6

A Blunt Blade is More Dangerous Than a Sharp One

Nokdu and Dongju jumped away from each other on seeing Dongju. Danho hurriedly got to his feet and Dongju looked between them, puzzled. Nokdu cleared his throat, stuffed the lip paper back into the box and stood up too.

"Oh, Dongjuya," he said with a dry laugh and gestured at Danho. "This man here just came by to give me something…"

"He definitely looked like he was going to give you something…" She muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"I'll…" Danho spoke suddenly. "I'll take your leave." He hastily nodded to the two of them and exited, slipping on his boots and rushing off. As soon as he was out of sight, Dongju closed the door behind her and turned to Nokdu with a smirk.

"What? Are you so much in character that you decided to get yourself a boyfriend?"

"Stop it."

"You know, an actual girl would never have let a guy enter her room in the kisaeng house at this time so freely…"

"But I'm not an actual girl."

"Right," Dongju snickered and laid out her bed. "I'm going to sleep," she told him and pulled the covers over her body. "Oh and by the way…"

"What?"

"Nice lip tint."

"Shut up…"

That very night on an island not too far away, Nokdu's father stared into the sea, letting the breeze calm him. So lost was he in thought that he didn't notice that Master Hwang had joined him.

"What are you thinking so hard, Jung Yunjeo?" Hwang asked, worry evident in his voice. Yunjeo sighed.

"I need to go find my son," he said simply.

"He was quite determined when he left," Hwang admitted. "But…" He put an arm on Yunjeo's shoulder reassuringly. "I wouldn't worry too much. Our Nokdu can take care of himself."

Jung Yunjeo nodded lightly and Hwang escorted him back into the house to rest.

x-X-x

Danho let out a low, deep breath as he lay flat on his bed with his fingers interlocked across his chest and tried to relax. But every time he was on the verge of falling asleep, his mind began to wander into a dreamland where all he saw was… Lady Kim. His brain took him back to earlier today and kept replaying the scene in his head when he was helping her with the rouge paper. He couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful she looked with her pink lips and hair tied back loosely behind her slender neck.

He had only known Lady Kim for a few days but the instant comfort with her was something that puzzled him, even though he was aware that the fact he could be himself around her because she knew the truth about him probably had a part to play in that. The rapport they shared in the few times he had met with her felt like they had been friends for a much longer time and that put him at ease… something he had been having a hard time with lately. It was strange; he couldn't explain the pull he had towards her. He had never felt this way about a woman before and as comfortable as he was with who he is, these mixed feelings were making him think.

"You are quieter than usual today," a silky voice came from beside him and Danho's eyes snapped open. He had almost forgotten that he wasn't at home but in Yeo-wool's room, where he had come straight after giving Lady Kim her birthday gift when he anticipated he would have trouble sleeping that night.

"It's nothing," Danho said shortly and Yeo-wool pouted.

"Are you sure there's nothing you want to say to me, darling?" He questioned, batting his eyelids for effect. Danho groaned and turned away to lie on his side.

"Just sleep," he grumbled and squeezed his eyes shut. He heard Yeo-wool scoff and lay down himself.

"Why come here if all you wanted to do was sleep," Danho heard him grumble before he drifted off.

x-X-x

Dongju opened her eyes and it took her a few seconds to register why she was sleeping outside her room by the door. She sat up, remembering how she decided last night that she was taking the fact the Lady Kim was actually a man too lightly and had made arrangements to ensure that he didn't leave her sight and cause any trouble.

"Does your mistress know you're dating other people?" Dongju narrowed her eyes at the man pretending to be Lady Kim.

"I'm not – yah, is this really necessary?" He looked between them; Dongju had tied their hands together through an opening in the door with their beds arranged on two sides of it.

"I can't just let you walk about freely," she explained. "This is the only way I can make sure you don't go wandering at night doing who knows what."

She tucked herself into her bed outside the door and there was a brief silence before the man spoke in a soft voice.

"I'm in love with my mistress," he said. "You have nothing to worry about."

She knew he was saying that as an assurance that he wouldn't be any danger to her but if she was being honest with herself, she knew that wasn't something she needed to worry about; she didn't believe he had bad intentions. Strangely, the statement was having another effect on her altogether, one she hadn't seen coming.

