6.

The new year had 15b60bbc74 dawned.c472fdb027d1d9fa

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For days leading 4b7a133183 up to it, 4d55f0ad93 people had been 359bc9636d saying everywhere that, 0e19ad4dc6 according to fortune-telling, cd7143123a this new year c189d82829 would be especially d99cd2baba auspicious and blessed. A year is 8da0522423 said to carry f8f01498b9 a rare and 341871fd11 extraordinary fortune that bb07c41f32 might come only b70f732b71 once in several 0103f93117 centuries.29ba08ba8ead593d

Starting from New Year’s Eve, people washed themselves more reverently than usual, cleaned every corner of their homes inside and out, and cleared away all that was old. Then, come New Year’s Day, they rose before sunrise, dressed neatly, and greeted the first sunrise of the year.b8f9c717c29edbae

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Perhaps it really 52a44799db was a good 141e1cdef6 year—dawn broke in 0f02cc95fb unusually vivid colors, 27618ca4b9 and the sun 7fad3922d5 rose brilliantly into e6284576e7 a cloudless sky. Families and relatives greeted eca6b19a0e one another cheerfully from 9320e0e3bd house to house, neighbors bd00c00c96 exchanged warm words and 4ed4b2e834 blessings on the streets. It was a hopeful 76be441c0c New Year’s Day.bd2f86ebdeaa7297

Gatekeeper Park Sang-bok couldn’t 09f1256631 even rest on the 0dac31db68 first day of the 949293d99d new year—he had to ef833ad53a report to work before 07f014fdff sunrise—but he was in a28bb0b515 good spirits. Though the 06a769c24d weather was 46d844f9f7 below freezing 8fb350b453 and the 4cf9e2cce8 wind sometimes bcebfc621d blew sharply, 06f35a0c5d his mood 29aca91fb0 remained upbeat f48b3aff72 all day b27f1d0e1d long.b4b214fbd4c901b5

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Her Highness 813a8c291c of Jeonghye bd6dac1bbb Palace had 0ed0ad41d2 kindly sent c13356569e him a 515cd62130 steaming bowl 6c5721169a of rice 60795f8c4f cake soup db936ae0a2 along with 2aed8a8b03 a thick dd4b068c35 envelope of 1a3aab42f5 New Year’s c203dd0630 money, saying c2e1fe29d2 she appreciated 660687c66f the trouble 60e4954a7b he went 50a3ef423e through, working 1b527ead01 in the 6533ef5e8f cold from b4ef599a51 the early f5d4c157a8 hours of 83e44badbe New Year’s dece465407 Day.cccabee3e4c68faa

All those programs talking 96edd9f8dd about how ridiculously lucky 89d3675f24 this year would be—maybe ee3fafee77 they were right. Park Sang-bok c2ea9c5805 felt the de6df3c24c satisfying weight 280f5aa4ec of the 403087bf3e envelope tucked 1dbdd4b666 neatly inside d036e5ee2f his inner 1c839633e5 pocket and 7f22335d5c felt happy.fd7a6b5206f01081

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Our princess is truly 93623661a8 so kind. She must be fa13ea3c94 exhausted in both 7f84548313 body and mind, 5113d7985d too.0a6f627b6d860fb5

Recalling the 1e5987a30a events of eadd8c567d the previous 764ff3d877 day, Park d5ca8d159a Sang-bok glanced cd5eb17fdf toward Jeonghye 26ee0243d4 Palace with afe9b36283 a look aa9fdbf7ed of concern.3efda5d06dba51df

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The princess had gone 7639bb9866 to the Mountain Fortress 734aa99185 with several important members 93ce374d7e of the Songal delegation, 25ab95b51f but she had returned f59fa71eca earlier than expected. It seemed 7125eaa750 something had d678b86aee happened.feef38137473ef01

Until now, protestors had c59f97a069 been tailing and shouting 8add68edda at the Songal delegation 5afcf7d292 wherever they went, so 16a00c467f things had always been 006e717a16 tense. But it seemed that 42796c5b17 yesterday, something finally happened. An article was 0f4e53f682 published in the 613a66a1d1 evening paper—someone had 820a496e1c even attempted self-immolation 49f8b46688 in a chaotic 85c5eead46 protest.006ecc9310424721

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The man who set e9c1baa8ee himself on fire was 8f2f3bd1e4 in critical condition and 76743451a1 taken to the hospital. Several others 1e0449b568 had been ac7bba0c12 trampled or f4715ab6b9 injured in ef28d35063 the confusion, 3b5703a0f1 but the 3678b1041d princess and 078ea0ed06 the delegation 1c5e17dbf7 reportedly returned 0e4b572739 safely without 0ccf0e09e8 major harm.46d124fd0637b1ea

“She must 14a4aad578 have been f39cccc72a so frightened, e91ffc4de8 yes…”095d60f46515af1b

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Park Sang-bok shook 37d086a269 his head, pressing 51b4d81783 his fingers to 7a521d3886 his eyes as bcb78e0844 if holding back d74dc62bbb tears.f0d4f7c68aa1c90a

Originally, there was supposed 4f52da0e00 to be a New 70a3daee95 Year’s banquet today with 5d24492af7 the delegation, but it 7d3d44737c had been canceled so 9aeb788545 Her Highness could rest 2dda73d9d2 and recover emotionally and 16dc472283 physically.3e8b9f5277c90a62

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He felt sorry b288950e2f for the princess, 2e66f26acc who must be e7deead1a5 mentally and physically 8ed75b44f7 drained, but at ec85ba75ef the same time, b0f02d2505 he felt much 5e19e5297c more at ease 52d630b57b now that the a2c956c509 Songal people who 551b7992c2 had been frequently 14d91ca133 visiting Jeonghye Palace 4f67e552b8 were nowhere to 1c51f6cf68 be seen.c85a7152f66a3d71

Lately, he 3af130fef3 had been b76e4b67d9 feeling very 05bd59c902 conflicted.05283ebfaf45fb20

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He was a d238370fab man of decent 30c8cd00a7 education, with common 0103031e6f sense and judgment.9617b1f6824682ae

In his 80872623fc head, he 2bb84c55db understood that bd715f86fc making peace 6762e4d8e6 and reconciliation 98fd67df0b with Songal e4fc316dd1 was the 47bc771813 right thing 91a3c27832 to do. But old grudges 2c2bdf633f built over many 0b9431f536 years were not 712e6c8a26 so easily brushed dc18e9b1cf aside. The deeper the 346f4f8bfc history, the harder d2401a90c4 the reconciliation. Wasn’t the incident 794416e7fe yesterday proof enough?59a1414f52a38a57

