Kim Yongsun was touching her barely visible belly absently, her brows furrowed deeply. It was a subconscious gesture that she had to repress when she was Solar of Hwasun.  Now that she was showing and that it was winter, she had hung up her favourite crop tees and distressed jeans for more conservative, warmer knitted dresses. She had picked an off-shoulder cream knitted dress for her visit, matched with white flats. She had also worn a face mask and a baseball cap to conceal her identity.

Her debut was officially over. Hwasun was the up-and-coming idol duo that had swept through the country like a storm and was starting to receive international acclaim. Soon, she would not be able to work as the idol, Solar, when her baby bump was more prominent. It had been decided that she would go on a half-a-year hiatus after it became impossible to conceal her bump and focus on non-public facing jobs of a singer.

The barely-concealed singer paced back and forth along the corridor of the hospital nervously, wondering if she ought to follow through with her decision. She worried her bottom lip. The memory of Philip Moon-Kim Dopul nearly kidnapped for the first time was the counterweight to her choice of visiting Lady Moon in her private room. She sighed openly, combing her hand through her golden hair absently. It was one of her rare days off and one of the sporadic occasions that she had managed to shake off her protective mate, Moon Byulyi. If she wanted to meet Lady Moon privately, this was her moment.

She let out a sigh.

It was about time to meet her mother-in-law.

Yongsun mustered her courage, her honeyed eyes glowing with determination. She marched towards the private room where Lady Moon was. Her heart was thundering in her ears as she reached the door of the private room.

The mistress of the clan was walking around the private room unassisted, her well-trimmed brows furrowed in concentration. Her cheeks were pink from exerting herself. The beautiful middle-aged woman remained very thin, almost sickly thin, trying to rebuild her endurance.

She rested on the door frame, observing the usually intimidating and powerful Lady Moon. She looked like any other patient, resolved to recover. There was none of that dismissive air. The singer stopped and watched her progress, awed by her determination to resume normal functioning as soon as she could.

A simple loop around the spacious private room was a marathon for the recovering patient. Sweat beaded on her brows as she staggered, pushing herself to complete the circuit. Upon completing the loop, their eyes somehow met.

There was shock in those grey eyes before they faded away. Her cheeks were pinker than usual. However, the corners of her lips raised in a polite and uneasy smile, her body stiffening.

Yongsun quickly inclined her head in a bow and summoned the courage to speak to the intimidating older woman.

“Lady Moon,” greeted Yongsun. She was at a loss for words, tugging the fabric of her dress nervously.

“Ah, Ms Kim, you’re here,” replied Lady Moon, a hint of warmth in her voice. “Are you on a break? Don’t stand there. Please come in. Please come in.” The frail middle-aged woman tottered slowly towards the sitting area in the middle of the private room. She was not putting on any airs. “You caught me while I was completing my afternoon exercise.” She slumped into the seat, exhausted. She took a towel and dried her face distractedly.

Yongsun stepped into the private room and lingered hesitantly. Lady Moon’s drastic change of attitude caught her by surprise. Formerly, she had been so hostile and dismissive of her. Now, she was welcoming. Was it due to her pregnancy?

Lady Moon met her gaze again, puzzled. “Ms Kim, why don’t you have a seat?” She gestured to the seat opposite her. “It must be tiring to remain on your feet all the time.”

She studied her daughter-in-law, Solar Kim again. The first time she had met the singer, she had formed plenty of prejudice before getting to know her properly. She had noted that Solar Kim did not fit the conventional standard of beauty in the country, but she was just downright beautiful.

Her second pregnancy gave her this mesmerising glow that made her more radiant. It seemed like becoming Byulyi’s mate and her career as a singer agreed with her. There was a light in her honeyed eyes, bright and hypnotic.

Lady Moon could see how the singer maintained the attention of her oldest daughter. Her golden hair was parted in the middle and cascaded in large, soft waves down her face. There was an air of youth around her, a result from her soft, feminine facial features. Her large doe eyes were windows to her soul, unlike the other individuals in the same social circle, so refreshingly honest. And she knew that the younger woman was genuine. She could not conceal her caution and nerves.

The nervous singer shuffled to the sitting area and took a seat warily, taking her time to adjust her dress as she pressed her knees together. She held herself stiffly, maintaining this courteous posture. When she lifted her head to look at Lady Moon, the older woman was smiling kindly at her, her gaze impossibly gentle.

