“You’re quite extraordinary too. You’re petite, but your archery skills are quite impressive.”

Now accustomed to the rough military life, Yeonwoo, who had spilled some drink on her sleeve, casually wiped it away. Beside her, a fellow soldier spoke up.

“It seems like not too long ago, you were shaking in fear after seeing a horse. Now, you’ve got the demeanor of a skilled cavalryman?”

“When did we start talking about enemies? Even just looking at this, if we count the enemies I’ve hit from horseback, it’s probably more than my brother.”

“Now you know how to be cheeky?”

Trying to tease Yeonwoo, the fellow soldier prepared a witty response, but she deftly twisted her body to avoid it.

“Oh? Dodged it?”

“Can you dodge a punch from my brother as easily as you dodge arrows?”

“Haha. You’ve grown up a lot. Grown up a lot!”

In response to Dae Bok’s playful banter, Yeonwoo let out a small chuckle.

Though she overcame her initial fear during her first battle, Yeonwoo bravely faced the enemy and fought, contributing to the Gwangho Army’s victory.

Geon seemed like a person born for war.

On the black horse, Geon’s agile movements and sharp swordsmanship were mysterious and captivating.

He overwhelmed the Yeojin with the appearance of a ferocious beast preying on its prey.

The sudden movements of the Yeojin caused various inconveniences for the Joseon soldiers, but with Geon’s quick situational judgment and leadership, along with his courage, the soldiers were able to fight against the Yeojin.

However, despite the joy of victory, a sense of regret grew in Yeonwoo’s heart in the insufficient situation.

‘I miss Lord Gwangho…’

As soon as they confirmed each other’s feelings, the order to advance came.

Now that the war was over, it was time for them to enjoy their own time.

By now, Geon would have returned to the palace.

Yearning to see Geon as soon as possible, Yeonwoo headed home after bidding farewell to her fellow soldiers.

‘Finally, I can spend some time alone with Lord Gwangho!’

Her heart swelled with anticipation at the thought of meeting Geon even for a moment.
With hurried steps, she reached her home when she heard a voice calling her from behind.

“Yeonwoo.”

“!”

At the sound of her name, she turned around to see Biyeong.

Due to the war, they had spent some time together as trainers and soldiers, so personally encountering each other like this was indeed a rare occasion.

After rejecting his proposal, Yeonwoo felt awkward about how to deal with Biyeong.

Yeonwoo approached Biyeong with hesitation.

“Long time no see.”

“You’ve been through a lot during that time.”

“You too. Thank you for your hard work.”

Biyeong wore a subtle smile on his lips.

“Seeing you in battle against the Yeojin, your skills have greatly improved. I should learn from you.”

“…When you say that, it sounds like you’re making fun of me.”

“Have I ever made fun of you?”

“There hasn’t been such a time, but when you say such serious things, it’s confusing whether you’re joking or not.”

When Yeonwoo murmured this, Biyeong began to act nonchalant as if he didn’t hear.

“Then, let me put it this way. Even though I don’t know who your master is, you fight really well.”

“You seemed to have only experienced the skills of a useless farmer during that time.”

“We both seem to have improved our skills. Isn’t that fortunate?”

In the joy of the long-awaited reunion, Yeonwoo chuckled.

As they exchanged this small talk, it felt like they had returned to the time before the awkwardness.

There was still some awkwardness, but Biyeong remained someone precious to her.

Worried that things couldn’t go back to how they were before, Yeonwoo was relieved to find they could still get along.

In response to Yeonwoo’s laughter, Biyeong also smiled.

“Thank you for coming back safely.”

“I’m grateful to you for coming back safely, sir.”

Biyeong slowly observed Yeonwoo’s expression.

After the day of his proposal, he worried about Yeonwoo struggling with the sharp words that came out of his mouth.

Even during the war, he felt Yeonwoo subtly avoiding him, making Biyeong uneasy.

But it was a necessary process. Someone needed to tell Yeonwoo the reality, and she needed time to sort out her thoughts in the midst of confusion.

Gwangho Army was probably the first man Yeonwoo had kept in her heart, making it challenging for her to recover.

Although he wanted to hear her answer to his proposal right away, he decided to wait until she felt better.
Seeing her today, Yeonwoo looked much more relaxed than before. Now, Biyeong thought it was the right time to hear her answer.

Not wanting to delay any longer, Biyeong cautiously asked, “Have you thought about the answer?”

“Yes? An answer… but…”

However, contrary to expectations, Yeonwoo’s bewildered reaction made Biyeong feel uneasy.

“It’s about the answer to the proposal.”

“Sir, I…”

Yeonwoo looked at Biyeong with a puzzled expression.

In that gaze, Biyeong sensed that something was wrong.