“What are you doing, Hye-ri? Why haven’t you put on your makeup? You are supposed to be performing in five minutes!”

Hye-ri stared down at the small wooden box before her. Inside was a collection of dyes, shades and rouge. She had already been pulled into the Gisaeng house by Lee Yeong, his command her unfortunate duty. If she was going to get into the palace as a dancer, this appeared to be the only way.

“I don’t know… I don’t understand it…”

Hye-ri hesitantly picked up a thin brush. It felt light in her hands, almost as if it wasn’t there. She wished that this was the case, but the striking pink of it matched the new hanbok she had been changed into. It was far too similar to fake its nonexistence.

The gisaengs had been friendly upon the trio’s arrival, far kinder than Hye-ri could ever have expected, but they had ultimately left her alone. Hair and makeup was something most women understood, but Hye-ri was struggling to make sense of the various palettes.

“Stupid girl. Of course you wouldn’t understand. Sometimes I forget that you’re a pauper’s daughter, that you’re struggling to even make it to the next day. Give me that brush and sit still. How will you ever be a dancer like this? How will you ever succeed?”

A knock at the door startled Hye-ri from her thoughts. The brush slipped easily from her fingers, a large pink dot staining the wooden mat below.

“Are you alright in there?” It was Lee Yeong. “What’s taking you so long?”

Hye-ri hesitated. What sort of woman was she if she did not understand the basics of braiding and applying powder?

“It’s coming along…” Hye-ri stuttered. “I just need a few more minutes.”

The low voices of her friends could barely be heard through the door. Hye-ri wondered if they had seen through her lies. Her suspicions were confirmed by the sound of the door pulling back. Embarrassed, Hye-ri quickly slammed the lid of the box down, her cheeks red enough that she no longer needed powder.

“What are you doing?” It was Byung-yeon who spoke. When Hye-ri finally turned to him, she realized they were alone. “You haven’t even started.”

Hye-ri glanced down at the wooden patterns carved into the lid. Her finger traced it idly, the embarrassment growing as Byung-yeon sat opposite her. “I don’t… I don’t really know how to do this.”

Byung-yeon blinked without expression. Naturally, he did not seem appalled or surprised that the daughter of a farmer did not understand the ways of gisaengs. She had only ever worn a slight shade over her lips during the Salpuri performances, a trait that had not gone unnoticed by the guard.

“Give it to me.” Byung-yeon outstretched his hand.

Hye-ri’s fingers clutched around the brush. “What do you mean?”

His fingers opened and closed quickly in a wag, signalling for her to hand over the material. She did as she was told in silence, unsure of what Byung-yeon’s intentions were. “Don’t ask me why, but I understand this. I can do it for you.” He pulled back the lid of the box, his eyes scanning the row of colors like an artist about to create his masterpiece. “We get many gisaengs and maids in the palace and I’ve been able to note their methods over the years.”

Hye-ri’s eyes were watering. “I don’t think I could feel any more foolish. You know more about the ways of being a woman than I do.”

Byung-yeon dabbed the brush into a light shade of pink. “Sit still. And stop talking nonsense.”

Hye-ri was about to protest, but his arm was too quick. Leaning across the bed, the sensation of horse hair against her lip froze everything. Hye-ri’s eyes avoided the closeness of Byung-yeon’s own face, his eyes trained to focus on her lips as the light shade glossed over them. What was only a few seconds felt like a lifetime before he pulled away again.

“Byung-yeon, you don’t-”

“Stop.”

He brought his fingers back up to her face, the ends of them dotted with a darker hue. Gently, like the caress of a mother to her newborn, he spread the rogue easily over her cheeks. His fingers were surprisingly soft, causing Hye-ri to forget her modesty and look him in the eye.

He hadn’t been looking at her before, but when he felt the slight turn of her head, it was only natural to return the gaze. His fingers froze with the closeness of her, the faint freckles over the bridge of her nose now alarmingly obvious. They were so charming; he had always thought so and although she had been instructed to cover them, there was a preference in his heart to leave them be. They made her who she was.

