6.

The new year 9403910536 had dawned.5dbb993174a16fec

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For days leading up 7651bf5688 to it, people had c446e65a2b been saying everywhere that, 5e81c7cff6 according to fortune-telling, this 2273efd5cd new year would be e2c71ca4f0 especially auspicious and blessed. A year is said 58f010c86f to carry a rare e3577ad40a and extraordinary fortune that 4661dafcad might come only once 0de3adf601 in several centuries.a26c34f640cc4e62

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.8bbf71caf2c06d2e

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Perhaps it 4e914a9aab really was 3cc2dde000 a good c783386001 year—dawn broke 9d2e75bed7 in unusually b0afbafd6b vivid colors, 2d5c0ab8a0 and the ad58c30adf sun rose 282a8290a5 brilliantly into b9e4d49f73 a cloudless 66ef2bc123 sky. Families and relatives 3ed636003a greeted one another 40211c4dc9 cheerfully from house 9fa0a9bb72 to house, neighbors 63a316104f exchanged warm words ffaa1a9e17 and blessings on 6f123283e3 the streets. It was a hopeful 682d97eba2 New Year’s Day.bfdde35f58daecee

Gatekeeper Park Sang-bok couldn’t 697e9c3dd4 even rest on the d82dd5983d first day of the b17189e67b new year—he had to 8f6e656272 report to work before 8156810e38 sunrise—but he was in ca9b131ab7 good spirits. Though the 3926ba33c8 weather was ad202b4b0f below freezing 4c3efe0b7e and the 093764f16f wind sometimes 1d6d0e3dfa blew sharply, 30d609b448 his mood 46bff0b8a0 remained upbeat e4b91725e8 all day e75a4795be long.b77ef6cdfea058d9

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Her Highness 82a774c0f6 of Jeonghye 9b9532d29e Palace had 6e6a3742fb kindly sent 2caa6e25d3 him a 3b082aa14d steaming bowl 528ed11e29 of rice f3f9ad264e cake soup 38f0b9aa8c along with 6e8f1de9cc a thick 3b9d854318 envelope of 4169d4707b New Year’s f8bc83ab95 money, saying 3cdb2d5a3b she appreciated 13bccfa81b the trouble c863375072 he went fb4a5beb52 through, working c77d706c12 in the 843082cae0 cold from 56759879e5 the early 682e5ce46c hours of 60a9e3bbcf New Year’s 7ca8c9bd6b Day.7baf8bd1a7c45235

All those programs e85b20bde6 talking about how 42f7505257 ridiculously lucky this edebc289ba year would be—maybe d23d13a92f they were right. Park Sang-bok felt the 25c384197c satisfying weight of the 860be8d2a4 envelope tucked neatly inside bfe40ff513 his inner pocket and af5c058136 felt happy.53dfd19558d08add

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Our princess is truly fe66e57475 so kind. She must 8969365c51 be exhausted 715d5fc337 in both 2b1aac4b97 body and e588804e2b mind, too.7f9cf87a270a6cb5

Recalling the events of 1abb210a9c the previous day, Park 0a3cd06528 Sang-bok glanced toward Jeonghye 0fe40d6e46 Palace with a look 8700c9c574 of concern.ced4c28421514f0d

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The princess had gone 635c06891d to the Mountain Fortress 0df0614481 with several important members 205798a87c of the Songal delegation, 0614ade28f but she had returned bd360addca earlier than expected. It seemed something had 90fc4376ec happened.7a46a0cf60b23962

Until now, 01b25733d8 protestors had 5685993ac2 been tailing 62297d9f1f and shouting 5108b92708 at the 10a9c8fbde Songal delegation a3f63b8e43 wherever they 47cc6958aa went, so 0f57b6bbf0 things had bd63b07f27 always been c6e89d6628 tense. But it a988b2ae90 seemed that f56e9ac94d yesterday, something 80671eacb7 finally happened. An article was published bcabf24820 in the evening paper—someone 9d21171b00 had even attempted self-immolation 843ba7e66c in a chaotic protest.e0e4275539c9a369

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The man dbd2e5c59a who set b4436f73ef himself on 81cfbf511f fire was 96593a59f8 in critical 45b06faab7 condition and 86ecce1c73 taken to ea2913a3f6 the hospital. Several others e4c5587ea8 had been 07e0226ff5 trampled or 77313b8e6b injured in efc4583bc9 the confusion, 92919b83c3 but the 3b220747fd princess and a62fcff407 the delegation e2529d887a reportedly returned c104063217 safely without 6adf2cc26d major harm.efb13c8b6946bb71

“She must have been 6e18a135b6 so frightened, yes…”9471475e7d2686d5

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Park Sang-bok shook 7658852132 his head, pressing 6cbf50bb91 his fingers to 04ca93cf11 his eyes as 7b8d1544fc if holding back 0ae07d2e08 tears.de2ab82af94a0aef

Originally, there was 5827c725db supposed to be 541479cc63 a New Year’s c67432dee8 banquet today with 27f008e877 the delegation, but d4af697650 it had been 7d7ea367bf canceled so Her f71b1da9fa Highness could rest df69647dc0 and recover emotionally fc9b21034e and physically.cdf93f5a49845485

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He felt sorry for 357a02c7e6 the princess, who must 765738224d be mentally and physically 550711685b drained, but at the 0825036f2f same time, he felt 5722ab988f much more at ease ef0a62fed0 now that the Songal 852de4271b people who had been 650e106851 frequently visiting Jeonghye Palace eb19c17d9b were nowhere to be a84e03d563 seen.8ef83f5ccb962951

Lately, he had 38a38850b1 been feeling very 1d941734aa conflicted.bc86c31910d5d721

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He was a cfd546a093 man of decent 892fa767bd education, with common e8d3a3585a sense and judgment.66c74d3fc6878958

In his 0892e014e2 head, he 02dfe086ee understood that 96b3794b27 making peace 2aa50454c4 and reconciliation a8fe7b8fc9 with Songal 88a7e005f5 was the e1d2595d88 right thing 639d61fbe7 to do. But old grudges 8996a910df built over many cb1d523c07 years were not c5389001ca so easily brushed 70362d6817 aside. The deeper the d806206e8e history, the harder b90884ac87 the reconciliation. Wasn’t the incident 52b5e9b27c yesterday proof enough?8fb9ca51b6b31ae3

