𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗥 𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗦, Go Won

𝟱𝟲. 𝗦𝗲𝗼 𝗬𝘂𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝗲𝗼𝗵𝗼 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀

"Your Royal Highness." Da-hye bowed. "I assume you were just in Jeongjingak rewarding Uk." Da-hye said.

"Yes, I was." The Crown Prince said annoyed.

Da-hye sighed. "Did something happen? Did Uk annoy you?" Da-hye asked. Da-hye was trying to not make the conversation awkward. She was usually nervous around the Crown Prince.

"Yes, he did." The Crown Prince responded. He wanted to spend more time with Da-hye because for the past 3 years, she had not failed at pushing him away.

"Mmm." Da-hye said. "I would offer to hang out with you but I have to go to Chwiseonru with Dang-gu to welcome Yul back." Da-hye explained.

"Seo Yul?" The Crown Prince asked. "He is coming back Daeho?" The Crown Prince was curious about Yul returning but he also wanted to make Da-hye stay a little bit longer with him.

"Yes. Did you not know, Your Royal Highness?" Da-hye asked. "He is returning with his uncle, Seo Yun-oh." Da-hye said.

"No, I did not know." The Crown Prince said. "Why am I only finding out now?"

"Da-hye!" Dang-gu's voice said. "Are you ready to go?" Dang-gu started smiling like an idiot again when he saw that Da-hye was talking with the Crown Prince. "Your Royal Highness." Dang-gu bowed.

"Park Dang-gu." The Crown Prince smiled. "I see you have become the new leader of Songrim."

"Yes, I have." Dang-gu responded. Then he looked at Da-hye and then at the Crown Prince. "Oh, dear. Should we stay for a while longer?" Dang-gu asked with a smile on his face. The Crown Prince smiled at Dang-gu's comment. 

Da-hye rolled her eyes. Of course Dang-gu had to make a comment like that. "No, Yul's boat should be arriving any minute now." Da-hye said. "We should be at Chwiseonru to greet him." Da-hye explained. "We will be leaving now, Your Royal Highness." Da-hye bowed her head. "Let us go." She grabbed Dang-gu arm and dragged him with her.

The Crown Prince could not help to be a little offended. It seemed like Da-hye cared more about Yul than she cared about him. The Crown Prince put his hand over his chest. How could she be so cruel to him?

After a while of arguing, Da-hye and Dang-gu finally arrived to Chwiseonru.

"Hello, my lord." A Chwiseonru guard said. "Hello, Young Lady Park." The guard bowed his head.

"Is Yul here?" Dang-gu asked.

"Young Master Seo has not arrived yet." The guard said.

Dang-gu nodded his head and he and Da-hye decided to go inside Chwiseonru. As they were going in, they saw a woman run out of there.

"Who is she?" Dang-gu asked.

"I do not know." Da-hye said. "But she is pretty." Da-hye did not see much of her face but she could tell that the woman was a pretty girl.

Yul arrived to Chwiseonru a while after. He told Dang-gu and Da-hye that he wanted to go to Jeongjingak. The atmosphere in Jeongjingak was always strange and somehow empty, dark and ominous. It was because Jang Uk was the last remaining mage here.

"There are no mages who train at Jeongjingak anymore." Dang-gu told Yul. "Ah. There is only Uk." Dang-gu said.

"Everyone left Jeongjingak because of him." Da-hye said.

"I left first." Yul said. "I fled by myself when you three were struggling the most."

"It was not your fault." Da-hye said. "You had no choice."

"I am sorry." Yul said.

"She is right. You were struggling too." Dang-gu said. "You knew, did you not?" Dang-gu asked about Naksu. He knew that Da-hye knew too. "That she was Naksu?" Dang-gu asked.