Dawn broke slowly in the east. Ryang returned to Seon's room and kept vigil by her bedside until morning. It wasn't until well past noon that Seon finally stirred, her eyes fluttering open to meet Ryang's.

  "Are you alright?" Ryang asked, his voice rough with fatigue.

  Seon, noticing the bloodshot eyes that betrayed a sleepless night, felt a momentary pang of sympathy. But it quickly faded.

  "Is he gone?" she asked.

  "He left before dawn," Ryang confirmed.

  "What was decided?" Seon pressed.

  Ryang, relieved to see Seon's usual fire despite her brush with death, explained, "The next time I travel to Wicheong, I will bring a letter from the Guardian to Sung."

  Seon shot up in bed. "A letter? What letter?"

  Ryang calmly outlined the plan. "We need to at least keep them neutral. If we can get them on our side, even better."

  "But Sung and Dahn are allies," Seon argued.

  "Precisely," Ryang countered. "they're the ones with a spy in the court of their ally."

  "What about Princess Kyeong'ui?" Seon asked cautiously.

  "We will take her hostage," Ryang stated flatly. "Hongyoo will arrange it."

  "And what does he gain from this?"

  "He'll likely earn some accolades for his service to Sung and ensure his own survival. Perhaps even that of his lover," Ryang said impassively. "And if he's lucky, the Princess will remain ignorant of his betrayal until her dying breath."

  Seon recoiled in disgust. "Lover? You call that disgusting shit love?"

  Ryang sighed, the memory of his encounter with Hongyoo leaving a bitter taste. He, too, felt a deep aversion to him. Yet, he couldn't forget the earnest gleam in Kyeong'ui's eyes when she spoke of finding a cause worthy of his loyalty. Though she was their enemy, he found himself strangely drawn to her fiery spirit. He recalled Hongyoo's words - that Kyeong'ui had always been a bright and inquisitive child. She must have shown Hongyoo that same spark, that same light in her eyes. Ryang's hands clenched as he imagined Hongyoo holding the young princess, gazing into those trusting eyes. But am I any better? He was, after all, plotting to kidnap her and use her as a leverage.

  "He claims his love for her is genuine," Ryang said.

  "Oh, come on! You think that's true?" Seon scoffed, rolling her eyes.

  "Actually, yeah, I think so," Ryang admitted.

  "If you're right," Seon spat, "then he's utterly mad. If Kyeong'ui were my sister, I'd strangle that bastard with my bare hands."

  Ryang, wanting to avoid further unpleasant thoughts, changed the subject.

  "After I visit Lady Seolyo, I'll go to Wicheong Palace. Before I get the letter from him, you need to connect Hongyoo with the person above him who frequents our inn."

  "Who's the person above him?" Seon asked.

  "There's someone I told you to keep an eye on every time he comes. Remember?" Ryang explained. "U'nso knows his face. He's wearing the same ring as Hongyoo, so you'll recognize him. As you learned last night, they're dangerous. Be careful. Don't get within arm's reach, and if they hand you anything, don't take it with your bare hands. Understand?"

  Seon nodded solemnly at Ryang's warning, but couldn't let the matter drop.

  "You're just going to let him walk?" she asked.

  "He knows who we are," Ryang said firmly

  "After we secure the princess?" Seon pressed. "Then it won't matter how we get revenge on that bastard."

  "We can't just kill a Sungian spy while we're asking for their cooperation. And when we take the princess hostage, Hongyu will be taken too. How do you plan to get revenge on a hostage? Torture him without cause?"

  "It's not like we can't," Seon hissed.

  Seon showed no sign of backing down from wanting to get back at Hongyoo immediately. It had been last night that he promised Seon that he would not hide anything from her, but Ryang wanted to hide everything again. Ryang wanted to snap at Seon for her incessant nagging, but he managed to suppress his annoyance, remembering the crisis they had overcome last night.

  "We don't know what's going to happen yet. Don't think about useless things and focus on the deal with Sung for now. And calm down. You're going to make another mistake."

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  Seon didn't bring it up again, but the displeasure in her eyes continued to bother Ryang. Seon changed the subject, glancing at the position of the sun in the sky.

  "If you leave now and go see the Lady, it will be midnight before you get to Wicheong Palace. You should have left a little earlier."

  Ryang flicked Seon's forehead with his index finger.

  "I was going to leave after I saw you wake up," he retorted. "You scared me. Why do you sleep so long?"

  "You worry too much," Seong teased.

  "Anyway, get some more rest."

  Ryang returned to his chamber and began preparing for his journey to Wicheong Palace. Dara assisted him, helping him exchange his silk robes for simpler cotton garments. As he packed, his mind raced, rehashing the events he needed to relay to Seong.

  "Are you off to Wicheong?" Dara finally asked, breaking the silence.

  "Yes, I'll be away for a few days," Ryang replied absently, preoccupied with his preparations. "I might be a while this time, so don't wait up. How is U'nso doing?"