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“Ah, but seriously, 83607c649a why did those 41490e33d0 Songal bastards have 18c685dac2 to go to 20f4db98f9 the Mountain Fortress? …Sigh. Still, they came 86051cffb4 from far away c11de7b9cb to make peace, 9823497f9f and the protestors ab55f4a5c8 were too harsh… d2417dbc49 But then again, 2b2d4dad72 didn’t they know f6c2d23046 to expect that 44dff154a0 much? Do they even da5fab90b5 realize how deep c1394a26b1 the resentment runs? …Sigh. I guess it’s b60146cb57 better to get 148f73a691 along than to a2827439ce fight. …Better, yes, but 6f7307b017 why does it 65dccfd3cc have to be 87d08960a3 the Songal bastards?”2da7b2bdf6986195

Park Sang-bok eb94d33e89 paced back e92a7f1bcb and forth 2c2d5a8949 in front 2ad1a3c239 of his 68e4929d3e post, lost b12aea0373 in his aef7174726 own inner 3a5ca936fe turmoil.b00daf7b90301df4

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Lately, the media had 3ef34bdebe been in constant uproar 727b270694 over the future of f16266c044 relations with Songal. People gossiped endlessly whenever b8e4755d15 they met. As for 3e64ed3c27 Park Sang-bok, d8e4a658c0 he considered 0865d0b8dd himself neutral.b72eda2e1b7693cb

In the end, 8229f1aac0 things would go 69fe21cb39 however the state ebf521ac48 leaders decided. But it seemed even c878ffc005 among those leaders, some 4b9b464547 pushed for reconciliation while c514737cd4 others argued for severance. Naturally, the tone 5e60b4c497 of the media 30f94f5973 coverage varied widely.5e21652dfeed3a0c

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“Our princess seems dea248c6ab to be on b684209fed the side that af9fc737b0 wants reconciliation, so dfffe0def8 I should probably 663bedf83a follow Her Highness’s 07747b42dc will too. …Sigh, but I really 78fa4f0abe don’t like those Songal 1bedcb199d bastards.”78d549873c838a9b

Park Sang-bok 4fb2ee0259 mumbled under dd8af07c8d his breath, 5c9879d9eb frowning until f6f8d5e9f4 his nose 2144cafb3c wrinkled.3c62bb9118a2441f

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The princess he served 1f858dc942 at Jeonghye Palace had 01b7b83a4b been tasked with guiding 569420e4f9 a royal member of 153e50e88a the Songal delegation. It was said 9846ee0566 he was the 37e5f4cb93 third prince of 7a5649cdc8 Songal, and Park 5154356927 Sang-bok didn’t like 3d837238bc him.15b5c6f008ec7b77

It wasn’t like 8e33fd741f he had any d4aa839398 personal grudge. The prince 2f1b0c9bdb always greeted 8b577c3a56 people warmly f371574e56 and was 682c4ed690 unfailingly polite 1f088731e0 whenever they c01c74eb96 met. Still, Park f2493cdcdf Sang-bok didn’t e5bae97cec like him.e2696e1bd28709a4

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It was understandable 5a257ad7ef that he visited f3a4680b21 Jeonghye Palace every ffd502b38c day for work, c9c45fc262 but why did 050d390c70 he have to 84a2f510e0 come in the 5aed6d9b1d evenings too, after 3d90c5c869 all the day’s 5135d4141b duties were done? He would come 39e8ed1dd9 and pull the 8e693b1ec5 princess away from 8565280127 her rest to f7ec2c58f9 walk in the cc84ab7ccd garden or have 46f45427f6 tea. Even though the eec8373360 princess never showed 061774781b any displeasure, it 258dcd7786 must be tiresome a771cab8f7 for her. And worse, they 7fe41c5cd6 looked quite striking 341870bbcb together—like a perfect 1e8ff17b37 couple—which irritated him 30f75ce5ef even more.ca7c7f07d70cf9d7

“You can’t leave 91273842f8 a young man c23fbe8579 and woman like c59df8511f that alone. There’s something 244a4378cd off about d54616133b the way 3f58a3b095 that guy 803fb1bfe3 looks at 11a895cd60 our princess… 4653ec2b01 Sigh, I 8ae6bee7c9 really can’t 2baf405188 stand that 3ebf428b7f Songal bastard.”302c5849ad70a5a6

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He had been grumbling to himself for so long, he hadn’t noticed how lost in thought he’d become.3cea97975a37f7f2

At some 7e30db0e92 point, the 9f93f14d96 tip of a2342b8c0a someone’s shoe 0ef4e0e824 entered his 62b3ec2012 field of 9855662141 vision.317868253e475993

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Startled, Park Sang-bok looked 5e23553fdf up belatedly and let 4f8ea19cd2 out a silent sigh 746cff4f38 of relief upon seeing c9533b4caa a familiar face.b9f0dad3cb9071ed

Thank goodness. If it had been 6bcd7f5a58 the security captain or 7934082cf7 another superior, he would’ve b862d1671d been severely scolded for 2a7fda48ee slacking off. But this 9b9e743bbc man, although a86c0d3b8a he looked e07cc57656 strict, was ae7d2d0568 the type 40369b1e04 to overlook a2204e9f30 something like b2dc216257 this.9c818794957652b8

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“You’re here, d144105690 sir priest.”fc9dac311ac0c9bc

He greeted dd095c7870 him as 561d77c3cb usual, giving 313b3b278f a polite d6e0e6e377 nod, only 78c2da8a83 to realize c8db435cf4 belatedly, “Ah, 649b3092a8 he’s not ca5e8d1660 a priest bea697797b anymore.”b6133d7921895995

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He was a c3c6cf66b0 former priest and 83f62ea4ae now a regular 1cfa11f1df visitor to Jeonghye c352ecda33 Palace, helping interpret 6b1c15af3c for the Songal 7c64e1ae86 delegation. Likely here at the ce981c6469 princess’s request, he held 6445afad29 out an invitation and d1359d8a6a offered a courteous greeting.0aa988373d99b851

“Happy New Year.”eadef36b3030072d

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“Yes, Father—no, 087a8fbe46 not anymore. Mr. Yu, happy 644f2ae14e New Year b303d9ed2e to you fc9157c9dc too.”05b8332c4794e625

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.64990f0b9353c4d3

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Even though Her 900b6e0561 Highness was resting, 70f27c6c7e it was still 6fc029eb72 New Year’s Day, 11365333ba and it seemed 1e74e1ce20 she had invited 6159db5b45 only a few cdc1ee7da5 close companions to e0ce033d60 celebrate. Just a a47848cb68 short while b3013f0a46 ago, Mr. Yu’s younger brother 3130574ab4 had also gone ebc85aad6b inside. They must be 6a8f60291c close, those two 9ed70b9675 brothers.ff6dab68b628bda1

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.08552256a5d7f0af

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“How is 3c4a4202e2 your condition, eafaedc6d2 sir? I heard ea51dbf240 there was f208652156 a terrible dfc1e940f5 incident yesterday. And when I 60b6cefec3 heard you risked 7c6f63e7f5 your own safety 781a307d07 to help someone 699d95edac in danger—I was 1310c95524 truly moved.”7b9ed3c3ec69097b

