Wonbeom’s dream is a mix of pain and confusion. His heavy chest suddenly struggles to breathe, and every movement echoes painfully through his whole body. As time passes, even more dizziness comes, but the pain mercifully slowly dulls down.
In his dream, Wonbeom sees his future wife, the Destined Highness, tenderly taking care of his wounds. Her kind voice softly assures him everything will be alright soon.
She is plotting something, he initially thinks. Probably trying to win his affection to help her clan claim complete control over him.
Wonbeom wonders if he has gone mad for wanting her constant presence beside him even if it is a part of her cunning scheme.
He tries to balance the wishes of his heart and mind, thinking of ways he can continue to yearn after her, yet make sure she’s not close enough to use him.
His conflicting feelings torture him more than his wounded body.
“I missed you, my Queen…” The memory of their reunion in the forest comes back suddenly, everything flashing before his eyes as he slowly gains consciousness.
He remembers Soyong’s teary eyes when he rejected her. Her outrageous behavior at their wedding and her utter disrespect towards him. And how her irritating demands for no-touching irked Wonbeom more than her scandalous manner of addressing him as if she was above him.
And then the guilt comes back to Wonbeom as well: the feeling hurts him when he remembers how low he went in his plans for revenge and how much he wounded the woman he was secretly fond of.
For a long time, Wonbeom thought he didn’t deserve another chance with her; however, the wishes buried deep in his longing heart couldn’t be hidden forever. Every day he worried she might slip away out of his sight and he had to confess what he really felt before that could happen…
Wonbeom opens his eyes, lazily blinking and adjusting to the room’s dim lighting. Even the dull light of the candles and lanterns gives him a headache, making him flinch before he can fully open his eyes and look around.
Apart from Director Hong entertaining Hyun-ki with a peacock feather from his hat, the room is empty. Wonbeom’s lips move into a soft smile, observing them in silence. Hyun-ki tries to catch the feather and draw it into his mouth, but Du Il doesn’t allow it, scolding the prince in a feigned stern voice:
“Ya, Your Highness will cover it in saliva,” he grumbles. “You won’t pay me for a new hat, will you?”
“Why should the heir to the throne bother himself with thoughts about a mere hat?” Wonbeom’s voice is cracked and quiet; however, it makes Director Hong shudder when he hears it out of nowhere.
“One day my heart is going to stop from all the times you’ve scared me like that, Wonbeom!” Du Il yells, getting up to come closer to the bedding. “Are you alright? Do you need anything?” he continues in a softer, worried voice. “You slept so long… We were all so worried!”
Wonbeom slowly shifts into a sitting position, flinching in pain on his side where his wound is. But he manages to find a less painful position and breathing pace before he returns his attention to his son and Du Il.
“Can you bring me some water, please?” Wonbeom asks quietly, nodding to the jug on the table nearby. He reaches his hands to take Hyun-ki into his arms, freeing Director Hong’s hands.
“How are you, my son?” He peers into Hyun-ki’s eyes, seeing pure joy from the prince.
Wonbeom smiles back at his son, caressing the back of his head and kissing his cheek. Despite the late hour, the prince is full of energy even though he is supposed to be asleep by now. However, Wonbeom is so happy to see his son he lets it pass.
Wonbeom looks around again, feeling uneasy because of Soyong’s absence. She is missed at this nice family meeting late at night. Even in his dream, where he relived all the past memories, sad or happy or confused, Soyong was constantly there. And now when he has finally regained consciousness, Wonbeom feels abandoned by her again.
“Where is the Queen?” Wonbeom asks when Hong comes back with a bowl of water. He quickly drinks it to the last drop, and Hong pours him more from the jug.
“Her Highness is securing your throne, Your Majesty,” Hong says, smirking. “Everyone has found themselves an important job to do while I am left to babysit!”
Wonbeom rolls his eyes at Hong’s usual complaints. His friend doesn’t like to work, but once he doesn’t, he feels left out.
Besides, Wonbeom knows the prince could be a handful sometimes, but babysitting him is the best type of work in the world in his own humble opinion.
“What do you mean by that? What’s happening?” Wonbeom asks, slightly starting to worry something bad could have happened while he was asleep. He looks back at his son who he holds with one arm. He feels grateful to his friend for looking after Hyun-ki; work like this couldn’t be given to the nannies.
