Chapter 20:

Jung takes Hae Soo in a vacant room in the first floor, putting her down in a bed. Both of them wet from having been inside the pool. Ha Jin releases her hold at Jung and counts one to ten backwards in her head again. Falling in the pool had sobered her up completely and now her mind is busy probing what she just saw. It was Hae Soo and her at the same time. She was seeing her self sinking in that dark water of the quarry and then Hae Soo being held down under the pool by the astronomer.

Why?

Baek-Ah arranges a blanket over Hae Soo feeling guilty for leaving her in the water. So stands at the door watching both of his brothers and Hae Soo, worried sick. He wanted to come to her but his two brothers is already fuzzing over the girl so he had called for a gungyeo instead and have Hae Soo change into dry clothes. The three of them exit and let's the gungyeo do her work.

The three stands in the corridor waiting.

"What are you two doing that you let the girl stay in the water for too long?" Mu scold his two brothers, "You should have gotten her out the moment she fell."

Baek-Ah and Jung could only hold both of their heads bowed. Ashamed of how stupid they acted. They weren't really expecting that Hae Soo would drown. The water only goes up to their waist but they can't reason that with the seja it's still their fault that they didn't do anything.

"Both of you leave, let the girl rest. I'm sure your 8th brother will not let this go in the morning." Mu dismisses the two, angry.

More than worrying about his 8th brother, Baek-Ah is more afraid of Myung Hee. She'll definitely scold him for being careless with Hae Soo.

"And Jung-ah have your wet clothes change before leaving. It's cold outside." Mu addresses his 14th brother, still caring even though he's angry.

Half an hour pass and the gungyeo who was taking care of Hae Soo comes out of her room, carrying Hae Soo's wet clothes. She informs the princes that the lady is doing alright and that she had tucked her to bed already.

Hearing that Hae Soo is doing fine, Mu decides to call it a night and sends his brothers away but no one wants to go back to their quarters. Lady Oh gives them a room at the second floor instead making sure that all of the princes are far from Hae Soo's room. Even a drunken Eun was taken to a guest room at the second floor.

Embarrassed of his brothers, Mu apologizes to Lady Oh for having her Damiwon turned upside down. Lady Oh assures the seja that everything is alright and that she'll take care of everyone so he need not worry. Mu bows to Lady Oh and takes his leave.

Lady Oh instructs his gungyeo(s) to clean the leftovers of the party and have the Damiwon close. Ji Mong sits at a tea table room at the second floor waiting for his aunt.

After the gungyeo(s) clean the first floor and all had left for their quarters at the back of Damiwon, Ji Mong helps his aunt douse the light from the lanterns one by one. They started at the inner pool going into the garden.

Waiting at his room for the whole Damiwon to close, So stands in front of his window, overlooking the pond. He worries for the girl sleeping below his room. He wonders what's wrong with her. Like Baek-Ah and Jung he doesn't think the girl could drown at that waist deep water but she did.

Jung opens his door, careful to not make any sound. He takes a peak at a dark corridor outside his room. When he's sure that no one is around, he goes out of his room and quietly walks to the stairs. As he goes down, he notices the light coming from the outer pool through the semi closed doors. He wonders if Hae Soo is awake and is walking around the Damiwon since she always does that in their compound. He walks to the wall next to the outer pool, taking a peak at the still lighted garden.

"Please tell me you have nothing to do with the girl's drowning this time?" Lady Oh ask straightforwardly to her nephew.

"Mweo? I was at the table drinking with the seja, what makes you think I have something to do with the girl's drowning?" Ji Mong answers nervous.

Does she know I drowned the girl before?

Lady Oh looks at her nephew suspiciously she had witnessed what he did to that girl before at her Damiwon. She was going to go forward and stop him but the 4th prince had arrive at the door. She doesn't have a minute to think about it. She either let him finish whatever purpose he was doing it or she lets the 4th prince finds her nephew and had him hanged for the crime. She chooses to lead the 4th prince at the pond, outside the Damiwon and served him tea first. When she came back inside, Ji Mong is composedly standing at the doors, looking over the outer pool with the girl nowhere in sight. She was going to confront him about it after the 4th prince leaves but the girl suddenly showed up at the middle of the 4th prince bath.

Thankful, Lady Oh releases a sigh to find that the girl is all right but something is wrong with her. She had lost her memories and is acting like she's not the same person anymore. Lady Oh had her suspicions. She doesn't want to believe it. She can't believe it but maybe the girl might just be like his nephew, someone whose soul is not from this time.

"Who is she, really?" Lady Oh asks. "Do you even know her?"

"She's the cousin of the 8th prince' wife." Ji Mong answers automatically.

"And?" Lady Oh waits for more information.

Ji Mong glances back to his aunt, wondering if he could share something about him.

She's my curse and my salvation. She and the 4th prince.

Out loud he asks, "Have you ever heard of that legend about the daughter of the moon?"

Jung freezes on his wall, listening attentively. Ever Since he was a kid, Jung had been familiar with the story behind the lantern festival they celebrate during autumn but he didn't know that it was connected with the Hae Clan until he heard it from Lady Myung Hee when she recalled it to Baek-Ah at Hae Soo's bedside. He was leaning at the wall outside Hae Soo's window back then. He thought the story is ridiculous but when he thinks about it, it makes a lot of sense about his Hae Soo. She likes the sight of the full moon so she always walks during those nights. It even became their scheduled meeting date at the pavilion. Her favorite festival is the lantern festival because she enjoys looking at those round lotus lanterns that resembles the moon. They never talked about that story but she once mentioned that there was that legend being handed down on their family for centuries and that she would love to tell it to him when he comes back from his training at the borders. But she never got around to telling him because she had change after her drowning. Jung wonders now if Hae Soo even remembers the story at all.

