22

Truth Sets One Free But First Makes You Miserable

Nokdu had left a note and it was simple; just a thank you and a goodbye. Danho clutched the small piece of paper close to his chest and slumped down against the wall, unable to determine what he felt at the moment.

He was sad that Nokdu was gone but he was also angry that he had let this happen. He should have seen this coming; Nokdu never missed an opportunity to express his displeasure about the fact that he was working with Yulmu, even after all the man had done. Danho just hadn't been able to bring himself to tell Nokdu that he was doing it to keep him safe; he didn't think Nokdu would take that as a good enough reason.

"Are you still going to continue protecting him? The man who ordered the burning of an entire village and the people in it?!"

He couldn't forget that teary-eyed look of frustration on Nokdu's face as he yelled at him. He felt his chest tighten even as he recalled it.

But that wasn't what's important now; with the information about Nokdu's true identity having come to light, Danho was now even more afraid for his friend's life.

No, I need to hear it from him myself.

He decided he was going to find him first thing in the morning and confront him.

Danho's eyes flicked open early the next day with a start. He sat up, wondering what had prompted him awake and was met with nothing but silence.

He sighed as the realization hit him; it was in fact, the quiet house that had woken him up. He had simply gotten habituated to the sounds of Nokdu's early morning bustling around the house and preparing breakfast. It was just the cold reminder that reinforced the fact that Nokdu had left, making Danho lose his appetite. He left the house without eating.

He walked straight to the palace gate where announcements were made from the government to the people. He knew the Military test results were coming out today and he was sure that Nokdu would come there to check.

He could see there was already a crowd of people gathered to check the list of names that had been put up on the board. Nokdu was nowhere to be seen yet but Danho was curious. He easily wove through the crowd and spotted 'Jeon Yeon Soo', Nokdu's adopted name on the list as the person who topped the Military service exam. He couldn't help but feel a surge of pride and happiness.

He stepped away from the board and out of sight so he could keep a look out for when Nokdu showed up. Soon enough, he saw him appear and watched him go through the list. He could tell the exact moment he spotted his name as happiness lit up on Nokdu's face and Danho felt a smile tug at his own lips as he observed his friend. He took a step forward to approach him when he saw Dongju was now there talking to Nokdu.

Where did she come from?

He couldn't hear what they were saying but it seemed obvious that Nokdu was sharing his happy news with her. Dongju looked surprised at first but then they began to exchange what appeared to be comfortable, cheerful conversation as they walked the street and Danho took a step back, feeling awkward. He thought of his last conversation with Nokdu and glanced at him and Dongju now; he looked happy.

Who am I to even come in the way of his happiness with her?

Danho decided he wasn't going to ruin their moment and left the place. It was almost time for him to be at the palace anyway; he had to be by the Prince's side after the Military test felicitation ceremony with the King.

The King.

Nokdu's real father?

And that's when it struck him.

Nokdu was going to see the King's face for the first time at the ceremony.

He was going to recognize him.

x-X-x

Nokdu was comfortable in the uniform he had been given to wear for the Military Test ceremony even while he was fully kneeling with his head down. There was a mix of happiness at reaching this point and anxiety from realizing how close he was to meeting the King. He heard a rise in the music that was being played and that's how he knew the King had arrived. He felt someone walk past him but he didn't dare look up.

"Receive your certification from the King!"

Nokdu stretched out his hands to receive the red sheet of official paper. It was only then that he slowly looked up to see the person he had been looking forward to meeting for so long and he froze when he saw his face, one that was smiling at him right now.

That's impossible… I know this man.

Nokdu's gaze wavered to the side briefly where he caught Yulmu in the background smirking at him.

"Are you not going to receive your certificate?"

Nokdu's eyes snapped back to the King who was beaming at him with pride and he couldn't help but think about the circumstances that they had met in earlier.

"Great minds think alike," he commented and handed a tiny box to Nokdu, to his surprise. "Good luck for your exam." Nokdu's eyes brightened in excitement as he opened the box to see he had been gifted Yeot, a sweet taffy that he enjoyed.

