of the day, with people moving right outside their door. They could hear every ripple of water sloshing if they paid enough attention.

    "Ah! I take that as a compliment, though I am glad your comparison comes from seeing most of them in hospital beds and never in your own," Seung was now openly laughing at her.

    Minjae turned bright red as his words sank in, but no witty comebacks came out. Her throat had scraped itself off all moisture. Seung climbed behind her, lifted her like she weighed nothing and then placed her back squarely on his lap, shifting and adjusting himself until they were both comfortingly sitting in hot water.

    "Please, Dari, someone can hear, or worse -"

    "Shh. I rented all the rooms in the inn for as long as we are here. No one will disturb us unless we call them," His one arm wrapped itself around her waist; the other mapped her body leisurely. Her lower back tingled with the velvet pressure of his arousal while his lips grazed the mole on her shoulder. "You didn''t answer, Physician Kim. What kept you back?"

    She was too busy fighting the tremblings of desire that churned through her as he continued to leave a trail of fire on her wet skin, his hand roving, his fingers doing all sorts of impure things to her.

    "I can still leave -" her head jerked back, heat pulsing down her spine.

    "In that case, I need to work harder to convince you otherwise," he said languidly.

    But there was nothing languid about what followed. She could not have been more wrong if she thought the previous night had been the height of ecstasy. By the time Seung finished his ''convincing'', Minjae was a mindless mess of raw need, her awareness centring on the feel of his hands, his mouth, his tongue, the burst of lights behind her closed eyes so frequent that she thought she would go blind with pleasure. The floor around them was a wet mess, and more was added every time they moved in that tub, but none of them cared.

    Minjae could not relate to the person who writhed and whimpered in her body, a tangle of emotions and desire that flamed fiercer every time he touched her. And the man found new spots to torture with every delicious movement. Even the knowledge that what they were doing was scandalous didn''t stop her from mewling. When he filled her from behind while she hung onto the rim of the tub, she was sobbing for him, tortured with a need so great it drove her insane. Seung fisted her hair in his hand, every movement stamping his domination over her body, her soul. She had to put a fist in her mouth when they both came apart to stop the scream that threatened to rip through her.

    It wasn''t scandalous. A gentle voice in her head reminded her. He was her husband, even though she would die before she let him find out.

    "I have to be here for another three days," Seung murmured against her neck as he spooned her on the bed a long while later.

    Her previous anxiety returned manifold. The longer she stayed with him, the longer the risk of exposure.

    The reason for her visit to Hanyang still hung like a shadow over them. But in turn, Seung, too, had not divulged how he came upon her and Kang Do in the middle of the night on a deserted street. Commanders in King''s army didn''t scale rooftops at night for jest. Neither did they accuse someone of being a spy in one moment and then jump into a frozen river the next to save them. And they definitely didn''t make love to them like the world would end tomorrow.

    Minjae wondered what he saw and knew. She had learned about him enough to know he had the nose of a hound. Yet, he had promised not to ask her about her past and kept his word. Still, one wrong move from her, and their world would crash.

    Minjae shuddered to think what would happen if Seung ever learned the truth.

    He would burn the Choi house down, with Choi Si-wan in it. How easy would it be to turn to him and let it off her chest. Free herself.

    It was a fantasy that could never play out because people would die. And Minjae had little doubt that her father would emerge from the ashes of that revelation, his hands full of heads of those who crossed him.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    "I must be back to Ganghwa before that. My patients need me," she said.

    "I already sent word to your father," Seung said. "I won''t let you go alone. I have to go out tonight again, but I have plans for you tomorrow."

    "Plans?" Minjae asked, curiosity winning over apprehension.

    "You will see," he murmured, dragging her closer, his arm clasped tight around her waist.

    "Tell me, Dari!" She demanded. But he was already asleep, his chest rising and falling in a gentle rhythm that pierced her soul.

    Lee Seung, sleeping with her - his lawfully wedded wife, Choi Jina. A day she had never had imagined in her wildest of dreams.

    She could die today if she could freeze this moment in a timeless loop.

    Minjae came around to soft rustles, her eyes heavy with sleep and lethargy. She cracked open an eye, then bolted upright when she saw Seung studying the sketch of her grandmother. He was fully dressed, his lavender hanbok gleaming in the lantern lights, the soft glow throwing his incredible features in sharp relief.

    "Who is this, Minjae?" Seung asked so softly that it was a sonorous rumble in his throat.

    Her swallow swelled with fear and apprehension. She took deep breaths. Keeping her panic at bay, she turned her face away and pretended to yawn.

    "I am sorry, I still feel tired," she said.

    Immediate concern filled his eyes. "Are you all right?"

    "Yes, I feel fine. I didn''t realise I slept so long," she said.

    A slight, indulgent smile hovered on his lips before Seung went back to studying the sketch. "I found this in the books. I was putting them back together," he indicated the stacked pages. "They are dry."

    "I don''t know who she is," Minjae lied. "I bought those books, and it was in there," she hedged.

    "Bought?" Seung looked alert.

    "Yes. Yesterday, from an old bookstore. They are medicinal books," Minjae said, glad that at least some part of it was true.

    His brows furrowed, and he looked at the books thoughtfully but refrained from saying anything further. He rolled the sketch and placed it on the sheaf of papers. Picking up the muslin packets, he strolled over to the bed.

    Seung crouched and dropped them in her lap. "I hope you like what''s in them," he said, and placed a swift kiss on her forehead. "Rest. I will be late. I have to meet with His Majesty." He retrieved a dagger. "Keep this with you. You are safe here, but just in case."

    With that, he was gone.

    Minjae ripped open the muslin packet to reveal four breathtaking hanboks and a jangot¡ªclouds of peach, green, blue, and grey silk. Her breath stuck in her throat. Did he forget that, as a commoner, she was not allowed to wear silk? The jangot, on the other hand, was thick wool, and there were thick stockings and wool underskirts to go with the hanboks.

    She quickly tried one on. It fit perfectly, flowing over her like a sheen of glaze on graceful pottery. She wondered how Seung got them stitched so quickly. Giggles spurted as the mystery behind her missing dress resolved itself.

    Something else fell from the pouch.

    A small stack of acupuncture needles.

    The ''plan'' turned out to be a visit to a stunning temple perched on a hill that overlooked Hanyang in all its glory. It had a small garden surrounding a pagoda. In the distance, rolling hills and mountains stood like ancient guardians as if nurturing the valley in their embrace. Even the winter could not steal their secrets. A river or stream winded through the valley covered with various shades of green of well-maintained and systematically arranged fields, some cultivated, others wild.

    "How do you know such a place?" Minjae glowed. "You have a knack for finding beautiful places few people know of," she gushed.

    Pleasure crept across Seung''s face. "My family lived close to this temple when we lived in Hanyang. I often came with one of my Uncles. Sometimes, our whole family would come, and we would spend the day here, praying and eating."

    That''s what Minjae did with Seung. He had brought a basket of mouthwatering food from somewhere they shared on the velvety grass overlooking the vast, green valley with a patchwork of fields and small clusters of hanok, characterised by their tiled roofs and wooden structures, nestled within the greenery.

    Next, Seung took her to a well-stocked library in the middle of the merchant square, where she felt like a child in a sweet shop.

    "I have never met a woman who is so well-read," Seung remarked.

    "Some of my Yangban patients pay me with treasured books," she replied, lost in the volumes of a book detailing tools for surgery in Ming oriental medicine while Seung watched her with a gentle smile dancing on his lips.

    They settled into a pattern. Seung took her to surprise destinations in a palanquin carried by four large but circumspect men while he walked ahead of them. Every now and then, he would gently shield her eyes with his hands, and as soon as he lifted them away, she would be awestruck by the scene he had unveiled for her. It was a Hanyang she had never seen. It didn''t frighten her or conjure nauseous memories. Instead, the sights fascinated her.

    Later, the palanquin returned her to the inn while Seung rode away to work on a horse. At the inn, she made friends with the little boy and listened to him regale stories about people who visited the inn.

    Seung returned at night and showed her how infinitely interesting his ''tricks'' were, leaving her sore, satiated, and wanting more. Seung was fascinated by her moles. "It''s like someone painted them on you in their leisure time."

    Minjae didn''t want it to end, yet she knew her time with Seung was ticking. She refused to think of it. So when he gingerly mentioned that it might take a couple more days before he could leave, she had acquiesced.

    Three days ran into six.

    Minjae had her doubts about Seung having to stay in Hanyang. The Royal entourage had moved to Ganghwa two days ago. The procession had been long and winded through the city with much fanfare. Minjae had hid in her room. Seung''s presence on the island should have been mandatory. Minaje wondered how he had worked around it.

    "I only oversee the defence. I was there to see them off. There are people who take care of the rest," he said.

    "What if the barbarians invade now?" She asked.

    He wore a troubled look. "If that happens, I don''t want them to find you, no matter what. Hide from them at all costs."

    On the fourth day, Sung had been away almost the entire day, but when he returned, he swept her to Hanyang''s most famous marketplace.

    Minjae felt trepidation as she stepped in, but soon, the colourful sights and sounds of the marketplace overtook her senses. She bought trinkets for everyone in the family, including her brother-in-law, though she wasn''t sure if he would appreciate it. His boat had returned a day before she had come to Hanyang. O Mahn Sik had personally come to drop her off and stayed on the shore until the ship sailed away before returning to his wife.

    On their fifth day, Seung didn''t go anywhere. Instead, they made love, slept, ate, talked and then made love again. Despite a universe of secrets surrounding them, conversations between them flowed as easily as water from a fresh spring downhill. Seung barely left her side. Minjae teased him about breaking every man and woman protocol Joseon had set for the society, and he only scoffed before showing her thoroughly how irrelevant those protocols were to him. However, every now and then, her heart would race when she woke up to find him studying her thoughtfully as if trying to solve an enigma and willing her secrets to reveal themselves to him. Sometimes, she wondered how he even trusted her, let alone love her, when he knew almost nothing about her past and found her circumstances suspicious. But she would be a fool to look for a gift in the horse''s mouth.

    Her defences were chipping away. Before her father foisted the fake wife on Seung, she had resolved to tell him the truth. She found herself floundering. The close shave with death and Seung''s proximity that had bloomed her to life lowered her guard.

    The risks were still too great. Minjae knew that once Seung discovered the truth, he would never rest until he exposed everything, destroyed Choi Si-wan and claimed her as his wife. But it could result in many deaths. In light of that, could she persuade him to disregard everything and continue pretending she was Minjae?

    A rude awakening that evening ended the debate when her luck finally ran out. Seung took her to another library in a bustling part of town. The foot traffic was exceptionally heavy, and when her palanquin stopped, she assumed they were either detouring or pausing to let someone more important pass. She slid the curtain of her palanquin window an inch to peer out and heard the announcement that asked people to give way.

    The pit of her stomach bottomed out. Her skin turned clammy.

    People stood aside as the Chief Minister''s palanquin chair came into view.

    The illusion of her safe cocoon with Seung shattered. She withdrew into her palanquin, curled beneath her jangot, terrified, as she heard someone announce the name, again and again, that haunted her nightmares - His Excellency, Chief State Minister Choi Si-wan.

    She closed her eyes, dragged her knees close to her chest and buried her face in her knees, swamping the jangot around her like a sheath.

    The air went still. It was like everyone had stopped speaking.

    "Father," Seung''s clipped but respectful voice floated to her.

    "Son-in-law," Choi Si-wan''s chidding voice pierced through the air. "I was hoping you had already returned to where you should be right now."

    "I still have work to finish in Hanyang, Father," Seung replied, his voice perfectly polite, yet Minjae had no trouble reading his voice''s underlying anger.

    "Your mother-in-law was disappointed you didn''t visit to pay your respects this week. However, I can see how busy you have been." Sarcasm dripped from Choi Si-wan''s voice. "Perhaps you would like to introduce me to your work," he said mildly.

    Minjae could picture her father pointing towards her palanquin with his cleft chin. Terror twisted its claw in her heart, drawing blood and jagged breaths that puffed in smoke. Her fingers shook uncontrollably, and she had difficulty clutching the ends of her jangot. Choi Si-wan was standing so close that she felt he could see her through the curtains of the palanquin.

    "It will be an honour, Father. I am meeting His Highness Crown Prince Sohyeon later tonight. If you can join us, we might benefit greatly from your wisdom," Seung''s voice dripped with respect. Choi Si-wan was no fool and too shrewd to miss the challenge in his son-in-law''s voice, the dare to even approach her palanquin. No one in Joseon dared touch another man''s woman, not even the most powerful man in the country, even if it was his own son-in-law''s. "However, we have eyes and ears everywhere," Seung''s voice carried a subtle warning, "so this might not be the most conducive place for such talks, as Your Excellency would no doubt agree."

    In reply, Lord Choi Si-wan laughed.

    Minjae felt a phantom leash whip against her back, every scar coming alive with a burning pain.

    "Son-in-law," his voice dropped so Minjae knew only Seung could hear him, "I had heard about your penchant for women, and it''s interesting how you effortlessly seem to pick a whore everywhere you go but don''t make the mistake of sullying the Choi family name in Hanyang. No one knows or cares what happened between you and my daughter in the past, and I am sure you would not like to see the other women in your life suffer because of your stubbornness. Take heed."

    "Understood, Father-in-law. I assure you your daughter is in safe hands as long as she understands her boundaries, and no one will ever know what happened. Unless you wish to take her back?" If a voice could slice, Choi Si-wan would be filleted like a fish.

    Anyone overhearing would find no fault with the exchange. Minjae knew both men well enough to understand that were they to be stripped of every civility that bound them, there would be a bloodbath. And in that scenario, Seung would win.

    Since that scenario was as likely as the moon walking on Earth, Minjae shrank further into the shell of her palanquin, only breathing once she heard her father''s procession pass.

    A slight knock alerted her before the curtain moved, and Seung looked in. She was too frightened to hide her emotions, and his jaw tightened, her agony reflected in his eyes. "Let''s go back," he said.

    ¡Þ

    By the time they returned to the inn, Minjae was composed. She even teased him for being too conformist before his father-in-law, but she quit in the face of his death stare.

    However, Seung could sense the shift in her. Choi Si-wan''s appearance stuck a thorn in his side. A new thought was forming in his head. Could Choi Se-min lead something on his father, Choi Si-wan?

    Seung shook his head. It was too far-fetched and preposterous. Choi Si-wan would gain nothing by going against King Injo. Moreover, he was one of the most vocal voices against Barbarians, carrying the heaviest weight in the court. What would he gain by colluding with them?

    However, his father-in-law had not taken his refusal to meet him well, and seeing Seung with another woman besides his daughter had hurt his pride. Seung would not be surprised if there were repercussions. He almost hoped there were; at least he would have a reason to dump Choi Jina back to her house.

    The image of the bride''s sketch he saw at Se-min''s dormitory chamber pricked a thorn of unease at the base of his neck.

    Something didn''t fit. And it hounded him.

    A strange foreboding invaded his chest, leaving him short of breath. His hands reached for Minjae, and he enveloped her in an embrace so tight that even air could not pass between them.

    ¡Þ

    The following evening, Seung told her he might not retain command of the island much longer.

    Minjae''s heart sank. It was one matter for her to refuse to see him but quite another if he were to depart the island entirely. She could not envisage a future in which she would never lay eyes upon him again. Ganghwa was a considerable distance from any other place and not a location where he could simply ''drop in to visit'' on his days of leisure. Entering and leaving the island needed special permits; not everyone could visit just because they wanted to.

    Seung pulled her close, cradling her head in the crook of his one arm, a warm hand moulding a breast. A heavy leg swaddled her. "No matter where I go, you are coming with me." He placed a hand on her belly. "We might even have created a new life," he breathed tenderly.

    Minjae shook her head. "No, we haven''t."

    "Are you God?" Seung sounded irate.

    "Close enough. I know how this works better than you, Dari. The time is wrong." she blatantly lied, but Seung would not know that. "And this ends when we reach the island," she said with a finality that dried her blood.

    Red flushed his face. He sat up. "You cannot mean that!"

    Minjae closed her eyes against his harsh breaths. "I mean every word," she bit the words out. "Please, Dari, let''s not speak about it."

    "Why are you so afraid, Minjae? Who were those people who wanted to kill you? Why did you come to Hanyang? Why -" he stopped, a frustrating huff of breath leaving his chest.

    Who are you?

    Minjae could hear his silent question.

    "What happened to Kim Seo Jun''s real daughter?" Seung asked.

    "I do not know," she lied. The less Seung knew, the better.

    "You know I can ferret that information out in no time?"

    "If you do, it will only alert more people to my complicity and endanger the family. Don''t you realise no one has ever suspected that I was not born into that family? Not even you?" She turned her eyes on him, brimming with anguish and reproach. "Those who help people like me are always the first to fall," she said, turning her face away.

    Seung cupped her face and turned it back to face him. "I want to protect you. You could have been mistaken for a spy that night and imprisoned. Once that happened, it would not have mattered that you were innocent. Your skin would have been ripped, bones crushed. I cannot ever take that chance again," he shuddered, closing his eyes against the horrifying images his words created. "I am not the only one looking out for you. Kang Do killed those two men," Seung said. Her breath hitched, and her eyes widened. "I promise nothing will ever touch you again. But how will I do that if you do not tell me?"

    Alarm coursed through her veins with a vengeance. A day before, she had been weakening, but her father''s appearance had changed that forever. "You promised you won''t ask me about my past. I told you all I could." She wrung her face free and sat up. "I have never hidden that I could not be with you. Nothing has changed," she stuck out her chin.

    "Don''t be so heartless, Minjae. Please trust me," he swallowed. "Don''t shut me out. Whatever you fear, I will make it go away. Give me a chance, sweetheart," he implored, tightening his grip on her, using his sheer force to prevent her from twisting out of his grasp. "If you are truly a slave, I will buy you from your Master, even if it takes every last coin I possess," the desperation in his voice serrated her soul.

    Using both her hands, she placed it on her chest, and gave him a push. He didn''t budge.

    "You cannot help me. No one can," Minjae was so frustrated that she could scream. "You take me for a fool, Dari? Do you think I would not have tried if I could? You can battle what you can see but never fight what you can''t!" Tears spilled. "Leave me alone, leave me alone!"

    She was aware a hysteria was bubbling inside her, but she was as helpless to prevent it as a straw trying to save a drowning man. Seung wrapped her in his arms as her reserve broke. He soothed her until her sobs subsided.

    She didn''t see him set his jaw and narrow his eyes, his gaze fixed on the neatly stacked books in the corner. Nor did she see the resolve in his eyes as he made desperate love to her that night.

    None of them slept.

    Both were fisting sand. The tighter they clenched, the faster it slipped through the cracks.

 Thirty One: Perfidy

    Minjae clutched the handles attached to the palanquin''s roof to steady herself as it ascended a steep path. Inside her, a strange dichotomy of quietude and bedlam reigned. She was exhausted and rattled.

    And terrified. Her heart thundered. Nervous, she gulped air. Everything that she feared about Hanyang came rushing back to her. She could do it. All she had to do was to inform this person. She had four men with her who would defend her with their lives, and she was far from the helpless Choi Jina she used to be in another life.

    Boat captured. Secrets sold. Captain Park arrested.

    Her first thought when she learnt it the previous day had been to tell Seung. He would know what to do.

    Yet when the time came at night, she could not. Seung had known she was agitated. He asked her point blank, and her tongue had turned to lead.

    "Can we go back to Ganghwa?" She had asked instead.

    "Not yet, I am not ready yet," he had replied before taking her in his arms.

    She was not ready, either. She had already realised she could never leave Seung again - Kang Do had been right; her fate had been sealed. She would find a way once they were back in Ganghwa but didn''t tell him.

    Since the night she had adamantly refused to continue their relationship once they returned to the island, something monumentally had shifted between them. Their stay in Hanyang was extended indefinitely. Seung''s questions about her past had grown more frequent and pointed. When she told him she was in Hanyang to rescue another woman, he stared at her, his eyes unreadable.

    One evening, he stormed out, frustrated by her refusal to divulge details about her past, only to come back and make love to her like a demon possessed. Another night, she woke up to find him rolling the beads of the green bracelet with his fingers, the lines on his face burrowed deep in strain. Her heart had thudded at the sight before she collected herself and asked what he was thinking. Seung replied that he wanted to find the girl so he could give the bracelet back. Minjae''s heart had jackhammered as she looked away.

    "Help me, Minjae," his throat had been raw. "Help me save you."

    Collecting herself, she had reached out to him. "You have already saved me in ways you will never know. Whether we are together or not, I will always be your Minjae."

    He had come to her and blanked her mind to oblivion with his passion, both tender and fierce at the same time. Seung had played with her without letting up for hours until her mind could no longer differentiate between agony and ecstasy. He made her fall apart until pain segued into lightning bolts of sensations unparalleled, squeezing out every last bit of pleasure from her body as if he could make her spill the part of her heart she kept secret from him through it. He had then driven into her as if he wanted to imprint himself inside her to read what she would not tell. All through it, he had told her over and over how he loved her, that he would die if something happened to her.

    Only, it had not felt like love. It had felt like desperation and something else that had troubled Minjae more than everything else - rage.

    Yet he had taken her to more beautiful places, treated her to exquisite food, and bought her more silk hanboks.

    Then came a twist in her life she had not anticipated. Minjae often stepped out in the mornings to enjoy the sunshine in the small yard facing the river. This time, voices drew her attention, and she noticed a familiar-looking man arguing with the inn''s owner about getting a room. The landlord turned him away, but not before the man met her eyes and motioned for her to follow. Hesitating only briefly, Minjae followed him. It was Ra Jungi, Ko Yoon''s cousin, who had helped rescue Ko Yoon''s sister and several others since.

    Once alone, Minjae couldn''t help but ask how he had found her. He explained that Ko Yoon had instructed him to watch out for her before leaving for Ganghwa.

    "Noonim," he said, his voice trembling with fear, "we are in trouble. I took a lot of risks to meet you." He revealed that their boat carrying escapees to the North had been captured. He also learnt that their network had been infiltrated by people who took bribes to exchange information with the Barbarians. Captain Park had been arrested.

    "What?" Her heart plummeted. "It has to be a mistake!"

    Mistake or not, it didn''t matter, and they both knew it. Ra Jungi needed to inform the others, but he was being hunted, so it fell on her to do it, as no one would suspect or question a woman. He had arranged for a palanquin to take her to another group member, who could then alert the rest in Hanyang and send word to other cities to lay low.

    Minjae was shaken. Was Ko Yoon in danger? Kim Seo Jun? Kim Da Bom? Han So Ye? She covered her face with her hands, shivering. How did this happen? Everyone had been thoroughly vetted, only involving those whose families had been rescued.

    Captain Park had managed everything. Without him, they were lost. She kept the accounts, and Han So Ye handled the money. Ganghwa had been their safest hideout.

    What would happen now?

    Fate had a cruel way of playing with her. Again, and again, and again.

    She had to return to Ganghwa to warn everyone else.

    Minjae did not have time to dwell on anything more. The palanquin had stopped. It gently touched the ground.

    Minjae took a deep, steadying breath, and stepped out, reflexively blinking against the harsh light after being in the inky interiors of the palanquin.

    Tall green trees came into view. Thick vegetation stood as a wall behind her, through which someone had cut a hole large enough for a palanquin to pass through. Minjae was standing in what looked like a small clearing.

    In the middle stood Lee Seung, his hands locked behind his back, his expressions dark and unreadable.

    Her heart jumped in relief. How was he here? Did the men carrying the palanquin inform him? Her face curved into an involuntary smile.

    A smile he didn''t return. At the flick of his eyes, the men behind her picked up the palanquin and left.

    Ahead of her, a large rock with a flattened top jutted from its outcrop

    The clearing. The rock.

    Time slowed into one endless, horrifying, neverending beat.

    Images flashed. Sickening, gut-churning images. Of her fifteen-year-old terrified self.

    Her eyes fixated on it while Seung''s eyes were fixed on her.

    Something nauseous ballooned in her gut. Spiders crawled on her flesh as visions of gnawing fingers digging into her chest flashed in a non-stop loop.

    "The site seems familiar, does it not?" Seung lifted his face and breathed into the air. "We saved each other''s lives that day," Seung swallowed.

    Minjae turned her stupefied eyes on him, her fingers clutching her throat as if somehow it would help her to breathe.

    He stretched his arm so her eyes were directly focused on his open palm.

    "I have been looking for you for half a decade and never found you. Yet you knew me from the first day you met me in Ganghwa, didn''t you? What reason could you have to hide from me?"

    Minjae looked at the object on Seung''s outstretched palm.

    Silver encasing.

    Green gems.

    Opal leaves.

    She stared at it, her feet rooted.

    Seung took in her blanched face but didn''t move his hand. Her breath hitched, and she stepped back as if the bracelet would jump and bite her.

    "Why?" The tortured cry tore from her.

    "Because you didn''t leave me a choice, Kim Minjae," Seung gritted out.

    "How - how did you know?" She asked, something crushing her chest, but she didn''t know what.

    Seung continued to speak as if he didn''t hear her. "I told you not to lie; I will catch you. We shared something beautiful that day. In this past year, I gave you everything I had. The time spent with you in the inn was -" Seung swallowed and closed his eyes, "I gave you my everything. I hoped you would at least accept that it was you who had saved me - that it was you I had...." His throat moved again while a pulse jumped in his jaw. "What do you have to hide so desperately that you would pretend that day from five years ago never happened?"

    His words jumbled around her head. She understood them individually, but she could not string them together. She could only shake her head in disbelief.

    "How does it feel to be kept in the dark, Minjae? Knowing that I have known something all along while you didn''t?" His eyes were chips of black ice.

    ¡Þ

    Two weeks earlier, Hanyang

    The promise of the morning light clashed harshly with Seung''s face, which darkened like a night reluctant to cede its way to dawn. Wang Jung cowered before him.

    Across from them, Sim JunHo''s gigantic frame lounged on the mattress. He bit into an apple with a loud crunch, with a heavy ''tch tch'' punctuating his aggravating chewing.

    Seung pressed Minjae''s sketch on the table as if he were holding down vipers, pumping venom into his existence by force.

    A rivulet of sweat snaked down his spine.

    "You told me you didn''t see her face," his voice was quiet. Furious.

    Wang Jung wiped his forehead and dropped to the floor on all fours. "Commander Lee, Sir, forgive me. I wanted to make sure it was not a mistake -" Wang Jung''s sentence petered out. Lines carved his forehead into messy folds.

    "You didn''t trust me, Wang Jung," Seung said.

    "That''s not true, Commander Lee. But that house technically belongs to you; the men following her were His Excellency Choi Si-wan''s slaves and now are dead, and you are sheltering her. It does not look good for you, Dari," Wang Jung argued.

    Seung went as still as a statue. "How did you know she is with me?"

    Wang Jung''s shoulders stiffened, but then they stooped once more as he bent his head, his knees digging into the floor. "I deserve to be punished for following you, Dari," he said.

    "I can have you whipped for that, Wang Jung," Seung knew he was being unreasonable, but fear and anxiety ate him from inside. "Did I not already tell you she almost died that night trying to save my life?"

    Wang Jung''s back twitched. "I understand. We need not take this to His Excellency Choe Myeong Gil. But I cannot sit by and let you be in danger by association, Commander Lee, Sir," Wang Jung suggested.

    "I have reasons to believe her," Seung''s voice was flint.

    "Then why did you not tell us the woman in question was Kim Minjae?" Sim Junho asked, his loud crunching filling the silence that followed.

    Wang Jung forged on. "Intel confirms an underground group is using rescue network as cover to smuggle sensitive information to the North. Kim Minjae is a part of it, and you must give up on her!"

    "I didn''t ask for your advice, Wang Jung. Leave Minjae to me," Seung snapped. "If she is guilty, I shall arrest her myself," Seung said, his voice dangerously soft. Even though he was looking at Wang Jung, Seung''s warning was directed towards Sim Junho.

    "Lee, no use taking your frustration out on poor Wang Jung," Sim Junho returned. "And you sound like a bad song on an irritating loop in the brain. You have been with her for quite a few days now. Yet you didn''t update Jung about that either," Sim Junho pointed out amicably from his seat, enjoying himself thoroughly. "The two men who we caught have confirmed what Wang Jung said."

    Seung argued that they could be lying, suggesting that someone might have paid them to do so or forced them to confess through torture.

    "Or they could be the culprits, as they claim. Worst crimes have happened with lesser motivation," Sim JunHo polished the other side of the apple with his sleeve. "This apple is gigantic." He raised his hand as a salute to Seung. "Thank you for getting one for me," he said as if they were discussing the weather.

    Lee Seung, choked by tendrils of dread, could barely speak. "They were rescuing women, and I find it hard to believe they would undertake actions that could endanger the entire country and its people."

    "Aieesh! Speaks the man, addled by a woman!" Sim Junho scoffed.

    "What part of ''Kim Minjae almost died that night trying to save my life'' do you not understand, Hyungnim?" Seung''s jaw was so tight it could snap.

    "The part where I see you were fighting off her assailants," Sim Junho made more loud, crunching noises that grated on Seung''s nerves. "It made sense for her to try to save you. Perhaps she didn''t think she would fall off the cliff, a miscalculation on her part in the rush of adrenaline, stress and the night," Sim Junho countered affably.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    "I was there. You were not. For someone who does not know her, you make an awful lot of assumptions," Seung challenged, a nerve ticking furiously in his jaw. Sim Jun Ho was older than him in every way, age, rank, and experience. He was the hyung Seung never had, the mentor who had shaped him into who he was, his lifeline when his world had been a grey mush of despair. But none of that would keep Seung from punching a face if it deserved it.

    "Not assumption. Hypothesis." Sim Junho gave Seung a side glance from his perch, his gaze mocking, knowing. "The question is, what would someone as powerful as Lord Choi get from killing a mere female?"

    "I do not know. Unless we open an investigation on my father-in-law, it''s a question we will not get an answer to," Seung said.

    Junho chuckled. "Or a one-to-one session with Kim Minjae could yield some interesting results."

    "Lay a hand on her, and I will forget every relationship we ever had," Seung''s eyes glinted dangerously.

    A pregnant pause followed. Sim Junho rose to a sitting position, his eyes no longer amused.

    "Behaving like a brat will only get you and that woman of yours killed. There are seven rescued women living on that island, Lee Seung. All six checked out." Sim Junho tapped Minjae''s sketch. "Except her. She is not the woman who was married to Jo Sung Ha. This woman came to the island claiming to be Kim Minjae. Her ''husband'' followed her six months later; interestingly, he did not refute that she was his wife. Some witnesses suggest Jo Sung Ha forcibly tried to carry her off. He has not been seen since he left the island, yet a divorce decree is recorded in the offices of both Tosan and Ganghwa. Quite convenient, I must say. Does it not sound odd to you?"

    Seung swallowed.

    Kim Minjae, what are you truly hiding? Why? Seung sat still, trying to control the agonising breaths ripping through his chest.

    Sim Junho peered closely into the seed of his apple as if mysteries of the universe were inked in it before tossing it in a bowl. "Forgive me for saying this, and I mean no disrespect to her as a woman I am not related to, but a woman of her beauty appears suddenly in Ganghwa with no history? Isn''t it suspicious that she claims to be a runaway slave yet is wealthy enough to start a complex secret network and is better read than an average Yangban scholar?" Sim JunHo was no longer nonchalant.

    Seung closed his eyes, his gut churning with acid.

    "Kim Minjae is self-taught and possibly from a Yangban family. You forget, she is also a physician -"

    "Lee Seung, she is not a physician. She is a merchant. Even if she were, the women trained in this field can barely read Hangul and seldom read anything more than a few pages of basic procedures," Sim Junho''s eyes were edged with glass as he stared at his junior, whom he loved more than a brother, yet made no effort to keep the disappointment out of his voice. "Kim Minjae funds an elaborate rescue network sponsored by unknown people with unaccounted-for money. In the last two years, this same ''rescue'' network helped stow away at least two hundred defectors from Ming and Joseon to the Barbarians. And now we have her meeting with Choi Se-min, which is very interesting."

    "There is nothing on Choi Se-min either," Seung refuted coldly.

    "Not yet," Sim Junho said in a hard voice.

    Lee Seung clenched his fist.

    "This is not the work of a novice, Lee Seung," Sim Junho said softly and unrolled one of the scrolls from the mountain on the table between them and unrolled it. Within minutes, the tabletop was littered with sketches¡ªmany different kinds¡ªof the interior of Seung''s house, his mother''s chamber, his chamber, Choi Jina''s and Gil-ae''s chambers. There were details of other homes and government offices, plans, and maps. Roads, exits, entries. Number of guards in each unit, down to the exact amount of guns and ammunition on the island. Records of conversations between many different officials. The most telling details were the location and number of each ship, the men, and every other fact possible guarding the island. Only two people in Ganghwa had access to such information - Lee Seung and Captain Park.

    Ganghwa had been laid threadbare.

    Under his watch.

    Seung''s ears rang. Stones weighed down his heart, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

    Sim Junho sat up straighter. "We already spoke about this last time we met. It''s not your fault, Lee. I am aware you were there to command the army unit, not catch spies."

    "It sure feels like it," Seung exhaled.

    "But your reason for being in Hanyang was to learn about Se-min. And don''t tell me you believe she came to Hanyang to rescue someone. You have spread your web around Se-min, so I know it''s not out of love for your brother-in-law. Do you want to have a bloodbath in Hanyang by publicly accusing Se-min while trying to shield your woman? You are one of the best I ever trained. You could sniff out a traitor in the wind. What happened? Logic has deserted you? She could have been a plant from the very beginning!"

    Sim Jun Ho produced several pieces of paper with Chinese instructions on them. "These were retrieved from Kim Minjae''s room in Ganghwa."

    The messages were cryptic and written in ancient Chinese. They all had different messages, but one that stood out was "Engage Lee Seung. Neutralise."

    No! No, no, no!

    Unpleasant shrill whistled in his ears, and liquid rage turned Seung''s blood into ash. Sim JunHo was still speaking, but his words blended into a murky marsh of grey and black muck he was sinking into.

    "Someone must have planted them in her room. Why would she keep something so incriminating with her?" Wang Jung ventured, trying to cool the blazing embers around him.

    Sim Junho leaned back without answering, locking his gaze with Seung, his glittering eyes mocking the question before it left Wang Jung''s mouth.

    Seung looked away.

    Holding incriminating evidence was always the safest threat to have a hold over someone.

    "None of this has come as a surprise to you, has it, Lee Seung?" Sim Junho''s voice dropped several decibels as realisation dawned.

    Seung looked down at his clenched hands on his knees, a dark flush marking his blade-like cheekbones.

    "You fool!" Sim Junho hissed, his eyes raking Seung, who sat still like a rock. "You utter, bloody fool!"

    Sim Junho slapped the book in front of him shut and threw a scroll at Seung, which hit him on his forehead before sliding down and dropping beside his knees.

    Not a hair moved on Seung. "No one touches her."

    Sim Junho expelled a frustrated breath and inhaled deeply.

    "Fine. I won''t touch your woman. She''s fortunate that our ministers'' inflated egos can''t handle the idea of a woman leading anything, so you still have a chance to keep her from getting crushed. It''s up to you to control her."

    "I understand," Seung said.

    "I have already spoken to His Majesty and Minister Choe Myeong Gil. Your father-in-law is, of course, throwing a fit, but you don''t go back as the Commander of Ganghwa. Because of the mess you have caused, now we have the incompetent Kim Kyongjin helming the reins of that island."

    Seung''s mouth tasted of copper. "I am sorry," he said.

    "That bastard won''t be able to inspire a single soldier to pick up a sword when the time comes!" Sim Junho was furious.

    "Is it any worse than having Kim Chajhom as the Supreme Commander who refuses to see the Manchus as a threat and treats the commoners like sheep to be fleeced?" Seung retorted.

    "You should learn to shut your yap, Lee Seung. You are not off the hook yet. Kim Kyongjin is the prosecuting official and has no love lost for you. You will return to Ganghwa as the Supreme Royal Guard and royal security Chief of Staff." He pushed a scroll that Wang Jung quickly collected and unrolled. It was Seung''s new orders signed by King Injo. "But before you leave Hanyang, I need this network dismantled, Lee Seung. You have ten days. Leave Choi Se-min to me. I''ll handle his surveillance from here. Currently, neither Kim Minjae nor Ganghwa is included in any investigation regarding the network. But I am warning you. One mistake and I will not hesitate to crush her bones myself."

    The rivulets of sweat had now become rivers pouring down his back. But when he spoke, his voice showed none of the emotions shredding his innards. "Thank you, Hyungnim. You have my word. Put out a search. We need to find a man with a limp and a scar and a woman named Soo Hyun, who could be a slain minister''s daughter. and every man on the family tree of Soldier Ko Yoon."

    What Seung had in mind was diabolical. It was not his proudest moment, yet he had never been one to pretend that the straight path was the only route to success. But first, he had to confirm something, and hoped he was wrong.

    Seung was a wolf on a hunt, and the sands of time slipped faster than he could blink.

    ¡Þ

    "How does it feel to be kept in the dark, Minjae? Knowing that I have known something all along while you didn''t?" His eyes were chips of black ice.

    Seung had counted on her visceral reaction to this site. He waited until her guard was down, until she trusted him completely.

    Bile coated her throat. "You planned this all...."

    He stepped closer.

    "It helps when you know your opponent too well," Seung''s lips twisted in a humourless smile.

    The glass shattered, and jagged shards eviscerated her veins. Anger spread through her like venom. She shook with its force.

    "How dare you!" She spit.

    "You have no idea of the extent of my dare, Kim Minjae. Why," he paused, his eyes hard, "did you meet Choi Se-min that night?"

    Too late, she realised Seung didn''t miss the flicker of panic in her expressions at Choi Se-min''s mention. His eyes went over her white face and terror-rounded eyes. Something nasty flashed his eyes, and granite edged his voice into ragged points.

    "Are you really that gullible to think I just chanced to be on the rooftop that night? Or do you take me for an utter fool?" Seung stepped closer. "It was right in front of my eyes. The espionage, the defectors...you always had the most elaborate network and the perfect cover, and here I was, the sodden fool who chose to disregard it. Who are your accomplices? Choi Se-min? Kang Do? Your reaction to His Excellency Choi Se-min told me more than I could have imagined. His slaves knew to kill you on sight. What do you have on him? His son?"

    Minjae tried to speak, but her throat closed up. Seung''s treachery fanged its way into her blood, curdling it. Black hazed her eyes.

    "You lied about everything¡ªyour name, your age, and¡ª" he swept his hand around the place, "this, and would have kept doing it if I hadn''t seen you that night with Kang Do. What does Choi Se-min have on you?¡± Seung¡¯s expressions darkened. ¡°Your body was untouched before you came to me, so that marriage story is also fake. Yet why do I feel we always had another someone in the room whenever I touched you?"

    A green film of disgust coated her skin.

    "You bastard!" She didn''t recognise her own voice. Her palm swung, and it connected with his cheek. A crack echoed around the woods.

    Seung''s eyes turned into flint. He grabbed her by her arms. "Do not attempt that again. Do you understand?" He shook her until her teeth clattered. "And do not spin stories about being a slave or," his voice cracked, "win my sympathy by claiming to be the daughter of my father''s murderer." He pushed her so she stumbled back, barely able to balance herself, her heart thudding. "The woman named So-Hyun was years older than you. She was a corrupt Interior Minister''s daughter who was executed three years before my father was murdered. So don''t!"

    "Has it occurred to you that Lord Choi might want to kill me because of you?" She spat.

    "Nice try, Minjae. In any case, you now have a much bigger problem than my father-in-law trying to kill you. You traded your soul with the barbarians. You smuggled people -"

    "Yes! Yes, I did," She lifted her chin, and the black of her eyes distended into fiery coal chips. "We helped men who wanted to leave Joseon. They paid good money. Did I ever pretend all our sources were clean and above board? And I don''t care if it was illegal. Among those were also men who were legally being crushed! Men, boys as young as ten, used and abused by their masters and debt collectors - how is it different from rescuing abused women?"

    Seung gripped her by her arms. "You think they were being crushed in Joseon? Do you know what those barbarians are capable of? They are animals, Minjae!"

    "Then at least you know who they are upfront. Far better than the animals who dress up as angels!"

    "Angels?" He scoffed. "I thought you were an angel too. You and your group have handed Joseon''s secrets to those murderers for money. And my word, you started young. Do you remember the two men who accosted you that day? They were killed a few days later. They blamed you for trying to cheat them of their money. Did you have Kang Do take them out, too?"

    Her eyes widened with hurt so vicious that she thought her head would splinter into fragments. Her grip on her skirt was so tight that her knuckles turned bloodless.

    Seung looked away, swallowing, as a blade of light washed his features with a look akin to self-loathing that disappeared so quickly that she thought she had imagined it. When he turned back, his gaze was unreadable.

    Fury and raw fear ravaged her insides. "Were you behind Captain Park''s arrest?"

    His silence culled her heart.

    She lifted her chin. "The brave Commander Lee corners a woman he claims to love in the wilderness. Why not arrest me and force a confession instead?"

    Seung was now so close that she could see the gold flecks of sunlight in his black eyes. "And spook your accomplices?" He gave a humourless laugh.

    Minjae was slowly recovering her composure, her mind working overtime to find a way out. She levelled her stare at him. "Are you sure it''s not because you won''t be able to stomach my skin ripped off and my bones splintered, Commander Lee, as you mentioned that night?" Her voice dripped with acid and hurt so deep that she felt blood seeping out of her body. She watched with satisfaction as the area around Seung''s mouth turned white. But when he spoke, his tone had nothing but disdain.

    "You hold yourself in too high an esteem, Kim Minjae, far from it. You don''t fear death, so torture won''t work for you. So I had to know what else would. I know how those bastards operate. Once you are useless to them, they will erase your existence without blinking. Choi Se-min is under investigation for being a barbarian spy. And so are you. And a dead spy is no use to me. You will help me trap the rest." Seung said, his voice devoid of emotion.

    Every word felt like a death knell to her heart. Minjae closed the gap between them until their clothes rustled together. She looked into his eyes.

    "I am not a spy. Choi Se-min is not a spy. You don''t want to know my secrets, Commander Lee. If you ever did, no amount of regret would ever erase what you have done to me," hot tears pooled in her eyes, "to us."

    Seung flinched, and then his eyes turned obsidian. "What do I have to lose, Kim Minjae? You were prepared to sever ties when we reached Ganghwa. I am doing it here." A nerve ticked in his jaw.

    "Is that what this is about? Your revenge on me for refusing you?"

    "Did you refuse me, though?" Seung asked, pulling her into his arms in one sweep. "Do you really think you would have been able to hold out on me?"

    Their hearts crashed against each other, desperate to break free. Minjae curled her fingers on his handbok. Seung''s fingers dug into her waist. When his head eclipsed the light, her mind erased.

    She was in a nightmare. She would wake up and find Seung looking at her tenderly.

    His kiss deepened. Everything would be all right. Her senses, exhausted from the onslaught of a past she could not escape, a present that spiralled out of control and a future that was as murky as the nights she spent shutting out the world for so long, sank their teeth into the pleasure of his feeling, the headiness of his smell, the security of his broad chest....

    "Have I proven how empty your words are, Physician Kim, or do I need to take you here on this wretched ground to prove it more?"

    It was as if Seung dumped icy water on her. Stung, she stepped back. Seung laughed. "I spent more time with you in bed than any other woman, so ''refusal'' is hardly the word I would use, Kim Minjae. I enjoyed it, and you should thank me for making you enjoy it, too, because this was the last time I would ever touch you."

    A physical slap would have felt less debilitating.

    She looked at the rock. Last time, this place had destroyed her life. This time, it crushed her soul.

    Curiously, Seung had not let her go completely. His hand still cupped a side of her face, and a thumb gently circled her skin, at odds with the harshness of his tone. "Now, you will do as I tell you, Physician Kim. We will head back -" Seung stopped mid-sentence as Minjae flicked the needle in her hand and aimed at Seung''s neck.

    Seung swiftly sidestepped, slapped her wrist away like he was swatting a fly, and in a dizzying blur, her wrist was in his grip. He pressed a nerve, her fingers went slack, and the needle fell from her limp fingers, a cry wrenching from her. Seung pulled her up against him.

    "You are not the only person who knows about pressure points, Physician Kim," he twisted her hand and turned her around. Her back was flushed against his thundering chest, and his arms clamped around her in a vice grip. "Try that again, and you will find yourself in a cage. I will get to your secrets, Minjae. You will willingly lead me to them."

    "I will die before you wring anything out of me, Commander Lee," she struggled, trying to free herself from his grasp.

    "Your efforts to save the rats are commendable, Physician Kim. Do you think people like Se-min give a damn about bottom-feeders like you? You can run all you want, Kim Minjae. I will find you and then hunt Se-min like a dog."

    "Please, Dari, leave Choi Se-min alone. I do not know what you suspect him of, but he is innocent. I will do whatever you ask me to," She pleaded.

    "Even though I find your defence of that brat offensive, I will let it slide because you will do what I tell you to irrespective, Kim Minjae, and you do not get to lay down conditions. I do."

    "Was everything you said and did these past few days a lie?" Minjae asked brokenly.

    "Are you surprised I chose to lay with the enemy, Kim Minjae? I guess you can call me morally dubious."

    His words speared her like a hot poker.

    "I will never forgive you for this," Minjae felt the wet haze overwhelm the tender barrier of her lashes.

    Seung''s laugh in her ears was filled with an emotion she had no difficulty recognising: pain.

    "Trust me, Physician Kim, the feeling is mutual. You see, I, too, have sold my soul to the devil. I had to pick a side, and I have picked you. I hate myself as much as I hate you, so don''t fight me."

 Thirty Two: Sim Junhos dilemna

    The prospect of sitting on the warm chamber floor excited him, promising to be a balm to his freezing behind, but the first thing that Sim Junho felt upon entering was icy disdain rolling off in waves from the prisoner who sat in the middle of the room, her figure prone, back arched, hands in her lap.

    Regal.

    He circled around her and settled on the mattress on the other side of the table, the only barrier between them, but the gulf could be a moat filled with flesh-eating gators.

    Lee Seung stood by the wall, his tall figure ramrod straight, his eyes boring a hole in the wall across from him. Aggression poured from him like a storm-driven tide, threatening to tear down anything that so much as stood in his way. Or looked at his woman.

    Sim Junho almost rolled his eyes, suppressed a chuckle at the spectacle, and turned his attention to the woman across from him. Kim Minjae bowed to him and lifted her chin in defiance for a fraction of a second before looking down.

    The iciness of her gaze didn''t faze him, though he was loath to admit that it had initially thrown him off.

    She was the criminal who had orchestrated a network that smuggled men and traded treason. Yet her contemptuous disregard would have you think you were the one in the wrong....

    Initially, Junho was surprised to learn that Lee Seung had been so captivated by Kim Minjae that he refused to see past the tip of his own nose. Given that Seung had rarely blinked at a pretty face before¡ªwomen had always been a means to an end for him¡ªJunho had scoffed at it as a passing fancy until he realised Seung''s nose did end where Minjae''s begin.

    Objectively, she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Men were visual beings, and he couldn''t deny that her beauty struck him deeply, though more like a fact, much like water in the ocean, snow in winter, or leaves on a tree. It wasn''t just her perfect face that set her apart.

    There was something about how Kim Minjae looked and carried herself¡ªsomething elusive and indefinable. She had so many layers that finding a seed in a cabbage seemed easier than understanding what made Kim Minjae tick. The mystery surrounding her only added to her appeal.

    A mystery fast adopting the proportions of a wrecked ship, not to mention the complications of his best field agent and someone he considered closer than a younger brother ready to bleed for her.

    While Sim Junho still did not understand - nothing in his twenty and eight years had prepared him for an attachment to any human being to the point he could sacrifice himself, he picked his battles because Junho was a practical man, and Lee Seung was one of the best Joseon had seen.

    "It does not have to be this difficult," Sim Junho waved a hand in the air to emphasise. "If you cooperate with us, we will prevent you from getting any punishment."

    Silence.

    "I know you have been repeatedly told how we can wring details out of you¡ª" Junho said, ignoring the stiffening of Seung''s body by the wall-"through other methods."

    More silence.

    "You do realise we have proof of what your group did, and everyone will be punished," Junho said. "It will not be pretty. We are offering you a way out. You give us details, tell us who else is involved, and we will let you and your father go in return."

    She simply sat, looking at her hands.

    Sim Junho sighed. This was a waste of time and energy. All those captured knew only fragments of their organisation, and so far, no one could identify the source of the information leak. It was evident that Minjae directed the group on the ground while Captain Park orchestrated the logistics. However, from what he could see, the number of people involved was relatively small. The rescue of abused women was genuine, and most believed that was their mission. The smuggling of men to the Manchu border was also carried out by a few, and they had eventually tied it to Oh Man Sik, Minjae''s brother-in-law, who was also in custody along with Captain Park. They had traced some of the donors to a few powerful commoner families who merely donated cash or goods and looked the other way. To secure and trade the kind of information that had been exchanged, someone very powerful with a lot at stake had to be behind this. Yet, there had been no confessions from Captain Park either.

    The question was, besides Ganghwa, how far did this extend, and who was involved?

    It would be but a matter of time before this blew up, became common knowledge and wrestled out of their hands. Everyone captured would be tortured into giving the confessions their interrogators dictated. The minions would be punished, while anyone even remotely powerful would escape unscathed, especially if they were under the protection of King Injo or part of the influential Northern scholar faction. Which, of course, would defeat the whole purpose, leaving the Kingdom in even more peril than before.

    Minjae once asserted that although they assisted men in crossing into Manchu territories with new identities, they never sold any state secrets or information. She raised her chin with a maddening calmness and challenged them to find her or any of the men and women involved in the rescue mission at fault. If they were, she would gladly accept any punishment they thought was just and then sat unmovingly thereafter.

    Infuriatingly, she had made it more than clear that further cooperation from her would not be coming anytime soon.

    If Minjae''s claim were true, the situation would be even more critical because now they had little idea who was pulling the strings or how they accessed such a secretive network in the first place.

    He glanced at Seung.

    If her approach to him was chilly, her response to Seung was arctic. Even if she came away unscathed from this ordeal, he doubted Kim Minjae would ever thaw for Lee Seung.

    Some sacrifices were bloodier than losing a limb on a battlefield.

    Sim Junho felt sorry for the man.

    This was before she knew what he proposed.

    What Seung proposed was preposterous, and Sim Junho could not back it with a clear conscience.

    Let her be back on the island. Hide the fact that the network had been compromised. Allow the perpetrators to believe everything was as it had been. Then, when they made any suspicious moves, arrest them. In return, Minjae''s family on the island would be forgiven for taking part in smuggling the slaves as long as they could prove they were innocent of espionage.

    Sim Junho would then find a cow that would give birth to flying pigs.

    "She would simply warn everyone to lay low," Junho had exploded at the asinine plan.

    At the time of this conversation, Seung and Junho stood outside in the chamber''s courtyard where Minjae was confined. The wind nipped at his nose and ate his ears. He was not in a mood to pander to Seung''s strange whimsies.

    "Not if she wants to prove they didn''t trade secrets," Seung had reasoned calmly.

    "What if they did?" Sim Junho countered coldly.

    Seung had not replied.

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    "This will get all of us arrested for being accomplices, you moron!"

    Sim Junho battled an urge to draw Seung''s blood to warm his freezing hands. But he paused when Seung had looked at him with eyes that rivalled the wind''s chill. "I have a plan."

    What Seung outlined in the next few moments had cooled the blood in his veins faster than the frozen puffs his lungs pumped out in the air.

    Kim Minjae had a weakness. And it wasn''t Lee Seung.

    Sim Junho could bet his life if heartbreak had a sound, it would sound like Seung''s voice at that moment.

    Sim Junho forced himself to return to the moment, and the unpleasant task before him.

    "All right. I see you will not stop being stubborn. I will issue an arrest warrant for your father, your sister, Ko Yoon and Kiesang Han."

    No movement. Even her eyelashes stayed still.

    "In Hanyang, the men you met the other day have already been arrested, along with your brother-in-law."

    No movement.

    "That leaves only one man, and I will issue the warrant today - Choi Se-min."

    Minjae''s eyes snapped up, and an emotion flashed in her gaze so dark that if it left her eyes and inked the sky, it would swallow the sun.

    Bullseye!

    "Please leave him alone. Lord Se-min has no knowledge of the existence of this network. He does not even know such a network exists," she said. Sin Junho thought he heard a slight tremor in her voice.

    He glanced at Seung and saw his jaw tighten at her defence of another man. Junho was beginning to understand why Seung had proposed what he had. It would take extensive logistics, a great deal of subterfuge and risks that could cost lives if their true intent came to the fore. But what was life without some risks, and well, it was definitely worth giving a shot.

    "Ah! But I thought you said you met him at that secure location to discuss the rescue of a woman."

    "Yes, that''s right. He does not know how we put the rescue into effect."

    It was more than what she had spoken for the past two days.

    Sim Junho slapped her letter to Se-min on the table, along with the two books and the portrait of the old lady on the desk.

    Minjae''s eyes widened at the letter, before a strange expression flitted across her eyes.

    "My wager would be you did not meet him for any rescue. No one in your group has any knowledge of such rescue. A runaway slave from Choi''s residence has found her way to you. But I doubt you came all the way to the capital city to inform him about it. There are only two reasons a young, beautiful woman with a mysterious past meets a young man in the dark of the night. Either she is passing a secret or has romantic-"

    "Stop!" Minjae''s face took a green sheen as if she was nauseous. "Please stop. I told you I was a runaway slave, and his family has been on the hunt for me. He-he helped me escape."

    "So you went to thank him in a secluded house at midnight? Alone? To settle his debt in kind?" Sim Junho was deliberately baiting Minjae.

    However, Junho misjudged Minjae''s resilience. Though she turned even more nauseous green around the gills, her expressions shut down. She simply shrugged and said, "I am from Ganghwa. We return favours differently."

    For a moment, Sim Junho was speechless before an insane urge to laugh overtook him at her audacity in calling his bluff. Any virtuous Joseon woman would have consented to anything to eliminate suspicion of being unchaste. Not Kim Minjae. He was part irritated and part intrigued by her haughty act, and a whole lot exasperated. However, he sobered when, from the corner of his eyes, he saw Seung whip his face towards the back of her head with an expression so explosively raw that he feared the chamber would catch fire.

    "There is a third option - you are blackmailing him for his past gambling habits, and you are forcing him into spying for you. Perhaps the money you had was from the gambling den. Is that why those slaves want to kill you?"

    "I do not care what you think of me, but he is not a spy. Please leave Lord Choi Se-min out of this," Minjae said stubbornly.

    "I am afraid you do not dictate how we conduct our investigations," Sim Junho said. "You should worry about yourself. Your lack of cooperation is already unacceptable. So we will need other ways to compensate. So either you tell us everything, reveal the reason for your visit to Lord Se-min, or we ask the man himself. And don''t try to weave the slave story again. It''s five years too late. Except for one, who is already accounted for, no slaves are missing from Choi''s household in Hanyang or nearby towns, let alone the fact that slaves do not have the kind of money you had. If you stole, Lord Choi¡¯s slaves would capture you, not want to kill you. The arrest of Choi Se-min will cause some problems with His Excellency Lord Choi, but we will keep it discreet, and I am sure he will understand. He would not want the news to trickle to His Majesty. That would end his career in the court for good. And perhaps, while we are at it, we should turn you over to the Royal Investigation Bureau, where your limbs will be crushed like dried leaves."

    He let that sink in. Kim Minjae should have been terrified. She was alone, at the mercy of men who could cause her great harm.

    Lee Seung had brought Kim Minjae to their ''special'' house on the outskirts of the city. It was dilapidated from the outside and owned by an old couple. In reality, it had an entire underground network of chambers used for purposes best not known by the average person on the road. Not that it would concern any upstanding citizen because the chambers only saw criminals and very few select underground agents and inspectors who needed information without letting the entire population of Joseon know.

    If they did something untoward towards the prisoner, that would go unreported.

    Kim Minjae was the first woman they had brought into the house. Every officer in the rooster was morally upright and would cut themselves dead before looking at a woman with disrespectful eyes, but criminals were seldom accorded the same respect.

    That itself should have made her afraid. She had no way of knowing that even if she had not been someone for whom Lee Seung could go on a murderous rage, they still would have kept her in the chambers above ground.

    It didn''t.

    Worse, having Lee Seung in the mix meant her safety, and the message that she was off limits to everyone else had to be loud and clear. Hence, she was not in handcuffs or restrained.

    Both Junho and Seung knew she was lethal if left to her own devices. However, she also possessed a brilliant mind. It did not take a genius to understand that. Not only would she not do anything reckless, but she probably read the room better than any of them expected. Her following words proved his hunch correct.

    "But that will not serve your purpose, will it, Lord Sim?" Minjae said, her voice underlined with a knife edge.

    She looked over her shoulder, her slender neck holding her head in a taut line of grace and defiance, and this time, she addressed Seung directly. "Dari, let us stop wasting our time and pretending this is an inquisition. You have no interest in what I have to say. You have brought me here because you think I will be useful bait to lure your culprits out," Minjae said, her shoulder gracefully straining against an invisible pressure.

    Sim Junho felt his facial muscles move with a surge of respect.

    A heavy, meaningful pause followed her statement.

    Seung left his spot by the wall, and sat down beside him. He looked at Minjae, his expression unreadable. When he spoke, his voice was devoid of expressions.

    "You are right. I am not interested in what you have to say. You have lied so much that I do not know if the shadow following you is real or an illusion."

    Minjae looked straight into his eyes. The tension between them hung so thick it felt like he was wading through mud. And just for a fleeting moment, Minjae''s mask of frozen derision fell away to reveal a blinding flash of emotions so raw that it took Sim Junho''s breath away.

    Hurt. Accusation. Betrayal. Disappointment.

    She looked at Seung as if her pedestal had crumbled beneath the weight of reality.

    It made Sim Junho curious. On the outside, it was as clear as the sky that it was Mnjae who had strung Seung along with her lies. Yet, how the heck did she manage to make everyone feel as if she was the one who had been wronged?

    If it bothered Lee Seung, he didn''t show it. He looked back at her with expressions carved out of a rock, his posture as tense as a volcano caging a lava of hurt, waiting to erupt.

    "There is something you need to do for us," Seung stated.

    Minjae nodded.

    Sim Junho watched their interplay with fascination. When it came to Lee Seung, Kim Minjae was a mass of nerves. Sim Junho filed away the information for future use while Lee Seung proceeded to tell her what he had in mind.

    Kim Minjae sat through it all, her mask of indifference falling back into place as she listened.

    "I have a condition," she said after Seung was done.

    "You are in no position to negotiate," Seung said coldly.

    "Then turn me over to the Royal Investigation Bureau," she said flatly.

    Seung''s eyes narrowed.

    "What do you want?" Sim Junho hastened before they killed each other with the ice picks they were darting at each other.

    She turned to him. "Sir, as long as I do what you have asked me to, you will not pursue Lord Choi Se-min regarding this network nor ask him about our interaction from that night," she lifted her chin.

    Seung''s nerve pulsed so fiercely in his jaw that Junho feared it would leap out any moment.

    "All right," Junho agreed quickly.

    Minjae turned to look at Seung, who looked back at her stonily. She lifted an eyebrow.

    Unbelievable.

    "You have my word," Seung said after what felt like an eternity.

 Thirty Three: Caged

    The choice not to reveal her identity proved easier than Minjae thought. At one point, she had considered revealing her identity, if only to see Lee Seung''s arrogance crumble under the weight of his guilt for the cruelty he inflicted on her.

    In the end, she opted for safety. Her family in Ganghwa was already under surveillance, and there was not much she could do other than ride the storm out. She was convinced of their innocence and as eager to sniff out the culprit who had sullied their cause as the men who held her captive. It only made sense to keep her identity secret and protect everyone from Lord Choi Se-min''s wrath, which would target anyone opposing him. If he learnt she was alive, he would not stop at Kang Do or Lee Seung but even hurt Se-min and anyone else who could back her claim.

    Minjae winced as she remembered her father''s cold, indifferent eyes whenever he looked at her. The whispers of servants, the cruel words that slipped through the walls¡ªeach memory was a knife twisting in her gut. Deep down, she had always known Choi Se-min wished she had never been born.

    Moreover, even if she had tried, would Lee Seung would have believed her?

    The staged rescue was set for exactly one week from today. According to their covert plans, Minjae had discreetly informed everyone on the island after returning from Ganghwa two weeks earlier. Captain Park was tasked with delivering the woman, and three days later, she would be covertly transported to a secluded temple. From there, she would be dispatched to her final, undisclosed destination. This woman was integral to their operation, a crucial pawn in the intricate web designed to ensnare those trafficking in dangerous secrets.

    For his part, Seung and Wang Jung had planned new documents and fake rescue routes for the royals and shared them with a select few.

    Kim Minjae had returned to the Lee household a few days ago and had resumed her treatment of Lady Ryu, who had been inordinately pleased to see her.

    This morning when she entered the courtyard, she was greeted by Jeon Suji, delivering fresh cuts of meat to the cook. Jeon Suji wriggled her eyebrows at the woman who claimed to be Lee Seung''s wife, receiving what seemed like boatloads of gifts from her parent''s house. The woman''s face was stoic, but her eyes gleamed at all realms of silk, rice and beans sacs, and knick-knacks that had arrived for her from the capital.

    Minjae''s heart skittered for a moment, nostalgia hitting her like a whiplash, so potent that she almost doubled over.

    Amid the emotional wreckage left by Seung''s actions, the close shave with her father, meeting with Se-min and Kang Do, and being in her grandmother''s house, the walls she had built over the years swiftly crumbled. The pain of loss sharpened the daggers poking from those walls, severing her ties to her childhood as well as to Lee Seung. Minjae wanted to physically harm the woman for taking her place, for pretending to be someone she was not, for touching everything that should have been hers...

    Her legacy.

    She had even lost the books and her grandmother''s sketch. Seung never returned them, and she didn''t ask.

    "Are you all right?" Jeon Su-ji was shaking her arm. "Minjae?"

    She snapped back to her present, disoriented.

    "You look like you have swallowed a bee hive," Su-ji jested, though she kept a close eye on her. "Are you sick?"

    Minjae shook her head. The woman - Seung''s wife, Minjae had to remind herself - chose that moment to look at their difrection. Her smile tightened as she slipped a thick envelope in her sleeves.

    Giving a respectful bow, Minjae tried to clamp the sudden jealousy that consumed her. She received a curt nod as an acknowledgement.

    Now that Seung had cut her from his life for good, would he turn to this woman? She was beautiful, and with her newfound knowledge of how things worked between a man and a woman, Minjae knew the woman had what could drive any red-blooded man wild. Images of them in bed seared her mind, and Minjae felt physically sick.

    She had to stop. She had work to do. And she had a goal to reach.

    "Don''t stay out too late tonight; tomorrow is the procession," Suji elbowed her. "I heard the men in the Royal security are beautiful to look at."

    Minjae rolled her eyes. "Continue that line, and you will lose your head."

    "I am not exactly a candidate for chastity belt," Suji laughed.

    Gil-ae greeted her at the door, the young woman''s smile spilling into a wide, welcoming grin.

    "I am so glad to see you, Physician Kim," she mouthed while Minjae waited to be announced by the maid. Though the sounds were muffled, Minjae could hear Lady Ryu''s angry voice coming from inside the chamber. "Come see me when you are done," Gil-ae said, then bent towards her, conspiratorial, "The temperature inside is high, but do not let it trouble you. It''s almost a daily occurrence now."

    Minaje bowed and watched Gil-ae retreating back with a smile. In an ideal world, she would have gained a sister. She wondered what Gil-ae meant by her cryptic statement.

    She received her answer as soon as she stepped into the chamber.

    By temperature being ''high'', Gil-ae meant both Seung and his fake wife were in attendance to Lady Ryu and getting what looked like a dressing down.

    Her breath hitched, and her stomach went on a dive.

    She had been back on the island for twelve days and eight since she returned to the Lee house as Lady Ryu''s physician. She had not even glimpsed Lee Seung.

    Seeing his dark head bent towards his mother while saying something soft and soothing, Minjae felt a swarm of butterflies scrape their whispery wings against her insides. The noises around her coalesced with the blood rushing in her ears.

    An angry flush stained Lady Ryu''s face, her brows scrunched as she shook her head at whatever Seung said. Seung gently patted her hand before he rose and turned.

    Their eyes met. The intensity of heat in his charcoal eyes burned a fiery path right into her soul before they shuttered, travelling down the length of her in a quick once-over.

    The temperature dropped and then soared before falling again. The skin of her arms pebbled.

    Minjae wiped her face clean of all expressions and did what she was here to do - tend to Lady Ryu, who neither bestowed her a smile nor looked at her, which was not normal.

    Fewer and fewer things qualified for normal in Minjae''s life anyway.

    Seung and the fake wife sat behind her. Minjae was acutely aware of their eyes following her movement - or were they?

    She glanced at Seung. His face was dark, his brows drawn into a fierce line, and he kept his eyes fixed on his mother. Her gaze involuntarily shifted to his fake wife and was rewarded with a triumphant slash of her mouth. Cursing herself for falling into the trap, Minjae ignored both of them and focused on her needles. She silently praised herself for keeping her fingers steady when Seung murmured something softly to his fake wife.

    What could have upset Lady Ryu so? She was wound tighter than a spool of cotton on a spinning wheel. Minjae eyed the single red envelope lying on the table by her bedside. Minjae wondered if it had come bearing bad news.

    It was a bargain with the devil.

    How much did Lady Ryu know? Did she know about the letters?

    When she left, Minjae could have been one of the faceless figures serving the household for all the attention Seung paid her.

    A vice grip twisted the bleeding organ inside her rib cage. What else had she expected?

    Gil-ae was waiting outside her mother''s door when she stepped out. "Do you have time to accompany me to a friend''s house today during the hours of Mi Si (Î´•r)*? She is due to give birth soon, and I pledged to bring you to her. They have only just arrived on the island, and the journey has been arduous for her."

    "I do not have much experience with pregnant women or delivering children, My Lady. There are some highly skilled midwives I can direct you to," Minjae said gently.

    Delivering children was not her speciality, and her waking hours were already glutted with a long list of women demanding her presence, regardless of whether their need was genuine or not. She did not want to add to her burden, especially for another Yangban elite who thought anyone who served them subsisted on air and their curses alone.

    "Oraboni had already told them about you, so she has been insisting on someone she can trust, even if you cannot help her with childbirth," Gil-ae persisted.

    Minjae finally relented and agreed to accompany her.

    "Lee Gil-ae, I do not recall you taking my permission to leave the house today," The fake wife''s sultry voice interrupted their conversation.

    None of them had heard her entering the corridor.

    Lee Gil-ae''s mouth tightened as she turned to greet her supposed sister-in-law with a polite bow.

    "We discussed this yesterday, Sister-in-law," Gil ae said calmly, though her eyes two furious slits of coal.

    "Perhaps. That does not automatically translate into permission. I cannot allow you to leave the house that close to sunset."

    "You seldom allow me to go out during the day," Gil-ae protested.

