The sound of a night heron’s cry echoed through the hills.

Young Yeoul ran frantically through the rough grass in the mountains.

Her breath was coming in gasps. The thick darkness made it impossible to see even an inch ahead.

“Huff, huff…!”

The small lights were getting closer. The sound of hunting dogs also grew louder.

Terrified, young Yeoul misstepped.

As her small body fell off the cliff, a splash was heard and the raging currents swallowed young Yeoul.

Darkness fell before young Yeoul’s eyes.

‘Save me, please save me…!’

She tried to scream, but her throat was blocked and no sound came out.

Flailing to escape was futile. It only seemed to pull her deeper into the water.

The icy cold river water penetrated young Yeoul’s body.

‘Cold…!’

Young Yeoul curled up from the chills permeating her entire body.

The water currents were so cold that her flesh ached and her teeth chattered.

Young Yeoul shivered from the cold.

‘It’s so cold… someone please…!’

At that moment, warmth enveloped Yeoul’s entire body.

Her frozen body slowly started to thaw.

Feeling drowsy from the warm and cozy sensation, Yeoul muttered unconsciously.

“It’s warm….”

Yeoul fumbled with her hands, seeking the warmth.

She felt something soft yet firm and hot.

Actively fumbling at the unfamiliar yet tempting sensation, a familiar voice rang in her ears.

“It’ll be troublesome if you keep doing this.”

A low, pooling voice.

It was a voice pleasant to hear but not very welcoming.

Feeling a sense of unease, Yeoul slowly opened her eyes.

Then, she saw the man’s broad chest before her eyes.

Yeoul’s hands were resting on top of it.

Yeoul blinked a few times and raised her head.

Then, she met eyes with Tae, who was intently looking down at her.

“You’re awake.”

“Eek!”

Yeoul pushed Tae’s chest away in shock.

Her face turned red like a beet.

“Yo-you, how could….”

To think that what she had been groping was Tae’s chest.

Yeoul’s heart pounded erratically like a fast-paced jangdan rhythm.

Seeing Yeoul like that, Tae calmly spoke.

“Was my body that good? Judging by how much you were touching it.”

“Of course not!”

Yeoul strongly denied it, but the sensation of touching Tae’s chest vividly came back to her.

His sturdy body with a large frame and muscles developed through exercise.

She had seen his body in the bathhouse before, but directly touching Tae’s body was marvelous.

However, Yeoul thought now was not the time to be absorbed in useless sentiments.

Yeoul hurriedly gathered the blanket she and Tae were under and abruptly sat up.

Looking around, she saw the room where she had changed clothes. She also saw the golden bedding presumed to have been covering her and Tae.

Judging by how Yeoul’s attire was the same, fortunately nothing unusual seemed to have happened.

Yeoul looked at Tae with a very wary tone and asked.

“Why were we under the same blanket?”

“Are you going to pretend not to know after fully utilizing me?”

“Utilize?”

Embracing an unmarried woman in the middle of the night and saying she utilized him. What nonsense was he spewing?

As Yeoul blinked her round eyes, Tae answered.

“Didn’t you say with your own mouth that you were cold?”

“I did?”

“Yes. You were even shivering. When I held you, you quieted down.”

“Ah….”

Yeoul recalled the dream she just had.

She must have sleep-talked that she was cold.

But still, to embrace an unmarried woman.

While Yeoul was contemplating whether to be grateful or angry, Tae asked.

“You seemed to have had a nightmare. Your sleep-talking was quite severe.”

At Tae’s question, Yeoul gave a small nod.

“It’s a nightmare I occasionally have.”

Sometimes Yeoul dreamed of being in her young form.

In her dreams, Yeoul was always chased by someone and always ended up falling into the water.

But she didn’t know what the recurring dream meant.

There was no need to tell Tae about these trivial matters, so Yeoul changed the subject.

“Weren’t you leaving? Why haven’t you left?”

“Because someone fainted.”

Come to think of it, Yeoul’s memory was cut off before waking up.

As Yeoul slowly traced back her memories, her face gradually stiffened.

“…I saw it.”

“What?”

“A ghost. I clearly saw it with my own eyes.”

Yeoul’s expression became serious.

Her face, already pale, turned even whiter, and slight wrinkles formed between her pretty eyebrows.

Seeing Yeoul’s extremely serious expression, Tae’s lips twitched.

It was amusing. And also somewhat cute.

Tae barely suppressed his laughter and asked.

“Really? What was it like?”

“Around 5 feet tall… wearing a white hanbok, I think.”

“The face?”

“I couldn’t see it. But for a maiden ghost, its build looked large….”

“Pfft…!”

In the end, Tae couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter.

As his hearty laughter shook his shoulders, Yeoul frowned.

Her face also reddened a bit in embarrassment.

It’s possible to be scared of ghosts at this age.

“…What’s so funny?”

“It’s a prank.”

“What?”

Yeoul looked at Tae with a dumbfounded expression.

Tae, still chuckling as if it was amusing, said.

