7

Sometimes Happy Memories Hurt the Most

Nokdu couldn't help but smile at Dongju's disbelief; somehow it also felt nice to be standing before her dressed as a man.

"M-O-T-H-E-R," he spelt out. "I've come to take my daughter home."

"Wait… argh, I have so many questions," Dongju shook her head. "Why are you helping me? Did you really spend money to adopt me just so that I can be free of this? Why?"

"Well, I need to stay in the village but you keep kicking me out, so I thought…" Nokdu muttered. "Wait, are you still worried that I might be a pervert?"

"No, a pervert would have spent his money on women but you didn't," she said matter-of-factly. Her expression softened at which Nokdu's face lit up.

"Ohh, then were you worried about me?" He teased, knowing she would snap back at him. To his surprise, she simply nodded.

"Yes, I was," she said softly and Nokdu felt his heart race… until she continued. "Everyone will think I'm crazy for hiding an obnoxious jerk…"

"What!" I'm not–"

"Thank you," she said timidly. "You saved me from having to become a kisaeng and so I will help keep you hidden in return," she added. With a smile, Nokdu took Dongju's hand and pressed her thumb in ink before she could react and blotted her fingerprint on a piece of paper he had prepared earlier on the table.

"You can thank me with this," he said with a grin. "It's a promissory note saying you will pay me back."

"What?" She frowned and turned the paper towards her. "70% interest?!" Dongju gasped as she read through the note that he had unwittingly gotten her to sign. "You could be arrested for charging this much!" Nokdu smiled; he didn't really care about the money as much as having an excuse to keep Dongju from running away without telling him.

He liked having her around.

"You're so annoying," she grumbled and just as they moved to leave the room a voice came through from outside the door.

"Dongjuya!"

Nokdu scoffed; he knew that voice. Lord Yulmu himself had shown up to play the hero again and come save Dongju.

Too bad I beat you to the chase.

"I should go before he comes in," Dongju said, almost apologetically.

"Just keep him talking so I can change."

Dongju slid the door shut behind her and Nokdu hurriedly switched back into his women's hanbok. As he tied his hair back with a binyeo, he listened to the conversation outside.

"Why are you here?" Dongju asked. There was a pause.

"You look beautiful," Nokdu heard Yulmu say. He rolled his eyes, setting his hair in place and wearing his bag before stepping out the door. Just as he did, three pairs of eyes shifted their attention to him; apart from Yulmu and Dongju he spotted Danho in the back looking surprised to see him. He lightly nodded with a shy smile at a now confused looking Yulmu.

"Gwabonim?"

The four of them walked back to the Kisaeng House together. They moved silently in a scattered line until Nokdu felt Yulmu rush past him to catch up with Dongju; for some reason that made him clench his fist.

This guy, seriously…

"What's wrong, Kim Gwabo?" Nokdu didn't take his eyes off Yulmu even as Danho joined him. He cleared his throat.

"Nothing, I'm just being a concerned mother," he said quickly, hoping Danho didn't see through what was in all likelihood jealousy.

"Mother? Did you adopt Ms. Dongju?" Nokdu could sense genuine curiosity in his voice. He was however more concerned about something else.

He got the nagging sense that they were all being watched. His eyes darted around as he kept the conversation going without looking at Danho.

"Yes, I care about her a lot," he said, still unable to shake off the feeling that someone was following them. "Now we as a family don't have to stay at the kisaeng house anymore. We got our own place," he added, finally stopping for a moment and turning to Danho who was now looking at him strangely.

"You're moving into the Widow Village?" He asked softly, taking a step closer to Nokdu.

"Oh, yes," Nokdu responded. "We probably won't see each other much anymore," he pointed out. He began to walk again, not having noticed the flash of sadness across Danho's face.

"That's too bad. I enjoy talking to you," Danho said simply, walking by Nokdu's side with his shoulder straight and arms behind his back like he always did. Nokdu abruptly stopped in his tracks, convinced whoever was behind them was getting closer.

"Really? Me too," he said absently, walking ahead and continuing the conversation like everything was fine, hoping to throw off whoever was keeping an eye on them. He was so distracted he didn't see Danho's jaw nearly drop at his statement.

"W-What?"

