Minjae realised Seung was breathing hard.
"Did Inspector Ka threaten you that afternoon?" Seung's body was tense. As his pulse raced against her cheek, Minjae's mind involuntarily drifted back to their first visit to the secret waterfall cave.
"Ka doesn't matter. I can handle him," Minjae said, her voice muffled against his chest.
His arms tightened around her.
'You should've told me.' Seung didn't say it, but Minjae heard it as clearly as if he had shouted it.
Another little thing she had kept from him. In the larger scheme of things, her sins were fast climbing to celestial heaven, but she still could not forget the sight of the imposter in her flimsy attire in his room looking at Minjae as if she were the one who was deceiving Seung. Or the fact that the woman was in his room at all.
The memory made her stiffen in Seung's embrace. It went against every grain of teaching instilled in her - harmony, humility and obedience to her husband. The teachers had conditioned it into her subconscious - "A virtuous woman knows no jealousy."
It did little to quell the turmoil inside her.
"Are you all right?" Seung asked.
The tremors had finally subsided. Minjae nodded. She extracted herself from Seung and stepped away.
He enveloped her small, cold hands in his large, cold, but protective ones.
"We must meet someone. Do you trust me?"
There was a long pause. "Yes."
∞
Sim Junho's voice cut through the stillness of the dimly lit chamber. "Let's retrace our steps," he said, his tone measured, almost clinical. "Why were you at Commander Lee's house at that hour?"
Minjae played with the hem of her sleeve, pinching and releasing the woollen border, her eyes downcast, tracing the uneven lines of the stone floor beneath her feet.
"I trust you weren't there for something nefarious, like harming him."
His words widened her eyes, disbelief settling between the delicate furrows lining her forehead. "Certainly not! That's absurd, Minister Dari."
"Then why?"
Sim Junho had already obtained Seung's account. His version varied slightly—he followed Minjae into the woods and witnessed the clandestine meeting but omitted her earlier visit to his house. Seung had possibly advised Minjae to recount the same. It required little effort for Sim Junho to unravel Minjae into accepting she was visiting Seung.
Minjae swallowed audibly.
"I believed the gossip that Dari and his wife don't share an intimate relationship. I discovered how wrong I was, and I was angry at being misled," she said, her voice catching.
"I never misled you!" Seung burst out.
Minjae slid a side glance at Seung. "I kindly request you to refrain from further falsehoods."
"Stop overreacting! I can't help it if the woman is my wife and lives in my home."
A flare ignited her eyes as Minjae straightened her spine and lifted her chin. "You are correct. Lady Choi had every right to be there. Barely covered. In your chamber. It was my presence that was out of place, and I reacted poorly. I apologise."
"That's not what I meant, Minjae!" Seung said tightly, red blazing the lobe of his ears.
"So, which part of this enlightening information do you want me to record in this journal?" Sim Junho asked.
Seung and Minjae snapped their attention back to him, their faces painted with an identical flush.
Sim Junho suppressed a chuckle, the corners of his mouth twitching as he dipped his quill into the inkwell. The thick scroll lay open on the rectangular table that divided them, its edges curling slightly in the damp air of the cavernous room. The heavy scent of burning oil mingled with the moist, earthen smell of the abandoned cowshed. Seung and Minjae sat across from him. Scones of light hung at intervals on the walls, the flickering torchlight playing off the anxiety etched into their faces.
Minjae turned to face Sim Junho and crossed her arms across her lap, her hand gripping her elbow in a death grip. "I am ashamed I made a poor choice to go to Dari's house at night, and even more so because I reacted so poorly afterwards. I took a walk in the forest to calm down, and Dari followed me," she said in an expressionless voice.
"That does not explain why you went to meet Lee Seung at night in the first place," Sim Junho pointed out.
"Hyungnim," Seung said, a clear warning lining his tone. Sim Junho ignored him.
The delicate line of her throat moved. "I wanted to share some personal information with Dari," she said.
"Please be precise, madam. What personal information?" Sim Junho's quill paused over the parchment.
"Hyungnim!" Seung snapped, leaning forward. "It has nothing to do with the woods."
Sim Junho didn't move his gaze from Minjae. "Go on."
She lifted her chin in a mulish angle. "What does a woman go to do in a man's chamber at midnight, Minister Sir? Women like us are used to having such illicit trysts occasionally. They are often shown their place in no uncertain terms."
