"Commander Lee, you will soon have a colony of flies settled in that mouth of yours if you don't close it," Sargeant chuckled.

Dear God. Seung stopped himself from turning away in confusion. Enflamed with embarrassment, he forced his eyes to remain on the woman in an attempt to make light of it. "Is she the one they speak of? I can see why my men are losing their marbles. She is indeed beautiful." He made it sound like a detached observation.

Only then, Seung turned his head, shrugging his shoulders. "I have seen more beautiful faces in the north," he lied, gaining his composure.

"More than Kim Minjae? Where? I never saw them, Sir." He saw his portly horseman with long whisps of hair on his upper lip and chin, working his facial muscles to keep himself from laughing. Seung ignored him.

Kim Minjae. It rolled nicely off his tongue.

Wait.

"The village physician who runs the apothecary with her father?"

"The one and the same," Sargeant said.

A woman who was not just a pretty face. Seung could see the appeal.

Right. As if you did not make an utter fool of yourself over her just with a glimpse, an annoying voice inside his head cackled. It is nothing but a natural curiosity, he told the voice inside him sternly.

"Then what is she doing serving in the inn?" Seung asked casually. Too casually.

Sargeant looked across the inn at the tall, older woman in the blue hanbok who had greeted them upon entry, deep in conversation with three older men at another table. "Kim Minjae's older sister Kim da Bom runs this inn who used to be a kisaeng many years ago. The owner's son bought her from the state, married her, and she took over the inn from her father-in-law. Her husband is a fisherman and is out in the ocean a lot. I believe they have a son. I guess she helps out as a family."

Suddenly, Seung found himself trying to recall what he had heard about Kim Minjae in the three weeks he had been on the island. A commoner by class, Kim Minjae was married. Her marriage broke down. Divorced, she returned to her father's house a few years ago, took the merchant's license for the apothecary, and made a name for herself as a physician when she cured the Governor's son, who had been ailing for a long time. She was considered to be unmatched when it came to treating wounds. Even garrison physicians preferred her when a severe injury to any of the soldiers needed stitching. She was so good that she had been sent to special training on the recommendation of one of the garrison physicians. There were a lot of opposing rumours swirling about her. Some said her husband threw her out because of her promiscuous behaviour; others said her husband and his concubine had severely abused Minjae, and she had been rescued by her father. It all depended on who you spoke to.

She was fascinating.

And he was behaving like a twelve-year-old in throes of his first crush. Seung shook his head clear.

He could feel the object of his fascination coming towards them. His mind scrambled to find a topic to divert attention from his sudden, appalling fixation with a serving village woman at an obscure inn on a far-off island. To make matters worse, it was not just any woman but one whose favours a quarter of the village and half his garrison had already made a queue for, and it was humiliating to envision himself at the end of that said queue.

He was the twenty-three-year-old battle hardened commander of the Ganghwa garrison and the youngest commander in the Joseon's army. He was not untutored in the ways of women. He could do better!

He was just being curious, that's all. It must be all the rice wine he had poured into his body that made his head feel light, his body heavy, his breathing fast as if he had just run miles instead of ambling the entire evening away looking at the ocean.

Seung realised with a start that Sargeant was speaking. "So, Sir, in case you have any ailment that needs attention, you know where to go..." Sargeant let it hang.

Seung looked at Wang Jung irritably. "How long will it take to get the food?"

"The nice lady just took the order, sir," Wang Jung protested his unreasonable complaint.

Then, Seung scowled into Han's square, neatly arranged handsome face with warm, intelligent eyes and an easy smile, and changed the topic by asking acerbically, "So, what keeps you away from the Kisaeng house tonight, Sargeant?"

The garrison soldiers had been assigned a relaxed schedule for the festival week on the island to participate in the celebrations, especially the kite flying competition. The Buddhist temples and the shaman shrines thronged with people. Many of the soldiers were local, allowing them to spend time with their families. However, a considerable number of them found their way to the kisaeng house on the island.

With his broad shoulders relaxed, Han poured some tea into his cup with a slight smile that gave Seung a niggling impression that he had not fooled the Sargent one bit with his diversion tactic.

