“R–really?” Seungwan bolted up from her position.

Joohyun followed suit. “Are you unsatisfied with the arrangements?”

“No!” Seungwan leaped off the couch, slowly making her way toward the bed. “Of course not. It’s just…you’re one of my dearest friends. I’d hate to be the reason you’re unhappy.”

“Why would I be unhappy?”

Seungwan sat on the edge of her bed. The faint moonlight traced Joohyun’s delicate outline. “Well, wouldn’t you want to marry someone you love? Someone your heart beats for?” She caught her breath waiting for the other to reply. “You spent five years training with the Wolfsbane Army, you’re telling me not a single guy caught your interest?”

Joohyun felt disturbed. “How could I fall in love with someone I’ve eaten, slept, and pooped with?” Everyone at the border was like family, her extended family in a sense. Not to mention a majority already had families, waiting for their return. “We were too busy trying to not get killed, it must’ve slipped our minds to find love.”

Seungwan took the sarcasm in offense. She wasn’t in the mood to joke about Joohyun’s future, about their future.

However, Joohyun mistook Seungwan’s parade of questions as a sense of uninterest in her as a partner. Was this prince trying to find an excuse to cancel the engagement?

Albeit a bit foreign, she thought she understood Seungwan’s hesitation. “Listen, Seungwannie…” The prince’s ears perked to the calling of her old nickname. “You’re bound to wed a consort in the future. Wouldn’t it be best if it was someone who knew of your predicament, like me? You, me, and Seulgi have been friends for over a decade now.”

Seungwan was over the moon. Was Joohyun trying to convince her to accept their engagement? Could it be that she feels the same way?

“If you’re worried about falling in love with someone in the future, don’t stress. You can always take them in as a concubine. Well, if they’re a man, we might need to come up with a better cover. But if you’re worried about my feelings, don’t fret about it. I’ve already decided to bear the burdens as the eldest daughter of the Bae estate. If sacrificing my marriage is one of the obstacles to keeping all of those safe, I’m willing.”

The seventh prince felt as if someone had ripped open her chest and repeatedly pierced her heart into fragments of despair. It was foolish of her to expect for Joohyun to reciprocate her feelings. “Ah o–of course! I’m proud of you. How loyal of a subject my best friend turned out to be.”

So marrying her was just one of Joohyun’s duties. Seungwan quickly shifted back to the couch. Choking back a silent sob, she bid the general’s daughter goodnight.  

Surprised by Seugnwan’s sudden change of behavior, Joohyun assumed she approached a sensitive topic.

The following weeks progressed as Joohyun tries to return to her life in the capital city. It was unfamiliar to come back to the estate without Seulgi by her side, despite them being apart the last five years.

But her sudden schedule didn’t leave her time to contemplate. The return of the Baes meant the wedding of the seventh prince. Having been engaged for over a year, the king had decreed that the marriage ceremony will take place on the fifteenth day of the fifth month, an auspicious day. A bit over two months away, the Royal Palace had been in a state of frenzy.

Seungwan had been meeting with her father a bit more than usual. The king wanted to spend more ti