I want us to know each other better, Kim Minjae.

Silhouettes of rugged hills outlined against the dusky sky, gradually painting it in pastel and orange hues as the sun prepared to settle down for the night. It felt like his words echoed around them and bounced back in fragments, whispering through the soft, gentle breeze rustling through the trees. The disbelief in her eyes was probably mirrored in his as well. He wished he could take them back.

Or did he?

Seung wondered if she could hear his heart kicking a storm against his ribcage or the freefall of flapping little sting bees in his stomach. He held his breath, trying to tamp the prickles of anxiousness upending his gut. He rubbed the little crescent scar on his forefinger with his thumb nervously.

But he kept his gaze steadfast on her, unwavering. Lee Seung had never retreated from a battlefield.

Going bleached and scarlet by turns, Minjae shook her head as if to clear it or, perhaps, ensure she had not misheard him. She dropped her gaze, the shadow of her thick dark lashes fanning her translucent skin, and tucked her upper lip inside her mouth, worrying it with her lower lip. "I d-don't know what you mean, Dari."

"Don't you, Kim Minjae?" he asked, his voice huskier than he had intended.

He did not know what prompted him to ask her that, but it felt right. While he could not discount that she probably perceived him as the worst kind of libertine, and he might have shot the arrow before the bow was strung, it was done, and it might be truly for the best. For, while he was not entirely sure yet, Seung could bet his life that Minjae felt something for him.

She made no nippy come back. She did not laugh at his face. She did not mock him. Instead, Minjae swallowed and momentarily closed her eyes. "How can I reply to a question like that, Dari? I hardly know you," she replied.

He was sure he detected a slight breathlessness in her words. Her fingers were curled in a tight fist, clutching the yellow cotton of her skirt in a grip that had turned her knuckles bloodless.

"Will you allow me to change that?"

"It's not even a day we have met," the tremor in her voice unmistakable.

"How long do you think two people should wait to decide they want to know each other?"

The air felt silent around them, heavy with an inexplicable expectation for something that wasn't yet definable.

"There is no purpose to this, Dari. We live on the same island and breathe the same air. But our worlds are as different as water is from land."

"Yet both need each other to survive," he said. His eyes drifted to the sinking sun. "Come, let us walk."

"Why? You have the horse, Dari. I know the way. I can come on my own."

Seung shrugged. "I want to walk with you." He knew there was little she could say to that. He slowly ambled, pulling the horse alongside him gently.

She was still rooted to her spot.

He had shocked her system. He had shocked his system too!

"Physician Kim? I only said I want to know you better, not marry you," he tried to tease his way out.

Her eyes jerked to his face again, her lips compressed this time.

"It's not a kind joke to make to a commoner who is also a divorcee, Dari," she flared.

Seung bit his tongue. Why was he always so unclever around this woman?

"I am sorry. It was a bad joke and tactless of me. Please, Physician Kim, it will be dark soon, and your ankle needs rest."

A grim line appeared where her lips were supposed to be.

Seung turned and walked to her. "If you do not want to come, I will not force you." He picked up the lantern and extended it to her. "But I will not have you walk alone. I will send a guard with you. They are only a whistle away."

Waves crashed against the shore at a distance, seagulls calling out at the fast-approaching dusk excitedly.

Minjae's gaze travelled from the lantern to his face and, beyond him, at the horse.

"May I walk with the horse?"

Seung's brows disappeared into his plumed hat. Hiding a surprised smile, he stepped aside, making way for her. "Of course, if you want."

She swept past him with purposeful strides, graceful even with her slight limp. With the lantern in hand, he followed. Her ankle must be bothering her, Seung thought to himself worriedly.

Minjae caressed the black animal's crest. The horse seemed to melt into her soft hands, turning its muzzle towards her. Her soft laughter filled the air.

Seung's heart did a little flip at the sound. Taking out a lump of sugar from his pocket, Seung extended it to Minjae. "Here, feed this to him."