"I have a wife I love very much back at home, and I believe in matrimonial loyalty. Kisaengs, lovely as they are, have little use for me. I do like occasional poetry sessions; I will not lie."

Seung snorted his disdain.

"I understand you do not believe in fidelity, Commander Lee, if yesterday evening was any proof, but each to his own. However, why did you not return there tonight?"

Lee Seung did not have a wife to pledge fidelity to, he thought to himself bitterly. Much as it rankled to think well of his father-in-law, Choi Si-wan ensured that his matrimonial status, or the lack of it, was not too well known outside of the small circle close to the King and Seung's closest friends, for which Seung was immensely grateful. Although Seung disliked the man greatly, he could not deny Choi Si-wan was as much a victim of his ungrateful, whimsical daughter's caprices as he was.

"I did not feel like it. I am not in the mood for either entertaining the egos of the local officials or - " he shrugged, stopping himself from commenting further.

"But I thought you always went there to ascertain the health of a place," Sargeant observed.

Seung and Han had trained for the special unit forces together and had fought in the Battle of Liaoluo Bay as ground support force and in the two battles pushing back the rebels.

"There is not much information to be had in the Kisaeng house. It's mostly our soldiers, some merchants, and the regular Yangban loiters. It's a waste of time."

"Waste of time? Kisaeng Han is known to be extremely picky," Wang Jung chimed in. Seung gave him a quelling look. Unperturbed, the older man made an ungainly pout. "And she picked you, Sir! I don't know why people do not appreciate good fortune when they see it."

"It's your good fortune you still have a tongue in your mouth. You should see and appreciate it," Seung warned good-naturedly.

There was a slight clattering noise to the tray that appeared in their side vision.

Of its own volition, Seung's eyes flew to the face of the woman holding the tray. Just for a beat, blink-and-you-miss-it kind, he thought he saw a venomous look flash in those stunning eyes that met his.

Just a flash.

Her eyes then dropped to half-mast, and next, when she lifted them, it was to look at the placement of the table to deposit the contents of her tray on it. She then smiled at them, revealing a perfect set of pearl-white teeth. Two incredible dents appeared on her cheeks.

"Welcome to Boma's inn, gentlemen. This wine is our specialty, and you will not find it anywhere else in Joseon." She then looked at all of them warmly.

Lee Seung felt disconcerted. She looked at them with those liquid honey, captivating eyes, beamed at them with a smile that could warm the cockles of a bleeding soldier on a freezing day, and yet, he felt as if he didn't exist. He felt Sargeant stir beside him and found him looking at her retreating back confoundingly as she made her way to the rear of the inn.

Wang Jung scratched his head, "How does she do it? Every single time. Makes you feel important and insignificant at the same time...."

Shrugging, Wang reached for his cup of alcohol.

Seung felt a bit better at knowing he was not the only one to feel it.

She had looked at them and through them.

Yet, he knew he had seen that momentary emotion in her eyes, even though it was one of reprimand. Or something similar.

Lee Seung stole a glance at her. She had her back to them, working on something he could not see.

He recognised a challenge when he saw one. The woman in the light brown and beige hanbok who crushed hearts wherever she walked would need to learn that Lee Seung seldom left a challenge unmet.

Much to his consternation, she didn't appear again at their table, though he glimpsed her a few times. Rather, glimpsed parts of her. The sleeve of her hanbok, a turn of her skirt, the back of her head....

The plump, smiling woman who had taken their orders delivered the food and went by the name of Im Ji-won. Another woman, or rather, a girl, came to refill their alcohol pot. Seung had seen her two days ago when he had visited the inn. This one had large eyes on an otherwise non-descriptive face, though her measured walk and graceful movements made her quite attractive. She went by the name of Nam Dami. He gave her his most charming smile. And then kicked himself mentally because his eyes automatically scanned the inn for a glimpse of someone else.

The girl named Nam Dami, who gave him a shy, sweet smile, wore a light-coloured chima, which could look like peach in the moonlight. Seung wondered if she were the one he had seen up on the hill having the altercation.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

To his amusement, Wang Jung sat up straight when Nam Dami was around, giving her his best smile and holding the cup reverently when she poured him alcohol. And he was visibly upset when he saw her giving surreptitious glances at Seung.

