“My lord, Lord Seong Won Gun. Please come to your senses.”

“Who is it?”

He opened his eyes with difficulty at the voice of someone waking him.

It seems he had fallen asleep in the chair while drinking alone.

“It’s me, Seo Yeom. Why did you drink so much?”

With Seo Yeom’s help, Seong Won Gun went into the guest room and collapsed onto the bedding.

“Sleep a bit and leave when you’re sober. I’ll have someone bring a blanket.”

His mind hazy and head throbbing, he closed his eyes without properly responding.

How much time had passed?

Someone entered the dark room. Thinking it was a servant sent by Seo Yeom, he remained lying down with his eyes closed.

A faint sweet scent came from the clothes of the person covering him with a blanket.

A familiar scent – he narrowly opened his eyes with a glimmer of hope.

Yoon Eun Seol, she was smiling shyly at him.

His irritation and frustration vanished as if it were a lie.

Though he knew he shouldn’t, his hand moved before his thoughts.

He grabbed her arm and embraced her.

Though she seemed to resist for a moment, Eun Seol soon gave in and fell into his arms.

“Just for a moment, please stay like this for a moment.”

Seong Won Gun tightened his arms, not wanting to let go of Eun Seol squirming in his embrace.

He didn’t know what he was feeling.

Whether he wanted to hurt the Crown Prince or if he had unknowingly harbored sinful thoughts, he couldn’t tell.

It didn’t matter either way. What mattered was that she was in his arms now and he wanted her.

Unable to hold back, he laid her down on the bedding and trapped her within his arms.

Just as he was about to press his lips to hers in unbearable thirst, his body froze.

He snapped to his senses.

Drunk, he had made a mistake he absolutely shouldn’t have.

Cursing harshly, he got up and rubbed his face with both hands.

And then he saw the woman lying on the bedding, looking at him with wet eyes.

The woman gazing at him as if it didn’t matter if he toyed with her freely was not Eun Seol, but Yeori.

His insides twisted and he felt irritated.

“You, what are you doing, get out!”

“My lord…”

“Can’t you hear me telling you to leave? No matter how desperate I am for a woman, I’m not desperate enough to embrace a lowly slave. Get out now!”

Seong Won Gun shouted, feeling inexplicably angry.

He ignored the woman who showed her tears with a hurt expression.

“You, were you a woman who would untie her clothes for any man? Does your body ache for any man you see!”

At his biting words, Yeori ran out crying, unable to overcome her shame.

Unable to suppress his rising anger, he punched the wall.

He was skilled at hiding his emotions so that no one would notice.

That’s why he was confident he could hide the ambition he harbored from everyone.

At least until Yoon Eun Seol appeared before him.

That day when plum blossoms were falling like snow, her eyes looked sad, unfitting for the beautiful snow of flowers.

His heart stopped at that sight. And he wanted to touch her.

He wanted to possess her and grew greedy. Knowing it was wrong, he resolved many times.

“Please stop. Get a hold of yourself, Lee Gang!”

Seong Won Gun came outside to clear his head and sober up.

People were still gathered in small groups in the courtyard of the men’s quarters, enjoying the waning party around fires.

To soothe his complicated feelings, Seong Won Gun made his way to Dowon Pavilion.

As he slowly walked towards the pavilion, Woon and Eun Seol came into view.

Standing under the pavilion, Woon was embracing Eun Seol’s waist as she stood on the steps.

Eun Seol’s lips were full of smiles as she looked down at Woon, her eyes infinitely affectionate.

Her lips slowly descended to meet Woon’s. Their kiss deepened.

Watching this, he unknowingly clenched his teeth.

“Elder brother, if you keep doing this, I won’t be able to stop.”

The corners of Seong Won Gun’s mouth twisted as his tightly clenched fist trembled.

* * *

Time was passing quickly in Unyeon Palace as well.

The weather had cooled considerably, signaling winter’s approach.

Eun Seol, who had been looking at fallen leaves through an open window, closed it when told a guest had arrived.

An unexpected visitor had come. Eun Seol handed a teacup to Min Ah sitting before her.

This was their first meeting since last seeing each other on the wedding day.

She had momentarily forgotten about Min Ah after hearing from the Crown Prince that she was living well in the house his father had arranged.

She had worried that Soon Young might try to kill Min Ah.

But Soon Young, preoccupied with Eun Joo’s matter, seemed to have forgotten about Min Ah and remained quiet.

Though she looked a bit gaunt, it was fortunate she seemed to be doing well.

“Drink while it’s warm.”

“I’m sorry for suddenly visiting like this.”

“No, I was very worried since you hadn’t been seen for a while. Have you been well?”

“I’ve been doing well. I came to ask a shameless favor of you, my lady.”

Min Ah bowed deeply.

As she had felt before, Min Ah was proper and neat in a way unbefitting a maid.

After hesitating for a moment, Min Ah slowly opened her mouth.

“My lady… please look after my younger sibling just once.”

“Younger sibling? You had a sibling?”

This was the first she’d heard of it.