Using two long fingers and a thumb, Minjae plucked the sugar ball out of his outstretched palms and offered it to the horse. The animal puckered his lips happily, and the treat vanished in his toothy mouth, leaving a tickling feeling that Minjae involuntarily rubbed and gasped gleefully. "You are so beautiful," she said to the horse.

Seung gazed at her, trying to recall if he had ever seen a more enchanting image. The gloaming light kissing the luminous perfection of her face formed a delicate balance in striking contrast against the massive horse, accentuated by the lengthening shadows around them. Coupled with the splash of vivid yellow against the muscular silhouette of black on the canvas of the dusty rust of the road and the shaded emerald of the hills, it was like a painting done in leisure. It was almost surreal.

"You are so beautiful..." he breathed, not realising he had said it out loud.

Minjae's hand stilled. She turned to look at him.

Idiot! Berating himself, he tore his eyes from her face.

"The horse..." he cleared his throat. "He is my favourite horse," Seung said the first thing that popped into his mind.

"Do you have another treat?"

"Yes, yes, of course."

Pulling out another sphere of sugar, Seung walked a little closer. "He loves carrots. I will get them another day."

Seung realised he was taking the risk of frightening her away, but he wanted her to know this would not be their last meeting.

She didn't reply. He didn't know what to make of it, but at least she did not refute it.

The horse's ears twitched at the sight of the treat on the dainty palm, and with a flap of his bushy tail, he nibbled at the sugar ball, eliciting another squeal of delight from Minjae.

Minjae caught his reins and started walking, but the muscular black form did not budge. She pulled at his reins. Nothing happened. Perplexed, she looked at the horse and then at Seung.

Chuckling, Seung eased the reins out of her hands. "There are commands that will make him walk." Holding the reins in one hand, Seung gently slapped the horse's midriff twice with the other. The magnificent animal fell into a gentle gait.

Seung held out the reins to Minjae. "Watch your ankle. Walking with the horse might aggravate the injury."

Minjae nodded, taking the bridles, a look of fascination filling her face as she tried to keep pace with the animal.

"Does your ankle hurt too much?"

"No, not if I walk in a certain way. You are right, it's easier to walk on this road. I wish I had better shoes."

Seung glanced at the straw shoes that peeked out from underneath her hanbok. "Do you not have leather ones?"

"I do, but walking in them to the field would have caused unnecessary gossip. It does not pay to show off."

Seung looked at her with surprise. "You choose discomfort over useless chatter?"

"I don't care what people say behind my back. It's just that I do not have a stomach for unnecessary attention and millions of questions from people I do not know or care for. As it is, I have to deal with more than a fair share of it every day."

Strangely, Seung could understand what she said. "You are a beautiful woman, Kim Minjae. I guess a lot of unwanted attention comes from there."

Minjae didn't pause, but he could see a slight hitch in her stride. "You are right. I am dealing with one right now," she said cheekily.

Seung threw his head back and laughed. "I opened myself for it, didn't I? Now that is more like you."

She spared him a glance, and while she wasn't laughing, there was an undeniable tug to the corner of her mouth and a sparkle in her eyes.

"Do you like horses?" Seung asked, his long legs keeping an easy pace with Minjae while his observant eyes watched for distress in her walk.

"Yes. I didn't get many chances to get close to any, but whenever I was out, I always hoped to see them. I used to love it when soldiers or the cap-" She shook her head, almost as if she caught herself on something.

Seung wondered what she hadn't finished. Captain? He realised he didn't want to ponder on the unknown and unpleasant.

"I am sorry I didn't realise you could not ride."

"Perhaps it's common in Hanyang, even in other places, but we commoner women do not often have access to horses."

Seung gave her a half-apologetic look. He had to admit he didn't think of it. She always looked so self-assured that somehow, he had assumed she would know how to ride a horse.

"I apologise. Many women I have come across can ride up in the north. My sister can ride a horse as well as I do. So I assumed....I'm sorry."

She glanced fondly at the horse, making Seung a little jealous. "No harm done. What is his name?"

"Well, he does not have a name," He said.

"Then how do you address him?" Minjae was surprised. "I thought everyone had a name."