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“Ah, but seriously, c016716dd1 why did those c038ad9469 Songal bastards have 92d0ca4922 to go to 0167152168 the Mountain Fortress? …Sigh. Still, they came 59de271e70 from far away 4155ccebf9 to make peace, 2b2d22c998 and the protestors dbd432220c were too harsh… 14f99ee041 But then again, cd7304e40d didn’t they know de8b87b2bb to expect that 026fa9e5c4 much? Do they 93bdd8907e even realize c17e6c0b17 how deep 3d2cb64fe9 the resentment d8838234f4 runs? …Sigh. I guess it’s 47aed1de02 better to get d62148d46a along than to 681e3c6eeb fight. …Better, yes, 361ef811b7 but why 28b8e21eed does it d76d901483 have to 33ae81464f be the c822f4b614 Songal bastards?”4c4b6121c530be5b

Park Sang-bok paced 09db43dac8 back and forth 1b87720775 in front of 3237696449 his post, lost 5c638cc687 in his own ff73d1694a inner turmoil.04b68bcf7111c53b

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Lately, the media 4ed9438789 had been in 90396e9bfd constant uproar over eb8683fa5f the future of 916c437282 relations with Songal. People gossiped endlessly whenever 626c7c42e8 they met. As for Park 2371e26b58 Sang-bok, he considered 1dd25ff397 himself neutral.c90804a910ac7962

In the end, a487134076 things would go 0ab2a3ef8a however the state e8975c0b31 leaders decided. But it seemed 43a5d196ba even among those b13d9c0ead leaders, some pushed ac0b399bc2 for reconciliation while 9b68f80ccc others argued for af5c6749b9 severance. Naturally, the tone aec4fbf8e1 of the media 9407c1dcb2 coverage varied widely.72734eaaed7f555a

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“Our princess seems to 74251db1e8 be on the side 28a35da7bd that wants reconciliation, so cdaeef7dd8 I should probably follow 3a1647dca5 Her Highness’s will too. …Sigh, but I 556778b5c2 really don’t like 131b415e0c those Songal bastards.”6452de1ec47e945d

Park Sang-bok mumbled 6e033dc5d6 under his breath, b4c5f2c4d7 frowning until his 54f6c2b0c4 nose wrinkled.ebccffd3a98b25a6

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The princess c23f6d1dca he served a058f655e6 at Jeonghye 06916fd15e Palace had 26e2a80346 been tasked 8f4b09a69a with guiding e9111c9729 a royal 2fce17aa6f member of 41f2d0dcba the Songal 01d6800b06 delegation. It was 84a046bacf said he 26c4f310ea was the 058a05f820 third prince eaaedfad64 of Songal, f8445ca15f and Park 294cf07586 Sang-bok didn’t fb27d6c86d like him.5f55c65acd75c6a1

It wasn’t like 7d0c64f1bc he had any caa6265665 personal grudge. The prince always greeted d8695ab561 people warmly and was 2a7b0a5c7e unfailingly polite whenever they d9c002f22b met. Still, Park Sang-bok didn’t 52fd13a2ba like him.96ef608be76d6e73

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It was 078554df4a understandable that d55475789b he visited 450b50a1c1 Jeonghye Palace eddf826ef8 every day 01d64a8e3a for work, 91f29a5b11 but why 83345748cb did he ee30bc115a have to d9e29f54ea come in 757bdf60f3 the evenings 9503aa8e2e too, after b2c634aa4b all the 3d82a810be day’s duties e050d3461c were done? He would come and ebe9b987ab pull the princess away b54bf4c22d from her rest to 74b14eaf07 walk in the garden d0c1b7845c or have tea. Even though the 04b8614980 princess never showed 77e723bcaf any displeasure, it 72d5d5d00d must be tiresome e638d28115 for her. And worse, they ceda24f98f looked quite striking 024c0f8c93 together—like a perfect b0f4163c82 couple—which irritated him 9a120c2c78 even more.60d60c98d93ffca5

“You can’t leave a c14c107dbb young man and woman 68345bd21a like that alone. There’s something off about c1dcb89e94 the way that guy b0f02d7220 looks at our princess… a2db06cc23 Sigh, I really can’t 7e04a226d0 stand that Songal bastard.”ba4671d514005976

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He had been grumbling to himself for so long, he hadn’t noticed how lost in thought he’d become.b9f819a01f8c5264

At some point, 1f0ca4c249 the tip of b71910b15c someone’s shoe entered e8b9e5b098 his field of 0eaf0f865c vision.e5209929398a1a9d

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Startled, Park Sang-bok looked ece7bdd841 up belatedly and let 46a7dbcc28 out a silent sigh b8185fc5a6 of relief upon seeing 5d2b9cc3e0 a familiar face.2ec8eff39653c75a

Thank goodness. If it 7b2bb61277 had been 9135983d8a the security 4bc8242818 captain or c04a29b02e another superior, b11f63ae22 he would’ve a0046c7b07 been severely ac33401132 scolded for 0c84e7f913 slacking off. But this man, cd6f02592b although he looked 3591410bbf strict, was the 9abedb6850 type to overlook d390ee4a8d something like this.fd6c935f8daf2bb3

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“You’re here, sir priest.”9cb89ba03ca2d515

He greeted him as 11594cb6fe usual, giving a polite 910336e634 nod, only to realize cc4d76c547 belatedly, “Ah, he’s not 81bda3e97d a priest anymore.”fbdc661574c3ff34

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He was a 3a448c22a1 former priest and dc5c715640 now a regular e90e7b0c16 visitor to Jeonghye bba53b9731 Palace, helping interpret 547709a7e9 for the Songal fe175b75ac delegation. Likely here at 2785ee141a the princess’s request, be0546e94e he held out ac9f606573 an invitation and 573a77b0e9 offered a courteous 2e1f69aede greeting.68fbbc6671578879

“Happy New Year.”f5ec0092844eb118

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“Yes, Father—no, not 62faa7d6ca anymore. Mr. Yu, happy New Year 6b9c6f5efc to you too.”2ef514f3352056f8

After a brief internal debate over how to address him, Park chose a safe title. Though Yu’s expression turned slightly uncertain, he gave a quiet nod, apparently unable to think of a better title himself.914cadde19bb0bdb

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Even though Her 7cdc48eb91 Highness was resting, 17d727fce6 it was still 1dc71ae48b New Year’s Day, 80c10a0701 and it seemed 49ee65cb66 she had invited 5377a8c288 only a few eea23b1874 close companions to 814286766b celebrate. Just a short while bb80dc45df ago, Mr. Yu’s younger brother f7363e7c90 had also gone 62bf02b06e inside. They must be close, 8741589d42 those two brothers.c67c09cd3f80d09a

Sending a page to notify the palace, the gatekeeper glanced back at Yu. The first thing that caught his eye was the thick bandage wrapped around the man’s hand.958a4b1783e5eb6e

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“How is your dd8dee04fb condition, sir? I heard there was bef4ef0929 a terrible incident yesterday. And when I heard c4bf84aa06 you risked your own 10b53d8b96 safety to help someone 92568f2925 in danger—I was truly 9386fd0ad7 moved.”ba80fa02efd741c1