“The part about the ghost appearing. It was a prank.”

“But I clearly saw it with my own eyes…!”

“What you saw wasn’t a ghost, but my bodyguard. His name is Jung Je Hun. He should have introduced himself.”

“….”

Yeoul glared at Tae.

“Did you two conspire together?”

“That’s not it.”

Seeing her sulky protruding lips, Tae thought he did well in teasing Yeoul.

A satisfied smile spread across Tae’s lips.

“I tried lying because I thought it would be fun to tease you. It was indeed worthwhile.”

“…It’s not funny.”

“Haven’t you heard this before? That you’re the perfect target to be scammed.”

“What does that….”

“Don’t worry. From now on, there will be no one to scam you. Except me.”

Yeoul frowned.

So he’s saying he will scam her?

Is his talk of marriage also a scam?

Although Yeoul’s pride was hurt by the fact that she fell for Tae’s prank, she had nothing to say since she was the one who was fooled.

Still, it was fortunate that Tae was with her last night.

Nights spent alone never became familiar no matter how many passed.

How many nights had she spent trembling in anxiety?

Although Tae was still a dangerous man, today he didn’t feel as threatening.

Just having Tae by her side made Yeoul feel reassured.

At that moment, Tae got up from his seat and started putting on his outer clothing.

When Yeoul’s gaze asked where he was going, Tae answered.

“I’m going to meet Elder Cham. Despite how I look, I’m a busy man.”

“Ah….”

Yeoul swallowed her saliva.

Yeoul got up from her seat and held out Tae’s haphazardly discarded bamboo hat.

“Father enjoys ginseng wine.”

As Tae was fastening his sword belt around his waist, he looked at Yeoul.

“He likes to have honeyed chrysanthemum as a side dish. If you take it with you, you will be able to gain Father’s favor.”

The corners of Tae’s eyes curved like a crescent moon.

“Anything else?”

Yeoul swallowed dry saliva.

His smiling face was indeed remarkable.

Feeling embarrassed, Yeoul gazed elsewhere for no reason.

“When he tries to hide his true thoughts, he has a habit of twirling his beard. It’s best to be suspicious of what he says then.”

“I will gain a wise wife.”

Tae took a large step towards Yeoul.

A subtle scent of peony wafted through the narrowing distance between them.

Leaning his upper body towards Yeoul, Tae gently whispered in her ear.

“Would my future wife tie my hat string for me?”

As the distance drew even closer, the peony fragrance thickly permeated the air.

Yeoul felt dizzy from that scent.

Yeoul barely came to her senses and placed the hat she was holding on Tae’s head.

It wasn’t difficult to put the hat on since Tae had sufficiently lowered his waist.

However, Tae’s face had become that much more intimate.

Yeoul reached out her hand towards Tae.

Yeoul’s pale and slender fingers grasped the string hanging from the hat.

As she slowly pulled the hat string, it slid down Tae’s sharp and angular jawline.

Lips stained with vitality. A smooth nose bridge and ink-black eyebrows.

He was a man with features more masculine than any other man and more beautiful than any woman.

Amidst this, his black and white distinct eyes were gazing at Yeoul.

The gaze directed at her was so intense that Yeoul’s face grew hot.

Though it felt dangerous not knowing what he wanted, Yeoul couldn’t look away from Tae’s gaze.

It might be more accurate to say she was captivated.

Yeoul felt like she would be devoured by the black eyes emitting a faint heat.

“Tie it neatly. I’m going to meet my future father-in-law.”

“Ah….”

Yeoul suddenly regained her senses.

Losing her mind and blankly staring at a man’s face. She thought she was being foolish.

Yeoul tied the hat string into a knot and then looked at Tae with a firm grip on her mind.

“Will you be able to pull it off?”

The line falling squarely from his shoulders accentuated his stature.

With the tall and slender man in full attire, he was remarkably dashing.

Tae raised the corner of his lips mischievously.

“I’ll show you. That I’m someone with such capabilities.”

It was a smile as remarkable as his appearance.

For some reason, Tae’s arrogant smile made Yeoul feel reassured.

***

Tae and Je Hun left the temporary palace together.

Walking beside Tae, Je Hun looked at him with meaningful eyes.

“This is unexpected.”

“What is?”

“That you have such an affectionate side.”

Tae raised one eyebrow.

At his expression as if asking what nonsense he was spouting, Je Hun continued.

“Didn’t you nurse the fainted Yeoul all night? You’ve never been like this with women or anyone else.”

Unyielding, self-centered.

Those were the words used to describe Tae, the Grand Prince Gangseon.

For Tae, who only cared about himself, to take care of a woman all night.

It was an action that could not be explained without romantic feelings.

Je Hun smirked, anticipating the love story of his superior who used to treat women as if they were stones.

“Do you like Yeoul that much?”

“Of course not.”

As if it was absurd. Tae twisted one corner of his mouth.

“That woman is merely a chess piece. Nothing more, nothing less.”

It was a cold smile.

Not even a speck of affection could be found in that smile.