    Minjae felt a pang of sympathy for the younger girl. Gil-ae embodied all the virtues expected of a refined Yangban woman, and Minjae could not help but chafe at the restrictions imposed upon her by the woman.

    The fake wife dared to look bored. "That''s enough. Please go attend to Mother-in-law," she instructed haughtily.

    Pricking needles at the base of her neck and soft footsteps alerted Minjae to Seung''s presence before she heard his voice.

    "Is there a problem?" Seung asked.

    Minjae bowed and stepped aside.

    "Oraboni, I want to take Physician Kim to Lord Bong Hee''s house to meet his wife and was asking Sister-in-law for permission," Gil ae said sweetly.

    "Oh!" Seung said. "That''s a good idea. Do that."

    The fake wife''s face rearranged itself in rigid lines.

    With that, he walked away, with not even a cursory glance at Minjae to acknowledge her bow.

    Gil-ae sent Minjae a conspiratory victory smile and slipped into her mother''s room.

    Minjae felt the blade of the fake wife''s gaze pierce her rather than see it.

    "Well, what are you waiting for?"

    A tired sigh escaped Minjae. "To leave after you, My Lady. It''s rude for me to leave earlier."

    "You dare to teach me etiquette?"

    "One can never learn enough of it," Minjae returned.

    "For a servant, your tongue has grown too long. Consider this a fair warning; I might shorten it one day. If you think you can rekindle My Lord Lee''s interest by hovering around here or sweetening his sister, then you are mistaken," she said acerbically.

    The sore laugh travelling Minjae''s throat left behind an acid aftertaste. "You wanted my help to convince Lord Lee to come to you. Here is some free advice. Sweetening up to the sister might be the first step towards it."

    The fake wife scoffed. "I don''t need your advice anymore. You are no longer a competition. I wonder what happened," she said, with a gleam of speculation in her narrowed eyes, unsettling Minjae. "Did he already have his way with you?"

    Blood poured out of Minjae''s veins and pooled somewhere at the bottom of her stomach, making it cramp.

    An ugly red climbed the woman''s cheekbones. Her gaze dropped to Minjae''s midriff before raising her eyes with a look so putrid Minjae could smell it.

    "Are you with a child?" She asked.

    "It''s none of your business," Minjae said coldly, her barren chest wishing she could have said yes to that question.

    "Which means a no. Good. Men like to get women like you out of their system and come back to their wives. You can leave now," she said, with a cruel twist to her lips, injecting the words with blades that filleted Minjae''s flesh.

    Minjae stumbled out, shame and fury scorching every part of her body, along with the darkness she had come to recognise too well - grief.

    ¡Þ

    More than anything else, it was her look of disappointment in him that raked Seung''s insides to ribbons of throbbing pain that refused to recede even after three weeks of that fateful day up on the hill behind the gambling house in Hanyang.

    He was slumped against a chest against the wall of his dark chamber, welcoming the mild discomfort from the indentation of hard metal knobs digging into the flesh of his back.

    His rage burned more scarlet, singing everything in its path until everything felt like a mass of pain that made each draw of breath painful.

    He was not the one who had lied. He was not the one who had pretended to be someone he was not throughout the time they had known each other. He was not the one who had risked their life to defend another man they met secretly, right after spending days in his arms, crying out their pleasure for him.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Yet how could she make it seem like he was the one who had betrayed her?

    Seung chugged the liquid from the wine pitcher, uncaring the dribble that blotched his tunic.

    It wasn''t her obscure history or potential treason that twisted his gut. It wasn''t even that she might not reciprocate his feelings. He didn''t know what she felt for him, but he had been content with whatever little she gave him.

    It was that Minjae had hidden the fact she was the girl with the bracelet.

    Why had that one thing crushed him so completely? Perhaps because she had been his saving angel for so long. He hated her for destroying that intangible source of strength. Perhaps, it was the straw that broke the camel''s back.

    Seung had given her the benefit of the doubt when he first found the mole. More than one woman could have a mole in such an odd, private place, right? After all, there was no chance Minjae could be there, and she was much older than that little girl...but his heart had started cleaving when she lied about the books and the sketch. He had trusted her to at least share that she had gone to meet someone that night. She didn''t.

    Her face had paled the night she had seen the bracelet in his hand. His suspicion had hardened into icy certainty.

    His chest had cracked with anguish at the look on her face when she realised he had brought her to the place that probably had been causing her nightmares ever since that fateful day five years ago. It had not taken him long to figure out that her visceral, naked fear in the woods the day he met her had stemmed from this encounter.

    Self-loathing had warred with vindication.

    Her reaction only incensed him further. If she had apologised, perhaps said something¡ªanything¡ªto show she cared, or that she had a valid reason to pretend she didn''t know him when they met, it might have soothed some of the hurt. Instead, she looked at him as if he had shattered her trust and destroyed her world.

    She could have been a plant from the beginning!

    Sim Junho''s words danced around him like snakes biting into him with fangs, orchestrating a million cuts that poisoned him but didn''t kill.

    He didn''t want to believe it. Even now, part of him refused to accept that Kim Minjae could be so cold. But his pragmatic side knew people often were not what they pretended to be. And truth be told, she had warned him to stay away, making up stories to keep him at bay. Stories that now didn''t hold any water.

    Yet she gave herself to him. Only him.

    ''Engage Lee Seung. Neutralise.''

    In a language only Kim Minjae could read.

    Every memory was now tainted with lies and deception. Kim Minjae had lied and lied and lied until every lie she uttered had become the truth.

    Seung had successfully avoided her after returning to Ganghwa for two whole weeks.

    Until today.

    When he saw her in his Mother''s chamber, all his vows to forget her fell like frozen pebbles in hail, crashing and melting into puddles of need around him.

    He forgot about his mother''s fury at his consistent resistance to Choi Jina or that he was delinquent in his duties towards his late father. His wife, sitting beside him, faded into obscurity. The chamber jigsawed into a puzzle before the pieces floated back together to a cohesive shape. His chest splintered, Minjae''s presence sneaking in beneath his skin like a knife peeling his skin off, leaving him raw and bleeding.

    Seung had forced his eyes to stay on his Mother, as he willed himself to ignore Minjae¡¯s shrunken form and strained expression. Yet somehow, his senses had followed every little turn, every little shadow, every fluid motion of her incredibly graceful movements as she tended to his mother, her face was seared in his mind, with that look of disappointment he could not shake off.

    Little did Kim Minjae know that had it not been for him, she would have been arrested, her body shredded until nothing but death would reprieve her of her misery. In the larger scheme of things, she was a woman, a nobody, and no one cared as long as she served their purpose.

    Except for him.

    "How dare you? I saved your life!" He shouted to no one and hurled the pitcher across the room.

    It shattered into millions of pieces.

    A few minutes later¡ªor was it hours¡ªhe could not keep track anymore, the door slid open, and he saw the gleam of dark-coloured silk enter the room. Two more cotton skirts followed, along with brooms, dustpans, and mops.

    Seung had stopped protesting Choi Jina''s entry into his room as long as she kept it to the job she had entered for. It was a routine they had settled into with an uneasy truce as two people forced to endure each other''s company. His new role took him away to the Ganghwado Palace for long hours, and he threw himself into work like a maniac. If he was home, he shut himself into his office chamber, waiting until he could no longer delay coming to his bed-chamber and his nightmares. Choi Jina brought him food. She stayed until he was done, sometimes as soon as he sat down, forcibly pushing food down his throat until it threatened to reappear.

    "Dari?" Choi Jina called him softly.

    He sensed movement around him. Trays of food. Tables. Choi Jina working to unlace his boots.

    Seung looked at her bent head. His wife.

    The woman who started it all, the mockery his life had become. There was a time when he felt a fist-in-the-gut anger when he looked at her.

    Now?

    He didn''t feel anything. He could not even remember why he had felt so angry at his wife. Kim Minjae consumed every living cell in his body to a point where everything else seemed black, a dark veil he could not lift to let light enter.

    "Dari, please, come with me," she urged. "The Royal procession is tomorrow, and you haven''t eaten anything. You need to get some sleep."

    She sounded frightfully convincing as a dutiful wife. Seung felt his body move. He was so tired of arguing with the voices in his head that he didn''t have the energy for much else.

    Choi Jina wrapped an arm around his waist, helping him across the room until he flopped on the bed. She placed something in his mouth that he chewed, feeling like his mouth was filled with sawdust, then waved her hand away as she brought it closer to his mouth a second time. She sighed.

    Choi Jina untied the strings on his hanbok and eased it off his shoulders. Again, he shook her off, tossing the annoying piece of cloth away. She motioned the maids to leave the chamber. She then adjusted his pillow and gently placed the nightwear beside him.

    Seung was aware of the female body hovering over him. He had failed Kim Minjae; he had failed his father, and he had failed his sister. Could he at least be a filial son to his family?

    He did not know right and wrong any more.

    As Choi Jina started moving away, he caught her hand, the other clasping the nape of her neck.

    His subconscious registered the look of shock on her face. He watched her face transform rapidly into a look he had no problem recognising. Lust. Choi Jina drew closer and placed a tentative hand on his bare chest. And then her lips closed on his.

    They were soft. He felt her tongue, the eagerness of her movements. He recognised expertise when he met it. There was no hesitation. No tentative budding of awareness. No surrender. No useless emotions heightening his senses.

    He had a duty to fulfil and produce an heir.

    Seung was a man who had bedded many women he never connected with emotionally. What better way to black out painful memories than to kick some sense into his body with his lawfully wedded wife? After all, whatever she had done in the past paled in front of what Minjae had done to him.

    An angelic face with liquid midnight eyes and succulent bow-like lips intruded his mind like warning bells.

    He closed his eyes tight and focused on the mechanics of the kiss with the woman presently in his arms.

    His wife drew closer. She brought his hand up and placed it on her chest.

    He obeyed her silent instructions. Her breasts were large and pliant, and they responded to him.

    Strain built behind his eyes. Seung waited to feel the familiar stirring of an arousal. Of anything other than this deep abyss that sucked him.

    Choi Jina smelled feminine. And something else that his sloshed mind didn''t register.

    What it did register instead was that she didn''t smell honey and lavender with that dizzying underline of patchouli. She didn''t taste of a sweet flower mingled with the raw essence of a woman he could not have enough of. She didn''t feel like - Kim Minjae.

    His mind swirled like a murky sewer as images of Minjae flashed¡ªher quiet laughter, the languid action of her raising a cup so gracefully to her lips that he half expected a melody to break out from the movement, or her flushed face, the sweep of her desire laden lashes, lips swollen from his kisses, how soft she felt in his arms, the way her body twisted bonelessly into positions he wanted her in.

    And the stricken look of disillusionment on her face......and the mask of nothingness she wore whenever she saw him.

    Choi Jina felt his coldness before his hand slipped to his lap, limp, listless, uninterested. She lifted her head. Seung turned his face away.

    He felt her hand creep below his waist, and he caught her wrist. He didn''t want Choi Jina in his life, but he had never disappointed a woman before, but his stomach churned at what he was doing. Seung felt a deep ache rising within him, the pressure suffocating him.

    No woman deserved to be humiliated like this.

    "I am sorry, I should not have..." he said. "I can''t do this."

    Choi Jina left the chamber wordlessly, closing the door softly behind her, leaving his world pitch black that buried his shame.

    You do not believe in fidelity and will never belong to one woman.

    He didn''t feel the flesh break from the indent of his nails in his palm.

    If only she could see him now.

    Kim Minjae had ruined him for every other woman in the world, including his own bloody wife.

    ¡Þ

    When Minjae arrived to meet Gil-ae later that day, the young woman was practically brimming with excitement. Their palanquins transported them to a massive structure that served as the Governor''s house.

    Minjae felt nostalgic looking at it. The previous Governor was a kind and generous man. His moral support had meant the world to the fifteen-year-old her, who had found herself thrust into a life she had no experience with.

    "Why are we here? I heard the new Governor lives alone, and I am not allowed to treat men any more," she made a face.

    Grand Prince Bongrim, the epitome of a Confucian scholar, found that the island practices did not fit neatly into any of the boxes rigidly defined in the scholarly doctrines he followed.

    The crackdown was swift. Unmarried women were barred from serving men, which almost led to the closure of Kim Da Bom''s inn since Nam Dami and Im Ji Won could no longer work there. Kim Minjae had to pitch in until the Royals left the island. Hired help in the form of a few urchins and young men who had become available after the harvest were unreliable and inefficient. Han So Ye''s kisaeng house had never seen more empty corridors. Yangban men on the island had suddenly developed a penchant for reading Confucian verses all day and most nights.

    Everyone''s nerves were frayed.

    Kim Minjae was no longer allowed to attend to the soldiers at the hospital. All the women had been ordered to leave the hospital premises within forty-eight hours of the mandate being issued and find alternative work.

    However, even though the Royals had arrived with royal physicians in tow, there was plenty of work to be found because, along with the royals, at least three dozen new Yangban families had flooded the island.

    Nonetheless, it meant Minjae had to travel more and put up with the tantrums of more entitled women who treated her like anything from a dog faeces to a saint saviour.

    "It''s his daughter," Gil-ae explained. "Oraboni''s friend is the Governor''s son-in-law. They''re staying here for their firstborn, as tradition requires."

    Minjae nodded wearily, unable to share Gil-ae''s enthusiasm for the couple. She had a long day, and all she wanted to do was return home and sleep, her mind already anticipating the comfort of her bed. Kim Da Bom had granted her a reprieve for the next two days, a rare luxury as more soldiers were busy with extended training hours.

    A liveried servant greeted them, checked their identities, and led them to the women''s quarters. The compound bustled with activity, with the constant movement of servants attending to their duties.

    Two attentive maids ushered the guests into a spacious chamber. The room''s linear space was divided by intricate hanji curtains, some inscribed with evocative sayings. Graceful hangings awash in a palette of vivid tones splashed the room with vibrant energy. A stunning room divider adorned with sweeping tulips and graceful swans imparted an extra refinement.

    Minjae felt charmed.

    The Mistress of the room commanded attention, dressed in a refined cream and beige hanbok with a gem-studded binyeyo pinned securely in the large bun at the nape of her neck.

    Gil-ae skipped to the woman while Minjae waited behind the maids, patiently to be called.

    "Lady Kim, so kind of you to entertain us," Gil-ae gushed, sitting across from the woman.

    "The pleasure is truly mine. What brings me the honour of your lovely company today, my lady?"

    The voice.

    Kim I-On.

    Shock nailed Minjae''s feet into the wooden floorboards beneath her. How had she made such a novice mistake of not doing her homework before meeting a new Yangban woman?

    She dug her chin into her collarbone, praying that five years had made enough difference that she could pass as a familiar face you-could-not-place rather than the best friend''s face you-could-never-forget.

    Lee Seung already had a wife who made enough noise among the Yangban women, who thrived on social manoeuvring and flaunting their husbands'' ranks. The fake wife''s reluctance to send Gil-ae made more sense now, though how she had managed to avoid an encounter with Kim I-On until now was baffling. However, her presence meant Kim I-On had no reason to suspect Minjae was anything more than a humble healer.

    The summons of ''Physician Kim, come'' from Gil-ae broke through her disorientation.

    Minjae dragged her feet, feeling as though they were weighed down by invisible stones, and bowed deeply, not daring to lift her face.

    "The fame of your talents precedes you, Physician Kim. You come so highly recommended that I felt I had to meet you," said Kim I-On, her voice carrying a smile. "Please, sit."

    How could her voice remain unchanged after all these years? A lump formed in Minjae''s throat as she nodded and sank into her seat, keeping her face as deep in shadows as possible.

    Thankfully, Gil-ae resumed her chatter, and soon the women were exchanging notes on cooking, stitching, gardening, and other topics. Servants and other low-ranked individuals seldom partook in conversations with high-ranked people, though women often made exceptions. Kim Minjae was mighty glad none of the women made any such attempt. A few more minutes and Minjae could make an excuse and leave.

    "What did you say her name was?" Kim I-On asked suddenly.

    Minjae''s pulse ratcheted up.

    Gil-ae, animatedly explaining her latest cooking experiment that had gone wrong, stumbled to a confused stop.

    "Physician Kim? Her name is Kim Minjae. She is wonderful. Though she cannot help with childbirth, she can assist with other ailments," Gil-ae''s voice dropped conspiratorially, "Please do not tell His Highness, but she is said to be the best with needles in all of Joseon and has stitched thousands of wounds on men," she boasted with pride.

    Minjae cringed.

    "Is that so?" Kim I-On said, a strange speculative tone lacing her voice.

    Minjae didn''t dare to look up. Sweat created small river channels on her back, and her calves cramped. Her hands shook as she clamped them together, pursing her lips.

    Please don''t, Kim I-On, she prayed.

    "Are you not, Physician Kim?" Gil-ae asked cheerfully, unaware of the panic that had stitched Minjae''s throat.

    "It''s too kind of you, Lady Lee. I assure you Ganghwa is filled with physicians and nurses who are far more talented than me." Minjae was proud of her steady, calm voice.

    Kim I-On sighed and moved. The unexpected movement drew Minjae''s eyes to her involuntarily.

    Her friend was heavily pregnant and was frowning at the bulge in her midriff.

    "Are you all right, Lady Kim?" Gil-ae asked, concerned, looking at Minjae for help.

    "I think I might need some assistance," Kim I-On said. "Lady Lee, could you wait outside while I consult with Physician Kim?"

    "Of course!" Gil-ae sounded thrilled to be of use and left the women alone.

    "My feet have been swelling, and I feel thirsty all the time," Kim I-On said.

    Relief.

    Kim I-On had not recognised her.

    "My lady could have excess sweetness in her blood. Additionally, the blood could be rushing faster than normal in your veins. Many expectant mothers face the problem," Minjae said, her breaths normalising. "I have an herb mixture that will help. I can send it tomorrow. Needle therapy will give you much relief if you care for it."

    "Will it take long?"

    The question hung as a meaningful pause.

    "Not too long. Let me send Lady Lee home," Minjae replied.

    A few minutes later, Minjae arranged the needles she needed. Kim I-On laid on her back, her swollen, semi-clothed frame supported by cushions. Minjae had ordered some calming tea that I-On could sip while she worked her way through.

    No one said a word, tranquil energy filling the room as Minjae inserted, twirled, lifted, and thrust the needles at various points around her belly. She left them for half an hour, carefully removed them one by one, gently massaged the points and sat back with satisfaction. "You will need two to three treatments per week for this to be effective. Why did you not ask for this earlier? Anyone could have helped you." Minjae started putting the used needles back in her pouch.

    Kim I-On reclined gracefully, resting her head upon a silken cushion and closing her eyes. "I''ve always been terrified of needles, except when they''re handled by someone I trust implicitly. Your skill with needles was always unparalleled, even if it was only a simple rose you stitched back in school. Your skill somehow made it stand out. Did you know I used to be so envious of it? I am relieved and grateful that at least that has not changed in all these years."

    The needles clattered to the floor from Minjae''s nerveless fingers, weightlessly, soundlessly mocking the silent denials Minjae made with the vehement shaking of her head.

 Thirty-Four: Whispers Of Fate

    The chamber walls, alive with vibrant energy a mere hour ago, now closed in on Minjae. She wondered if I-On had noticed her involuntary denial.

    "Do you have nothing to say, Choi Jina?" Kim I-On''s voice cut through the silence.

    Minjae secured the last needle between her fingers and swiftly scanned the floor one final time. Adding the needle to its pouch, she straightened.

    "You''re with child and mistaking me for someone else. What can I say, My Lady?" Minjae mentally patted herself for sounding so serene as if her heart was not threatening to cease its function. "If there is nothing else, I will take your leave."

    The sooner she left, the faster she could distance herself from this disaster.

    Kim I-On let out a long sigh. "I already feel better. Thank you, Physician Kim."

    Minjae turned to leave, hoping to escape the suffocating tension, but her relief was short-lived. She was only halfway across the room when a soft call of ''Jina!'' from I-On halted her. She spun around, masking her panic. "My Lady, you have my name wrong. My name is Kim Minjae-"

    "Minjae...," Kim I-On enunciated the syllables, "if you insist."

    Minjae nodded, feeling a knot tighten in her stomach.

    "I must mention your resemblance with Choi Jina to my husband, Lord Jo Hee-bong. He is Lord Lee Seung''s childhood friend. It will make for an enlightening conversation," Kim I-On said from her reclining position, looking Minjae straight in the eye.

    Minjae knew the hammer had dropped.

    "You will do no such thing!" Fear made Minjae''s words cut the air like a scythe.

    Kim I-On smiled, though it held no sign of a win. When she looked at Minjae again, her eyes were laced with sadness.

    "The night of your wedding, when you took shelter in my home, your hand was injured. It was not from a hot spatula, was it?"

    Minjae''s knees buckled. The medicine bag slipped from her fingers as she sagged to the floor.

    "It was burning charcoal, a punishment," she said, her voice flat, tired.

    Kim I-On paled and swallowed. "Is that why you left?"

    Minjae sighed. If only it had been that simple.

    "Did you know what else I was envious of? You seemed to have everything the rest of us didn''t. When your husband turned out to be the finest-looking man we had ever seen at your wedding, you could use the edge of the jealousy floating around to chop and dice the food on the table." Kim I-On laughed. "That night, I was angry at you for throwing it all away."

    Other than exhaling shallow breaths, Minjae didn''t reply.

    "Your father banned our family, especially me, from ever meeting you again. I always wondered what happened to you. There were rumours that Lord Seung did not want to take you back. So I was relieved to learn that..." Kim I-On let it trail. "But even back then, something did not sit right. A month ago, right after I arrived, I invited the current Lady Choi home. She sent a curt reply saying she wanted nothing to do with me. It was hurtful."

    Kim I-On struggled to lift herself, her pregnant belly making the movement difficult. Minjae quickly rushed to help, guiding her to a seated position. "Sometimes I feel there are five babies inside," I-On grumbled.

    Minjae smiled. "There could be, but I doubt it. Your child could be just a big one, but you probably have a large water sac," Minjae postulated.

    "How talented you have become," Kim I-On said, the pride in her voice held no trace of rancour.

    "It was that or oblivion. I simply chose the former," Minjae said. "It''s late, and you must rest, My Lady."

    "You always called me Kim I-On." The gentle rebuke tapped the long-buried longing of Minaje to be loved by someone who knew the real her, rushing it to the fore.

    "Times have changed, and so have we, My Lady. Rules of the past do not always apply to the present, and it will behove both of us to remember that," Minjae said stubbornly.

    "You talk a lot more now. If I look back, I can count on my fingers the number of times you spoke in full sentences," Kim I-On''s eyes twinkled.

    A laugh escaped Minjae despite herself.

    Kim I-On pulled the brass knobs of the ornate table drawer and retrieved a letter for Minjae. "She sent this. The Choi Jina I knew had exquisite calligraphy. This looked like it had been written by a child."

    Minjae ran her eyes over the curt missive. Two short lines declining the invite were scrawled in almost illegible letters. "You should offer your services as an investigator, Kim I-On," Minjae said, her throat closing up. "I haven''t met anyone for four years that I have been here. And now.." she swallowed.

    "Do you want to talk about it, Jina?"

    Minjae gave a slight shake of the head.

    "You can, you know. I will take it to my grave," Kim I-On promised.

    "Since when did you become so melodramatic?" Minjae tried to joke.

    "Since my husband made me double my size," Kim I-On complained, placing a hand on her belly, and then laughed as Minjae blushed.

    "My husband will recognise you too," Kim I-On mused.

    Confusion knitted Minjae''s brows. "I am certain I have never met him."

    "Remember the man who brought the news of Lord Seung''s imprisonment to my brother the morning after your marriage? It was him."

    Vague memories floated. Minjae could not remember the details of that day and definitely not the faces of the men she met on the way.

    "I had my jangot covering me at all times," Minjae tried to recall.

    "It slipped with shock when you learnt about the jail confinement of Lee Seung." Kim I-On''s eyes danced with merriment as she recounted that Lord Hee-bong found out Seung had never set his eyes upon his wife. To make the man feel better, Hee-bong had said she was most plain-looking, only to lament to I-On''s brother later that he could hardly break his friend''s heart by telling him his wife was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen!

    "Don''t jest!" Minjae swiped at I-On''s arm playfully, laughing despite herself.

    "You think it''s amusing when your future husband, who you have been half in love with from the time you toddled, claims your best friend is the most beautiful woman he has seen?" Kim I-On said in mock anger.

    "I didn''t know you were engaged; you never said anything," Minjae narrowed her eyes on her friend.

    Kim I-On sobered. "I wasn''t then. Lord Hee-bong frequently visited Oraboni. I always wanted him as my husband. But -" her voice trailed away as she bit her lip. "There was an informal understanding that he would marry Lord Seung''s sister after your marriage was solemnised. Lord Hee-bong liked Lee Gil-ae."

    Minjae''s gasp was audible, and her face crumpled. She knew where this was going.

    A sudden knock at the door shattered their reunion, a bittersweet mix of happiness and heartache, a vexing intrusion.

    "My Lady, Royal Inspector Jo Hee-bong is here," one of her maids called.

    They gasped in unison. Minjae looked around in panic, trying to figure out where to hide. "Quick, help me lie down," Kim I-On whispered. She reached for her handbok ties and pulled the silk in one swift motion, and the tunic parted to reveal her impressively pregnant midriff in all its nude glory.

    Minjae''s eyes widened.

    Kim I-On placed a finger on her lips and shushed her. "Go stand in a corner."

    Minjae obeyed wordlessly, burrowing her chin in her chest and clasping her hands in front of her.

    Lord Hee-bong entered in a flurry of grey and navy blue silk, completely ignoring Minjae''s presence and her deep, deep, almost back-breaking bow where her chin all but touched her knees. His eyes were fixed on his wife''s half-naked figure.

    "Kim I-On, I heard you have a physician attending to you. Are you all right?" Hee-bong sank beside I-On, clasping her hand and gently brushing a strand of hair from her face. The intimate touch spoke volumes about their bond.

    A hollow ache settled beneath Minjae''s rib cage, reminding her of her broken one.

    "You worry too much, My Lord. Remember the physician Lord Seung recommended back in Hanyang? She gave me some healing treatment to help me sleep better."

    Jo Hee-bong nodded. "How can I not be worried?" he asked huskily, placing a hand on her belly.

    Kim I-On''s eyes met Minjae''s over Hee-bong''s shoulder, her eyes crinkling in mischief at Minjae''s flustered expression. She cleared her throat and looked back at her husband. "Why don''t you come back later tonight, My Lord? You know I sleep better with you next to me." her voice fluttered sensually, underlined with unmistakable sincerity.

    Jo Hee-bong chuckled and shook his head. "You are too tempting, but I will leave you to rest. I don''t think you would get too much of it if I stayed. It won''t be too long before our baby comes. And then I will have my fill of you, Lady Kim." He bent and whispered something in his wife''s ear and chuckled when Kim I-On blinked, turning a fiery shade of red, and Minjae smiled at her friend''s obvious discomfort at the conversation taking such an intimate turn.

    Satisfied that his wife was not in some kind of dire situation or in any hurry to leave the world, Jo Hee-bong departed, giving Minjae''s bent form an absent-minded nod on his way out.

    With a loud sigh, Minjae brushed away the drops of sweat shining on her forehead. Once again, she helped Kim I-On sit up.

    "That was quite a show," Minjae chuckled as I-On blushed scarlet.

    "Men!" Kim I-On burst out with mock annoyance. "Never fails," she let out an exasperated laugh.

    "Thank you, Kim I-On," Minjae blinked back tears, "for sheltering me once more."

    "No more of that," Kim I-On rebuked, though Minjae didn''t miss the glimmer of unshed tears in her friend''s eyes. "Let''s get something to eat. I am a firm believer in food making everything feel better."

    The friends celebrated their reunion with some delectable midnight snacks, letting the shared bites slide the veil of the new to reveal glimpses of their once carefree past.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Minjae regaled her with gossip on the island, especially Han So ye, who Kim I-On would probably never meet. "And I hope Lord Hee-bong never does either," Kim I-On''s eyes became slits of displeasure at the thought, eliciting a laugh from Minjae.

    "Lord Hee-bong loves you, Kim I-On," Minjae remarked, drawing a bashful smile from her friend. "He does. I am fortunate." I-On''s eyes then grew troubled.

    Minjae gave her a keen look. ¡°What is it?¡±

    "Sometimes you desire something so much that it comes true, but you might not be prepared for the price that comes with it."

    "What makes you say so?" Minjae asked.

    "So I did something I regret dearly. I prayed to make Gil-ae go away," Kim I-On''s voice had a slight tremor.

    Minjae clasped her hand.

    "I swear on my unborn child, I never wished any ill on anyone, I -"

    "Kim I-On, I beg of you, cease this self-reproach. You and Lord Hee-bong were fated by the heavens to be as one," Minjae declared, ironically reflecting the counsel Kang Do had imparted unto her in Hanyang. "Your union is the sole light amidst this chaos. I shall not allow you to cast a pall over it."

    Kim I-On nodded, clasping Minjae''s hands. "Stay here tonight. It''s too late to go back."

    Minjae laughed. "I am used to it, Kim I-On. I am no longer the sheltered Yangban girl you once knew."

    "Why am I not surprised! Even back then, you dared to run away at night. I remember you wanted to leave for your grandmother''s village. Is this it?" Kim I-On asked.

    Minjae sighed, shaking her head.

    "Who is the imposter?"

    "I do not know, Kim I-On."

    "Why would your father help another woman take his daughter''s place?" Kim I-On bit her lip again, a habit she had whenever she was thinking deeply. "Unless it was to save face?"

    Minjae stared at her friend.

    She supposed that could be the most straightforward explanation, Minjae thought to herself. One that Seung was, unfortunately, most likely to believe over the truth.

    "I do not blame you. If my father did that, I would run away too," Kim I-On said sadly.

    "You weren''t the only one jealous of her best friend. I envied you, too," Minjae said with a sorrowful tone. "Your father loves you dearly and would sacrifice anything to protect you."

    "So, if I comprehend this rightly, you must keep your residence here hidden from your family."

    Minjae inclined her head in assent.

    "How disgraceful of His Excellency to deceive Lord Lee so, how little must he think of his family. Though I have heard....rumours that he does not like his wife," Kim I-On frowned. "Has it been awkward? Meeting Lord Lee like this? He spoke highly of you when he met us in Hanyang. If he only knew," I-On chuckled.

    Minjae compressed her lips as her traitorous heart did an odd flip. "I don''t want to speak about it, Kim I-On," she said.

    Kim I-On looked at her speculatively. "Is there more to it, Jina?"

    Minjae held her tongue.

    "If and when you are ready, I am here. I meant what I said. I will take it to my grave." Kim I-On pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Three ladies from our school have also entered the island, though I doubt they will recognise you."

    Minjae made a mental note to avoid them.

    "I might have missed it if we weren''t so close. It''s hard to believe, given everyone knows Lord Seung''s wife is on the island,'' Kim I-On continued. "Do you remember that big girl, not big in this way," she stuck one hand above her head, "but big this way," she motioned to her girth by keeping her hands about six inches away from her waist, "is one of them. Remember the one whose rose looked like a torn kite that mice had snacked on? She is here too. Now, she might remember you."

    Peals of laughter filled the chamber. Both women fell back on the warm, fuzzy memories of their childhood, when life was simpler, and work consisted of following a routine that guaranteed a roof on the head, food on the table, and dreams of a future that had a rosy haze.

    ¡Þ

    Minjae had a surprisingly good night''s sleep. A slight smile played on her lips as the memory of the previous night with Kim I-On played in her mind. Even Kim Da Bom had remarked on her good mood that morning. As the family lined up to welcome the Royal procession through the island, she made a mental note to visit her friend again that evening.

    The Procession was a show of benevolence by the Royal family, trying to ingratiate themselves with the public as they wound their way through the hilly terrain. It served less as a formal parade and more as an announcement of their presence.

    Minjae had been gone for nearly a month, then back for two weeks. While the island remained unchanged, everything within and around her felt different. The Queen, Royal Consorts, the grand heir, grand princes, and princesses had taken up residence, accompanied by their court maids, servants, and a select few unmarried Yangban women from prestigious families.

    Grand Prince Bongrim was carried in an ornate royal palanquin chair, flanked by guards and soldiers. The streets were lined with subjects kneeling in reverence, their heads bowed low in respect.

    Ahead of him rode the new Commander of Ganghwa, a pompous man of average height with a round face and flat nose. He had entered the island with fifty slaves, seventy-five servants, one wife, and five concubines. When a mere guard detained him for six hours at the entry point for not having the correct papers, he loudly complained about the taxing three day journey from Hanyang. Alternating between threats and entreaties, he still bore a grudge because he could not punish the guard for fear of Grand Prince Bongrim''s wrath.

    The Commander bent over backwards to accommodate the Grand Prince''s whims. Following the Commander on horseback were a few Yangban men, handpicked by the Grand Prince himself.

    Minjae dared a glance. Lee Seung sat on his black stallion, looking magnificent in his new position as General of the Royal Guards. It was a political appointment, the kind Seung had always hated. Technically, he superseded the local Commander in case of a war. Minjae wondered if the espionage racket had anything to do with the change. She felt a pang of guilt, as eager to uncover the perpetrator as Seung, even though she knew he no longer trusted her. No matter how she considered it, it hurt. She dared another glance.

    Panic swiftly replaced all thoughts of guilt. Riding behind Seung, looking half proud and half uneasy, was her brother, Choi Se-min. Her father would never have agreed to send him to Ganghwa, which meant Seung had somehow manipulated the situation to bring him here.

    Rage nudged its way to every pore, every crevice of her being. No one had ever told her that while a broken heart hurt, losing someone''s respect was like having a piece of yourself ripped away. She should never have let her weakness for her brother show.

    Dust caked her clenched fingers as the horses passed her.

    Bastard!

    She was so angry she felt faint. She opened her mouth to fill her lungs with air.

    She needed to get away, to calm her anger and panic.

    Minjae turned to Nam Dami, kneeling beside her, to tell her she was taking the rest of the day off.

    The look on Nam Dami''s face formed icicles of dread in her blood. Nam Dami stared at Grand Prince Bongrim, her facial muscles twisted into a macabre expression of pure, unadulterated hatred.

    ¡Þ

    "What is Lord Se-min doing on this island?" Minjae seethed.

    "I don''t see how it concerns you, Physician Kim," Seung replied, barely looking up from his book. A slight red flush stained his edged cheekbones, but other than that, he looked unperturbed.

    Minjae had taken Gil-ae''s help to speak with Lee Seung on the pretext of discussing his mother''s health.

    Inside his spacious office chamber that boasted of shelves filled with books and scrolls as well as a handful of knick-knacks, she felt insignificant, a far cry from the woman he had pledged his heart to.

    "You gave me your word!"

    Seung leaned back in his chair, his obsidian eyes revealing nothing. "You do not have to remind me. You got your wish."

    "Then why is he here? I did everything you asked me to."

    "Grand Prince Bong-rim asked for him," Seung said, sounding annoyed.

    "It''s to keep me in check, isn''t it so? So I don''t do anything that will jeopardise your plans."

    The colour deepened on the column of his neck.

    "I credited you with more humility, Physician Kim. Do you think I would have waited two weeks for you to find out if that were the case?"

    "You would if you wanted to give me enough time to make a mistake and hold him over my head so I don''t change my mind," she lifted her chin.

    "You come to meet me days after we arrive, only to speak about another man," Seung said bitterly. "Is that not ironic? It begs the question, what is it about Choi Se-min that makes you so afraid and makes me wonder once again why his father has ordered his people to kill you at sight."

    Minjae bit her lip in frustration.

    "Now, if you can excuse me, Physician Kim, I have work to do, and I am sure you have more lies to concoct," he said, returning his attention to the ledger.

    An elderly servant was polishing the column outside the imposing office door. The door was left slightly ajar, adhering to the etiquette of conversing with the master of the house. The sound of the friction mocked the silence that followed Seung''s harsh words.

    Minjae clasped and unclasped her fingers on her skirt.

    "What did you expect me to do?" She finally said. "I lied to you, and I am sorry for hurting you. But you were cruel."

    The lines of Seung''s shoulder tensed, raw emotion rolling off the rigid lines.

    "I no longer know who and what you are, Physician Kim. Unless you have come to recount, in meticulous detail, every step of your journey or have developed a sudden interest in turning yourself into the authorities and confessing your deeds, I have no interest in speaking to you." He cast the book aside with disdain. "Mark my words. I shall uncover all that you hide. And when that day comes, I doubt I shall find anything but treachery and deceit. Prepare yourself to atone for every deplorable sin you have committed."

    "I thought you believed I was not a spy," she said.

    Seung shrugged. "I was wrong. You are simply terrible at it."

    "Or maybe I am not one," she said softly.

    He picked up a quill and dipped it into a white porcelain inkpot with uncluttered and delicately inlaid designs. "Minjae, I have no desire to continue this conversation. I have done all within my power to spare you, and you would do well to be grateful. If you value your life and that of your family, refrain from any foolish actions. Now, leave me in peace," he said dismissively.

    "Why? Why did you save me?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

    The quill stilled on the paper.

    "Get out, Minjae," Seung gritted his teeth.

    Minjae waited to feel the surge of anger course through her, but instead, she felt a hollow of a great loss that took her breath away.

    Ever since returning to the island, she had refused to think about what conspired in Hanyang. Minjae threw herself into relentless chores and sank into oblivion by the time her body hit the mattress every night. Even her nightmares had ceased visiting her, and a perpetual cold blankness had replaced them.

    The hole where her heart used to be had been consumed by nothingness. Suddenly, something warm and alive filled it. It made her reckless. It made her want to live in the moment, forget everything that had happened between them.

    "Do you really want me to leave, Dari?" Minjae''s voice trembled with vulnerability.

    Seung''s gaze lifted slowly, the cool indifference in his eyes melting away. She saw the exact moment when heat replaced it, reflecting the same intensity that burned within her.

    His massive frame unfolded itself from the chair. Slowly, with a panther-like grace, he circled the desk, walked to the door, and pulled it shut.

    Her throat dry, she stepped back until his arms caged her against the edge of the desk.

    "It''s not the first time I have been impressed by the paucity of your good sense. What would I not give to find out what whirls in that pretty head of yours," he said huskily, in a voice all too familiar to Minjae''s ears. Blood rushed to all the inappropriate places. "Once, you could not wait to discard me from your life. And yet, here you are today. Why are you not leaving, Kim Minjae?"

    Her breath fell short. The sharp edge of the desk dug into her lower back. She braced herself against it.

    His eyes travelled to her parted lips and then to her heaving chest. Dark flames licked his irises when he raised them back to her face.

    "Since you asked me, yes, I want you to leave. The alternative is I will push you on all fours and have my way with you because my body craves for you like a drunkard. We both know you like to let everyone know how much you enjoy it, which might displease both my mother and my wife," Seung''s tone was affable, starkly contrasting with his smouldering eyes, his lips so close to her skin that they left puffs of fire. "Unfortunately, my kind-hearted mother might also force my hand to give you the status of a concubine. Inviting pit vipers into my home is not my idea of a peaceful life."

    "Hate me all you want, but please do not sully what we shared, Dari," she choked out the words.

    "What did we share, Minjae? You gifted me your virginity and then made me wonder if it was part of a larger deception to lull my senses. So enlighten me about what we shared," His voice was raw with pain and rage.

    Minjae closed her eyes, her senses picking up his heavy breathing, the tantalising male scent of his, the burning desire in his tense body, the rejection of his heart and the ridicule of his mind.

    "I will leave," she said, her voice sounding foreign.

    "Good decision," he gritted.

    He turned and returned to his chair, leaving Minjae feeling more lonely than she had ever felt.

    Reaching into his drawer, Seung pulled something out.

    Shimmering green and opal.

    He tossed it at her, the bracelet sliding over to stop at the edge of the table. "It''s yours, take it. I do not need it any more."

    Time slowed into that one moment of shattered pain, enveloping them both, tainting their memories with the indelible ink of heartbreak.

    Minjae had never been a woman of many words. When the dam broke, words flowed like the anguished torrent of a once-shackled river.

    "Dari, do you recall when I shared with you, given another chance, I would make different choices? That excruciating desire has not changed, and I wish I could undo my past. Through these arduous years, in the darkest of times, you were the beacon that guided me, showing that goodness still exists in this world. I refuse to let you snatch it from me. For without it, I am left with most heinous thoughts." She lifted her gaze, no longer indifferent but brimming with pain and the longing of countless sleepless nights. "For it makes me wish you had never followed me that day, that you had let those men have their way with me, that you had never saved me. That you had let me perish."

    Seung turned white, his breathing turning shallow.

    Minjae left before she could further humiliate herself.

 Thirty-Five: The Search

    Let me perish...

    Terror stabbed him at her words. Unlike the swift slash that extinguished life, it was the cruel knife that punctured, twisted and then left just enough life that it would seep out. Drop, drop, drop...each rife with awareness that made one yearn for the darkness and suffer, knowing it was out of reach.

    Minjae had barely reached the door when he caught up with her, his long legs devouring the ground like a hungry predator. Seizing her by the arms, he spun her around and pushed her against the cold, smooth beam by the door.

    His senses were overpowered by the salt and lavender of her scent and the sickening force of her wounded emotions. A pool of hurt swam in her eyes as if her soul was stripped bare.

    Yet he wasn''t ready to let her move past the pain she had inflicted on him. Was it selfish? Possibly. Did he care? Doubtful. He felt buried under the avalanche of anguish, desperate to claw his way out.

    "Take it back!" His voice shook. "I said, Take. It. Back!"

    Their eyes were locked in a battle, both betrayed, both anguished and none willing to forgive.

    "You should have let them arrest me, Dari. I... I can''t live with your cruelty, your pity," she whispered, tears brimming.

    "Cruelty? You think I am being cruel? It was you who toyed with my emotions!" The words reverberated around the room like arrows flying past before hitting their target. "Pity! Really? You think pity has anything to do with how I feel? You damn well know why I saved you." Pale, green around the mouth, Seung breathed so hard it seemed each gasp might crack a rib. "Even after all the tricks you pulled, what I feel for you shakes my world. The thought of you hurt -" His hands dug into her arms as if to physically hold together the pieces of himself that threatened to shatter. "Do you think I can just turn it off? Every time I close my eyes, it''s your face I see. I can''t escape you, not in my waking hours, not in my sleep."

    Liquid embers looked back at him with emotions so raw that it hurt to look at them.

    "I deeply regret that I lied to you, Dari," Minjae curled a hand at the base of her throat.

    "Lied?" Contempt dripped like poison from his voice. "Do not dare make it sound harmless like a stolen sweet or sneaking out for an innocent meeting! Your entire existence is a falsehood! And I had reconciled myself to that, but¡ª" His breath expelled a painful puff of memories. "Do you know who I used to be before I came here? A spy. I took down the most cunning and pried out secrets from hell''s knot. And yet I can''t find anything about you. Do you know why? Do you?"

    Her only answer was a deep, shivering inhaling of air.

    "Because I am terrified of what I would find. Because now I can at least feign I already know the worst!" Seung''s voice rose, breaking with emotion, not caring who heard.

    A sob escaped her.

    "How many times do I have to say I never betrayed you? Do you truly believe I am a traitor?" Her voice trembled like a guillotine over the thin thread that held them together.

    Seung inhaled deeply, his heart at a crossroads.

    Was she?

    A spiteful part of him wanted her to be to justify his anger towards her. Another part of him foolishly wished to enfold her in his arms and never let go, no matter her transgressions. Yet, his pragmatic, logical part knew she wasn''t a traitor.

    There was only one way to find out.

    Seung released her arms. Circling his desk, he dug into one of his drawers and pried at something. He unfolded small pieces of paper and slammed it on the desk.

    Minjae''s eyes adjusted to the striking brevity and exquisite calligraphy of the Chinese letters drawn on the scraps of paper spread on the table.

    ''Get the layout of the Mayor''s house.''

    ''Why is the Interior Minister visiting the island?''

    ''Cargo ready to be dispatched. Ensure seamless operation.''

    ''Send word to the Capital. Find heads in the Royal Guard unit.''

    ''Engage Lee Seung. Neutralise.''

    She read and blinked. There were several more that she didn''t get to. Seung watched her intently, noticing every little movement on her emotionally ravaged face. Her eyes narrowed in concentration, widened with comprehension and finally, darkened with confusion.

    She had not seen these before, Seung thought to himself. Seung could bet everything precious to him on this. And in all the time she had been in the chamber, her eyes had not strayed towards the vase. Not even once.

    He had dealt with enough deceitful people to read body language in extreme conditions. Minjae''s lack of fear during her capture had surprised him, but now it made sense.

    She had not been the recipient of the letters. She had been so disdainful of the entire allegation because she had never been guilty.

    His gut instinct was not wrong.

    A ribbon of relief unfurled inside him, along with something else - hope.

    He was not surprised when she exclaimed, "What do these mean, Dari?"

    "They are missives found in your room," He said, still watching her closely.

    Shock filled the creases of her face. "It''s not possible. I have never seen these before." She raised her anguished eyes. "I do not know how they came to be in my room. Please believe me. I do not know anyone who could have sent these missives. They..they are Chinese characters. No one can even recognise them on this island, leave alone write them...." her voice trailed out, horrified at the implication. "I am the only commoner who can read this," She uttered quietly, her voice laced with horror. "I didn''t write them; someone else did. Who would do this? Why?"

    "To frame you. They know some of their men have been caught, and we are on their trail."

    "Why, no, how did they get to my room? Everyone who has access to it..." her voice trailed off. "Who found them, and how do you know they didn''t put them there?"

    "The man who found them had no reason to plant them. You met him in Hanyang."

    Comprehension flitted across her beautiful face, and dullness settled in her eyes. "Did they come and search while you kept me busy in Hanyang?"

    The look of betrayal was back in her eyes.

    Guilt poured in like mercury into blood channels. He was aware of the thrush creeping up the column of his throat.

    Tainted memories.

    Not at first, Seung wanted to cry out. Not during the first few days of bliss when I was ready to accept anything you threw at me - until reality forced me to see beyond it......your lies that kept piling on thicker than the ivy on an ancient wall, strangling every attempt to reach the truth, your protectiveness for a strange man too deep to warrant belief it was innocent.

    He didn''t say any of it.

    "You didn''t say anything in Hanyang. Why tell me now?" she asked, her hurt cutting deep.

    He rubbed his hand across his face. "I never believed you were a spy. But everything points at you. Whoever planted this knew what they were doing, and they had to be someone close to you because the slips were hidden craftily. A few drawings were also found. Your room is bare, so they needed time and access to hide these in your screen and sewing box."

    Seung could see her mind whirling as she digested the information, considered and discarded faces in her mind while her fingers rubbed the coarse material of her skirt. She compressed her lips. The extent of her peril was starting to finally sink in.

    "How old are these notes?" Minjae asked.

    "We could trace some of them back to at least three years, based on the written instructions."

    Her face fell, disbelief etching the exquisite planes of her face, the reality that someone close to her might have been setting a trap for her for this long palpable in a myriad of emotions flocking her eyes. Seung felt an insane desire to take her into his arms, to comfort her, to kiss her distress away, but he resisted.

    His voice was steady when he spoke. "You have to be vigilant and report to me directly about anything that arouses your suspicion. It does not matter when. You see something, you tell me right away. Understand?"

    She nodded.

    "We only have five more days before the ship arrives with the ''cargo'', he added. "And while you might not be a spy, I do not trust you either," he said, a hard edge creeping u in his tone. "You allowed yourself to be a pawn in this game; even if your motivation was to help others, you have ended up doing more harm than good. You have practically laid bare every safe place for the enemy."

    "I''m sorry....I- I had no idea. I''d never do that willingly. You must know that, Dari!" She implored.

    She was too kind, compassionate, and strong of a person to engage in what she was being accused of, and he knew it well. He had not risked his career and life for nothing, but she was still guilty of deceiving him. He had begged her to let him into her world, but she refused.

    "I only know what you showed me!" He ground out.

    A flush crawled up her cheek.

    He filled his lungs with frustrated air. "Do you suspect anyone?"

    Something flickered in her eyes like a memory surfaced, but then she shook her head.

    Minjae was visibly struggling to come to terms with the breach of loyalty, her brows furrowed in her pale face, her fist clenching and unclenching around her skirts. The defences around his heart melted faster than a snow bank under the scorching sun. He had to cease his wayward thoughts before they seized his brain and forced him to do something asinine, like skirt the table and crush her to his chest.

    "You can go now," he said gruffly.

    Bowing, she turned to leave.

    "Are you not forgetting something?" He asked.

    To her questioning glance, he pointed a raised eyebrow to the bracelet. A part of him hated doing this to her, but the raging part of him was not yet satisfied with the blood he had drawn over her betrayal.

    She paled, a shadow settling over her ethereal features. "It does not belong to me anymore. That innocent girl who lost that bracelet died on that hilltop five years ago."

    Seung gave up. He was before her in a flash, inches away from her face. "Talk to me," he ordered, his walls crumbling under the weight of the pain sketched like ghosts on her face.

    An ocean of resignation drowned her luminous eyes. Yet, a flame of defiance licked the outer rim of her iris.

    "I can''t," she said.

    "Try," Seung countered.

    Her lower lip disappeared between her teeth as she mulled on something before her eyes cleared. Seung wondered what was running through that brilliant brain of hers.

    "You mentioned you were a spy," Minjae enunciated each word slowly as if testing them for authenticity.

    He looked at her warily.

    "If I showed you more, do you think you can find out all about me?" She asked.

    He didn''t know what he expected, but never in a million years did he think she would ask of him something like that. "I can find out all about you in two days if I really want to," He bit out.

    "Without coercing or torturing anyone?" She asked, her gaze honest as she looked at him.

    His mouth compressed into a thin line.

    "I''ll give you two clues about my past. But I have two conditions," Minjae said.

    "You think this is all a game or a jest?" He asked, exasperated.

    "My life has been a jest for a long time, Dari," Minjae said sadly. "If you don''t want to know, say so because before I say anything, I must caution you about something."

    "Why should I go to all of that trouble, Kim Minjae? Why can you not simply tell me!" If it sounded ridiculous, it was!

    "Perhaps because I hope you never find out? Or because - because if I did, people could die. I would not be able to live with it."

    "I supposed I should thank you for the warning? I never took you for being self-aggrandising," he mocked. "Not even ministers are that important. What did you do? Collect blackmail material?"

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    "I am not important; I am an inconvenience. It''s not a warning; it''s a fact. I have never indulged in anything that would trouble my conscience," Minjae said, her shoulders straight, graceful as only she could be.

    Seung''s expression darkened with remorse. He shut his eyes; he loathed the dishonourable wretch he had become.

    "I am sorry. Go on."

    "You might hate me even more than you do now. It might indeed reveal what you consider treachery and deceit," she quoted him. "I''ll understand if you can''t accept it, and we shall never meet again."

    Over his dead body, Seung thought to himself. "Let me be the judge of that."

    She looked him in the eye. "I was fifteen years old, about to be married to a wonderful man when those thugs abducted me that day." A shuddering revulsion ripped through her, and his heart flipped. Seung regretted very few things in his life the way he regretted taking her to that hilltop.

    "The marriage happened, but it broke. And two," she paused, and her swallow moved her throat delicately. Then, she forged ahead, taking a deep breath. "There are two people on this island who know who I used to be in another life. They would never tell you on their own, but if you asked them, they would confirm. And none of them are my adopted family."

    Startled, he schooled his surprise even as jealousy nibbled at him that others knew about her what he didn''t while his traitorous heart galloped. A strange elation filled him that Minjae was agreeable to letting him enter the world she wanted to keep hidden from everyone else.

    But..there was always a but with Kim Minjae....

    He waited. She swallowed.

    "My first condition, Lord Choi Se-min mustn''t know about my presence on this island, and no matter what you uncover, it should never reach his ears," she said, and he hated the tremble in her voice.

    The scourge of betrayal knocked, furled in a scroll of surprise. Seung chose to ignore both.

    For now.

    "And your second condition?"

    The silence stretched so long that he feared she had changed her mind. When she spoke, it felt like she was choking on her words. "If and when you uncover my past, you will not do anything about it without my permission. That''s not negotiable."

    "Do you... still harbour the desire to return to your husband?" He couldn''t pinpoint the moment when the conversation had shifted so drastically, leaving him yearning to reclaim a place in her heart.

    Minjae''s gaze faltered. After what felt like an eternity, she finally answered, "Returning to my husband''s home as his wife is a dream I am no longer in a position to chase."

    Seung let out a dry, bitter laugh. "If he is your dream, then what am I?" His arms folded across his chest. He teetered on the edge of hatred and love, unable to discern where one ended and the other began. It was maddening to think that the same woman who shattered his trust was also the one who had the power to heal the wounds she had inflicted.

    "You are my reality, Dari," she replied, her voice soft yet steady. "The one I know will be wounded by the shadows of my past."

    Seung''s blood hummed at her admission, but he held himself stoic.

    "More than I am now?" He arched a brow, scepticism lacing his words. "I find that hard to believe. What if, in the end, I find myself untroubled by it all?" Seung''s gaze bore into hers.

    "Then," she said with a faint, almost careless shrug, "you must decide whether you still wish to welcome this pit viper into your life." But her bravado frayed, the pain in her words too raw to disguise, seeping out like cold air through the rents in a hanji cover of a window.

    Shame invaded Seung''s veins, making them stand out in repentance. "Minjae -" he rasped, raising a hand to cup her face.

    She stepped back, turning her face away. Seung''s hand fell to his side.

    When she turned to leave, he did not stop her but called after her, "People say things in anger they don''t mean!" With only the slightest pause, Minjae maintained her stride, bowed, and departed, leaving him feeling empty and hollow yet strangely exhilarated.

    As Seung lay in his dark room a few nights later, Minjae''s words played like a broken loop in his mind. He combed through his memories of Kim Minjae, searching for clarity.

    The anger had catheterised out of him, replaced with the pressing need to chip away every obstacle that Minjae erected around herself.

    He had lied to her, too. Somewhere, during the time he learned she wasn''t who the world thought she was, to possibly unearthing her real identity, his feelings had shifted. What started as betrayal had morphed into a disorienting sense of loss, eventually settling into a nameless feeling where knowing her had seemed more important than knowing about her. His anger had sprung from the belief that she would never keep secrets from him, that she would trust him to protect her, to protect them. It tore at his heart to realise how much she had distanced herself from him, even in the moments when their bodies were entwined, not an inch between them.

    But he understood that he would have to breach the wall that kept her trapped in fear if he was to make her unequivocally his own.

    He couldn''t piece the puzzles together yet and had only a vague idea of where to start. Kim Minjae wasn''t a slave; Kang Do addressed her with honorifics. He could eventually find the list of Yangban men who married around that time, but what role did Choi Se-wan play in her life? Why would his henchmen recognise her after all these years and try to kill her? Did her husband''s family discover her connection to gambling dens and cast her out?

    He felt a pressure to act. Minjae getting into trouble with the authorities was a real danger. The idea of another man searching Minjae''s room had gnawed at his gut; he couldn''t even imagine how he would react if someone laid a hand on her. The prospect of her still in danger coursed like arsenic in his blood. Though he planned to hide her if necessary, they still had a good chance of catching the culprits as long as the miscreants on the island were not tipped off.

    The following morning, during his morning respects to his mother, Seung was distracted even though his mother was amid another emotional outburst, her distress palpable.

    "How can you disobey your mother, Lee Seung? Make me a fool? The servants are talking behind our backs!" Lady Ryu seldom raised her voice.

    "Fire them then," Seung said disinterestedly.

    "Oraboni!" Gil-ae exclaimed, appalled.

    Seung sighed. His mother had been getting increasingly agitated lately. "I am sorry, Omoni," he apologised. "Please forgive me for my rudeness."

    "I demand you and Choi Jina speak immediately about this matter," his mother said sternly. ''This has gone on long enough. I cannot suffer this indignity anymore."

    Later, Gil-ae was contrite. "I am sorry for raising my voice, Oraboni, but Omoni has been in a terrible mood since she received that letter from Hanyang from your father-in-law."

    Seung''s instinct sharpened.

    "What letter?"

    "Omoni didn''t share, but she has been upset since then," Gil-ae said unhappily.

    That was news. He thought his mother was upset because she had been visited by a select few ladies on the island, and somehow, his relationship with his wife, or rather the lack of it, became fodder for gossip.

    "Find that letter and bring it to me," he commanded.

    Since the disastrous encounter the week prior, Seung had not glimpsed nor encountered Choi Jina. He instructed Choi Jina to stay away from his chambers to prevent a repeat of the embarrassing evening. While he had little feelings for his wife and was greatly inconvenienced because of her presence, he was still a gentleman enough not to denigrate her as a woman.

    He could scarcely believe that he had attempted to succumb to his most primal desires with his wife and had failed so abysmally. He might have even harboured doubts about his capacity to fulfil his conjugal obligations were it not for the excruciating manner in which his body had responded to Kim Minjae the evening before. Even when he longed to throttle the life from her, he found himself furiously, gloriously aroused, and had stayed awake all night, piecing the puzzles of her words in his head while longing to sink himself in her luxurious essence at the same time.

    Seung sighed. He didn''t want to set foot in Choi Jina''s quarters and didn''t want her in his, so he settled for the common area of the tea room.

    An awkward silence stretched between them.

    Choi Jina waited silently.

    "I apologise for what happened that night. It will not happen again," he said.

    "Please, Dari, pray do not discard me thus. My father will punish me severely."

    Seung paused.

    "Have you received any missives from your father?" He asked.

    Choi Jina paled in reply.

    "He has no hold over you while you live in my house as my wife," Seung''s voice was deathly quiet. He didn''t take to coercion happily, not even from his all-powerful father-in-law. Especially not from him.

    She shook her head. "You do not know my father. He is capable of great harm."

    Lord Choi is a ruthless man. Minjae''s words spiked through his mind. The images of Choi''s henchmen trying to kill Minjae on the riverbank sent a chill through his blood.

    Conflicting thoughts and emotions raged within Seung''s mind. For a woman believed to have her father entirely at her beck and call, Choi Jina seemed uncommonly frightened today.

    "The gossip has reached my father''s ears, and he is very unhappy," she said.

    "Even if we hypothesise your honourable father still has that kind of power over you, why should he punish you?" Seung frowned. "I mean no disrespect, but he let you do whatever you wished instead of guiding you, and now he wants to impose his parenting mistakes on me? I never agreed to take you back. He thinks so poorly of my mother and my late father that he didn''t think twice before foisting an unwanted, unchaste, unfilial daughter-in-law on my grieving mother and wants us to pretend everything should be normal. And I will not even start on what he did to my sister. I find it exceptionally disagreeable."

    Choi Jina flinched. Tears filled her eyes, along with unmistakable fear. "Dari, will you punish me for my entire life? Will you never forgive me?"

    Seung cursed himself mentally and expelled a breath. "I have forgiven you for what you did a while ago. However, my stance on the divorce has not changed. It is just that it''s too late for us, Choi Jina."

    "I beg you for a child, just one. I promise I shall never show you my face again," she said, a suspicious break in her voice altering him that she was crying.

    Seung expelled a frustrated breath.

    To his dismay, she dropped to her knees. Her hands shook.

    "Please, give me this one chance," she sobbed.

    Exasperation and impatience gnawed at him. Choi Jina had been young and immature, guilty of a grave blunder, but he had more pressing concerns than holding a grudge for a woman he had no feelings for and ignoring the sympathy that stirred his heart.

    Like figuring out what had put shadows under Minjae''s eyes and how to get her back into his life without bursting a vein.

    "All right, let''s speak tonight. I need to leave now. You can come to my chamber after I return," Seung said, not looking ahead at the long day of exhausting work with Prince Bongrim and the machinations of royal politics.

    It was business as usual on the work front, with two new developments. Captain Park apparently lived in Ganghwa for a while after his father had lost the King''s favour before being called back to the Capital. During this time, Park developed a deep relationship with Han So Ye. His parents had threatened to cut him off if Park didn''t stop seeing her.

    Captain Park needed money to buy Kisaeng Han from the state.

    The showdown with the embattled captain had been intriguing.

    "We are human," Captain Park had returned Seung''s glacial eyes unflinchingly in the ship''s cabin. "We make questionable choices. We fail. I failed, too. But I would be six feet under before I hurt someone innocent, that too, a friend. And I am not a traitor."

    "Never heard a traitor confess he is one," Sim Junho had quipped.

    "Do you think I would be here in Ganghwa if I was, Sir? Trust me, no army can hold a traitor back if they want to switch sides. Too many are eager to help you with it."

    Captain Park had a point.

    They later reviewed the details gathered in their investigations in Sim Junho''s office chamber in the past month.

    Sim Junho had found his way to the island as a Minister of Advisory to the young Queen while she was on the island. He was also her older half-brother, but that was a minor detail. So far, he had kept the entire affair out of Prince Bongrim''s ears, who was not known to take kindly to any hint of deception against the state.

    "Could they be setting up Kim Minjae?" Sim Junho asked. He had finagled another apple from somewhere and was crunching it noisily.

    Seung would take Park Hyun Ki and Han So Ye apart limb by limb if they had. "I have set a tail on Han So ye, but I do not think they were the one to set up Minjae. At least not directly. None of them have access to Minjae''s room," he said.

    "Unless she hid the notes herself," Sim Junho mused, then raised his arm in appeasement under Seung''s glare.

    The other development was more interesting. Choi Se-min had confessed to drawing maps and layouts of homes in Hanyang, but he claimed he did it as a part of a secret society of artists that had been formed by young Yangban men and a few women who had to hide their talent from their disapproving parents who were more likely to carry out threats of disowning the displeasing children than not.

    Seung decided to meet his embattled brother-in-law. He always ended up feeling sorry for the man.

    "Am I in trouble, Brother-in-law Lee?" Se-min was hunched. He was tall and thin. With melancholy mahogany eyes set in a long, oval face defined by sharp cheekbones and a strong jawline, Se-min bore no resemblance to his sister. Yet, a nagging sense of familiarity gnawed at Seung, as though he had glimpsed those features somewhere.

    "I cannot say for certain. But you must be forthright to Lord Sim Junho in all matters. Do not leave anything out," Seung suggested with gentle firmness.

    Se-min inclined his head in acknowledgement. "What if Father learns of this? I am burdened with shame, knowing that it might cast a shadow upon his good name."

    Seung forced a reassuring smile, a decision forming as he spoke. "Why not join me for a morning meal tomorrow?"

    Se-min''s expression clouded with unease. "I-I fear I must decline. I have pressing duties to attend to for His Highness," he stammered.

    Seung leaned back in his chair, his gaze steady. "It strikes me as most peculiar that you have neither visited your sister nor paid your respects to my mother. I suspect your honourable father would be more disheartened by such neglect of decorum."

    Choi Se-min''s face blanched.

    The decision to summon Se-min to Ganghwa as a part of the young Yangban men accompanying the Prince had been wrested from Lord Choi Si-wan''s control by a last-minute decree from King Injo, influenced by none other than Prince Bong-rim. Few dared to oppose the fiery prince, yet Seung suspected his father-in-law extended his influence from the Capital, likely seeking to distance his son from his sister, with Se-min deemed as a ''bad influence.''

    Seung imagined the siblings missed one another dearly. While he, like any man of his station, held filial piety in the highest regard, he also recognised that the heart often defied the strictures of societal expectations. His own remorse over his recent conduct toward Choi Ji-na weighed heavily on him, and he longed to offer her some small joy to assuage his guilt.

    ¡Þ

    Preoccupied, Seung returned home, his mind charting out stages of unearthing Minjae''s past. He had already sent Wang Jung to Hanyang to retrieve records of marriages. A brief visit to Kim Da-bom had yielded intriguing details but no definitive results. Minjae had been rescued, injured, by two boatmen and attended to by Park Seo Jun, who introduced her as his daughter to everyone. The husband, a man named Jo Sung Ha, bewitched by Minjae''s beauty, had attempted to force himself upon her. Kim Da-bom, who had previously harboured resentment towards Minjae for pretending to be her sister, intervened and thwarted the man by threatening to make him a eunuch, an effective poke of a needle that had impressed Minjae so much that she had taken up learning everything she could about the art form. This decisive act marked a turning point in their relationship. However, beyond that, Kim Da-bom knew little else.

    Park Seo-Jun had refused to answer any questions.

    "Do not hurt my daughter, Royal Commander Lee. I have nothing else to tell you," Park Seo-Jun had carried on with grinding herbs in a large mortar and pestle.

    Gil-ae pulled Seung back to the present. "Oraboni, Mother seeks your company urgently. There is something going on but I will let you handle it." Furrows creased Gil-ae''s smooth forehead. "But before you go, here, I have the letter. You must take a look."

    A strange foreboding settled between his shoulder blades as he took the letter from his sister''s hand and unfolded it. It had been written in bold, sweeping calligraphy which jumped out of the paper aggressively.

    Most Honourable Lady Ryu,

    I send this letter with hopes that you are in good health. However, I must convey my deep concern over unsettling rumours that have reached me, suggesting that my daughter is not receiving the care she deserves within your household. Such reports are troubling, and I trust you are aware that I hold firm confidence in the values of filial piety that you have instilled in your son, ensuring his full understanding of his duties.

    You must be aware that it is imperative our families be blessed with the arrival of a grandson in due course. Should this matter remain unresolved, I fear I will be unable to uphold the promise I made to you upon the passing of my late friend, Lord Lee.

    I implore you to consider this matter with the utmost seriousness.

    With sincere respect,

    Choi Si-wan

    Moments later, Gil-ae followed her enraged brother to their mother''s chamber and quietly shut the door behind her, only to stop in her tracks at the sight of her sister-in-law seated beside their mother.

    Lady Ryu looked up from her bed, her smile trembling with emotion. "Lee Seung, come closer, my son," she called gently.

    With cautious steps, Seung approached his mother, bowing deeply before settling onto his folded knees.

    "You have brought me great joy by accepting Choi Ji-na," Lady Ryu said with a tender smile. "To honour this, I wish to bless your union with the sacred water of our ancestors. May the grace of our revered spirits bestow their blessings upon you both tonight. I hope to cradle a grandchild soon," she added, gesturing for her maid to present a cup of alcohol to Seung and Choi Ji-na.

 Thirty Six: Courage

    Seung seethed inwards, his fingers tightening around the wool fabric of his tunic in a bruising grip. His dark brows snapped over his steely gaze.

    He didn''t touch the sacred cup.

    The pleasant countenance on Lady Ryu''s face faltered at her son''s expressions.

    "Nothing of that sort has transpired, Omoni. My decision on divorce has not changed," Seung said calmly, without letting the roiling fury anywhere near the filial voice he reserved for his mother.

    Lady Ryu''s tone hardened as she spoke. "I no longer condone that decision. When Choi Jina stayed at her parents'' home, I overlooked it. But you are both adults now, and I expect you to behave as such. I am not growing younger. I refuse to be the subject of continued public censure and disgrace."

    "We are not new to public censure, Omoni. I do not appreciate being coerced into this, Omoni," he gritted.

