Chapter 5

The next day, as soon as Seol-Ah opened her eyes, she went straight to the office and diligently read her book.

Her greatest concern was her mother and younger sibling. She forced herself to stay focused, thinking that Su-Hyeok was taking care of them in her place.

She told herself that learning and studying diligently was the only way to repay him.

Seol-Ah clutched the book her mother had sent and read it with determination.

Then, she turned to look at Su-Hyeok's empty seat and tilted her head slightly.

"He's not up yet?"

Unlike yesterday, there was no sign of Su-Hyeok. It was unusual for him to be late.

Seol-Ah glanced at his empty desk, then turned toward his private quarters, gripping her headband tightly.

She hesitated, wondering what kind of greeting would be appropriate.

"Did you have a pleasant dream…?"

No, that sounded far too friendly.

"Did you sleep well?"

That felt too formal, as if she were speaking to an elderly noble.

"I hope you rested well?" Would that be better?

Muttering to herself, Seol-Ah took a deep breath and prepared to greet him.

Just as she was about to press down on the door handle, someone suddenly grabbed it from the other side.

"Ah…!"

Before she could even react, the door swung open.

Caught off guard, Seol-Ah stumbled forward, completely unprepared.

Her hand instinctively landed on someone's chest.

"What are you doing in front of the door?"

A familiar, low voice spoke.

Startled, Seol-Ah quickly withdrew her hand, realizing she had been pressing against Su-Hyeok's chest.

She looked up and saw him staring down at her with an unreadable expression.

"I-I heard there was an urgent matter…"

She trailed off awkwardly.

Without saying anything, Su-Hyeok turned and walked back into the office.

"Then come see for yourself."

Seol-Ah blinked in confusion.

"What?"

His voice was calm, but his eyes held an intense gaze as he looked at her.

It didn't seem like it was truly an urgent matter…

Seol-Ah hesitated, her eyes darting nervously before she finally rolled forward on her knees.

"You said you had something to show me."

"...."

"Look. It's right here."

His firm response made her swallow the words of greeting she had prepared.

Instead, she hesitated for a moment before rising from her seat.

Her small hands lightly brushed over the pages of the book she had been reading.

Su-Hyeok, watching her every movement closely, remained silent.

Slowly, she tucked her flushed face behind the book and stepped forward.

He lifted his gaze to meet hers, his eyes locked onto her red lips.

Standing before him, Seol-Ah clasped her hands tightly together and lifted her gaze.

Lowering her eyes again, she finally parted her lips.

"Did you... sleep well?"

"What?"

Su-Hyeok's eyes narrowed as he frowned, wondering what nonsense he had just heard.

"I-I mean, you must have rested well. If so..."

She faltered, lowering her voice.

Su-Hyeok smirked, his lips twitching slightly as he let out an amused breath.

As Seol-Ah turned away, he caught her wrist, his touch lingering as his fingers gently brushed against hers.

The warmth of his skin made her look back at him, her face growing even warmer.

"Then I deserve a proper response, don't I?"

"A response?"

"I slept well."

His reply was curt and indifferent as he finally released her hand.

Seol-Ah instinctively clutched her wrist and turned away, pressing her lips together.

Seol-Ah quietly sat back down, glancing at the tips of her toes for no reason.

As she settled into her seat, she flipped open the book and stole a cautious glance at Su-Hyeok.

He simply lowered his gaze to his book with an expressionless face, showing no change in his demeanor.

Seol-Ah gently rolled her shoulders before fully opening the book.

Just then, Su-Hyeok's voice came from beside her.

"After breakfast, you may ask questions about the parts you read since yesterday."

"...."

"But make sure to focus and memorize as much as possible in the meantime."

"Yes."

With that, the two of them returned to their respective tasks.

Seol-Ah blinked a few times before looking into her book again.

"...."

Then, hesitantly, she turned her head slightly to glance at Su-Hyeok.

Though he appeared to be focused on the book, his gaze seemed somewhat reflective.

The corners of his lips slightly parted.

"Do you still have something to say?"

"...!"

Seol-Ah, who had been staring at her book, suddenly felt her chest tighten at his words.

Her large eyes grew even wider.

"Ah, no."

"Then instead of looking at me, focus on your reading."

"...."

"Every time you fail to answer a question, I'll add another page for you to memorize."

He sounded like a strict teacher.

At the mention of an extra page to memorize, Seol-Ah hurriedly moved her hands.

The sound of pages turning filled the room, and just then, Su-Hyeok lifted his head, glancing at Seol-Ah.

She kept her focus locked on the book, responding with a perfectly concentrated expression.

This time, however, Su-Hyeok couldn't take his eyes off her.

Like someone fluently reciting palace terminologies, her lips effortlessly formed silent words as she read.

A soft "Jeo-ha" barely escaped her lips, and Seol-Ah's expression subtly darkened.

At that moment, as she was looking down at her book, Su-Hyeok suddenly grabbed his teacup and turned to face her.

"Seonbi-nim, I have a question… Ah."

But before she could finish, she realized he was already looking at her, his sharp gaze waiting.