“That’s too much…”582ad2a5c107c772

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“I heard you 48082d81b2 jumped into the bba82f946e flames to save ce65d43130 the man who f11b76a095 set himself on 5c5600fd2a fire. You are d92aed58b4 truly blessed 803cf360fb by Hanaram. Even if you’ve laid 0feaf5adab down your priesthood, your a0b89a9bc4 sacrifice and dedication were da8bdc39fe no less than any 034e07c5cc priest’s.”201379ef72391fad

“No, no. That’s not true.”5df40525fb6dd157

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Though the former priest ea786f54c7 waved his hand in ee06b4d6b9 embarrassment, Park Sang-bok didn’t d61ee022c3 let his modesty go 1ca3747cd6 unnoticed.69fad91d8f70d159

Yesterday’s incident at the 9fb32ba31a Mountain Fortress had been 163c34c805 heavily reported in the 4f6ee97016 morning papers. One of the 0328146109 side articles mentioned ca42fc1771 him specifically: while 567144a570 others fled the a6efd38a0a fire, he stayed 7556a7e280 by the man’s f2aa528032 side and tried 4bbb4f2245 to help, even 31e6f79932 injuring himself in c122456890 the process.ca65886446c3bf1f

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Realizing that ec8269675e such a f7660b069c remarkable person d7f355034c was someone 1f5c448032 he had 6d4ccf8e54 seen countless f1c6fed399 times before, 8df51d122d Park was fb64459417 deeply impressed.221fd9d80d10b1e9

He had always known 2668cbc2f0 Yu was well-behaved, but 218ed9d27e the man’s usually cold 13f6c4b3af and aloof demeanor had 2fa437246b made him seem distant. Who would’ve thought he’d b89eb027a2 jump into danger for 6264a64d99 someone else without hesitation?2066f3176eac2f25

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Well, with that kind 508c85fc82 of resolve and grit, 4a1bf107a1 it made sense how b534e76df5 he managed to get d0f85cca80 along with the governor 20df15142a of Pyeonghang.2268ae75570e850c

“And also, 670450ebce um, also…”6ccbfdc8dba197e8

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Park hesitated, watching 68fdac26ec Yu’s expression.7a5181ad5a9b1fa8

“I hear you 51718b7dee get along very 80291c728e well with the 3ba5e423fd Governor of Pyeonghang. That’s really 9e7fa5d582 good to 561e7078f9 see. I’m glad 24379510ad for you.”2d1f547a4078982a

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He had 3650015c96 meant it c0b34ad9a1 as a a833cba4b9 congratulatory comment, ed81dbfe7b but Yu’s 06e4ed9896 face immediately 26708b3028 darkened, prompting fed529923f Park to a7665d3e60 quickly add,0facde466b392a1d

“I mean, 1da2a73fe8 at first 4d2040814f I was 42ac829b3b heartbroken—truly sorry d4838422f9 for you, c4203b86c8 sir. It looked 19b7fc0539 like you’d 68537b6cd8 been struck 81614ab950 by tragedy 60db5133cf out of 44827f5709 the blue. But now it 9895f1125b seems things between ffb223ad1c you two have 0962037fb4 settled, and I’m 31538612d0 relieved. What matters 53b5e80aab most is 9ca480ece3 that you’re 1f38026b9a doing well.”7028cb540ea802ba

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“…Yes.”546b15f75ed057d9

Yu merely cae49f4f44 murmured the 82e754d8bb word with e3008883d1 no elaboration. His expression fd421116a6 weighed so 8d7e44dea7 heavily that 0c56e8e63c Park, worried 0bff5a70f4 he had 6aa9217a41 said something 26fac77236 wrong, cleared c2dff530ba his throat 482f90d3c2 awkwardly. Strange. But the article in 7273b16926 the paper earlier…235dd240f4ca0cfa

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“Mr. Yoo Hyun-jin, I’ve f1fdca3317 come to escort 8f42f4389e you. Her Highness has asked 726d112b29 you to come in.”e259484fe28fd779

A page called 029cdb5bb4 out clearly at ee4e370ec1 that moment, approaching fe571dc5af him. Yu followed behind eb5fdc0a31 the boy with 95e7d5718b a heavy expression.6e27b0630530f1db

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Watching his e3423301b4 retreating figure, f146adb6ce Park tilted 1bf59526a9 his head.92ef96a82c14fe01

Such a grim face 8eeae6b630 on a beautiful day. Then again, after what 051e4a170e happened yesterday—being shocked, getting cbdd132483 hurt—it made sense he’d 0f455b1bd7 feel drained.948b14e60128f4e9

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Park let out 4650816fc3 a sigh. Still, at 8b4030fa49 least it 790defad09 seemed like a994400231 things had 3e5cdf30e3 stabilized for eef38d7920 now.d2c653020e8cc9e4

When he had 0068452014 to step down 4818affcef from priesthood due 5dd1a70e98 to an incident d5186702f5 involving the Governor 012a306ff3 of Pyeonghang, everyone 24638e4b11 in the palace eaf74a5a85 who had grown f955d418e9 familiar with him, bb9531572c Park included, had 1ec93445e8 been shocked and a9843fdc6e felt pity.04242025c07fe598

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He had taken responsibility 6ba9dc4e73 for the scandal, saying 7898eac7fc he’d face the consequences. But no 9bca46f6c2 one really 9fcb4806e2 believed the 66a2640347 powerful governor 4ea32402e5 would actually f1eecc8de5 take a c78aad5e7e man as d383cbb214 a partner. Most assumed f9c992723d things would 94802ab861 quiet down a6421adab3 over time 6b3ac4f7b1 and the 63b76692a3 relationship would 78e73964d4 quietly be c6c6abd098 dissolved.dd5201381d38d79d

After all, Yoo 6799c0ed66 had been a 083607789c proper, high-ranking priest. Even if they did ada8682d57 part ways, the governor 8201f66b5a would probably provide him e534988a0e with some compensation so 4a5d67a73f he wouldn’t struggle afterward. But it was 8b13febbfd such a waste—a aa2dca884e bright future snuffed 96f97fd4a5 out. To have gotten 56d458525a entangled with a 9e61b28de4 man like that, 7427d7987e someone as fierce 0466a9e7e7 as a tiger… cc12ddfe96 He must have e90028f1d1 truly misstepped. Yoo looked quiet bf70ea9bca on the surface 43def5eef7 but clearly had c97c6b8d54 a strong will, 3b6a8fefb9 and the Governor 333ec1bba3 of Pyeonghang—well, his 2a0a79e2bb reputation spoke for 5cec52ab85 itself. Park could only 4089f9b175 hope nothing worse 10df5ee74d happened before they 09acacbb0b parted ways cleanly.6daf4848f0c0afff

