“Oh, boy. I can’t believe we finally found that damned city,” Yena cursed as he stretched his left arm.

“I know. You don’t have to harp on my scouting abilities,” Chaeyeon barked, feeling irritated at Yena’s jabs at him throughout the way, as he had made them take a longer trek, which made them get lost for a few days, having to ask for directions for the city. By the time they arrived to the city, they were tired and irked, wishing nothing more than a bed to lay on.

No one said anything, walking towards the entrance. Both men could see people in the distance.

“Hello, is there anything you need?” a man got close to them as soon as they crossed the entrance. Chaeyeon turned to look at Yena, who was already looking at him.

“Uh, we are looking for a place to stay?” Chaeyeon uttered tiredly.

“The inn is at the center of the city, but I recommend you go to a... less popular inn, which is on the left corner of the town,” the man advised.

“Thank you. I think we’ll needed to go to the center,” Chaeyeon answered, blinking.

“Stay in the less popular inn. It is in your best interests,” the man insisted, making alarm bells sound in Chaeyeon’s head.

“Alright, thank you,” Chaeyeon answered more soberly, walking head on.

“He was strange,” Yena said after they left the man far behind.

“He was,” Chaeyeon agreed. “And I don’t know if that means we should actually stay on that inn or stay in the inn at the center of town.”

“We can investigate,” the older man suggested. “We can see what’s going on, and if there is something strange about it, we can always go to the one in the center.”

“I guess,” Chaeyeon acquiesced, agreeing with Yena’s idea. “I wouldn’t mind eating something, first.”

“Me neither. My stomach has been rumbling for days already.” Yena patted his belly.

“I know. I’m sorry,” Chaeyeon said harshly.

“Woah, woah. Calm down. I’m just talking about my belly,” Yena said, seeing Chaeyeon starting to fume. “We have arrived. We are good. We are about to eat.”

“I know,” Chaeyeon sighed. “I am sorry. It’s just... I feel bad for making us lose time.”

“It’s alright. It’s an unknown place. I could have gotten us lost, too, if I was in your place.” The younger man sighed again, still tense.

“Let’s eat, then. I’m dying for good food.”

“That makes both of us,” Yena answered, trying to cheer Chaeyeon up, even though he also seemed to be tired.

In comparison to Geumsong, the town of Gentai was smaller, it’s houses far less numerous, and there didn’t seem to be a great trading happening around. Still, that didn’t stop both men from admiring their surroundings, well, Yena more than Chaeyeon, who was still irked.

“Look, there are girls there!” Yena exclaimed, greeting some women from afar.

“Didn’t you like Juri?” Chaeyeon grumbled.

“Eh, I’m not sure if I’ll see her again,” the older man shrugged. “Don’t be jealous, Chaeyeon-ie. You’ll find your girl soon enough.”

“Stop saying non-sense,” the younger man said, crossing his arms.

“No, no, but really. I’m curious.” Chaeyeon huffed. “What would you do if you suddenly fell in love with a girl?”

“Nothing. It won’t happen,” Chaeyeon answered with finality.

“But what if it happened? Indulge me a bit.”

“Well, nothing, again. I’m not here to fall in love.”

“You wouldn’t even consider staying if that happened?” Chaeyeon bit his tongue, starting to understand Yena’s line of questioning. Not wanting to appear as if he didn’t appreciate his friend’s company, he tried being conciliatory.

“It would be difficult, because I truly want to return to my family. But, if possible, I’d try to be together.” Yena hummed at the answer.

“Well, then, let’s hope you don’t fall in love.”

“What about you?” Chaeyeon asked, trying to change the subject, not wanting Yena to remember that he was to leave, sooner rather than later. “Are you planning on falling in love, for real?”

“I have already fallen in love,” Yena answered, quite assertively.

“Really?” Chaeyeon asked curiously. “Who was she? Where did you meet her?”

“It was just a girl I met while travelling,” Yena explained, though, instead of the relaxed or blissful stance Chaeyeon expected, he had a tense air about him. “I met her in weird circumstances. We spent little time together, but in the little that we knew each other, I fell for her.”

