Hae-soo had been pacing restlessly in front of the thinly veiled door, slender digits fidgeting with utmost apprehension as traces of her nerves became even more prevalent through the indention in the snow.

As if out of habit, the tip of her index finger ghosted over the red jade ring, seeking the reassurance she had never presumed she would need.

But before even the modicum of relief could settle within her petite stature, the door swung open to the face of an unbelievably perplexed Chae-ryung, eyeing her mistress with admixture of inquisition and amusement prominent in her features.

"Miss?"

Hae-soo startled at the address, effectively halting her movements as a delicate eyebrow arched in question.

"You do realise that she's been waiting for you to enter, ever since you started pacing?" The girl remarked, barely suppressing her lips from curving at her mistress' astonishment.

"She knows I'm here? How?"

If only Chae-ryung could roll her eyes, she would most definitely do so in the manner she directed a knowing look her way. "Miss, you've been walking back and forth in front of her door. It's hard not to notice. Besides, it doesn't help you've been mumbling rather loudly, if I might add."

The girl scampered away before her mistress could raise a hand to swat at her, ensuring she was a safe distance away to erupt into a chortle.

To pile onto her uneasiness, a soft voice called out. "Come in, Hae-soo."

She inhaled sharply through her nose, composing herself before allowing a sheepish smile overtake her lips, popping her head inside to peer quizzically.

Lady Hae was blowing at her freshly-brewed tea, the steam dissipating in the contrast to the cooler air.

Both of them locked eyes, with the woman beckoning her further inside with an eyebrow cocked upwards.

If her cousin noticed how the younger girl would toy idly with the new accessory around her digit, no words left even in the form of a comment, simply taking a sip of her drink, not breaking the tranquility the room had descended into.

The other servants had all but left them to their solitude, except an older servant, undoubtedly a trusted aide of Lady Hae's.

"You have something to say?" Her cousin inquired, placing the cup onto the table as the servant refilled the porcelain.

Swallowing past the lump in , Hae-soo merely nodded in lieu of a proper answer, coiling her hand around the nape of her neck.

"I have an inkling." Lady Hae mused, keeping a keen eye on both the girl and her drink. "And I've known it for quite some time. I was waiting for you to tell me yourself, but I guess your old habits never die. You still needed me to prompt you, before you could say anything."

Hae-soo shuffled her feet awkwardly, her skittish movements ranging from twirling her fingers around each other and darting her orbs all over the room, not meeting her cousin's scrutiny.

Unlike the older woman, she was incognizant as to how to broach the topic, how to tell her that–

In all honestly, it made perfect sense that she would pursue her own happiness especially when it had presented itself in the form of Wang So, coupled with the unbelievably gorgeous combination of a peony hairpin and red jade ring, signifying the promise they had made between each other.

Atlas, Hae-soo had forgotten in the frenzy of professing her love to the one prince who held her heart, that she was no longer Go Ha-jin in the twenty-first century, but a sixteen-year old girl who still inevitably required the consent of her family first before her hand in marriage could even be offered to her betrothed.

How inconvenient.

Neither Wang So nor herself had brought up the fact on when the matter should be followed up on, a decision she had foolishly made on her own accord to seek her cousin out, which she was still rueful about her impulsive resolve ever since stepping inside Lady Hae's room.

"Before you try to brush this topic off again, I need to ask you." Her cousin broke through her reverie with the gentle voice she had always applied with whoever she was dealing with, albeit laced with solemnity that she only continued when Hae-soo's hues averted back to hers. "Are you positive this is the life you want to live?"

Her lips parted to respond, but with gazing at her cousin's somber expression made them close together in matching swiftness, forcing her to mull over her choice of words with utmost caution.

"I– I want to, if it's with him. There's nothing I desire more than spending the remainder of my life with someone I truly love."

The simplicity layered in her tone was crystal-clear, evident in the spark in that her hues discernibly had when Hae-soo proclaimed the sentiment, puffing her chest out with confidence.

A smile spread over Lady Hae's lips, filled with a maternal warmth that set her mind in the direction of her own biological mother, a familiar ache thrumming against her frame with a nostalgic pang.

"I'm glad you can find a match for yourself, Hae-soo. You're of the right age to marry, as well."

The girl reciprocated the affectionate grin, her own mouth opening to answer but her cousin drained the rest of her tea, holding up a hand to cover the top when the servant attempted refilling it again.

"And you have a lot to learn, before you're even ready." Lady Hae claimed, her eyes crinkling with the amusement delighting her features.

"Walk, without turning your head. Smile, without revealing your teeth. Stability in your steps, and do not look around. Be generous with your smiles, as to be conspicuous."

Hae-soo's lackluster chants echoed off the walls, her tone layered with reluctance as the words left monotonously.

She attempted to the best of her abilities to whirl on her heels, with the fragile cup balanced on her crown. A crooked smile made its way to her lips, her pupils shining with a glint of plea.

"Unni, I can't do this anymore." She implored, adding her fair share of aegyo as her lips pulled into a petulant pout, wiggling her brows.

Lady Hae shook her cranium fondly, taking another sip of her tea. "Alright then. You should rest, if you're tired."

