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As she stumbled over the unfashionably flared hem of her dress for the thousandth time that night, Jandi told herself she ought to be grateful that her dress tonight wasn’t as horrendous as it could have been. It could be worse, she thought, remembering the press conference dress, a lot worse.

In truth, the dress wasn’t so bad. Probably Do Mansoo couldn’t bear to have his daughter-in-law look too awful at the Empress Dowager’s gala, even if he was purposely sabotaging her wardrobe choices. No one could mistake tonight’s dress for being fashionable, but it could have been acceptable in polite society perhaps ten years ago. The cloth itself was a dull grey, the same color as the city walls, and the dress was even tailored to draw in at the waist before dropping to the ground in outrageously voluminous folds. Actually, Jandi would have been open to wearing this dress in public if she were not currently surrounded by ladies draped in the most beautiful evening gowns she had ever set eyes on.

The ballroom of the imperial palace, filled with rich politicians and stunning women, looked like something out of a dream - no, something out of a dream’s dream, perhaps. Jandi could never have imagined anything so blindingly luxurious, not even in her sleep. The ballroom shared none of the cold drudgery of the stone outside; glittering crystals dripped down from chandeliers, their reflected light gleaming on the polished floors. The room itself was larger than Jandi’s home back in Geumdo, and the tables groaning under the weight of tower upon tower of sweet-smelling berry tarts and assorted fruits bore enough food to feed all of Geumdo for several days. And the people - oh, the people in the ballroom, with their clothes of finest silk and jewels screaming of wealth - made Jandi with her fading bruises and mousy muslin dress feel like a stain on the immaculate palace walls.

“Stand slightly behind me and don’t talk unless I squeeze your hand,” Kyungsoo murmured at her side, eyes straight ahead. “Don’t be fooled by the silks and jewels. This place is dangerous.”

Well, then. Childishly, Jandi wished she could stick her tongue out at her husband. Would he notice if I “accidentally” stepped on his foot? She peeked up at him through her lashes and frowned, instantly regretting the thought. Kyungsoo had been horribly on edge since the Empress Dowager’s visit. Late at night when she was struggling to sleep, Jandi often heard him pacing in his room next door, occasionally muttering to himself, and in the mornings, his eyes held that same exhausted look the Empress Dowager’s eyes had. To his credit though, Kyungsoo was polite as ever, always mustering up a smile even when it was clear he was about to drop dead of sleep deprivation.

Clearly the attack on the imperial family had been no simple act of tomfoolery, Jandi thought, following behind her husband and trying desperately not to trip again. She had seen very little of Kyungsoo during the daytime in the last week; he rushed in and out of the house at odd hours, and Jandi chose instead to stay in her room as much as possible, not wanting to be near her father-in-law without Kyungsoo present. Her husband had not invited her on any more public outings, perhaps as a result of her fading bruises, leaving Jandi alone to watch the maids bustle about and try not to break down at the thought of the thirteen-year-old girl who should have been there, too.

“Ah, Kyungsoo!” A portly man staggered to a stop in front of her husband, face already ruddy with the telltale signs of excessive alcohol consumption. “Good to see you in person. It feels like I only ever hear from you over the phone these days!”

Kyungsoo smiled politely. “A shame, I know. But surely you of all people know how demanding the campaign grind is, having managed so many successful Cabinet campaigns in the past.”

The man flushed deeper with pleasure and leaned in conspiratorially. “Well yes, I suppose I do know a little something. For example, I know that Joonmyun over there withdrew financial support from Heo Changmin’s campaign. He’s wavering over which candidate to donate funds to now, so everyone’s trying to get into the poor man’s checkbook tonight.” He nodded at a nervous-looking man standing by the food table surrounded by politicians Jandi recognized from the news.

Kyungsoo followed his gaze. “Really? Kim Joonmyun? But he’s always been a staunch supporter of the current head of cabinet and his associates.”

Shrugging, the other man drained his wine glass. “Changed his mind, I guess. You know how the current political climate is. Makes factory owners like Joonmyun skittish. And Joonmyun was already skittish to start.”

“I suppose.”

“I know something else, too,” the man continued, beady eyes moving to Jandi and raking up and down. “That girl you’ve got hanging off your arm? Not a real lover, is she? Your father has been covering it up real well, but I don’t believe it for one second. Maybe if I didn’t know Mansoo and his snake tactics so well, I’d be convinced your marriage is real.”

To his credit, Kyungsoo didn’t hesitate or flinch unlike Jandi, who was already panicking. Pulling Jandi into his side, he chuckled and wrapped his arm around her waist.“Seho, just how many glasses of wine have you had?”

Seho squinted at his empty glass and swayed, glassy-eyed. “Huh. Probably not enough.”

Kyungsoo smiled again, then glanced over his shoulder. “Oh dear, is that Jaeseok over there? I promised him we’d chat about his new housing development plans. This was a good talk, Seho. Call me later.”

Without waiting for a response, he neatly side-stepped the drunkard and maneuvered Jandi to his other side. “Don’t worry,” he muttered into her ear as they crossed the room, hiding the movement of his lips in her hair. “Seho’s infamous for his drinking habits in the Capital, but few people know how perceptive the man is even when he’s foxed. No one will take anything he says seriously but me.”

Jandi nodded shakily. What would happen to her if their secr