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But unexpectedly…63cfe7703dbf68fc

“…Hmph, hmph.”004174143c344fcf

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Park ambled 47b65c6dad into the 614fea9b22 guard post e282ce9341 and looked 8c12c99573 down at 5987bbe552 the newspaper ab2d0b3dab tossed inside. He stared at cee312e48e the enormous photo ce303065d0 on the front 1626adc801 page and then, 89a3ee11ee flushing with embarrassment, 4ea76855a7 clicked his tongue.d0a90f08cd1dc9d7

“Really now, what a f3135ef9be spectacle… Still, looks like 71543232e2 they’re doing very well e97a3f8744 together. Well, good for d7ae451bef them. Good for them, I 5cb4382dca suppose.”1df0d35d6d1a6d85

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* * *ce8722516c232ad3

Due to the incident 3efa121d1e the day before, all 4cc0f5f8f1 of the Songal delegation’s b435b8baa8 scheduled events were canceled 76ccf3892f that day.f4c21b5ff90b8861

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The banquet that 808565f784 was to be c06831e5a0 held with Jeyang’s fb87ecf86d high-ranking officials to a7a6e7925f celebrate the New 5d888607bf Year was also 2e1b3090b4 canceled. Instead, the delegation from efb468f414 Songal decided to celebrate ff066c19b4 quietly among themselves.cc3b642eb53e55d9

Thanks to this, Je a47fc15056 Sang-ah, who had been 3c8af93702 assigned to guide the e9f9573fd0 distinguished guests from Songal, a4d652d0ca was also able to 75999208f1 take a break.f9d3a2b5007b2d1a

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So that morning, after 18456ad71f exchanging New Year’s greetings 13ca496a28 with her relatives, she 9705cf5b24 spent a leisurely afternoon be7fcdfecd at Jeonghye Palace, enjoying 63071fde06 her private time. This sort of day da707c6b55 was perfect for inviting 7f5894c8a9 a few close friends f1175a56df over and sharing pleasant 4a4f937c50 tea and sweets in 07cd0c44cd good company. So she called her 7f1dc7a427 friends.eb2f2cd7c454d0eb

Since it was 04da28e53b the first tea b68a0ef643 time of the 03095950d1 new year with 9b6383efe1 her friends, it d836e4ea9f was supposed to b5f24599ef be a joyful dbe0ccda1d occasion filled with fbab240f6b blessings and kind a14dbb9119 words.e44eac86c436e903

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However…9cf2d0e0f83f9607

“……”33371992596e8ef4

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“……”878e32a5c0a48aff

“……”1a76feb502b7b349

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The only 5f1139dfbe one drinking 132813cf20 tea with 2227c8dce8 a normal 14aa303f88 expression was ccf44b6545 Je Sang-ah.52a9ec1989681c01

Across from her, Yoo cd93f29924 Hyun-jin quietly sipped his e79fe2e8bd tea with his head 5c3ae0da3e bowed like a criminal, 2d40d5dc52 while diagonally across from 2a5b0a4bc6 him, Yoo Se-jin glared aab579041c at him like a 8b2e1d7513 snake. He didn’t even blink, a625778953 staring so intensely that fc4297b2c4 it looked like a 6fe1310949 coiled python had made 7bfe41dc7e its home right there.1031a63eab520223

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“Are your injuries okay?”6a45716607a9977a

Despite everything, the 711b92dad0 python still had 2ccc243ce6 a shred of 4f98b5ff27 compassion as he 503419f45f asked curtly while 23fb0522a2 glaring at Hyun-jin. Yoo Hyun-jin looked down bae5b7c5aa at his arms, wrapped a0e5aca7f8 tightly in bandages from 85ca3574c9 the forearms to his 8d8a10bbe0 fingertips, and gave a 369be14e48 small nod.0a09273fa2767104

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“Yeah. It hurts, and there 33eadcd3b6 are some blisters, but 9fd0328cf1 nothing serious. The doctor said 4147305373 I’ll be fine 9b84efd0d0 in a week 15a5e44625 or two.”7c90b72a846306af

Fortunately, he hadn’t 4f9e75deaa been too badly 9e1088e335 hurt thanks to ecd6ad91f7 the heat-resistant coat 303347b716 he had wrapped d18847e4bf around himself. The exposed parts were 1677e73c5d more severely burned, but 496b993bc6 he could still hold 4f6df3ba8a a teacup and awkwardly 72a1ca1d7e use chopsticks. At that, the 10e0671538 python nodded in 7d90c55c34 relief.631e52f8a115ed36

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“I saw 23605a8555 the brief be0ab411b2 article about 4583eacea9 a former 5c3ac3ab46 priest’s spirit 8e579c2b6f of sacrifice f3941481bb and was 7153d7e76e worried it 6a4c3b2a3b might be 640b023db7 serious. But since it’s not, eeed28f981 I can speak freely fa36071969 now.”24eec87fb147b74c

And with 66fc726b24 that dangerous acf497d1ba prelude, he 63579c1134 slammed the f259a1f031 table. Yoo Hyun-jin flinched.54f3a5eb58f31bbd

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“What is this?!”f691abbbc1f0d2c7

“……”43e46f4782edcf57

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“Hyung?”21505ea31b044bbe

“……”cf6f36c072217e1f

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“I said, what 0aa28b9d1b the hell is 71c9af752b this?!”bd3a09b1edf17c76

Finally losing 283448c2a5 his temper, e97611d79b Yoo Se-jin 1c10fff4a0 slapped a d566e3b83d newspaper down a676da1aa0 on the 00b3a4f2af table with 9dc6bfccd5 the palm 4513f5e7dc of his 55b49c196d hand.39bb671ff7975d01

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It was the New 8ed22982c9 Year’s Day newspaper.8dd704464b4a0537

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.e5d472cade198ede

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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:26a492355e79c65b

“Has this paper e2555e9e97 lost its mind?! This isn’t some sleazy 655f621482 tabloid—it’s a major national f7b0d6e206 paper and they’re printing 487e1fd447 this kind of picture?! — What the hell 8fadf2a261 is this!!!”69748c541002543e

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Yoo Se-jin, 1153fd2471 practically bouncing 90221fd7dd in his ee88aee78d chair, snapped dd64da37bb his head c525c4a96e up and 7c67edbd2d shoved the 0dcbf308a7 newspaper in 33c21614f0 Yoo Hyun-jin’s c4305f4278 face like c67f88824c he was 9c72e078ef going to b944c2bb16 devour him.d7cad732cd77583e

