As the old man said so many things in one sentence, the subtle differences in accents and facial expressions made Ruhae and Kyosul feel as if he were speaking to someone else.

Who was it?

“Hill… . ”

Kyosul murmured, trembling unconsciously.

Hill.

That was the only subject that the fortune teller mentioned in that sentence.

That fortune teller called Ruhae and Kyosul a bird and rain respectively.

If that was the case, the hill was clearly not referring to them.

How could he talk about somebody else when he was trying to tell their fortunes?

He seemed to announce someone’s existence that was inseparable from their lives.

When Kyosul was trying to ponder over it more, Ruhae embraced her tightly.

When she was wrapped in his arms, she could shake off the anxiety that filled her whole body.

“We stayed outside too long. Aren’t you tired? Let’s go back,” Ruhae whispered gently.

When she heard his kind and comforting voice, all the distracting thoughts in her mind disappeared. She nodded silently.

As the night drew on, the fever of the festival became hotter.

Leaving the festival behind, however, they walked back with a heavy heart. There was silence when they entered a secluded alley nearby. Their short deviation at the festival was over. They had to end it.

They were not supposed to look like lovers anymore.

Kyosul had to go back to her original place as the Crown Princess while Ruhae returned to being another prince.

***

Though they returned to the palace and their original positions, the festival continued. During this festival period, even the Imperial Palace was also in the thick of pleasure and excitement. While the Central Place was somewhat noisy and disorderly with the festival, other palaces were rather quiet. As a result, it was easy for the lovers to meet privately during the festival because there were fewer people that had to avoid and watch out. As they couldn’t miss this golden opportunity, Kyosul and Ruhae met and spent time together almost daily, but Ruhae became strange for the past several days.

Since he returned after enjoying the festival on the market street and after he met that strange fortune teller, he often looked at Kyosul with sad eyes. When they met secretly, he was particularly worried and anxious.

‘Obviously, he is bothered by that fortune-teller’s prediction.’

Today, Kyosul returned to the Dongbi Palace at sunset after spending all day with Ruhae. After dinner, she spent the evening leisurely, but she stood up abruptly as she couldn’t stand it anymore.

She quickly looked around her room. The court ladies at the Dongbi Palace were reduced by half as it was dark. After dinner, her nanny did not keep an eye on her.

She carefully walked out of her room. Muffling her steps, she quickly left the palace and headed for the south, bathed in the moonlight.

The Namchon Palace was as familiar to Kyosul as the Dongbi Palace.

Without looking around, she immediately knocked on the window of Ruhae’s room.

Knock, knock, knock.

There was no light lit in the room. It was impossible that Ruhae had already gone to bed and didn’t hear her knock. She began to feel cold in her fingertips, when a dim shadow came over the window.

When she knocked on the window strongly, he opened window wide.

“Kyosul!”

Ruhae, who found Kyosul outside the window, shouted in surprise and looked around, muffling his voice.

“How come you came here all of a sudden? At this time? It’s dangerous! ”

“Don’t worry. Even my nanny didn’t know I came here. I came to see you today because I have something to tell you right now. ”

“Now… ?”

Ruhae thought deeply, while Kyosul acted quickly. Of course, it was very rare that she came at this time. As he was so surprised, he just looked at her blankly, she reached out through the window.

“Are you going to keep me standing outside?”

Ruhae pulled her with both hands through the window. As she crossed the window into the room, she got to the point even before she closed the window.

“Tell me honestly.”

“What?”

Ruhae turned back to her after closing the window with a latch. Unlike him who kept looking around and expressing concern about her sudden visit, she focused on the topic, looking only at him.

“You are still bothered by that ridiculous fortune-teller’s prediction, right?”

His eyes widened with surprise.

“… Did you notice it? ”

“Very much.”

She grabbed his hands. They held hands tightly and sat side by side on the bed, looking at each other. She didn’t ask why he paid so much attention to that fortune-teller. As she was in the same boat, she could know without asking.

It was because of the relationship between the Crown Princess and the prince.

It was because each of them had their own official spouse.

Nevertheless, they were attracted to and loved each other.

Just like she suddenly came and brought the topic, she continued, “You told me the fortune-teller was trying to deceive us with his three-inch long tongue, right? That’s a typical trick people like him use to make money by deceiving suckers on the streets.”

He just grinned as she enthusiastically spoke. Excited by his laughter much more, she spoke heatedly, “Do you remember him when he spat out words we couldn’t understand and then suddenly lost interest in us and got lost in thoughts?”

“As if he were possessed by a spirit,” he said.

“Right. That was so fake. Very awkward. So, I noticed his trick. ”

“Did you notice it, too, at that time?”

“No, actually I was a bit confused at the time, but when I came back, I pondered over it. Perhaps he would have asked for more money if I had asked more questions.”

He stroked her hair as if to calm her down. Her head was even hot as she spoke passionately.

“I know, I know. I think so. It just keeps occurring to my mind….”

Ruhae’s eyes grew unfocused again. She thought of his sad eyes when he looked at her these days. She grabbed his hands with both hands.

“I already forgot everything. I don’t remember what the heck he rambled about because he said too many strange and awkward words. ”

“Right. Nonsensical sentences. ”

“It looks like you were tricked because you are so smart. As you try to find out its meaning and interpretation by yourself… ”

“You’re right.”

He pressed long kisses to her finger. With his lips still on her fingers, he continued to talk, “It’s not because of that fortune teller’s prediction. It just amplified the anxiety that was already in my mind. I didn’t control my fears and made you worry. I’m still stupid.”

His lips tickled her fingers. When his breath reached her fingers, she was touched by the warmth conveyed through her fingers.

“If we had not maintained this relationship or if we had not had any concern at all, we would have laughed off his prediction, ignoring it as just pure nonsense. ”

“You bet. But for this relationship…”

This relationship.

Something they could call ‘this relationship’ bothered them.

“But you have to remember this one thing.”

As if trying to forget the pain, she looked at him, straining her eyes.

“You are the only person that I can give my heart to,” she said.

“Yes, same to me.”

He put his hands on her cheeks. She put her hands on the back of his hands and spoke slowly.

“Don’t worry.”

Every word reflected her genuine feelings. Her fingers crossed his.

“Don’t worry, don’t be nervous,” she said tenderly, which touched his heart strongly.

“If no one knows this, or even if we can’t tell this to anybody else…”

Each of her words was emphasized.

As if not to miss her tone, he listened carefully.

“Because you are my man, and I am your woman.”

My man.

My one and only love.

When Kyosul said that, there was silence between them for a while. Even though they didn’t talk, their intense gazes spoke volumes. After looking at her for a long time, He leaned his forehead on her shoulder.

“I’m leaning on you who cried inside the sedan chair.”

It was anxiety and fear he brought upon himself.

But now he realized that he didn’t have to go through it by himself. He realized it through this young woman before his eyes.

The month-long festival to celebrate the birthday of Ohyulje ended with the gathering of all the royal families again for a splendid banquet. The royal families who had spent a month or so in the palace returned to their homes a day or two after the banquet.

All the palace people who were busy preparing for the festival were exhausted. And they received special allowances and vacations as they volunteered to serve royal families at the Imperial Palace banquet during the festival period when no one was forced to work. The special bonus they received was bigger than any other cash award.