“Byung-yeon…” Hye-ri muttered. Whatever had enticed her to say his name, she was unsure of it. They sat leaning towards one another, the sunset outside casting a long shade of light through the thin windows. It hit the back of Byung-yeon’s hair, the heat of it matching the warmth that now spread across his body. Unsure of why he did so, he leaned forward slightly, his fingers now curving around the entire shape of her jaw.

Hye-ri in a tight breath. The beautiful silk hanbok she wore suddenly felt restrictive, its loose layers too heavy for the quick pace of her heart. Byung-yeon was once again so close, his hands touching her face in a way that even her parents had never dared to do. Normally, an unmarried woman may have felt threatened in such a situation. A gisaeng would be thinking about the money that would soon fill her pockets. But Hye-ri was not thinking about much at all. Later, when she looked back on the moment before falling asleep, she could only recall not wanting it to end.

“Are you almost done?” Lee Yeong shouted from outside, his fist banging against the delicate wood of the door. “We should leave before nightfall.”

“Yes.” Byung-yeon had barely whispered the words. His fingers trickled slowly off of her skin, the sensation of it lingering long after he pulled away. “Yes.” His voice was slightly louder. “We’ve finished.”

Lee Yeong pulled back the door with force, his familiar grin still plastered on like dried mud. “She looks fantastic.” The Prince had not even noticed that half of the makeup had not been finished and that her hair was fair too simple. And yet he was a man, and the guards would not argue against his bringing her to the palace. “Shall we make our way out?”

Hye-ri nodded, her mind trapped in a constant loop of ten seconds earlier.

“You two look as if you’re seen a ghost.” Lee Yeong snorted, making his way back out into the hallway. “Don’t bring it back to the palace with you, hm?”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Hye-ri had spent the night disagreeing with Lee Yeong in his private chambers. He had urged her to perform for the Chinese ambassador, but much to his dismay, she had adamantly refused. Agreement to choreograph was one thing, but performing in front of the maids, ministers, and King that she had served all her life was not a part of the plan. Hye-ri had always lived her life in the shadows of the palace or the darkness of the street stage. She was not quite prepared to give that up.

The following morning, after a night of dancing around one another in the hut, Hye-ri and Byung-yeon had set off to meet the Prince. Lee Yeong had been working with the gisaeng dancers for quite some time, preparing what he felt to be a suitable performance for the esteemed guests.

Hye-ri had given her solid opinions after watching the first round of the dance, but her eyes were often distracted by Byung-yeon, standing patiently off to the side.

“It’s good,” Hye-ri muttered as the gisaeng took her final turn. “It’s very good, your highness.”

He nodded slowly as if trying to convince himself. “Now that you’ve changed the ending, I think you’re correct. This is more than suitable for the ambassador.” He pointed his finger at the girl, whose head was bowed in respect. The heaving of her tired chest was all too familiar to Hye-ri, who could barely manage to catch her breath after practice let alone an actual performance. “She needs to keep dancing. This event has to be perfect.”

Hye-ri glanced at the beautiful woman. Her face was thin and long, the sharpness of her nose like that of Western people. Hye-ri had never seen a foreigner from the other side of the globe, but the charm of this woman would certainly be enough to enchant the Chinese lords. “She’ll do very well.” The girl smiled beneath her composed demeanour. “Just have faith in her. It's what most dancers require."

Lee Yeong called for a break, much to everyone’s joy. It seemed that Byung-yeon had signalled Hye-ri over with his eyes, and she followed the trail without hesitation. “You’re awfully quiet these days,” Hye-ri muttered with a smile.

Byung-yeon did not return the gesture. “There's a lot going on.” Hye-ri read the subtext. Things with Baekwoonhwe must have taken a turn for the worst. As Hye-ri’s mind trickled somewhere obviously darker than the sunny courtyard, Byung-yeon rested his fingers over her wrist. It was a dangerous move in such a public space, but she was now a gisaeng and no longer a farmer’s daughter.

He hated that it was the only way he could touch her without suspicion. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Hye-ri delicately pulled her hand back. Her black brows met in the centre of her forehead, the wrinkles appearing as they had so often done since his mentioning of the secret organization. “Don’t just say that you are. I know you better than you give me credit for.”