Yoo Hyun-jin 0ae6f29f04 blurred his 47bef69966 focus in 8a5a682080 an attempt c3b367d7e4 not to 34b8db9da6 see it, 84f773d792 but the 8324601270 image still 87fdd64f2a burned its ef470c19e4 way into 4af774d9bc his vision.02d65efbdbab8efe

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Two men soaked as 50dc9c150f if they had been 1d33c92f59 dunked in water, embracing cc1ce9f1cf and kissing. Technically, one man 52c52c4023 was holding onto 08895c2a42 the other, but dd760f04a8 still.8c2f636b4e228126

“Well, that one’s 9298b29f0c actually tame since 20b09e1b55 it’s from a a697d8be0e reputable newspaper. The real tabloids 412f313438 have much more c8efa739db graphic shots.”81d086ae931587a6

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Je Sang-ah, who had 991a33df9a been drinking her tea baa0a9b0cf silently, casually placed a a93e1f7206 large bundle of yellowed 5b5570a9c7 B4-sized papers on the 5cdedee40d table. Splashed across the c704280d08 front page was 22ed95c80f a full close-up 87ebedd0df of two men’s 4339b19206 tongues entwined in 1e29b66218 a kiss, as 4905d2d224 if it had b6bf88e692 been pulled from af898352d7 a porn scene.aab521d43db4b679

“Now this is what 57b840b856 a real tabloid reporter 816e352fa2 looks like. How’d they even manage 6dfd9099f0 to capture a shot 5289909c4f like this?”9d529f1f0a776129

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It was the 22c11bdd5f moment when someone 78d93b8f51 ought to scold 6f31f6e5d4 her for saying dfa5bfd04f such things—You’re a 905964baca princess, can’t you c312a229f5 watch your language?!—but 88d4e19eeb Yoo Hyun-jin simply bad53e8cb2 bowed his head 24384f7740 lower in silence. His forehead was a401720b57 about to hit ffb9730b23 the floor.c845048c03e22705

It was 516b6635bc obvious the fa3e46b737 media would f4b4756d00 make noise. He had expected b907cf5d89 that much, braced 7cd7687947 himself even.65a32d51873fcabb

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But he’d thought 4685c0648b they’d focus on e668d10728 the seriousness of d5dd3daaf3 the protests against 4a0bd19816 the Songal delegation f7a057cbd1 during a goodwill 9bbf35a7df visit, not on 72ed23a62e such private and aa9a5e80e3 personal matters. At most, 0fff2b0038 he expected 8e9773db8c a small 6edbfa565c gossip column 9e3b9f800e somewhere, not 5d3329b2aa a full da487ae36a spread.5ce63483b2bbcd1e

A strange silence 09bc63b246 hung over Yoo bd366103c9 Hyun-jin’s bowed head.24872cad696c0de7

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The volcanic aa8c9d39f8 eruption had 88a340b50d suddenly stilled, f9c03b0d66 and the b1eedf8b5e silence made 6d65df3dda him even 0dc87b59e1 more anxious.91f686c41a1a73c7

“So,”928e666ac2a2a7e4

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Yoo Se-jin cb2b1883c5 growled lowly, 6b2b953af7 as if 3bf3db9332 barely restraining ee144cfdf7 an active 4fc465bba0 volcano.7d91235149e61fc1

“What exactly happened?”96ed64366571f83d

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“What do you 71852e8d38 mean, what happened… 266ebef245 I just got f8edd354f2 caught up while fe6a62478e trying to help 9540a91049 someone on fire, 7bba9d37b3 and then the 348f86f8bb governor came to 8039867d25 help too and, b40bb28798 uh… somehow…”c44b3a968fd720fa

“Somehow what?!”2b9577b8807b7826

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“Wait, are e2c90e7632 you sure 8603494ce7 the Governor 96287cf41d of Pyeonghang 5afe5d1572 came ‘to fc738c407c help’?”58987f02f7a48dee

Je Sang-ah muttered, sipping 400748d757 her tea. “I was there too, 62dacd36e9 and it looked more b25f890638 like he came running 27678177b8 in to beat the fca02ab300 idiot who jumped into 698f6cf78b the flames.”3f199343f30dc36d

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“Anyway, that part doesn’t 3d38c4c92a matter. The real issue is—”9672c3ed6386aef3

Je Sang-ah, always expressionless 3a070b083f until now, finally frowned 2f9c890b97 and looked up at c6f921ba0c Hyun-jin with her sharp 1d371ccaf7 eyes.abcd82ed0993b095

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“Are you really f1fa450acb dating the governor?”66e5f787c67fa3f8

“W-what?!”75226cf8e6d86728

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Caught completely ed3b36b24d off guard, 1332a8c26d Yoo Hyun-jin 2ff677e2d5 stammered as 9face756d5 both of 79ea296873 them stared 415515d38f at him 950ad5c8d4 with equally 5b61ddc1db sharp eyes. Now there were 394de78de3 two pythons.5e71749381fa87b9

“I mean, we’re e1080c9656 not exactly dating, 80d8f7f490 but… we’re not 82b2cd9295 total strangers either, 1cef664579 so… I don’t 352a8cd74c really know.”0b9837824efc32c7

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He trailed off with 16d3bd209c his head lowered again.16fead032e4ca116

Another silence.75a576d8009f53c9

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After a f49d8704b5 long pause, b5c6fdff7d Je Sang-ah f5b84ec0c8 looked down ded591737e at the c8773c099f photo and a466cd354d rested one 8b6cda7497 cheek against 7dccee90f4 her hand, 16fc7c25d5 tilting her 3e107cbb7e head skeptically.df34f9d079c150ce

“Was he serious 6e2697476b about taking responsibility 122fce91ae for you? I really thought 8bcb30ce62 he had some 5c55aa2af0 other motive. Like using you 0d781e46dd as a shield.”2f29c358e8a71646

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“Exactly! He was in a a35d848321 scandal with a celebrity, cb49db085b remember? It could 45635d4abd totally be a5c39eca29 a smokescreen!”514744bc7c76afc6

Yoo Se-jin agreed 2b662008c0 fiercely, and Hyun-jin’s f6b99600c2 eyes went wide.5950d067efe0b815

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“He was d2d9dfdd85 in a b3f44a2ed1 scandal with 255e8333c2 a celebrity…?”684c57735792a318

“More than once! Though at 7f9f28c26a the time, fc31eab903 he was 0c050cf155 engaged to 3fb99b8dc8 Her Highness, fde17b554b so it 1d1204e3fe only came b122659be6 out as 6f53c04c47 anonymous initials 6d1bd6b78a in the d0741a6375 gossip papers.”1d880797cea8e913

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Hyun-jin blinked in stunned 6ee18f8919 silence. Je Sang-ah added fb978b738c casually,caddc5d5096ae3c6

