"They'll need to leave via the ocean route," Yeong said. "The main gates are blocked by reporters."
Gon nodded. "Will she have everything she needs there? Food, clothes, a security team?"
"The apartment is well stocked," Lady Noh replied. "I can send over a stylist tomorrow."
"I don't need clothes." Tae-eul felt awkward being fussed over. "I brought some with me. Oh, but I left them at the hotel…"
"We'll collect them for you," Yeong made a note on his phone. "Is there anything else you need?"
Tae-eul shook her head. She was suddenly very tired.
"Then we just need some photos for your passport. After that you can go." Tae-eul was grateful to Yeong for handling the logistics, but she wished he wasn't quite so efficient. Just 10 minutes alone with Gon, she thought. That's all I want.
Yeong was giving updates over his earpiece. Hyeon-min was standing in the corner with his hands in his pockets, looking overwhelmed.
Seung-ah had excused herself to brief the social media team, but now appeared at the door looking flustered.
"Pyeha, we posted the photo of your engagement. The response has been, well, a little unexpected."
"How so?"
Seung-a hesitated, searching for the right words. She glanced at Tae-eul and looked a little guilty. "There was already some gossip about events at the ball, but it seems to have spread. We didn't name your fiancé in the post, you see… I'm afraid some bloggers have filled in the gaps."
Tae-eul guessed from the young woman's posture that there was a room somewhere in the palace where phones were ringing off the hook.
Gon sighed and pulled out his phone. He held it up to Tae-eul. She saw 14 missed calls on the screen. "Would you believe that only a handful of people know this number? It's scary how quickly they reach out. Were they all just sitting there, refreshing the page?"
He opened his messages and flicked through a couple. "Ah," he looked up at Seung-a. "I see what you mean." Gon shook his head. "But it's nonsense. They're grasping at straws."
"What is it?" Tae-eul felt a nagging worry. Had they somehow identified her? Did they think Gon was marrying Luna? She wished she could see the posts. She looked across the room and spotted Hyeon-min scrolling through his phone with a frown.
"Wow," Hyeon-min scoffed. He glanced up at Gon with an incredulous look.
"Okay, now I'm really curious. Let me see." Tae-eul held out her hand.
"It's just gossip. It doesn't have any foundation," Gon said.
Tae-eul waited, arm outstretched, until Gon reluctantly handed over the phone. Not sure where to start, she opened a browser window and typed a few words.
As the results appeared, Tae-eul realised she had been living in a state of denial about the status of the man next to her. She knew he was a King, of course, and a very powerful figure in Corea, but she'd never really considered what that meant to the rest of the world until she saw the headlines.
No more than 20 minutes had passed, but there were already millions of posts.
"Engaged! Surprise announcement stuns Corea".
"Hearts break as the world's most eligible bachelor proposes to mystery girlfriend."
One of the headlines jumped out at Tae-eul: "Will our brightest star become Queen of the nation?" She clicked the link and an image filled the screen. Tae-eul flinched. It was a photo of Go Jae Hwa standing inches away from Gon, wearing a stunning backless ball gown and glittering tiara. Tae-eul had to give it to the heiress; she certainly knew how to show off her best angles. Every curve was glaringly visible in the shot. Am I jealous? Tae-eul asked herself, but that emotion didn't quite fit.
The text of the article outlined how Miss Go had requested a private audience with the King earlier that evening. Both Gon and Miss Go had disappeared from the ball shortly after their conversation, leading to speculation that the two were secretly dating.
Go Jae Hwa hadn't made any attempt to deny the rumours, so when news of the King's engagement broke people had started jumping to conclusions.
Why is this bothering me? Tae-eul wondered as she continued to scroll. She couldn't quite understand it.
The comments section of the site was blowing up. Tae-eul felt her stomach drop as she saw what was written.
"How could he fall for her?! She's such a gold digger!"
"She's not even pretty. She'll make a terrible Queen."
"She doesn't deserve him!"
There were curses, insults and even half-hearted death threats scattered among the disappointed outcries. Why are they so angry? Tae-eul didn't know much about Jae Hwa, but she wasn't blind. The heiress could easily have been a model. From Tae-eul's perspective she was downright intimidating.
If they don't approve of her what on earth will they think of me? A creeping panic started to take hold as Tae-eul continued down the thread. It was like being told of a surprise examination and realising she had no time to prepare. It seemed a sure path to crippling humiliation.
Tae-eul squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to cut off the thoughts with a few deep breaths. When she opened them again she found Gon standing before her, brow furrowed.
