Jihyo waited for Gary at their usual meeting place- the pond. 

In her mind, whatever Suk Jin said kept replaying in her head. And there was this line which he almost yelled at her- It doesnt matter if it would result in more deaths later on, because a true doctor just has to save a life and that's all that matters. These were the exact same words she told him 14 years ago. Her motto that she lived by for as long as she remembers. How could she even bear to kill her own child?! 

But Gary... she would hate it even more for Gary to...

Unknowingly, tears started streaming down her cheeks.

Gary came by a little later. “Why did you call for me so (urgently)?” he asked, but stopped before he could finish his sentence because he saw Jihyo’s tears.

“What happened, Jihyo?” he asked urgently, walking over to her quickly.

She quickly dried her tears.

“Hee Gun…”

“What’s wrong, what’s wrong?” he asked.

The words hung at . She didn’t know how to put it across. Either I kill your child or I get you killed? She shook her head and cried instead.

Gary pulled her into an embrace. “No matter what when wrong, I’ll always be here for you,” he whispered into her ears as she snuggled into his neck.

“I’m pregnant,” she finally said. “I’m sorry…I’m sorry…” she kept repeating.

He pulled away in shock. Jihyo looked down. He held up her face. “Why are you sorry?” he asked.

“I couldn’t bear to kill it, I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be sorry, silly girl. You only have to be sorry when you make a mistake,” he said, wiping her tears away. “Our child is not a mistake. He is a gift,” he said smiling.

“It is going to get both of us killed.”

“I’m not going to let that happen,” he said softly but firmly.

Jihyo looked at him worriedly. “Are you going to break out of the palace?” she asked nervously.

“No, that is too dangerous. We have a few months before your stomach starts to show, I’ll come up with a plan by then.”

“Really?”

Gary nodded, holding her hands in his. “Just look after the baby well,” he said. “My precious child, look after your mother well alright?” he said, placing his hands on her tummy.

She giggled, tears still glistening in her eyes. “He can’t hear you, silly,” she said and pushed his hands away.

Three days later, he left the palace. He requested to be posted to the northern borders again. Although the rebels were contained, soldiers were still needed to patrol the area. The Commander couldn’t be more pleased to have someone volunteer. He explained to Jihyo that he had to leave the palace, so he could plan their escape more easily. She agreed but told him to be safe.

Suk Jin was suspicious when Gary left.

“Are you sure he wouldn’t be abandoning you?” he asked Jihyo. She shook her head. “No,” she answered affirmatively. “He wouldn’t do that.”

Three months later, he sent a secret note to Suk Jin.

“Respected Sir, May I request to meet you at the northern borders tomorrow night at the 20th hour. It is inconvenient for me to enter the palace. –Kang Hee Gun.”

Suk Jin burned the note, so it wouldn’t be discovered by others. He then left the palace on the pretext of delivering herbs.

He explained to him his plan. Suk Jin agreed readily, but was worried for Gary instead. “This is the only way out,” he said sadly. “I can’t risk both of them killed.”

Suk Jin nodded.

“I’ll forever be indebted to you, Sir,” Gary said, eyes filled with gratitude.

“You don’t have to be. I treat her like my daughter.”

A week after Suk Jin met with Gary, he arranged for himself and Jihyo to leave the palace. His excuse was delivering and gathering herbs. No one was suspicious because they did so all the time.

The only strange thing was they left using the south gates. They usually took the main gain, but Suk Jin explained that it was a short cut, so no one questioned. They rode their horses until the middle of a dirt road. They were on a cliff now and below then was the ocean. They stopped where they saw another horse.  Suk Jin got down, and told Jihyo to