🎭 Where the Blossoms Wait
Cheng Yi cared not a whit for the fact that Seo Ju was the Crown Prince of Joseon. His sole concern was that Yun Yuhua had been harmed, and that harm was tied to Seo Ju's presence. He would not allow her to suffer, not in body nor spirit. This time, however, her life hung in the balance. Though Cheng Yi's power paled in comparison to Seo Ju's in this land, he still gripped the collar of the Crown Prince, his anger seething.
"You..." Cheng Yi's voice trembled with fury, "She has been wounded for the first time. How could you allow such harm to come to her?"
Seo Ju met his gaze, his eyes cold and unyielding.
"I was alone," he replied with a calmness that masked the storm beneath. "I found her in distress, caught in the midst of danger."
Cheng Yi's suspicion flared, his voice rising. "Lies! Word has reached me that you have been shadowing her for days! You lurk about the inn, as a predator stalks its prey!"
Seo Ju's lips curled into a faint smirk, unbothered by the accusation.
"Believe what you will," he said dismissively, "But rest assured, I will uncover the ones who caused her harm. And when I do, none shall find mercy at their door."
Without another word, Seo Ju turned sharply and strode away, leaving behind a heavy air thick with the promise of retribution. Cheng Yi, unable to find another retort, stood still. Seo Ju returned to the room. Tian Ke and Qian'ai had sealed the inn's doors, attending to their injured charge. Tension gripped the air, each person's heart heavy with worry over their little dear. Tian Ke stood over her, his gaze unwavering, and sighed deeply.
"Speak. What happened?" he demanded of Seo Ju. Seo Ju's eyes lingered on her fragile form, unable to tear himself away. His voice came slowly, measured.
"Before I set out, I thought her safety was certain, for she was within the village walls… Who could have known she would step outside and return in this state?" Seo Ju's words were weighed with something unsaid, a deeper sorrow veiled beneath his calm.
Tian Ke's brow furrowed as he studied him. "You did not follow her? Nor did anyone else trail her, did they?"
Seo Ju's lips quivered for a moment, and a bitter chuckle escaped him. "Why would I follow her?" he said with a cold smile. "If anyone was to follow her… it should be me." His tone was flat, but his unease remained hidden behind his words, an effort to mask his discomfort. Tian Ke's sharp eyes never left him. The lie was evident, but it wasn't only a lie—there was more hidden beneath. Tian Ke's smile wavered, knowing the truth was far more tangled than Seo Ju let on.
"Enough of the façade," Tian Ke said, his voice soft but firm. "I know she has already broken it. If you continue this path, you will only wound yourself more deeply."
Seo Ju stiffened, as though struck by an invisible blow. The mask he had so carefully worn—layer upon layer, crafted with cold precision—had cracked. And not before a friend, nor a rival, but a stranger. How had she seen through it? How had she, with her gentle gaze and quiet resolve, unraveled what none had dared to touch? The question tormented him. Why her? And more haunting still—how had he allowed her to see him so completely?
Days passed like drifting clouds. Yun Yuhua remained unconscious, her breaths shallow, her spirit distant. Seo Ju had not left her side. He refused every summons from the court, leaving Lee Jae to shoulder their duties alone. Cheng Yi, bound still to his country, grew resentful, his silence weighed with disapproval. Yet Seo Ju could not move—not while she remained like this.
Qian'ai, watching quietly, saw it in his eyes: a grief too deep for words, a longing that tethered him to her bedside like a prisoner to his fate. If she did not wake, Seo Ju looked ready to set the kingdom ablaze in his search for the truth. The others resumed their roles, tending the inn and listening in shadows for whispers of the truth. And Seo Ju remained, alone in that dim room with Yun Yuhua, his hand often resting just inches from hers—close, but never quite touching.
A knock pierced the stillness. Seo Ju turned.
"Jinji?" he called. The door slid open, and Jinji stepped in, falling to one knee in respect.
"There were indeed two culprits in this matter, Your Highness," Jinji began solemnly. "The one Lady Yun Yuhua slew bore no crest, no signet—naught but a common blade, easily purchased from any market vendor. However, she was a palace maid."
Seo Ju's gaze sharpened.
"She hailed from a family steeped in debt. When I searched her residence, it had already been ransacked. Her kin… all slain. No soul left behind."
A heavy silence fell before Jinji produced a folded scrap of parchment and a single coin. "Yet she left one clue, hidden away from prying eyes."
Seo Ju took it. His fingers tightened as he recognized the insignia stamped into the silver coin. It was no ordinary currency—this belonged solely to the House of Yi, minted only for those within the palace. His lips curved into a cold, mirthless smile.