"I do not know why you didn't go to the kisaeng house, sir," he gulped his wine irritably.

"And let you have all the fun here?" Seung chuckled as he delved into his food. He realised he was thoroughly enjoying himself. The night was young, the air fresh, and he was famished. A low, comforting chatter surrounded him; someone tended to a fire outside. A light-vented bulbul called out, and a cacophonous chorus of twittering birds got spooked somewhere.

He didn't notice a pair of intent eyes following his every movement when he was not looking.

--

Kim Minjae pressed her shoes firmly into the thick mulch of damp leaves to keep the sound muted. Carrying a lantern would reveal her to anyone interested in following her, so she had to rely on the moonlight to see the path.

She was distracted.

"Nam Dami, did you look at table number twelve?" Im Ji Won had poked the girl in her rib. "He is here."

"Who?" Minjae had asked curiously.

"The tall officer in the red and yellow dongdari sitting with Sargeant. He came to the inn two days ago and was especially attentive to our Dam Mi," Ji Won said teasingly, poking Dam Mi again. "I also saw him looking our way several times at the field this morning."

Nam Dami had slapped Ji Won's hand away, but not in the way they often did to each other in banter when someone took a fancy to a man visiting the inn.

Minjae's heart sank. Anyone with eyes could see his gaze had been glued to Minjae the entire time they were at the table. Da Mi's next words only added to her misgivings.

"What's the use? Today, Dari has eyes for no one but Minjae, as usual. Once they see her, we always pale into insignificance." Nam Dami had given her a look so full of dislike that it had taken Minjae back.

"Da-Mi! That's not true," Im Ji Won had been more than surprised at their friend's sudden animosity.

"And as usual, I am not interested in any of them," she soothed Da Mi. "Why don't you take over the table, Da Mi? I have to go someplace," Minjae had said cheerfully.

Da Mi's belligerence hurt. Minjae had vowed she would never let anything, or anyone ever take away her freedom and the life she had rebuilt with her own two hands on this tiny paradise. At the same time, having been starved of love since she was eight, ignored, ridiculed, starved, terrorised and abused until she was stripped of her self-respect and almost her life, Minjae had come to value the affection of these women over everything else.

A bulbul twittered, the bird's loud call piercing the air with its sharp tone, bring her back to the surroundings. Minjae turned her head, trying to peer through the darkness and detect movement that would aid her in the right direction. She travelled parallel to the path below, carefully treading her way into the woods where the bulbul call originated.

"Noonim!" A whisper called out. Kim Minjae veered to her right, climbing further up the hill away from the meadow closer to the trees, straining her eyes to find the owner of the voice. A tall shadowy figure stepped out from behind a fat tree trunk, grasped her arm and gave it a tug. Even though she was expecting it, the sudden movement almost tore a scream from her throat that she subdued forcibly.

She followed the figure behind the thick column of the massive tree and then followed him further into the thickening, though not too far from the edge of the woods because they were rapidly losing the moonlight.

"Don't startle me like that, Ko Yoon!" She admonished the young man under her breath.

"Sorry, Noonim! I was worried someone might spot you," Ko Yoon whispered back. "Are you sure Inspector KA didn't follow you this time?"

"I am sure. I changed my dress and spent a good amount of time in the inn to throw him off."

"Did Ka hurt you back on the hill?

Minjae's heart jumped at the thought of that altercation. "No, he didn't."

"Commander Lee was there, luckily," Ko Yoon sounded upset.

"Commander?" Minjae repeated.

"Yes, the man with the lantern. Lee Seung is our garrison commander."

Minjae chewed on that. "How.....interesting. Is he not a little young for that?"

Ko Yoon shrugged. "Commander Lee Seung is one of the best. He is brilliant. He topped the Gwageo but chose to go to the border. He fought with the Ming to push back on the Barbarians backed by the rebels three years ago and was a part of two decisive victories, one against the Dutch, though he was called back for other duties. His valour is a folklore. I am glad it was him. He is someone Ka would never pick a fight with. Though you know I would have pulped KA into mush had he hurt you."

