Shin Yunsuk was so furious, he didn’t even remove his shoes upon entering the noble hotel lodge he was spending the day off in Stoneguard. His steps towards his main room were leaving trails of water everywhere.

Miyoung followed him quietly and timidly, not forgetting to leave her sandals on the designated place at the entrance. Her young heart was beating wild and afraid, and she was in desperate need of crying but she knew she couldn’t cry in front of Shin Yunsuk, so she swallowed her fears and did not let any tears come to the surface.

When Yunsuk threw his black tall hat away angrily upon entering his main room, Miyoung gulped, lowering her head, avoiding his gaze.

“How could you ing dare?” He defied her, angrily and coldly. His pale face became a little red-ish to his levels of anger. “How could you even dare to speak against me in front of a crowd?”

Miyoung tried to maintain her posture straight and tall. “He was innocent.”

“And that gives you any authority how?”

“I’m your wife, therefore, I have the authority to command your men to stop what they were doing.”

“So now you play the wife card game? Where were you when Baek-Do was at Midsummar waiting to see you? Do you know how far he had come just to give you his blessings for the wedding?”

“I won’t let you kill Taeyeon.” Miyoung reinforced.

His face became even redder. “You still dare to call that bastard by his first name?”

“He doesn’t have a family name. His name is Taeyeon. Just Taeyeon. And that’s how he should be called.”

“I knew it!” He nodded his head, clenching his fists. “I knew you were with him all this time! Did you have fun? Did you have your little adventures with him?” Miyoung knew he was trying to attack her pride and shame her for how she even dared to walk on the same ground with Taeyeon. And she knew that any mistake, Taeyeon could pay the price, so Miyoung just reluctantly stood quiet. Not saying anything. “What your Lord Father would say? What would Hwang Minhyuk think of his own Lady Daughter becoming friends with bastard boys?”

Miyoung felt like her heart being pierced by knives. “Don’t you dare.” She coldy retorted. “Don’t you dare to bring my father’s name into this after what you’ve done!”

Yunsuk scoffed. “The only thing saving you in all of this, my dear, is due to your family name and blood. I swear to the gods that had you been anybody else and you would’ve been buried deep down to the ground with no hesitation.” Miyoung was completely aware of that. “So be grateful to your Lord Father or you wouldn’t be alive here today.”

“Hard to be as grateful as I would like given this marriage he arranged himself.”

Yunsuk’s lips turned upwards. “I could be a good company if you weren’t such a stubborn wife.”

“You’re the most despicable man I’ve ever met.” Miyoung said, gazing at his eyes.

“Soft hearts don’t understand the game I play. I don’t intend to make you understand it all. And in order to get the things that I want, I have my ways.” He shrugged his shoulders, not minding her commentary. “I will grant your wish this time, as honour to your blood and lineage, as well as the union The Red Mountains share with Rosegarden. But this is the last time I’m warning you.” He sighed, collecting his voice to sound colder. “If I see that bastard kid again, I will ing kill him, the same way I did to your Lord Father. And I will make all of Joseon know that Hwang Miyoung, the Lady of Rosegarden, betrayed her own husband over a bastard boy.” Miyoung clenched her jaw. “And you shall lose your title and name for that slip of yours, and I’ll finally have Rosegarden as my own and put you in a place where you can’t open your mouth.”

Miyoung did not dare to confront him.

“Learn how to be a good wife and you don’t need to suffer any longer.” He advised. “Be a good wife and we don’t need to live beating each other’s every single time.”

“It’s not only me who needs a good lesson of how to be a good spouse.” She reclaimed. He scoffed.

“Enjoy this night, my dear. We will be back to Rosegarden tomorrow after noon. And if you dare to say a word against me, you will get back to the city on foot.” He defied, leaving her to be alone in the room.

Miyoung exhaled angrily, she so ing hated that man, she didn’t even think it was possible to have that sort of hatred towards a person. But she did. Shin Yunsuk was literally the person that Miyoung hated the most in the entire world.

Upon hearing the raindrops falling outside, she finally decided to let her tears fall to the ground.