"I have been assigned three horses. He is the 'black stallion'. The other two are 'the Arabian' and 'the brown one'," Seung elaborated.

"Do you ride all of them?"

"Yes, but I prefer him."

"I think you should name him. He is so classically beautiful. Maybe you should call him Bon-Hwa," Minjae suggested.

"We don't give names to our horses," Seung said.

"Why not?"

Seung shook his head. "They do not stay with one master forever. Wherever I am assigned next, I will get a new set of horses. We always have to be prepared to part with them. If we take them to the battlefield, it makes it hard if you are too attached and something happens to them. And -" his mind strayed to unpleasant memories of despair that he wished did not surge in at the most inopportune time.

"And-?" She prompted.

Seung shook his head. "Nothing."

He sensed Minjae's keen gaze at him and met her thoughtful eyes that seemed to have intercepted an unspoken message his subconscious had inadvertently expressed.

Seung sighed. "Sometimes, our soldiers run out of food and clothing, especially during the hard, cold winter. Naming something you know you might have to kill to survive seems unnecessarily cruel when you are already exhausted from losing so much."

Minjae turned her head to look at the last vestige of the sun as the crescent of the round orange ball lingered for a second before dipping into the arms of the twinkling horizon and fading out of sight. "But then, Dari, how is it different from dying a useless death on the battlefield? If it has to die senselessly, then at the least, in saving lives, the animal dies for a higher purpose."

Seung stopped and faced her. "It's not how or why you lose them, but they are not meant to stay with you. When you name an animal, you do it because you care for it. And it can be painful when it's time to part. It's not easy to lose something you get attached to, Physician Kim."

"You are not attached to him? You said you prefer him the most," she said.

Seung looked at the horse and then at her. "It's because I am comfortable with him, and it feels like we..." Seung broke off to find the right words, "kind of know and understand each other?"

"Do you mean you do not feel anything for your black stallion right now? Then why do you seek him out more? Or take the trouble to know he likes carrots?" She stood facing him, the animal waiting patiently by her. "Isn't the desire to know someone a precursor to opening the channels for your feelings?"

Their eyes locked. They were not talking about his horse anymore.

"It is," Seung said softly.

An arc of seductive awareness sizzled between them. Seung's heart thumped, and though the dusk was rapidly rolling into the night, he could see the flush on her face.

"As you said, losing something you get attached to is painful when it is time to part." Did he detect a note of sadness in her voice?

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

"You are not a horse, Kim Minjae, and neither am I."

Minjae shrugged. "The end result is the same. We inhabit different worlds."

"What if I say I will bridge it? And I won't leave your world once I do?"

Minjae sucked in a breath, her eyes widening for a moment, and a sea of emotion swirled before she shuttered it.

"Then you are living in a fool's prison, My Lord," she said, an inexplicable catch in her voice.

She was a quick learner. She tapped the horse just as he had shown her, and they ambled ahead, the soft taps of the horse's hooves falling to the ears in a rustic rhythm.

"You can't say that for certain unless you know me," Seung said to her back.

"I know enough to be certain that I do not share your thoughts about increasing our acquaintance beyond what is strictly required," she returned evenly.

"You say you know enough? All right, let us do this. You tell me three things that you know about me. And I will tell three about you. And we cannot state anything subjective like you are very handsome- "he posed dramatically for effect, his shoulder squared, his chin aloft," or what we have already discussed - like I can ride a horse and you can't, and the obvious, like - you are a physician, or you are a commander-" he said the last sentence in a singsong voice.

Despite herself, Minjae laughed. "What would be the point of that?"

"It's a long walk, and it will be arduous if we do not speak. So we keep ourselves occupied while I take pleasure in proving you wrong."

"I won't be wrong," Minjae said with conviction.

"And if you are?"

"Whoever wins gets to flick the forehead of the other person," Minjae said.

"What?" An unruly bubble of laughter burst out of Seung. "You mean that?"

"Of course I do. Games without prizes are not worth playing."

"All right then, why don't you go first?" Seung said, still unable to believe she would suggest something so childish.

Minjae lifted a shoulder indifferently.

