"You are finishing that bowl of soup before you set foot outside this door," Seung said.

"I cannot eat much in the morning," Minjae protested.

A stark contrast to the fourteen-year-old girl who had once fled her marriage bed in a misguided sense of honour, she had changed since then, developing new routines. Though she still rose early to say her prayers and tend her herb garden, her visits to the kitchen were less frequent, and breakfast remained a low priority in her morning rituals.

Seung tilted his head. "If you think I am going to let you neglect your health with terrible eating habits, think again, Physician Kim." He motioned Woo Sari, whose stoic face was betrayed by the twinkle in her eyes, to place the tray before a grumbling Minjae.

"Aunt In-dah tattled, didn't she?" Minjae asked as she glared at the offending bowl of soup and then transferred the glare to Woo Sari, who could not hold back a giggle.

However, Minjae didn't object any further, picking up the spoon delicately to fill her mouth.

The guarded air that once clung to her had faded. She didn't speak much even now, but she had such an expressive face and eyes that she often didn't need to. The way her mouth would soften when he said something jestful or would reach out to him by herself, her defences melting away like a mound of sand beneath a soft wave, or even the way her eyes would go from a light amber to a dark coal as emotions flitted through them, he knew what she wanted to say without her uttering a word.

She was a wildflower that had been brutally mutilated, plucked and thrown away to the winds. Yet she had found new roots and grown wilder, stronger. When he met her, she had created tall walls that once had looked impenetrable. He used to think he would have to break the wall brick by brick to free her. Instead, he realised all he needed to do was to unlock the gate because that's all that there was. There was no wall; it had all been an illusion. She had just been waiting for him to see it.

Minjae was gradually settling into her new role. She had started back on her morning visits to her patients, though she had significantly cut down her physician visits, limiting herself to a few households and learning her way as Lee Seung's wife.

Minjae avoided the royal residence like the plague.

The grand Prince, ever the stickler for rules, was furious at Seung's decision to bring her, a divorcee, into his household. He had thrown an apocalyptic fit, threatening to enslave all of Minjae's kin. It had taken Sim Junho to pacify the Prince and remind him that with the barbarians breathing down their necks, they couldn't waste time on the idiosyncrasies of the noblemen. Moreover, she was just an addition to Lee Seung's house and held no title.

The fact that Seung had helped the Prince when he had broken protocols helped.

The Grand Prince huffed and puffed, but he could hardly go against the powerful noblemen who seldom went against each other for women of lower class.

However, both Junho and Seung wondered if Her Highness, the Prince's consort, had a say in calming the Prince down, or perhaps the Prince himself had a soft corner for her since Minjae had saved their daughter's life?

Irrespective of the real reason, the Prince had agreed to drop the matter, and that was all that mattered.

It was no surprise news had travelled this fast.

Jeon Suji had cornered Minjae on the very first day. "You never informed me!" She hissed her displeasure. Being the island's foremost gossip, it was an affront to her to find out from someone else.

"It happened so quickly. I didn't realise Aboji would agree to send me here in my absence," Minjae lied.

"How did that nasty woman react?" Suji asked, her eyes pouring with curiosity, referring to Soo Hyun.

"She has been punished for being a jealous woman, not that it's any of your business," Gil-ae's harsh voice interrupted them, her expressions dark. "Even though it's not her fault and life has not been fair to her, just as it's not been fair to me, unlike others," she said, not looking at Minjae.

Heat rose to Minjae's cheeks, but she refrained from rising to the bait. "Where are you going so early in the morning, Gil-ae?" She asked softly.

"I don't think you have the authority to ask me questions, Physician Kim," Gil-ae responded, her brow rising in a challenge. "I'm only accountable to my sister-in-law, but you aren't her, are you?"

Aware of Suji's gleeful eyes lapping up the exchange, Minjae curled her fingers until her nails embedded in her palm.

"Even if I was, I would never stop you, Gil-ae. You know that." Minjae looked at her sister-in-law in the eye, her voice gentle.

Gil-ae flushed before grabbing the pouch in her hand tighter and exiting the gate, followed by her young companion, who gave Minjae a scared bow.

Suji expelled a breath that had ballooned in her stomach. "Impressions can be so wrong. I could wager my weekly earnings that she used to like you a lot."