Holding up two fingers in victory, Hae-soo raised her hands cautiously to curl around the edges of the porcelain cup before bringing it to her own lips, quenching her thrist in a much-needed drink after a prolonged period of practising her mannerisms.

She settled herself promptly by the seat in front of her cousin, flexing her muscles languidly and kneading at her shoulders.

A hushed huff of disapproval elicited from the woman, hinting at the inappropriateness of her actions and Hae-soo hurriedly smoothed down her robes, crossing a leg over another as elegantly as she could muster.

The look of someone who shall be wedded to a royal member, the look of demureness and dignity that should have been mastered at her fingertips.

"Have you remembered how to adapt your behaviour fitting of the situation?"

Hae-soo nodded in assent, furrowing her eyebrows as she rattled off the long list of the proper etiquette required of her, in any form of events befitting of an imperial family's.

Her cousin hummed the affirmative, acknowledging her attempts at grasping the information needed in the short span of time given and gestured for the servant to bring a heavy stack of books towards them.

"These are some books you can refer to, when the need arises." Lady Hae tutted at the way the younger girl's jaws fell agape at the sheer weight of the books, a layer of dust lathered in the air as they were placed upon the table. "You're nowhere near done, Hae-soo. This is only the beginning."

All she got in response was an outward groan, accompanied by her lulling her head backwards in frustration, having not been aware at the amount of effort required to pour into making herself the perfect wife fitting of a prince.

Now, Hae-soo could understand Soon-deok's dilemma. Life in Goryeo, and especially being confined to the strict rules and regulations of the palace, did nothing to reassure her of the desire to prolong her stay. If not for the anchor that was holding her back–

Someone cleared their throat from the doorway, garnering attention from the two cousins as they whipped their heads around simultaneously to catch sight of the interruption.

Chae-ryung bowed her head apologetically, murmuring under her breath. "I apologize, but the Fourth Prince is outside looking for Lady Soo."

Her head perked up in interest, almost raising to her feet abruptly in complete disregard of her surroundings again in order to dash out to meet said prince, but a subtle cough reminded her of what she had just committed herself to, earning her a long sigh in resignation.

"Yes. Please tell him to wait for a while, as I get ready." Hae-soo proclaimed out loud, to a bemused Chae-ryung and the amusement of her cousin, stifling a giggle into her handkerchief.

"I understand, Miss." The other girl's eyebrows remained tightly knitted together, shaking her head in bewilderment as she left the two cousins yet again.

"Remember what I've said, Hae-soo." Lady Hae called out behind her, as the girl took each step towards the front gates with careful consideration, making sure her robes were not touching the ground by balling the fabric in her fists and tentative steps were taken, slow and deliberate.

Wang So was every bit tickled by the sight he was rendered to when he finally saw her, barely refraining the urge to chuckle all the way as they navigated through the streets on top of his horse.

She had long overcome her fear of the creatures, even joining Soon-deok on rare occasions to go horse-riding, whenever the Tenth Prince had allowed his wife to tag along with each visit at his older brother's residence.

Yet the Fourth Prince insisted on mounting the animal together, citing reasons that she shouldn't be taming the creature by herself without his utmost attention, in spite of Hae-soo's repetitive assurance that she would do fine alone.

Nevertheless, she indulged the prince as usual when he helped her up the horse, strong arms enveloping her protectively as they trudged along.

"Where are we going?" She asked after they entered a quiet forest, leaving behind the noise that came from the busy streets.

Wang So simply kept his rein tight, directing the horse with a secretive smile. "You'll see."

It didn't take any time at all to reach their destination, which was by the sea, devoid of any human or animals with the sole exception of the couple.

"I've always wanted to bring you here." He clarified, dismounting the horse and assisting her afterwards.

Their hands intertwined together the moment both of them had their feet on the ground, beginning to stroll beside the rolling waves.

"This is such a tranquil place, untouched by men and far away from contamination of any kind. I come here often when I needed some time by myself and after I met you, I thought you'd love it here."

Hae-soo hummed in affirmation, her eyes scanning over the lull of waves crashing against another, a therapeutic sensation she never thought she could savor again.

Ever since a young child, she had been drawn towards the beautiful creations of Mother Nature herself, relishing in scenery that mankind could never quite possibly replicate.

City life may be dominated by lights, music and people, but there was always loneliness lingering in its midst, triggering her childhood memories of running about in the countryside – youthful and carefree, with no burden on her shoulders.

"I love it." Hae-soo murmured, taking a deep breath to allow the salty scent that undoubtedly belonged to the sea occupy her lungs.

Both of them simply continued walking in comfortable silence, needless to fill it when they enjoyed the solitude away from their family, just drinking in the presence of each other.

She knew he had missed her as much as she did, with him playing with her digits idly and brushing away stray strands of her hair obscuring his view of her features.

When the cold air by the seaside started to take a toll on her, prevalent in the involuntary shudder that ran through her frame, Wang So said nothing as he tucked her into his side, warming her visibly.

"Before I forget, what were you doing prior to coming outside? You were acting– rather peculiar." Wang So queried, the pad of his thumb over the skin of her pale knuckles.