Jealousy.

She was envious of this mystery woman for being on the receiving end of that kind of staunch love. But she wasn't going to let him know that.

"Sure, if you say so."

Unfortunately, she had fallen asleep. She sat up and saw breakfast set on a table with a note that said 'Off to work at the Distillery'. Dongju couldn't help but smile at that.

She was just finishing folding up her bedding outside her room when she saw Administrator Yeon Geun walk up to her.

"Miss Dongju, is Lady Kim in her room?" He had a shy smile on his face and Dongju had to hold back her amusement on the administrator's obvious interest in 'Lady Kim'.

"Ah, she's gone to the village," Dongju told him. "I think you may have just missed her."

"Oh dear, she really shouldn't go around alone like that," Geun said, worry all over his face. "It's not safe."

"Huh?"

x-X-x

"Why didn't you wake me?" Danho hissed, hurriedly putting on his jacket and boots.

"You looked so peaceful in your sleep," Yeo-wool purred, leaning back and clearly enjoying the moment. "Besides, who am I to miss out on my chance to ogle your beautiful face? Especially since you never spend the night…"

"You know why," Danho snapped at him. "I can't risk getting caught." Yeo-wool's face changed immediately.

"Yah, you know it's safe here, right?" His voice had gotten gentler with no hint of the flirting that Danho was used to. "None of the women here would ever –"

"I have to go," Danho interrupted and stepped out before Yeo-wool could say any more. He took a quick look around and walked away, feeler safer the more distance he put between himself and Yeo-wool's room.

I can't believe I let this happen. What if someone saw?

He casually strode towards the entrance, so lost in his thought of being spotted that he crashed into someone.

"Hey! Watch where you're… Park Danho?" Danho's eyes went wide as he saw the last person that he wanted to be seen by like this.

"Lady Kim." Danho cleared his throat and straightened his clothes. "What… What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just on my way to the distillery. Goodbye, then!" Lady Kim began to walk away but Danho stopped her.

"Wait! Let me walk you there."

"Walk me? It's just around the corner," she said waving him off.

"Ah, but I heard there's a dangerous man on the loose."

"The only dangerous man here is you," Lady Kim teased. "And you know very well I have the skills to take care of myself." She paused and tilted her head as if she just realized something. "Wait, what are you doing here at this time?" Danho stiffened and to his horror, felt his cheeks begin to warm.

"I…"

"Oh… you came to meet your friend? It's quite early…"

"No, I was actually leaving –"

"Ohh, so you were here all night?" Lady Kim was now grinning in amusement as Danho squirmed.

"Kim Gwabo, please," he pleaded. "Someone might hear."

"You worry too much," she flashed him a small smile and Danho noticed something as she began to walk away.

"By the way, Lady Kim…" She turned her head to look at him questioningly. "You look pretty today."

From the multitude of expressions that crossed Lady Kim's face on his words, he didn't know who was more shocked – Lady Kim on receiving the compliment or himself from disbelief that he had actually said that out loud to her. After a moment, she scoffed.

"You just want a compliment for your gift because I'm using it today, don't you?"

"Of course."

Both of them burst into laughter.

x-X-x

Min Deul-re frowned as she studied the sketch in her hand for the tenth time that day. Even though the drawing of the man they were chasing had now been slightly modified with the scar across his face and the flatter nose, she still couldn't help but shake off the feeling that he looked so familiar to her.

Tucking the folded picture into her belt, she began walking towards the distillery when she saw three other Muwoldan woman along with Lady Kim walking out of there. Suddenly, An Jung-Sook tripped on the steps and before Deul-re could react, she saw Lady Kim grab the woman before she could hit the ground. She watched as Jung-Sook remained in Lady Kim's arms and stared at her.

"Oh my, Lady Kim, my heart fluttered for a moment there," Jung-Sook said with a surprised smile as Lady Kim helped her stand straight. "If only you were a boy!"

Min Deul-re held back from rolling her eyes at Jung-Sook's statement as Lady Kim laughed awkwardly. The women went their own way and Min Deul-re shook her head at how dramatic Jung-Sook could be sometimes.

"If only you were a boy…" she repeated with a short laugh. "That is just…"

She paused.