Minjae shrugged, not giving any more fuel to the fodder.

"Is it because you are a commoner? A divorcee?" Suji asked.

Measuring the ground at her feet, Minjae took a deep breath. "Lee Gil-ae doesn't hold that against anyone. Let's not speak about this anymore."

"I know her brother is someone I could eat all day, but why did you not just play with him and let that be all? Why would you give everything up to be treated like this?"

If you only knew Suji.

"And be arrested for improper behaviour?" she said instead, curtailing the conversation.

"Blast the royals!" Suji exclaimed with feeling but left it at that. "Though I never thought you would ever give in to any kind of scandalous co-habitation," Suji's brows danced. "But I'm glad that this obnoxious woman was put in her place. Could never stand some of these high and mighty women, I tell you! Oh, by the way, did I tell you Sung Ha's wife rolled her daughter-in-law and then had -"

Minjae tuned Suji's gossip, focusing solely on her sister-in-law. She was visiting the shaman's house more regularly now, and Minjae didn't have a good feeling about it.

∞

The laughter echoed back to them as they raced to the top. Minjae was adamant about making it without Seung's help. She had always been nimble; her foothold had seldom failed her in the slippery mush underneath her feet. But having Seung climbing behind her made her nervous. He had wagered she would slip at least twice before they reached the top of the hill, and he would have to hold her.

To her utter horror, he proved right when her foot slipped, and Seung caught her from behind.

"Did you know what went on in my mind when we went up this hill for the first time? You slipped, and I had to hold you from behind?" Seung teased.

"I was injured," she said snippily.

"But today, you are not," he pointed out, holding her hips tighter against him. "Hmnn.... it's making me wonder..."

If she didn't fear he would come to great harm, Minjae would have pushed him down the hill out of mortification.

Biting her lip, she marched up, her cheeks getting red with a lot more than exertion as Seung's laughter followed her.

However, Seung didn't push his luck any further, and they made it to the top of the mountain without any further mishaps.

The view was as breathtaking as Minjae remembered. Catching her wrist in his grip, Seung rushed her past the inlet that formed a part of the shallow estuary surrounding the island, curving gracefully from the sea, its frosted edges glistening in the sunlight. They walked to the right, where the cliff of rocky outcrops rose, dusted with a sheen of frost, towering over the sheltered inlet. Water spilt from the ridge in a slow, almost frozen cascade, catching the sunlight in icy glints as it fell. The air was filled with the crisp scent of frozen earth as the bay sparkled, the morning sun casting its light over the undulating surface, alive with winter's chill beauty.

Minjae wrapped the woollen jangot around her more tightly. The tip of her nose was red, and her ears had turned a deep shade of pink with the cold. Seung drew her against his warm body, escorting her to the beloved cave that sat between the rocks.

"Would His Highness really have harmed Aboji?" Minjae asked worriedly.

"No. The Grand Prince is kinder than he lets on," Seung replied. "If Aboji had been a Yangban man, then there could have been a worry."

"But what if he persists?" Minjae took her lower lip between her teeth.

Seung looked at her, his gaze going dark. "Don't do that!"

She looked up, puzzled. "What?"

A frustrated sigh escaped him. "Bite your lip."

"Why?"

"Do I tell you or show you?"

Realisation dawned. Her cheeks matched the blazing red of the tips of her nose and ears. She bit her lip again and then remembered, turning her face away.

Chuckling, Seung pulled her closer, hooking a finger under her chin to turn her face towards him. "His Highness won't persist. We are still waiting for news from the mainland. Rumours are flying around, but no one knows for sure what the ground position is."

"What if the barbarians attack?" Minjae asked apprehensively.

"I hope the island will be safe. His Majesty King Injo and most of his court ministers will be here if that is the case. The island is impenetrable."

The worry in her eyes darkened into a deep mahogany.

"Don't worry about His Excellency - your father - coming here. Being the Chief State Councillor, he will have to head the court and be the messenger in case the Barbarians breach the Palace."

Minjae's brow furrowed, glancing up at him. "But during the last invasion, even the most powerful couldn't avoid the devastation. We barely made it."