“You haven’t been able to see her again?” Chaeyeon questioned, much more subdued. Yena just shrugged, his expression resigned at his situation, which made the younger man feel bad about asking about it.

“And what about Juri? What about her was attractive to you?” Chaeyeon tried changing the topic, again.

“I don’t know. There is just something so beautiful about her. At least, to me, she doesn’t seem to be like... I’m sorry for your Princesses, but Juri doesn’t seem as stuck up as them.”

“Why? In what way?” Chaeyeon asked, feeling weirdly protective about Princess Rino.

“Well, as you know, I never spoke to her, but there was this time where I found her, late at night on the lake.”

“It is becoming a routine for you to find girls bathing,” Chaeyeon remarked dryly, hoping to get back at Yena for his teasing.

“N-no. It’s not like that,” Yena blushed. “She was just there, looking at the lake.”

“Sure,” Chaeyeon interrupted, amused at the older man’s reaction.

“Chaeyeon,” Yena whined slightly. “She was there, standing there, looking at the lake!”

“Who is sulking now?” Chaeyeon declared, teasing good-naturedly. “Okay, okay. Do continue.”

“So, I saw her there. I tried leaving, but she managed to realize I was there. She didn’t say anything, but she just... smiled at me,” Yena continued explaining. “And her smile was... I don’t know. So open, like she was waiting for me to talk first.”

“And you didn’t,” Chaeyeon finished.

“No, I just smiled back.”

“You are hopeless,” Chaeyeon shook his head.

“And what about you?” Yena accused.

“I haven’t fallen in love yet,” Chaeyeon shot back.

“Never?” Yena asked in incredulity. “With no one? Ever?”

“No, I never really thought about it. I already told you,” Chaeyeon answered more defensively, which seemed to happen more these when referring to Princess Rino, though Chaeyeon didn’t want to think about it. “Wait, but hadn’t you told me Juri didn’t give you the time of the day?” Yena looked at Chaeyeon, gobsmacked.

“I-you-You remembered it?”

“Of course I do!” Chaeyeon exclaimed. “My memory isn’t that horrible.”

“Whoops?” Yena shrugged, smiling like a kid caught stealing a cookie from the jar.

“Why did you tell me that?”

“I don’t know.”

“You do know, but it’s fine. I guess you have the liberty to say whatever to me. I owe you.”

“No! I don’t you want you to treat this like a game of continually owing one another!” Yena sighed. “I just... I said that Juri didn’t care about me because... I wanted to see how would you react.”

“What? Why?” Chaeyeon asked, surprised at Yena’s statement. “Why was my reaction important to you?”

“Ah, well... I wanted to see if you would, you know, advise for me to go after her despite our differences or if you would tell me that she was stuck up.”

“And I advised you to not get close to her,” Chaeyeon murmured, feeling bad about it.

“You were probably right,” Yena hurried to console Chaeyeon, although he himself now looked... relieved? “It’s fine. I don’t mind the differences. Whatever the case, we are still travelling, aren’t we? I wouldn’t even be able to marry anyone.”

“You were already thinking about marriage?” Chaeyeon asked Yena, raising his head slightly.

“No-I-No!” Yena moved his hands frantically. “No, not at all. What I meant was... Oh, we are already at the center. Don’t you already want to look for a place to eat first?”

Chaeyeon eyed him critically, feeling more suspicious of Yena’s behavior, but decided to shrug it off, not wanting to feel more guilt for embarking his friend on this journey.

“Alright. Let’s look, then.”

It didn’t take them long, as the only place to eat was easy to see since there was a sign with a bowl carved on it. They entered the place, which, to their surprise, was filled with people. Sitting on an empty table, a person came to quickly receive them.

“Welcome, what would you like to eat?” a petite woman asked.

“Ah, what could we eat...” Chaeyeon trailed off.

The woman listed their most popular options, which made Chaeyeon and Yena ask for some noodles.

“So, I screwed your chances with Juri.”

“No, you didn’t ‘screw’, whatever that is,” Yena answered, looking at their surroundings. “I just didn’t feel like talking to her. The end.”

“But you said...”

“I know, I know. But it was all me, alright? Maybe if you had told me to go after her, I would’ve ignored you regardless.”

