Phases of the moon

Part 6

"It's done," she hears Wheein say after the finishing touch. Yongsun looks at the mirror, her hair is simply down yet it looks neat as Wheein secured it with silver pins at both sides. The clothes that she is wearing has pretty colors which are pleasing to the eyes. Her peach chima or outer skirt is paired with the usual white jeogori. The color of the string-like ornamental piece that hangs vertically across the front of her chima reminds her of mint leaves.

She looks back at the mirror one more time and sees her skirt more puffed up than usual as she has to wear double the usual inner pants because of the weather in Manwol.

"Thanks, Wheein."

It has been almost a week since her father and his entourage left Manwol, the capital city of Wolgwang. If she is not wrong, then they would probably be halfway Wolgwang's border now. If only they didn't bring a lot of people then they could have taken the shortest route which is to cross the river straight to Iljo which could probably cut the journey by 3 days depending on the number of horses and respites taken. However, with the number of people that joined to escort them, it is much safer to go around the mountain though it takes much longer to arrive at their destination.

Yongsun opens her elegant gilded chest that contains all of her valuables sitting on her vanity table to put back her necklace.

"Unnie, isn't that..." Wheein asks as she has seen something very familiar amongst the jewelry in the chest. It stood out among the shimmering accessories for it had the dullest lackluster appearance. She checks it again to make sure that she isn't wrong.

Yongsun smiles widely now that Wheein has noticed it, "You remembered?" and Wheein laughs at her. Others would have found her laughter as offensive as no handmaiden does that to her mistress. However, the pair is surely peculiar. Yongsun finds Wheein's laughter infectious that she could not help but giggle.

"Of course! How can I forget how you cried nonstop because you lost your bracelet?" Wheein replies as she dries the tear from the corner of her eye. Even the King could not appease her, "I thought you have lost it. You never said anything."

"Actually, I thought that I have lost it too," then she remembers how her father found it by chance, "I thought I would never see it again."

Wheein gives the woman a small smile knowing how much she treasures the bracelet. She doesn't know why because the accessory doesn't hold much monetary value. It's not even real. It's a common good that can be bought at the side of the market. It may be something common but the bracelet holds something that Yongsun treasures so much. A memory, perhaps. Wheein does not know for sure because Yongsun has not told her anything but she is glad that it has returned to her.

"I'm glad you have it back again, unnie,"

A moment later, the person Yongsun has been waiting for has finally arrived.

"Ahreum, it is good to see you," Yongsun welcomes the young woman who she has asked for help with her little request. She's glad that Ahreum accepted happily with her request to help her explore the palace.

In Byulyi's library, she has found a blueprint of the place and took it after asking permission from her wife who by the way is extremely difficult to come by. It is as if they aren't living under the same roof at all. She has observed that Byulyi sleeps very late at night and wakes up even before the break of the dawn that Yongsun could not even catch a glimpse of her hair.

She has finally caught on her when she has seen her enters her study after she has returned from the field.

"You may enter," she hears her deep and curt voice before Yongsun decided to enter the room.