"The story behind the lantern festival we celebrate during autumn?" Lady Oh asks, confused as to why her nephew is bringing it up now.

Ji Mong nods, "There's a much longer story behind it. The one you've heard about the lantern festival is the story after the daughter of the moon died."

"Why are we talking about that myth?" Lady Oh glances to her nephew.

Ji Mong smiles a sad smile, looking older than his present age, "Did you know that, that story is originally a legend about the Hae Clan?"

Lady Oh suddenly becomes nervous, she wonders if it's connected to the girl, "What is it all about then?"

Breathing deep, Ji Mong releases a sigh and recalls the story from memory.

So chooses this time to leave his room and visits Hae Soo's. He carefully thread outside his room and stops at the balcony of the second floor where he notice the light coming from the garden. He sees Ji Mong and Lady Oh seriously talking at the outer pool.

Jung, who's hidden in the dark side of the wall, sees his 4th brother coming out at the balcony of the second floor and moves quickly to hide his self at a post. He wonders why his 4th brother is still awake.

So manages to come down to the first floor, quickly without Ji Mong and Lady Oh noticing him but is unaware of his 14th brother watching him. He turns to the corridor looking for Hae Soo's room. As he stands outside her door, he stops and thinks about it for a second. He had visited her quarters back in his 8th brother's household a lot of times before but it was different back then. She was ill and unwakeable. If he goes in to her room now she might be awake and scare her away.

So turns to leave but turns back to the door and opens it in a span of a few seconds. He hates it when he second-guesses his self so he trudges in her room quietly and closes the door behind him, never mind if she's asleep or not. He only wants to see her. That's all.

He sees Hae Soo lying on her left side completely, facing the door. He stands beside her bed and gently pulls the blanket over her shoulder. He had missed her, their conversations, her warm touch even the feel of her small waist inside his arms.

Ha Jin turns, opening her eyes, scared to see someone in her room. She quickly sits up and moves to the corner of her bed.

So steps back, surprised to see Hae Soo awake.

"So hwangjanim?" Ha Jin ask recognizing the 4th prince under the dim light of the lantern.

"Mi-an-hae, kkae-u-ryeo-deon-geon a-ni-yeoss-eo (I'm sorry, I didn't meant to wake you.) I was just checking on you." So swallows, stilling at his feet. He looks composed, he's normal self at the outside but his insides are on knots. "Gwaen-chanh-a?"

It takes a few minutes before Ha Jin calms her heartbeat, still shaken from tonight's incidents.

Not wanting to scare her more, So apologizes again and takes his leave, walking towards the door.

"So hwangjanim..." Hae Soo calls to him and in a small voice, asks "can you take me home?"

So stops, hearing Hae Soo's request. He walks back beside to her bed, anxious "Wae? What's wrong Hae Soo-ya?"

Ha Jin moves to the other side of the bed, standing quickly, "Nothing. I'm fine, I'd like to go home. I just don't know how."

She sides steps around So, looking for her coat.

"Ba-kkath nal-ssi ga, no-mu chu-weo. (The weather is too cold outside.) It would be best to stay here." So watches her movements.

"Then I'll take a coat?" Ha Jin tries to smile, hiding her fears.

So takes a hold of her arm, halting her movements, she can feel her shivering and voices it out. "You're shaking."

"It's just the cold." Ha jin answers, pushing So's hand away but So wouldn't release her.

"Tell me, what's wrong." So asks again,

Ha Jin can feel herself starting to hyperventilate, she holds on to So, shutting her eyes, counting backwards. She wonders how many times did she counted backwards today. This day is full of strange things. On her unconscious dreaming state, she's following a story of that girl who looks like her. On her conscious state, Hae Soo's memory or Hae Soo's future is overwhelming her. She doesn't understand what's happening anymore. She wishes it would all stop or she's going to start losing her mind.

So, who's also confused of Hae Soo's reactions does what his instinct tells him to do. He pulls her to him, her body naturally fitting in his arms. He's not good at these kinds of things. No one had comforted him before so he does exactly what she did for him, he holds her tight and waits for her.

He brushes her hair out of her shoulder, baring her neck to him. He chooses to rest his chin on her bare neck and strokes her back, soothing her. He hopes his warmth can reach her the way her touched had reach him before. He repeatedly assures her that everything is going to be alright.

"Nan mu-seo-weo (I'm scared)." Ha Jin tells So, a pleading on her voice.

"Of what?" So asks as he continuously strokes her back.

Ha Jin doesn't answer. She wants to tell him that she's afraid of that girl who looks like her, of seeing Hae Soo's memory, of that strange ajeossi who drowned Hae Soo.

She gives in to his touches instead and let it comfort her. Their hearts' beat gradually slowing in each other's rhythm. Ha Jin calms down, letting her weight rest on him.

Warmly, tenderly, his touch beckons her to sleep, promising a dreamless slumber. She closes her eyes, tired from today's incidents.