During the previous invasion a decade ago, Minjae's grandmother took refuge with her in a remote temple while her father led the rest of the family south to safety.

Injo's seizure of the throne four years prior to the invasion had already propelled Choi Si-wan's rise, but the invasion solidified his power.

Seung's grip on her hand tightened. "Your father's influence proliferated after that. Many fell away while he… endured," he murmured, his gaze shifting to the distant waves. Minjae knew he was now alluding to his father's murder, and her heart twisted agonisingly. "But now, that same status binds him to the Palace. He won't come here."

The icy air held a taste of something more ominous, and as she breathed it in, Minjae felt a flicker of apprehension stir beneath her calm as if the land itself was whispering a warning she couldn't quite hear. She turned, resting her forehead against Seung's shoulder. "I fear his shadow will reach us here, no matter how far we run," she whispered, her breath trembling against his collar.

Seung's hand cradled her jaw, his thumb making soothing circles on her cheek. "Let his shadow try," he said, his voice low with determination. "I've built walls he'll never breach."

Reaching out to his sleeves, Seung withdrew a small scroll. Curious, Minjae eyed it.

Seung withdrew from her a little, holding the scroll, an unfamiliar pink staining the strong column of his throat while the ears went even more red. He cleared his throat and then cleared it again.

"I wrote something," he said. "Will you tell me how it sounds?"

"You did?" Minjae asked, her voice coming out in a disbelieving croak.

Seung's brows furrowed in offence. "Let me remind you, Lady Choi, you married a man considered to be the topmost scholar of Joseon."

She gave him a pert smile in reply. "Hypocrite," she teased.

His laughter bounced off the hills around them.

Minjae watched as he carefully unrolled the scroll. Being a scholar had come easy to Seung. While others laboured to master the written word for decades, Seung handled it as though ink flowed in his veins.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

He cleared his throat and passed the scroll to her. On it, in beautiful calligraphy, lay words strung together that jumped out with a life of their own.

I cherish you,

not for what has been nor what could have been—

but for this quiet, unshakable moment,

a warmth nestled in the bones.

I cannot undo the past,

its tangled roots, the jagged scars,

yet here you are, like a waterfall

falling across the dry stretches of my spirit,

smoothing, filling, whispering.

Drink.

You are my refuge,

the quiet harbour after storms.

I could be that for you, too—

an anchor in the vastness,

a hand to steady the unsteady tides.

Yes, there is a sea out there,

with currents stronger than reason,

but I feel it—this pull, these depths.

Quench.

Call it love. Call it faith.

Call it what remains unbroken.

In this open, boundless expanse,

I choose you, again and again,

an endless vow whispered into waves,

eternal, unending, like the sea.

The hands holding the parchment started shaking. Surprised, Seung reached over and grasped her hands. "Minjae?"

She raised her doe-like eyes with a curtain of mist. "I was such a fool..."

An exasperated sigh escaped Seung. "And this is why I had to write this." Seung transferred his hands to cup her face. "Don't you see that we cannot be a prisoner of our past?"

Minjae nodded.

Seung let his hands slide from her face and drew her close to his chest, resting his chin on top of her head. She was so tiny, so delicate. Yet he knew through her back ran steel. He also knew with enough pressure, the steel could break.

"I'll not insult ourselves by claiming I know what the future will bring. All we have are these moments to make whatever we want to make out of them. But I want you to know that no matter how many times it happens, I will choose you. Always you."

His words crashed against her chest like bricks, their weight settling in like warmth from fire on a cold winter night, their clarity etched in his clear eyes.

"Not me. Us." Minjae said, "We both will choose us."

He looked down at her and slowly touched his lips to her forehead before crushing her to his chest. "Us," he whispered.

∞

Watching Soo Hyun whispering in Gil-ae's ear made Minjae's anger simmer dangerously close to the surface. The sight of them, heads together like conspirators, gnawed at her already frayed patience. No matter how hurt Gil-ae was, she had to understand that Minjae was as much a victim in all this as she was. Determined, Minjae squared her shoulders and walked toward them, her steps deliberate.

"I don't think you're allowed in the kitchen, Soo Hyun," Minjae said, her voice calm but laced with an edge that betrayed her irritation. She hated how petty and immature she felt, but it was exhausting enough trying to reach Gil-ae without Soo Hyun hovering around her like a shadow, constantly by her side, weaving her God knows what poison.