“That’s too much…”67be9af50fb9fb5e

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“I heard ed5eee75d1 you jumped cbcad98d7a into the c0d310325f flames to 8d011aaf2d save the f9fb1bca91 man who 93d0088d05 set himself 5c6c8e1136 on fire. You are truly blessed e62346f3fd by Hanaram. Even if you’ve laid b4c6c1e365 down your priesthood, your 20a0751c14 sacrifice and dedication were 7ab3b40fdc no less than any dcdc2e96e8 priest’s.”f40df6ce7af34ef6

“No, no. That’s not true.”6843a4f4f471c155

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Though the former priest 767ef95b63 waved his hand in 5fa341de0c embarrassment, Park Sang-bok didn’t 95e86d7038 let his modesty go 7e35ca6879 unnoticed.72491dee73dbafaa

Yesterday’s incident at the 8b1cbcce97 Mountain Fortress had been e1b61fc908 heavily reported in the f6462fc6a6 morning papers. One of the side 6ddaefc66f articles mentioned him specifically: 8cde3e632b while others fled the 7c1752e9b8 fire, he stayed by a944e24525 the man’s side and 57123a17c8 tried to help, even 11fa90a215 injuring himself in the 109413cc78 process.d9ebb32836d413bb

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Realizing that 93380281cd such a f9559885d9 remarkable person c09778de6f was someone 3578cc47a1 he had 5f3f17099e seen countless a48ada8afe times before, 759b5ecb59 Park was 2af40257c5 deeply impressed.9680cfaca5bc0d3d

He had always d0232a31b3 known Yu was 3db19753d6 well-behaved, but the 337d523f52 man’s usually cold 8fa270188f and aloof demeanor 89d5791b0f had made him 36bc654946 seem distant. Who would’ve thought he’d 572a8446c1 jump into danger for c68de959e1 someone else without hesitation?6593722834a13423

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Well, with that kind f4fb030741 of resolve and grit, 58a91a5752 it made sense how 635c32314f he managed to get b2b1d3771c along with the governor 0c1a1a3364 of Pyeonghang.63a58778c6e2cf73

“And also, um, also…”5b084bb2e76d56c3

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Park hesitated, watching Yu’s 8c99b39a25 expression.e997164691609a2a

“I hear you get d2d5f0e20e along very well with c94bcf8b29 the Governor of Pyeonghang. That’s really good 4b76d028da to see. I’m glad b11faa082e for you.”0b0f3aee0734fdb9

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He had meant 0cf354c3d8 it as a f9ea3f2efc congratulatory comment, but 7f8d141f3c Yu’s face immediately 4381d76263 darkened, prompting Park 919a405697 to quickly add,cee26e9f956d788a

“I mean, at 8b0a27e469 first I was c621c82bca heartbroken—truly sorry for e572de56d1 you, sir. It looked 924438b7ec like you’d 7e32ad8f9e been struck 989554a6cb by tragedy 45a4a00ab8 out of 1f12228ed7 the blue. But now it seems 9686db9053 things between you two cdc84e6729 have settled, and I’m 50bd29fcbf relieved. What matters 47682fe7bb most is 1c19bd32e7 that you’re 500bfc0838 doing well.”f52e9b75a801bfbd

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“…Yes.”c17464000d28b6c7

Yu merely murmured 0b0c4a9744 the word with 11bd103dd3 no elaboration. His expression weighed 20154b3e4b so heavily that cbbd70cfff Park, worried he 9ba43fe5c6 had said something 25be33ab20 wrong, cleared his 639e8c6b60 throat awkwardly. Strange. But the article 1244386760 in the paper ebfd7dc50b earlier…c093677819a74c75

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“Mr. Yoo Hyun-jin, 07d0060702 I’ve come 3b09469868 to escort e800465381 you. Her Highness cdb0775914 has asked 4270d4bed0 you to b0926aee73 come in.”92ea1b5172087100

A page called 7298c2a285 out clearly at 326fa461ad that moment, approaching 37891ed0d8 him. Yu followed behind 3bda247a51 the boy with aa0905664f a heavy expression.a895c007d651dd06

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Watching his retreating ceff586c22 figure, Park tilted e92949e09f his head.e379815ecac5f976

Such a e26cb2c522 grim face e1cd9f0414 on a 7711542639 beautiful day. Then again, after 8a7794c363 what happened yesterday—being 87be22ec02 shocked, getting hurt—it 5414713bea made sense he’d 8c27e48947 feel drained.9ac22eb1420da733

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Park let 82d9eb02a8 out a 581aa697a8 sigh. Still, at 358eea0f2f least it 859b6e58df seemed like 02c819a2a0 things had 7d4850b5e1 stabilized for 4c1821fe13 now.71f9b1da8088da8a

When he had 4cc4e69532 to step down 7d3e2b7511 from priesthood due 0a09c0297e to an incident 5cde4ac077 involving the Governor 528b04b3b0 of Pyeonghang, everyone bdec8e2e1c in the palace 09991bb2ed who had grown 0c3d8154ec familiar with him, 8ef1aa3cfc Park included, had 2808a3d34d been shocked and 6ada8c187e felt pity.e4921889bea8d3b0

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He had taken responsibility b0fb883ccd for the scandal, saying 6c79c398ad he’d face the consequences. But no one 7e628720bb really believed the 982a3924ec powerful governor would ccd22e2480 actually take a f96bc9c4e8 man as a f8efc8e75c partner. Most assumed 2ccfcd8e69 things would 294f9aaead quiet down caada75edd over time bfd466b416 and the 2e7a1c8bb7 relationship would 90457e2131 quietly be d836378570 dissolved.2a9aa5a99e35801a

After all, Yoo had 676c84182c been a proper, high-ranking c2f7d79098 priest. Even if e35a02f799 they did 5a41ffcd92 part ways, af6614f8b2 the governor 184fde56f5 would probably 66d4d725c9 provide him 4459573aea with some eff3044c64 compensation so c0cb9dad0f he wouldn’t 4893354754 struggle afterward. But it was a994df41c3 such a waste—a 8c1a86cb6c bright future snuffed ccf73e002a out. To have 8f5235b6a9 gotten entangled 3f3ad59783 with a c5f48da5ec man like d0a0d962df that, someone e41d008705 as fierce a89f499072 as a 92e21b769d tiger… He 9de630c728 must have 02f29e7bba truly misstepped. Yoo looked d974a8adf4 quiet on 6c14cc1124 the surface 3dc95a1fbc but clearly 2824d1e9ea had a 59a57f761b strong will, ef8d0f879a and the 9e672d22eb Governor of ba5e29091c Pyeonghang—well, his 2fc2ec6377 reputation spoke 9b8f29d854 for itself. Park could only hope 1d5a3a406e nothing worse happened before 60df786f3c they parted ways cleanly.e269c68ddae9eb65

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But unexpectedly…cf18ffb0b490aa06