It was the first time that Miyoung truly felt completely alone.

And the very first time she felt she had nowhere safe to go to.

~~*~~

As the morning came by, Miyoung was trying her best to not let the face of disgust come to the surface while having her breakfast alongside her husband at the private lodge he had rented for his stay.

“Why aren't you eating anything, my dear?” He asked.

“Just not hungry.” Miyoung replied, her heart in flames with anger and anxiety due to having Shin Yunsuk right there beside her.

“You just need to get used to the food from our province. They are very exotic and rich. Any other noblewoman would love this feast.”

Miyoung did not dare to comment anything further. She hated everything about that region. The soil, the vegetation, the food, the weather, the people, just every little thing. It was impossible for Miyoung to have affectionate feelings towards that province for all that it happened to her and her family. The only consolation she has inside of hers, is the fact that she had somehow managed to meet Taeyeon and have him alongside her for that time being. If not for the bastard boy, Miyoung couldn’t tell where she could be standing right then.

When a servant announced his entrance, Master Shin allowed him to open the door and give him the news.

“Kim Chang-Min, the youngest son of Kim Sung-Min, the lord of Yellowstone, is here to see you, my lord.”

Miyoung blinked her eyes. Kim Chang-Min? Wasn’t that man the one who sent his men after her so they could warn Miyoung about Taeyeon and his fate? Wasn’t Kim Chang-Min the one who harassed her in the desert? It must be. Miyoung was sure it was the same name. And probably the same person.

When Shin Yunsuk accepted his presence, the nobleman walked inside the room and Miyoung curiously moved her eyes to take notice of his appearance. He was really tall and the noble white outfit was a nice touch to his overall figure. On top of his head, he had a noble piece of accessory to tie his hair in a tight bum on his head.

“Welcome to Stoneguard, lord Kim Chang-Min.” Shin Yunsuk quickly stood up from his seat. “I wasn’t aware you were coming to see me. If you had written me a letter, we could have arranged a formal meeting at my place in Midsummar.”

Chang-Min just politely bowed to him. “I am aware I came out suddenly, my apologies to not let you know I was on my way.”

“What brings you here to Stoneguard?”

“I was actually heading towards Midsummar.” He answered, and comfortably took a seat in front of Miyoung’s. “I just happened to stop by Stoneguard and find you here at the right time. Just a coincidence, I guess.”

“Yeah, definitely.” Yunsuk took his seat once again. “And why you were on your way to Midsummar?”

“Yellowstone heard the news about your wedding with Lady Hwang.” He said. “And my Lord Father felt he needed to congratulate you and your wife for this union. He sent me here, with the quest to deliver a couple of gifts to your Lady Wife, My Lord.”

Yunsuk smiled. “Very kind of your family to do so, Lord Kim Chang-Min.”

“And I assume…” He started saying. “That this is your wife.” He referred to Miyoung.

“Yes! Hwang Miyoung, the youngest daughter of Hwang Minhyuk, Lord of Rosegarden and the Hwang Estate. Say hello to Kim Chang-Min, my dear.”

Miyoung moved her gaze to look at Kim Chang-Min’s eyes, recognizing him for the little adventure she had in the desert nearby.

“Nice to meet you, Lord Chan-Min.” She made a low bow with her head. Her heart was a bit anxious to face the man again in that place. She was having mixed feelings about him. He did harass her in the desert but he also warned her about Taeyeon and his fate, essentially saving him from Yunsuk. So, Miyoung did not know exactly what to think or feel about that man in front of hers.

“It’s an honour to meet you, Lady Hwang.” He bowed as well. “I’m sorry for such an unfortunate time.”

“Unfortunate time?” She asked, not understanding where he was coming from.

“Ah you know, an innocent boy almost got hanged to death in public, that’s not a good sight for a Lady such as yourself to see.”

The fact that Changmin just called Taeyeon innocent made her chest exhale in relief. He knew Taeyeon was innocent. And with him being a noble lord that was huge.

