“Joohyun! Wait, hold on!” Seungwan jogged a little faster to catch up to her wife. The meeting had been dismissed. Everyone had resumed their normal activities. Seulgi remained by Taeyeon’s side, hoping to discuss the operation a bit further. Joohyun was on her way back to her tent to pack for the mission. 

“Can’t we discuss this a bit more?” Seungwan ran after the captain into their shared abode.

“What more is there to discuss?” 

“This- isn’t it-” The seventh prince looked at Joohyun’s back as the latter moved around their room, grabbing articles of clothing here and there. “Why don’t we assemble a better team first? This is being too rushed, it could bring disast-”

“Don’t say that!”

Seungwan sighed and moved to sit at the center table. Her eyes never leaving Joohyun’s figure. 

“Seungwannie.” Joohyun was folding a pair of trousers. “Were you not just at the meeting? Chen’s already pointed out how quickly this operation has to begin. Father and Uncle Heechul also agreed that a small team like me and Seulgi is the best option. It’ll be easier for us to return, unharmed.”

“Right. But…” 

Joohyun paused her packing. She didn’t want to turn back and look at Seungwan and she didn’t plan to. She knew what the seventh prince was feeling at the moment. As a matter of fact, it was what she had felt earlier in the meeting when Seulgi volunteered for the operation. She resumed her packing. 

Yet the general’s daughter was convincing herself it was different. That Seulgi needed her. To Joohyun, the world would be meaningless if she were to lose Seulgi on some foreign soil. The nights would be a moonlit yet darkened sky. But Seungwan was different. She was a prince of the Li Kingdom, although they were wedded under the kingdom’s law, the prince had a different world. The kingdom was Seungwan’s world, while it was Joohyun’s duty. 

In a small and soft tone, Seungwan voiced her inner desire: “Could you… not go?”

Joohyun paused once more. Her line of sight remained on the pair of trousers folded in her arms. was dry, but she softly replied with a question of her own: “What about Seulgi?” 

“Someone else coul-”

“Who!” Joohyun finally turned to look at Seungwan. Her brows were narrowed. She was irritated. It wasn’t a look the prince was anticipating. 

“There are plenty of others. This is the wolfsbane army!” Seungwan retaliated with the same level of patience running thin. She didn’t understand why her wife was adamant about participating in the operation herself when there were others who could go in her stead. “Need I remind you, Leetuk or Yesung woul