The words served as a reminder, causing her cheeks to flush with a heat that was both welcome and distracting. "Oh, that."

His eyebrows rose, in a silent question for her to elaborate further.

"It was nothing. Unni was just teaching me the ways of being a wife–"

"What?" The alarm in his voice was palpable, even without looking, and it took him by complete surprise that he had ceased their peaceful walk immediately, turning on her.

"You didn't say anything, so I thought I should ask unni first–"

Wang So held his hand up to pause her explanation, causing her whimper at the loss of contact. "Wait. Are you telling me that you're undergoing training to be a wife, just because I haven't asked–"

"What?" Now it was her turn to furrow her eyebrows together inquisitively, glancing skywards at the equally baffled prince. "I meant I was asking for permission. You never told me your plans, so I figured I should be more proactive, instead."

Somewhere along what she had said washed away the confusion lathered upon his features, unwinding his earlier animosity and replacing it with the gentle side of his she was fairly accustomed to.

"Oh." A semblance of guilt was prominent on Wang So's face, and a sheepish smile graced his lips. "I thought you were being betrothed to someone else."

"Wang So." Hae-soo chastised by directly addressing him by his name, causing him to startle. "Do you not trust me?"

The prince winced visibly, arms coiling around her frame to pull her into an embrace. "I apologise for my mistake. I promise, I will listen before jumping to conclusions in the future."

She huffed out a breath indignantly and attempted wiggling out of his firm hold, to which he countered by squeezing her back even more tightly, refusing to budge in the slightest.

"Please don't be mad at me anymore?" Wang So implored with a pair of puppy-eyes, lips jutted out that she had to glance away quickly to avoid having her knees give way.

"Fine." Hae-soo carved, letting him peck her lips before resuming their stroll.

"You do know that I don't care for the society's conformity of how women should behave once they get married?" He muttered after a moment, not halting his steps this time as their fingers laced together, a perfect fit for each other.

Hae-soo hummed under her breath, kicking absently at the rocks. "But you're of the imperial bloodline, your wife should be–"

"Shall we just run away?" Wang So interrupted her, his voice hushed to convey his utmost seriousness. "If you want to, I wouldn't mind."

She faltered, not once had she ever imagined the possibilities of eloping with him, leaving behind the life that didn't belong to her in the first place.

Which was fairly ironic, considering she had been forcibly shoved into her doppelgänger's body with no forewarning or whatsoever and decided to live her life out instead, shedding the one of her own period.

"I was always forced to leave." He admitted softly, when she didn't form a decent response to his words. "I never understood why and I still don't. I never caused any misfortune, I never killed the animals for fun or took someone else's life with ease. But–"

The prince took both of her hands in his, ensuring her jaw was tipped upwards to meet his unyielding orbs before continuing.

"But meeting you changed my perspective. After years of being chased away from wherever I go, I finally found someone whom I could be without being rejected. Away from the obligations, away from people who treated me as a beast, away to somewhere we would be together and raise a family without anyone's watchful eyes."

"Just say the word, Soo-yah. And I'll go to the ends of the world for you."

There it was, Wang So's desperate plea prominent in the way his hues had a glimpse of forlorn behind the mask he always wore. He had once again lowered down his walls that kept everyone else out, placing his life in her hands and trusting her enough that he wouldn't mind whatever decision she could make, for simply being together with her was sufficient.

Expelling a soft sigh, Hae-soo's shoulders slumped dejectedly at the weight he placed upon them.

Lifting a hand to caress his cheek, she watched him lean into her comforting touch, lips quivering with trepidation at however she would decide.

"As much as I wish we could live in peace somewhere away from the palace, without suffering and bloodshed, Songak is where your family is."

Her admission was nothing short of the truth, acutely aware of how hard he had worked to earn his father's recognition and proved himself worthy of a place in the political matters. To throw away all the efforts poured and the amount of time spent apart from each other in order to follow the lead in the investigation, all in favor of a split decision to run away from the responsibilies and obligations that came with the roles they would both undertake soon?

Hae-soo had to be the one connecting the dots for him, when it was clear how much he wanted her to agree and ride away on the horse, into a promising future with nothing holding them back. She had to be the one making the logical decision, even when her words had seemingly drained the life out of him.

"You said you don't mind, but I know you well enough that I can tell apart your lies."

Her thumb traced over his closed lids all the way to the outlines of his lips, dragging it across his skin soothingly. "I don't want you to throw away everything for me."

"Will you please look at me?" Hae-soo implored when his stubborn eyes refused to open, in spite of her gentle prodding.

Two pairs of equally rueful orbs locked with each other, not needing the use of words to express their inner thoughts.

"I love you, Wang So. I always will."

"I love you too, Soo-yah." He conceded, spreading his arms wide enough for her to melt against his torso, burying his face into her hair.

"I won't ever run away." Wang So mumbled into the strands obstructing his lips from forming a coherent sentence, nuzzling slightly. "In fact, I will prove my own worth and when the time comes, I will marry you in glory."

Pulling back slightly to peer upwards at him through her lashes, Hae-soo simply simpered. "I will be looking forward to that."