Descriptions of her emotions elude her as Miyoung lays down beside her pretty saviour. They flood her heart and mind and she is a trembling mess.

Cool hands touch her arm gently. “Are you ill?”

Miyoung replies with a shake of her head.

“But you’re trembling so.”

“It’s because I’m overwhelmed.”

“By?”

“Emotions.”

Even in the dimness of the early night, Miyoung can see the twinkle in Taeyeon’s eyes. “Is it because of me?”

The little joke lightens Miyoung’s mind a little but the jitters do not go away. “Yes, it is because of you. Because you saved me. Because you look so different to me but everything else feels the same.” Her hand reaches for Taeyeon’s. “Everything . . . your eyes, your smile, your lips . . .”

Taeyeon’s hand finds her cheek and cups her face. She leans into her palm and closes her eyes. Right here, right now, she feels safe and that is more than anything she could have asked for.

“Miyoung . . .”

“Mmm?”

“I am so glad I found you again.”

Miyoung smiles into Taeyeon’s soft gaze. “I am blessed to have you find me in a land so vast. That we would meet again is fate.”

“We are fated to be together.”

Her heart worries. “But . . . Dayu . . .”

“We are married but only for convenience. We had to . . . to shut people up.”

“I understand. But you’re not the only married woman on this bed right now.”

Those gentle eyes shift into grey, solemn ones. “Miyoung, do you still love your husband?”

“I love him as a wife is required to.”

“What does that mean?”

Miyoung closes her eyes. This is going to be hard to put into words. “I have a duty to the man I married. I . . . I am married. But I am not woman enough for my husband. I have failed him; I have let him down.”

“How have you failed him? You have not done anything wrong so far.”

“I . . . I could not . . .” Miyoung bites her tongue. This is too painful to admit but she should not hold it back from Taeyeon who has been nothing but wonderful to her. “Taisui . . . I failed to . . . make him happy,” she says at last, unable to find a better word to explain.

“The way I see it, you’ve got it the wrong way round. It is him who has failed to make you happy.”

“You don’t understand . . .” Tears are close to falling now. “I am not good enough to make him happy. I am not good enough to bear him a child.”

“Mi