He needed to learn much about this woman who was so much more than that beautiful face. Something sugary swirled inside him at the thought.

They walked for a few silent minutes.

"Ah, is it that hard to come up with anything about me?"

"Well, you have to give me time to think, especially if I can't state anything subjective like you are incorrigible and obstinate," she replied tartly.

Seung's shoulders shook with mirth. "And you are hard to please, Physician Kim."

It had now grown considerably dark, and the temperature was dipping. Minjae stepped closer to the horse as if trying to get some warmth.

"You like to sit by the ocean when you want solitude," Minjae said softly.

His face whipped at her in surprise. "You were the one on the hill yesterday evening!"

Minjae didn't deny it.

"Who was troubling you?" Seung felt a sudden wave of anger.

"It's not important. Yes or No?"

Whoever it was had caused her to cry out in alarm. Seung had sensed danger, and he had been correct. A surge of protectiveness swelled in his heart. But he didn't say anything more, filing it away in his mind. There would be time enough for that later.

"Yes, it is true. I love watching flowing water, the gentle crest of the waves. It brings me peace. It was one of the reasons I chose Ganghwa instead of Namhansanseong when given a choice," he said.

"You were given a choice? In Joseon?" Minjae sounded like she had just seen a one-horn horse flying with a colourful tail. "Do your superiors or His Majesty not dictate your course?"

"I saved the life of someone important and was granted the choice as a reward," Seung said nonchalantly. "That's only one point. You have another two to go."

"You do not like music," she ventured.

A grin broke his face. "Ah! That's why I said what you learned this morning was misleading. On the contrary, I love music and can play daegeum quite competently."

Minjae's steps faltered. "You can play daegeum?"

"Yes, both Jeongak daegeum and Sanjo daegeum," Seung didn't try to hide his pride. He didn't add that he could sing as well.

"Your parents allowed it?"

"My sister had a tutor who came to teach her every week. I started sitting with them. My father was -" Seung felt a lump form in his throat "-unlike many Yangban fathers, he didn't believe in restricting his children. Seeing my interest, he hired another to work with me on any instrument I wanted. I chose Daegeum."

"I-" Minjae looked away towards the hill.

"What happened?"

"Nothing. It....it reminded me of someone," Minjae said softly, an unmistakable tenor of sadness knitted in her tone.

"Who is that? Someone from this island?" Seung felt a shot of jealousy pulse through him.

Minjae shook her head. "Someone I knew when I did not live in Ganghwa," she said. Then she compressed her lips. She started walking again, drawing the horse gently with her. "So that was wrong then."

"Yes, it was," Seung said, wondering what memories she was chasing and whether she was hounding them away or drawing them closer.

Minjae chewed her lips. It was evident she did not want to lose this.

"Before - before I say the next one, can I ask you a question?" Her voice had a strange quietness that didn't bode well for him.

"Yes, sure."

Seung stepped a little closer behind her and held the lantern to see the path better.

"I do not need to know details or any background story. I am not interested in any shape or form, so please do not misunderstand my question. Just so you know."

"It sounds ominous," Seung tried to keep his unease at bay.

"Are you married?"

Seung was very proud that he didn't cease walking.

"Yes, I am married, Physician Kim."

Her shoulders, unsurprisingly, stiffened, and her back straightened with displeasure.

"Then I win this one. You do not believe in fidelity and will never belong to one woman."

Seung took a long stride and turned, facing her, forcing her to stop. He raised the lantern so their faces were illuminated with the incandescent light.

"You do not win this one, Physician Kim. I have never been unfaithful to any woman. Ever."

Minjae smirked. "You really believe that don't you? Such arrogance." She raised her luminous eyes, glittering in the light flooding her face. "You are married and yet still go to kisaeng houses. Despite being married, despite spending the last two nights in the arms of another woman debauching, you say you want to know me, and now here you are tricking me into walking with you alone and trying to convince me into-" she broke off, biting her lip.

"Convince you into -?" He asked huskily.

She broke off eye contact, flushing, and stepped back.

She was furious with him. While he expected the anger, her expressions of hurt and disappointment stunned him.