"Minjae, don't," Seung said. His knuckles were white in the fist that rested on the table.
Sim Junho leaned back, the wooden chair creaking softly under his weight. "Physician Kim, I am an excellent judge of character. If I weren't, believe me, I would not have let Lee Seung take a chance with you," he said. His eyes, usually sharp and calculating, softened momentarily. "You would sooner leap into a gorge than visit a man's chamber for illicit anything. Regardless, this is about high treason, and you could be seen as having a strong motive to lie. Lee Seung could be seen as aiding you."
Minjae's face appeared as if coated in a thin layer of ash, the firelight casting the orange and red hues of the flames, giving her face a haunting glow.
"Hyungnim, I won't sit -" Seung interjected.
"Lee Seung," Sim Junho said, "If you interrupt again, I will remove you and report you for insubordination. Understand?" Sim Junho gave him a dead stare.
Seung narrowed his eyes and gazed at him with the stench of a thousand pigs but didn't say anything further. Seung's territorial ways with Minjae were more a hindrance than a help, but Sim Junho knew Seung would not leave Minjae alone with him in the chamber, and it was futile to argue.
Sim Junho tapped his finger on the table while Seung bore a hole in the table before him, his expression contorted with frustration, looking like he had swallowed an unripe persimmon.
On the other hand, Minjae's posture was rigid, and she sat motionless like a stone.
"How did you get into the house?" Sim Junho asked.
Minjae briefly explained how she had convinced the guard to let her in.
Sim Junho's quill scratched against the parchment, his eyes focused intently on the flowing script. "So, may we then safely conclude," he began, his tone even, almost disinterested, "that you went to Lee Seung's residence to tend to his mother? Finding her asleep, you informed Lord Lee and took your leave, at which point he followed you?" He did not lift his gaze from the page, yet his sharp ears caught the barely audible sighs of relief that escaped Minjae and Seung.
"Yes, that is right," Minjae said in an oddly light voice.
After that, it was easy for Minjae to narrate the rest of the events in the woods, which more or less matched what Seung had already narrated to him earlier.
"Are you very sure about the identity of the man, Lord Lee?" Sim Junho asked.
Seung's eyes took on a hard glint, and his shoulders tensed. The sting of betrayal was sharp and unforgiving.
"It was Sergeant Han," he replied, his lips pressed into a firm, bitter line.
The revelation hit them hard. Sergeant Han had been a trusted ally, someone they never would have doubted. His involvement in the investigations, particularly his knowledge of their pursuit of Minjae's network, signalled that the enemy had been consistently outmanoeuvring them.
"And the woman?" Sim Junho asked.
Pursing her lips, Minjae gave the unpolished surface of the old table a thoughtful look. "Her voice was familiar, but I couldn't place it."
"Perhaps someone from the Palace? Could it be one of the deposed King's current consorts??" Seung suggested.
Minjae shook her head.
Interestingly, she had recently acquired the licence to serve the Royals, which Lee Seung and Sim Junho had somehow wrangled. So far, Minjae had met all the royal ladies, including the deposed King's two young consorts.
"No, it's none of them. Those consorts barely speak to anyone; they're with the deposed King all day, guarded by royal soldiers and attended by just one old maid each. He doesn't let them meet anyone."
"And none of the current royal women would know their way through the woods during the day, let alone in the pitch of the night," Seung added.
Minjae nodded in agreement. She rubbed her temple. "But I've heard that voice before. She spoke strangely, like she thought out every word before speaking."
"No idea who it could be?" Sim Junho asked.
Minjae shook her head. She met and treated more than two thousand Ganghwa women.
"Could the lantern you lost in the woods be traced back to you?" Sim Junho tapped his chin with the back of his forefinger.
"It was just an ordinary lantern," Seung confirmed.
"Physician Kim," Sim Junho addressed Minjae, his eyes narrowing as he studied her carefully. "I've nearly cleared you as a suspect. But to exonerate you fully, I need to know what you were doing in Hanyang with Lord Se-min and your past before Ganghwa."
The torches crackled, amplifying the silence after Sim Junho's abrupt shift in topic.
"Hyungnim, we agreed on this," Seung said through his teeth.
Minjae spoke up abruptly, her words halting the conversation like a sudden gust of wind. "Lord Se-min got into trouble a while back, and I helped him. In return, he promised me books by his aunt, so I went to collect them."
"Why at midnight?" Sim Junho asked.