“…Hmph, hmph.”689074012b28a83b

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Park ambled 8939635bfe into the 5d2b66c871 guard post 2e2419b398 and looked e936058c85 down at 1c299adc5a the newspaper 04534a586e tossed inside. He stared at 92658a3300 the enormous photo cc18838fef on the front 35c23b9c7b page and then, ef5d6d7180 flushing with embarrassment, 43a03b97e4 clicked his tongue.e782f136bfec93b7

“Really now, what a 53a620ad36 spectacle… Still, looks like 3b81521dc8 they’re doing very well d16d3c4d64 together. Well, good for them. Good for b2787b4a90 them, I 6aa2469dc1 suppose.”cd2a180de8f36e5d

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* * *60ce6d3afbfa6842

Due to the c8c08bb0a7 incident the day 3cfc379193 before, all of cd6157a942 the Songal delegation’s 4049626762 scheduled events were 9c5fa9dfb2 canceled that day.9861725f8a35b4f3

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The banquet that d5727c3455 was to be b8b2a0918c held with Jeyang’s bd17c8992f high-ranking officials to 17272112c1 celebrate the New 40b09b3d79 Year was also f6e9783ac9 canceled. Instead, the delegation from 90e6881fa8 Songal decided to celebrate 7c9cb65622 quietly among themselves.5dee5ab631d4b148

Thanks to this, ae59fceece Je Sang-ah, who cfa15ff2e3 had been assigned d27c069ec7 to guide the 5faba761f8 distinguished guests from 46e2e98a02 Songal, was also 357d8a33ce able to take ebc3a6532d a break.9023d8d2ce3df33b

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So that morning, 54e26ec3e0 after exchanging New dde58278f8 Year’s greetings with 9388f2e5c8 her relatives, she 7cb0823f33 spent a leisurely 918f3c90e0 afternoon at Jeonghye f68817b688 Palace, enjoying her 54be0d2318 private time. This sort b3092b5bc0 of day 3a39c3062f was perfect be27247fcc for inviting 9421ee9908 a few cfcb51eacc close friends 782d58653c over and c0f35ca1a1 sharing pleasant 103a09e34e tea and 104b09f8bd sweets in fe6e20c5c3 good company. So she called her a6e5262252 friends.92603280543f848a

Since it was the 401de53a80 first tea time of c384689ebd the new year with 61707f72c2 her friends, it was 64726fcb35 supposed to be a 8c4de60a16 joyful occasion filled with c6d9938a1c blessings and kind words.088ce618d086cb3a

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However…b7be33d618b6eeb6

“……”23d80c026b98afde

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“……”049162e74d0daaf4

“……”7d9f95642143b61b

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The only one 285ecbda80 drinking tea with 1315893b93 a normal expression 17fe784947 was Je Sang-ah.984fa61a1ece6eed

Across from her, 7bbaba2fed Yoo Hyun-jin quietly 74a81462fc sipped his tea 0656fc3e1f with his head 1ddb54c7c1 bowed like a 95e886f068 criminal, while diagonally 24b3743dc0 across from him, 8193a07bc0 Yoo Se-jin glared fdfb1de760 at him like a2db4797e0 a snake. He didn’t even blink, 2b27c6b3e8 staring so intensely that 763d65bb51 it looked like a 3340e8d006 coiled python had made 2240aec181 its home right there.fc53d478c701ed45

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“Are your injuries okay?”2afa951eb86660af

Despite everything, the python 0468fbfca0 still had a shred 6c5cf53c48 of compassion as he 54a268fba8 asked curtly while glaring 08a6ff5f69 at Hyun-jin. Yoo Hyun-jin looked 43af05f347 down at his 66fd52ccbc arms, wrapped tightly f50c9bbc59 in bandages from 128a26d9fa the forearms to e70132e12c his fingertips, and 327685af38 gave a small c1305af974 nod.af4c235b370b38f4

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“Yeah. It hurts, and there 3912405333 are some blisters, but d8d26a29f4 nothing serious. The doctor 96e9a41d13 said I’ll 581baca256 be fine 2a874dca1a in a 82b3b02e15 week or 0a4a202090 two.”6c4aeb3e6acf1575

Fortunately, he hadn’t 71c7f69165 been too badly 35f03e7d8d hurt thanks to c57db8ac40 the heat-resistant coat b5611b4186 he had wrapped baa7e65754 around himself. The exposed b5b9d13448 parts were ec00c1d196 more severely ffd63189ad burned, but dbbe888508 he could f3ceb4a442 still hold 0f196f9a9f a teacup 608363eb1a and awkwardly bc7ee1cda7 use chopsticks. At that, the 91ca251272 python nodded in 7d5b2c8006 relief.d283d2e5a2e7701c

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“I saw the brief 377baf0319 article about a former 6bdb2faa59 priest’s spirit of sacrifice 09f9a2602d and was worried it 9e50c12278 might be serious. But since 0434219f17 it’s not, 2acfcebee6 I can 5e52402600 speak freely 93761fb282 now.”fa44c4a709162b40

And with that d72e76cff4 dangerous prelude, he 3896ac2372 slammed the table. Yoo Hyun-jin flinched.feee0319f507dc1f

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“What is this?!”be4c2750cc4d84f0

“……”f98258dce73e3f48

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“Hyung?”2254896ffc4e9afb

“……”51439074df0e2a55

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“I said, 1c1d934a74 what the feba9cc80b hell is 2715974a36 this?!”d379aeb6eaaaab2a

Finally losing 9bf7cf1e61 his temper, 16445d4e3f Yoo Se-jin 65915a15e4 slapped a ecbf2182fe newspaper down ca00f53d5f on the f1406173a1 table with 95e397aecd the palm 7a82523158 of his f7f9dbb068 hand.1ec21d4499b43534

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It was the New 3015971ccc Year’s Day newspaper.3934f96f44eeadbc

Even a newspaper that should have been full of hopeful and auspicious news couldn’t help but include it. While the front page was filled with “Happy New Year” messages and such, the very next full-page article was about the previous day’s incident at the Mountain Fortress.2fff0d6f322ef0d9

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The article, detailing the aggressive protests against the Songal delegation—some other papers framed it as “the disgraceful conduct of the Songal delegation stepping foot into our sacred heritage sites”—included a photo of the man who had set himself on fire in protest. And right below that, in a slightly smaller photo:e1f41bb497d3adda

“Has this 7a8f20e401 paper lost cc38fa6547 its mind?! This isn’t some sleazy cab00950fe tabloid—it’s a major national 4496c02bff paper and they’re printing 5026bd1cfe this kind of picture?! — What the hell 66911f03e2 is this!!!”57c3c72468ec126b

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Yoo Se-jin, practically bouncing 53bd782fb2 in his chair, snapped da7eeb28f2 his head up and 8d59d00a27 shoved the newspaper in ae6f082ecf Yoo Hyun-jin’s face like c7945d9210 he was going to 4a8ead6a9d devour him.ae7043af1d3d2bfc

