Moon's Whisper, Heart's Echo

28.The Memories

"Do you think he knows?" The Crown Princess leaned forward, her elaborate hairpins catching the morning light.

"Knows what, Your Highness?" Nandi carefully arranged merchant letters, pretending not to notice Ji-soo's growing smirk.

"That you count his visits." The Princess's eyes danced. "Young-ah keeps a tally, you know. Three times on Monday alone."

"She does not—"

"Oh, but she does." Ji-soo produced a folded paper with flourish. "See? Market visits in red, 'coincidental' meetings in blue, and evening sessions for 'Min-joon's studies' marked with little stars."

Nandi snatched at the paper, but Ji-soo danced away. "How dare you—"

"Seventeen visits this week," the Princess continued cheerfully. "A new record, I believe. Though perhaps we should only count the ones where actual studying occurred?"

"I hate you both," Nandi declared, though her lips twitched. "This is treason."

"Speaking of treason," the Princess examined her tea with exaggerated interest, "my husband mentioned seeing your devoted scholar this morning."

"The Crown Prince saw—" Nandi caught herself. "I mean, Master Park is hardly—"

"'Master Park' now, is it?" Ji-soo's grin widened. "Not 'that insufferable man' or 'the most arrogant noble in Hanyang' anymore?"

"I never said—"

"You called him a peacock just last month," the Princess supplied helpfully. "Something about strutting through the marketplace like he owned it?"

"That was before he started strutting through your courtyard instead," Ji-soo added.

Nandi buried her face in her hands. "I'm dismissing you both. Immediately."

"You can't dismiss me," the Princess reminded her cheerfully. "I outrank you."

"Then I'm dismissing myself."

The Princess's laughter faded slightly. "You wouldn't my dare." The Princess settled onto a cushion, her eyes dancing. "Though speaking of your future husband—"

"He's not my—"

"—my husband saw him at the palace this morning." She accepted the tea Ji-soo poured with a graceful nod. "Looking quite... determined."

Nandi's fingers stilled on her sleeve. "Did he say what about?"

"You know how men are, especially those scholarly types." The Princess waved her hand airily. "All secretive meetings and meaningful glances."

"Of course," Nandi sighed as she settled for a moment, broken only by the soft clink of teacups.

"Your Highness," Nandi began carefully. "That shaman you recommended before..."

"The one you said you'd never see again?" The Princess raised an elegant eyebrow. "The one whose predictions you called 'manipulative nonsense'?"

"Yes, well..." Nandi traced the rim of her cup.

"Perhaps I was... hasty."

"Hasty?" Ji-soo nearly dropped her teacup. "You stormed out saying if another shaman mentioned fever dreams or summer festivals, you'd—"

"Things change," Nandi cut in smoothly. "Sometimes we need to reconsider our... positions."

The Crown Princess set down her cup, studying Nandi's face. "What's changed?"

"Nothing. Everything." Nandi sighed. "I'm simply unsure where it all changed..." She shook her head.

"Such as?"