Byung-yeon glanced around to make sure they were alone. “Something’s going to happen soon. I’m not sure what it is, but I can feel it.” Normally Byung-yeon didn’t stray from the path of rational thinking. Whatever was on his mind had hooked itself onto his brain. “I’m worried that-”

Hye-ri shook her head. “You’ll be fine. They don’t know who you are.”

Byung-yeon shook his head. “They’ve seen my face.”

Hye-ri took a step closer. “Do they know where you live?”

“Even if they did, they would have to be awfully clever to get inside.” He sighed more loudly than he had spoke. “With the lantern festival coming up, and the crowds gathering so easily alongside the arrival of the Chinese ambassador, things could go wrong. I need to be on guard at all times. I don't trust them.”

Unsure of why she said what followed, Hye-ri spoke freely. “If you ever feel like you need to stay closer to town, my father would make an exception for you.” She didn’t need rouge on her cheeks in that moment. “Our door is always open to you. No questions will be asked. I understand that protecting people can be somewhat difficult from this far away and I want you to feel safe.”

Byung-yeon’s mouth opened with a quick response, but he stopped himself. Searching her face for some sort of hidden meaning, he found nothing. After all, he had been the one to touch her. He had brought his hand to her cheek, a daring move even for old friends. She had given him no indication that her feelings were more than those of friendship, and the pace of his heart was a constant reminder of that. “Thank you.”

She glanced up at the sun, her eyes squinting against its high beams. “You are going to the lantern festival in two days time, are you not?” Byung-yeon nodded. He hadn’t thought about it until that moment, but he did not need much convincing. “Maybe… if you’d like, of course… We could walk.” She cleared , her fingers nervously scratching the back of her neck. “Together. We could walk together.” Her head bobbed up and down in an effort to convince herself. “If you’d like.”

Byung-yeon smiled against his own will. Thankfully, she had not seemed to notice it as her eyes fixated themselves on the tip of his shoes. “It wouldn’t be a true festival without you, Kang Hye-ri.”

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Hye-ri went home that very evening, but she could not bring herself to sleep despite the comfort of her own bedroom. The next day trickled on in the same way, her back sore after a few minutes of picking vegetables from their earthy slumber. It stretched on that way until the evening, her thoughts flooding into town where the festival was being held.

“Hye-ri.” It was her sister. “Are you coming into town?”

She wiped the sweat from her brow as the vegetables danced around in her hands. “I will, Na-ri. I just need to finish cleaning these before tomorrow morning. You have to go to the palace, you know. Don't forget your duties.”

Na-ri’s pout could be seen from miles away; her lips were so youthful and plump. “Father won’t let me go without you. Can’t you just leave those until the morning and take me now?”

Annoyed, Hye-ri dropped the carrots into the dirt. “Oh, so you would like me to get up early and do your job for you? Is that what you’re asking, you little scoundrel?” Despite the harsh tone of her voice, she couldn’t stop smiling. “I suppose I could take a break for one evening. Get your things; let’s go.”

Na-ri shouted in joy, rushing back into the hanok to fetch her shawl. With her older sister by her side, Na-ri was able to anything. She also loved to listen to her stories of the palace, Byung-Yeon and of course the Prince. Na-ri knew about the connection between the palace guard and her sister, despite being the young and inexperienced daughter.

As the two girls made their way into town, small hand clasped into big one, Hye-ri recounted the tales of her short time as a gisaeng. “I helped the Prince choreograph a dance for the arrival of the Chinese ambassador.” She said the country name with a hint of mysticism. "He made me dress up like a gisaeng in order to get inside without suspicion." 

“Did you see the man? Was he very ugly? Do they dress like us?”

Hye-ri chuckled, pulling her sister further into her hip. “I didn’t get to see him, you nosy bird. I left before the performance took place, but I’m sure things went very well. The Chinese are difficult to please, or so I’ve been told.” Na-ri looked up at her sister with fascinated eyes. “And guess who plans on making their way to the festival tonight?”

Na-ri grinned wildly. “Kim Hyung is coming?” The affectionate term for Byung-yeon had been passed around for several years now, as Na-ri had took a liking to him instantly. When Hye-ri nodded, her sister’s small hands clapped rapidly against one another. “Why don’t you like him, Hye-ri? What about him is there not to like?”

