Arang carefully poured the tea into individual cups before setting them one by one in front of the royals sitting at the table. It was the weekly dinner Soo had arranged, and like any other one before that, the brothers were happily talking and joking around. Soo sat on the side speaking quietly with Soon Deok and with the former princess of Later Baekje, while Eun Bi kept a vigilant watch over Seol. It was not normal for royals to gather in this capacity, and so often, but Soo insisted that they stay close as possible, because life in the palace was simply too taxing. Who else would they have to depend on, if not each other?

Currently, Seol was sleeping in her crib next to Soo. It wasn’t often that she got to be in the presence of her aunts and uncles, and Soo knew that everyone else would like to see her as well. Despite the rambunctious voices of the princes that floated through the air, she slept soundly.

By the time the food arrived, everyone had already begun to make merry. Especially with the recent problems going on in the palace, they needed a place to unwind and relax; this dinner was going to be that place.

“If I had not been attending court these past weeks, I would have not known all the turmoil that goes on behind these palace doors. Tonight seems as if nothing could go wrong,” Baek Ah said as he took another drink of the rice wine.

“You are right, Hyungnim. I always look forward to these dinners that Soo Hyungsoonim arranges, but we can never forget the matters of the palace. They are always looming over our heads.”

They didn’t have to elaborate any further for everyone to know. There was only one issue that mattered right now, and although everyone here supported So and Soo, the ministers thought differently.

“Are you feeling better now, Soo ya? I heard that you were unwell at the ceremony on the 9th day of the 9th month,” Woo Hee asked in concern. She did not get many opportunities to visit the palace, so this was the first time she saw Soo in quite some time.

Soo and So looked at each other quickly before Soo smiled.

“I am feeling well now. I was under the weather that day but I regained my strength the next day.”

Woo Hee smiled in relief.

“I am glad to hear that, Soo ya.”

Eun had taken a drink of the liquor, and Soo knew how much he could not handle his liquor. Although he had improved from the first time she spent his birthday with him, he still was quite light-weight.

“Hyungsoonim!”

Everyone had to hold in their laughs before waiting to hear what else he would say. Only Soon Deok looked a bit embarrassed for her husband, and when he tried to take another drink, she quickly sent over to his side and expertly poured him flavored water, instead of the rice wine.

“Yes, Eun wangjangnim?”

It had been awhile since she called him that in the presence of just the siblings. They all usually called each other endearingly, and Eun was referred to Eunie. However, because he was slightly drunk, Soo decided to . He grinned in response before answering her.

“Are you sure you were okay? It seems like someone tried to poison you or something!”

There was a silence in the room as everyone processed what he had just suggested. Soo and So looked at each other again, worried that word would get around.

“Eunie! How can you suggest that?!”

Soon Deok took his cup away from him and looked over at Soo apologetically.

“I apologize for my husband’s antics. He knows very well that he can not handle his drink, yet he insists to drink regardless.”

Soo shook her head and smiled.

“It is all right.”

“Eunie may be deep in his cups right now, but I thought the same as well,” Baek Ah said quietly.

Everyone looked at him and then back at Soo, who sighed.

“I suppose I did not do very well in keeping my composure that day. It is not surprising you all were suspicious of me.”

“We were not suspicious, but rather worried. You did try to keep it very quiet, and even when we asked about it the next day, you did not elaborate to us.”

Jung also looked at Soo questioningly. She nodded and decided it was time to tell them.

“You were right, someone did try to poison me.”

There was a brief silence before chaos ensued.

“What?! Why did you not tell us?”

“Are you sure you are well?”

“Who on earth would do that to you?”

“This is treason! We must find who it was and punish them!”

“Silence!”

So did not raise his voice very much, but immediately everyone in the room ceased to speak before looking over at him.

“The reason why we did not tell you was because we were afraid this would happen. Think about it: there is no clear evidence, and to accuse someone without evidence is equivalent to the treason of actually poisoning someone. Furthermore, Soo said someone did try to poison her, but she was not poisoned.”

Jung spoke up.

“But if she was not poisoned, then why did she grow so sick?”

