Miyoung felt a second tear run down across her cheek.

She lowered her head, a little ashamed with herself for what she said and made Taeyeon feel. She didn’t mean to make Taeyeon angry or hurt when she said those words, she was just trying to understand and reasoning the circumstances. But everything would be different now; as Taeyeon wouldn’t forgive her for what she implied.

Why did she have to say that? Why didn’t she just stay quiet? Why did she have to say Master Kim hid a secret from Taeyeon when Miyoung had never even met that man before? What right Miyoung had to put those doubts in Taeyeon’s head? None!

Her chest burned inside with shame on herself for what just happened. Stupid Miyoung!

Now Taeyeon would be angry and hurt with her. Now Taeyeon, who Miyoung owed her life, wouldn’t put up with her anymore.

Miyoung gulped, her eyes falling at Taeyeon’s belongings around the room. His sword, Purpose, was leaning tall against the wall and his satchel was half opened on the floor. Miyoung sniffed, cleaning up the tears from her eyes, but it was a bit useless, as her eyes couldn’t keep themselves any drier.

Closing her eyes, Miyoung stood up from the floor, her hand still holding the small pouch of money Taeyeon had given her. For a moment, she thought of giving it back. She thought of placing the pouch inside his satchel and leaving it without him knowing it. Maybe it’s what she had to do to pay for the words she dared to say.

But she knew he was right. Miyoung needed that money. She couldn’t just keep going on that journey expecting things to go round for her when she didn’t have any money with her. She needed that money for food and shelter, not only for her but for the other girls as well, as they would need to stay for nights with no end throughout the jorney. She probably would need that money to buy herself some spots on ships and boats along the way if she intended to reach Riversvale.

So even though she was feeling humiliated for taking Taeyeon’s money away, she knew she was really in need of it.

Her heart filled with distaste when she left Taeyeon’s room with the money in her hands. She closed the door of the room as silently as she could to not call any attention and left the corridor.

There were two things Miyoung needed to do before leaving Stoneguard.

First, taking a good bath. And secondly, apologize to Taeyeon and bid him her farewell.

~~*~~

Miyoung wasn’t even listening to the conversation between the girls in the streams of the public bathhouse. The water had helped clearing the dirt and the exhaustion away, but had not helped in clearing Miyoung’s feelings of sorrow away; her mind only thinking about the bastard boy. She was only hoping Taeyeon would forgive her. Miyoung wouldn’t bear to leave his company with him being angry at her.

“Are you alright, Lady Miyoung?” Juhyun asked her, noticing Miyoung’s odd silent behaviour. “I thought you’d be in a good mood using this bathhouse’s services…”

“...”

“What’s wrong? Why are you so quiet like this?”

“Isn’t that obvious, Seohyun?!” Yuri got closer to the handmaiden. “Lady Hwang seems not to be so resolute in bid the bastard boy her farewell.”

Miyoung looked away, making Juhyun sigh. “Lady Miyoung….”

“You wouldn’t understand…” Miyoung said, her voice lowly, feeling an ardent ache emerge in . “You would never understand…” “I owe my life to him. I owe my freedom to him. I owe him everything now…”

“So you’re feeling angry that you are owing your life and freedom to a bastard child?”

Miyoung felt a little offended, because that wasn’t really the reason why she was feeling sad. It had nothing to do with Taeyeon’s birthline. “No… It’s just that…”

“Do you love him, Lady Hwang?” Sooyoung was the one asking.

Miyoung didn’t answer that.

“Milady…” Juhyun tried to help. But she ended up with no words.

“I don’t want to…” Miyoung started saying. “...I don’t want to leave him.” Closing her eyes, Miyoung actually felt another tear fall. “I don’t want him to go... “ “I wish he could stay with me…”

“That’s a yes, isn’t it?” Sooyoung retake it. “You do love him.”

“I don’t even know what love is.” She replied.

“You don’t? You have never fallen in love?”

“Nobles don’t fall in love, Sooyoung.” Yuri retorted it. “They are busy just signing up laws and death threats. Love is for common folks.”

