Byung-yeon was feeling confused. In fact, he was more than confused. He was feeling almost bewildered, which said a lot considering he rarely allowed himself to feel any strong emotions whatsoever.

Yesterday evening he had gotten into a small accident in the town square concerning his private business endeavours. He had passed by a young man whose innocent looking face and soft skin refused to leave his memory. If he had any money to put on it, he would have bet that 'he' was certainly a woman.

Fast forward to tonight, where Byung-yeon was preparing to rest in his private quarters when an uninvited guest entered. When he dropped his head down from the ceiling following a threatening toss of his knife, who else could it be? The very same man from the evening before, only this time he was no longer dressed as a street performer.

He was wearing the robes of a palace eunuch.

Perhaps he really is a man after all.

“Byung-yeon; are you inside?” It was the Crown Prince.

Byung-yeon had already made his way off of the top bannister to get a better view of the unconscious eunuch. His long hair swept into his eyes, but he could still point out the gentle curves of his face in the dark room.

Her face, he corrected himself.

He could see that the Crown Prince hadn’t even acknowledged his bow upon entering the room; he was too fixated on their unconscious guest. “Isn’t that the puppy?”

“Do you know him?”

The Crown Prince cocked his head to the side in curiosity. “Always getting into trouble.”

“Should I…” Byung-yeon hesitated. “Remove him?”

“Just put him off to the side. I’ll deal with him when he wakes up.”

Byung-yeon picked up the limp body and carried it across the room to a more secluded area. When he felt the body against his own, there was no doubt in his mind that it was not a woman. Truthfully, he didn’t know how the body of a woman could feel, but he knew the build of his own and what he might be able to compare it to. And although he felt as if he should say something to his friend about the situation, his lips were firmly sealed. As to why, he wasn’t entirely sure.

When the two had finally gotten comfortable with their small glasses of soju, the real conversation could begin. For years they had met and held secret meetings during the latest hours of the night, and although their youthful conversations had mostly been about foreign lands and warriors, nowadays the gossip of the palace confines were shared between them.

“How was your trip?” Yeong asked, his wide eyes peering over the rim of his smooth cup.

“It wasn’t bad.” He couldn’t help but slightly smile. “You missed quite a show.”

Yeong sighed. There was genuine sadness in his crinkles of his face. “I feel awful about not attending Hye-ri’s performance, but there were other matters afoot.” He nudged his head towards the intruder. “Matters involving that dog over there.”

Byung-yeon raised a brow. “Is that so?” He tapped the rim of his cup. There was no reason for him to bring the subject up, but it had been weighing heavily on his mind since he had left the village. “Truthfully, I think I put Hye-ri’s career at risk. She saw that I was injured and the final moves of her dance were-”

“You were injured?”

“I tripped while I was walking through a crowd.” Byung-yeon’s lie was fast enough that it could pass as the truth. “There was some blood on my arm and she noticed it during the dance.”

Yeong pursed his lips with concern. “Hye-ri will understand.”

“She’s the type of woman who likes to hold grudges.”

Yeong laughed at the memory his friend was referring to. There was once a chef in the kitchen who had eaten her father’s radishes without permission. She was so bitter towards him that for five years she refused to look him in the eye. Luckily with her low income, she was simply dismissed as someone lacking in manners.

“You were always closer to her than me. After all, you went out of your way to go and see her. That has to count for something, right?”

Byung-yeon said nothing. He wasn’t sure what it counted for.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you…” Yeong had a playful look on his face. “Was the only reason for your visit to the village the dance show? Was it just to see Kang Hye-ri?”

There wasn’t any possible way for Byung-yeon to tell the Prince about his secret escapades. Oh no, your Highness, I’m actually part of a secret organization looking to overthrow the power of the monarchy and establish democracy across our land and I ran into some trouble when confronting the enemy.

Yes. That would certainly go well.

And yet, if he didn’t come up with a reasonable response quickly, he might very well be admitting something untrue concerning his opinion of Hye-ri.

“No,” he spat out. “I had to get some supplies.”

“What supplies could you possibly need that the palace doesn’t already have?”

“I heard that the Queen is pregnant as I was entering the palace upon my return.” Byung-yeon changed the subject faster than a poor man's visit to the ginsaengs. He felt it was the only way to avoid having a conversation neither of them truly wanted to have.

Yeong rolled his eyes, also changing the subject. “Is everyone talking about that?”

“Perhaps it would be safer if you stopped coming here for a while.”

“Do you think that I’ll be safe if I stay quiet?”

The mood had shifted as quickly as the turn of a needle. There was tension between the two, but not directed towards one another. If the Queen had a son, Lee Yeong would mean nothing to Joseon. He could easily be removed from the throne due to his lack of an attention span, and unfortunately the lack of a mother.