Yongsun swallowed visibly, clenching her skirt.

“Ms Kim, you’re a very brave woman,” commented Lady Moon, amused. She still carried herself with poise, looking every bit as the mistress of a chaebol. “You might be very wary of me but you have chosen to meet me alone.” She reached for the jug of water and poured them two glasses of water.

“Thank you,” offered Yongsun gratefully, taking the glass of water. She cocked her head, confused. “Wasn’t that what we had agreed on, Lady Moon? You wanted to meet me alone.”

The smile on Lady Moon’s face widened as she chuckled, covering her face with a hand. Her gaze was unusually gentle, reminding her of her mate. “Ms Kim, I’m impressed that you kept this promise.”

She sipped from her glass and set the glass on the table.

“Would you prefer another warm drink? The weather has turned a lot colder.” She beckoned for a nurse to take their orders and they had settled for a pot of freshly- brewed green tea.

“How are you really doing?” Lady Moon asked suddenly, her gaze falling on her belly pointedly.

Yongsun smiled politely. “I’m in my second trimester and Little Bean has really settled down.”

The patient grinned. “That’s good. Byul was a rascal even in my second trimester. I had to be placed on bed rest on my final trimester.” She sipped her water slowly.

“Really? Byul only mentioned that you were expecting a boy, not a female alpha.”

She nodded absently. “The Moon clan rarely has female babies. I’m not too sure if it is the result from the contract the clan have formed with the Moon goddess. The Moon alpha may have mates but they cannot be claimed—”

“—because they belong to the Moon Goddess,” completed Yongsun absently, touching her belly.

Lady Moon smiled and nodded. “Our Little Bean will be the first pup born not of the contract.”

“Oh.” Yongsun did not know how to make of that statement, touching her belly. Would that have any bearing on Little Bean’s life?

“Ms Kim, please don’t worry about it. We will be here for you and Little Bean no matter what unfolds in the future,” reassured the older woman quietly.

“Did Byul know about this contract?”

Lady Moon nodded cautiously. “It is a knowledge that was handed down by mouth, from fathers to sons. I’m sure my husband did teach her.” She studied the way Yongsun shifted uneasily on the sofa and she reached over cautiously to hold her hand. “Be at ease, Ms Kim. It’s not good for you and Little Bean.”

Yongsun stared at her hand, surprised.

Lady Moon withdrew her hand when she noticed her shock. “I’m sorry for overstepping my boundaries, Ms Kim.” She bowed slightly.

“No, no, no,” refute Yongsun, her cheeks pinking. “I didn’t expect it, Lady Moon.”

The polite smile faded from Lady Moon’s face as her shoulders slumped. “Ms Kim, I owe you something.” She rose her feet slowly, supported by the armrest.

Yongsun was going to stop her, noticing how much effort she had mustered just to stand up. However, the determination in her grey eyes stopped her. Her honeyed eyes widened when the proud, older woman bowed deeply, her hands clasped in front of her.

“Please don’t do this, Lady Moon,” refuted Yongsun emotionally, jumping to her feet to stop her. However, the Mistress of the chaebol was determined to apologise properly.

“No, please. I should at least do this,” protested Lady Moon in a soft voice, sounding so stricken with remorse. “I’m so sorry for hurting you and Philip.” Her voice trembled as if the older woman was holding back tears. She kept her gaze trained on the ground as her body started to shake from the remorse that she was trying to repress. “I could spend the rest of my life on my knees apologising to you and Philip but it would not be sufficient.” She hiccupped. The smell of her distress saturated the entire private room.

At this very moment, Lady Moon just look like a frail lady who was weighed down by her albatross.

“Lady Moon, please don’t do this,” refuted Yongsun anxiously. It troubled her to see the older woman in such much pain. “It’s too much—"

“—No, what I did was too much.” Lady Moon finally raised her face to meet her gaze. Tears filled her eyes as she shook her head again. “I tried to kidnap you and Philip. I tried to destroy your reputation by taking my life on his celebration.” She thumped her chest several times. “Ms Kim, I’m so sorry.” Finally, tears started to fall. Lady Moon wanted to hit herself when she recalled the truth. She had deserved death for being so foolish. Lady Moon covered as tears continued to flow profusely. “I’m so sorry.” She whispered in deep anguish. It was all her fault. In fact, her foolishness had caused Yongsun a