“How dare she!” A furious captain.

“It was who?” A puzzled prince.

Seulgi was recounting the Queen’s schemes and the discovery of her father’s death.

Joohyun’s rage peaked after hearing of Queen Sunmi’s intentions. Displeased that she had to once addressed such person as a mother-in-law. Seungwan was perplexed to be informed of the Prime Minister’s involvement with Seulgi’s father’s death. How small the world can be!

“But why?” Seungwan leaned forward on the round table the three were currently situated at in Happiness’s VIP rooms. “You never crossed paths with the Queen before.”

Seulgi exhaled a shaky breath. Then she narrated the discovery of the maid spy.

“And you saw that maid right before Seungwan attacked you out of nowhere?” Joohyun had detached herself from Seulgi.

Seulgi chuckled and directed her gaze to the seventh prince. “Correct.”

Seungwan’s cheeks turned red in response. “I thought you were some thief…I apolo-”

“No need.” Seulgi straightened her back. She held up her palm at the latter. “Instead, let’s spar once this mess is over. Almost two years in the barracks. I never thought I’d live to see the day Son Seungwan wields a sword at me.”

The prince flushed even more.

“But the maid…” Seulgi turned serious. She turned to Seungwan. “She had the same totem as the one that attacked you in the prison cell back then. Can you recall?”

Seungwan shook her head. No blotch of ink came to mind.

“Sana.” Seulgi addressed the manager of the brothel hub. “Could you grab me a brush and some paper?”

“Of course.”

Joohyun was subtly excited. Seulgi’s artistic talents was a secret sight reserved for her ever since she took the later into her home all those years ago. Every year, Seulgi never failed to send her a painting she had personally painted.

A few delicate later, Seulgi had drawn up the exact pattern of the totems she had seen on Jihyo and Momo. A gasp echoed through the room. It was Joohyun, but it wasn’t from astonishment.

“T-this…where did yo- are you sure you saw this?” Joohyun reached for the painting.

“Positive, on the back of their necks.”

“This is… the emblem of Buluo…”

“Buluo…?” Where had Seulgi heard of that before?

Seungwan jumped out of her seat. “Buluo? The Buluo Empire? The one that resides in the northern plains? Our northern enemies?” She walked over and peeked at the painting from behind Joohyun’s shoulder.

“Our enemy?” Seulgi furrowed her brows. “The Queen is in cahoots with foreign enemies?”

Seungwan straightened her back and crossed her arms. “That can’t be, what could the Queen possibly want from working with them?”

Joohyun hastily rolled up the painting. “Standing around here and asking questions won’t so-”

The paper door slid open, revealing a very disheveled Yoo Ah. “Run.” She was panting heavily as she leaned on the sliding door frame.

“Yoo Ah!” Seulgi leaped out of her seat and ran towards her. “What’s wrong?”

Joohyun ran to Yoo Ah’s other side. “Who did this to you?”

Despite being confused as to how Seulgi knew who Yoo Ah was, Seungwan also looked at her with concern.

“Master, Young Lady, Your Highness, get out of here.” Yoo Ah rejected their help and pushed them away. “Go before she gets here. Quickly.”

“Who?”

“BAE JOOHYUN!” A husky voice rang through the brothel.

The trio stared at each other. Their bodies frozen in place. It can’t be…

But how did she…

From whom could she have found out from...

“Leave!” Yoo Ah’s urgent cry brought them back. “I think one of the courtesan spies will try to stall but you all must leave. Now! You know there’s no one asides the Lord that can stop Lady Bae once she’s given chase.”

From the third floor they heard: “Good evening Madame, the hour is of quite late. Your appearance here is rather uncommon. Is there someone you wish to seek? Or perhaps some sort of service we can offer? If not, I would be happy to show you my eagle dance if you’re interested.”

Joohyun gave a slight chuckle before jumping out of the window from the third floor of the brothel. She thought: Out of all their courtesans, the luck her mother had to have run into Dahyun.

She looked to her side at Seulgi and Seungwan who had already jumped out onto the rooftop of the neighboring building. Then they ran. The three of them. Running into the depths of the night, side by side…a sense of déjà vu.

… 

Beneath a sapphire sky, the sun's fervent embrace unfolds a tapestry of heat woven in hues of molten gold. Outside of the royal academy, two worried figures sat upon the white-clayed staircase entrance.

“Wan-ah, you are worrying too much. Hyunnie will be fine. It is only a minimal punishment.” The young Seulgi placed her arm around Seungwan’s shoulders.

The seventh prince lifted