A boy…

Min Deul-re hurriedly unrolled the sketches that she was carrying on her. Her eyes widened as she took in the drawing once more with a whole new perspective.

Could it be…

She looked up to see Lady Kim in the distance walking towards her room at the Kisaeng House before studying the image of the man again. She tilted her head as a possibility began to form in her mind.

Is Lady Kim… not who she says she is?

Deul-re had always been a bit wary of the new widow from the start and she wondered if that was playing a part in her suspicion.

But she really does look a lot like the person in the picture…

She considered sharing her thoughts with her fellow Muwoldan to get an unbiased viewpoint but dismissed the idea. Unlike her, they actually seemed to like Lady Kim so she figured she would need more concrete proof than an intuition-based hunch to convince them… if she was right.

She decided to follow Lady Kim and see if she could pick up anything that could support her theory.

Lady Kim had already gone much further ahead but it wasn't hard for a trained fighter like Min Deul-re to catch up, even with her limp. She clenched her fist; if her hypothesis was true, she would be on the tail of the man who was responsible for her limp in the first place.

She spotted Lady Kim in the distance, now being dragged to the side by Dongju, with whom she knew she shared a room. Deul-re wondered if poor Dongju had any idea of the possibly dangerous situation she was in.

She followed them from a safe distance just beyond their view as they turned a corner and entered their room at the Kisaeng House. They shut the door and Deul-re put her ears to the wall. Dongju's voice came through clearly.

"Are you same person who broke into the village?"

Deul-re gasped in anticipation as she felt herself nearing the truth but waited to hear more. There didn't seem to be a reply to the question because Dongju continued to speak.

"I heard the women around talking. They say the missing man is a criminal and a womanizer." There was another pause before she spoke again. "I need you to leave."

Deul-re waited in bated breath as she listened for Lady Kim's response, possibly the last bit of proof she needed to be absolutely sure of her real identity.

"I'm hurt that you think I'm even capable of all those horrible things."

Min Deul-re felt a chill go across her body.

That voice.

That man's voice.

It took her back to the day she had gone to that island on their leader's orders.

Min Deul-re glared at the man who had ripped away her mask and held her in place.

"Who are you?" He asked. "Why did you attack us?"

She kept silent; she wasn't going to let him drag any information out of her. However, to her surprise, the man was pulled off her by another older man and she was able to get away without any trouble.

Min Deul-re instinctively drew her dagger; she had gotten the proof that she needed and was just about ready to barge into the room and bring the man in… but she hesitated. If the man really was dangerous, she figured it would make more sense to gather some back-up before taking on the intruder.

She sheathed her blade and dashed into the woods as fast as her limp would allow her.

x-X-x

Danho wondered what it was about the missing man that had everyone around the Kisaeng House talking about him, especially since this wasn't the first time a man had tried to break into the Widow Village. It was true that he had been ordered by Lord Yulmu to keep an eye out as well but he doubted half of the things he was hearing about the man were based on actual facts.

Normally when there was an influx of gossip floating about, he prided himself in rising above it and finding amusement in the fact that people got entertained by the most uninteresting things.

This time however, felt different. He was still unaffected but instead of feeling unamused by the way people were engaging in baseless rumors, he found himself worrying… about Lady Kim.

Thoughts about what would happen if Lady Kim came across the man plagued his mind even though he knew she could take care of herself. So imprinted was she on his mind that he didn't realize he had stopped at the gate outside her room in the Kisaeng House. Without him noticing, the ghost of a small smile tugged at the end of his lips as he watched the beautiful Lady Kim arrive with Dongju and enter the room, shutting the door behind them. He was about to walk away when he saw something that immediately wiped all hints of the smile off his face.

He spotted a woman in a widow's hanbok standing outside Lady Kim's room appearing to secretly listen in on whatever conversation was going on inside. To his horror, he watched her pull out her dagger and his hand instinctively flicked towards the sheath of his own sword.

Is she… planning to hurt Lady Kim? Why?

Before he could come up with a good reason, he watched her put her weapon away and run into the woods. He stretched his neck.

"I guess I should ask her myself," he muttered and followed her.

It wasn't difficult for him to catch up with the woman, she seemed to be injured and had barely covered any ground before he was able to stop her.