    "Think what you may, but it''s my final decision," Lady Ryu raised her hand in ultimate authority. "I have never compelled you in matters of your heart, and perhaps I have been remiss in my duties as a mother, but I shall correct that now. You will reclaim your bride and fulfil your obligations as a husband. The shaman has been consulted, and today''s date is deemed most auspicious by the heavens."

    "It''s moonless," Seung scoffed. His mother had never been a forceful parent. Unlike other parents, she rarely raised her voice and never once had her hand lifted against her children. When Seung had resolutely declared his intent to divorce, she had accepted it with a quiet grace, seldom voicing her own desires. Seung also knew that she did not particularly like her daughter-in-law, even though none of them could fault her conduct other than she came across as detached and forceful when she wanted something.

    The letter weighed heavily in his pocket.

    Should this matter remain unresolved, I fear I will be unable to uphold the promise I made to you upon the passing of my late friend, Lord Lee.

    What did that mean?

    "I wish to rest," Lady Ryu said. "Gil-ae, please assist your sister-in-law for the night. Ensure Shin Su has prepared the Master''s chamber properly for the Lord and his lady." Lady Ryu then turned to Seung. "This is not a wish, it''s an order."

    He was dismissed. Seung knew it was futile to speak tonight. Her voice carried an uncharacteristic resolve, a steeliness that left no doubt about her intent.

    Seung stormed out of the chamber, followed by the two women, too furious to speak. He had enough complications in his life without adding another one.

    "I-I''ll help you get ready, Sister-in-law," Gil-ae offered to Choi Jina, who stood quiet as a mouse at the side.

    "Gil-ae, leave us alone," he ordered.

    "Yes, Oraboni. Sister-in-law, I will wait for you in your room."

    Gil-ae bowed and quickly made herself scarce.

    Seung turned to Choi Jina and cut straight to the chase. "What did you tell Omoni to make her behave like this?"

    She stepped back. "I only told her you had called me to your chamber at night when I went to her this morning," Choi Jina replied.

    Seung loomed over her, his patience worn thin. He was tired of the women in his life playing games with him. "You expect me to believe that?" He asked tightly, "This is not your first time trying to manipulate things behind my back."

    "I didn''t even tell her about Father or our conversation. Please believe me," she pleaded pitifully.

    Frustration, despair and raw anger rushed his blood at the simpering woman before him.

    "If I find out that you have been playing your dirty games again, you''ll be out of this house so fast that you''ll not even have the time to blink," His voice dropped dangerously.

    Her eyes widened, and her hand automatically curled at her throat as if she expected the dagger he had threatened with their first night to make an appearance suddenly.

    Seung wasn''t sure if it was a ploy or if the woman was genuinely fearful, but a wave of nausea rolled through him at the thought of what his mother demanded, and his charity was in short supply right now to use on anyone, including a cowering Choi Jina.

    He pivoted and walked away.

    "Dari," she called out after him. "Am I truly that repulsive to you?"

    Seung didn''t answer and kept walking until he entered his chamber, slamming the door shut behind him.

    Seung froze at the sight inside his chamber. Moony satin sheets encased his mattress, soft incense filled the room; a wine pitcher and two cups occupied the table. Seung didn''t need to ask who was behind the invasion of his usually comfortable chamber.

    His servant''s welcoming smile died a quick death at Seung''s murderous expressions. Seung dismissed him, choosing to disrobe and clean up for the night himself.

    A soft knock at his door drew his dark brows over his thunderous eyes.

    "Leave. I am not ready!" He barked.

    He would never be.

    The door slid open, revealing Gil-ae.

    "Oraboni, it''s just me. May I come in?" she asked, her voice gentle.

    Seung let out a heavy breath, his tension easing slightly. He sank onto his bed, watching Gil-ae, her petite, slim form with burdened shoulders and eyes wiser than her years, fold with ease on the floor, her knees supported by a green cushion.

    "You''re upset with Sister-in-law," she began quietly, her tone cautious. "But it isn''t her fault. She was telling the truth."

    Seung''s brows shot up in surprise, noting the guilt that flickered in her gaze. "You overheard us," he stated, his voice softening slightly with suspicion.

    Gil-ae lowered her eyes. "A few ladies of the town came to pay their respects to Omoni in the morning. After those ladies left, Omoni called for Sister-in-law and asked her about your relationship. Sister-in-law told her about your conversation this morning. Omoni decided to take matters into her own hands after that."

    "Why are you defending her all of a sudden? She doesn''t even treat you well. Don''t think I haven''t noticed." Seung said gruffly. He didn''t see it, but he knew his sister well. Choi Jina and Gil-ae despised each other.

    Gil-ae hesitated, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap. "Some of it is my fault," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I might have antagonised her on purpose."

    Seung quirked a brow, curiosity piqued. "How?"

    "I was so angry when His Excellency left her at our house. I have blamed her for all your sufferings for so long that it was easy to take out my ire on her." Gil-ae looked down at her hands, her fingers worrying each other. "When I met Physician Kim, I was so enamoured with her. I saw how happy you were around her, making me even angrier. So, one day, I told Sister-in-law that she was nothing like the girl we met during the marriage. I went so far as to say that Physician Kim reminded me more of that girl than she ever could. Understandably, Sister-in-law was deeply hurt and hasn''t spoken to me kindly since."

    Seung rubbed his forehead.

    "Oraboni, it was never my intention to worsen the rift between you," Gil-ae continued, her voice softening. "Perhaps if I can find it in my heart to be kinder, you could do the same. I know your heart is heavy with distrust and displeasure, and you are in love with Kim Minjae, so it''s even harder, but Sister-in-law is your wife, and for better or worse, she is bound to you."

    "Gil-ae, don''t blame yourself; you have done nothing. I find myself in no position to make decisions that could alter lives forever," he said shortly.

    "You must not disrespect Mother''s wishes," Gil-ae urged gently. "At the very least, give Sister-in-law a chance. Perhaps try to understand her better. It pains me to see her living in fear of you."

    Seung stilled, the weight of her words settling deep within him.

    "That is not the kind of man I wish my Oraboni to become," she added, her voice heavy with unspoken concern.

    Her words lingered in the air, pressing upon him.

    Seung had never raised his hand on a woman, but he had set out to make Choi Jina understand her place, but now he wondered if he had gone too far.

    He wasn''t sure if he was just thinking of Choi Jina at the moment, because it was Minjae''s wounded eyes that were haunting his vision.

    This wasn''t who he wanted to be¡ªnot to her, not to anyone.

    His mouth tasted like copper at Gil-ae''s words. The anger that had roared within him just moments ago fizzled out, leaving Seung feeling hollow. What was the point of it all? The sight of Choi Jina''s trembling form earlier didn''t satisfy him¡ªit only highlighted the futility of his rage.

    Was this anger truly directed at Choi Jina, or was she simply the nearest target? The answer was unsettling. He wasn''t just angry at her¡ªhe was angry at the circumstances, his mother''s demands, his careening uncontrolled emotions for Minjae, the danger she was in, the impending plumes of war hanging over their head, and the entire situation that seemed to conspire against him. But most of all, he was angry at himself for allowing things to spiral so far out of control.

    Seung paused, rubbing his hand wearily across his face. Gil-ae was right; he couldn''t dishonour his mother''s wishes, and there was a limit to how far he could run from his troubles.

    Furthermore, it wasn''t Gil-ae''s'' burden to carry.

    "I must attend to some matters. Inform her I will visit her chamber later," Seung said.

    Gil-ae hesitated before speaking. "If it pleases you, might she come to your chamber instead?"

    She did not trust him to enter Choi Jina''s quarters, and he could not fault her for it. He had no desire to go there, either. Besides, his chamber had already been ''prepared'' for the night, a fact that was not lost on them. He nodded at his sister gently and gave her a faint smile. "Yes, she may," he replied. "And Gil-ae?"

    "Yes, Oraboni?"

    "Did Minjae visit Omoni today?"

    "Yes, she came right after you left," Gil-ae replied.

    Seung nodded. Minjae had timed it so she would not have to meet him. He was barely home, often spending long hours pouring over investigative notes, or looking after the Royal Guard affairs that avoiding him was hardly an issue.

    Once Gil-ae left, Seung took his time changing into his nightwear and extinguishing all the lights in his chamber. Perhaps the darkness would dissuade Choi Jina from entering.

    But he doubted it.

    Perhaps Choi Jina and he could come to an arrangement, one that maintained appearances without further entanglement. He harboured no intention of siring heirs with Choi Jina; that right he reserved for one woman alone - as soon as he figured out a way to get her back and never let go. Irrespective, he also didn''t need the constant meddling from his mother or father-in-law.

    Seung poured himself a cup of alcohol.

    The niggling look of terror in Choi Jina''s eyes from morning told him she might not agree to anything less than what she sought - a child. Gil-ae was right; Choi Jina did fear him, but his moods, rather than the person, but she was not afraid of him. However, she was terrified of her father, of that he was certain.

    For five years, she had not feared her father, and now, suddenly, she was consumed by dread. His inquisitive mind loathed unresolved mysteries, but this one would have to wait another day.

    Or, it might be a good time to find out what made Choi Jina so afraid.

    It was quite a while before he heard a movement outside his door. There was a faint knock, which surprised him. Choi Jina had never taken to announcing her entry to his chamber, a small privilege he had allowed her as his wife, though it meant little. She was probably more nervous than he realised.

    He cleared his throat and bade enter. Surprisingly, she didn''t have any lanterns on her.

    "I have extinguished the lights," Seung instructed the feminine figure gruffly. It was perhaps for the good. Some things were best solved in the darkness. "Remain where you are, it''s dark."

    She froze by the door.

    ¡Þ

    The altercation with Seung the previous week had thrown Minjae into turmoil. She had thrown the gauntlet at him, yet she had spent a sleepless nights drenched in sweat at the prospect of him discovering the truth about her and its aftermath.

    Then, there was the problem of her brother being on the island. She now carried a jangot, hoping she would not meet him somewhere accidentally.

    Minjae decided to do something about it.

    Minjae summoned all her courage to request an audience with Lady Kim I-On. It was highly irregular for a commoner to seek a meeting with someone of her stature, especially at such a late hour. Yet, Minjae had no one else with whom she could speak openly or ask for the favour she needed.

    To her relief, the maid promptly escorted her to the elegantly adorned chamber. However, the stern set of Kim I-On''s lips was a foreboding sign. "Kim Minjae, I am much vexed with you. It seems you withheld the most crucial information during our last meeting."

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Minjae sank down beside the bed and reached for her medicine bag, gesturing for Kim I-On to lie down.

    "What did you learn?" Minjae asked resignedly. In Ganghwa, gossip showed no regard for social rank.

    "A few town ladies visited me, quite eager to share news about other town people. Lord Lee Seung appears indifferent to his wife and has developed a fondness for a certain local physician who, I am told, does not return his affections. He apparently has been pursuing this said physician for over a year now. Care to explain?"

    Minjae''s mouth went dry at the memory of Lord Seung''s piercing gaze, and the recollection of his disarming smiles haunted her vision. The tightness in her chest increased as Minjae searched for words.

    The gossiping ladies could not be more wrong.

    "I am waiting," Kim I-On tapped her finger on the knuckle of her other hand resting on her belly.

    Falteringly, Minjae explained her meeting with Seung on the island and his obstinacy at her refusal until he broke down her defences. "Even now, my heart refuses to let go of Lord Lee, though it should. The honourable ladies are mistaken¡ªI''ve done my best to keep away, but my world has revolved around him despite my better judgment."

    Kim I-On grasped her wrist, stilling the hand expertly twirling a needle at a particularly soothing point in her belly. "Why did you not tell him?"

    "At first, I was afraid he would not understand," Minjae explained. "He would be angry at what I did to him and his sister, and rightfully so, and I...I was selfish because I didn''t want to lose what we already had. But by the time I finally decided to tell him the truth, Father had sent the woman to take my place."

    "Now, he would not believe you if you told him, is that it?" Kim I-On asked, her eyes thoughtful.

    Minjae nodded. "Part of it is that, but the other part is that I am afraid of how he would react against Father, and put all of us in the direct path of harm."

    "His Excellency will not take kindly to being called a fraud by his son-in-law," Kim I-On observed perceptively. "However, you are assuming Lord Lee Seung will put you and others in the path of harm by being reckless. You are questioning his strength of character and intelligence, not to mention the depth of his feelings for you. Do you think Lord Lee came to be where he is at such a young age by being naive?" Kim I-On rebuked.

    Minjae flinched at her friend''s harsh judgement. "I never assumed anything like that! Don''t remark on something you know little about!" She cried, the words tumbling out before she could stop them.

    Kim I-On was not impressed. "To me, it looks like that."

    ''You... you don''t understand,'' Minjae faltered, her voice softening as guilt began to overshadow her initial defiance. ''I didn''t tell you the whole story,'' she confessed. Her nerves were raw. Even though it had been more than a week, she was still reeling from her encounter with Seung. The thought of him uncovering their tangled history sent a shiver of dread down her spine, twisting her anticipation into a knot of paralysing fear.

    Kim I-On slowly pushed herself up, wincing slightly as she adjusted her swollen body and crossed her arms. "Ah! Don''t tell me there is more. Why am I not surprised?"

    Minjae''s eyes dropped to the needle in her hand, fingers rotating it absently. The cool metal offered little comfort against the confusion in her mind. Despite the soothing rhythm of her movements, the storm inside her mind continued to rage, her thoughts scattering like leaves in the wind, wild and uncontainable. The thought of burdening her friend with more of her dark secrets made her stomach churn with guilt.

    "It''s better if I didn''t tell you, Kim I-On. You already know too much, and it could endanger you. I came here to ask for a favour, but I understand if you are upset and refuse me."

    Minjae felt rather than see the tension flow out of Kim I-On''s body. She laid back down as much as her swollen body allowed her.

    "All of us were sheltered and filial, but you were always the most obedient and timid among us," Kim I-On reminisced. "Whenever someone raised their voice or tried to pick a fight, you''d quietly walk away. Others thought you considered yourself above all of us. I was never fooled. You always bent backwards so as not to draw attention to yourself and always be the epitome of grace and nobility. So, would a burn in hand be enough to make you run away from home?" Kim I-On tilted her head, pressing it against the cushion as she looked at Minjae. "I have been thinking to myself - if Minjae wanted to run away, why would she wait for marriage? Even that night when you came, you had nothing¡ªno plans, no money, no clothes¡ªjust a vague idea of going to your grandmother''s village, which, by morning, both of us knew would not happen. And after your father took you back home, he would have kept you under lock and key. I was too surprised to see you here disguised as someone else after all these years, but I have given it a thought since then. Did you really run away?"

    Kim I-On stopped and waited. Minjae kept her eyes downcast, afraid of losing her composure. But she could not keep the break from her voice as she said, "My father didn''t replace me to save face. He trained that woman to take my place for five years."

    Other than a gasp, Kim I-On was still.

    Minjae listlessly tossed the needle aside. "I had the temerity to go against him and try to break the marriage."

    "Why were you so adamant about breaking the marriage?" Kim I-On pursed her lips. "My husband told me you owned up to writing an awful letter to Lord Lee that night before running away."

    Minjae''s breath hitched as she recalled the letter, the frantic scribbles on the parchment with her unhurt hand, and the tears that had blurred her vision.

    "You might not have realised," Kim I-On continued, "but you looked the happiest before marriage. There was a spring in your step, you blushed, you smiled," the corners of I-On''s mouth lifted at the memory. "Believe me, even your smiles stirred envy among those around you, yet most of us were simply relieved to learn you could speak beyond ''yes'' and ''no'' and do more than merely incline your head."

    Minjae took a shuddering breath. "I was foolish," she murmured, the words cutting deep, like salt in a fresh wound. Her shoulders slumped beneath the crushing burden of guilt, her heart heavy with the harsh reality of the loss that had haunted her relentless days and sleepless nights for years.

    "You can tell me," Kim I-On said gently.

    Swallowing, Minjae gave her a lean version of the events, leaving out the near-rape, most of the temple and all of Hanyang parts. Even without all of it, the story sounded horrid.

    "I need tea," was all Kim I-On said. Her face was white, but when the maids came in with refreshments, all they saw was their elegant mistress being treated by the expertly graceful physician she had developed an affinity for.

    Once the maids left, Kim I-On said, "If I were you, I would tell Lord Seung everything even more urgently. You not only assumed he was lacking, but you also thought he would endanger you and would not stand by you in adversity."

    Minjae paled. She had been so consumed by fear that she never thought about it from Seung''s perspective.

    "Lord Lee already knows I am not Kim Minjae, and he is already digging into my past," she flushed as shock lined Kim I-On''s oval face, her winged brows touching the roof of her broad forehead.

    "And you still haven''t told him? I had heard you were a brilliant woman. You are no more than a dimwit, Choi Jina!" Kim I-On exclaimed in frustration.

    Minjae clamped her hand on Kim I-On''s mouth, looking around to make sure no one had overheard. "Shhh! Someone will hear you!"

    Kim I-On mumbled something beneath her hand.

    "What?" Minjae asked as she removed the hand.

    "Forget someone overhearing. If you don''t tell him, I will," I-On threatened.

    "You don''t understand, Kim I-On. If I confess the truth, what then? What follows?" Minjae exclaimed, her words more a cry of desperation than a question. She covered her face with both her hands. "I have agonised over this for months, Kim I-On. For years, I practised what I would say if I ever met Dari and if he recognised me. It all came to nought when the time came. I have been so afraid."

    Kim I-On pried Minjae''s hands away from her face and stroked her head gently. "I am so sorry you suffered alone for all these years. But now you are not alone. You have me, and you must trust that there will be others who will support you."

    Minjae shook her head, the tears spilling over. "Who would believe someone like me over His Excellency, Chief State Councillor and the country''s most powerful man? And even if someone did, would they be able to publicly support my claim? A man who can kill his daughter would not stop at much." She flicked her tears away, her mouth set in an obstinate line.

    A silence more heavily pregnant than Kim I-On followed Minjae''s words.

    Kim I-On inched closer to the table and reached for the teapot. Minjae immediately tried to get to the pot before her. "Let me," she said.

    Kim I-On held her wrist. "You have always been higher than me by rank of your birth and marriage. Even now, you should sit where I am while I serve you tea. We both know that, Lady Choi Jina."

    Minjae blinked and withdrew her hand.

    Slender fingers looped around the delicate celadon handle of the teapot. "When an issue arises in Court, at least fifty ministers and their numerous other officials discuss and try to arrive at a solution," Kim I-On poured the tea into tiny porcelain cups, the stream of transparent water steady and controlled. "You mean to resolve this all by yourself?"

    Kim I-On handed her a cup. "You must consider this carefully, My Lady Choi. Going against your father on such a heinous charge will not be easy. I am not naive. There will be fallouts. However, it''s only a matter of time before someone uncovers your true identity. Given the circles you move in, it''s a wonder you''ve remained undiscovered thus far. Your transformation, both in name and appearance and our elite arrogance of superiority, may have shielded you. But if the wrong person learns the truth, then the man who tried to kill you once will try it again." Kim I-On sipped her tea. "It''s an ugly and scary world, and you are fighting the wrong battle. Don''t let others snatch away what is important to you. Tell Lord Lee. Don''t get intimidated."

    Minjae followed suit, though her fingers trembled. "I don''t know where to begin. I''ve buried it for so long that it feels like there''s no right moment or way to tell him."

    They sat in silence, each lost in their thoughts.

    "Jina?" Kim I-On called her.

    Being called by her real name still felt strangely unsettling and deeply moving. Minjae savoured the sound and missed the glint in her friend''s eyes.

    "Yes?"

    "So, has Lord Lee kissed you?" Kim I-On suddenly asked.

    Minjae choked, spluttering the tea.

    Kim I-On patted her back soothingly, then peered at her.

    Minjae averted her eyes, the blooming blush on her face rivalling the red backdrop of the wall hanging across the room.

    "That is the best time to tell him," Kim I-On said, smiling. "I speak from experience. Men are much more agreeable to shocking discourses when they are..er...pleasurably engaged."

    Minjae accepted the square piece of linen Kim I-On gave her gratefully and coughed the remaining moisture stuck in her windpipe.

    "Everything is about timing," Kim I-On said. "Furthermore, who do you want to wake up next to for the rest of your life? The better question is, who do you want next to him?" Kim I-On covered Minjae''s hands with her own. "In any case, other than to see my beautiful face, is there a reason you sought me out so late?" Kim I-On jested.

    "I need a favour."

    Kim I-On raised a questioning brow.

    "My brother Choi Se-min is on the island," Minjae said. "And I need him gone before any of this comes to light. I need the Governor''s help."

    ¡Þ

    There was no denying the marvel of Kim I-On''s advice.

    The two friends had talked and exchanged ideas about how they could break the news to Lee Seung. Kim I-On had offered to do it for her, but Minjae had refused. It was her burden to carry, her secret to share. And Minjae could not risk any further danger to Kim I-On or Jo Hee-bong.

    An idea was forming in her mind. Minjae''s heart raced faster than the Capital Force''s horses as it took a definite shape, echoing the crunch of gravel beneath the heavy footfalls of the men carrying her palanquin.

    Could she dare to take the risk?

    On an impulse, she decided and ordered the palanquin to take her to Seung''s house.

    The moonless night cast deep shadows around her, the stars adrift and forlorn without their guiding light. The house looked massive and asleep in the dark. The cold rattled her bones.

    Minjae waited until the men carrying her palanquin disappeared around the bend of the road.

    The fenced wall came up to her chin. The last time she had jumped over a wall, she had been twelve, trying to run away from the gambling house after dropping the debt money her brother owed to a thin, one-eyed man. Minjae went on her top toe and peered into the expansive courtyard frilled with pretty bushes and lush flowers that Gil-ae nurtured with love, though she could hardly differentiate one from the other in the velvety shadows. There was no movement. The guard at the gate was standing in attention, and there was no way she could climb the wall.

    There was only one way.

    She clenched her fists, feeling the cold sweat on her palms. What if the guard didn''t believe her? What if he raised an alarm instead? For her to be successful, she needed to get to Seung''s chamber without anyone knowing it.

    With a deep breath, she calmed her nervous anticipation. Minjae smoothed her skirts, approached the guard, showed him her identification, and bowed to him respectfully. Perplexed, the guard, in no uncertain terms, told her to return in the morning.

    "It''s very late at night, and I want nothing more than to sleep. However, I must check on Lady Ryu for tonight''s special needle treatment." Minjae was proud of her firm voice.

    "No one said anything about you visiting so late in the night. Stay here, then. I will ask my Master," he said.

    "Sir, I am a mere physician who needs to visit her patient. You know I am allowed in the house any time I am needed. Are you sure you want to disturb the sleep of the kind Lord and Lady Lee for someone like me? It will take me less than an hour."

    The man looked uncertain because Seung, indeed, had given her a free pass in and out of the house. It didn''t take Minjae long to ease his misgivings, have him open the gate and enter. Quietly.

    Sweat trickled down her back, and she rubbed her hands down her skirts. Nausea roiled.

    You not only assumed he was lacking, but you also thought he would endanger you and would not stand by you in adversity.

    Minjae closed her eyes as Kim I-On''s words rang in her ears. Seung had stood by her. Even when he had been brutally hurt and furious, he had still looked after her and made sure she was not endangered despite such serious allegations that could cost him dearly.

    And he accepted her mindless challenge.

    She had spent countless nights imagining this moment, rehearsing what she would say and how she would explain the truth. But now, with the moment at hand, doubt gnawed at her resolve. What if he rejected her entirely? The fear of losing him forever paralysed her. But she knew she might never gather enough courage if she didn''t act now. Kim I-On''s words echoed in her mind: "Don''t let others snatch away what is important to you."

    Kim I-On was right. Minjae took a deep breath, steeling herself. She couldn''t let fear dictate her life any longer. She owed him the truth, no matter the consequences.

    Squaring her shoulder, she straightened her posture and ascended the steps with silent grace. Taking off her shoes, she padded barefoot to the chamber door. There was no light seeping from inside. With her knuckles poised to knock, she paused, the fear of waking others up almost buckling her knees. Yet, her upbringing would not permit her to enter unannounced. So she settled for a very soft, barely audible tap.

    What if he was deep in sleep?

    To her surprise, Seung''s voice had a clear ring as he bade her to enter. Minjae found the circular ring handle and swiftly slid it aside. She paused for a moment before stepping inside and closing the door. The racketing of her heart was enough to wake up the entire house, the pitch black of the room pressing in on her. What if he refused to listen? What if her presence only angered him further? What if it was too late?

    The silence weighed heavily on her, each second stretching into eternity as she stood there, frozen with fear that he might turn her away.

    "I have extinguished the lights," Seung''s voice rang out like a boomerang. "Remain where you are, it''s dark."

    Was he expecting her? A thrill unfurled in her chest. She could barely discern the dark silhouette that rose from the far side of the room and approached her, but there was no mistaking the broad shoulders or the graceful swagger of his movements when he walked like he owned the earth he walked on.

    Her feet were rooted, her tongue tied as she tried to summon words to her throat.

    Seung came and stood barely two feet away, his hands locked behind his back. The velvet ink outlined his white-clad frame.

    The current between them surged like a tangible swirl.

    "I-" Seung cleared his throat, sounding - surprised? Of course, he was surprised. Her sudden appearance must have unnerved him.

    Seung stepped closer, almost like being pulled by an invisible thread towards her. Involuntarily, Minjae stepped back, the cold of the wall breaching the wool of her bodice.

    He rubbed his hand at the nape of his neck and shook his head as if to clear it. "This is a difficult situation, and I fear I continue to disappoint you. I apologise for my earlier behaviour. It''s not an excuse, but I was angry. You must know that what you did before you came to me bears no judgement on what I think about you. We all make mistakes. You are a beautiful, desirable woman; it is only natural for any man to desire you. What happened between us was not your fault. Perhaps we could reach an understanding¡ª" he faltered as if searching for the right words.

    There was something in his tone, an odd hesitancy, but she was too caught up in the moment to question it. Minjae barely comprehended his words, unsure why he was speaking this way other than to think he was apologising for his appalling treatment of her perhaps. She also understood he desired her. She could sense it in every line of his body.

    Words had never been her strength.

    Now, with so many to say, she didn''t know where to begin. But there was no turning back. She didn''t need an ''arrangement'' or whatever he was thinking. She needed him. She had come to reclaim her husband.

    She was here to claim her identity back.

    Men are much more agreeable to shocking discourses when they are pleasurably engaged......Kim I-On had said.

    Was she right? Minjae had only one way to find out.

    With a deep breath, Minjae closed the distance between them, her movements slow, almost hesitant. Her fingers, still trembling, found their way to the nape of his neck, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath her touch. She could feel the slight tension in his muscles, the way his breath caught for just a moment as she drew closer. Minjae''s heart leapt into her throat, and she shut her eyes tightly as if, by doing so, she could block out the fear that still gnawed at her.

    Then, with a courage born of desperation, she pressed her lips to his. The kiss was tentative, a question rather than a demand, her lips barely grazing his at first, testing, waiting.

    Seung froze and stiffened beneath her touch, and for a heartbeat, she feared he would pull away before his arms encircled her, pulling her to him with the desperate hunger of a starving beast.

 A Tangle Of Errors

    A shaft of current with power more intense than the torrents that roared through the mountain gorges ripped through him at the contact of her warm, pliant body.

    Seung inhaled her deeply. Her unique feminine scent hit him like a cloudburst, settling deep in his soul.

    Seung was hallucinating.

    He had to be.

    The woman in his arms should have been Choi Jina. Yet all his senses could see and feel was - Kim Minjae. Her images flooded Seung''s mind as the lips under him opened to his hungry invasion¡ªher flushed cheeks, dark lashes, and the graceful curve of her throat. She tasted so saccharine and feminine, so like the woman who haunted his waking hours and tormented his dreams that his blood thrummed.

    Unaware of the confusion that had taken hold of Seung''s senses, Minjae sighed against him. Her frame shook with an onslaught of emotion and desire. The agonising anticipation that had smouldered within her now fanned into a flame that demanded to be quenched.

    While Seung shook with the force of his craving, his heart recoiled, a pulse of shame mingling with the sharp, intoxicating thrill of longing for her.

    Earlier, when Choi Jina entered the chamber, Seung had been preoccupied with the words he intended to say. His mind was so consumed that he paid little heed to anything else. It wasn''t until he was near her that the faint but familiar scent of lavender and patchouli struck his senses like a lightning bolt. His pulse roared as the depth of his obsession hit him in the gut.

    Is this what he had been reduced to? Fantasising about one woman while being with another?

    Seung had closed his eyes, seeking control, but the erratic rhythm of her breaths had flooded his senses, the hitch in her breath amplifying the fragile spell that enveloped them, fearful of shattering it.

    When she pressed herself against him, reason abandoned him, swept away by the flood of her closeness.

    A small pragmatic part of him, still alive with some vestige of honour, kicked and roared at him. If his mind had to conjure up Minjae''s feel and taste for his body to respond to a woman, to feel this alive and exhilarated, then he needed to stay the hell away from them!

    Seung could not take Choi Jina pretending she was Kim Minjae, even though all his senses clamoured to scream Minjae¡¯s name. He owed that much decency to his wife.

    "No, Jina, we must talk..."

    Minjae froze. He had called her by her name. Did he already know? Did he already solve the mystery? Or did someone tell him?

    In her heightened state, with her body reacting viscerally to each touch, the train of thought in her mind became an entangled mesh of confusion.

    Her heart jumped even as she felt him stiffen, her mind torn in directions of love, wonder and disbelief.

    Minjae''s sudden stillness hit Seung like a cold splash of water. He paused, breath catching, awareness pressing through his foggy mind. He tried to pry her fingers from his neck.

    "How..."- she whispered in wonder. "Why did you call me Jina...." she asked, this time louder.

    Her voice cut through the fog in Seung''s mind like a blade.

    Clarity struck him, sharp and undeniable, quickly followed by shock and disbelief.

    Minjae.

    The dam broke.

    How could he have been so blind? The realisation that he had almost mistaken Minjae for Choi Jina made his stomach churn.

    Seung cradled her small face, her ears soft between the web of his fingers. His eyes breathed fire in the dark as they followed the path of his thumb, tracing the edges of her cheekbones, the delicate line of her jaw, her full, succulent lips.

    "Minjae!" The name slipped from his lips like a prayer.

    Minjae''s hopes doused. He didn''t know. She must have misheard him earlier. Her anxious mind was playing tricks with her.

    She pulled away, pushing at his chest with trembling hands.

    "No! Don''t go!" The words were torn from him, rough and ragged, as he tightened his grip on her, needing to feel her warmth, to believe this was real.

    How had she come to be in his arms? Seung didn''t know and no longer cared. His arm snaked her waist, pulling her closer, borne out of a desperate need to anchor himself at that moment: Minjae was here in his arms. It was the only truth he could hold onto, the only thing that mattered.

    Every dark thought melted away, every worry washed away with the force of his unbridled joy.

    Seung crushed her to his body, his fingers revelling in the coarse fabric of her thick woollen hanbok. But it wasn''t enough. He needed to feel her. All of her. He felt her half-hearted attempt at a struggle and tightened his grip, pouring his feelings into the vapour of the night.

    "I thought I had lost you forever," the ache in his heart intensified. ''I love you so much, Minjae; I have died inside a little every day that we have been apart," he softly kissed her forehead, another at the tip of her nose. "I don''t care who you were and what you did. We will fight your demons together."

    Songbirds larked in her heart at his words. But Minjae needed to tell him the truth.

    "I have something to say to you -" she gasped as his lips suckled on her earlobe.

    "Shhh! I surmise you are here to tell me about your past," he said.

    Her white of her eyes widened in the dark, eliciting a chuckle from him.

    Seung shook his head. "I don''t want to know," he said.

    "You must -"

    He covered her mouth with his, the kiss a plea for love and nothing else.

    She resisted for a moment, her body stiff against his, but then she surrendered. Arching into him with a soft, pained sound, her resolve crumbled under the weight of her love and desire for this man. His touch was so gentle that she disintegrated like the iridescent mist of a butterfly wing.

    Placing an arm under the hollow of her knee, he swung her up. He navigated the ombre shadows of the room effortlessly.

    Like a silk scarf, she slid down his body in a whisper, her feet sinking into the satiny cocoon of the mattress below.

    "No, wait," she tried again, her mind whirling from the sensations her body was always too quick to generate at Seung''s touch.

    "Minjae," he splayed his fingers on either side of her face, "We started a game, remember? We still play it by your rules. It''s on me to find out. But, tonight, I want to prove to you that your past does not matter to me. And," he paused, his voice husky, "to show you how sorry I am for taking you to that hilltop. There is not enough room in hell for me to atone for that."

    She shook her head. "You were always right. I should have told you. But I am done with being afraid -"

    "I know," he kept a finger on her lips. "If I can find out about your past and don''t like it, it will be my weight to bear. But if I don''t, I free you from all obligations to tell me."

    Minjae felt the telltale pressure behind her eyes at his words. The songbirds nested in her heart with nestlings.

    "Stay with me tonight," he said huskily.

    She could only nod as they sank into the bed.

    The darkness settled like a sensual blanket around them.

    His lips imprinted her in a trail across her skin, leaving fire whorls behind. Impatient for contact, he tugged at the ties of her bodice and dragged her bindings down, freeing her glorious breasts, rolling and kneading her hardened peaks between the vee of his fingers, eliciting wild tremors from her body. She clutched at the tapes of his hanbok, tearing them open, her hands slipping beneath to caress the smooth expanse of his back, his muscles flexing in delight under her satiny fingertips.

    His lips blazed down the silky column of her throat to the soft mounds as he feasted on her. She was exactly as he remembered, fitting flawlessly into his hands, just perfect. Her nails scored long bars of passion on his skin, the sensation building intolerable pressure of release at the base of his spine. He buried his fingers in her hair, the tight braids resisting his touch. Minjae winced at the sharp pull, the pain heightening her pleasure. Their awareness condensed to their lips, teeth, and tongue, warring, loving, tasting, and nipping.

    He couldn''t wait any longer. He lifted her chima, tearing her undergarment with an impatient tug, the fabric giving away like a dry leaf. His fingers found her core. She was so drenched for him that he shivered.

    "Did you miss me?" He asked.

    She moaned in answer and threw her head back, arching against him desperately, seeking the elusive high only he could give her.

    Seung closed his eyes in bliss as she rode her tremors. She was close to coming apart, but he had to have her now before he burst like a green lad.

    "I need you now, Minjae," Seung cried hoarsely, losing all sense of time as urgency took over. He was trembling so hard that he fumbled with the dratted loops of his ties in the dark.

    But suddenly, Minjae started struggling as if pushing him away. His hands automatically went to her waist to steady her against him, but she twisted frantically, pulling away to the farther side of the mattress.

    "Stop, Dari!" she cried, her voice breaking, panicked.

    To his shame, he was past caring. He was so aroused his mind blanked.

    Seung pulled her to him and found her lips to calm her down. Lee Seung had never made love to a resisting woman, but he had never been out of control for one. "Please, Minjae, don''t deny me -" he pleaded hotly against her mouth.

    "There is someone -" she warned.

    It was too late.

    A cold blast of air hit their entwined bodies as the door slid open, bathing them with a blade of light emitting from a lantern turned to its lowest.

    Shock poured like cold water down his spine as reality hit, and he realised why Minjae had asked him to stop. Seung didn''t have to look behind him to know the depth of his blunder.

    But he turned his head around anyway.

    Choi Jina stepped into the chamber and stood immobilised, disbelief etching her face into harsh lines as she stared at the scene before her.

    He shifted his gaze from Choi Jina to the woman he still held in his arms on the satin spread, her hands trembling as she tied her bodice, each frantic movement reflecting the growing horror in his own eyes.

    Instinctively, Seung moved to shield her, but Minjae pushed him away, scrambling to get up and almost losing balance as the soft surface beneath her feet resisted her pressure.

    Seung''s mind scrambled with need and incredulity as he tried to make sense of the scene. The exquisite face of his dreams looked back at him, filled with desire¡ªand humiliation.

    Her face flamed a deep red as she pulled down her skirt with shaking hands. She looked so heartbrokenly beautiful and shattered at that moment that his heart crumbled to dust.

    Reluctantly, he stood up and stepped back.

    Before he could react any further, Choi Jina moved.

    "How dare you sneak into my husband''s chamber, you wretched whore!"

    Thwack!

    The resounding sound of the slap echoed around the walls, the unexpectedness of it dousing any remnants of desire coursing through his body.

    Minjae stood still, cradling her cheek, her graceful form stiffening with shock.

    Choi Jina went at her again, and Minjae raised her arm and turned her face away to ward off another blow. "You shameless harlot! How dare you! I will teach you a lesson¡ª"

    Seung recovered enough of his senses. "Enough!" His voice rang out. Quiet. Deadly. His eyes burned with anger. "Lay another finger on her, and you will never have a bed to sleep in this house again."

    Choi Jina paled. "but Dari, I - you -"

    "I am sorry. Minjae did not sneak in. I called her," Seung lied, his voice hollow at the heartbreaking sight before him.

    Choi Jina''s night rail, a flimsy wisp of white silk, clung to her form, leaving little to the imagination. Yet she could have been wearing a jute sack for all he cared. His senses were completely overpowered by the fully dressed, dishevelled woman clenching and unclenching her hands around her rumpled skirts.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Minjae was staring at Choi Jina, her lustrous eyes wounded as she took in Choi Jina''s embarrassingly flimsy night attire. Seung saw her arriving at the erroneous conclusion as clearly as spilt ink spreading on parchment, blotting everything in its enraged rampage.

    Seung had thought his life could not get worse. At that moment, he realised how many layers of hell existed in the world, and he probably was staring at the bottom of the purgatory chasm.

    "Choi Jina, can you please give us some privacy -" he began.

    "No!" The cry wrenched from somewhere in Minjae''s gut.

    Seung started at the viciousness in Minjae''s tone. Trust her to dictate him in his own chamber! The gall of the woman.

    "Minjae, it''s not what -"

    "I came on my own," Minjae interrupted, her eyes still trained on Choi Jina. "Dari didn''t call me." She licked her lips and raised a shaking hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "I am sorry I came unannounced, Dari. I don''t know what I was thinking. But it''s not relevant any more. I was mistaken.''

    "What do you mean?" Seung asked sharply.

    The sting of the slap had faded quickly, but the force of jealousy it left behind stunned Minjae, followed by an ugly realisation.

    She had not misheard Seung at all!

    She was such a fool!

    With her eyes still on Jina, Minjae ignored Seung as if he had not spoken. "Thank you for the slap, I needed it. You have every right to be angry, My Lady. I have no right to be here, in this chamber. My behaviour is unforgivable. But you do not have to worry. He didn''t realise it was me. It was dark. When I came in, he thought it was you. He kissed me thinking it was you!"

    No!

    Seung had to be made of stone so as not to read the grief in her voice.

    Ironically, she had it the other way around, but he didn''t attempt to correct her. The surreality of this conversation was staggering. If someone told him he was dead and had entered another dimension, he would believe them.

    Choi Jina sneered in disbelief, her narrowed eyes darting from Minjae to Seung, her chest heaving with indignation and fury.

    A choking knot formed in the hollow of his chest. "Minjae, please don''t," the look on Minjae''s face twisting the knot further.

    Minjae still had not removed her eyes from Choi Jina, but now her gaze addressed Jina''s midriff. "He was expecting you and didn''t realise it was me because it was dark. Dari called your name and said you were d-desirable..," Minjae lifted her chin, "and he thought it was you when..when...we embraced." Then she turned to him, "Am I correct, Dari?" Her voice cracked.

    Choi Jina gasped with shock, the unmistakable glitter of epiphany flashing in her eyes.

    Bile rose.

    "Minjae -" Seung called, resisting the urge to wipe the cold sweat beading his forehead.

    "Please forgive me; I shall never bother you again." Minjae bowed deeply, then turned and crossed to the door before he could finish drawing a tortured breath.

    "I command you to stop, Kim Minjae," he ordered.

    She paused at the threshold, bent to pick a cloak from the floor and looked back at him, shadows rippling across her face. "Do not worry about me, Dari. Instead, why do you not tell My Lady about the ''arrangement'' you had in mind?"

    Her betrayed look at the top of that blasted hill paled compared to the one swimming in her furious coal eyes. She turned and vanished down the short flight of steps leading to the dark compound.

    Seung started after her before the cold blast of air on his skin made him realise he was frightfully undressed.

    Cursing under his breath, he grabbed the nearest wool tunic from a chest close by, shoving his arms into the sleeves.

    Choi Jina blocked his path. "Is it true, Dari? Did you think it was me?"

    Seung paused. Regret coiled in his gut.

    He searched for the right words. How did one explain that even in his confusion, his subconscious mind had known the woman in his arms had been Kim Minjae?

    "Yes, I mistook her for you," the words felt rotten coming from his mouth. Seung expelled a shaken breath. He rubbed his fingers on his forehead. "But I knew who she was when I took her to bed."

    And I forgot all about you.

    Choi Jina looked like he had slapped her, but she didn''t move.

    "You would be disrespecting Omoni if you leave tonight. You cannot go to her," she said.

    "It''s too late for her to travel the roads alone. We will talk tomorrow," he said. He loathed the impatience in his voice.

    Choi Jina''s eyes hardened into slits. "If she can come by herself, she can get back too. I can bring you happiness and comfort. You like poetry, Dari? Dance? Playing instruments? Tell me how I can please you. Perhaps even make you forget her."

    Wrong words.

    Seung could see she had realised her mistake before completing the sentence.

    "You are not a kisaeng. You need not please me," he said quietly. "And don''t speak of Minjae in that tone. Ever."

    Choi Jina lowered her head. "I apologise. A virtuous wife is expected to prioritise moral conduct over personal feelings, including jealousy," she quoted the Analects. "I overstepped my boundaries."

    The light from the lantern accentuated the grey pallor of her face.

    With a curt nod, Seung threw a leather cloak over the crook of his arm and strode out of the room, the floorboards groaning under his unforgiving footfalls. This time, she made no effort to stop him.

    Seung ran out.

    "Where did she go?" he asked the guard at the gate.

    "Physician Kim?" He pointed to the woods. "Sir, she was walking very fast. I asked her why she didn''t have a palanquin. It''s dangerous to go into the woods without a light..."

    Cursing, Seung didn''t let him finish. He grabbed the lantern and rushed towards the forest.

    "Commander Lee, should I send help?" The guard called after him.

    "No, stay and guard the house," Seung threw back over his shoulder as he raced towards the woods.

    The blasted woman would freeze before she reached home unless the overzealous Royal guards prowling for victims on the island beat her to it by seizing and throwing her in jail for violating curfew.

    Thankfully, she had not gone too far. His strides were twice her size, and he fell behind her as she stubbornly navigated the narrow path in the dark. The path was well-traversed. Still, it was foolhardy to travel without a lantern, especially on a moonless night. However, as Seung neared her, he was relieved to see she wore a thick jangot that she huddled under.

    The one that he had bought her in Hanyang.

    She looked so angry and forlorn that his stomach hollowed with an acute pang, knocking out his breath.

    She quickened her steps.

    His long legs ate up the ground between them effortlessly. Grabbing her by the arm, he forced her to halt.

    "I asked you to stop," he said forcefully.

    She shrugged her arms violently to shake him off. "Do. Not. Touch. Me."

    His arms fell to his side. "I just want to talk."

    "I have nothing to say to you! I am such a fool. I can''t believe I set myself up for such humiliation!" She pushed past him.

    "I am sorry, darling, it was terrible on my part." He circled her and blocked her path, forcing her to face him, and said, ¡°But it''s not what you think!¡±

    "What do I think?" Minjae''s voice trembled with fury. "She was," she paused, her eyes widening wildly at the memory, "she was in your chamber, dressed in practically nothing! Where did she even get something like that! You took me into your arms thinking I was her, she came into your chamber dressed indecently in this freezing weather....you-you.." Minjae spluttered with indignation and jealousy. "....having her come to your chamber and kissing her.." she trailed off as she realised she wasn''t even making sense any more.

    "Aish! I wasn''t kissing her!" He growled.

    "You thought it was her!" She accused.

    "I was confused!" He defended.

    "About what?" She snapped.

    "If you remember, you kissed me! I admit I was taken aback and, for a moment, lost my focus because she felt so different from last time.." Seung''s voice skidded to a stop, and he felt a cold dread wash over him as he realised what he had said. He wished he could crawl into the smallest, stinkiest hole he could find.

    Or better still, hang himself with the silken thread of the spider web swaying from the branch behind Minjae.

    "Last time? Last time?" She was so angry at his betrayal that a crimson haze clouded her vision. "You deceive the whole world, pretending you care nothing for her while sharing her bed all this time¡ªyou are nothing but a debauchee of the worst order!"

    "I have not been sleeping with her!" Seung burst out in frustration.

    "Don''t you dare lie!" She spit. "You said she was beautiful, that all men desire her - you- whatever happened wasn''t her fault. Don''t lie! No wonder she didn''t knock!" For some reason, even though insignificant in the larger scheme of things, that simple lack of etiquette chaffed Minjae the most, hitting it home how she had been robbed of her rightful place.

    At that moment, as Seung caught the pulsing hurt in her eyes, something struck him. His normally reticent woman was scarcely letting him get a word in. It was the first time he''d seen Minjae so unravelled, her emotions spilling out in raw, unfiltered honesty. That she could be so ferociously jealous, that she cared this much, was almost too much to take in. His chest tightened as the truth blazed in his mind - she loved him. Him. Lee Seung, and no other.

    Relief gurgled in his chest, threatening to appear in the form of an ill-timed laugh, and he pulverised it down like a madman squashing ants under his boots, focusing instead on the woman he now knew loved him as fiercely as he loved her.

    "Unfortunately, for no fault of mine, she is my wife," He gentled his voice so as to not rile her further. "A wife may enter without knocking, but it bears no meaning¡ª"

    "She is not your wife!" Minjae shouted, her voice cracking. "I am!"

    Seung seized her shoulders, his hands sliding down her arms in a vain attempt to soothe her. "I know, my love, I know¡ªyou are my true wife in every way that matters. She means nothing to me. I will banish her from my chambers, from my household, if it pleases you. I will send her away," he promised, trying to draw her into his arms.

    She looked at him, the incredulity in her eyes at his barely controlled delight burning a hole in his forehead.

    "You are laughing," she said, more a statement than an observation.

    "No, no, of course not," he lied, trying not to look as pleased as a thief who stumbled upon a cave of treasure.

    The absurdity of the situation crashed over Minjae like a tidal wave.

    She had told him the truth, and he had dismissed it as a mere outburst. And found it amusing.

    Because who would ever believe her?

    The rage, the despair, the countless injustices life had heaped upon her, all coalesced into a single, throbbing pain of helplessness.

    "Please leave me be!" A dry sob broke as she shook his arms away.

    Minjae broke free of his grasp with a sharp push, and he resisted. The lantern slipped from his fingers and crashed to the ground. It flickered and then plunged them into darkness.

    They both stared at the poor instrument. For a brief moment, she hesitated, her thoughts tangled between wrath and sorrow. Then, without looking back, she slipped past his outstretched arm into the shadowed woods, her legs carrying her away with no clear destination.

    Seung allowed her to take the lead, hoping the walk might alleviate some of the fury that had rendered her incoherent. The forest swallowed them both, dark as a well and cold as the grave, the chill biting deep into his bones. He ached to pull her into his arms, to share his ardour, and warm her into trusting him.

    Minjae was keenly aware of Seung''s presence behind her, but she stubbornly kept going. She knew these woods like the lines on her palm and feared nothing within them, yet she could not deny the comfort in knowing he had not abandoned her.

    A subtle shift in the air caught her attention¡ªa rustle, faint as a whisper, yet sharp enough to slice through the silence.

    Minjae''s steps faltered. The night seemed to close in; the silence was no longer a comfort.

    They were not alone. The thought penetrated her mind with a start.

    Before she could react, Seung''s hands gripped her arms, spun her and pinned her against the rough bark of a towering tree. The gnarled knots bit into her back as his body pressed against hers, his hand clamping over her mouth.

    Her eyes widened in shock, meeting his intense gaze. He shook his head ever so slightly, signalling her to stay still. Every muscle in his body was taut, ready to spring like a coiled rope.

    Something cut through the darkness with a woosh, embedding itself in the tree where they had stood just moments before.

    An arrow.

    Another arc glinted in the faint light of a lantern before lodging itself in another tree barely a few feet away. Seung moved closer, his body a solid wall between her and the unseen threat. Minjae turned her head so her cheek was now plastered to his chest that hammered like a wild, untamed horse. But other than that, he could be a statue, his boots braced on either side of her feet, his hands tightly wrapped around her shoulders.

    Voices drifted through the night, faint but unmistakable in the stillness.

    "Must''ve been an animal," a feminine voice said.

    "Leave it be," a man replied, his tone louder, with a deeper baritone, betraying a hint of irritation.

    Seung stiffened, a subtle movement that did not escape Minjae''s notice. What were people doing in the forest at this hour, losing arrows at creatures in the dark? Hunting was done by day, not in the dead of night.

    "It was dark, but it looked like a woman," another man said, uncertainty lacing his words.

    Minjae''s heart pounded as Seung pressed her further against the tree, her mind reeling from the sudden shift. Fear mingled with confusion, her breath catching in her throat as the realisation of the danger set in.

    "What lady would dare venture into the forest at such an hour? You''ve listened to too many of your grandmother''s ghost tales," the woman replied with a sharp edge of sarcasm.

    Minjae strained to place the voice¡ªfamiliar, yet elusive.

    "Let''s finish what we came for. We don''t need any unintended witnesses," the woman commanded, her tone brooking no argument.

    "Yes, Your Highness," the first man responded promptly.

    Highness?

    Minjae''s breath hitched as she strained to hear more. Seung tightened his grip on her shoulders, his fingers digging into her with urgency.

    "These are the copies of the new plans, Your Highness," the baritone said.

    A faint rustling of paper followed.

    "We cannot permit the dispatch of this," the woman said, her voice regal, each syllable enunciated with refinement.

    "Why so, Your Highness?" the baritone asked.

    "The network has already been compromised," the woman spoke gravely. "Though I cannot say with certainty, I sense we are being observed. I place no trust in that vile spawn of evil, Bongrim."

    "It is only a matter of time before his father is dethroned, Your Highness. The Barbarians abhor the king and his children," the baritone said. "It will be in their interest to restore the throne to His Majesty, King Ghwanghee."

    "I shall ensure that the traitor pays dearly for his treachery against our revered King," she vowed, her voice laced with the venom of vengeance. "Leave this matter to me. However, henceforth, all communications shall be delivered by word of mouth alone."

    "We might not even need it, Your Highness. The attack could be any day now. As I mentioned before, Ganghwa is no longer the fortress it used to be. Not with the New Commander of the island," the baritone said derisively.

    "Nevertheless, we must not leave anything to chance. Should this plot unravel, we shall need someone to take the fall," she said, her ominous tone sending a chill through the spines of Minjae and Seung. "We cannot afford loose cannons. See that Ka is contained."

    "Yes, Your Highness," the baritone replied reverently.

    "He has been uncharacteristically silent, and I trust him no further than I can throw him. He must cease his pursuit of Kim Minjae. Do you comprehend?" she demanded with vehemence. "Otherwise, I shall see to it that he is made a eunuch before he has time to blink, should his avarice jeopardise our plans."

    Seung''s grip tightened on Minjae''s shoulders painfully. Minjae clutched her skirts, trying not to inhale in response.

    They held their breath as the footfalls of the conspirators faded away, the absence of golden lantern lights returning the night to its ebony drape.

    Seung placed his finger on his lips and pressed his open palm towards her, motioning her to stay still. Without a sound, he slipped away and peered around the trunk.

    After what seemed an eternity, he stepped away from the tree, and pulled her with him.

    Her eyes fixed on the arrows stuck in the tree ahead, and a deep tremor rocked her frame, her teeth clattering against each other.

    Seung drew her into the warm fold of his arms, holding her tightly as she shivered. He gently stroked her head soothingly. None of them spoke for a long time as they drew heat and comfort from each other.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡± He asked.

    The tremors had finally subsided. She nodded.

    ¡°We must go somewhere right now. Can you trust me on this?¡±

    There was a long pause. ¡°Yes,¡± she said, her voice muffled against his chest.

    "How long has that bastard Ka been troubling you?" He asked softly, his tone achingly gentle, though she had no trouble detecting the barely suppressed fury.

 Thirty Eight: Unmasked

    Minjae realised Seung was breathing hard.

    "Did Inspector Ka threaten you that afternoon?" Seung''s body was tense. As his pulse raced against her cheek, Minjae''s mind involuntarily drifted back to their first visit to the secret waterfall cave.

    "Ka doesn''t matter. I can handle him," Minjae said, her voice muffled against his chest.

    His arms tightened around her.

    ''You should''ve told me.'' Seung didn''t say it, but Minjae heard it as clearly as if he had shouted it.

    Another little thing she had kept from him. In the larger scheme of things, her sins were fast climbing to celestial heaven, but she still could not forget the sight of the imposter in her flimsy attire in his room looking at Minjae as if she were the one who was deceiving Seung. Or the fact that the woman was in his room at all.

    The memory made her stiffen in Seung''s embrace. It went against every grain of teaching instilled in her - harmony, humility and obedience to her husband. The teachers had conditioned it into her subconscious - "A virtuous woman knows no jealousy."

    It did little to quell the turmoil inside her.

    "Are you all right?" Seung asked.

    The tremors had finally subsided. Minjae nodded. She extracted herself from Seung and stepped away.

    He enveloped her small, cold hands in his large, cold, but protective ones.

    "We must meet someone. Do you trust me?"

    There was a long pause. "Yes."

    ¡Þ

    Sim Junho''s voice cut through the stillness of the dimly lit chamber. "Let''s retrace our steps," he said, his tone measured, almost clinical. "Why were you at Commander Lee''s house at that hour?"

    Minjae played with the hem of her sleeve, pinching and releasing the woollen border, her eyes downcast, tracing the uneven lines of the stone floor beneath her feet.

    "I trust you weren''t there for something nefarious, like harming him."

    His words widened her eyes, disbelief settling between the delicate furrows lining her forehead. "Certainly not! That''s absurd, Minister Dari."

    "Then why?"

    Sim Junho had already obtained Seung''s account. His version varied slightly¡ªhe followed Minjae into the woods and witnessed the clandestine meeting but omitted her earlier visit to his house. Seung had possibly advised Minjae to recount the same. It required little effort for Sim Junho to unravel Minjae into accepting she was visiting Seung.

    Minjae swallowed audibly.

    "I believed the gossip that Dari and his wife don''t share an intimate relationship. I discovered how wrong I was, and I was angry at being misled," she said, her voice catching.

    "I never misled you!" Seung burst out.

    Minjae slid a side glance at Seung. "I kindly request you to refrain from further falsehoods."

    "Stop overreacting! I can''t help it if the woman is my wife and lives in my home."

    A flare ignited her eyes as Minjae straightened her spine and lifted her chin. "You are correct. Lady Choi had every right to be there. Barely covered. In your chamber. It was my presence that was out of place, and I reacted poorly. I apologise."

    "That''s not what I meant, Minjae!" Seung said tightly, red blazing the lobe of his ears.

    "So, which part of this enlightening information do you want me to record in this journal?" Sim Junho asked.

    Seung and Minjae snapped their attention back to him, their faces painted with an identical flush.

    Sim Junho suppressed a chuckle, the corners of his mouth twitching as he dipped his quill into the inkwell. The thick scroll lay open on the rectangular table that divided them, its edges curling slightly in the damp air of the cavernous room. The heavy scent of burning oil mingled with the moist, earthen smell of the abandoned cowshed. Seung and Minjae sat across from him. Scones of light hung at intervals on the walls, the flickering torchlight playing off the anxiety etched into their faces.

    Minjae turned to face Sim Junho and crossed her arms across her lap, her hand gripping her elbow in a death grip. "I am ashamed I made a poor choice to go to Dari''s house at night, and even more so because I reacted so poorly afterwards. I took a walk in the forest to calm down, and Dari followed me," she said in an expressionless voice.

    "That does not explain why you went to meet Lee Seung at night in the first place," Sim Junho pointed out.

    "Hyungnim," Seung said, a clear warning lining his tone. Sim Junho ignored him.

    The delicate line of her throat moved. "I wanted to share some personal information with Dari," she said.

    "Please be precise, madam. What personal information?" Sim Junho''s quill paused over the parchment.

    "Hyungnim!" Seung snapped, leaning forward. "It has nothing to do with the woods."

    Sim Junho didn''t move his gaze from Minjae. "Go on."

    She lifted her chin in a mulish angle. "What does a woman go to do in a man''s chamber at midnight, Minister Sir? Women like us are used to having such illicit trysts occasionally. They are often shown their place in no uncertain terms."

    "Minjae, don''t," Seung said. His knuckles were white in the fist that rested on the table.

    Sim Junho leaned back, the wooden chair creaking softly under his weight. "Physician Kim, I am an excellent judge of character. If I weren''t, believe me, I would not have let Lee Seung take a chance with you," he said. His eyes, usually sharp and calculating, softened momentarily. "You would sooner leap into a gorge than visit a man''s chamber for illicit anything. Regardless, this is about high treason, and you could be seen as having a strong motive to lie. Lee Seung could be seen as aiding you."

    Minjae''s face appeared as if coated in a thin layer of ash, the firelight casting the orange and red hues of the flames, giving her face a haunting glow.

    "Hyungnim, I won''t sit -" Seung interjected.

    "Lee Seung," Sim Junho said, "If you interrupt again, I will remove you and report you for insubordination. Understand?" Sim Junho gave him a dead stare.

    Seung narrowed his eyes and gazed at him with the stench of a thousand pigs but didn''t say anything further. Seung''s territorial ways with Minjae were more a hindrance than a help, but Sim Junho knew Seung would not leave Minjae alone with him in the chamber, and it was futile to argue.

    Sim Junho tapped his finger on the table while Seung bore a hole in the table before him, his expression contorted with frustration, looking like he had swallowed an unripe persimmon.

    On the other hand, Minjae''s posture was rigid, and she sat motionless like a stone.

    "How did you get into the house?" Sim Junho asked.

    Minjae briefly explained how she had convinced the guard to let her in.

    Sim Junho''s quill scratched against the parchment, his eyes focused intently on the flowing script. "So, may we then safely conclude," he began, his tone even, almost disinterested, "that you went to Lee Seung''s residence to tend to his mother? Finding her asleep, you informed Lord Lee and took your leave, at which point he followed you?" He did not lift his gaze from the page, yet his sharp ears caught the barely audible sighs of relief that escaped Minjae and Seung.

    "Yes, that is right," Minjae said in an oddly light voice.

    After that, it was easy for Minjae to narrate the rest of the events in the woods, which more or less matched what Seung had already narrated to him earlier.

    "Are you very sure about the identity of the man, Lord Lee?" Sim Junho asked.

    Seung''s eyes took on a hard glint, and his shoulders tensed. The sting of betrayal was sharp and unforgiving.

    "It was Sergeant Han," he replied, his lips pressed into a firm, bitter line.

    The revelation hit them hard. Sergeant Han had been a trusted ally, someone they never would have doubted. His involvement in the investigations, particularly his knowledge of their pursuit of Minjae''s network, signalled that the enemy had been consistently outmanoeuvring them.

    "And the woman?" Sim Junho asked.

    Pursing her lips, Minjae gave the unpolished surface of the old table a thoughtful look. "Her voice was familiar, but I couldn''t place it."

    "Perhaps someone from the Palace? Could it be one of the deposed King''s current consorts??" Seung suggested.

    Minjae shook her head.

    Interestingly, she had recently acquired the licence to serve the Royals, which Lee Seung and Sim Junho had somehow wrangled. So far, Minjae had met all the royal ladies, including the deposed King''s two young consorts.

    "No, it''s none of them. Those consorts barely speak to anyone; they''re with the deposed King all day, guarded by royal soldiers and attended by just one old maid each. He doesn''t let them meet anyone."

    "And none of the current royal women would know their way through the woods during the day, let alone in the pitch of the night," Seung added.

    Minjae nodded in agreement. She rubbed her temple. "But I''ve heard that voice before. She spoke strangely, like she thought out every word before speaking."

    "No idea who it could be?" Sim Junho asked.

    Minjae shook her head. She met and treated more than two thousand Ganghwa women.

    "Could the lantern you lost in the woods be traced back to you?" Sim Junho tapped his chin with the back of his forefinger.

    "It was just an ordinary lantern," Seung confirmed.

    "Physician Kim," Sim Junho addressed Minjae, his eyes narrowing as he studied her carefully. "I''ve nearly cleared you as a suspect. But to exonerate you fully, I need to know what you were doing in Hanyang with Lord Se-min and your past before Ganghwa."

    The torches crackled, amplifying the silence after Sim Junho''s abrupt shift in topic.

    "Hyungnim, we agreed on this," Seung said through his teeth.

    Minjae spoke up abruptly, her words halting the conversation like a sudden gust of wind. "Lord Se-min got into trouble a while back, and I helped him. In return, he promised me books by his aunt, so I went to collect them."

    "Why at midnight?" Sim Junho asked.

    "I don''t know. It was Lord Se-min''s idea," she said.

    "Did this have something to do with Lord Se-min''s gambling habits?"

    Startled, Minjae threw a glance at Sim Junho before lowering her eyes. The sharpness of his question cut through her composure, and she quickly lowered her eyes, the brief flash of emotion disappearing as she forced herself to remain calm. She only nodded in reply.

    And missed the speculative glance Seung gave her.

    "So, His Excellency Lord Choi''s slaves recognised you and tried to kill you because?" Sim Junho asked.

    "His Excellency perhaps doesn''t want anyone to know about Lord Choi''s gambling," she replied.

    Sim Junho studied the woman sitting across from him, his thoughts careful and measured. There was something undeniably genuine about her, yet she remained a puzzle he couldn''t fully solve. Her responses were flawless, yet his instincts whispered that she wasn''t entirely truthful. He knew she wasn''t guilty of any crime, but he had no doubts her secrets were dark. Still, he decided to let her keep them¡ªfor now.

    "The next few days are crucial. Physician Kim, to keep up the appearance, you must keep your visits to Lord Lee''s house on a regular timetable, including visiting his mother at night at least a few times to avoid suspicion," Sim Jun Ho said.

    He ignored the surprised look on Minjae''s face and the thoughtful one on Seung''s. He turned to Seung, the flickering lights carving ominous lines on his ruggedly handsome face.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    "Arrest Han. It''s time."

    ¡Þ

    So it happened that the next morning when Choi Se-min appeared at Lee Seung''s house to pay his respects to Seung''s mother and meet his sister, chaos erupted.

    Seung had neglected to inform Minjae about Se-min''s impending visit the previous night. She turned up at her scheduled morning hour to check on Lady Ryu with Choi Jina in attendance, an awkward meeting after what had transpired the night before. His wife wore a thunderous expression against Minjae''s impassive one. Interestingly, shock wiped off all colour from both women''s faces, leaving them with an identical pallor whiter than the sheet Lady Ryu laid on when he announced that Se-min requested Lady Ryu''s attendance.

    He wanted Se-min''s visit to be a surprise, so he had not informed Choi Jina earlier, but considering Minjae had in no uncertain terms expressed that she did not wish Se-min to know her presence on the island, he had no choice but to let both women know.

    "I am attending to him in my receiving chamber. Please inform me as soon as Physician Kim leaves so Lord Se-min can pay a visit to Omoni," he instructed his mother''s maid, but mainly for Minjae''s benefit, allowing her to leave the house unnoticed.

    It was not jealousy, Seung assured himself. Not at all. He was just ensuring Se-min and Minjae would not meet because Minaje stipulated it.

    So when Choi Jina spoke, he was startled out of his less-than-charitable thoughts.

    "My Lord, I am afraid I can''t meet my brother. I do not feel too well today," Choi Jina said, sounding like she was choking on a feather.

    Seung''s eyes flashed with irritation. "That would be quite absurd, Choi Jina. A brother should be visiting his sister, even more so when she is unwell. Or is it something that your father has prohibited?" Seung asked, throwing a challenge, daring her to agree with him. He would be damned if he allowed Lord Choi to dictate terms in his household. If Lord Choi had foisted his daughter upon him, he would have to abide by Seung''s rules.

    Beads of perspiration appeared on Choi Jina''s forehead. "No, no, of course not. Why would Father do that," she said, sounding as convincing as a fish trying to breathe out of water.

    "Why don''t I take a look at you, Lady Choi?" Minjae suddenly offered.

    Stupefied, both Seung and Choi Jina stared at Minjae as if she had suddenly sprouted horns.

    Minjae flushed, her eyes fixed on the interwoven wooden slats. "I am already here. With many kinds of diseases floating around, it''s always better to take preventive measures."

    Lady Ryu, who had been watching the exchange with keen interest, spoke up. "I think she is right. Choi Jina, you should let her examine you. Seunga," she addressed her son by his nickname, "bring Lord Choi here. I am pleased the young man remembered his duty."

    Minjae nodded in acknowledgement. "Lord Lee, it will take me about a quarter of an hour. Perhaps you could send Lord Choi to visit Lady Choi after that?" She suggested. "Also, given that Lady Choi isn''t feeling well, might she be excused from attending the morning meal with you and Lord Choi?"

    Surprise flickered in his eyes, but he refrained from commenting, answering her with a swift nod. Was Minjae remorseful about last night and trying to make amends with Choi Jina? Seung could not fathom what Minjae was thinking, her peculiar behaviour at odds with her anger only hours ago.

    Minjae and Choi Jina bowed and followed each other out of the chamber.

    Choi Jina looked like she was walking towards her worst nightmare, but it was Minjae''s face that caught his attention. It was pale, with a strange, unsettling expression, like a distorted mirror where every emotion seemed contradictory.

    Seung followed them out, heading towards his guest receiving chamber where Se-min waited.

    Something had shifted in his mother''s chamber. Seung couldn''t quite place what it was, but he felt as if he had missed some elusive clue, something vague but substantial like gossamer strands slipping through his fingers before he could grasp them.

    Minjae followed Choi Jina into her chamber, surprised to find it simple and elegant. The polished wood floor was warm, and the lattice frames of the wall were covered with floral hanji, allowing soft, diffused light to create warm patterns across the room.

    The woman snapped at her unsuspecting maid waiting in the room. "Bring me some tea. Immediately."

    A Yo lay at one end, adorned with luxurious silk quilts in pale pinks and greens with delicate floral motifs. A simple mosquito net canopy draped above the bed.

    The maid scurried out while the woman crossed the room and sank into the mattress, picking up a fan to fan herself from the gyeongdae beside the bed that held a bronze mirror, hairpins, and a porcelain container for cosmetics.

    Soon enough, annoyed, she slapped the fan shut and placed it on the low soban with neatly arranged inkstone and brushes. It added a touch of intellect to the space, complemented by an embroidery stand with unfinished florals, Minjae thought absentmindedly. The only extravagant item was a large, beautifully carved nong with mother-of-pearl inlays.

    "I do not need your help. You can leave," the woman said, her voice cutting sharply across the room.

    Instead of sitting across from the woman, Minjae went to stand by the low sitting area adjacent to the window with floor cushions, offering a serene view of the inner courtyard.

