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“Where’s my father?” Kyungsoo asked the moment they stepped off the car, holding his lumpy jacket behind him as discreetly as possible.

The servants clustered at the gates to welcome their young master and mistress exchanged glances. “Master Do has gone to visit a friend,” said the chamberlain, raising her chin. “He said to pass on the message and that he will return before the month is over.”

Before the month is over? Standing behind her husband, Jandi searched the faces of the serving staff, confused. But that’s after the primaries! Why, the big debates are scheduled for the day after tomorrow, and the primaries are in a week!

At her side, Kyungsoo seemed similarly caught off guard, if not quite as confused. “Which friend might this be?” he asked, eyebrows furrowed.

The chamberlain locked eyes with him. “His old friend out in the countryside.”

Kyungsoo stiffened. “Ah. Alright, then.” Rearranging his jacket so the weight was more evenly distributed over his arm, he dismissed the staff and nodded at Jandi. “Since my father’s not here, I can show you the place I was talking about earlier.”

“What place?” Jandi frowned, then realized what he was talking about when the jacket let out a plaintive mewl. Ah! The place to keep the pup!

Luckily, the wolf pup had napped the entire way home, lulled into a peaceful sleep by the cozy pocket lining, and not made so much as a peep in the car, even when the chauffeur had cast a slightly suspicious glance at the jacket. Jandi understood now why her husband had been so silent in the car on the way to the imperial gardens that first day; surely the chauffeur reported back to Mansoo on what he heard, and if she had interpreted Kyungsoo’s actions with the pup correctly, then the younger Do wasn’t as perfect a Capital man as his father likely desired. Indeed, Kyungsoo had only called for the car after the pup fell asleep, an action that had not escaped Jandi’s notice.

Blindly, she followed Kyungsoo on the winding side path leading to the edges of the property. “Where are we going?”

He had shifted the jacket so it was cradled in his arms now, much like a newborn wrapped in a blanket. Shooting her a sideways glance, he smiled. “Just a place in the forest for this little guy to hang out when we’re not around.”

At his mention of the forest, Jandi instinctively flinched, her thoughts jumping to Hyemin and her untimely death. She’s not buried there, she had to remind herself. She’s not dead. Not dead. It’s okay. It took a couple seconds to regain her breath, and hearing her sharp intake of breath, Kyungsoo shot her an odd look, searching her face for a moment before he turned back to the path.

“It’s not very far into the forest,” he said, keeping his eyes straight ahead. “Just far enough in that the servants won’t stumble upon him and he won’t wander out. It’s closer to the side of the property with the kennels, and people don’t usually stop by there.”

“I know,” Jandi mumbled without thinking.

Kyungsoo’s eyes snapped to her face. “Oh, you do?”

Curse it all! Jandi wanted to slap herself. Jongin told you that, you silly girl, and now you go blabbing! “I just meant - I assumed so.” She cleared , avoiding his gaze. “The kennels aren’t a pleasant place, if you don’t mind me saying. It’s only logical that people would avoid it.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “Hm. True.” Jandi could tell he wasn’t entirely convinced though, and she spent the rest of the walk over scolding herself for her slip up.

***

The small clearing was, as Kyungsoo had promised, not too far into the forest, but just far enough of a walk that no one would reasonably fall upon it by chance. On all edges, it was surrounded by thick brush too, making it difficult for even a curious wolf pup to accidentally wander off.

“How did you find this place?” Jandi walked around the edge of the clearing, the broad green leaves of the tree overhead. She had missed being surrounded by trees and untrimmed grass, more than she had realized, but the fear and guilt surrounding Hyemin’s grave had kept her from the forest until now. “It’s beautiful.”

“I liked to wander around as a boy.” Kyungsoo set down the jacket in the middle of the clearing and plopped down next to it, laying back on the grass with a content sigh. “A forest full of bugs and fallen logs and mysterious shrubbery was perfect for all sorts of little boy games.”

Jandi couldn’t help but grin, trying to imagine her restrained husband clambering up trees or crawling around in the mud, searching for beetles. She couldn’t quite envision him as a child, so instead she pictured a full-grown Kyungsoo, finely tailored suit and all, swinging from tree branches and whooping with joy by himself.

By himself. The thought struck Jandi hard, wiping the smile off her lips. It must have been a lonely childhood, growing up here. Nothing like the one I had.

Turning back to the center of the clearing, where the pup had woken from its nap and was now drowsily exploring its new home with clumsy steps, she wondered just how early Kyungsoo had started rescuing pups. Did it start because he just wanted someone to play with? And what’s happened to the others he’s rescued? Or am I just entirely wrong about this hunch?

“Jandi,” called Kyungsoo, looking up from the pup fondly. “What should we name him?”

She started. “Name?”

“Well, we should have something to call him by, no?”

“Oh.” Jandi swallowed. “I suppose. I don’t really know what to name a wolf pup, though. We never had pets growing up. Why don’t you name him?”

“He’s your first re