“The Grand Queen Dowager decided to head to the royal conference in your and the Queen’s absence,” Hong explains. “Her Highness didn’t hesitate and rushed over there. I heard she promised the ministers to look into their appeals and she started her work immediately.”
Wonbeom glances at the windows: despite them being closed, he can still see the sun has been down for some time now. Has she sat all alone reading countless appeals until this hour?
“I must see her.” Wonbeom attempts to get up with Hyun-ki still in his arms, but the pain in his side makes him take a sharp intake of breath and keeps him grounded to his bedding.
“Oh, no, no, no. Stay where you are until the royal physician examines you,” Hong strictly commands. “And I will send a message for the Queen,” he quickly adds when he sees Wonbeom open his mouth to protest.
Reluctantly, Wonbeom hands Hyun-ki back to Director Hong when the royal physician arrives. He waves to the prince as Du Il walks them out of the room, mumbling something about how it’s time to sleep.
The royal physician has Wonbeom strip his shirt to reveal his bandaged wound just above his waist. He attentively examines him and even asks permission to touch Wonbeom around his wound. It doesn’t hurt much if Wonbeom stays still, but whenever he moves, pain runs through his whole body.
“Your Majesty still needs a good rest,” the old man declares after Wonbeom hisses at the pain under his touch. “Soon Your Majesty will be in perfect health.”
“What about the Queen?” Wonbeom impatiently interrupts the physician. He remembers Soyong fighting with the man who had already tried to take her life once. In his last memory of the fight, Soyong was worried about him, but he did not have the strength to examine her for injury before losing consciousness.
“Her Highness has a sore throat and is taking medicine until it fully heals,” the royal physician politely answers. “It is Your Majesty’s wound that still worries me…”
“You just said I will be in perfect health soon,” Wonbeom sarcastically remarks.
“Only if Your Majesty follows my instructions,” the physician stubbornly insists. “Please, consume your medicine on time and have a good rest. If Your Majesty goes back to your normal lifestyle immediately, the recovery period will take longer.”
“Your medicine will make me fall asleep again,” Wonbeom protests, shaking his head. “I’m not taking it until I see the Queen.”
The royal physician excuses himself before going out and Wonbeom pretends he doesn’t notice a look of disapproval on his face.
He takes his white and gold robe to cover his shoulders and arms, every movement causing him pain. Without a shirt fully covering him, he can feel how chilly the night is and it makes him feel less sick and nauseous. He opens one of the windows, breathing in the night air and pine scent from a tree that grows nearby. Wonbeom loves reading books with his window open, and when he wants to take a break, he looks at this tree and remembers his days on Ganghwa Island when he was a simple woodcutter.
A noise in the hallway draws Wonbeom back to reality from his memories. He turns around just in time to see the Queen’s shadow running behind the wall until it reaches the doors. The Head Eunuch barely starts to announce her arrival when Soyong slides the doors open and rushes into the room.
“My Queen,” Wonbeom breathes out, elated to finally see her.
Soyong moves closer from the darker part of the room and into the moonlight shining through from the window. Tears glisten in her hopeful eyes as she slowly steps closer, not taking her gaze away from him for a second. He immediately notices the redness of her eyes, as if she has cried not long ago, and Wonbeom wants to soothe her.
“Your Majesty is really awake,” she whispers, moving closer and reaching out her hand to touch him. “Thank you, Your Majesty!” she exclaims all of a sudden, and Wonbeom can’t wait any longer and tugs her into a hug.
Soyong hugs him back immediately, making Wonbeom happy once again that she doesn’t have any hesitation anymore. He should be grateful to this conspiracy for helping them overcome the crisis in their relationship. He feels her hands wandering on his back, embracing him even tighter.
“My Queen doesn’t have to worry about me anymore,” Wonbeom whispers. “Now we are going to be alright. Nothing else matters…”
“Your Majesty…” He hears her sobbing a little, her voice cracking slightly. “Your Majesty should stop frightening me like that…”
“My brave Queen can’t be scared easily.” Wonbeom lets out a hoarse laugh. “I believe the courage you possess is remarkable. Didn’t you face the ministers and Grand Queen Dowager all alone today?”
He feels her body shaking briefly from a silent laugh and slowly relaxing in his embrace. Just by being right here with him, Soyong can give him so much comfort. He feels like all his worries have disappeared.