Soon So can feel that Hae Soo had stop shivering and had completely ceded to him. He carries her in his arms and takes her into the bed, gently putting her down. He was anticipating that she would encircle her arms around him the way she did, the first time he had carried her but to his dismay, Ha Jin had fallen asleep. He smiles, annoyed and amused at the same time. How could the girl be so comfortably asleep with a man inside her room, let alone carrying her. He sits beside her bed, tucking her under the blanket. He promises to scold her the next time she's conscious.


Still at the wall listening at Ji Mong and Lady Oh's conversation, Jung had considered one too many times that his Hae Soo does resemble the daughter of the moon. He even offered incense at the Hae shrine that night he had heard the complete story the first time. He was desperate to have his Hae Soo wake that he would believe anything and do anything. Then the next day, coincidentally, she awakes.

Tonight Jung tried to recreate the first time his Hae Soo drowned, at the Damiwon and under a full moon, expecting that he would get back the old her but judging from how she reacted when he pulls her out the water, she's still not his Hae Soo. He's now at a loss with what to do. He hopes Hae Soo was too drunk to realize that it was him who had let her fall into the water.

"I guess I envy the three of them." Lady Oh comments after hearing the story of the daughter of the moon. "At least they never wake alone in every lifetime."

Ji Mong nods thoughtfully considering his aunt's words. It is true that the three of them always awake at the same lifetime together and at one point he did like their lives bound. It was the good part of the curse. He likes waking up in a lifetime where his little queen is existing, his adopted daughter whom he loved more than his real children. It would have been nice to live in a lifetime where she is his real daughter but it is a curse. He's not suppose to enjoy it, rather he's suppose to feel burdened by it so part of the curse is that, he would always awake as a servant to his little queen's prince, doing his bidding no matter what.

"Please tell me she's not the daughter of the moon." Lady Oh asks Ji Mong.

"Of course not, it's just a silly legend." Ji Mong laughs, feigning ignorance.

"Then please take good care of that girl. It would be great if her cousin could make her stay away from the palace. This is a cruel place for a girl like her." Lady Oh warns Ji Mong again not trusting him one bit.

And that's what Ji Mong is nervous about. That prince had always been destined to become a king in every lifetime but his little queen had never like the life inside the palace even on their first lifetime. She's too carefree to be tide down by the grueling life of the throne.

"I am doing my best." Ji Mong answers.

The two finishes their discussion and comes inside the Damiwon, closing the doors in the garden. Jung moves to the other side of the inner pool behind the stairs when he felt that the conversation of the two is coming to an end. They pass him as Ji Mong walks his aunt to her quarters at the back of Damiwon.

Jung comes out long after the two were gone. He walks to Hae Soo's room stopping outside her door. He contemplates knocking on it but that would be disrespectful to her. This might not be her living quarters but it is still a lady's room. He shouldn't be coming to her at the middle of the night. He turns back instead and goes back to his room, missing his 4th brother coming out of Hae Soo's room by a few minutes.


The next day, Lady Oh informs the 8th prince and Myung Hee over breakfast of what had transpired after they both slept. Wook's face darkens upon learning that Baek-Ah failed to look after Hae Soo when he specifically ask him too.

Ha Jin who was awoken earlier by a gungyeo and was sent at the balcony on the second floor to have breakfast with her family, hears the conversation as she goes up the stairs. Knowing that Baek-ah and Jung are in trouble, Ha Jin enters the room happily skipping pretending that last night didn't happen. She covers for the two princes explaining that it was her fault that she fell in the water. She was getting some air to sober up when she tripped and fell in the water. She denies drowning and tells them that she was only drunk so it took quite a while to surface and assures them that she's alright.

Baek-Ah and Jung were still scolded for the better part of the morning and was forbidden to set foot at their 8th brother's household for the next two weeks. So passes the scene at the balcony. Like Wook, So is angry at his two brothers for neglecting Hae Soo. He'll remember to punish Jung tomorrow when their training resumes and Baek-Ah… He can't touch Baek-Ah at the moment since he's not under him but he will find a way to punish him for touching Hae Soo so openly.

Since Baek-Ah and Jung are not allowed to come near Hae Soo for the next few weeks, Ha Jin finds her self with no ride home. She doesn't want to ride with Wook since the 8th prince is seething in anger at the moment and she's afraid to be scolded more. So against her will, she takes the palanquin that Lady Oh had arranged for her.


Back in the 8th prince household, by Ji Mong's request, Mu had sent the royal doctor to have Myung Hee checked and monitored. Ha Jin who was hanging around Myung Hee trying to appease her was subjected to a check up too. She didn't want to but to comfort her cousin and have their anger lift a little, she submits quietly and let the doctor prove to them that she is doing just fine.

In the evening, Chae Ryung knocks in Ha Jin's room, back from visiting her family. She looks better and happy, full of stories to tell her lady but Ha Jin notices the shallow wound in her cheeks.

"Chae Ryung-ah, what happened to you?" Ha Jin asked worried, sitting Chae Ryung in front of her vanity table.

Chae Ryung touches her left cheek, hiding her wound "I-geo-yo? (this?) It's nothing to worry about Agassi. I was playing roughly with my little sister and she accidentally cuts my cheek with her toy."

"Ah jinjja? What kind of toy is she holding that she was able to cut your cheek? How old is she anyway?" Ha Jin rummages in her vanity cabinet, looking for something.

"My sister? She's twelve." Chae Ryung lies not wanting to talk about her encounter with the scary lady. She suspects, the lady she had run into is part of a royal family and it wouldn't do her any good if it gets out that she had offended a member of a royal family.