"Ah, we're home!" Before Danho could react, Nokdu joined Dongju and went ahead.

x-X-x

Kim Ssook watched from behind the foliage as Lord Yulmu and Park Danho walked away from the Kisaeng House gate, having escorted Dongju and Lady Kim inside.

Lady Kim was supposed to go on her mission today and Kim Ssook couldn't help but wonder why she was here instead with Dongju turning in for the night.

Did she really think she could slack off on her first mission if she wanted to impress us?

She stepped away from the shrubs and scoffed, unable to decide whether she was annoyed… or intrigued.

There was definitely something mysterious about Lady Kim and Kim Ssook couldn't help but feel like she wanted to know more before leaping to any judgements.

"I thought you might be looking for me."

Kim Ssook whipped her sword out and spun around to see Lady Kim, who looked unfazed at having a weapon in her face.

"Why didn't you go through the mission?" She asked, not loosening her grip on the knife.

"I only delayed it," Lady Kim explained calmly, "For today, I just thought that saving a person was more important that killing one."

Kim Ssook hesitated; she couldn't bring herself to disagree with Lady Kim's reasoning.

"I should kill you for not doing your job," Kim Ssook growled.

"But you won't," Lady Kim responded instantly with a small smile. "You're curious about me, I can tell." Kim Ssook was silent, narrowing her eyes at her before putting away her dagger.

"Alright, I'll let this go since you saved a life. But if you do anything suspicious in the meantime, I'll kill you right there. Understood?"

"Y-yes. Understood."

x-X-x

Dongju sat on the floor facing the wall and groaned, unable to believe her luck. She and the man masquerading to be Lady Kim had finally moved into the Widow Village that morning. Their departure turned out to be a small event of sorts with Mae Hwa-Soo, Madam Cheon and weirdly enough, Administrator Yeon Geun coming to see them off even though they were just moving next door. The administrator claimed to be there under the pretext of doing their paperwork for the Widow Village but Dongju had a feeling the poor man was still crushing on 'Lady Kim'. She would have loved to tell him the truth but she had a promise to keep.

Both her and 'Lady Kim's big plans of having their own space had been quashed when they found out there was only a single small room available in the village that the Yeolnyeodan decided 'mother and daughter can share'.

Seated in the other corner, 'Lady Kim' didn't seem to be much happier about the situation either. He was facing away from her and fidgeting with his clothes when he finally spoke.

"It's just for a short time so let's just deal with it," he said in his normal voice. Dongju sighed.

"Fine," she said shortly, unsure what to say next. She could vaguely hear the Yeolnyeodan women outside excitedly talk about getting Lady Kim to join their team. She turned to look at him, only to see 'Lady Kim' stand out to leave the house. "Where are you going?"

"There's nothing in this house except a blanket. I'm going to the market to get dishes and other things," he said, stepping out.

"Then I'm coming with you," Dongju said, quickly hopping to her feet. "I need to make sure you don't spend all 'our' money." 'Lady Kim' looked back at her with her sweetest smile.

"Don't forget, you're going to have to call me Eommeoni from now on," he teased in a fake motherly voice.

"Really?" Do you really want me calling you Mother?" Dongju questioned him. They stared at each other for a split second before shuddering at the very thought.

"Let's just go."

Shopping for things at the marketplace turned out to be more fun than she imagined. They managed to buy the things they need, distribute the chores for the home between them – she would cook and he would clean – and she ended up finding herself amused by 'Lady Kim's unbridled enthusiasm for candy.

"You want some?" He offered her a red and white pinstriped marble of candy while he had at least a couple in his mouth, making his cheeks pop. She politely declined, watching him scamper away with his bag when something caught her eye. She walked up to a seller with two tiny chicks running about in a basket.

"Found something you like?" 'Lady Kim' popped up from behind, startling her.

"What? No," she waved him off and walked away.

What's the point anyway? Who knows if I'll survive long enough to see them grow after I do what I have to do?

She and 'Lady Kim' began to head home through the woods when she spotted a swing hanging from a tree in the distance. The image set off a rush of memories in her head; happy ones that she had with her family… that she could never have again.

Mother, Father, I promise I will avenge you.

x-X-x

Madam Cheon took a moment to let what Kim Ssook informed her sink in.

"Are you sure?" She asked. "Min Deul-re is missing?"

"She had left saying she is going to look for the missing man," Kim Ssook informed her. "But she's been gone too long… far too long for us to not suspect something is wrong." Madam Cheon nodded, her face heavy with worry.

