Eui had to take a few minutes to compose herself before bidding farewell to Magus San. When she finally returned, Misun groaned in exasperation.

“Ancestors, finally! What took you so long?”

“He wanted to hear about his brother’s final days.”

The princess grimaced.

“Eugh, my condolences. That must have been difficult.”

“It wasn’t easy, that’s for sure.”

“Well, look on the bright side! That was the last name on the list. Now you can get on with the excitement of international politics—an entirely different sort of torture!”

Eui chuckled and shook her head.

“Not quite. There’s one more stop I need to make before meeting your family.”

“Tsk, really? They’re going to think you’re snubbing them. What else could you possibly have left?”

“The list only included victims of my banditry, but there’s one more person I owe an apology to. From before I was even exiled.”

Misun buried her face in her palms.

“You’re joking. Your bloody ex-girlfriend?! Didn’t you settle things with her back in the academy? I vividly recall the extremely public humiliation you gave her during the tournament, and she even arranged for her barrister to appeal for your pardon.”

Eui shrugged.

“I’m not sure whether it’s possible to quantify wrongdoing, but if it is, then we’d probably be even. Maybe she doesn’t deserve my apology, or my forgiveness—in hindsight, she was pretty horrible to me even before we split—but if a man like San Hajoon can find it in his heart to grant me absolution, then I can afford to give Sun Jaehwa a chance.”

“Whatever. Just be careful—the Sun clan are one of the loudest pro-Jiaguo voices among the nobility. Try not to antagonize them.”

Eui blinked.

“They are?”

“Don’t ask me why—Eunae did most of the legwork gathering that faction together. Maybe she or your ex can tell you.”

----------------------------------------

Eui felt awkward as she walked through her hometown. Less than a decade ago, it had been her home. She knew the streets, recognized the landmarks, even noted a few familiar faces and yet it all felt so alien to her now. As though the memories belonged to someone else—someone from another life.

The Sun clan estate was as imposing as ever, occupying an exorbitant amount of land in the typical Goryeon manner of displaying one’s wealth. Goryeo boasted the tallest structures on the continent, but when space was at such a premium, the rich and powerful flocked to sprawling estates, rather than towers or palaces.

The Seong clan’s royal palace had both.

The guards posted outside of the gate eyed Eui with suspicion, but as soon as they noticed Misun, they practically fled back into the mansion. By the time they reached the gate, the heads of the household were already ready and waiting.

Eui recognized Jaehwa’s parents—Sun Yong and Sun Gi. Sun Yong, the patriarch, had actually married into the family. He was a stern, but gentle man with brown hair complemented by reptilian frills behind his ears and a thick green tail. Jaehwa’s mother, Sun Gi, was obviously the one from whom Jaehwa had inherited most of her traits. She had a taller, more slender build than her daughter, but shared the same distinctive platinum blonde hair and perky rabbit ears.

They recognized Eui, as well. She could see their eyes widening at the sight of her, and feel their pulses quickening. They did a good job of hiding their expressions, but the raw fear emanating from them couldn’t be more obvious.

Sun Yong bowed deeply as he greeted them.

“What an unexpected surprise! Not unwelcome, of course! We are naturally pleased to host such important visitors as your highness and her guest.”

Misun crossed her arms and nodded in Eui’s direction.

“My business is with her, and hers is with you. We won’t be staying long.”

“Of course. Please forgive my impertinence, but I’m not familiar with the appropriate term of address for Jiaguo’s ruler.”

Eui scratched her head, frowning.

“Lord Sun, I know you never particularly liked me or anything, but you knew me when I was twelve. You can just call me An Eui.”

That only made him even more tense, but he offered her a smile anyway.

“An Eui, then. Please, come inside. Should I assume you’d like me to call for Jaehwa? She’ll be overjoyed to see you.”

Eui gave him a strained smile of her own, already getting sick of the polite facade.

“I somehow doubt that, but yes, I am here to see her.”

Sun Gi pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Enough, Yong. The girl can see right through you. You’re just going to insult her if you keep simpering like that.”

Eui raised an eyebrow at her.

“And calling me ‘the girl’ is supposed to be any better?”

“Like you said, we knew you when you were twelve. Powerful as you may be, you’ll always be a child to us. Now, before I fetch my daughter, is the purpose of your visit today revenge, or reconciliation?”

“Who’s to say it’s either? I’m told you’re important allies. Maybe I’m just here on business.”

Sun Gi inclined her head and gave Eui the kind of Look that made her feel like she really was a twelve year old girl, again. She sighed.

“Okay fine, the latter. Jaehwa and I settled things in the academy, and I still have to thank her for sending Tae In-Su to help us out.”

“Very well. Let’s head inside, then.”

Once inside, Eui was struck by how different everything seemed. She’d been in the Sun estate before, but everything looked smaller and less important than it had when she was a child.

They were led to the nicest sitting room in the house, and Sun Gi bowed as she ushered them inside.

“Please make yourselves at home. Jaehwa will be along shortly—in the meantime, don’t hesitate to call for a servant if you need anything.”

Misun took one glance at the room and clicked her tongue.

“I’ll go with you, actually. Maybe there’s some business we can handle after all, and I’ve no interest in whatever schoolyard drama the children are going to hash out.”