"Thank you," Nokdu said sincerely. "I don't know how to pay you back."

"Just pass the exam. And don't forget me when you become an officer."

Nokdu blinked as it fully dawned on him that the Nobleman… was actually the King.

This was the man that wanted me killed as a child?

At the end of the ceremony, he had been summoned for a private audience and Nokdu figured it probably had something to do with the fact that he knew of the King's nightly escapades as a Nobleman. Still reeling from that revelation, he was about to step into the palace when he came across Yulmu who was on his way out. Nokdu kept a straight face even as Yulmu threw him a smug look.

"Don't you want to know if I told the King anything? Did you come here with your Administrator friend, the drunk and the kiddo?" He goaded him and Nokdu only then noticed that Danho was right behind him.

As he always is.

Nokdu kept silent, not wanting to say things he would regret later and Yulmu simply shrugged and moved ahead. He noticed Danho trying to catch his eye but he wasn't in the mood to deal with him. He took another step and entered the King's hall.

He had bigger things to tackle right now.

x-X-x

Dongju was on her usual rounds looking for palace workers when she came across the woman who had sent her to the gambling den. She came running up to her.

"I'm so sorry! That man Park, is shady but he does give people opportunities to work at the palace!"

"It's alright," Dongju tried to calm her. "I wanted to go there, remember?"

She really did, she was going to stop at nothing in order to reach the King.

"You know, I'm getting into the palace."

"Huh?" Dongju looked up at Nokdu as he fed the chicks that morning. She just realized he's going to get to stand before the King.

"Family can come, you know," he offered but she instantly refused, suddenly needing to go check on her weapon again.

"Maybe you can try being a court lady," the woman suggested. "That's more feasible. The next best thing would be to find the King when he goes on his undercover rounds of town and ask for a job." Dongju blinked.

He does what?

x-X-x

Gwanghae was beaming with pride as he watched an apprehensive looking Yeonsu walk into the palace hall while he was seated on his throne. He had ordered for the young man to be sent to him after all his Military test certification formalities so he could have a real conversation with him; the poor boy was speechless when he had first learned that he was the King while receiving his prize.

Yeonsu came forward and bowed down, still avoiding any eye contact with him. Gwanghae became curious.

"Are you that shocked?" He asked him and the man slowly looked up. "You haven't said a word." Yeonsu stared at him for a moment before shaking his head.

"No, I…" he began, looking slightly nervous. "I'm just new to all these palace rules, that's all." Gwanghae chuckled at the boy's innocence.

"We should be casual enough, wouldn't you say so?" He smiled at Yeonsu who responded with a small nod. "On the one condition that you keep my outings a secret."

"Oh… of course…"

"Make sure that your… friend is aware too," he added, "Even though, he already knew who I am."

"Ah…right…"

Gwanghae was a little worried looking at Yeonsu's state but was confident that once he got over this news, he would be a perfect fit as an officer. As if on cue, his Chief Administrative Officer was let into the hall.

"Officer Baek," he called out to him before turning to Yeonsu. "You can help him with police work."

x-X-x

Danho was feeling extremely uncomfortable with the situation he was in and couldn't be more thankful than now that he was skilled at hiding his emotions. He stood in a defensive position a little further behind Yulmu, who was currently seated next to a happy Aengdu and making food for her. Yulmu had recently found out where they were living and under the guise of meeting Aengdu, had decided to pay a visit, quite clearly with the intention of intimidating Nokdu's family.

Hwang threw a glance at Danho, who shook his head subtly to indicate he should stay calm. He was aware that he had to deny any kind of connection he had with him. Danho also caught Yeon Geun glaring at him from a corner of the house.

He probably thinks I brought Yulmu here.

"Say ahh," he heard Yulmu speak and saw him bring a pair of chopsticks holding a freshly fried piece of meat to Aengdu's mouth, which she happily received. Hwang on the other end, wasn't amused.

