Nam Dami scraped the last bit of soil, unearthing the roots and brushing off the dirt before adding them to the treasure in her basket hanging on her back. She wondered if the ship had already harboured. Word was that the 'cargo' was landing today.

Dami clambered down the pathway covered with the thick growth of familiar shrubs, which provided some of the herbs and medicines the apothecary thrived on.

Cha Moon-Sik waited at the bottom of the hill.

"I told you many times I do not know where she goes. She does not tell me, and I am not her keeper!" Dami admonished him. She was losing her patience with the man. He had been following her like a lost pup for the past two weeks, trying to figure out the whereabouts of Kim Minjae, who had been keeping odd hours lately.

"You are Physician Kim's assistant. How can you not know?" Moon Sik complained.

Dami let out a harried breath, her chest heaving from exertion and frustration. Did the man not have eyes?

"Even if I did, I would not tell you, Master Cha Moon-Sik. Winning a woman's heart is not a kite you can pick up in a field," Dami pushed past him.

"I am not asking for me. Grandmother is sick and wishes to see Physician Kim," Moon-Sik pouted, stepping in front of her, blocking her path. He then lifted the basket off her shoulders. "I will carry this for you."

Nam Dami pressed her lips together, squinting her displeasure at the giant man bumbling before her. He was so tall that he eclipsed the sun as he towered over her. Wisps of strands escaped the thick hair secured roughly in a bun atop his head. Bushy eyebrows crowned his small but expressive eyes. There was a stain on his beige tunic. His large, rough farmer's hands held the basket like a toy.

She took a step around him.

"Grandmother has never liked Physician Kim, and you know it," Dami threw over her shoulder. "She likes me better, so I will go see her."

"You are not the physician," Moon-Sik argued.

"Then come to the inn. It's Minjae Unnie's day to serve at the tavern in the evening. But I will go see your grandmother anyway."

Moon-Sik's grandmother was a shaman. She had always felt the woman saw more than she let on. Dami wondered if the old woman could see what was inside her heart.

*

Minjae dismounted from the horse and handed the reins to Seung.

"What do you think, Dari?"

Seung grinned. "You are tenacious."

"I can't believe I can ride independently now," Minjae scampered in delight.

"There is much more to learn, but it's a good start," Seung smiled.

"It's all because of you, Dari," she said happily. Seung felt the familiar kick of pleasure rush through his blood. Seung watched her surreptitiously as they strolled in companionable silence. Loving her came easy to him, like breathing or eating. The thirst to spend every available moment with her had only grown as he met her every morning in the secluded flat land flanked by boulders on one side and the mountain on the other.

Three months earlier, Seung had visited the apothecary for the first time with a sore shoulder, more out of an aching heart than the discomfort of a nagging joint. To his utter disappointment, while tending to him, Minjae had been professional and brisque to the point that someone would think they were strangers. He could still recall his disbelief when that reticent Kim Minjae stunned him with an unexpected request. She wanted him to teach her horse riding. Questions flooded his mind, foremost being "Why me?" of many he had never voiced. He also knew better than to read more into it.

He had lost no time and started her lessons early in the morning the very next day.

Witnessing her commitment firsthand had been a revelation. She was just as he had heard—hardworking, punctual and dedicated. The hardest part was overcoming her natural fear of sitting on a moving object, but she persevered.

For three months, they had followed the same routine. At the break of dawn, Minjae met him at the field, holding a box brimming with food she had cooked. Seung would impart riding lessons atop the black stallion, followed by a feast of Minjae's culinary magic, before walking back to the village. She always maintained she brought the food for herself, but he had long since figured out she cooked for him. To test his theory, he casually mentioned his favourite dishes, and each time, she proved him right by preparing them for him without fail. She cooked as she did everything else, with perfection.

His stomach grumbled at the thought, and he sent her a sheepish look.

"I see someone is getting very hungry," She teased him playfully.

With a laugh, she rushed to a flat boulder they had chanced upon the first day.

He followed her.

Soon, a mouthwatering buffet lay in front of him. Seung had never felt happier. This was the best part of his day.