"I don't know. It was Lord Se-min's idea," she said.
"Did this have something to do with Lord Se-min's gambling habits?"
Startled, Minjae threw a glance at Sim Junho before lowering her eyes. The sharpness of his question cut through her composure, and she quickly lowered her eyes, the brief flash of emotion disappearing as she forced herself to remain calm. She only nodded in reply.
And missed the speculative glance Seung gave her.
"So, His Excellency Lord Choi's slaves recognised you and tried to kill you because?" Sim Junho asked.
"His Excellency perhaps doesn't want anyone to know about Lord Choi's gambling," she replied.
Sim Junho studied the woman sitting across from him, his thoughts careful and measured. There was something undeniably genuine about her, yet she remained a puzzle he couldn't fully solve. Her responses were flawless, yet his instincts whispered that she wasn't entirely truthful. He knew she wasn't guilty of any crime, but he had no doubts her secrets were dark. Still, he decided to let her keep them—for now.
"The next few days are crucial. Physician Kim, to keep up the appearance, you must keep your visits to Lord Lee's house on a regular timetable, including visiting his mother at night at least a few times to avoid suspicion," Sim Jun Ho said.
He ignored the surprised look on Minjae's face and the thoughtful one on Seung's. He turned to Seung, the flickering lights carving ominous lines on his ruggedly handsome face.
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"Arrest Han. It's time."
∞
So it happened that the next morning when Choi Se-min appeared at Lee Seung's house to pay his respects to Seung's mother and meet his sister, chaos erupted.
Seung had neglected to inform Minjae about Se-min's impending visit the previous night. She turned up at her scheduled morning hour to check on Lady Ryu with Choi Jina in attendance, an awkward meeting after what had transpired the night before. His wife wore a thunderous expression against Minjae's impassive one. Interestingly, shock wiped off all colour from both women's faces, leaving them with an identical pallor whiter than the sheet Lady Ryu laid on when he announced that Se-min requested Lady Ryu's attendance.
He wanted Se-min's visit to be a surprise, so he had not informed Choi Jina earlier, but considering Minjae had in no uncertain terms expressed that she did not wish Se-min to know her presence on the island, he had no choice but to let both women know.
"I am attending to him in my receiving chamber. Please inform me as soon as Physician Kim leaves so Lord Se-min can pay a visit to Omoni," he instructed his mother's maid, but mainly for Minjae's benefit, allowing her to leave the house unnoticed.
It was not jealousy, Seung assured himself. Not at all. He was just ensuring Se-min and Minjae would not meet because Minaje stipulated it.
So when Choi Jina spoke, he was startled out of his less-than-charitable thoughts.
"My Lord, I am afraid I can't meet my brother. I do not feel too well today," Choi Jina said, sounding like she was choking on a feather.
Seung's eyes flashed with irritation. "That would be quite absurd, Choi Jina. A brother should be visiting his sister, even more so when she is unwell. Or is it something that your father has prohibited?" Seung asked, throwing a challenge, daring her to agree with him. He would be damned if he allowed Lord Choi to dictate terms in his household. If Lord Choi had foisted his daughter upon him, he would have to abide by Seung's rules.
Beads of perspiration appeared on Choi Jina's forehead. "No, no, of course not. Why would Father do that," she said, sounding as convincing as a fish trying to breathe out of water.
"Why don't I take a look at you, Lady Choi?" Minjae suddenly offered.
Stupefied, both Seung and Choi Jina stared at Minjae as if she had suddenly sprouted horns.
Minjae flushed, her eyes fixed on the interwoven wooden slats. "I am already here. With many kinds of diseases floating around, it's always better to take preventive measures."
Lady Ryu, who had been watching the exchange with keen interest, spoke up. "I think she is right. Choi Jina, you should let her examine you. Seunga," she addressed her son by his nickname, "bring Lord Choi here. I am pleased the young man remembered his duty."
Minjae nodded in acknowledgement. "Lord Lee, it will take me about a quarter of an hour. Perhaps you could send Lord Choi to visit Lady Choi after that?" She suggested. "Also, given that Lady Choi isn't feeling well, might she be excused from attending the morning meal with you and Lord Choi?"
Surprise flickered in his eyes, but he refrained from commenting, answering her with a swift nod. Was Minjae remorseful about last night and trying to make amends with Choi Jina? Seung could not fathom what Minjae was thinking, her peculiar behaviour at odds with her anger only hours ago.