“Wow, that’s a bigger consolation,” Chaeyeon deadpanned.

“You know what I mean, Chaeyeon-ah,” Yena tried waving it off casually. Chaeyeon acquiesced, letting the matter go, knowing that Yena would insist on it not being his fault, but it still made him feel guilty nonetheless, though, more than anything, because of the continuous looming thought that one day he would leave him behind.

He tried shaking the thought off, for the hundredth time, and, just like Yena, started looked around. Although not as big a place as Geumsong, the restaurant had more luxurious decoration, which gave it, paradoxically, a more sophisticated, albeit homey, feeling. The patrons inside were mostly men, who probably were having lunch, as they would return to work soon enough. It made him think, what would have happened if she had lived in this time?

“When do you think the Princess will arrive?” the older man asked, shaking Chaeyeon out of her useless thoughts.

“I don’t know. Probably sooner than we expected, you know, with us getting lost and all.” Yena looked like he wanted to tease Chaeyeon, but wisely said nothing about it.

After that question, both men were submerged in a comfortable silence, with Yena inspecting everywhere while Chaeyeon just looked at his hands, marveling at how they looked rougher, with few blisters on his palms. They weren’t as painful as when he first had travelled to Geumsong, always acutely aware of them. Now, they just were par the course of the journey he had undergone thus far.

The food arrived soon after, and both men thanked the waitress, who bowed slightly and went on her way. Their stomachs rumbling at the simple smell, they thought they had never eaten anything tastier than this as they shoved mouthfuls of food, etiquette learned at the temple be damned.

However, they had forgotten that they needed to pay for the food, so when it came the time, they had to scavenge among their few belongings for coins to pay with, as they hadn’t taken many with them, only having had the thought of the inn payment in mind.

Shouting a thanks airily, they left the restaurant, their bellies full, and their heads clearer than a few moments earlier.

“So, it’s time?”

“Right, it is time.” Chaeyeon cleared his throat, standing straighter at the thought of what they still had to do. “We have to go there, right?”

“I mean, we can always ignore that man and stay in that other inn.”

“But what if it’s important?” Chaeyeon reasoned, although he also felt wary.

“But what if it’s a strange operation where the Prince already knows we are spies and he wants our head?”

“That is impossible.” The younger man shook his head, although Yena’s words did worry him.

“Is it?” Yena challenged.

“We can just be careful, stealthily investigate, and if there’s a sign that there is something wrong, then we just flee. Come one, what happened to adventurous Yena?”

“Is trying to have one tough guy be sure of his decision.”

“So you are alright with it?”

“I am,” Yena reassured. “But if you feel like not going, we can do that, too.”

“No, no. I think there is something important there,” Chaeyeon said, but didn’t elaborate further. How could he, when the invitation to that strange inn had made him think about that monster? He hadn’t talked to him ever since that horrible dream. But he had to. He couldn’t leave Chaeyeon stranded in this place forever. There had to be more clues that, Chaeyeon thought, were at that elusive inn.

Or it was a trap of some sort.

“Let’s go, then.” But his desire to return was greater, and, in moments like this, he had to be brave and a little foolish.

“Right behind you, tough guy,” Yena teased.

As far as they knew, the inn was at the far left corner of the town, at the outskirts of it. Although the didn’t have precise directions, finding it didn’t seem like a difficult task. The inn turned out to be a few more minutes far from the town.

“So, what is the plan?” Yena asked as they walking came to halt.

“I don’t know. I guess it would be better to be stealthy, and try not to arouse anyone’s attention.” The older man nodded, agreeing with said plan, although it was obvious to both about how lacking it was. They tip-toed closer to the inn entrance, where they paused, looking at each other for a sign on what to do. Nodding at Yena, they slowly opened the door, walking slowly with their bodies hunched.

There didn’t seem to be anyone at the main place. However, the place was far from deserted, as evidenced by the clean tables that were next to a wooden drawer.

“What do we do?” Yena whispered, turning slightly to look at the younger man.

“Let’s continue exploring,” Chaeyeon answered, despite his own intuition.

They entered the hall, where rooms seemed to be. The hall was also deserted, not a single sound heard in it. They got closer to the first door, where Chaeyeon tried listening in, putting his ear close to said door.