"Why are you here?" He asked, eyeing Yulmu's interactions with his daughter cautiously.

"Why, is this how you treat guests at your new home?"

"Guests? More like hostages…"

"Will the both of you stop fighting at the dinner table? It's spoiling my appetite," a tiny voice chirped and everyone turned to look at Aengdu clutching her polished bowl of food. Hwang hurriedly dragged her to the side and raised his sword towards Yulmu, at which point Danho had to act and stood between them.

"You!"

Danho thought his heart had skipped a beat when he heard that voice; Nokdu had just returned from the palace and was angrily trying to launch himself at Yulmu while Hwang held him back. He didn't seem to acknowledge Danho but once he calmed down, he walked up to Yulmu.

"We need to talk," was all he said. The Prince got to his feet and Danho joined the two of them at the back of the house for a more private conversation.

"Why is it that you even want to work in the palace?" Yulmu asked before Nokdu could begin. He flashed him a smirk that Danho was well aware Nokdu found annoying.

"It's a living and I'm good at it," Nokdu replied with a straight face. "What do you plan to do?"

"I'm going ahead with the revolt as planned," Yulmu shrugged. "And you can't report treason now because your brother is involved too."

"Wha –"

"Nokduya!"

Danho saw Dongju appear and grab Nokdu's arm, an action that he knew hadn't gone unnoticed by Yulmu.

"Are you okay? Your wounds haven't healed yet," Dongju continued to fuss over her and Danho's heart began to feel tight, unsure whether he was jealous or if he was relieved someone was there to care for him. Yulmu on the other hand…

"Dongjuya! You come home with me right now!" He suddenly whipped out his sword at Nokdu and Danho did the first thing he could think of and blocked it, turning to the Prince.

"My Lord, I will handle this –"

"I will come as long as you stop creating a scene," Dongju said suddenly to everyone's surprise, most of all Nokdu's.

"Yah!"

"Just wait. Let me get my things," Dongju addressed Yulmu and went inside, ignoring Nokdu who followed her shortly after. Danho expected Yulmu to be livid about finding Dongju here with Nokdu when he had been searching for her, but the way he was right now… it seemed different than his usual demeanor around her.

"Are you… angry with Miss Dongju?" He asked, ironically hoping that his question would calm Yulmu down a bit. He simply shook his head.

"No, I just stopped trying to get her affections," he said plainly. "All this time she was barely holding on and I was there… so seeing an outsider come and affect her that way makes me mad." Danho saw him tighten his fists in anger. "Whether she likes it or not I'll have her by my side. I will be granting her wish after all…"

Danho swallowed; he knew Yulmu was talking about the King. He was somewhat aware of Dongju's history and that she hated the Kingdom's monarch with a vengeance. But that wasn't what was worrying him right now.

"What about… the guy?" He asked, trying not to sound too worried about Nokdu, who would most definitely be affected by the King's predicament now more than ever. Yulmu looked at him with a sly grin.

"It might be more entertaining an outcome when the King and son don't know each other, don't you think?" His face changed immediately. "Those two are taking too long. Go and fetch Dongju for me."

"Yes, my Lord."

Danho walked up to Dongju's room and was about to barge in when he heard voices inside.

"There's no other solution, I have to do this so no one gets hurt."

"But –"

"There's no other way! Just think that I'm just moving elsewhere to live."

Danho took a step back as heard the sound of the door sliding and Dongju stepped out, walking right past him. He moved to escort her when he saw Nokdu step out as well, looking saddened about Dongju's departure. Danho caught his eye for a moment and stopped in his tracks, hoping for a chance to talk.

"Yah…"

"You shouldn't be talking to me. Yulmu will see."

"But I –"

"Don't."

Danho sighed; as much it was clear Nokdu wasn't interested in talking, he was also right. If Yulmu found out about any connection between him and Nokdu, it was over.

Instead he decided to shift his focus on making sure Dongju was safe as long as she was with them.

For Nokdu.

