The day had finally arrived for the union of the Tenth Prince and the daughter of Grand General Park, a ceremony that had sent the entirety of the palace staff into a frenzy from the sheer extravagance entailing the event.

After departing the riding grounds with Wang So, Hae-soo hadn't seen much of any of the princes, the former inclusive. Even the journey back to the Eighth Prince's residence was mostly a dwelling silence lingering between them, an unspoken agreement not to break the tranquility they had savored on the way back.

To say she was anticipating to enter the palace again was an understatement – considering the various unfortunate situations shrouding her clumsy, careless self – but the prospect of meeting the Fourth Prince once more somehow managed to mitigate the unnerving feelings bubbling beneath the surface.

Upon stepping through the threshold, Hae-soo's eyes bulged with fascination to find the place doused in a breathtaking blend of lights and colors, further enhancing the palace grounds' already regal structures.

All the princes were already there – standing with merry smiles – around the new couple, holding up glasses after glasses in toasts to offer their heartfelt congratulations.

Despite having told her he had accepted his fate of marrying for political reasons and not for love, Wang Eun appeared to be forlornly downing the alcohol with increasing alarm, though in his brothers' perspective, he was merely drinking on the night of growing up and being a husband.

For inexplicable reasons, the Third and Ninth Prince were nowhere to be found, encompassing the unusual excuse Princess Yeonhwa had cited to excuse herself from attending, which made way for a furrow to form between Hae-soo's eyebrows.

She was positively certain there was something more going on that she was clueless about, but all that was washed away when a familiar silhouette stepped beside her, an arm snaking around her shoulders.

The smile curving on her lips was instantaneous when her chin tipped to meet his brown hues, sparkling delightfully with affection.

"You look beautiful today." Wang So mused, his eyes undoubtedly having been drawn to the hairpin sticking out from her hairdo. "But when do you not?"

"And you look handsome, yourself." Hae-soo reciprocated, whirling on her feet to straighten his robes with a coy smile.

It was her first time ever dishing out compliments herself when all he did was shower her with never-ending shower of praises and encomium, but the way his lips jerk slightly upwards in attempt to suppress an overly radiant grin from spreading made her efforts all the more worthwhile.

A hand curling around her delicate wrist broke her reverie and she spun around to find Soon-deok with a slightly panicked expression plastered upon her features, in turn causing a perplexed squint of her eyes at the obviously distressed bride-to-be.

"I apologize, So orabeoni. I need to borrow Hae-soo for a while." The other girl had a remorseful smile that never reached her eyes, a look that made Wang So nod and untangled himself from her.

"No need for apologies, Soon-deok. I understand completely." He spoke softly and warmly, squeezing reassuringly on her shoulders before turning to rejoin his brothers.

Once he was out of the earshot, did the look of sheer trepidation returned fully to her features. "I don't think I can go through with this wedding."

Hae-soo's eyebrows raised in alarm, clutching her by the sides to tame her trembling figure. "Why not? You're already here and all dressed up, all that's left is the ritual."

Soon-deok shook her head vehemently, as if to reject the words she had just uttered. "I don't want to stay at home and act as a demure wife to a prince, let alone the Tenth Prince. He doesn't understand why we enter the battlefields and fight for our country. All he knows is have fun and pick on his younger brother."

The misery splashed across her downcast face was palpable, reminiscent of the way the said prince was equally drowning his anguish through bottles after bottles of wine.

"The Tenth Prince may not understand, but you can change his way of thinking. Show him what a strong woman you are, how you contribute to the fundamentals of the country, and how you would take no nonsense from him should he ever act as a petulant child around you."

The statement elicited a giggle from the bride's lips, pursing the painted lips together in contemplation. "You know what? You're right. I've trained soldiers after soldiers to shape up and fight, a prince is nothing compared to troops of restless men."

"That's right." Hae-soo concurred with a smile, folding her arms across her chest. "No doubt, you'll make a man out of him."

"Thank you." Soon-deok reached and grasped both of her hands, the warmth radiating from her brightened eyes being reflected clearly. "I'm so glad I have a friend like you, which I'm sure is a sentiment the princes would agree with."

Her eyes flittered towards the crowd – watching with amusement as the Crown Prince and Baek-ah conspired to switch out for a strong type of alcohol to give Wang Eun, how Wang Jung was unable to stifle his laughter in case he thwarted their joke and how Wang So had his arms crossed as well, shaking his head fondly at his brothers' antics – and nodded her head in assent. "I'm equally as happy to have found solace in all of you, too."

The ritual had barely finished when the snow started to fall from the skies, just in time for Hae-soo to extend her hand out and catch a descending snowflake in her palms, feeling the coldness melt against the contrasting warmth.

Since everyone was busily chattering among themselves, she decided to seek her own entertainment by taking the opportunity to explore the palace grounds by herself.

Thankful Lady Hae made her wear an additional set of clothes atop her usual robes, Hae-soo drew the cloak around her shoulders to retain some of much-needed heat in her shivering form.

The trees were totally bare and the floor an unyielding cold even when her feet were nestled in thick boots, the merciless blow of cold air sending chills straight down her spine.