"Don't move."

Park Danho had his long sword out, its tip lingering close to the back of the woman's neck. She slowly turned to face him.

"What are you doing here?" the woman asked, an expression of pure displeasure on her face. She clearly knew who he was. He didn't specifically recognize her but thought it was safe to assume she was from the Widow Village. And with her level of comfort brandishing a knife, there was a good chance she was part of the Muwoldan Corps.

"Haven't you heard the stories of what it is that I do for a living?" He tested her, taking a step closer as the woman's eyes narrowed at him. "I just need to know why you're planning to kill Lady Kim." To his annoyance, she simply scoffed at him.

"Why do you even care?" She spat. "You don't know anything about her."

"I don't see why I need to explain myself to you," Danho hissed back, not letting her words about Lady Kim get to him.

What could she possibly know that would warrant her saying something like that?

She began to turn and limp away from him and Danho leapt in front of her again, bringing his sword back to her throat.

"I can't let you leave without knowing that you won't return for Lady Kim," he said simply.

"What is your problem? Do you want to die?" She yelled, suddenly pulling out her dagger and clanking his sword out of her face. Danho let out a short laugh.

"You're either very brave or very stupid," he said slowly, spinning and twisting the end of her own blade towards her with his own, "if you think you can challenge me to a sword fight."

"You're full of yourself," was all she said before pushing him off with all her strength, her hand now outstretched with her dagger pointed at him. Before Danho could taunt her with a comeback, she came at him with a renewed ferocity that had him stepping back as their blades clinked back and forth at each other.

The woman was relentless; Danho was almost impressed by the way she held her own even with her limp and a smaller knife to her disadvantage. She even managed to nick the back of his palm before he finally overpowered her when she stumbled to the ground; he held his sword steady right beneath her chin as she looked up at him with her persistent glare.

"Are you going to kill me?" Her voice rasped out. She was breathless from their fight but her eyes showed no sign of fear.

"You know I won't have any trouble doing that," Danho said, keeping a straight face.

That wasn't exactly the truth.

It had been evident to him for a while that his secret life as an assassin was starting to take its toll on his conscience. Yes, he liked to let people believe that they had reason to fear him but the reality was, he was eliminating his targets lesser than before, usually sending them into hiding or scaring them off that they'd never show up in the same place again. His subconscious guilt manifested as a poor appetite and an inability to sleep for the most part but strangely enough, he hadn't been afflicted by either lately… ever since Lady Kim came into his life.

His killer instincts were what had led him to this situation right now with this Muwoldan woman. But now that he was here, he realized he hadn't thought about what he was actually going to do when he got the chance to kill her.

At this point he wasn't even sure if he was going on his instincts or if he was being strangely… protective.

"I'm going to ask you one more time," he growled at her. "Why do you want to hurt Lady Kim?"

"You should just kill me."

"What?"

"Kill me," she repeated defiantly. "Because there is no way that I'm going to let Lady Kim be." Her words made Danho's blood boil.

"What is it that you have against her!" Danho shouted, his grip on his sword tightening with anger. "Did her father-in-law pay you to find and kill her because she ran away after her husband's death?" To his annoyance, the woman began to laugh, a small trickle of blood dropping off the corner of her mouth.

"You really are as stupid as they say," she sneered. "Just the muscle for Lord Yulmu –"

"Don't!" Danho clenched his fist in response and nearly gave in to his killer side when a voice echoed in his head.

"Let's work towards a day when we can both finally do whatever we want to."

Lady Kim's words to him on that beautiful day when that they sat in the sun together played back in his head; words that gave him hope that maybe it was possible that even someone with a past like his was capable of being redeemed.

Maybe one day I can leave all this behind and start a new life somewhere. A normal life.

"Tell me…" he said, bringing his blade deeper into her neck, breaking the skin. "Tell me why you're after Lady Kim or I'll slice your throat so slowly, you'll be wishing for an instant death."

"Too late," she responded with an unsettling grin. "You won't be getting anything out of me." And before Danho could react, the woman took her dagger and pierced it through her chest.

"No!" He threw his sword to the side and she crumpled to the floor. He warily checked to see if there was any chance of saving her but she simply bled out and stared back at him with glassy eyes.

