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Chapter Text

The Pavilion of Lilies and Narcissi was bustling once again as the Sun was beginning to rise once again. Eunuch Yun was the first to wake up and upon making himself presentable, he made sure the two female servant were doing their duties as he softly entered the Princess's chamber. As expected, she was sleeping softly, undisturbed of any sound from the chirping birds. The old man smiled to himself, feeling a feeling of love and protection - He wondered if that is how fathers feel when they see their children being so innocent and pure - And he stepped forward, and kneeling besides her bed, he called her out gently. "Princess. Princess, wake up. It is another day, and the Sun is beautifully shining outside. The maids will be here with your breakfast shortly." and, as expected, the girl's eyes fluttered open and stretching her limbs a bit, she got in a sitting position, smiling back at him.

"Good morning, Eunuch Yun. Yes, I see, today is a beautiful day. I'm sure something amazing will happen today." she hummed happily and full of hope as Maid Eun-Jin came in with a warm and light breakfast - And as expected, as delicious as always.

After she finished eating, she let Maid Seo-Hyun help her dress up in a beautiful hanbok - But one that wouldn't give away her status as a princess, but rather, one that would blend in with the rest of the women in the Kingdom, and braiding her hair in a long side braid, she put a light blue hair-tying material to tie it.

Stepping outside, she looked around her secluded Pavilion - Just as she loved very much - There weren't many people out there to disturb her or annoy her in any way, and even better, she was living close to her younger brother, Yi Rim, so if she wanted, she could visit him any time. Looking up at the sky, she smiled at at the warm Sun that caressed her face and decided to put in her hair a Narcissus flower. She wasn't sure why, but she has always been fond of these flowers. They represent the nobility and pride of a person, and Heaven knows, is she was born with more pride, the whole world would implode. Surely, she was born as the wrong gender, otherwise she would have been a fine contender to the throne. Alas, women are not allowed to taste greatness or victory in any way. What a pity.

As the morning routine goes, Min-Ji went to visit her younger brother first and enjoy a cup of tea and some leisure conversation with him - However, the boring talk of Romance-Novel writing turned into something much more exciting, something she never would have expected, in a million years.

"Sister, have you heard what our Brother has been up to? He intends to open up some positions in the Government for women! Isn't that exciting?" Yi Rim smiled at her, knowing very well that it would pique her interest.
"...HUH?!" the cup of tea from her hand fell on the table, spilling hot tea all over her hands - But she felt nothing except a mixed feelings of shock, excitement and confusion. "What positions? Are you sure - For females? What's that about? Come on, tell me, tell me!" she kept hurrying him, not even realising that her maid was wiping her hands with a handkerchief.
"He mentioned something about some positions for Female Historians. He said that 500 years ago, such a thing was pretty popular. I think he wants to have someone infiltrate more easily inside the Palace, but I can't be sure. Anyhow, I know how much you want to do something more exciting, so I'm sure you'll go take this Exam as well. It will take place today, actually, in a few hours, so you should get your stuff and hurry." her brother chuckled, watching the wide and very unfeminine grin on her face. Her dark eyes like ebony were sparkling with so much excitement as he's never seen her ever before.
"That's the best thing I've heard in my entire life! I'll hurry now - Oh, and, don't you dare tell me what the subject of the exam is, I do not want nepotism or favoritism. I'll go by a pseudo-name...Ah...I'll have to think of something. If my brother will be the final judge of who passes, then he should not know my identity - At least until I've secured the position in a fair manner. I shall see you later, brother, thank you for such wonderful news!" and so, she bowed slightly at her royal younger brother and rushed out of the room, going back to her home from where she took her grinding ink and her favourite paint brush, and with her two maids, they went around the palace, thanking the Heavens that, despite being a Princess, nobody truly knows who she is, and she looked around for a trail of women to follow and bring her to the exam place.

"Look, Eun-Ji, so many brilliant young women ready to show off their intelligence! Isn't this so beautiful?!" taking her place on the ground, she grinned mirthfully at her maid who smiled back and bowed.
"Yes, Your Highness, I believe the world is slowly going to change, and it is all of you here who are turning the wheel." her encouragement made the Princess's heart melt with happiness, as she put her hand on her chest.
"Thank you, Eun-Jin. I have to win this no matter what. I'm so excited...I can't believe I'm actually taking an exam that requires my thinking, not my manners. How marvelous!" however, as she said that, the officials came by to announce the topic of the exam and putting an hourglass on a pedestal, they showed the time limit so the women could begin their writing.

