For the first time since she was brought here to live with the exiles, Gayeon felt like running away. No matter how terrified, worried and frustrated she was, she had always managed to hold herself without crumbling down until now, hoping everything will be fine again, and everything will be back to normal so that she didn’t need to run away.

Until last night.

Until she kissed him, and until she felt an insane stream of emotions surging through her as it had never happened before, after she kissed him, and he kissed her back with all he’d got.

For heaven’s sake Gayeon couldn’t believe herself.

She sat in the room, curled up by the window and biting her nails, wondering how on earth had she gotten the courage to make a move on a man, when she had never even held hands with anyone other than her own brother.

And as Junmyeon crossed her mind, she felt utmost guilty, for allowing her heart to flutter for a man who had sworn to kill her brother. The thought of what horrible results would come from just Junmyeon and Baekhyun coming to face each other, made her squeeze her eyes shut.

It had to be anyone but him.

Anyone but Byun Baekhyun.

But his touch was too vivid to be erased.

Several hours had passed since that happened between them, and since Gayeon had run away from him, but his touch was still so clear in her mind, too clear to be forgotten.

She could still feel his hands around herself, as if he was running them along her waist and pulling her close right then.

“Unnie,”

Gayeon looked up with a jolt, and saw Inhyun standing at the doorway. “Yes Inhyun?”

“Breakfast time” Inhyun pointed at the front yard. “But unnie, why is your face so red?”

* * *

“There’s just one guaranteed way to get connected with the Noble folks and give a start to clearing your father’s name hyung, just one way. We will have to tackle Do Kyungsoo. He’s the easiest target among noblemen and, I looked into him a bit hyung, his father, Lord Do is well connected with many ministers and royal family members. So we must find a way to keep connections with Do Kyungsoo, and the easiest way to do that is… hyung are you listening? Hyung? YAH BYUN BAEKHYUN!!!”

Baekhyun dropped his chopsticks and stared at Jongin. “What?”

“Don’t tell me you weren’t listening to anything I said.” Jongin glared back in disbelief. Inhyun took a piece of mushroom from her brother’s soup bowl, and shoved it into . “Oppa has been like this all morning, Jongin oppa. I even drew a moustache on him while he was wide awake and still he didn't say anything.”

Instead of inquiring about his cousin who was staring at his breakfast again, Jongin stared at Gayeon who sat right next to his mother. “You. What did you do to hyung?”

“Jongin!” Aunt Eunjo hissed at her son, after eyeing the faintly ill-looking girl sitting next to her. “Stop talking rubbish and finish your food!”

“Look at her omma! She looks guilty doesn't she?” Jongin pointed his spoon accusingly at Gayeon. The girl quickly tore her eyes off him, and lowered her head to her bowl of breakfast.

“See! You look highly suspicious! What did you do to-”

“So what were you saying?” Baekhyun cut him off, placing his chopsticks on the table. “Do you have any plans in mind?”

“Seducing Do Kyungsoo.” Jongin replied.

“Sedu- What?”

“We have to lure that coward Do Kyungsoo into some trap so we can use him to obtain information about noblemen related to your father’s case. For that we must…Yah Baekhyun don’t tell me you’re spacing out again!”

“First finish your breakfast boys.” Baekhyun's mother interrupted. “Eat first. Then you can discuss what to do next.”

“Yeah, eat.” Jongin smirked at Baekhyun. “You only have the broth left, hyung. Inhyunnie ate all the mushrooms while you were daydreaming about a certain someone.”

* * *

“Now tell me,” Jongin looked at the one walking by his side, as the two young men entered the jungle as they did on a daily basis. “What happened last night to leave you so absent minded?”

“Nothing.” Baekhyun muttered in reply. “By the way you need to stop bothering Gayeon like that.”

“So something did happen.” Jongin smirked. “Just give me a rough idea. I don’t want to know everything in detail.”

“Nothing happened between us.” Baekhyun stopped on his tracks and turned to his cousin. “Nothing happened last night. And nothing will ever happen in the future as well.”