About a fortnight ago, Seung grew confident that Minjae reciprocated his feelings strongly. He had to leave the island for a clandestine meeting with the King and a few handful of ministers. News of their refusal to accept the Barbarian King as Emperor had sparked widespread repercussions, prompting the King to task Seung with coordinating naval and land defences for Ganghwa Island, potentially a refuge for the royal family in case of a war.

As the meeting had been on last-minute summons, he had been unable to inform Minjae of his absence. When he returned three days later, she almost flew to his arms before catching herself short.

She had been visibly worried, anxious and upset.

"You could have sent me a message," She had tried to sound composed.

Playfully, he countered, "Did you miss me?"

She had turned away, unamused, anger stiffening every graceful line of her body, until he produced the latest copies of novels he had bought for her from Hanyang. She had squealed in delight at the rare gift.

She had then dug into her sleeves and retrieved a large white cloth. "I sew these while waiting for you here. You could have at least told me you were leaving the island," she complained.

She had meticulously embroidered a sequence of mugunghwa flowers onto it, each stitch so delicate it seemed as though a living bloom had been sewn onto the fabric. Mugunghwa - the blossom from heaven; considered a symbol of deep affection since ancient times. That was when he knew that even though she worked hard to hide the depth of her feelings, he had succeeded in paving a way into her heart.

"Wait, how did you know I was not on the island?"

She didn't even deign to answer him.

Overhead, seagulls glided, breaking the silence, as they scoured for stray morsels that might have fallen, pulling him back from his thoughts. The boulder sat in a clearing overlooking the seashore. The waves played with the sand, pushing boundaries. He observed the woman before him, her lissome figure encased in a deep rose and cream hanbok, her fingers graceful around a pair of chopsticks that pushed a piece of delectable looking fish between her luxurious lips.

"I never thought eating could be so alluring. Minjae, you make ordinary moments extraordinary just by being by my side," Seung said.

Minjae blushed and lowered her eyes. And your presence fills my life with warmth and meaning. The words almost toppled from her, but she held back.

"Dari, you must stop saying such things," she said.

"Now, why should I do that?" His eyes twinkled. "I never knew true happiness until I found it in your smile."

"You exaggerate!" She laughed.

"Your laughter is like music to my ears. It brightens up even the darkest days."

"Now you are getting ridiculous, Dari!" Minjae started laughing.

"Your gaze holds the promise of a thousand stars, each shining brighter than the other -"

"Stop!"

"Your strength is my inspiration, empowering me to overcome any obstacle-"

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Minjae's shoulders started shaking as Seung continued to exaggerate dramatically. She clamped a hand on her mouth to quelch the sounds of her giggles. Seung joined in, the laughter infectious, and for a true moment, the worries of their life became transient as the comfort of food, the warm sun, the rhythmic lull of distant waves crashing against the rocks, and the sounds of gently rustling leaves filled every pore in their body.

As they sobered, it grew quiet, the silence heavy with innate understanding.

"I like being with you, Dari," Minjae suddenly said.

"Why do you like being with me?" Seung asked softly, his gaze on her earnest, expectant.

Minjae smiled. "Dari, I am not good with words, but I have not dared to be this carefree with anyone else. With you, I feel understood in a way I've never experienced before. Every day with you feels like a new adventure, and I wouldn't want to explore it with anyone else."

Pleasure surged forth in Seung's heart like a fountain from a spring. It was the most she had ever said to him. For now, it was enough. He sighed happily.

"Would you like to visit the temple tomorrow?" She asked.

"Why suddenly?" Seung mumbled between mouthfuls of seasoned leafy vegetables and pickled cabbage.

"You once asked me to take you to my favourite place. You missed the temple festival too. Tomorrow is as good a time as any."

A shadow crossed Seung's face at the mention of the festival.

"Are you worried about something, Dari?"

Seung loved how she understood him without him having to say a word. Around the time of the festival, the Joseon delegation to the Barbarian King Hing Taji's coronation had fallen apart. He wondered how long they had before the snaking flames of war singed them.

Pretending to dust a speck from his sleeve, Seung shook his head. This was not the time to think about it.

"Are you planning to take the rescued girl to the temple?" He changed the subject.

"At first, yes. The girl will stay with Han So Yee at the Kisaeng house tonight before I take her to the temple tomorrow so she can recover her health."

