"Where are we going?"

It must have been the umpteen time Hae-soo had brought up the query – because honestly, she had lost count around the twentieth – judging from the manner Baek-ah's cranium lulled backwards with an exasperated groan and a muffled chuckle coming from Wang So's side.

"Hyung-nim, how do you even stand her continuous probing?" The Thirteenth Prince turned to his older brother, his mouth gaping at the incredulity.

He jumped aside and stuck a tongue out when she raised a hand to swat in retaliation to his relentless teasing, whilst the other prince simply folded his hands behind his back, glancing skywards in mock contemplation.

"I'm not sure. My exceedingly large amount of patience?" Both of them broke out crackling, earning a huff of disgruntled breath coming from the girl.

To appease her, Wang So slowed his pace to match hers, intertwining their hands together effortlessly whilst Baek-ah bounded ahead, either tactful enough to leave them to their own privacy or the prospect of reaching their destination was far more interesting than being an intruder to his beloved brother's budding relationship.

They had long dismounted the horses they had been navigating the streets with in favor of continuing the remaining journey on foot, arriving at a quiet neighborhood void of shuffling passersby. It was prevalent that the two princes had shared similar tastes in choice of tranquility, given how it was akin to that of the scenery Wang So had brought her to days prior.

They reached a particular residence, subdued chimes of musical melodies flowing through the air as a servant noted their arrival, hurrying to meet them by the entrance.

"Your Highness." The woman lowered her head towards Baek-ah in greeting before proceeding to do the same for Wang So, who was trailing behind along with Hae-soo.

"Please come in. We've been waiting for your arrival." She continued, ushering them inside with a flourish of hands.

Hae-soo's eyebrows elevated quizzically as the servant proceeded to lead them towards a room, with a round table filled with abundance of food awaited.

"She'll be here shortly, Your Highness. Please have a seat."

Baek-ah nodded in lieu of an answer, waving her off dismissively as she left the three of them.

"She?" Hae-soo mouthed at Wang So, a small smile playing on his lips when he tugged onto their hands, settling her down.

"We come here often to drink." He clarified, situating himself right beside her. "Sometimes, to even converse about matters without the fear of eavesdroppers, away from the affairs of the palace."

The younger prince sat in front of them, discreetly leaving the seat next to him empty while graciously pouring his hyung-nim a cup of alcohol laying on the tabletop.

"Who's this she we're meeting?"

Now that her curiosity was piqued, it was rather arduous to refrain from parting in overflowing questions. When no answers came, Hae-soo's oculars darted around the room for any form of clues that could potentially assist her to satisfy her bubbling inquisitiveness.

Apart from the subtle glances she had cast along the way, she had seen a handful of women ranging in ages synchronizing their body movements to the harmonious sounds accompanying, fluid motions that had entranced her momentarily.

The euphoric sense of freedom that was brought about from observing their pirouette, gracefulness and lightness that was a disparity considering her clumsy nature.

"Is she a gisaeng?" Hae-soo blurted out, the only conclusion she could possibly arrive at with the limited indications provided.

"Why?" Baek-ah narrowed his eyes at her, pausing halfway with a cup in hand. "Do you look down on women from this type of background?"

"No." She shook her head with fierce determination, though she was slightly startled at the peculiar animosity radiating from the prince. "Everyone's an equal. There's no one who should be judging another just because society conforms them to."

Out of the corners of her eyes, Hae-soo was positive she saw a pleased smile gracing Wang So's lips.

The younger prince appeared to be equally content with her response, but before his lips could part to dignify her with an answer, the servant interrupted them.

"Your Highness. She has arrived."

The woman sidestepped to allow the figure behind her pass, a demure girl entering through the threshold with graceful steps.

She didn't look any older than Hae-soo was, although her beauty precedes that of the other girl, an air of elegance sweeping through her exquisite robes.

While gisaengs had an usual flair for extravagant makeup, lavish set of jewelry dangling from their earlobes and the like, the girl differed from the conventional image of such.

A flush of pastel pink bloomed on her cheekbones alongside a perfect shade of roseate coating her lips, long umber tresses that cascaded down her back with a simple ornament peeking through the luscious strands of hair and her eyes shone with a spark of warmth that was reminiscent of Lady Hae's.

The curvature of Baek-ah's lips twitched in delight, straightening visibly as the stranger maneuvered towards them, taking the previously unoccupied seat.

"I've heard a lot about you, Hae-soo."

The girl broke her trance of acutely scanning every intricate detail of the gisaeng's countenance, her lips quirking into an amused smile that was undoubtedly directed at her.

"This is Woo-hee." The Thirteenth Prince injected with an introduction, pushing a freshly-filled cup towards her.

