Chapter 4

Su-Hyeok left the office, gripping the door handle tightly before shutting it behind him.

Even as he turned away, his dark eyes lingered, gradually fading into deep thought.

His expression held an air of contemplation, as if something weighed on his mind.

"Gu Seol-Ah."

A name slipped from his lips, soft yet unmistakably clear.

How long had it been since he last uttered that name?

"Do you know how much effort it took to find you?"

His voice carried an unspoken weight, as though he was recalling a distant memory.

That day had been just like today—a warm breeze drifting by, the sunlight softly grazing his fingertips. The wind, which had swept through his past, had left everything in its place, unchanged.

'Grandmother...!'

And Gu Seol-Ah—today was also the day she met the woman who would become her master.

'Oh no, I sincerely apologize...!'

Flustered, Seol-Ah stumbled and fell to the floor, hurriedly clutching at her robe in an attempt to steady herself.

Her flushed face burned with embarrassment as she remained frozen, unable to lift her gaze. The woman standing before her barely moved, only watching in silence.

"Are you all right? Did you hurt yourself anywhere?"

"Huh...? Oh, no! I'm fine."

"Then... that's good."

Su-Hyeok watched as Seol-Ah clumsily scrambled up, her eyes darting anxiously around her. Then, he noticed the small silk pouch that had slipped from her robe.

Bending down, he picked it up and dusted it off before holding it out to her.

"Here. This belongs to you, doesn't it?"

"Ah...! Thank you."

Still unable to meet his gaze, Seol-Ah hesitated before accepting the pouch. Then, as she cradled it in her hands, she allowed herself a small, hidden smile.

That smile created the illusion of a perfect crescent moon, making it seem as though the warmth of the sun had settled on their faces.

Exchanging such subtle smiles, they felt a fleeting sense of familiarity.

Seol-Ah had always been reserved with her emotions, but back then, her smile had been particularly timid.

Su-Hyeok's first memory of Seol-Ah was exactly that.

"That woman was the fugitive's daughter."

"Yes, I have been sent from the Soja household to serve as the Crown Princess's maid."

In truth, Su-Hyeok had once been next in line for the throne.

He had been the rightful heir, the one meant to inherit the royal seat.

And Seol-Ah—her name had become entangled in that very struggle. Because she was the fugitive's daughter, the rumors from the royal court claimed that unless the heavens intervened, she would be the future crown princess.

Perhaps that was why.

That was why Su-Hyeok couldn't take his eyes off her when she stumbled into him, when she turned away, and when she carefully matched her steps to his.

"If only back then… if I had never let go of your father's hand… If I had stayed with you until the end, would things have been different?"

Would they have been able to find happiness?

As Su-Hyeok relived the day he first met Seol-Ah, a faint, sorrowful smile crossed his lips.

But that was all in the past.

Su-Hyeok was no longer the heir to the throne.

The very man he had once served—King Yeonjae—had overthrown the previous ruler and seized the crown, shattering any illusion of peace.

Su-Hyeok's dark eyes flickered as he turned to glance at the tightly shut office doors.

"Your Highness… You must leave. If you hesitate any longer, you will be stripped of your title."

His father and mother had already been executed at the hands of Yeonjae. Even Su-Hyeok himself had barely escaped with his life.

The fugitive's daughter, once nothing more than a pawn in a royal game, had somehow survived. But now, the last remnants of her family's fate rested in the hands of a king who showed no mercy.

"I cannot leave. I must stay and restore the Joseon dynasty. I must avenge my father and mother."

"No… Now is not the time for revenge. Vengeance will only bring destruction."

"Do-Seung-Ji, won't you help me?"

"I no longer have the power to do so. Soon, my family will be accused of treason and executed. But, Your Highness, you must let go of my hand and leave Joseon."

"If I leave… then what about you, Do-Seung-Ji? What will happen to you?"

"Do not worry about me, Your Highness. I will remain here until the very end and protect the throne."

That was how Su-Hyeok had left behind someone else's ambitions, escaping the palace like a fugitive.

Shortly after, Do-Seung-Ji was falsely accused and executed. Meanwhile, Su-Hyeok, the deposed crown prince, feigned illness and barely survived, living on only in name.

He had left everything behind in Joseon, hiding in a foreign land, sharpening his blade of vengeance all these years.

"I have one last request. If you ever return to Joseon, please… spare my daughter's life."

The final words of Do-Seung-Ji echoed in his mind.

His chest tightened, threatening to burst from the weight of those memories.

Su-Hyeok exhaled slowly, his sharp gaze darkening.

"I am no longer a prince, Seol-Ah. To you, I am nothing more than an old acquaintance."

Dragging Seol-Ah into his revenge had been an unfortunate consequence. Yet, even so, he had no choice but to keep her by his side.

"The safest place for you in Joseon is with me."

Upon his return, now armed with power inherited from his mother's side, Su-Hyeok had sought out Seol-Ah first.

The moment he learned she had been taken to the courtesan house, he had gone straight there.

A cruel twist of fate, or mere coincidence?

Seol-Ah, once destined for nobility, had instead been reduced to a mere servant tending to courtesans.

She was no longer adorned in fine silk but dressed in plain, worn-out robes.

Her once radiant smile had faded, replaced by the quiet composure of someone who had long since lost everything.

Su-Hyeok found himself unable to turn away, unable to take his eyes off the sight before him.

"I'm grateful that you're alive."

Su-Hyeok, who had been hesitating over those very words, finally took a step forward.

He let out a long breath and swept a hand over his face.

Seol-Ah had died and come back to life without even realizing it. She hadn't known that, at the time, she had been considered the rightful crown princess.

Or the time he had spent searching for her.

He hadn't expected those feelings to surface now.

After all, he had never been anything special to her.