Flustered, Seol-Ah clamped her mouth shut.

Su-Hyeok, clearly finding this amusing, subtly smirked.

Just as their gazes clashed unexpectedly, Su-Hyeok looked slightly taken aback, as if caught off guard. He averted his eyes and got up from his seat.

"You can ask after we eat."

-----------------------------------

After finishing her meal, Seol-Ah briefly sat in the small garden of her residence.

Hugging her knees, she scooped up a spoonful of rice.

"Eat a lot so you can grow."

A faint smile crossed her lips.

But then, she suddenly recalled Su-Hyeok's piercing gaze watching her earlier in the office. Her spoon paused mid-air as she sneaked a glance at him.

"It'd be nice if you'd smile more often. A good-looking face like yours would look much better with a cheerful expression."

"Right, Bong-Ya?"

Seol-Ah muttered, poking at her rice, before placing another bite into her mouth while pretending to be deeply engrossed in her meal.

At that moment, someone walked up beside her and came to a stop with unsteady steps.

"Wow, someone looks handsome."

"Ack… Sunbae-nim!"

Seol-Ah was so startled by Su-Hyeok's sudden appearance that she nearly choked and shot to her feet.

Had he heard what she said? She cautiously glanced at him, but his expression remained unreadable, his sharp gaze cool and indifferent.

Still, there was no way to tell what he was thinking.

"Don't waste time on nonsense. If you have spare time, read another page of your book."

It seemed he had only overheard part of her muttering.

Seol-Ah's cheeks flushed a deep pink.

"Y-Yes… Of course, Seonbi-nim."

With her back straight, she scooped another bite of rice and lowered her gaze, while Su-Hyeok, instead of replying, simply picked up his teacup and stared at her.

His black eyes, filled with icy intensity, met Seol-Ah's startled gaze.

"Jaun-go, thank you."

She fidgeted slightly as she spoke, but he didn't respond.

"Thankfully… It doesn't seem like there's a scar."

When she added this, Su-Hyeok responded curtly.

"That's good, then."

Just then, as if something had come to mind, Su-Hyeok turned to Seol-Ah.

"I think you should come to the tailor with me now."

"The tailor?"

"You need to have your palace attire adjusted in advance to fit your size properly."

"Oh, I see."

The mention of palace attire or a formal outfit made Seol-Ah's heart pound anxiously.

Even though she had expected it, the thought of dressing as a court lady filled her with nervous excitement.

Once appointed as the Crown Prince's consort, she was summoned to meet the Grand Empress Dowager for her official entry into the palace.

The once-distant memories of her past flooded back as her sharp eyes scanned the surroundings.

"Court Lady..."

Ahead of her, Su-Hyeok was leading the way with his usual unhurried steps.

But she didn't want to remember. She forcibly recalled the past that she had tried so hard to bury.

Becoming the Crown Prince's consort didn't feel like an overwhelming responsibility—it was the anxiety of possibly marrying the Crown Prince that unsettled her back then.

Rumors about the Crown Prince being impressive and unmatched were rampant, but his wife would have to bear the weight of such expectations. That made her heart race with nerves.

During that time, there was nothing she lacked, and nothing to truly worry about. Yet, the image of her younger self, standing cluelessly in the past, made her uneasy.

"Sigh… Gu Seol-Ah, you were so naïve."

As she thought about it, she found herself unconsciously letting out a bitter smile. Just as she was about to shake off the thought and refocus on reality, she let out a soft sigh and lowered her head.

A faint smile lingered on her face once again.

"One bowl of rice won't be enough. You need to eat more."

"What?"

Just then, Su-Hyeok, who had been walking ahead, turned around and spoke to her.

"Not that it matters… There's not much you can help with anyway."

"Oh."

"Since you're entering the palace, you'll have to stay up late studying. Your body needs to be strong for that."

"I may not look like it, but I'm actually quite strong."

"..."

"Look, my arm is really firm."

Seol-Ah answered halfheartedly and then quickly approached Su-Hyeok, blinking mischievously.

Then, as if challenging him, she reached out her arm, curiously waiting to see if he would take the bait.

"Feel it."

Su-Hyeok let out a faint sigh and responded in an indifferent tone.

The surroundings were unfamiliar, yet Seol-Ah was slowly trying to adapt to the military-like environment. Su-Hyeok silently observed her efforts.

After glancing at her briefly, he resumed walking.

"Watch out! Get out of the way!"

Hearing a frantic shout from behind, he turned his head. In the distance, a frenzied horse was charging toward them at full speed.

"Your Highness…!"

A panicked servant's voice rang out as they sprinted forward.

Frozen in shock, Seol-Ah could only widen her eyes as she saw the wild horse closing in.

"I— I…!"

Startled, Su-Hyeok instinctively reached out toward Seol-Ah.

Seol-Ah, as expected, tried to avoid his grasp, but her body refused to move as she wanted. Instead, her legs gave out beneath her.

At that moment, Su-Hyeok lunged toward her.

"It's dangerous, Seol-Ah!"