15 minutes to submit the sigwon, they said, and the topic was "Our ancestors believed that solar eclipses are Heaven's way of chastising kings for their shortcomings and wrongdoings, so they tried to right their wrongs through the solar eclipse ritual, but Heaven's wrath continues to this day. What must a king do to prevent solar eclipses?"

As Min-Ji read the topic, she hummed to herself in amusement. To choose such a controversial subject means the writer needs to have guts and be brave...And eventually, not to give a damn about their lives. To criticise a King, or to give him advice is quite a death sentence in itself. Yes, that must be what Yi Jin wants, after all, and she remembers from her studies that Historians must be neutral above all and make sure what they are writing is seen by nobody but historians. What they write must not influence anyone alive, so even if the King himself asks to read what a historian writes, they must refuse, even at the risk of their own lives. How very interesting! Knowing how Yi Jin loves and trusts both his siblings' insights, the two must have worked together to come up with something so...Revolutionary.

It's the perfect time to shine.

"Through the years, humanity has faced numerous omens that scared mankind, and the fear of every man affects the kingdom and its prosperity directly, thus, they come with a scapegoat and with a perfect story - Blame the wrongdoings of the King, the Eye of Heaven, and with a ritual, the evil omen will disperse. A thousand years ago, Astronomy was at its beginnings, yet even then, by the mere appearance of Venus during daytime, a planet most believe is a star for it shines the brightest at nighttime, people believed the Emperor star will descend, thus, the Kingdom or the Dynasty will come to an end, and the King had to act in a way to calm down his subjects, and what better way, then a ritual?

In these past years. we have learnt through many errors, trials and hardships that science can explain everything, and little by little, what once were known as evil omens became explained, and the unknown that was once feared was now revered, the rituals of appeasing became festivals that brought joy and happiness to the commonfolk - The fear turned into pretext to celebrate.

The Solar eclipse was thought then to be an anomality, the end of the world, but now, people of intelligence who have dedicated their entire existence to studying science and the reasons for the greater purposes have explained that a Solar Eclipse is normal and harmless, and it is merely the the consequence of Earth's rotation around the Sun, just like the Day and Night that come and go.

Therefor, no human, even the King, can do anything to prevent something greater than himself, for you cannot control the Astral bodies, the Skyes, Heaven or the Universe, however, a King must teach its subjects that the there is nothing to be afraid of, so that even the most illiterate peasant will not be afraid, and instead, accept that no harm will come to them, and instead of falling pray to the fears of yesterday, they should rejoice in the present and await the mirth of tomorrow."

~ Yun Seo-Jin

And just in time Min-Ji finished her writing that the time was up. As the officials declared the time was up, they asked for the papers to be given in, and Min-Ji was so proud of herself that she was the first to hurry and hand in the paper, and thus, she hugged her maid and they went to sit outside, very anxious, both of them.

Thankfully, Eunuch Yun and Maid Seo-Hyun came by and brought the Princess her lunch, otherwise she'd have been too excited to even think about eating something.

Time was now passing excruciatingly slow, and her anxiousness was beginning to show as she started pacing around in circles, biting her lip and holding her hands much too tightly, and all her servants could do was to turn their heads and look at her left and right, back and forth, like a Sunflower's head turns to the Sun.

And finally, after what felt like an eternity, the officials finally called back all the girls who submitted answers, and the flock of very colourful-dressed women were drawn together and brought to the Crown Prince's study room. One by one, the women were called to see the Crown Prince - Most likely to discuss what they have written - And Min-Ji could only cover her mouth to hide her smirk of amusement. It will be quite fun - Much more fun than the exam itself, most likely.

Finally, it was her turn to go inside. Keeping her head down, yet walking with the same kind of confidence as always, she entered Yi Jin's room, and noticed he wasn't even looking at who was entering - Instead, he was attentively analysing the writing on the paper in his hands. Left and write, on small tables, two officials dressed in green were writing - They must be the historians, Min-Ji thought, as she made her way closer to the Prince's table.

