“Wife.”

When Jewol returned home, he approached her with a worried expression on his face.

Yujo was exhausted and didn’t want to talk.

“What happened?”

When Jewol followed her into her room, she suddenly felt annoyed. It was a long and difficult day. Yujo wanted to scream.

But she couldn’t do that. Although it wasn’t Jewol’s fault, she couldn’t help but go crazy with anger.

When she recalled the way the Red King’s eyes looked at her, she wanted to bite her tongue and die.

But what good would that do? Would her sins be erased with her death? Would her wrongs disappear?!

“I’m too tired right now. I’d like some rest.”

“Ah, of course. But why did the Red King……?”

“Brother, I would like to rest.”

Yujo’s voice came out a bit sharp. Even if they had gone through a wedding together, Jewol was not her husband. Even if she was wearing exquisite silk clothing and glittering jewelry, she was not Dan SoYeon.

However, in this place, she didn’t feel like Yujo anymore.

After having spent three seasons in YeonSung, she didn’t feel like Yeha’s ChungMae anymore.

“Of course, I’m sorry.”

Jewol’s voice hardened. Yujo grasped her pained chest and forced a smile.

“I’m sorry. I think I need to rest right now.”

“All right…”

Although he said this, Jewol had a difficult time leaving her room. His hesitant footsteps expressed his burning curiosity. Yujo laughed helplessly. It seemed that she was arousing everyone’s curiosity these days.

“The Red King is suspicious of my identity.”

“What?”

“I met him while I was chasing after the Heukra.”

“How?”

“Since the Heukra appeared with the guibin’s waistband, isn’t it obvious?”

Jewol let out an ‘Ah’ as he nodded. What he had done to try to draw out the Nine Families had ultimately caught the attention of others as well.

“So were you caught?”

“It’s only a suspicion for now.”

“Oh dear.”

Jewol lowered his head before raising it with a determined look on his face.

“To be honest, I have something I need to tell you. I haven’t confirmed it yet, but something strange is going on in Princess Muyeo’s residence.”

“Princess Muyeo’s residence?”

Yujo glanced at him through the bronze mirror.

“Yeah. Actually, I’ve had a servant planted in the princess’s residence for a long time now. According to her, the princess is actually not sick at all.”

“What?”

Quiet a long time had passed since Princes Muyeo had gotten ill. After the fire at CheongRyu Hall, she stayed inside her home and never left. The emperor had even sent palace guards to protect her residence, and she had not been seen at any social functions during the fall.

There were many rumors saying that Princess Muyeo’s sickness was related to her emotional state. But Jewol was now saying she wasn’t sick? What was he talking about?

“Although she is allegedly sick, I heard that she has been asking for nutrient-rich foods and fruits. It’s strange. Despite her sickness, I heard her face is glowing. Strangest of all, I heard that she is always flustered whenever her daughter calls out for her grandmother.”

Could it be…?

Yujo turned her head and gazed at Jewol.

“That’s right. If the guibin is alive, of course her daughter will want to meet her. And it so happens that the final family of the Nine Families, the House of Seol, is by her side. When Duke HyoEun began to operate and run CheongRyu Hall, we believed that there was a good chance that the guibin was being hidden there.”

Then was she now in Princess Muyeo’s residence?

Yujo’s thoughts tangled into a mess in her head. If she could confirm this, she’d be able to ask the Crown Prince to at least let her see her brother.

As soon as she recalled the terribly gaunt Yuha, a pain ripped through her heart.

“In order to catch the fox, you need to lure it out of its den.”

“What do you mean?”

In response to Jewol’s question, Yujo looked at him with an exhausted expression.

“It will be their daughter’s birthday soon. No matter how sick the mother is, she won’t just skip over her daughter’s birthday. Please prepare a gift.”

They needed to hurry. Garan was already catching on. Yujo bit her lips and gazed at Jewol.

“And please monitor the Red King. He’s definitely suspicious of my identity. He will definitely be watching the both of us, so we must keep each other in check.”

‘Are you really Duke MoonYeo’s wife?’

She remembered how cold his eyes had been as he’d asked that question. She recalled the way he had coldly left the storeroom after hearing her words. She also remembered the way his eyes had lowered when the princess had mentioned his new queen.

She felt as if her heart was going to burst into flames. She felt as if she’d just burn into ashes right this second. She wanted to scream because she hated everything about this situation. But there was nothing she could do. She couldn’t give up on Brother Yuha like this. The guibin or her brother. She had to choose one.

Yujo sighed with a pale face as she turned her head.

“All right. But what happened to your cheek?”

