Seol

She knew that look on her father's face. He must have been seen something that he had to hunt down. Hopefully he will be back soon. Till then, she will shop with her uncles. Her father was the strongest man she knew, he will be fine. Taking the hand of her adoptive father in the past life, she enters the store and starts to look around. Hopefully, they will be something that was unique that can tie all of her siblings together. She wants something that was both pretty but small while also being meaningful.

As soon as all of them enter the store, she notices that the owner of the store was there. By the look of his face, he remembers her. Hopefully, he decides to ignore her, she never told anyone about what happened last time with Jin, and hopefully she never have to. Because she had heard her Omma's tales, enough of them to know that her Appa could become a bit crazy if someone tries to harm either of them. There was no need for a shopkeeper to be terrified by her Appa when he was being scary.

Though she did not fear her father at all. After all, it was him that always came for her, no matter what time it was. Him, that comes to save her without a second thought. A shining light hits her face, and she makes her way straight towards it. Not caring at all about the voices of her uncles calling after her.

There it was. The perfect gift, so exquisite and so special. It was a case full of metal piercings. The metals forming different hanja alphabet for each piercing with a metal that shines due to the sunlight. Just a quick glance of the box shows her that there were hanja of her father's name, her mother's name, her name and many more. There were around twenty of them in here. Perfect. Her future siblings could wear the piercings with the alphabet from their name in their ears.

"Uncle, I want this one." Uncle Eun quickly grabs the box she chose then pass it onto Uncle Beak Ah.

"This is a true form of art, Seol-ah you have the talent for picking out valuable things." Then, all three uncles guides her towards the shopkeeper. The man did not look happy, no not at all, then it must also be because her uncles were still in dirty clothes. But like before he did not speak against them, just charge them higher than the price listed. Her uncles all violently object to the price, but in the end, gave him four silvers. She heard Uncle Jung mumble something about not letting Hyung think that they can't stay out of trouble. Her uncles were so cute.

Carefully taking the box, she starts to walk out of the store, after the last time, she didn't want to stay much longer than necessary, maybe her Appa was back. She will show him the box of piercings, he may get some ideas about the names of her siblings. Strange, she did not hear her uncles behind her. Turning her head she looks behind her and there her uncles were arguing with each other once again. Sometimes she wonders just old they were.

"You girl, what is that you are holding in your hand?" The sharp tone makes her turn her head towards it, and who will it be but that maid of Lady Kim. The one that bit the finger of. Judging by the look of her face, she clearly remembers it.

"It is not polite to demand answers." She wishes that the maid will leave soon. She was in a happy mood, she did not want anything to ruin it.

"So that insolent wild child is back again." Why oh, why does this happen to her? She slowly look and there she was. That obnoxious Lady Kim, dressed in orange and red. Such bright and daring colours that she look away. Her family did not wear such bright colours, they went for subtle colours so it was a shock to her eyes. "This time, the little child does not even have that disrespectful servant with her."

No matter how much she wants to, she cannot just leave without greeting the noble. She could not draw attention to myself. So she simply bows her head in greeting and try to leave them.

"Do not move, you wild child." Well, it was too good to be true, so she turns back to face Lady Kim, who most likely was her father-in-law's cousin, the older sister of her mother-in-law, the one that was so against her when she had married into that family. Before she was submissive, but not anymore. There was no reason for her not to stand up for herself.

"Hello, Lady Kim. I don't think you are married yet." The irritated look on her face was so worth it, so with a wide smile on her face she continues. "I hope you get to marry the 4th prince like you wish, even if I do not think that the 4th prince nor the king will ever allow you to replace Princess Hae Soo."

"What? Seol-ah, who wants to marry the 4th prince?" Her uncles were here. She could get the lady into a bit of trouble, because she had insulted her Omma.

"Seol-ah," Uncle Baek Ah was trying to get her to answer, so she turns towards them and look up to them with an irritated face. She knew none of her uncles like the fact that she was not happy.