Minjae shook her head at him. "I can take care of myself. Never expose yourself, no matter what the compulsion. Promise me!"

"Noonim! Neither Hyungnim* nor will I promise something like that on your life."

Minjae felt a lump in her throat. "Yoon, you are critical to the work we are doing. Without you or Captain, it would have been impossible."

Ko Yoon shrugged. "By the way, how do you know Commander Lee is young?"

Minjae was glad of the dark.

"Ah, I saw you staring at him at the hill. He is so handsome," Ko Yoon sighed dreamily.

Minjae smacked him on his head. "I didn't 'stare'. He came to the inn, you idiot. I don't have time for -"

"All right, I get it. What do I need to do?"

"Two targets have been secured in Tosan. Captain needs to send the word out."

"How long do we have?"

"The targets were declared to have been eliminated a fortnight ago, so they can't be hidden away for too long. Monk has communicated to a temple in Cheongju, and we have to arrange for the transfer of the younger one to reside there until they can be assigned to the right place when the time comes. The other one needs to be brought here."

"We don't have space for any more here, Noonim. The scrutiny to this island has increased, and all new entries will be looked upon with suspicion."

"I know, they always are," Minjae shivered in the cool of the night and wrapped her arms around her waist. She brightened. "Don't worry. I will try to think of alternatives to bringing them here next time. But right now, we need to hurry and remember to be safe. Especially -"

"Especially what, Noonim?"

"We have to be careful with the intel. Ears are everywhere with the whispers of war. We can't be caught. We will put too many people at risk."

"I understand. Don't worry so much. We will not be caught. And I will be careful. There would never have been a 'we' without you, Noonim," he smiled.

An eerie howl of a lone animal interrupted them. Minjae swung her head involuntarily in that direction. A heavy branch broke and dropped somewhere behind her. A shiver that had nothing to do with the cold convulsed her body.

A loud gasp from Ko Yoon brought her attention back to him, and she saw his eyes bulge in shock, and he suddenly took off deep into the forest, just as a voice boomed in the still of the night.

"Freeze and stand down. This is -"

Like the wind, another figure brushed past her. "Stop, you bastard!" The dark figure of a tall man yelled and disappeared after Yoon.

It happened so quickly that Minjae barely had time to register, her hands flying to her mouth to stifle her scream.

Someone had caught them. Without waiting to find out more, she turned and ran, her boots digging into the ground, but her hurried footsteps did little to muffle the sound of her run. It was dark, but she was almost at the edge of the wood. Once she stepped out into the light, she could run faster.

She heard footsteps behind her. "Stop!" The voice cried out.

In hindsight, she realised she should have stopped rather than run out into the open like an idiot when she had no chance to outrun the man in the first place. But she didn't. Adrenaline gave her wings; all she could think of was getting away from that voice pursuing her. She didn't see the lean, decayed log in time. Not expecting the elevation that the log provided her foot, she stepped on it with more force than needed. She stumbled and flailed her hands to balance, only to land awkwardly on the other foot and feel it twist. She tried to struggle to balance herself, but she could see the ground coming up rapidly as pain shot up from her ankle, bringing tears to her eyes.

Hands caught her arm before she could meet the forest floor face first, pulling her up to safety unceremoniously.

The momentum put even more pressure on her injured ankle, and she cried out as he hauled her closer to him.

Minjae looked up into the stunned eyes of a man she had never imagined seeing in her wildest imagination.

--

Anomaly. Incongruity.

The ability to discern departure from the norm had kept Seung alive in the harsh terrain of the north across Joseon's border amidst bitter cold weather and bitter, harsh people.