“I was already feeling nervous that day due to certain reasons, which I’m sure you all know why. However, the thought of someone trying to kill me made me very scared and my body simply reacted.”

“Then how did you know that someone was trying to poison you?” Woo Hee asked.

Soo took a sip of her tea before speaking again.

“I was able to smell the poison.”

“Soo pretended to drink it before having Arang change the pot and tea,” So elaborated.

Silence again filled the room as everyone looked at Soo in amazement. She looked up again and smiled.

“I am the head of Damiwon. Please give me some credit. Besides, after what happened to So last time, I was not going to stay helpless ever again.”

She looked over again at So and smiled. He returned the smile before looking over at everyone else.

“Seeing that we had no evidence of who sent the poison, and because Soo did not actually get poisoned, we deemed it necessary to keep quiet about it. It was no use getting worked-up over something we could not resolve.”

“Worked...up? That sounds funny!” Eun exclaimed.

“It must be a special dialect from his travels?” Baek Ah surmised.

So coughed and cleared his throat, blushing slightly but only Soo could tell, and she too held in a laugh of her own.

“There was no point worrying you all when we did not know the answer ourselves. And with the current state of the court, we did not want to cause any more troubles.”

Baek Ah and Jung looked at each other.

“Regardless, we are your brothers. I know we all did not start off very well, but I thought you had more faith in us than that, So Hyungnim,” Jung said disappointedly.

“It is not that we did not have faith in you, but rather we did not want to worry you all...I did not think you would think that way. I apologize.”

So looked guilty, but his brothers eventually smiled and patted him on the back.

“It’s okay Hyungnim. I know it still must be strange to depend on us. But just let us know next time. We are a source of support for you, now and in the future as well.”

“Thank you.”

Baek Ah and Jung smiled, knowing how seriously their elder brother meant what he just said. But then they returned to their playful selves.

Baek Ah jokingly shoved So to the side and Jung laughed from the other side. Eun could be seen smiling on the side as well, before attempting to have another drink, which was promptly intercepted by Soon Deok.

“I used to think very differently of the royal brothers due to their father, but it seems I was wrong.”

Soo looked over to see Woo Hee looking at the siblings and noticed her gaze lingered on Baek Ah. She knew Woo Hee held a grudge against the late King Taejo for tearing her family apart. However, things had changed after she met Baek Ah.

“Am I to hear of happy news soon?”

Soo smiled knowingly as she looked back at Woo Hee, who promptly began to blush.

“I...I do not know what you are speaking of, Soo ya.”

“If you think you can hide for feelings for him from me, please reconsider Woo Hee. We have known each other for too long.”

Woo Hee cleared before taking another sip o f tea. Soo knew Woo Hee wanted to say something else, but was shy, so she waited patiently for Woo Hee.

“We have spoken briefly about our feelings, and but Baek Ah has not asked me directly to marry him…”

“Is there a reason why?”

“You know of my background, Soo ya, but many others do not. If I were to be married to a royal prince, that would be revealed, and I would never be accepted as a bride.”

Soo frown at Woo Hee’s words. Even if she did not agree with it, there were customs in this world that she had to abide by. And for Woo Hee, as someone who was from the a royal family overthrown by King Taejo, she would not be looked upon kindly. Just like how Soo had to be adopted by Hae Sung Jin to marry So, Woo Hee would have to be adopted under a good family name in order to marry Baek Ah.

“Have you found a family willing to adopt you?”

Woo Hee shook her head sadly.

“Not yet, but Baek Ah has been trying.”

Soo reached over to place her hand over Woo Hee’s and squeezed it reassuringly.

“Have faith. I believe that it will be possible.”

Woo Hee smiled back, and nodded in agreement.

“I hope so too.”

Suddenly standing up, Soo pulled Woo Hee from their area in the room before dragging her over to where the princes were sitting.

“Enough of all this serious business. Let us join them and be happy, or else they will stop coming to these weekly dinners!”

Woo Hee chuckled and shook her head in amusement.

“I don’t think anything but war will keep them from attending, Soo ya. We all love these weekly meetings as much as you do!”