No sound.

Chaeyeon gestured to the next door, and Yena nodded, copying what Chaeyeon had done. After a moment, he shook his head.

No sound.

“I’ll try and look further down the hall,” Yena whispered. Despite his own apprehension, Chaeyeon nodded, hoping that if there was danger, he would be able to help his friend.

Continuing to try and listen inside rooms, Chaeyeon got farther away from his partner, who was also concentrated on his task.

Finally, Chaeyeon heard a minimal sound behind one of the doors, which, to his more paranoid mind, seemed suspicious. Waving Yena over, the older man came quickly, standing next to Chaeyeon.

“We are going to open the door on the count of three.” Yena nodded.

“One.”

“Two.”

“Three.”

“Hah!” Yena yelled as the opened the door forcefully. The woman inside jumped out of her skin, but when she managed to see who were the ones that had barged in, she glared at them.

“You finally had the gall to appear here,” exclaimed an irate voice. Chaeyeon, who had out for a moment, as the push had made him fall and hit his toe with some furniture, turned to look at the owner of the voice, a furious Sakura, who had her arms crossed and her nostrils flaring.

“Y-Your Grace,” Chaeyeon scrambled to stand up. “I thought you would arrive after a few days.”

“I did arrive a few days after you were supposed to be here,” Sakura chastised. “Imagine my surprise to find there was no one here.”

“We got a bit off the course,” Yena said off-handedly, hoping that the Princess would let the matter go.

“A bit off course, you say?” The Princess rubbed her temples.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace. We have never gone through these lands,” Chaeyeon apologized, despite the underlying irritation he felt at her.

“Well, at least you are here. And, what happened? Why are you so... dirty?” The young woman scrunched her nose in disgust.

“We had several setbacks. First, we were supposed to go through the main road, but the main road dispersed a little, so we went-” Yena was interrupted.

“No, you know what, I don’t need to know. Please, take a bath, then come back. I cannot stand one more moment smelling this.”

“And where can we have this bath, if you would be so kind to tell us?” Chaeyeon asked condescendingly, not bothering to keep the emotions out of his voice.

“Juri will take you there.”

“Juri?” Yena looked like a puppy as he raised his head in excitement. As if on cue, a young woman entered the room, carrying a jug with what Chaeyeon presumed was water.

“Oh, you have finally arrived,” she said with relief as she placed the jug on some furniture.

“Juri, please take them to take a bath. They are stinking up the room.”

“If you would be so kind to follow me.” Juri smiled at both man, gesturing at the door. Both men followed Juri in silence.

“I am so relieved you have finally arrived. The Princess considered sending someone to look out for you.”

“Really?” Chaeyeon asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes, but thankfully, you arrived before that happened. Have you eaten?”

“Yes, we have. Thank you, Juri,” the younger man expressed, thankful for her kindness. “If it’s not too much to ask, how long have you been waiting for us?”

“A couple of days.”

“And what did you do in that time?” Chaeyeon asked again, embarrassed, knowing that Juri was trying to soften the blow.

“Not much. We were just waiting for you.” The young woman giggled. “The Princess was very worried about you.”

Their conversation ended there, and, to Chaeyeon’s surprise, Yena didn’t utter a single sound during their whole walk to the bath.

“Here we are,” Juri said. “Since we had already been warned of you arriving to town, we have prepared baths for you in advance. I’m sorry for the water. It’s cold already.”

“It’s fine. I am hot, anyway,” Chaeyeon answered.

“I’ll be close. So, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call for me.”

“Thank you, Juri.” The woman nodded, leaving both of them alone.

“Uhm, what do we do?” Yena asked, opening his mouth for the first time in a while.

“Well, we take a bath,” Chaeyeon answered simplistically. “I know why you are asking, but I trust you. As long as you don’t peek, I have no problem with it.” And it was true. After spending so much time with men, Chaeyeon had become used to them, not shying away as she used at the sight of a shirtless man. Deep inside, she knew it was a little strange, but there was no use for modesty, not after the months they had been travelling together.

“Uhm, I get it, but, ah...”

