You didn’t miss the previous chapter and came straight here did you? O_o

Junmyeon woke up with a hard cough, and automatically sat up on the bed before he realized it was a room in the neighbourhood physician’s house. A nurse quickly came to him and offered some water, which he refused while coughing, and looked at the bed next to him.

There lied his sister’s handmaiden watching him with a worried gaze that he had only seen on his mother’s eyes.

“You were not home-” he wondered aloud, watching the physician’s assistant bandage the girl’s right arm from shoulder to elbow. “Wait…were you inside? What about omma? And Gayeon?”

“They’re alright my lord.” Hyunjoo answered with a strained smile. The assistant girl finished bandaging her arm and moved to her right foot, which was already covered with a thick layer of green ointment and needed bandaging.

“Are her burns critical?” Junmyeon asked the assistant, and the girl shook her head with a smile. “Luckily they aren’t deep and let’s hope the scars will wear off very soon. And My Lord…you are so lucky to have such a loyal servant beside you.”

Junmyeon blinked in confusion. “What do you…”

“She was the one who saved you.” The girl gestured at the closed door. “The guards who brought you here said she was the one who entered the burning mansion and found you there, and called for help.”

Junmyeon looked at Hyunjoo, and she decided to avoid his eyes and focus on her bandaged foot. Junmyeon got off his bed and straightened his robes that were smelling thickly of smoke, and strode out of the room.

“Is that how rich men always act?” the assistant asked Hyunjoo in disbelief. “Do they always act so indifferent towards the ones that risk their lives to save them?”

Hyunjoo shook her head, staring at the closed door. “That’s because he has more important things in his mind than the safety of his own life.”

Exiting the room Junmyeon met with two of his guards standing outside, and brushed off their worried questions about his condition with a nonchalant nod. “Where’s my mother and sister?”

The guard pointed at the room next. “The lady was in shock and almost fainted when they saw you being taken out of the burning down mansion sir. So we brought her here as well. Lady Gayeon is staying with her.”

Junmyeon entered the room straight away and saw his sister helping her mother to drink a bowl of water, and the elderly lady wailed as soon as her eyes caught sight of her eldest child. “Junmyeon-ah…!”

He rushed to her at once and embraced her in a gentle hug. “I’m alright omma...now stop crying. Nothing happened...now everything’s fine…”

“Thank goodness you’re safe darling…” she held him by the shoulders and shook her head. “But the house is in ruins. Hyunjoo was injured too. If it wasn’t for Hyunjoo, we won’t have you here as well.”

“It didn’t happen that way, and now I’m here so stop worrying omma.” he caressed her cheek and turned to his sister. “Nothing happened to you right…?” he asked, her head.

Gayeon nodded reassuringly. “I’m alright oppa… But oppa-”

“Byun Baekhyun. I know.” Junmyeon muttered, looking away. “I should’ve seen this coming. I should’ve been more vigilant...just never thought he was this reckless.”

“I saw him oppa.” Gayeon muttered. The sight of Baekhyun walking away from her, and his icy cold gaze was still fresh in her mind, and the terror of losing her brother and seeing everything that belonged to them burning down to ashes, was bubbling up a hatred she never knew she had within her. He had even tried to mislead her with his words.

“He was in the market… and he was with a taller young man-”

“Wong Yukhei?”

“I don’t know oppa.”

“It must be him. My men have been following him since the day the Byun family was banished. Now listen to me Gayeon.” Junmyeon sat on the edge of his sister’s bed. “You and omma are going t stay at uncle Hwang’s place for the time being.”

“But oppa-”

“I’ll be requesting extra security for you two from his majesty, so you don’t have to worry about your safety.”

“It’s not our safety that we’re worried about. You know it!”

“I won’t be safe anywhere in Joseon until I find Byun.” Junmyeon sighed, getting up and turning towards the door. Direct or indirect, attempt of murder is enough of a crime for him to receive a life sentence in prison. I need you to be safe with omma until i make that happen.”

He then left the room, leaving his family with nothing but worried sighs.

A several palace soldiers greeted Junmyeon as soon as he exited the room. One of them handed him a roll of parchment, and Junmyeon opened it while asking them about the burnt mansion.

“I’m extremely sorry My Lord. But there is not a single room to be found without damage. Each and every room is burn either completely or half, and-”

“The gold in the storage is all melted and ruined?” Junmyeon raised his head from the parchment. “Well I guessed that much.”

“His majesty is expecting to see you once you are back to good health, My Lord.” the guard said.

“I’m alright. I’ll pay a visit to the palace now but-” he scanned the writing in the parchment again. “The Wong’s son is not in the capital?” he asked in annoyed disbelief. “Is that all I hear after that rogue helped Byun Baekhyun to burn my house down?”

“Our men outside the capital are currently looking for their whereabouts My Lord.” The soldier replied apologetically. “He was last seen exiting from the north gate with an unidentified foreigner...who was most pro