"You said she is from Tosan. Why bring her here? Does it not make it difficult for you to place her?"

"We have narrowed down two houses where she could stay. The message said she is mute, so it's hard to find a safe family who would accept her. That also makes it difficult for us to eliminate people from the list who might have known her previously. But few people move in and out of Ganghwa, and those who do rarely bother with servants. My sister will take her in if nothing else works."

"I might be able to help. My mother needs someone to take care of her. You can send her to my village."

"I have to first check how deep her disability is. Lack of hearing is often the cause of muteness. In that case, she cannot care for a sick person."

"This is the same girl who was recaptured after her first rescue four months ago, right?"

"Yes. Rescuing her again took a long time, and the fear of her recapture is still troubling us. I don't know the details, but she has been our toughest rescue so far. Her previous masters seem to be powerful people. And everyone seems to be on high alert these days."

"If so, it will make it dangerous for you too!" Seung frowned.

Minjae clicked the chopsticks in her hand. "It was always a gamble, Dari. I would not change it for anything."

He followed her gaze to the rolling waves that kept coming at the sand, sometimes whisperingly soft, sometimes lashingly fierce, bullying it to yield to their power and erode, to diminish. Yet the sand stood firm against all ferocity—resolute, silent, defiant—eventually forcing the sea to return what it had taken.

He understood.

Seung drank deeply from a flask that Minjae passed to him. She was spoiling him. At times, it almost felt like they were an old married couple. She would ask about his previous day and listen to him intently. He had confided his misgivings about King Injo's politics and Joseon's struggle to balance the Mings and the Barbarians. She never pried, respecting his boundaries of how much he could divulge, but she always asked intelligent questions and, at times, came up with inventive solutions. Minjae's startling beauty paled when compared to her brains. Her thoughts ran deep, and he could spend hours listening to her. She was passionate about medicine, and yet one day, she had blurted how much she had once dreamt of a quiet life with a house full of children.

Seung wanted to make it a reality. He had never been so sure of anything in his life. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

Feeling lighter in his heart, Seung helped her clean up, and Minjae produced a carrot for the horse.

"Did you cook a lot at your - in your previous life?" Seung asked.

"Not a lot."

"How did you learn to cook mainland dishes? I have not had some of what you cook outside of Hanyang."

"I meet people from the mainland all the time. Some of my patients love to exchange recipes," Minjae responded, gathering the empty boxes. Once more, Seung was struck with the infinite grace of the woman before him who made mundane motions seem musical.

"Ah! I see." Feeling full and satisfied, Seung stretched his arms and moved them in a circular motion, working his shoulders. The woman would make him a rotund glutton if he weren't careful.

"Is your shoulder still giving you trouble?" Minjae asked.

"Not anymore. Your touch is magical. I think I overate," Seung said as he took the tote of boxes from her hand and hung it on the saddle hook.

"I will come to the temple with you tomorrow," Seung said.

Minjae looked lost in thoughts on her way back to the village.

"Are you worried about the girl arriving today?"

"Somewhat," She acceded.

"I can be there with you if you want when you meet her today," Seung offered against his better judgment, wanting to ease the tension furrowing her brow, even though as an officer of the King, he was best not involved in such clandestine activities. But he was already too deep into everything. And anyway, he never honestly cared for conventions.

"It's all right. Please do not become directly involved in any of this. Moreover, I will not be meeting her today. Han So ye and Nam Dami will take her to the Kisaeng house."

"All right. I will come to the inn tonight. Will you be there?" Seung turned his hopeful eyes to her.

A rosy flush brushed her cheeks. "If you promise to behave."

"What? Do I not behave well with you?" Seung kept a hand on his heart with an exaggerated sigh.

"Stop it. You know what I mean," she said reproachfully.

Seung dropped his height to bring his face close to her. "No. You have to explain," he teased, his eyes twinkling.

Mortified, Minjae brought a hand to her flaming cheeks. "Whenever you come, everyone gossips!"

On an impulse, Seung lightly encircled her wrist, making her pause. "Kim Minjae, when will you accept that I am the man of your dreams?" Seung's voice was husky.

"Only in your dreams," she returned, but her voice was shaky.

Letting go of her wrist, Seung placed a long forefinger under her chin, tipping it up. "I can give you the life you want, Minjae. Do you not want a family of your own?"

