Hye-ri was rubbing her feet, the blood from two days ago still not washing off from beneath her toenails. Grateful for the twenty minutes of break she had been given, Hye-ri tried to bury the anger towards her teacher that was steadily growing. From the corner of her eye, she could spot the stern woman scolding girls much younger than herself, secretly thankful that those long days were over. Well, mostly over.

As she continued to scrub at the new wounds with the damp rag that Byung-yeon had fetched for her, a voice uncharacteristic for a dance lesson rang out near the entrance.

“Forgive me for my intrusion.”

“My Lord!” Hye-ri could practically hear her teacher grovelling into the dirt. With a curious turn of her head, Hye-ri caught sight of the newcomer. “What shall we thank for your sudden appearance?”

It was Yoon-Sung, of all people. “I’m here to fetch Kang Hye-ri.” He was staring back at the weary dancer from the open courtyard, his hands clasped neatly together behind his elegant blue robe. She matched his grin with a dangerous narrowing of her eyes.

Hye-ri's teacher lifted her gaze slightly in the bow, her curiosity unhidden. “I’m terribly sorry, My Lord… She’s in the middle of a practice.”

Without taking his eyes off her, he smiled. “I’m aware of that.”

Realizing that the nobleman was not going to budge, the teacher waved Hye-ri off. There was some hesitation in the girl's wobbly steps, but she made her way over to him nonetheless. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

His eyes shifted towards her feet. “You’re bleeding again.”

Breath froze in as Byung-yeon’s words from the previous night echoed around her skull.

“You’re bleeding.”

For once, she was not grateful that Yoon-sung had noticed. Instead, her heart had reached out to another.

“You’re not.” Her voice was defiant. “Any other obvious things we would like to point out?”

“I was in town and I wanted a break.” His smile was like the horizon. It never ceased. “Will you walk with me? I assumed that they were overworking you and thought it might be nice for you to catch some air."

Hye-ri’s brow lifted at the suggestion. On one hand, she did not want to admit that Yoon-sung’s gesture was somewhat affectionate and perfectly timed. On the other hand, her feet began to sting as she paused them, the realization of her pain dawning on her more distractedly than earlier.

“Wait here,” she muttered. “I need to fetch my things.”

Upon leaving the dance hall for the day, Hye-ri and Yoon-sung made their way quietly through the village streets. Venders sold their products as normal, bookstores and clothing shops kept their doors wide open for wandering passerbys.

“Any news from the palace?” Hye-ri said, breaking the silence. “When I was there last, I met a rather strange eunuch. His name was-”

“Hong Sam-nom?” Yoon-sung chuckled the name.

“How did you-”

“He seems to be quite famous amongst the court now. Always getting into trouble and the sort. However, he was just relocated to the Prince’s quarters this afternoon.” A dark look seemed to pass over his eyes. “It would appear that Lee Yeong has taken a liking to him.”

Hye-ri mulled the situation over. “I suppose for one who truly knows Lee Yeong, they would understand that he would rather have a bumbling fool by his side to entertain him as opposed to a stiff board.”

Discussing Lee Yeong’s personality was not something they had all done since they were children. Since they were friends. And yet, Hye-ri was beginning to pick up on the feeling that she was perhaps the only friend Yoon-sung considered he had left, and even then it was very loosely. He had never done any harm, but the familial struggles between the trio of boys had been too much to keep their boisterous friendship strong.

“And Byung-yeon?” Hye-ri’s voice blended in with the nearby stream. “How is he?”

“The same, I suppose.”

The two of them stopped to take in the lotus flowers blooming atop the water. The lake was always sparkling at this time of year, and if the two did not already have their minds on others, perhaps they would have found it rather romantic.

Hye-ri knew what he was waiting for. “And you? How are you?”

Yoon-sung looked down at her with an unusually gloomy expression. “You understand that I’m not my grandfather, do you not? You’re not like the others. You never expressly doubted me.”

Hye-ri sighed heavily, not wanting to have a conversation where the answer was already clear. She had treated him coldly over the years for the sake of her own heart, which still yearned for him in its darkest corners. He was either too stupid to notice or too selfish to care. Obviously, it was the former. “You never proved to be anything other than a good man.”