He was shocked but recognized what she had done; this was in all likelihood an act of self-execution that he suspected the Muwoldan had been trained to resort to when cornered for information.

No. This wasn't supposed to happen.

He couldn't believe it; he was now responsible for the death of yet another person.

Forget redemption, I'm not deserving of it.

Unable to think of anything better to do, he placed her body in the bushes close to the nearest river with the hopes that someone would find her and give her a respectful burial. He washed his hands vigorously in the stream, scrubbing harder like it would cleanse him of what he had just let happen. Despite everything, in the midst of all this, he could only think of one silver lining.

At least, Lady Kim would be safe now.

x-X-x

Kim Sook regarded her core Muwoldan members as they all sat in the back room of the distillery, a space where they held meetings and received orders for missions. She was seated across her colleagues An Jung-sook and No Yeon-boon while an empty spot remained for the one person left to join them.

"Min Deul-re isn't here yet?" Ssook wondered out loud and Yeo-boon shook her head.

"She told us that she had to go check on something." Kim Ssook supposed Deul-re could be updated later.

"Let us start," she said, placing a folded piece of paper on the table and tapping on it. "This is the man we are going to kill tonight. And it's in the heart of Hanyang so we can't make a scene."

"Ah, yet another jerk who thinks he can sacrifice the widow who gave him a grandchild…" Yeo-boon grumbled. "I'll make it quick and do it myself right away."

She moved to get her uniform and Ssook watched her approach the storage room that was right across from where she was sitting. But just as the door was opened, someone fell through the shutters and into the room making Yeo-boon cry out in shock.

"Kim Gwabo?"

Ssook saw Lady Kim, who was now hunched over on the floor and in seconds, surrounded by both Yeo-boon and Jung-sook with their swords aimed at her throat. She got to her feet and walked up to her.

"Lady Kim… what were you doing back there?" Ssook stared at the frazzled widow who awkwardly smiled before lending an explanation.

"Oh… I was looking for a ring that I saw here earlier this morning. I thought I could sell it to make some money..."

Under normal circumstances, Ssook wouldn't have had to be this cautious; but the sensitive information they had been exchanging earlier wasn't something she wanted falling on outsiders' ears. Yeon-boon crouched down to look straight into Lady Kim's eyes.

"How much of that did you hear?" She questioned, her usually relaxed face now serious. Ssook watched Lady Kim's reaction carefully.

"Did you mean… the part about killing someone?" She flashed another awkward smile and Kim Ssook then whipped out own her blade to join the others. To her surprise, Lady Kim still continued to speak in a calm manner.

"Let me do it for you."

Ssook wasn't sure she had heard correctly.

"What?"

"Let me prove myself to you and the team by taking up this mission."

"And you will not use this chance to run away?" Jung-sook spoke up.

"It's not like you will let me," Lady Kim replied. "I'm the sole earning member of my family right now and simply working in the distillery won't fulfil my requirements. I need this." Ssook thought for a moment before taking the other two women aside and discussing their options.

"We need another recruit anyway," Yeon-boon shrugged.

"We've got nothing to lose," added Jung-sook.

"Let's try her out," Ssook nodded and the three of them walked up to Lady Kim, who was now looking back at them expectantly. Ssook was skeptical about the task getting done but she found herself curious about the new widow.

"What's your real identity, Kim Gwabo? Have you even killed before?" She asked. Lady Kim sighed.

"No, I haven't but I've seen loved ones die. If this job can make me enough money to save my ill parents, wouldn't that make it worth killing for?" Ssook mulled over Lady Kim's words and picked up the folded paper she had left on the table.

"Here's your first assignment," she said, handing the paper to Lady Kim. "Do this and we'll give you a chance to work with us. Besides," she added with a dry smile, "It will be another mess to clean up if we kill you here."

Lady Kim swallowed nervously.

x-X-x

Park Danho stood before a seated Yulmu and stared as his mind registered what he had just been instructed to do.

"Ne?"

"I said…" Yulmu repeated patiently, "I need you to find that Muwoldan who had been sent to capture the islanders and question her. You know, the one that came back with a limp."

Most of the time that Lord Yulmu came to Danho with seemingly privileged information, he was never sure of the source but knew he had eyes and ears in many places; he was a Prince within the palace walls after all.