That was the last thought on his mind as he fell asleep alone in his home that night.

x-X-x

"I'm sorry, my Lord, but it seems that almost all the ministers have shifted to the Prince's side."

Premier Heo Yoon listened to his trusted guard Chilsung's words in apprehension despite the fact that he knew at some point that this was a possibility. Yulmu's proposal would seem like a convenient and simple solution to the blind eye, but he knew the truth behind the Prince's intentions.

Yulmu should never become King.

However, with the way things were going, it didn't seem likely that things would turn out his way and he had to be prepared for the worst. If he had any hope of his plan working out, he needed to be sure to preserve the proof for Nokdu's true identity. He took his guard's hand and placed a piece of a broken ornament in his palm.

"Listen to me. I need you to keep this safe in case something happens to me."

"Something happ –? What are you talking about my Lord?"

I need to warn the King. That's the only way to stop this.

He charged out of his house where he came face to face with the King's guards that had been placed there to stop him from going anywhere.

"You're not allowed to step out," the guard grimly told him.

"I need to speak to the King!"

"We were ordered to keep you –"

"This is regarding the King's safety and if you stop me, you will be coming in the way of protecting his Royal Highness!" Yoon was aware that these are men who have seen him around for a long time and would have to eventually let him go if he had a good reason.

"Fine," he agreed. "Let me escort you."

As soon as he entered palace grounds, he had another thought and turned to the guard.

"I'd like to meet the Queen first."

That's probably a safer option to go with before facing the King who was already suspicious of him.

As he sat before her Majesty in her meeting room, he could tell she was surprised to see him.

"Thank you," she suddenly began. "Thank for the small favor you did for me." Yoon couldn't help but notice her fiddling with her broken norigae as she spoke. He could never forget the time that it had been split into two about twenty years ago…

"Please make sure this piece is buried with my son," a crying Queen handed over half of her ornament to Yoon, who had been ordered to attend to the proceedings with her newborn's death.

Yoon had kept it safe all these years and the piece was currently in Chilsung's hands, the only one he trusted to pass it on to Nokdu as proof of his birth in the event of Yoon's capture… or worse.

"Did he… did he have a good burial?" The Queen asked, bringing Yoon back to the present. He could see her eyes welling up and sighed, deciding it was time she knew the truth.

"Your Majesty…" he spoke calmly so as to not fluster her, "Your son, he's –"

The door slid open before Yoon could say another word and to his horror, he saw the King standing right there, glaring at him.

"What do you think you're doing?"

x-X-x

Dongju walked along the palace gates thinking about what her colleague had told her.

"You should talk to the King about a job when he goes on his outings as a common man."

She knew the risks but was already long prepared that she could die in the process of getting her revenge. She would have to wait by the gate and find out if –

"Oh! Did you come to meet me?"

Dongju heard Nokdu's bubbly voice as he ran up to her. She noticed he was in his new officer's uniform.

He looks good…

"So how are you?" He asked and Dongju knew immediately he was enquiring about her living situation, considering she had been made to stay with Yulmu since the last time they met.

Dongju sat at the table across from Yulmu where a wide spread of side dishes had been laid out. Yulmu proceeded to eat but she couldn't find the appetite for it when she had many questions running through her mind.

"Was it you who saved me when the hooligans attacked the Widow Village?" She asked, this being something that had been nagging at her since that day. Yulmu placed his chopsticks down.

"Yes," was all he said.

"Then how did you manage to escape so easily from all those men?"

She had to admit, there was a part of her that still hoped that Yulmu wasn't the one who was behind the demolition of the village and that there was a plausible explanation for how he got away unscathed. To her surprise, he sneered at her.

"It was something that had to be done," he said, as if that would explain everything.

"I'm disappointed to hear that," she said, feeling her eyes burn with anger. "I hope it's clear that I have no intention of being imprisoned here like a doll." She saw that caught his attention and he looked straight at her. "Otherwise you should just kill me."

"It's great living alone in a big house," Dongju replied, trying not to stare at Nokdu's new outfit. He however noticed her gaze.