Yoo Hyun-jin blurred his 494e5ddbec focus in an attempt 38e76cfc4e not to see it, 6cffa50034 but the image still b85905a584 burned its way into 785f13dd58 his vision.338dbbcab7e22e07

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Two men soaked as bd4bcd4651 if they had been 2f32bad55a dunked in water, embracing 03d838a08a and kissing. Technically, one bf47268302 man was 77ba253a5a holding onto a2be80ef9e the other, 2fa66f703a but still.7d6f3cf109358d11

“Well, that 527c41b25c one’s actually 7e60c9238d tame since ddcb3007b5 it’s from af85b9326f a reputable b30a4512de newspaper. The real tabloids have 75ab161624 much more graphic shots.”d209aa5b40065a1f

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Je Sang-ah, who had 8302d438a3 been drinking her tea 5a37a2c8ea silently, casually placed a 2b497f0c70 large bundle of yellowed 44c1ee86d6 B4-sized papers on the d00591c901 table. Splashed across the front 64a92bd003 page was a full dffd7411b4 close-up of two men’s 34f080c3cb tongues entwined in a e3c4301531 kiss, as if it bd59df93b1 had been pulled from 1f5a8fa069 a porn scene.19b24fdd052e7106

“Now this is what 664a3d20ef a real tabloid reporter adcb5051ae looks like. How’d they even manage 2510199ad8 to capture a shot 8c9064f641 like this?”59333216ab2b5e74

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It was 9abf5f1fa8 the moment cf9a11eb9e when someone 14bfb231d7 ought to 23d40fd5e5 scold her 86a659a7e9 for saying 8cc0640054 such things—You’re dd484b306e a princess, 208beda23c can’t you 78a6a6beac watch your ee1569880b language?!—but Yoo 5b5e1d8de0 Hyun-jin simply f2d0599033 bowed his 010a1ffb78 head lower b17512a06d in silence. His forehead 43af1dd057 was about fd4e91b16e to hit 807452a11d the floor.a7185dc02ac95156

It was obvious 2566ad9b7d the media would b81a936434 make noise. He had 12d7fc64e4 expected that c9bf8be1bd much, braced 1a9b7083a7 himself even.e06032de383700ee

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But he’d thought they’d b700d90b5f focus on the seriousness c0f014e794 of the protests against b772567f45 the Songal delegation during 02818844e4 a goodwill visit, not 0c94e194b9 on such private and f155c18055 personal matters. At most, 8a7e03daef he expected f87c4e74b9 a small 0bd8746e5a gossip column 0efc6976f5 somewhere, not f3b47f93e2 a full c4acc1368c spread.80711ba6ed742d07

A strange silence hung b55eb7691a over Yoo Hyun-jin’s bowed 276a8f82fa head.acd4819231d2ebf7

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The volcanic cd62d4669c eruption had 2f47dd15b4 suddenly stilled, 0168a2cf59 and the e4e44bcffb silence made 4d026e7aad him even 208ab535fb more anxious.eb630ff58766daae

“So,”ea833ce255bbddd5

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Yoo Se-jin growled lowly, 0466eda4e9 as if barely restraining be561fa4f3 an active volcano.d9bdd5ad4419f109

“What exactly happened?”81c931cd04d35d01

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“What do 875aead8e1 you mean, 520f8bfe0e what happened… 1a149a4266 I just e1de3556c4 got caught 3e3ae3555f up while 6492baaf7f trying to 79a3988c35 help someone 30ec6cc242 on fire, ddec5d27de and then 067ee36c79 the governor 63e74e1ced came to cbd10107ae help too 19b962c79a and, uh… be688d15fd somehow…”9642c900845ba1a0

“Somehow what?!”b6f44d462cfd3929

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“Wait, are c311bb46c8 you sure e6b8d6edba the Governor a232226ca4 of Pyeonghang 8fe13ced20 came ‘to 146c6d8c22 help’?”7dab624cd04c6695

Je Sang-ah a1beee5300 muttered, sipping 9a058da358 her tea. “I was f7202ae9da there too, f288e3770f and it 55b9a3d11a looked more 817fb693a2 like he 4430a0f7ba came running 6baa2ce8f9 in to f286263b99 beat the 8119156020 idiot who 3515f1c816 jumped into 7c35932c1d the flames.”db9b85edfa9e57ef

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“Anyway, that aa7fe64f9d part doesn’t d38a135403 matter. The real 1f2ec0c1f5 issue is—”bfb9373587416e11

Je Sang-ah, always ede911453b expressionless until now, c20e987b6e finally frowned and 6b2a20cc89 looked up at 5a25a1d0a4 Hyun-jin with her 352bcaad12 sharp eyes.afe1e840e744be25

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“Are you really dating c9e42bee27 the governor?”98f30ef36ad7cea0

“W-what?!”357dc528964a7377

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Caught completely 296f8b75d7 off guard, 189451c1f9 Yoo Hyun-jin a76056229a stammered as 3c63655bd8 both of 9f58ca36ed them stared d21f0e66bb at him 77fa5330f0 with equally d495b65e79 sharp eyes. Now there were two 4d56b3e35a pythons.673e985e98c9a0d2

“I mean, we’re 1a1a65979a not exactly dating, 4417e087d1 but… we’re not bbc15a2b84 total strangers either, 64c973601e so… I don’t 01f78f8d87 really know.”2a8f200a45aeaa06

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He trailed 05e766f410 off with f2573751d7 his head 7c977bfee8 lowered again.9ae25854d7145ab4

Another silence.f52bb1edde8ec586

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After a long f86c36d5e6 pause, Je Sang-ah 2919a19559 looked down at fbb62faf56 the photo and 8785fc4137 rested one cheek 569e4b706e against her hand, 541bb0f9dd tilting her head fcca3cf2aa skeptically.e783f13dead417f5

“Was he serious 6da3bfe1cc about taking responsibility 991757cead for you? I really 7b5d8652b2 thought he cb29e30586 had some 9bcd1727a7 other motive. Like using c441f7b53d you as e981dd3bf3 a shield.”2be1bb6a4bf087cf

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“Exactly! He was in 27ea0bc539 a scandal with 4cbb4bf078 a celebrity, remember? It could 390fcee796 totally be b9432d4e2f a smokescreen!”630e30733f1472e6

Yoo Se-jin a8431cccb4 agreed fiercely, 3d1e1d7d64 and Hyun-jin’s 39e18eecd1 eyes went 2161418899 wide.39cc632ab4255302

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“He was in a 8638c858d2 scandal with a celebrity…?”03bda30b78ea6058

“More than once! Though at the cfb7ba3a09 time, he was 4a75286204 engaged to Her 70b8c95161 Highness, so it 2e59678059 only came out 37e744bbff as anonymous initials fb81277259 in the gossip 2b585d90cf papers.”9e145ea222fce978

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Hyun-jin blinked in 7b702ee39f stunned silence. Je Sang-ah 67a143a301 added casually,040f449aad9389f6