"We'll need all the help we can get," she said plainly.

"We have chosen Lady Kim as a possible candidate," Kim Ssook offered. "We will do a test of her skills to see if she's fit and go from there."

"Good."

x-X-x

Nokdu could tell something was weighing on Dongju's mind as they walked away from the market towards their home at the Widow Village. She had seemed particularly preoccupied when they walked past a tree with a swing.

Maybe I'll bring her back here for a ride on it when she is up for it.

"Kim Gwabonim."

Nokdu and Dongju stopped in their tracks and saw three of the Muwoldan women standing before them. One of the grabbed Nokdu's arm while Kim Ssook nodded at him and spoke.

"We need to talk," she said, giving him a look that made it clear that whatever they had to discuss was meant for his ears only. He bowed lightly in understanding and turned to Dongju.

"You go ahead," he said with a smile. "I'll see you later." Dongju didn't look too sure but agreed and walked away anyway. Nokdu then shifted his attention to the Muwoldan team who pulled him to the side. Kim Ssook spoke in a hushed voice.

"We have a task for you and this time… we won't take any excuses."

A short while later, Nokdu resumed his walk back home thinking on his assignment.

"Your document says you are the daughter-in-law of the nobleman Park Jong-Chil," Kim Ssook pointed out. "We need you to steal his beloved elephant statue from him."

Nokdu let out a short laugh. The name he had provided as his in-laws was a fake one; he had used the name of the father-in-law who had come searching for the widow he had run into when trying to enter the Widow Village at first… the real Lady Kim. But now, the fact that he had to steal from him was an amusing situation to be in, at the very least. He was so distracted by the scenario he nearly walked into someone… only to see that Park Danho was standing before him.

"Oh? I thought I was supposed to see less of you," Nokdu chuckled.

"I'm happy that's been proven wrong," Danho said with his distinctive straight face. "On your way to your new place?"

"Yes, was in the market to buy things for the house. What are you doing here?"

"I'm meeting a friend," he said, looking straight at him at which Nokdu grinned in understanding.

"Ah, your special friend!" Nokdu exclaimed and Danho's eyes went wide.

"What, no! I was talking about you," he said hurriedly, fidgeting in embarrassment and reaching out to grab Nokdu's bags. "Let me carry those for you," he said but Nokdu shook him off.

"I can do it myself," he scolded Danho and narrowed his eyes at him. "Besides, don't you have anything better to do? Like going around assisting Yulmu with whatever it is he needs to impress the kisaengs, I don't know." Nokdu had meant it as a joke to tease Danho but feel oddly guilty when he saw Danho's face fall.

"I'm not his lapdog you know," he said quietly, looking away. "Unlike what most people think."

"True, that might just be something that only the kisaengs call you," Nokdu agreed with a shrug. "Everyone else however seems to only know you as the best swordsman in Joseon."

Danho looked up at Nokdu's words, his eyes hopeful.

"And who do you believe?" He asked, his deep voice low and somber.

"I believe you're wasting your talent shaving ice for that annoying person," Nokdu scoffed and began to walk again with his bags.

"Annoying person?" Danho questioned, running behind Nokdu to catch up. "What exactly do you have against Lord Yulmu?" Nokdu stopped and Danho went on. "Is this your idea of being motherly because he has an attachment to your adopted daughter? They've known each other since childhood."

"Hmph. Whatever," Nokdu grumbled and began to walk away again, dragging his feet.

"And speaking of wasting talent, I remember your sword skills from that night we met. Planning to let it go?"

Nokdu let out a long, exasperated sigh, dropped his bags and turned around to face Danho, who seemed to have stopped following him.

"You don't need to worry about that or me," he clarified but Danho spoke up again before he could walk away.

"Would you like to spar with me?"

"Mwo?"

"We can train together once in a while," Danho continued, coming towards Nokdu and leaning close. "You might even learn a thing or two," he whispered in his ear. Nokdu laughed drily in disbelief and pushed Danho away.

"Let's not debate on who saved who that night again," he said, eyeing Danho from top to bottom. "If this is an excuse to hang out, you need to find other friends." With that, he lifted his bags again and promptly began to march away.

"So, you're saying we're friends?" Danho yelled from behind him.