"Are you alright?"
She wished the rest of the world could disappear.
"Can I talk to you for a moment? Alone?"
"Of course!" Gon didn't need to give any orders. The others suddenly seemed to remember urgent tasks they needed to check up on in other parts of the palace. Myeong Seung-ah gave Tae-eul a sympathetic look as she slipped out the door. Lady Noh and Yeong left with their heads bowed. Hyeon-min gave Gon a long, hard stare, then followed the others out.
Once the door closed Tae-eul felt a breath of relief. They were finally alone.
She turned to Gon. He was trying to read her face.
"What's wrong? Is it the articles?"
Tae-eul shook her head.
"No, it's not that. If you say it's only gossip, I believe you."
Gon looked relieved, then confused. "What is it, then?"
Tae-eul tried to gather her thoughts. A vision came to mind of her hiding in a bathroom stall while snarky millionaires ridiculed her looks within earshot. Tae-eul had thick skin when it came to police work, but the psychological warfare of elite social engagements was another thing entirely.
"I don't think I'd suit a backless dress." Tae-eul said finally. She held up the photo of Jae Hwa. "I'm not the sort of person who goes to black tie events, wears high heels and makes small talk with foreign dignitaries. I don't fit into that world. I don't want to do any of that stuff."
She saw a flash of understanding in Gon's eyes. He took the phone from her hands and placed it on a side table. Taking her by the arm, he then guided her over to the couch and sat down, pulling her down with him. Tae-eul snuggled into his side.
"This is nice," she sighed. Gon put an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.
"All those months we were apart, I wondered how you were doing," Gon's voice was soothing. There was a button on his sleeve with golden flowers set on a backdrop of blue enamel. Tae-eul reached out to trace it. "I hoped you were happy. I care more about that than anything. There's never going to be an event more important than you."
Tae-eul tapped the button absentmindedly. "But what about all the formalities? The expectations?"
"Screw the formalities. If you hate high heels, I'll banish them from the palace. If you don't like the palace, we'll move. If you don't like Corea, we'll go somewhere else."
"Really?" Tae-eul couldn't hide her scepticism. "Even somewhere where people think the world is flat?"
"Of course."
Tae-eul raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, I'd have to open a school at some point. I couldn't let them go on like that. But there's one thing you're wrong about."
"What?"
He bent down so that his chin was close to her ear. "You would look stunning in a backless dress."
"Hey!" She sat up and swatted his arm.
Gon caught Tae-eul's hand. She liked how close they were sitting. He smells like sandalwood, she realised. Tae-eul closed her eyes and breathed in the scent.
"It's been a long day. You must be tired."
Tae-eul nodded and leaned back against Gon's shoulder. "Give me 20 minutes."
"The others are going to think we're having an epic fight."
"You know it's serious when Yeong doesn't come back to check in."
"I'm sorry for all those headlines," Gon said quietly. "I never paid much attention to the press - I just wanted to find you. I should have stopped the gossip earlier."
"I don't mind the headlines," Tae-eul sighed. "It's the comments. People really hate Go Jae Hwa."
"Are you a fan?"
Tae-eul repositioned her head on Gon's shoulder. "I don't want to be someone everyone hates."
"You can be whatever kind of Queen you want."
"It sounds strange when you say it like that."
"I mean it, though. You don't have to be a public figure. Lady Noh was right - you can choose."
"I thought I'd always be a police officer, but lately I don't know. I can't seem to focus at work anymore. Well, the music didn't help…"
"The music?"
"The flute. Did you hear it too?"
Gon was staring at her, eyes wide. He shook his head.
Tae-eul sat up. "Oh man, I thought I was going crazy! But then I found this," Tae-eul reached into her jacket and pulled out the wooden flute. Gon's eyebrows shot up.
"May I?" he asked. Tae-eul nodded.
He picked up the flute and turned it around in his hands.
"I can't believe it," Gon said quietly. "It looks exactly like the Manpasikjeok... Where did you find it?"
Tae-eul ran through the story from the start. "I still don't know how it ended up there," she added. "How can magic like that exist in multiple places?"
"But is it magic? Maybe it's a technology so advanced it just feels like magic."
"Wait a second. Let me get this straight - I find an ancient, portal-opening flute, which helps me cross the universe and find you, and you don't think that's the slightest bit magical?"
Gon grinned. "Fine, I'll give you that."
"Okay good, now apologise to the flute. You hurt its feelings."
Gon's nose wrinkled as he glanced from her to the object in his hands.
"Say 'I'm sorry flute for doubting your magnificence. Please work well for Tae-eul in the future.'"