Yoon-sung let the words sink into his heart. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this. I feel like you’re the only one I can speak to that will listen, and I need you to pass something of the utmost importance onto Lee Yeong.” He paused to check that the area was void of others. “This morning, I overheard my grandfather speaking with Minister Kim about the Chinese ambassador. It appears that he is making his way to Joseon.”

Hye-ri’s mind recalled the gossip Yoon-sung had previously shared with her. “The ambassador that wants to line his pockets? Is that not all you said he’s good for?” Hye-ri could see where this was going. “Lee Yeong is going to hate him.”

“Exactly. The Prime Minister wants to start a quarrel between the two. He knows that it will be easy, and that a fight will be a massive downfall for the Crown Prince to ever become King.”

“You want me to pass on the message.” Hye-ri's head fell backwards in annoyance at her role of messenger. “My sister is delivering vegetables to the palace now. I don’t think I should risk sneaking in with the ambassador coming so soon. How are you expecting me to relay this information?”

Yoon-sung smiled, already having an answer. “A foolish eunuch has just been made Lee Yeong’s assistant. He’s also just accepted the role of Crown Prince in a rather heated argument with his father… Where else do you expect he would be?”

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

Byung-yeon and Lee Yeong stared down at the man with pity. Before them, dressed in faded green and brown robes, was an elder rolling around in the warm dirt. Of course his hand was clasped around a soju bottle, his eyes focussed intently on the dog across from him. They could hardly hear themselves think over both mocking and real growls.

“It really is a dog fight.” Lee Yeong scrunched his face in disapproval. “I think it would be best if I met him alone today.”

“Yes, your Highness.” Byung-yeon's words were tinged with slight annoyance. He was more fearful of Lee Yeong’s safety these days, and leaving him alone was not particularly ideal. Then again, he was already in town and could use the time to visit Hye-ri. The thought of her made his heart instantly race, but not for the reason others would suspect. He was fearful of hurting her, as the thought of his death had been something she had seemed to resent so heavily.

“Wait.”

The high voice had taken both of them by surprise. Turning around on their perfectly white shoes, the duo’s brows both rose at the sight of Hye-ri.

“What are you doing here?” Byung-yeon asked slowly, fearful of the fact that she had somehow read his mind.

Hye-ri never took her eyes off of Lee Yeong. “I have something I need to tell you.”

The Prince winced, his vision glancing back at the ex-professor turned canine. “Now isn’t a good time.”

“It’s about the Chinese ambassador. I heard something from an inside source and I think it’s credible.”

Lee Yeong hesitated, his eyes dancing between the girl and the elder. With a slight wave of his hand, he gestured for her. “Come with me.”

~.~.~.~.~.~

Teacher Dasan, or Jung Yak-yong as Hye-ri remembered him, had not forgotten the girl. With hesitation, he led both Lee Yeong and her to a quiet bridge, secluded by the passing stream and summer trees.

Their conversation instantly began with discussion of the Qing dynasty and the foreign ambassador. Hye-ri informed Lee Yeong of what he had heard, taking neither of the men by surprise. She was grateful that they had not doubted her, and even more thankful to Yoon-sung for trusting her with the information.

“You need to be approved by the Qing to see if you are suitable to become a regent,” Yak-yong warned, his eyes staring out into the endless countryside before them. Hye-ri thought it made the whole world seem smaller.

“Yes,” Lee Yeong replied with a smirk. “They will try to make any of my flaws be shown before the ambassador, just to keep me from becoming regent.” He nudged Hye-ri slightly. “Thanks to Hye-ri, we can now expect that.”

Yak-yong glanced at the girl, whose eyes were also fixated outwards. Her expression was grim, as if she could not comprehend how she ended up in such a position. “You’re a wise girl, aren’t you?”

Hye-ri finally peeled her eyes off of the unchanging fields. “Excuse me?”

“You’re just a commoner. A farmer’s daughter. And yet you have an influence over these men." The Crown Prince could certainly not deny it. Hye-ri had become a strange, albeit special part of his life. She was his way to connect to the world outside of the palace. “It’s impressive, really.”

“What would be more impressive if you used your skill to shock them.” Hye-ri desperately tried to return the conversation back to the Qing, a she was fearful of praise in ways that other women were of neglect.

“You just have to avoid disapproval,” Yak-yong counterargued. “If you are deemed to listen well and show them that you’re not a threat, then why would there be any reason for them to object to your power?”