"Goodbye Park Danho!" Nokdu shouted back, rushing away when he suddenly remembered.

There was one more thing he needed to get.

x-X-x

Dongju's face was sullen as she hung up her laundry to dry. The sight of the swing on the way back from the marketplace had triggered an onslaught of memories in her head that were making her miss her family and she was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize that 'Lady Kim' had appeared right before her.

"What took you so long? I'm starving," she complained. He extended a box in his hand towards her and she frowned. "What is this?" He smiled but didn't say a word, gesturing at her to open it. Dongju slid open the box to see two tiny chicks scrambling about like the ones she had seen back at the market. She looked up at him. "You got them for me?"

"Yes, I saw they caught your eye earlier," he explained. "Why didn't you take them?" He asked, his eyes curious.

Dongju shrugged, knowing she didn't have the ability to explain to him what the real reason was, considering what she planned to do in the near future.

"I just…" she started, choosing her words carefully. "I didn't see the point." He looked unsure about her answer but to her relief, he didn't question her any further.

"Well, now they are your responsibility," he said simply. "I have some work in Hanyang tomorrow so I'll be gone for two days. They better be well taken care off while I'm away."

"You're… going to Hanyang?" She asked, wondering absently if his visit had anything to do with his lover.

"Yes, I'm getting a chance to see my mistress from afar," he explained. "Please tell anyone who asks that I went to my parents' house."

"Right…" Dongju wasn't sure why she was suddenly getting a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"I'm sure you're happy to see me go so you can have the house to yourself," he said pointedly. "Don't get too comfortable, I will return before you realize it."

"Whatever," Dongju grumbled in annoyance despite a strange sensation within her telling her she might just miss him.

On an island not too far away, another young woman expressed her feeling of missing Nokdu to someone else.

"How far is Hanyang?" Aeng-du asked the man sitting next to her while munching on her snack. Nokdu's brother Hwang-tae frowned at her.

"Why do you ask?"

"I just wanted to know if I can run there," she said with a shrug, making Hwang-tae shake his head in amusement.

x-X-x

Nokdu had had a long day; he had signed out of the Widow Village in the morning, which in itself was a procedure what with Administrator Yeon Geun's constant assurances that he will 'wait for her' and that he will throw Lady Kim a welcome party when she gets back, despite Nokdu's repeated rejection of the idea with reminders that he was only going to be gone for a day.

When he finally managed to sneak into the target Park Jong-Chil's home in Hanyang for the Muwoldan mission to do reconnaissance, he also happened to overhear that the couple Nokdu had helped escape prior to entering the Widow Village had been caught; the very couple which included the widow whose identity he had assumed. If any of the women at the village found out, he worried it could complicate things.

And to make matters stranger, later that night as he explored the empty house next to the target's home in order to work out a strategy and an exit route, he had run into Dongju who was supposed to be back at the kisaeng house. And she looked like she had been crying.

"What are you doing here?"

'Nothing, just forget about it."

Now as they lay on their respective beds across the room he had reserved at the inn for his stay, he couldn't help wonder about Dongju's real reason for coming to Hanyang despite her telling him it was because she needed to visit the ironsmith for her work. He suddenly sat up and looked at her, sure that she was still awake even though she was under her blanket and turned away from him.

"Are you sure it isn't a coincidence that you're here?" He asked once again, despite having tried multiple times with no real answer.

"I told you," was all she mumbled.

"And why were you crying?"

"Why were you in that house?"

"I was thirsty and went in to ask for a glass of water! There was no one there though."

There was a pause before Dongju spoke again. "It was… empty?"

"Yes," he said shortly but couldn't help but wonder if Dongju was hiding something. "Are you going to tell me why I found you standing outside the door of that house in tears?"

Nokdu was met with silence and he decided there was no point in pushing it. Dongju wasn't going to talk and he could only hope that she would let him know when she was ready.

With that thought in mind, he fell asleep.

x-X-x

The next morning, Premier Heo Yoon listened cautiously as he sat with the rest of the ministers while the King narrated a story about what happened when he went into town undercover and spoke to some of the village people.

"So when I asked the boy why he crushed the harmless ant eggs, he said that it's important to get rid of anything that could make things difficult in the future," the King laughed. "That's a great lesson, don't you think?" He glanced at the ministers who looked at each other nervously and nodded. Yoon knew they were all thinking of the Grand Prince and he worried about how far the King would take things and when.