    "Believe me, to get out of this situation, you need my help, My Lady," Minjae stressed the last two words, her tone heavy with sarcasm.

    The woman who had for so long claimed to be Choi Jina went motionless. "What do you mean?"

    Minjae looked over into the courtyard, which stretched out like a living canvas, painted with stone pathways weaving through gardens of bamboo, pine trees, and bony shrubs, gracefully hibernating under Lee Gil-ae''s meticulous care. A small pavilion overlooked a partially hidden pond shimmering under the winter sun that revealed itself just enough to add to the serenity, mocking the disorder that churned the insides of its viewer.

    "It means you will do exactly as I tell you until Lord Se-min leaves this room," Minjae said in a clipped voice.

    The woman narrowed her eyes. "Are you out of your mind to speak to me so? How dare you speak above your station!"

    A wild impulse to laugh welled up within Minjae. She had managed to keep herself hidden, only to be unmasked in the most absurd manner.

    She could not afford the luxury of self-pity. The foolish woman''s life hung in the balance at how swiftly Minjae could bring the situation under control. Minjae crossed the room and drew open the drawers of the nong, rifling through the clothes. She pulled a bodice out that seemed smaller than the others.

    "Once your maid delivers the tea, ask her not to enter this room again until after Lord Choi has left," Minjae said.

    The woman was at her side within minutes, gripping Minjae''s wrist in a death grip. "What are you doing? How dare you order me -"

    Minjae paused, turning to face her, the green silk bodice held loosely in her hand. "What I am doing," she said, her tone even, "is telling you that your life depends on your obedience. You will do as I instruct, and perhaps you will see another sunrise." The coldness in her voice made the woman step back with alarm. "I suggest you do not speak another word until I ask you to, Soo Hyun."

    The fingers around her wrist fell lifelessly by her side as the woman staggered back, the rim around her mouth matching the green fabric in Minjae''s hands.

    "H-how did you know?" Her eyes were dark orbs of terror on skin stretched taut across her face.

    Minjae shoved another blouse at Soo Hyun, the navy blue fabric much darker and coarser than the one Soo Hyun wore.

    A knock on the door startled Soo Hyun, whose face contorted frightfully.

    "Do as I said," Minjae said.

    Soo Hyun complied wordlessly and bade the maid to enter, instructing her not to disturb her until after Lord Choi had left.

    As soon as the maid left after depositing the tea tray, Minjae discarded her bodice and wore the green silk jeogori with exquisite embroidery she had retrieved from the drawer. It sat somewhat loose on her chest but was better than the coarse fabric she had been wearing. Her skirt would have to suffice because Soo Hyun was a lot taller than her, and it would not fit. Minjae took the jeogori ornament Soo Hyun discarded while wearing the coarser blouse and tied the norigae to her silk bodice.

    Minjae pulled her braids and freed her hair before rolling it back up. She opened her palm and extended her arm. Without another word, Soo Hyun extracted her silver binyeo and handed it to Minjae. Securing her bun at the nape of her neck with the binyeo, Minjae quickly opened her backpack. Extracting a tiny mortar and pestle, she gave it to Soo Hyun, gesturing to her to sit on the side of the room.

    Deathly pale, Soo Hyun was not even trying to follow what Minjae was attempting. She looked at the mortar and pestle, lost. "H-how will this help?"

    No sooner had Minjae taken a seat on the mattress than the maid announced Se-min''s presence. Lifting a brow, Minjae motioned to Soo Hyun, who called for the maid to let Se-min enter.

    In the daylight, Choi Se-min looked tall, fair and melancholy, with purple shadows marking the skin beneath his eyes.

    Choi Se-min gave Minjae a hopeful look and bowed.

    "Sit down," Minjae ordered. She breathed in long and calming breaths, her emotions in ruins as she took in her beloved brother''s ravaged face.

    "I heard you were not well," Se-min asked worriedly, throwing a cursory glance at the woman grinding some herbs in a mortar and pestle, trying to pretend she was invisible.

    "Our physician just left; my maid is grinding my herb," Minjae said by way of explanation.

    Se-min nodded, his eyes filled with the old tenderness as they took in the faint shadows under his older sister''s eyes. "I was anxious. There are rumours -"

    "I warned you, Choi Se-min," Minjae cut in without preamble, her eyes taking on a hard glint.

    "Noonim, I am sorry. I didn''t want to come, but I could not refuse Brother-in-law," Choi Se-min curled his fists on his folded knees, his shoulder sagging with distress. "Please do not be angry," he implored.

    "How could you expect me to remain calm when you have disobeyed Father and disregarded my wishes?" Minjae asked. "I feel sick and disappointed."

    From the periphery of her eye, Minjae saw Soo Hyun''s body go rigid, her hand pausing midair, shock stiffening every muscle.

    Minjae didn''t have time to consider the wisdom of her actions, exposing her identity to Soo Hyun, especially before Seung could find out.

    Se-min felt the nervous air around him, and he shifted uneasily. "Please, Noonim, I have missed you. I just wanted to see you one time," he pleaded.

    "Never seek me out again unless I call for you or you have Father''s explicit permission. Do you understand, Choi Se-min?"

    Se-min closed his eyes. "I am sorry I disappointed you. I promise I will never request to see you again. Can you forgive me this one time, Noonim?"

    Minjae''s heart stuttered. She wished she could let her tears drop. She paused, her fingers brushing the cool porcelain of the teapot. With deliberate care, she poured the tea, her movements steady, forcing her mask of nonchalance to fall into place. Handing one to Se-min, she said softly, "I accept your apology."

    He nodded before accepting the cup with trembling hands.

    "I will ensure Father does not learn of this visit," Minjae said. "If Father inquires, you must say that I was unwell and unable to see you."

    Se-min swallowed, the cup trembling in his hand. "It is unjust, Noonim. How long will Father continue to punish us? I have atoned for my sins far beyond what I could have imagined. I¡ª"

    "That''s enough!" Minjae said sternly. "I will not hear anything against Father from you. Finish your tea and leave."

    Se-min kept the cup back on the table, untouched. "I do not want to be an unfilial son, Noonim. But as a man, I must seek harmony, not uniformity. It is what my teachers have taught me. So why should I blindly follow the punitive behaviour from Father when it makes no sense?"

    Minjae realised then that the boy she had known was gone, replaced by a man shaped by their father''s harsh expectations, just as she had been.

    "It''s for your own good," she cut in, then placed a finger on her lips, indicating they had company and should not discuss anything more.

    Minjae noticed an angry red slash on the back of his hand. The flesh looked swollen and bruised.

    Se-min followed her line of sight. "If the Barbarians attack, I shall join the army," he said.

    Minjae froze, her heart plummeting as visions of him lying bleeding on a battlefield assaulted her senses. "You never learnt how to wield weapons," she said.

    "I am learning now. I have joined His Highness Prince Bongrim''s inner circle of consultants, and he insists everyone be trained in weapons."

    The physician in her could not sit still. "You must tend to that wound. It''s infected. I will have someone deliver some medicines. You must follow the routine as I tell you," she said sternly.

    Se-min suddenly smiled, two deep dimples lighting his face, transforming it from handsome to devastatingly beautiful. "Noonim, you are worried about me," he said happily. He reached inside the bodice of his hanbok and retrieved a scroll. "I drew something for you -"

    "Take it back. I can accept no gifts from you," Minjae said sharply, and Se-min''s smile died a swift death.

    She could not have anything from Se-min anymore, not with her private rooms already being searched. It could raise suspicion. And she could not give Soo Hyun any more advantage than she already had at knowing her true identity.

    "Are you still angry with me, Noonim?" He asked dejectedly.

    Minjae rose and went around the table. Crouching, she put the scroll back in his tunic. She took his hand in hers. "You are my brother, and I have always held you dear in my heart." She rose and said, "However, I am indeed angry and not yet ready to forgive you. Henceforth, please do not ask me to meet you again."

    Minjae wondered if anyone could hear the shattering of her heart as her forlorn brother departed the chamber. Only then did she notice how fiercely she was trembling. She sank to the floor, her mind void of coherent thoughts, struggling to gather herself. A strangled voice broke through her haze.

    "You-you are her.." Soo Hyun whispered the obvious, her dazed state making her immobile. "You always knew...." she left the sentence hanging.

    Minjae untied the norigae and pulled the binyeo out of her hair. She took a deep breath.

    "Why did you not tell Lord Lee?" Soo Hyun asked, her voice punctuating highs and lows.

    "Cease with the questions," Minjae said shortly. She exchanged the fine silk for her coarse jeogori. She tugged at her hair, furiously rebraiding it.

    "You won''t tell him, will you? This changes nothing," Soo Hyun''s stare bore a hole in Minjae''s side.

    "Does it not?" Minjae paused. A tightness gathered in her chest. So much for trying to save the woman''s skin.

    "I don''t think so," Soo Hyun had a speculative look in her eyes. "Your father thinks you are dead. He will kill you again," Soo Hyun said, but her words were more postulating than mean. "His Excellency wants something important. You didn''t want your brother to know because you are afraid he will be in danger."

    Minjae had to hand it to Soo Hyun. Even though borderline hysterical, Soo Hyun''s brain could still form logical, cohesive thoughts.

    "Your father does not like your brother, and you know it," Soo Hyun said.

    Minjae calmly threaded the ribbon in her braid. "Say another word, and I will go to Lord Lee this very moment and reveal your secret," Minjae warned.

    "You will not," Soo Hyun shivered. "If you wanted him to know, you would not have worked hard to keep him away. You would have told him last night," she said. "Why didn''t you?"

    Minjae narrowed her eyes. She tied the ribbons in her braids, coiling them atop her head. Sinking to her knee, she brought herself to Soo Hyun''s eye level. "What do you think would have become of you if I had told him last night?" She asked, ice dripping from her tone.

    "He would not have believed you," Soo Hyun said with a bravado that was transparent in its futility. Her eyes flickered with defiance, but the quiver in her voice betrayed the fear that gnawed at her.

    Minjae hated the ripple of uncertainty that flared through her. But she merely smiled and raised an eyebrow in response.

    Soo Hyun''s eyes clenched, harsh lines forming around the corners. "I must give your father a grandchild. He has made it clear. I will not let you come in the way," Soo Hyun said.

    Minjae tightened her jaw. "My father will have his grandchild, but it will be from his true daughter, not an imposter."

    "But he does not want his grandchild from you, does he? He brought me in two days after your marriage. While you were still alive! He killed you after that. You can say all you want, but your father has discarded you. You have nothing to prove otherwise but your words that your own father will denounce," Soo Hyun gave her a tight smile.

    The bitter reminder of her father''s betrayal turned her blood into icy slush.

    "Nothing to prove? Are you sure? Maybe you should ponder how I came across your name," Minjae replied, watching with satisfaction as Soo Hyun''s irises floated in a sea of white. She dropped her voice another notch. "You seem to have forgotten. I have Father''s blood running in my veins. I am committed to saving lives but shall not hesitate to take one if I must."

    Soo Hyun''s gaze fell to somewhere around the hem of Minjae''s skirts, her veins channelling rivers of fear at her words.

    "Stay away from Dari," Minjae said. The chill in the room grew noticeable. "I can protect myself, but you? You''re just a slave. No one will lift a finger to save you. However, if you do as I tell you, I will find a way to save both of us."

    Because if I don''t, I am afraid I will lose my soul, Minjae thought as she walked out into the cold light of the day.

 Thirty-Nine: Just A Hitch

    Distant wind chimes echoed softly through Seung''s hanok, blending with the gentle sizzle of hot soup being ladled into bowls by expert servants. The warmth of freshly brewed barley tea lingered on their tongues, easing the cold morning chill seeping through the walls.

    Choi Se-min, Seung decided, was a man of few words, his handsome face pensive but polite through most of the meal. The gentle slope of his broad forehead curved into an elegant, narrow nose and a full mouth, which softened the edged lines of his carved jawline and cheekbones. Crossly, Seung conceded that the man was unnaturally handsome. Seung himself was a fine specimen of a man if he could say so himself. Still, he couldn''t help but notice that standing next to Se-min was like placing a well-aged wine beside a freshly picked grape. Both had their merits, but one was clearly more... youthful. Closer to Minjae''s age.

    The thought made him scowl into his barley tea.

    Moreover, did Choi Se-min chance upon Minjae? The thought killed his appetite. "Did you meet anyone else you know today?" Seung asked conversationally, trying not to sound too obvious.

    "No, I did not," Se-min said, sounding a little perplexed. "The maid in her room, I have never seen her before." There was no guile in Se-min''s eyes.

    He had not seen Minjae. Appetite restored, Seung looked at him speculatively. "I remember she used to have a servant she grew up with. What happened to her?" Seung wondered if Se-min remembered Woo-Sari. He had forgotten Se-min might recognise the former slave.

    "She died a few months after Noonim and you were married. Noonim was, um, sent away for some time, so we didn''t get to see her for a long time," he replied, throwing Seung a quick glance.

    Seung would have to remind Minjae to hide Woo Sari well.

    Picking up a piece of gim, the toasted seaweed crisp under his fingers, Seung placed it atop a spoon of rice, savouring the subtle blend of sesame oil and salt with each bite. "You should visit your sister more often, Choi Se-min," he said between mouthfuls. "You must be lonely without your family here."

    Se-min''s brown silk eyes were mirrored with unspoken thoughts when he looked up. Seung''s heart skipped a beat for no reason as a flicker of recognition stirred in his memory. It was strange how familiar Se-min looked; it was as if he had seen these features before, perhaps in a distant memory he could not recall with any precision, which was understandable as he had met the man only a handful of times and had interacted with him even less.

    A puzzle. Something was staring at him, but he could not recognise it. Seung shook his head to clear the bizarre thought.

    "I do not want to trouble you," Choi Se-min responded, his composed tone at odds with the emotion flickering in his gaze.

    "Do not worry about that. Families should be together; you always have a place at the table in our home," Seung said gently, topping his barley tea cup.

    Choi Se-min shifted uneasily on the wooden floor as they sat cross-legged before the low lacquered table. "Noonim was not very happy to see me," he finally said.

    Seung focused on the delicate banchan dishes on the table¡ªa colourful mix of kimchi, namul, and jangajji¡ªand used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of namul. "Why is that?"

    "She thinks I will again get her into trouble," Seung said, a self-deprecating tone lacing his voice.

    "Trouble?" Seung raised a brow.

    He nodded. "Father thinks I am a bad influence on her," he said sadly.

    Seung felt an irrational urge to comfort the younger man. "Irrespective, I am sure she cares about you," he said kindly.

    "I believe so, too. Otherwise, Noonim would not have been so troubled over my injury," Choi Se-min said, a faint smile gracing his features. He set his chopstick aside and picked up the spoon. "The rumours about her are not true," he said suddenly.

    Seung paused. The subject veered into a territory he had no intention of exploring. "It''s all right. I don''t hold anything against her," he said truthfully.

    Se-min brightened. "Did she already tell you why she left the marriage chamber that night then?" The hopeful tone in his voice brought a shine to his eyes.

    "We have not spoken about it," Seung said curtly.

    The shine disappeared, replaced by a guilty look. "It was not her fault; please believe me. She was too naive. I have never met anyone with more integrity than Noonim," Se-min said, his face opening up earnestly.

    Seung suppressed a mocking laugh. Choi Jina was cunning, shrewd and emotionally cold, while Se-min seemed open, honest and warm. He seemed to have great love for his older sister, who didn''t seem to care for him much.

    Despite himself, Seung found himself liking the man, even though he still resented his presence in Minjae''s life, however obscure it might be.

    "So why did you think she left?" Seung decided to humour him, though his thoughts darkened. He wondered what stories had been fed to the younger siblings.

    Se-min''s face fell. "It''s not my place to tell. She would be furious if she knew I had even mentioned that night. Please disregard it."

    "We do not need to discuss it. However, you are always welcome here."

    "If it is all right, I would rather not, Brother-in-law. Noonim has always been stubborn and unwavering in her duties despite the lack of kindness shown to her while growing up. Yet, if she has resolved not to see me, no force will sway her."

    Seung absorbed the information, uncertain if they spoke of the same woman. Choi Jina was dutiful enough, he supposed. He opened his mouth to question further, but the distant look in Se-min''s eyes gave him pause. Moreover, while he did not wish to disrupt Choi Se-min''s nostalgic reflection, he recognised it wasn''t just nostalgia¡ªthere was a deep-seated reverence there, something Seung hadn''t expected, so he kept his thoughts to himself.

    Choi Se-min shook his head. "She didn''t even accept my gift."

    "Gift?"

    Se-min nodded.

    Seung stretched his hand. "Do you still have it? I will speak with her and give it. I have a sister. I know how it feels."

    Choi Se-min looked at him hopefully. He retrieved rolled paper from his peach hanbok. "She didn''t even look at it. Father frowns upon it, but she always encouraged me to draw." He unrolled the paper. It was a sketch of a woman holding a young child''s hand, standing on a stone path that wound through a lush garden, leading towards a pavilion. The child gazed up with curious innocence while the woman looked down, nurturing and gentle, their love transcending the charcoal lines. The scene was shaded with soft, lively contrasts.

    Seung recognised the sketch as similar to those in Se-min''s room before.

    And the sketch that Minjae had.

    "Who are they?" Seung asked, genuinely curious.

    "The little girl is Noonim, with our grandmother. Noonim lived with Halemoni until she passed away. Noonim was the happiest then and missed Halemoni terribly when she was gone."

    Seung stared at the sketch.

    "This house -" he pointed to the pavilion. Something pricked at the nape of his neck.

    "Halemoni''s. Now yours. It''s deeded to Noonim''s husband," Choi Se-min said.

    A distant memory of a girl tugging a doll to soothe his sister flickered in his mind again.

    Was it Choi Jina he had met as a child?

    The possibility unsettled him more than Seung cared to admit.

    "Noonim used to take care of it diligently before she was married. Have you not seen the house? She visited it when she came to Hanyang last month."

    "What?" Seung''s chopsticks hovered mid-air, the bite of rice forgotten, sure he didn''t hear it right. Visited Hanyang? "Choi Jina didn''t go to Hanyang." Blinks of confusion flickered Seung''s eyes.

    Choi Se-min flushed and stammered. "Oh! I-I have not been there in a while, so I must have been mistaken," he said, not meeting Seung¡¯s eyes.

    "Where? Weren''t you in Hanyang before you came here with His Highness?"

    "I mean, I have not been to the house," Se-min squirmed nervously.

    There it was. Seung set the chopsticks down slowly, almost unhurriedly, as if giving himself time to absorb what he had just heard. The lie. Seung''s mouth thinned.

    Se-min had been open and honest until the conversation turned to the night of Minjae''s meeting. Why?

    Lies had a way of festering, poisoning everything they touched. But was the lie told to protect or to deceive?

    "I might have heard it in passing, but do you have someone in the family who knows medicine?" Seung asked with deliberate intonation.

    To his surprise, Choi Se-min''s face opened up with relief. "Halemoni was a healer. She learnt it while tending to our sick great-grandmother as a young girl in the village." His eyes shone as he spoke about his grandmother. Clearly, memories he cherished, though he must have been very young when she passed. Seung thought she sounded like a remarkable woman. "At one point, they had to escape to the mountains during the Imjin War. She lived under the protection of the monks and learnt more about healing. We were told she met our grandfather while nursing him for an injury. Noonim wanted to be a healer like Halemoni. She had this rag doll that she used to ''treat'' for wounds constantly. The doll had more stitches than fabric; she wouldn''t part with it for anything, though she gave it away to soothe some child once."

    Seung closed his eyes.

    "Brother-in-law Lee, has she ever fed you her famous concoctions?" Se-min asked, his voice laced with amusement.

    Seung only shook his head. His mind went blank as he tried to reconcile Se-min''s image of a young Choi Jina with the woman he knew.

    "She learned it from Halemoni. It tasted awful, but it was quite effective. After Noonim came to live with us, she''d make that brew for all the servants whenever they had aches or cuts. They started avoiding her like a plague if they were hurt because she insisted on making the brew for them," Se-min laughed nostalgically.

    A memory pierced through Seung.

    It had been their third day of bliss in Hanyang before all his suspicions tainted the memories.

    "It tastes awful, Minjae," Seung grumbled, eyeing the brew with distaste.

    "I saw you wince in pain last night, and there''s a bit of swelling on your arm," she scolded gently.

    "It''s just a scratch," he muttered.

    "I''ve seen worse infections from lesser wounds. Drink it. It''s never failed."

    "Whoever taught you this abomination should be made to drink this every day," he grumbled, but he drank it anyway.

    "My grandmother taught me. I wish I could make her drink this," there was so much pain in her voice that his breath hitched. He felt like a cad for disparaging her efforts.

    "I will drink it all, Physician Kim," he said gently and downed it in one gulp.

    "Wait, it''s hot!..." she laughed, shaking her head at the empty bowl. "It''s magical, you will see. Even Abuji''s mixtures are not this effective. I only make it for people I am close to."

    "Aunt Yoo Joo wrote down many of Halemoni''s healing methods in her books," Se-min was saying, wrenching Seung''s attention back from his memories. "I used to bribe Noonim with those books. She would...." Se-min''s voice faltered as he suddenly stopped, a strange, tortured expression flickering in his eyes.

    Seung''s ears picked up two words. "Yoo Joo?"

    Choi Se-min nodded. "My Aunt. Noonim''s mother. Our mothers used to be best friends while growing up," he explained.

    "What do you mean, bribe her?" Seung asked.

    Choi Se-min stared down unseeingly at the bowl in front of him. "I wasn''t always a good brother to Noonim, Brother-in-law Lee," he said, his shame so tangible Seung could touch it.

    "Those books you mentioned, do you still have them?" He decided to press on more urgent matters.

    Choi Se-min blinked, shadows darting across his face before he settled for, "Um, yes, they must be somewhere back at home," burying his head in the soup bowl.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    The prickle on Seung''s nape was back.

    Books. Grandmother. The clandestine meeting. Yoo Joo. My Lady. Choi Si-Wan''s slaves.

    The sketch.

    ''...no matter what you uncover, it should never reach his ears.'' Minjae''s quiet plea disguised as a condition.

    What was Se-min''s connection to Minjae?

    Why did Se-min''s father want to kill Minjae? Why did Minjae go to the gambling den five years ago? Especially when she was about to be married? Who were the two people who knew about her?

    Who was her husband?

    Driven by jealousy and possessiveness, Seung had deliberately kept the thought of her husband buried permanently in the murky recesses of his mind. But what if that was the key?

    "So, we know His Excellency is aware of your gambling habits. Who else besides your father knew about your gambling?" Seung knew the question would throw Se-min off guard, so he watched closely for his reactions.

    As he expected, Se-min froze, his spoon hanging mid-air.

    "Brother-in-law, how do you -" he choked.

    "That was the reason you were under suspicion of being a spy in the first place. But was there anyone else who knew of it and perhaps could be of danger to you?"

    Se-min swallowed and shook his head. "Only my family. The men who I borrowed money from all died mysteriously. I never gambled after that."

    "I see. Are you sure?" Seung asked.

    Choi Se-min raised his eyes, tortured. "Please believe me, I have never been near a gambling den since -" he faltered.

    "Since?" Seung proded.

    "Since Noonim was married," Se-min said.

    What were Choi Se-min and Minjae hiding from him?

    There was a distorted image floating in and out of Seung''s mind. It was as if clues were floating around, slipping out of his reach. Clues that would coalesce into the image that continued to elude him.

    ''The one I know will be wounded by the shadows of my past.'' Minjae had said. What was it that she thought would hurt him? What was she afraid of?

    In a moment of vulnerability, with Minjae in his arms, Seung had assured Minjae he didn''t want to know her past. But in daylight, he knew he desperately did.

    Whatever Minjae was hiding, it was something that could shatter the fragile world they had built. And Se-min might be the key to unlocking a truth that Seung wasn''t sure he was ready to face.

    Seung pushed away the bowl of rice, his appetite suddenly gone.

    ¡Þ

    Minjae departed Seung''s house, a torrent of emotions swirling her insides into painful knots. To her relief, the tasks of stocking, cataloguing, and cleaning the supply storage along with Nam Dami and Im Ji-won consumed the remainder of her day, allowing little time to dwell on her unsettling encounter with Soo Hyun, though it felt good that her dart in the dark had found its mark and the woman now had a name.

    Her adopted grandmother''s condition had worsened, and Minjae lingered by her side, smoothing the old woman''s wrinkled forehead, her thoughts troubled. The meeting with Se-min had unbalanced her, stirring a deep longing for her own late grandmother and leaving her to wonder what Se-min might have sketched for her. Woo Sari brought her the rice gruel that the twelve-year-old Pyo Yeri fed the older woman, who barely moved her lips. Minjae gently wiped her chin. She took the bowl from Pyo Ye Ri and asked her to go and play with the pups a stray had recently birthed. Pyo Yeri had a special relationship with all neighbourhood animals. Beaming a smile, the child dashed out joyfully, making Minjae smile.

    Aunt Jung In Dah had clucked disapprovingly at her irregular hours and insisted on piling her plate with rice and a generous portion of the day''s fish catch. In Dah had also chastised Kim Seo-jun for neglecting to bring the specific leaf she had requested, complaining that he never heeded her words. As always, Kim Seo-jun ignored his sister-in-law''s rants.

    Kim Da Bom complained about everything from the weather to the pall of war looming upon them and launched a diatribe on the lousy quality of help her inn was suffering from. Jeon Suji had more gossip than Minjae cared to hear¡ªthe new governor was kind, and the new Commander was a sloth with a penchant for punitive punishments and eyeing village women, forcibly making a villager''s fianc¨¦e his concubine.

    It was just another day in the mundane yet lively life Minjae had grown to cherish on the island, among the family that had shown her more love in five years than she had ever known in the gilded cage of Choi Si-wan.

    Reality intruded when Minjae returned to Lady Ryu at night.

    Seung insisted on sending his men with his family palanquin to fetch her at night. The guard opened the gate for her wordlessly, giving her a quick bow.

    Seung was waiting for her in the main corridor, pacing impatiently. It was just after the hour when everyone should have gone to bed.

    She could not see his expression too well, but she felt his energy piercing through the night, connecting to hers, pulling her towards him.

    The moment his eyes lay on her, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into his chamber.

    "Were you waiting for me? What if someone saw you?" she asked in a whisper loud enough for him. "The guard knows I am here for Eomonim. I have no doubt everyone in the servant quarters knows."

    Seung didn''t reply. He slipped the straps of her backpack off her shoulders, the bag falling in a thud next to their feet. The inviting lights from the lanterns washed over them, drawing her gaze to the banked heat in Seung''s eyes.

    "We still have some unfinished business from last night," Seung said huskily.

    A hand flew to Minjae''s mouth. "You can''t be serious! Lady Ryu is waiting for me. I am here on a real errand. And¡ªand this feels improper¡ª"

    "Not that!" Seung expelled a breath. He looked down at himself, and her eyes followed, taking note of his attire. He was in his official dress, which meant he was soon going out for work. "I must ask you something before I leave."

    She nodded, surprise coating her expression.

    "Did your husband have anything to do with you being in danger? Have you ever met Lord Choi directly?"

    "My husband is not responsible for me being in danger, but the answer to your other question is yes," Minjae said.

    Seung studied the tip of his shoes. "There was a moment this morning when the house where you met Lord Choi was mentioned. Even though he is aware we know about his previous gambling habits, he still kept the meeting with you in Hanyang secret. Yet you don''t want him to know you are here. You both are protecting each other from something."

    The unspoken questions hung heavy like raindrops clinging to the edge of a leaf before the fall.

    Her heart thudded; she wondered how long before he caught on to the truth. She wasn''t sure if she felt relief or trepidation at the prospect.

    "If Lord Choi Si-wan knew you were on this island, he would come after you, correct?"

    Minjae nodded.

    "Why?"

    The ties of Seung''s green hanbok were tied unevenly. She pulled the stands. Her brows furrowed as she focussed on retying them into even loops. "Because I know something that can cause a scandal that Lord Choi can''t afford. Not if he wants to send his young daughters to the Palace and hold on to his position." She met his eyes. "Maybe it''s better if we sat down and spoke about this when you return."

    An emotion close to relief flickered across Seung''s face. He grasped her arms, his fingertips light but firm on her through the coarse sleeves of her woollen blouse. "About last night - I have not been with any other woman since I met you. But I want you to know¡ª" He averted his gaze for a heartbeat, then met her eyes again, a resolute look in his eyes glinting in the soft, warm shadows around them. "I tried once to fulfil my duties as a husband." The grip of his fingers tightened a fraction on her arms. "I was drunk and angry at you. I tried, and I could not." Seung bowed his head, his eyes closing. "I failed as a husband to Choi Jina because all I could think of was you."

    Despite the tension that surged through Minjae at Soo Hyun''s false name, Seung''s confession stole her breath. The guilt gnawed at her, even as delicate gossamer wings fluttered in her belly. For a man, it must have been devastating not to be able to perform duties that came with his station as a husband, a son, and the man who was responsible for carrying his family name. In another life, as a typical wife, she would have not only given him her body but also resigned herself to sharing him with other women, gathering concubines for him, in a role fitting for a successful and virile Joseon officer''s wife.

    But that part of her was gone forever. While Minjae could no longer go back to who she was raised to be, she vowed she would spend the rest of her life making up to him.

    Kim I-On had been right. She had been foolish and hoped she was not too late.

    She lifted her hand and caressed the blade of his jaw. "Go for your duty, Dari. After I finish my work with Eomonim, I will come and wait here for you," she said.

    Seung clasped her hand in his and brought it to his lips. "I don''t want any more secrets between us."

    She nodded, a tremulous smile transforming her face.

    Seung stared at her and blinked. Then, he placed his lips swiftly on her, his lips firm, full and promising so much more. She focussed on his muscular arms enveloping her, which kept all hurtful images at bay. His palm lifted a tightening breast, a thumb worrying the burgeoning peak through layers of fabric in a familiar motion. A hand splayed on her back, pressing her against his furiously pulsing heart while his tongue stroked the caverns of her mouth leisurely. Heat pooled, hips undulated, with gasps of desire and longing sharpening the air.

    It was a long time before either of them surfaced for a breath. He placed his forehead against hers. "Promise me you will be here when I come back," he said, his breathing uneven, laborious, mirroring hers.

    She nodded.

    "We still have many positions to try," he teased.

    Her eyes widened, and she playfully pushed at him. "Go!"

    He grabbed his gat while she exited. She looked back at him and smiled, the wings fluttering even harder at the radiant smile he returned.

    Soo-Hyun was waiting for her in Lady Ryu''s chamber with an odd smirk that paused Minjae''s steps. Minjae wasn''t surprised - underestimating the woman would be a mistake. But given the shock Soo-Hyun had faced in the morning and the dangers it represented¡ªknowing Seung''s feelings for Minjae¡ªSoo-Hyun''s boldness bordered on recklessness. Or perhaps it was sheer brazen confidence, revelling in the fact that her deception was orchestrated by Minjae''s own father, rendering Minjae powerless to challenge it.

    The woman was playing with fire.

    But Minjae couldn''t be certain if the flames would consume Soo Hyun or if they would reduce her own world to ashes.

    Lady Ryu was dozing. Minjae quietly went to work, extracting the needles she needed to ease the constant pain in Lady Ryu''s knees. Although Minjae knew that justifying her late-night visits to Seung''s home would be crucial in any future questioning, she was fortunate to have a legitimate reason that could explain her presence there at night. Her ministrations would help the older woman sleep more peacefully.

    "Choi Jina, you can leave and go to your husband''s chamber and wait for him," Lady Ryu said without opening her eyes. "Close the door behind you."

    The air shifted.

    An inexplicable foreboding washed over Minjae at Soo Hyun''s smug face as she left.

    Lady Ryu was looking at her, her gaze intent, and so like her son that Minjae almost lost her nerve.

    "Is there something you need, My Lady?" Minjae asked.

    "What would you have done if you were in her place?" Lady Ryu asked softly.

    Minjae felt a rush of ice prickle her spine down to the tips of her toes while her ears felt like they were being singed with iron rods.

    Lady Ryu knew.

    Her hands shook too much to hold the needles, so she dropped them on the holding plate.

    "Don''t blame her. She is too scared." Turning her head, Lady Ryu looked at door. "And she has little to lose."

    Minjae''s fingers curled around the fabric of her skirt, the nails almost tearing through the fabric.

    "When I first saw her, I thought my memory might have been faulty. But then I saw you. Meeting your brother today erased any doubts I might have had." Lady Ryu looked away. "You look so much like Im Yoojoo, even Im Nabi."

    "Someone told me you made a deal with the devil," Minjae said, masking her shock.

    "I did, didn''t I?" Lady Ryu smiled sadly. "So you know the truth." Her smile hardened. "That murderer now proclaims a stranger as his daughter and foisted her on us."

    Pallor replaced her skin as Minjae rose and bowed, her voice steady but edged with steel as she addressed her mother-in-law, "Please forgive me, Eomonim. I have suffered my fate, but I shall not suffer injustice. I will bring Father''s sins to light no matter the cost."

    "His sins are so great they will take down powerful people. You are just a pawn, and acknowledging you will serve no one. How ironic that my son loves his true wife, yet the world insists on forcing an imposter upon him."

    "Whose side are you on, Eomonim? Your son or the world?" Minjae asked, even as her heart started crumbling like a mud cake crushed by fingers of guilt and loss.

    "I chose to protect my son, even if it meant accepting a murderer''s blood into our family." Lady Rye pushed herself up to a seating position. "I''ve lost three sons before I could see them walk. I could not lose Seung, too. So I am on the side that keeps my son safe."

    "I promise I will not let any harm befall him," Minjae promised quietly.

    "And how do you plan to keep that promise, Lady Choi?" Lady Ryu''s accusing tone serrated Minjae like a blade, and the indifferent use of her title made it all the more painful. "You deserted and shamed him, ruined my daughter''s life. I was relieved when the decision not to have you in my home was taken out of my hands. But now? I do not want you back," Lady Ryu''s voice shook with emotion. "You ran away and left us in ruins. You might have realised your mistake, but I will never forgive you. Moreover," Lady Rye paused, her voice cracking under the strain, "it pleases me that my family bloodline will not be tainted with my husband''s murderer''s blood. My son spent his youth obsessed with finding his father''s killer. Pray that my son never finds out, either. So leave my son and never come back to this house."

    Minjae clenched her jaws, fighting against the lack of hope consuming her. Lady Ryu''s harsh words crushed her, bringing her to her knees. "Joesonghamnida Eomonim, for causing you so much anguish. Your words shall be my commands. There is no greater punishment for me than letting go of Dari," Minjae said, her soul plunging defencelessly to the floor, "but you must help me get to the bottom of this. Unless Lord Lee Seung has a child with Lord Choi''s daughter, the danger does not disappear." Minjae didn''t react to the shock on Lady Ryu''s face. "I read the letter to you from Father, joesonghamnida. He is holding you hostage on something. Please tell me what it is. You must know about the letters Father is searching for. It''s not my marriage that kept all of you alive, but the threat of those letters. Who has them? What do they say to make Father so afraid of them? Who else knows of the terrible things that happened thirteen years ago?"

    A terrible silence followed her entreaties.

    "Please, Eomoni," Minjae begged, the warm drops of her eyes burning the back of her hands as she kneeled on all fours.

    Lady Ryu lay down and turned her face away, effectively dismissing her.

    -

    Minjae''s hands trembled as she placed the note on Seung''s table by his bed.

    "I must leave. Forgive me, Dari, for breaking my promise. I disappointed you again."

    The succinct words on the note felt hollow and cowardly, almost insulting Seung''s trust in her. She had promised to wait, to finally tear down the veils of untruths between them. But Lady Ryu''s command rang in her ears. She had to leave for tonight until she could speak to her mother-in-law, convince her of her integrity and honesty, and soothe her justified anger. Her breeding was too ingrained to disobey her mother-in-law, yet she could not help but mourn at yet another opportunity that slipped away from her fingers.

    The door slid open with a soft creak, and Minjae turned to see Soo Young standing in the doorway, the lantern''s glow casting an ugly, crowing gleam on her face.

    Anger nudged under Minjae''s skin, the blisters threatening to pour out in a fiery outpouring of rage. Yet Minjae knew her triumph lay in not giving anything away to the woman who had usurped her place.

    "I asked you to stay away from Dari," Minjae said, calm and controlled.

    Soo Young stepped forward, stopping inches from Minjae''s face, looking down at her with a sneer. "I don''t take orders from a lowly physician. Did Eomoni not order you to leave?"

    Minjae pulled herself to her full height, refusing to back down, wishing to claw the smug expression away.

    "Are you instigating me to disobey Eomoni, Soo Hyun?" Minjae asked her silkily.

    Something flickered in Soo Hyun''s eyes. Anger? Fear? Minjae couldn''t tell.

    "Please give the note to Dari when he returns," Minjae said.

    Soo Young stepped closer, her smirk widening. "Why? You don''t have the courage to face him any longer?"

    Minjae balled her hands beneath her sleeves, nails drawing blood from her palms, refusing to give an inch. "Courage, Soo Young, is knowing when to retreat, to understand how far you can run before your shadow defeats you. It is but one preservation step away from ruin. You may do well to remember that," she replied, her tone edged with quiet steel. Minjae stepped closer, her pulse quickening with satisfaction as Soo Hyun involuntarily stepped back. "And pray do not forget your honorifics when we are alone," the ice in her voice could freeze vapour.

    Soo Young flushed an unpleasant red of consternation, but dropped her eyes, stepping aside to let her pass without another word.

    Minjae swept past her, stepping out of Seung''s chamber and raising her chin to the moonless sky.

    It was just a hitch and nothing more, she promised herself.

 Forty: The Humbling Of Commander Lee

    Lee Seung was growing impatient. Sargeant Han had been arrested the previous night but had not divulged anything of use so far. He was a beloved officer, and keeping his arrest under wraps had been burdensome, even though the Royal Investigation Bureau representative who had accompanied the small team of investigators that Sim Junho headed had kept things smooth. However, it would not be long before Prince Bongrim would get the wind of it, and he was not someone any of them could cross easily.

    Why?

    A question that had perplexed all of them. What had made someone so highly respected such as Han cross over to the Barbarians?

    The breakthrough came when Wang Jung''s junior officer mentioned something in passing about a slave that Sargeant Han seemed to be fond of. Seung had latched onto it, forming a vague plan.

    A few quick threats, and Han''s story unravelled.

    "Why would I not do it, Commander Lee?" spat Sargeant Han. "I didn''t ask to be born, raised like a sheep, follow every command, and please everyone at the expense of my heart. They told me to be a proper son, I was. They told me to be a good husband, I was. But in return, the only person who mattered to me was dehumanised, treated like she was less than an animal, and punished because she refused to stay within the confines of the boundary they drew for her. And you call them barbarians?" He laughed, his tone dredged with bitterness, "They promised me a new life where they would grant the full citizen status of a wife to the woman I love and the child I want to raise as ours, providing him the same opportunities available to other children. The old King understood people like us. And yet you ask why? It was not even a choice!"

    The deposed King had tried to uplift the position of the slaves and make marriage between a slave and a yangban possible; he had also lifted the limitations placed on children borne out of such unions.

    The bitterness was rooted in an evil that might not end in Seung''s lifetime.

    "Treason for a lowly woman?" The junior interrogating official sneered while the two younger interrogators laughed.

    Blood trickled from a gash from Han''s forehead that dripped over one swollen eye, covering it with a red viscous veil. He slid a one-eye glance at Seung and spat, the spittle of saliva and blood coating a small patch of ground inches away from Seung''s boots. "Ah, love... It''s a powerful thing, isn''t it? Makes men do all sorts of things they wouldn''t normally consider. But then, I suppose you''d know that better than most, Commander Lee. Especially when the stakes are so... personal."

    Seung didn''t react to the jibe, looking at his former friend with despair and anger.

    "You might still have to do it. After all, I once heard of a healer who would cross any line to save a life, even if it meant damning herself in the process," Han mocked.

    Wrath flared up like an inferno, a rage so fierce that Seung felt as if it could reduce the world to ashes. Seung''s vision tunnelled to focus on Han''s hatred, seeing past the injustice and only revelling in the need to crush the mouth that dared implicate Minjae to get back at him. A line of sweat trickled down his temple as he tried to rein himself in.

    "Don''t you dare justify your treachery, Han. Are you so past your senses you choose to forget what they did to the women they captured? You truly believe they will be any different toward your, or any Joseon, woman they get their hands on?"

    "Our men have been ravaging their own women in the guise of help since those marauding Japanese came," Han lashed out.

    "Pay heed, Han. Confuse our soldiers with mountain bandits, and I will have your tongue drawn out," Seung said.

    "Commander Lee, I fought battles before you were weaned from your mother''s bosom. You know my words are true," Han said, a bitter edge to his voice.

    Seung stood and signalled to the man in charge of Han''s interrogation. "Keep pressing on until he yields all the names. Fetch his slave in and tie her alongside him."

    Han howled in rage, "Leave her be, you bastard!" Han then looked down and lowered his voice, "You keep her safe, and I will refrain from naming people important to you," he pleaded.

    Seung''s stomach lurched, threatening to hurl its contents. He willed himself to keep his face motionless.

    Outwardly, he shrugged. "Whoever is guilty will also suffer the same consequence," he said, hoping no one could discern the bald-faced lie he uttered.

    "Will they, Commander Lee, will they?" Han''s accusing echoes followed Seung out of the underground cave, which concealed any follow-up sounds his former friend might have made.

    Seung rescinded the order to bring in the slave. Han''s jibes had hit the mark, whether he liked it or not.

    Navigating the quiet corridors of his hanok towards his chamber, Seung wondered if tonight would be the night when the veil from the fog of Minjae''s past would finally rise. Uncertainty marked invisible prints on the ground, contrasting the confident strides of his boots towards his chamber where he hoped Minjae waited as she had promised. Fumes of nervousness gutted his insides. Lee Seung, one of Joseon''s top undercover Crown officers, had lost count of the times he found himself hesitating whenever Minjae''s past crossed his mind, of the times he had asked himself why he needed to know it so desperately. In her presence, all his nightmares dissipated, only to return to plague him in solitude. Seung paused, momentarily distracted by a frolicking shadow that the cold, moonless light sketched across the courtyard.

    Could it be that he feared that the past would come back to haunt them or that it held secrets that would shred the fabric of their lives, as Minjae often claimed? Or was it something more¡ªan arrogant need to show her he could protect her from the ghosts of her past? Seung had always acted on his gut instincts, his decisions rooted in cold logic and foresight. The idea that he had no clarity to his misgivings terrified him. Crippled by doubt, the best he could hope was that the truth was somewhere in between, and he was ready to face the cut of the double-edged sword.

    He need not have worried. Kim Minjae was not in his chamber. Instead, he was greeted by Choi Jina, decently dressed for a change, with a short note clutched in her hand, written in precise, flowy, artistic letters:

    "I must leave tonight. Forgive me, Dari. I disappointed you again, Minjae."

    Disappointment rushed through him like a stone sinking into the depths of his heart. This was more than disappointment; it was the haunting fear that, no matter how much he longed for her, Minjae would remain forever distant, like an exquisite butterfly wing that powdered into dust when touched.

    Ache pushed through the back of his eyes.

    Why Minjae? Why? With a roar of anguish, he balled the note in frustration and threw it across the floor, watching it bump across the smooth floor as silent as the heart that made no sound when shattered.

    Choi Jina''s hand on his arm felt like a branding iron, searing his already frayed nerves. Instead of soothing him, it ignited a fresh wave of anger. His gaze snapped to her, eyes narrowing with suspicion and barely restrained fury. "Did you drive her away?" His voice was low, each syllable cutting like an angry, honed blade. "Did you hurt her again?" His pulse thundered in his ears, a primal urge rising to protect Minjae at any cost.

    She stepped back in alarm, shaking her head vehemently. "No, no, I didn''t! I-I asked Physician Kim to wait for you, but she wrote this note and left," she explained, her eyes darting away from him.

    "Why are you in my room?" he barked.

    "Eomoni asked me to spend the night with you," Choi Jina said, her hand fluttering to her throat, the pupils dilating in a telltale sign of fear.

    Of course. Seung had forgotten his mother''s obstinate demand.

    Seung sighed.

    "I am sorry. I didn''t mean to yell at you." Suddenly, his anger folded like a fire doused in sudden rain. He would not let his anger get the better of him.

    There was always tomorrow. Seung would make sure of it. Minjae may have had a good reason for leaving.

    He shrugged off his heavy overcoat and hung it on a peg of the wooden rack. He turned to find Choi Jina with a cup of warm tea in her hand. The drink warmed his bones'' chill, caused not by the cold outside. Sargeant Han''s imprisonment, Minjae''s secrets, the uneasy feeling that he was missing something important, his mother''s pressure, his father-in-law''s manipulation, and most importantly, his inability to anchor himself in the ocean of emotions that ebbed and flowed inside him - they were adding up.

    "Thank you," he said gratefully, depositing the cup on the surface of the chest closest to him.

    His wife stepped closer, her steps bold, knowing.

    Seung felt slightly irritated at his space being invaded, but he also felt guilty for not giving her the respect of a wife she deserved. The least he could do was not to flinch in her presence.

    She reached for the ties of his gat. The back of his fingers gently moved her wrist away and undid them himself.

    Her hands fell to her side, a faint flush darkening her cheeks. "Seeing to your satisfaction is my duty. If you want, I can speak to Physician Kim -"

    "Enough, Choi Jina," Seung interrupted her roughly. He would not discuss Minjae with her.

    Expelling an exasperated breath, he hung the gat over the peg.

    Undeterred, she quickly pulled at the strings of his hanbok, unfastening them before he could react. She raised her eyes, invitation written all over her face.

    "Please let me take care of you, Dari," she whispered, her voice controlled, seductive.

    Seung watched her with a curious detachment as she traced his bare chest with her warm hands, pushing the hanbok over his shoulders, the lust in her eyes but a fleeting shadow, offering nothing of substance, nothing that could satiate the fire that Minjae burned within him. He had encountered so many women like her¡ªbeautiful, sensual, their desires flickering like candle flames in the wind, easily extinguished and just as easily replaced. He was only a means to an end, just like they were to him.

    Much like the relationship he shared with her now. He provided her a place in his family tree, a home and security. She managed his household and would give him children if he allowed it.

    Transactional.

    Perhaps try to understand her better. Gil-ae''s words drifted to him.

    She reached for the ties of her own hanbok. Seung caught her wrist. "No. Not tonight." Or any night, Seung thought uncharitably. "I am tired and need to sleep. I have to leave for work early," Seung hedged.

    "Just grant me your time until I am with a child, Dari. I will only come to you when the time for conception is ripe. If nothing else, then we should do it for Eomoni. She wants grandchildren to play in her lap. Please help me fulfil our duty to the family tree. I promise I shall never ask for more."

    Dear heavens, how many ways could she keep repeating the same thing? Seung thought sourly, her words grating on his overstretched nerves like nails on stones.

    Children had never featured in his scheme of things until Minjae had come along. How hard was it for this woman to understand he wasn''t interested in them or her?

    However, his conscience decided to make an appearance right then. "There is more to being a husband and wife than making children," he said gently.

    She stilled, surprise colouring her face. Her face contorted in frustration. "I have never seen a man who refuses sensual pleasure no matter how many women he has had!"

    No sooner had the words left her mouth than a hand flew to cover it, her eyes round like saucers. "I-I am sorry, I-"

    Seung sighed. He gathered his hanbok and tied it with practised ease. He poured her a cup of wine and motioned her to sit.

    "I used to think so, too," he said. "But something could be said about biting dust by misguided cynics like us." He peered into his wine cup, tracing the rim absentmindedly. "Once, I aimed to live free of attachment¡ªto you, to any woman. Take my pleasure when offered and return only what was necessary. But then, I realised the life I was leading for so long was like indulging in sickeningly sweet food¡ªenjoyable at first but quickly becoming unbearable. True fulfilment, the kind that nourishes the soul, can only come from the meal that calls to you, and you never tire of it, no matter how much you eat. It''s the food you want to return to every day," his voice dropped, "every night."

    Soo Hyun nursed the cup in her hand with a strange expression on her face.

    "Did you ever feel this way?" He asked, studying her bent head.

    "I am not sure if I understand, Dari," she said.

    "Your brother thinks you left the chamber on our wedding night not for a man but for some other reason," Seung ventured.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    In reply, she emptied the cup down her throat and refilled it before topping his cup, taking her place across from him on the other side of the table.

    Her movements were methodical and efficient. Though not quite devoid of elegance, they lacked the grace he had greatly admired during their marriage ceremony.

    "Tell me about the man you left the marriage bed for," he asked. His hunch was probably correct. Her father had fed her family stories that made her look better in their eyes.

    Soo Hyun swallowed. "He - he was older than me, maybe by fifteen or twenty years. He was - kind," her voice was soft, almost hollow. "He treated me like a human being."

    Did she still love that man? It was a curious thought. Seung was surprised at the relief he felt. Perhaps he could send her to him if and when the opportunity arose. Choi Se-min had mentioned she was treated unkindly growing up. Possibly, there was some truth to it. Her stepmother reminded him of a snake. Living with that woman could not have been easy if she didn''t like you. Choi Si-wan might have been overcompensating by supporting his daughter''s terrible choices.

    Yet, why the sudden appearance of fear in her eyes whenever her father was mentioned? Seung wondered.

    "Yet you left him," he observed aloud.

    She shrugged. "He liked money more than anything else in this world. He became greedy."

    Bribing someone like that was the easiest way to get rid of him. It puzzled Seung how such a man had seduced a gently bred girl like her, especially considering her father''s power. It seemed like suicide.

    "Are you still in communication with him?" Seung asked.

    "Why do you ask, Dari?" She asked pensively.

    "I just want to know if you ever experienced the affection of the heart for someone." He genuinely hoped someone could take her off his hands. Someone who cared for her more than he did. A self-deprecating smile lifted his lips. What a strange thought for a husband to have.

    "I don''t know. The day Father decided I was to come to you, I never saw him again."

    Seung''s brows furrowed. "You were with him all this time? But-" he paused, not sure how to phrase the question. "But I thought there were others-"

    Her face paled. Seung realised how insensitive his question was.

    "I am sorry, I am not judging you," Seung said kindly. "You don''t have to answer that."

    She thought for a while. Then said: "That man - he-he didn''t mind when other young men..." She kept her head bowed. "But I didn''t form attachments."

    He stared at her. What kind of man was he? How did her father allow such a lowlife near his daughter?

    "Did he force you with others?" His face darkened at the thought.

    She bent her head, swirling the wine in her cup.

    Unpleasant air roiled his gut. Was it because he had refused to take her back as his wife that she was forced into things like that? Guilt assailed him.

    "Tell me about your mother," he changed the subject.

    "Mother? I-I don''t-" she stumbled, "she died when I was born. I grew up with my grandmother."

    Seung leaned towards his left, his elbow on his cross-legged thigh bearing his weight. "I heard your grandmother was a healer," he said.

    She cleared her throat. "I have heard of it, but I don''t remember."

    Choi Se-min said she once wanted to be a healer. But Seung didn''t pursue her any further. As far as he was concerned, there was only one healer for him, and he was trying very hard not to think of her with disgruntlement for breaking her promise tonight.

    They sat for a while, and Seung racked his brain for another subject to engage her with. Even though she spoke a lot, Seung found she was surprisingly tricky to converse with. They might have more to discuss if they spent time outside his house''s confines.

    And pigs would fly.

    "Royal Inspector Jo Hee Bong and his wife invited us to their home a few days ago. I will send them a missive that we will meet them tomorrow and share a meal," Seung said.

    The expression on Choi Jina''s face changed suddenly, and a hardness overcame it.

    "I don''t think I am ready to see Kim I-On, my Lord," she said edgily.

    "She is my closest friend''s wife and your childhood best friend. I am thankful she sheltered you that night. It''s time we let the past go," he said gently but firmly and didn''t miss the flare of her eyes at his subtle warning tone. He had no intention of losing Bong Hee''s friendship over Choi Jina''s strange obsession to keep a distance from Kim I-On, not when he suspected it had to do with the overreach of his father-in-law.

    However, he didn''t want to send her back to her chamber on a conflicted note. Deciding to make her feel better, he reached into his desk.

    For some reason, Seung didn''t want to share the ''gift'' Choi Se-min had handed in the morning yet. He felt a connection to that little girl, which was absent from the grown-up woman sitting before him, and he wanted to hold on to it a little longer despite the small pang nudging his conscience.

    He had planned to return the books to Minjae - even though Se-min said Choi Jina had once loved them too, but Minjae had better use for them and dearly wanted them, to the extent of making that trip to Hanyang - but Minjae would not need the old woman''s sketch.

    Seung drew out the paper, its edges sharp and crisp on his fingers, and handed it to her.

    Choi Jina accepted it, almost eager in her pleasure of receiving something from him.

    "This is beautiful. I didn''t know you were an artist, Dari," she gushed. Seung felt relieved, a little less guilty, to see her smile.

    "Who is she?" She asked, focused on the sketch by the blazing lantern light that illuminated every wrinkle and line of the much older but very beautiful woman in the drawing.

    Lee Seung stared at her.

    Why did Choi Jina not recognise her own grandmother she grew up with?

    Perhaps he was mistaken; the sketch might have been of someone else. An arrow of foreboding shot down his spine. Seung shook his head to clear it. He was overwhelmed with everything and chasing shadows where none existed.

    He needed to see Kim Minjae.

    ¡Þ

    Sometimes, the river flowed to the parched.

    Minjae could not think of a better analogy when she was woken up by a hand covering her mouth. Her heart almost gave up in fright, but the arm around her held her tight against a solid wall that was cold to touch but pulsed with manic energy she knew too well. Her bleary eyes adjusted to the cavernous darkness of her room and settled on the faint whites of the deep eyes of the man she loved so much trained on her, debating whether it was safe to remove his palm without waking the entire Ganghwa with her scream.

    Minjae shook her head, and Seung gently freed her mouth, the crook of his arm still cradling Minjae on her bed while he kneeled on it.

    "How did you get in?" She whispered, incredulous, pushing herself up, only to be held tighter against his chest.

    He brought his mouth close to her ears. "How should I punish you for breaking your promise?"

    A stab of remorse and guilt cut through her. "I am sorry, I had to leave. I had forgotten Grandmother is ill and needed medicines," she said half-truthfully.

    He had no problem reading the pause that told him she was avoiding the real reason.

    "So why did you neglect to mention that little detail in that note? I learnt you have beautiful calligraphy but not much else," he said.

    "I was in a hurry," she hedged.

    "Well," he whispered, "now we have all the time." He settled in a little more, pushing his thighs under her and gathering her closer, his cold hands starting to venture over her heated body out of habit.

    "You are not supposed to be in women''s quarters. It''s bad etiquette. What if the Royal soldiers find out?"

    "Then I will be forced to do the right by you and take you as a concubine," he chortled.

    "You must leave, Dari," she whispered fiercely, pushing at his chest. Her palms tingled from the layer of cold plastered onto his clothes. "You should not be out this late. You might catch the chill."

    He pressed his nose against her cheek, its tip nudging a fiery desire within her with its frozen tip. "Then come home with me," he said simply. "I can''t live without you anymore."

    "I can''t," she replied. Not yet, but soon, Minjae promised herself silently.

    "Why did you run away tonight?" he asked gruffly.

    "Lady Ryu wants your marriage to succeed, and she does not take kindly to your interest in me." Giving him some semblance of truth would keep him from sniffing too much, at least for now. "I will be there tomorrow morning to check on your mother."

    "All my mother needs are some grandchildren, and I want you to be their mother if I have any, so that''s settled," he smiled, and even in the dark, she could see the impish dimple on his cheek. She outlined the rim of the cleft with her thumb. "Also, did we create any in Hanyang?" He placed his hand on her belly.

    Minjae sighed and shook her head.

    "Then we should try again."

    "Are you sure you want to create any with this pit viper?" She could not help. His words had hurt more than she cared to acknowledge.

    In the dark, she could feel his beats pick up erratically. "I am sorry," he said huskily. "I hurt you. You know I didn''t mean it, right?"

    She nodded against his chest in the dark. "I hurt you too," she said. "But I didn''t know you would react that way for hiding that I was the girl you met that day."

    "I should have asked you outright, but I felt you had been lying to me all this time, and I couldn''t take it."

    Minjae stilled, dread freezing her blood. His words cut through her like a blade, and every fear she had ever known slammed into her, a tidal wave crashing over fragile defences. If this small lie shook him, what would the truth do?

    He planted a tender kiss on her brow. "Please forgive me. I still haven''t thanked you for saving my life and being my light all these years. It has to be fate that brought the light I had been searching for in the form of a woman who means more than my life," he confessed, his whispers louder than any words ever spoken aloud. "It''s just that I want the darkness between us to disappear. I know rescued women like you do not want to talk about their trauma, and I am sorry for pushing you. But the thought of you being in danger, unable to do anything to protect you, has robbed me of sleep. Especially now with all the dangerous revelations that are upon us. Sargeant Han has not divulged anything but has threatened to implicate you more than once to deter me. And to think my own Father-in-law wants you dead.....you have to come under my protection, Minjae. He would not be able to touch you then."

    Her lips parted, but no sound came. How could she explain? How would she ever make him understand that everything she hid, every lie she told, was to protect them both? But even as the justifications formed in her mind, she knew they would be feeble, pitiful against the raw, unfiltered truth that awaited him.

    "It''s decided," he continued. "Nothing can keep me away from you, no matter the gravity of what you perceive as unredeemable acts. You are coming with me. You can continue your healing work; I will see to it. I will tell Eomoni tomorrow. Once I convince her I will work very hard to provide her with grandchildren, she will be happy," he said teasingly as his hands slid over her breast.

    Minjae shook her head. "It''s not the right time. Eomoni is not yet well."

    His fingers stilled, though his thumb encircled the mounted tip through the cotton. "Did she say anything to you?"

    He sensed the hesitation before she could cover it up with a firm ''No''.

    "Illegal grandchildren are not what she has in mind. It will only distress her further," she said, pushing his hand away, only to have it travel down to her thighs, which were still ensconced under the quilt.

    "It''s an improvement from not wanting any children at all," he said dryly.

    "Dari!" she cried in warning as his hand pulled her skirt up under the quilt.

    He had no plans to heed her. "I have a mind to kidnap you and keep you on a constant edge of desire until you divulge every little thing haunting your mind." He sounded mighty pleased with himself. "Now, why did I not think of it earlier?"

    Minjae jumped as his fingers danced on her core. "Please, Dari," she pleaded, even as her hips undulated against her wishes.

    "Please, what, Minjae?" Seung teased as his exploration deepened. "Stop? Or never stop?"

    "Please do not jest," she squirmed, her mind fighting the pleasure her body relished. "Someone... will h-hear," she stuttered and inhaled laboriously.

    Seung found endless satisfaction in watching her steadfast composure crumble under the weight of passion.

    "Close your eyes," he ordered.

    She complied. He covered her lips, her suppressed moans sinking into the depths of his soul. Seung gathered her closer, his awareness narrowed down to the scent of the woman in his arms and the intense hunger to possess her raging in his body. Seung ignored his own need, instead revelling in her response to his attention to her most intimate desires. When she trembled through her release, he almost groaned in rapture and torture. Something tender blossomed in his heart as he soaked her sobs of pleasure into his mouth.

    None of them were in a condition to hear the door slide open. But Seung''s alert senses caught the shift in the air, the faint rustling and the slight creak of the floor. Minjae became aware belatedly. She struggled, trying to create a distance. He barely had time to push Minjae''s skirt down her legs and move in to shield her body from whoever it was before something hard crashed down on his skull. His head jerked forward violently as a shockwave of pain radiated from the point of impact.

    Instinctively, Seung''s hands flew up to his head, but he was too late to stop the second blow, propelling him forward on Minjae''s chest, his body draped at an awkward angle over her face and body, braced by her arms.

    Dazed, he struggled to push himself up, his mind reeling. The room spun violently, the walls seemed to close in around him, and for a brief, disorienting moment, he was only aware of Minjae beneath him, praying she wasn''t hurt. Whoever it was, the offender would find themselves in dire straits, he vowed, their days upon this earth swiftly drawing to a close.

    He heard a loud ''thud'' - possibly the assailant dropping their assault weapon, but he didn''t have time to breathe because now, someone was clawing at his shoulder, making incoherent sounds, trying to get him off his prone position.

    He shoved off the hands, but then they reached for the - knot of his head!

    A searing pain shot through Seung''s head as the attacker yanked at his hair, the tight pull threatening to tear it free from his scalp. He elbowed blindly, the force throwing the offender off balance, and a howl - of a female - emitted. The ''someone'' fell on their back, their indignant cry scoring nails on walls.

    A faint light from a lamp on the floor outside the partially open door created a single beam that travelled fewer than two feet inside the chamber. Whoever came in carried the object of assault and obviously didn''t have enough hands to bring the lamp inside.

    Minjae surfaced from somewhere under him and finally found her voice.

    "Woo Sari, no!" She cried out sharply.

    Seung finally managed to turn around, collapsing onto his behind with his legs splayed out like a collapsed marionette. He braced himself on one hand, momentarily bewildered, and stared in disbelief at his nemesis - all five feet of indignation and wrath squatting before them, frothing venom at the intruder - which, incidentally, was him - looking for an opportunity to attack again.

    He had faced hardened warriors, spies, and assassins, yet here he was, nearly toppled by a woman half his size wielding what seemed like a wooden - chopping board?

    He almost expected her to challenge him to combat ¡ªperhaps with a soup ladle as her next weapon of choice. It would have been comical if it weren''t so mortifying.

    "Woo Sari, enough," Minjae''s voice cut through the chaos with calm authority, as if this were a daily occurrence she had grown resigned to and turned to him in distress. "Dari, are you hurt?"

    Her hands expertly went over his head and neck to check for injury. Though pleasurable it was to feel her fingers thread through his hair, albeit objectively, his eyes were fixed warily on the tiny creature who was still trying to figure out who had committed the audacity to encroach on her mistress''s sacred space.

    Seung grasped Minjae''s wrist. "I am all right," he said, refusing to make any further spectacle of himself.

    He saw the precise moment recognition dawned on Woo Sari. Her round eyes in her plump face became rounder, her mouth forming a perfect circle of shock.

    She babbled something incoherent, dropping to all fours, her knees nearly touching her chest as she knelt, pressing her hands flat against the floor and her forehead to the ground. More unintelligent phrases fell from her lips, though Seung began to catch fragments of the thickly accented speech.

    ''I am sorry'' might be a universal language of repentance, he thought wryly, but it did nothing to erase the sting of what had to be the most bizarre and embarrassing defeat he''d ever faced, wincing as he rubbed the tender spot on the back of his head.

    A groan escaped him as the door slid open some more, and Kim Da Bom stood, a much larger lamp in her hand, surveying the scene like a displeased land overseer who found her labourers slacking.

    Worse, Kim Seo Jun''s baritone floated in from behind her, "What was that noise?"

 Forty One: Proposals

    The door closed as swiftly as it had opened, and the tall woman disappeared, plunging the room into darkness once more. Seung wasn''t certain what Kim Da Bom said to her Father, but Kim Seo Jun seemed satisfied and withdrew, her muted words clearly diffusing what could have erupted into disaster.

    Kim Da Bom returned with a fierce glare at Seung, admonished Woo Sari for her carelessness, and warned Minjae to keep her affairs restricted to daylight hours. "Ganghwa is not as it once was. The guardians of chastity patrol the streets," Kim da Bom said, her gaze fixed on Seung. "I cannot permit you to stay here, Commander Lee," Kim Da Bom added with finality.

    After a tense exchange between the sisters, the matter was grudgingly settled. Seung was allowed to stay and speak with Minjae for a short while longer, though Woo Sari was to chaperone them.

    "I''m preparing tea for everyone. Minjae, fetch it in ten minutes," Kim Da Bom said and left after one last glare at Seung.

    As much as Seung hated to admit it, Kim Da Bom terrified him.

    Minjae insisted on checking one more time to ensure he was not hurt. He wasn''t - unless she counted the battering he had taken to his ego. Woo Sari had now retreated to a shadowed corner, almost out of sight, though Seung kept a wary eye on the little menace.

    With dawn approaching, time was running out. Seung reached into his hanbok and retrieved two books.

    Minjae''s face broke into a rapturous smile. A tendril of rosebuds wrapped itself around Seung''s heart at the sight.

    "I am allowed to keep them?" Minjae asked in wonder.

    Woo Sari chimed in from her corner, her thickly accented words tumbling out in an excited jumble that Seung had no prayer of discerning, barring a few words that didn''t make sense anyway. His ears caught the word "Eomoni'', at least that''s what he thought it was, but of course, it couldn''t be.

    However, Minjae seemed to understand it. "I will tell him," she said. Turning to Seung, she explained: "Woo Sari wants to thank you for bringing me a gift."

    He gave a nod of acknowledgement, though he wasn''t truly feeling charitable toward the woman. His scalp still tingled from her abuse.

    Minjae flipped through the first book eagerly, then gave the same attention to the second one. Her brows furrowed slightly, a shadow crossing her face, her mouth taking a distinct droop of disappointment. She flipped through them again, this time slowly.

    "Are you looking for something?" Seung asked, his eyes tracking the delicate movements of Minjae''s fingers as they traced the edges of the pages.

    "That sketch with these books?" Minjae asked with an odd tone.

    "Did you want it? Do you know the woman in that drawing?" Seung asked.

    "It was very pretty," she shrugged. "I will fetch the tea. You are not feeling nauseous, are you?"

    Minjae was still worried. "I am perfectly fine, Minjae. I am not the kind of scholar you normally treat for wounds," he chuckled.

    She frowned at him but didn''t reply. Instead, she rose and left the room, closely followed by Woo Sari.

    Seung sighed in contentment, leaning back until his head touched the cool, rough surface of the mud-plastered wall. A fragile sense of peace settled over him for the first time in weeks. Some tea with Minjae was just what he needed.

    In his mind, he could see Minjae selecting the tea leaves, her nose scrunching in that delectable way it always did whenever she was engrossed in something.

    She poured the water into tiny cups, the rising steam irradiating her.

    They were in a vast, sunlit field of tall, leafy grass. She swayed towards him...bright yellow hanbok...a delicate blue mokkpan daenggi adorning her neatly parted hair....

    Minjae was so graceful, always so graceful.

    "Marry me," Seung whispered.

    Her sweet, throaty laughter rang out. "But I have always been your wife," Minjae said. Then, the field twisted into a red, bloody fog that dissolved her.

    "Don''t go!" Seung screamed. He stumbled forward, feet dragging through as if through mud, something unseen and terrible breathing down his neck. Minjae reappeared, and then her image warped, growing taller and morphing into Choi Jina. "Let me serve you," she said as bodies piled at his feet, a yellow blur slipping away around the corner, this time on the body of the young boy, no girl..... his eyes grew heavy, an unseen force pinning him down, holding him in its grip...

    A voice called from somewhere distant, growing louder and more frantic....