"I am Yun Seo-Jin, Your Highness." was the only thing she said as she noticed the man in front of her take a deep breath and put the paper on the desk, snapping his head up to glare at the woman in front of him...Only for him to gasp and widen his eyes, raising from his desk as his burnt. 
"Whose daughter are you? ...Ah...Yun Seo-Jin? Really? I should have known. You used one name from each of your servants to come up with such an unoriginal pseudo-name! Ha! Look at you, no wonder I liked your answer the most. My sister knows what I want to read best! Yi Rim told you about the exam, didn't he?" he walked in front of the desk, putting his hands on her shoulder, smiling proudly at her.
"Of course he did, brother! He helped me with the information of the exam taking place today, and I'm sure he helped you come up with such a...Such a topic! To strive for intimidation, you wouldn't even look up at me as I entered the room! You want someone who's fearless and...Quite a jerk, really. Well, you know I'm the best at being a terror for everyone around me, don't you?" Min-Ji laughed, putting her hands over his.
"Oh, Min-Ji, you're quite lucky the Queen Dowager loves you so much, otherwise, I have no idea how you could be so impertinent and get away with it. Not to mention be a Princess and actually work...As a historian, nonetheless." he shook his head, turning around and walking back towards his desk.
"Well, that counts for a lot of things, clearly, considering I was born with the disadvantage of being born a noble, and more, a woman, therefor having my right to choose being stripped away from birth. Alas!" she exclaimed very dramatically, putting the back of her hand to her forehead and turning away. "But hey, we both know Father very much hates me, even more than he hates our brother, so...Being 'Exiled' in my Pavilion means nobody actually knows who I am, so there will be nobody out there who will know who I am either, so I can actually work and not have others give me privileges or treat me any differently than they would if I was just a common woman, right? It's all for the best, isn't it? For the first time in this life, I can...Choose. I can...Be. I can...I can live! Aren't you happy for me, brother? I finally won't feel like I am as worthless as our Father keeps telling me. I will have found my purpose." the girl's smug smile as she looked at her brother seemed to draw one of the historians to look at her with certain interest.
"Min-Ji...Your thinking is ahead of your time. I will grant you this...You deserve it. I hope it finds you in good faith. I will not tell anyone to treat you any differently, but I hope you are aware of the hardships you will have to face. Even though it was the Crown Prince who ordered the female historians to take this job, you will still be seen as lesser, just because of how arrogant people view others around here. The Palace world is harsh, sister. Please, be careful." as he sat down, he nodded at her as a way to give her his blessings.
"Oh, brother...I think I, more than anyone, know how horrible and cruel this life is. But with time, I'm sure, this broken heart of mine can be mended. I will see you later, brother. I will tell Yi Rim you greeted him as well." bowing as a sign of goodbye, she left the pavilion and went to the other women, waiting for the final results to be announced.

Thankfully, there were only two other women who had to present themselves inside before the Crown Prince himself came outside, sitting on a chair and carefully analysing each of them, as an official opened a long scroll, calling out the names of the women selected.

"Oh Eun-Im, third daughter of Oh Bok-Seon from the Royal Cuisine Office. Heo A-Ran, the eldest daughter of Heo Man-Gyun from the Office of Interpreters." both of these girls gasped loudly in excitement and shock, making some of the men look at her judgingly. "Goo Hae-Ryung, the sister of Goo Jae-Gyeong from the Office of Diplomatic Correspondence." Min-Ji smiled, feeling the happiness radiating from each of the women who passed the exam, and smiled at her brother who held a gentle smile on his face. "Song Sa-Hui, the eldest daughter of Song Jae-Cheon the Section Chief of Personnel. And the highest score went to Yi Min-Ji, sister of Yi Rim." Min-Ji's face was shocked hearing her real name, but by the looks of it, nobody present seemed to bat an eye at it. the 'Yi' surname was very unusual in commoners, considering it was the royal family's name, but in very rare events, they would still exist. By only adding a brother's name and coming with no important relatives, it was quite clear, she was a commoner now with nobody having ranks in the Government. Sure, it is incredibly peculiar, and will, without a doubt, arise suspicion at some point in time, however, it's much better this way, and she won't accidentally forget her alias, at least. "All those who have passed step forward and show your respect to His Royal Highness." and thus, the five women stepped forward, and putting their hands together, they bowed gracefully to the Crown Prince, as he stepped in front of them and rewarded each of them with the red certificate. 

When she got home, she celebrated with her servants by drinking maybe a bit too much, and then put on her very pretty light-blue Historian uniform, put on the hair tie and, and the moon went up, she, too, went to the Historian tents where she saw the 4 female historians already there, discussing.

"From now on, come to Daerucheong an hour later. Things like this won't happen if I'm around." yes, that was Song Sa-Hui, the one with the important father. At least she's nice enough not to let the other girls get bullied by impertinent men who think they are holier than thou.
"Hello, ladies. It is a wonderful night to be successful, isn't it? I am Yi Min-Ji, but please, do call me Min-Ji, I am not fond of formalities. They make me feel much older than I already am." she joked gregariously as the other girls smiled at her, greeting her accordingly and introducing themselves.

