“Son Byunghun was an architect at the Royal Court. He was working directly under the emperor and that made him a very rich man, at that time. Son Haru was actually a Japanese woman who got rescued from slavery by the architect. They were very happy and lived a wonderful life together.” She started.

Nari led Bum down towards the lake. This time, though, they were riding horses. He remembered the path. When it forked, she led him on a different direction than Yeonsuk. She was taking him elsewhere.

They rode for a few more meters before she stopped and jumped off. She grabbed the harness and started to walk by foot. Bum copied her actions without a clue what or where they were going. In the end, she stopped in a clearing. It didn’t have anything special, from what he could see. But for her, it had a meaning. 

"You've been living here as a kid, right?" Bum asked. He was genuinely curious to find out more about her. No one seemed to have the desire to share information; at least not with him.

"I did. When my parents bought this place, it was worse than you can imagine." Bumraised an eyebrow and followed her closely. She patted the horse and sighed.

"A dump?" She looked into the eyes of the horse and saw her reflection. She could see the same empty body, roaming the world without an aim.

"Worse." She continued. "It was the place where people in Seoul were throwing the thrash. They would throw things, animals and even people." Bum frowned.

"How-" He stopped when he saw her look to the side. She seemed deep in thought. "But your father bought it anyway?" She nodded.

"Yes, he did. He invested everything he had into this domain. He made it into what it is today." Her voice had a tinge of melancholy.

He blinked and kept his mouth shut. If he wanted her to open up to him, he had to be patient and never interrupt her. Who knew when he could ask again?

"How was it when you used to be a kid?" She chuckled and glanced at him over her shoulder.

"Lively." That word was probably the best way to describe her childhood. "You're being terribly obvious, Kim Bum." Bum's eyes widened. He got caught without doing much. She chuckled and walked towards him. "Curiosity is tricky, you know. It can lure you towards dangerous situations." There was something about her that made him feel thrilled.

She was a person who knew a lot about men and could subdue him; but she wasn't. She was playing with him. Sometimes, she would be the leader while sometimes, she would let him lead.

"I'm not afraid." The grin on her face was creepy. She was a beautiful woman but she had something dark; something scary, like a ghost. He walked closer and stared deeply into her eyes. Those green orbs were amazing up close. "Is now my turn?" He asked bluntly. She waited a few seconds before she responded.

"People like you, Kim Bum, have always roamed these lands." She started. Her gaze moved down to his lips. "Beautiful, rich and smart. But is that enough to survive?" She raised an eyebrow and moved behind him. She did it in such a seductive way. "This world is nothing but an orchard. True perfection is found in death." Her voice became a whisper. She stopped behind him and leaned in. "Do you want to die, Bum?" The way she said his name sent a chill down his spine.

"Would it be worth it?" He could hear her breathing on his neck. It felt cold; like a chilly wind.

"That is entirely up to you. Do you want to be perfect?" He froze. Hearing her ask that out loud was different from thinking it. Now that he heard someone else say that, it sounded childish.

"I treasure life, Nari." He took a deep breath and turned around to face her. Her eyes were cold, her face was expressionless. It was really hard to decipher what she was thinking. "Do you?" His question ran deeper than he intended. Her eyes narrowed and he felt a sudden threat.

She smiled before she started to laugh loudly. He took a step back and watched her laugh as if he said something really funny.

"Life, Bum, can be the best gift or the worst curse. It can never be both. You choose." She seemed to have come to normal.

"What was it for you?" She walked to her horse and patted his head fondly.

"I don't know. I didn't choose. Someone else chose for me." She got up and glanced down at him. He was still registering her response. As realization dawned, his eyes widened and he looked at her surprised.

After that interesting conversation, Bum got on his own horse and they paced back to the hotel. On the way, Bum glanced a few times at her. She was staring ahead but her eyes weren't focusing on something.

It was one of the few times she would remember.

Nari was at the perfect age to be married. Her father was getting old and he needed someone to take care of everything for him. Someone had to take care of the domain.

That was how Nari started to meet men. Some of them were rich and ugly but a majority was formed of rich and old. It was a complete disappointment.

Until she met him. The boy who got lost in the forest. The boy with brown eyes that reminded her of a puppy. The boy with cute dimples and an adorable smile. He was perfect, in her point of view.

Without thinking, she walked over a branch. The noise grabbed his attention. In the process of avoiding being seen, she fell on her side. She looked down at her ankle and tried to see if it was fine. She flinched. She sprained it.

"Are you alright?" It was really bright outside. However, she saw the hand stuck in front of her. That helping hand was someone's. His face was enlightened by the sun, since he was practically in the way.

She blinked and the face of Bum appeared in front of her. She was confused.

"Sorry. It's just- you suddenly became pale and looked sick." His voice was nothing like he's. It was manly and soothing, but it wasn't genuine. Bum was a person who had seen enough and lived his life in a certain way. The other one was from a different time. The other one was the first one and that was never going to change.

She was silent for the whole way back. Bum didn't pry into her memories. It was obvious she was remembering something very important for her.

Youngmin was waiting for them at the stud farm. He helped them down and took the harnesses. His eyes moved from his mistress to Bum. He glared at the man before he left.

"He hates me." He mumbled.

"He doesn't." He turned to her. She was standing aside, watching the sight.

When they arrived at the hotel, it was already time for dinner. The twilight was amazing. Watching the sun fall under the forest made him miss his parents.

"Has he been like that from the beginning?" She cracked a small smile and smoothly threw him a subtle glance.

"He is very protective." Bum rubbed the back of his neck and followed her to the front door.

"Why? It's not like I am going to steal anything from him." Her smile fell quickly.

"You have nothing to steal, anyway. He has nothing but his twin brother and me." Bum frowned. For some reason, the atmosphere became awkward again.

Once they entered the foyer, Nari walked straight upstairs. She left the handsome man in the hands of her trusted staff. They weren’t allowed to talk about their past. Truthfully, it didn’t even matter anymore because their souls were already hers; the hotel’s.

She stopped in front of the piano. That magnificent piece of art inherited by her father was the only thing she held dear. No matter how many centuries passed, that piano never grew old and neither did her memories. The one who taught her how to play wasn’t her father. It was him.

She closed her eyes and started to play a melancholic tune. It wa