Wonbeom moves back to look at her, his hands traveling up her arms and then cupping her face. He peers into her eyes, memorizing her soft gaze so that when he goes to sleep, this Soyong will appear in his dreams. Enough of the painful memories — he wishes to see her beautiful brown eyes shine with happiness. Alas, her eyes now sparkle with unshed tears, and even if they are happy ones, he wishes she will never cry because of him again. With both thumbs, he wipes those tears away.
“Wonbeom-ah,” she softly whispers, seeming to have something to say, maybe even something very important, but Wonbeom again feels impatient. When she says his given name like that, he can’t hold himself back anymore. He moves before she can continue, and his lips find hers with ease, as if this simple gesture is so natural for him.
He can sense sweetness from the honey tea she must have had and salt from the tears she must have shed before they met. Wonbeom’s lips slowly brush against hers and his hands find their way to her lower back, drawing her closer to him. She answers after a brief pause, her soft, full lips moving in sync with his own in a perfectly natural way.
They break apart, foreheads resting against each other and breathing heavily. When Wonbeom opens his eyes he notices how rosy her cheeks have become and he certainly prefers this rare moment of shyness from her instead of the worried look she had before.
As Soyong lifts her gaze to look up at him her breathing is still deep, but her lips form such a wide, beautiful smile that he cannot stop himself from mirroring it.
However, it doesn’t last long. As if she has remembered something, her smile breaks abruptly. Wonbeom doesn’t have time to process this sudden change before she steps back from him.
“Your Majesty…” she whispers with her eyes wide open, looking at him from head to toe. “Your Majesty must rest well for a quick recovery…”
“My Queen…” He takes a step forward, but she takes two steps back. A broken, awkward smile appears on her lips, and she doesn’t seem to want his closeness anymore.
“It’s good that Your Majesty is aware of the royal conference,” she says, switching the tone of their conversation into a formal one. “The ministers definitely didn’t waste their time while we were dealing with the traitors’ plans…” Soyong turns around, taking slow steps further away from Wonbeom while continuing to talk. “I need to prepare everything for you to catch up…”
“My Queen, is everything alright?” Wonbeom moves after her, following her steps closely.
“Of course.” She shrugs her shoulders, still not facing him. “I just want to make sure Your Majesty can smoothly continue the work I already started…”
Something is not right with her, but Wonbeom can’t think of what is wrong. She is apparently trying to change the subject of the conversation and put distance between them. But as she continues to talk about court affairs, her formal voice still sounds soft with notes of anxiety. His Queen is a master of harsh cold tones and doesn’t hesitate to use hurtful words when she truly wants to build a wall between them to hide. That, Wonbeom would definitely recognize. But her sudden awkwardness around him is something undiscovered and new for him.
“My Queen, surely we can discuss it all tomorrow…” Wonbeom moves closer, stretching his arms open so he can hug her from behind, only to fail when Soyong quickly and gracefully avoids him by ducking under his arms, turning to face him as she steps aside.
“I need to prepare everything right now, Your Majesty,” she starts mumbling with her eyes so wide she almost looks insane. “Please, take your medicine and rest…”
Wonbeom opens his mouth to protest, refusing to be drugged before she explains her weird behavior, but she doesn’t even let him start:
“Your Majesty doesn’t have to worry. I will do my best and be back to you.” Soyong quickly rushes to the doors and disappears behind them.
“My Queen!” he shouts after her in vain as he sees her shadow behind the paper walls moving away from his chambers. “What in the world…”
Her strange, erratic behavior not only wounds him, but also offends him. She should have stayed and explained instead of running away. But her voice, her kind voice, makes him believe it might be something unserious. Wonbeom wanders across his bed chambers, pondering what could cause such a change in Soyong’s actions.
His eyes fall on his low table by the wall, books stacked high atop it. He immediately recognizes the Queen’s Dictionary on top of the stack. Wonbeom lifts the blue book into his hands, seeing the envelope sticking out between the pages. He lets out a sad sigh, thinking his Queen could have misunderstood his intentions with the letter.
Wonbeom is getting a bit tired of explaining himself over and over again as if he has cheated and she cannot trust him anymore. He closes his eyes, calming himself; he can’t blame her for hesitating as he can’t blame himself for having questions in the past. No one is to blame, but why do they always have to go back to this matter again?