Soo Hyun's lips curled into a sly smile, and she replied without missing a beat, "I go where I'm needed, Physician Kim."

"It's My Lady for you, Soo Hyun," Minjae clipped back.

"I called her to help me," Gil-ae interjected sharply, not looking up as she sliced through a bundle of scallions with a practised hand.

"I can help you too," Minjae offered, though her voice lacked its usual steadiness.

Gil-ae's knife clattered onto the wooden cutting board as she turned to face her. "You? Help us?" she said acidly, her tone dripping with contempt. "You're too important a person for the likes of us now, aren't you, Lady Choi Jina?"

Soo Hyun let out a soft snicker, the sound cutting through Minjae like a blade.

Minjae clenched her fists, willing herself to stay composed. She drew herself taller, meeting Gil-ae's defiant gaze head-on. "Gil-ae," she said firmly, "I need you to follow me to my room. Now."

Gil-ae's expression faltered, her flawless skin blanching slightly. For a moment, Minjae thought she saw a flicker of doubt, of fear even, in her sister-in-law's eyes. But it vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by the same stony defiance. Still, she didn't argue.

Minjae tightened her lips, turned sharply on her heel, and began walking, knowing Gil-ae would follow. She had to fix this—somehow, some way, she had to make things right.

But as they approached the courtyard, strange voices caught her attention. Four women stood at the gate, chattering animatedly with an attendant.

"Lady Ryu and Lady Choi are not seeing visitors," the attendant said firmly.

Before Minjae could intervene, Gil-ae's voice rang out. "It's all right, Jo Han. Let them in. Sister-in-law Choi will meet them."

Minjae spun around to face her, disbelief etched across her face. "Gil-ae, what are you doing? You're going against Commander Lee's direct orders."

Gil-ae met her gaze without flinching, her chin lifted defiantly. "Someone has to do what's right around here. Why? You don't want to meet them, Lady Choi?" The challenge in her tone was unmistakable, daring Minjae to prevent her.

Minjae's heart sank as the women walked past her, their eyes gleaming with curiosity and open hostility. They greeted Gil-ae warmly, offering muttered gratitude, before Soo Hyun, ever the opportunist, swept in, bowing to the women.

"Lady Choi, we have been missing your presence in our stitching gatherings," one of the women said animatedly to Soo Hyun.

"I have earned Lord Lee's wrath, My Ladies," Soo Hyun said, shooting Minjae a venomous glance before schooling her expressions. "Hence, I have been rendered unsociable for the time being."

The women hummed and hawed in understanding, glaring at Minjae.

"I worry about these commoner women ensnaring our husbands and upsetting the delicate balance", another woman piped.

"You should learn how to keep your husband entertained," the shortest one of them offered. "You should not allow her in the main house, Lady Choi." The rest of them nodded vigorously.

They spoke about Minjae as if she wasn't standing there, listening to them. Soo Hyun preened under their attention, her smile smug and satisfied.

There was very little Minjae could do to stop her.

The women, though, didn't dare to go against the wishes of the Master of the house, especially as Lady Ryu didn't entertain any of them, and left soon after.

"Why, Gil-ae?" Minjae demanded, her voice trembling. "Why would you do this? You know Soo Hyun is an imposter!"

"So are you!" Gil-ae spat, her voice shaking with rage. "I don't believe a word you've said. Soo Hyun told me everything. Your father mutilated a man and killed her husband. She was forced to take your place because you ran away. Abandoned my brother. I believe her."

"It's not true," Minjae said, her voice cracking under the weight of her frustration. "I came back to the court -"

"Maybe you were forced. I don't know, and I don't care. You ensnared my brother in a made-up story -"

"You know it's not true. You saw that dress—"

"Who knows why you were at the gambling house? Maybe you went to meet your lover!" Gil-ae's words were vicious, each syllable striking like a lash.

Before Minjae could stop herself, her hand lashed out, connecting with Gil-ae's cheek in a sharp, resounding slap. The sound echoed in the courtyard, silencing even the birds.

