"Romantic notions?" Master Mun Jeon almost fell off the bench, mirth filling his eyes. He looked at Hwan as if he had grown two additional eyes on his forehead.

Hwan shifted uncomfortably and straightened his back some more, feeling not a little put out at the affront of being made fun of.

"Which school did you acquire your learning, Scholar Park? Certainly not Joseon. Matters of the heart have no place in marriage arrangements in this nation."

Master Mun Jeon was still laughing, but the laughter did not reach his eyes this time.

"Our women are wooden dolls, with strings in the hands of their elders, to do their bidding for life. They nurture no thoughts or emotions, do not exist when the sun shines, and become shadows of the households they are married into and ghosts if they are not. A woman's place in society does not change just because she has lost her parents. Min Jay Yi is no different."

Hwan looked away, unable to refute a word.

"Even if a few might think otherwise, even if the King dares to go against the tide, the entire Confucian population would depose him in no time. Not that the King would want to; he is, after all, the darkest blot in the mud bath."

Suppressing his irritation, Hwan summoned his calmest voice. "Be careful what you say. You are still a subject of Joseon."

"Why? For the fear that the King will throw me in prison? Or paddle me until I expire because I do not grovel to him? I apologize. I do not see the ones sitting on the throne in the same exalted light as you do Scholar Park."

Hwan contemplated the man. The man was bitter against the Royals.

"The Royals are in no mood to suffer opposition and traitorous thoughts," Hwan warned. Truthfully, though, he did not see Mun Jeon as a threat to the throne. This was personal. His bitterness originated from something else.

Mun Jeon's next words more or less confirmed his thoughts. "Oh, do not worry. I have no intention of ever shaking the floor that the throne sits on. On the contrary, if you ask me, I feel sorry for the young King; it is little more than a prison that he lives in, burdened by responsibilities that he might not be capable of tackling."

"You doubt His Majesty, King Hwan?" More than a little curious, Hwan leaned closer, suddenly wanting to know the thoughts of this man he disliked but was coming to respect despite himself.

"I have no thoughts either way. I admit he has done some good work already, but he has a long way to go, although I have yet to hear good things about the man himself. From what I understand, he is as unpleasant as they come."

Hwan flushed, gritting his teeth.

"You don't exactly sound charming yourself," Hwan retorted caustically.

"Did you just compare me to His Majesty?" Mun Jeon was genuinely surprised.

Careful! Hwan could have slapped himself. This was chartering into dangerous territory.

"Not really," Leaning back, Hwan said mildly, "I do not know His Majesty well enough to form such an opinion, nor would I dare to, unlike you."

Thankfully, Mun Jeon seemed satisfied with his reply. Hwan needed to tread carefully.

Mun Jeon had wits sharp as claws. He was five years older than Hwan. His parents passed away two years prior, and his only sister was married to a third-rank state officer. He had passed the State Exams seven years ago and, mysteriously, resigned two years later, opting to make a career at sea, unheard of in the nobility. Three years of sea fare had taken him to different countries, and his list of trading ingredients varied from spices to fabric, finally settling down on white porcelain that made neat profits due to its prominent position on the list of state-approved Joseon trade materials and the logistical challenges associated with its transportation, which in turn created a market with minimal competition. He had expanded his trade network within the country last year from Hanyang.

The man was rich, young enough and had an interest in Jay Yi, that crawed at Hwan. He was still trying to figure out the reason for Mun Jeon's interest in Jay Yi, other than that they had known each other for a long time.

"You did not answer my question, though. What are your intentions behind pursuing Lady Min Jay Yi?" Hwan asked, keeping his voice carefully neutral.

"I do not need to answer that question, Scholar Park. Rather, I would like to know what you intend to do with her."

"And I already told you I consider her a friend who I helped during a difficult time, no more," Hwan lied.

Mun Jeon scoffed. His brows lifted as he stared into Hwan's eyes, "Please reserve your lies for someone more green, Scholar Park. These eyes have seen far too much of the world to believe that drivel. I am willing to wager I have lived much longer than you, so please show some respect, which I find curiously lacking in a scholar of your stature. That night, you were not holding a friend in your arms. Had Lady Min not intervened, I could have driven my blade into you for breaching her modesty."

Hwan felt the flush creeping up his neck, his breathing constricted.

"That was an error of judgement on my part. In the heat of the moment, I felt that was the best way to restrain her without hurting her."

"Try again, Scholar Park. Your combat abilities are of the highest order. A mere warning from you would have sufficed to make her cease."

Hwan mentally kicked himself for exposing so much of his weakness to this man.

"That is not important right now. It was an error, and I do not care what you want to make out of it. What is important is, do you have any intentions towards Lady Min Jay Yi?" Hwan persisted.