Lee Yeong stared at his teacher in annoyance. “What I wanted to hear was a way to be acknowledged as an equal foreign partner by the Qing, not a way to gain approval.”

Hye-ri shook her head. “Life doesn’t work that way. Particularly not in your case.”

“The reality is that the King cannot stop the Prime Minister.” Yak-yong took a step closer to the hesitant boy, a familiar rogue smile breaking out onto his tanned face. “You can always just behead him.”

Lee Yeong’s smile was small, a fake way of acknowledging his elders. “It seems my expectations were too high. If I had known that you would give me that type of advice, it would have been better to meet with a skilled assassin.”

Hye-ri instinctively gasped at the word, causing both of the men to recall her presence. Her thoughts had naturally flooded to Byung-yeon, the image of him fighting in the streets once more returning to her subconscience. Not wanting them to draw any suspicion from her actions, she quickly returned to the topic. “I have a different suggestion.” The two of them were silent. The image of their hushed lips felt strange, as Hye-ri took the centre stage. “Is there not something you’re particularly skilled at? Something that can steal the hearts of hundreds without shedding a single drop of blood?” She had to speak around the words lightly. If she merely told the Prince her thoughts directly, he would not believe that he came to the conclusion himself, and would perhaps not take it into consideration. Unfortunately, that was merely how her friend functioned.

Yak-yong grinned alongside her, both of their wavelengths finally in sync. “You can kill them with sweet honey, so why would you need poison?”

Lee Yeong grasped at the end of the mental rope. “If I can make them kneel with song and dance… there would be no need for me to unsheathe my sword.”

Hye-ri smiled, offering him a small curtsey. “What a wise idea, your Highness.”

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

When Lee Yeong and Hye-ri made their way back to the village, Byung-yeon was patiently waiting for them.

“Oh, look.” Lee Yeong patted his friend’s wide brimmed hat. “Another man acting like a dog.”

“Unfortunately, I’m paid to be your dog.” Byung-yeon smiled despite the words.

Hye-ri stepped away from the duo, not wanting to drown herself in the issues of the palace any longer. As a child, she would have lived for these moments, pehraps even fantasized about them. Now she was simply tired. The two men noticed her discomfort instantly, not accustomed to her being so shy. “Hye-ri gave me a perfect plan,” Lee Yeong said rather loudly, redrawing her attention. “I don’t know where I would be without her.”

Byung-yeon’s smile fell. He said nothing, his eyes only locked onto her eyes that were crinkling in the sun.

“It’s nothing, really.” She placed her hand over her face to block the rays. “And on that note, I should be going. My teacher is probably waiting-”

“You can’t!” Lee Yeong took a defiant step forward, his lips curled into a pout. “I need you.”

Both Byung-yeon and Hye-ri’s eyes shot up to him. Her pink mouth fell open with unspoken words, the abnormality of the situation washing over her. Byung-yeon’s hands lifted him off of the bench in an instant, his heart uncharacteristically loud at the Prince’s confession.

“You need her?”

Lee Yeong nodded as if it were simple mathematics. “Of course I do.”

Hye-ri laughed nervously, the red on her neck flaring up. “I-I don’t think I understand…”

“Salpuri,” he said simply. “I need you to help me choreograph my dance. Who better than you?” The others breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that this was not simply just an overdue exclamation of love. “You must return to the palace with us. I can promise your safe passagining.”

Hye-ri’s eyes rolled, despite knowing who she was performing the gesture in front of. “Even the King could not sneak in a commoner without suspicion.”

Lee Yeong pouted once more, his wide eyes never once leaving her face. “No, you’re right. But there’s somebody else that I could take with me.”

Byung-yeon didn’t like the muddy path his friend's mind was travelling down. The mischievous grin on Lee Yeong’s face was far too obvious for him to be decieved, the suggestion too outlandish to not put Hye-ri’s reputation at risk. "No.” Byung-yeon shook his head, defiantly speaking on behalf of the woman. “She can’t.”

Lee Yeong scoffed. “And why not? It’s not as if we’re going to do anything.” He poked his friend in the shoulder, sending him stumbling a few steps. “Nervous that I’ll start to have feelings, Byung-yeon?”

Hye-ri pressed her eyes tightly together. “Can somebody please explain what’s going on?”

Lee Yeong took a step closer to her, his lips dangerously close to her ear.

“Kang Hye-ri… Where is the nearest gisaeng house?”