"I-geo! (Here!)" Ha Jin finally finds what she's looking for, "It's an ointment given by the 8th prince so the wound in my neck wouldn't scar. We should put this on your cheek."

She opens the lid of the ceramics and dips her fingers into it, taking an ointment and carefully pats it in Chae Ryung's cheek. Chae Ryung stills, touched by Hae Soo's concern. She smiles at her lady, embarrassed to be taken care off.

"Agassi, let me do it. I can manage it on my own." Chae Ryung tries to take the ceramics from Hae Soo so she could dot it her self.

"Ani! Na hae deu-ril-ke-yo (I'll do it for you)" Ha Jin returns the smile assuring Chae Ryung.

Chae Ryung could only sit there and let Hae Soo take care of her. Ha Jin finishes doing it and inspects her work carefully.

"Kkeut! (Done!) I-geo ga-jil su iss-da (you can have this!)" Ha Jin offers the ointment to Chae Ryung, "I don't need it anymore."

"Animnida, Please take it back. It's a gift to you by the 8th prince." Chae Ryung refuses it.

"Eiii! I have no use for it. Bad-a chu-se-yo (Please take it.)" Ha Jin insist. She takes Chae Ryung's hand and puts the ceramics in it.

"Kam-sa-hab-ni-da Agassi." Chae Ryung reluctantly receives the ceramics not wanting to offend her lady.


At the break of dawn, Jung finds him self running up the hills beside their palace. He had been completing ten rounds of running here every morning for the past one week courtesy of his 4th brother. He had to be back to the training grounds before So finishes his own round of sword routine which usually last for two hours. If So finishes first, he'll be given another ten rounds so he hurries in spite of the cold and the fatigue.

After he finishes his run, he only gets a 15 minutes break before he and his 4th brother will have their sword sparring. Even though So holds back with his parries, Jung still always ends up in the ground with a new bruise somewhere in his body.

By the afternoon, Jung is just about ready to crawl to their class with his brothers. He had always hated this class before, finding it boring. But these days, he would give anything to stay inside these classes just so he could rest.

Baek-Ah finds Jung at the steps of the pavilion where they usually hold their classes. None of their brothers have arrived yet and Jung looks like he's about to die of exhaustion.

"You look worse everyday." Baek-Ah comments as he sits besides Jung, amused.

"I feel worst. I think our 4th brother is trying to kill me with our trainings." Jung answers about to throw up.

Baek-Ah laughs, "You asked to train under him, why are you complaining?"

"I'm just about ready to pass out now." Jung answers and lies on his back in the floor. "Do you think I've offended our 4th brother? He wasn't like this with me just last week."

"Ya, i-reo-na! bang-ba-dak i chu-weo (Get up! The floor is cold.)" Baek-Ah tries to pull Jung up. "I'm sure So hyungnim is only giving you the training you've asked for so don't begrudge him."

"Kue-re? I'm still dying in here." Jung answers playfully slapping his brother's hand away. "Do you think we're allowed to see Hae Soo already?"

"I doubt that. Even Myung Hee refuses to see me. What were you doing with Hae Soo in the pool anyway? How did she end up in water?" Baek-Ah asks looking at Jung.

"Mol-la. (I don't know). I guess she was dizzy from being drunk. I was trying to maintain my distance from her when she suddenly fell in the water." Jung feels guilty about lying, "I should have caught her before she fell in."

"Gwaen-chanh-a, it wasn't your fault. It's just her luck. Do you think we should really teach her to swim the way Eun hwangja had suggested? Maybe it would do her good." Baek-Ah asks, seriously considering the idea of teaching Hae Soo to swim.

"Kue-reol-kka? (Should we?) Maybe she should stay out of the waters." Jung answers, glancing back at his 13th brother. "Keunde, is Hae Soo and our 4th brother close?"

Baek-Ah thinks about it for a minute, "Not that I know of. I've never seen them talk before, maybe because he saved her in the cliff?"

"Hae Soo had addressed him in banmal the way she does with you and Eun hwangja. Are they close now?" Jung looks at Baek-Ah still lying on the floor.

"Chal mol-la (I have no idea), I'll ask her when we get to see her." Baek-Ah answers, then glances at Jung, a mischievous smile forming on his lips "Are you jealous?"

Jung hits Baek-Ah on his back, sitting-up. He reaches on his neck, playfully choking him. They squabble for a few minutes. On a normal circumstances, Baek-Ah would never be able to best Jung even on a playful match but with Jung too exhausted, Baek-Ah easily pushes him away, both of them laughing. Jung is back on his position lying on the floor too tired to move.

"Do you think Hae Soo likes our brother?" Jung asks out of energy.

"Hae Soo is affectionate to everyone these days. I worry that people will misinterpret her actions and they might think that Hae Soo is giving them special attention when she's just like that to everyone." Baek-Ah answers back to sitting on the steps.

"Not to me." Jung tells Baek-Ah. "I think she's only hanging out with me because you and Eun Hwanja are around. I don't think she'll stay with me, if the two of you are not there."

Jung's statement rings true in every sense. In the beginning, after he came back from his training in the border and Hae Soo had just recovered from drowning, she was more relax and affectionate around him but when Jung made a mistake of putting his arms around her, the night she walked in on him, sleeping at the pavilion, she became distant. He doesn't know if she had finally remembered something but if she does, wouldn't she come back to him.