"Not important? That woman thinks the world starts and ends with you."

Not any more. Hwan suddenly forced a lump of moisture down his throat.

"You do not know that. So, should I assume you have no interest in a future marriage proposition with Lady Min?" Hwan had to know. He found it difficult to swallow that the man had no romantic interest in Jay Yi.

"Why do you want to know so badly?"

"As a friend, I feel a responsibility for her." Hwan fabricated.

"Joseon is not safe for a woman of Lady Min's calibre. I will certainly not stand by and watch her endanger herself and not do anything about it. If that means giving her a name through marriage, I shall do so. She is my best friend's sister, and I owe him that much."

"She is more than capable of taking care of herself," Hwan was amused. "You must have seen that for yourself many times."

Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

Mun Jeon leaned forward, his cat-like hazel eyes dubious. "If I may say so, I can see why Lady Min finds you fascinating. Even with the eyes of a man, I can say you are possibly the most handsome man I have seen. Your aristocratic bearing screams. You obviously do not lack in either riches or academic abilities. With your tall height along with such impossibly golden attributes, you stand out already. When someone like you, who also possesses such impressive martial arts skills as you, admires her, it's a volatile combination for any young woman. It's easy to see how she might have lost her head."

Hwan raised his eyebrows at the unexpected compliments. If only Min Jay Yi was that easy to please. Hwan gave a self depricating smile.

"Are we trading flattery now?"

"Hardly. You see, Scholar Park, for someone who has been gifted with so much and comes across as worldly and resourceful, I find you woefully naive and gullible. You think her ability to defeat ten men in hand-to-hand combat will save her from the sharks of Joseon?"

Hwan felt pinpricks run through his spine.

Mun Jeon barked an unpleasant laugh. "Did you know how I learned Min Jay Yi was still running around disguised as her brother? Four-something years ago, before I left Joseon, she and her servant ran into the dock chased by some men. Those men were slave traders. They would have made a fortune if they had gotten their hands on her."

Hwan's felt his pit bottom out. He wanted to slice the smug look off the sanctimonious bastard's face.

"She was the Governor's daughter. They would not have dared. She would have taken them down first; if not, they would have had His Majesty's navy annihilate them." Hwan tried to sound nonchalant, quashing his fury and horror Mun Jeon's words evoked.

"You are right, Scholar Park. They would have let her go once they found out who she was. No Yangban of her stature is worth the trouble, regardless of how big the fortune."

Hwan sat back, the tremor in his hands not yet quite in control as he looked away.

"But what happens when she does not have that family to back her up anymore?"

Hwan stared him down. "I will ensure she is never in that kind of danger again."

"Ah! Those bodyguards. Are you really that naive?"

Hwan slammed the table. "How dare you?"

Mun Jeon gave a cold smile. "All it will take is a sly bastard with a government badge to trap her into a terribly compromising situation and force her into becoming his Concubine at best and Kiseang at worst. No, that's not the worst. God forbid if the man is even more greedy, selling her will not be difficult. Some Jerchens will pay a fortune for a Joseon nobility virgin. And with a woman of her beauty, her sellers can buy ships and never return."

Hwan blanched, his hands clammy as if someone was pushing him off a cliff.

"You look ill, my friend. A Yangban woman with free will is a danger to your kind, Scholar Park. She disturbs the rules on ethics and customs of your carefully laid out world." Mun Jeon intoned without humour.

"I will not have her tied to a marriage she does not want." Hwan's fingers were white under the table.

"And how do you plan to accomplish that? I plan to petition His Majesty, the King, for an exception to the marriage ban. The previous King granted the family one on a much weaker excuse. This time, her condition is even more precarious. The State has wronged her, so it is even more important for it to do right by her. His Majesty cannot deny my petition. As you know, her opinion will hardly matter," he drawled.

Hwan's fist connected with Mun Jeon's jaw before he could control himself.

Mun Jeon's head swung sideways with the force, but he kept seated at the table. Instead of retaliating, he started laughing.

Incensed, Hwan stared him down, willing to calm himself simultaneously. "I wonder what I said to invite this." Mun Jeon wiped the drop of blood that appeared at the corner of his lip. "Ah! The annoyance. This will cause a nasty bruise tomorrow, Scholar Park!"

Hwan forced himself to walk away, hating himself for his lack of control. He did not know what had overcome him.

Mun Jeon is speaking the truth, and you have no answer, Yi Hwan!

Hwan clenched his eyes shut. "I apologize. That was uncalled for. It will not happen again."

"Now it's my turn to assume. You badly want to marry her, but your hands are tied by your illustrious family because she is useless on the political chessboard you are standing on. And love is not enough to sacrifice ambition, even if it is for someone like Min Jay Yi."

