Faye was thrown back to her cell and she woke up to find both Sehun and her grandfather unconscious on the ground. “Sehun! Harabeoji!” She crawled slowly to their side.

“Can someone please take care of my harabeoji and brother?” Faye begged. “They have been unconscious for quite some time.”

Just then Advisor Gong stepped and looked down at Faye with a solemn look. “I will let your younger brother go first. But your grandfather has to stay.”

“Why? Why can’t you just let the two of them go?” Faye questioned.

“I will save your father but that is provided you confess that you are the Lustful Scholar.”

“I’m not even the Lustful Scholar so why are you all framing me? The real Lustful Scholar is the…”

Advisor Gong held his hand up to stop her from talking further. “If you reveal the truth to the world, do you think you and your family will survive? The vampire that lives in the palace will kill everyone, including the citizens who talk about it.”

Faye stared down at the ground, considering.

---

“If Oh Byunheun saw me at Seo Kang Joon’s house 10 years ago, he would likely to see all vampires as evil since it was Gwi who turned Seo Kang Joon and me who killed Seo Kang Joon. This is why he would neve hand over the diary so easily.” Jaejoong told his team.

“So this is why you wanted to use Oh Sehyun’s life to trade for Prince Yunho’s diary?” BoA asked.

Jaejoong nodded.

“Master, did you say that Gwi has decided to meet the Lustful Scholar himself? He remembers Sehyun’s scent so what should we do?” Junsu pointed out. “What if she were to be eaten by Gwi?”

“Are you able to watch her getting hurt?” BoA asked.

“I’m not having a good time here.” Jaejoong began. “However if everyone can live with only her dying, I will still do what I suppose to do. If that si what it takes to get rid of Gwi, I will do it with my utmost effort.”

---

“So you are saying the king is using a fake Lustful Scholar to hide the real one?” Gwi asked Prime Minister Im.

“The traitor that made the nation fall into chaos is just a bookseller and the evidence can be fabricated to the way he likes. Isn’t it possible for them to make a false confession after being tortured?” Prime Minister Im replied.

“Then I think it’s time for me to meet him. To see if he is fake or real.”

Prime Minister Im nodded with a creepy smile.

“The owner of the bag that Kim Jaejoong has been protecting so earnestly might be the Lustful Scholar and he may have the diary. “ Gwi said with his eyes closed, sniffing the air. “Finally… I might be able to taste that sweet blood again… I have been craving for it so badly.”

---

Back in the cell, Faye was huddling to herself and staring at the necklace that Jaejoong had given her. “Sunbae-nim, if I die, will I be able to save Sehun’s grandfather? Will that save the nation and the people’s lives? Will I be able to go back to where I belong? Maybe I should just die…” With that she fainted to the ground.

---

Jaejoong was pacing up and down in his room when a flustered Junsu rushed into his room with a bloody Sehun on his back. “Master! Master!”

“What happen? Why is he here?” Jaejoong asked.

“Sunbae-nim…” Sehun called weakly.

“Put him on my bed.” Jaejoong instructed.

Junsu quickly went over and put Sehun down on the bed.

“Go get BoA and help with his wounds.”

“Yes, master.” Junsu nodded and rushed out of the room.

Jaejoong sat down next to Sehun and saw him clutching tightly on a book. “Sehun, tell me what happened. Why are you here? Where is your noona and harabeoji? Are they alright?”

“Sunbae-nim, please save my noona and harabeoji even if you couldn’t find the diary. They are forcing noona to confess as the Lustful Scholar to save us! You can’t let noona die! Please I beg you! You had saved her three times. I am sure you can do it this time round too! Jebal!” Sehun cried, holding the novel that Faye had been drawing. “Noona likes you a lot and she has been writing this novel to jot down the nice memories she has with you. Please save her one more time.”

Jaejoong took the book from him and made his way to his libray while Junsu and BoA arrived to tend to Sehun’s injuries.

He flipped the book open and recognized the various scenes drawn. “She didn’t lie to me.” Jaejoong muttered. “She is indeed a manhwa author. She actually wrote a novel about me.”

And then he flipped to the page where Faye had drawn their first meeting at the gibang and also the night when he helped her to hide from the royal guards. It brought Jaejoong back to those times when he was with Faye. A faint smile appeared on his face when he closed the book.

---

The next day Junsu was tasked to monitor the situation at the prison and Junsu was surprised to see the prisoners were all brought back for formal interrogation.

Junsu was looking around and ran up to meet Jaejoong when he saw him coming his way. “How is everything?”

“All the Crown Prince’s men, Oh Byunheun and Sehyun had been brought back to the Investgation Bureau. They are probably going to be interrogated formally.” Junsu reported.

“They will probably arrest everyone and make all Lustful Scholar’s followers into traitors. But thankfully they had been moved back to here, I can still access them easily.”

“But ever since your last visit, they had already tightened their security. It’s hard to get in and out without being noticed.”

“I have my way.” Jaejoong muttered.

Moments later, Jaejoong waltzed right into Faye’s cell and his heart twitched when he saw her being bloody and battered.

Oh Byunheun was the first one to wake up and when he saw Jaejoong in his cell, he reared back in terror, avoiding Jaejoong’s eyes.