Minjae and Choi Jina bowed and followed each other out of the chamber.
Choi Jina looked like she was walking towards her worst nightmare, but it was Minjae's face that caught his attention. It was pale, with a strange, unsettling expression, like a distorted mirror where every emotion seemed contradictory.
Seung followed them out, heading towards his guest receiving chamber where Se-min waited.
Something had shifted in his mother's chamber. Seung couldn't quite place what it was, but he felt as if he had missed some elusive clue, something vague but substantial like gossamer strands slipping through his fingers before he could grasp them.
Minjae followed Choi Jina into her chamber, surprised to find it simple and elegant. The polished wood floor was warm, and the lattice frames of the wall were covered with floral hanji, allowing soft, diffused light to create warm patterns across the room.
The woman snapped at her unsuspecting maid waiting in the room. "Bring me some tea. Immediately."
A Yo lay at one end, adorned with luxurious silk quilts in pale pinks and greens with delicate floral motifs. A simple mosquito net canopy draped above the bed.
The maid scurried out while the woman crossed the room and sank into the mattress, picking up a fan to fan herself from the gyeongdae beside the bed that held a bronze mirror, hairpins, and a porcelain container for cosmetics.
Soon enough, annoyed, she slapped the fan shut and placed it on the low soban with neatly arranged inkstone and brushes. It added a touch of intellect to the space, complemented by an embroidery stand with unfinished florals, Minjae thought absentmindedly. The only extravagant item was a large, beautifully carved nong with mother-of-pearl inlays.
"I do not need your help. You can leave," the woman said, her voice cutting sharply across the room.
Instead of sitting across from the woman, Minjae went to stand by the low sitting area adjacent to the window with floor cushions, offering a serene view of the inner courtyard.
"Believe me, to get out of this situation, you need my help, My Lady," Minjae stressed the last two words, her tone heavy with sarcasm.
The woman who had for so long claimed to be Choi Jina went motionless. "What do you mean?"
Minjae looked over into the courtyard, which stretched out like a living canvas, painted with stone pathways weaving through gardens of bamboo, pine trees, and bony shrubs, gracefully hibernating under Lee Gil-ae's meticulous care. A small pavilion overlooked a partially hidden pond shimmering under the winter sun that revealed itself just enough to add to the serenity, mocking the disorder that churned the insides of its viewer.
"It means you will do exactly as I tell you until Lord Se-min leaves this room," Minjae said in a clipped voice.
The woman narrowed her eyes. "Are you out of your mind to speak to me so? How dare you speak above your station!"
A wild impulse to laugh welled up within Minjae. She had managed to keep herself hidden, only to be unmasked in the most absurd manner.
She could not afford the luxury of self-pity. The foolish woman's life hung in the balance at how swiftly Minjae could bring the situation under control. Minjae crossed the room and drew open the drawers of the nong, rifling through the clothes. She pulled a bodice out that seemed smaller than the others.
"Once your maid delivers the tea, ask her not to enter this room again until after Lord Choi has left," Minjae said.
The woman was at her side within minutes, gripping Minjae's wrist in a death grip. "What are you doing? How dare you order me -"
Minjae paused, turning to face her, the green silk bodice held loosely in her hand. "What I am doing," she said, her tone even, "is telling you that your life depends on your obedience. You will do as I instruct, and perhaps you will see another sunrise." The coldness in her voice made the woman step back with alarm. "I suggest you do not speak another word until I ask you to, Soo Hyun."
The fingers around her wrist fell lifelessly by her side as the woman staggered back, the rim around her mouth matching the green fabric in Minjae's hands.
"H-how did you know?" Her eyes were dark orbs of terror on skin stretched taut across her face.
Minjae shoved another blouse at Soo Hyun, the navy blue fabric much darker and coarser than the one Soo Hyun wore.
A knock on the door startled Soo Hyun, whose face contorted frightfully.
"Do as I said," Minjae said.
Soo Hyun complied wordlessly and bade the maid to enter, instructing her not to disturb her until after Lord Choi had left.
As soon as the maid left after depositing the tea tray, Minjae discarded her bodice and wore the green silk jeogori with exquisite embroidery she had retrieved from the drawer. It sat somewhat loose on her chest but was better than the coarse fabric she had been wearing. Her skirt would have to suffice because Soo Hyun was a lot taller than her, and it would not fit. Minjae took the jeogori ornament Soo Hyun discarded while wearing the coarser blouse and tied the norigae to her silk bodice.