Miyoung actually remembered one of Maester Choi’s lessons.

“That’s just absurd, Yuri. Of course nobles fall in love. Don’t you feel like you want to kiss him, Lady Miyoung?”

Miyoung didn’t answer that.

“Maester Choi told me once my heart wouldn’t beat for anything other than my own survival..”

“But it beats for him?” Sooyoung tried to add up.

Miyoung sighed, not really sure of the answer itself.

“Loving a bastard boy, huh…” Yuri followed. “You didn’t count for that when you agreed to marry Master Shin, did you?”

“I’m sorry, Lady Miyoung…” Juhyun tried. “It must be tough.”

Miyoung just closed her eyes and let her head submerge into the water.

~~*~~

“Now, you’re looking better!” The tailor man approached her when she put up the new clothes. She was relieved to not wear the brothel's clothes anymore, picking for a common hanbok of Stoneguard, closer to the shades of white and sand than the crimson red from the brothel house.

She could have gotten a higher-up class style hanbok, but Miyoung thought that the clothes she wears during that journey would be extremely crucial to her escape plan to work. Just like Taeyeon said one day “Clothes can protect you, for they will hide your face from Master Shin.” No high-born would think that a maiden girl wearing common clothes could be the Lady Wife of Master Shin.

Sooyoung, Yuri and Juhyun also bought new clothes, each choosing for their own style and preference. When Miyoung finished paying the tailor man for all the clothing, she counted the coins inside the pouch to be certain of how much money they still possessed.

It could help them for a couple of days that was for sure.

Leaving the tailor shop, Miyoung and the girls got back to the tavern, where they would stay for the last and then leave. Miyoung was expecting to find Taeyeon there as she entered the place, but whom she found was just Heechul, alone at one of the tables of the pub, with his arms crossed against his chest.

As Miyoung looked at him, he drinked a bit of his beer, and she felt a little tense with his presence. So much so that she ended up gulping some saliva.

“What you said to him?” He asked, seriously, and all Miyoung did was look away.

“Where are the others?” She tried to release the tension.

“What you said to him?” He didn’t bulge.

“I don’t think…” She started saying. “This is your business…”

He scoffed, clearly offended. “You make him ride away and then comes saying it’s not my business? He is my best friend!”

“What you mean I made him ride away?”

“Taeyeon took his stupid horse and rode him away somewhere. He is nowhere to be found. He usually goes into hiding and reclusive when he is hurt and in doubt of what to do.”

Miyoung felt the shame again. “I didn’t mean to…”

“What you said to him? Words usually hurt him more than the swing of a sword!”

Really? What a different aspect of his. Miyoung had never met a man that was hurt more with words than wounds of blades and swords before.

“Well… when he feels alright with it, he will probably tell you. It’s no good use of you to know it from me. Especially because what I said to him doesn’t really concern you…”

Heechul stood up from his chair instantly. “I don’t know what else you want from him, but there’s nothing more that Taeyeon could do. He helped you in every way he could. You just need to go now. Go and leave him alone.”

“I-uh” Miyoung started saying but ended up quiet and they heard a horn just outside.

Frowning, Miyoung and the others walked out from the place to see what that horn was about. Heechul just walked outside as well.

Miyoung had a bad feeling emerge above her chest when a small troop of 5 men from Master Shin’s Golden Army were present there. They were all mounting golden caramel horses, and the commander of the troop was just waiting for the town to group up.

Soon, people from all corners of Stoneguard left their places and went outside their houses and lodges to see what that call was for.

Miyoung just hoped that it wouldn’t be trouble.

The commander of the troop opened a scroll and started reading out loud.

“Official declaration written by the master of this province, Shin Yunsuk, entries that a foreigner bastard boy, who goes by the name of Kim Taeyeon, is now an enemy of this estate. His crimes are immeasurable, as the boy defied the customs and traditions of this land to reach his personal distasteful gains. Now, the whole nation suffers from his dishonourable actions as he is the responsible for the brutally assassination of Master Hwang and his family. Anyone who comes across Kim Taeyeon and