Her heated stare bore into his glare. Shooting to her feet Namjoo twisted around on swift feet. He caught her at the bottom steps slipping into her shoes.

Grabbing her arm, he asked, “Where are you going?”

“To find out the truth.” She turned back around but he didn’t let go.

Glancing behind her with knotted brows she tugged her arm out. He still didn’t release her.

“Why would you need to ask?” he challenged. Hoping that was enough to make her falter.

The frown dissipated. Instead, Namjoo’s lips tightened before the corners of curled up. Almost devilishly.

Taking a step up she leaned into his face. “Because I can tell you’re lying.”

The confidence in his expression fell. His hand loosened giving her the advantage to pull away. Namjoo stomped off. Chanyeol sternly stared after her. Dumbstruck.

Sliding into his shoes Chanyeol went after the woman. Keeping up with her but staying three steps back. Let her he thought he still wouldn’t lose.

Namjoo took a turn here, another turn there. Winding down the hallway and sliding a door open. A voice immediately snapped, “What are you doing?! This room is off limits to everyone, especially you!”

For a short moment Namjoo stood in the doorway overflowing with vigor. None he ever witnessed from a female. Not even at the Jin estate when the women warred. Authority fearlessly flowed around Namjoo like a storm about to thunder. Coming for business she wouldn’t concede.

Stepping inside she started with, “I have a question.”

“OUT!” the shrill voice boomed.

Chanyeol waited for anything else to fill the void in the silence that followed. When nothing did, he decided to make an entrance. Standing where Namjoo had previously stood.

Madam Cho, sitting behind a desk sprawled with papers, gasped. A highly powerful lady with a steady business she was upheld in society. Everyone fell at her arrogant feet, but in standards his title was higher than hers. She would be the one at his feet, and also, because he was a man. And this was a man’s world.

Standing up she slithered around her desk. Giving him a graceful bow. Standing poised with hands politely in front of her. A huge jade ring hugged her forefinger.

“General,” her voice, now calm and feminine, greeted him, “what can I do for you?”

He nodded in return.

Cutting in, Namjoo asked, “Did you place me on his order?”

“Yes?” the woman spoke more to him than Namjoo. Disconcerted by what was happening.

“I said,” Namjoo repeated in a stronger tone possessing deeper emphasis, “did you put me on his order?”

Madam Cho gave her a sneer and curled her lips with contempt. Faintly smiling, Chanyeol met the woman’s eyes. Discreetly gesturing his head in Namjoo’s direction.

The elder woman’s heavily shadowed eyes fluttered. Understanding, she tilted her head, “I did.”

Their eyes met again. Receiving another nod from him for her to keep weaving the lie.

Angling her head now, Madam Cho ordered, “For every time the general comes to the bathhouse, you will be his person.”

Namjoo’s jaw went slack. Flashing him a look of disdain. Victoriously grinning, Chanyeol raised his brows. Ending the challenge between them that she was wrong about him lying when in fact, he had been lying.

But she wouldn’t know that.

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Back in Chanyeol’s room Namjoo tried not to pout. How could she be wrong? She had been 100.1% certain that Chanyeol was lying earlier.

Order her around?

What kind of absurdity was this?

Glowering, Namjoo watched him eat his food. Bugged that he had such a sticky personality.

“Are you, by any chance, bipolar?” Namjoo asked.

“W…what?”

Rubbing her chin Namjoo murmured, “Maybe that’s the wrong term. Perhaps it’s a personality disorder.”

“Excuse me here,” Chanyeol called, “would you not talk about things that don’t exist.”

“What do you mean it doesn’t exist?” Namjoo exclaimed. Extending her arm out, “Look at you.”

He eyed her arm. Her.

Swallowing, Namjoo reclined her arm. Setting her hand on her lap she continued, “I’m just saying, you seem very unbalanced.” She paused not sure how to refer to him. Frowning she went from, “General,” to, “uh…sir.” Shaking her head, she decided, “Chanyeol. Yea, that’s more natural.”

He gasped. Mortified. “How blasphemous.”

“Why?” Namjoo asked. “Just like Minseok is Minseok, Chanyeol is Chanyeol. Calling you general or sir feels too distant. You said that’s your name, right?”

For some reason his eyes turned dark at the mention of the second in command. Namjoo shifted in her spot growing a little uncomfortable.

There it was again. This guy getting all angry at her for who knows what.

Maybe she shouldn’t run so loosely, but she was only being honest. Calling him sir was equivalent to calling Chanyeol mister in modern day. And god, she would never do that.

Namjoo turned away from his intense stare. Could still feel his eyes burning a hole into her cheek. Sliding her eyeball to the corner of her lid she saw he hadn’t changed.