Back in the stream, when they were riding going to the temple, up Mt. Songak. He had a feeling that his Hae Soo is about to tell him that whatever they had is already over but he didn't want to admit it. So he had stopped her from finishing her sentence and asked her for a time instead. He's hoping that with time, she'll remember him and come back to him of her own accord. He can wait for her. He's still rising in rankings anyway. He's hoping that by the time he's already a general, Hae Soo would have all her memories back and if not, he'd still pursue her then. Openly, when the right time comes.

Since then, he and Hae Soo had been hanging out together, always with Eun and Baek-Ah but never just the two of them.

"Jin-jja?" Baek-Ah asks not noticing it. The four of them have always hangout together just fine. He thought that the distance between the two of them is because Jung is just being a proper gentleman with her so no one would notice what their relationship is.

"So… are you two still an 'is' or a 'was' now?" Baek-Ah asks curious.

Jung laughs it out, not answering. He already knows the answer to that question. He just doesn't want to confirm it.

Eun arrives a few minutes later. Playfully stepping on Jung at the floor. Jung winces at Eun's antics, pushing him away.

"Ya! I heard you got us barred from our 8th brother's household!" Eun kicks at Jung, playing with him. "Why am I also not allowed to see Hae Soo too? I was already asleep when it happened."

"Eii hwangjanim! Ku-man-hae, nae-ga jin-jja juk-kess-eo. (Please stop, I'm dying here.)" Jung hugs his 10th brother's foot, preventing him from kicking him. "Mi-an-hae hwangjanim."

"You better talk to our 8th brother or I'm really going to kill you." Eun threatens his 14th brother, looking like a 6th grade bully.

"A-ra-seo, a-ra-seo." Jung answers taking his 10th brother's threat as a joke.


Ha Jin sits tensely in front of the table, where she and the 8th prince hold their classes on late afternoons. Wook sits on his personal table facing Hae Soo's side. He had just came from his afternoon classes at the palace and is now busily attending to royal papers he took home to work on. These days, he comes to the palace in the morning to attend to his royal duties, goes to class in the afternoon and teaches Hae Soo afterwards.

Side glancing at the 8th prince every now and then, Ha Jin couldn't concentrate on her studies. The 8th prince had been giving her a cold shoulder since the incident at the Damiwon. She thinks he's angry with her for being clumsy and getting everyone in trouble again. A few days in these tense atmosphere and Ha Jin is reduce to chewing her lower lip and with no idea what to do. She had repeatedly apologized to the 8th prince but Wook wouldn't say anything. He even refuses to look at her.

Wook for his part, is not angry at Hae Soo because she had caused trouble again, he is angry more at his self for entrusting Hae Soo to his brother. Baek-Ah failing to protect Hae Soo is also a failure in his part. He doesn't know what he would have done if he lost Hae Soo over something as trivial as drowning in a waist deep pool because of his brother's negligence. Now he wouldn't let her out of his sight nor let any of his brothers near her.

Ha Jin stands from the table, unable to take the tension. She walks in the shelves, taking her book with her. Walking always helps her to concentrate and retain what she's memorizing.

Wook looks-up watching Hae Soo pace in between shelves. He puts down his brush at its holder and rests his back at the chair. He was going to get a book from the shelf but with Hae Soo standing there, he decides to stay in his chair and finish reading the decrees.

Quietly, Hae Soo mouths the words she's memorizing, testing the hanja on her lips. She unconsciously turns her back from Wook, slightly leaning at the shelf. Every now and then she'll pace the length of the shelves or sit by the window when she gets tired. Wook continues with his work finishing the papers that needs to be drawn for the decree.

When it gets a little dimmer, Wook stands up and lights the lantern around his study chambers, starting with the nearest to him going to the shelves. Ha Jin is still busy memorizing the words, sitting below an unlit lantern in the wall, facing the corridor of the shelves. Wook walks to where Hae Soo is, intending to light the lantern above her. Ha Jin looks up as Wook comes nearer, finally noticing that the place is a little darker. She stands up, getting out of way and positions her self to the wall next to the lantern. Wook didn't bother to acknowledge her and just proceeds with lighting the lantern.

"Hwangjanim, I'm done with the words today. Shall I recite it now?" Ha Jin asks timidly.

"Pil-yo eops-eo. (You don't have to.) You can go back to your room now." Wook turns around after finishing lighting the lantern, walking pass Hae Soo without looking at her.

Feeling guilty for making the 8th prince angry, Ha Jin couldn't stand the tension between the two of them anymore and reflexively reaches at Wook's arm, stopping him from leaving.

"Hwangjanim…"

Ha Jin's touch automatically sends Wook's heart in double time so he takes away his arm quickly from Hae Soo's, unintentionally pushing Hae Soo away.

"How many time do I have to remind you that you shouldn't be touching people so carelessly?!" Wook shouts at Hae Soo momentarily losing his composure.

Ha Jin steps back, taken aback by Wook's anger.

"Are you a kid? Are my words too hard to understand? How can I make it clearer to you? Enlighten me?!" Wook continues to advance at her until there's no more space for Hae Soo to move back.

"Choe-song-hab-ni-da hwangjanim, choe-song-hab-ni-da." Ha Jin had never seen an angry Wook before.

"For what?!" Wook grabs Hae Soo on both sides. "Do you even know what your touch brings to people? Are you even aware that your drawing them to you?!"

Ha Jin flattens herself at the wall, looking at Wook. She's more surprised than afraid, not sensing that Wook is dangerously close to losing his self-control. Wook would like nothing but to close those few inches of space between their lips, wanting to know what would it feel like to possess someone you like the most. He had always reined his wants, confined to observing what is correct and right but he'd like to leave those confines just once and have a taste of what is beyond those restrictions.