The surroundings were slowly covered with the snow, bathing the scenery in a coat of white, a semblance of purity and innocence that she never had the chance of observing ever since landing in Goryeo.

Is this what Hae-soo enjoys being in this era? The peace and quiet, without the busy streets and people flooding her eardrums?

It felt serene, alone to her own thoughts if what appeared to be an eternity of relentless turmoil from the members of the imperial family.

She had once thought the television shows she had seen in her own period was overly dramatic, with people plotting each other's demise at every corner of the palace walls, breathing down each other's neck and lurking among the shadows to see their enemy fall unknowingly into the traps they had set.

But living out this life – as Hae-soo – proved everything she had ever thought she knew wrong.

Exhaling through her nose, her pupils examined the foggy breath of air expelled dissipate into the frosty air.

As she continued to walk, the snow had begun to gather around her feet, proving difficulty for her to trudge in the midst.

Her eyes narrowed as a silent loom of threat towards the unforgiving cold before cautiously taking her next step to no avail, when it all but caused her to stumble.

"Ah–"

She was prepared to land straight on her face, secretly relieved that no one was around in the proximity to witness her pitiful fall in the snow – which she could always attribute to her blundering nature.

But that wasn't what had transpired, for a hand caught her before she could even touch the ground, grabbing her forearm like he had done so in Damiwon.

"I was just thinking you didn't need me to rescue you every time we meet, and here you are, proving my theory wrong." Wang So chuckled and pulled her straight on her feet, brushing off the snow that congregated on her shoulders.

The freezing weather made the blush all the more prominent as she shrugged the almost-trip off, in what she presumed to be nonchalance. "It's hard to walk in the snow."

"Perhaps, you need some help?"

He didn't wait for her to answer when his fingers slipped to the small of her back, clutching around her waist as he nudged her forward.

A hiccup erupted from her lips from their close proximity, but she didn't decline his assistance when they proceeded to walk side by side.

"Isn't it gorgeous?" The prince's gaze averted upwards, letting the snow sprinkle upon his sharp features.

Watching him intently, Hae-soo simply nodded in assent. "Yes, it is."

"I'm glad Eun has finally settled down with a family of his own. Now that's left is a certain hyung-nim of his–"

She had to refrain herself from rolling her eyes when his other hand tried slipping discretely across her knuckles, their fingers lacing together. "Please don't tell me this isn't your attempt at a proposal."

The unmistakable glint of guilt was distinguishable from the way his teeth sunk into his bottom lip, gnawing nervously.

"You're seriously–" Hae-soo swatted playfully with the hand not intertwined with his, rendering him useless in blocking her attacks with both his hands preoccupied.

"What? You can't blame me for trying periodically." Wang So cried out indignantly, tightening their clasp. "Your standards are way too high."

She huffed out a breath. "It most certainly is not."

"Alright, alright." He drew his arms around her frame to provide the much-desired warmth her body desperately carved, making her sigh contently into his embrace. "I won't stop trying until I succeed."

They walked in silence for a brief moment, when she broke the serenity.

"When the Third Prince–" She didn't miss how his jaws clenched at the mention of his older brother, but she didn't allow the reaction to halt her curious inquiry. "– You mentioned about evidence. Is that what you're hiding from me?"

When he didn't respond, she prodded further with bated breath. "Is he involved in the assassination attempt?"

He exhaled heavily through his nose, stopping in the middle of their peaceful walk. "Yes."

It was a simple word, an admission to the truth, finally confessing to something she had long grew curious of. But she understood the repercussions, the underlying meaning behind his words, the extension of the consequences should it be made known.

"My mother was the mastermind."

A gasp emitted from Hae-soo's lips. In all honesty, Queen Yoo did seem particularly menacing like her oldest son, who was a huge difference from the two younger ones. There was an inexplicable gloom shrouding her, a hint of which was prevalent from the pointed glares she had sent her during their brief interaction.

"You mean–"

"She wanted to kill the Crown Prince and put my brother on the throne, but she didn't expect us to trade places and her plans to be exposed."

Now it made everything crystal clear, for he wasn't solely protecting her from the truth but it also entailed a bigger conspiracy in the works, especially one involving treason.

"I– I didn't report my findings to the king." Wang So confessed, a semblance of self-reproach prominent on his grief expression. "I wanted to give them a chance to turn over a new leaf and stop their wrongdoings. But then he had to threaten your well-being that I couldn't–"

Hae-soo turned and buried her face into his torso, providing him the reassurance he needed by enveloping herself in his warmth. He barely hesitated to wrap his arms around her, a hand through the strands of her raven-black hair.

He took a shuddering breath, brushing his lips gently against her forehead. "Did I make a mistake?"

Her chin lifted to meet his sorrow-filled eyes, lifting a hand to touch his defined jaw. "Nobody's perfect. You did only what you thought was right."

"I wanted to protect you, but I guess I failed–"

Whatever Wang So had been intending to say was cut off by her tipping on the balls of her feet, pressing a tentative kiss on the corners of his blabbering mouth, effectively shutting whatever he had on mind off.

