‘You know, I did say I was planning to sit this one out.’ Minah chided gently as he led her into a turn.

Jongdae smiled cheekily at her. ‘Shall we stop, Lady Im?’

She sighed but shook her head, smiling. She hadn’t put her mask back on and he was glad, able to make out her features in the soft moonlight, looking like she had descended from the heavens themselves.

It still surprised him to see Minah – his Minah, the tomboy who almost never dressed like a lady, who played with them as if she was one of the boys, Minah whose worst nightmare was frills – looking like a princess, so beautiful and so… feminine. It brought the differences between them into stark contrast.

She was unreachable now, even as he held her between his arms, twirling her to the rhythm of the music.

He smiled at that, a little bittersweet. He would have to make the most of this time before his reality set in.

‘So, Lady Im… tell me about yourself.’

She smiled bashfully at that, looking exactly like the thirteen-year-old girl he had kissed goodbye. It made his heart ache softly.

‘There isn’t much to tell,’ she mumbled, throwing her head down in a characteristically shy gesture. ‘I’m not very interesting.’

‘I beg to differ,’ he countered casually, smiling at her. Still the same, his Minah. ‘You seem very interesting to me.’

She shook her head but did not say anything. The silence between them was far from uncomfortable but it was clear to him that she was feeling self-conscious. So he started talking about himself – or about the persona he was wearing tonight – and drawing answers from her, dragging her into the conversation just as he had dragged her into dancing.

She laughed after a while. ‘You are very clever, sir,’ she told him. ‘I have been going on and on about myself while you have hardly said a word.’

‘As I said my lady, you are very interesting.’

She laughed shyly. ‘You seem more interesting, sir.’

‘Please call me Chen,’ he countered. ‘And there is little to say about myself. I am not very interesting.’ He mimicked her words.  

‘I beg to differ,’ she countered wittily, making him laugh as he brought her to a halt, the music stopping. She did not notice, hand still placed on his shoulder, his resting around her waist. ‘You seem very interesting to me.’

Like this, her smile wide and unhindered, looking up at him with stars in her eyes… he wanted to swoop in and kiss her.

Something must have shown in his eyes, because Minah blushed, seemingly becoming aware of the intimacy of their position. She let go quickly and stepped back but stumbled on the skirt of her dress.

He reached out, catching her and pulling her in, the breath leaving her in a whoosh. ‘Careful,’ he muttered softly, catching her eyes. She swallowed, seemingly entranced.

The moment was broken by the loud, almost jarring sound of laughter as someone stepped out on the balcony. Minah pushed at his chest lightly and he backed off easily but took hold of her hand instead. Whoever had stepped out was headed in their direction and her being here, without her mask and blushing like that, would obviously convey the wrong message.

‘Come,’ he muttered, tugging her quickly along the stairs that lead into the gardens.

‘Who goes there?’ someone shouted, obviously drunk, and he quickly pulled Minah into the nearest alcove, peering along the edge to see if they’d been sighted. Minah giggled as the person shouted drunken threats to one of the trees.

‘Shouldn’t we answer?’ she asked, mirth coating her voice.

He looked over his shoulder, arching a brow. ‘Lady Im, you already have enough scandal to your name for the rest of your stay.’

She stopped smiling, pulling her hand away.

‘Lady Im?’

‘Are you here only because of that? Because of the…’

He shook his head, stopping her mid-sentence. ‘I’ll admit, I was curious about the woman who made Lord Han act so out of character-’

‘Is that why you asked me to dance?’ she asked, upset.

‘Not at all.’ He turned, took hold of her hand again. ‘You looked gorgeous and it is beyon