"I'm sorry for carelessly touching you your highness. I didn't mean to be disrespectful. I only wanted to express my concern." Ha Jin apologizes again looking away, embarrassed.

She's misunderstanding Wook's anger. She thinks its because of her manner towards him is disrespectful that's why his angry.

Wook tightens his hold at Hae Soo, looking at her looking away. He comes closer an inch to Hae Soo's lips but goes to Hae Soo's side instead, closing his eyes and releasing a sigh.

A servant announces Yeonhwa's presence at the door and opens it letting Yeonhwa in. Yeonhwa looks up from the door, seeing her brother and Hae Soo at the wall. Her face darkens as understanding dawns on her.

"Ka. Ka-ra! (leave!)" Wook releases Hae Soo and commands her to go. "eo-seo! (leave now!)"

Flustered, Ha Jin scrambles away, tripping in her feet as she leaves.

"Choe-song-hab-ni-da. Choe-song-hab-ni-da.Choe-song-hab-ni-da." Ha Jin bows and apologizes profusely again.

Wook stays where he is, facing the wall. He's trying to calm himself, refusing to look at Hae Soo or his sister.

Ha Jin bows to Yeonhwa before exiting the study chambers.

Long after Hae Soo exits, Wook turns around composed but annoyed. Yeonhwa holds herself, thinking how to go about what she just witnessed. She wonders if Hae Soo is aware or she's too innocent to know. She decides to confront her brother first.

"What is it you need Yeonhwa-ya?" Wook sits on his chair in front of his personal table, directing his sister to sit in front of him, all business.

"What do you think are you doing with that girl?" Yeonhwa ask standing in front of the table.

"Am I becoming too lax these days, that even my own sister is being discourteous to me?" Wook looks at his sister, pointing out her manners.

"Choe-song-hab-ni-da orabeonim." Yeonhwa apologizes for forgetting her manners, she bows to give greeting to his brother and sits in the chair in front of him.

"What can I get my sister?" Wook ask in a very politely tone signaling at Yeonhwa that he's not in the mood to play around with her.

It is seldom that Yeonhwa hears her brother address her in a very formal tone and when he does, she knows not to mess with him.

"Do you like the girl?" Yeonhwa ask straight to the point.

"You do not come in, in my study chambers and question what I do with my household." Wook answers in a controlled tone.

"Orebeonim!" Yeonhwa is aware that he's brother is not in the mood to argue with her but she argues with him anyway, "Might I remind you that she is your wife's cousin."

"And?" Wook cuts Yeonhwa's sentence.

"Orabeonim!" Yeonhwa answers back.

"Weren't you watching our 4th brother just the same? Please don't think that I am not aware of what's going inside our household. I've been looking the other way around, aren't I?" Wook answers.

"It's not the same!" Yeonhwa argues back, "I am trying to get you to that throne to save our clan."

"I already married Myung Hee for political reasons? Their clan is enough to protect us already, what else do you want?" Wook didn't want to say it out loud as a respect to his wife but his sister is getting on his nerves at the moment.

"I want the throne! In a few years, that throne will pass to our first brother but do you think the queen's clan will allow that? They've already made a move at the seja's life, they will try again and what would happen to us if they succeed?" Yeonhwa tries to drill some sense to her brother.

"You do realize our 4th brother belongs to the queen's clan you're so worried about but you'd still…"

"And that's why I need to marry him! He holds the power of the two most powerful clan in our kingdom, I wouldn't put it pass our father to give him the throne instead of our first brother." Yeonhwa cuts his brother's sentence before Wook could finish.

"Yeonhwa-ya!" Wook chastises Yeonhwa for talking so carelessly about the royal family.

"A-ra-seo! You can have the girl, she's a Hae clan anyway but please consider making a move towards that throne. We need it, if we want to survive." Yeonhwa stands from her sit, bowing to give greetings and dismissing her self.

Not waiting for her brother to acknowledge her, Yeonhwa walks away.

"Yeonhwa-ya, I forbid you to tell anyone what we have just talk about. I trust that you won't be putting my household in chaos." Wook calls out to Yeonhwa as she reaches the door.

Yeonhwa turns around, "The girl is not aware?"

Wook doesn't answer.

"So tell me, whose leading who?" Yeonhwa looks at her brother, curious.

When she saw them a while ago, it seems the girl is quite innocent, unaware of his brother's advances. She wonders if the girl is plain slow or she's really good at playing this game but she'd seen the girl with her other brothers. She's the same to each and every one of them so Yeonhwa doesn't think Hae Soo is giving anything special to her 8th brother. Besides the girl isn't that cunning to pull off something like that.

She observes her 8th brother now, wondering how to ask the girl without letting her know of what her 8th brother truly feels for her.


"Agassi, agassi, il-eo-na-se-yo. ppal-li ka-se-yo, (Get-up and hurry my lady!)" Chae Ryung shakes Hae Soo to wake.

"Yaish jin-jja! Please let me sleep some more Chae Ryung-ah. It's too early." Ha Jin answers, pushing Chae Ryung away.

Chae Ryung brings a bowl of water and proceeds to wipe Hae Soo's face with a wet towel, no time to put her in a bath. She dresses a sleeping Hae Soo who refuses to open her eyes. She drags her out of her room, putting a coat on her and brings her to the foyer of daechung, where small boxes of dried medicinal herbs are arranged in neat rows.

