“You’re actually replacing Jaesun,” Dongwoo said, breaking through Seulhee’s thoughts. “She was the original person we were going to send to the palace.”

“What happened?” A horrible thought occurred to her. “Did she…die?”

He shook his head emphatically. “No, she didn’t. But she was declared too emotionally unstable to be trusted with the job.”

Hearing this, Seulhee had to wonder what had happened to Dongwoo’s cousin. She had personal reasons for joining the conspiracy, which probably meant some sort of vendetta? And then she was an emotional wreck. It couldn’t have been anything good that had led her down that path.

***

A few days later, Seulhee and Dongwoo came into view of the capital. However, instead of heading straight toward it, they veered down a different road.

“Where are we going?” she asked, bewildered.

“To see some important people,” Dongwoo answered. “As vital as your job is to this conspiracy, you’ll need some prior screening and such.”

“So does this mean I’m meet the heads of the conspiracy?”

“Yup.”

Seulhee imagined sitting in a chair, surrounded by cold-eyed nobles interrogating her, dissecting her every word, and mentally shuddered.

***

They arrived at the mansion before the sky had grown completely dark, and someone at the front gate allowed them in once Dongwoo showed him the necessary paperwork. They were also stopped at the front door by the housekeeper, but after that, they were free in their movements about the large house.

Seulhee had never before been in such an enormous building, and she wondered how people found their way around without getting lost. Moments later it occurred to her that she would be in the palace soon enough, which meant an even bigger area to familiarize herself with. The thought was quite daunting.

Dongwoo stopped once to ask a servant for instructions, but other than that, they continued along the halls and up the necessary stairs without pausing. After what felt like an eternity, they arrived at the door to the right room, on the third floor. Dongwoo took the initiative to knock on the door.

“Come in.”

He slid the latch to the side and pushed the door open. Seulhee followed him inside close on his heels, fully expecting to be glared down by a room full of people.

Instead, she found a room that was mostly full of books, occupied by only two people.

One of the two was sitting in a chair, a book in one hand, a quill in another. He was a middle-aged man, old enough to be Seulhee’s father, with graying hair, laugh lines, and crow’s feet framing his eyes. He looked up from his book when the two of them entered the room and smiled pleasantly. This threw her off guard since she had been expecting someone very severe and intimidating. He did have an air of authority around him, though.

The room’s other occupant was a young man who Seulhee knew all too well. Sungyeol was even taller than she remembered, and thinner as well. The childish cheek fat that had once filled his face was gone, as was the lingering grin. His eyes looked darker and more serious, and his lips were set in an unsmiling line.

“Hello again, Seulhee,” Sungyeol said. The greeting was halted and awkward, as if he had forgotten how to speak. Perhaps he hadforgotten, forgotten how to speak to his long-time friend of months past.

She replied, in a similarly hesitant fashion. “Long time no see…” All of a sudden, she remembered the man in the chair must be the master of the house and dropped a hurried curtsy. “Greeting, Your Grace,” she said. Her face flushed in embarrassment at her forgotten manners. Her mother would have scolded her at great length had she known.

“No need to be so formal,” the Duke said, motioning for her to stop and come forward. “We’re not here to eat you alive, so don’t worry.”

Before anyone could say anything else, a knock sounded, coming from a different door than the one Seulhee had entered from.

“Come in, my dears,” the Duke called.

A door, which had been hidden from view by a bookshelf, swung open, admitting two more people, a boy and a girl. They were Sungyeol’s age, Seulhee guessed, and a resemblance between their features suggested kinship. Twins, maybe?

Dongwoo made a strange noise from beside her, and she turned to see him staring at the girl. “Hyora?” His tone was one of disbelief, mixed with anger, pain, and…something else.

The girl, Hyora, looked away, not meeting his eyes, and it wasn’t difficult for Seulhee to see that there must have been something between the two. Without warning, her guide turned abruptly and exited the room. “I’ll handle this,” Sungyeol volunteered, and with a few long strides he cleared the length of the room and vanished out the door as well, leaving Seulhee alone with three total strangers.