She finally remembered how Princess Yeowa had slapped her on her cheek. She brought her hand up and lightly touched it. The blow had been full of so much force that it was still stinging. Yujo was sure that it had left a mark.

“Did the Red King do that to you?”

“…No. I just tripped.”

Yujo quickly changed the subject. Jewol’s eyes were full of curiosity and doubt as he gazed at her, but she continued to avoid it. She couldn’t tell Jewol what had happened today no matter what.

“Then go ahead and rest.”

Jewol finally exited the room. Yujo let out a soft sigh. For some reason, it was difficult for her to talk comfortably with Jewol lately.

She felt as if her head was going to shatter. As soon as she pulled out the ornamental hairpin, her hair fell down her back like a black waterfall. She didn’t want to look at the woman in the mirror. She was crying again.

She wanted to ride Jukmu. She wanted to steal his horse and ride it all the way back to Yeha. Then the horse’s master would be so enraged that he’d chase after her.

And after all that running and chasing, after he climbed over Mount Paran, she’d never let him go back. She’d block the mountain pass.

Aah, it sounded like such a dream.

If she were Yeha’s Yujo, she would have caught any man she wanted like that.

However, the Yujo right now was trying to wound that man’s heart.

Yujo looked into the mirror. She gazed at her crying reflection with hatred.

The group of ladies burst out laughing as the bright child cooed and smiled. Yujo had been right. No matter how sick the mother was, she wouldn’t be able to pass over her child’s birthday.

Three-year-old Lady MyungHwa’s behavior and words were all so lovable. For the first time in a long while, Princess Muyeo’s residence was filled with the sound of laughter and the smell of delicious food.

The emperor’s soldiers still surrounded the residence. Because of the forbidding aura, only a small group of nobles and imperial family members attended the party. However, this was actually for the better.

Yujo gifted a set of beautifully crafted clothing. The green silk was embroidered with yellow butterflies and flowers.

“Thank you.”

Muyeo grinned as she received the gift.

The servant had been right. Muyeo had definitely applied her makeup a bit differently than she usually did, and her movements seemed strained, but otherwise, she didn’t seem like a sick person at all. Yujo gave her a soft smile and followed everyone else in wishing her well.

A few people cautiously asked Yujo about what had occurred at the SangSuh official’s house. Whenever they did, she merely put on a strained expression and didn’t answer.

“Ah! That person!”

Suddenly, Lady Yoon lowered her head and whispered to Yujo.

“That lady is the daughter of the SangSuh official’s house.”

“What?”

“You know… The one who will become the Red Queen.”

Red… Queen?

Suddenly, Yujo stiffened and gazed at the woman.

From just one look, anyone could tell that she was a noble daughter of YeonSung. Like a raven’s wing, her ample black hair had a bluish tint underneath the light. Her face seemed pure and innocent, but it also seemed sensuous at the same time. From her elegant pink silk clothing to her expensive accessories, everything oozed class and dignity.

A chill settled in her heart. No matter how many times she told herself it wasn’t true, that woman seemed like a perfect match for the Red King. Seeing her sitting next to Princess Muyeo as she smiled… It was as if they’d popped out of a painting.

Yujo turned her head away with much difficulty.

It was none of her business.

She pretended as if she didn’t care, but her clenched teeth caused blood to burst in her mouth.

While others said words of blessings for the child, Yujo cautiously looked around the room. She’d already taken note of this building. The only strange aspect of the structure of this residence was the width of the corridor. Was it just a mere coincidence that the corridor leading to the princess’s room was narrower than the other corridors?

Of course, it was impossible for Yujo to enter the princess’s room.

Due to the winter weather, all the windows in the room were closed and covered with thick curtains to keep out the cold. Because they didn’t want the princess’s young daughter to catch a cold, small incense braziers were lit throughout the room. There were three large doors and a pond outside.

After finding the perfect opportunity, Yujo pushed a green silk cloth underneath a window with her foot. She recalled the words Garan had told her long ago.

“Magic is just a high-level method of deception. All those people thought that the twig was a real twig because I snapped it in two. However, it was actually a thin piece of silk that had been hollowed out in the middle, and the flowers were also made of silk that had been doused in white oil. But they didn’t know that.”

Wasn’t this the perfect time to use magic?

Yujo joined the group of people gathered around the child. Suddenly, boom! One brazier exploded. The surprised princess pulled her child against her chest. The green cloth Yujo had placed on the floor burst into flames.

The shocked ladies screamed as they ran out of the room. Yujo protected the princess who was carrying Lady MyungHwa and guided them out.

“Protect the princess!”

“Fire!”

“Where are the eunuchs?”

“Water! Grab some water!”