"When I met this lady last time with Jin, she said that she was going to marry the 4th prince and demoted Lady Hae to a second wife or a concubine." Their mission accomplished. Holding tightly to the box in her hand, she turns to look at what will happen next. She did not care about the spectacle anymore, Lady Kim was the one that did not want to leave her alone.

Wang So

These men were skilled but not enough. Choosing the city outskirts for a meeting was a wise decision, but to use someone to tail him around the market was a bad move. Hiding up in the branch of a tree, he looks down at the group of ten men, gathered around. Just a bit behind them, there was a large wooden cart with plenty of ropes on top. They were definitely on their way to acquire something.

"Listen we got our orders. The Lady wants that child gone." Which child? Were they just simple kidnappers and not the conspirators?

"I have heard that the palace is unaccessible, at least till it is close to the 10th prince's wedding. That is a chance to set up for the Ninth Lunar Festival. That is when the 4th prince will be sent away along with his wife, or if the lady has her way, that wolf-dog's will be put to death by the king that adores her so much."

He feels it. The blood boiling and his vision being filled with red. But he controls it. Controls it as much as he could till he could go down and not kill them.

"Oh, this note," there it was evidence. "Apparently, the two adopted female by the wolf-dog, if we captures them, we have full reign over them. Both of them are beautiful, and that little child can be mould into a for all of us once she grows a bit." That was the end. These men, he will bring them so close to death but he will not kill them, no they will live, and they will repeat those words out loud to his father. Let's them see what happens when General Wang Geon is awaken.

Taking out the two blades that he did not leave anywhere without, he jumps down right into the middle of the men. Those shock faces, oh it will not be the end. Or maybe they see the scar on his face or the murder in his eyes, it did not matter. With those two blades in his hands, he attacks.

Hae Soo

She hears the door sliding open, now usually she will have at least move her head to see who it was, and depending on who it was, she will stand up to bow, or nod. It was all about rank, but her children had chosen that moment to become active. So active like they were trying to come out of her. If their strength in her stomach was any indication, these two will be strong ones. And that was all she wishes for them.

"What are you doing not greeting the Princess?" That loud irate voice makes her open her eyes to look and there she was. Hwangbo Yeon Hwa with her entourage of court ladies. Soon Deok and Woo Hee besides her sit up, and bow to the Princess immediately. But not her. She was not usually vicious but this woman was an exception. Besides now they were both of the same rank, no need for bowing to each other. But she did not want to be accused of rudeness, so she slowly rise up from the recliner till she was sitting upright on it. In a moment, Soon Deok and Woo Hee were besides her, making sure that the movement did not stir her stomach. They knew that she had been throwing up this morning.

"Greetings, Princess Yeon Hwa. What brings you by for a visit?" She politely smiles at her, keeping her head straight and looking directly at her.

"Just because of an adoption, you think that you do not need manners anymore? How petty of you."

"That was not my intention, I was simply surprised by your visit."

"Huh, of course you were just like that. I brought along some tea for us to share." Two tea cups were placed in front of her, and she could not refuse to drink it so she sips it. The babies were active again, maybe they simply liked tea. As they were calming down, she turns her attention back to the woman in front of her that was talking to her. "How is the palace? Though you do not enter the main palace often."

"The palace and my life here is wonderful, Princess. Surrounded by love of such wonderful brother-in-laws, sister-in-laws, not to mention the 4th Prince. How are everything over at 8th prince's residence?"

"No need to be concern about it. I have managed the household as I always have, even when Lady Hae had been alive as she was not capable of handling the task of a lady wife due to her health."

"I am glad that everything is going well for you. Unni always cared about you, and I am sure she is happy in the heavens that you and the 8th prince still remembers her, and you are taking care of the household that your family received as part of Unni's dowry."

There that had shut her up. It was cruel but she had insulted Myung Hee who had always treated her with kindness, and the siblings had forgotten about her as soon as she was gone. Forgot the fact, that it was Unni who had helped them back into Songak after their exile. It was the same thing that Queen Hwangbo did.

Soo had went to visit the queen on Myung Hee's 100th day after her passing, and the queen had not even remembered what day it had been. Well, Yeon Hwa had to get her personality from somewhere and it was from her mother. Her father while cruel sometimes and strict, had remembered Unni. All the things about the happy life in the palace that Soo had, the one that Yeon Hwa constantly was fighting towards for her own greed, well that was just another reminder.