Meanwhile, in a village hidden away in the mountainside, Master Hwang worried about Nokdu's father; the poor man still seemed to be intent on going to Hanyang.

"I need to find Nokdu," Jung Yunjeo told him. "At least help him sort out all this confusion so it doesn't worry him anymore." Hwang could see the genuine worry on his friend's face but shook his head.

"Just let him be, I'm sure he will be fine figuring things out himself," Hwang assured him, hoping that would buy Nokdu more time to figure out who was behind the attacks on them before Yunjeo attempted to leave again. "For now, let's all enjoy our dinner," he added with a smile, waving over Hwang-Tae who was gingerly walking towards him in the distance; the boy was still recovering from the wounds inflicted by their attackers. "Where's Aengdu?" He asked, looking around for his little one who he knew would the hungriest.

"I thought she was with you," Hwang-tae replied with a frown. "She was just with me a few moments ago, telling me how much she missed Nokdu before she ran off somewhere."

Master Hwang blinked as he realized what she must have done.

"Aengduyaaa!" He screamed as he ran to the nearest water body which had a port where boats would pull in to their area and managed to spot one that was just leaving… with Aengdu sitting in it. "Come back, you little brat!" He called out to her as Yunjeo and Hwang-Tae watched in shock from behind him.

"I'm going to find my orabeoni and no one will stop me!" Aengdu yelled back stubbornly. Master Hwang cursed under his breath.

"This girl is going to be the end of me," he muttered and jumped into the water. "Stop right there! Wait for me!" He called out as he swam towards the boat to a grinning Aengdu, who looked excited to be going to Hanyang.

Yunjeo and his son Hwang-Tae could do nothing but look on in wonder as they saw the scene unfold before them.

What they didn't know was that there was someone watching them too; because soon after, the Premier had been informed by his personal guard that the islanders had been spotted.

x-X-x

"How much is this for?"

Dongju was at the ironsmith's gathering materials for her secret weapon and she was happy to see she had been right about Hanyang having the best quality ones.

"I'll give you the best price!" The shopkeeper assured her as she browsed through the other items in the store. She knew the owner wasn't going to give her a second look as she was dressed as a man, which was sometimes the more convenient and discreet way to get things done in town. She could see different samples laid out; everything from iron and wood to–

"What's this?"

The curious voice of the man pretending to be Lady Kim rang through and Dongju sighed. It took a little getting used to seeing him in regular clothes and not a widow's hanbok but since no one knew him here, it was relatively safe. She wasn't sure why he had followed her to the shop but decided to humor him.

"That's magnetite," she explained, pointing at the object he was referring to. "It attracts things made of iron."

"Really…" He seemed genuinely fascinated. "How do you know all this?"

"I told you; I may not be good at dancing or being a kisaeng but I'm good at building things."

Dongju didn't give much thought to why he was asking about these things until later that afternoon when they returned to their room to rest and he made a request.

"Can you make something for me?" He asked while she was relaxing on the floor.

"What?"

"The thing is, I can only see my mistress today from a distance and was thinking I could use a magnetic arrow with my bow to send her a message."

There he goes again with his mistress.

"Ugh, I don't want to," Dongju grumbled and turned away from him.

"I'll give you a discount on the interest you owe me!" He insisted.

That had her attention.

She didn't really think he was going to follow through on charging her all that extra money but figured she might as well help him if that were the case.

"Fine."

She spent the rest of the afternoon fashioning a sturdy bow and an arrow with a magnetic head. Once she was done, they went outside to test it out and she even showed him how to practice with it; to her surprise she actually ended up having some fun in the process.

Afterwards, they walked around a bit and that's when Dongju saw it again; the swing on the tree. She paused; Mr. Lady Kim seemed to have noticed the shift in her mood.

"Aren't you going to get on the swing?" he asked her. She shook her head.

It's too painful.

"Please, I'm not a child."

"it's so obvious you want to get on it," he chuckled and jumped on the wooden slab. "I will enjoy it myself then." Dongju couldn't help but smile at his unbridled enthusiasm.

"Wah, this is so much fun," he yelled as he swung higher. When he finally hopped off, he came up to her.

"Your turn," he said, lightly pushing her to it.