    He felt several taps on his cheek before his eyes snapped open. Jerking upright, his chest heaved with rapid breaths, his eyes darting around the dimly lit room, uncomprehending. He shifted and realised a blanket had been draped over him, its warmth still clinging to his skin. Confusion flickered through his disoriented mind as he stared into the liquid pool of Minjae''s eyes, her palm soft against his cheek.

    "Are you all right, Dari? Did you have a nightmare?" Minjae asked. She was hunched before him, her warm brown eyes brimming with concern.

    Minjae. She was here, with him.

    Seung pulled her close, his arms tightening around her, his heartbeat hammering in his ears. ''Just a nightmare,'' Minjae whispered. From the periphery of his eyes, he saw Woo Sari rise and leave, closing the door quietly behind her.

    Seung''s arms encircled her tremblingly, inhaling her, burrowing his head in her neck. Minjae sat still, a hand soothingly patting his back.

    "I slept," he stated the obvious, looking at the window. The grey pallor of dawn had started seeping in through the hanji curtains.

    She gently disentangled herself from his embrace and handed him a cup of tea. Seung lifted the cup to his lips, the warmth seeping into his hands. The first sip settled him, its delicate flavour calming the tension coiled in his chest as Minjae quietly urged him to leave before her Father awoke.

    Realising the wisdom in her words, he stood and pulled her into his arms one last time. "Meet me tonight?"

    Minjae leaned in, her head resting against his chest. Seung¡¯s voice was soft. ¡°Come home with me. Under my protection.¡± His chin brushed her hair..

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Minjae said just as the sliding door parted, separating them.

    Woo Sari entered, speaking animatedly, while Minjae listened closely.

    "Did she give a name or say what she wants?" Minjae asked.

    Woo Sari shook her head and continued her broken yet somehow comprehensible speech to Minjae.

    "Is Aboji awake?" Minjae''s brows furrowed.

    Again, Woo Sari responded in a way Seung couldn''t decipher.

    "All right, take her to the back room of the apothecary and wait for me there," Minjae instructed.

    "You need to be careful with who Woo Sari meets, Minjae."

    "People who can recognise her don''t visit this part of the town," Minjae said. "And she is smart enough to hide from people if they do."

    Seung let out a sigh, rubbing his head as the phantom ache pulsed through it. "She is smart, alright. I''m impressed that Woo Sari is speaking more and that you understand her so well," Seung remarked. "I only caught two words¡ª''noble'' and ''new''."

    "There''s a noblewoman who wants to see me right away. Woo Sari''s never seen her, so she must be new to the apothecary." Minjae''s lips tightened. "Some of these noble ladies are so inconsiderate. Her knock woke Aboji, so you must leave through the back door."

    Seung playfully flicked the tip of her nose. "Don''t worry about me. I''m quite good at being stealthy," he grinned. "Which reminds me, did you find any other hidden notes?"

    Minjae shook her head.

    "Who else has access to your room?"

    Her eyelids lowered halfway, giving her a distant, introspective look. "Anyone could have come in. Our house is never locked. Because of the apothecary, no one keeps track either."

    "Were you able to place that woman we heard in the woods?"

    Absent-mindedly, her fingers played with the ribbon securing her braid while her gaze dropped to the floor, her eyes moving as if following the invisible thread of her thoughts. "No, but it has been bothering me."

    Seung tilted his head and clasped her hand in his large one, stilling her restless movements. "Don''t worry. We will find her," he said gently. "Just be aware it could be someone most unexpected. We are monitoring the old King closely."

    Seung didn''t tell her that they were very close to making an arrest. He didn''t want to spook her.

    Minjae raised her worried eyes. "Also, Dari, you promised my Brother-in-law will be released and will be home. Is he still being detained?"

    Seung shook his head. "He is in the clear. We are not pursuing the smuggling of Jeson men, but he did accept that your - I mean real Minjae''s - husband was sold as a slave to some Barbarian. I should warn you, though, he might be in bad shape, but he will recover."

    Seung had no trouble slipping out of Minjae''s house unnoticed. But as he rounded the corner of the narrow path behind her home, heading toward the main road, he came to an abrupt halt. His family''s palanquin was stationed in front of the house, with his head gama-bu standing at attention beside it.

    Seung''s mind raced¡ªwas his mother all right? Had Minjae summoned it? Or had Gil-ae come to fetch Minjae?

    A bead of sweat formed on his brow. Just as he was about to step forward and announce himself, he saw Minjae''s Father emerge and speak with the gama-bu.

    With no other choice, Seung reluctantly returned home. To his utter relief, he found his mother resting and quietly sat beside her.

    Lady Ryu''s eyes fluttered open, and upon seeing her son, she smiled before falling back into a peaceful slumber.

    Seung was suddenly struck by how little he had seen his mother smile lately. Guilt gnawed at him as he stayed by her side until it was time to leave for work.

    A broad smile greeted Seung as he presented himself before Sim Junho.

    "The verbal contact was made," Sim Junho began. The ''rescued'' woman had arrived on the island, escorted by two trusted undercover agents who had intercepted messages aboard Captain Park''s ship.

    That morning, the order to arrest Nam Dami had been issued.

    "She was the obvious choice, wasn''t she?" Sim Junho mused. "Ah, why didn¡¯t I see it sooner? She¡¯s the one with direct access to Kim Minjae¡¯s quarters." Noticing Seung''s expression tighten, he asked, "Do you have doubts?"

    Seung glanced at his mentor, a shadow of unease settling across his brow. "Did the conduit send any messages to the infiltrators? Why change their pattern now? No one made physical contact until this."

    Sim Junho leaned back, tapping his fingers thoughtfully against the table. "I¡¯ve trained you well, Lee Seung. They want us to take the bait."

    "And we will," Seung said, completing the thought. "It will unsettle them."

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Sim Junho gave a slow nod. "Han is protecting someone of significance. If it isn¡¯t someone within Minjae¡¯s circle, who else could it be?"

    "We can¡¯t rule out the possibility that it is," Seung replied. "But what could drive them to conspire against the state here in Ganghwa?"

    "It¡¯s unquestionably tied to sedition," Sim Junho said, his voice lowering. "Forces are moving to overthrow His Majesty. The Crown Prince may have the people¡¯s hearts, but his allies are scarce in the Court."

    Seung tilted his head, his eyes taking on a distant, calculating gleam. "So it could be anyone from the opposing factions. The muddy flats of Ganghwa may not hold the Manchus this time. They already know too much. Even if we round up the conspirators, it might be too late to contain the damage."

    "Finding that woman is the key to securing the royal entourage," Sim Junho said. "I know you disapprove, but I¡¯m bringing in Han''s slave. The man hasn¡¯t uttered a word, even when threatened with becoming a eunuch."

    Seung swallowed, a bitter taste rising in his throat, and looked away. "I owe him a debt. Let me speak with him one more time."

    Half an hour later, a messenger arrived with the news they had dreaded. The Garrison Commander had caught wind of Han''s arrest and secured his release. They could do little without revealing the deeper reasons for his detention. Prince Bongrim flew into a rage, but Sim Junho managed to calm the young royal enough.

    Taking Nam Dami into public custody would only endanger others, who, even remotely connected, would be hauled away by the Royal Investigation Bureau and tortured. All they had was conjecture to defend them. But privately, they might learn something. Seung hoped it would be enough to lead them in the right direction¡ªand away from Kim Minjae.

    Seung followed Sim Junho out of the Palace, their faces identically taut, with flared nostrils, the muscles around their mouth rigid.

    "I wish they kept their noses out of our business!" Sim Junho said.

    Seung''s lips tightened further, as his eyes took on a glint familiar to Junho. "What are you thinking, Lee Seung?" he asked.

    "Allow me to bring Han''s slave in. No one on this island will be in a hurry to secure her release except one man," Seung said.

    A slow smile spread across Sim Junho¡¯s face, his eyes gleaming with approval. "Clever," he murmured.

    ¡Þ

    The dawn sky blushed with the faintest hints of rose and lavender as Minjae made her way to the backroom of the apothecary, totally unprepared for the person waiting for her.

    "What are you doing here?" Minjae asked.

    Soo Hyun turned to face her and gave her a nod of greeting. "I need your advice," Soo Hyun said without preamble.

    Minjae folded her arms across her chest, her face unreadable.

    The woman had the grace to flush. "It''s urgent. We are invited for a meal with Royal Inspector Bong Hee and Kim I-On," she said, an underlying tone of defiance evident in her voice.

    Minjae''s eyes narrowed. No wonder. Soo Hyun was afraid of being outed. Picking up a small snouted water can, Minjae tended to a small potted plant on a table crowded with many such tiny pots holding hardy winter herbs.

    "So?" Minjae snipped off a tiny brown leaf.

    "Dari insists I must go," Soo Hyun said. "How close were you to Kim I-On? Will she know?"

    "It''s been a very long time. It''s hard to tell," Minjae lifted an uninterested shoulder.

    "Perhaps you should meet her and explain the situation," Soo Hyun said.

    "Hmnn. And why should I do that?" Minjae pulled another little pot to tend.

    "It is in your interest, too, that she does not raise an alarm," Soo Hyun said, her eyes narrowed slightly, the wily gleam in her eyes unmistakable.

    Minjae gave a dry laugh. "I would not be so confident if I were you."

    "I have reasons to be confident. Dari is not as immune to my charms as you would want to think, Physician Kim," Soo Hyun drawled, her emphasis on the last two words grating on Minjae''s ears. "He is a man, and he has needs. I excel in providing them," she ran her tongue over her upper lip suggestively. "Yesterday night, we had some, err, interesting time after you left." A sly grin crept across Soo Hyun''s face, her eyes lingering on Minjae¡¯s heightened colour with a look of satisfaction.

    Minjae struggled to maintain her composure; Seung''s words about trying to fulfil his duties as a husband festered in Minjae''s chest, a wound opened by the thought of this imposter''s claim on him. Could he grow closer to Soo Hyun?

    But he spent the night with you, reason whispered, trying to unwrap the ribbons of doubt throttling her heart.

    Minjae picked up a pot and held it against the light. "Not all herbs can grow in the winter," she said conversationally, keeping the tempest roaring inside her at bay. "But they do. This unassuming little plant can eliminate the most persistent itches, including pox. Did you know skin ailments are the hardest to get rid of? Many mistakenly think applying balms on the surface can cure them. However, they can only provide temporary relief. The ailment itself can only be cured if the root cause from the inside is treated."

    Minjae gently lowered the pot, satisfaction curling inside her at Soo Hyun''s sharp intake of breath at the insult. Minjae leaned back slightly, her expression one of quiet, knowing amusement. "Worry about yourself, Soo Hyun. I am afraid your morning trip was wasted."

    Soo Hyun assessed Minjae carefully. Minjae, as Choi Jina, had been lauded for her virtue, strict duty, obedience, and filial piety¡ªtraits Soo Hyun had worked tirelessly to emulate with various levels of success. But they had overlooked her most important trait - her intellect. Soo Hyun would never be able to rival Minjae''s brilliance, nor would she be a fool to doubt for one moment that Minjae was playing a long game. Minjae had been unlucky in many things, but she was lucky in one thing that counted above all - Lee Seung. But then, Soo Hyun had clawed her way through the world with her craftiness. Whether Minjae understood or not, they needed each other at this moment, and no one cut deals like Soo Hyun.

    "I have a proposition for you, Lady Choi," Soo Hyun said, hiding a smirk at the swift look of shock on Minjae''s face at her address before she shuttered it.

    "I am not interested," Minjae said.

    "Your mother-in-law has somehow figured us out, and she doesn''t want you," Soo Hyun smiled, the quick flash of despair in Minjae''s eyes confirming her suspicion. Few would back Minjae''s claim if Lady Ryu rejected her, but none would matter once Lee Seung knew the truth.

    "There are two options that can benefit us both," Soo Hyun pressed ahead, taking Minjae''s silence as consent. "Give me a herb or something to get Dari to sleep with me once, and I am with a child. Just once. In return, I will remove myself from your way."

    Incredulous, Minjae stared at her, folding her arms across her chest. "Once?" She scoffed. "Do you think I have a magic potion? You don''t need me. You need a shaman."

    "You don''t understand. All I need is Lord Lee to give my child his name," Soo Hyun said.

    Realisation dawned. "You plan to pass on someone else''s child as his," Minjae was so incensed she could hardly get the words out. "Have you no shame?" Minjae stared her down.

    "If you had not come back into his life, I might have ended up having a good marriage with him!" Soo Hyun said.

    "Hardly. My Lord can''t have forgiven an easy wife who deserted him and shamed his family!" Minjae said.

    "That''s not true! He''s trying. Though he despised me at first, he''s been courteous and kind now," Soo Hyun said, her voice carrying a confident edge as she leaned in slightly, her eyes flashing with satisfaction. "And I¡¯d say, certainly more receptive to my intimate presence."

    Minjae caught the subtle ardour in Soo Hyun''s tone, a warmth that hadn¡¯t been there before.

    Minjae closed her eyes, chastising herself for how wrong she had been. But then, Soo Hyun was not Choi Jina. Seung''s reaction to Minjae would have nowhere been close to what it was to Soo Hyun. It could have been worse¡ªor perhaps even better. Seung was already taking Soo Hyun to meet his friends and spend time with her. Soo Hyun could be much closer to a typical marriage than Minjae had imagined. What a fool she had been! Minjae forced her mind to stay focused on the present.

    "Do you have feelings for Lord Lee?" Her gaze searched Soo Hyun''s face, needing the answer more than she wanted to admit.

    "I have never met anyone like him before. He is.....special," Soo Hyun''s features softened. "I can¡¯t fathom why your Father would choose a slave like me, known for her experience with men, to impersonate his daughter. He also ensured those completely fabricated rumours reached Dari, using his mother to spread them. And your stepmother was the one who carried that news, all while making sure everyone else saw you as a paragon of virtue. I think they intended for Lord Lee to be cruel to Choi Jina. They must hate you so. I guess I¡¯m fortunate that they turned out to be kind. So yes, I like Lord Lee, but I also know his feelings towards you. I will convince Lady Ryu to accept you once I am pregnant and out of your way. It is your best option to be with Lord Lee. A perfect plan!"

    A tiny stem snapped. Minjae unseeingly looked at the hardy piece of wood between her thumb and forefinger.

    A perfect plan. Why had Minjae not seen it before? Her Father needed a child out of her union with Seung for something - those letters? So, Lord Choi selected a cunning woman who could convincingly pose as an imposter and deceive Seung if necessary. He then manipulated Seung and Lady Ryu into believing Choi Jina was promiscuous, keeping Seung emotionally and physically distant from Soo Hyun and reducing the chance of the lie being exposed. Meanwhile, Lord Choi relied on Soo Hyun''s experience with men, confident that Seung would be easily influenced by someone like her.

    The real Choi Jina would never have agreed to any such thing. The imposter would do anything on his bidding.

    It also meant someone was blackmailing Lord Choi. Someone powerful, looking out for Lord Lee and his family and possibly anonymous, in possession of those letters.

    "And your second option?" Minjae asked, buying time to organise her thoughts more than to actually listen to another asinine plot.

    Soo Hyun''s second plan was simple. Minjae would accept Lee Seung''s proposal to become his concubine. Again, Soo Hyun would convince Lady Ryu, she added magnanimously. Once a child was born, Soo Hyun would adopt the baby and present them as her own to Lord Choi. In exchange, Soo Hyun would relinquish all claims on Seung and aid Minjae in continuing her healing work.

    Soo Hyun¡¯s eyes narrowed, searching Minjae¡¯s face for any sign of capitulation. ''It¡¯s a grand idea, don¡¯t you think?'' she pressed, her voice laced with false sweetness. "I am being very generous, you must admit. You can take some time to think over it," she suggested airily.

    Birds chirped outside as the day emboldened its reach. "So, in the first one, I help you deceive Lord Lee, someone you profess to like. In the second, I let you steal my name and my child,'' Minjae said, her voice steely, "and in return, you don¡¯t claim rights that were never yours to begin with."

    The silence was thick with malice; neither woman was willing to back down.

    "You forget, Physician Kim, I already have your name. Your family is out to kill you, and it might not be too difficult to foresee a future where I could have children with Dari," Soo Hyun shrugged. It was doubtful, but Minjae didn''t need to know that.

    "Then you have nothing to fear," Minjae replied, her tone betraying nothing of the cold terror Soo Hyun''s words caused.

    "Your arrogance is astounding," Soo Hyun said. "I can bring Lord Lee around, you know. Consider yourself lucky that I am short on time. I could have paid you to leave Ganghwa, but that won''t resolve Lord Lee''s feelings for you either."

    Minjae¡¯s pulse quickened, anger and fear battling within her, but she couldn¡¯t let them show. She couldn¡¯t afford to let this woman win, to let her Father¡¯s twisted plans succeed.

    "What would you have done if my Father had not forced you to take my place? Continued to rob gullible men of their money?" Minjae asked.

    A flush of embarrassment and anger warmed Soo Hyun''s cheeks. Memories of her past exploits flashed through her mind. She clenched her fists subtly, pushing back the shame that threatened to surface. Minjae didn''t understand. She could never understand what it was like to fight for every scrap. "I did what I had to do to survive. I was young, foolish and desperate, and I didn''t think it could lead me to someone like your Father!"

    "You had amassed enough money. So why did you keep targeting people? You walked into this trap by targeting my brother!" Minjae said. The anger Minjae first felt when Kang Do revealed Soo Hyun''s past surged within her once again.

    "It was not enough! I wanted to be free of that life too!" Soo Hyun retorted. "And don''t give me that gratuitous attitude! You are living a lie, too, as much a culprit of deceiving Lord Lee as I am!"

    Minjae stilled. Even though her reasons were noble, were Minjae''s actions truly that different from Soo Hyun''s? They were both pawns in her Father¡¯s cruel game, both struggling to survive in a world where their lives were dictated by a man who saw them as tools rather than people. It was even more critical to correct the course.

    A plan was beginning to form in the recesses of her mind. Minjae carefully placed the last pot in its row and turned to Soo Hyun.

    "What was in the letter that my father sent you two weeks ago?" Minjae cut to the chase.

    Soo Hyun''s heart stopped for a second. For the first time, she paused, wondering what could have been the reason for a father being so cruel to a daughter he had birthed. She studied Minjae, realising she couldn¡¯t be coerced. Had Minjae wanted, she could have harmed Soo Hyun many times over. Deep down, Soo Hyun no longer wanted to play this game. Lord Lee wasn¡¯t swayed by her charms, and the reins of control over her life were slipping from her hands faster than she could tighten her grip. The past day had shown how easily her fragile safety could unravel. Nothing good ever came from holding onto misplaced pride.

    "If I don''t present him with the news of a child in the next two months, he will have his men remove me from Lord Lee''s place," Soo Hyun said.

    Despite everything, despite the lies and manipulations, there was a genuine fear in Soo Hyun¡¯s voice¡ªa fear Minjae recognised all too well.

    Two months. It meant Lord Choi S-wan was in a hurry over something, Minjae thought.

    Moving closer to the table Minjae leaned against, Soo Hyun picked up a pot with the small herb. Its bark was rough to the touch, with tiny cracks like scars etched by the cold, yet the herb thrived, exuding a faint, earthy scent that hinted at its resilience. "You were right, Lady Choi; few can be a source of strength to others despite enduring the harshest life themselves," Soo Hyun said, her mouth twitching downward. Seeking help from the very woman whose existence threatened hers was like stitching a wound with thorns. Painful, but the only way to stem the bleeding. "Truth is, I don''t want this life any more than I wanted the one before. I... need a way out, and¡ª" her voice wavered¡ª"I need your help."

    Mainjae raised a brow. "How can this lowly physician possibly help?"

    Soo Hyun''s face crumpled, stripped of all guile for the first time. "I must fulfil your father''s wish," she said, abandoning all pretence. "I lied to you. Lord Lee won''t touch me. Not when sober, nor when intoxicated. I have worked too hard and come too far. I can''t die now."

    Minjae drew a shaky breath. How much lower could her Father sink?

    "It does not make sense. Even if you were to sleep with others to bring this preposterous scheme to fruition, how can my Father be sure you could carry a child?"

    Soo Hyun looked away, a miserable look shadowing her face. "I carried a child once. She was born too early."

    As Soo Hyun¡¯s voice quivered with the memory of her lost child, Minjae felt a pang of empathy so sharp it almost took her breath away. All her anger and resentment for this woman dissipated for a fleeting moment, replaced by a deep, instinctive compassion. She could feel the weight of that loss, the sorrow that no mother should ever have to endure.

    But Minjae couldn¡¯t afford to let that compassion show. Not now. She steeled herself, forcing the pity to the back of her mind. There was too much at stake¡ªher own future, Seung¡¯s future, even the fate of the child she might one day bear. Compassion would have to wait.

    "The only thing I ever wanted was to be my own mistress," Soo Hyun continued. "I had vowed if I ever had children, I would provide for them so they would never lack anything. I wanted to be a merchant."

    "You can still be," Minjae said softly.

    Soo Hyun''s eyes snapped to her. "What do you mean?"

    "I have a counter-proposal for you," Minjae said, her eyes as steady on Soo Hyun as her hands shaky under her sleeves.

 Forty Two: Just Another Why

    Minjae pressed her fingertips against the delicate pulse of the young Princess, Prince Bongrim''s ailing daughter, a child of just one year. The faintness of it was concerning but not alarming; her tiny body was weakened by the fever that had ravaged her for days, a clear sign of wind-heat, worsened by the dry, harsh winds of the season. The room buzzed, a hive of whispers stirring in the corners, but Minjae''s world had narrowed to the steady rhythm of the pulse beneath her fingertips and the fever she was determined to break. Additionally, the child had slipped days ago, cutting her forehead on a sharp-edged toy. Though small, the wound became infected, likely worsening her fever.

    Minjae prepared a pinellia root, ginger, and licorice brew, gently coaxing the child to drink. The slow drip of the water clock blended with the silence. Minjae''s attention momentarily drifted as she wondered if she could truly trust Soo Hyun to carry out their plans¡ªto search for the old letters and uncover the ties between Seung''s father and his closest allies.

    The fever finally broke as the lavender of dawn gave way to the muted blues and greys of the afternoon sky.

    The little Princess stirred, reopening her wound, sending a ripple of alarm through the maids. Minjae examined the bleeding head wound and applied a golden bell root poultice before inserting acupuncture needles, steadying the Princess''s breath. Reaching for the suturing needle, she felt a prickle on the back of her neck; faint voices and the unmistakable rhythm of approaching footsteps echoed in the hallway.

    Minjae groaned inwardly and exchanged a glance with the little girl''s mother. Princess Consort Pungan Bubuin, the wife of Grand Prince Bongrim, was slightly plump with chubby cheeks, intelligent eyes, and a kind nature. Although Minjae had been summoned previously to the Palace and had met all the royal women, no one had sought her prior to Consort Pungan. Having heard how Minjae had nursed the former Governor''s son back to health, she called her when her own baby daughter didn''t improve.

    Minjae was well aware that the royal physicians had not taken kindly to her entering their hallowed space, and she hoped the territorial war would not prevent the young child from being treated.

    Just as she pierced the skin gently, the door slid open abruptly, the padded footsteps of the socks-clad feet loud in their muted determination, and closed even before the attendant outside had finished announcing the presence of their new company.

    Royal Consort Gwiin Jo swept in, Prince Bongrim entering beside her, followed by a heavy-set middle-aged Physician, his puffy face with layers of excess rolls arranged in a permanent scowl. Minjae had no doubt he was the one to carry his grumpy grievance to the new but powerful Royal Consort Gwiin Jo, who was widely known as King Injo''s favourite concubine.

    Gwiin Jo narrowed her eyes. "You summoned a commoner?" she asked, glaring at the Princess Consort.

    The Princess Consort bowed her head though her hands trembled. "I¡­I did, Mother," the Princess Consort''s voice faltered, though she quickly composed herself. "None of the palace physicians could help, so I thought it best to seek Queen Mother Jangryeol''s guidance. With her permission¡­ I summoned Physician Kim."

    If something rattled Gwiin Jo more than being talked back to, it was the mention of the young Queen Jangryeol. She scoffed, her sharp gaze flicking dismissively toward Minjae. "With all due respect, Princess Pungan," Gwiin Jo''s voice dripped with condescension, "Her Majesty''s youth may have led to a¡­ less informed decision. Do you truly think this village healer will succeed where the royal physicians failed?"

    The Royal Physician nodded vigorously in agreement with the royal concubine, his jowls swinging so wildly that Minjae thought they would fall off.

    Prince Bongrim looked at his wife, his lips pressed tight, eyes filled with disapproval. "You should have sought my permission before making such a grave decision, Consort Pungan."

    The Princess Consort''s voice quivered, but she didn''t waver. "Your Highness, please forgive me," she said, "she''s so little¡­ the fever wouldn''t break; it''s been three days now. I had to act¡ª" She faltered, glancing down at her daughter, "¡ªfor her sake."

    "Three days?" Prince Bongrim sounded taken aback. It was not unusual for the Fathers to be oblivious to their children''s day-to-day affairs, but his ignorance seemed neglectful.

    Princess Consort nodded and bit her lip as she glanced at her husband, the unspoken disappointment evident in her eyes at his failure to trust her judgement.

    Minjae felt a subtle shift in Prince Bongrim''s posture and was sure there was a silent rebuke somewhere in her look that the husband and the father in him couldn''t miss.

    "Your Royal Highness, having a villager usurp a royal officer''s position is preposterous!" The Royal Physician nearly collapsed under the weight of his complaint.

    Minjae clenched her jaw, biting back the retort that burned on her tongue. It wasn''t the first time she''d felt the weight of noble eyes scrutinising her every movement, but today, something felt sharper, more hostile. The familiar heat of frustration crept up her neck, but she forced it down, focussing on working the needles on the Princess''s delicate skin. From the corner of her eyes, Minjae saw Princess Consort Pungan''s knuckles turn white.

    "I beg your pardon for my boldness, Your Highness," The Princess Consort spoke, her voice now carrying unmistakable steel, "If we had waited any longer, Your Highness, I fear the consequences would have been¡­ irreversible. I trust the esteemed Royal Physician is already aware of this," The young mother then turned to Royal Consort Gwiin Jo and said, "Please, if Mother could be so kind as to let her continue."

    Before the Royal Consort could respond, Minjae felt Prince Bongrim''s gaze shift to the child lying on the bed. She heard a swift intake of breath as he took in the sight¡ªwhile Minjae stitched the wound, the little girl remained calm, breathing softly without any sign of pain or distress. He crouched closer to his daughter, astonishment flickering across his features.

    "How...how is she not in pain?" he murmured, his voice filled with disbelief. Minjae knew the man was now more the father than a royal cribbing over protocols. He hovered closer, torn between the desire to trust what he saw, his eyes reflecting a gnawing fear that something might still go wrong.

    Gwiin Jo, surprised by his interruption, looked at the child and narrowed her eyes. "What are you saying?"

    Prince Bongrim''s gaze remained fixed on his daughter. "She isn''t crying through the stitching..."

    "But Your Highness -" The jowls tried interrupting again, but Prince Bongrim raised his hand in a gesture of silence.

    A light flickered in his mahogany eyes as the Prince motioned Minjae to continue before he stood up. "Mother, I will speak with Princess Consort and see that she does not displease you again. But please let this woman continue for now."

    Gwiin Jo paused, her eyes narrowing at the Princess Consort before looking back at Prince Bongrim. "Very well," she muttered, though displeasure radiated from her. "But if anything goes wrong, the responsibility falls on you." She cast a final cold glance at Minjae and the Princess Consort before turning sharply and leaving the room. The jowls scurried out after her.

    As the door closed behind them, Prince Bongrim stood still, his gaze fixed on his daughter. Minjae didn''t miss the subtle tightening of his jaw, the way his hand hovered for a moment as if he wanted to reach out but thought better of it. His eyes flickered, betraying an unease he masked with rigid composure. The way he stood¡ªshoulders squared yet too still¡ªhinted at a deeper turmoil. Minjae could sense the tension thrumming beneath his stoic exterior, like a man unused to being powerless, forced to entrust his daughter''s well-being to a stranger.

    "How is she not feeling any pain?" he finally asked, his voice quieter now.

    Minjae, focused on her task, glanced up briefly and bowed her head. "I used Mafeisan, Your Highness," she explained in a calm, measured tone. "It numbs the area so the princess can sleep peacefully through the stitching."

    "It''s just not the herb," Bongrim gestured at the acupuncture needles on his daughter''s head and face.

    Minjae nodded. "It''s a combination of both, Your Highness."

    The Princess Consort, smoothing her daughter''s little chubby arm, said, "Will she¡­ really be all right now?"

    Minjae offered a reassuring smile as she finished the final stitch. "Yes, Your Highness. The fever is receding, and the wound has been treated. She will recover fully."

    The Princess Consort exhaled shakily, the lines around her mouth easing for the first time. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. The young mother turned to her husband. "Your Highness, I didn''t know what else to do¡­"

    Prince Bongrim''s expression softened, the hard lines of worry fading as he gazed at his daughter''s serene face. He turned to his wife, offering a slight nod of acknowledgement. "You did well."

    The Princess Consort smiled weakly, relief shining through her fear.

    "I have never seen anyone stitching a wound so fine," The Grand Prince remarked, tilting his head as he examined Minjae''s work intently.

    Very little fazed Minjae, but even she felt a flicker of unease under Grand Prince Bongrim''s speculative gaze. When he complimented her and expressed his wish to grant her a favour in return for saving his daughter''s life, Minjae, dulled by fatigue and unnerved by the Prince himself, grasped the first thought that crossed her mind¡ªa plea she realised was bizarre the moment it left her lips. It was his turn to be taken aback by her odd request.

    Her face still bore the traces of a smile at Prince Bongrim''s dumbfounded expression, though even she didn''t know what had made her ask for it. After all, she could have asked for anything....

    Minjae''s relief as she left the Palace was short-lived. She had barely finished splashing cool, soothing water on her face, allowing the briefest moments for her mind to unwind when a knock shattered the quiet. A breathless servant from the Governor''s residence appeared at her threshold. "Physician Kim, you must come quickly! Lady I-On is in labour and has sent for you!"

    ¡Þ

    Chaos greeted Minjae as she was swiftly ushered into Kim I-On''s chamber.

    The midwife, calm but worried, sat at the foot of the bed, preparing herbal poultices, her lips moving in whispered prayers. Mugwort from a burning brazier filled the room, warding off evil spirits and blessing the birth. Steam rose from a simmering pot as a younger woman wiped the sweat from I-On''s brow, her hands trembling.

    In the dim room, Kim I-On bucked under the waves of pain, her fingers clutching thick ropes tied to the beams above her bed, holding on in agony as contractions tore through her. Her jaw clenched around a cloth coated with saliva, biting through the pain, her cries raw and guttural.

    To Minjae''s surprise, Soo Hyun was in the room, moving efficiently and handing herbs and washcloths to the midwife. She was clearly accustomed to birthing rooms. Minjae remembered they were supposed to meet at Kim I-On''s place for their meal, meaning Seung was nearby. But there was no time for pleasantries or questions¡ªKim I-On was delivering two months early, and the situation was dire. Her body was not ready, and the blood seeping between her legs hinted at complications.

    Minjae wasted no time, stepping to Lady I-On''s side, her voice low and soothing. "Stay with me, Lady I-On. You''re doing well," she murmured, her hands already moving to assess the bleeding. Reaching for her herbal pouch, she quickly prepared the necessary remedy and inserted acupuncture needles with deft precision, stabilising I-On''s weakening energy while the midwife positioned the child.

    "Breathe, my lady," Minjae said softly.

    The midwife cast her a grateful look, though her focus remained on the labouring woman.

    "Push, my lady," she urged. "A little more -"

    Minjae had lost track of time when Jo Hee Bong junior finally made his appearance, his loud cry piercing through the air as he was delivered safely into the midwife''s arms. The room, once tense, seemed to exhale with collective relief.

    Minjae removed the cloth from Kim I-On''s mouth, allowing her to take a deep, steady breath. Still pale but radiant with motherly tenderness, I-On exhaled softly as she held her newborn close.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    "He is born so early," the young mother could not keep the anxiety out of her voice.

    "It''s a blessing in disguise, I-On-ah!" Minjae whispered, overwhelmed with joy, using the rare, endearing term for her friend. "He is a big boy," she said as she watched the baby wrap its tiny fingers around her finger. "Choi Se-min was born early, too. He has grown into a tall, healthy man. You have nothing to worry about." Her thoughts went to her brother. Born at seven months, he was only thirteen months younger than her.

    Kim I-On''s gaze met Minjae''s for the first time since the ordeal. Minjae saw the fear lift and was replaced by the unmistakable glow of relief.

    "I spoke to father about him," Kim I-On said, just as a post-birth contraction hit her.

    Minjae knew her work was far from over. The blood had not stopped, and I-On''s body was still at risk. While the midwife cared for the newborn, Minjae focused on the mother. This was where even the experienced midwife could not help¡ªpostpartum haemorrhage was beyond the scope of the usual remedies.

    Minjae worked quickly, her hands a blur as she regulated I-On, inserting acupuncture needles with practised ease and massaging I-On''s abdomen to help the uterus contract and ease out the clots.

    I-On moaned softly, her strength waning. "We''re almost there, my lady," Minjae whispered, her voice calm even as her hands moved swiftly.

    As the bleeding slowed, colour returned to I-On''s face. Soo Hyun silently passed Minjae a cup of medicinal tea, her respect for the young Physician and her rival evident in her steady gaze.

    As the women breathed in a moment of peace, Soo Hyun quickly passed a small bundle of what looked like letters to Minjae. "These are the old letters I found from Lady Ryu''s room earlier today. I had planned to leave these with Lady Kim for you to collect."

    Minjae''s eyes widened. "How did you manage to find these?"

    "Everyone is used to my berating the servants for not cleaning well enough and then taking over their work myself," Soo Hyun smiled self-consciously. "I am planning to clean through a storeroom later today."

    Minjae bit back a smile with difficulty and became aware of Kim I-On''s gaze on them, filled with acrimony and rebuke.

    Ignoring Soo Hyun, I-On directed her ire at Minjae, "I can''t believe you are still carrying on with this!"

    Soo Hyun flushed and excused herself to help the midwife who was carefully tending to the newborn. Minjae moved closer to Kim I-On and ran her hand on her head soothingly, quickly seeing past her scold to the concern that filled her eyes. "You should rest, I-On, I have it under control."

    "So you are best friends now?" Kim I-On asked, her delicate brows drawn together over her cross eyes.

    Minjae stopped short of rolling her eyes. "Kim I-On, are you jealous?"

    With lips compressing into a straight line, Kim I-On muttered: "Don''t deflect. I''m warning you, Choi Jina, you will be in so much trouble once Lord Lee finds out."

    Minjae sighed. As if she didn''t know. Thankfully, the midwife brought the baby back, preventing any further recriminations from the new mother, who forgot everything at the sight of her son.

    "Is he healthy?" Kim I-On asked fervently.

    "Ye, Milady, he''s fine ''nd fi''rce," The midwife said, just as the newborn let out a lusty howl.

    Watching her friend hold her newborn close to her chest unleashed something primal inside her, a pang so painful she almost forgot to breathe. It wasn''t jealousy; she was happy for her friend, but Minjae had always wanted to be a mother, and she didn''t know if she would ever have the good fortune to carry Seung''s child.

    The worst had passed, but Minjae knew Lady I-On would need days of careful monitoring and herbal treatments to fully recover. Kim I-On clasped Minjae''s hand in gratitude as she whispered, "Khumao, Jina-ya."

    Perhaps it was the bone-weary tiredness, or maybe it was the warmth of seeing her friend through a life-threatening situation and knowing she had done well that made Minjae sway and blink against the darkness as she walked out of the birthing chamber. Each step felt heavier than the last, the pull of sleep being a physical force now, tugging at her muscles, her eyelids. The image of her bed kept flashing in her mind, her mind seeking the comfort of the palanquin that would take her to it.

    And walked straight into Lord Jo Hee-Bong, holding a blazing lantern to her face.

    She dropped her head in a quick curtsy.

    "Lady Choi! How is Kim I-On?"

    Two things happened.

    Minjae realised Jo Hee-Bong had recognised her, unaware she was supposed to be the physician and not Lee Seung''s wife.

    Minjae''s heart lurched, her pulse quickening. Her mind scrambled for an explanation, but each thought scattered like dry leaves caught in a gust of wind.

    Second, her mind registered Seung standing only a few feet behind Lord Jo, his brows furrowed, and she wondered if he had heard. A wave of dread rolled through her.

    "She is doing well, My Lord. You have a son," Minjae said without thinking.

    Jo Hee-Bong''s face broke up in a relieved smile so big that Minjae felt it would dislodge his jaws.

    "I am grateful you were there to support her through this," Jo Hee Bong said. "In the absence of her mother and any elderly woman, having her childhood friend by her side meant a lot." He turned to Seung and continued, "Lord Lee, I owe you both an apology for being rude to Lady Choi when you came in earlier in the evening. I was remiss in my greeting. I see that she is not only even more beautiful but more gracious and kind than I remember -"

    Minjae swayed. Every noise seemed louder, every flicker of light harsher. The voices around her buzzed in her ears like an overwhelming swarm, and focusing on the present felt like grasping at smoke. Involuntarily, her fingers reached her temples.

    Her knees buckled. She heard a curse and suddenly found herself against a solid chest, the familiar masculine scent filling her nostrils. She looked up to see Seung''s worried eyes looking at her, and she smiled before the world went dark.

    When the midwife came out running, bearing the good news that Lord Jo could hold his son, she exclaimed in worry at the sight of Seung striding away towards his family palanquin. "Aigoo! What done ''appened to Kim Minjae? Ain''t that Commander Lee ov''r there? Reckon it''s true, then," her eyes gleamed with nosiness. Then, as if remembering something, she looked back and sighed.

    "What''s true?" Lord Jo asked.

    "Dari, t''ain''t my place, but we all know Commander Lee''s sweet on Physician Kim, but his wife isn''t bad neither. Lucky man, he is." Then she remembered who she was gossiping to and immediately backtracked. "Beg yer pardon, Dari, I mean, sure, Lord Lee''s just helpin'' our Minjae-ah. She done saved Milady''s life. Poor soul looked plum worn out."

    "What are you saying, midwife Jung Haneul? She is Lady Choi," Lord Jo said, pointing at Seung''s retreating figure.

    "Animida Dari!" The midwife looked shocked. "She be our dear physician f''om the stead. It was her that saved Milady''s life today, I''ll be thankful forever, I will. Commander Lee''s missus still inside," she replied. There was nothing worse for a midwife than losing a mother or a child. She didn''t notice Lord Jo''s confused expression, and neither remembered much once she handed the new father his bundle of joy, his heir.

    ¡Þ

    A harried Kim Da Bom opened the door, stepping aside with an unwomanly curse at the sight of Minjae''s limp form in Seung''s arms. Woo Sari hovered like a clucking hen somewhere behind Da Bom''s impressive frame, making un-hen-like noises, both women following Seung into Minjae''s chamber. He gently deposited Minjae into her bed, his eyes drinking in the exhaustion on her face.

    "She is passed out," Seung said.

    "The woman never sleeps, never rests! I don''t know how she is alive!" Kim Da Bom was livid.

    Guilt pinched Seung''s ears. He watched Woo Sari fuss over Minjae, wiping her forehead and hands and then covering her with a quilt with so much love that he felt jealous.

    He pinched his nose. "I am sorry, Kim Da Bom," he said, "It''s partly my fault. Please don''t let her go out today."

    "As if she would ever listen to anyone!" Kim Da Bom fumed.

    A wry smile lifted the corners of Seung''s mouth. "I suppose that''s true. Regardless, tie her down if needed."

    Woo Sari looked up, bowed and said something incomprehensible. Seung and Da Bom looked at her in askance. Realising they could not understand what she said, Woo Sari raised both hands near her head, palms open and facing slightly downward as if gripping an invisible object above her head. Her fingers were spaced out, possibly mimicking the shape and size of the object. She then stood tall, lifting her chin slightly.

    "A Crown?" Seung asked.

    Woo Sai nodded vigorously. She pointed to sleeping Minjae and alternately moved her index and middle fingers as if walking.

    Seung''s brows furrowed, and then his eyes cleared. "Minjae went to the Palace?"

    Woo Sari bobbed her head and bent her arms as if cradling an invisible baby close to her chest.

    "Ah! She went to treat a royal child," Seung deduced, "she is due for a return visit."

    Woo Sari smiled, nodding as relief filled her features.

    "I will take care of it," Seung said reassuringly.

    Woo Sari gave him a shy smile and then motioned him to stay, and before he could react, she hurried out, closing the door softly behind her.

    A long sigh left him. He shifted closer to Minjae, watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest. He could spend a lifetime watching her breathe, feeling the ache of wanting her well, alive, and safe in his world. Seung gently smoothed a stray hair out of her smooth forehead, free of creases, wondering what she was dreaming of.

    She moved as he rose, trapping his hand under her cheek. Her eyes fluttered as he extracted his hand, and she clasped his hand between hers and snuggled closer to it.

    "I have to go, but I''ll see you tonight," he murmured.

    She smiled and nodded, still asleep.

    "Dream of me," Seung whispered, his head bent close to her as he removed his hand gently from under her face.

    Just as he left, Woo Sari returned. His mouth twitched as she almost doubled over in her greeting to him, a far cry from her chopping board antics from the last time. She carried a hot stone wrapped in a cloth. Seung took in the scene for a few minutes as Woo Sari gently inserted it under the quilt for Minjae''s lower back. The girl instinctively knew what Minjae needed.

    Pausing at the door frame for a moment longer than necessary, Seung finally stepped outside. The thought of Woo Sari''s peculiar loyalty to Minjae clung to him. Even if he considered that Minjae had brought her back from the jaws of death, the woman''s devotion seemed almost too fierce, especially when she had never once shown the slightest interest in Choi Jina, her former mistress. It was strange¡ªunnatural even¡ªfor a former slave, who had been so close to her mistress growing up and was supposed to accompany Choi Jina to his household, to act in such a way, particularly when her husband was showing such an interest in another woman. Or the fact that she didn''t seem worried about being discovered.

    At all.

    ¡Þ

    Seung was not far off in his deductions about Minjae. She was up a few hours later, refreshed, with a slight smile tugging at her lips as she entered Kim I-On''s chamber. A quick visit to the Royal quarters earlier confirmed what Minjae presumed - the little girl had finally eaten a healthy breakfast, and she had been playing with her older sister, who was happily sharing her toys when Minjae visited, tugging at the bandage on her head once in a while. The Princess Consort was delighted to see Minjae and gifted her a delicate silver hairpin as a reward.

    Kim I-On barely moved from her position of deep sleep, though she acknowledged Minjae with a ghost of a happy smile. After cooing over the curious baby with lustrous curls and intense eyes that followed her movements with his unfocused gaze, Minjae left the mother and the child with a promise to check on them the following day.

    No sooner had she stepped out that a servant came to her with the news that the Governor had summoned her to his chamber.

    Her stomach knotted like a rope fraying under strain.

    The probability of the Governor recognising her was high, but the possibility of his associating the remote island''s glorified servant as the erstwhile daughter of Joseon''s most powerful man was low.

    Still, she could not hold back the shaking of her calves while taking her bow and taking a discreet seat as far from the Governor as possible.

    Minjae sent a quick glance at the older man. Sharp eyes gleamed beneath heavy brows, occupied with scrolls that lay open on the low desk he sat behind, the quill in his hand moving leisurely against the coarse surface of the rice paper. Age had softened the hard edge of his jaw, but the warmth of one of the gentlest memories of Minjae''s childhood lingered in the air and filled her insides with nostalgia.

    Kim Tae-Oh was the kind of father every little girl dreamt of. Protective and indulgent, he had been a permanent presence in Kim I-On''s life growing up and a source of comfort to Minjae by extension.

    Minjae tried to focus on the aristocratic lines on the Ming vase that sat delicately on one of the shelves while the Governor finished his writing.

    When a servant brought her a tray bearing a small wooden box, she accepted it gratefully, waiting to be addressed by the Governor, eager to leave the chamber.

    "I hear I owe it to you for saving my daughter''s life, Kim Minjae," the Governor finally spoke, his voice as gentle in its gravely tone as she remembered. Memories of his implicit support in the court the day she had spoken for Seung and against her father flickered in her chest. "Please accept this gift as a token of my gratitude," Kim Tae Oh said. Minjae nodded and bowed. As customs warranted, it would be rude to open the gift in front of the giver, but whatever it was, Minjae knew she would always treasure it.

    "It''s my duty, Your Excellency," she said.

    "I would not have credited someone so young with such skill," the Governor said, a slight sharpness to his voice that was not present before. Minjae could feel his piercing regard. Her fingers tightened around the small wooden box he had given her, but her heart pounded with a growing sense of unease.

    "I''ve been fortunate to learn from good teachers," Minjae answered cautiously.

    She felt rather than see it, but she felt the air shift, a rough intake of breath, and a clearing of the throat. "I would have never..." the Governor said, more to himself than to her.

    Minjae''s breath caught in her throat. She could feel the tension building in her chest, every muscle in her body on alert. She dared not move or breathe too deeply lest she betray herself.

    "Kim Minjae, you''ve served my daughter well. However, I would like you to stop visiting my daughter going forward," Kim Tae Oh said.

    Her eyes snapped up to meet the Governor''s just like that. And just like that, she saw recognition, kindness, and steely resolve in the eyes that cut through pretence with a glance.

    Minjae felt light seep out of her eyes.

    "It''s not personal, child, and I hope you understand," Kim Tae-Oh met her gaze without guile. "You''ve done well to survive this long. But secrets have a way of finding their way to the surface, don''t they? If I were you, I would lay low and not visit the families stationed on the island. Too many are now from the Royal Court, and your presence puts everyone who might suspect foul play of your father with Lord Lee Seung in an awkward position. I presume, by some miracle, Lord Lee is unaware that the woman he thinks of as his wife is a replacement for the real one?"

    No sound made past the lump in her throat. A tear that slid down her cheek unbidden was reply enough for the wise man.

    Lord Kim let out a sigh. "If you have thoughts about reclaiming your identity, perish the thought. You made a choice five years ago. Perhaps your father acted out of desperation to save face. Even if it''s not true, it changes nothing. No one will ever rise against him. I certainly will not. You have built a good life, and it''s foolish to imperil it. Don''t try to catch time that has already slipped away from your fingers. Understand that sometimes, for the safety and regeneration of the spirit, darkness is bliss. In that same light, I forbid you to endanger my idealistic daughter."

 Forty Three: When A Doll Speaks

    Seung stretched his arms lazily over his head, relishing the rare sensation of a deep, dreamless sleep. The hanji covered window bathed his chamber in warm gold, though it did little to soften the sharp chill of the late afternoon. It had been a long time since he felt so rested.

    After depositing Minjae on her bed, he returned home to find his mother walking around the compound with his sister. He wasn''t sure what exactly ailed his mother, but he was glad to see her regaining her strength.

    However, the morning hadn''t unfolded as smoothly as he had hoped.

    Prince Bongrim had been irked, forced to agree to Governor Kim''s request to release Choi Se-min from his duties and send him back to Hanyang. With a dry chuckle, the Prince had remarked, "His Excellency Lord Choi, relying on someone? Even his own son? I find that rather amusing, don''t you? Though I must admit, I''m intrigued."

    Apparently, Lord Choi had delivered a message to the Governor by having his daughter, Choi Jina, give it to her friend Kim I-On, the Governor''s daughter. Prince Bongrim held Seung accountable. "You should have advised your wife not to meddle in Court matters, Lee Seung," he had said.

    Seung was certain there had been some misunderstanding. After all, Choi Jina hadn''t crossed paths with anyone from the Governor''s household until yesterday. But he wisely held his tongue. Instead, he reported that Physician Kim couldn''t attend to the young Princess because she was indisposed.

    Sim Junho, who had been sparring with the Prince in a friendly match of swordplay, raised an eyebrow at Seung upon hearing the mention of Minjae.

    Seung responded with a frown of his own.

    The breach of protocol had not gone unnoticed by the Prince. "How is a man like yourself carrying a message from a villager? That is highly disagreeable, Lee Seung."

    However, the Prince was not as annoyed as he pretended to be.

    A small smile tugged at Seung''s lips as he recalled Prince Bongrim''s remarks about Minjae.

    "That village healer is an impressive woman, though, isn''t she?" the Prince mused, tilting his head with a speculative gleam in his eye as he looked at Seung. "Not only is she talented, but she is quite... fetching. How unfortunate she carries the stain of divorce. Otherwise, a woman of her beauty and talents could have found a place as a Royal consort."

    Seung suppressed the sudden, brash urge to plant his fist in the Prince''s angular face, belatedly realising the Prince was likely teasing him with his poorly-formed humour. Fortunately, he restrained himself just in time to catch the next remark, which almost made his self-control worthwhile.

    "When I offered her a favour for saving my daughter''s life, I expected her to ask for something personal. Instead, she chose access to the royal library of medicinal books. What use could someone like her have of such books? I have no doubt it was her subtle way of putting the royal physicians in their place for meddling with her. She has a clever way of settling scores," the Prince laughed heartily.

    How typical of Kim Minjae. The Prince obviously wasn''t aware of Minjae''s love for books or that she could outread many of them if it ever came to it. The arrogant assumption caused a wry smile to ghost Seung''s lips before he caught Sim Junho''s knowing look and arranged his face to be more impassive.

    Before more could be said, Ka Min Kyu appeared, striding into the yard like a fox coming in to explore the chicken coop he planned to raid. "Your Highness," he said, bowing with so much flourish that Seung thought if he was strung, he would thrum. "I bring news from Hanyang. Everything is well. The supply boat to Ganghwa''s military quarters has just arrived safely."

    This man had been harassing and pursuing Minjae. Seung''s lips curled with loathing, anger coiling like a poisonous snake in Seung''s gut as the fractured conversations from the woods surfaced in his thoughts, his hands trembling with the urge to strike.

    Unaware of the scrutiny, Ka Min Kyu continued. "The men are well-stocked, and no issues were reported along the route. I will ensure the goods are distributed as needed." Prince Bongrim nodded in approval, handing over his sword to an attendant and letting an eunuch wipe his forehead and hands. "Good work. You may go." As Min Kyu bowed and left the yard, Seung''s eyes followed him until he disappeared.

    The distaste in his expression didn''t go unnoticed by either the Prince or Junho. "I don''t trust that man," Seung said, his voice little more than a growl.

    Junho nodded in agreement, his usual light-heartedness replaced with a more serious demeanour. "He''s always been... slippery. He checks out, though. So far, nothing suspicious unless you count his affinity for visiting the Kisaeng House every night and following a few peculiar habits. He makes the women undress each other and read poetry while he watches but never touches any of them. The rumour is he has whipped a few of them, but no one ever filed a complaint because he didn''t leave a mark."

    A kisaeng seldom filed complaints against influential people. It did not serve their establishment well.

    A chilling realisation settled upon Seung¡ªKa Min Kyu''s interest might carry dangers far graver than mere harassment for Minjae. If such attentions were troubling even those with treasonous dealings, the peril ran deep. Bile thickened his throat.

    The Prince''s mouth drew back in a quiet disgust. "There''s something... off about him. I''ve seen his eyes linger too long where they shouldn''t."

    Seung clenched his jaw, grateful that the Prince had noticed as well.

    The Prince stood with a final look and quietly left, followed by his eunuch and the two court ladies, his blue silk hanbok with phoenixes drawn on it making the faintest rustle as he walked away. Junho and Seung stayed where they were, a quiet settling between them.

    Junho''s eyes lingered on the empty spot where the Prince had stood.

    "You need to keep Kim Minjae away from the Prince''s scrutiny until we can completely clear her of any misdoings," Sim Junho had advised. "Do not forget to be present at dawn tomorrow. By then, Nam Dami should be ready to break." Nam Dami had been apprehended earlier that morning. Most commoners were quick to reveal their own and their neighbours'' secrets after a full day of sitting tied to a chair¡ªalone, afraid, hungry, and thirsty in darkness, anticipating the worst. "Additionally, I believe we have fulfilled our purpose; Minjae need not visit your residence at night any longer, unless Lady Ryu explicitly requires her presence. We can establish Minjae''s whereabouts in the area if necessary. Just ensure that your guards and servants can testify to it."

    The unhappy news landed with a thud in his chest. Their midnight sojourns were something he had come to cherish; though little had come of them so far, he had still held hope.

    Seung sighed. Keeping Minjae shielded from those who might harm her was like trying to hold back the tide¡ªfutile. He wondered if she had obeyed his request to rest. Still, the selfish part of him hoped she would not miss the chance to visit his mother.

    The truth was, he desperately wanted to see her at night.

    On his way back from the Palace, he stopped by Jo Hee Bong''s home to check on him and his new family. Hee Bong confirmed that the Governor had indeed submitted a formal petition to the Grand Prince for Choi Se-min''s release, and with little influence at court, the Prince could not deny the request.

    "The Grand Prince was displeased," Hee Bong said. "But what could he do? Father rarely refuses Kim I-On''s requests. It appears our wives have resumed their friendship, and Lady Choi requested her brother''s immediate return. Please extend my heartfelt thanks to Lady Choi for aiding Kim I-On yesterday. It seems I expressed my gratitude to the wrong woman."

    It was unlike Jo Hee Bong to make such a mistake, but Seung had chalked it up to the nerves of being a new father. Still, the revelation that Choi Jina had met Kim I-On caught him off guard. Then again, despite threatening her in the earlier days, he rarely monitored her activities, so it made sense he hadn''t known. But why had she kept this from him? What about Choi Se-min made the women around him so guarded?

    Changing into his official uniform with the help of his manservant, Seung decided to visit his mother before heading out for his evening official duties.

    A slight commotion caught his ears. A few of the servants were scurrying around the far end of the courtyard. It didn''t take a genius to realise that his wife was again on one of her cleaning sprees, with one notable exception - it seemed like she was having some kind of a disagreement with Gil-ae.

    Curious, Seung ventured closer. He seldom interfered, but he had always been a little protective of his sister and just wanted to make sure she was alright.

    "This chamber is not supposed to be opened. It has our memories!" Gil-ae sounded angry.

    "It''s not like I am stealing something! I am just making space and cleaning out what''s damaged or broken. The space is cramped and dirty, and I don''t appreciate you speaking to me in that tone!" Choi Jina retorted from somewhere inside the storage room where his mother and sister stored mountains of chests that seldom saw the light of the day. He almost empathised with Choi Jina. Hoarding sentimental things was not his style, though he did have a few items that mocked his hypocrisy. Minjae''s bracelet, for example.

    Seung turned, planning to quietly exit, but something caught his eye.

    A ragged, old fabric doll the size of a small dog, with more stitches on it than the cloth it was made of.

    It was lying on a heap of other discards of various shapes, sizes and colours, but everything else faded into the background as his eyes fixated on that one item that had changed the trajectory of his childhood. The sight of the doll triggered a wave of nausea, pulling him into the past, into that moment when everything had shattered.

    It had been right after the lunar year celebrations of 1624. The rebellion against His Majesty King Injo had been suppressed.

    Seung had jumped from the palanquin soon after it left their house, visiting a family with a little girl where they were supposed to stay the night. Ignoring his mother''s objections, he insisted he must return home to retrieve something he had forgotten. His nine-year-old self confidently assured her he would ride back on horseback with a servant by his side. It was a doll. His sister had long forgotten the sweet girl who had gifted it to her to soothe her tears. Gil Ae had tossed it aside when they arrived home, insisting she was too old for such things. But Seung hadn''t forgotten. He was why his sister cried that day, pushing her and losing her kerchief in the pond. He hid the doll for two months, waiting to return it to that little girl. The tightly clutched doll felt like a treasure¡ªa noble quest as he prepared to ride alone for the first time.

    As he dashed to the stable, he noticed strange men with their faces covered outside his father''s chamber.

    A sense of foreboding slithered down his spine.

    He had heard of bad things happening to other families¡ªwomen being taken away and children murdered by strange men.

    Quietly, he propped the doll against a tree, slipped behind it, and climbed onto the porch from the back, avoiding the stout man guarding the entrance. Through a small window, Seung crawled into an adjoining room, from where he could sneak a peek into his father''s chamber.

    There was blood. Everywhere. His father lay on the floor in a sea of red while a large man sat hunched over him, his back to Seung. The man''s thick leather tunic shielded his body, and a straw hat concealed his head.

    His father''s lifeless eyes seemed to warn him, even in death.

    The room tilted, and Seung had to grip the wall to steady himself. His stomach lurched violently, the acidic taste of vomit creeping into his mouth. Seung''s throat burned with the scream rising inside him, but before the sound could escape, a hand clamped over his mouth, yanking him backwards.

    Bound. Muffled. Thrown into the dark of a closet.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Two things seared into Seung''s mind before the blow came. The man locking him up was tall¡ªand he limped. And just before everything went black, Seung saw the scar on the man''s face.

    A breeze carried the sounds of children playing outside in an alleyway. Stray dogs barked somewhere in a turf war, wrenching back to the present. His wife and sister were still speaking, but their voices drifted uncomprehendingly around him. Even after years, Seung could still feel the metallic scent hit him like a punch, making his head spin. His hands felt clammy. A sheen of sweat clung to his forehead, one droplet escaping down his temple.

    The women noticed him at the same time and bowed in greeting.

    "I didn''t intend to discard anything of value, sister-in-law. I was simply sorting through the things I thought you no longer needed. Is that doll of any significance to you?" Choi Jina''s voice softened, the irritation from moments before replaced by a sudden charm, clearly for Seung''s benefit, though the shift barely registered as his mind wrestled with his painful memories.

    "What?" Gil ae sounded confused before she spied the doll her brother was holding.

    Seung didn''t realise he had picked up the old, stained doll. Its once-bright-coloured blue hanbok with a small green norigae still dangling from its side had dulled and blotched with time. Uneven stitches, clumsily sewn by a child''s hand, covered its peach-coloured hands and face.

    "Oh, that''s not mine," Gil-ae said, "I don''t know how it came to be here. But I don''t want you to touch any other boxes, please."

    "Oh, I was worried. May I discard it, then? It''s so old and torn. Perhaps some servant left it behind by mistake," Choi Jina said, her eyes raking the doll in Seung''s hands disgustedly as if it carried some venereal disease.

    Blinking, Seung looked at the tall woman. Did she truly not remember? She had been around five or six years old then, so her memory may have faded. However, her brother -younger than her - had remembered it so vividly that it seemed incomprehensible that she wouldn''t, especially since the doll was filled with her own handiwork, a piece of her childhood. How could she forget something so personal, shaped by her own hands?

    "Dari, I am sorry. I meant to clean the garbage. I apologise for the ungainly sight," Choi Jina said.

    "This....is not garbage. I will keep this," he said.

    From the periphery of his eyes, he saw his wife wriggle her brow questioningly at Gil-ae, who shrugged and shook her head in reply.

    Choi Jina wrinkled her nose. "But Dari, it''s dirty! Who knows where it has been."

    The vanity in her voice grated his nerves. The doll had been her constant companion for years before she had given it away. How was it possible she didn''t recognise it at all? Was she pretending to not acknowledge it because she was ashamed?

    "Oraboni, let me wash it for you," Gil-ae offered.

    Seung shook his head. His throat felt tight, a dull pressure settling in his chest. Beneath his skin, a faint tremor spread like a current, the sensation coiled at the back of his neck, the quiet crackle of unease spreading through his limbs. A terrible thought was forming in his mind, and disbelief scarred his insides at the preposterity of the idea.

    "Choi Jina, I wanted to speak to you privately," he said.

    "I will go first. I have to be in the kitchen anyway," Gil-ae quickly left.

    Seung motioned at the doll. "This doll was with me the day my father died," he said.

    Sympathy clouded Choi Jina''s eyes, followed by a contrite look. "Oh, I am sorry, forgive me. I didn''t realise."

    Seung looked at her carefully as if seeing her for the first time. Her arrogance from their wedding night was still evident, but it now had a more polished edge. The likeness ended there. She was taller than he remembered. Seung often thought he had dreamt of her elegance at the wedding. Supposed to be one of the rare, well-read women in the country known to recite Naehun by heart, she hardly ever picked up a book, and her handwriting was the most dreadful he had ever seen in a noblewoman, her lists often unreadable. While she was good at most things she was lauded for, she wasn''t anything extraordinary. Clearly, being Choi Si-wan''s daughter afforded her accolades she scarcely deserved. She did have her merits. Few could be as parsimonious as her, and she didn''t shy away from physical labour, as was evident from her coarse hanbok, with a mop in hand, a streak of dust lining a stray strand.

    "Did you have a chance to meet Kim I-On before yesterday sometime?" He kept his tone even, though his mind whirred beneath the surface.

    "No, but I wish I did. It was nice to be there with her yesterday," she said, sounding relieved to have a change of topic, adding, "It was almost like old times."

    Seung nodded. "Lord Jo sends his gratitude to you for helping Lady Kim during the birthing process."

    "It''s the least I could do for a friend," she said with a smile that didn''t reach her eyes.

    "Did you know your brother is leaving the island?" Seung asked.

    His question seemed to throw her off momentarily before her face lit up with genuine relief. "Is he? Oh well, I am sure he will be happier back in Hanyang."

    Seung pulled at the hem of the dirt-crusted skirt of the doll, the rich silk still rustling between his fingers.

    "What is the reason for your rift with your brother?" Seung asked, his eyes trained on her face, studying it as if it were a piece of unsolvable text.

    Her eyes shifted. Her free hand clutched her skirt. "My brother fell into bad company and caused trouble. Since then, I have kept my distance."

    "What kind of trouble?" He asked.

    Her thumb nervously made small circles on the rounded top of the wooden mop''s handle. "I''d rather not speak about it, Dari. I don''t want his past to reflect poorly on him."

    Her answers were perfect. Almost rehearsed.

    Rehearsed.

    He had once role-played being a merchant by the day and a deaf and mute man by the night. But if he had to take a guess, rehearsing for fictitious characters would be much easier than impersonating someone real.

    Seung didn''t take his eyes off her. "I always meant to ask. On our wedding day, your hand looked bruised. How did you injure it?"

    Turning her left palm face up, she flipped it over, blinking. Seemingly at a loss for words, she swallowed. "I-I don''t remember."

    Wrong hand. The loop of doubt coiled tighter around his mind.

    "That''s strange. Your esteemed father tried to prove that the letter you wrote was false because it did not match your handwriting, and you explained it away by saying your writing hand was injured."

    Her head whipped towards the hand holding the mop. "Yes, I recall hurting it, but I don''t remember how. I must have hurt it more when I fainted during the wedding," she said.

    Her response felt smooth as if the lie had already been crafted long before the question was asked. Seung''s patience thinned, but he kept his expression neutral, unwilling to reveal just how deeply the suspicion was now gnawing at him.

    "Do you have the books your mother wrote?" Seung asked.

    "Books?" She tried to keep the confusion out of her voice, and Seung attempted to keep the revulsion out of his.

    "Your brother told me about some books your mother had written, and I wondered if we could add them to our collection," he said, betraying none of the storms that whipped his insides.

    "She did?" She repeated, her eyes blank.

    She had no idea.

    "Well, maybe your brother was mistaken..."

    Her shoulders were taut with nervous energy, like a string pulled too tight, ready to snap. "Oh, yes, now I remember. I don''t have them. I''ll ask my stepmother when I go home next time. She might know," she said.

    "It''s rare for a noblewoman to write books. My esteemed mother-in-law sounds remarkable," Seung kept his voice blaise but respectful. "Do you know what she wrote about?"

    The woman before him blinked like a cornered animal, caught in the sudden flare of a fire torch. "I- No, I mean, I didn''t. May I please request your leave? I must clean this up before dusk falls."

    She bowed to him and disappeared inside the storage room so fast as if chased by ghosts.

    Back in his chamber, Seung dropped the doll on his table, watching it intently. It had been once fiercely loved and given away as an act of supreme kindness. His manservant lit the lamps. The orange glow from outside didn''t quite filter through into the room. The old man polishing outside made small, laborious movements on a pillar.

    When his head gama-bu presented himself, Seung''s stomach clenched tightly as though bracing for impact.

    "Did you make any trips to the Governor''s House prior to yesterday with Lady Choi?" He asked.

    "No, My Lord. While we carried Lady Lee Gil-ae before, and once we also took Physician Kim, it was our first time taking Lady Choi," the man bowed deeply.

    "Yesterday morning, you went to Physician Kim''s house," Seung stated.

    The man shifted uneasily and cleared his throat. "I was told not to speak about it, My Lord."

    Seung stepped closer to the man, towering over him. "Who did you take there?"

    "It was My Lady Choi Jina, My Lord. She said it was about some woman''s ailment and didn''t want anyone to know," A drop of sweat trickled down the man''s temple.

    Woo Sari''s never seen her, so she must be new to the apothecary. Minjae''s words replayed in his mind.

    The gama-bu''s exit didn''t even register.

    Woo Sari, who had grown up with Choi Jina; Woo Sari, who had once tried to tell him something before vanishing, turning up years later almost dead; Woo Sari, who never once enquired after her former mistress, and her former mistress never mentioned her.

    Woo Sari, who didn''t recognise her own mistress, had never seen her before.

    Because this woman had never been her mistress. Or his wife.

    But that wasn''t why the room spun around him.

    Seung inhaled, suddenly short of air. His pulse thudded in his neck, a tightening sensation creeping into his chest. Fumes roiled his gut.

    The distorted pieces crowded his mind, ugly in their insistence, finally arranging themselves to form the elusive image, grotesque in its completion, that had tormented his days and chased his nights away.

    Minjae would not do this to him. To them.

    Lady Choi...Lady Choi...Lady Choi....the surety in Jo Hee Bong''s voice when he had looked at Minjae.

    ''It appears our wives have resumed their friendship.....''

    Woo Sari, whose devotion to Kim Minjae took his breath away.

    Two people on the island who knew her true identity.

    Seung dragged the ties of his gat free of their loop and clawed at his throat, forcing himself to inhale jaggedly, each gasp scraping against his lungs.

    It couldn''t be. Yet....

    Seung''s hand shot out, gripping the edge of the table, fingers white against the wood.

    The quiet nostalgia lingering on Choi Se-min''s face.....a face that looked familiar because it carried the essence of a woman who was etched on Seung''s heart....a certain sideways look, the scrunch of the brows while thinking, the tilt of the stubborn chin.....how did it not strike him?

    ''Noonim wanted to be a healer like Halemoni...''

    The flashes of Minjae feeding him a brew in Hanyang, which her grandmother had taught....

    ''Brother-in-law Lee, has she ever fed you her famous concoctions?''

    I only make it for people close to me..''

    Seung gripped his head, the fragments piercing his consciousness like jagged pieces of a broken mirror.

    ''Aunt Yoo Joo wrote down many of Halemoni''s healing methods in her books...I used to bribe Noonim with those books.''

    Yoo Joo... His mother had mistaken Minjae for someone else that very first night. He had thought his mother was hallucinating.

    His grip on the table loosened as his body swayed. The room tilted, a blurry mass of colours spinning around him.

    A straight, petite back towards him. Graceful even in her rejection. ''I understand you have come to this room with some anticipation. However, it would behove you to lower some of those expectations.''