"Well, you are quite enjoying the life of prince's wife so much that you have let all concerns over your beauty go. But don't expect it to stay the same forever. I have already heard rumours that you are still not pregnant after all this time, many are worried that you are not capable of having children, that's why the Prince had adopted that little child."

Was the Princess blind or did her clothing really cover the large stomach so well that it look like she was getting fat rather than being pregnant? Well, she will let the Princess keep her delusions for now, and just enjoy the look on her face once she realizes that not only she was pregnant, but pregnant with twins.

Since she could not think of a comeback, she simply smiles at the woman in front of her. Confusing her as to why she seems so happy when she had been insulted. She turns to engage Soon Deok into the conversation so that they could discuss the upcoming wedding. Her friends should learn how to deal with the snake on their own. This also allows her the time to think equations in her mind, in hopes of calming the twins in her stomach, who still had not stopped kicking.

In the store

To say they were irritated were putting things mildly. Eun and Jung was regretting never paying attention to their So-Hyungnim or the Crown Prince when they were verbally fighting with others. They want to shut these women up.

Beak Ah was using all the things he learnt from his mother to help this confused lady in front of him out of her delusions. Did she think a daughter of Wol Sung Kim, a family that was not particularly wealthy or influential will get to marry royalty. Soo may be an orphan but she was related by blood to Lord Hae. Then what demote Soo? Marry So-Hyungnim? That will not happen, not to mention Pyeha, who treats Soo like his own daughter will never allow her reputation to be tarnish.

The three princes were determined to correct this band of crazy right now, but they could not let out the fact that they were royalty known. But they had to stop this Lady who had hurt their beloved niece. Or if this fact ever got into the ears of Soo, she will get stressed and that was dangerous for her health especially now when she was pregnant. No they were going to get these delusional ladies to stop. Beak Ah with the so-called lady, Eun with the rude maid, and Jung with the muscular bodyguard. So what if they were not good with words, they were not going to give up.

Around the group, more and more people were gathering looking at the argument surrounding a little girl. The girl's uncles were trying to be respectful but still was vicious, while the other group had no restrain. Such language was being heard, lies about the royal family were being ripped to shred by the uncles. No one could look away. But the volume all comes to a stop, with a single slap.

Slap given by the noble lady to the small child who in the chaos had been lifted up by other man, and the noble lady had in a split second that Beak Ah had turn to stop Jung from physically attacking the bodyguard had slapped the child who had talked back to her. The entire store was in silent for a second, before it is once again fill with noises. Not the expected sound of cries of anger, no it was the silence due to fear.

Why the silence? Because there was a blade pointed right at the throat of the man that held the child up. The blade that was already stained with blood that was dripping onto the collar of the man that held the child hostage.

"If you wish to continue to breathe, let her down." The chill in the air as that voice fill the silent store, it was like the grim reaper had appeared before them. Looking at the man that held the blade, the Wol Sung Kim's man, immediately puts the girl down. Because the look of death, of rage in the man's eyes were real. Not to mention the scar on his face, and the signs of blood on the man's cheeks. It was clear that killing was something that he will do easily.

"Appa!"

"Hyung!"

Now the crowd and people from Wol Sung Kim stare at the man with the bloody knife even more. This man with the scar, covered with hints of blood all over was the child's father. A man that had a voice that was like the death itself, was the father of the child that Lady Kim had slapped.

The man in question did not care about that. All he cared about was his daughter. Hugging her body to his, checking her over for injuries, making sure that she was alright.

"Seol-ah, what's that box?"

"It's mine, Appa. The gift for my siblings. That lady over there tried to take my bracelets after I paid for it when I came here with Jin."

"Why didn't you tell me that, Seol-ah? No matter what, I want you to tell me next time." That was all that father-daughter pair exchanged before the father picks up the girl up into his arm, the child's arms going around her father's neck. "Now, will my dongsaengs want to tell me why I enter into a scene where my Seol-ah is slapped by that red creature over there."