Minjae pulled her braids and freed her hair before rolling it back up. She opened her palm and extended her arm. Without another word, Soo Hyun extracted her silver binyeo and handed it to Minjae. Securing her bun at the nape of her neck with the binyeo, Minjae quickly opened her backpack. Extracting a tiny mortar and pestle, she gave it to Soo Hyun, gesturing to her to sit on the side of the room.
Deathly pale, Soo Hyun was not even trying to follow what Minjae was attempting. She looked at the mortar and pestle, lost. "H-how will this help?"
No sooner had Minjae taken a seat on the mattress than the maid announced Se-min's presence. Lifting a brow, Minjae motioned to Soo Hyun, who called for the maid to let Se-min enter.
In the daylight, Choi Se-min looked tall, fair and melancholy, with purple shadows marking the skin beneath his eyes.
Choi Se-min gave Minjae a hopeful look and bowed.
"Sit down," Minjae ordered. She breathed in long and calming breaths, her emotions in ruins as she took in her beloved brother's ravaged face.
"I heard you were not well," Se-min asked worriedly, throwing a cursory glance at the woman grinding some herbs in a mortar and pestle, trying to pretend she was invisible.
"Our physician just left; my maid is grinding my herb," Minjae said by way of explanation.
Se-min nodded, his eyes filled with the old tenderness as they took in the faint shadows under his older sister's eyes. "I was anxious. There are rumours -"
"I warned you, Choi Se-min," Minjae cut in without preamble, her eyes taking on a hard glint.
"Noonim, I am sorry. I didn't want to come, but I could not refuse Brother-in-law," Choi Se-min curled his fists on his folded knees, his shoulder sagging with distress. "Please do not be angry," he implored.
"How could you expect me to remain calm when you have disobeyed Father and disregarded my wishes?" Minjae asked. "I feel sick and disappointed."
From the periphery of her eye, Minjae saw Soo Hyun's body go rigid, her hand pausing midair, shock stiffening every muscle.
Minjae didn't have time to consider the wisdom of her actions, exposing her identity to Soo Hyun, especially before Seung could find out.
Se-min felt the nervous air around him, and he shifted uneasily. "Please, Noonim, I have missed you. I just wanted to see you one time," he pleaded.
"Never seek me out again unless I call for you or you have Father's explicit permission. Do you understand, Choi Se-min?"
Se-min closed his eyes. "I am sorry I disappointed you. I promise I will never request to see you again. Can you forgive me this one time, Noonim?"
Minjae's heart stuttered. She wished she could let her tears drop. She paused, her fingers brushing the cool porcelain of the teapot. With deliberate care, she poured the tea, her movements steady, forcing her mask of nonchalance to fall into place. Handing one to Se-min, she said softly, "I accept your apology."
He nodded before accepting the cup with trembling hands.
"I will ensure Father does not learn of this visit," Minjae said. "If Father inquires, you must say that I was unwell and unable to see you."
Se-min swallowed, the cup trembling in his hand. "It is unjust, Noonim. How long will Father continue to punish us? I have atoned for my sins far beyond what I could have imagined. I—"
"That's enough!" Minjae said sternly. "I will not hear anything against Father from you. Finish your tea and leave."
Se-min kept the cup back on the table, untouched. "I do not want to be an unfilial son, Noonim. But as a man, I must seek harmony, not uniformity. It is what my teachers have taught me. So why should I blindly follow the punitive behaviour from Father when it makes no sense?"
Minjae realised then that the boy she had known was gone, replaced by a man shaped by their father's harsh expectations, just as she had been.
"It's for your own good," she cut in, then placed a finger on her lips, indicating they had company and should not discuss anything more.
Minjae noticed an angry red slash on the back of his hand. The flesh looked swollen and bruised.
Se-min followed her line of sight. "If the Barbarians attack, I shall join the army," he said.
Minjae froze, her heart plummeting as visions of him lying bleeding on a battlefield assaulted her senses. "You never learnt how to wield weapons," she said.
"I am learning now. I have joined His Highness Prince Bongrim's inner circle of consultants, and he insists everyone be trained in weapons."
The physician in her could not sit still. "You must tend to that wound. It's infected. I will have someone deliver some medicines. You must follow the routine as I tell you," she said sternly.