Ha Jin's consciousness finally wakes up at the sight of the familiar dried herbs she saw at the temple up Mt. Songak.

"Woah! Dea-bak-i-da, jinjja! (This is really amazing!)" Ha Jin exclaims approaching the boxes and inspecting it one by one.

Seated inside the daechung, having breakfast are Myung Hee and Wook. They come out to greet Hae Soo, finding her exclaiming to their surprise.

"Did you like our gifts?" Myung Hee asks Hae Soo, approaching her.

"Wah unnie, no-mu choh-a-hae-yo, kamsahabnida. (I really like it, thank you!)" Ha Jin hugs Myung Hee and lets her go quickly going back to the familiar medicinal herbs she's so used to handling back in the present times.

"Our 8th prince told me, you've enjoyed seeing the apothecary at the temple so he had ordered all of this for you." Myung Hee explains as she watch Hae Soo go through the boxes.

"Mian-hae-yo, it took so long for it to be delivered. The monks at the temple had made sure you only get the best of their produce." Wook apologizes, no trace of anger anymore.

Ha Jin turns at the sound of the 8th prince's voice. She wanders if she is no longer angry at her. She stands up and greets the 8th prince formally.

"Kamsahabnida hwangjanim, you didn't have to get me all of these. I'm sorry that I'm such a burden to you." Ha Jin thanks and apologizes Wook at the same time.

"Gwaen chanh-a, seon-mul-i-ye-yo. (It's a gift for you)." Wook answers letting Hae Soo rise.

"Jam-kkan-man-yo, o-neul i, nae saeng-il-in-ka? (Wait, is it my birthday today?) Why am I being given a gift?" Ha Jin asks, bewildered. Her real birthday on the present day falls on May, she never thought of asking Chae Ryung for Hae Soo's birthday before.

Even though everyone around Hae Soo had accepted that she doesn't remember anything, sometimes it still surprises Wook and Myung Hee when she asks these kinds of information, these things that she, herself, should know about. Myung Hee and Wook can't help but exchange worried looks.

Ha Jin notices the exchange, nervous that she made a mistake.

"Aniyo, ni saeng-il-i a-ni-ya, (Today is not your birthday.) Your birthday falls on late spring." Myung Hee answers, smiling at Hae Soo so as not to alarm her.

"Ah keu-re-yo? bom-i-ye-yo (spring then.)" Ha Jin turns, going back to the boxes to hide her mistake.

Does Hae Soo have the same birthday as me?

Ha Jin resolves to ask Chae Ryung later, for Hae Soo's birthday.

"A few more boxes will come, let's have it stored at the storage first." Wook explains watching Hae Soo. "What do you plan to do with them?"

"Bi-nu! (soap!) I mean bath essentials. I'll make one for everyone." Ha Jin answers smiling, looking at her ingredients.


On a pavilion not far from the other pavilion that the princes hold their classes, So sits face to face with his tutor, looking like he's ready to die of boredom anytime soon. It's the afternoon and his having one of his classes on his own. Mu and Ji Mong pass at a corridor over looking the pavilion. Mu stops to observe his 4th brother.

"Ji Mong-ah, why is my brother alone again?" Mu asks looking at his brother on the other side of the courtyard.

"Ahm... he's always been alone wangsejanim?" Ji Mong answers not getting Mu's question.

"When is the girl coming in to join him? Hasn't it been a week since I commanded it? Did my 4th brother refused again?" Mu's face darkens in annoyance.

"Ah Hae Soo? I heard Lady Myung Hee and your 8th brother is not allowing her to step even a single foot out of their compound and your other brothers are not allowed to visit her too for the time being. I think Jung and Baek-Ah hwangja are being punished for neglecting the girl at the seollal dinner." Ji Mong answers.

"Kue-re-yo? I shall have a talk to my 8th brother then. Our 4th prince has nothing to do with the incident anyway, I don't see why the girl shouldn't join him for a class. Besides, it would benefit the girl to get educated along side the prince." Mu glances at Ji Mong.

"Kue-reoh-seub-ni-da! (That's right!)" Ji Mong answers readily not bothering to hide his amusement. "Ah wangsejanim, your 8th brother is at the other pavilion, having classes with the other princes."

"Let's pay him a visit then." Mu smiles as both of them heads to the direction of the other pavilion.

Arriving at the pavilion, Mu and Ji Mong waits in a corridor not far, letting the princes finish their class before approaching the 8th prince.

After class, Wook hurries to go home to teach Hae Soo. Eun follows behind him, wanting to talk.

"Hyungnim, why can't I visit Hae Soo I was dead drunk seated in my chair that night. I have nothing to do with her drowning. Although I would have swam the second I saw her fall in the water." Eun tries to convince his brother. He'd been doing this for the last one week but Wook never wavers.

"Leave Hae Soo be for a few days, she needs to rest anyway." Wook answers for the nth time. He had lost count on how many times did he had this conversation with his 10th brother already.

Wook sees the seja and Ji Mong before they even arrived at his side. He bows to give his greetings. Eun turns to the direction where his 8th brother is bowing and does the same thing.

"Ah Wook-Ah chal chi-naess-eo? (How are you?)" Mu greets his two brothers and lets them rise. "I hope the two ladies of your household are doing well."

"Yie hyungnim, both of the ladies from my household are grateful for the royal doctor you have sent." Wook thanks his first brother.