"But I don't –"

"Just try it. The cool breeze feels really good."

This time Dongju didn't resist; she took a deep breath and slowly stepped onto the wooden plank. She felt him lightly nudge the swing from behind her to get it moving and before she realized it, she was doing it on her own.

He was right, the wind felt amazing in her face… and that's when it all came back to her.

Suddenly she could see her parents standing on one side and smiling at her as she swung back and forth while on the other side, she saw her brother encouraging her to go faster. Memories of her loving family that she had evaded for so long came to life around her like she was in a beautiful dream.

Was this what I was so afraid of feeling again?

She had stopped herself from reliving that wonderful time in her life fearing the sadness that would come with it but was surprised at the happiness she received instead. She took in the image of her loved ones standing around her and didn't realize how brightly she was smiling until she spotted 'Lady Kim' standing among them beaming at her as well. It was also then that she noticed the sky had gone grey and rain began to pour. She quickly got off the swing and ran towards him.

"We need to get home before we get completely drenched," she told him. He raised his palm to cover her head and nodded.

That night as she lay in bed, thoughts of her family had her reassessing her short conversation with 'Lady Kim' from last night.

"Why were you crying?"

"Why were you in that house?"

She wasn't really in a position to tell him that the house used to be her family home before she and her loved ones were driven out and killed by the King's soldiers. But she did regret letting her emotions get the best of her before she could enter and see the place again.

No. If my time on the swing told me anything, it's that I would feel better facing my past rather than living in sorrow thinking about it.

She sat up in her bed and looked to her side to see her roommate's mattress empty.

This smitten fool's probably meeting his mistress…

She changed into Lady Kim's white widow Hanbok and pink overcoat since they were the only dry clothes to wear after her own outfit got wet in the rain earlier that day. With a deep sigh, she stepped out of the room, determined to attempt visiting her home one last time… before she got the long overdue revenge for her family.

x-X-x

Nokdu had waited for Dongju to go to bed before he could sneak out to complete his assignment and earn his spot in the Muwoldan; with that he could finally get back on track with his search for the boss who ordered the attack on his family.

The mission was smooth enough; with Dongju's idea of using magnets on his arrows he was able to easily extract the elephant sculpture made of iron straight out of his 'father-in-law' Park Jong-Chil's hands, all the while remaining on the roof of the neighboring home.

Feeling pretty proud of himself, he would have gone straight home if it wasn't for what he had overheard during his recon for the mission.

"Bring the widow back so I can finally put up a monument to her chastity," Park Jong-Chil instructed his aide, stroking his elephant statue lovingly.

"Don't worry, sir," the man replied. "We'll transport her after dark in a palanquin so no one will be suspicious and it will be carried by men with combat training in case we have trouble."

Since Park Jong-Chil was the father-in-law of the real Lady Kim whose identity he was currently using, he knew they had to be referring to the same woman he had helped out before entering the Widow Village for the first time. He wondered how she had let herself be captured again but thought it's only fair to stay and help her out; if he had heard right, her palanquin was due soon this way anyway. He waited on the roof and was watching the road when he spotted another familiar face wandering about the street instead.

Dongju? What is she doing here at this time?

He watched her open the door to the home he was currently sitting on the roof of and only then noticed that there was someone else already there. He scoffed in surprise when he saw who it was.

Yulmu… why is this guy meeting with Dongju?

He watched curiously as Yulmu picked persimmons from a tree in the house's yard and placed them into a basket he was carrying before he seemed to notice Dongju. Nokdu idly wondered where Danho was if Yulmu was roaming around unaccompanied like this late at night.

He saw Dongju join Yulmu and they sat together for a few moments in silence before engaging in what looked like a deep conversation. Nokdu was too far away to hear what they were saying but just seeing them this close… something felt unsettled within him.

Maybe the Blacksmith story was actually an excuse to meet Yulmu.

He found himself strangely upset by that idea.

The sounds of rattling wheels turned his attention back to the street and he spotted a palanquin being transported by a small group of people, one of whom he recognized as being Park Jong-Chil's aides; this had to be Lady Kim being brought back to be punished by her in-laws.

Nokdu sighed. He had to admit he wasn't going to gain anything watching Dongju and Yulmu and decided it might do him good to distract himself and save a friend in the process. He concealed his face, leapt off the roof and walked up to the men.