Gil-ae's head whipped to the side, her eyes widening in shock as her hand flew up to her cheek. Tears glistened in her eyes, and for a split second, Minjae saw the vulnerable girl she once knew. But it was fleeting.

Minjae's face crumpled immediately. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please, Gil-ae, I didn't mean—"

"Don't touch me!" Gil-ae said harshly, stepping back as tears streamed down her face. "At least Soo Hyun's father didn't murder my father! At least she didn't put me in jail! She didn't destroy my brother's life! I wish I had never met you!"

Gil-ae had oft repeated the words, yet they always struck Minjae like a physical blow. She stumbled back, her hands trembling as she tried to reach out, only to have Gil-ae pull further away.

Out of the corner of her eye, Minjae caught Soo Hyun watching, a flicker of satisfaction flitting across her face before she quickly masked it with a look of concern. Soo Hyun moved toward Gil-ae, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Come, Gil-ae," she said softly, but her eyes darted to Minjae, cold and triumphant.

Gil-ae wrenched herself free from Soo Hyun's reach and wiped her cheeks, then turned to lift a large pot of plant from the courtyard, moving it where the sun was brighter.

Minjae stood frozen, her heart hammering in her chest. The courtyard seemed impossibly quiet now, the weight of Gil-ae's words hanging heavily in the air.

"Are you not afraid at all, Soo Hyun? I thought we had an understanding," Minjae said coldly.

Soo Hyun's lips curled into a grimace, her tone sharp and calculated. "But now it does not have anything in it for me. So forgive me if I don't care for it. Moreover, do you really think this will last, Lady Choi? Men like Commander Lee—powerful, ambitious—they don't settle easily. They need someone who knows how to navigate their world, who understands their burdens."

Minjae folded her hands and simply raised a brow in reply; her gaze remained steady, uncompromising.

Soo Hyun's scowl faltered, but her voice carried a venomous edge. "You act so sure of yourself, so confident in his love. But you forget, I have been with men like him. There's a fire in him that you'll never fully grasp. You're too... restrained, too bland."

Minjae's expression softened, but her tone grew colder. "You never learn your boundaries, do you?"

Soo Hyun's eyes narrowed, a flash of anger breaking through her composure. "You think you've won, but you don't understand what it means to keep a man like him." She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "And what will you do when he realises you're not enough?"

Her jaw tightened, but her voice didn't waver. "I don't need to prove myself to you—or to anyone."

Soo Hyun stepped closer, her expression darkening with a twisted satisfaction, her laugh bitter, hollow. "We'll see, My Lady. We'll see how long that confidence lasts."

"What I fear, Soo Hyun, is what a desperate woman like you might do when you realise he'll never look at you."

Soo Hyun chuckled. "Aren't you clever! I have fought for myself too long to give in so easily, My Lady. Truth is, no matter how badly Lord Lee wants you to proclaim your identity, you still cannot claim it. To keep you safe, he has to keep me around." Her eyes narrowed, glinting in a way that sent shivers down Minjae's spine. "I am greedy. It pained me to be rejected so cruelly. There was a time when I - ah! - thought he might not be man enough. But now I have seen how he is with you; it is burning me. I want that." Soo Hyun turned to face Minjae, her face contorting into a malicious smile. "I want that attention. I desire him. I want him."

A sharp gust of wind carried the faint scent of burning pine, stinging Minjae's eyes.

Gil-ae, standing off to the side, shifted her weight uncomfortably, the crunch of her shoe against loose gravel briefly diverting Minjae's attention. Gil-ae's hands trembled slightly as she adjusted the pot in her arms, her gaze flitting between Soo Hyun and Minjae. She glanced at Minjae for a fraction of a second—an almost imperceptible flicker of guilt passing through her eyes—before she quickly turned away, burying her face in the pretence of rearranging the plants.

But the moment was fleeting, and Minjae's focus returned to the woman before her.

"If you know what's good for you, you will cease your shameless ramblings now," Minjae said.

Soo Hyun's smile faltered momentarily, but her gaze remained sharp. "I've fought harder battles than this, Lady Choi. And I never walk away empty-handed."

A low murmur from one of the maids passing by reached Minjae's ears, though the words were indistinct. The sound only heightened her awareness of how public this confrontation had become.