The invisible black clouds swirling over them began to part, however, as a sound from the opposite side of the room trickled into their ears. The eunuch had awoken, and was seemingly staring them both between the eyes. He sat down without a word. Only a minute cough came up from his throat to suggest that he would not be moving.

“This is no place for a eunuch trainee,” Byung-yeon said flatly. “Return to your lodge.”

“There’s no room for me there anyway.” His head turned towards the Crown Prince. “... thanks to somebody.”

Byung-yeon almost reached out and smacked the back of his head, but he quickly understood that this man had no idea who he was speaking to. The Crown Prince was dressed in scholarly robes.

“You passed the exam thanks to somebody.” Yeong replied mockingly. “You don’t need to be so thankful.”

“Who are you, exactly? Are you a palace guard or a eunuch? You keep showing up everywhere!” Byung-yeon was so fascinated by the lack of manners towards His Highness that he hadn’t realized the eunuch’s direction was now turned towards him. “And who are you supposed to be? Are you a ghost who lives here? Do you haunt the palace at night?”

The Crown Prince laughed. He almost seemed to like the kid, but Byung-yeon could hardly maintain his composure. The image of his rugged face in the village streets wouldn’t escape his mind.

In only a matter of seconds, he could see the eunuch’s fingertips reaching to pull a leaf from the Prince’s hair. Without thinking, Byung-yeon snatched his thin wrist before it could reach its target. “How dare you try and touch him?”

The eunuch’s small lips hung open in shock. “Excuse me?”

“It’s okay, Chief Kim.” Yeong gently pushed Byung-yeon’s hand away from the eunuch’s, separating them as if they were two bickering children. He went to have a sip of alcohol to calm the room's tension, but a different hand was faster than his own. It was the eunuch again, who was mocking the both of them with his blunt and defiant actions.

And it just continued. The eunuch drank. And drank. And drank some more. All of it was offering more credibility to Byung-yeon’s suspicions that he -- she --- should not be in the palace. She continuously uttered nonsense about spoons and lovers, quoting old stories that neither of them understood.

“What should be do about this disobedient puppy?” The Crown Prince whispered.

“Strict training,” Byung-yeon mumbled in response.

“That’s right.” He turned to the eunuch and pointed a finger squarely between his dizzy eyes. “Roll to the right. Roll to the left. Sit! Stand! Bark!” The eunuch did nothing. But he did grow somewhat quieter, allowing the Crown Prince a moment of satisfaction.

However, that only gave the eunuch an opportune moment to strike back.

Or rather, bite back.

The tiny monster had actually bitten the Crown Prince’s finger and was refusing to let go. Byung-yeon simply watched in horror, unsure of what to do. He could hardly believe such an event was folding out in front of him. There were moments where Hye-ri's playfulness had shocked him, but this was something else entirely. Thankfully, as soon as Yeong’s finger was free, the eunuch hit the floor with a thud, the drink stopping his thoughts for what appeared to be the rest of the night.

“What exactly did I just witness?”

The two of them turned to the doorway, where Hye-ri stood with a pale face. Her eyes were fixated on the eunuch, whose lifeless body was already snoring away.

Hye-ri had already decided two days ago that she would come to the palace on that night, when she knew the two boys would be meeting. Her sister’s cold was becoming ever worse, and she had hoped they would be able to lend her some of the palace medicine. However, asking for such a favour would have to come later, as they were all seemingly distracted by the pathetic guest.

“Hye-ri!” The Crown Prince shot her a cheeky smile, no doublt surprised by her appearance. “You haven’t visited our nightly meetings in what feels like over a year. What brings you here now?”

Hye-ri sat next to them in her familiar position at the side of the table. Her face was long and shadowed. If there was one thing she had never been good at, it was hiding her emotions. “It has been over a year. I snuck in through the old back entrance. You have to cut the overgrowth there or I’ll really never come back.” She reached for the bottle of soju, but stopped when she realized it was empty. “Did that eunuch drink all of this?” She cracked a smile just by looking at him. “Who even is he? He looks like a gir-”

“He’s nobody important,” Byung-yeon slid her another bottle of soju of which she did not hesitate to pour. “Just a eunuch disliked by the others. It looks like he needs a place to sleep without being bullied.”

“You’ll let him sleep here, won’t you?” The Crown Prince’s eyes were soft when he asked this, despite his finger rubbing at the bite mark.

Hye-ri blinked in confusion. “You’re talking about the man that just bit you?”

“I am. And while we’re on the topic, I’m going to make that an order. Let him stay here for some time while he gets settled.” Yeong stood up with a long stretch, making it obvious that he was about to take his leave. Hye-ri felt uncomfortable with the thought of asking him for a favour now, especially when it was so late into the evening and they were all clearly exhausted.