“Ah, you are uncomfortable,” Chaeyeon realized.

“A little? I mean, I know we have travelled for a long time together now, but I just... We have never bathed in the same place,” Yena explained bashfully.

“Well, if you want me to, I’ll wait for you to finish your bath first,” Chaeyeon proposed.

“That would be good.” Chaeyeon nodded, moving to where the separation of the bath and the rest of the room was.

“So why were you so quiet, just about now?” Chaeyeon questioned.

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” Yena feigned ignorance.

“Were you shy about Juri?” Chaeyeon teased.

“N-no, not at all,” Yena stammered. “It’s just that I had nothing to say.”

“You said you had never spoken to her. You had the opportunity now, and you had nothing to say?” Chaeyeon laughed briefly. “I don’t believe that. I mean, you said you didn’t even fall in love with her, basically saw her as a pretty distraction, but look at you now.”

“A-and you?” Yena shot back. “Weren’t you happy to see your Princess again?”

Chaeyeon scoffed. “Princess Sakura has nothing in common with Juri.”

“Ah, so you admit that there could be something if she was like Juri.”

“No,” Chaeyeon replied indignant. “I am saying that even if something like that could happen, it wouldn’t happen because Sakura is so unpleasant.”

“Well, she had the right to be angry,” Yena pointed out. “I mean, we were supposed to receive her, not the other way around.”

She sighed. “I know, but...”

“And she probably is worried about her own safety. If you were suddenly entrusted in the hands of two strangers, who got lost in a short trek, what would you feel if you had to travel a long distance with them?”

“I know.”

“Then? Why were you so angry?” Yena asked, truly disconcerted that Chaeyeon was so easily angered, so lacking of his usual thoughtful nature.

“I don’t know. There is something about her that makes me angry. Probably it’s because compared to her sister, since the first time we met, she was never polite. It angers me that she has only judged me, always treating me as if I didn’t deserve her sister’s kindness.”

“Well, she feels like that to you, but she can’t be that bad. I mean, she prepared us baths in advance.”

“That’s right.” Chaeyeon hadn’t even considered it.

“She said something about us stinking, but, if the water of the bath is cold now, that means she had actually prepared herself to receive us kindly.”

“You might have a point. Might,” Chaeyeon answered, still wary of the woman who had such a weird behavior.

“I am curious about one thing,” Chaeyeon asked after a moment. “Could you tell me, what were you doing before we met each other?”

Yena hummed, as if thinking for a moment. “Doing jobs here and there. Before my family, uh, yes, there wasn’t much work at the farms, so I usually just went to do odd jobs.”

“Like what?”

“Like, you know, works here and there...” Yena trailed off.

“Is it something... bad?”

“No, not at all!” Yena denied, though it felt off for Chaeyeon, somehow.

“It’s fine. Don’t be ashamed,” the younger man soothed.

“It’s just, it’s a little bit difficult to admit. I don’t know what you will think about me.”

“Yena, no matter what you do, you are still the brother I’ve never had.” Chaeyeon paused. “I don’t mind it if you sold your body.”

“What?” Yena exclaimed, scandalized. “I did not sell my body.”

“Why is it so bad for you to sell your body?” Chaeyeon asked, knowing that while that profession was so looked down upon here and in the present times, she had had several encounters with some while selling drugs. Sometimes unable to think straight without their fix, sometimes so put together, you wouldn’t even know about their job or their vices, Chaeyeon couldn’t help but pity them or like them respectively, as, most times, they were the customers that treated her the best. It dawned on her after a while working that they were just like her, trying to make ends meet.

“It should be obvious!” Yena said defensively.

“So, you didn’t sell your body?” Chaeyeon asked, somehow mortified at his huge reaction, but knowing he couldn’t change his mind about this topic. “Then, for you, there shouldn’t be anything worse than that.”

“I guess,” Yena answered hesitantly. “I did tell my family that I would go out and do odd jobs, but in reality... I would go out and... grab some stuff from the market and sell it somewhere else.”

“You were a thief?” Chaeyeon said, surprised.

“B-but I wasn’t alone,” Yena defended himself. “It was a group of us, who would steal to have something to bring home.”