  "The physician says he'll recover," Dara reported. "Looks like the Royal Attendant's aim was off, or U'nso's a lucky man. The wound wasn't as bad as they thought."

  "Good. Make sure he's well looked after until he's fully healed."

  Dara fell silent. Ryang, sensing a shift in her, turned to find her frozen, clutching the black hat she meant to give him.

  "What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

  Dara's eyes, filled with sadness, met his. Ryang cursed his own obliviousness. He stepped towards her and pulled her into an embrace.

  "It's just that things are so chaotic right now," he murmured. "You saw what happened last night."

  Dara remained stiff in his arms.

  "I'm not ignoring you," he continued, trying to soothe her. "Well, not intentionally. It's just that there are so many lives hanging in the balance, yours included. I need to focus on getting us through this. You understand?"

  "I always do," Dara replied quietly.

  "Always?" Ryang echoed, taken aback. "What do you mean?"

  "You've always been like this," Dara said. "It's not new."

  Ryang, speechless, lowered his head. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

  Dara turned away, blinking back tears. Empty apologies wouldn't cut it this time. Ryang, reaching behind his neck, unclasped the ruby necklace he always wore and placed it around her neck.

  "Keep this," he said softly.

  Dara looked at him in surprise. "But this is yours. Everyone will know it belonged to you."

  "Let them," Ryang said with a smile. He gently cupped her cheek. "Thank you for understanding, always. Please, just wait a little longer."

  As he leaned in, the door burst open. Ryang pulled back abruptly. Seon stood in the doorway, her face pale.

  "Brother, you can't go to Wicheong today," she announced breathlessly. "Princess Kyeong'ui has sent her betrothed. He's here to see you."

  Ryang frowned. "Gahngyun Hyeok is here? In person?"

  "Yes," Seon confirmed. "She's demanding you meet her at the camp. Alone."

  The room fell silent, the tension palpable. Seon finally spoke up.

  "Don't go," Seon pleaded. "After the mess Hongyoo made last night, they want you to come to their camp, alone? It reeks of a trap. What if that bastard's playing games?"

  Seon wasn't the only one worried. Dara looked up at Ryang, shaking her head slightly. But Ryang started taking off his outer coat, the one he'd put on for Wicheong. Watching him silently prepare in front of the mirror, Seon's frustration erupted.

  "Brother!" she demanded.

  Ryang took the black hat from Dara and headed toward the inn's entrance, where Gahngyun Hyeok was waiting.

  ──────────

  Hongyoo, having slipped back into camp before dawn, was awake with the first light, just like Ryang. As soon as dawn broke, he sought out Gahngyun Hyeok. Hyeok, still in his morning attire, asked curtly.

  "What brings you here so early?"

  Hongyoo merely smiled, pulling up a chair and settling across the table from Hyeok. An awkward silence settled between them. Hongyoo's scrutinizing gaze made Hyeok increasingly uncomfortable, but his usual affable smile offered no clear reason for complaint.

  "I hear you spent some quality time with Her Highness yesterday," Hongyoo remarked, breaking the silence.

  Hyeok smirked, shrugging nonchalantly. "Did she tell you something?"

  "She seemed particularly pleased," Hongyoo replied smoothly, "so I inquired."

  "Well, let's just say I made sure she had a pleasant trip," Hyeok boasted, grinning suggestively.

  Hongyoo, his smile unwavering, steered the conversation to his true purpose. "I suspect there's more to the Myeonghyeon situation than meets the eye."

  Hyeok sipped his lukewarm tea. "You've been working on that Mahnry guy. Anything new come up?"

  "Indeed," Hongyoo confirmed. "The challenge lies in uncovering the truth. Her Highness has a certain fondness for them, which complicates matters. I need concrete evidence, but I lack the resources for a proper investigation. And if I'm gone too long, Her Highness will become suspicious." He trailed off, one eyebrow subtly raised.

  "So, you want me to do your dirty work? Hyeok asked pointedly.

  Hongyoo chuckled softly. "Not at all. I'm simply voicing my concerns."

  With that, he excused himself, leaving Hyeok to ponder his words. Hongyoo made his way to Kyeong'ui's tent. He announced himself and entered, finding her still in bed. A familiar longing stirred within him as their eyes met, hers still soft with sleep. He sat on the edge of the bed, gently tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

  "Did you sleep well, Your Highness?"

  Kyeong'ui frowned slightly. I must have been more exhausted than I thought," she murmured. "I can barely get out of bed today. "I practically fell into bed last night. I don't even remember falling asleep. One minute we were talking, the next... well, here I am."

  "I made sure you were comfortable," Hongyoo said gently.

  Kyeong'ui smiled. "Thank you."

  A soldier's voice called from beyond the curtains. "Your Highness!"

  Hongyoo quickly rose and retreated to a respectful distance, hands folded within his sleeves. Kyeong'ui, pulling on a light robe, called out, "Enter."

  The soldier, his face grim, stepped through the parted curtains and bowed his head. "We've found something... unusual... from the sea," he said, breathless."