"Ohh, even you can't help but notice how stylish I look in this, right? I know…" He grinned at her and she slapped his shoulder.

"Oh please, you're so shameless. It is so obvious that you're a newbie. Just get back to work!"

"I will!"

Dongju walked away, finding herself smiling at Nokdu's words.

He's so silly.

In the distance, unbeknownst to either of them, Park Danho watched their exchange, having been put in charge of ensuring Dongju doesn't run away from the house Yulmu had provided for her. He wasn't sure if it was sadness or jealousy but the moment that he saw how effortlessly happy the two of them were with each other, he decided that he wasn't going to follow Dongju around anymore.

x-X-x

"Your Majesty, let me explain."

King Gwanghae looked at Premier Yoon carefully, wondering how he was going to talk his way out of this one.

"What is the meaning of all this?"

"Prince Neungyang is a traitor!" Yoon shouted, almost in desperation. "He is plotting against you and also plans to kill me for being disloyal to him!"

Gwanghae was trying not to show his fury as he was quite sure that this was what Yoon was going to tell him, especially after the conversation he had with Prince Neungyang only a short while ago.

"Your Majesty's son is alive," the Prince told him and Gwanghae couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had been aware that strange things had been happening since Jung Yunjeo's reappearance and there was a slight possibility. However, here was his nephew telling him that it was in fact, true.

"What?" Gwanghae could barely get his words out as Neungyang brought out another man before him.

"This is Jung Yunjeo's eldest son," he explained. "He is the proof of it."

"It's true," was all the young man said, not looking up at Gwanghae.

"Premier Yoon knows about this," Neungyang explained and Gwanghae noticed his nephew's eyes start to tear up. "He threatened me by saying that if I don't keep this a secret, he would accuse me of treason."

Just recalling the look on his poor nephew's face set Gwanghae off and he couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Enough with your lies!" He shouted at Yoon. As if on cue, Prince Neungyang and Yunjeo's son stepped out. He saw Yoon's eyes go wide in horror before turning to look at him.

"Your Majesty, please," Yoon begged. "You mustn't believe Prince Neungyang!" Gwanghae waved in his guards.

"Send him to the dungeon," he ordered even as Yoon continued to cry out that he was making a mistake. Even with his heart having hardened over the years, he still felt hit with a pang of sadness on his long-time friend's betrayal. He also knew who he had to get here next.

Jung Yunjeo.

x-X-x

"Officer Yeonsu."

It took Nokdu almost a second too long before he realized that Officer Baek was talking to him.

"There's an urgent arrest on behalf of the King," he continued. "Follow me." Nokdu wondered what this was about and walked alongside him.

"They're arresting someone whom no one should know about," Baek explained and as they continued to walk, Nokdu realized they were heading towards the Premier's quarters… where his father was. They arrived at the door and he saw the other guards already gathered there fighting someone.

That's the Premier's assistant!

Officer Baek went towards the house while Nokdu ran towards Chilsung, who had just finished off the last guard before noticing him standing there. He came running up to Nokdu and grabbed him.

"Keep this with you," he hurriedly told Nokdu, stuffing an item into his collar. "The Premier said you will need this to identify yourself later." Before Nokdu could react, Chilsung punched him in the face and ran towards the back of the house. In the distance he saw his father, now accompanied by Baek and to his surprise someone in a Muwoldan uniform escape. The face was hooded but there was no mistaking that stern gaze.

Kim Ssook? What is she doing here?

Baek's reinforcements had arrived by then and Nokdu waved, trying to distract them.

"They went that way," he said, pointing in the completely opposite direction. The guards rushed off and moments later, he saw Officer Baek limp out of the house. Nokdu ran up to him and helped him get back.

"I can go on my own," Baek said glumly, even with his weight resting on Nokdu's shoulder while they returned to the palace. Nokdu suspected his colleague was not looking forward to relaying bad news to the King.

"What, how can I not help you, Officer Baek?" Nokdu insisted.