A ferocious urge to take her into his arms ripped through him and shook Seung, unable to wrap his mind around his combusting reaction to this woman. He gripped the lantern hard to prevent himself from succumbing to the insanity.

"Yes, I am married, but my wife and I - well, let's just say we share an understanding of not interfering with each other's lives."

"I told you I do not need the details," she shifted her eyes.

"Liar," he called her out softly. "My wife does not mind me going to another woman. In fact, she is least interested in what I do as long as I don't interfere with her life. You see, my wife lives with another man."

Minjae's eyes widened with shock. "What?"

Seung shrugged. "It's a long, sordid story for another time. I don't want to spoil the mood."

"Dari, I-I am sorry. I didn't know," Minjae sounded miserable.

"I am not looking for your pity. So, as of today, I am not committed to any woman, which leaves me free to pledge my fidelity to this one magnificent woman in the future and bridge the gap to another world if she will allow me," he said, his gaze unflinching as he stared into her wide, vulnerable ones, her chest rising and falling with her erratic breathing.

He had rattled her.

The corners of his mouth lifted, accompanied by a satisfied laugh. "And get ready to be flicked because you lose this point, Physician Kim."

He stepped away, moving the lantern from their faces and onto the road.

"I can still beat you because you don't know anything about me," Minjae found her voice.

"Don't sound so sure, Physician Kim, I might just surprise you," Seung smirked.

"We shall see," her back was straight. She had considerably slowed her speed. He wondered if her ankle gave her more trouble than she let on.

"I suppose saying - you are kind and generous does not count?"

"Subjective. Much like you being conceited," Minjae came back, "and pigheaded," she muttered under her breath.

"I heard that!" Seung laughed.

"Then add hopeless to the list," she wasn't the one to back down.

Seung glanced at her, a smile playing on his lips. She had so much spirit and strength to overcome her terrible circumstance and not let it rule her life.

"And I would add brave to my list," Seung said.

Minjae froze. Without realising she had stopped, Seung moved ahead.

"Physician Kim?" He turned.

Tumultuous eyes looked up at him. "You are wrong, Commander Lee. I am not brave. If I were, I would not be here with you today, on this road, playing this silly game. I would have had the courage to set things right before they went so wrong that I can never go back and fix them."

The look of desolation on her face rent at his heart.

"Do we all not harbour the thought at some point that we could go back and do things differently, Physician Kim? Alas, if only we could. All that matters is doing what is in our hands and doing it right. You can't fight with a roll of fate's dice. You can only make the best of it. When milk sours, you do not always throw it away. You use it in cooking or baking. Don't you agree?"

"When life sours that milk and you cannot muster the courage to fetch what's needed to salvage it, you can only watch it go rancid and get thrown away."

"You do not have to bear the burden alone, Kim Minjae. Let someone fetch that onggi and that danji for you. All you need to do is seek out that hand," Seung said gently.

Minjae was quiet, taking it in. She suddenly raised her incredulous eyes. "You know how to cook?" Her eyes grew wide like saucers.

A bark of laughter rang out. "Did I surprise you?"

A look of wonder crossed her exquisite features. "I have never heard of any Yangban man even crossing over to the area where the kitchen is."

"When on the battlefield trying to survive, your station in life can mean very little. You do whatever you must to get out of that hell alive."

Minjae sighed. "I know you are trying to garner sympathy, and you have it, but it was your choice to go there. Why did you not stick to the Court as a scholar?"

Kim Minjae was an easy woman to win over, said no one ever.

"How did you know I chose to go to the military?" He knew the shock in his voice was evident.

She slapped a hand to her forehead. "I am foolish. I could have easily won that point!" Minjae sounded positively sour.

"I am afraid it's too late. How did you find out?"

"That you are considered to be amongst the top scholarly talents of the country? Your arrival has drawn a lot of interest, Commander Lee. And our grapevine is fed a feast every day." The laughter in her voice did something to his insides.

"You love the sun," Seung said, holding her gaze.

The laughter was replaced by genuine surprise.