“I am not judging you,” Chaeyeon thought about it for a moment. “Well, I am, but I can’t quite do it with a clean conscience.”

“I know it wasn’t fair, but I just couldn’t sit there doing nothing while my family broke their backs for so little.”

“I know, and I understand much more than you can imagine.” Chaeyeon sighed. “Back home, I also worked doing bad things, and I did it as well for my family.”

“What did you do?”

“I sell drugs.”

“Sell what?” Chaeyeon sighed, feeling embarrassed at the thought of elaborating.

“In the future, there are some things that can make you feel really good.”

“Like makgeolli.”

“More powerful than makgeolli,” Chaeyeon explained. “And far more dangerous. Some of these things, while they give you a great feeling, they may make you unable to live without them, if you take much of it, and, as time passes, and you need more of it, you end up dying.”

“That sounds horrible,” Yena exclaimed, though his voice was less judging and sadder.

“I know,” Chaeyeon said. “But I had to. In the present, my father got into debt with the wrong kind of people, but fled as soon as he could... He still sends money, but he doesn’t know that those bad people found me and my sisters, and forced me to work for them.” Chaeyeon’s voice trembled.

“And are you alright? Are your sisters alright?” Yena asked more urgently.

“We are, as long as I continue to work for them.”

“Well, that is horrible.”

“It ,” Chaeyeon exclaimed. They stayed like that for a while.

“I’m out,” Yena said as he came out of the bath side. “You can bathe now.” Chaeyeon nodded, shaken out of her reverie, walking towards the bath.

“By the way, I have a question,” Yena announced as Chaeyeon submerged into the cold water.

“Are there other words in your time like shoot or or...?”

“Many,” Chaeyeon answered. “But when I knew where I was, I knew I had to clean my language.”

“Oh,” Yena sounded more lighthearted than a few moments ago. “For example, what does ‘’ mean?”

“That it’s bad, like it... ... it’s not as bad as horrible but...” Chaeyeon felt a little dumb with his descriptions of things. “It’s bad.”

Yena hummed, although it was pretty obvious that he didn’t understand Chaeyeon’s explanation. Their conversation waned and Chaeyeon continued to wash himself carefully, her body singing in relief at being able to finally have a moment of rest.

When they finished, they left the room, and close to the room, Juri came quickly to fetch them.

“Are you ready?” the woman asked kindly, not waiting for their answering, just leading them back to the empty inn.

Back at the occupied room, the Princess was still sitting there, but now there were other two maids who were tending to her.

“You are back,” Sakura stated, clearing slightly. “Come in.” Chaeyeon raised his eyebrows slightly, walking inside the room to sit. It was a bit cramped, but they said nothing of the arrangement.

“What is then our plan?” the Princess asked, looking at her hands.

“Well,” Yena paused, looking at Chaeyeon. “There is none.”

“There is...?!” the Princess started aggressively, but stopped suddenly, clearing again. “Why is there no plan?”

“Because we didn’t think it was pertinent,” Chaeyeon answered. “Or is there something we haven’t been told?”

“What exactly did my sister tell you?”

“Well, aside from telling me about her plan to tell the Fujiwara about the Prince’s plans, as I assume you know.” The Princess nodded. “She just asked me, as a simple petition, to take you there.”

“Just that?” Sakura asked skeptically.

“Yes, just that, Your Grace.”

“Amazing,” the Princess grumbled. “Rino didn’t even bother explaining the situation, always leaving me the harder tasks.”

“Uhm...” Neither man knew how to answer.

“Look, she didn’t tell you this, probably to make you more agreeable to this, but the Prince, sooner rather than later will know about Rino’s plan,” the Princess explained more gravely. “And this won’t fare well if your only plan is to go through the main roads as if this was a trip.”

Yena raised his hand.

“Yes?” Sakura asked, her voice on edge.

“Isn’t the Prince your brother? Why would he want to harm you?” Sakura smiled wryly. She seemed as if she wanted to say something, but shut it, only speaking after a few seconds.

“While we are full siblings by blood, that doesn’t mean our relationship is a close one.” Chaeyeon nodded in understanding.