"You may not believe me," Baek shook his head. "But the person who protected Jung Yunjeo was a woman, I'm sure of it." Nokdu nodded silently, knowing he was talking about Kim Ssook.

She was clearly more than a match for him, as expected.

"Thank you for your help," Baek said when they finally came to a stop. "I will go ahead and meet His Majesty." Nokdu bowed to him and watched him go, curious to see what the King would say. He quickly took of his hat and hid it in the bushes before sneaking behind Baek to listen in on the conversation. He could already see the King yelling.

"You're telling me he escaped! Right under our noses?!"

"I'm so sorry, your Majesty…"

"Did you at least find anything useful there?" He glared and Nokdu saw Baek hand the King a scroll that was partially burnt. He had no idea what it was but the look on the King's face showed that it was something of great significance to him.

"I need you to go find Jung Yunjeo," the King growled at Baek and Nokdu's body tensed. "Kill him if you must."

His cold words shocked Nokdu; he couldn't believe that someone who could be his father, someone he knew to be kind if he wanted to, would say something like this.

He dragged his feet back to where he hid his hat and so lost was he in his thoughts that he didn't realize it had already gotten dark. His mind was spinning thinking about the King and the fact that the man had just given the order to kill his Abeoji.

Besides that, Dongju was no longer within his sight and he had no way of knowing if she was doing alright staying with Yulmu.

And then there was Danho… who he wasn't living with anymore. He didn't want to admit it but despite the fact that it was Danho's inexplicable loyalty to Yulmu that made Nokdu walk out in the first place, he couldn't help but miss him. With everything they had been through together, it was hard not to hold out hope that there had to be some kind of rational explanation behind Danho's choices.

Nokdu poked his hand around in the bushes and dug through the branches; to his surprise, there was no sign of his hat where he had left it.

Where could it have gone?

"Are you looking for this?"

It was a gentle female voice that had called from behind him. He spun around to see a beautiful, well-dressed woman holding his hat, looking at him curiously. That's when he noticed she was surrounded by a group of handmaidens and he froze, unable to speak. This woman has to be…

"Show your respect to the Queen," one of the assistants said and it took all of Nokdu's effort to move as he bowed before her.

"I'm… I'm…" He swallowed as he kept his eyes down, vaguely noticing that the Queen was wearing a norigae that was broken.

So strange…

"I'm the new Chief Administrative Officer," he said, finally finding his voice and taking the hat that was being returned to him, his gaze still averted. "I'm sorry… I'm new here."

"You look like someone who's lost his way," she said kindly and that's when Nokdu dared to look up and saw the genuine worry on her face.

"I'm just… not familiar with the palace just yet," he said, unable to now take his eyes off her. She then proceeded to take a lamp from one of her helpers and lent it to him.

"Well, I'm quite familiar, so you can keep this," she said with a small smile.

"Thank you," he said softly before his eyes fell on her norigae again as she turned to walk away. It was hard to miss; the damaged ornament stood out like a sore thumb against an otherwise well put-together appearance. Something about it looked familiar and a thought struck him. He set the lamp down and pulled out the object that Chilsung had left with him to prove his identity. Looking closely at the engraving and the design, it looked like a broken piece… of the very same norigae. He felt goosebumps erupt on his skin as he came to the realization…

He had just met his mother.

x-X-x

Nokdu, his dear Nokdu, was the son of the King.

Even with a day or so to absorb this information fully, he was still coming to terms with it, which probably also had something to do with the fact that he hadn't gotten a chance to speak with Nokdu about it since then.

Things had been terrible for Danho since Nokdu had left the house to stay with Master Hwang and the others; to the point he wondered how he had gone so far without him. He hated how the fight had gone down between them and had led to this in the first place; the house really did feel empty without him. He had hoped he would get to talk to him at the palace but he hadn't even been able to get around to congratulating him on passing the Military Test, something Danho was filled with pride about.

