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[Gisaeng House] 

So Eun quietly stood and watched the clusters of blooming magnolia. Its pinkish petals were falling like rain on her shoulders. She could understand why Hana loved magnolia. Her sensitive soul was like this kind of flower.

- How long have you been here?

So Eun turned to look and realized Hana standing behind. She ran to her and smiled:

- Onnie!

Hana tenderly patted on So Eun's cheek and uttered "This kid" and then walked into her room.

- Sit down, dear - Hana said and poured out two cup of tea - drink it, paboo. Why did you stand there with this kind of clothes? You see, it's just a few days without me but you did not care about yourself.

So Eun smiled again:

- You know that you're so important to me, don't you?

- Yes, yes - Hana pretended to be cold - you're always my little trouble sister.

So Eun was moved:

- Where have you been, onnie?

- Wae?

- I was just worried about you. And you know what, I was so bored while you're away.

- Really? You have him already, why were you still bored? - Hana uttered.

So Eun froze. In a moment, she could not know what to say.

- Why didn't you ask me? Or he told you everything?

So Eun silently clutched her dress.

- It's alright, So Eun ah. Now I'm clear. I just hope that he didn't tell you how pity I was that day. He didn't, did he?

So Eun looked at Hana, sadly shook her head:

- Please don't say those words, onnie. Your saying hurt me, do you know that? - Hana kept silence. So Eun continued - Onnie, please give him some time and you will understand why he did that. Can you?

Hana took a deep breath and smiled:

- Don't worry, dear. I will not think about him anymore. Well, it's late now. I'm tired and want to go to bed.

So Eun stood up and said:

- I'm sorry, onnie. I'm going. Sleep well, huh?

A breeze was blowing through the opened window. So Eun suddenly felt dizzy. She leaned on the wall to keep balance.

- What's wrong, So Eun? Why is your face so pale like that? Are you sick, dear?

So Eun smiled when she saw Hana's worry face. She shook her head:

- It's alright. I just feel dizzy a little. Now I'm better. I'm going.

- Are you sure? Let me ask someone to you home.

- Don't worry, omma! - So Eun joked. Whenever Hana became more concern about her, she always called her "omma".

So Eun walked out. The cold air made her feel much better. She covered the hat over her head and walked as fast as she could. But just out of the Gisaeng House, she felt dizzy again. This time, she could not stand stably. She felt her heart beating slower, her legs shaking and then she fell down on the road unconsciously.

o0o 

[Gwangji Pagoda] 

In a small simple room, the Monk sat quietly and attentively watched a half-moon shaped piece of jade. He had been back here for 15 years. In the time of traveling around the world, sometimes he felt tired and just wanted to come back home. Finally, he was back but he did not expect that he had to regret so much like this.

The Monk clutched the jade in his hand and suddenly felt a little warm. This jade was a proof of love between him and a lady. Because he loved freedom and wanted to travel around when he's young, he left her without a word. He simply thought that she would forget him someday and got married and had a lot of children of her own. But when he was back, he knew that she died alone. He decided to be a monk and lived the rest of his life in austerity for repentance.

Suddenly the Monk heard someone knocking so hard on the Gate. It's so strange at this hour. Who could go up the mountain so late at night? He opened the door, heard someone talking at the Gate and someone ran fast toward him. He realised it's Ok Man, a servant working in Pagoda. His face was green and he's almost out of breath.

- Ok Man, what's up? Why are you back so late? Why are you in panic like this?

- Agassi... Agassi... - He could not finish his sentence.

- So Eun? What happened to her? - The Monk wearily asked - calm down and say it slowly.

- Agassi has been caught, Great Monk.

- Caught? Who?

Ok Man shook his head. He was still in fear. He tried his best to continued:

- I don't know, Great Monk. I came to the Gisaeng House to bring some mushrooms to lady Jang Hana. I saw agassi walking out the House and then suddenly she fell down. I was just going to her but two strange men took her away in a sack. I could not rescue her but I tried to follow them. They locked agassi in an abandoned house in the forest. What will we do, Great Monk?

- Calm down - The Monk tried to hold on his anxiety - If they want to harm her, they killed her at once, no need to lock her somewhere. I'm sure they had a purpose to do that.

- But what's purpose? Great Monk, don't you feel strange? Agassi inherently is an elegant lady. No one hates her in this City, you know that. Why suddenly was caught?

- Alright, let me think, Ok Man. I will go there to see the situation and then will find some way to rescue her. If we rush, we even can not take her out but also harm her.

- So what will I do?

- Stay here and wait. Don't tell anything to Hana, alaso? No need to make her worry. Furthermore, she can not help but get in my feet, then it's harder to rescue So Eun.

- I understood, Great Monk. Please bring her home safe.

The Monk nodded and hastily disappeared in the darkness.

Was it right that the storm coming as Black Knight said?

If so, he could not imagine that So Eun was the first person that storm touched.

She was the one who got the least attention in the whole picture.

Why did they choose her?

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Happy new year to my beloved readers. Hope the New Year will bring you and your family happiness and success. 

Thanks for your supports and please stay with me till the story ends. I will update soon after New Year holiday.

Junssolove