If there was one thing the ton was good at, it was gossiping.

Nary an action went unobserved or critiqued by the upper echelons of the society and those of higher ranks were perhaps more under scrutiny than anyone else.

So perhaps, it wasn’t that surprising that the rumor mill had done it work again.

By the time Mae and I reached our temporary abode, the scandalous rumors about Lord Han and I were fully under way and Baekhyun’s name was being dragged in the mud as well.

Mother was livid of course. Having given a piece of her mind to one of the ladies who’d not so discreetly implied my lack of character, she refused to be pacified and was all packed up, ready to leave, by the time either Mae or I figured out what it was that had mother in such a state.

Our gracious host was kind enough sternly address and curb any gossiping and smart enough to arrange for separate accommodations for our family, assuring mother that he would not allow, nor tolerate anyone to besmirch the Im family’s name.

Meanwhile, Minseok had been called away to deal with the envoy of our eastern neighbors who were threatening to leave the country for their honor had been sullied as well.  

It was well into the evening before we gathered everything to make sense of what had been going on. During that time, neither Mae, nor I were allowed to set foot outside of our room and it was only through Kai and Sehun, whom we’d sent to gather some news for us, that we got the gist of the matter.

I had known that my waltzing with Lord Han would have consequences. Even so, I was shocked by the sheer malice behind the rumors. Having never been the center of attention at the ton, I had been kept relatively safe from its more vicious side and had been spared the cruelty that targeted the popular ladies, more often than not. Mae had had her fair shares of scandalous rumors, spread out of jealousy or spite, but it was the first time I was being directly targeted.

It left a bitter taste in my mouth and my heart shaken. I knew my parents, nor my friends would believe them but still, it hurt me. A lot more than it should, considering they were vicious words from people who hadn’t even known who I was until Mae introduced me. Despite my best efforts, I felt tears prick my eyes.

How could people be so mean? And so careless about what they were saying?

‘Shush now.’ Mae patted my head as Sehun passed me a handkerchief, looking angry.

‘Don’t pay them any mind, Lady Im,’ He told me stoutly, ‘They have no idea what they are talking about.’

‘Exactly!’ Mae nodded. ‘Thank you, Sehun.’

I sniffed. I understood that but they were saying such… cruel things. Having spent my entire life being a good daughter to my family, it was horrible to have all these accusations thrown at me.

‘There, there...’

It wasn’t until I was relatively calm that Sehun revealed the rest of the gossip.

Lord Han was engaged.

I felt dizzy at the news. Surely...  it couldn’t be true… why would he court me, so blatantly, waltz with me, insist on having my first dance, take me out on a walk… and this morning, he had confessed to me!

‘Oh my God, why didn’t you say anything earlier?’ Mae smacked me with her fan.

I was too distraught to reply.

‘W-who…?’ I couldn’t complete the question.

Sehun eyed me with something akin to pity. ‘Second cousin to Prince Yixing, Lady Yi.’

And he had waltzed with me, in front of her!

‘That dishonorable reprobate!’ Mae exclaimed loudly as I sat in stunned silence. ‘How dare he! No wonder Lady Yi looked so upset while she was dancing with Baekhyun!’

No wonder the rumors were so vicious. I felt my heart breaking, which was silly because I had known Lord Han for all of one night.

But he had sounded so sincere to me and it had been the first time in years anyone had caught my fancy, even longer that any man other than Kyungsoo or Baekhyun had showered such attention on me. 

I was being foolish, I knew. It made no sense to hurt at the deceit of someone who obviously had no honor or regard for my feelings. He was a player, a rakehell and he had set his eyes on me. That was the only thing that would make sense of this entire thing.

And like the naïve girls he was no doubt used to playing, I had fallen right into his bewitching trap.

The feeling of floating in the air, like being in a fairy tale, that had been accompanying me since the ball last night, left me abruptly and I felt like I had crashed down, hard, on the ground. My heart certainly hurt so.

Beside me, Mae was expressing her opinion of Lord Han in choice words and were it any other scenario, I would reprimand her for using such language. As it was, her words made me feel like crying because…

Because for the first time in a decade, I had let myself hope, that I had found someone who could fill the void Jongdae had left in my heart.

They say that it takes a minute to fancy someone, an hour to like someone, a day to love someone… and a lifetime to forget them.

I was beginning to think that there more truth to these words than I had previously anticipated.

I wouldn’t say I had fallen in love with Lord Han but I had definitely taken a fancy to him and I most definitely liked him.

Which was perhaps why I found the news so upsetting.

‘You deserve so much better than that.’ Mae was indignant on my behalf and I smiled, albeit wanly because no matter how vicious the ton got, I would always have my sister to defend me.

Kai returned just then and we found out why Baekhyun was being targeted.

‘The easterners are big on tradition and traditionally, respectable ladies do not dance.’

I could sense where this was going.

‘They were insulted when Lord Byun asked Lady Yi to dance with him, essentially implying that she was not a respectable woman in front of the foreign royalty. And since she is related to Prince Yixing, in front of whom this entire thing happened, they are taking it as a personal offense to His Highness’ royal lineage.’

Mae buried her face in her hands. ‘This is all my fault!’ she wailed dramatically.

Kai ignored her, no doubt used to her antics. ‘They were bent on departing immediately and had, in fact, left the castle by the time Lord Kim returned with Lord Han. They are hoping Lord Han will be able to talk them out of going back because it could potentially mean starting a war.’

I nodded in understanding. The eastern kingdoms had