Se-min suddenly smiled, two deep dimples lighting his face, transforming it from handsome to devastatingly beautiful. "Noonim, you are worried about me," he said happily. He reached inside the bodice of his hanbok and retrieved a scroll. "I drew something for you -"
"Take it back. I can accept no gifts from you," Minjae said sharply, and Se-min's smile died a swift death.
She could not have anything from Se-min anymore, not with her private rooms already being searched. It could raise suspicion. And she could not give Soo Hyun any more advantage than she already had at knowing her true identity.
"Are you still angry with me, Noonim?" He asked dejectedly.
Minjae rose and went around the table. Crouching, she put the scroll back in his tunic. She took his hand in hers. "You are my brother, and I have always held you dear in my heart." She rose and said, "However, I am indeed angry and not yet ready to forgive you. Henceforth, please do not ask me to meet you again."
Minjae wondered if anyone could hear the shattering of her heart as her forlorn brother departed the chamber. Only then did she notice how fiercely she was trembling. She sank to the floor, her mind void of coherent thoughts, struggling to gather herself. A strangled voice broke through her haze.
"You-you are her.." Soo Hyun whispered the obvious, her dazed state making her immobile. "You always knew...." she left the sentence hanging.
Minjae untied the norigae and pulled the binyeo out of her hair. She took a deep breath.
"Why did you not tell Lord Lee?" Soo Hyun asked, her voice punctuating highs and lows.
"Cease with the questions," Minjae said shortly. She exchanged the fine silk for her coarse jeogori. She tugged at her hair, furiously rebraiding it.
"You won't tell him, will you? This changes nothing," Soo Hyun's stare bore a hole in Minjae's side.
"Does it not?" Minjae paused. A tightness gathered in her chest. So much for trying to save the woman's skin.
"I don't think so," Soo Hyun had a speculative look in her eyes. "Your father thinks you are dead. He will kill you again," Soo Hyun said, but her words were more postulating than mean. "His Excellency wants something important. You didn't want your brother to know because you are afraid he will be in danger."
Minjae had to hand it to Soo Hyun. Even though borderline hysterical, Soo Hyun's brain could still form logical, cohesive thoughts.
"Your father does not like your brother, and you know it," Soo Hyun said.
Minjae calmly threaded the ribbon in her braid. "Say another word, and I will go to Lord Lee this very moment and reveal your secret," Minjae warned.
"You will not," Soo Hyun shivered. "If you wanted him to know, you would not have worked hard to keep him away. You would have told him last night," she said. "Why didn't you?"
Minjae narrowed her eyes. She tied the ribbons in her braids, coiling them atop her head. Sinking to her knee, she brought herself to Soo Hyun's eye level. "What do you think would have become of you if I had told him last night?" She asked, ice dripping from her tone.
"He would not have believed you," Soo Hyun said with a bravado that was transparent in its futility. Her eyes flickered with defiance, but the quiver in her voice betrayed the fear that gnawed at her.
Minjae hated the ripple of uncertainty that flared through her. But she merely smiled and raised an eyebrow in response.
Soo Hyun's eyes clenched, harsh lines forming around the corners. "I must give your father a grandchild. He has made it clear. I will not let you come in the way," Soo Hyun said.
Minjae tightened her jaw. "My father will have his grandchild, but it will be from his true daughter, not an imposter."
"But he does not want his grandchild from you, does he? He brought me in two days after your marriage. While you were still alive! He killed you after that. You can say all you want, but your father has discarded you. You have nothing to prove otherwise but your words that your own father will denounce," Soo Hyun gave her a tight smile.
The bitter reminder of her father's betrayal turned her blood into icy slush.
"Nothing to prove? Are you sure? Maybe you should ponder how I came across your name," Minjae replied, watching with satisfaction as Soo Hyun's irises floated in a sea of white. She dropped her voice another notch. "You seem to have forgotten. I have Father's blood running in my veins. I am committed to saving lives but shall not hesitate to take one if I must."
Soo Hyun's gaze fell to somewhere around the hem of Minjae's skirts, her veins channelling rivers of fear at her words.
"Stay away from Dari," Minjae said. The chill in the room grew noticeable. "I can protect myself, but you? You're just a slave. No one will lift a finger to save you. However, if you do as I tell you, I will find a way to save both of us."
Because if I don't, I am afraid I will lose my soul, Minjae thought as she walked out into the cold light of the day.