Wonbeom dreams of the easier times, when Soyong would trust him without any doubts. He wishes he could express his feelings better, but maybe he is lacking still. He opens his eyes abruptly, remembering the letter he wrote to his Queen but never sent. He places the dictionary back on the stack of books and goes about opening various cabinets, searching for that forgotten envelope. Wonbeom remembers how he wrote it, in the middle of the night, after getting mixed signals from the Queen’s messages:
There is no way to forgive me for the broken heart.
Would there be a path we could walk together?
I hope we can walk together from the beginning next time, even if it is in dreams.
Wonbeom meant every word, however, he didn’t dare send the poem to Soyong. He thought he didn’t deserve a second chance, even in the next life. If a letter can’t assure her, he will just get used to her doubts. He refuses to think of life without her.
Let her hesitate — just being around her will be enough for him.
He hears the doors opening and turns around in hopes of seeing Soyong again, but it is his brother this time.
“Is Your Majesty alright?” Gyeong-eung asks, taking in Wonbeom’s appearance, his gaze pausing on his bandaged wound for a moment. “Does it hurt?” He steps forward, worriedly looking into Wonbeom’s eyes.
“Hyeongnim, what happened with the Queen?” Wonbeom asks, completely ignoring his brother’s concerns. Nothing hurts him more than the possibility of Soyong drifting away yet again.
“I was wondering the same thing. She ran here so fast but has already left?” the prince raises his brows in confusion.
“Was she with you, hyeongnim1Hyeongnim – male addressing the brother.? What did you talk about? What did she say?” Wonbeom starts his interrogation, his questions fleeing from his mouth one after another without pause.
“I will never understand the hold this woman possesses on your mind.” His brother shakes his head in disapproval. “You’re too emotional. Such a disgrace… I think you hang around Du Il too much.”
“Hyeongnim!” Wonbeom raises his voice, offended by his brother’s words.
Wonbeom wants to remind him of the breakdown he had over Royal Concubine Eui Bin, but holds back from any snarky comments. In a way, his brother is right. Gyeong-eung could always read him like an open book. Wonbeom has never been able to hide his true feelings for Soyong, while his brother would remind him about their goals and the promises Wonbeom gave to him and Hwa Jin.
“We actually talked about Your Majesty,” the prince mercifully starts to share what he knows. “Her Highness said her father visited her earlier, and apparently he asked her not to give you false hope…”
Wonbeom snorts in irritation; he never expected his father-in-law to be so caring about him and make things worse in the process.
“If it makes Your Majesty feel a little bit better…” the prince continues, “I opposed that advice. And in fact, the Queen said she already made up her mind and won’t change it.”
“And what decision might that be?” Wonbeom impatiently asks, despite understanding that his brother wouldn’t know the answer. Why would Soyong share it with Gyeong-eung of all people?
“Her Highness expressed a desire to share her thoughts with you first,” his brother says with a smirk. “I guess she has not done so yet, since she has already left.”
“Do you think this is amusing?” Wonbeom narrows his eyes, annoyed.
“My apologies, Your Majesty. Maybe I’m getting old, but I feel you two should stop playing hide-and-seek in your marriage.” The prince picks up the bowl of medicine the royal physician left for Wonbeom and holds it out for him. “Stop agitating yourself, Your Majesty. A new day starts tomorrow. Meet it with full strength and Her Highness won’t escape you.”
Wonbeom lets out a sigh; he had hoped their misunderstanding era ended when they confessed to each other under the rain. For a short time, everything was as it should be, perhaps even better. Soyong’s gaze changed from wary and bitter to warm and fond. Even the way her whole body reacted to his presence changed. And her touch became so tender that Wonbeom melted under it.
Maybe the broken, doubtful heart is not easy to heal. But how long will it take?
Wonbeom looks back to his brother. In a way, Gyeong-eung knows what Soyong feels as he experiences a similar story with Jo Hwa Jin. He chose a different path to deal with his broken heart, but he must relate to Soyong in some way.
“Hyeongnim.” Wonbeom finally decides to share something he should have shared long ago. “I do not wish to interfere in your marriage. However, I want you to know something.” Gyeong-eung’s face looks confused: they rarely talk about his marriage. Usually, it’s Wonbeom’s love life that is the hot topic in every friendly meeting between them and Director Hong.
“There’s no way to describe the complex aftermath of my relationship with your wife. But if you think there is a possibility for Hwajin and I to be back together, you are mistaken.” Wonbeom speaks quickly, not giving his brother the chance to interrupt. “Forget that I could never disrespect you like that. More importantly, she would never accept me back even if I begged her. She made it clear that she didn’t like the kind of person she became beside me. And it’s not just about the palace suffocating her. I was also a huge part to blame. Hwa Jin doesn’t belong by my side and she knows that.”