The mention of that Muwoldan with a limp incited a mild panic within him but he kept a straight face. He knew exactly who Lord Yulmu was referring to; he was barely getting over letting the woman die not too long ago. He responded; his voice unwavering from years of experience masking his emotions.

"Why?" He asked simply and Yulmu's eyes widened.

"Park Danho," he started, his smile still eerily lingering on his face as he spoke, "Did you just question my order?"

"No, I –"

"It's alright," Yulmu waved Danho off, "You are my loyal friend after all. Sometimes I forget, forgive me." Danho couldn't tell if Lord Yulmu was being sincere at this point but continued to listen. "That woman was the only one to have actually seen the man everyone is looking for and I get the feeling she knows more than she's letting on. I need you to find out what she knows… with whatever means necessary," he added with a knowing look.

Danho knew that look; just one glance from Lord Yulmu played back all the previous instances of having to do questionable errands for him in his head. At the time, he had been able to pull them off like a dutiful soldier who cared about nothing except getting the job done but now…

The image of a brightly smiling Lady Kim suddenly flashed across his mind.

Now… he cared.

"Is that all?" He asked, those being the only words that Danho could bring himself to say.

"Ah, one last thing," Yulmu added, getting to his feet. "She's a liability so once you're done with her, I need you to get rid of her," he said smoothly without a hint of hesitation.

I'm already ahead of you there.

Danho lightly bowed and followed Lord Yulmu out of his quarters as he escorted him to the kisaeng house where he usually spent every other evening. It was only when they got there that they noticed the commotion that seemed to be unraveling outside the place. Danho could see the kisaeng Mae Hwa-soo in tears and watched a very dolled-up Dongju being led into a palanquin.

"Danhoya."

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Looks like there's something else we need to do first."

x-X-x

"What are you doing here?"

Dongju's bewildered look didn't surprise Nokdu; not only was he currently dressed in male clothing but he was probably the last person she expected to see in the room of the man who had reserved her services as a courtesan. Nokdu hadn't really planned to be there either; he was on his way to do his first assignment for the Muwoldan when he saw Dongju being escorted away. When he overheard the kisaeng Mae Hwa-soo crying about Dongju being taken by the same man who had created the ruckus on Nokdu's first day at the Kisaeng House, he knew he had to do something.

He was only momentarily torn between continuing his Muwoldan mission and seeing if he should get involved in Dongju's situation because of how his last conversation with her had gone…

"I'm hurt that you think I'm even capable of all those horrible things."

Dongju was silent.

"So that's it?" Nokdu said resignedly. "You are just going to kick me out?"

Shortly after that he was crossing the bridge connecting the kisaeng house to the Widow Village with his bag in hand while Dongju quietly trailed behind to see him off. He looked back at her and she avoided his eyes.

"Take care," was all she said. Nokdu sighed.

"Fine, I guess we will both do our own thing. It doesn't matter," he started to walk away when he heard her call out.

"Wait!" She ran up to him and to his surprise, she began to fold up his sleeve revealing the cut he had inflicted on himself to sell his story about being attacked by the 'missing man'. She held his wrist and began to wrap a strip of bandage cloth around his cut. He felt a glimmer of hope that she might change her mind about telling him to leave but she simply finished and let go. "Goodbye then."

Dongju may have sent him off but Nokdu couldn't abandon her. He had then gotten an insane idea about how he could save her and rushed to Madam Cheon to run it by her and to find out where she was taken. Cheon was apprehensive at first but finally agreed and even suggested a short cut to the Nobleman's annex so he could get there before Dongju. He had entered the room as Lady Kim but while waiting, had changed into a men's hanbok he found there just to surprise her.

Now he just had to figure out how he was going to tell her what he had done to get her out of this.

"You look happy to see me. And shocked," he said, amused by Dongju's expression.

"How did you –" She shook her head. "What is going on here?"

"It's simple," he smiled at her. "From today onwards, I'm going to be…"

He paused for dramatic effect and took a step closer to Dongju who appeared to be frozen in place.

"I'm going to be…"

He took another step and their feet were practically facing each other. He smiled again at her look of utter confusion and finally said it out loud.

"I'm going to be your mother."

Dongju blinked.

"What?!"