"I thought the four of us should have a drink together, so hyung-nim and I brought Hae-soo along." He continued, curling his digits around the porcelain in a raise of a toast.

The cups clinked together, bringing them to their respective lips.

"Not only do I get to meet the greatly famed Hae-soo, I have now made an acquaintance of another female. Who knows how long have the two princes frequent this place by themselves?"

Woo-hee seemed to have realised her mistake when Hae-soo's eyebrows arched in alarm, holding her hands up. "I don't mean it in that sense. We're just friends who talk about the dreary affairs of the palace."

Wang So hummed in affirmative, folding his arms across his chest. "Baek-ah plays accompaniment at the gibang for time to time, which was how he met Woo-hee. When I arrived in Songak, he found it fitting to introduce both of us."

"And now, I have another friend." Woo-hee chimed with sheer enthusiasm, resting her hands above Hae-soo's with a cordial smile curving on her lips. "A sister."

She returned the gesture with a squeeze of her own, a grin spreading from ear to ear. "It's always my pleasure to have a friend like you."

A low sigh tumbled from Hae-soo's lips at yet another failed attempt of mimicking Woo-hee's dignified movements, not even her cautious ministrations could prevent her stumbling onto the ground.

The inexplicable need to simply throw in the towel was immense, but time and again, she had to remind herself of the purpose of committing to such tedious acts.

"Are you quite alright?" Woo-hee extended a hand to assist her to her feet, a semblance of worry coating her features.

Hae-soo nodded in assent, brushing the dust off her robes when she returned to posture the other girl was showing her prior to the fall. "I'm fine. Please show me how to do it, again."

"I think you're pushing it, Hae-soo. Let us take a break before we continue, shall we?"

The insistence was evident in the firm line Woo-hee's lips were pursed into, leaving her no choice but to slump her shoulders in defeat and consent.

They settled by the edge of the oak floor, a stillness far in the distance from the hushed music coming in the direction of the gisaengs' practice session.

Wang So and Baek-ah had left the two girls to their privacy, excusing themselves on the basis of doing some much-needed conversation between the brothers when Hae-soo had asserted to learn from Woo-hee, a sentiment that perplexed the other girl.

Nonetheless, she had concurred with her desire to master the dance from her, though it was plain that Woo-hee understood there was an underlying meaning to her request.

Hae-soo bundled up her robes sufficiently to examine the bruises she was sporting on her pale skin, scrunching her nose slightly to find a hue of red glaring back at her.

"I wish we had plasters in this era." She muttered under her breath, her fingertips ghosting over the blemish gently.

"Pardon?" Woo-hee's eyes bulged at the foreign word blurted out from the girl's lips, head canting sideways in utmost absurdity of the situation.

"Ah." Hae-soo almost bit her tongue for the slip, shaking her head. "It's nothing. I was just blabbering nonsense."

Accepting her explanation without further probing, the other girl leaned back on her palms, chin tipped skywards. "The princes did mention that you're quite different from the rest of us. I guess I have the privilege of seeing it, now."

A sheepish smile crept onto her lips and she scratched absently at the nape of her neck, following suit by glancing up into the streak of blue decorating the skies.

"That's a good thing. I had never doubted the Fourth Prince's preferences, but meeting you confirms it."

Hae-soo's breathing hitched in midst of , averting her orbs towards the other girl.

"He told you?"

"Oh, no." It was evident Woo-hee was helpless in the hot flush of crimson from clouding her cheeks, reaching her ears where she tried concealing by turning her cranium to the side. "Baek-ah told me."

Baek-ah?

Hae-soo echoed the affectionate term mentally, a furrow making its way between her thinly plucked eyebrows. She had a nagging suspicion that the relationship between the two appeared to be closer than she was expecting, prominent in the way both of them would share private smiles reminiscent of those offered by Wang So.

Oh...

"You're saying that the Thirteenth Prince and you–?"

The girl was surprisingly astounded at the imminent connection Hae-soo would have made between them, the former's blush growing even more prevalent while the latter simply simpered in glee.

"I mean– We're friends."

Hae-soo hummed absently, twirling a digit around the ornament. "I don't think friends would look at each other the way both of you do."

At that, Woo-hee expelled a long sigh, in what was apparent resignation. "Even so, we couldn't possibly be together."

"Why not? Is it because of your status?"

"Of course, it is." The agonized look on the girl was not lost on Hae-soo, a forlorn expression overtaking her once bright features. "A gisaeng is not worthy of being a prince's wife."