In the middle of all this chaos and uproar, the women began to move towards Princess Muyeo’s inner rooms. Yujo mixed in with the crowd and made her way towards the Princess’s room.

People had broken through the icy pond and were filling pitchers with water. Thanks to their efforts, the flames had died down somewhat, but smoke continued to rise out of the building.

Just as everyone took a deep breath from all the chaos, a group of physicians rushed in.

“Smoke isn’t good for the body. Please move further inside.”

There was quite a lot of smoke compared to the size of the flames. The ladies stepped on their skirts as they made their way inside. During all this, Yujo kept an eye on the clouds of smoke.

As expected, the corridor was strange. The smoke on the floor was being sucked in through the cracks in the wall. The wall was definitely the one leading to the princess’s bedroom.

Yujo walked down the corridor. When she reached the corner, the smoke was no longer being sucked in.

She guessed the distance and entered the garden. The snow crunched underneath her feet. Yujo discovered something strange. A bamboo tree looked like it had been pinned into the ground like a hairpin. It was definitely an air hole.

“What are you doing?”

Yujo turned around in surprise to find Garan standing behind her. Behind him, Yujo saw the pale Duke HyoEun hastily running towards the main rooms.

Yujo froze for a moment. Wearing gray silk clothing with a pelt draped over his shoulders, he looked like a man who was ready for battle rather than an uncle who had come to celebrate his niece’s birthday.

Yujo’s mouth went dry. Her heart raced, and her hands trembled. Yujo did her best to keep a calm expression on her face, but instead, her face twisted into a mess.

“I was just looking at the tree.”

Don’t shake. Stay steady.

“The tree?”

“I used to like it.”

He stood in silence for a while before slowly walking towards her. Like an animal that had come across a hunter, Yujo wanted to escape as soon as possible.

He stood close to her and gazed in the direction where she had been looking. The bamboo was surrounded by miscellaneous trees.

“What kind of tree?”

Yujo glanced behind her before answering in a soft voice.

“Isn’t it a peony tree?”

He looked at her. When their eyes met, Yujo came to a realization. Peony?! Last summer, when she had been captured inside the ChiHwaRu, she had put a peony blossom in her hair. He had whispered to her that he could smell peonies as he buried his nose against her neck. That brief memory was carved into the peony tree.

You fool…

Yujo turned around and began to head back in order to escape the suffocating atmosphere.

“Your Highness!”

Suddenly, and unfamiliar voice came in between the two of them. Yujo turned around in surprise to find the SangSuh official’s daughter approaching them.

“I heard you’d be coming.”

Her happy voice sounded as if they had met before.

A courteous smile stretched across Garan’s lips.

“Were you waiting for me?”

What?

Yujo raised her eyes and looked at him. His kind smile was a sight to see. It wasn’t the mischievous smile he had given her in the past. It was the smile of a prince.

“Princess Muyeo was waiting for you.”

It sounded like a conversation between family members. Yujo quickly lowered her head.

“I’ll be going inside.”

“Let us go inside together. It’s too dangerous out here. We’ll head to the inner rooms.”

Garan gestured to the SangSuh official’s daughter. She gave him a blushing smile as she passed through Yujo and Garan. Yujo couldn’t stand this awkward situation any longer. She stiffly lowered her head and was prepared to follow behind her.

They only walked a few steps when a hand snatched her hips. Yujo would have cried out if it weren’t for the pair of fierce lips stealing her own.

Crazy bastard!

The lady was right in front of them!

Her lower lip was torn underneath the brutal kiss. The kiss was fierce and short like lightning. With the taste of blood, she felt a tingling sensation spread throughout her body.

Yujo angrily pushed him away. Yujo glared at him with shocked eyes.

“What is the matter?”

Suddenly, the lady who had been leading the way turned around and asked.

“I-it’s nothing… I just lost my footing…”

Yujo mumbled an excuse with a pale face. Alarm bells were going off in her head. Garan didn’t seem to care as he merely gave her a cold smile full of contempt before brushing past her.

What is he doing?!

Yujo stood blankly in her spot. She couldn’t believe he had captured her lips in that short moment. Garan had already turned and was about to enter the room. He acted as if it hadn’t happened. The lady didn’t seem to have noticed and gave him a smile. He politely smiled back at her.

How disgusting.

Yujo barely managed to walk into the room. Thankfully, the snow on her clothes had already melted into little water droplets. The room was full of unsettled people, but Princess Muyeo gave Yujo a strange look.

“Did something happen?”

“Sorry?”

Yujo looked at her in surprise.

“Not at all. Why do you ask?”

“Your face is red. It looks like you’ve caught a fever.”

At Muyeo’s words, Yujo touched her cheeks in shock. It was true. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire.