“What a great way to spend a day.. You know, libraries are the best places in the whole world. Don't you think so, Baekhyun?”

Kyungsoo stepped out of his carriage, and watched his servants unload and take the piles of books into the house. “Lord Kim would love the books.'' He looked at Baekhyun with a beam, and was too excited with his own fantasies to notice the uneasiness on his bodyguard’s face, at the mention of Kim Junmyeon. “If I can impress him, I will be able to hasten the wedding as well.”

“I will take my leave then, Young Master.” Baekhyun bowed to Kyungsoo. “I will be back in two day’s time.”

“Wait Baekhyun!” Kyungsoo grabbed him by the hand and stopped him. “Have dinner with us before you leave.”

“I’m grateful for the offer, but no thank you Young Master.'' Baekhyun gave another curt bow. “I have previous plans made, which would be discourteous to be broken.”

“What a shame…” Kyungsoo huffed in disappointment. “My father is away for two days. Lord Kim and his sister prefer having dinner in their rooms, so I thought I could hear some of your old military stories over dinner and a drink. I hardly spend time with friends you know.”

“I’m extremely sorry Young Master.” Baekhyun replied, feeling sorry for real this time. “But I will make up to it, definitely next time.”

And as he walked back home, halfway towards their village, realization hit Baekhyun regarding Kyungsoo’s words earlier.

Lord Do is not home, Kim Junmyeon and his imposter sister would be in their rooms, and Do Kyungsoo would be buried in his newly borrowed library books.

The Do’s mansion was easily open for him.

* * *

Junmyeon waited.

Impatiently tapping his foot next to the walking stick he held, he adjusted the straw hat he wore, and saw the young dark hair underneath the hat would not show. “Why is the girl taking so long?” he muttered to himself, and took a few steps towards the entrance to the cottage, and the girl showed up at the door.

Junmyeon blinked at her. “Where is that ‘unnie’ you mentioned earlier, little lady?” he asked, forcing out his old-man voice again.

The girl scratched her head, bit her lip and watched him carefully for a moment, before speaking up. “There’s no unnie here.”

“What do you mean there’s no unnie?”

“We don’t have an unnie!” Inhyun blurted out. “I was mistaken earlier. So harabhuji leave now, and come back another day. Come back when oppa is home.”

“You have an oppa as well? Does he live here too?”

“NO!” the little girl almost shouted. “No oppa! And no unnie! So leave now please!”

Junmyeon nodded, realizing his act can no longer gain any information from the girl or find his sister. He gave a bow, without dropping his act, and walked back to the street which wound around the cottage garden and ran into the forest behind. And once he was within the woods, Junmyeon broke into a run.

If Gayeon had been inside the house when he arrived, she might have been dragged by someone into the woods before he saw her. And if she was being dragged into the forest like that, they would still be somewhere near, within his reach.

He ran further and further into the forest, and searched for Gayeon until the thick layer of tree tops covering the sky started blocking the last few rays of the setting sun.

Night fell upon the forest, making it impossible for him to find his way further ahead.

Realizing he cannot search any longer without the assistance of someone who knows the woods, Junmyeon turned back, and returned to the Do’s mansion as fast as his feet would take him.

* * *

After waiting for a while outside the mansion wall, when darkness had taken over and the mansion servants started lighting the lanterns at the gate, Baekhyun cleared his throat and knocked on the front gate of the mansion.

The usual servant opened the gate. “Oh, it’s you, Young Master’s new bodyguard.”

Baekhyun bowed and gave him a smile. “Master Do asked me to drop by at dinner time. Is he in?”

The servant nodded and stepped aside for Baekhyun to walk in. “He’s in. He's actually in his room, and said he will be having dinner in the room as well. Shall I take you there?”

“No. I can find my way.” Baekhyun gave him another smile, and headed into the mansion.

Entering the long passageway which opened doors to many many rooms, Baekhyun stepped forwards as silent as he could, hoping no maid would appear in front of him and find him suspicious. He walked past the master bedroom and then saw the candle light flickering through the door to Kyungsoo’s room, and ever so slowly, he slid the door just enough to see inside. Kyungsoo was curled up on his seat, with his nose buried in a book he had brought today.