"Who says so? The society?" Hae-soo's actions were animated as she gestured vaguely towards the streets, deft digits dancing accusingly in the air at innocent passersby. "The Thirteenth Prince wouldn't care much for status, you know that. Besides, if you truly like each other–"

A slender finger rose, effectively cutting off whatever she was planning to say. "It's not just that."

"Then, what else is holding you back? Tell me–"

"We all have our secrets, Hae-soo. Much like the ones you keep." Woo-hee interrupted with a sharp glare, though it quickly faded away into a self-reproachful expression.

The proclaim startled her, causing her jaw to fall slack. "How–"

"I have flitted from places to places, meeting enough people in the entirety of my life to know when they're hiding something."

smacked to a close, earning yet another sigh coming from Woo-hee. "I don't mean you have to divulge anything to me. Just– You have to understand that one is not always privy to everyone's inner thoughts, or their secrets. There are some things meant to be kept hidden away, for exposing them would result in people getting hurt."

"I─ I know. But I can't say."

Woo-hee shrugged her shoulders, returning to maintaining her gaze upon the descending skylight. "Then, you understand my dilemma."

Never once had Hae-soo considered the possibilities that someone else ─ apart from her ─ held an enormous secret that no one could ever find out, though it wouldn't quite match the earth-shattering scale of hers.

"But you could tell me why you're so determined to learn dancing from me." The other girl offered a change in subject, knowing one was much required, to which Hae-soo was eternally grateful for.

She swallowed thickly, her lips going impossibly dry to even concoct a sentence to dignify her reasons. "I'm picking up mannerisms. Unni has taught me some and gave me books to refer to, but seeing you today gave me the idea that it would be more practical if I could change my clumsy nature, first."

A heartfelt laughter was drawn from Woo-hee's lips, shimmering with an amused glint. "That's why you've practically chased the princes away? So you could─"

Hae-soo narrowed her eyes in a challenging manner at the other girl, crossing her arms across her chest as if to dare her to finish the train of thought.

"Oh." The realisation appeared to have finally dawned on Woo-hee, when a hand lifted against her slacked mouth. "You don't mean the Fourth Prince and you─"

Her cheeks grew warm, fidgeting her fingers bashfully. "Nothing's quite confirmed, as of yet. But─ Yes."

"That's the origin of the ring."

At her bemused expression, Woo-hee gestured towards the piece of red jade coiled around her ring finger, in clarification. "Baek-ah had said in passing once, how the Fourth Prince brought this back from Shinju. He hadn't believed once that he could find someone to gift this, but he held onto hope especially after Baek-ah encouraged him. And─ I'm glad he did. It looks absolutely beautiful on you."

Hae-soo raised her palm up to examine the said jewelry, observing how the sunlight bounced off the glistening hue of scarlet with a smile overtaking her lips. "Yeah, it is."

Only when she turned her head after the spur of a second, did she catch the fleeting moment of Woo-hee's eyes glancing wistfully at her digit.

The girl whirled her cranium away in sheer embarrassment for being caught red-handed, and Hae-soo couldn't help the surge of guilt coursing through her veins.

"I apologise. I forgot─"

"Don't be sorry. You're not at fault, for being able to pursue your own happiness."

Hae-soo was prudent enough to rest her other hand upon the girl's, admixture of assurance and comfort. "I know I'm not supposed to pry, but I have absolute faith that Baek-ah would overcome any adversity in his way if it means he could be with you."

"I wish I could believe you, Hae-soo. But─ Things aren't that simple."

Before giving her sufficient time to respond, Woo-hee merely cleared and rose on the balls of her feet, beckoning her to follow suit.

"I think you've rested enough. We should get on with practice."

Expelling a soft sigh, Hae-soo grasped the situation enough not to question any further, accepting the authoritative tone Woo-hee began to adopt as they started on a new set of dance skills for her to learn.

"Did you have fun?" Wang So asked, attempting to replicate kneading her shoulders after watching her fruitless efforts at doing so.

She had tried to protest, acutely aware of the repercussions should someone else caught them in the act but the prince simply dismissed her concerns.

Baek-ah and Woo-hee had gone on their separate ways, though the mood was significantly subdued that the young prince trailed after her to question the shift in atmosphere.

It made her heart ache against her chest, in spite of being in the dark about the reason for Woo-hee's evasiveness and fully clear on the fact that Baek-ah was even more clueless pertaining to it, judging from the unmistakable glint of confusion reflected in his oculars.

Hae-soo prayed with utmost sincerity that she had not managed to ruin her friend's potential relationship with her two bare hands.

Said hands were pulled against Wang So, breaking her reverie as her forehead crashed straight against his sculpted torso.

"Uh?"

"You're bothered by something." He deciphered, eyebrows tightly knitted together though he had been mulling over the appropriate words to utilise in the situation. "What is it?"