The next morning they met up once again, and the two most excitable and talkative girls, A-Ran and Eun-Im, kept talking without stopping. But Min-Ji only smiled fondly at them, understanding very well how they felt. Sa-Hui, more introverted, merely looked at them and smiled politely, yet she, too, was obviously happy.

"Right, I heard there are handsome historians at the Office of Royal Decrees. The smartest of the smartest, the scholars of all scholars. When they walk around in a line with a brush and a history book by their side, I've heard they look amazing." those two joined hands and giggling, started jumping up and down.
"Well, let's hope you will find what you seek. However...I must still convince you to come with me and watch the guards bathe in the river, when we have some time off. It's...The delight of the eyes." Min-Ji winked at them, making them chirp louder.

On their way towards the Office, they were stopped by three men garbed in Green - No doubt, Historians. "You're going to the Office of Royal Decrees? No wonder, you're going in the wrong direction. Do you see Jinseonmun right here? If you pass through there, you'll see Sukjeongmun. Past that, you'll see the high officials' meeting room. And you take a left, a left, and a right, a total of three times. And there you'll find the Office of Royal Decrees." the official explained with a cheerful expression on his face, which made Min-Ji smirk - She knew the way around the Palace better than the palm of her own hand, therefor, she realised the deceit. However, she, too, bowed and thanked the three and went on with the group of girls, only stopping them as they were out of sight.

"So, darling, those officials just pranked us. Let me show you the real way. Don't want to make a bad first impression, right?" Min-Ji chuckled, leading them on the right path.
"What?! Why would they deceive us?!" A-Ran pouted in dismay.
"Men suck. They think they rule the world, therefor, a woman 'stealing' their job must mean we are arrogant and don't know our place. I have been warned before to make sure I pay attention to what's going on around me, but to think it would start so soon...Oh well, let's hurry and get there before those guys." she incited them to greatness, like a leader would, and they all agreed and picking up the material on their trousers, they started running to the Office, reaching their goal.

Walking inside, a bunch of green and purple garbed men were bustling around idly, and bowing, greeting everyone, and introducing themselves one by one. Min-Ji looked around, seeing that no man was bothering to even look at them, until he laid her eyes on the one at the end of the room, who was also present in the Crown Prince's room at her examining.

"I am Seong Seo-Gwon, a senior Ninth-Rank officer." finally, one of them had the grace to get up and face them, introducing himself and his rank. At that exact time, the three officials came in through the door, laughing loudly.
"You wont believe what we did! You see, on our way here, we found those pesky wenches who were trying to get here. And guess what! We told them the wrong way! Ahh, imagine them now running around in circles trying to find their way here! A total blast!" one of them spoke as they once again, burst in laughter, only for everyone around the room to just look at them, yet staying silent. "What?! Don't you think it's hilarious?!" the man who gave them the wrong directions scolded the men.
"AHAHAHA! My, Mr. Official, you truly are the funniest man alive! Yes, I can only imagine those female historians trying to find their way here! I wonder where they are!" Min-Ji let out an overly exaggerated laugh, which made the official grin at her and chuckle.
"See, you should all take example, this young man knows what fun i-....WHAT?! H-H-H-HOW ARE YOU HERE?!" as Official Yang came to his senses, he realised that the people he was mocking were in the room with him, so his jokes were not funny in the least, and his deceit failed.
"Thank you for the directions you gave us, Mr. Without them, we surely wouldn't have been able to get here...Faster than you. Perhaps next time you should follow the same route you advised...Or...Maybe even wake up earlier?" tilting her head as she mused, she could see the official was very pissed at her for the audacity to speak like that to him.
"You...You...You...How dare yo--" but Min-Ji didn't allow him to finish his outburst, for she spoke again.
"Right now, we are nothing but newbies in this place, therefor, we cannot call ourselves true historians. We ask you to please take good care of us and teach us the way of becoming a Historian so we can carry with pride this name and do our duty correctly." bowing at them, she waited a response, as the other girls followed her suit.

