"Please, pretend to be me," Minju pleaded, grabbing onto Chaewon's hands.

"Minju..." Chaewon sighed, gripping Minju's hands tightly, unable to erase her reservations, and with reason. After all, Minju had wanted to live with her family since forever, even when her father, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Wei, has casted her aside due to some wacky predictions from a sightseer.

(Chaewon felt that those people didn't deserve someone as kind as Minju.)

"And you can infiltrate the court!" Minju suggested, trying to convince Chaewon.

The idea seemed appetizing, given that the Emperor of the Kingdom of Wei had destroyed her father, her life, and the Kingdom her father had tirelessly worked for... but she couldn't do it like this. Minju deserved to be received as a daughter, not as a stranger.

"Chaewon, they want me to go immediately. They'll surely notice that I'm injured and father might punish Miss Hyeja and her family."

"Why do you even care about that hag," Chaewon mumbled, still remembering the day Minju had brought her to her house, curing her injuries. The old woman had beaten Minju with a stick, and Chaewon could only block the hits with her own body, unable to do anything else due to her injuries.

Minju gave her a pleading look, making Chaewon's defenses finally crumble. Sighing, she caressed Minju's face.

"And you'll catch up with me?"

"I promise," Minju said, leaning into Chaewon's touch.

After some deliberation, Chaewon was able to come to an answer. "Then I'll do it. Just, take care of yourself." Minju nodded, but Chaewon was unable to let her go. The other woman smiled sadly, reaching out towards Chaewon in an affectionate hug.

"I'll catch up to you, I promise." At that moment, Chaewon couldn't ignore the impulse, so she gave Minju's forehead a soft peck. Hearing Miss Hyeja's panicked voice getting closer, Chaewon extricated herself from Minju's embrace.

Minju smiled sadly, but paradoxically mischievously. "Go get 'em, Princess."