Seung looked ahead. "I have seldom seen someone spread their hand to catch a ray of light like you do. Or look up to the sun and breathe as if it's imparting you with a hidden magic. Whenever you looked at the setting sun tonight, your eyes lingered on it with the sombre look of someone saying goodbye to a friend."

Her upper lip disappeared under her lower one as she drew in a breath. "You are scaring me, Commander Lee."

"That means a Yes," he said happily.

She walked forward wordlessly.

"You are a strong swimmer," Seung addressed her back.

It stiffened.

"You can't refute that. Everyone knows it," Seung said.

"No one has seen me swim," Minjae argued.

"Grapevine works both ways, Kim Minjae," Seung laughed. "So I already win."

"I refute. It's hearsay."

"That's cheating."

Minjae lifted her shoulder dismissively. "You lose that point, Commander Lee. We are now even at one point each."

The moon hung at the top like a low-lying fruit, bathing them in its silver incandescent glow. Minjae shivered. She slowed down her gait.

"How much more do we need to go?" She asked.

"A three-quarters of an hour, perhaps," Seung replied. "Do you want to rest?"

She shook her head. Were those beads of perspiration on her forehead?

"Physician Kim? We can rest for a bit." Without waiting for her reply, he stepped closer and reached for the horse's rein. She turned simultaneously and collided with him. With a gasp, she stepped back and stumbled. Seung's arms sneaked out instinctively around her waist to steady her, inadvertently closing the gap between their bodies.

Her palms connected with his solid muscled chest, her soft body whisperingly close to his hard one, and it was his turn to draw in a sharp breath as blood pulsed through his body. Rooted, he stared down at her upturned face, her mellifluous eyes wide with shock and something else that his experienced eyes had no difficulty deciphering, heat flooding his veins at the realisation. His heart knocked furiously under her palms, and he knew the echoes of her heart matched its rhythm to his own.

The salty tang of the air suspended between them. Beads of perspiration on her forehead now also glistened down her temple. His eyes dropped to her parted lips that drew short, unsteady breaths between them and travelled back to her eyes. Awareness flickered in those liquid honey depths, and she pushed at him. He immediately loosened his grip, his hand falling by his side.

He cleared his throat. "You do not want to cause further injury to that ankle by over-exhausting it."

Hunching, he crouched before her. "Physician Kim, let me take a look at it."

She paused momentarily, biting her lip and then nodded, gingerly moving her foot towards him from under her skirt.

Seung's heart skipped a beat at the sign of her trust, a tiny flutter that felt very close to joy. Shaking his head at his silliness, he lowered his head, hiding the ridiculous line of his lips that curved it. Lifting her left foot gently, he placed it on his thigh. Minjae held onto the bridle of the horse for support. Easing her shoe off, he rolled down her socks just enough to reveal her ankle, swollen and angry.

"This does not look good, Physician Kim; you should not have exerted it today."

"It appears more severe than it actually is. Soaking it in hot water and getting a good night's rest will help reduce the swelling."

"Why didn't you wrap it like you did last night?"

"I took it off in the field. It made walking difficult with shoes."

He pulled the socks back to cover her ankle and held the shoe as she glided her foot into it.

"We'll travel the remaining distance on horseback."

A look of confusion furrowed her face. "Horseback?"

Seung nodded. "I'll assist you in mounting, but you won't be riding. I will. Physician Kim, you know you should not push that ankle any further to carry your weight through the hilly terrain. You should have taken the day to rest," he chided, taken aback by the intensity of his own feelings.

Seung moved past her to adjust the saddle. He stroked the horse and turned to her.

"I will hold you by the waist and hoist you up. You place your hands on my shoulders and use your weight to settle yourself comfortably."

Hesitation battled with common sense as she pressed her lips together. He had come to know the look so well. Seung didn't make any move to touch her, allowing her to reach her decision on her own.

Finally, she lifted her eyes to him. "I will get down before we hit the border of the town."

Seung nodded. He placed his hands on either side of her waist. His hands burned as they dug into her soft flesh, but he ignored the sensation, focussing on the task. She put her hands on his shoulders and helped herself settle in the saddle.