“As you wish, your highness.”

The three of them took their leave, and Eui didn’t have to wait long before Sun Jaehwa sullenly slinked into the room.

She was just as Eui remembered. Nearly as short as Eui was—though her rabbit ears made her look taller—with light green eyes and long blonde hair that wasn’t quite as fair as Jia’s snow-white. She had a much curvier figure than Eui or Jia, however—something that had been the envy of many girls back in school.

Once, Jaehwa had been everything to Eui. Her best friend, her protector, and even her lover—as far as a fourteen-year-old understood such things.

Like so many other things, she seemed so small and unimportant, now. A footnote in the growing scale and complexity of Eui’s life. Nevertheless, it was a chapter in her past which needed to be properly closed.

Jaehwa sat across from Eui, gathering up the courage to take initiative. Eui let her have it.

“So, you’ve finally come, have you? I knew it was just a matter of time. Go on, then—do your worst. I woke a sleeping tiger, and I’ve had years to make my peace with it.”

Eui sighed. Why did everyone think she was after revenge?

“That’s right. Now that I’ve reached the peak of cultivation, there’s only one thing standing between me and perfection. Once I’ve buried you, I can become the ultimate bitch once and for all.”

Jaehwa stared at her in mute incomprehension, the gears slowly turning in her head. Then, finally, she snorted.

“Pfft! Ancestors, Eui. You still have that macabre sense of humor, I see.”

“And you still think the entire world revolves around you. I’m not interested in revenge, Jaehwa.”

“Then why are you here? And where’s your other half?”

Eui frowned.

“Jia’s always with me, but as you might imagine, she’s not too keen on talking to you. What about you? Any new suitors?”

She grimaced.

“Alas, I remain the Sun clan’s Sweeping Star. You have one fiance murdered by a jilted ex-lover and everyone thinks you’re forever cursed—it’s ridiculous.”

“I suppose that’s why I’m here, actually. I’ve been on a...pilgrimage of sorts, I guess. Trying to find the victims of my wrongdoings so that I can attempt to set things right.”

Jaehwa blinked.

“Really? That sounds awful for everyone involved. Also, I would think that most of your victims are beyond helping.”

“Well yes, but they had families and such. It wasn’t always easy, but I did my best.”

“Then why are you here talking to me, rather than the Yeong clan? Jiwoo may have been my fiance, but he was their scion.”

Eui scowled and shook her head.

“Ugh, no. To hell with that, Jiwoo was human garbage and I did you, the Yeong clan, and the world a favor by killing him.”

“Rather unorthodox, as apologies go.”

“Oh, shut up! I’m not sorry for killing Yeong Jiwoo, but I am sorry for the way I reacted to your engagement. Even before the incident, the way I acted was...kind of crazy, in hindsight.”

Jaehwa crossed her arms under her chest and sighed.

“Well it certainly was unexpected. To this day, I’m still not sure what possessed you.”

Eui furrowed her brows. She was supposed to be apologizing, but Jaehwa’s lack of empathy was making it difficult.

“You did, Jaehwa. I put you on a pedestal. I thought nothing else in the entire world mattered. That’s not your fault—I was just a stupid kid—but you certainly didn’t hesitate to take advantage of it when it suited you. Do you even like girls?”

“Eh, I could go either way, but I always knew that I’d be expected to take a husband one day. Girls are just for fun.”

“I didn’t see it that way. It may have been fun and games to you, but for me it was very real. I thought we would be together forever, and when you just threw me away like a used toy...it kinda broke me.”

Jaehwa blew out her cheeks, letting out a long breath.

“Well...for that, I suppose...I’m sorry. It was insensitive of me to play with your feelings like that. I don’t see how any of the rest is my problem, though.”

Eui sighed.

“It’s not. Like I said, this isn’t a justification, just...an explanation, I guess. I shouldn’t have outed you to your fiance, I shouldn’t have gone behind your back, and I really shouldn’t have put you on such a pedestal. It wasn’t fair to expect you to betray centuries of tradition and abandon your family for me.”

“I see. Well, my parents will probably kill me for saying so, but I don’t forgive you. My life was ruined! No suitor will take me, I have no future prospects, and I might even have to cede my title to a younger sibling if my parents ever get around to producing one. You have utterly humiliated me, and to make things worse I have to suck up to your friends because my association to you has made our clan into pariahs among the nobility, forcing us to throw our lot in with the royal faction.”

Her words rang hollow to Eui’s ears. She couldn’t bring herself to feel sympathy for Jaehwa’s plight. Most of her problems were of her own making, owing in no small part to her vile and petty personality. Eui had to wonder what her teenage self had ever seen in Jaehwa.

She shook her head solemnly.

“That’s fine. I do forgive you—for everything. I don’t hold your pettiness against you. I suppose I understand now that it’s just who you are.”

Jaehwa rolled her eyes.

“Sure, whatever. Are you ever going to give my damned barrister back?”

Eui chuckled.

“No, I don’t think I will. He makes a good secretary, and it’s nice to commiserate with him every now and then about putting up with you.”

“Fuck you, Eui.”

“Goodbye, Jaehwa.”