Biting her tongue, she swiveled toward him. Spitting, “What?”

The hell was with this guy? So unlike her Chanyeol and also in an indescribable way like him.

She kept her eyes on him until he averted his gaze. “Forgive me. I’m not sure what got into me.”

“Forget it,” Namjoo waved him off. “You’re the strange one.”

Stirring his food bored, he said, “Entertain me.”

Her brows curled wondering…how? “Like…with a movie?” Deeply frowning, “Story telling?”

What kind of entertainment existed in this time? He wasn’t asking for, perhaps, a massage from her? Oh God…

“Then,” crossing his arms, “tell me a story.”

“You’re very talented at choosing something I’m not good at.” Namjoo nitpicked.

“Then, what are you good at, lady?” Chanyeol asked.

Pressing a hand to her chest, Namjoo repeated, “L…lady?”

Dismissing her, Chanyeol said, “I heard you’re not from here.”

“Well,” Namjoo scratched the tip of her nose, “I seem to be stuck here, strangely.”

Interest combed his expression. “Then tell me about your home.”

“That…is probably going to be a weird subject for you to hear.” Namjoo murmured.

“Tell me.” he urged.

Namjoo observed him. Pondering if he was sincerely curious; if he was up to anything; if he wanted to use her for laughing stock; if he was just bored.

But what the hell. She didn’t know him. She knew no one here. There was no familiar trace of home here. She was just a trillion thousand lands away from modernity and there was no explanation. Abandoned by some kind of unseen power to figure out the rest alone.

“I’m from somewhere far away. There are a lot of towers and in the night, they light up as brightly as the stars. Houses that have their own sources of light. Very soft beds and pillows. If you want to go somewhere there are cars and buses that are faster than a horse. It’s very convenient where I come from.”

“How strange,” Chanyeol commented. “I have never heard of such a place in my entire life.”

Grinning sheepishly, Namjoo reminded, “I told you it would be strange for you to hear.”

“You speak of cars and buses. It doesn’t make sense if you don’t use a horse.” Chanyeol cluelessly pointed out.

Namjoo breathed, baffled. “They run on gas, a substance that is energy.”

“I have never heard of that,” Chanyeol shook his head. “That is a very strange place indeed.”

“Isn’t it?” Namjoo agreed somewhat amused and also glumly. It was her first time speaking of home. Mentioning it suddenly increased her yearning to return to the 21^st century.

Her house. Her bed. Her friends. Her job.

Chanyeol in a coma and waiting, maybe.

She stole a glance of the man in front of her. Identical to her boyfriend in appearance, but not him.

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Towers that glowed like the stars at night. It sounded fascinating, but Chanyeol couldn’t imagine it. Namjoo’s home, a place he couldn’t believe that existed.

So far away she said.

Getting up from where he was laying, Chanyeol slid the door open and sat down. To peer at the dark sky. See how the stars burned like flames in the night. Try to get a picture of the towers shining in his head. Of home where Namjoo came from.

The moon was in full bloom. An entire circle glowing whitely. What a pretty sight to behold.

Tilting his head Chanyeol soaked in the sight of the twinkling stars. Winking and blinking, one after another. Spread among the darkness like a blanket.

Lowering his head, he peered into the courtyard where he had previously found Namjoo the night they arrived. Coincidentally discovering a figure pacing the yard. Folding his legs, Chanyeol rested his chin into his palm.

Watching with amusement as Namjoo tossed a pebble into the pond. Kick the ground before crouching down. Sitting there for a long moment unaware of him.

Something about her… Chanyeol still couldn’t figure it out.

Namjoo was indeed a strange one. Luring his attention so suddenly out of the blue. Even he was starting to question his own actions. Never before experiencing this kind of lull.

For a while he remained sitting in the doorway. The star littered sky that shone as brightly as where she came from a backdrop to her lone figure.

It was quite a serene picture that followed him all the way into his dreams. Energetically waking him before the light of dawn. Pumped with energy for the rest of the day.

Waking early, Chanyeol headed into the courtyard. Tracing Namjoo’s footsteps in the courtyard toward the pond she always seemed to be drawn to. Standing in front of the rocks bordering it Chanyeol stared into the dark water. Its bottom a pit deep unable to be seen.

The surface unmoving but filling with his standstill reflection. The quiet earth whirled around him. The silence eerily hanging heavily. A sudden ripple started spreading from the center of the pond puzzling him.

Were there really fishes in the pond? He’d thought it was merely for décor.

Chanyeol jolted surprised. Staring up into the sky as the wings of crows beat against the wind. Flying past the sun climbing over the forest. When they disappeared, he glanced back at the pond to find the ripples suddenly gone. There was no movement.