Hwan's eyes turned glacial. "You have no idea what you are talking about. I would sacrifice any such ambition right now to marry her," his voice was raw.

"Ah! So you are already married?" Mun Jeon looked surprised. "That is not the impression I had."

"I am not married."

Mun Jeon looked at him. "You must belong to a family who would rather kill than let their children marry on their own accord, eh?"

"Close."

"And it does not matter whether you would sacrifice your ambitions. Your family will not let you."

Hwan clenched his hands behind his back, turning away to face the boards with numerous sketches of human anatomy.

"I cannot marry for love. I have obligations I cannot ignore. Many lives are dependent on what I decide for my future."

Mun Jeon cackled. "You sound like the weight of Joseon is on your shoulders. You give yourself too much credit. I suggest leaving that for the Royalty. Nothing is worth this kind of a sacrifice."

If only Mun Jeon knew how close he was to the truth.

"Scholar Park, I have lived in the shoes you are walking in now."

"What do you mean?" Hwan gave him a perplexed look.

Mun Jeon leaned forward, propping his elbows on the table for support, his voice dropping many decibels.

"There was a girl I loved more than anything in my life. Our families knew each other, and it was understood that we would become related one day through marriage." Mun Jeon's voice was hollow. "She loved to paint, and she would make these small paintings and hang them over on her porch for me."

"What happened?" Hwan asked quietly.

"Her father received a promotion, land, and money. Suddenly, their social status changed, almost beyond our reach. Still, they indicated as long as I ensured my success with a government post, they would not have a problem with the marriage. So, even though I had no interest, I worked hard and cleared State Examinations with top honours."

Hwan listened with a keen ear. Mun Jeon had not only cleared the exam; he had broken the scoring record in several metrics. Mun Jeon would have risen to a top rank quite soon had he stayed in service.

"I gather it did not suffice?" Hwan asked.

"Her Father had eyes for a much, much bigger prize. He sent his daughter as a Crown Princess candidate to the Palace."

Stunned, Hwan returned to the table to resume his seat across from him.

"When was this?"

"Five years ago."

Hwan swallowed, "Crown Prince Ui-Hyeon?"

Mun Jeon's lips tightened. "I wish for her sake the man had stayed alive."

"I wish for all our sake that Crown Prince Hyeon had stayed alive," Hwan could not keep the sorrow out of his voice.

Mun Jeon missed it, consumed by his misery, isolating himself in a world that could shake him still.

"It can take away your will to live, Scholar Park. Today, she lives like a ghost. And I cannot do anything about it." His face almost cracked.

"Did you," Hwan paused, choosing his words carefully, "try to petition the King to release her from the bond after the Crown Prince passed away?"

"You think I didn't try? I knocked on every door I could to help get the release for her." He laughed bitterly. "I was threatened with ruin and my family with destitution by the King."

Startled, Hwan looked at him. "Why would His Majesty do that?"

"The Royals are a kind of bastards who can't see beyond the tip of their nose. It does not matter how many lives are ruined; they only care about the shine of their Confucian prestige."

Hwan flinched, looking down at his hands.

"I wish I had taken her away when I had the chance. We could have gone away, made a new life elsewhere, away from this snake pit where only power holds value."

"Had you done that, would your family not have faced the same backlash?"

"At least they would be alive."

"What are you talking about?"

"I dared to go against the tide. Her father threatened to ruin my sister's life if I did not cease to bring 'shame' to his family. Nothing matters to these worms but their political ambitions. They would sacrifice their own child to further their greed. I left Joseon. But it was not enough. My family was accused of witchcraft after I left. They were hounded, their lives made hell by the sycophants of her father. It drove my parents to their deathbed."

"I am sorry." Hwan felt his pain. "Where is she now?"

"Her father was stripped of most of his wealth by Crown Prince Yi Hwan, as he was part of a larger corrupt group," Mun Jeon shrugged. "That group's flavour must not be favoured by his current Court," he said derisively. "And the worst part? I could not rejoice at the fall of the man who set fire to our futures. Because, in the end, it was she who suffered. First, they took away her ability to live her life and then forced her to penury to endure whatever is left of it."

Hwan, for once, was speechless.

"As you can see, Scholar Park, I cannot hold the same affection as other nobility for our monarchs. Most of the time, they only serve their own interest. The same goes for most power-hungry hyenas holding a government badge."

Hwan looked him in the eye. "The new King is different. You should try your petition again."

Mun Jeon gave a mocking smile. "You say it with so much conviction that I cannot help but pity your naivety, Scholar Park. Instead, why do you not do something about your own problem? I do not know what restrictions bind you, but you better come to a resolution. I will not let things slide with Min Jay Yi."

Hwan slowly got to his feet. He retrieved a list from his sleeve and placed it before Mun Jeon. "What can you tell me about any of these families?"