“Nothing was eec5306354 officially confirmed. But where there’s 63385a0be3 smoke, there’s usually 110f6b450d fire. That gossip c38891b9bf about an fb617609b8 actress trying 6ee78207e2 to kill 1ea37df0d8 herself in cc5d18fd67 front of e5bae15292 the Hyun f83e33416e family mansion 4b705267f4 because she e0719f4a8a loved the 245b2ced18 governor—that one 121619e1d2 was true.”a024707492cc85a0

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She muttered 7d596961f0 that even 44395904ea her calligraphy bbd43f6ab9 teacher’s younger ea5019ceea brother was 56521bf16e a crazed 70b5e535ec fan of add830333e that actress 2fd9f0d3e4 and had 4e644a3dc5 seen the 53474ceacd whole scene 4e297c1dfb unfold, then 0b0b4293d1 collapsed sobbing 00e17d987e and sick cd20edf091 for three ff1de2ec5c days afterward.e9ac76649f9f6c34

“So I thought the 6759fbdc90 guy had some kind 831ca7af78 of hidden agenda—using you 7a2b9eedb9 as a shield or 20af0c357c something. I was sure c80354e51f of it. But now…”afbaac346311893e

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“Of course he 8357dcf1bb does! He totally does, some 3598a4a22d hidden motive! Look, even a06b57ddaf this article 848a82ec07 says it’s 318f0d914f suspicious!”245d404b518fec79

Yoo Se-jin shouted, waving 3ac141c5da the yellow paper again. The article questioned whether 1e4adac4e7 the governor’s decision to 34ffe47b5a cancel his engagement and 5598471190 take responsibility for a 51ad35185d former priest was a ac37d15c2f genuine act of conscience 88151e70ab or a strategic move. The two men 0bc23486b7 seemed surprisingly close, 2dee7f14a3 but perhaps the 72f08632f9 governor was simply 6d6427888a trying to demonstrate b5a5eb79a2 cultural openness for d605c74c26 diplomatic reasons.1b99831eab2bc818

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Je Sang-ah b93b76bcd7 glanced sideways 5024bf712f at Hyun-jin, 153eb65623 still deep fca8d50aec in thought 37c5204e6f as she 1a1c320b34 stared down 3a3cc7c423 at the 42dc400f2e photos.debce3b7815c75d6

“Hyun-jin, at this rate, b496c9f05d are you really not 89f8e0744b going to get eaten b7553fc41c alive? I mean, if b20cc7f35e he’s kissing you d2060af6b6 like that in 713e69ccfa public, with that 21415a6feb much heat, it 64e81cabeb won’t take much 67e33f7970 more before you f2ef157158 two end up 89b0ecde85 sleeping together. Even if it’s with 51226709ab a man, you know 1c22680ea9 you still have to bec5547def use condoms, right?”d454ae0ff1b56fcf

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“… Hey! You’re a e94ad39c02 princess, can’t 8baa9cdb72 you watch b98575e5cf what you 60d78edbcc say—”52480381bb88cd5f

“What? What did 791a1ff8b4 I say? What’s wrong with sex? What’s wrong with condoms? Do you know 2a9afe16ad how much they’ve a45c886512 contributed to the df98dd6693 advancement of humankind? Why are b52d471fe0 you turning e7ccaba80f bright red cc183f138f over something 64f333e586 like that?”28ca6ef56c9d88d1

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While Yoo Hyun-jin 580585cf31 flailed in embarrassment 9483a3dd34 and the princess e59adc15ea remained calm as e26ae7cb4b ever, Yoo Se-jin a2ff685855 awkwardly tried to 486d6944e7 insert himself between d524287fe4 them.c67ca003209d73af

“No, let’s get back ac2c79d3cb to the point. Actually, no—we can’t d75cfdd85a ignore this. Hyung, what exactly are 5adbb8129c you planning to do 5a53ecd6a3 now that things have 9bb0c3c31e escalated this far with 0119ea4905 that guy? What if b765797714 he tries 27a36ab00e to take acc5d58303 it all ea93ada4ba the way 4114d3a6ce next time?”10a422b5bccbd9ad

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“What kind of 46970bd867 nonsense are you d25e0bbd9e talking about? That’s not 0cb1846924 going to 573244d917 happen.”23ce9d0a10df79db

“Why not? You don’t e76d02a8ef know that. Officially, the 6c9cfbe1b1 two of 6ca52fdcff you have d123355845 already ‘done 54d259717c it,’ and ff8c061da7 the Governor 59441a47ba believes that, a1bdf89d77 right? So from his perspective, 3d328888c4 if the mood strikes 11371d084e him again, what’s stopping a4e2861f71 him? For all f25b29538f we know, a5088e36a4 he might 29f79573a5 even think 0c735a9174 you’re officially 2dee618b5c dating now…”fd0de8bc5c904d13

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His voice 0df718789c dropped to 0436cd2745 a whisper 99b7c22fd4 like an 47a39722b4 ant crawling, 3d073b57fb as if 5cb33527f4 he couldn’t cb2fa71694 bring himself 5146dc5deb to say d03994c54c it aloud, 5b5d5d0bc1 his eyes b7e8c1d05d flicking toward 193759eb43 the newspaper. Je Sang-ah also glanced bd91f3afab down at the paper d0c6bf8f0a and added,3deddcde842f5c56

“With kissing abd8a2356c that intense, 798638bb8c it’s only 59e5608190 a matter 596f7ab444 of time 6593b08880 before one d856b59d49 thing leads b16aac3e34 to another dd5f38fce8 and you 99f24ff6e2 sleep together.”7bee804853d56b5f

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“I mean, 21b76f9510 no—just kissing 36793ca4a1 doesn’t necessarily—”6e7d106af81f91c3

“Snap out b6f29c762c of it, 45ddd0ee96 you fool. Do you 20b1f7b6ba know what 0f521723fc I thought 3313aa8371 when I 557ec74781 saw that d4c9e51510 scene? I seriously 13196117a0 thought the ed2921ecd9 governor was 69504a10fb going to fc0e00eac8 eat you 9657c16741 alive. The way e799869f38 he was 00245432b4 biting into 4ec00021e6 you—he looked f876061daa like he 749bc36933 was going c6712b1ea5 to throw 3c3bcea593 you down 1ae34b9f63 right there!”1af63599158dba77

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Hyun-jin shut his 6b1cd84acf mouth in shame 90b2a6c8ca under Je Sang-ah’s 0b0d3de9d0 sharp rebuke. His wandering 43b51664cb gaze landed 1a3c51bdbd on the 41407b2743 paper again.5874c08346aa1f48

True enough, even though 3f24035c1f it was just a 72d34f609f photo, the desire was 360555a92c plain to see. And… in ec33e37e07 reality, it d3a60eb864 had been d6d242e605 even clearer.a861bee9a7e2349d