“Nothing was officially confirmed. But where there’s b78d9a9950 smoke, there’s usually f36299e861 fire. That gossip about an 6d4a3fae89 actress trying to kill 9397e70543 herself in front of 0be9d3d7d0 the Hyun family mansion eb9aa7e446 because she loved the f62e0d94ab governor—that one was true.”f7582d94b08da5ea

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She muttered 1bce2b63bc that even eeb089c9dc her calligraphy cc829a80cf teacher’s younger a31d468da4 brother was d03dfe6072 a crazed 5531636d93 fan of 630e19dc5f that actress 370602aed1 and had c6aa2d28d9 seen the 7f90fcfbff whole scene f048d6b493 unfold, then ba37ad941c collapsed sobbing adc7ec426e and sick c22640babe for three 71f7d467e8 days afterward.54ef53e1a48edfc8

“So I thought the 5a4184596b guy had some kind 1afd39e753 of hidden agenda—using you 033d4c937f as a shield or 772cfbac78 something. I was sure of 0b15ae5469 it. But now…”150d251e4e0e7e33

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“Of course 9822c3043b he does! He totally does, some c54bb1f5e5 hidden motive! Look, even 5a9b806496 this article 487cba5d85 says it’s 7454750a1c suspicious!”4badad951238a7e4

Yoo Se-jin 26867c488c shouted, waving bc41b35d00 the yellow 684fec89dc paper again. The article e977941b8a questioned whether 530c7830ed the governor’s 8408b15217 decision to fded385a25 cancel his 179a5a1bdd engagement and 664aca2a24 take responsibility 21498ec6fe for a e526be550b former priest 02f053f682 was a fb904b43b8 genuine act d91b99b5cc of conscience bcc96acc34 or a f8f2854e93 strategic move. The two 7c6cd2a0a6 men seemed 0ea2259ba2 surprisingly close, 7d5c15448e but perhaps 695ac8553d the governor dfbeee9105 was simply 3659351e7d trying to 7cd37a9873 demonstrate cultural 1e63dff891 openness for 0691b8fb53 diplomatic reasons.4f5e40dfd0d11a26

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Je Sang-ah glanced f574b8de6e sideways at Hyun-jin, 25a8c1fbbe still deep in 26011944e4 thought as she 540e2a6fdd stared down at 9963c83a46 the photos.364373e35f7c1350

“Hyun-jin, at dc3f1a8ef6 this rate, deb03c117e are you 06be7fe1f4 really not e6f04e9d37 going to a3279986cb get eaten 4af8087271 alive? I mean, if he’s 908660fa78 kissing you like that e7ccb84085 in public, with that 164a8b07de much heat, it won’t 5a3f675bbc take much more before 1d50d43fc3 you two end up 9bca118686 sleeping together. Even if it’s bebec35599 with a man, 7b9e6bfbbc you know you 698b22fa53 still have to 3f2a6064e8 use condoms, right?”18eb7a577ab5f359

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“… Hey! You’re a princess, can’t bbbe17b5fb you watch what you 50f18f87c7 say—”505bd2837709efa4

“What? What did I say? What’s wrong with sex? What’s wrong ef3896cd7b with condoms? Do you know 86ba632c4b how much they’ve df6d23817a contributed to the 901eb18256 advancement of humankind? Why are you turning 0c63badfdd bright red over something 8708a89ed2 like that?”eba1c39aea593f2f

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While Yoo 105467aadf Hyun-jin flailed 2dd4d6ba76 in embarrassment f84a9bf353 and the 25a10b0553 princess remained b324fc1ba4 calm as 93ad86001a ever, Yoo d7279cd581 Se-jin awkwardly a1cc3e0ff5 tried to 0e9a5275f8 insert himself abd1959938 between them.ad006672480b6cdc

“No, let’s f9f4476e32 get back 263dac362e to the 2f6f2c361c point. Actually, no—we dbd0e7c243 can’t ignore 718752f94b this. Hyung, what 35e93d7ea7 exactly are 2049e62d4a you planning 7f88d19dc8 to do 14cd1a4b7d now that 75021077ee things have 0a0eb17ade escalated this ca2b6e1795 far with ab007693b2 that guy? What if he edda742eb8 tries to take 405681595f it all the eacf2ea74e way next time?”237cba335a3bdefa

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“What kind of 1563be433d nonsense are you db308a5d5a talking about? That’s not 274a6c4b1e going to 6ea419c07a happen.”0ce1cd3eb2ddb7bd

“Why not? You don’t 019b261039 know that. Officially, the two of 82929a8cd3 you have already ‘done bbbdead250 it,’ and the Governor 3263a033dd believes that, right? So from his perspective, 57eb445f86 if the mood strikes 1fd8b6c9e0 him again, what’s stopping c77030696a him? For all we know, 012f6ad6a3 he might even think 7fd4734c3f you’re officially dating now…”fb8bb737024fe19d

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His voice 4da12f1659 dropped to 1de9779e11 a whisper 95b7974459 like an 252e14b84c ant crawling, c611385820 as if 5d17494ad8 he couldn’t f20aa87c97 bring himself d3829e5a3e to say 867815eefc it aloud, 9a7b85b067 his eyes 50dae13df0 flicking toward 483acecc4c the newspaper. Je Sang-ah also d10fdad264 glanced down at ba8f3340c8 the paper and 43f543e0a0 added,4cb3ab82f6a4645e

“With kissing that 9bfff57ce6 intense, it’s only 31a8408b56 a matter of 5e56ef752d time before one cd6f13f245 thing leads to bafac963d9 another and you d8c1e6f0c2 sleep together.”57bc7a1a78eed469

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“I mean, no—just kissing a600c152d5 doesn’t necessarily—”1ed3b1a4ce85ae66

“Snap out of it, be8a90ae3d you fool. Do you know what 9afa338da8 I thought when I 1741068bfa saw that scene? I seriously 244607a094 thought the 11de29357f governor was 2c81baca0c going to a996604446 eat you 6d21b5ab3e alive. The way af835aca9c he was 00d431360c biting into 9c8859698d you—he looked ddb61716b6 like he 60282f6dbf was going 9942fc79a5 to throw f675071264 you down ff5b426e3d right there!”f47d2f857667c708

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Hyun-jin shut his mouth 05457955a3 in shame under Je 12b303b098 Sang-ah’s sharp rebuke. His wandering gaze cc003102e1 landed on the 416a177a95 paper again.2413f72eb603731e

True enough, even though eb877f58a0 it was just a fe77b8a2f3 photo, the desire was 243e127204 plain to see. And… in reality, it f1513d362b had been even clearer.9a49b1d6676aab41