Masquerading as a silver ore merchant had been the easiest part, as he did not have to pretend. The Haifuki-ho method of silver mining from Joseon had spread like wildfire in Japan in the last decade. Objects produced from silver ore through this method were now highly coveted by the Ming, Mongols and Russians alike. While the Japanese monopolised the silver ore cupellation process and exports to the Ming and the rest of the world, Joseon merchants had also been gaining a steady foothold in the export of silver ore to the Haifuki-ho versed silversmith technicians who catered to the nouveau-rich amongst the Manchu Barbarians and the royalty, so no one suspected him. He liked the money he made from it and made a lot of it in a very short time. Learning the barbarian language had been a little more cumbersome. Slipping into disguises had been a bit more complex. Pretending to be mute on occasion had been hard. Overcoming the suspicion of the people and escaping their notice unharmed, armed with information, and bringing it back to his spymasters had been the most challenging part of his espionage stint. Impeccable memory, swift reflexes, detecting deviation, and pure, old-fashioned gut instincts were the magical powers that helped him survive.

The bulbul call floated again through the din of Boma's inn.

There were no bulbuls in Ganghwa.

Light-vented bulbuls were seldom found in Joseon, if at all, and most certainly not in early spring, especially on an island like Ganghwa. The little birds were too busy breeding in the northwest and seldom flew over water bodies to change habitat. And they never, ever called at night.

Seung's trained senses caught onto the aberration.

Quietly, Seung placed the spoon face down by his bowl on the table and flipped it upside down. Wang Jung glanced at him and blinked once, signalling he understood.

The first call of the bulbul was followed by a few more at consistent intervals. Whoever had arranged for the tryst was getting impatient. It also meant they were confident no one would catch them.

He scanned the cleanly cropped rolling meadows that rose to merge with the woods. The absence of trees and abundant overflow of the moonlight drew his attention to a slim, dark figure in a skirt hurrying towards the thicket of the forest. She stopped and turned to see if she was being followed. Seung ducked and crouched behind a water well next to a small, dilapidated cluster of houses whose inhabitants were snoring after a hard day's work to put food in their belly, roof on their heads and taxes in the coffers of the King.

He would be a fool to think that the recently established Qing dynasty of the Manchus would stop extending its espionage endeavours to pivotal sites that would be key to their success if they decided to invade. Ganghwa, with its strategic location as the safe zone for the Joseon royal family, would be at the top of their list. The overarching objective of the Manchu people was to assert dominance over the Ming, and they wanted Joseon to be their ally and recognise Hong Taji as the Emperor in his upcoming coronation the following month. Unfortunately, Joseon's current King was not far-sighted enough to heed people like him, who warned him that the Manchus, headed by their indefatigable and brilliant leader, would not take no for an answer. Unfortunately, Seung did not think Ganghwa was impenetrable anymore, not with the newly fortified navy that the Manchu barbarians had, with two Ming defectors at the helm and the Manchu princes like Dorgon leading the offensive against Joseon who did not look favourably upon the country. And he had no doubts barbarians and spies were hidden in plain sight.

It made it more urgent for Seung to break into the labyrinth of any potential spy network threatening the island that could give the Barbarians more advantage than they already had.

The lone skirt clad figure vanished into the shadows of the forest. Seung quickly covered the ground with his long legs, muting his footsteps by treading the line between the meadow and the woods.

Pressing himself against the abrasive, thick tree trunks, careful not to break twigs or branches that could alert anyone to his presence, Seung strained his ears. Human sounds, though faint, penetrated his hearing. He got close enough to see two figures, a man and a woman, whispering to each other, their words amplified by the still of the night and the echo of the space around them.

A few minutes later, he had heard enough.

"Freeze and stand down. This is -"

The man took off like a deer. Seung cursed and set chase, yelling at him to stop while registering that the woman was too surprised to move.

The man was athletic, had the advantage of the dark, and possibly had knowledge of the forest that Seung didn't have. He disappeared, leaving no trace. Seung had two choices. Call the guards and comb the forest or take the woman into custody and get everything out of her.

Decision made, he turned to catch the woman. She was no match for his mercurial agility. In a hurry to get away from him, she stumbled, and he caught her like a small rabbit trying to escape the mouth of a fox.

Seung jerked her to a stop, and adrenaline surged. His lungs suddenly parched as he furiously sucked air in. He was looking at the face of the enchantress who had taken over his consciousness for most of the evening - Kim Minjae, who looked back at him with eyes that were fathomless pools of dark, liquid honey that threatened to drown him.