"I'm not in a great mood, so let's get this over with."

x-X-x

"Lord Yulmu, what are you doing here?"

Dongju wrapped Lady Kim's pink overcoat tighter around herself as she stared at Cha Yulmu standing in the courtyard of her ancestral home, the last place she expected to find anyone, much less him. She had finally gotten herself to enter the house without completely falling apart but could think of no explanation for what he was doing here. For a moment he didn't look like he was going to offer any clarification either and simply stood there with a basket of persimmons and a shy smile.

"Ah, this might sound silly but… I didn't want anyone else to live here," he finally began. "I didn't want it to be empty either so I made a habit of visiting on occasion." He cleared his throat. "I wanted to keep the plants alive and the place clean in the hopes that I would one day get to welcome you if you ever decided to come home."

Dongju smiled; Yulmu was someone who knew her from the past and if this was his way of holding on to it, she couldn't fault him for it. She sat on the porch and he joined her.

"You know," he continued. "When our parents first arranged our marriage, I was angry and told them I wouldn't agree to it if you were ugly." He laughed at his own childishness. "But I came running to this house and as soon as I saw you, I told them I wanted to get married immediately."

There he goes again.

Dongju wasn't unaware of the fact that Yulmu always had a soft corner for her; she just never encouraged it owing to the fact that she had never felt the same way about him.

Besides, she didn't plan to be around long enough for any of this to matter anyway.

"My Lady," he said suddenly, startling her. He flashed his distinctive smile at her. "I've always wanted to call you that in this very house." Dongju frowned; she needed to deal with this delicately.

"I'm grateful for what you've done with the home, my Lord," she said genuinely. "But this is the last time I will ever come here so please continue to treat me like a kisaeng and nothing more." He looked worried but nodded in response. With that she stood up to leave and he did too.

"May I escort you home? It's late," he offered. He looked like he was being sincere but she wasn't in the mood to deal with his advances, cautious as he was being.

"I just want to be alone for a while," she explained and walked out the gate, leaving him behind as she stepped out into the street.

If there was anyone that she would have liked giving her company right now it would have been…

Her eyes went wide and she stopped in her tracks as she looked around to see men in uniform knocked out and sprawled all over the path. She followed the trail of injured bodies till her line of sight fell on two people embracing in the middle of the road.

That man… is that Lady Kim?

She watched as a woman cried into his chest. He had his arms around her and seemed to be consoling her.

So that must be… the mistress he had been waiting for?

Just then, he spotted her and their eyes met briefly before Dongju decided she needed to get out of there and let them have their moment. She walked past them, wrapping Lady Kim's coat around herself and breaking into a run.

It was when she went around the corner that she saw another woman walking alone on the empty streets. She gasped as she realized it was Kim Ssook. She instantly spun around and wrapped her coat over her head when she heard Ssook's voice behind her.

"Kim Gwabo?"

Dongju ran before Kim Ssook could say another word because she had to warn that idiot who was probably going to be too busy cozying up with his mistress to remember he's not in disguise when Kim Ssook finds him.

She turned the corner again and could see the couple in the distance walking in her direction. They stared at her in confusion as she ran towards them furiously trying to signal that Kim Ssook was behind her. It took a few seconds but the man finally realized what she was saying.

"You need to hide," Dongju ordered 'Lady Kim', panting as she finally caught up with them. "I think Ssook saw me wearing your coat and thought it was you." He nodded and they first sent the mistress away into the home Dongju had been in only minutes ago with instructions to get help if things got out of hand. The man then pulled Dongju to the side of the palanquin out of Ssook's line of sight.

"You need to get out of here," he told her. "I'll figure a way out of this."

Dongju thought for a moment as a crazy idea formed in her head and he waved his hand in front of her face.

"What are you waiting for? Go away before Kim Ssook sees us!"

"Get into the palanquin," Dongju said slowly and he looked back at her in confusion.

"What?"

'Just get in," she urged him. He looked out to the side and Dongju knew Kim Ssook might already be walking towards them.

"But…"

"Just do as I say!" She scolded him under her breath and pushed him inside before joining him and shutting the panel behind her. Being in a box that was designed for just one person, Dongju knew it's a little too snug for either's taste but they had no other choice. She then let out a deep breath as she plainly instructed Nokdu.

"Take off your clothes."