“Our marriage doesn’t look like yours, Wonbeom-ah,” Gyeong-eung softly answers. “We are alright and very happy…”
“She’s not.” Wonbeom cuts his brother’s speech short. “She’s not entirely happy because she feels you do not fully trust her.”
The silence that falls after his words is filled with understanding and trust that only two brothers could share. Gyeong-eung has always been a man of few words and Wonbeom doesn’t expect anything from him now either. With a simple nod, the prince leaves Wonbeom alone in the room.
Wonbeom isn’t fond of the idea of spending the night completely alone and even considers sleeping in the same room with his son but ultimately dismisses the idea. He doesn’t want to wake Hyun-ki up if he were to feel pain in his sleep.
So, there’s not much of a choice for Wonbeom and he decides to follow his brother’s advice. The medicine is as bitter as expected, and he feels sleepy quite fast.
On the brink between dream and reality, he meets his Queen again. Soyong is sitting on the bedding beside him in her nightgown. The Soyong in his dream looks smitten and apologetic as she lowers her gaze and explains the reason why she left earlier. Wonbeom smiles, happy she has come back to him.
“Nothing else matters now, my Queen.”
“Does that mean Your Majesty grants forgiveness to me?” Soyong teases him, bending down to kiss him.
“My Queen will always get what she wants from me,” he answers honestly.
The dream feels so real somehow, even if it is too nice to be true. After waking up, Wonbeom hesitates to open his eyes, not wishing for his dream to end, but as his senses come back to him, he understands he’s alone on his bedding. He shifts his head to the left, where Soyong was sleeping in his dream, resting her head on his shoulder, but when he fully opens his eyes, there’s no one there.
Wonbeom doesn’t say a word through the whole morning routine while the Head Eunuch babbles on about the latest news. He goes on and on about the royal conference and all the scrolls that wait for Wonbeom to take care of. And of course, the old eunuch doesn’t forget to remind Wonbeom about his hardworking Queen.
“I wonder where the Queen is now,” Wonbeom whispers more to himself than anyone in particular.
“I heard she is in Daejojeon Hall2Daejojeon Hall – Queen of Joseon residence after the wedding. meeting with the palace maids,” the Head Eunuch answers. “The new rules for the female workers will be established. That is what I catch from the maids’ whispers here and there.”
“Head Eunuch!” Wonbeom raises his voice all of a sudden, startling the old eunuch. “I will visit Daejojeon Hall right now!”
“But…Your Majesty must get prepared for the royal conference today,” the eunuch stutters, scared of Wonbeom’s change in mood.
“The Queen is my top priority,” Wonbeom insists in a strict tone. “To Daejojeon Hall!”
However, he is not lucky, as the Queen has already left her residence. The maids inform him that the Queen indeed spent the early morning hours speaking with maids of various ranks. But now she has left to observe the condition of their homes in the palace. Before Wonbeom can tell the Head Eunuch that he will also visit that part of the palace, the old servant is in a hurry to inform him that the palace has various hanoks3Hanok – a house. for servants in different places — meaning there’s no way he can guess where exactly Soyong is right now.
Frustrated, he heads to Seonjeongjeon Hall4Seonjeongjeon Hall – King’s study.. His study greets him with many scrolls separated into a few different piles on the large table. But that’s not all: on his desk before his throne, he finds a smaller bunch of scrolls and a note, written in his Queen’s neat handwriting.
“Jeonha5Jeonha – Your Majesty., I wish I could greet you to help you with your work. Please, do not try to cover every matter on your own after such a short break. I prepared the most urgent appeals you must review today. The rest can wait, so please, think about your health and do not overwork yourself.”
Wonbeom looks at the smallest bunch of scrolls before him. Doubting his judgment, he wonders if he could have misinterpreted Soyong’s escape last night. Unlike previous times when Soyong avoided his company, her note is full of affection and genuine care.
However, Wonbeom can’t spend time resolving another puzzle from his strange wife as he must prepare for the royal conference. And Soyong has indeed marvelously sorted the appeals, focusing only on the most urgent ones.
The outrageous treason is the main topic of the royal conference. The ministers show their disbelief and shock; however, Wonbeom can’t be fooled so easily by them now. Maybe these ministers didn’t get caught, but they could share some of Yul Mu’s beliefs. So for a good half of the conference, Wonbeom assures everyone he is open to discussion on any matter.