He also constantly worried about Nokdu's safety, knowing the new extent of Lord Yulmu's hatred for him. He was staying alert for anything that might put Nokdu in danger but there was only so much he could do.

The swing on the tree was turning out to be where his body naturally took him when his mind was muddled with too many thoughts and he needed clarity. And as if the universe heard him, right there is where he finally found Nokdu illuminated by the light of the lamp he was carrying.

He was sitting alone on the swing as far as Danho could tell and his back was facing away from him. Danho approached him as quietly as he could; there was a part of him that feared Nokdu would turn him away if he tried talking to him and he wanted to reduce the chances of that as much as possible.

Soon he was standing right behind a very still Nokdu who didn't seem to give any indication that he knew someone was there with him. Danho knew he couldn't have been that quiet and wondered if Nokdu was actually asleep. He took a low, deep breath, knowing he had to break the ice at some point.

"What are you doing here?" he asked simply. Nokdu raised his head slightly and barely glanced at Danho before turning away again but that was enough for Danho to see the emptiness in his eyes.

"I wondered if someone might come," Nokdu responded, his voice flat.

A tiny part of him dared to hope that Nokdu was looking forward to seeing him here.

Don't flatter yourself; even if he was waiting for someone it was probably Dongju.

"Congratulations," Danho said, coming to stand in front of Nokdu who finally looked up at him. His eyes looked sad and tired.

"What?"

"You topped the Military test," Danho clarified and Nokdu let out an empty laugh, placing the lamp in his hand to the side.

"What does it even matter?"

"What?" Nokdu's words really began to worry Danho and he seated himself down on the grass next to swing.

"Sometimes I just feel like a bother to everyone," Nokdu continued listlessly. "And that I should just not do anything because all of this is pointless."

"What… yah… what are you going on about?" Danho felt a tightness in his throat; it physically hurt him to see the otherwise playful and energetic Nokdu being like this.

This had to because of him finding out the Nobleman was actually the King.

Does he think I knew and didn't tell him?

Or this could be about him learning of his identity… as the King's son.

Either way, Danho had no idea what to say.

"I just want someone to tell me, someone I can ask questions to… but I don't know what to do so that no one gets hurt," Nokdu said, as if he was responding to Danho's thoughts and a tear trickled down his cheek. Before he could stop himself, Danho reached up and slid the knuckle of his index finger across Nokdu's cheek to wipe it off. That action seemed to turn a switch on for both of them as Danho suddenly stilled and Nokdu cleared his throat, gently pushing his hand off and looking away.

"Ah, just forget I said anything," Nokdu said resignedly and stood up off the swing. "Wait," he paused to look at Danho while picking up his lamp. "Why are you here?"

"You're not the only one going through a crisis…" Danho said with a dry laugh, trying to lighten up the mood. Nokdu, however, didn't seem too amused.

"Why don't you go talk to your precious Yulmu about it…" he muttered and began to walk away.

"Yah! Don't start again with that!" Danho argued, now on his feet as well. "You think I enjoy this?"

"Why else would you still be working by that bastard's side?" Nokdu snapped back at Danho but it wasn't anger or disappointment that he heard in his voice; it felt like a strange sadness. "Seriously, are you in love with him?"

What! I –" Danho scoffed, feeling attacked.

That was a one-time crush a long time ago. Back when Prince Neungyang was a kind boy who had taken it upon himself to be his friend and had saved his life. Not the stranger he was today.

Danho didn't see the point of explaining this to Nokdu and decided to ignore it.

"Yah… How else am I supposed to make sure he doesn't hurt you!?"

"What?"

Danho paused and took a deep breath to calm down. He walked up to a confused looking Nokdu and stood before him, making sure he heard him clearly.

"You know he wants you dead, don't you?" He asked, his eyes burning into Nokdu's. He caught a flicker of something in his eyes before he looked away.

"Yes… and not just because he thinks I stole Dongju from him…"

So, he knows…

"I know."

"What?" Nokdu frowned. Danho decided it was time to confront him with the truth.

"I know… that you're the King's son."