“Are you off to sleep?” Byung-yeon asked for the both of them.

“I am, but I’m sure I’ll see you both very soon.” He cracked a smile, glancing over at the eunuch. “At least give him a pillow. And find one for Hye-ri too.”

“Oh, I’m not-”

“Where did you expect to go?” Yeong smirked. “Were you going to walk back to the village at this time of night?”

“I wasn’t even supposed to come here in the first place,” Hye-ri sighed. “But there was something on my mind that I needed to talk about and with the long work days, I had to leave the farm late and then it took me over an hour to walk here in the dark-”

Byung-yeon took the empty soju bottle from her hand somewhat forcefully. “Don’t walk alone in the dark.”

Yeong pointed to his friend. “Yes. Listen to what he says. And whatever you have to talk about, you can relay it to me tomorrow. Just remember, Hye-ri, don't get caught leaving this building.” He gave the two a small smile before exiting the secret hanok with a dramatic sigh of weariness. His disappearance made the room feel somewhat larger, turning the atmosphere into one of discomfort.

“Did you really wal alone?” Byung-yeon set the bottle on the table without meeting her eyes.

Hye-ri sighed. Her head dropped limply between her shoulders, the stray strands of her braid blocking the shadow of her lashes onto her cheeks. Asking Yeong for a favor was easy. He was like a grown child. He would purse his lips and make fun of her about something, but then he would do whatever it was she asked. On the opposite hand, Byung-yeon would ask questions. He would grow concerned as to why she needed his help. It was never easy just talking to him; he asked too many questions.

To put it short, he cared too much.

“The house felt suffocating,” she admitted softly. The sound of the eunuch’s snores kept the conversation from becoming too dramatic. “And my teacher has put me on a performance hiatus because I accidentally messed up my final moves in the dance.”

“I noticed,” Byung-yeon muttered.

“Is it foolish to say that I just wish I could be a child again?” She glanced up at him. It was the first time he noticed how tired she looked; how much older she had gotten. “I don’t want to constantly be reminded of my position in society. I don’t want to have to take care of one scarf because I know that I won’t be able to afford another.” Byung-yeon's face was still, and in the candlelight she couldn’t help but feel that he looked almost ghost-like. As if he were an apparition she was praying to in a temple. “The odd part is that when I look to my childhood, I remember my time here. Once a week for an hour, talking about village life with you and the others. And yet, that wasn’t really my childhood. I was never a part of this place.”

Byung-yeon let an audible sigh pass his lips. “Do you need money?”

The hurt on her face was evident. “I would never ask for such a thing.”

“I didn’t say that to offend you. I’m merely concerned.”

“I know you are.” Her voice was bitter. “That makes it all the more difficult for me to ask you for a favour.”

Hye-ri was not the type to complain. She had always kept her dignity about her, even in the worst of times. If there was any sign of weakness in her, it was because the ones she loved were suffering. And that made it much easier for Byung-yeon to understand why she was there.

“It’s Na-ri, isn’t it?” Something flickered in Hye-ri’s eye at the mention of her younger sister. “You said she was unwell. Has something happened?”

Hye-ri went back to looking into her empty cup, as if she would find answers in the small droplets at the bottom. “The coughing in her sleep was coming straight from her chest. There was nothing I could do. I don’t know if the doctors in the village will be able to help her, but I remember you saying that you had an acquaintance in town that studied medicine. He used to work at the palace, if I'm not mistaken. He must have been very good.”

That man had turned into nothing more than a drunk. The high officials had hated his liberal and friendly nature and therefore spread rumors about his past in order to bring him to the street curb. And yet, Byung-yeon was certain that a good natured doctor was alive in him still. And if he asked for his help, it may even be given to him. After all, the loss of a child’s life would lead to a temple of nightmares in the eyes of a doctor.

“I can help you.”

Hye-ri’s hand dropped the cup onto the table in order to grab Byung-yeon’s bicep. "Really?!" The cup was beginning to roll off the table, and so he quickly reached across their twisted arms to stop it. This only brought the two closer together, and when he finally looked up, her brown eyes were only inches away from his own.

Hye-ri couldn’t understand why she didn’t move. He was so close to her. He was too close to her, and yet the pounding of her heart wasn’t telling her that it was dangerous. Instead, she felt almost safe.

“You can really help me?”

Byung-yeon shrugged her off and moved his body further away from the table. He stood up after a moment of uncomfortable silence, nodding his head only slightly. “We can talk about it more in the morning, but you should sleep now. There are some old gowns in the room over there.” He lazily gestured across the way as he climbed up the ladder to his resting place. “Make yourself at home.”