"Should I go one step further and knight the flute for its services?"
"A measly knighthood? I think it deserves a grander title, like Senior Seventh Rank Official."
Gon gave her a look of horror. "That's Maximus's title! I would never... In any case - there's one part of the story you left out - how did you find the right door?"
"Oh." The memories flooded back. "I didn't expect there to be so many… After all those months, I wondered if you'd perhaps forgotten, like everyone else had, and that's why you never came. But then I saw the doors. I had no idea… I went through one at random and there wasn't even a forest on the other side. It was just rubble."
Gon squeezed her hand.
"Well, it was obvious why you hadn't found me," Tae-eul continued. "I started to think it was hopeless, but then I saw the lilies."
"Ah - of course! I've taken them for granted this whole time. Now that I think about it - it's bizarre that they grew there at all."
"I think you need to give a few more points to magic."
"As long as I don't have to knight each flower..."
Tae-eul smiled and snuggled closer to Gon. They were both lost in thought for a while. A peaceful silence blanketed the room. Tae-eul couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so cosy.
I could fall asleep like this.
"You know, there are plenty of beds in the palace if you're too tired to leave."
Tae-eul froze in place. Was he reading her mind? She didn't know what to say. It's incredibly tempting…
The silence was interrupted by a muffled growl.
"Was that your stomach?" Gon sounded shocked.
Tae-eul laughed awkwardly. "Uh, yea… I haven't eaten much today."
"You should have told me! Okay - stay there. I'll see what I can do." Before she could protest Gon had leapt off the couch and disappeared through a side door.
She missed him instantly. Oh god, she thought, I've already grown dependent.
It wasn't long before Gon reappeared with a tray. "The kitchen was closed, but you're in luck. There are always plenty of treats on my birthday."
He set the tray down proudly, revealing a selection of cookies, sweets and chocolate.
"Looks like a well balanced meal."
"There's some fruit!" Gon pointed to a few yellow balls Tae-eul didn't recognize.
"What are they?"
"Zitrellos. You don't have them in your Korea?"
Tae-eul shook her head. "What are they like?"
"I'm not really sure how to describe it. They're pretty unique. I guess if you crossed a guava, a pineapple and a pear you might get close."
They sounded tempting enough. Tae-eul plucked a zitrello from the tray and bit it into it. A bitter taste filled her mouth.
"Ah! Wait! You're not meant to eat the skin!"
Tae-eul looked at Gon with wide eyes.
He passed her a napkin from the tray.
"Don't worry," he said as she spat out the mouthful. "It's not poisonous or anything. It just tastes awful."
Tae-eul studied the tiny yellow pieces with new skepticism. "What do you do with them, then?"
"You can peel them - but it's time consuming. I like to cut them in half and eat them with a spoon."
"They sound like feijoas."
"Feijoas?"
"I had them once while travelling. They're my favourite. But they don't grow well in cold climates."
"These are my favourite too." Gon smiled shyly. "Sorry for not warning you sooner."
"It's okay. Tell me about the other things here," Tae-eul said, gesturing to the sweets she'd never seen before.
Gon launched into a detailed description of each type. He pointed out the chocolates he used to smuggle into boring meetings, and the bright candies his tutors would reward him with. Tae-eul was mesmerised by how animated he became as he talked, and felt herself leaning in to watch every movement of his face. He has such long eyelashes. And the softest lips.
"You arrived on exactly the right day," Gon continued, "because these are by far the best cookies you'll ever taste and they only get made once a year." Tae-eul shook herself from her daze and took a sample from the plate.
"They can't be that delicious if someone's only making them once a year."
"Ah - but that's the tradition! The recipe is top secret. The palace pâtissier is the only one allowed to make them, and only on the King or Queen's birthday."
"How many do they make at a time?"
"A few batches, I guess. Enough for the palace."
Tae-eul examined the cookie. It was shaped like a five-petaled flower, with a dark red filling of some kind folded into the center.
"Do I need to peel it first?"
"No, but they're highly addictive. So be warned," Gon said, biting into one.
After her experience with the zitrello, Tae-eul's first bite was tentative.
"Oh!"
A rich, buttery taste hit her palate, followed by notes of plum and a honey-sweet aftertaste.
Tae-eul's eyes widened again, but this time in delight. She finished the rest in a couple of bites and went back for a second.
"See? I told you."
Tae-eul couldn't reply for a while because she was too focussed on the plate. She and the cookies were having a moment. After finishing her fourth she looked up and saw Gon watching with an amused expression.
