When Soo had gone to search for So the next morning, she had been informed by Ji Mong that he was sent to bring back his 3^rd brother, who had escaped from his home after being put under house arrest for attempting to seize the throne. The Crown Prince was still figuring out how to deal with him when he had escaped.

 

“Did he go alone?” she asked worriedly.

 

Ji Mong shook his head.

 

“Jung and Wook have also joined the search, along with some royal soldiers.”

 

She nodded wordlessly. Soo hoped that they all would return safely, though she was aware of how much anger and hatred Yo held, especially towards So. Furthermore, Wook had joined the search party, and she wasn’t sure if he would take that chance to eliminate both the 3^rd and 4^th princes altogether. That was why she worried.

 

“The 4^th prince will be fine, Lady Soo.”

“I hope so too, Ji Mong.”

 

They both saw Crown Prince Moo and his entourage approach them, and bowed to great him. He nodded as he saw them.

 

“Ah, Ji Mong, Lady Soo. Just the people I wanted to see.”

“You wanted to see us, your highness?”

“Yes, please follow me to the throne room.”

 

And so they waited for the Crown Prince and his entourage to pass before following them to the throne room. When they arrived, Ji Mong and Soo waited for Crown Prince Moo to take his seat before he spoke.

 

“Ji Mong, it seems my coronation must be postponed till tomorrow, or at least until we have captured my 3^rd brother. Please communicate this to the ministers.”

“Yes, your highness. I will do so immediately.”

 

Ji Mong left with a bow, leaving only Soo and the Crown Prince.

 

“Hae Soo, have you had enough time to make your decision?”

“Yes, your highness. I have thought about it last night.”

“And what have you decided?”

 

She knew that So was very loyal to the Crown Prince, and even if he had promised he would take her away from the palace, she knew it would hurt him if she kept him away permanently. The palace was a place he wanted to enter the most, ever since he was sent away to Shinju as a child. Furthermore, she could not rob the Crown Prince of his most loyal subject and brother.

 

Soo was still terrified of the palace, and wanted very much to leave. However, she knew that if she stayed here, she would have the protection of not only So but also the soon-to-be king. She supposed it wouldn’t be too bad, and as long as she was careful like Court Lady Oh warned her to be, she would survive. In addition, if she was here, she could help Moo take care of his health, and at least that would provide some strength and support to him.

 

“If your offer still stands, I will accept my position as Senior Court Lady at Damiwon.”

 

She could see Crown Prince Moo visibly relax at her response. He must have worried about her decision.

 

“It brings me much joy to hear your answer.”

“However, I do have a request.”

“What is it? I believe you are not an unreasonable person, so I will grant whatever you wish for.”

“The late king granted permission for me to marry the 4^th prince. I would like to do that.”

“Yes, he did and I approve of it as well. But you do not need my permission to do that.”

“My request is for us to travel after our marriage before returning to serve you, your highness.”

“You wish to travel?”

“Yes. I believe it will provide an opportunity for me to learn more about exotic herbs and treatments, ones I have not seen before, and bring them back to serve the royal family. It will also allow the 4^th prince to survey the state of your kingdom, so he can better serve you as a subject, your highness. He has served as an ambassador this past year, and will be the best one for the job.”

“I can see you have thought this through, Hae Soo. All right, I consent. I can see the merit in the plans you speak of.”

 

Soo felt relief as the Crown Prince approved of her request. At least she and So would experience some freedom before having to worry about their royal duties.

 

“You are most benevolent, your highness.”

 

She saw Crown Prince Moo smile and returned it with a grin of her own. Suddenly, a eunuch entered the room and gave a bow.

 

“Your highness, the 8^th prince would like an audience with you.”

 

Wook was back? Did that mean So was back as well?

 

“All right, let him in,” he said before turning back to Soo.

“You may leave, Hae Soo. Thank you for your time.”

“You are welcome, your highness,” she said with a last bow before leaving the room.

 

As Soo passed through the doors, she saw Wook standing outside. They exchanged brief glances before she hurried away to look for So. Luckily, she saw Ji Mong and approached him.

 

“Ji Mong!”

“Lady Soo, the 4^th prince has sent for you.”