As they began to approach the bridge, Hye-ri found herself stumbling. “I-I do like him… Why would you think otherwise?”

“I mean…” Na-ri shrugged. “You know what I mean.”

Hye-ri poked her sister on the side of the head. “How many novels have you been reading, hm? Where are you getting the money to fill your head with such ridiculous fantasies? The odds of you marrying His Highness is higher than what you’re suggesting.”

“And what exactly is she suggesting?”

The two girls spun around before the sentence had even finished, surprised by the sudden voice of Byung-yeon at their backs. Na-ri broke out into a toothy grin, her arms wide open to meet his waist. He hugged her back gently, the enthusiasm of the little girl an undoubtable trait of her older sister. He smiled up at Hye-ri, who gently averted her gaze despite the curve of her lips.

“Is His Highness here?” Na-ri gasped, her eyes wide with the thought of him.

Byung-yeon pressed a finger to his lips. “No, he’s not here tonight, but a scholar who looks an awful lot like him is.” With a flick of his wrist, he gestured to the bridge, where Lee Yeong stood with the eunuch. His green robes were unmistakable even in the darkness, his perfectly polished teeth gleaming as he stared at Sam-nom. Without another word, Na-ri rushed off to him.

“She’s too hopeful,” Hye-ri sighed. “I don’t know where she gets it from.”

Byung-yeon was all smiles, an occasion that was as annual as the lantern festival. “She certainly doesn’t get it from you. You’re too hard on yourself.”

Hye-ri was about to argue her way through his statement, but noted something unusual about his attire. He was still in his uniform, his sword present at the curve of his hip. “You’re not here for a walk.” Hye-ri’s eyes, no longer painted with charcoal, narrowed at him. “Is something happening tonight?”

Byung-yeon took her gently by the elbow, leading her down a nearby alley. It was now a clear sign that they were about to discuss the secret organization. “The Chinese envoys have requested that every citizen offer a tribute in regards to their arrival. If they haven’t come to your home yet, they certainly will in due time.” Hye-ri was only inches away from Byung-yeon’s chest as he whispered the story. “We’re going to get it back.”

“How? The envoys will be heavily guarded. It’s too dangerous.”

Byung-yeon did not want to discuss risk factor with her. Everything the Baekwoonhwe did was dangerous, and this was certainly only the beginning. “I have to meet with one of my leaders in order to discuss what our next move will be.”

“You don’t want to ruin everything that Lee Yeong’s done. The dance, the meal… All of it will be broken if you steal the tributes.”

Byung-yeon grabbed her elbows, the strength of his fingers unusal. “Hye-ri... If I don’t do this, they’ll be taking from you, your neighbors, your teachers… It’s not right for them to do such a thing. It’s unjust, immoral and wrong. They have all the money they could want. If they want goods from Korea, they can go to craftsmen and tradesmen, not the local people. They're theives, whether or not the King says it openly or not.”

Hye-ri didn’t move away from his grasp. “It’s also immoral for you to break the work that Lee Yeong has put his heart and soul into for the last three days. I’m not saying that I blame you for thinking this way, and I’m actually thankful that you’re looking out for the likes of people like me-”

He shook his head sharply. “Don’t say it like that. Don’t lower yourself to their standards.”

Hye-ri nodded in an attempt to calm him. “We can think of something together. I can help you after you meet with your leader.”

Rather than doubt her, Byung-yeon’s stomach lurched towards the possibility that she was right. Perhaps she truly could help him. Kang Hye-ri had a way of surprising him with her cleverness to the point that he was now quite used to being impressed. “I won’t be gone long. Will you wait here here for me? I know that Yoonsung is coming as well, and you can meet him at-”

“I’ll wait here.” Hye-ri’s voice was drowned in the far away sound of laughter and cheers. “For you.”

Byung-yeon’s hands finally set themselves free of her forearms. The darkness of the alley suddenly dawned on him, their location either romantic or unsafe. He wasn’t quite sure of which he felt more strongly. Being with Hye-ri, romantically, was extremely unsafe for the both of them.

But then... why did he feel so protected at her side?

“Go,” she whispered, gently pushing on his chest. He took a few steps out of the alley, his face much brighter in the light of the shifting clouds. “I’m not going anywhere.”