It was well past midnight.

Was it because they had found a clue to the case?

Unable to fall asleep easily, Kwon Jwa Woo finally got up and quietly left the room.

How long had she been wandering aimlessly around the guesthouse courtyard?

Suddenly, she remembered the story the clerk had told her.

When first introducing the various parts of the guesthouse, the clerk had tipped her off that there was a small waterfall at the western pavilion, perfect for enjoying the night atmosphere.

She didn’t need to ask where the western pavilion was. The sound of the waterfall in the distance naturally guided her footsteps.

A half-moon hung in the night sky. Using the half-moon’s light as a torch, Kwon Jwa Woo was able to quickly reach the western pavilion.

She had thought it would be just a small imitation waterfall made inside the government office, but it wasn’t. The waterfall, created by piling up strange rocks and drawing in a stream of water, was quite magnificent.

“Wow.”

Kwon Jwa Woo let out an exclamation without realizing it.

The water reflecting the moonlight looked like a flock of white butterflies flying together.

Watching the ripples drawn on the water’s surface, her troubled mind began to calm. Kwon Jwa Woo gathered the scattered fragments of her thoughts and pondered what she needed to do next.

As she was calming her scattered mind while watching the waterfall plunging into the water’s surface, she heard the rustle of silk and footsteps approaching.

It seemed there was another person who couldn’t sleep at this hour.

Turning her head with a sense of kinship, she saw a familiar face looking at her.

“Lady Arang…”

Feelings of joy and puzzlement mingled together.

The image of Arang crying as she left the guesthouse earlier had been weighing on her mind. Running into her like this was a pleasant surprise.

On the other hand, she was perplexed.

What was she doing here at this late hour?

Was it still because of Hong Woo Geon’s cold attitude that had upset her?

As Kwon Jwa Woo’s thoughts grew complicated, Arang’s voice floated to her ears.

“So it’s Lady Kwon.”

For some reason, Arang’s voice was full of disappointment.

The reason was soon revealed.

“I prayed that if I came here, I would meet someone, and hoped that someone would be elder brother Geon, but…”

Arang continued, looking at the half-moon hanging in the sky.

“Is it because it’s only a half-moon that only half my wish was granted?”

Arang muttered in an ambiguous tone, as if talking to herself or perhaps to Kwon Jwa Woo.

Though her attitude was somewhat rude, Kwon Jwa Woo thought it must be because the turmoil from earlier in the evening still lingered.

Kwon Jwa Woo first offered words of comfort.

“Are you alright?”

“About what?”

Unlike the concerned Kwon Jwa Woo, Arang’s face was full of a calm smile.

I thought she would be crying. Should I be relieved?

“Earlier, Sir Hong was too harsh.”

“Yes, he was harsh. My elder brother has never been like that before. I wonder why he acted that way?”

Arang looked at Kwon Jwa Woo with eyes that seemed to say, ‘It’s because of you.’

Kwon Jwa Woo floundered, not knowing where to look due to feelings of guilt and bewilderment.

Watching this scene intently, a sneer appeared at the corners of Arang’s mouth.

A sneer?

Yes, it was definitely a sneer. She hadn’t seen wrong. What formed on Arang’s lips was an blatant sneer directed at Kwon Jwa Woo.

She ran her eyes over Kwon Jwa Woo from top to bottom in a sweeping gaze.

Then she added words to the end of her gaze.

“Do you know? Lady Kwon, your appearance is quite unsightly.”

“…?”

Did I hear that wrong?

Arang’s sudden hostility made the back of Kwon Jwa Woo’s head tingle.

Wondering if she had misheard, Kwon Jwa Woo asked Arang again for confirmation.

“Did you just say I look unsightly?”

“My, you didn’t realize that until now? How can you be so oblivious?”

“What?”

“So I’m asking, can’t you disappear from my elder brother’s side?”

“…”

This young lady has quite a talent for subtly provoking people.

The gentle look in Kwon Jwa Woo’s eyes changed.

Just as Hong Woo Geon had done to Arang, Kwon Jwa Woo also drew a clear line.

“I’m afraid that would be difficult. Sir Hong and I have things we need to do. As you know, we’re on the same side.”

Kwon Jwa Woo was confident.

Furthermore, she showed a natural reaction.

But that confidence and naturalness caused thorns to grow in Arang’s heart.

Arang bit her lower lip hard.

Why this person?

Why was Hong Woo Geon’s gaze directed at this man instead of a woman?

She had been curious.

But looking at Kwon Jwa Woo standing in the moonlight, she understood.

He was someone whose gaze lingered. A man with a strange charm that made one’s heart stir for no reason.

Especially that white, clear face that might even look prettier than her own, a woman. She could see why Hong Woo Geon might pay attention and look at him.

Then Arang caught herself.

She felt foolish for acknowledging this.

And it became clear.

Kwon Jwa Woo was too dangerous to be by Hong Woo Geon’s side. He would surely become a headache for Geon in the future.

Having made her judgment, there was no hesitation in Arang’s actions.

First, she would give a sharp warning.

“On the same side? That’s a very unpleasant expression.”

Arang, who had been nodding slightly, opened her mouth again.

“I dislike Lady Kwon even more.”

It was such a blatantly honest expression.

Kwon Jwa Woo couldn’t find the right words to respond appropriately.

Was it a trick of the moonlit night?

The Arang of this night was not the Arang that Kwon Jwa Woo had seen until now.

The woman who smiled brightly with crescent moon-shaped eyes, the woman who shed tears at her beloved man’s cold dismissal.

