“Why?”

“Father…”

“I’m not letting you till you don’t tell me why you want to go there,”father frowned as we stood inside his office at the palace.

“I just want to see how the Seonggyugwan looks like in the inside,”I said, looking at my fingers. “My friends are all there and I can’t see them without your special letter. So please, father!”

He looked at me, analyzing me from head to toe. For one second, his eyes sparkled strangely but then his usual smile took over and his fingers wrapped around the brush. “Very well then. If that’s your only reason, then I’ll write that letter for you. But Ae Ri, promise me that you won’t cause any problems while you’re there and that you won’t disturb the scolars that study there.”

“Who do you think I am, father?”my lips curled into a superior smile. “I’m nothing like Jun Hyung! I go only for what interests me,”I muttered to myself as he handed me the letter.

“Wouldn’t it be better if I’d write to the Head Master there and tell him that you’re coming? Jun Hyung would be very pleased to know that you’re going to the Academy! You know how much he insisted you see him dressed like a scholar…”

“I know, I know,”I laughed. “But I don’t think I’ll be able to keep a straight face seeing him wearing blue and black. You know, I don’t think Jun Hyung looks good in anything else but red.”

“If you say so, then it means he’s made to be in the Council,”father smiled.

“Maybe…if he could keep his hands home and his eyes off girls,”I laughed as I stood from my place. “Thank you again, father! I promise to be good!”

“I trust you.”

I stepped outside. The weather was great and everything seemed to go well with my plan. I was going to make a visit to mister Kim Jong Woon on his very own territory. And I was going to teach him a lesson. This time, he was going to fall for me with no buts!

“No one resisted me this long,”I mumbled as I arrived in front of the main gates. “You’ll see! Not even you can resist my charms for this long, Kim Jong Woon!”I made sure my new dress looked perfect as well as my hair. I stepped inside the Academy confident in my own charms.

The entire court was quiet. From somewhere, a general murmuring could be heard. It seemed that I stepped inside the Academy right when everyone was inside their classes. But even so, the Head Master should have been in his office.

“Hello?”I called in front of a closed door.

“Who are you, miss?”a voice called from behind, making me turn around in no time. A middle aged man was standing behind me, analyzing me from head to toe with curious eyes. His white attire and black hat showed that he was one of the teachers. But there was something else about him…his rank was higher than the other ones since his hat was taller and his attitude more wise.

“Hello, Head Master,”I bowed, showing him a dimpled smile. “I’m Cho Ae Ri and I’m here to ask permission to see the Academy. I have a reference letter from…minister Cho,”I handed out the letter.

“Oh do you?”he took it from my hand but didn’t bother to even read it. “I guess if minister Cho says that you can visit it, you can,”he continued with a dark spark in his eyes. “Wait here please. I will call…OH! Jong Woon! Come here!”he signaled a scholar to approach us. “Take this lady and show her around the Academy. She was sent here by minister Cho,”he added as a matter of fact.

He raised his eyes and met mine. “YOU!”

“Me?”

“Yes, you,”he stomped towards me. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in Anyang?”

“Jong Woon, be respectful to minister Cho’s daughter!”the Head Master warned him from behind right before leaving. I don’t know why, but after the last sentence of the Head, Jong Woon’s eyes darkened in a dangerous way, sending cold chills down my spine.

“So you’re minister Cho’s daughter, huh?”he looked at me with that strange expression in his eyes.

I gulped and nodded. “Why? Do you have anything against my father?”

“No. I was just curious about what kind of family he has,”he shrugged. “Now I know. Shall we?”he took the lead on the stoned alley that led through the courtyards.

He walked fast. As if he was planning to get away from me. As if he was planning to annoy me. But there was no way I was letting go of him! No way! So I kept the pace he imposed as we passed by classrooms in which the future scholars were learning about Confucius’s ways of living and sharing teachings.

“OH! AE RI!”Jun Hyung’s head appeared from nowhere. “What are you doing here?”

“Excuse me, shouldn’t you be in class?”Jong Woon spoke without even turninng around.

“Calm down, Cho Jun Hyung,”I whispered as I saw his clenched jaw.

“Aren’t you going to answer me, student Cho?”Jong Woon turned around with a calm expression on his face.

“I’m sorry, professor Kim,”Jun Hyung bowed to my surprise. “I’ll be going now. Yah…Ae Ri, come see me before you leave. Understood?”he whispered before leaving. And he speeded up, disappearing from my sight.

We began walking again. That was my chance. The first step of the seducing plan was ON