Sliding the door close, Baekhyun walked further, and guessing among the rest of the doors, he slid open another. The room was filled with bookshelves, with books piled up from floor to ceiling.

The library room, exactly what he looked for.

“Quick! Take the dinner to Young Master before the soup turns cold!”

Rustling and footsteps of a maid servant was heard from a few yards away, and Baekhyun rushed into the library room and closed the door behind him.

And he opened the windows to let moonlight in so he could barely manage to read, and started going through each and every row of books, desperately hoping to find some clue about his father, or at least something even slightly relevant to him.

And while he was going through the third shelf, shuffling footsteps and a mumbling voice was heard from outside.

Baekhyun froze for a moment. He could not decide on an action to take until the person started sliding the door open, and just before the figure entered the room, Baekhyun took cover behind the farthest bookshelf.

“Today’s not a day suitable to read poetry I guess.” Kyungsoo mumbled to himself, as he shuffled into the library room. “Let’s see… What was that novel the librarian recommended? ‘Hundred Days My Prince’?”

He started rummaging a stack of books on a table nearby, muttering to himself. Sweating in his hiding place, Baekhyun waited till he found the said book an exit, or at least for a chance for himself to step out without being seen by Kyungsoo.

And Do Kyungsoo successfully toppled down about two dozen books to the floor.

“Darn this dark room…” Kyungsoo sighed, grabbed the candle he had brought in and crouched on the floor to pick up the fallen books. And Baekhyun took the chance to sneak behind his master and dash out of the door.

He ran towards the front exit of the house, but two male voices were heard right outside, drawing near, so Baekhyun grabbed the nearest door handle and closed himself in whatever that room was.

Looking around in the moonlight, he recognized the room as the master bedroom of the house, now empty since Do Kyungsoo’s father was away.

The two male voices, which seemed to belong to two servants of the mansion, had now stopped right outside the master bedroom door and were sharing some juicy gossip from the village.

Baekhyun looked around the room once again. Since there was no escape any soon, he reached for the nearest closet, opened it, and started going through the drawers inside.

“Master Do! DO KYUNGSOO!!!”

Junmyeon’s voice made Baekhyun jolt and drop the book he was going through, scattering a bunch of papers inside it on the floor. And he heard Kyungsoo barging out of the library room and running to the front yard, to where Junmyeon was bellowing from.

Baekhyun had assumed Junmyeon was resting in the Do Mansion’s guest bedroom.

What is he doing outside in the dark?

“Who are you? What is this old man doing in our house- oh MY GOODNESS LORD KIM! What are you doing in an old man’s disguise?” came Kyungsoo’s shocked voice. “No time to explain. Please lend me some of your men.” Baekhyun heard Junmyeon explaining in a hurry. “I need some men who know their way in the village and woods. And I will explain everything in due time Master Do.”

Village and woods? Baekhyun thought. Jongin would be home by now…so Junmyeon wouldn’t dare barge into our cottage… but what if…

Blood drained off his face when realization hit him, and Baekhyun felt his knees weaken at the thought of Gayeon being found by her brother.

While he had thought of sending her back to her family numerous times for her own wellbeing, Baekhyun had never given any thought about how he, Baekhyun himself, would behave in such a situation.

He wasn’t ready.

He wasn’t prepared to send Kim Gayeon away.

He dropped to his knees by the scattered parchments, and absentmindedly ran his fingers over the scribblings on them until a certain name on them caught his eyes, and knocked him back to his senses.

Lord Byun Junho.

His late father’s name was on three envelopes among the parchments, written in scholar’s neat handwriting.

Without thinking twice, Baekhyun gathered the parchments and shoved them into his robe pocket.

Taking a piece of cloth from a closet to cover his face as a mask, Baekhyun exited the room, carefully making sure no one saw him as he tiptoed towards the backdoor of the large house.

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