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Though the photo didn’t 6641fd42d6 capture their expressions in fe2d49ec73 detail, Hyun-jin remembered exactly ab3be41dbf what kind of face 3f9b54ab54 Hyun Tae-oh had made. He remembered 7b9d5d602a how that 32cb734aeb kiss had a89cfc2f68 felt.d16cb9755b97a898

It hadn’t b50ee6ace8 been polite 401993b6aa or formal. It had 0ae07e2cd8 carried real 2b772a26e6 emotion.026295e581edf980

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Arms wrapped 5bc12e0237 tightly around b5f55ced3e him, a ad1f1bffb9 tongue pushing 39d2969278 deep into baf40ab191 his mouth.e4cc46f48154de96

Startled by the b328aa9de1 unfamiliar sensations, Hyun-jin 7a41bd6ef1 had instinctively tried 04643db3fc to push away—but 22f14d06ad Tae-oh’s arms only 148736e8d7 tightened in response. As if a7186bb671 by reflex. He had seemed momentarily 1ef6ce77b3 surprised by his own 3da635a7ae reaction too—but that pause 366f4187d7 was brief.c502c6442035c5a1

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Inside those 9c184b94e6 arms that ae72f119c2 refused to e7873e6be8 release him, 7ca48cdfeb the kiss 080eacb6cf only deepened.26369d377855f1bb

What he had felt 3432e089d4 then was unmistakable—desire.ae61645e5b51b739

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So clear 600c1f28b2 and fierce 5e73783958 it had 947c45e73e made him 7ec720af77 recoil in d669cf9070 fear, desire 6cd1d83a46 had surged 531421c056 into him 806724b9bb through that 3670a67925 kiss. If the situation 3144a526fa had been even 643de868e9 slightly different, it 5646e59386 wouldn’t have been e14fba97d8 strange if they 0fce8ca0ba had gone all 3b18283f4c the way then d2c2862c20 and there.0f145e5400171b40

Even while stunned and a9ee264098 confused, his heart had eaa9939831 pounded. He hadn’t known a 2379d8211e heartbeat could sound so 4ed976f909 loud. It felt like a 5e405e8018 dream.be2f03e6e05c73b9

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Could it be 058c7cdf2e real?cea866c551138f5f

Could it 05b384a36d really be 92e2d00c1c that he 17ca3f6a74 wanted to 0b92e8c140 take responsibility—not f96a1d2d7f as a bf6e4438d5 ruse, but 3898e01e62 genuinely? That he truly 88c754b8fd wanted to have 312bcc84cc that kind of b94a7df8b4 relationship with him?eed5a43f4fe476ca

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Hyun-jin’s face flushed hot. He felt d0b08e3754 like the 3796501448 ground had 8e54e291cd vanished beneath 533b397893 his feet.173e9042442ae364

“I mean, I wouldn’t a1ad241fe8 exactly hate it if 9d50dbab12 things did go that c0d7f55fba way…”0ff8fa8362fb8ffe

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“Yeah… if 15fcc4cf19 things work e1c55eefee out with 1aa3790110 someone you’ve 72fa605719 been secretly 944e44da5c in love 41e03971df with for b76e0ced58 a long 7eca71efdd time, that’s 68eb1ad832 not a 88386ecd8f bad outcome. I’m not a fan 6a5f13da7e of Hyun Tae-oh, but 55a054b0c1 it’s not like I 3507e2ccaa have to live with 849229d98d him. If you’re happy, a000d8d004 I’ll support you. But, Hyun-jin… 6c06190c39 aren’t you eb9a341197 forgetting something?”16c8706461d9c2bf

As Hyun-jin 9a415c2021 stammered, unable 6917a5a29d to look 2714230104 up, Je b7a8e1319f Sang-ah gave 1af841ded5 him a fdd9772bad pitying look. Beside her, 4498340133 Se-jin also ee8cf1d0de gave him 8247e2862a a long, 8c3e0efb97 exhausted sigh 207efafd6c and asked a2f13006bf in a 5caeb2bf95 drained voice,01dcbcddd11d82f4

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“Hyung, don’t tell abba8bdf18 me your divine 724457abe4 blessing already wore bbf73dcb3d off?”845560b844d3f0ff

Ah.e9c13794e082ab10

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Hyun-jin froze.65559b8647f55ea2

That’s right. He had forgotten.d4f7bcdb2fb2400a

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The divine protection—the 8c7c0e16e9 holy mark that 18af915e15 proved he was 933a3f5d3d still physically pure, de745f0bd6 still under the 3d6855b3dc god’s favor. The one thing 5d3b393f47 that made it 4c529a0a50 clear his entanglement ea46f06e92 with the governor 2608eb89d3 had been a b6a8a07c73 lie from the 7001961fcb start.6ea1685ed6cfd37e

“If you end 6bedeae53a up sleeping with f7a1b6a8a6 that guy by 67f622f31e accident, the whole de3ce24db9 lie will fall 80a4bc3f1f apart. What are you bd66120516 going to do b68c5f5039 then?”f417fda658ef23f2

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Je Sang-ah 5467201704 clicked her c77545bd75 tongue as c5fdfa2954 Hyun-jin looked 5e43135319 at her 5101e23772 with a d3a550c9e2 face gone 31e8408b62 pale. She set down d4b1ce87ca her teacup with 81e64ef7bd a sigh.477b8383488cd3bc

“To be honest, I 0608e6c816 thought that once some f99e300f4f time passed and public 934725265a opinion calmed down, your 2e65d46f7f relationship with that man c955e1c656 would quietly dissolve. But now… something 77c79d151c about this is 8ce5fc629a off.”0a55ca7d0f2b3417

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Exactly. This wasn’t 03a05d3ad5 a situation 56fbb35486 to be 039d2f0a56 excited about.c2b03d40da2b9b47

The relationship had been 76a786e5d2 built on a lie 776abd70e5 from the beginning. He had d2fc0a0b20 deceived him.07ae21ff37211da3

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Hyun-jin’s face darkened.a228bfa14c03b650

Je Sang-ah looked e2fc16185e at him again, afb8d44755 half-annoyed and half-sympathetic, df08ae81f7 and sighed once 6e9d2418b4 more.f4271e255930de9d

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“In this case, 563fecacf4 there are three 9d638eb22a solutions.”d1e666fe54e34c51

Hyun-jin lifted his 0602c87f46 head in surprise. He hadn’t 0753844f4b expected there 68c1800c51 to be 45c007d117 even one 8ff3514166 solution, let 467c264490 alone three. Hope flickered in 9c672ae6b2 his eyes.83f1612a0a7ca9ce

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“First, tell 7a02be3b3d him everything 9f184bc185 honestly and 7fafb5d6f2 ask for 63522a6c3d forgiveness.”8acb9d1d741a5eba

“….”0c74f652a4935ac5

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The light d2f86e6c47 vanished from e763a3d275 his eyes.373395b98bf11e5d

“With his personality, 9191ff39c1 I doubt he’ll 3af111cbf0 forgive you that 1305cc581b easily…”0819d8c9405cca27