"It's nothing." Hae-soo started before peering up at him through her lashes, her palms pressed against him. "I may have said something that Woo-hee didn't feel like elaborating on."

"Oh?" The furrow had dissipated, giving way to a thin eyebrow slanted in bewildered inquiry. "I don't see how you could possibly offend Woo-hee."

His statement made her huff out in disbelief, rolling her eyes frustratingly at herself. "You must underestimate my talents."

Wang So lowered his visage to brush their noses together, murmuring quietly beneath his breath. "Tell me."

Releasing a bated breath, she dropped her gaze to shuffle her feet in awkwardly. "Do you know about her and Baek-ah?"

He nodded in affirmation. "I suspected as much, though he never said it explicitly. I guess they wanted to keep it down, between them."

"Why? Did she tell you anything?"

"Well." It was proved to be excruciating to even formulate the words to relate their prior conversation, considering it meant admitting a truth she was in no way ready to divulge, as of yet. "I guessed it myself. And– She may have mentioned the fact that she felt unworthy of his affection."

She poured everything out in one fell swoop, disclosing only certain portions of what they have talked about – mainly the parts where Woo-hee was evading the genuine reason for her low self-esteem, and how Hae-soo felt responsible for pushing her limits where they clearly knew nothing about each other.

When that was out of the way, Wang So simply tucked a loose strand of her raven-black tresses behind the shell of her ear, his eyes conveying a softness she felt undeserving of. "It's bound to come up sooner or later in their relationship, so you're not entirely at the wrong here. But this is something between them, and I would suggest that you stay out of their troubles."

"I know, I know." Hae-soo whirled around on her heels, holding his hand before trudging forth again. "I just wish I didn't worsen matters."

The prince hummed absently, not even sparing a downwards glance when his fingers slipped between hers easily. "Instead of worrying about others, why don't you focus your attention on your lessons?"

Initially, she was muddled to the direction of his question, till it clicked. "Oh."

"Yes, that. I can't believe you're remotely interested in people's affairs when you can't even wrap your head around yours."

"Excuse me, Wang So." She was affronted at the declaration, though there was nothing but truthfulness in what he had just uttered. "What do you mean by that?"

He gulped visibly and Hae-soo noticed it was partially due to the sound of his name rolling off the tip of her tongue, a mental fact she tucked aside for future purposes. "I– I meant that we should get going before it gets dark."

It was only midday when he made his proclamation, but she still squinted her orbs at him, an index finger jabbed against him as her lips pursed into a thin line. "That better be what you're implying."

A chuckle was pulled from his lips as Wang So coiled an arm around her waist, effectively bumping their hips together.

"You're the only one in the world who dares treat me this way."

Hae-soo huffed out, glaring at him. "And don't you dare find someone else who does."

"I wouldn't." The prince's lips were still vibrating with the laughter that ruptured through his frame when he leaned to capture hers in a sweet kiss, snaking both arms around the small of her back.

She reciprocated the gesture by encircling his figure with lissome limbs, exhaling through her nose to find their lips melding together in perfect harmony.

"There's no one else for me than you, Soo-yah." He vocalised quietly against a thoroughly satisfied set of lips, a dulcet chortle emitting from her lips to hear his affirmation.

It truly pleased her endlessly to hear him echo the sentiment repetitively, since it was fairly a modicum of what they actually feel for each other.

Hae-soo shifted closer towards him, head leaning against his broad shoulders with an amiable grin spreading across cherubic features. "Good."

The walk back to the Eighth Prince's residence was getting increasingly minuscule with each and every time Wang So brought her back, unable to fathom the thought of being apart from him yet again.

But before any of them could mutter their farewells – perhaps, even arrange another day to meet – when a pacing silhouette garnered their attention, halting them in their steps.

There was a pang in her heart when her oculars placed a recognition on the familiarity, accurately identifying the man.

"Ji-mong?" Hae-soo heard the prince murmur skeptically, as if he couldn't quite believe his own eyes to find the astronomer standing in front of the residence.

The man's neck craned, seemingly hearing Wang So's disbelief when he offered a lopsided smile, waving slightly as a form of greeting.

Resisting her foremost instinct to whip around and bolt – if not for the vehement clasp upon her palm – there was trepidation in every step, bringing the couple towards the man.

Once the distance between them was duly sufficient to examine each other's countenance with greater scrutiny, Hae-soo attempted to tug her hand free of his tight hold once again, to no avail.

"What are you doing here?"

Ji-mong cleared his throat with a cough, leaving no space to decipher the meaning behind his expression as any form of emotion appeared to have been drained out of his features.

"The king has entrusted me with a royal decree, Your Highness."