A grin crept on her own lips when he lifted a hand to graze the spot her lips barely brushed against in utter disbelief, his astonishment drawing a giggle from her.

"What–" He sputtered out, unable to form a coherent sentence to dignify the absurdity of the event that had just occurred before his very eyes.

Hae-soo rocked back and forth on her feet, jutting her chin upwards with a nod.

His tongue darted out to absently across his lips, before glancing around nervously, as if he was petrified of someone wandering by.

"No one's going to–"

"I don't want any more interruptions, Soo-yah. You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment."

She was about to counter the proclamation with another one of her tease when his palms raised to cup her cheeks, using the pad of his thumb to caress her skin affectionately.

Inhaling harshly, her eyes locked with him, thousands of wordless messages reflected in the swirl of emotions in his heated gaze.

Wang So leaned in tortuously slow and her eyes fluttered shut, feeling the breath of his lips meeting her closed lids.

They both expelled a breath at the same time, mingling the synchronization in wondrous harmony.

He followed the cautious brush of soft lips by pressing them against the bridge of her nose, his scent flooding every one of her senses.

She could hear him murmur her name softly and she would respond in an equally hushed whisper, but the most gratifying interruption in the entirety of her life came in the form of his lips finally descending upon hers.

The kiss was languid, albeit poured with every of his emotions and passion, returned with an identical amount of affection welling in her chest. Everything else seemed to have fallen apart and all that left was the two of them standing in each other's arms, lost in their own world.

Her smaller arms encircled his frame, sending her heart aflutter when his chiseled torso arched into hers.

Their lips melded together perfectly and Hae-soo was left pondering to herself, why in the world had she been denied of such a simple pleasure.

His tongue probed tentatively to the seam of her lips and she allowed access, delving into to draw a breathy gasp from her. When it was initially a delicate butterfly of a kiss, the sensation had intensified immensely when her lips parted willingly, granting him the very entry he had been desiring.

Now the snow was no longer an issue with a flame burning in the pit of her stomach, lighting her body aflame in the middle of the plunging cold.

They broke apart when the need for oxygen became a difficulty to resolve, but it didn't stop Wang So from giving her lips another peck.

"Soo-yah." Hae-soo could sense the tingle on her skin when her name came out in a breathless gasp, his chest heaving alongside hers.

Like on the aftermath of Wang Eun's birthday celebrations, every heartbeat hammering against their respective chest were heard distinctively, only an inch away from each other.

And as if to relive that moment again, Wang So reached into his cloak, keeping his other hand firmly wreathed around her delicate waist.

Her expression was filled with bewilderment, brows cocked inquisitively and his lips curled into a pleasant smile, pulling out something tightly balled in his fist.

"What is it?" She asked, placing a pale hand above his caroused one to attempt prying apart his tightly wound fingers.

It earned a chuckle rumbling from the back of his throat and he conceded into letting her unfold exactly what was hidden against his palm.

The sight of a blood-red jade ring startled her enough that she would have stepped backwards, if not for his tight hold around her forcing her to still.

"What is it?" Hae-soo repeated her earlier inquiry, peeking up at him through her lashes.

"It's something I brought back from Shinju, when there was a batch of foreign imports bestowed upon the Kang clan. This symbolises eternity, and the design of a circle around the top means it's everlasting love. I have been meaning to give it to someone I care about should the day ever come, and now it has."

"And–" Wang So continued after a beat, chewing anxiously on his swollen lips. "I wanted to propose to you with it, but it's so difficult thinking about something impressive enough for you to even agree to."

The element of surprise had faded by the time he had explained the origins of the blood-red jade ring laying in the middle of his palm, clutching around it protectively, as if it could shatter the moment he even loosened his grip on it for the slightest bit.

"I was just teasing you when I said I wanted something spectacular for your proposal. I don't need anything grand or magnificent, I want it to be special, and between us. That's all I ever wanted."

The jovial smile appearing on the edges of his lips made her truthful admission rewarding when he slipped the jade onto her ring finger, holding it up against the contrasting background to admire the jewelry.

Observing his beaming expression as he traced the piece of jade surrounding her finger stirred something within her, a dawning realisation at her ardent desire.

"I love you."

It was the second time his jaw fell agape, almost to the point it could drop to the ground, but he recovered swiftly and swallowed thickly down his throat.

"Pardon?"

Hae-soo snickered fondly – acutely aware he did hear her the first time from the way his lips were giving way to a brilliant curl of smile – but indulged him like he wanted, nonetheless. "I love you, Wang So."

The prince pulled her into his embrace again, a loud burst of laughter vibrating through his frame as the contagious effect rubbed off on her, causing her to chuckle along with him.

He peered down at her, with his hands brushing off the speckles of snowflakes obstructing her features from his piercing eyes, leaning in to whisper lowly, his breath hot against the shell of her ear.

"I love you too, Soo-yah."

She couldn't even reply when his laughter died in his throat the moment he recaptured her lips, searing their promise with another one of his own and all she could do was allow herself to melt against his torso, her arms wrapping around him as the snow continued to fall around them, seemingly unfazed.