“Did you see me at Crown Prince Daejung’s quarters ten years ago?” Jaejoong asked.

The old man let out a gasp at Jaejoong’s question. “I…I saw you. You were eating and killing a person.”

“You were right. I am also a vampire like Gwi so I can understand why are you so afraid of me. However, in order to get rid of Gwi, I have spent 65 years trying to find the diary that you had in your possession. The king will personally interrogate you today. In order to protect the Crown Prince, he made Sehyun the Lustful Scholar. He will never let her live. If you tell me the location of the diary, I will send you, Sehyun and Sehun safely to Tamna.”

“Take the prisoners out!” A voice announced.

“There’s no time. You have to trust me.” Jaejoong urged and when Byunheun turned to look at Jaejoong, he was nowhere in sight.

Before the interrogation began, Advisor Gong pulled Gong Yoo to the side. “If you were to confess as the Lustful Scholar at the torture ground, I would reveal that the Crown Prince is the real Lustful Scholar. If you want to save the Crown Prince, you should never get involved.”

“Why are you doing this?” Gong Yoo asked.

“I have already lost your father, I don’t want to lose my grandson too.”

---

The prisoners were brought out and tied to the chairs. “Wake the prisoner up!” The king ordered.

The guard splashed a bowl of water onto Faye’s face. Dongwook fidgeted upon seeing the sight. “If you were to make a move, that child would die.” The king threatened. “Is this what you want?”

Faye woke up and when she looked up, she was surprised to see Dongwook in his prince’s outfit. “Hyung-nim…” She muttered.

“Begin the punishment.” The king said.

“Yes.” The guards answered and began their torturing sessions.

Screams cut through the torture ground.

“I will ask for the last time. Do you admit to the wrongdoings of the Lustful Scholar?”

Faye thought back to Dongwook’s question about whether she hated the Lustful Scholar and then it was Advisor Gong’s threat that came ringing in her ears. “Yes, I am the Lustful Scholar.” Faye spoke up.

Dongwook’s eyes went wide when he heard her reply.

“My harabeoji has nothing to do with all my plannings. Please spare his life.” Faye continued.

“That’s a lie!” Byunheun hollered. “She is lying in order to save me! I am the Lustful Scholar.”

“Harabeoji!” Faye shouted. “I am the Lustful Scholar!”

“All the evidences are pointing to your grandchild that she is the Lustful Scholar. Are you lying?” The king asked.

“I worked as a bookseller for the Crown Prince ten years ago. The grace I received from the Crown Prince was immeasurable. He died a wrongful death so I gathered all his supporters and planned all of this! I AM THE LUSTFUL SCHOLAR!”

“Harabeoji, why are you doing this?” Faye cried.

“My poor granddaughter has to dress like a man to work for her family. She has nothing to do with this. Please spare her!”

“I am not your granddaughter!” Faye shouted. “My name is Faye Shim Hyerin! I came from year 2015! I am not his granddaughter so kill me instead!”

“Sehyun-ah… what are you talking about?” Byunheun cried. “Your majesty, please kill me and spare my granddaughter.”

“The Lustful Scholar and his follower had mocked the king and the government with false statements. You shall pay your sins with death.” The king began. “Tomorrow at 8am, all of you will be executed in front of all the people.”

“Yes.”

At the other side of the investigation bureau, Jaejoong has appeared with a massive amount of hawthorn powder. His eyes flashed red and released a handful of the powder into the wind.

When night fell, Jaejoong swooped into action and broke into Faye’s cell where Faye was already asleep. He took a vial out and pouted the contents over her neck and arms. He then removed the hawthorn necklace from her.

At the same time he sensed Gwi approaching the direction of Faye’s cell with the Prime Minister. “Leave this place.” Prime Minister Im said but the guards stayed put at their spots. “I said leave this place!”

“Yes.” The guards bowed and left the place before Gwi walked into the premises.

Prime Minister Im opened the cell door of Byunheun’s cell. “He is the bookseller that admitted to be the Lustful Scholar.”

Gwi stepped in and gave him look before turning back to the prime minister. “It’s not an old man.” He loosened his clothes to reveal Byunheun’s neck. “See! He isn’t wearing a scent box.”

And the prime minister led him to Faye’s cell. “This is the granddaughter of that old man. She is also a bookseller.”

Gwi went in and squatted beside Faye, lifting her face up with his fingers. “She is really attractive. Enough for men to crave.” And then he tried to sniff for her scent but to no avail. “I don’t smell her scent.” He tasted the blood on Faye’s neck and frowned deeply. “It’s not the sweet blood. How do you expect me to find the diary from these dying people? Wake them up and bring them to me.”

“Yes, I will do as you command.” Prime Minister Im bowed.

Gwi was about to leave the cell but stopped in his track all of a sudden. “Right… Every human should have his or her own scent. But how is it possible for this woman not to have any scent?” He looked around and saw hawthorn powder all over the cell. “So he sparkled hawthorn powder all over to protect this woman?”

“Are you saying this child is the Lustful Scholar?”

“Maybe.” Gwi answered. “Whether she is the Lustful Scholar or she is the one that Kim Jaejoong loves, it would be fun to watch too. Kim Jaejoong will be near this woman.”

And then he left the cell with the prime minister. Jaejoong came out from the shado