    ''You are wrong, Commander Lee. I am not brave. If I were, I would not be here with you today, on this road, playing this silly game.'' Minjae''s voice, steady, limpid irises floating in a sea of remorse.

    ''Is she anything like how you remember her?'' The hitch in her voice...

    ''Why can you not simply tell me!''

    He had trusted her. Loved her. Begged her.

    ''Perhaps because I hope you never find out?''

    ''I was fifteen years old, about to be married to a wonderful man when those thugs abducted me that day.''

    She had been talking about him! To his face, unblinking, letting him make it a game.

    ''Returning to my husband''s home as his wife is a dream I am no longer in a position to chase.'' The calm certainty of the statement, unshakable and absolute.

    The rare slip so off-handed it never registered.....'' She is not your wife, I am!''

    ''I am the daughter of your father''s killer.''

    It was not some obscure, faceless man she had run from.

    His pulse pounded in his ears. Betrayal didn''t feel like the quiet, knife-to-the-back pain he had imagined. No, this was worse. It was a roaring inferno, a deep, visceral fury, hotter than anything he had known. He couldn''t deny it any longer, couldn''t twist the truth to fit his wishes.

    Minjae had deceived him.

    Every shared moment twisted in his mind, a mockery of the life he thought they had, standing on the ashes of the life they could have had. How dare she steal that from him?

    It could only mean one thing: she didn''t trust him. She didn''t believe in him. If she had, she would have given him the truth¡ªtrusted him to protect her from the storm she feared.

    But instead, she had locked him out, leaving him in the dark.

    Five years. Five fucking years.

    His vision blurred, not from tears, but from the heat of anger that consumed him. His legs dissolved into dust, forcing him to sink to the floor, barely noticing the bite of the hard floor on his knees. He gripped the chamber pot with ice-cold hands and hurled the contents of his stomach.

    Putrid bitterness scorched his throat, each retch dragging him deeper into the abyss. He retched and heaved until he could not heave any more.

 Forty Four: Possession

    Seung''s eyes stared into the darkness. The grey of the evening had bled into night, but he didn''t feel the cold or notice the stars appearing like scattered thoughts across the sky.

    He sat frozen, memories flooding him, unstoppable, as if he were watching a tragedy unfold¡ªa tragedy he had unknowingly been part of his whole life. The very young Minjae refusing to be his wife, and he still didn''t know why..... Minjae trying to save him in the magistrate''s court....Minjae cooking for him.....Minjae in his arms, knowing the truth...

    His mind had now descended into cold fury, piecing together a puzzle he had never known existed. It made sense¡ªwhy Choi Si-wan wanted Minjae dead, why she fled in terror, always looking over her shoulder, or the reason why Ko Yoon had tried so desperately to save her.

    His jaw was clenched with enough force to pulverise it. Choi Si-wan had replaced her in his twisted game; the man who had murdered Seung''s father was the puppet master behind her terror.

    His own daughter.

    Intellectually, he could justify Minjae''s web of lies. Minjae had lived in torment, fighting for survival. She had no choice. But emotionally, the betrayal ran too deep, crushing him with pain so fierce it felt as if his ribs might break, a nightmare he couldn''t escape.

    It was Hanyang all over again¡ªthe mole on her back, the lie she had carried. Only this time, it was unbearably worse.

    Because she did not believe in him.

    Never had. Never would.

    And that burned deeper than all her lies combined, destroying him from the inside, like wood hollowed by termites.

    The bitter taste of his vomit coated his tongue.

    Did she think so little of him? That he would fail her? The thought made his insides twist, sharp as a blade carving deep into his core. Didn''t he tell her they would face her demons together? Only he hadn''t known that she had stripped him of that right long before.

    Left him powerless.

    And then there was Choi Si-wan. What twisted logic had led him to place Minjae in Seung''s home, knowing the blood on his hands? Had Choi Si-wan married her to him as a final act of control? A sick satisfaction in knowing the man he had killed could never be avenged because the relationship would cover his murderous footprints? But then, why spare them? Was it on purpose? Or had their absence on that fateful day thwarted his plan to kill them all? Choi Si-wan had murdered every servant in the house¡ªso that seemed more likely.

    It felt like there were people with hammers inside his head, nailing his thoughts in a twisted game.

    That was not the end either. How could he forget that Minjae had erroneously led him to believe that his father''s killer was dead? It was ironic how he could effortlessly chisel away at her lies, like peeling back the clay plaster that concealed a wall, revealing the splintered timber beneath¡ªraw, unprotected, and painfully exposed. The truth sifted through like chaff from rice.

    Her misguided thought that keeping him in the dark would spare him from the storm she had faced alone twisted his heart, but the anger burned hotter. She had been wrong¡ªso terribly wrong.

    Who else was she protecting? Her father? Her brothers?

    And why did she push him away that night?

    He slammed his fist into the wall, the cold surface bruising his knuckles into numbness. The pain radiated up his arm, sharp and immediate, but it was nothing compared to the dull ache twisting in his chest.

    What now? What was he supposed to do with this knowledge? His mind screamed for justice, for revenge, for answers. But his heart ached with the weight of everything stolen from him.

    Strangely, while he was trying to make sense of his life, the mundane knocked. Lost in the cataclysm of his emotions, Seung barely registered the soft knock at the door until Gil-ae entered, wrenching him from the depth of his thoughts to inform him that the ondol floor in Choi Jina''s and her chambers was causing trouble and their rooms were freezing. "I have sent for the gyeoljeongbu, but we have to wait until tomorrow," she said before noticing his pallor. "Oraboni, are you alright?" The absurdity of her words crashed over him like a tidal wave. Seung had a strange urge to laugh. Life didn''t care for the abyss he was in. It went its merry way, leaving devastation in its wake.

    ¡Þ

    Seung knew it would be another night of hidden truths. He understood the pattern. It didn''t matter why; she would change her mind again. Like always.

    Seung had left a light burning in his room. He stared at the flickering glow, each moment dragging through time like a stone.

    Across the courtyard, Minjae paused, her gaze catching the light. It glinted in the cold night, a silent invitation, yet she shook her head and turned away, her footsteps soft as she tiptoed through the shadows. She had no idea that Seung was watching her every move from the darkness.

    Minjae''s silhouette glided across the courtyard, only to vanish unexpectedly into a small garden by the pond. From the direction of his mother''s chamber, another figure rushed out.

    The imposter, the woman who had usurped his real wife''s place. How fitting was it that she didn''t even have a name? Why did it not surprise him that they not only knew each other but were somehow colluding?

    Minjae had shown her hand to the imposter and continued her deceit with him.

    The icy air wrapped around them like a vice, the scent of winter frost blending with the gentle rustle of fabric. Seung quietly trailed behind, taking cover behind a small stone wall that allowed him to listen without revealing his presence. Seung steadied his breath, exhaling into plumes of soft, frosty whorls, careful not to make a sound, while the chill stung his ears and quickened his heartbeat.

    He heard a rustle like that of paper.

    "Is that all?" Minjae whispered, unaware that her words bladed through the darkness, sharp and dangerous.

    "Gil-ae won''t allow me to check the boxes," the imposter whispered.

    Another sound.

    "What is this?" The imposter, a little louder.

    "Shh! We can''t be here for long. Someone will see. This is the best I can do for you. I can''t help you anymore," Minjae said.

    He frowned behind the wall, wishing he could see what they were doing.

    "You won''t tell him then?" The imposter asked.

    "No," Minjae said. "This is the only way to keep everyone safe."

    "But-"

    "Bear Dari a child as soon as you can. And if you ever cheat on him, I will carve you like a carrot," Minjae threatened.

    There was a gasp and then a silence.

    "Yes, my lady. And you?" The imposter asked after a while.

    My Lady. Seung clenched his hand so hard that even his palm''s cold-numbed skin felt the pain.

    "Nothing will come out of me being here anymore," Minjae said.

    Seung straightened, trying to keep his fist from making a hole through the stones.

    The imposter sighed. "What do I have to do?"

    "You asked for an elixir to - to make Dari be with you...to..." Minjae cleared her throat. "Well, this should work. I have never used it on anyone, but it works to make men want to be with...women," Minjae whispered, and Seung could almost see her face turning red.

    His face turned red, too, but it wasn''t from embarrassment. Anger replaced reason with the force of a ship slamming into a rock before snapping into millions of pieces.

    ¡Þ

    Was this truly the answer? To push him into another woman''s arms? To be complicit in Soo Hyun''s attempt to bear Seung a child? Minjae felt the crushing weight of that thought as though she were breaking apart piece by piece.

    Minjae waited until Soo Hyun went inside before stepping out of the shadows. The chill bit into her flesh. She gathered her hanbok tightly around her.

    The tears threatened, but she refused to let them fall.

    Why did it hurt so much?

    Feeling as if she were being watched, she looked around. Across the courtyard, a faint light burned in Seung''s room.

    Was he waiting for her? For the ''talk'' she had promised two nights ago?

    Her hands shook, and her mind spun faster than her body could handle, the Governor''s warning echoing relentlessly.

    If you have thoughts about reclaiming your identity, perish the thought. No one will ever rise against him. I certainly will not.

    Yet Kim I-On''s voice fought for space as well. You not only assumed he was lacking, but you also thought he would endanger you and would not stand by you in adversity.

    She was at a crossroads, not knowing where to go.

    Was the Governor right? Aside from the selfish aim of reclaiming a name that had given her so much grief, what did anyone stand to gain by knowing her real identity? Se-min was leaving, and the Governor would forbid Kim I-On from ever revealing the truth.

    And Seung? What would he gain? More than hatred, he would gain betrayal¡ªthe deepest kind.

    The truth sat like poison in her throat, burning every word she wanted to say. Her heart clenched at the thought of him uncovering everything.

    I should have asked you outright, but I felt you had been lying to me all this time, and I couldn''t take it. Seung''s words mocked her.

    She pictured him standing there, fists clenched, eyes cold and distant as it all came crashing down. Would his love shatter, turning to contempt?

    Minjae had witnessed his fury once and felt how betrayal carved into him like a blade, crumbling trust. Once he uncovered the full extent of her father''s sins, would his love turn into something far darker?

    Either way, she knew one thing with certainty¡ªhe would not let her leave. The realisation struck her like a sudden blow. Seung would never simply let her disappear. His need for answers would consume him. He would follow her across the seas if he had to, dragging the truth from her, whatever the cost.

    However, once he had his answers, what then? Would he forgive her? Or would he chain her to him in punishment, silent, letting the void between them grow until she became nothing more than a shadow in his life?

    She had no way of knowing. And with Lady Ryu''s disdain, she knew she''d have no allies.

    The Governor had been right. She had a good life, and to want more¡ªto want the unattainable¡ªwas greedy.

    She was right to push Soo Hyun into Seung''s arms. If Seung could move on, if he could find peace in someone else''s arms, then maybe¡ªjust maybe¡ªshe could live with that. Perhaps she could accept the impossible truth that she would never truly belong to him, and he would never be hers. Not as long as her secrets hung between them like a heavy curtain that refused to be pulled away.

    Maybe, over time, Seung would come to accept the hand they had been dealt with. And perhaps, if nothing worked, she would depart the island and face the consequences when fate demanded.

    She gripped the fabric of her hanbok tighter, one thought gnawing at her mind: Even if she left, would she ever truly escape?

    She forced her feet to move. For now, she would have to think of something to soothe Seung''s doubts, something convincing enough to keep him at bay.

    But not tonight. She was too raw. Giving that elixir to Soo Hyun had fractured her heart, and she needed to crawl somewhere and lick her wounds. She made her way toward Lady Ryu''s chamber, hoping somehow to avoid Seung.

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    She couldn''t.

    As in, Seung was waiting for her on the covered porch adjacent to his mother''s chamber. His long legs made short work of the steps. It wasn''t a moonless night, but it was still difficult to read his face.

    "Are you well?" he asked.

    Minjae nodded, a slight smile lifting the corners of her mouth. "I just needed a few hours of sleep."

    "I will be waiting for you in my chamber after you are done with Eomoni," he said.

    Under her sleeves, Minjae''s nails made small welts of worry on her skin.

    "I-I don''t think I can tonight," she said truthfully. "Perhaps tomorrow?"

    "Can''t, or won''t?" Seung said, his voice suddenly dropping to match the chill around them.

    Minjae looked around. She wondered why she suddenly felt colder than before. Was it going to snow? Or was it simply the ice of dread seeping into her blood?

    "It''s nothing like that, Dari."

    His eyes glittered.

    "Time is running out, Minjae."

    Unease flickered in Minaje''s eyes. His anger was baffling. He sounded nothing like the man who had come to her the night before or had tenderly carried her home at dawn. She shifted on her feet, unable to meet Seung''s eyes.

    "M-my past life is of no importance now, and you said you had freed me from all obligations to tell you."

    "I was wrong. I want to know," he said softly. "So tell me now."

    "I don''t want to," she rushed, grateful the dark hid her flush of guilt.

    "And what about accepting my protection?" He asked.

    Minjae''s fingers curled into the fabric of her sleeves, pulling them tighter as if the coarse wool could shield her from the storm she felt brewing between them.

    "I still need time," she said, trying to soothe him. "In any case, I heard Lord Se-min is leaving the island, so I do not think there will be any more danger now."

    "I see," His voice was quiet, cold. He stepped closer, his eyes never leaving hers. "You enjoy toying with me, don''t you?"

    That was so far from the truth that Minjae almost choked out a denial but caught herself.

    Perhaps it was for the better.

    Why was she such a coward?

    "I am sorry I made you feel that way, Dari. I do not understand you. One day, you are fine with me making choices about what I want to share; on another, you try to force it out of me."

    "You do not understand me? I am not the one who has been a tease!'' His laugh sounded ugly even to his ears.

    "Tease?" Minjae injected an ire into her tone she was so far from feeling that if it were a path, it would reach the other end of the earth. "How many times do I need to tell you I cannot be your concubine? It''s you who has refused to take no for an answer!"

    His hands flexed open, then balled into fists, over and over, like a relentless cycle of fury. He stepped closer. "Minjae," his voice was silk gliding over the glass, "Is that why you gave that elixir to Choi Jina?"

    Suddenly, his anger made sense. He was not only angry at her refusal to meet him tonight, but he had also witnessed her giving the elixir to Soo Hyun. Her guilt hung in the air like smoke from a fire, impossible to hide and choking her.

    "You heard," she said dully. "Yes, I did. She asked for help, and I gave it to her. She is your wife; she has more rights over you than I ever will," Minjae reasoned.

    "I see," was all he said. "You plan to leave me."

    "Nothing can come of this. I am a mere Physician and not the kind of woman you should associate with."

    "And you alone can make such decisions," Seung said, a statement, not a question.

    "What do you even want from me, Dari?" Her pulse threatened to burst a vein. She wanted to delay him, not alienate him, but if this was what it came to be, so be it.

    She was tired.

    "I want you to be honest," Seung said, his voice hoarse. The faintness of the night sky drew harsh lines across his face.

    "You have been a spy, Dari. Have you always been honest? Have you never had a part you want to keep hidden?"

    "That''s different. I didn''t profess to love them," he said.

    Minjae lifted her chin. "I never professed anything to you."

    "No? Then what did we have in this past year? In Hanyang? Or the night in your bedroom? Or in the woods? Why did you come to me that night, Minjae?" Seung''s desperation gnawed at her.

    "What do you think? You are a persuasive man. Is it wrong to seek pleasure?" She had never been coarse, but her time for subtlety had run its course.

    Something withered in his eyes. "Careful Minjae. Poison should only be tasted in small amounts. You crossed a line you should not have. I might never be able to forgive you."

    "I am sorry, Dari," she inhaled a tortured breath.

    His hand twitched as though reaching for her for a fleeting moment, but it stopped mid-air. The storm brewing behind his eyes held her captive. Then he turned and left her alone.

    She had managed to raise the beast in him again. She shivered, goosebumps welting her skin from the top of her head to the toes.

    Drawing a shaky breath, she stopped outside Lady Ryu''s chamber, where a maid waited to usher her in. Reaching into her backpack, she took out the blue and purple hanbok with its green jangot¡ªthe one Seung had given her atop the hill when the criminals had torn her clothes on that fateful day their journey began. Her fingers lovingly traced the silk as memories flooded back.

    The dress symbolised the day that had ruined her, but it also represented the greatest treasure of her life: Lee Seung.

    One last thing to do¡ªto return this to its rightful owner.

    Minjae steadied herself with a deep breath.

    However, no sooner had she stepped into the chamber than Minjae knew her plan had failed.

    Soo Hyun and Gil-ae looked at her from the two unrolled mattresses by the walls.

    Minjae clasped the hanbok in her hands in dismay.

    Gil-ae was the first to react. "What is that, Physician Kim?"

    Belatedly, Minjae remembered to bow. "This¡ªum¡ªLady Kim I-On asked me to return this to you," she said, sending a silent apology to her unsuspecting friend. "Lord Lee left it at Lord Jo''s house by mistake."

    Soo Hyun stepped closer, admiring the hanbok. "It''s beautiful."

    Gil-ae examined it with a frown. "Isn''t this the lace Father brought from Ming?"

    Lady Ryu nodded, inspecting the chima briefly.

    "I thought it was lost."

    "Maybe it turned up again," Soo Hyun suggested. Gil-ae held it up with a faint smile. "It''s small. Oraboni must still think I''m the same size I was during your marriage," she looked at Soo Hyun, who laughed in return before sending Minjae a guilty look.

    Sighing, Minjae turned her attention to Lady Ryu.

    Except for a disapproving line on her mouth, Lady Ryu didn''t object to Minjae''s ministrations while Gil-ae and Soo Hyun watched patiently. Apparently, they were both here because the ondol in their rooms was broken.

    "My Lady, I see that the swelling now is almost gone. If you continue to take the tonic as directed, you no longer need my nightly ministrations," she said.

    Lady Ryu curtly nodded. Minjae wished her mother-in-law didn''t hate her this much.

    A soft scrape echoed as the door opened, and Minjae felt rather than see Seung walk in. Minjae''s pulse quickened, and porcupine needles made holes in the nape of her neck.

    "Why are you here?" His question was directed at Gil-ae and Soo Hyun.

    "We are sleeping here tonight, Oraboni," Gil-ae said.

    "The guest chambers are not ready, My Lord," Soo Hyun added.

    "What is that?" Seung asked, shock lining his voice.

    Minjae knew by his tone he had spotted the hanbok. She knew she had done nothing wrong. She was simply returning the hanbok to where it belonged. Still, a cold dread settled in her stomach as guilt poured into her veins. It was their secret. She could feel the tentacles of his wrath coil around her.

    "Physician Kim brought this in. She said you had left it at Lord Jo''s house," Gil-ae said.

    "That was..." Seung paused, his voice giving away nothing, "a long time ago. I must have forgotten it at his place."

    "But I thought you gave it away," Gil-ae said. "You thought you lost it, didn''t you? And made up the story about giving it away." She wriggled her brows at her brother playfully.

    "I guess my secret is out," he replied mildly.

    Minjae risked a glance at Seung and saw him watching her, his mouth drawn in a thin line. She felt her ears get warm under his scrutiny. She patted herself on the back for turning the loving, caring man from previous nights into a furious one.

    Seung felt a familiar longing stir in him as he watched her graceful movements while Minjae cared for his mother, but this time, it was tempered with something feral. A possessiveness that threatened to squeeze his heart until the pulse stopped.

    His wife.

    Why had the thought never crossed his mind? He might not have seen her face, but she was the most graceful woman he had ever seen, her movements like a mellifluous stream flowing down a lush mountain meadow.

    She was also the most well-read woman he knew. His wife was everything she had been lauded for.

    Choi Jina was a rare combination - extraordinarily beautiful and exceptionally clever.

    He yearned to grab her, kiss her, and never let her go.

    He longed to shake her hard until sense rattled into her obstinate brain.

    He wanted to distance himself from her, just as she had pushed him away, for trapping them both in a prison of deceit.

    She turned it into a sick game, and he had unwittingly fallen for it.

    But you didn''t have to stick to the rules if you didn''t know them in the first place, did you? Seung thought to himself humourlessly.

    Who was he to disappoint her? But this time, they would play by his rules.

    The pressure inside him grew, but he forced himself to stay composed, a malevolent thought muddying his mind.

    Well, it was high time you stopped deciding our future all by your mighty self, Kim Minjae! Seung thought to himself as the tensile strength of anger holding him upright threatened to collapse.

    Sitting closer to his mother, Seung said, "Until the ondol system gets fixed, Choi Jina can move into my chamber."

    Seung''s jaw clenched with satisfaction when Minjae''s fingers trembled for a flash of a second.

    A cry of surprise drifted from somewhere behind him.

    "Dari, I don''t wish to cause any trouble," the imposter said, but the insincerity in her voice was hard to miss.

    Seung carefully weighed his words. "I must see to the safety and well-being of my wife. Don''t you agree, Physician Kim?" Sarcasm dripped from his voice like sap from a wounded tree.

    Pale, Minjae focussed on the needle, the cold metal anchoring her to reality. She nodded feebly.

    It was ironic how, at times, he was attuned to her every movement, and at other times, it was like he didn''t know her at all.

    "Moreover, I believe Eomoni, you are right," Seung addressed his mother this time. "I have been remiss. Choi Jina and I should work on giving you a grandchild. And I don''t need any talisman," he paused again, gored Minjae with a hooded stare, and dropped his voice so only she could hear it, "or elixir to be a competent husband."

    Minjae almost poked herself with the needle. However, a sharp intake of breath was the only reaction she gave.

    But Seung knew his barb had hit home. Even though Minjae didn''t look up, the scarlet hue blooming along her slender neck gave away her distress.

    The lines on his mother''s forehead smoothed to resemble polished river stones.

    "You mean it?" she sat up, forgetting that Minjae was treating her.

    "Yes," Seung humoured her. "It''s time, my esteemed father-in-law, and you had some grandkids to carry on our family name. You -" Seung paused for effect, "chose the most virtuous and accomplished woman in the country to be my wife for a reason, didn''t you?"

    Seung watched his mother closely. Minjae wore a wall for a face. The nameless impostor rose and sat beside him, her hands animated under her long jeogori, her eyes speculative as they flitted between him and Minjae. Seung wondered to what extent Minjae would use the woman to push him away.

    Interestingly, his mother gave Minjae a keen look, her lips pursed. Seung frowned, and he felt a stone sink in the pit of his stomach.

    A memory jolted his mind. His mother''s hysteria, her wild eyes as she shook him. "No! Seung, forget what you saw. Promise me! Erase it from your mind. You will never speak of it. Never!" Her words, as urgent as the day she spoke them, were imprinted on him like iron seared into flesh.

    Had his mother recognised Ko Yoon from Seung''s description?

    All this time, had his mother carried this secret, letting him live a lie? Had she seen him suffer, watched him grow in the shadow of his father''s murder, all while keeping the truth hidden? Could she have stopped it? Did she know that the man who had taken everything from them was plotting his next move right there? And why¡ªwhy had she stayed silent?

    More pressingly, did the bastard still have a hold on his mother? He recalled the letter. His fingers clenched until they balled by his knees.

    His mother''s eyes flickered, meeting Minjae''s, before she averted them. It only took a fraction of a moment, but it was long enough to confirm his mother knew Minjae''s identity.

    "Yes. My son is also the most accomplished man in the country, so only the best would do," his mother replied.

    "I am sorry for the pain I caused all of you," the woman with no name beside him said. "But I promise I will spend the rest of my life atoning for my mistakes."

    Seung''s friendly tone belied the cold in his eyes. "Yes, and you have a lifetime to do it. You have a lot to answer for," he turned back to his mother, ignoring the sound of Minjae''s shallow breathing.

    "Mother, I want to thank you for choosing such a beautiful wife for me. I am sorry if I have not conveyed my appreciation earlier."

    Lady Ryu blinked in confusion. The imposter beside him almost swayed in - ecstasy? Disbelief? "I will move my things to your chamber, My Lord," she said.

    Seung watched his imposter wife hurry out with a maid carrying her rolled bed with a wry twist to his lips.

    Minjae''s breath snagged, a barely audible hitch that caught in her throat, but her honed gaze on her hands as she tended to his mother didn''t falter.

    "Oh, and Physician Kim, I believe I heard you say my mother does not need these late-night treatments any more?" He asked, taking care to keep his tone polite, almost casual.

    "Indeed, My Lord," she said, her tone clipped but perfectly respectful.

    "In that case, please keep to your morning visits starting tomorrow. In fact, I am asking for the royal physician''s help going forth, so after tomorrow morning, you may terminate your visits."

    Was he letting her go?

    Her tongue felt thick, a foreign object in her mouth as she swallowed the shock, her mind racing to piece together the meaning behind his words.

    Minjae knew he was hurting her on purpose. Yes, she eventually had to let him go, but this felt like severing an arm, the pain excruciating. "Lady Ryu needs some more time with my medication, My Lord -"

    "I''m sure other physicians can take care of it. We no longer need your assistance, Physician Kim," he said.

    The words came out colder than Seung had anticipated. He watched her body go still as if bracing for impact. A part of him¡ªa very small part¡ªwanted to take it back. He hated how her shoulders hunched and the resignation in her posture.

    As he followed her out, he could almost touch Minjae''s heartbreak and wrath, and for a moment, his chest tightened, satisfaction slipping away. She was too late to hide the sheen of tears in her eyes as she set her jaw to prevent them from falling.

    But she had handed another woman an elixir to seduce him, didn''t she? He reminded himself vengefully.

    Seung was not a man who forgave easily.

    Minjae was adamant about shutting him out. Well, he would oblige her by showing how it felt.

    One thing was as clear in his mind as a mirror reflecting bold, reversed text. Like all reversed things, it had misled him, twisted reality into something unrecognisable, but the deception had run its course. If Minjae thought she could shut him out forever, she was in for a rude awakening. And underestimating Lee Seung would be the biggest mistake Choi Si-wan had made in his life. Minjae had tied herself to him the moment their paths crossed, and nothing would change that. And Seung took care of what belonged to him.

    She would soon learn how unforgiving he could be when wronged.

    And for that, he would have to confront her with something so irrefutable that she would never be able to deny him again.

 Forty Five: Reckoning

    Confronting Nam Dami''s obstinacy heightened Seung''s agitation. Her cracked lips quivered, a pungent fear radiating from her as defiance flickered in her bloodshot eyes. Innocence was far from her; her motives were tainted by hatred for Minjae, not treason, though her act would count as treason.

    "Minjae rescued you from the jaws of death," Seung said to the ungrateful woman.

    "She thinks she''s too good for us all," Nam Dami snapped.

    Seung raised a brow.

    "She teased every man in sight without giving them what they wanted. And you''re no different ¡ª she''s led you on too!" she sneered.

    Seung dropped to her level, his voice cold. "You didn''t deserve to be saved."

    Nam Dami had been easy bait, left for dead by her abusive husband until boatmen rescued her and brought her to Minjae. On the island, she fell for Cha Moon-Sik, the village Shaman''s son, known for his single-minded pursuit of Kim Minjae, who turned her down. Her chances of persuading him vanished with the royals'' arrival. A mysterious man saved her from Royal guards for loitering around Moon-sik''s house and coerced her into delivering messages to men aboard Captain Park''s ship, threatening to return her to her husband if she refused while promising a new life with Cha Moon-Sik in Barbarian lands.

    "That Prince is turning this island into another Hanyang!" She railed. "They need to be gone."

    However, she wasn''t the one who had smuggled the notes to Minjae''s room.

    Nonetheless, she had smuggled something else.

    "I will arrange for you to walk out free. Tell me. Who asked you to keep the vase in my work chamber?" Seung asked.

    Fear filled her eyes, and her facade crumbled.

    Ka Min Kyu.

    Seung left a distraught woman pondering her options. Sim Junho would take care of the rest. Seung had work to do.

    ¡Þ

    Tossing and turning through the night, Minjae woke up with the damp sheets clinging to her skin, her face streaked with tears and sweat.

    It had been the tenth night since the one when Seung had asked her to stop coming to his house. He had made no attempt to contact her since.

    Then, she had been called back this morning. This would be her final visit to Seung''s house, where she would consult a new physician regarding Lady Ryu''s treatment.

    Deciding to throw herself into what she knew best¡ªwork¡ªshe prepared for an early start to her day.

    Though she wanted to say goodbye to Se-min before he left the island today, she knew it would raise questions and complicate matters for both of them.

    She settled for sending a large batch of medication to him for his injured hand before he left. She stopped by Suji''s house, who had been delivering them to her brother.

    Suji was still sleeping, but Minjae found her husband, the village butcher, and two of their four kids playing on the floor. Knick-knacks littered the floor. The husband greeted Minjae, lighting a large lantern and holding it by its rugged, curved wooden handle.

    "Careful," Minjae said, "the glass panel on this side is broken."

    The man noticed the crack. "Suji got it from somewhere recently. Must have broken then."

    Minjae nodded and left the medication with him, with instructions to deliver it to Choi Se-min.

    Her fingers traced the soft fabric of the pouch, lingering over the delicate stars she had stitched¡ªone for every precious memory they had of the other after they met again, fragile threads binding her to the brother she would soon lose again.

    This would be the last time she would collect stars with her brother.

    ¡Þ

    Seung was, at heart, a man who loved to solve riddles. He never realised he was living in one. Assumptions, conjectures, and hypotheses were always reliable when followed with logic, but every deduction could only be proven with concrete evidence. Even the best spies could make incorrect deductions.

    Seung wrestled with a storm of contradictions.

    What if....his assumptions about Minjae were wrong?

    He wanted them to be wrong and yet desperately right.

    The quest for proof had taken him to one man who could provide it beyond any realm of doubt.

    "Why did you meet Choi Jina at night in your grandmother''s house in Hanyang last month?" he asked the unsuspecting brother.

    Choi Se-min''s eyes widened in fear. "How did you find out?" He paled. "Did she tell you?"

    Finally! Seung clenched his jaw and replied, "No."

    "Please, don''t let Noonim know that you know. I didn''t realise she visited Hanyang without your knowledge. She''ll think I betrayed her..."

    "I will not," Seung said, "but I don''t appreciate being kept in the dark."

    Relief poured over Se-min''s face. "I think she just became weak in her resolve and wanted to see me. We met after so long. She is now so beautiful, so confident, nothing like the timid girl she used to be." Se-min''s voice was filled with the unmistakable pride of a sibling.

    "What will you tell His Excellency about meeting Jina here?"

    Se-min bent his head. "I will have to lie because this is what Noonim wants. She fears Father will punish me if he knows I have met her. I also know she is the one who is sending me away from this island." His eyes took a reminiscing look. "So stubborn, always putting others before herself. I will respect her wishes."

    Seung swallowed, the lump painful and angry.

    "Why did she leave her marriage chamber?" Seung asked, addressing the elephant in the room.

    "Are you still angry with her over it?"

    "It''s not easy to forgive. Your Noonim''s actions ruined many lives."

    "Please, brother-in-law, don''t say that... she didn''t leave it for another man, please believe me. Or, at least, not for any strange man."

    Seung''s brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

    "Do you remember saving a girl close to the gambling house a few days before your wedding?" Se-min asked.

    Choi Se-min knew? Surprised, Seung nodded warily.

    Haltingly, with a face flushed with shame and remorse, Se-min narrated the entire incident about how Minjae had gone to settle his debt and met with the tragedy.

    Seung''s heart twisted for the siblings. "What does my saving her have to do with her leaving the marriage chamber?"

    "She¡ªshe considered herself ruined because she was touched by strangers," Se-min said, his tone laced with anguish.

    "What?" Incredulous, Seung looked at Se-min as if he had grown horns. "What are you saying?"

    But Seung knew.

    Choi Jina had been lauded as the most virtuous woman of the land.

    ''I am ruined'' - crouched, ruined tunic drawn tight. Legs folded to her chest. Head hidden in her frail arms, wrapped around her knees. Weeping silently, brokenly...... It echoed in his ears, reverberating through his skull until all he could hear was her sobs, as if her agony had a tangible presence.

    Seung closed his eyes, his nails digging into the coarse flesh of his palms. It could not be the reason... it could not be... not something so asinine could have the power to destroy their lives even before it began...

    "Noonim didn''t deem herself fit to be married to anyone. She felt it would be the worst kind of deception. She had tried to tell our parents... but..."

    Seung''s heart thudded, his stomach bottoming out, dreading what he would hear next. "But?"

    "They refused and punished her for the temerity of even mentioning it," Se-min said.

    "How did they punish her?" Seung asked, his voice ice.

    Se-min took a long pause, swallowing. "Father forced her to hold a-a flaming charcoal."

    Se-min''s words slammed into his heart with the force of a thousand hammers.

    The bastard had burned her hand.

    "Noonim eventually agreed, but when she recognised you, she adamantly refused to continue."

    "But I didn''t even see her face," Seung whispered.

    "She later told me you would have recognised her. I don''t know how - if you had not seen her, but she was so stubborn about it."

    The nail marks on her chest. And she didn''t even know about the mole yet... Seung sat still, not trusting himself to break something.

    "The first couple of days, Father threatened her into writing reconciliation letters to you, but then I was sent away to school, and when I came back, she was gone." Se-min''s sobs interrupted his flow of words. "Joesonghamnida, Brother-in-law. I am so, so sorry for everything."

    ¡Þ

    The house was chaotic. There were several workmen spread over in the women''s quarters. A maid ushered Minjae to Seung''s chamber. Apparently, ondol workers were working on her chamber floors, so Lady Ryu was spending the morning in Seung''s room.

    Her calves shook. Would Seung be in there? Seung''s hate was exactly like his love - passionate, unrelenting. She had broken his heart, and he had cut her out of his life.

    Minjae filled her lungs with the chilly air to calm her nerves and softly knocked on the door.

    "Come in," came Seung''s muted voice through the heavy hanji doors.

    He was there. Did he stay just to see her?

    Her heartbeat sped up.

    It was his chamber, you fool! It would be normal for him to be there. The nasty voice inside her head chided.

    However, the scene that met her eyes was far from normal.

    Lady Ryu was sitting on the Yo at the far end of the spacious chamber. Gil- ae sat beside her mother. Seung occupied the space directly from across them with Soo Hyun beside him.

    Minjae looked around awkwardly, feeling like an intruder, before her gaze fell on another mattress rolled up neatly by the wall close to the main bed. Minjae''s heart twisted at the implication. What did she expect? She was the one who had given Soo Hyun the elixir.

    The image of them together made her nauseous.

    Her eyes met Seung''s. His eyes narrowed, a mocking half-smile playing on his lips as if he could read what was playing in her mind.

    She lowered her eyes, focusing on the hem of her hanbok, aware all four pairs of eyes were trained on her. There was no sign of any other physician.

    Lady Ryu was the first to speak. "We are having a private conversation, Physician Kim. You can wait at the servant''s chamber. I will call you when I am ready to receive you."

    Lady Ryu''s fingers rested stiffly in her lap, the tips trembling ever so slightly, though her face remained a mask of calm authority.

    Minjae felt numb. She wordlessly nodded.

    "Wait, Physician Kim," Seung said. His jaw relaxed, the only sign that betrayed the tumultuous emotions beneath.

    She paused, wondering if anyone else could hear the painful thumps of her heart.

    "Mother, there are questions I must ask of Physician Kim as well. I request that she be permitted to remain for a short while," Seung said.

    "This is a family matter. Outsiders cannot be privy to it," Lady Ryu said. Minjae didn''t miss the emphasis on the ''outsiders''. "Whatever you have to say can wait."

    "I am afraid it cannot wait, Mother," Seung said. The subtle shift in his expression signalled that this was not merely a request but a command. He motioned her to enter. Minjae padded softly and took her position by the wall to their right, her fingers clasping her hands under her sleeves in a death grip. Soo Hyun''s eyes flickered toward her briefly before darting away, her compressed lips betraying a strange tension.

    "So, Mother, as I was asking, what is it that my honourable Father-in-law promised Father?" Seung waved a letter in his hand.

    Lady Ryu''s face darkened.

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    "Oraboni!" Gil-ae interrupted. "It is not appropriate to discuss such delicate matters openly."

    He turned to his sister. "You are the one who has been sneaking those talismans under my bed, aren''t you? Maybe you should think twice before spreading tales about your brother openly."

    Gil-ae didn''t seem perturbed. "It''s only to make Eomoni happy. There is nothing wrong in praying that the reasons that keep my brother-in-law and sister-in-law apart vanish completely."

    Seung tilted his head. "Rest your worries, Gil-ae. Looks like your talisman is working wonders."

    Each word fell on Minjae like a whiplash. She closed her eyes, wishing herself anywhere but here.

    "Mother?" Seung prompted.

    "It''s a piece of land that Lord Choi promised if your marriage with Choi Jina was successful," Lady Ryu said.

    "I see. I find it strange that it took you so long to say it,'' Seung said.

    "What did you have to ask that girl?" His mother motioned at Minjae with her head.

    Seung turned his head and looked at Minjae. Morning light streamed around her, making the hollows under her eyes more marked. Her full lips looked dry as she dragged the tip of her over her lower lip to moisten it.

    She looked pale, frail, and so beautiful that it physically hurt him to look at her. For a moment, he almost faltered. But Seung reminded himself of his goal, forcing the surge of emotions back into place.

    Seung picked up a packet from beside him and took out the blue and purple dress.

    "Physician Kim, thank you for bringing this over. Why did you not tell them you had it with you all this time?" He asked, his gaze mocking her.

    Startled, Minjae stared at him. Why would he expose her in this way? She thought with trepidation.

    "Oraboni-?" Gil-ae''s voice broke the silence, her brows knit in confusion, then suddenly cleared as she said, "How can that be? You gave this to her? I thought you said you didn''t know the girl you were helping."

    Seung gave a humourless chuckle. "I thought so, too. But I accidentally learned about it in Hanyang," He rose, stepped closer to Minjae with the dress, and said, "It appears our physician has a talent for lying."

    "Hanyang? What do you mean, Oraboni?" Gil-ae asked.

    "Yes, Hanyang. Remember last time when I went? Minjae and I stayed in an inn for a month."

    A horrified cry tore out of Soo Hyun, and his mother as Gil-ae''s mouth went slack.

    Minjae wavered, stepping back as mortification painted her scarlet. "Why... why are you doing this?" she murmured, her eyes wide with disbelief. Seung''s expression remained unreadable, yet his eyes glinted like black ice, frigid and unrelenting.

    For a moment, the room felt stifling.

    Then, Lady Ryu''s voice cracked with fury. "How dare you let a shameless creature like her sully our ancestors'' sacred space?"

    "Shameless, Eomoni?" Seung clenched his fist around the fabric.

    But before Lady Ryu could say anything more, Minjae straightened, anger overcoming her humiliation.

    "You can''t force me to be your concubine!" Minjae burst out.

    Seung stepped closer, his jaw clenched.

    "Physician Kim," he enunciated each syllable as if it offended him, "My wife is the epitome of virtue and grace in this land. Why would I lower myself to take you as a concubine?"

    He was giving her exactly what she''d asked for, yet it hit Minjae with the force of a slap. The air between them crackled with animosity.

    "You are here because I have one more task for you," he said, his tone casual. He walked over to the chest beside her and opened the top drawer. He took out something large.

    A ragged doll.

    "I want you to patch this up with your fine stitching skills," Seung said.

    He watched Minjae intently as her colour washed away. She gingerly took the doll as if it were a precious piece of jewel she had found buried in the dirt.

    "What is the meaning of this, Lee Seung?" Lady Ry asked.

    "Oraboni, this is so confusing and strange. Why are you behaving like this? Why is this doll important?" Gil-ae compressed her lips in annoyance.

    "You don''t remember, Gil-ae? Choi Jina gave this doll to you one time when you were crying. Remember?" Seung said.

    Gil-ae''s brows furrowed while his ''wife'' looked blank.

    "Strange, none of you remember it." Seung didn''t move his gaze from Minjae''s face. "But it looks familiar to you, Physician Kim., does it not?"

    She looked up.

    Their eyes locked, his eyes glinting with a challenge that twisted Minjae''s heart into knots of dread.

    He knew. Minjae knew Seung had somehow learned the truth with the certainty of an avalanche about to descend, unstoppable and merciless.

    Minjae tried to summon words, but none came out. Her throat hurt as if a rope was wound around her neck.

    Seung''s mouth curved into a knowing smile, deadly in their intent.

    He calmly extracted a rolled scroll from his hanbok.

    "Lord Choi Se-min left this gift for you," Seung pulled out the rolled scroll, his movements deliberate, and handed it to Soo Hyun, who watched him with confusion and unease.

    "I-it''s pretty," she said lamely.

    "Do you recognise them?" Seung asked.

    The woman blinked, her eyes flickering in confusion and fear. She understood it was some kind of test and that she was failing it.

    Lady Ryu was frozen as if caught in an invisible web, unable to move.

    "Looks like Mother, you recognise them. So can you tell me why the woman who calls herself my wife cannot recognise her own grandmother she grew up with, while," he turned to Minjae while the imposter ashened, "a woman living on this island stares at it like she has seen a ghost?"

    Suddenly, his fake wife was galvanised into action. "I-I recognise this now. It must be - no I mean, it is my grandmother." She tittered a nervous laugh.

    Seung lifted a brow, his icy stare full of contempt for the foolishness before him.

    Without answering, Seung walked to the door, slid it open, and bellowed at his manservant. He returned and took his spot in front of Soo Hyun, his hands locked behind his back.

    Everyone waited with bated breath suspended between disbelief and anticipation as if trapped in a surreal dream, one so fragile they feared to move lest the unseen axe fell.

    When Woo Sari came in and bowed, her face was a study of uncertainty and fear, and a ripple of emotions thickened the air.

    "Why did you bring her here, Dari?" Minjae found her voice. He had no right to jeopardise Woo Sari''s secret. "She is innocent."

    Woo Sari bowed and said something incoherent, her hands wringing under her sleeves anxiously as she looked at Minjae.

    Seung ignored Minjae. Instead, his eyes focused on Soo Hyun. "Do you know her?" He asked mildly as he pointed at Woo Sari.

    "I-yes, I met her at the apothecary; she is a servant there. I mean, I went there to get some medication.."

    Seung smiled. He turned to Woo Sari. "You can go. Just do what Sungmin asks you to." His voice was gentle and kind, bringing a lump to Minjae''s throat. Woo Sari nodded, and, throwing another anxious glance at Minjae, she followed Seung''s faithful manservant out.

    Seung''s hands clenched into fists on his sides. "No, she''s not a servant at the apothecary. She was Choi Jina''s childhood companion, and her ownership was transferred to me after marriage," Seung informed with relish.

    Soo Hyun blanched, her wide eyes betraying the panic clawing at her insides. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

    Minjae closed her eyes, numb to the chaos around her.

    Seung, however, felt alive in a way he never had before¡ªhis pulse quickened, his breath sharp, the rush of adrenaline so potent he could almost taste it.

    Gil-ae jumped up. "Oraboni, what are you saying?" Her voice was shrill. Scared. "Sister-in-law, she is your companion maid? Why did you not recognise her?"

    "Hmnn Gil-ae, I also wonder," Seung said, his tone deceptively light, as if he were observing the weather. "She does not recognise her own doll that she stitched herself, does not recognise her grandmother, and does not recognise the woman she grew up with. I wonder why...."

    "Dari, I-was-" Soo Hyun was white as a sheet.

    "Shut up," Seung barked.

    He took the scroll out of Soo Yoon''s numb fingers and walked towards Minjae, holding it high by one end, letting it unfurl in front of her face with a ''swish''.

    "Do you still want to keep lying to me?" His words came out in a low, menacing whisper, daring her to defy the fury barely held in check.

    Minjae stumbled back, clawing the wall behind her for purchase.

    Seung stepped closer, the toe of his stockinged feet almost touching her, voice dropping further. "Or should I drag Lord Se-min here too? He does not leave until noon," his smile never reached his eyes.

    Minjae flinched, shrinking from his words.

    She squeezed her eyes shut, the hot tears spilling unchecked down her cheeks. "I am sorry." Her voice trembled, almost inaudible.

    "Don''t!" The word shot like an arrow from Seung''s gut, blistered with raw fury. "Don''t you dare!" He threw the scroll on the floor and grabbed her by her arms.

    "Did you really think I would never find out?" He asked.

    Strands of hair came free, falling across her face, as she shook her head, and then went limp in his grip, her body wracked in sobs.

    Gil-ae grabbed Seung''s arm. "Oraboni! Please tell me what all this is about. What are you accusing Physician Kim of? Do you think she stole something?"

    Seung let go of Minjae as abruptly as he had held her. "She threw away something that I can never get back."

    "You are making no sense!" Gil-ae was frustrated, helplessly turning her head to look at her mother and then back to Seung and Minjae.

    "Five years, Gil-ae. Five long, miserable years." His voice turned icy. Then, with deliberate cruelty, he added, "Kim Minjae¡ªoh, forgive me¡ªshouldn''t I call you Choi Jina from now on?"

    Gil-ae stepped back, her hands covering her mouth. She looked at Soo Hyun, who was sitting as if a boulder had dropped on her.

    But Seung didn''t stop. Even though his chest shrivelled at the sight of Minjae sobbing, he had to get it off his chest. He gripped her chin and turned it up, forcing her to look at him, and said, "You decided to play judge and executioner. You destroyed everything we were. Our past. Our future. Our marriage," his voice broke, "even the children we never had."

    She covered her face, sobbing. "I am sorry, I am so sorry."

    "That''s enough!" Lady Ryu was standing. "I do not know what madness this is, but Physician Kim, leave this chamber right this moment."

    Seung relaxed his hold on Minjae but didn''t release her. "You don''t, mother? You want to pretend that you have not been trying to get me together with an impersonator? That you didn''t know Minjae was my wife, Lord Choi''s daughter, your best friend Lady Yoojoo''s child?" He was done being played by the women in his life.

    Gil-ae''s face was frozen in shock. "I-I don''t understand. Who are you then?" She asked Soo Hyun.

    Soo Hyun was shaking like a leaf. She bent over double, knowing the game was up.

    "Is all of this true, Mother?" Gil-ae asked, her distraught gaze fixed on her mother.

    "Cease this madness this instant, Lee Seung!" Lady Ryu''s authoritative demand was laced with fear and desperation.

    "Eomoni, do you want me to travel to Hanyang right now, challenge Lord Choi, and tell him how his deception is over?" Seung snarled.

    "No!" Minjae''s voice cut through like a sharp knife.

    "Why not? Because that is what you thought I would do, didn''t you?" Seung banged the wall above her head, his face so close that she could see the furious irises of his wing-tipped eyes.

    The noise reverberated, and Minjae turned white, her fingers clutching the doll to her chest.

    "You cannot do this, Lee Seung," Lady Ryu stood up, her voice shaking. Pointing a trembling finger at Minjae, she said, "That woman - she is a tramp. She ran away with another man on her wedding night. She ruined my daughter''s life. If anyone needs to be punished and disowned, it''s her! She has no virtue, just like her father!"

    "Has no virtue?" Seung clenched his hands so tight his knuckles turned white. "She had so much virtue to spare that she decided to drown all of us in that sea. She''d rather have her father burn her hand with charcoal than marry a man because a few strangers left scratch marks on her. Her virtue dictated that she not deceive the man she saved from death just days ago before her marriage. Her damned virtue made her choose death over living and fighting for us. Mother, you should submit our family''s name for that chastity belt. This woman has no rival."

    The room bathed in pale daylight, the distant sunbeams unable to pierce the thickening unease as Seung retold how he had met Minjae before marriage, keeping the facts to barebones but enough to fill the chamber with gasps of horror and disbelief.

    Minjae clenched her eyes shut, shaking her head helplessly, unable to meet his eyes that carried something deeper than betrayal, something almost sacred in its devastation.

    "But Im-Nabi said...." his mother''s voice shook.

    "Lady Im Nabi, lied. It was all part of a plan to saddle me with someone none of us would respect, so we would never try to dig deeper into their deception. Which brings me to the question, mother, why did you agree to this marriage? Do not try to lie. Why did you not tell us the truth? You made me the son-in-law of my father''s murderer!" Seung''s jaw clenched, his breathing shallow as the anger simmered just beneath the surface.

    Gil-ae sank to her knees. "No!"

    "I had no choice," his mother whispered. "Your father arranged everything, knowing Choi would come after him, ensuring Choi had to honour the marriage agreement with Jina."

    "What does he mean by this letter?" Seung asked.

    "He alluded if I didn''t accept -" Lady Ryu paused and gestured towards Soo Hyun, "her, he would have no reason to keep any of us alive. I believe the accident at the gangplank when we arrived was staged."

    Lady Ryu''s statement was met with a mixture of fury and fear.

    "You should have told me. Why is this marriage so important?" Seung asked.

    "The success of your marriage is tied to something Choi wants, though I don''t know what, but it kept you safe and ensured he wouldn''t harm you.," Lady Ryu said.

    "Right. Only disfigure and kill his own daughter so he could get his hands on what he wants," Seung said, his rage coiling tighter, threatening to spill over. Suddenly, something occurred to him.

    "Did you tell your father about the attack?" He asked Minjae.

    Minjae paled and trained her eyes somewhere on his chest.

    "Is that why.." he whipped you? Seung could not bring himself to finish the sentence. His eyes dropped to her neck, and Minjae knew he could see the scars in his mind.

    Minjae turned her head away, hot tears scalding his hand as he held her chin to turn her to face him.

    "Talk to me, damn it!" Seung exploded.

    "No, he did it because he was angry at you for refusing to accept me, and to prevent me from going to His Majesty," Minjae whispered.

    Seung paled and closed his eyes. His swallow moved noticeably.

    "I''ll kill him," he said with a finality that froze the room.

    His mother stepped forward. "Don''t be a fool! Come to your senses, Lee Seung. We have to make the best of it. Let Minjae leave," his mother said.

    Seung let go of Minjae, walked over to his mother, and said, "Her name is Choi Jina. You will call her by her rightful name."

    "No, Seung, I will not allow it. We will all pretend this morning never happened," his mother was pleading now.

    He shot a disgusted look at the grovelling imposter at his feet. "I will destroy every person who dared to rob me of my life with Minjae." The menace in his voice sent shivers down the spines of everyone present.

    "You don''t understand. There are people who-" Lady Ryu said.

    "¡ªwho kept Choi updated on our home, Mother? You allowed it?" His jaw locked, hard as granite. "It was your head maid and the stablemaster, both planted by Choi after our own were killed in the attack."

    Lady Ryu''s gaze fell to the floor, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I was never sure, but even if I was, I had no choice. Please, forgive me, son."

    "There was one more - this imposter''s maid. Both the maids are going back to the mainland with Choi Se-min. They will report how all is now in order at the Lee household and that the Lord and Lady share the same chamber for the night," he said. His gaze darkened, a merciless smile flickering at the corners of his lips, as he finished with, "As for the stablemaster, he''s grateful I spared him a heel. From now on, he''ll only send the reports I choose for Choi."

    He dropped to his hunches before Soo Hyun. "Soo Hyun. Choi Si-wan''s slave. Formerly the daughter of Soo Jung Sun - the corrupt minister killed during the purge of Northern Factioners. As for you..."

    "I am your offender, Dari. Forgive me. I was forced under the threat of death. Please believe me," Soo Hyun said quietly, only the trembling of her fingers splayed on the floor, betraying her terror.

    "And you thought you would live after you were discovered? Killing you would be easier than smushing a bug," Seung said nastily.

    Soo Hyun raised her panic-filled eyes to him before she bent further into the floor.

    His voice dripped with venom as he said, "A freak accident could take care of -"

    "No!" Minjae burst out. "I beg you, Dari, please forgive her. She is telling the truth." The plea in her voice was unmistakable.

    Seung looked over his shoulder, raising his hand to silence her, and said coldly, "I do not want you to utter the word ''truth'' ever again." Turning back to Soo Hyun, he said, "You will now serve my mother as her personal maid and stay under confinement until I figure out how to dispose of you."

    The woman closed her eyes and nodded, though except for the paleness of her face, it was expressionless.

    He stood up and faced his mother. "Omoni, you will be confined to your chamber until I decide otherwise. You will not receive guests or meet anyone without my explicit permission," he bowed. "Please go to your chamber, Mother."

    Lady Ryu''s eyes widened in shock, but she wisely kept quiet. Seung wiped his hand across his face as his mother left the room, followed by a trembling Soo Hyun.

    "Oraboni! You can''t do this to Mother!" Gil-ae said, rising from her stupor and turning her fury on Minjae. "Wasn''t it enough that your father destroyed our family? Did you have to trap my brother in this selfish relationship? Have you no shame?"

    Minjae''s chest tightened with each accusation, her heart aching painfully. She trembled but remained silent, her gaze reflecting quiet sorrow for both the injustice she faced and Gil-ae''s evident pain.

    "Gil-ae, come here," Seung soothed his sister.

    Gil-ae''s focus shifted sharply to Seung. "Oraboni, you must punish-" she pointed a trembling finger at Minjae, "her!" She sobbed. "I will not accept her. I cannot forgive her. And how do you know all this? You never saw her face! Maybe she ran away with a man and is making up stories now!" She sobbed into her palms.

    Seung rested a hand on her shoulder and said gently to his grieving sister:

    "It''s been a shock. Go rest in the east guest chamber; we''ll talk later."

    "What will you do with her?" Gil-ae asked between hiccups.

    He turned to look at Minjae, the banked fire in his molten eyes so intense that Minjae felt it would incinerate her. "I promised Eomoni a grandchild. My wife has duties to fulfil."

 Forty-Six: Colour Me Ember

    The sun had disappeared. Minjae stood quietly, like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

    "You will not leave this house until I instruct you to," and with that, he had left her alone.

    Minutes later, Woo Sari and another maid ushered her into a spacious chamber. Minjae, familiar with the chamber roof''s gentle curves, had often watched the morning sun catch the edges of its dark grey tiles, making them gleam.

    They held a small case with all of Minjae''s clothes that Seung had bought her in Hanyang. However, Minjae''s eyes widened when Woo Sari opened the wide, ornate wooden chest to keep the clothes, only to discover they were filled with even more.

    For how long has Seung known about me? Minjae thought with distress.

    Restless, she stood by the small enclave attached to the chamber overlooking the pond. As evening fell, the tiles gave off a faint glow, and the small animal figurines cast soft shadows, quietly watching over the room as dusk settled.

    There had been no word from him since he had confronted them all, shattering everyone''s world as they knew it.

    "Dari is angry with you," Woo Sari had stated from behind her.

    Minjae nodded, feeling the pressure behind her eyes.

    "You should have told him, My lady," Woo Sari said without judgement.

    Minjae had no idea what Seung planned for her. As the village physician, he couldn''t confine her without raising suspicion. For now, the villagers believed she had left for the temple early that morning.

    "You are correct, Woo Sari," Seung''s heavy voice cut in from behind them.

    Minjae whirled around while Woo Sari bowed.

    Minjae momentarily gripped the railing behind her, her nails digging into them, before bringing her hands to her front and bowing to him.

    "You understood what I said, Dari?" Woo Sari said happily, her voice garbled, and Seung''s brows furrowed as he strained to decipher before nodding his head. "Some of it, but I guessed the rest," he said as his eyes softened, showing no sign of the resentment his eyes held when they looked at Minjae.

    Woo Sari bowed once more, a flicker of concern in her eyes as she bowed to Minjae before retreating silently from the room.

    Seung waited until the noise of wood scraping against wood reached their ears as the door closed behind Woo Sari before he let the mask of civility slip and his unresolved rage take over.

    He stepped closer. Minjae stepped back, tilting her head to look up at him. The sharp angle of the railing top dug into her back.

    The bitterness in his charcoal eyes changed into an emotion so liquid that Minjae felt she would drown in it.

    Seung hauled her into his arms. His lips claimed hers with a violence that left no room for tenderness, each movement a reminder of her betrayal. His fingers dug into the soft skin at the nape of her neck, his fingers splayed on her lower back as he pressed her to him. His teeth scraped her, and his tongue pushed her lips apart, probing, demanding, owning.

    The next thing she knew, Seung had swept her up in his arms, striding inside the chamber. Her feet sank into the soft mattress when he put her down.

    His posture was rigid, and his hands hung by his side.

    "Undress," he ordered.

    The man who had always looked at her with devotion, worshipped her when he made love to her, was nowhere in sight. His mouth was set in a thin line, harsh shadows carved the sides of his nose and lips, and his breathing was noticeably loud and short as if dragging in the air was a chore.

    For the first time, Minjae was afraid of him.

    "Dari, can we talk?" She pleaded.

    His eyes glinted, terrifying in their intensity. "I said, undress."

    With trembling fingers, Minjae dragged at the strings of her jeogori. She shrugged it off, the chilly chamber air brushing her bare shoulders.

    Seung had seen every inch of her body, and yet she felt more naked than she had ever felt before, even though she was still respectably dressed with her chima tied above her breasts.

    She bit her lip, her skin heating scarlet as she dropped each piece of clothing at her feet.

    "Open your hair," he said, his tone harsh, in contrast with his eyes that smouldered as they roved over her, pausing at her rounded breasts, the slender curves of her waist, and the voluptuous swell of her hips, coming to rest at the soft curls at the apex of her legs.

    His eyes darkened as she raised her arms to release the knot at the nape of her neck, her braided hair tumbling down her back. She dropped to her knee and placed the exquisite emerald-tipped binyeo on the soban beside her bed.

    Minjae stayed down and wrapped an arm around her nakedness. He could not have made it more clear how much he hated her. She felt the salt of a tear at the corner of her mouth.

    "Undress me," he rasped.

    Without another word, Minjae rose and stepped closer. He made no effort to touch her as she disrobed him, shrugging the gold-hewn blue hanbok off his shoulders.

    Her breath caught in her throat. She had forgotten how beautiful he was. His chest was carved of granite, and the ridges were defined like rolls on a dune, tapering off to an impossibly narrow waist. His abdomen was like chiselled rock, and it looked like he, too, was holding his breath.

    Despite herself, she felt liquid pool in her mouth as her body shivered in need. But her breeding was too ingrained in her to reach for the strings of his pants.

    It had been too long since she had seen him without clothes, and she felt too shy.

    Seung grasped her chin and raised it to meet his eyes.

    "Undo the strings," he said, his voice raspy.

    She hesitated, her heart thundering. She wanted him so badly, but not in hate.

    "You don''t want me, do you?"

    Minjae gasped and staggered back at his words. "No!" Her denial was instant. How could he think she did not want him?

    "No, as in - this is shameful, and against my precious upbringing or no, as in - I never wanted you, but my guilt brought me to you?" Seung mocked.

    Seung made virtue sound like a dirty word. She drew an arm against her chest.

    "I do want you, but this... I can''t deny my upbringing," she said bitterly. "I cannot stop being who I am."

    "Yet you were the one who initiated it in Hanyang," he said. "Tell me, my dear wife," Seung said, his lips twisting wrathfully, "Did you come to me in Hanyang to fulfil your misguided duties as a wife?"

    Minjae paled. She loved this man, yet now he suspected everything they ever had between them. But did she not know this would be how he would react?

    Seung''s eyes narrowed, a vein standing out in his temple. Minjae found her feet walking on their own volition when he touched her upper arms. His fingers lightly brushed the length of her spine. The barely there touch curled her toes, her head tilted back, and her eyes drooped. A half-mocking smile lifted the corners of his mouth, his gaze settling on her parted lips. His other hand travelled down, and he inserted a finger inside her. Unexpected pleasure rocked her, and she closed her eyes.

    "My dutiful wife, don''t I make you burn?" he whispered in her ears.

    She moaned.

    "That very first day we met at the inn, you looked so displeased with me because I suspect you learned I had slept with Han So-ye. At least people like So-ye are honest about what they like and do. When they take pleasure, they don''t cloak it under the guise of respectability. But you can''t do that, can you? You would have never come to me if you didn''t know I was your husband."

    Minjae''s eyes snapped open as jealousy cut her chest into two halves. She was standing naked, encircled in his arms, his fingers stroking the most sensitive part of her body, and he was talking about another woman he had slept with.

    She pushed him. Not caring, she grabbed her hanbok from her bed, her anger making it difficult for her to clasp the material.

    "No, you don''t," Seung said roughly as he tossed the garment aside and hauled her against his chest, her breasts crushed by his abdomen. His fingers dug into her scalp as he forced her head back. "Look at me when I speak with you!"

    She struggled, but he only tightened his grip around her, his arousal painfully digging into her abdomen, exciting and terrifying her at the same time.

    "Would you have come to me if I wasn''t your husband?" He asked again. His voice dropped, caressing her cheeks. "Would you?"

    Would she? How did he expect her to answer something like that?

    "How does it matter?" She asked, her breath coming in short gasps as she felt a fire burn her insides.

    "It matters to me! I want to know if all we had was your twisted way of fulfilling your duties. I want to know if the woman I loved even saw me as a man or just as someone she was bound to and had to -" he closed his eyes, swallowing, unable to contain the tears that filled them. "And when it got too much, you tried to push Soo Hyun into my arms. Even in disguise, the bloody ideal wife!"

    Minjae''s anger dissipated. How would she ever atone for what she had done?

    Her continued silence only stoked his anger more.

    "Since it seems I''m left with nothing but your duty, I may as well take full advantage of it," he sneered, eyes burning with bitterness.

    He dragged his lips through the damp skin of her cheeks before claiming her lips. Passion and resentment battled. Minjae''s heart raced, torn between her body''s response to him and the deep guilt gnawing at her soul. Passion won as soon as Minjae''s arms went around his neck.

    Seung was a man parched as he suckled the honey out of her being. He searched every crevice of her mouth before tasting her ears and her throat. When his mouth found her nipples, she caved with pleasure, taking him down with her. He didn''t stop as he dipped down and down, dragging his tongue and teeth across the sensitive flat of her stomach, making her buck and writhe.

    "Are you thinking of duty now?" He asked harshly against her stomach. "Or now?" He parted the curls and branded her with his mouth.

    Minjae lifted her hips in response, opening her legs for him, even though the act caused her entire body to be covered with hues of pink so bright her skin resembled a rose petal.

    Seung''s eyes blazed in response at her surrender, the charcoal turning into molten obsidian. He hooked her thighs over his shoulders, dipping his mouth, and Minjae lost the ability to think. He feasted on her, his hold on her bruising, but his mouth was so gentle and coaxing that she couldn''t bear it. She bit her lip hard to stop from crying out.

    "Let everyone hear how agreeably you do your duty, Physician Kim, and how well I have taught you," he said, his bitter words only fuelling the fire in her belly until she couldn''t hold back moans anymore. She bit on her fist to stop herself, but she lost. Hot lava spurted out of her while she fell apart, her mind bunched into a sizzling whiteness that bolted through her body, leaving it limp.

    He flipped her over on her stomach. There was nothing tender about Seung when he entered her. She gasped at the invasion, her body protesting to him. Seung''s arm hooked around her waist. He splayed his hand on her stomach and lifted her up, adjusting her until she took him all in, the gentleness of the moment contrasting with the rage in his eyes. "What would I not give to stop feeling this ache for you..." Seung''s hoarse voice drifted down her ears to her heart, causing it to flutter at his desperate confession.

    There was hope. She would win his trust back. She didn''t yet know how, but she vowed she would.

    She arched in reply. That was all the sign Seung needed. He then moved within her with the force of a swirling vortex, and she never wanted him to stop. She held the stubby wooden legs of the heavy soban for purchase, wood scraping against the wood with each thrust. The mirror atop it slid off to the warm wooden floor, her binyeo clattering noisily. He grabbed her hair and pulled her back, his mouth latching onto her shoulder, where her mole was, as he sucked on it.

    And then branded her with his teeth.

    Pure, unadulterated pleasure rocked her, wringing a cry from somewhere deep within her chest. She bucked before her forehead burrowed in the bed, mindless from his ferocious pounding, her face deep into the mattress, muffling her shameless moans, hands bunching the sheets beneath her as she tried to hold on to some semblance of control. Pleasure crashed like lightning, rolling off her in tremors. Satisfaction emitted from Seung at her response, tipping him over the edge as he groaned his release.

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    Yes he wasn''t done. It was as if his rage would not subside, and he could not punish her enough. "You are my personal hell, Minjae, and the demons refuse to leave. And God help me, I don''t want them to leave," he said.

    Filling her again to the brim, he reached around and played with her sensitive nub to a point where she clawed at him for respite. He laughed and held her throat exacting every drop of pleasure out of her, the sensations so acute that she felt she would pass out from sheer ecstasy.

    Suddenly, Seung let go of her throat and caressed her back, his fingers tracing her scars. He gentled, his guttural groans of pleasure mingled with quiet sobs. Warm droplets fell on her shoulder, attuning her to his churning emotions. Her heart ached for him.

    She turned under him. His stormy gaze penetrated her like a blade, the droplets clinging to his lashes finding their way to her cheeks.

    Minjae brought his head down to kiss him. She moved her hips and wrapped her legs around him, coaxing him to come to her. She moved her lips and tongue just as he had taught her, reaching out, baring her heart. He entered her again, gently moving within her as if she was his refuge. Minjae danced to his rhythm until they both shuddered their needs into each other.

    The chill hit her with the force of a gail as Seung immediately rolled off her, his arm flung over his eyes. A sob tore through him, his breathing ragged and uneven.

    "It was supposed to make me feel better," he said bitterly.

    Minjae''s throat clogged as a tear slipped.

    She raised herself on her elbows and tentatively placed a hand on his chest, half fearing he would shove it off.

    Instead, he went still. Empowered by this small win, she inched closer and lay her head on his shoulder. He didn''t embrace her but didn''t push her away either.

    Her fingers curled on his chest. "You have every right to be angry and doubt me, Dari. I know there''s nothing I can say to undo my wrongdoings. But please allow me to prove my genuine feelings for you."

    "Genuine feelings?" He scoffed. "What use do I have of feelings when you never believed in me?"

    "It''s not true. There''s no one I trust more. I was wrong to keep you in the dark. But if there''s anything¡ªanything you want me to do, tell me, and I will do it. If... if it means punishment, then let it be so. Even if you wish to whip me, I''ll not protest," she said.

    It was the wrong thing to say, and Minjae knew the moment it left her mouth.

    He recoiled. "You think I''d hurt you?" He pushed her in disgust and rose to his feet, wiping his face with his forearm. "Is that how little you think of me, Kim Minjae?" His voice was cold.

    "That''s not what I meant - Dari, please -" Minjae begged.

    "So little faith, Minjae....why am I even surprised...." his lips twisted as he picked up his tunic. "You know what, Lady Choi, spare me your martyrdom!" He gritted.

    The chamber reverberated with anger at his exit.

    Minjae dragged her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around it as she sobbed. She sobbed for everything they had lost, everything they could never get back. Kim I-On was right. She had thrown it all away.

    "My Lady!" Woo Sari''s soft voice penetrated her miserable haze. Warm hands went around her. Frantic hands went over Minjae''s body, anxiously noting the light bruises on her shoulders where Seung had left his mark.

    Minjae could hear the concern and anger in Woo Sari''s voice. "My Lady, are you hurt?"

    Through the veil of her tears, Minjae could barely make out the form of the companion she had loved as a sister.