“We are all here working hard for the betterment of Joseon, and a sage King must hear out different points of view,” Wonbeom declares. “You don’t have to plan treason if you feel your King is wrong…”
He hears gasps in the audience at his sarcastic joke. However, he smiles and once again says he’s ready to discuss their concerns and explain his future plans in more detail.
After another hour of discussions, Wonbeom finally frees himself and the ministers from the conference.
Half of the day has passed without him seeing his Queen, and the letter he prepared to give her is still hidden in the sleeve of his scarlet Gonryongpo. The day has been good for his work, but his love life still faces bad luck.
Disappointed, Wonbeom goes on a walk, wondering if he will be lucky enough to finally meet Soyong when she prepares for bed in the evening. Apart from that, it seems like he can’t meet her no matter how hard he tries. Slowly, step by step, he moves through the beautiful palace gardens, by the various ponds and little gazebos.
Deep in his thoughts, he doesn’t notice when he leaves the gardens behind and the lake is before him. Wonbeom lifts his eyes from the water to the island, the one where he confessed his feelings to Soyong for the first time. And to his surprise, he sees her beautiful, slim figure standing by the water, with a number of maids accompanying her.
“My Queen,” he lets out a happy whisper. Finally, providence has provided him with what he wished for.
Apart from her maids, he sees someone else with Soyong. Wonbeom lifts his hands above his squinting eyes, trying to recognize the man in the guard’s uniform. The tall handsome man, whom he believes is Seo Hwi, is talking with Soyong, and she even smiles at him.
“How outrageous!” Wonbeom puffs out in resentment.
Quickly, on the edge of running, he bypasses the lake, hurrying over to the bridge connecting to the island. His eyes never leave Soyong and her company. He only loses sight of them when the trees that grow by the lake obstruct his view. And when he finally sees the island again, there’s no Soyong or her maids anymore.
“Where…?!” he exclaims in confusion. “The Queen was right there. Didn’t you see her too, Head Eunuch?” Wonbeom waves his hand, gesturing at the island.
“Yes, Your Majesty, but now I see only the lone guard there,” the old eunuch answers, a bit out of breath after the quick walking pace Wonbeom set for his servants.
When Wonbeom finally reaches the bridge, the guard is already leaving. It is indeed Seo Hwi, the former bodyguard of Park Yul Mu, the one the Queen eagerly protected from Wonbeom’s quick judgment. Now the man wears a guard’s uniform, presumably because Prince Yeongpyeong decided to give him a job in the palace. With irritation, Wonbeom notes to himself to talk with his brother later; he must discuss such decisions with the King first.
“Your Majesty.” Seo Hwi bows his head upon seeing him.
“I see you now have a new position.” Wonbeom straightens his back and clasps his hands behind his back. “Should I congratulate you?”
“Your Majesty is very generous,” Seo Hwi politely answers. “I am grateful for the opportunity your family has given me.”
“It seems like my family is very fond of you,” Wonbeom sarcastically points out. “Am I mistaken or were you just speaking with the Queen?”
“Your Majesty is right,” Seo Hwi confirms with a nod. “She just left… um… ran,” he says, chuckling.
No wonder Wonbeom lost sight of her so quickly; Soyong could run pretty fast when she wanted to.
“I believe Prince Yeongpyeong was waiting for her by the palace gates,” Seo Hwi continues. “They planned to catch the assassin’s employer together…”
Wonbeom tries very hard to hide his anger. No one told him anything about this important matter. Or Seo Hwi’s appointment. How come everyone gets involved with the Queen while he, her husband, can’t even meet her, his wife, the entire day?
“As you are one of my guards now…” Wonbeom says much too calmly considering his real feelings. “I must know how good you are at…” he pauses for a moment, “…well, at guarding.” Wonbeom smiles, seeing Seo Hwi’s confused face. “Would you mind helping your King practice in a sword fight?”
Author’s notes
I promise this is the last misunderstanding between King and Queen. And it’s not how CJ thinks it is, the dream about her coming back wasn’t a dream. And SY totally missed CJ’s perspective on this, poor girl minding her business thinking they are totally fine and in love lol
The next chapter is SY’s pov where conspiracy and assassination stories will be totally closed. And after that, she finds out about the King and she won’t like how he acts.