 

So he was back! She tried to hold in her excitement at the thought of seeing him.

 

“Where is he, Ji Mong?”

“I believe he is by the pond at Damiwon.”

“Thank you!”

 

She bowed before rushing off, paying no heed to her leg. She did not know where this excitement and nervousness came from. She had never felt this way when going to meet the 4^th prince before. Regardless, she knew she was eager to see So again, even if she had seen him just the night before. The way her heart fluttered made her feel like a high school girl seeing her crush again.

 

As she arrived at the pond, she slowed down as she could see his figure sitting at the edge of the pond. She was about to call his name before she registered the manner in which he was sitting. His head drooped along with his shoulders, as his arms rested on his knees. Something was wrong.

 

As she approached, she could see the broken expression on So’s face. She wondered what had happened on the search mission for him to have returned in this state. She quietly sat down next to him on the bank, and now that she was closer to him, she could see the tears that had collected in his eyes. He turned his head to face her, and she could fully see the anguish in his eyes.

 

“Soo ya…”

“What is the matter?”

“If I came to you, I did not think you would forgive me. But I thought you would understand.”

“What happened to make you think I would not forgive you?”

 

He turned his head away and took a shaky breath before he answered her.

 

“I was forced to engage in a fight with my older brother. I did not mean to, but when he made to attack me, I stabbed him.”

 

Her eyes widened at his words. She knew Yo wouldn’t have hesitated to kill So, and to think So was so wrought over the fact he had hurt Yo, even though it was out of instinct to protect himself. It made her realize how much he cared about his family. Even about the brother who only held distain for him.

 

“After that happened, he fell over the edge of the cliff before I could save him.”

 

And it was after saying that that he broke into sobs, tears falling down his face. She reached out to pull him into her embrace, patting his shoulder all the while his hair to calm him down.

 

“It is not your fault, So ya. You did not want to kill your brother. You were only defending yourself.”

“But I hurt him. And I could not save him!”

“He chose his path, and he paid with the consequences. I believe it would have hurt his pride if he had been brought back and executed. At least he was able to fight for his life until his last breath.”

 

He did not respond, and she continued to sit there to comfort him. They sat there until she could hear his sobs quiet and only slight sniffles remained. Slowly, she pulled away and held his face in her hands as she looked at him.

 

He met her gaze before averting his own, sorrow still seen in his eyes. She gently wiped away the remainder of his tears with her fingers.

 

“You can see my scar, right?”

 

She chuckled softly, shaking her head at his question. Of all times, he was worried about his make-up and his scar showing.

 

“Are you sure you’re worried about your brother if you’re asking about your scar now?”

“Of course I am, but…”

 

Her eyes softened as she traced the place where his scar was concealed. It still must have caused him a lot of anxiety to have it show in public. And he had every right to feel that way. She remembered the day of the first rain ritual, when he had come back from the village covered in dirt and feces. It would have been amazing if anyone who had experienced that, didn’t have any trauma afterwards.

 

“I cannot see anything, So ya. You look just fine. Even if your scar could be seen, I would still think that way. It does not change the way I see you.”

“Really?”

“Don’t you remember the first day I covered your scar? I said that it doesn’t matter what you look like, only your actions. I said I would not change if you didn’t.”

 

He managed a small smile as he pulled her into his embrace this time.

 

“Thank you, Soo ya.”

 

She smiled and returned his embrace.

 

“It is nothing to thank me for.”

 

They stayed there a bit longer before she convinced him to return to the astronomy tower to rest. After she had tucked him in, she turned to leave but his hand shot out to grab her wrist, preventing her from leaving.

 

“Soo ya, please do not leave me.”

 

She smiled and consented, sitting down on the edge of his bed. However, before she could do anything else, he audaciously set his head on her lap and snuggled closer to her.

 

“Your highness!” she said, flustered at his actions.

“This way I will know if you leave me.”

 

She shook her head in amusement before making herself more comfortable, his hair and fixing his fringe.

 

“You didn’t have to do this to make me stay. I would’ve done so anyway.”

“Better safe than sorry. Besides, I am not sleepy. I am only here because you told me to be.”

 

She continued to sit there with him silently, until she remembered she hadn’t told So about his father’s final decree.