"So…" he murmured, voice low as thunder before the storm, "Is this meant as a warning… or a declaration of war?"
He turned the coin in his palm, his voice hardening to steel.
"Uncle… what game are you planning to play now? Are you seeking to erase her from the world? Or was it someone else, lurking in your shadow?" His jaw tightened, the anger simmering just beneath his calm exterior. His face betrayed no emotion—but his eyes spoke volumes. Retribution would come. He was certain of it.
Jinji quietly left the room to gather more clues about the assassination attempt. Cheng Yi watched him go and, realizing Jinji worked for Seo Ju, stormed into the room where Yun Yuhua rested. He fixed his gaze on Seo Ju.
"What clues did you gather?" he questioned urgently. Seo Ju sighed and sat straight.
"Someone in my family could be targeting her… I don't know who yet," Seo Ju vaguely responded. Cheng Yi held a fist in anger.
"Who do you suspect then?" he questioned further. Seo Ju glanced at him.
"My uncle… the queen. Or the queen's family," Seo Ju answered. Cheng Yi trembled and was confused.
"What? Why—"
Meanwhile, Yun Yuhua lay motionless, her breath shallow and still. Seo Ju remained at her side, unmoving. Not even the passing of days could tear him away. He had seen her wounded—his heart had not been at ease since.
Deep within Yun Yuhua's unconscious, darkness encased her like a tomb. She wandered through the void, tears slipping silently as she whispered into the endless black.
"I should not have died... My brothers will grieve..."
Then—amid the pitch—a figure emerged. Soft light wrapped around a woman whose gown bore embroidered blossoms that shimmered with life. She turned, slowly, and smiled.
It was not Mother.
No... Mother would have embraced her without pause.
But this woman… this woman smiled with warmth that calmed the storm inside her.
And then—a voice, from the shadows behind her.
"Run!"
Yun Yuhua's eyes snapped open. She gasped, her limbs trembling. She turned—and felt a weight on her arm.
Seo Ju.
Sleeping there, leaning beside her with his head bowed, exhaustion carved into his features. Her throat tightened. Tears welled in her eyes as she realized—he had stayed.
Seo Ju stirred from the slight movement, his lashes lifting slowly. His heart clenched the moment their eyes met—hers filled with tears.
"Yun Yuhua," he breathed. Just then, the door burst open.
"Yuyu!" Tian Ke's voice cracked with emotion as he rushed forward.
"Ke Gege!" she cried, reaching for him. They embraced fiercely—her arms wrapped around him as if to never let go, and his around her with the desperation of one who had nearly lost everything. Seo Ju had no space left between them, but he did not mind.
He only watched, quietly—grateful. Grateful she had returned to them. Grateful she had returned at all. Qian'ai burst into the room. The moment he saw Yun Yuhua sitting up, tears welled in his eyes.
"Yuyu!" he cried, wrapping his arms around her from behind.
She laughed through her tears and reached for his hands, her voice trembling with joy.
"Li'ai Gege… I missed you all so much."
Qian'ai and Tian Ke stood speechless, overwhelmed. They had no words for the relief pounding in their chests. The days had once been grey—heavy with silence, fear, and waiting. But now, with her smile lighting the room, it felt as if the sun had returned at last.
In the days that followed, they remained at Yun Yuhua's side, tending to her with utmost care, ensuring her strength would return. Her recovery became their sole devotion.
Seo Ju, however, took his leave and returned to his lodging. He had not appeared since. The change did not escape Tian Ke's notice. He was there for every moment of her unconscious state—yet now that she had awakened, he kept his distance. That, more than anything, unsettled him.
Yun Yuhua's strength returned little by little, her wounds healing swiftly—no doubt aided by the rare herbs and delicacies sent from the Ming Emperor himself. Yet while her body mended, her heart grew restless.
Each time she closed her eyes, she saw him again—the moment she woke to find him there, his head bowed in quiet slumber, as though he had kept vigil by her side all along. That image clung to her like the final notes of a haunting melody, stirring something deep within that would not be silenced.
"If you care… then care," she murmured, pouting as she lay on the bed, arms crossed over her chest. "Why did you run away? Are you a coward?"
Far above, on the edge of the mountain overlooking Gaeseong village, Seo Ju stood still, the wind brushing past his robes. His eyes held the weight of memory as he thought of Yun Yuhua.
"I will uncover the truth of your past," he said softly, "and return the life your family was denied… This is my vow—as the sinner born into the Royal Family of Joseon."
The night was quiet. Too quiet.
Cheng Yi walked back to his lodging.
Footsteps followed.
He turned—
THUD.