    "Yes, I am hurting Woo Sari because I hurt him so much, and I don''t know how to set it right," she hiccuped. Woo Sari drew her into her warm embrace, running a soothing hand down her back as Minjae sobbed in her arms.

    Woo Sari brought a tray of food that Minja didn''t touch. Exhausted, she fell into a dreamless sleep, only to wake up in the dead of the night - or was it morning? as Seung lay beside her.

    He had come back.

    Hope fluttered in her heart even though no words were exchanged. Seung¡¯s passion blocked all thoughts, his lovemaking relentless, as if he wanted to purge himself of feelings he couldn¡¯t control. His thumb caressed the soft bruise he had created on her shoulder possessively before he spooned into her and fell asleep.

    Minjae stayed awake, staring at the pile of books Seung had bought for her stacked against the ornate chest by the wall until her eyelids grew heavy.

    She awoke to the comforting scent of sandalwood, faint plum blossoms, and an empty bed. Woo Sari forced her to eat and then sat with her as Minjae focussed on restoring her old doll with scraps of cloth Woo Sari found.

    And waited.

    ¡Þ

    Seung rode his horse hard, his cheeks numb from the cold. Wanting to exhaust himself, to rid himself of the weight that seemed to have settled permanently on his shoulders, he flicked the reins to urge the beast under him to gallop faster.

    After walking out on Minjae, Seung had drowned himself in work. He went home to change and have some sustenance before returning to work.

    The plan to trap Ka Min Kyu was in place. The whispers of a barbarian attack floated around. There was a swirling unrest in the political court''s innermost chambers.

    Seung felt untouched by it all. His thoughts were consumed by Minjae, though he forced himself to stay away from her. The unbearable truth was that she had never needed him. That¡ªbeing irrelevant to her¡ªwas the deepest kind of torment, a quiet, unending hell that hollowed him from the inside out.

    Yet there was nowhere to run.

    He went to Jo Hee Bong instead.

    "Hyung, when you first saw my wife, what did you think of her?" Seung asked.

    "What an inappropriate question to ask, Lee Seung! Have you taken leave of your senses?" Jo Hee Bong chided.

    "Please answer me," Seung said.

    "I don''t remember," Hee Bong said, but he dropped his eyes as he sipped his tea.

    Winter was making its presence felt. The bite in the morning chill inside Hee-bong''s spacious chamber was much more pronounced today. It compared nothing to the chill inside of Seung though.

    "Let me remind you. You told me she was plain, unremarkable, and I was better off without her," Seung said.

    "That''s what I thought," Hee Bong said defensively.

    "What did you think of Physician Kim?" Seung asked.

    "She is talented and saved Kim I-On''s life. I am grateful to her," Hee Bong said.

    "Why did you call her Lady Choi that night?" Seung asked.

    A red tainted Hee-Bong''s cheeks. "Look, Lee Seung, I don''t know what this is about. We have state affairs to worry about. I refuse to discuss the women in your life -"

    "I would like to seek your approval to speak with Lady Kim I-On," Seung said abruptly.

    Jo Hee Bong didn''t argue.

    Of medium height, with warm, intelligent brown eyes, Lady Kim I-On didn''t pretend.

    She bowed. "I recognised her the first day she visited me, My Lord."

    "And none of you thought it important to let me know?" Seung bristled.

    "Watch your tone, Lee," Hee Bong warned.

    Seung closed his eyes. "Please forgive me, Lady Kim."

    "It wasn''t my place to tell, Lord Seung. But it''s not easy to be in her place. I never hide anything from my husband, but even he didn''t know about it until he saw her the night young Master Jo was born," Kim I-On said.

    The cup clattered as Seung slapped it back on the table.

    "I am sorry, Lee Seung," Lord Jo said. "Perhaps, the right thing would have been to mention it to you, but you must admit it''s awkward. I still cannot believe His Excellency is capable of such deceit and cruelty. It''s like I have never known him before. Had I not met Lady Choi back then, I would never have believed it."

    Aware they both were looking at him with pity in their eyes but too well bred to show it, Seung swallowed hard.

    "I''m sorry you had to discover this on your own, My Lord," Lady Kim said, her tone laced with confusion. "She was meant to tell you herself. I don''t know why she changed her mind. I''m just as bewildered¡ªshe''s even refused to see me." She hesitated for a moment before continuing, her voice softening. "But please, I beg of you, be gentle with her. She''s endured more than you know."

    Didn''t he know it? And she still would suffer alone if he let her. Seung clenched his jaw painfully.

    "What do you mean, My Lady, that she has refused to see you?"

    "She stopped coming to me after Master Jo was born, and I don''t know why. She ignored all my messages and sent my messenger back. It''s unlike her. Once I feel a little better, I will seek her out and speak with her."

    Seung processed that information, his eyes unseeingly boring a hole in the floor between him and Jo Hee Bong.

    As they walked out, Jo Hee Bong admired the black horse Minjae loved so much.

    "Don''t blame Lady Choi too much for not telling you," Hee Bong suggested.

    "It''s easy for you to say. To be not trusted by the woman you love is a different kind of hell," Seung said, unable to keep the anger out of his voice.

    "Lee Seung, do you really think it''s that simple? I do not believe I''ve ever met someone as remarkable as her. To the world, she''s alive in someone else''s body, and yet she has turned that life into something extraordinary. She has saved countless lives, even at the cost of her own safety. Now she has to fight for the rights to her own husband and her own identity -"

    "She didn''t have to fight at all!" Seung snapped, the words almost trembling. "All she had to do was tell me!"

    "And risk her life in the process?" Hee Bong countered gently. "Why would she, if doing so would get her killed?"

    Seung''s expression hardened, fury barely contained. "I would die before letting anyone lay a hand on her."

    "I don''t doubt that Lee Seung," Hee Bong said quietly. "I''d do the same for Kim I-On."

    Staring fixedly at the horse, Seung gritted his teeth, "Then you also understand why I can''t forgive her for this. I don''t even know if she truly ever wanted me in her life."

    Hee Bong''s voice softened with understanding. "And that, my friend, is exactly why she didn''t tell you. Do you even realise how you''re reacting?"

    Seung knew he was reacting badly. He had tried to keep himself from her and hated himself for failing. Every night for the past three days, he had crawled to her bed like a man dying of thirst and had left before she woke, wanting to avoid her answers to his questions that only caused more heartbreak.

    Seung was behaving precisely according to the social norms his peers followed, he thought humourlessly. Yet why did he feel he was doing something sordid?

    "I can''t help it. I am tired of feeling like I am holding onto something that might never have been real. How do I make this pain go away, Hyung?" Seung''s voice cracked on the last word as though he had betrayed himself by speaking it aloud.

    Hee Bong ran his hands on the shiny coat of the horse''s neck. "I can''t answer that question. She is a rich, independent, sought-after woman valued more than many men I know. It has made me wonder - despite the increased risk of her being discovered, Lady Choi Jina stayed close to you. Why did you think she did that?"

    Seung stared at his friend, whom he had always considered his older brother.

    Minjae had stayed close to him.

    He had been so consumed by rage at the thought of being shut out by her that he hadn''t let any light of reasoning enter his miserable existence.

    By that reasoning, when Mnjae gave the elixir to Soo Hyun, was it because she had finally decided just not to leave him, but to leave the island for good?

    His heart stopped. If so, what would stop her from leaving him now?

    What was he doing?

    ¡Þ

    Putting final stitches on the restored palm of her doll, Minjae held it at an arm''s distance to check her handiwork. Woo Sari had washed it, so its colour had improved considerably. Being enclosed in the dark for years had helped preserve most of the colours, but age had also deepened the stains that refused to come off. Minjae used a small patchwork of fabrics to cover them. She fine-stitched the seams but left the large, childlike stitches alone.

    Minjae wondered why this doll was so important to Seung and why he had remembered it as belonging to her. She didn''t remember giving it to Gil-ae. She didn''t even know they had met as children.

    How had he figured she was Choi Jina? It was evident neither Soo Hyun nor Lady Ryu told him. She knew I-On would not tell him. He had to have known for some time if he had arranged a chamber for her without letting any of the women know and getting so many hanboks stitched.

    Even though he came to her every night, and his passion had only increased in its intensity, he had not spoken to her.

    She was effectively a prisoner and wondered where the road led to.

    Would he keep her until he became tired of her? Her thoughts travelled to Soo Hyun''s mattress in Seung''s room...did they?

    Questions swirled while envy and insecurity withered her insides.

    She shook her head free of morose thoughts, put the needles and the tread in their box and packed away the leftover fabric. Maybe she would stitch a new doll for Pyo Yeri.

    The door opened behind her back, and a shadow fell on her. A messenger was supposed to take a list of medicinal herbs that Cha Moon Sik''s mother, the local shaman, needed for her ailment of fatigue to Kim Seo Jun. Minjae picked up the list, and thinking it was Woo Sari, she turned.

    Seung stood at the doorway, silhouetted by the soft morning light behind him.

    Her heart took flight as he stepped closer, only to spiral down at the memory of his coldness, whimpering like a bird with a broken wing yearning for the one hand that could mend it. Even though she had felt every inch of him on her at night, she had not seen Seung for three days. It''s almost as if he came to her in the dark because he couldn''t bear to look at her.

    She bit her lip and brought her hands together under her long sleeves, giving her a deep bow.

    "You came," she said softly in greeting.

    Minjae had fallen back to her old habits of courtesy that had been drilled into her since she could walk. She put away the list, fluffed the cushions on the bed, picked up a knee cushion and walked to the other side of the table, waiting for him to sit on the bed.

    Seung seemed conflicted and then walked over and sank into the bed, his posture stiff as he lowered himself. He didn''t lean back, didn''t settle in. Instead, his hands remained loosely clenched on his lap, his back held straight as if bracing for an invisible weight.

    "Sit," he commanded without looking at her. When he finally did glance at her, there was a flicker of something softer, but just as quickly, it was buried beneath the controlled lines of his face once more.

    Minjae dropped the cushion onto the floor, gracefully folding her knees to sit sideways in a demure position. She reached for the wooden clappers, tapping them twice. A maid appeared almost instantly, bowing deeply before Minjae requested refreshments with a quiet but clear command.

    They were like any other husband and wife in thousands of other households across the country.

    The sheer domesticity of the act brought a lump to her throat. Looking up at Seung, she saw his eyes soften, the same emotion reflected in his mahogany gaze. Their eyes held, and she was the first to look away, but not before she memorised the soft shadows under his eyes, the gat hanging on his back, and a tired stubble covering his jaw, accentuating the pallid whiteness of his face.

    "This looks new," he emitted a low chuckle. The doll looked incongruous in his large hands. His brows were drawn tightly over his eyes, but the corners of his mouth were soft. "For how long did you have it?"

    It was a trivial question, but the first line Seung had spoken to her without anger. Minjae''s hands trembled as a ribbon of relief unfurled in her heart.

    "I remember having it forever. I didn''t have many playmates other than Woo Sari, so my Grandmother must have stitched it as my companion," she said. Her eyes softened at the memory of the woman who had raised her.

    Seung inhaled softly, his gaze focused on her face. "Do you remember giving it away?" He asked.

    She nodded, shifting her weight, weighing if she should engage further on her own. Deciding to take the plunge, she asked, "I don''t remember anything about the meeting, though. How did you remember it belonged to me?" Why is it so important to you? She wanted to ask, but she stayed silent, thankful for their small progress.

    "Eomoni had taken us to visit your Grandmother. Now that I know she was a healer, it could have something to do with it. I wasn''t happy to be dragged along. I was learning swordplay with Father and didn''t want to be there. When Gil-ae followed me around, I took out my anger on her. She tried to jump-scare me, and I pushed her. Gil-ae was an annoying sister, as only a sister can be," Seung chuckled. "She fell on her back, and a handkerchief she carried floated to the pond. Out of nowhere, a little girl came out, dragging a doll behind almost as big as her." Seung turned the doll in his hand, his knuckles white, belying his soft tone. "Gil-ae bawled as if I was killing her, and you tried to calm her. She stopped once she saw your doll. I walked away, too much of a man to waste time on two little girls."

    Minjae swallowed. "Your memory is very detailed, Dari."

    "It took me a while to realise you had followed me. I looked behind you to see Gil-ae had your doll. It irritated me even more, so I yelled at you," Seung inhaled at the memory. "I remember your eyes filled with tears, but you stretched your hand. It had some sweets - white and fluffy."

    Minjae held her breath, realising that whatever he would say next was very important. "I remember how awful I felt at being mean to you. I accepted your sweet offering, but then you ran away. I vowed to make it up to you. I saved the doll to return it to you the next time we met. Two months later..." Seung''s face was chalk white, "I learned we were going to your house again, so I returned alone to fetch the doll."

    Seung clutched the doll so tight that had it been made of wood, it would have snapped.

    "Instead, I stumbled upon Choi Si-wan murdering my father," he finished, tremors shaking his hands holding the doll.

 Forty Seven: When You Called

    "Can I hold your hand, Dari, please?" She whispered.

    Minjae didn''t care if Seung hated her. His life had fallen apart because of her family. She had torn him away from his mother and his sister.

    She found herself sitting beside him, gently prying away the doll from his hands, wishing she could pry the burden of grief from his shoulders just as easily.

    Without waiting for his reply, she lifted his hand and clasped it, giving it a squeeze.

    "I don''t know how to lessen your pain. I wish I was not born to that monster. I wish his blood didn''t sully my veins," Minjae said, the words almost a hiss of pain.

    To her relief, Seung''s hand squeezed her back and said, "I told you in Hanyang, and I will tell you again. It''s not your fault. If it wasn''t for you, I would never have known."

    His gaze fell on their joined hands. His jaw clenched, his thumb circled on the soft tissue of the back of her hand.

    "But that''s not what''s hurting me, Minjae. I don''t know how to work this pain out of my soul, knowing that even when you had a choice to come to me, you didn''t." He raised his eyes, which had darkened with pain. "I don''t know what''s worse - knowing that I still want to be your husband despite everything or that I will forever be reminded that you never believed in me enough to lean on me."

    "It was never because I didn''t believe you.." she whispered. "I was too afraid."

    Afraid. That word again.

    With one swift motion, Seung moved his hand from her clasp. "What were you afraid of? That I would run to him with my sword hanging out to try and claim you? Or I would destroy you or your family if I found out he murdered my father?"

    "I never cared about myself, but I couldn''t lose you, couldn''t put Ko Yoon in danger," she said, stung. "You don''t understand. Eomoni was right; my father is too powerful, and your anger-"

    Seung surged to his feet. "Are you even listening to yourself? Do you think I am some green lad who would ride a horse to his court and accuse him of these unspeakable deeds? You lied to me about him being dead! He all but killed you, and you thought I could punish you by whipping you?" His voice cracked. "How dare you!"

    He ground his jaw to check his unbridled sorrow, but they burst forth like a broken dam.

    Seung turned away from her, his shoulders stiff as they shook silently, devastation etched in every line of his proud body.

    Comprehension dawned on Minjae. Unwittingly, in his mind, her words had reduced him to her father''s level of depravity. And broken him all over again. Even in his rage, Seung had never laid a finger on her. No matter how many times her deceptions shook him, he took the blows standing upright, never once making her feel concerned for her safety. She was so foolish!

    She rose and walked closer, placing a hand on his shaking back. "I know you would have never hurt me. It''s not what I meant. Please believe me," she implored.

    He turned back to her. "Do you even realise what you did to me? You allowed a woman not related to me to step into our home. My bed, Minjae! You let her into my ancestor''s sacred space that only belonged to you and to us!"

    "I tried telling you the truth so many times, so, so many times." The hand that had been on Seung''s back was now curled at the base of her throat, the knuckles white.

    For a heartbeat, Seung''s gaze softened; his pain was too deep for words. His mind whirred with the thought that he had been willing to fight the world for her, yet the one person who mattered most never believed in his strength. It was a wound that cut deeper than he thought he could bear.

    "Then why did you keep changing your mind? Why did you hide your truth when we met here?"

    "At first, I thought you were married to someone else because I assumed my absence would automatically result in an annulment. The night you came home for the first time was when I learnt we were still married....and that Father might have been behind the murder of Father In-law. I had planned to tell you once you returned to the island with your family. But...I didn''t know my father considered me so disposable.....so easily replaceable...." More tears burst out of her eyes. "I had lost everything. I couldn''t lose you, too."

    Seung''s fists clenched until they bloodlessly hung by his sides as she sobbed. Until now, his rage had drowned everything to a point where only her deceiving him for so long remained, and nothing else penetrated.

    He felt the first brick of that wall crumble, taking a bloody vein that split open with a realisation he had blocked vengefully.

    Minjae had endured sexual assault and physical abuse of the kind that could make grown men quake in their boots, forced to drink poison, thrown away like a rag doll, given away her identity, and hidden like a criminal, with the danger of being killed if discovered.

    And yet, she had stood against the merciless whips of fate, resilient, strong - and alone.

    It didn''t invalidate his heartbreak and the feeling of being deceived, but when the woman he loved broke down like that, he broke, too.

    Then, with a muttered curse, he drew her in his arms, his hand gently patting her head as she cried. They both folded to the bed. He ran his hands from the blades of her shoulder to the low of her back in soothing strokes, murmuring endearments he could not help but escape his lips. Seung cradled her against his chest like a child until she calmed down.

    Minjae could hear the shuddering breath he took as if he were deciding something.

    "Tell me everything about how you came to be here. Leave nothing out."

    At first, Minjae struggled to find words. The tips of his fingers made small circles on her back, unconsciously tracing her scars over the fabric, but as the first few words grew into sentences and then became an outpour, her tears dried up while Seung went still.

    It was as if he didn''t dare breathe. The knock on their door as the maids came back with refreshments went unanswered.

    Minjae didn''t know what to make of it. She felt a weight lift off her shoulders, but at the same time, she felt anxiety roil in her chest.

    She knew he had already pieced together the basic idea of what happened, but putting everything together cohesively and telling them to him felt cathartic and terrifying at the same time. Her heart dulled with apprehension, but she kept quiet.

    It was a long time before he spoke.

    "I don''t know how long it will take me," he said, his veins branching out blue in his jaw, "but when I am done with him, he will rue the day he was born."

    She hung her head and closed her eyes.

    His eyes locked with her, his voice gravelly as he said, "I had made peace with knowing that you might never love me the way I love you, but I don''t want to be just a duty to you, either. I can''t live knowing how irrelevant you find me. So, I want to know what it will take me to prove to you that I am capable of protecting what''s mine."

    A sharp pain cut through Minjae. She couldn''t bear it anymore. She couldn''t stand seeing him suffer, let him continue to believe he was unworthy of her love when it was the only truth she had ever known. All the barriers she''d built to protect herself felt useless now, crumbling under the weight of his pain and her own yearning. She had tried hiding, thinking if he thought less of her, it would be easy for him to let her go and protect his future. She realised in that moment that holding back wasn''t protecting them; it was destroying them both.

    Minjae took a deep breath, and in that single inhale, she made a choice¡ªa choice to stop hiding, to show him the depth of what she felt, even if it tore her apart. She swallowed, her voice trembling with both vulnerability and determination.

    The only thing that would get through to him was the truth. Raw, unadorned truth. It might not be what he wanted to hear; it wasn''t pretty. Minjae took another shaky breath, her resolve hardening as she decided that if she was to lose him, she would do so with honesty.

    "Yesterday, you asked me something, and I didn''t answer because it would just hurt you more," she said. "The truth is, I don''t know if I would have come to you if we weren''t married. I don''t know if I would have allowed myself to feel anything if it weren''t for you being my husband."

    The skin around Seung''s mouth turned white. She only reinforced his fear that only the thread of duty connected her to him. Yes, she forged on. "I can''t answer your question because I don''t have an answer. Because for me.." she took a deep breath, no longer trying to suppress her tears that broke free in rivulets down her cheeks, praying that he would believe her, "it''s always been you. I have loved you since the day we met. The day when you weren''t my husband. I had planned to take your memory to my grave and serve my father and my then-unknown husband dutifully for the rest of my life.."

    "What?" Seung burst out. "Say it again!"

    Minjae raised her eyes to meet him.

    Seung felt a whip slash his heart. He had never seen such naked emotions in Minjae''s eyes. They were clear pools of amber, so deep yet viscous that he felt a tremor shoot through him. She had always managed to keep some of her hidden from him. Now, as he looked at her, it felt like he was staring into an ocean of untamed sorrow, a depth so profound it seemed to pull him under, leaving no room for air or words. The layers she had always guarded so fiercely were stripped away, revealing a truth that was raw, aching, and all-consuming. He suddenly had a glimpse of what that fifteen-year-old he had met but never seen might have looked like.

    He caught her face between his hands. "You loved me when we got married?" He gazed into her damp eyes, incredulous.

    She nodded. "More than my life, Dari. I was not clinging to false virtue," she said. "It was because I loved you that the fifteen-year-old foolish me could not let my father deceive you into a marriage with me. I truly believed you deserve the best, not the soiled daughter of a dangerous man who would not stop at anything -"

    She didn''t complete her thoughts. Seung engulfed her in an embrace that swallowed her soul.

    "Did you still love me when we met again here?"

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Warm tears coursed down her cheeks as she nodded.

    "And you still planned to separate us," Seung said, his words a statement and not a question.

    Minjae hung her head with a heart wrenching sob.

    Seung pulled her more in, crushing her to him.

    "Why! Why!" Seung said to the top of her head. "You had no right to decide for us alone. I would have cherished you."

    Minjae curled into his chest. ''I was foolish. I''m sorry. I only knew what the books and the elders taught me. And after your arrest, you hated me, and I thought you would not want me even if I changed my mind."

    "Not want you?" He wiped the tears on her cheek. "I have always wanted you," he said brokenly, his palm cradling her jaw as he laid his cheek against her, the moisture on their skin melting into a salty mess of loss and longing.

    "You have been my guarding spirit from the day we met. I loved you long before I knew what love was," he said.

    "Dari, the only reason I lived was you. There were nights when everything was too dark, and I could not see the light. It was your thoughts that kept me going. When you came back into my life, I became greedy and wanted to have you in any way I could. You were the only good thing left in my life. I could not lose you."

    Did she say what he thought she said? Oh heavens! He had it wrong. He had it so wrong!

    With the clarity of a lightning bolt in a dark stormy night, comprehension pierced Seung''s mind. It wasn''t that she didn''t think enough of him. It was because she loved him so much that the thought of harm coming to him could have ended her. She had kept him in the dark not out of mistrust but because the thought of him being hurt was too much for her to bear. The weight of his anger lifted, replaced by an overwhelming rush of relief and love.

    A furious thrill of joy spread through him. Fragments of what she had said and done during the time they had been together started penetrating him fast, clearing up his brain. She had expressed regret about her hiding from him countless times without him realising it. She had even agreed to be his concubine just to spend her life with him despite the fact she was an independent, successful woman in her own right. Jo Hee Bong was right. Minjae had chosen to stay with him.

    "Oh! Minjae! Look at me, darling," he said, catching her chin. "I love you. I love you so much it hurts. But you already know that, don''t you?"

    She nodded shyly.

    "You will not lose me, and I refuse to lose you. Do you understand?" His eyes were burning with untamed emotions.

    She nodded wordlessly.

    "Something happened to push you to take the asinine step of giving the elixir to Soo Hyun. Tell me why."

    Minjae coloured, her cheeks blooming an insane red, but her eyes dulled.

    Someone had hurt her. His chest tightened.

    "Please, sweetheart, no more hiding anything from me," he said, drawing her against his chest. He rested his back against the pillows.

    Minjae nodded. "Governor Kim recognised me," she said dully. "He-" She closed her eyes, and he felt a swift punch to his gut. How much she suffered. He felt a familiar flash of anger, but he was beginning to understand that all the anger roiling inside him was not solely because she had hidden it from him but because he had never been there to protect her.

    "He asked me to never let anyone know who I was because no one would ever go against my father. That I was too inconsequential to matter to anyone..." as she continued, Seung felt his grip tighten around her. He listened quietly to the entire exchange as the enormity of what Minjae had been facing alone tossed him asunder.

    Placing a tender forefinger under her chin, he tilted it up. "Look into my eyes and tell me you are inconsequential. Tell me you don''t know I would burn the world for you," he said, his voice so raw it felt scraped. "But then that is what made you afraid."

    "Was I wrong?" She asked.

    "Yes and no. I will burn the world for you. But before I burn it, I will ensure not even a hair on your head is singed. Now that I know what keeps you going, it also means I can''t let harm come to me either. Am I wrong?"

    The corners of her mouth lifted, and her hands curled on his chest.

    "I returned to fetch you a few days after your last letter," Seung said and then paused, his mind calculating the days and something that had not occurred to him earlier. "Or at least what I thought was your last letter. It isn''t your handwriting."

    Minjae stared at him in shock.

    "What are you saying?" She asked. "You went to fetch me after Father put you and Gil-ae in prison?"

    Seung sealed his lips on her forehead. "Yes. Gil-ae wanted me to try. Somehow, she was sure there was a miscommunication. But more than that, even though you behaved terribly, there was something about you that I could not shake off, even back then- a connection I could not deny. But then they said some weird things, and that''s when they started poisoning me against you more. It felt strange. In court, he threatened to destroy me if I didn''t take you back. But when I went to fetch you, they would not send you to me. They deliberately gave me the impression you were soiled, entitled and unfilial, not to mention -" he swallowed. He should have looked deeper and pursued harder. Kim I-On had told Jo Hee Bong that Minjae''s behaviour didn''t make sense, Woo Sari had come to him, but he had been too incensed to find out more.

    All the while, Minjae had been dying.

    Something terrifying gripped him. "You could have died," he said, the terror in his voice shooting tremors that travelled through Minjae''s spine.

    "Yes, I could have. But I didn''t," she stroked his temples softly with her thumb. "My father had already formed a plan to replace me with Soo Hyun. That is why he could whip me because he thought no one would ever see me again."

    "How could a father do that to his own daughter? Why the whip if he was planning poison?" Seung wanted to rip Choi Si-wan''s tongue and wrap his throat with it.

    "My mother died during childbirth. He hated me for taking away the only woman he ever loved," she said sadly. "He knew if I went to His Majesty, I would insist on the divorce. So he made sure I was incapacitated. And then..."

    Unable to stop himself, Seung covered her mouth with his. He wanted to feel her pulse, to know she was alive and safe.

    "I am so sorry, so sorry I wasn''t there for you," he said hoarsely, unable to stop the moisture escaping his eyes. "If I had only forced you to show your face that night..."

    She shook her head. "I was stubborn. Even if you had seen me, I would still be adamant about leaving you. In fact, I never thought you would leave me in the first instance, so I was even prepared to hide my scratches so you would not have known..."

    "I would have known it was you," Seung said.

    Minjae frowned. "How? I made sure to keep my face hidden."

    "How do you think I learned you were the girl from the gambling house hill?"

    The silence grew pregnant as Minjae chewed her lip, realising there was more Seung had not told her.

    He leaned closer, his arm gently encircling her, his touch lingering at the small of her back. His finger traced a delicate path to the base of her spine. "There is a mark here, only yours. Dark, round, and most exquisite."

    "You...was I exposed that much?"

    Those men, too, had seen it.

    Her face turned green.

    Seung cursed himself. Her horror at strange eyes looking at the most sacred parts of her body shamed her still. If she was still this affected by that, he could only imagine the weight her frail shoulders carried five years back.

    "Those men died, Minjae. Someone killed them. My guess is it was Ko Yoon. It was just not him. All men who had ever tried to engage Se-min in gambling had been hunted and eliminated," he said.

    A shudder ran through Minjae. Her swallow moved loudly.

    "That night, when Ko Yoon put me on the boat, all I wanted to do was go to you and confess how wrong I was, to take me back...." Minjae felt overwhelmed, as if her body had become weightless.

    It crushed him to hear how agonisingly lonely she sounded. Something inside Seung shifted, the ache from the truth beginning to fade.

    He kissed her forehead and her cheeks and ran his tongue in the corners of her mouth before tucking her under his chin. "Let me be your angel, too, Minjae. You don''t have to be strong by yourself anymore. You have me."

    He lay down, bringing her to his chest. He wiped the moisture from her face and brought her closer. He eased the binyeo out of her hair, unbraided and let her hair fall across his arms. He ran his hand down her back to her waist, creating warm, sooting circled on her hip. She played with the strings of his handbok, twirling them around her fingers.

    They lay like that for a very long time. The soft wafts of jasmine wafted around them. Seung raked her hair, making gentle compressions on her scalp. "You are safe. I am never going to let him hurt you again."

    She nodded.

    Minjae''s eyes grew heavy, and she felt the tense cords of Seung''s muscles relax.

    When she opened her eyes, it only felt like fleeting moments had passed, but she felt rested. She found Seung propped on an elbow and watching her.

    Suddenly feeling bashful under his scrutiny, she looked around. The light outside looked muted. She sat up.

    "Did I sleep for long?"

    Seung tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "We both did. All afternoon."

    "Oh no! What must everyone think?" Minjae bit her lip. She was very well aware of how rigid the rules of a Yangban household were. Even if she wasn''t contributing to any of it, she also didn''t want the cause for disrupting it.

    "You are Lee Seung''s wife, who is not exactly known for being the rule keeper," he chuckled. He twirled a strand of her silky hair between his fingers. "Though now, finally having a Confucian disciplinarian for a wife might change some things around," he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

    She bit her lip. Her fingers worried the hem of her sleeves like she always did when she was worried. Seung frowned.

    He lifted himself. "What are you thinking?"

    "Dari, can you find it in your heart to forgive me..."

    Seung closed his mouth on her in reply. He needed to feel her pulse, to know she was safe, alive, in his world and his to love.

    He wanted her to be truthful to him, and the only way would be if he was completely earnest with her.

    "I want us to be honest with each other, Minjae. It still hurts, but more so because my shoulders are crushed with guilt. I ruined your life -" He kept a long finger against her lips to drown her protests, "and then was too blinded by my own demons to realise I had nothing on you when it came to pain and suffering. I am still upset, yes, but more at myself than you. However, I''m also scared. I can''t," he gripped her upper arms in a painful grip, "trust you not to leave me again. Our situation isn''t resolved. Our love has not been enough for you to fight for us before."

    "I won''t leave you again. Never again," she said.

    Minjae might not say a lot, but when she spoke, Seung knew she meant it.

    He pulled the strings of her hanbok. "Do you think we should seal that promise?" he asked.

    A beautiful hue bloomed up her throat. "Can I ask you something?"

    Seung watched her intently as she blushed more furiously.

    He eased the jeogori off her shoulders, moving his lips along the lines of her shoulder blades as the fabric fell off, following the line of her rapidly climbing blush to her throat and her cheeks.

    "Did So Hyun stay in your chamber these last few days?" She asked.

    He paused, his lips on the tender skin of her ear. "Yes, she did," he said.

    The movement was slight but unmistakable as Minjae shifted, moving away from him. "I see," she said.

    Seung clasped her jaw and turned her to face him. "But I didn''t."

    She frowned, but her eyes cleared up as comprehension dawned. "But then where.."

    "I worked during nights for the most part. I spent time in my chamber to make sure her maid didn''t suspect anything. I convinced Soo Hyun to speak to her maid as if everything was normal between us," he said, his eyes darkening. "She agreed because I had given her assurance that I meant to bed my wife sooner than later. Gil-ae''s shaman proved quite useful," Seung chuckled. "I asked her to give me a few dates around today, and it turned out that the most auspicious day to be with my wife is - today," he chuckled, a twinkle in his eyes.

    "Dari!" Minjae covered her face. Then she asked, only a slight wobble to her chin giving away her anxiety. "Did you never feel -"

    Seung clasped her hand, pulling it away from her face, stretching her fingers one by one, and then folding them in to form a fist, covering it with his large hand. "I could not stand her when I thought she was my wife. Do you think I would touch her when the woman who has my life clenched within her tiny fist turned out to be my wife? The only woman who is allowed to have me is the one I vowed to cherish, protect, and honour at the altar of my ancestors," Seung said dramatically, but the huskiness in his voice betrayed how much he meant every word.

    He could feel her shoulders lose their stress. She had been hurt, worried and jealous. His smile widened. "But that does not mean you still do not get punished for your audacity," he said, an evil grin lifting the corners of his lips while he started peeling off the clothes of her body piece by piece.

    He laid her down and covered her, his eyes a promise to make up for every little hurt she had endured. Seung could not turn the time back, but he would truly destroy a world that would ever try to take Minjae away from him again.

    Unbeknownst to both, smoke rose on a far-off hill¡ªblack, swirling, dense, covering the moon. The earth-shaking hooves of horses, still too far to be heard, neared the lovers who had finally found peace in each other''s arms.

 Forty-Eight: Belonging

    The first snow of the season slowly melted its way onto the ground, creating shallow footprints as people bustled around going about their work. Not many had the luxury of soaking in the sight, as Minjae did, cocooned in Seung''s arms as they watched it, mesmerised.

    He traced small, absent-minded circles with his thumb on her waist. "I am supposed to be at work," he said, his breath soft in her ear.

    Seung''s gaze followed the gentle arc of her neck as she turned, the movement so fluid it seemed to steal his breath for a moment.

    Heavens.

    "So what''s stopping you?" She smiled. Her gaze pulled him in, deep as they were, but it was the twinkle that brought out his chuckle.

    "My bride holds too much attention for me to care for much else," he said.

    It had been three days since they had let everything that had been buried deep inside them come out. Three days of soul-searching, assurances and love. So much love that Minjae thought her heart would burst.

    "I don''t know what''s so special about her. She wasted so much time -" Minjae didn''t finish as Seung claimed her lips, drowning the rest of her words.

    "You shall not speak badly of my wife, Physician Kim," he said as they came up for air, his lips still brushing against hers.

    "She deserves it. She is the most foolish woman ever to live in Joseon," she teased, but the flicker of doubt in her eyes did not go amiss. Her tone was jestful, but he knew these words came from a place of deep-seated guilt that still lingered in her heart.

    Seung felt an ache in his chest. Even now, she couldn''t see herself as he did¡ªa survivor, a force of strength. He wouldn''t let her drown in self-doubt.

    "Aigoo! I know you''re only saying that so I can kiss you again," he replied, pulling her closer, hoping that one day, his love would erase the last of her doubts. "But I''m not going to fall for it. I must correct your impressions of her. She is the bravest woman I have ever met. And brilliant. Rich, all with her own hard work. No man in Joseon can claim that," he argued. "And beautiful," he breathed, his eyes searching hers. "A man who sees her never forgets." He dragged her closer. "She is perfect."

    "Her mother-in-law hates her." She looked down where her hands rested on his arm that encircled her. "Her sister-in-law will never forgive her."

    Minjae remembered Gil-ae''s cheeky smiles when she rebelled against Soo Hyun during their first visit to Kim I-On. She was infinitely kind whenever Minjae visited to treat her mother, despite the cold treatment that Lady Ryu always seems to have reserved for Minjae.

    Seung understood Minjae was hurting. There was so much they still had to navigate. Reality would soon intrude, and they would have to face the task of restoring her identity without compromising who she had become.

    He dropped a soft kiss on the shoulder, where he knew her mole was beneath the fabric of her flaming orange hanbok.

    "Give her time, sweetheart. Gil-ae has always loved you. Did you know what she told me once?"

    Minjae shook her head.

    "That she felt you reminded her of her sister-in-law way more than Soo Hyun ever did. Which is why Soo Hyun was always angry at her."

    Minjae''s eyes widened. "She did? You think she remembered me?"

    "In the back of her mind, she might have, but it''s hard to tell. My mother possibly recognised you mostly because you resemble your mother. Back then, you used to have this layer of white powder which obscured your face."

    "My stepmother insisted on it. It was something a Japanese official''s wife gifted her once, and she always drowned me in it."

    "Did you not find it strange that she never put that on herself? I think she wanted to hide what you looked like from everyone."

    Minjae pondered on it. "She always wanted me to put it on whenever Father commanded my presence," she said. "Could it be because she didn''t want him to be reminded of my mother?"

    Her stepmother and Aunt Im Nabi could be cruel like that. Minjae bit her lip at the memory of her stepmother, who had hated her so much that she had revelled in Minjae''s pain.

    "I recall wondering what you truly looked like beneath all those dreadful layers she forced upon you. Now I know." His thumb brushed her cheek, lingering.

    "Do you like what you see?" She teased.

    "Let me tell you a story. Your friend Kim I-On apparently wasn''t happy when Jo Hee Bong told her you were the most beautiful woman he had ever seen," he chuckled.

    Throwing her head back against his chest, a smile spread on her face. "She told me too. But she has nothing to fear. He is besotted with her."

    "I''m glad. I don''t want to go around poking people''s eyes out. I am also somewhat glad that back then, you were also much less -" A corner of his lip lifted along with his brow as his hand moved playfully to cup a breast. She gasped, her cheeks blooming in embarrassment, and then tried to pry it away with a "Dari!"

    Her elbow hit his midriff, and she ended up rubbing her soft skin. "You have rocks in there," she complained.

    He laughed, hooking her hands over her head and pressing her down on the mattress.

    "And somewhere else, too," he teased, pushing his pelvis into her playfully, but he wasn''t jesting. His desire for this woman rose with every moment he spent with her. Her mouth went round. She narrowed her eyes with a devilish glint, and she twisted under him. The more she tried to struggle, the more intense he became, until she stopped struggling.

    His gaze softened, the teasing fading as something deeper took its place. "To answer your question, I more than like it," he whispered, his voice dropping. "You are everything I ever imagined and more."

    Minjae''s breath hitched as his hand moved lower, trailing down her shoulder and lingering at her waist. She shifted, her teasing slipping away as his touch sent warmth pooling in her belly.

    "Dari..." she started, but her voice wavered, betraying her.

    Her heartbeat quickened, her resistance melting like the snowflakes outside their window touching the parched ground, and their playful banter dissolved into something unspoken, the air between them thick with anticipation. His hand, which had been resting on her waist, slid slowly to cup her breast, and this time she didn''t pull away.

    Seung had not left her side for three days straight, the only exception being the few hours he had to attend the Grand Prince''s inner court meetings. News had stopped filtering from the mainland, and there was a strange limbo on the island, a stilted air where everyone seemed to be waiting for something.

    Something big.

    Something he didn''t want to think of right now. He twisted and flipped Minjae on top of him, impaling her. Startled, she looked down at him, her hair cascading all over her bare shoulders and breasts, the tips touching the defined lines of his chest. Her hands rested on the cords of muscles flexing underneath her palms. His hand reached between them; his thumb and finger gently coaxed her core to open up.

    Her head fell back, her moans filling the chamber as she moved involuntarily.

    He loved every sound, every curve of her body. He loved her essence. Seung wished he could take her away from the demands and dangers waiting just beyond these walls.

    To a world where only they existed.

    "You would perish from boredom," she laughed.

    He gave her a lopsided smile, not realising he had spoken it out aloud. He moved the hair from her shoulder, his hand curling around the nape of her neck. "Speak for yourself," he retorted, breathing hard, trying not to explode before time. He had never felt like this with any woman. He had never felt like this for another human being. What he felt for Minjae consumed him.

    "I would find - wild animals to cure, I -" she threw her head back, her sentences coming out in short bursts.

    "I''m sure you would," he said solemnly, his pleasure mounting manifold as he watched Minaje reach hers.

    What he would not do for this woman.

    At that moment, he knew if fate ever parted her from him, he might not be able to live.

    His grip tightened on her as he closed his eyes, trying to blank his mind against a fear that suddenly took over him. He lost himself in her cries and felt himself let go, deep within her, as if he could write his name in her womb.

    Seung rolled her underneath. "You don''t know what you do to me," he whispered against her skin. "It''s like I can''t breathe without you; like I''m drowning if you''re not here. How did I ever survive without this? Without you?''

    His fingers trailed along the angles of her cheekbones, the sharp edges of her jaw, the bend of her neck, her shoulder blades, the rounded curves of her breasts, desperate to memorise every part of her as if she could slip through his grasp at any moment. He pressed his lips against her neck, a low groan escaping as her name left his mouth, raw and unguarded.

    "Jina-yah.." he whispered, her name a breath as if testing it to feel.

    Minjae went still. "You called my name."

    His eyes were a brilliant mahogany etched with amber. "Do you want me to?"

    She bit her lip, unsure of the answer.

    His hips moved against hers.

    Her eyes widened as Minjae realised he was starting over.

    He was not done. He felt he would never be done. Not even when he could finally claim in front of everyone that she was Choi Jina, his one true wife.

    ¡Þ

    Utensils clanked, and oven fires raged. Someone was stirring a large pot while another folded dumplings with expert fingers. Gil-ae swept her hand across her forehead and then blew into the oven to adjust the fire. She became aware of eyes on her back and turned to find Minjae behind her.

    Her lips tightened, but she kept the blowpipe down and bowed.

    "You''re not supposed to leave your chambers, Sister-in-law," Gil-ae said.

    Sister-in-law.

    Progress.

    "I''m not a prisoner," Minjae said gently.

    Gil-ae bit her lip, her eyes glued to the ground. "How can I help you?"

    "Can I speak with you?" Minjae asked.

    For a fraction of a second, Gil-ae''s shoulders tensed, and then she raised her chin, bowed again, and, without another word, walked away.

    "Gil-ae," Minjae followed her. "Please listen to me."

    In reply, Gil-ae quickened her steps.

    "Please, just a few minutes," Minjae said, catching up with her.

    Gil-ae jerked her hand as Minjae''s fingers brushed her elbow.

    "There is nothing you can say that will make anything right," Gil-ae bellowed. "I hate you, I hate your family," tears ran down her cheeks. "You took away my father, broke my family, turned my brother against us."

    "No-"

    "You have brought nothing but bad luck to us -"

    None of them noticed the shadow that fell across them.

    "Gil-ae, you will apologise to your sister-in-law right at this moment for disrespecting her," Seung''s voice boomed from behind them.

    Both women turned in surprise.

    Seung stared at his sister, his eyes narrow, furious.

    Before Minjae could recover, Gil-ae turned on her. "You should have stayed dead."

    Minjae stepped back as if slapped.

    Gil-ae pivoted and ran, slamming the door of her chamber shut behind her.

    For a moment, Minjae closed her eyes. "You should not have intervened, Dari," she said tonelessly.

    When she looked up, Seung was still staring at the closed door of his sister''s chamber, his face pale as a ghost.

    He didn''t reply. Instead, he climbed the steps and dragged open the door.

    "What did you say?"

    Gil-ae turned, not expecting her brother to follow her.

    "You heard me, Oraboni," Gil-ae said, her voice cracking with grief.

    "Wishing her ill is wishing me ill, Gil-ae," Seung said, fisting his hands to keep them from shaking. "Is that who you want to become?"

    "How can you love someone like her? You...Father...I can''t..." The young woman stood stiffly, sobbing into her palms.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    He stepped closer, reaching for his sister.

    "I know, child, I know..." Seung said, gently patting her head.

    Minjae stood a few feet away, watching Seung comfort his sister, feeling a pang of loneliness she couldn''t quite shake. She knew Gil-ae''s pain was justified, and she understood why Seung needed to be there for her, but it didn''t stop the sharp sting of being left out. I''m hurting too, she thought, guilt and helplessness rising alongside a quiet anger she hated acknowledging. As much as she loved Seung, seeing him console Gil-ae while she stood on the sidelines made her feel like a stranger in a family she desperately wanted to belong to. At that moment, she couldn''t help but wonder if she''d ever indeed be a part of their world.

    Before Seung could catch her conflicting emotions, Minjae turned and left.

    She didn''t see the yearning in Seung''s eyes as he followed her retreating back.

    He found her leaning on the guardrail of their small balcony overlooking the pond. The afternoon sun glowed on her skin, slipping down her lissom frame to sketch shimmering shadows in the water.

    "I''m sorry, Minjae," he said. "It''s taking her time. She''ll get there."

    Letting out a sigh, she shook her head but didn''t reply. There was so much uncertainty in their relationship. Outside of the walls of this house, no one could know who she really was. Seung was the only one who gave validity to their relationship out of his sheer obstinacy inside of them. Not being accepted by Gil-ae and her mother-in-law was the least of her problems. She forced her shoulders to relax. He''d noticed her pain, her loneliness, even in the midst of consoling his sister. A faint pang tugged her heart¡ªhe was still hers, and for now, that was enough.

    "Can you come to visit Eomoni with me? If you can check on her..." Seung left the sentence hanging.

    This was more difficult than he had expected.

    To his relief, Minjae nodded and wordlessly followed him.

    In Lady Ryu''s chamber, Seung noted with interest that his mother had none of the pallor of the last couple of months. There was colour in her cheeks.

    A familiar figure brought in a tray of tea. The woman hunched down to hold the teapot, aiming the snout into the tiny cups. Her eyes strayed and locked with Minjae for a second before she redirected her gaze to pouring the tea.

    Minjae felt a shiver of apprehension travel down her spine at the look.

    "Please leave us," Seung said coldly.

    Soo Hyun''s eyes flashed an emotion before she nodded. Leaving the rest of the cups untouched, she bowed and left the chamber, her muted green and lilac hanbok catching the late morning light.

    Soo Hyun was no longer allowed to wear silk.

    Lady Ryu opened a small, decorated box and extracted a bracelet.

    "It''s a family heirloom passed down from my great-grandmother-in-law. It goes to the eldest daughter-in-law of the house."

    The meaning wasn''t lost to any of them. Minjae gasped, and Seung drew a breath that was a mix of so many emotions that he had difficulty identifying them. He did understand one of them. Relief.

    Despite Lady Ryu indicating Minjae to come closer, she sat frozen, her eyes locked on the bracelet.

    "Minjae-" Seung said.

    "Choi Jina-" Lady Ryu said at the same time.

    At that, Minjae looked up, her eyes full of unshed tears.

    "Please call me Minjae," she said.

    Confusion clouded Lady Ryu''s eyes. "But I thought you would now prefer to be called by your original name."

    "I have wanted my name back for so long. But now, I feel by going back to Jina, I am being unfilial to Aboji. He didn''t give birth to me, but he is the father I never had."

    A rush of emotions clogged Seung''s throat. While he had slowly become aware of how much Minjae wished she had never been born to Choi Si-wan, Seung didn''t realise how deep her hatred for her birth father ran.

    A small silence followed, and Minjae didn''t move.

    "I need you to come here so I can give it to you," Lady Ryu said.

    "Have you forgiven me, Eomoni?" Minjae asked. Even though it looked like that, she needed to hear it.

    "There is nothing to forgive, child. Why do you think I never gave this to Soo Hyun? We all have wronged you. I just wanted to push the inevitable a little longer. I am ashamed that I was so afraid," Lady Ryu said.

    "Eomoni-" Seung interrupted.

    His mother held up her hand to silence him.

    "I raised my children to be good human beings, Minjae. Fear makes us do things we regret. I am very proud of how Seung has handled this. But I am even more impressed with how you carved out a life out of despair and no hope."

    "I had help," Minjae said.

    Lady Ryu shook her head. "I had the choice, too. I knew from the beginning Lord Choi played us. There were so many things Soo Hyun did not know about her own home. She had never met your grandmother." Lady Ryu''s eyes met Minjae''s moist ones. "Your grandmother was like a mother to me when I was growing up. When I was pregnant with Seung, I lost my older son to a disease. If it wasn''t for your grandmother, I might not have made it. The days I spent with Im Yoo Joo at her home were some of my best. I always knew," Lady Ryu''s voice was whisper soft. "Yet when faced with the choice to do the right thing, I reacted badly and threatened you."

    Seung stir beside Minjae. His knuckles were white.

    Lady Ryu turned to her son, her gaze filled with sorrow. "I know you are not ready to forgive me yet, Seung. The thought scares me¡ªthat you will never see me in the same light again. But more than that¡­" She hesitated, her eyes welling with the weight of years gone by. "I fear facing Yoo Joo and her mother in the afterlife. I do not think they will ever forgive what I did to their child. Your father will never forgive me either."

    That evening, Seung and Minjae watched the sun setting from her chamber, the bracelet glinting a rainbow of colours in the pink and orange hues of the rays on her wrist.

    Seung dropped butterfly kisses along her neck. "I''ll need to go back to the village sooner than later," Minjae said.

    "Only for a day. Then I''ll bring you back, this time with everyone''s knowledge that you''re now a permanent resident here. You are mine."

    "I technically cannot be your concubine, you know that," Minjae laughed. She leaned back into his hard chest, feeling it rising and falling evenly. Comforting her.

    "I have never believed in the classist world we live in, but when it comes to you, I like throwing some weight around. I have yet to know an officer who has had to state the title of the woman he loves and wants to live with. Let everyone think what they like," Seung said.

    "That''s been your plan all along," she laughed. "It''s going to tear my reputation to shreds."

    "No one will dare raise a brow. No one crosses Lee Seung and gets away with it," he said, the touch of arrogance drawing a reluctant chuckle out of Minjae.

    "I have applied for a transfer," he said. "No one knows you outside of this island. You will come with me as Choi Jina when we leave this place. And I will open the biggest apothecary you have ever seen and give you a free hand. Like your grandfather."

    She had once only dreamed of becoming a skilled healer, to make something meaningful out of her life despite everything. But now, hearing him talk about their future, she realised how much she wanted to build that life with him, to stand beside him not only as a healer but as someone cherished, someone loved.

    A new place where they could heal together.

    Minjae looked at him sideways. If she had doubts about how much this man loved her, they washed away like flecks of dirt under a cascade of waterfalls.

    ¡Þ

    Though her entire world had changed when she had left her thatched home in the village a week ago, time seemed to have stood still. People crossed her, nodded, and stood to catch up on her ''temple trip''. Neighbours called out greetings, and a couple craned their necks, as usual, trying to see if they could get some gossip out of it.

    Pyo Yeri came skipping and hugged her. Kim Seo Jun was away treating patients.

    Kim Dabom dragged her to a chamber and shut the door. "You never told me you were royalty!"

    Minjae rolled her eyes. "Unnie, that''ll cost you your neck if His Highness hears it."

    "It''s close. Chief State Councillor Choi Si-wan is your father! I can''t wrap my head around it."

    "My father''s name is Kim Seo-jun."

    Da-bom''s face softened.

    "Now I can never have you serve at the inn," Kim Da-bom lamented while making a wry face.

    They burst out in laughter.

    Kim Da-bom patted her back and asked her to check on their ailing grandmother.

    Minjae had missed them.

    She was going to miss them all.

    Later in the afternoon, Minjae made her way to Kim I-On''s chamber. She felt sore and tired. The previous evening, Seung had brought her over to Jo Hee Bong''s place, and the four of them had reunited and rekindled their unique, though hidden friendship away from the prying eyes. Jo Hee Bong and Kim I-On gushed in happiness and gifted them a rare book.

    Minjae had felt overwhelmed, though she had not cried and had not said much.

    "If we have a girl, can we name her I-On?" She had asked instead.

    Kim I-On had collapsed into a puddle, and Hee Bong held her, chuckling through it.

    When they came back, Seung had taken her in his arms and had shown her how much the evening had affected him.

    Lee Seung didn''t sleep, and she was glad she was quite used to not sleeping. However, she needed a bit more stamina to keep up with his physical demands.

    "You have to make up for the last five years, Physician Kim," he had growled in her ear. It continued till morning, and while she could barely put one foot ahead of the other now, she could only smile.

    Healing others had given her life meaning¡ªbut Seung had given her heart a home. In his arms, she could have both.

    Inside I-On''s chamber, both women sat and stitched, reminiscing their childhood.

    Time flew. Minjae could see herself getting comfortable in this dual role. Truthfully, everyone gossiped, but few cared. In all honesty, many loved her for who she was, and she would always be grateful for that.

    ¡Þ

    Minjae returned to the village in the evening, only to find Seung with Kim Seo-Jun in the waiting chamber, playing a game of ''gonu''. Minjae stifled a smile. Now that her ''secret'' was out, everyone seemed to be welcoming Seung as if he belonged.

    "He is not staying the night here," Kim Seo-jun said without lifting his eyes from the board.

    Or maybe not.

    Seung looked unamused, though he knew better than to comment.

    It was rare for fathers-in-law to dictate terms to their sons-in-law. More often, they''d do whatever it took to accommodate the daughter''s husband. Yet Seung was not like most sons-in-law, just as Minjae was anything but an ordinary daughter.

    "You can speak with her in private if you want; remember, only we know your real relationship, and I do not want gossip to taint our home. You must leave before midnight. Once you carry her away, I shall not intervene. Unless you hurt her." Though the words came out as a grunt, and his face was impassive, the streak of hardness that lined Kim Seo-jun''s face was unmistakable.

    Kim Seo-Jun was the opposite of her birth father in every way. He rarely held her back, even letting her go out at night when it was long considered improper for women. Yet everything he allowed was done with her safety and well-being in mind.

    Seung picked up the gat that was sitting beside him in his hand and said, "I will cut off my sword arm before hurting your daughter, Father."

    Seo-jun nodded and motioned for them to leave.

    Seung did not need a reminder. He followed Minjae into her chamber and closed the door behind him.

    She turned to invite him in but instead fell on his chest as he pulled her, tilting her head back for a kiss. The gat in his hand framed the middle of her back.

    "It''s two hours to midnight," he whispered against her lips.

    "Dari! No, nothing is happening here," she pushed at him.

    Seung sighed and stepped back, his fingers rubbing his forehead. "We shouldn''t, right?"

    Minjae nodded, unable to stop a small giggle. Sometimes, she could only sigh at how beautiful this man was. His flawless skin glowed in the yellow lights of the lantern, the pale shadows highlighting his cheekbones that could cut ice. His sculpted jaw moved, and the mahogany flecked with amber eyes went dark as he looked at her.

    If he stepped forward one more time, she would not be able to resist. Suddenly nervous, she focussed on the strings of his hanbok. "Should I get some tea, Dari?"

    She watched his swallow move down his throat. "Yes," he said.

    He didn''t want to leave until he had to, so they went over the mystery that had destroyed their lives.

    "You still haven''t told me how you contacted Ko Yoon in Hanyang? I still can''t believe you went there by yourself," Seung was still peeved about it.

    "If I didn''t, we would not have had that month," she coloured.

    "I refuse to be distracted, woman," Seung quirked a brow though the memories softened his eyes. "Minjae, I will never hurt him."

    She nodded, looking at her lap.

    "There is a shop where I was supposed to leave a letter with a code and a yellow norigae. It''s something only I have. It belonged to my mother."

    Seung vaguely remembered seeing it among her belongings at the inn.

    "The code being a secret between you two?"

    Minjae laughed. "It''s the name of the brew I make when my close ones are hurt. And only I know it because Ko Yoon made the name up."

    "And what would that be?"

    "Akchwi naneun banggwi mulyak," Minjae said sheepishly. Stinky fart potion.

    A bark of laughter escaped Seung. "Wouldn''t that be right!"

    Minjae laughed with him, her cheeks colouring prettily.

    Seung couldn''t help but smile, but he was aware that the laugh hid a pain that he could not even begin to fathom.

    Her father had technically killed her, and yet this woman was still brave enough to go up against him and find the truth behind it all.

    He sobered at the thought.

    "What do you think he was searching for at your grandmother''s house?"

    "It has to be the letters, though I don''t know what could be in them to be so incriminating."

    Seung picked up the teapot and poured the tea gently into their cups. Minjae''s eyes widened at the role reversal, but she didn''t say anything. "Tell me everything again, and don''t leave anything out," Seung said.

    Minjae found herself relating everything in detail all over again, including her visit to Hanyang. The shadows on the wall grew longer. The pot ran out of tea.

    No matter how long ago it was, the pain of being cast away never went away. She had a new family and a husband who loved her perhaps more than she had ever loved herself. He filled her days with laughter and secured her nights with dreams of hope. Yet her heart craved for one answer - how had her father never felt anything for her? His firstborn. Weren''t firstborns supposed to be special?

    She didn''t realise when her tears slipped. Neither did she protest when Seung took her in his arms, gently rocking her. "Don''t," he said huskily.

    He pushed the small table away, dipping her back on the mattress. His hands soothingly travelled from her shoulder to her waist. His mouth pulled at the strings holding her jeogori together. Hooking his fingers into the binds of her chest, he pulled them down, his mouth following his fingers. His knee parted her legs. He went back to lick the tears away and softly kissed the corner of her mouth, collecting the teardrop on the tip of his tongue.

    "Don''t leave me, Dari, please don''t leave me," she begged. She gripped him, her earlier resolve to keep him at an arm''s distance in her modest village home forgotten. The pleasure he gave could make the pain go away and replace it with hope, love and the promise of a better tomorrow.

    "I won''t. Ever."

    ¡Þ

    The next morning, when Lee Seung''s family palanquin came to take Minjae away, the indomitable Kim Da-bom cried. Her grandmother patted her head with her frail hand, not truly understanding what was happening except that a daughter of the house was going away to make her own family.

    The old woman had stopped recognising people. She never realised her own granddaughter had died long ago, and the woman she was blessing had helped heal that loss for everyone in the Kim family.

    The old neighbour couple gifted her two cups of rice as a blessing. The shy new bride of the neighbouring farmer came forward with a rooster as a parting gift.

    Pyo Yeri cried, holding onto Minjae''s waist. "I am going to be in the village and I will come see you as much as possible," Minjae said gently.

    "This house is always open for you, Kim Minjae," Kim Seo-Jun said.

    Kim Minjae performed a series of bows - ones that only high-born women were taught from the day they could walk, to say farewell to a family who had given her a loved and secure world. She didn''t care that her neighbours gawked at her.

    She was technically a divorcee, so she was not allowed the perks of being someone''s woman. Most people considered her an outlier, so they weren''t as surprised that she was going to become a part of Lee Seung''s household.

    However, they were shocked that despite her status, Lee Seung still sent an impressive marriage chest to Minjae''s home.

    Many had seen him chase her for a very long time, and some were genuinely happy for her.

    "You have to tell me everything that happens," Im Ji Won said fiercely. "I am going to come see you every day."

    "You have to. You are my assistant, silly," Minjae said. "Moreover, now Cha Moon-sik will be forced to pay attention to you," Minjae teased as Im Ji-won coloured.

    None of them mentioned Nam Dami, who had not been released from prison yet.

    "I am so honoured to have been able to call you Aboji," Minjae said to Kim Seo-jun. Tears pushed, and Kim Seo-jun patted her back gently before placing her hand in Lee Seung''s hand.

    "She might not have my blood running in her, Lord Lee, but I will fight for this child till my last breath. Tell me how I can help bring that bastard down. I want him to hang for what he did to her." Kim Seo-jun''s gigantic frame shook with a rare rage as the words, low and controlled, rolled off his tongue.

    The ceremony to welcome her officially into the Lee Household was small but warm. Seung''s eyes overflowed with emotions as he watched his mother and his wife sit side by side while they prayed at the ancestor''s altar. His mother smiled as Seung and Minjae exchanged wine cups in her presence. Gil-ae sat on the side, quietly, unmovingly, before leaving the chamber quietly.

    Lady Ryu In-ah sighed. "Please forgive Gil-ae. She has always been a stubborn woman. I want to ask for forgiveness for my past behaviour. You are a part of this family now, and I want you to take over the reins as soon as possible."

    "Minjae, all channels that snitched to Lord Choi have been snuffed. You need not worry. Welcome home, my sweet wife," Seung said, his eyes soft.

 Forty-Nine: I Choose You

    "You are finishing that bowl of soup before you set foot outside this door," Seung said.

    "I cannot eat much in the morning," Minjae protested.

    A stark contrast to the fourteen-year-old girl who had once fled her marriage bed in a misguided sense of honour, she had changed since then, developing new routines. Though she still rose early to say her prayers and tend her herb garden, her visits to the kitchen were less frequent, and breakfast remained a low priority in her morning rituals.

    Seung tilted his head. "If you think I am going to let you neglect your health with terrible eating habits, think again, Physician Kim." He motioned Woo Sari, whose stoic face was betrayed by the twinkle in her eyes, to place the tray before a grumbling Minjae.

    "Aunt In-dah tattled, didn''t she?" Minjae asked as she glared at the offending bowl of soup and then transferred the glare to Woo Sari, who could not hold back a giggle.

    However, Minjae didn''t object any further, picking up the spoon delicately to fill her mouth.

    The guarded air that once clung to her had faded. She didn''t speak much even now, but she had such an expressive face and eyes that she often didn''t need to. The way her mouth would soften when he said something jestful or would reach out to him by herself, her defences melting away like a mound of sand beneath a soft wave, or even the way her eyes would go from a light amber to a dark coal as emotions flitted through them, he knew what she wanted to say without her uttering a word.

    She was a wildflower that had been brutally mutilated, plucked and thrown away to the winds. Yet she had found new roots and grown wilder, stronger. When he met her, she had created tall walls that once had looked impenetrable. He used to think he would have to break the wall brick by brick to free her. Instead, he realised all he needed to do was to unlock the gate because that''s all that there was. There was no wall; it had all been an illusion. She had just been waiting for him to see it.

    Minjae was gradually settling into her new role. She had started back on her morning visits to her patients, though she had significantly cut down her physician visits, limiting herself to a few households and learning her way as Lee Seung''s wife.

    Minjae avoided the royal residence like the plague.

    The grand Prince, ever the stickler for rules, was furious at Seung''s decision to bring her, a divorcee, into his household. He had thrown an apocalyptic fit, threatening to enslave all of Minjae''s kin. It had taken Sim Junho to pacify the Prince and remind him that with the barbarians breathing down their necks, they couldn''t waste time on the idiosyncrasies of the noblemen. Moreover, she was just an addition to Lee Seung''s house and held no title.

    The fact that Seung had helped the Prince when he had broken protocols helped.

    The Grand Prince huffed and puffed, but he could hardly go against the powerful noblemen who seldom went against each other for women of lower class.

    However, both Junho and Seung wondered if Her Highness, the Prince''s consort, had a say in calming the Prince down, or perhaps the Prince himself had a soft corner for her since Minjae had saved their daughter''s life?

    Irrespective of the real reason, the Prince had agreed to drop the matter, and that was all that mattered.

    It was no surprise news had travelled this fast.

    Jeon Suji had cornered Minjae on the very first day. "You never informed me!" She hissed her displeasure. Being the island''s foremost gossip, it was an affront to her to find out from someone else.

    "It happened so quickly. I didn''t realise Aboji would agree to send me here in my absence," Minjae lied.

    "How did that nasty woman react?" Suji asked, her eyes pouring with curiosity, referring to Soo Hyun.

    "She has been punished for being a jealous woman, not that it''s any of your business," Gil-ae''s harsh voice interrupted them, her expressions dark. "Even though it''s not her fault and life has not been fair to her, just as it''s not been fair to me, unlike others," she said, not looking at Minjae.

    Heat rose to Minjae''s cheeks, but she refrained from rising to the bait. "Where are you going so early in the morning, Gil-ae?" She asked softly.

    "I don''t think you have the authority to ask me questions, Physician Kim," Gil-ae responded, her brow rising in a challenge. "I''m only accountable to my sister-in-law, but you aren''t her, are you?"

    Aware of Suji''s gleeful eyes lapping up the exchange, Minjae curled her fingers until her nails embedded in her palm.

    "Even if I was, I would never stop you, Gil-ae. You know that." Minjae looked at her sister-in-law in the eye, her voice gentle.

    Gil-ae flushed before grabbing the pouch in her hand tighter and exiting the gate, followed by her young companion, who gave Minjae a scared bow.

    Suji expelled a breath that had ballooned in her stomach. "Impressions can be so wrong. I could wager my weekly earnings that she used to like you a lot."

    Minjae shrugged, not giving any more fuel to the fodder.

    "Is it because you are a commoner? A divorcee?" Suji asked.

    Measuring the ground at her feet, Minjae took a deep breath. "Lee Gil-ae doesn''t hold that against anyone. Let''s not speak about this anymore."

    "I know her brother is someone I could eat all day, but why did you not just play with him and let that be all? Why would you give everything up to be treated like this?"

    If you only knew Suji.

    "And be arrested for improper behaviour?" she said instead, curtailing the conversation.

    "Blast the royals!" Suji exclaimed with feeling but left it at that. "Though I never thought you would ever give in to any kind of scandalous co-habitation," Suji''s brows danced. "But I''m glad that this obnoxious woman was put in her place. Could never stand some of these high and mighty women, I tell you! Oh, by the way, did I tell you Sung Ha''s wife rolled her daughter-in-law and then had -"

    Minjae tuned Suji''s gossip, focusing solely on her sister-in-law. She was visiting the shaman''s house more regularly now, and Minjae didn''t have a good feeling about it.

    ¡Þ

    The laughter echoed back to them as they raced to the top. Minjae was adamant about making it without Seung''s help. She had always been nimble; her foothold had seldom failed her in the slippery mush underneath her feet. But having Seung climbing behind her made her nervous. He had wagered she would slip at least twice before they reached the top of the hill, and he would have to hold her.

    To her utter horror, he proved right when her foot slipped, and Seung caught her from behind.

    "Did you know what went on in my mind when we went up this hill for the first time? You slipped, and I had to hold you from behind?" Seung teased.

    "I was injured," she said snippily.

    "But today, you are not," he pointed out, holding her hips tighter against him. "Hmnn.... it''s making me wonder..."

    If she didn''t fear he would come to great harm, Minjae would have pushed him down the hill out of mortification.

    Biting her lip, she marched up, her cheeks getting red with a lot more than exertion as Seung''s laughter followed her.

    However, Seung didn''t push his luck any further, and they made it to the top of the mountain without any further mishaps.

    The view was as breathtaking as Minjae remembered. Catching her wrist in his grip, Seung rushed her past the inlet that formed a part of the shallow estuary surrounding the island, curving gracefully from the sea, its frosted edges glistening in the sunlight. They walked to the right, where the cliff of rocky outcrops rose, dusted with a sheen of frost, towering over the sheltered inlet. Water spilt from the ridge in a slow, almost frozen cascade, catching the sunlight in icy glints as it fell. The air was filled with the crisp scent of frozen earth as the bay sparkled, the morning sun casting its light over the undulating surface, alive with winter''s chill beauty.

    Minjae wrapped the woollen jangot around her more tightly. The tip of her nose was red, and her ears had turned a deep shade of pink with the cold. Seung drew her against his warm body, escorting her to the beloved cave that sat between the rocks.

    "Would His Highness really have harmed Aboji?" Minjae asked worriedly.

    "No. The Grand Prince is kinder than he lets on," Seung replied. "If Aboji had been a Yangban man, then there could have been a worry."

    "But what if he persists?" Minjae took her lower lip between her teeth.

    Seung looked at her, his gaze going dark. "Don''t do that!"

    She looked up, puzzled. "What?"

    A frustrated sigh escaped him. "Bite your lip."

    "Why?"

    "Do I tell you or show you?"

    Realisation dawned. Her cheeks matched the blazing red of the tips of her nose and ears. She bit her lip again and then remembered, turning her face away.

    Chuckling, Seung pulled her closer, hooking a finger under her chin to turn her face towards him. "His Highness won''t persist. We are still waiting for news from the mainland. Rumours are flying around, but no one knows for sure what the ground position is."

    "What if the barbarians attack?" Minjae asked apprehensively.

    "I hope the island will be safe. His Majesty King Injo and most of his court ministers will be here if that is the case. The island is impenetrable."