He slid his foot up in the stirrup and swung himself up behind her in one swift motion.

A hint of lilac and a strong, sweet, feminine scent hit his nostrils. Seung inhaled, acutely aware of her sitting upright sideways on the horse., her knees touching his inner thigh. His hands went around her to hold the reins, and his knees pressed the horse gently.

A gasp left Minjae as the horse moved, and she tried to clutch onto something, trying to balance herself against the unfamiliar movements. Instinctively, his hand went around her waist, holding onto her lightly. "Shh, I got you, don't be scared," Seung said reassuringly.

As they ambled, he could feel the tension in her body as she tried her best not to let her body touch him, twisting her upper torso away to the front as much as she humanly could, hanging onto the saddle's horn as if her life depended on it.

"You are going to hurt your back that way, Physician Kim. Try to relax," he said gently.

She didn't respond, nor did she change her posture. Seung gently pressed his fingers to her stiff midriff, pulling her back. She was scared enough that she didn't object to that either.

"How do you like being on a horse?" He asked casually, trying to think of something to take her mind off the ride.

"It's..it's scary," she said, her voice unnaturally high.

"You like to play gayageum," Seung said conversationally.

Her back straightened like a twig, and she turned to the left to look at him, mouth agape.

"How did you know that? No one knows that!" He could almost see her effort to forgo wringing her fingers for fear of toppling over. "No one!"

"And with that, I win this game," Seung laughed.

"But how..." She went still. "Han So Ye...." She said it so softly that he had to strain to hear her.

"I also learned how brilliant and disciplined you are. You studied for twenty hours a day so you could learn medicine. As a child, you were the best kite hunter, talked a lot and could beat the local boys in swimming. You know Chinese characters, prefer getting books as payment from your Yangban clients, and you love to stitch. Also, you never miss the soldiers' parade of the horses or the Navy's annual sailing event. Few can spin a spool in the kite flying festival as you do. "

"You....you spoke to So Ye about me?" her voice shook with incredulity.

"Kisaeng Han was not pleased," Seung gave a sardonic smile. "I disappointed her greatly last night by dashing her expectations of me, and rightfully so. After all, what woman enjoys spending the night discussing the virtues of another woman, even if that woman happens to be her childhood friend."

Without realising, she leaned back within the encasing of his arms around her, bringing her face tantalisingly close to his chest.

"Did...was that a part of the investigation?" She ventured, the cogs of her brain whirling transparently.

"You could say that, but it was not about what I saw in the woods." He brought his mouth close to her ear, her arm flush with his chest. "I want to know what caused the terror I saw in your eyes last night, Minjae," he said, his voice tender.

She turned to look up at him, their faces so close that he could see the silvery moonlight reflect out of her irises. "She could not tell me, though she suspected you were harmed by your husband," his mouth tightened.

"You don't know me, Dari. I still could be a criminal or a spy."

He smiled at her, his eyes momentarily looking ahead before returning to her face. "You are no spy or a criminal. I have spent enough time with them to know the difference."

"But why? Why did you want to know...." Minjae breathed.

"I do not know, Minjae," he said huskily, his eyes intertwined with her, "I have never felt this way about a woman before. I want to tear apart the man who caused you to react like that. You are the most beautiful woman I have seen, but it's just not the face that makes my heart beat faster when I see you. It's your mind, your heart, everything. I have never met someone like you."

Minjae stared at him. Her gaze followed his eyes as they dropped to her lips. Her breathing caught in a hitch, her hand crawling up her throat. She looked away, turning her face towards the road.

Silence settled upon them as they approached the border of the town. Seung quietly commanded the horse to halt and dismounted. He reached for her and deftly put her on the ground but didn't let her go, his fingers increasing their pressure on the soft flesh of her waist through the cotton-spun fabric of her hanbok ever so slightly. Her head tilted up automatically and met his swirling, cinnamon eyes shining into hers.

In a voice that was a low caressing velvet of the night, he said, "Kim Minjae, I meant what I said earlier. I have never been unfaithful to a woman, ever."