"Are you sure you can't convince the baker to break tradition and make these every day?"
"He'll make them on your birthday, too."
"But that's five whole months away!" Tae-eul grabbed a fresh napkin and started piling cookies in the center.
"What are you doing?" Gon asked, laughing.
"Making sure I have reserves!" Tae-eul folded the edges of the napkin over her precious stash and tucked the bundle into her coat pocket.
Gon laughed. "If I don't see you tomorrow I'll assume you've checked yourself into rehab."
Mention of the next day seemed to remind Gon. "I never asked - what's the appointment you have in town?"
Tae-eul lowered the piece of candy she'd been about to sample. "I'm going to the hospital for some blood tests. Luna's sick. I'm hoping I'm a match so I can donate bone marrow."
Gon stared at Tae-eul in shock. "You're helping Luna? Didn't she stab you not long ago?"
Tae-eul shook her head. "That was a different timeline. Look!" She pulled up the bottom of her shirt. "No scar!"
She'd said it in a light-hearted way, but there was a subtle change in the air. Gon's gaze lingered on the skin of her navel. He slowly reached out and brushed the spot where her stitches had been. Tae-eul thought she might dissolve.
There was a knock at the door. Gon didn't answer, his eyes still fixed on her skin. The knock came again. Tae-eul couldn't ignore it. She flushed to think what conclusions Lady Noh might reach. She jumped off the couch and hurried to tuck her shirt back in place.
"Um, yes?," she called out. Yeong appeared, bowing apologetically.
"It's okay," Tae-eul reassured him. "We were just talking."
Yeong's eyes travelled from Tae-eul's flustered expression to Gon's serious one. His mouth twitched, but he didn't say anything.
"What is it?" Tae-eul asked, trying not to turn a darker shade of red.
"The weather's turning. The harbour master has put out a warning for ships. We'll need to leave soon before the waves pick up."
"Sure." She glanced at Gon. "We'll be out in a minute."
Yeong nodded and disappeared.
"A minute?" Gon said in disbelief. "You shouldn't get his hopes up like that."
"I'm not getting anyone's hopes up," Tae-eul busied herself smoothing down the front of her shirt. She cleared her throat, but the butterflies in her stomach were still going crazy.
Gon walked over. Without saying a word he wrapped her in a hug.
Tae-eul could sense what he was thinking. They were both so lucky; lucky that they were healthy; lucky that they had found each other and could look forward to tomorrow.
"To think this day started off like any other," Gon said in amazement. He checked his watch. "I guess we should get you to that boat before midnight."
Tae-eul sighed. "I wish it was your birthday forever."
Gon stepped back to get a better look at her face. "So that we wouldn't have to say goodnight?"
She shook her head. "So that I'd always have the cookies."
"I can't believe I'm competing with a pastry," Gon muttered, but he was grinning as he led her to the door.
It was raining by the time Tae-eul and Hyeon-min boarded the boat. They headed straight for the cabin and settled into some chairs around a large table. The King's boat was by no means a humble vessel. Every item of furniture, from the plush couch to the ornate wood paneling gave the impression that it was used more for dinner parties than serious ocean adventures.
Hyeon-min looked as tired as Tae-eul. They sat in silence as the captain started the engine and pulled them away from the jetty. The waves felt bigger from inside the cabin. Tae-eul regretted eating so many sweets.
"Are you okay?" Hyeon-min asked.
"Hm?"
"You look like you're about to throw up."
Tae-eul hadn't been paying attention. She was fighting to suppress a wave of nausea.
"Fine. Good. It's just the waves… Can you distract me for a while? Tell me a story. Anything."
"Huh. Okay... Let me think." Hyeon-min was silent for a moment. "There's one thing. It's not really a story but I can't stop thinking about it. When I was growing up I used to have these really strange dreams. I could never remember the details when I woke up - just the feeling of them. They were - how can I put it? - unsettling… like reaching for something in the dark and grabbing thin air. It's hard to describe. But it wasn't like losing a memory. It was different somehow… like trying to remember something that never happened." Hyeon-min ran a hand through his hair.
"I didn't know what the dreams meant, but it was weird... Every now and then I'd run into someone and realise I already knew them, although we'd never met."
The words made Tae-eul's heart ache.
"It was like that when I first saw Luna. I didn't know a single thing about her but all I could think was 'it's you.'"
Hyeon-min paused and shook his head. "That's what's killing me right now. I've been getting that feeling all day."
Tae-eul looked down at her hands. She was clutching them together tightly, her fingers interlaced. "I know I said earlier I used to have a friend like you, but that's not exactly true."