Silence filled the room once again, except for the occasional mocking burst of laughter, yet nobody dared speak anything, until the familiar Historian rose to his feet, took two of the books, along with ink and paint brush and went in front of the girl speaking. "You are not a historian." he said, looking straight into her eyes, before turning around to leave.
"Then teach me how to become one, instead of inciting me to quit! Though we did not go through the same exam as you all did, we were still examined. You were there, you saw and you know very well that we deserve to be here. So I ask you, if not for us, as your new colleagues, or even future fellow historians - Accept the Crown Prince's decree and teach us how to do our jobs to the best of our capacities. Teach us what it means to be a historian and what it takes to have the heart and pride of one! If you dare try to sabotage one of your own, you cannot call yourself a Historian, nor a Man or a subject of Joseon!" in a split second decision, she roughly grabbed the sleeve of the official, making him turn to her, as she glared into his eyes, leaving him speechless for a few seconds.

His fellow colleagues all had their breaths hitched in their throat with shock and nervousness, almost as if they were watching a suspense story put at the opera - And nobody moves, or even blinked, until the official finally nodded and handed the girl one of the books, along with ink and a brush for herself. "Very well. Follow me." he said, and thus, the girl let go of her grip, and smirking, she bowed at the Office men goodbye and left after this Official.

And thus, Min-Ji left the Office of Royal Decrees, leaving the four other girls to fend for themselves as lambs in a den of lions. She had no idea what was going to happen, however, for some reason, this man, out of all the other ones, despite his very strict gaze, he didn't seem harsh or disrespectful, making the girl almost...Feel safe and secure around him.

"May I know the name of the Official who gracefully accepted to be my master and who was also present on the day of my examination?" the apprentice asked with the same Princess mannerisms with which she was born.
"Min U-Won...Your Highness." he spoke without looking at her, but such a simple answer - A name alone - Made the girl stop dead in her tracks, very abruptly, her eyes widening in shock, and her mouth agape.
"O-Oh..." was the only thing she managed to utter for a while, barely noticing as the man who walked ahead was now in front of her.
"By your reaction, you must remember me, correct, Your Highness?" he asked calmly, his hands behind his back, looking at her - Not with superiority in any way - But with passiveness.
"...Yeah. I...I do remember. I just...Y-You grew up so much...How long has it been?! 10? 15 years? I think so...I would occasionally take glimpses of you when you would study with Yi Jin, but other than that, I haven't taken a proper look at you since sometime over 15 years ago. I didn't realise how quickly time flew by." her voice was no longer confident, but shaky and a bit awkward.
"I am sure must have resented me for a long time. I am glad at least you do remember me, despite everything." he offered a small, polite smile to her.
"What I felt 20 years ago, when I met you, doesn't have to be the same as what I feel of you now, U-Won." she muttered, looking down for a bit, before looking up and chuckling nervously. "My...Sorry, I have never been so nervous in my entire life. I didn't think my superior would be my own husband." hiding her face with her hand, she started chuckling, looking away in embarrassment. 
"And I never imagined I would be put in the situation of having to scold the Princess who has been betrothed to me for 20 years now." he nodded in slight amusement, only to see her smile faltering a bit.
"U-Won...I have a request of you. I will ask you this as Min-Ji, not as a Princess...But if I have to, I will order you that as a Princess too, and even threaten to behead you if you don't do as I say. Under no circumstance must you tell anyone that I am the Princess, alright? No one. If you do...Well, you heard what I told brother, I'm sure you can come up with your own conclusions. I don't want to be seen or treated any better just because I was born in the...Right family...Let's call it that." she spoke, hanging her head, almost as if she was very disappointed that she was a Princess.
"I will not tell. But the truth is written in the book, and if any historian reads, they will know what I wrote. That, I cannot erase in any way. It is the law, and as a Historian, I cannot break it, even for you, or anyone else." he spoke, this time, more professionally, hoping she would understand.
"Yes...I understand. I just...Don't want to rush it. I am very well aware that, one way or another, the truth will always come to light, and the more I spend time in the Office of Royal Decrees, the higher the chances of people finding out who I am will increase. I just want to make sure it won't be heard sooner than necessary. I don't want favoritism or nepotism." she explained, raising her head to look at him with a grateful smile.
"Don't worry. I won't tell. You can trust me." he sounded so much more reliable now than he did when he was a child...
"Thank you, U-Won. Thank you." her smile widened a bit, holding more respect for him, as they started walking again. "Ah, and, uhm...One more thing. Can you...You know...Not...I mean, we're not yet exactly...You know...I just...I want to be known as myself. As Min-Ji, the Female Historian, the woman who inspired other brilliant young women to take life into their own hands and prove they are just as smart and worthy of having the right to choose their own path. I don't want to be 'The King's daughter.' 'The Crown Prince's sister.' 'Officer Min U-Won's wife'. I want to be...Min-Ji. Just...Min-Ji. That smart and impertinent woman who gives everyone in the palace trouble and runs her cunning tongue faster than she runs away from royal responsibilities!" she ended on a more joking manner, earning a huff of amusement from the man walking by her side, followed by a nod.
"I can respect that. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me...Min-Ji." he said her name without honorifics! Finally, progress!
"Thank you, you're the best! So, from what you told me, I can understand that apart from the Historians, nobody is allowed to read what is written by us in these books? No one, as in, even the King? Even if he orders it?" she asked, hugging the orange book close to her chest.
"Yes, that is correct. We serve the country, rather than the King, you could say, therefor, even if the Heavens ask, we cannot allow anyone to peak at the contents written in this book. If someone reads something that shouldn't be known, it could cost innocent lives, and many of them. Our duty is to write the truth as objective and without anything personal involved, so we can be neutral. Historical events must not be altered, otherwise, the Historians would have no meaning." he explained the philosophy behind their work, and the girl listened attentively to him speaking.
"That does make a lot of sense. I think this is the perfect job for me. I can be at ease while I write everything that happens. I don't have to think about the secrets or mysteries behind what the officials say, I don't have to involve any kind of emotion or anger towards what they say, because I will be there, like a ghost, ignored, I don't have to think war strategies or anything political...And I can take my time organising books by different criteria and even re-write things so they will be more calligraphic! Wonderful!" U-Won stole a glance at the girl holding such a bright smile on her face. It wasn't good having such hopes and happiness in the Office...Although, his colleagues are, for the most part, a band of babbling baboons who have no idea what seriousness means, unless it costs them money or something. Maybe these girls will bring some kind of new brightness or enlightenment to the Bureau - the Official thought - As a small smile creeped onto his face. He didn't have the heart to break her hopes, even though he should. He remembers 20 years ago how hostile and aggressive she was - He didn't know why, but he wished she would remain as happy as she is now, untainted by the rudeness and darkness surrounding everyone in the palace.