“Well, we might not have a plan,” Chaeyeon said, taking out a scroll from between his clothing. “But we can always think about one here.”

“We have no time,” Sakura argued. “Aside from that, I have no strategic prowess.”

“Neither do we,” Chaeyeon answered. “And I’d rather all of us make a plan so that we can reach a good agreement.” Sakura observed him for a moment, as if evaluating him.

“Alright. I’d like to know first, what do you suggest?”

“Well, we don’t know the Prince,” Chaeyeon explained, smoothing the scroll’s edges. “But you do. Have you any idea about how he... goes about things.” The Princess shook her head.

“No. Before this, I’d never had the necessity to know about this type of terrible things. Until now, all I knew was that he was looking for a better position within court by training his monks in military combat. Never did I imagine he would stoop so low.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, Your Grace,” Chaeyeon turned to look at said woman. “Have there ever been this type of military movements within court?”

“No. I know everyone looks for a better position within court, but we would never resort to such vulgar means such as violence.”

Chaeyeon hummed in thought.

“Well, you said we can’t go through the main roads, right?” Yena intervened. “So, what if we go through an alternate road?”

“Do you know alternative roads?” Sakura asked.

“No,” Chaeyeon denied, shaking his head. “As you know, we have only been in this country for a few months. However, we could make our own.” The young man paused, pinching his arm. “Would you be willing to part with your carriage?”

“What?” Sakura looked gobsmacked. “Absolutely not. How will I be able to transverse through the road? And how would I take my belongings?”

“By walking,” Chaeyeon answered, knowing that he probably wasn’t gaining the woman’s favor. “I know it’s not easy handling your clothes in such terrain, but it would be far more difficult to go through the dirt with a carriage.”

“No, I won’t allow it,” Sakura shook her head, crossing her arms. “There will be no abandoning the carriage.” Chaeyeon wanted to hit his head on the furniture, but instead, took a deep breath.

“Alright, we can try and cross through the difficult terrain, but you have to always be prepared to part with it if something goes wrong.” The Princess nodded, also giving a deep breath, as if in frustration.

“Then, what will the road be?”

“Well, as far as this map tells us, the right way of the road is very rocky terrain, filled with mountains. However, it would be more unpredictable for us to go through there. The left side, although still rocky, is not that mountainous, easier to transverse. However, it is more difficult to hide from any danger.”

“But,” Yena interjected. “Maybe the Prince expects us to go through the difficult road, thinking we are onto them so we won’t go on the easy route. That’s why we should go on the easy route.”

“Say what?” Chaeyeon interjected in Korean.

“Yes, we need to go through the easier route because they won’t expect that.”

“That sounds convoluted for no reason.”

“But what if I’m right?”

“What? No, we would become more vulnerable to attacks. Let’s go through the right side.” Yena seemed like he wanted to argue, but ended up agreeing, nodding his head.

“When will we be leaving?” Sakura asked, her factions now betraying a bigger worry. It made Chaeyeon sympathize, if only a little. No one wants to be at the end of murderous intent.

“As soon as we can. Maybe tomorrow,” Chaeyeon answered. “So, I think introductions should be made.” Both men stood up, facing the maids, who at that moment hadn’t said anything.

“My name is Lee Chaeyeon, surname Lee. It is a pleasure to meet you,” the younger man said, bowing.

“And my name is Choi Yena. It is most certainly a pleasure to meet you.” Yena bowed as well.

“My name is Aoi,” the smaller of the woman smiled.

“And my name is Mina. Pleased to meet you.” Both women bowed as well.

“Anyways, is there anything special about you?” Chaeyeon asked, directing his question at Sakura.

“Excuse me?”

“Is there anything special about you I should know about? So as to take in consideration for our journey.” Sakura bowed her head slightly.

“No, nothing specific to take into consideration. I expect you to not forget I am a Princess and, regardless of situation, I am to be treated as such.”

“Believe me, I won’t be able to forget,” Chaeyeon answered. “Would you like us to give you space?”

“No!” Sakura exclaimed, making everyone in the room jump. “I mean, no. I wish to ask a few questions, as well.”

“Alright, ask away,” Chaeyeon said, sitting on the floor again. The maids also sat down, seemingly less on guard than they had been before.