Minjae kept her face emotionless and clapped her hands. Immediately, two maids and two servants appeared by her side. Keeping her eyes trained on Soo Hyun, Minjae said, "Please ensure Soo Hyun does not leave her chambers for the next seven days. Food once a day when the sun is overhead. If she transgresses, wrap her in her bedclothes and keep her there for a day and a night. If she has visitors, she is to be indisposed indefinitely. Am I clear?"

The servants fervently nodded their heads. Gil ae was rooted to her spot, staring at Minjae, the flower pot sitting at her feet forgotten.

Soo Hyun looked at her with so much hatred that had Minjae been a wick, she would have burst into flames.

The edges of her chima fluttered against her legs as Minjae stepped closer to Soo Hyun, her gaze steady, unyielding, as she said, "Do not challenge me again. Ever."

∞

Two small, familiar figures scurried out as Seung trotted out of the gate. They were the two young boys Seung had caught following Minjae in the forest all those months ago.

He had caught them fooling around his house a few days ago. It turned out one of their mothers worked in a neighbouring house. Still suspicious, he had put a watch on them to see if the urchins followed Minjae.

They didn't.

Seung made a mental note to interrogate the young scholar who had set them after Minjae as he galloped his way to meet Sim Junho.

They had finally made the interrogations official. Once Grand Prince Bongrim became involved, the new commander backed off, though he made sure to air his grievances loudly. Sergeant Han, too, had been brought back for questioning. However, they soon realised he was speaking the truth when he said he never had seen the mystery woman because she was always under a veil in the dark and wore dark clothing with a voluminous jangot. The only thing they could make out was she was taller than average. Unfortunately, this wasn't much to go with.

The wind was nippy, and Seung's cheeks felt numb. He wondered how many of the civilian soldiers ever bore the freezing chill with barely anything on their backs.

"Did Ka divulge anything further?" Seung asked, urging his horse to settle down into a gentle canter.

"So far, no, though interestingly, he is the only one who has not taken Minjae's name. But he, too, does not know the mystery woman. In fact, I doubt he even knew about her existence. He did employ several female slaves in many households to bring him news in exchange for food and sometimes sexual favours."

Seung recoiled. "What?"

Sim Junho shrugged. "I have not heard of that before either, but he, umm, excels in bringing women to pleasure without ever breaching them, and they do what he asks them to."

Seung felt something putrid rise from his gut. "That bastard."

Junho's mouth twisted with distaste. "I have met lowlifes all my life, but something about him churns my gut. Worse, there is nothing to actually hold him in custody any more. We can't really prove that the vase belonged to him, seeing how it was found in your home. If anything, it would just implicate Physician Kim further."

Sim Junho paused, and Seung felt ice twist his insides.

"Minjae is innocent," he said.

"I know, but it does not look good for her," Junho said.

"It does not matter. She is innocent. She put herself in danger trying to help those women, and if anyone thinks I will take anyone threatening her lightly, they are wrong."

"Calm down, Lee Seung. I would never endanger an innocent. You should know that."

"No one touches her. Else, I promise you, I will burn everything in my path. I know the game. And I can play it too. And trust me on this, Hyung. If it means I have to unleash the deadliest poison this country has seen, I will." Seung's jaw was clamped so tight that it was a wonder he didn't crack teeth. He gave a slight kick to his horse's flank and tugged the reins, breaking the animal into a soft gallop. Junho followed.

They had only galloped for a few metres when Seung pulled at the reins so hard that the horse went up on his hind legs in protest.

Seung automatically gave a couple more tugs to calm his horse, his eyes frozen and breath stilled as he caught sight of black smoke spiralling in the distance—dark shadows twisting far beyond the shore, swelling like monstrous figures ready to smother everything in their path.

The pit of dread sucked the air out of him, and he felt Sim Junho pull up beside him, his jaw clenched hard.

The men didn't say a word. They both knew what the smoke meant.

Seung couldn't bring himself to look away from the inferno on the horizon. Villages were being burnt. He knew it with a sickening certainty. All it would take was a gust of wind for the fire to spread further, devouring fields, homes, lives—unstoppable. Women and children, stolen from their beds and violated. Men mutilated. It was as though he could hear the cries, even from here, like they were being torched straight into his bones.

Barbarians.