Did this man have no fear, being so disrespectful to someone that was clearly a nobility while he look to be a hunter or a soldier from a middle-class family. But the man's brothers did not seem surprised at all, instead they crowd around their older brother all of them telling him different things.

"That is Lady Kim, the daughter of Lord Wol Sung Kim. Hyungnim, she apparently tried to take Seol's thing away from her."

"Yes, Hyungnim. She made Seol-ie sad. As her uncles, we can't let that go."

"Yes, Hyungnim. She is a noble but she doesn't care about fairness like Noonim told us that those in power should."

"The lady had also apparently had been spreading around the rumor that she will soon be the wife of the 4th Prince, and that when she becomes the prince's wife, she is going to make him demote Lady Hae to the status of a concubine."

"When we heard that we couldn't help it. Hyungnim, don't be mad, please…."

"No need to make that face, Eun-ah. You guys protected Seol, just like I wished for. Now," That was when the man turn away from the group, till he was face to face with the noble lady. His daughter in his arm, his brother surrounding him, and the scar on his face clearly visible.

"What exactly did my innocent daughter even do that a noble from a small town like you thought it was alright for you to hit my daughter?" The voice was back. Now a normal person will look away or not pick a pick a fight with a man that was clearly dangerous, but Lady Kim was not the type to back down.

"I should have known that an insolent child like her, will have a hideous father like you. Acting like she had status when she is just the daughter of a hunter. And what? Our family is only from a small town thus do not have high standing? Do you even know who you are insulting, you ignorant person?"

"I was talking to a noblewoman, who has the blood of human but act like an animal by daring to hurt an innocent child. Not to mention spreading rumours about the royal family? Do you really think that His Majesty will approve of you, a lady with such manners, to become part of his royal family? You should be glad that none of the guards have arrived to see what the commotion was."

The man had spoken too soon, for there rushing into the store were a group of guards. Looking at the guards, the lady smiled in victory. Of course the guards will believe the words of a noble over the ones of a poor man.

"What happened here?" The officer in charge ask, though his eyes were focused on the lady and not sparing a glance to the dirtier group of people.

"That man insulted me, a lord's daughter. Just arrest him and his disrespectful daughter."

The people around them knew that this will happen, but injustice towards the poor was part of their society, there was nothing that they could do about it. As the four guards turn towards the black-clothed man, the people knew that it was over for that courageous father that stood up for the noble. But an unexpected thing happen.

When the man lifts his face to look at them, the behaviour of the guards change immediately. In a second, all of them had straighten their posture and bowed from their waist towards the hunter.

"My lord, we have committed a sin worthy of death." The guards say in unison as they all bend at the waist.

"It doesn't matter, I have learnt a great deal about the behaviour of Songak guards today. I will make sure to stress to my father the need for more training."

"It is our mistake. Please do not punish the rest of our people." The man in charge replies back, the fear in his voice was clear. So this so-called poor man had some authority over the town guards.

"It is not a punishment, rather it is a simple training to protect the people of Goryeo. My buin will be happy when I inform her that we will be conducting training session in order to help the people more." That apparently was enough to reassure the guards, as they follow straighten their backs.

"What happened here, sir?" The guard in charge now asks the man who they clearly felt the need to give respect.

"Lady Kim here thought that getting my daughter to hand over her items was something she was entitled to, not to mention telling the people that she aspires to be the first wife of the 4th prince and demoting Lady Hae to a concubine status." No one in the store could mistake that sentence as anything but full of sarcasm and anger. The younger guards were starting at the noble lady in amazement like they could not believe that this lady did that.

"Hyungnim, don't forget that rude woman slapped Seol." The younger man in green exclaims out loud.

"And you have not killed the man or slice the hands off the lady?" The younger guard were staring in amazement at the man wearing black who had his daughter in his hands.

"I have not forgotten that nor I ever will. But officer, we will be returning home so leave the lady be for now. If this happens again, I will let Seol's Harabeoji decide the punishment. This humiliation should be enough. Now, I will be taking my lead, I will see you soon for your department training."