She had been such an innocent woman who laughed so well and cried so well…

The Arang before Kwon Jwa Woo’s eyes now was exuding a cold chill as if she had just emerged from an icy valley.

“Your attitude is bewildering, my lady. Please tell me the reason.”

“Are you asking because you don’t know? It’s because of the way Lady Kwon looks at elder brother Geon.”

In truth, it was Hong Woo Geon’s gaze that was the problem.

But Arang shifted the blame onto Kwon Jwa Woo.

At this sudden talk of gazes, Kwon Jwa Woo made a puzzled expression.

“My gaze?”

What on earth is this young lady talking about?

“I understand. Usually, one doesn’t realize these things about oneself.”

“…?”

“I don’t care what happens to Lady Kwon. But I’m worried that elder brother Geon might get caught up in unnecessary rumors in the future.”

“Rumors?”

“Do you really not know? It’s rare, but they say there are cases where men develop feelings for other men.”

“How can you look at someone and…!”

Just as Kwon Jwa Woo was about to flare up in anger.

Arang cut off her words mid-sentence.

“I don’t care what the truth is. Even if nothing is going on between Lady Kwon and elder brother Geon, if you two keep sticking together like this, rumors will surely spread. And people who like to talk often make up stories the way they want to see things.”

It was an excessive imagination. A forced speculation.

But Arang didn’t back down.

“You must know how filthy and miserable the content of those stories would be without me having to spell it out. So, Lady Kwon…”

Arang leaned her face close to Kwon Jwa Woo and whispered.

“Act according to your station.”

A cold smile spread across Arang’s lips.

It was such an unimaginable and bewildering situation.

Kwon Jwa Woo couldn’t say anything.

Having said her piece, Arang left Kwon Jwa Woo behind and walked away.

Kwon Jwa Woo silently watched Arang’s retreating figure pass in front of the waterfall.

Suddenly, she turned her head to look at Kwon Jwa Woo.

“You know that our conversation here is a secret from elder brother Geon, right?”

Without waiting for Kwon Jwa Woo’s answer, Arang disappeared into the darkness.

Kwon Jwa Woo stared blankly for a while in the direction Arang had vanished.

Who would have thought that Arang, who had seemed like such a delicate young lady, had such a sharp dagger hidden away.

“I really got hit hard there.”

Kwon Jwa Woo’s voice was full of bitterness as she muttered to herself.

‘Act according to your station.’

The remnants of Arang’s parting words stung Kwon Jwa Woo painfully.

Looking back, Arang was right. While with Hong Woo Geon, she had forgotten her place.

Her face burned with embarrassment as she remembered herself enjoying drinks with Hong Woo Geon under the pretext of strategy meetings, and how she had been shaken by a single word of his concern.

Wasn’t she supposed to be in the Western Palace to uncover the secrets related to her father’s death?

In such a position, she had been acting inappropriately all this time.

A smile identical to the sneer that had formed on Arang’s lips earlier now appeared on Kwon Jwa Woo’s lips.

There were two people sneering, but the object of ridicule was one person: Kwon Jwa Woo.

Kwon Jwa Woo moved her feet, mocking herself.

It was a night when the moonlight felt especially heavy.

“What are you doing?”

The next day, as soon as it dawned, Hong Woo Geon and Kwon Jwa Woo left the guesthouse of the government office and were walking through the village.

Usually, she would have walked side by side with Hong Woo Geon.

But Kwon Jwa Woo was walking far behind him, keeping a distance.

Her subconscious desire to distance herself from Hong Woo Geon had manifested outwardly without her realizing it.

Seeing Kwon Jwa Woo so far behind him, Hong Woo Geon furrowed his brow.

He had left the guesthouse in a good mood, thinking to explore the village while chatting with Kwon Jwa Woo, but with her following at such a distance, he felt strangely irritated.

“Aren’t you coming quickly?”

“Please don’t mind me and go ahead.”

“I do mind. There’s no point in going together like this.”

“We’re investigating the village. Whether we walk front and back or side by side, we’re going the same way anyway. What great meaning is there in it?”

“Why are you acting like this?”

“What do you mean, how am I acting?”

“You’ve been keeping your distance all morning. Am I a plague patient or something?”

“It’s not like that.”

“Then what is it? Why are you suddenly acting so reserved when you never did before?”

“Really, you’re being quite bothersome.”

Kwon Jwa Woo reluctantly took a couple of steps closer to Hong Woo Geon.

Even so, there was still a considerable distance between them.

“So that’s how you want to play it?”

Hong Woo Geon glared at Kwon Jwa Woo with an expression full of sharp edges.

“If you really won’t come, I guess there’s no helping it.”

“…”

Now it seemed he was finally going to give up.

Just as Kwon Jwa Woo was about to sigh in relief.

Hong Woo Geon strode over to her side with large steps.

“What are you doing?”

Startled, Kwon Jwa Woo backed away as much as Hong Woo Geon had approached.

This time, Hong Woo Geon moved closer to her again by the same distance she had retreated.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

Kwon Jwa Woo made a distressed face, trapped within the large fence that was Hong Woo Geon.

“You’re asking because you don’t know? If you won’t come to me, I have no choice but to go to you.”

“But why do you insist on walking so close?”

Kwon Jwa Woo asked again, unable to understand Hong Woo Geon’s behavior.

Then came Hong Woo Geon’s straightforward reply.

“Because I like it.”

“…!”

What, how can he be so honest?

This makes it difficult to act according to my station.