“The boy wasn’t as innocent as my wife painted him to be.” Yunsuk just spoke on her behalf. “She has the heart of a dreamer and as such, I decided to spare the boy in spite of her kindness.”

“The boy isn’t innocent? What crimes did he commit especifically?” Chang-Min asked curiously.

“He murdered the Hwangs.”

Liar.

“How come?” He asked for the details. Miyoung looked at her husband. And noticed his lips twitching to the side. “You telling me that a bastard boy of the poorest birthline ever just killed one of the wealthiest man of Joseon?” Miyoung tried to not smile at his own question. “Why the bastard boy was even inside your palace? My Lord Father once told me that the palace of Shin Yunsuk is no place for common folks.”

Shin Yunsuk quickly shifted his expression to a colder and grim one. “The boy had his ways to sneak himself into my palace and disrupt the wedding.”

“Oh, I see.” Kim Chang-Min nodded his head. “Yeah, those bastards...you can never know what to expect from them…”

Miyoung wanted to chuckle for his remark, as she understood that he knew Taeyeon was innocent and Yunsuk was the one lying about that whole incident.

“It’s very unfortunate, Lord Kim Chang-Min, that you have arrived around the time the Hwangs are no longer alive.” Yunsuk quickly shifted the topic of the conversation.

“Yeah, like I just said before… unfortunate time to meet Lady Hwang.” He then flashed a gentle smile towards her. “I know that nothing in this world will pay the price for the loss of a parent, especially a man like Hwang Minhyuk, but I sincerely hope you can endure this hardship well and bring happiness and comfort to the people in the north.”

“Thank you, Kim Chang-Min.” Miyoung thanked him profoundly. “Very kind words of yours. I appreciate it.”

“See, my dear? I told you the people from this region are up to good.”

“He is from Yellowstone.” Miyoung retorted it.

“It’s still part of Red Mountains.”

“Is it?” She asked him, and Chang-Min nodded.

“We are the farthest city to the east, right on the border with Kang’s Province, but we still respond to Red Mountains.”

Miyoung blinked her eyes. Does that mean Shin Yunsuk was their masters? Why was that man even bothering to go against Master Shin and help Taeyeon somehow?

“I see.” Miyoung replied. “I didn’t know that. Then, it’s a pleasure to receive a visit from you who lives in such a far away place.”

“Ah, don’t bother. The pleasure is all mine. My Lord Father has always been a great admirer of your own Father and for us in Yellowstone, it’s an incredible gift from the heavens that we, people from the Red Mountains, can call you My Lady.”

“Thank you.” Miyoung thanked him again.

“I know this is all of sudden, but could you give us some spare minutes to talk to each other alone, Lord Shin?” Chang-Min asked Miyoung’s husband just at her side.

“Excuse-me?”

“Could I have a brief talk to Lady Hwang here on my own?”

“You want me to leave you with my wife alone?”

“I want to give her the wedding gifts my father had sent me over. I believe she needs to understand a little bit of the context of what those gifts mean to people in Yellowstone and I don’t want to bore you with these conversations.”

Shin Yunsuk chuckled. “I see what you are coming from.” He drinked a gulp of alcohol. “Sure. Educate her about the traditions of Yellowstone, I will wait for you in another room. I want to talk to you before you leave.”

“Yeah, fine, I’ll meet you later.” Chang-Min just nodded his head.

Shin Yunsuk exhaled and left the room without saying anything else, which made Miyoung wonder if he was mad with the boy there.

“Tough marriage, huh?” He broke the ice, making Miyoung chuckle.

“You have no idea.”

He served himself a bit of alcohol as well. He was much more relaxed after Master Shin left the room. He led a small piece of paper to Miyoung, written in chinese characters. “Your handmaiden is with me.” The paper revealed, in case Shin Yunsuk was trying to eavesdrop their conversation through the door.

He is really clever. Miyoung thought. It was quite clear he didn’t took long to find out Taeyeon was innocent on the whole ordeal. And given his decision to send his men after her to save Taeyeon, Miyoung wondered if Kim Chang-Min was really a friend.

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