With those words, the men and the little girl leaves the store, the guard bowing to them as they pass.

Hae Soo

"His Majesty is entering!"

Pyeha? Why was he here? Or was today the day for visits? Nonetheless, she stands up from the recliner, then turn to face the door and bows as she sees Pyeha entering. Making sure to do a deep bow, she did not want the snake next to her to make comments about her manners again.

"Soo-ya, stand up and sit down. Doctor Hong has told you to not bend over so much." At the Pyeha's command, she straightens up and then take a seat once again. Looking up, besides Pyeha, there was Ji Mong, Doctor Hong and Court Lady Oh, with three palace maids holding supplies for tea. Soon Deok and Woo Hee, quickly gets up from their seats so that the king can have a seat on the recliner right besides the one where Soo was seating. The king did not even notice his daughter yet. At least not until he passes her on his way to the seat. "Yeon Hwa-ya, you were here as well. I am glad to see both of you spending time together."

"Yes, Pyeha. I got a surprise visit from the Princess today and we both had some special brewed tea that the Princess had prepared for us to enjoy. I quite enjoyed catching up on what's going on outside of the palace. As you know, Pyeha that I haven't really left to go out of palace grounds for a while." She put the presence of the Princess out of her head, and just focus on her father-in-law.

"Now, now, Soo-ya. I am sure that you are both glad and sad that the princes are away today. I know just how much your husband was hovering over you. I truly do understand why you constantly complain that he is so overprotective. But it does not mean that I do not understand."

A classic Pyeha, understanding her point but also reminding her about Hwangjanim's viewpoint. That was why he was such a great politicians, a trait that her husband had inherited. Though his temper was more of a combination of his father and his two mothers, adopted and biological.

"I understand, Pyeha. I will visit you soon with Seol, she has been looking forward to spending time with her grandfather. Sadly, her uncles wishes to monopolize her time at the moment."

"I look forward to seeing that child again. A joy of playing with a grandchildren is something that a man will only understand when it is happening to him."

"Pyeha," the princess of course chooses to interrupt now, "Seol must be the adopted child that So Orabeoni adopted into his family, but don't you wish to play with grandchildren of your own blood? I am looking forward to playing with my nieces and nephews when Lady Soo is blessed. Many people are wondering when that will be as they had been married six months already."

That dimple smile while dishing insults was something that never changed. The look on the king's face was very neutral. After all it was the truth in a sense that as far as others knew Seol was not of his blood, even if she was. Then again maybe he was just shocked that his supposedly smart daughter still did not know that Soo was pregnant, when it was quite obvious if they observe the changes in her body.

"Ah," seriously these kids. Once they had started to move, there was no stopping them. It did not matter the time of the situation, these babies will move around and kick her. At least they did not attack her bladder often, that will be just worsen any situation. Instead, the usual target was her kidneys or the side of the stomach. This was the part that was not that glamorous about pregnancy along with swollen ankles and morning sickness.

"Lady Soo, you seem to bite your tongue quite often." Well, of course the Hwangbo princess will think that, but only her. The rest of them knew the truth that it was only her babies moving. They all seem to be determine to ignore what had happened but then she felt the change.

This was different, it was just like the moment the princess came into the room, they were kicking like they were trying to get out. They had been moving since she first took a sip of that tea. The tea. Princess and tea. Poison. Did that woman dare to have put poison in her tea. She ignore all the others in the room and just stare at the Princess. She will pay. Oh, she will die by her own hands, by her lover's hands if anything happen to her.

. The pain was increasing and she feels it more and more. She feels her heart-rate increasing, and she was feeling faint, one of her hand went to her chest, the other to her stomach.

The people around her were starting to move as her vision went hazy. Her babies, they had to be safe. They were strong just like their father, and she will do anything to keep them safe. As she try to regain her breathing, hoping and hoping that she will not faint, she look into a pair of eyes. A familiar and beloved pair of eyes. She softly whispers to that pair of eyes as she feel the darkness closing in on her, "So, poisoned tea. Save them." That was all she could say before she falls into the darkness, cuddling her stomach. Her babies.