"What do you mean?"
Tae-eul wondered if she'd regret telling Hyeon-min the truth later, but she'd promised him an explanation. She had to try.
"Have you ever heard of the Many-Worlds Theory?"
It was a long story and there wasn't enough time to cover everything, but Hyeon-min managed to keep up.
Tae-eul thought he'd call her crazy when she first said she was from another world, but instead he sat quietly. After a long silence he nodded. "Okay, I believe you."
"Really? Why?" It sounded unbelievable to her own ears.
"Because it's the only explanation that fits."
Tae-eul glossed over the details of her friendship with Shin-jae and his reaction to Gon and Yeong, but Hyeon-min filled in the gaps. "I bet other-universe me wasn't too happy at their arrival."
"What makes you say that?"
"My friend of 10 years starts hanging out with two weirdos who claim they're from another dimension? What guy would be comfortable with that?"
"But one of those weirdos was actually a king," Tae-eul pointed out.
"Him claiming that would have made me even more suspicious."
She didn't know how much detail to go into regarding Lee Lim. Time travel made the story infinitely more complicated.
"Lee Lim was still alive?"
Tae-eul nodded. "Gon had to go back in time to stop him. That's when we got separated. A lot of things changed when the timelines were reset."
"What about the other me? Did Shin-jae remember everything?"
Tae-eul felt her throat tighten. "He wasn't there anymore."
"Why not?"
"I only found out after." She squeezed her hands together. "He died when he was young. There was nothing I could do."
Hyeon-min tilted his head in confusion. "How did resetting the timeline cause that?"
"It didn't," Tae-eul said quietly. "I never met the real Shin-jae."
"Wait - so who was the Shin-jae were you friends with then?"
"He was… a visitor. He didn't remember his real home because Lee Lim had taken him there as a child." How could memories of something that never happened still be painful? "When Gon changed the timeline he disappeared. It was like he never existed."
Her last words fell heavily on Hyeon-min. "Jeez," he closed his eyes and ran a hand over his face. "Don't say any more. I shouldn't have asked."
They sat in silence for a long time. Tae-eul rubbed her eyes.
"I'm sorry you lost your friend," Hyeon-min eventually said.
"It's okay. I think he's happier where he is now."
"Hm. I think he's going to need some serious counselling. Or at least another drink." Hyeon-min craned his neck to look around the room.
"I have something even better!" Tae-eul suddenly remembered. She pulled the napkin bundle from her coat and unwrapped it.
Hyeon-min leaned forward. "Are those birthday cookies?"
"Have you tried them before?"
"Only knock-off versions. Never ones from the palace. Why were you keeping them in your pocket?"
"Because they're precious. Just wait - you'll see."
"They always make such a fuss about these around the King's birthday. There's usually a whole segment on them, or a behind-the-scenes documentary. One year I think they even made a cookie-themed film."
"It sounds like you're excited."
Hyeon-min shrugged, trying to act casual.
Tae-eul nudged the pile closer and propped her chin on both hands, watching expectantly. Hyeon-min picked up one of the flower-shaped pastries and bit into it.
She imagined her reaction must have been quite similar. "Oh man," Hyeon-min said with his mouth full. "I can see why you're dating him."
"Hey! Don't tease your supplier. I can cut you off." Hyeon-min grinned and quickly reached for another.
"Luna's going to flip when she finds out I've had these. She's more obsessed than I am."
"Take some to her," Tae-eul said, pushing the stack towards him.
"Are you sure?"
Tae-eul's stomach was only just beginning to settle. The idea of more sugar made her cringe. "Definitely."
Hyeon-min paused mid-cookie as he thought of something. "Did you meet Luna in the past?"
Tae-eul studied the table. "Kind of."
"Wow, sounds bad. Did you not get along?"
"That's one way of putting it, I suppose."
"What happened?"
"It doesn't matter." Tae-eul said, shaking her head. "It was a different time. She was a different person."
"I guess... But I'm still trying to understand why you're helping her."
"Because I can."
Hyeon-min raised an eyebrow, but didn't push for further details.
"Thank you," he said.
"Any time."
"Will you talk to Luna for me? I want to explain everything, but it will only sound believable coming from you."
"Sure." Tae-eul looked around the cabin to see if the security team was watching. "But I'm not sure Yeong will be pleased that I told you. Try not to release too many blog posts tonight."
Hyeon-min laughed. "As if I'd have the guts to tell anyone. I'd sound completely crazy."
"Welcome to my world."