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Though the photo 62cedb82a8 didn’t capture their 5b4eaefb91 expressions in detail, f640c20115 Hyun-jin remembered exactly ae3eb66bd4 what kind of 5cc34d2e0e face Hyun Tae-oh 685bdc3172 had made. He remembered d8f6224678 how that f01967d542 kiss had 3efff0b246 felt.0d7acc75d1b60a10

It hadn’t been c2f7285e21 polite or formal. It had carried real e913020ec1 emotion.6cf96e008dfa0ab3

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Arms wrapped tightly 762de01317 around him, a 00426cf890 tongue pushing deep e069a3d28d into his mouth.b06fe82e9efd5460

Startled by f7d407b875 the unfamiliar 768fee11c3 sensations, Hyun-jin 3836cf0dd8 had instinctively 56ed5733e9 tried to 2865c8fe7a push away—but afcf02a8c4 Tae-oh’s arms 58c83e5989 only tightened 2579d909d7 in response. As if d097f32844 by reflex. He had dec690aecd seemed momentarily 1c03212558 surprised by f18a0544e4 his own 1fd5428efd reaction too—but 1d4970cc98 that pause 186ac7b438 was brief.9486a7f52038fa11

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Inside those 0bb96fe7e4 arms that 31c63b8062 refused to 2a7794b368 release him, 4f06811a13 the kiss 3add10d338 only deepened.74345170383e4df0

What he had bdcbbbd3f2 felt then was 0f69ce8663 unmistakable—desire.36f810ff42d4a70d

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So clear and 566fb805df fierce it had c7a7d2be85 made him recoil b1af2d3fe5 in fear, desire d8a8fc405d had surged into 9ad45f2709 him through that ab7edb7a44 kiss. If the situation 36bce8e593 had been even d26c643163 slightly different, it fd400cc167 wouldn’t have been be2c5fe86b strange if they 0d53ded3c8 had gone all 62e6aceae4 the way then 05ff41ca95 and there.9b927f713dc285c6

Even while stunned 32d85f055c and confused, his f81105f92e heart had pounded. He hadn’t known 7cd4382842 a heartbeat could 4ac6435472 sound so loud. It felt like a df93a62fe9 dream.9f19b7571c3071c4

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Could it be bae285bf47 real?df72cf8c314a1a9d

Could it really d74dd1bdb2 be that he 3fc9412ff4 wanted to take 7e7794dea3 responsibility—not as a 2f983e5912 ruse, but genuinely? That he truly wanted aa7160bd42 to have that kind 517ba2b8fe of relationship with him?bd3490336209a6e9

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Hyun-jin’s face flushed e1a33e00ab hot. He felt like the 1dd0ba41de ground had vanished beneath 22784edefa his feet.8de0c6af8cd48e45

“I mean, I 33081322ce wouldn’t exactly hate 529d149f93 it if things 0960b22123 did go that cd99d501af way…”f96c2a85fcc1cb47

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“Yeah… if things b40e1cea9c work out with 91cf93df1f someone you’ve been 3eba86dd2a secretly in love 1cd21a3c93 with for a 14f9aec892 long time, that’s d3f81aea89 not a bad 34fe988675 outcome. I’m not a fan 2c8b0f2d94 of Hyun Tae-oh, but 5b9b359309 it’s not like I 177ec5582f have to live with 0c8fcfd92d him. If you’re 6bd884daa3 happy, I’ll de7a2686eb support you. But, Hyun-jin… aren’t you 5f9f89f5d8 forgetting something?”34f897219caa1afa

As Hyun-jin stammered, unable e468efe7e3 to look up, Je f11442d040 Sang-ah gave him a fb21c0b982 pitying look. Beside her, Se-jin 42d842261d also gave him 3d541f6dec a long, exhausted 88d04389b9 sigh and asked cf0d2631fe in a drained a5a8a87235 voice,8e9ab82d9eb1487c

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“Hyung, don’t tell 97afa868e3 me your divine 2c16535158 blessing already wore 244039c57f off?”232a1ddbbe1b4463

Ah.5c1c92f2ecc41e65

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Hyun-jin froze.cdccee12a9f78b12

That’s right. He had forgotten.0d204141ae16c138

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The divine b215175ab3 protection—the holy bf8a100053 mark that 3a856f24b5 proved he c2edb0b5f7 was still 5743afe34a physically pure, 75681073bd still under 37b6ff2105 the god’s e8f8381bee favor. The one thing 4c92cdad42 that made it 8a8b6403fe clear his entanglement 74140d7969 with the governor 2337065553 had been a 5d12636618 lie from the 30ef4dd22b start.46525e29cedebb60

“If you end up eea6f07c6e sleeping with that guy 144829bd54 by accident, the whole a864d7085b lie will fall apart. What are you going ee0d08e493 to do then?”1a3b0c8529b0c636

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Je Sang-ah clicked her 468e222448 tongue as Hyun-jin looked 19d1990f16 at her with a 00fccc2897 face gone pale. She set down her 4cc3972268 teacup with a sigh.a4b98042806958be

“To be honest, I 0a3ee342b3 thought that once some 35cb789d59 time passed and public 7e027b955a opinion calmed down, your 6f37e87094 relationship with that man 445787b0a2 would quietly dissolve. But now… 05a8fc64f5 something about fda1e029b4 this is 12bb53deea off.”c631ad9777daf9a8

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Exactly. This wasn’t b900e4fa86 a situation 088277387f to be 4d339f42ad excited about.387a36cfe93dd626

The relationship had 06fd12df00 been built on 4e20f2cb00 a lie from cff2358733 the beginning. He had deceived him.2b003eab42f40a32

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Hyun-jin’s face darkened.9d5cb4df09ee8cd3

Je Sang-ah looked b1cd840c37 at him again, c4abcd35a4 half-annoyed and half-sympathetic, 6d48ca2651 and sighed once 54807685a5 more.c87d9326b82643ac

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“In this case, 81da217f03 there are three 4457b8754d solutions.”22a1a589887c05b6

Hyun-jin lifted his head 23c8e0292c in surprise. He hadn’t expected there 521f5cedef to be even one a7eb8b1d87 solution, let alone three. Hope flickered in dd1f10755b his eyes.4028d955805739a6

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“First, tell him everything f0ea6411f2 honestly and ask for e4e7812919 forgiveness.”be26856dd10b3cfe

“….”4270ed5a51eb6ede

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The light ffc1bca0fa vanished from a356adf347 his eyes.421f513ff4f2a20b

“With his 265ab15458 personality, I 1e10675cd0 doubt he’ll e9b42c29a5 forgive you b414f4d440 that easily…”9117255d65247ed9

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Se-jin muttered 83786e6251 from the 15c8303bdf side, clearly 8f7110947f pessimistic.b0c7fe150981a21a