    The worry in her eyes darkened into a deep mahogany.

    "Don''t worry about His Excellency - your father - coming here. Being the Chief State Councillor, he will have to head the court and be the messenger in case the Barbarians breach the Palace."

    Minjae''s brow furrowed, glancing up at him. "But during the last invasion, even the most powerful couldn''t avoid the devastation. We barely made it."

    During the previous invasion a decade ago, Minjae''s grandmother took refuge with her in a remote temple while her father led the rest of the family south to safety.

    Injo''s seizure of the throne four years prior to the invasion had already propelled Choi Si-wan''s rise, but the invasion solidified his power.

    Seung''s grip on her hand tightened. "Your father''s influence proliferated after that. Many fell away while he¡­ endured," he murmured, his gaze shifting to the distant waves. Minjae knew he was now alluding to his father''s murder, and her heart twisted agonisingly. "But now, that same status binds him to the Palace. He won''t come here."

    The icy air held a taste of something more ominous, and as she breathed it in, Minjae felt a flicker of apprehension stir beneath her calm as if the land itself was whispering a warning she couldn''t quite hear. She turned, resting her forehead against Seung''s shoulder. "I fear his shadow will reach us here, no matter how far we run," she whispered, her breath trembling against his collar.

    Seung''s hand cradled her jaw, his thumb making soothing circles on her cheek. "Let his shadow try," he said, his voice low with determination. "I''ve built walls he''ll never breach."

    Reaching out to his sleeves, Seung withdrew a small scroll. Curious, Minjae eyed it.

    Seung withdrew from her a little, holding the scroll, an unfamiliar pink staining the strong column of his throat while the ears went even more red. He cleared his throat and then cleared it again.

    "I wrote something," he said. "Will you tell me how it sounds?"

    "You did?" Minjae asked, her voice coming out in a disbelieving croak.

    Seung''s brows furrowed in offence. "Let me remind you, Lady Choi, you married a man considered to be the topmost scholar of Joseon."

    She gave him a pert smile in reply. "Hypocrite," she teased.

    His laughter bounced off the hills around them.

    Minjae watched as he carefully unrolled the scroll. Being a scholar had come easy to Seung. While others laboured to master the written word for decades, Seung handled it as though ink flowed in his veins.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    He cleared his throat and passed the scroll to her. On it, in beautiful calligraphy, lay words strung together that jumped out with a life of their own.

    I cherish you,

    not for what has been nor what could have been¡ª

    but for this quiet, unshakable moment,

    a warmth nestled in the bones.

    I cannot undo the past,

    its tangled roots, the jagged scars,

    yet here you are, like a waterfall

    falling across the dry stretches of my spirit,

    smoothing, filling, whispering.

    Drink.

    You are my refuge,

    the quiet harbour after storms.

    I could be that for you, too¡ª

    an anchor in the vastness,

    a hand to steady the unsteady tides.

    Yes, there is a sea out there,

    with currents stronger than reason,

    but I feel it¡ªthis pull, these depths.

    Quench.

    Call it love. Call it faith.

    Call it what remains unbroken.

    In this open, boundless expanse,

    I choose you, again and again,

    an endless vow whispered into waves,

    eternal, unending, like the sea.

    The hands holding the parchment started shaking. Surprised, Seung reached over and grasped her hands. "Minjae?"

    She raised her doe-like eyes with a curtain of mist. "I was such a fool..."

    An exasperated sigh escaped Seung. "And this is why I had to write this." Seung transferred his hands to cup her face. "Don''t you see that we cannot be a prisoner of our past?"

    Minjae nodded.

    Seung let his hands slide from her face and drew her close to his chest, resting his chin on top of her head. She was so tiny, so delicate. Yet he knew through her back ran steel. He also knew with enough pressure, the steel could break.

    "I''ll not insult ourselves by claiming I know what the future will bring. All we have are these moments to make whatever we want to make out of them. But I want you to know that no matter how many times it happens, I will choose you. Always you."

    His words crashed against her chest like bricks, their weight settling in like warmth from fire on a cold winter night, their clarity etched in his clear eyes.

    "Not me. Us." Minjae said, "We both will choose us."

    He looked down at her and slowly touched his lips to her forehead before crushing her to his chest. "Us," he whispered.

    ¡Þ

    Watching Soo Hyun whispering in Gil-ae''s ear made Minjae''s anger simmer dangerously close to the surface. The sight of them, heads together like conspirators, gnawed at her already frayed patience. No matter how hurt Gil-ae was, she had to understand that Minjae was as much a victim in all this as she was. Determined, Minjae squared her shoulders and walked toward them, her steps deliberate.

    "I don''t think you''re allowed in the kitchen, Soo Hyun," Minjae said, her voice calm but laced with an edge that betrayed her irritation. She hated how petty and immature she felt, but it was exhausting enough trying to reach Gil-ae without Soo Hyun hovering around her like a shadow, constantly by her side, weaving her God knows what poison.

    Soo Hyun''s lips curled into a sly smile, and she replied without missing a beat, "I go where I''m needed, Physician Kim."

    "It''s My Lady for you, Soo Hyun," Minjae clipped back.

    "I called her to help me," Gil-ae interjected sharply, not looking up as she sliced through a bundle of scallions with a practised hand.

    "I can help you too," Minjae offered, though her voice lacked its usual steadiness.

    Gil-ae''s knife clattered onto the wooden cutting board as she turned to face her. "You? Help us?" she said acidly, her tone dripping with contempt. "You''re too important a person for the likes of us now, aren''t you, Lady Choi Jina?"

    Soo Hyun let out a soft snicker, the sound cutting through Minjae like a blade.

    Minjae clenched her fists, willing herself to stay composed. She drew herself taller, meeting Gil-ae''s defiant gaze head-on. "Gil-ae," she said firmly, "I need you to follow me to my room. Now."

    Gil-ae''s expression faltered, her flawless skin blanching slightly. For a moment, Minjae thought she saw a flicker of doubt, of fear even, in her sister-in-law''s eyes. But it vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by the same stony defiance. Still, she didn''t argue.

    Minjae tightened her lips, turned sharply on her heel, and began walking, knowing Gil-ae would follow. She had to fix this¡ªsomehow, some way, she had to make things right.

    But as they approached the courtyard, strange voices caught her attention. Four women stood at the gate, chattering animatedly with an attendant.

    "Lady Ryu and Lady Choi are not seeing visitors," the attendant said firmly.

    Before Minjae could intervene, Gil-ae''s voice rang out. "It''s all right, Jo Han. Let them in. Sister-in-law Choi will meet them."

    Minjae spun around to face her, disbelief etched across her face. "Gil-ae, what are you doing? You''re going against Commander Lee''s direct orders."

    Gil-ae met her gaze without flinching, her chin lifted defiantly. "Someone has to do what''s right around here. Why? You don''t want to meet them, Lady Choi?" The challenge in her tone was unmistakable, daring Minjae to prevent her.

    Minjae''s heart sank as the women walked past her, their eyes gleaming with curiosity and open hostility. They greeted Gil-ae warmly, offering muttered gratitude, before Soo Hyun, ever the opportunist, swept in, bowing to the women.

    "Lady Choi, we have been missing your presence in our stitching gatherings," one of the women said animatedly to Soo Hyun.

    "I have earned Lord Lee''s wrath, My Ladies," Soo Hyun said, shooting Minjae a venomous glance before schooling her expressions. "Hence, I have been rendered unsociable for the time being."

    The women hummed and hawed in understanding, glaring at Minjae.

    "I worry about these commoner women ensnaring our husbands and upsetting the delicate balance", another woman piped.

    "You should learn how to keep your husband entertained," the shortest one of them offered. "You should not allow her in the main house, Lady Choi." The rest of them nodded vigorously.

    They spoke about Minjae as if she wasn''t standing there, listening to them. Soo Hyun preened under their attention, her smile smug and satisfied.

    There was very little Minjae could do to stop her.

    The women, though, didn''t dare to go against the wishes of the Master of the house, especially as Lady Ryu didn''t entertain any of them, and left soon after.

    "Why, Gil-ae?" Minjae demanded, her voice trembling. "Why would you do this? You know Soo Hyun is an imposter!"

    "So are you!" Gil-ae spat, her voice shaking with rage. "I don''t believe a word you''ve said. Soo Hyun told me everything. Your father mutilated a man and killed her husband. She was forced to take your place because you ran away. Abandoned my brother. I believe her."

    "It''s not true," Minjae said, her voice cracking under the weight of her frustration. "I came back to the court -"

    "Maybe you were forced. I don''t know, and I don''t care. You ensnared my brother in a made-up story -"

    "You know it''s not true. You saw that dress¡ª"

    "Who knows why you were at the gambling house? Maybe you went to meet your lover!" Gil-ae''s words were vicious, each syllable striking like a lash.

    Before Minjae could stop herself, her hand lashed out, connecting with Gil-ae''s cheek in a sharp, resounding slap. The sound echoed in the courtyard, silencing even the birds.

    Gil-ae''s head whipped to the side, her eyes widening in shock as her hand flew up to her cheek. Tears glistened in her eyes, and for a split second, Minjae saw the vulnerable girl she once knew. But it was fleeting.

    Minjae''s face crumpled immediately. "I''m sorry. I''m so sorry. Please, Gil-ae, I didn''t mean¡ª"

    "Don''t touch me!" Gil-ae said harshly, stepping back as tears streamed down her face. "At least Soo Hyun''s father didn''t murder my father! At least she didn''t put me in jail! She didn''t destroy my brother''s life! I wish I had never met you!"

    Gil-ae had oft repeated the words, yet they always struck Minjae like a physical blow. She stumbled back, her hands trembling as she tried to reach out, only to have Gil-ae pull further away.

    Out of the corner of her eye, Minjae caught Soo Hyun watching, a flicker of satisfaction flitting across her face before she quickly masked it with a look of concern. Soo Hyun moved toward Gil-ae, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Come, Gil-ae," she said softly, but her eyes darted to Minjae, cold and triumphant.

    Gil-ae wrenched herself free from Soo Hyun''s reach and wiped her cheeks, then turned to lift a large pot of plant from the courtyard, moving it where the sun was brighter.

    Minjae stood frozen, her heart hammering in her chest. The courtyard seemed impossibly quiet now, the weight of Gil-ae''s words hanging heavily in the air.

    "Are you not afraid at all, Soo Hyun? I thought we had an understanding," Minjae said coldly.

    Soo Hyun''s lips curled into a grimace, her tone sharp and calculated. "But now it does not have anything in it for me. So forgive me if I don''t care for it. Moreover, do you really think this will last, Lady Choi? Men like Commander Lee¡ªpowerful, ambitious¡ªthey don''t settle easily. They need someone who knows how to navigate their world, who understands their burdens."

    Minjae folded her hands and simply raised a brow in reply; her gaze remained steady, uncompromising.

    Soo Hyun''s scowl faltered, but her voice carried a venomous edge. "You act so sure of yourself, so confident in his love. But you forget, I have been with men like him. There''s a fire in him that you''ll never fully grasp. You''re too... restrained, too bland."

    Minjae''s expression softened, but her tone grew colder. "You never learn your boundaries, do you?"

    Soo Hyun''s eyes narrowed, a flash of anger breaking through her composure. "You think you''ve won, but you don''t understand what it means to keep a man like him." She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "And what will you do when he realises you''re not enough?"

    Her jaw tightened, but her voice didn''t waver. "I don''t need to prove myself to you¡ªor to anyone."

    Soo Hyun stepped closer, her expression darkening with a twisted satisfaction, her laugh bitter, hollow. "We''ll see, My Lady. We''ll see how long that confidence lasts."

    "What I fear, Soo Hyun, is what a desperate woman like you might do when you realise he''ll never look at you."

    Soo Hyun chuckled. "Aren''t you clever! I have fought for myself too long to give in so easily, My Lady. Truth is, no matter how badly Lord Lee wants you to proclaim your identity, you still cannot claim it. To keep you safe, he has to keep me around." Her eyes narrowed, glinting in a way that sent shivers down Minjae''s spine. "I am greedy. It pained me to be rejected so cruelly. There was a time when I - ah! - thought he might not be man enough. But now I have seen how he is with you; it is burning me. I want that." Soo Hyun turned to face Minjae, her face contorting into a malicious smile. "I want that attention. I desire him. I want him."

    A sharp gust of wind carried the faint scent of burning pine, stinging Minjae''s eyes.

    Gil-ae, standing off to the side, shifted her weight uncomfortably, the crunch of her shoe against loose gravel briefly diverting Minjae''s attention. Gil-ae''s hands trembled slightly as she adjusted the pot in her arms, her gaze flitting between Soo Hyun and Minjae. She glanced at Minjae for a fraction of a second¡ªan almost imperceptible flicker of guilt passing through her eyes¡ªbefore she quickly turned away, burying her face in the pretence of rearranging the plants.

    But the moment was fleeting, and Minjae''s focus returned to the woman before her.

    "If you know what''s good for you, you will cease your shameless ramblings now," Minjae said.

    Soo Hyun''s smile faltered momentarily, but her gaze remained sharp. "I''ve fought harder battles than this, Lady Choi. And I never walk away empty-handed."

    A low murmur from one of the maids passing by reached Minjae''s ears, though the words were indistinct. The sound only heightened her awareness of how public this confrontation had become.

    Minjae kept her face emotionless and clapped her hands. Immediately, two maids and two servants appeared by her side. Keeping her eyes trained on Soo Hyun, Minjae said, "Please ensure Soo Hyun does not leave her chambers for the next seven days. Food once a day when the sun is overhead. If she transgresses, wrap her in her bedclothes and keep her there for a day and a night. If she has visitors, she is to be indisposed indefinitely. Am I clear?"

    The servants fervently nodded their heads. Gil ae was rooted to her spot, staring at Minjae, the flower pot sitting at her feet forgotten.

    Soo Hyun looked at her with so much hatred that had Minjae been a wick, she would have burst into flames.

    The edges of her chima fluttered against her legs as Minjae stepped closer to Soo Hyun, her gaze steady, unyielding, as she said, "Do not challenge me again. Ever."

    ¡Þ

    Two small, familiar figures scurried out as Seung trotted out of the gate. They were the two young boys Seung had caught following Minjae in the forest all those months ago.

    He had caught them fooling around his house a few days ago. It turned out one of their mothers worked in a neighbouring house. Still suspicious, he had put a watch on them to see if the urchins followed Minjae.

    They didn''t.

    Seung made a mental note to interrogate the young scholar who had set them after Minjae as he galloped his way to meet Sim Junho.

    They had finally made the interrogations official. Once Grand Prince Bongrim became involved, the new commander backed off, though he made sure to air his grievances loudly. Sergeant Han, too, had been brought back for questioning. However, they soon realised he was speaking the truth when he said he never had seen the mystery woman because she was always under a veil in the dark and wore dark clothing with a voluminous jangot. The only thing they could make out was she was taller than average. Unfortunately, this wasn''t much to go with.

    The wind was nippy, and Seung''s cheeks felt numb. He wondered how many of the civilian soldiers ever bore the freezing chill with barely anything on their backs.

    "Did Ka divulge anything further?" Seung asked, urging his horse to settle down into a gentle canter.

    "So far, no, though interestingly, he is the only one who has not taken Minjae''s name. But he, too, does not know the mystery woman. In fact, I doubt he even knew about her existence. He did employ several female slaves in many households to bring him news in exchange for food and sometimes sexual favours."

    Seung recoiled. "What?"

    Sim Junho shrugged. "I have not heard of that before either, but he, umm, excels in bringing women to pleasure without ever breaching them, and they do what he asks them to."

    Seung felt something putrid rise from his gut. "That bastard."

    Junho''s mouth twisted with distaste. "I have met lowlifes all my life, but something about him churns my gut. Worse, there is nothing to actually hold him in custody any more. We can''t really prove that the vase belonged to him, seeing how it was found in your home. If anything, it would just implicate Physician Kim further."

    Sim Junho paused, and Seung felt ice twist his insides.

    "Minjae is innocent," he said.

    "I know, but it does not look good for her," Junho said.

    "It does not matter. She is innocent. She put herself in danger trying to help those women, and if anyone thinks I will take anyone threatening her lightly, they are wrong."

    "Calm down, Lee Seung. I would never endanger an innocent. You should know that."

    "No one touches her. Else, I promise you, I will burn everything in my path. I know the game. And I can play it too. And trust me on this, Hyung. If it means I have to unleash the deadliest poison this country has seen, I will." Seung''s jaw was clamped so tight that it was a wonder he didn''t crack teeth. He gave a slight kick to his horse''s flank and tugged the reins, breaking the animal into a soft gallop. Junho followed.

    They had only galloped for a few metres when Seung pulled at the reins so hard that the horse went up on his hind legs in protest.

    Seung automatically gave a couple more tugs to calm his horse, his eyes frozen and breath stilled as he caught sight of black smoke spiralling in the distance¡ªdark shadows twisting far beyond the shore, swelling like monstrous figures ready to smother everything in their path.

    The pit of dread sucked the air out of him, and he felt Sim Junho pull up beside him, his jaw clenched hard.

    The men didn''t say a word. They both knew what the smoke meant.

    Seung couldn''t bring himself to look away from the inferno on the horizon. Villages were being burnt. He knew it with a sickening certainty. All it would take was a gust of wind for the fire to spread further, devouring fields, homes, lives¡ªunstoppable. Women and children, stolen from their beds and violated. Men mutilated. It was as though he could hear the cries, even from here, like they were being torched straight into his bones.

    Barbarians.

 Fifty: Plans

    The clang of swords echoed through the training courtyard as Seung and Junho engaged in a spirited sparring session. It had become a near-daily ritual for them, a chance to sharpen their skills while blowing off steam amidst the chaos.

    Junho stepped lightly, his blade held in a relaxed guard, eyes alight with playful challenge. "If this commander of ours is half as skilled with a sword as he is with excuses, I would have no fear for the fate of Ganghwa."

    Seung sniggered, parrying a quick strike with ease. "He''d probably manage to injure himself before the enemy even drew its blades."

    Ganghwa had been successfully barricaded, but neither Seung nor Sim Junho was letting up. Captain Park, who spearheaded the island''s naval defence against the mighty Qing''s offence, continued to stand out, his determination and capability a crucial anchor in the chaos.

    The army commander, however, was a constant thorn in their side, and their frustration at the ineffective preparation grew by the day. The entire weight of keeping the enemy forces at bay fell on the naval command; the unpreparedness of the ground forces demoralised them.

    "And guess what our brilliant commander said to the troops today?" Junho muttered as they reset their positions.

    Seung arched a brow, his arm extended for a thrust. "Something profoundly strategic, I''m sure."

    "''Keep your spirits up, and the Qing won''t dare come ashore,''" Junho recounted dryly, deflecting another blow.

    "Apparently, he thinks good cheer is the key to repelling an invasion fleet."

    Junho snorted, his stance loosening as he let out a laugh. "Perhaps he should write a treatise¡ª'' The Art of Losing Wars: A Guide to Wishful Thinking.'' He''s already mastered the first chapter: ''Ignore Reality Entirely.''"

    Seung''s irritation deepened as he pressed his attack, forcing Junho to step back. "The man refuses to organise his troops. They were not even rationing supplies yet. He''s convinced the shallow waters of the Ganghwa estuary are an impenetrable barrier. Why waste effort preparing your troops when you can simply hope the enemy gets stuck in the mud and floats away?"

    "At this rate, we should start a wager¡ªwhat''s more likely, the Manchu retreating out of sheer boredom or our army commander getting stuck in a tree again? I heard he once thought he could outrun a boar."

    Seung sighed, lowering his sword. "If only the boar had been quicker. It might''ve saved us all some trouble."

    Junho chuckled, saluting with his blade before they resumed their sparring.

    The two circled, their movements fluid, yet controlled. Junho feinted left before lunging to the right, only for Seung to counter with a swift riposte, his strike landing with a sharp clack against Junho''s guard.

    Junho gave him a withering look but couldn''t help the faintest twitch of a smile at Seung''s dexterity with a sword. However, before he could even draw a breath to admire his young opponent, the sharp crack of their swords meeting filled the space, the force of the clash driving Junho back a step. Dust rose in soft puffs under his boots as he recovered, circling Seung with the agility of a seasoned fighter, but Seung already had the opening he needed. With a sudden burst of speed, Seung disarmed Junho, the older man''s blade clattering to the ground.

    Sim Junho sighed.

    "Do you have to be this brutal to someone older than you, Royal Commander Lee Seung? It''s disrespectful."

    A chuckle accompanied Seung''s lift of a brow. "Are we etching our age on our forehead when we fight the Qing? Just so they are respectful of their elders," he quipped.

    "Rascal," Junho said good-humouredly, retrieving his weapon.

    The air between them crackled with the scent of sweat and the faint tang of cold steel. Seung moved with a precision born of discipline, his strikes as sharp and relentless as the dawn sun breaking over the courtyard walls. Junho, for all his jesting, matched him blow for blow, his boots sliding on the dirt with each calculated dodge.

    Despite the absurdity of their situation, the levity in Junho''s words¡ªand the rhythm of their practice¡ªgave Seung a fleeting moment of reprieve, even if the challenges ahead loomed larger than ever.

    In the end, the Royals who mattered never came to Ganghwa. The Barbarians had cut off the island from the mainland and sent emissaries demanding surrender. King Injo and his court had fled to the Namhan Mountain Fortress (Namhansanseong, ????). The news was that it faced a significant siege by the Qing forces. Supplies within the fortress ran low, and the invading army heavily outnumbered the defenders. The troops at Namsan Fort were holding on, but the cold, coupled with a lack of supplies and dwindling troops, affected the situation to be dire.

    The new Governor''s son had come to the island with Qing''s demand that they surrender immediately. Seung had met him a few times previously, and Lord Kim was an understated, devoted scholar who hated the Qing with a passion. Sending him with such an absurd demand was not just a show of disregard but an outright mockery of the eminent scholar''s dignity.

    Never before had Seung wished the Grand Prince would hold more political and military power than he actually did. The man was a force to reckon with, but his hands were effectively tied by his father''s command to stand down against the army.

    The stand-off was now in its third week. After the initial terror that had gripped the island, acceptance had settled over. The villagers prepared themselves for the worst, but every morning, they greeted the sun like they had done the entirety of their lives with a prayer for hope, well-being, and blessings from their ancestors.

    ¡Þ

    Lifting the lid off the large pot, Minjae peered in to see how far the soup was cooked. Since the day Minjae had punished Soo Hyun, the woman had retreated into the shadows, keeping to her duties to attend to Lady Ryu. Gil-ae had maintained a respectful silence. However, Minjae finally opted not to say anything more about the subject. It was evident the war weighed heavily on everyone''s mind, so it could be safely assumed letting go of internal strife was a clever thing to do.

    It had taken almost sacrificing everything in her life to attain the happy space Minjae was in with Seung, and nothing was worth jeopardising it. Not even an unhappy sister-in-law. Yes, she did wish things were better, but then they had a lifetime to work on it.

    She walked around and over the scrap buckets full of kitchen waste sitting on the floor and dropped her soiled apron in the washing pile. Picking up her medicine bag, she made her way out to the waiting palanquin.

    Her routine calls had now shortened to very few people in the villages. With war raging offshore, Seung was terrified that if they came under attack, she would be caught in the middle without having enough time for him to be at her side. Still, there were long-term patients she needed to see, and in any case, it was impossible to be in the house with the continuous hostility she faced from Gil ae.

    "Physician Cho is severely short-staffed. The naval skirmishes are piling up injuries," Minjae said as she unwound next to Seung. He made sure to have all his meals in her room. She gently fanned him while the maids occasionally brought water or tea.

    The water skirmishes were now a daily affair. The supplies to the army on the island were effectively cut off. The monks in the mountains managed to get news, but it wasn''t encouraging.

    "I forbid you to even think of it, Minjae. You know where I stand on that," Seung said quietly.

    At any other time, Minjae would have bristled at his tone. But these were not normal times. Seung''s paranoia was well-founded, and she could not fault him for it. Even if it were not for the royal edict that forbade women from attending to men outside of their kin, the peril of working at the army base alone was cause enough for caution. Should the Qing soldiers descend upon the island, the base would inevitably become their earliest prize of conquest. They were known to kidnap physicians and medicine women and carry them away.

    "I understand. I feel burdened, though, they must be so overworked," she said with an unhappy sigh.

    "I will check on them tomorrow. The Commander does not like me much, but his second-in-command is a remarkable man. I will see if the physicians need more help."

    A faint smile graced her lips as Minjae nodded.

    "You cooked today," Seung observed, relishing a piece of fish, his chopsticks cleaning the bowl.

    Minjae''s cheeks bloomed with pleasure. "I stay at home most of the time. Eomoni loves my cooking, so I try to do more." She didn''t add that she had seen Gil-ae struggle with the increased workload that the constant shortage of supplies brought and felt she had to step in. Minjae had learned to cook with less and be thrifty a long time back.

    "Is there anything you cannot do well, woman?" Seung asked with a mock disgruntlement.

    Minjae gave it serious thought. "Painting and knitting are not my strengths," she said.

    A maid came in to refill a cup.

    "You are good at that one thing that really matters," Seung said casually, working on his bowl of rice.

    "Stitching?" She pursed her lips, the fan casting soft, moving shadows on the floor.

    Carefully setting his chopsticks aside with an exaggerated air of thoughtfulness, Seung looked up at her, his eyes hooded, a playful smile lifting the corner of his mouth.

    "No," he said. "Stealing."

    She folded the fan and rested it on her lap, her brows furrowed in confusion. "What? I have never -"

    "You have. My heart," Seung said, clutching his chest.

    A furious blush covered Minjae.

    Something fulfilling bloomed in Seung''s chest. He motioned the servants to leave. The maids standing quietly in the corner exchanged knowing smiles before bowing and slipping out of the chamber, leaving the two alone.

    "Come here, wife," Seung said.

    Carefully placing the fan on one of the tables, Minjae came to sit beside him. Seung picked up his spoon and scooped up the rice, putting it in her mouth.

    "You are not finished yet," Minjae protested, though her mouth closed on the utensil, the soft texture of the rice dissolving in her mouth. As was the norm, Minjae would eat after Seung finished his meal. Like every household, they too were now frugal, scraping and saving every morsel of food and pickling everything in sight.

    Without saying anything else, Seung changed to chopsticks, picked up several pieces of fish, and offered them to her, keeping his eyes locked with her. His eyes followed her mouth as it closed on the end of chopsticks to accept the food before they travelled back to her eyes, his gaze locked with her.

    There was something in his eyes that Minjae could not read. It wasn''t lust; it wasn''t even adoration. His posture shifted subtly¡ªshoulders firm, chin lifted¡ªyet the intensity in his gaze softened as though a fire burned there, tempered by an unspoken tenderness. The space between them seemed to hum, charged with the quiet force of his resolve.

    Her fingers travelled on their own accord to trace his jaw. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

    He turned into her palm, kissing it softly. "Sometimes it feels like I am in a dream, and -"

    Exerting pressure on his jaw, she turned his face towards her. "Dari! I am supposed to say things like that," she smiled. "You can''t even compare the number of times I have dreamt about you. I have had years of head start on you. Remember?"

    "I am sorry I wasn''t there, Minjae -"

    "We cannot be the prisoners of our past. You told me that," she said gently.

    He closed his eyes, pulling her closer. "The war is getting to me," he confessed. "I want to be out there, clashing steel, to stop them from taking what doesn''t belong to them."You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Minjae wrapped her arms around his neck, shifting closer. Seung sighed and laid his head on her lap. She removed the pin holding his headband together and released the knot on top of his head, running her fingers through his long, silky strands.

    "I''ll wash your hair tomorrow," she said.

    Seung closed his eyes while her fingers continued their gentle ministrations on his scalp. She knew his mind was a chaotic nerve of worry; the ever-present weight of the war settled heavily onto his shoulders. Nothing could ever effectively drown the roar of cannons or the silent dread of dwindling supplies.

    "You spent so much time with the Barbarians. You speak their language. Did you make connections, too?" She asked, in an effort to divert his mind but also out of genuine curiosity.

    Seung shifted his shoulders, folding his hands over his shoulders. "I made some good friends. The common villagers are nice people who are just going about their way of life. Their life is hard, especially due to the climate. There can be a lot of infighting between the clans, but they are normal people like everyone else. In fact, they are a lot more sociable, and their women enjoy a lot more freedom. They can live independently if they want. Many have fought in wars alongside men. That was genuinely surprising to me. That is when I realised how women in Joseon lack agency. But they are brutal in wars, especially the Mongolian mercenaries in their army."

    "You sound impressed by those women," Minjae teased.

    Seung opened one eye and looked at her. "You would have fared much better there compared to here," he said. "But life is easier for men in Joseon."

    "You seemed to have enjoyed your role as a merchant spy. Why did you leave?"

    Seung went quiet for a while. Minjae wondered if he had fallen asleep.

    "I was called back when His Highness, Grand Prince Bongrim, joined the troops in disguise. He insisted I accompany him to a particular campaign that we lost," he paused as if thinking through his next words carefully. "If I had rejoined as a merchant, someone could have recognised me."

    Instinctively, Minjae knew he wasn''t telling her the entire truth. "But would the reverse also not be true? Were the people you met as a merchant also in the troops you fought with?"

    Seung cleared his throat, and a sudden stain of pink appeared on his throat, and his ears were inked red.

    "There was, um, a woman soldier in the army who took an interest in me," He said, clearing his throat.

    "A woman soldier?"

    Seung sat up, not meeting her eyes. He picked up the teapot, poured the ginger jasmine tea into cups, and handed one to her.

    The tea that always calmed his nerves.

    He sipped carefully, still not meeting her eyes. "She was a high-ranking woman. A widow. She was quite used to getting her way."

    "You had a relationship with her?" Minjae asked.

    "It was nothing serious," he said, turning to face her, his ears ever redder. "No woman has made any impression on me before you. She was there, and I didn''t have you back then."

    Her eyes narrowed. "But it was serious enough for you not to go back to being a spy, and the Joseon powers allowed you."

    "She was a peace broker. I made her happy, and it suited the men in important robes to let me be," he shrugged.

    "But once she left, what stopped you from going back?" Minjae was now like a dog with a bone, her insides twisting with a black rope of jealousy at the unknown woman.

    Seung downed the cup in one motion. "She didn''t leave. If I had returned to be a spy, she would have come after me, and our ruse would have been destroyed. She had already started digging about me. To stop her from getting suspicious, I stayed back."

    "With her," Minjae said, fighting the sharp pang in her chest, wondering if the unknown woman had been as relentless and commanding as Seung described.

    Seung nodded.

    "How long?"

    "Eleven months," Seung answered.

    Minjae suddenly stood up. "You never told me you stayed with a woman before me. You had a concubine!"

    "No! I didn''t! If anything, I was her-" Seung sighed. "It does not matter. She was never important to me."

    "So you hated being with her?" Minjae asked sarcastically.

    Seung flushed. "It''s not that simple. She was...a necessary part of that life, but that''s all she ever was. She means nothing to me now."

    "So you were forced?"

    Seung looked away, rubbing the back of his neck, his breathing coming in short puffs. "No. But she was in a position to make demands on my time and person."

    "The Qing have attacked us, and by all counts, they are winning. What if she demands you to be with her again?"

    "No one can take you away from me, Minjae, not even a Princess," Seung said. His face was suddenly pale.

    "She is a Princess?" Minjae asked, her face reflecting the colourless canvas of Seung''s skin.

    Standing up next to her, Seung stepped closer, his long, waist-length hair whispering around his shoulders, giving him an ethereal look.

    "Yes. She is beautiful and talented, but she knows it. It only makes her mean and entitled."

    "But if you stayed that long, you must have liked her," Minjae argued, feeling sick for dragging the conversation but not able to stop. She turned away from him, biting her lips, feeling an unwelcome pressure behind her eyes.

    Seung''s chest touched her shoulder, his breath heated on her skin around her ear, but he didn''t touch her. "I don''t want to hurt you, but I won''t lie either. I admit I didn''t protest much in the beginning. In fact -" he paused, and Minjae could hear him swallow, "I chased her too. Women served a purpose, and she was easy on the eyes. I admired her ability to broker peace. She was charming when she wanted to be."

    "Did you love her?" Minjae asked, her voice shaky.

    Seung placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. He hooked a long finger under her chin and lifted it so he could look into her eyes, and a smile spread on Seung''s face, though the light in his eyes was dimmer than usual. "No. Back then, I didn''t know what love was. She was...a distraction, a way to pass the time. I didn''t think of the consequences because I didn''t believe I had anyone waiting for me. Within a few weeks, the charm wore off, and I wanted to leave but could not. It was almost like I was hostage to the treaty, though I also became privy to a lot of information that was useful to us. Once His Highness snuck back to fight with the troops, I had my chance to leave her and never looked back. It''s only because I was with her I realised what I feel for you is different." He gently framed her face with his palms. "Even the thought of being away from you tears me apart. It suffocates me to a point where it chokes me."

    "Would it have made a difference to her if - if you knew I was waiting for you here?"

    "I would not have touched her. I would have no reason to." He dragged Minjae closer, engulfing her in his massive arms.

    "Why did she not come after you?"

    "I don''t know. Maybe she got tired of me, too. Or perhaps she didn''t want to incur the wrath of the important people or bring attention to herself. I also wasn''t the only man she liked; I was just with her the longest. But there was something else that made me stay back. During some of the skirmishes our troops had embroiled with, the mercenaries targeted women, and I wasn''t always able to help them."

    Minjae''s arms went around him, her cheek resonating with his erratic heartbeats in his chest, making her aware of a turmoil she wasn''t sure was caused only by his memories.

    "Did she help rescue those women?" Minjae asked.

    "Only when it took her fancy, and she didn''t stub any important toe," he said bitterly. "I was unaware, even back then, how much you affected me. You were there in some form, present with me all the time. Your bracelet, just the thought that I was able to reach you before those men could-" Seung swallowed, gripping her tightly, rocking her gently. "The image of your escaping those two men on that hill comforted me and stopped me from feeling completely worthless," he whispered.

    Minjae shuddered at the raw despair she heard in his voice. It was something that had always united them - rescuing helpless, abused women.

    "You could never be worthless," Minjae said. "But it''s hurtful you never mentioned this before."

    "I don''t have an excuse. I was everything a Joseon scholar should never be."

    She gave a mirthless laugh against his chest. "You are allowed other women. I am not allowed to be jealous."

    "But you already know how much I detest that line of thinking."

    She had known about his past, but hearing about it like this hurt. "Were there others?"

    A long pause. "I never hid that from you."

    Minjae pushed at his chest. "You told me they were meaningless. Living with a woman for months is not meaningless, no matter how you word it."

    "I am sorry for not telling you. I didn''t want you to think poorly of me or give it more importance than it warranted. But there was no one like her," Seung assured her.

    Minjae''s eyes widened, and she flushed, turning away from him, but not before his face lost colour. Again.

    He tried to pull her back in his embrace, but she pushed him away.

    "It came out wrong! She was the only one I was forced to spend longer than a night!" Seung raked his fingers through his long tresses agitatedly.

    "All others were just.." he stopped, realising he was making it worse.

    He looked so flustered and worried that Minjae felt all the outrage drain away. But she didn''t say anything. There was no reason why she could not continue to torture him a little bit longer.

    "They were all older women looking for an escape for a night or so. Mostly widows. I stayed away from married women and unmarried girls. I never wanted a concubine or to settle until I met you. Now I realise I always had a home to come back to, if only had I looked harder. I just didn''t know it then."

    He must have seen her shoulders relax because he reached out for her again.

    This time, she let him draw her back in his arms, her back flush against him.

    She sighed. It was hard to stay angry with Seung, especially while his lips grazed her neck, swanning her nerve endings on a neverending song. His hands reached around to tug at the strings of her hanbok.

    She turned in his arms. "Thank you for telling me, Dari. I realise you could have hidden it from me."

    "I wish I could undo my past, Minjae. I wish I never had looked at another woman. Nothing ever brought me peace, and the temporary relief was never truly worth it," he said. "You are my anchor to my soul. You are everything I ever need."

    The pleading in his voice fell like a sharp shard in her heart. Minjae leaned her head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. "I believe you, Dari. But next time, tell me everything. I want to know every part of you¡ªthe good and the bad."

    "I promise," he whispered.

    Their lips clung to each other in desperate need. Their emotions ran high, and none of them could wait to claim the other. Clothes flew, limbs tangled. Crazed moans filled the chamber as Seung told Minjae in every way he could how much she meant to him.

    "You left bruises on my neck!" Minjae exclaimed a while later as she combed her hair after changing into her nightwear.

    Seung smiled, blowing small circles of air on the marks he had made. To ensure she was his. "Only on your neck?" He playfully encircled her, his large palm engulfing one side of her chest. "I can recall at least two other-"

    She shrugged him off her shoulder in mock anger though her heart overflowed with emotions.

    "Why do you have to wear clothes?" he complained.

    "Dari!"

    To her dismay and delight, she ended up wearing none anyway. Seung slept little, and he was a light sleeper. He was also needy. Sometimes, Minjae wondered if the war weighed more on him than he let on.

    "What do you think will happen after the war ends?" Minjae asked, cocooned in Seung''s embrace.

    Seung sucked in a sharp breath and tried to hide how much the war had unnerved him.

    "Depends on what terms it does. Qing is in no mood for compromise. It will take a miracle for them to leave without destroying everything if they win."

    "You spoke about how they treat women. Are you afraid for us?"

    Seung''s hand slid from her breast to her waist as he pulled her closer. His fingers dug into her waist. His scratchy jaw nuzzled the soft skin of her shoulders. His leg moved restlessly against hers.

    Minjae could smell his fear and feel his anxiety at her question.

    "I have a plan to escape and be out of reach if we are attacked," Minjae said, rightly reading his fear for her safety in case of an invasion and the island falling into the enemy''s hands. The thought of the Qing mercenaries targeting innocent villagers made her chest tighten with unease.

    Seung drew away from her, his hands clasping her shoulders while he turned her on her back so he could look down at her face. "What do you mean?"

    The soft silver light streaming through the window drew fascinating lines across his face. She played with the wisps of hair spread across his shoulders, the strands sensually soft against the tips of her fingers. It was one of those rare days he had slept with his hair open.

    "I can arrange for their escape. The monks can take some of the women and the children in and hide them in the mountains."

    His eyes lit up. "Would that be possible without the Qing soldiers finding out?"

    "They are all engaged in battles, are they not? They attack temples but wouldn''t go too far into the forests. I''ll need Han So Ye. She is the only one the monks will trust."

    Seung nodded, his eyes thoughtful. Hopeful. He laid back down on his back and drew her closer, her head in the crook of his shoulder and left arm, his palm lightly resting on her waist, her body turned towards him.

    Minjae traced his chest with her fingers, drawing absent-minded shapes. "But if we let too many women leave at once, they will get suspicious, and the Barbarians will get the hint and will follow the trail. We need to do it slowly. Get the low-profile ones out earlier - pregnant and the young unmarried girls."

    Seung''s mouth pinched. "You, Gil-ae and Mother must leave. I am sure if we involve His Excellency, he would want Kim-I-On to leave as well."

    Minjae could feel the increase of his heartbeats under her palms. "We have to be clever about this. If we make it too known, someone will let the secret out. We have the people who are working with the Qing, and they already know about the rescue network. But the fact that no one approached the monks means they don''t know all of it."

    Seung didn''t seem convinced. "I can''t have you take such a risk again without knowing you are safe. Maybe I am selfish, but you, Gil-ae and Mother are the three people I am most concerned with. And I can''t lose you again."

    "But you speak about taking the sword against the enemy. That means I could lose you, too. We must think positively."

    "You have to be one of the first ones out of here and in the mountains or wherever the monks will hide you."

    Minjae paused her fingers on his chest and raised her head, placing a soft kiss on his blade-like jaw. "I have a hiding place in the forest. The entrance is not visible to anyone not looking for it. It can hold about a dozen women if the need arises. No one knows about it. I used to go there in the beginning when things got too much."

    After a brief pause, Seung said, "Pack a basket of food tomorrow. I want to see this place."

    "How were you ever a spy?" Minjae laughed. "I could hold a banner to announce to everyone where it''s located. You are a little hard to miss."

    "I know how to blend in if I want," Seung said and turned to her. "We are going tomorrow. And now I need you to be a dutiful wife -"

    "I am too sore!" Minjae hissed.

    "Oh! All right," Seung said, with a tad hint of disappointment.

    Minjae smiled and raised herself on his chest, giving him a soft kiss. "I didn''t say I wasn''t ready. We still need to work on producing an heir for you," she teased, a playful glint in her eyes.

    Seung flipped her on her back, his fingers tickling her sides. Minjae giggled, pushing at his chest, knowing it would be another night she would not get too much sleep either.

    She didn''t mind it at all.

 Fifty One: Resolve

    "This is incredible, Minjae," Seung exclaimed, leaping over the stepping stone. He adjusted his eyes to the dark and looked in wonder at the small room.

    Shyly, Minjae approached a rolled bed in a dark corner of the cavernous chamber. She hadn''t visited the cave in months, and its surfaces were coated in a thick layer of grime. Carefully, she pulled off the top sheet, coughing when a puff of dust rose into the air, and set it aside, revealing another layer beneath. She spread the cleaner cloth on the ground, unrolled the bed, and gestured for Seung to sit.

    Next, she lit a small lamp.

    The chamber had a small chest by the bed. A few water pitchers lined one side of the wall. There were some smaller jars of what looked like pickled food. Half of the floor was covered by hemp.

    A stack of manuscripts found a home by the chest in this unlikeliest of places.

    Carrying the lantern to the small chest, Minjae carefully placed it on the floor and dragged the chest closer to her. Inserting a key, she turned it, opening the lid.

    "When Ko Yoon put me on that boat, he sent this chest with me; the boatmen already knew where to take me. It was my grandmother''s chest, the one she wanted me to have when I left home with my husband." She looked up and gave him a smile. The lantern light made her amber eyes twinkle.

    Seung tried to ignore the twinge in his heart at the thought of how lonely and scared she must have been to hide in a place like this, the pain catching him unaware at the back of his throat. He swallowed, looking away, just to gather himself and not let her see how much this was affecting him.

    All the cruel words he had said to her in anger came rushing back. Even though it had been weeks, the acid of his own words to her still gnawed at him. Every time Gil-ae slighted her, the wounds went deeper. Even though he knew he was not in a position to have known any of this, it didn''t lessen his guilt that he wasn''t there to protect her. Or be there for her.

    She was the bravest person he had ever met. And somehow, she always knew what he was thinking.

    Minjae rose and walked closer to him. "Dari, don''t do this to yourself," she said, her voice softer than the gentle stream of water over shining rocks.

    She intertwined her hand with his and dragged him to the chest. One by one, the treasures inside the box turned into a pile on the bed. Seung watched her intently as she picked up each ornament and told him stories behind it.

    "This belonged to my great grandfather''s Aunt,

    "This was my mother''s favourite ornament.

    "My grandfather bought this one on his first government posting for my grandmother"-

    He could listen to her for hours. She showed him the gold and silver bars, the coins, the norigaes.

    There was enough in that chest to buy a small kingdom. Minjae could have gone anywhere with that money, hidden, and never had anyone find her again.

    Yet she chose to stay, endangering herself every day by not only lowering her status as a medicine woman but also serving sick people and using the money instead to create an elaborate network to rescue abused women. The same network that a few bastards infiltrated and put her life in danger. His jaw clenched. He would find them. He would find them and tear them apart limb by limb.

    Even though he had known all of this, seeing it with his own eyes filled his heart with an emotion he could not identify.

    He raised his knuckles to trace her jaw. "How long have you had this place to hide in?"

    "Since I came to the island," Minjae replied. "I feel comfortable in forests. When we were hiding in the mountains during the last Barbarian invasion, Grandmother taught me a lot about living in the mountains and caves. It helps that I know the roots and herbs so well¡ªI never go hungry."

    Seung tilted his head curiously. "How did you get these things in here? I could barely crawl through the opening we just came through."

    Minjae nodded, carefully replacing the contents of the chest and closing it. "There''s another entrance on the other side that leads to the stream."

    "The stream is on the other side of this cave?" Seung asked, intrigued.

    Minjae dropped the key in her sleeve and moved the chest back to its original position. "Yes. The other opening is a ledge overlooking the stream. If you''re outside, you might not realise the ledge is part of a cave."

    Seung''s brow furrowed. "But can you climb to it from outside?"

    "You can if you know how," Minjae said with a small smile. "You have to climb up first and then descend to get inside." She walked over to a small wall that jutted out of the larger wall. Minjae dropped to her knees and crawled behind a small barrier jutting out from the massive cave wall. She motioned for Seung to follow, pushing a rock aside to reveal a narrow opening. Without hesitation, she ducked into the passage, her voice echoing faintly as she moved ahead.

    Seung followed, the cool air brushing against his face as the tight passage twisted and turned. After a short crawl, they emerged into a larger, open space.

    Nimbly jumping off a ledge, Minjae landed on a larger ledge below and then stepped onto scattered boulders of various sizes before landing on the floor. Seung followed her quickly.

    They emerged into an enormous, barren cave, where light streamed from an opening above, concealed by a wall-like structure. Rope ladders were hanging on the side of what looked like a narrow platform that hid behind that wall. Jagged rocks jutted out everywhere the eyes could see, and a part of the wall was moist. A corner of the cave had a small, dry hole.

    "When it rains heavily, water collects there," Minjae explained.

    "This can hold many people," Seung said. "But it would be hard to get pregnant women here."

    "I''m hoping it won''t come to that. We can get them away from danger much earlier."

    They found their way to the outside ledge, and Seung''s jaw dropped.

    "I wish you had brought me here too¡ªwe could have hidden together," Seung said with a laugh, his eyes shining as he took in the rolling hills of evergreen trees and the gushing waters below.

    The ledge wasn''t too high to be dangerous but too high to climb from below. Seung sat on the edge and dangled his legs. He looked up at Minjae, patting the space beside him, a grin splitting his face.

    With a wry smile, Minjae lowered herself next to him.

    Something was so perfect about this moment.

    "What are you thinking, Dari?"

    "That chest you showed me," he said. "It''s not safe in that cave."

    She sighed. "I didn''t know where else to keep it. At first, it was in Unnie''s grandmother''s room. Then I moved it earlier this year after you came back with your family."

    "Why?"

    "I was afraid you would see it and figure out who I was," she said, almost inaudibly.

    "How? It was full of things I have never laid my eyes on."

    "You would ask questions about everything. Moreover, the chest has my grandfather''s name engraved on it inside."

    Seung nodded understandingly.

    "Also, it had the dress you gave me," she murmured. "But then I decided to keep it with me anyway." A small laughter escaped from her chest.

    "Do you miss it?" Seung asked. "The dress, I mean."

    "It was never mine; it was always Gil-ae''s. It has the lace your father bought for her."

    It was true. Seung had the dress stitched for Gil-ae as a surprise, and she was supposed to wear it on his wedding day. Yet now, it felt wrong. Once Minjae wore it, it belonged to her. Not that she would ever see it that way, and his sister had not been her usual self once she learned the truth to appreciate having Minjae as her sister-in-law.

    "You are too kind for your own good," Seung sighed, pulling her closer. He laid his hand on her shoulder, his fingers light but firm on the wool covering her skin.

    "I''m sure Soo Hyun would disagree," Minjae said.

    Seung snorted.

    "Can I ask you something?"

    In reply, his thumb traced a circle on her shoulder.

    "Why do you hate Soo Hyun so much?"

    Moving away a bit, he bent his head awkwardly so he could look at her, his brow lifting in askance.

    "She was also my father''s victim," Minjae said, her eyes curious.

    Shaking his head, Seung turned and looked down at the shimmering water, intertwining his free hand with her slender fingers lying in her lap and giving it a soft squeeze. "I don''t hate her. But I don''t like the idea of having her in my house either. And she does not escape punishment just because of her history. She could have confided in me, too. But she tried to take your place despite knowing who you were. She is still trying to hurt you. That is something I''ll never forgive."

    Minjae''s mouth fell open. "How-"

    "I''m not blind, and I know everything that goes on in this house. I have eyes and ears everywhere," he said, though there was a touch of that old arrogance that made Minjae smile. "If it wasn''t for you being so concerned about your father finding out about us earlier than he needs to, she would have been long gone."

    Minjae had learned that there were a few things Seung didn''t compromise.

    Seung gently pulled her closer. The stream''s liquid force hummed musically, the soft winter sun highlighting the white foam of bubbles that rose where the pebbles waylaid the dancing water.

    "I love water," Seung said.

    "I love you," Minjae said, looking down at the gushing stream.

    They sat there together, sighing deeply, happily, and for that short while, forgetting everything about the gloom of war pounding their soil not too far from their currently safe island.

    ¡Þ

    A quick, quiet visit to Han So-Ye had been enough to persuade her to seek a meeting with the monks in the mountains.

    "Unnie, I don''t want to go alone," Pyo Ye-ri''s lips quivered, her eyes wide in fright.

    "I promise I will join you soon. Just remember you must be brave and take care of halemoni," Minjae said soothingly. The young girl nodded her head, uncertainty framing her vulnerable face as her thin arms went around Minjae. "Come soon, Unnie," Yeri cried into her midriff. Minjae patted her head comfortingly.

    "I will. Now go," Minjae tried to keep her throat unclogged. The truth was, nothing was certain in a war. Would she see Pyo Ye-ri or the old woman she called grandmother for the last five years again?

    She silently watched Pyo Ye-ri making her way to the bobbing boat in the distance, already filled with several young, pregnant and old women from the village. This was the seventh and the last boat before they opened the rescue to the Yangban women on the island.

    "It''s dangerous, but ah! Anything to hoodwink those bastards," Han So-ye said, a sly smile lifting her mouth, her eyes gleaning.

    "How is Ko-Yoon?" Minjae asked. Ko Yoon was supposed to coordinate with Soye, but he had recently been severely wounded in a crossfire when the land forces went to aid the naval boats in a skirmish.

    "I''m not sure; I haven''t had an update in a while," So-Ye said.

    A light powdery fluff fell on them, sticking to their scarves and heavy winter coats. Minjae felt her boots sink some more into the mushy white ground beneath her.

    "Do you think Captain Park is doing all right?" Han So-Ye asked suddenly.

    Surprised by the question, Minjae thoughtfully studied her friend. When Seung had told her that Park had been in love with Han So-Ye and was saving money to buy her freedom from the state, she''d been shocked. How had she been so blind?

    "You''ve loved him for so long, So-ye-ah. Why did you never tell me?"

    Han So-Ye''s expression hardened. "Go and arrange for the first group of Yangban women we need to move," she said, effectively cutting off any further discussion about Captain Park.

    Minjae gave her friend a steady look. "Don''t change the subject. Why?"

    A shadow flickered across Han So-Ye''s face. "What difference would it have made?"

    "You kept pushing us together even though we were never interested in each other," Minjae said, her voice tinged with confusion and hurt.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    "You are the kind of woman who could have made him happy. Moreover, I hoped maybe he would move on and not be a disappointment to his family."

    "It was not fair on either of us, Han So-Ye," Minjae said.

    Han So-Ye shrugged. "It kept men like Inspector Ka away from you."

    Minjae''s mouth thinned. "I can take care of myself."

    Han So Ye sighed. "You could have fallen in love. Your husband was a nutcase, and had Commander Lee not come to the island, then who knows..."

    A soft laugh escaped Minjae. "I could never be with Captain Park or any other man. The man I loved all my life ensured I could never think of anyone else."

    Han So Ye scoffed. "Until that handsome man came and trampled all your ideas of ideal love." She paused. "Wait, who was it that you loved all your life? You never told me anything!"

    Brushing the snow off her skirt, Minjae pressed her lips. Could she confide in Han So Ye? No one knew the extent of her relationship with Seung. Kim I-On did, but with her new baby and the Governor''s house being a pit of all things political as the war raged in the mainland, her visit to her best friend had become sporadic. Even Kim Da Bom didn''t know the details. No one did.

    "I want to tell you a story," Minjae said softly. "But we will need some sustenance because it''s a long one."

    They quickly made their way back to the Keisang house. It was good to be out of the bitter cold and snow covering every inch of the foliage.

    A few claps from Han So-Ye and maids appeared with trays full of food. War or no, Han So Ye''s kitchen was always overflowing.

    "It all started when a woman died after giving birth to a little girl years ago," Minjae began.

    Four cups of tea, and two hours later, Minjae sank back to her cushion, her eyes trained on a vague spot across the floor.

    For the first time, Minjae didn''t leave out anything. Not even the shards of fear that she felt every time Seung was away from her.

    The tea in front of Han So-Ye had grown cold. She had not touched anything. In fact, she had not moved in the time Minjae told her story.

    Words had never been Minjae''s refuge, yet here she was, having poured out every scar, every secret. For a long moment, the room was hollow and still, as if even the walls dared not breathe. Han So-Ye blinked once, her lips parting as if to speak, but no sound emerged. Only her eyes¡ªwide, glassy and yet filling again to add to the rivulets cascading down her cheeks¡ªbetrayed the depth of emotions she fought to contain.

    When she moved, it was like she was eighty-five instead of twenty-five, and then sank next to Minjae, folding Minjae into her arms with fierce tenderness as though trying to shield her from the weight of her own past. So-Ye patted her back soothingly.

    "The man this entire kingdom reveres is nought but a disgrace cloaked in honour. Your father is unworthy of your filial piety, Minjae," Han So-Ye said feelingly.

    Something dark twisted inside Minjae. It was easier said than done.

    Han Soye looked lost for a moment. "So, the real Minjae, my beautiful little friend...."

    "I''m sorry, Han Soye, for lying to you and pretending to be someone I never was," Minae twisted her fingers in her lap.

    "I always knew something was off when I saw you again. She was a pretty child, and even if it had been years, it seemed unbelievable someone would look so different after growing up. But you are so beautiful, and Kim Seo-jun proclaimed you his daughter, so no one dared question him and took him for face value."

    "She saved my life and gave me hers. And I am so ashamed of being Choi Jina -"

    "Hush. You are and always will be my dearest friend, Kim Minjae. I don''t know when, but one day, you will be the proud Lady Choi that everyone will know and respect. And never forget you walked through fire to get your man. Never let him go."

    Han So-Ye rocked Minjae as the tumultuous emotions within her died down.

    "Also, I''m going to teach you some tricks," Han So Ye''s eyes twinkled. "He will never know what hit him," she giggled.

    Shaking her head, Minjae pushed at her friend. "Don''t think I don''t remember -"

    Han So-Ye put her hand on Minjae''s mouth, her face flushed with embarrassment. "I''m sorry, I didn''t know!" She removed her hand and put her palm on her cheek, which was now flaming. "You recognised him right away, didn''t you?"

    Minjae nodded, reminded of that first painful night when she had realised Seung was back in her life.

    "You must have felt so hurt," Han So-Ye looked down.

    "I was. But then Dari thought he didn''t have a filial wife to return to, so I can''t hold it against him or you."

    "I was foolish. I wanted to hurt Captain Park," Soye said sadly. "His mother had visited me right before and said some nasty things. I thought - I thought if I went with someone, someone really powerful, he would finally rid himself of me."

    Grabbing Soye''s small, warm hands in her, Minjae gave a slight squeeze. "That is not how ways of the heart work, Soye. You should have given Captain Park a chance."

    "I understand that now, but it''s too late. I was angry and heartbroken. But did I not tell you Commander Lee''s heart was not there? I have never met a man who could be so distant mentally. You make him whole, Minjae."

    Minjae''s face softened, red blooming her cheeks.

    "And I am going to teach you those tricks, My Lady," she continued. She retrieved a stack of books, leaving Minjae teetering between mortified embarrassment and uncontainable excitement.

    "He is never going to leave you alone," Han So Ye smiled widely.

    She was still blushing, her heart feeling lighter in years as Minjae left.

    "Did you come alone?" Han So-Ye called after her.

    "I told you I can take care of myself," Minjae retorted.

    "Are you mad? Do you know how dangerous it is? People stay indoors unless it''s absolutely urgent. I barely have any clients anymore, and the roads are deserted. If something were to happen to you, no one would know until it was too late!" So-ye''s eyes narrowed. "You are going to the hospital."

    "It''s a quick visit, and I only want to check on Ko-Yoon," Minjae''s voice rose, firm with determination.

    Han So-Ye crossed her arms. "Does Commander Lee know?"

    At that, Minjae paused. Seung had, in no uncertain terms, forbidden her to travel anywhere alone, no matter how close her destination was to home. The hospital had been off-limits for a very long time.

    She, of course, didn''t always obey him.

    ¡Þ

    Lee Seung dismounted with practised ease, his shoulders were taut with exhaustion from a day spent securing defence routes and distributing supplies to villagers. The grim reality of war etched deeper lines into his brow.

    He looked forward to the calm that Minjae brought to him, her soothing voice to tide him over, and her soft curves, a refuge from all that was wrong in the world. His muscles ached, but his need for her eclipsed all other aches. He wanted to bury himself inside her.

    He bounded up the steps to her chamber, only to find it empty.

    The sun was going down rapidly, and it was unlikely that she would be out this late.

    As he approached the main hall, hushed voices reached his ears.

    "Hospital?" Gil Ae''s voice was strained.

    "Yes, my lady. I had a doubt when I saw her maid coming back alone. So I made some inquiries."

    A horrified gasp reached his ears.

    Minjae had been to the hospital? Alone?

    Ordinarily, Seung wouldn''t dream of curbing her independence. However, Prince Bongrim''s stormy mood and lingering disapproval of Minjae''s presence in Seung''s household loomed heavily over the situation. They could not afford to alienate the Prince. One never knew when a Royal could lose his temper and order something unthinkable, like her arrest for disobeying a royal edict. Minjae knew it very well.

    "I also have it in good confidence that His Highness is peeved with Royal Commander Lee because of her presence in this household. She is also in the sore eyes of Consort Gwe-in for overstepping."

    How did this woman manage to gather so much news despite being demoted to being little better than a slave?

    "That''s because they don''t know the truth about Lady Jina being Oraboni''s wife," Gil-ae said, and Seung''s heart warmed at his sister''s defence of Minjae.

    "What is the truth, my lady? The one that you know or the one that people see?" Soo Hyun hissed. "Minjae is not fit to be his wife. She''s too willful, too independent. A proper woman knows her place and serves her husband without question."

    Seung froze, his blood turning molten.

    Before Seung could step forward, Gil-ae''s hesitant voice joined, "She has changed. That was not how she was raised. She was supposed to be filial and obedient."

    "You see?" Soo Hyun pressed. "Minjae acts like she belongs in a man''s world. She embarrasses him. Men like Commander Lee cannot afford a wife who stands on equal footing. He tolerates her now, but the day will come when he realises what a liability she truly is."

    The air crackled with tension. Before either could utter another word, Seung strode in, his presence thunderous.

    "Enough!" His voice reverberated through the room like an unsheathed blade. Soo Hyun flinched, lowering her gaze, trembling.

    A sharp surge of anger burned through Seung''s chest. He stepped out from the shadows, his voice low and lethal. "How dare you utter her name with your dirty mouth?"

    Soo Hyun''s face paled, her mouth opening and closing like a fish caught on dry land. Gil-ae''s eyes widened in shock.

    "Oraboni¡ª" Gil-ae began, but he cut her off, his gaze locked onto Soo Hyun.

    Soo Hyun went down on her knees. "Forgive me, Dari, I know it''s not my place, and you can rip my tongue for it, but you defend her unreasonably," Soo Hyun said, bending some more in fake supplication that made Weung''s blood boil. "Lady Choi defies you¡ªeveryone sees it! She walks in places meant for men. She is putting everyone in danger and disgrace."

    Seung''s expression darkened, his voice dangerously quiet. "The only disgrace here is your petty scheming."

    "How can you be such a hypocrite!" Gil-ae burst out, trembling with emotion. "You let her do what no other woman can! You have one rule for her and another for the rest of us! You never hold her accountable."

    Seung''s anger faltered for a heartbeat, replaced by something deeper¡ªregret, sorrow.

    "You think I don''t hold her accountable?" His voice broke slightly.

    "No, you don''t, Oraboni!"

    The silence that followed was deafening.

    Soo Hyun''s face twisted with frustration, but she held her tongue. But Gil-ae''s breath only increased until it turned into a sob.

    What happened to his sweet little sister? She used to love everything about Minjae, yet now...

    Seung took a steadying breath. "I have tolerated much in this household... but not this." His voice turned cold again. "If either of you dares to speak against Minjae again, you will find there are far worse enemies than the world outside our gates."

    Gil-ae''s lips thinned, and she looked past him over his shoulder. Seung followed her line of gaze.

    Woo Sari, Minjae''s maid, hovered anxiously near the gate.

    "You are so blind for her, Oraboni!" Gil ae said bitterly.

    His chest constricted. Seung advanced towards Woo Sari, fists clenched. "Where is Minjae?"

    Before Sari could stammer a reply, Seung saw her¡ªa small procession of Han Soye''s guards escorting Minjae toward the gate. Relief warred with mounting fury.

    When Minjae crossed the threshold, her eyes lit up when she saw Seung and a warm smile graced her face before she saw Gil-ae and Soo Hyun behind him. Her expression turned unreadable.

    Seung seized her arm, dragging her toward the inner courtyard.

    "Where were you?" His voice was hoarse with restrained rage.

    Minjae yanked at her arm. "Dari! You are hurting me."

    He let her go, but his mouth was pinched into a thin line.

    "You went out alone¡ªafter everything¡ªafter I told you never to do so again?"

    "I went to see Grandmother and Pyo Ye-ri off," she replied quietly so only he would hear.

    Seung''s eyes softened for a moment, and then he asked, "At the hospital?"

    Shock flitted across her eyes. "How-"

    "Alone." He glanced at Woo Sari, who now stood behind Minjae, a worried expression on her face. "You were planning to hide it from me?" Seung''s voice was cold.

    "No, I would not have hidden it from you, Dari. But were you even planning to tell me Ko Yoon was injured?"

    Seung cursed under his breath and looked away.

    "It''s been five days! And he is not doing well. His wounds needed sutures, and if he does not get enough attention it will turn putrid -"

    His jaw tightened. "You think you''re invincible? Do you know what can happen if His Highness finds out you went to that hospital and, worse, attended to a man? That network you are so proud of is now infiltrated by people who want to see you hanging because they need a scapegoat, and you are being arrogant and reckless!"

    It was a low blow, and she could see the regret in Seung''s eyes the moment those words were out of his mouth. But he didn''t take them back.

    Her eyes blazed. "I know exactly what could happen. It only means control trumps humanity. All of you would rather see a man die of neglect than have him attended by someone who has the cure only because she is a woman. He is more than a younger brother to me, and I - I cannot¡ªwill not¡ªstand idle and watch him die because of your misplaced sense of control."

    His voice dropped, low and dangerous. "Is that what you think? That I seek control over you? I am trying to protect you."

    Minjae''s breath hitched, her voice trembling but fierce. "You cannot protect someone by caging them, Dari. I will not live as a prisoner of your fears."

    They stared at each other, the wind howling around them, their breaths ragged from anger and something far deeper¡ªsomething neither could name.

    Seung turned away first, his hands trembling. He didn''t miss Soo Hyun''s raised eyebrows and Gil ae''s slack expression. He could not decide what terrified him more¡ªthe danger she courted or the possibility that she was right. Or the fact that maybe Gil-ae was right.

    "You are my wife! From today on, I forbid you from stepping out of this house without Woo Sari and my guards." His voice dropped, an unreadable expression taking over his face as he said in a voice that only she could hear. "And you will leave on the first boat that leaves this island with the Yangban women."

    Minjae felt blood rush out of her face and tingle in her extremities.

    "You don''t mean that, Dari," her voice quivered.

    Seung''s eyes shuttered as he turned and walked away from her stunned face. Minjae watched him retreat, her heart pounding, her throat feeling like it was filled with sand. She hated the distance that loomed between them more than she feared any threat beyond the gates.

    She could not, would not, leave things as they were. Though they didn''t know what happened, Minjae didn''t miss the smug expressions on Soo Hyun''s face or Gil-ae''s shocked ones.

    Taking a deep breath, she calmly made her way to Seung''s chambers.

    Hands grabbed at her sides, spinning her around and pinning her to a column as soon as she stepped in and closed the door behind her. Seung''s body pressed hers, his hands grabbing her wrists in his fists above her head.

    "You put yourself and us in danger today," he ground out.

    Minjae looked up at his brown, liquid eyes, the hurt in them twisting the band on her heart. They pulled her in, the way they always had. "I''m sorry. I only wanted to see Ko Yoon. I won''t do it again."

    "This is not the first time. You have been going to see off the boats every time they leave the island, knowing full well how dangerous it is!"

    She had nothing to reply, knowing he was right. She swallowed. "Today was the last one." She dared another look. "But I won''t leave you. I won''t. I have my cave. I''ll hide there when the time comes."

    "I won''t change my mind. You are leaving," Seung said, his chest heaving against hers. "I won''t lose you again. This is going to be over soon, I know it in my bones. I''ll fetch you right after."

    Minjae shook her head. Her heart thumped frantically in dismay. "No."

    Seung swallowed the rest of her words as he crushed her mouth with his. There was no pause as his hands released her wrists. He tugged at her hanbok and bunched her skirt around her hips, grasping her thighs to wrap them around his waist. His fingers found the inlet of her underpants and tore at it, finding her soft, moist core with fingers that went slick.

    "Dari!" She gasped, throwing her head back, only to find his lips following the column of her throat.

    "So ready for me, always," he said guttarily. He held her tight against him, shifting their position while he walked to the wall behind the column, pushing her against it. He entered her in one swift motion, the frames on the wall digging Minjae''s back. Her petite frame quivered with pleasure at the invasion.

    "You think I want to let you leave, Minjae?" His voice was tortured.

    "Then don''t," she grasped him tighter with her heels locked at her ankles around his torso.

    "You are not safe here. Someone saw you today at the hospital, and it won''t be long before the word reaches His Highness," Seung didn''t stop pounding her, his anguish transferring to her in pulsing beats.

    "I''ll not -" A hard shove of his hips into her, so deep that she didn''t know where he ended and where she started.

    Minjae''s nails dug in his shoulder cords in a delirious response.

    "Let you-" he slammed into her again.

    Minjae moaned in reply.

    "Make me feel powerless," his grunt was passionate, his despair transparent.

    Minjae dropped her forehead on his shoulder, squeezing her eyes shut at the pain and pleasure wracking her body.

    "I''m not leaving you," she whispered, and he reached out between them, his fingers weaving a spell on the apex of her nerves as he balanced her weight with one hand.

    His eyes were hooded as he watched an energy burst from her like a crackling flame spitting a shower of embers. "Not leave me, but be safe for me," he said before he joined her as she rode into ecstasy, shuddering his release into her messily.

    Minjae crumpled the fabric on his back, resting her cheek in the hollow of his shoulder.

    Their heartbeats surged together, an untamed rhythm that filled the silence between them. At some point, the sun had dipped completely, leaving the chamber in a soft play of dark and light.

    For all his fury and fear, she knew one truth: she would never leave his side.