The men who were in the room coughed into their hands to express their discomforts at the couple’s display of affections. Jongin, especially, had completely turned away.

Seulgi broke away from their tight embrace and held Joohyun by her shoulders to have a better look at her, the lady whom she had pinning for what felt like eternity. Awash with a sense of euphoria so intense, the Colonel’s mouth had opened and closed a few times but no words came out. Even if this might be a dream, Seulgi still thanked the heavens for bestowing one that was so vivid to her.

Joohyun, I’ve missed you for days and nights, do you know that?

Looking into Joohyun’s shimmering eyes, Seulgi knew that the Strategist must have thought the same too. Time seemed to have slowed to a stop as they held each other’s gazes as though nothing else mattered. Seulgi knew she must have been smiling like a fool and her heart was beating so fast, she thought it might erupt from her chest.

However, despite her elation at seeing her love, Seulgi was worried for the Strategist’s safety as well. 

“What are you doing here?” Seulgi asked later, her tone slightly reprimanding.

“You will know soon,” the Strategist said smugly, that arrogance a drastic contrast from her initial pounce on the Colonel.

Seeming to sense Seulgi’s growing displeasure, the Strategist put herself a step ahead and circumvented the Colonel’s impending lectures with her wits, once again.

“I am sorry Prides, let’s begin,” Joohyun said, sounding all business-like.

Much to Seulgi’s frustration, Joohyun’s words had rounded up the attention of the Prides, who were already impatient, and the meeting began right away. The Strategist did not seem to have changed. Oh how Seulgi missed this side of Joohyun as well, always able to anticipate her moves and besting her.

Throughout the meeting, Joohyun wore the face she frequently wore during their official meetings in the past. One which Seulgi had missed a lot too. The Colonel could not help but wish they could remain in each other’s arms longer. It has been an entire year since she last saw the Strategist after all, a year of missing her, a year of thinking of things to do with her when she got back to Qi’An, and a year of striving hard just to see her again.

Now they were so close but there were matters at hand that Seulgi knew required her complete, undivided attention. The success of Proposal Crimson Pride hinged on this final mission, one that she could not afford to fail.  

The main plan was comprehensive, so much so that Seulgi was certain that the Crimson Pride committee must have spent several nights crafting it. The multiple contingency plans used to be a topic of jest amongst the Prides back when they were in their home country but right now, they were all serious and attentive to every single detail. Seulgi did not know if she should feel heartened with such a change in their attitudes, all of them seemed to have changed, in indescribable ways. It was not surprising for the Prides to look slightly weary after working so tirelessly for the proposal. However, there was something more to beyond the physical weariness apparent across their faces. The Prides gave off a surreptitious aura about them, especially Chanyeol, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo, three of them who were most occupied with all the groundwork. It must have been because of the nature of their works that had steeled their hearts. Most of the reports that relayed to her by Jongin had sent chills down her spine. Seulgi had slaughtered many innocent wives and children. Her brothers too, had slain just as many.

They were all cunning, recruiting spies who had much to lose to lower the chances of betrayals, yet, they were not fully prevented. As Seulgi looked to Chanyeol, her body gave an involuntary shudder as she remembered how the Pride had made a most cold-hearted decision to flay a turn-cloak spy alive before another who had betrayed them. According to Jongin’s description of the aftermath, all he witnessed was a corpse so cleanly peeled off of its skin that the scene was bound to haunt Jongin for several nights. As for the body of the other spy, the one who was forced to watch the process, the Garrison Commander remembered the corpse only had two deep stab wounds but it reeked so strongly of urine that Jongin suspected that the man might have been scared to his death instead.

“Colonel, do you have questions about the plans?” The Strategist asked suddenly, turning the Prides’ attention to the preoccupied Colonel.

Clearing , the Colonel apologised for her distractedness, imploring for the Strategist to repeat the section she had missed. Joohyun stared at Seulgi for a few seconds, her expression unreadable, before she gave an easy shrug and repeated the plans for the Colonel.

Unlike the usual spying activities which was not conducted by themselves, the assassination attempt would be otherwise. Being the one who was constantly next to the Crown Prince, Seulgi had to be the one to poison the Crown Prince.

Poisons, the bane of Seulgi’s existence. Since young, Seulgi thought of poisons as a non-righteous, devious, and lowly means of taking someone’s life however she understood why it had to be so. The poison that they would be using was a unique concoction from Ni’Xin. This was the brilliance of the plan, to sow discord between two countries and gain victory for thyself.

The Strategist emphasised multiple times on the importance of the safety of their own lives, eyeing Seulgi the entire time. Seulgi had to nod in response at the Strategist because she was sure she would not be let off if she did not.

After five full hours of discussion, their discussion had finally come to an end. All the other Prides had excused themselves from the room, leaving the couple by themself in the room.

Once the Prides were gone, the Strategist had completely transformed into the sensuous Joohyun that Seulgi had always missed. Seulgi had been sitting by the edge of the bed when Joohyun removed the layers she had been wearing one by one as she approached Seulgi until the innermost layer was left on.

“Mister, how would you like your night to be? Exciting? Calm?” Joohyun teased, her voice thick with yearning for the Colonel.

“I would like my day and night to be you, anything with you,” Seulgi lurched forward to cage the Strategist in her arms as they fell amongst the sheets.

Playing with a lock of Seulgi’s hair and tangled amongst the sheets, Irene remarked, “such a glib tongue you have, Mister. I wonder if you say that to other girls as well?”

“My life has been full of men, you are the only woman in my life,” Seulgi replied, s