“Is it true you are a noble?”

“W-what?” Chaeyeon didn’t expect the inquiry. “Who told you that?”

“So you are?”

“No, I am not a noble.”

“So what my sister told me wasn’t true?” Sakura asked, her tone accusing Chaeyeon.

“W-what?” Chaeyeon stammered. “A-and you, didn’t you say that it was impolite to address royalty by name? Why are you then not doing it?”

“They are my family, I am allowed to address them as I please.”

“Of course you are,” Chaeyeon grumbled under his breath.

“What did you say?”

“It was my bad, then.”

“So you aren’t a noble?”

“No, I am not. I don’t know why the Princess told you that, but I am not a noble,” Chaeyeon answered, disliking Sakura’s obstinacy.

“Well, it doesn’t take but a simple look to know you are no ordinary man. There is a certain softness about you that I wouldn’t see on peasants,” Sakura explained, appraising him slightly.

“I am not a noble. I know it’s difficult to believe, but I am not,” Chaeyeon said quickly, panicking at the woman’s comment. Had she seen through her? Sakura stared at him, as if she was trying to figure him out.

“Alright, then. Is there...” the Princess turned to look at Aoi, who with one gaze, encouraged her. “Is there anything you like to do in your free time?”

“Eh?” Now it was Chaeyeon’s turn to be gobsmacked. He turned to look at Yena, but noticed he had already left the room, probably with Juri on tow. Damn.

“Uhm, I guess not?” Chaeyeon answered hesitantly. What exactly did she do in her free time when she was back home? She was out of home for the most part. “I like listening to music...”

“You do?” Sakura asked, her face betraying interest, which confused Chaeyeon even more. He nodded.

“And, I don’t know. I don’t have much time for anything else.”

“Do you play an instrument?”

“Ah, uhm, not really.” She played the piano a little, but she couldn’t tell Sakura that. The Princess nodded, seemingly a little disappointed.

“So, your only experience in art is dance?”

“Yes, that is what I used to do. What do you do on your free time?” Chaeyeon asked, trying to change the focus put on him. The Princess seemed surprised, turning to look at Aoi, who nodded at her encouragingly.

“As a Princess, I am expected to do several things. I was trained in poetry, music, and dance, although my biggest love will always be for poetry. I also do my own clothes.”

“Woah, so this is done by you?” Chaeyeon asked in curiosity (and a little awe), momentarily forgetting his animosity towards the Princess.

“It is.” If Sakura’s face wasn’t painted so, Chaeyeon could have swore she had blushed. “Do you like it?”

“I do. It’s beautiful. I can’t even imagine the time it took to make this,” Chaeyeon praised the older woman. It was true. For Chaeyeon, the prospect of doing this throughout your life was a nightmare, though probably better than her own life.

Enough of self-deprecating thoughts!

There was a small, awkward silence, that was only cut when Chaeyeon spoke again.

“Is there any other question you wanted to ask me?”

“Maybe,” the Princess answered cryptically. “But I’ll continue asking later.”

“Alright, then I will leave for the day.” Chaeyeon grabbed the scroll between them, folding it again. “Then, excuse me.” He stood up bowing.

“Wait!” Sakura exclaimed, making Chaeyeon stop in his tracks. “I just wanted to tell you that I hope we get along.” The younger woman turned to look at Sakura, who had bowed her head completely. “That is all. You can leave now.”

“Alright, have a good evening, Your Grace.”

Chaeyeon came out of the Princess’ room, her face contorted in confusion and suspicion.

What had just happened?

Had the Princess been kind to him? Had she actually asked something personal about Chaeyeon, and had seemed genuinely interested in the answer?

The sudden change made him wary of the Princess intentions.

However, if he thought about it, it definitely made sense that the Princess would try to be civil now. After all, he and Yena were in charge of her safety, but they had no connection of obligation or loyalty to her the way her maids had. The Princess had no way to know if making them angry would probably lead to a bad result.

Well, whatever the case, it was better to be civil to the Princess, as he won nothing from trying to start fights with her. It didn’t stop him from disliking her, knowing that the ugly attitude was probably waiting to rear its ugly head.

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