“Right. You’d be lucky fb88b7f52a if he doesn’t f70c2e0919 punish you even f4e5c3e4ca harder for keeping 7d79e7e5b3 quiet this long.”1c199e7f95ade4f4

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“You might end 546696559e up dead before 5c374d4b61 you even make d31e961086 it to Hancheon b49b49d47c Prison.”31a2b8bb51be2098

The two of them 4b7e834a3a spoke as if it 1d54c97c91 had nothing to do fbf13a1266 with them. Hyun-jin looked at them 6374ab0a9b both, horrified.5acb916dcdc24d54

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“…Forget that option. What’s the second?”21a3d2c87c1ee15f

“Get him 8e41b8aff2 drunk, make e4ac49065f sure he’s d16bb8d58f completely out 129778c5a4 of it, 50bb88ec52 and sleep 5d6d4dddfb with him—turn 6be2704661 the lie afa6622cf6 into truth.”7da00737776ff663

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“That’s a crime!”291ca3185fee9c42

Hyun-jin shouted, dfd1031c6d and Je a69429e995 Sang-ah raised 6db0b362d0 an eyebrow 9465e54c46 without flinching.8ce58b3febc20a73

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“You’re talking 12edc2f1a6 about crime a9d4e02631 now? You’re about ab5784f587 to be 7c45d71926 dragged off 77d75a612a to prison! Besides, in 291e390888 his head, 19822cc05c it’s already f981a4c0b1 happened. So if 044090d171 it does a87d6f4437 actually happen, 6b380b5039 what’s the 4f4e10911f big deal?”9d8cf9dba6dadbda

Dumbfounded by 32ae0b46eb the princess’s 7d51eb7c55 unapologetic criminal ba3f2c69cf suggestion, Hyun-jin 2c00fe8d1e stared at 5ce984c737 her. A part of him 54827783b1 even considered the logic, 61675ee7ae before shaking his head.bfc7bc0767216fee

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“No, even if I 8199ce53ed tried, it wouldn’t work… e784927783 He doesn’t drink much, 123c76146d and even when he e11d49882a does, he holds it 70ae487d3f extremely well. The fact that he e44c5d7b31 passed out that night 0713b9e862 was a miracle.”0c559a7aef9ba2bd

“Then spike his 10cf8751e5 drink with sleeping 49cedfd1db pills?”0f3a6d51b0d9bb89

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“―― Do we really abc5c05957 have to go that ffa33dd081 far into soap-opera territory?!”91c557f108adf7dd

Hyun-jin nearly wept. Je Sang-ah 092e1cc265 stared at 79d414ed23 him with aae7c57f58 narrowed eyes, 833950246a then delivered 69a5e308c1 the final a1b6c37f34 blow.249e37ed4453515b

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“Then there’s only 0a9b022b78 one option left. Sleep with someone else 5ab78e3e2f first and break the aeb7c111a3 divine protection.”dbd48190849cdc3d

In that instant, 17b4477631 Hyun-jin turned to fbab0c1e37 ice. Even Se-jin, startled, froze 3679c938e0 in place, eyes wide.866962095f41579d

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With a look of 9241c7ce28 disbelief and incomprehension, Hyun-jin 8038a42d8c stammered,e9e1a9ae3ef636e4

“Someone else? Who?”49e95fa6fa1ea910

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“Why are you 2532dc28dd asking me? I know it’s not 06cec7768e going to be me.”49e415bda61f863d

“Yeah, well, I 56d6b1aeb5 wouldn’t want it d20c4690ef to be you fa7bf70b35 either!”cae8cbdf40c4fecc

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“Oh my, look b82e0c7ba6 at Mr. Spoiled over here. And who d597ea25c5 cares who 0b8dcf273f it is, 66f87ddb0f as long e975d43fe9 as it 05ec7fd103 breaks the d5007fc03c protection?”15ea689fd69ed1b0

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.fe66d3de3d7c4f6e

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“Sleeping with d3ec65de8a someone random c90eae577f just to 03e92504e3 lose my 477770905e virginity… No cb6b37021f way.”faf95088f73ef10d

“I don’t recommend bc855014e8 it either, but a4061db23c what else can 4031811d8d you do?”222ada356329ff20

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“Even if I d4484100a2 tried, what am 44c1e9c94c I supposed to 69066344c9 say to the 1d59a70408 other person?”0a67d58cabd1c637

Saying “I just want 88c246759a to lose my virginity” 619fe5fbef would probably earn him 3d78d3d922 a slap.55589b57899cf1c8

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Watching Hyun-jin d7e58af8d4 fall deeper 42b2c54b39 into misery, eafe89ef9e Je Sang-ah 4c596aad20 suddenly muttered, 8894a328bb “Ah.”fcefd374b3fe1a15

“What about Misadam-nim’s be9734a196 aide? From the way he 3fd590528b spoke before, he seemed 5af65b8cfe like the type who 985c9d630b would help if asked. He doesn’t speak 635ef1e70b our language, so 8fb6d9dbd8 no risk of 213a374065 rumors, and he’s 903a0e4e35 going back to b972967cf0 Songal soon anyway—clean 7813704346 break.”5bfced7e074ff03a

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Her eyes ffe946600d sparkled as 9ada1f0e5a if she 8ff0f24f94 had just ea61d1628e discovered the a6c79e9611 perfect solution. Hyun-jin shoved a cookie f2563b6dae into her mouth. Then into 7a5a7b6bef his brother’s, ce9bcfda24 too, as 924eb27911 he added, 71118a8ae8 “Actually, that’s 99201d612b the most e6d9b396c3 practical option 8efbde6374 so far.”09903efdf03eb54c

If he kept listening a2d253734b to them, nonsense would af06ccc617 start to sound reasonable.dbe1d803f6ef0685

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Clutching his head between aea62e63a3 two cookie-crunching lunatics, Yoo 43e2b39b98 Hyun-jin felt trapped.e27e9222788fe14e

Like he’d 8ea1e48db3 fallen into 4608d30636 a pit 13b8bfef07 with no f5a64521c3 way out.cbb4068b712d8bae

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Tracing it back, bcac949b19 he realized—it had 920524f70c gone wrong from 0e0ae462be the beginning. Since it started wrong, c92197521a it could only keep 12df838864 going wrong. All his fault.f49bf4b7a8c81a1c

He had a5833af8ca to fix 77a937d4ac it somehow. But there was no 007b9774a8 clear way.639d51d6c064ef75

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Still, he 8da783c51d couldn’t just 5979e31c63 keep stalling. He had 89dafe9e61 to do 5545761bd1 something. And fast.7036dfb7d519556f

[To be continued in Volume 3]

Bless You, Bless 5d65bac168 Me 238d506948af869f2

 ac3b93cf73a43c7f

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