Though she didn’t know the circumstances that forced them to live apart, she could clearly feel Min Ah’s concern.

Min Ah paused briefly and took out a paper from her breast pocket to hand to her.

Unfolding the paper, she saw what looked like a map with a location and a name written on it.

“It’s the home of Lady Jung, madam’s maiden family. It’s madam’s maternal family. The name is of my sibling who is a slave there.”

“I heard you came from there, but I didn’t know you had a sibling.”

“It’s a somewhat long story, would you listen?”

Min Ah’s expression looked pained somehow.

Seeing her nod, Min Ah began her story as if resolved.

“My father’s name was Jung Ho Ja Seok, and he was a royal secretary at the time. He was friends with Kang Chi Sung, the younger brother of the mistress.”

Eun Seol had heard that Kang Chi Sung had visited the house a few times, but she had never seen his face.

She had never met Kang Chi Sung or any of Soon Young’s family members.

On days when she was inexplicably locked in the storage room for days as a child, she always heard that Soon Young’s guests had visited.

It was surprising enough that Min Ah was related to Kang Chi Sung, but it was absurd and shocking that she had gone from noble status to being a slave.

“To cover up his own crime, Kang Chi Sung falsely accused my father who knew everything, and because of that, my father lost his life. And then my mother, as well as my sibling and I, became slaves in that household. There, my mother… *sob*.”

Min Ah’s eyes filled with tears as she stopped her story. Her lips and small shoulders trembled.

Sensing it was a difficult story to tell, she quietly waited for Min Ah to calm down.

“If it’s hard, you can tell me later. Take your time…”

“My mother was raped by Kang Chi Sung and took her own life.”

“What? What did you just say? Raped?”

Eun Seol doubted her own ears.

She asked again, unable to believe such an unthinkable story.

Not only did he falsely accuse and kill his closest friend, but he made that friend’s wife a slave and even raped her.

Goosebumps rose all over her body and anger welled up.

“After that, I too was raped by Kang Chi Sung. Suffering such shameful acts every night, I wanted to die, but I couldn’t because of my younger sibling Min Seo. I wanted to protect that child at least. Then when Kang Chi Sung’s wife found out and feared rumors spreading, the place she sent me was Lord Byeong Pan’s house. Even now as Lord Byeong Pan’s plaything, I can’t take my own life. He said if I don’t obey or if I die, he won’t leave that child alone. I don’t care what happens to me, but I want to protect our Min Seo.”

Min Ah could no longer continue speaking and sobbed.

“How could… How could anyone worse than a beast treat a child like their own in such a way? Ha, I’m trembling like this, how much worse must it have been for you. You must have been in so much pain.”

At those words, Min Ah cried silently as if pouring out the sorrow in her heart.

It must have been very painful and difficult. How frightening and devastating it must have been.

Though sorrowful and trembling in fear, Min Ah was only thinking of her sibling’s wellbeing.

Min Ah wiped away her tears and spoke calmly.

“I felt that you would listen, my lady. Among the beasts, only you seemed human.”

“I’ll help. No matter what happens, I’ll bring your sibling, so don’t worry too much.”

“I’m not asking you to right the wrongs. I’m not asking you to do anything about my situation. Just please watch over our Min Seo. Please look after that child so they won’t get hurt.”

Min Ah paused briefly, then hung her head and sobbed.

“I’m afraid Min Seo will find out. If they learn later what happened to mother and me… that child will suffer greatly.”

“That’s not for you to worry about. Even if they find out someday, that’s for that child to bear. If they have an upright character, they’ll overcome it well.”

Though she said that, she was just as worried.

She hoped that even if that child learned the truth, they would endure it well without being too shocked.

“I’m truly sorry about the wedding day.”

At those unexpected words, Eun Seol stared blankly at Min Ah for a while, unable to say anything.

Min Ah carefully spoke while gauging her reaction.

“That night, nothing happened between the Crown Prince and me.”

“I know. I know that nothing happened, and that you went in because you couldn’t resist my mother’s coercion.”

“The Crown Prince seemed to have great affection for you, my lady.”

“How so?”

“Even in his drunken, confused state, he only called your name. That’s when I knew. That the Crown Prince loves you very much.”

Eun Seol chuckled softly, thinking of the past.

To think that the pain of that day could come as such overwhelming joy in this way.

It’s all in the past now. As she told him, that day no longer pained her.

“Are you alright?”

Come to think of it, Min Ah didn’t look well.

She seemed much thinner than before, and her face looked somehow dark.

Then Min Ah’s wrist caught her eye.

From the back of her hand to the part covered by her sleeve, there were dark bruises.

She grabbed Min Ah’s wrist and pushed up her sleeve.

“You… were you hit?”

“…My lady.”

Had he given up on being human?

That man who called himself a father took his daughter-like child away to toy with her and even beat her.

And he cruelly and viciously exploited Min Ah’s most painful weakness.

“Has this happened often?”

“It’s fine now. And I’m used to this now, so it doesn’t bother me.”

“Used to it? How can you say you’re used to being hit?”

How often must it happen for her to say she’s used to being hit?

Her heart ached.