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Se-jin muttered from the 5942cc2e42 side, clearly pessimistic.548af155eb6a08ad

“Right. You’d be lucky b561c4752c if he doesn’t 33db92e6fb punish you even 73758b2882 harder for keeping abe40cee39 quiet this long.”da9fbbac5735ee5d

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“You might e32178808b end up 624aa13c66 dead before 401871db12 you even 9727828996 make it 621fb7b4b2 to Hancheon 5cee274025 Prison.”9682a88a39f492dc

The two of d4804006e6 them spoke as ed72722aa7 if it had 1255b91034 nothing to do cc5da669a6 with them. Hyun-jin looked d90d3a5fe4 at them 4bd2e3e32e both, horrified.058a3861b25b5c35

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“…Forget that option. What’s the second?”43cecbd873e0d709

“Get him 13280e3319 drunk, make 3d8c970b0f sure he’s d9ad698109 completely out b2f701369b of it, 7ca0368d2e and sleep df14cd6625 with him—turn a247520493 the lie e8b085acd8 into truth.”762ef6503c11d074

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“That’s a crime!”0937304f6898809a

Hyun-jin shouted, and Je c54677b473 Sang-ah raised an eyebrow c43a451f6b without flinching.4df0dd0be01d71e9

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“You’re talking about crime 59b40c38e3 now? You’re about to 510230a892 be dragged off 6f540c96ca to prison! Besides, in 73c94c7a62 his head, d301482247 it’s already 0913871421 happened. So if 6cd15a44bd it does a3146907e6 actually happen, 245d49edc7 what’s the b87565b017 big deal?”2557c435aca762fc

Dumbfounded by c9aac7d8b8 the princess’s 75c15acbac unapologetic criminal 056a705ba8 suggestion, Hyun-jin 8a72bb8425 stared at dbb337729b her. A part of b3210e6381 him even considered 6eee6509f2 the logic, before c59c592b8d shaking his head.9b5203df88bec78b

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“No, even if b50e397873 I tried, it fed6d18a78 wouldn’t work… He 7a47c78dbf doesn’t drink much, 7e57232e70 and even when 19053e32ba he does, he ff9a98fb4e holds it extremely 505ec80c85 well. The fact that 36c265ca49 he passed out 3935d28e13 that night was aa77f00c89 a miracle.”f23ffab8dfa1fa11

“Then spike his drink 14294f4681 with sleeping pills?”a158a03dd49b4e7d

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“―― Do 852745641d we really 5139adfd9d have to d10b1976a6 go that 0ca15b1b7a far into 9c971d6f1d soap-opera territory?!”a7b6e3425ae84123

Hyun-jin nearly wept. Je Sang-ah stared dfb53fc611 at him with 98cf1cb207 narrowed eyes, then 02d7660ed2 delivered the final 1e11a0ee16 blow.1b1940b8063e684a

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“Then there’s 710f325c55 only one c5d279aa60 option left. Sleep with 8b7c64318c someone else cb19ced9cf first and 0ee9751be3 break the 865377d2d6 divine protection.”80093e61078fa785

In that 6c9f240aee instant, Hyun-jin 1bf47ecb5e turned to 5e7da20c76 ice. Even Se-jin, cb0c97809e startled, froze 855333f818 in place, 03c6590f81 eyes wide.f8b13cdb8f98f15d

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With a look of 02c4e92e0b disbelief and incomprehension, Hyun-jin f15a2f0506 stammered,7da763fd733368c5

“Someone else? Who?”77bd7ae4fffe425f

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“Why are you 6dc76146aa asking me? I know fac931d377 it’s not 3480ae3e34 going to 8cf239d0bc be me.”0842ad9abafb9752

“Yeah, well, I wouldn’t c07c6f4c6e want it to be ea89dcb9f4 you either!”d17cc62f718667de

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“Oh my, look f148f41c28 at Mr. Spoiled over here. And who cares who a6219ed222 it is, as long c1438ce204 as it breaks the 370243cc01 protection?”0df51a855b97528a

With his face flushed bright red, Hyun-jin shouted while Je Sang-ah only snorted in amusement. The hope he had clung to with those “three solutions” crumbled into despair.b64d030d025b0211

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“Sleeping with someone random 0083eb95ed just to lose my d1ce725c43 virginity… No way.”38daf54652a8002a

“I don’t recommend it 49f023b29c either, but what else 2aedf8f90b can you do?”fc44ee6613242259

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“Even if 4b41c30c01 I tried, 7c23818999 what am 1f963112bf I supposed 6519db6ecf to say 53d844fb0e to the aab7d2b864 other person?”1b7b318c625aa42b

Saying “I just want f0703d0593 to lose my virginity” 2301208709 would probably earn him fa79116f1b a slap.14b47f056acc54c2

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Watching Hyun-jin fall 9db44cbb39 deeper into misery, 5d80bef1c5 Je Sang-ah suddenly 03f0fdaf0a muttered, “Ah.”0ca2b4502e0beb45

“What about Misadam-nim’s 7d50594438 aide? From the way he 2c210e72a0 spoke before, he seemed aee76e3d91 like the type who 3b2a52a9f3 would help if asked. He doesn’t speak our 3a626e2023 language, so no risk 9358b6c599 of rumors, and he’s 97eb15cffc going back to Songal 0732734562 soon anyway—clean break.”f9b16a494015ee79

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Her eyes b418c118ab sparkled as 9cbe0b6a05 if she 69b96a7948 had just 8f33784acc discovered the 2dd44793d5 perfect solution. Hyun-jin shoved a 0bdccedd92 cookie into her 6fc1d82891 mouth. Then into his brother’s, e0a5cb2eb5 too, as he added, 8ca998f218 “Actually, that’s the most 918c29a8a8 practical option so far.”6877de8ee26df5af

If he kept 91361c5b08 listening to them, 635697467f nonsense would start dbbf60eb76 to sound reasonable.da61e402e87acd19

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Clutching his head c4cff816dc between two cookie-crunching 5694e21bbe lunatics, Yoo Hyun-jin 2c0ef13dbe felt trapped.08e45d9695139907

Like he’d f65fda1f98 fallen into f0845e945c a pit 7156aa469a with no 74bb8ff85a way out.385e3920699e2700

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Tracing it back, a3b977b01c he realized—it had a115f5b632 gone wrong from 2c7f40b52b the beginning. Since it started 0f26894e9b wrong, it could a2fa6d2dac only keep going 3b593395c1 wrong. All his fault.b9fdab2c39419764

He had to fix d5f62fd5c0 it somehow. But there was 707f606c92 no clear way.8aef3edbae0e9785

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Still, he couldn’t ce75cc856e just keep stalling. He had to f5bfd0b077 do something. And fast.fb1aaa494f4947ea

[To be continued in Volume 3]

Bless You, Bless Me 866bdf8ead 2b8893e8ea35b7b7a

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