"It's an impossible dream, Dari," Minjae said wistfully.

Tentatively, Seung cupped the side of her face, his touch so light that their skin barely touched. "I feel complete with you, as if I've finally found my missing piece. Allow me to be by your side, to be your companion, your friend, your protector, your lover. I will bend this world to make you happy."

Minjae swallowed. Seung straightened and put an arm around her, pulling her towards him. She didn't object. One arm encircled her while he placed the other on the back of her head. Minjae kept her hands on his muscle-encased ribcage, and his heart hammered her palms. She rested her forehead on the safe expanse of his chest.

"Is it so difficult to say yes? I know you enough to understand you want to be with me. Am I wrong?" Seung breathed into her hair.

Minjae stayed silent. His arms felt so right around her, and tears pushed at the back of her eyes.

"I do not know what tomorrow holds, but allow us to shape our today. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Just say yes, Minjae, and I will make it happen," Seung entreated her huskily.

A sound barely above a whisper caressed his ears, "Yes."

Did he mishear it?

He pulled her away and captured her chin between his forefinger and thumb. "Say it again," he demanded hoarsely.

Rubies would pale at the colour that painted her cheeks. "Yes," she managed, but then she made the mistake of meeting his gaze, which changed from gentle to smouldering, and Seung dipped his head.

Panicked at the thought he might kiss her, she grabbed his tunic and hid her face in his chest.

Torn between amusement and delight, Seung felt his heart would burst with happiness. He tightened his hold, his veins humming with contentment. He rested his face on her head. "I love you, Kim Minjae," Seung said gruffly. "Thank you for giving me this precious gift. I will speak to your father. And I will make it work," he promised.

*

Kisaeng Han So Ye and Nam Dami anxiously watched the rectangular wooden box that Ko Yoon was prying open. The navy ships were beyond the command of the royal inspectors and safe to smuggle small-framed human beings. However, if the ventilation was not proper, the boxes could get claustrophobic, even fatal, at times.

Its hood opened to reveal a plethora of baskets filled with various food supplies for the army. Ko Yoon and Captain Park wasted no time removing the baskets with practised efficiency. A shrouded figure lay at the bottom.

"Are you all right there, child?" Captain Park asked gently, peering into the depths of the box.

The figure moved, indicating life, causing a collective rush of relief to escape through the worried lips of the four figures crowding around the box.

"How long has she been like that?" So Ye asked.

"We put her in there before dawn," Captain Park said.

"So it's been several hours. The poor thing must be terribly cramped," Dami said.

The girl unfolded herself, doubling over and sinking a few times before she straightened, a grimace of pain shifting through her gaunt face. Ko Yoon grasped a frail arm, helping the girl to climb out of the narrow box.

Han So Ye enveloped the trembling girl in a warm, reassuring embrace. Tawny eyes laced with pain and fear darted around the group. What must have been a round face once was now a sunken mass of tissues and bones.

"You are safe now. No one will ever hurt you again; I promise," Han So Ye squeezed the girl's cold, bony hands.

Nam Dami stepped forward. "Once, I, too, was rescued like you. You do not have anything to fear."

The girl nodded.

"You are going to stay with me tonight at the Kisaeng House," Han So Ye said.

The girl's eyes widened with anxiety, and she tried to step back.

"Please do not fear. You only need to rest tonight and shake off anyone who might have followed your trail. If anyone is chasing you, they will not think of looking for runaways in Kisaeng houses. We will take you to the temple tomorrow, where you will stay for a while to recover. Our Island Physician will accompany you. She is the one who has made all of this possible, and she will personally look after you. Please take a good look at all of us. If you sense any danger, you must alert one of us. Do you understand?"

With a slight shake of her head, the girl nodded her assent.

"Can you speak?" Han So Ye asked gently.

Tears filled her eyes as she shook her head.

"Nam Dami, please let Minjae know the girl can hear and understand us but cannot speak," Han So Ye said. "Ko Yoon, please get the boatmen ready for tomorrow early morning,"

"Yes, Noonim," Ko Yoon responded.

A quick drink of water later, the girl was hastened away in a palanquin to the Kisaeng House.

The following day, her healing journey would begin.