 

“So ya.”

“Hmm?”

“I didn’t get to tell you before, but your father left a final decree to me.”

 

He looked up at her, curiosity peaked.

 

“He did? What did it say?”

“He restored my title as a noble lady, and gave me the option to become Senior Court Lady.”

“But you wanted to leave the palace after we married, right?”

“I do, but…”

 

He sat up and turned to face her, taking her hands into his.

 

“But what?”

“I know how much you wanted to stay at the palace. And Crown Prince Moo will need someone who supports him. I can’t take you away like that.”

 

He looked at her, expression serious now.

 

“Soo ya, if you want to leave the palace, then we will leave. You do not need to worry about anything else.”

“It would not sit well with me, to leave your brother here by himself. And I know it would not sit well with you either.”

 

She continued to meet his gaze, and he finally broke it, looking down and then back up at her, a grin on his face.

 

“You know me too well. It seems I cannot hide anything from you.”

“Just as you know me,” she said with a smile.

“But I wanted to take you outside of the palace, to show you the places I had seen on my travels as an ambassador. I do not want you permanently trapped here, especially after what you have been through.”

“And you can. I asked the Crown Prince to allow us a honeymoon after our marriage.”

“Honey…moon?”

 

Oops, that was a pretty modern word in Goryeo, wasn’t it? They didn’t have honeymoons after marriage here, did they?

 

“Uh…what I mean is, he allowed us to travel before coming back to serve him.”

 

He seemed to forget her slip as he heard her say the Crown Prince had approved of them traveling.

 

“Really? But how?”

“I asked him for permission. I know you wanted to show me the places you’ve seen, and I too want to travel before returning. I have not seen much in Goryeo besides the palace ever since I arrived from…the 8^th Prince’s home.”

 

She refrained from saying ever since she had arrived from the future. That would not sit well, and the conversation wasn’t set up for her to explain exactly how Ha Jin had arrived in Hae Soo’s body. Thankfully, So didn’t notice her second slip.

 

“Soo ya, you seem to be in favor of Goryeo’s Kings. What else would explain my father’s final decree, and my brother’s permission for our travel?”

“Although your eldest brother approved of our travels, it wasn’t him who allowed the marriage.”

“It was not him?”

 

She stood up and retrieved the scroll from where she had set it on the table and returned, handing it to So to read. He took it from her wordlessly as he unfurled it and read, eyes widening.

 

“My father allowed the marriage? Even before I asked you?”

“It seems so. This was his final decree that he left me. And you.”

“I cannot believe it.”

 

She sat down again next to him and touched his cheek.

 

“Your father loved you, So ya. Even if he could not show it, he did. How else would he have agreed to this marriage if he didn’t know about your feelings for me? He knew it before he sent you away as an ambassador to Khitan, and me to the Gyobang.”

“But why did he do that to the both of us?”

“He did it to prepare us, to make sure we could survive and grow through hardships. He also knew that he had to send us away for the situation to settle down, after…after the situation with Court Lady Oh. He told me to prepare myself to support you and the Crown Prince.”

“Is that why you are hesitant to simply leave the palace?”

“Yes, but also because I know it would hurt you to leave the palace. You have yearned to be back ever since you were sent away. I could not do that again to you.”

 

He set down the scroll and pulled her in for a hug.

 

“You know I am nothing without you, right Soo ya?”

“You? The 4^th Prince? Surely you don’t mean that,” she said jokingly in a light tone.

 

She could feel him hold her tighter, and she returned the embrace.

 

“I am speaking the truth. If you had not covered my scar, I would not be here today.”

“Really, the people of Goryeo should learn to see past superficial things like scars. Where I’m from, scars are seen as badges, signs that you’ve survived.”

“Regardless, thank you Soo ya. I will protect you here in the palace. I can promise you I will do my best to keep you safe and make you happy.”

 

She nodded, knowing he meant every word.

 

“I know. And I’ll try my best to make you happy.”

“You already do.”

 

She smiled at his words. As she snuggled further into So’s embrace, she could feel her heart open up a little more, just for the 4^th prince.

 

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Thank you for reading, and I shall see you in the next chapter! Don’t forget to leave a review/comment :D