Jongin stopped as well, and watched Baekhyun's blank eyes for a moment. “Fine.” he nodded in the end. “If you say so.”

“So how can we lure Do Kyungsoo?”

“Let’s see.” Jongin crouched on the leaf-covered ground, and grabbed out the dagger he always had tucked to his boot. “Do Kyungsoo.” He drew a circle on the ground with it. “Rich, scaredy cat, scared of being robbed, scared of me-”

“He needs a bodyguard.” Baekhyun caught Jongin’s hand, and stopped his doodling. “That’s it Jongin. He needs someone to protect him and his money from you.”

“And who would that be?” Jongin rubbed his neck. And a sudden realization made his eyes widen. “Yah hyung! Last time when I mugged him, your friends were the ones with me right?”

“Exactly.” Baekhyun nodded.

“So he hasn’t seen you yet?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“So that’s it!” Jongin dropped the dagger and slapped Baekhyun's shoulder. “That’s brilliant hyung! Being his bodyguard is the easiest and safest way to sneak into his house and get the information we need!”

“So shall we get to work? First we have to find when he will be going across the woods again.”

“That’s simple hyung! One or two boys from our village supply their mansion with firewood. They will inform me right away if I tell them to keep watch.”

“That’s great.” Baekhyun nodded, pondering further. “And we need a hideout.”

“Our village itself is a hideout hyung.”

“Not like that Jongin. A place where I can stay away from your house. Where I can hide anything I find...such a place.”

I...think I know such a place.” Jongin smiled triumphantly. And he jumped back to his feet, dusting off his robes. “C’mon hyung! I know the best place for that.”

“Jongin.”

Baekhyun had made the youth walking ahead to turn back on his track. “Hmm?”

“Have you-” Baekhyun paused for a moment, his lips and pressed them together, making Jongin sigh in frustration. “Just ask away hyung!”

“Have you ever… liked someone?”

“As in love?”

Baekhyun blinked at his cousin. He couldn’t understand how such topics were so easy on his cousin while it was the hardest thing for him to bring up. “Yes. as in love. Ever loved someone?”

Jongin nodded.

“And?”

“And what hyung?”

“Didn’t you profess your love? To that person?”

“I did. And got rejected.” the youth grinned as if being rejected was the most unimportant and easy encounter as ever. “Not once. Thrice as far as I remember. I mean...who would like a barbaric rogue like me?”

Baekhyun nodded, in silence.

“So why did you bring up that hyung?” Jongin prodded again. “You love her. And something problematic happened between you two last night. And you’re mad confused right now. So what can I do for you?”

“I don’t love her.” Baekhyun stared at him blankly.

“Let me ignore that lame excuse of yours and give you an advice hyung.'' Jongin crossed his arms, and gave the most earnest glance he had ever given his cousin. “There’s just one way, one actually practical way to have her.”

“I don’t want-”

“Give her a child.”

“WHAT-”

“Give her a child I said! Kim Gayeon having your child is the only way that brother of hers will give up on chasing you down! That’s the only way you can keep her with you even if you manage to clear your father’s name or remain as an exile for the rest of your life!”

Baekhyun stared at cousin for a while in disbelief. “What makes you think that everything’s so easy Jongin?”

“Oh I don’t.” Jongin gave a low chuckle. “I see you trying your best to push her away but failing hopelessly at it hyung...so I’m giving you the best answer to your question. You want her don’t you? And I bet she feels the same about you. So why not hyung?”

Baekhyun couldn't come up with a reply.

“I can’t understand why you don’t see it, but Kim Gayeon bearing your child is the most effective way of freedom and protection for you and your family now.”

With that he walked away, leaving Baekhyun more confused than he had previously been.

* * *

It was not an area Jongin had ever taken Baekhyun during their random explorations in the jungle, not when they were looking for the best route for a robbery, nor when they were searching for herbs, nor when they had to hunt down a small animal for dinner. The woods were getting thicker as Jongin walked further to the North, and a small clearing finally appeared among the close set trees, where their destination was situated.

“This looks…” Baekhyun utte