"Keu-reom, I'm expecting Hae Soo to enter the palace next week. I'm sure I made myself clear to our 4th brother that it isn't a request but a command." Mu smiles, reminding Wook that his command applies to everyone not just their 4th brother.

"Choe-song-hab-ni-da hyungnim, my wife and I are worried that Hae Soo might not do well inside the palace since her health and manners are failing lately but I'll accompany her and make sure that she's in their class next week." Wook smiles hiding his strain.

"Joh-da! (great!) I'll see her next week then." Mu claps the back of Wook, good naturedly.

"Oh! We're finally allowed to see Hae Soo again?" Eun asks, watching the exchange between his brothers.

"Aniyo, you stay in your class Eun-ah." Mu answers smiling.

"I'll see her after then, I'll walk her home." Eun's face lights up at the possibility of walking Hae Soo home. His mind wanders else where, not listening to his brothers anymore.


In the evening, Yo was called to his mother's quarter to have dinner. When he arrived, Jung is nowhere of sight, unable to come to their dinner because of exhaustion.

"Did your 4th brother went to see his mother already?" Queen Yoo asks pertaining to her 3rd son seeing Lady Shinjuwon.

"Not that I know off eomeonim. My 4th brother usually spends his time training with Jung or attending royal meetings in the morning and goes to his class in the afternoon. His evenings are spent in the sky tower with the astronomer and the seja." Yo reports in between eating.

"What does his mother want this time?" Queen Yoo asks rhetorically.

"Lady Shinjuwon refuses to stay inside the palace, taking up accommodations on one of her clan's household in the city." Yo answers. "I don't think So is keen to see his mother at all."

"It doesn't matter. He can have his son for all she wants." Queen Yoo puts a meat on Yo's bowl of rice, placating him. "I have you and Jung, that's all I ever need. The throne needs to belong to my son and you will give it to me."

Yo smiles enjoying his mother's attention. He thought that their relationship would be strained after he made a move to ask the king to let his brother stay but their mother approved it seeing it as a chance to draw So to their side. They just have to use that card on him on a good opportunity.

"How is the plans for the building of those luxurious quarters for Chinese envoy coming?" Queen Yoo asks.

"Ah, it still on the planning stage but the king is allocating quite a huge budget on it seeing as the materials needs to come from China. He wanted it designed after the palaces in China, using Yue ceramics for roof tiles. A small palace on its own." Yo explains.

"Then the control of treasury will be in our clan." Queen Yoo smirks, a habit that Yo had come to adopt.

"I will have a meeting with the other ministers soon, excluding my brothers who are holding seats." Yo answers.

"Kue-reom do that but beware of your 8th brother, he is after all from the Hwangbo clan. The other queen will not just sit and watch her son get discarded this time. He holds the power of two clans at the moment." Queen Yoo warns.

"Yie eomonim. I will take heed." Yo answers in between eating.

He wonders how the girl is doing these days. He haven't told their mother about Hae Soo. He is still testing his theory about her ability to control two of his brothers. He succeeded threatening So with her, it remains to be seen with Wook.


So wanders outside their palace gate, wanting to visit Hae Soo at his 8th brother's compound. But with no excuse to see the girl, he strolls in the plaza instead, killing time and walking his restlessness.

An inconspicuous man in a black clad coat is following So the moment he steps outside the palace gate. So had been aware of his presence from the beginning. He knows someone had been following him these past few days. Sometimes this man, sometimes it's a different one but always, they only follow him if he steps out of the main gate, never inside the palace.

So calmly walks in the alleys of the market with no destination in mind. Soon he comes to a deserted dark alley and ducks into a blind corner, waiting for the spy to pass him by. He takes the knife on his belt and holds it coolly with his right hand.

The spy turns the alley where So was walking a few minutes ago and finds him no where in sight. He quickens his steps looking for the 4th prince. He unknowingly passes the blind corner that So ducked into.

So grabs the unaware spy and pushes him to the wall where he was hiding a while ago. He puts his right arm on the spy's neck, choking him while his left hand holds the spy's right arm, preventing him from moving away.

"Who sent you?" So asks devoid of emotion, looking more dangerous by the minute.

The spy stills on his feet, feeling the 4th prince' knife shallowly cutting underneath his jaw. "Your mother wants to see you."

"What mother? The king's mad consort?" So asks knowing the answer already.

"Yie hwangjanim." The spy answers, trying to calm his heart but is not fooling So.

"Weren't you trained to stay calm and emotionless when facing a possible death? What would Guem Sun say when he finds out his subordinate is trembling right now?" So plays with his prey.

So was trained like the rest of the subordinates of that man, with a sword always hanging above his head, under a threat of death all the time. Any sign of emotion, even a skip of heart beat merits a punishment.

"Choe-song-hab-ni-da…"

The spy apologizes but that was a mistake. So's right hand suddenly opens handing the knife to his left hand that catches it and in one swift arc motion, stabs the spy precisely in between his upper stomach and just below his heart. The wound is fatal but it will not kill him instantly. So grazes his heart with the cold blade just enough to wound it but not completely cutting it so the spy would die slowly and painfully, bleeding out to death.

Still holding the dying spy against the wall, So comes to his left ear and whisper, "If you live long enough to pass my message, tell the crazy consort, I am never coming back."

So takes his knife as the spy slowly crumples to the ground, holding on to his wound. He wipes his knife on the spy's sleeve, cleaning the blood in it. He then stands-up and walks away like nothing happened.