Deciding lack of sleep was making him see things he turned to return to his room.

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Namjoo was awaken by one of the servant girls in charge of preparing her dresses. Groggy she moaned sleepily. Shifting away from the woman beside her bed. She didn’t want to wake up.

“Please, Young Miss,” she begged, “the general has called for you. You have to wake up.”

Damn this Joseon Chanyeol. He was so needy.

“What does he want?” she mumbled through closed eyes as sleep sadly started fading.

Before she answered the door opened slamming into the threshold. “Where is she?!” a voice bellowed.

Namjoo knew who it was instantly.

Madam Cho.

Pushing herself up, Namjoo exclaimed, “I’m up. No need to barge in.”

“Get dressed,” she ordered. Then shrieked, “Right now!”

Heaving a sigh Namjoo listened to the door shut with vehemence. Clamping her eyes shut she flopped back onto the bed pulling the blanket high over her head.

By the time she was dressed breakfast was only just being prepared. Meant it wasn’t waking hour yet, but Chanyeol was up? Namjoo grumbled underneath her breath as she stepped into the hall. Part of her wondering if he was doing this on purpose to her.

Light was already streaking in blindingly from the open front doors. It was where she was headed, because Chanyeol was outside. She didn’t understand what he had to do outside that required her presence.

He was indeed a strange man.

Chanyeol, striking and tall, was waiting for her several yards out in front of the road to the market. Hands at his back. Eyes busily observing the activity bustling around him. If she pictured him in sleek black pants and Chanyeol’s favorite indigo button down, he would look just like her boyfriend.

Park Chanyeol from the 21^st century.

His eyes drifted over the bathhouse landing on her. Averting her eyes Namjoo inhaled. She would need to pay her due until she somehow returned home.

Just until then she would be smart. Separate past from present. There was a line between Chanyeol here and her Chanyeol.

“Yes?” Namjoo first started when she walked up to him. Expecting an answer but, instead, Chanyeol just turned to head down the road. Namjoo stared after him with a small frown before following. Quickly engulfed by that morning’s crowd.

The bantering over goods grew rowdy the further they went. Avoiding a man pulling a wagon full of rice sacks Namjoo bumped into Chanyeol’s back before easing off to his left. Grabbing her sleeve, he pulled her to the side.

“What?” she wondered.

“I’ll take two.” Chanyeol spoke to the vendor.

Namjoo inched back when Chanyeol held out a creamy treat for her. “What is it?”

“It’s taffy.”

“Taffy?” she repeated.

He urged it toward her forcing her to take it. The sticky candy landed in her palm.

“Eat it,” he told. Namjoo observed the candy. An odd shaped piece then watched him toss his into his mouth. Copying, Namjoo chewed on the soft candy. Tasting sugar and sweetness that exploded over her taste buds.

“Mmm!” her eyes widened. “It tastes like caramel!”

“Car…cara…what?” he repeated confused.

“Caramel,” Namjoo said. “It’s very similar.”

“That’s from your home?” Chanyeol questioned.

“It’s a popular candy,” Namjoo answered returning to the crowd with him.

“When will you be returning?”

“I want to go soon,” Namjoo answered, “but I’m not sure it will happen.”

“I can take you,” he offered, “home.”

Namjoo took another half step then stopped. Glancing up at him inquisitively. Smiling and laughing amused and happy the coming second.

“It’s far away,” Namjoo grinned. “Not even your horse can take me.”

His serious expression riled her up. Chanyeol’s stony eyes wavered, puzzled. Then those lips of his smoothly stretched up to form a soft smile. Appearing adorable and puppy cute. The laughter at the pit of her stomach vanished, carrying away with it the delight she’d just experienced.

Namjoo’s eyes closed in on the smile. She stared. Sinking in his face. He was all she saw in the morning crowd. The handsome man who had woken her early, fed her a piece of candy, and accompanying her.

Her heart leapt at the familiarity of Park Chanyeol.

Disturbed, Namjoo glanced away.

She shouldn’t be feeling like this. The man in front of her was not her person.

Namjoo’s gaze still flew up anyway. To glance at him just because. The thud of her heart hit harder this time when their eyes met. Struck, they both glanced away. Embarrassed and Namjoo denying what was occurring, because it didn’t make sense.

“We should go back,” Namjoo managed to say. Unable to look at him. Compressing her lips, she pivoted to head back to the bathhouse.

“Not yet.” Chanyeol grabbed her lower arm, not her sleeve this time. Saying again, “Lets not go yet.”

Namjoo first peered over her shoulder at him before fully shifting around. His hand still remained holding her.

Timidly looking down before seeking the courage to look her in the eyes, “Lets eat together.”