And thus, they went to a meeting between some low-ranked officials that wasn't anything important, so it could work as a perfect first job for her to learn. The girl remained one step behind her 'Master', her eyes constantly glued on him so she could mimic his mannerisms, and thus, she bowed and silently stepped to the desk opposite of his, and sitting, she took out the paint brush and with a look at the man who simply gave her an encouraging nod, she began to note down everything she heard and saw. It was true, she knew the name of most of the officials, but not all of them, so it was a bit weird to write "The official in blue" and "The official in red", but in the end, when they left and U-Won read what she wrote, he explained to her how she should progress in the future and so on.

This was going to be pretty exciting, clearly.

Chapter Text

However much Min U-Won wished to protect his wife from the mistreatment of his colleagues, not even she was exempt from it, and he had to watch, very anxiously, as she ran around the Office, along with her fellow ladies, and bring water to the other men, bring them books, grind ink, move books from table to table, run around the palace to bring scrolls, organise things back in the library and many more. He, of course, never asked either woman to do anything for him, but every once in a while, he found tea or water put on his desk, and he didn't need to ask to know who it was. He merely smiled to himself and drank it in good faith.

After many days, the five women found themselves carrying a ton of books outside of the office, until Eun-Im finally broke down and started complaining about how exhausted she was. And rightfully so, the others were in agreement as well.

"I've never been so exhausted in my life! I have to eat at least 3 to 4 dishes of beef to get some energy." Hae-Ryung nodded, exhaustion painted on her face. Min-Ji could only smirk wryly realising she barely eats throughout the whole day. Sometimes, she really curses herself for being too much of a terrible early-riser that has to rush to get ready so she can't properly eat breakfast in peace...Or at all.
"Do you think they're trying to haze us?! Is that why they're being so mean to us? The Office of Royal Decrees is notorious for its hazing rituals." suddenly, A-Ran shot to her feet, looking at her friends with a bewildered expression.
"Hazing...Ritual? What do you mean, what's that?" Min-Ji muttered in confusion.
"Well...The newcomers are sometimes stripped and beaten at a kisaeng house. They even have to roll in the mud!" A-Ran exclaimed in disbelief.
"...Well, that's brutal." the Princess muttered with a sigh.
"But didn't His Royal Highness forbid them from hazing us?" Hae-Ryung asked immediately.
"That's probably why they're being so mean to us! They can't stand that we get to skip everything that they had to go through. They're upset and jealous." A-Ran came up with the obvious conclusion, which made them all concoct a mighty plan.
"I think you're right. I heard Yulgok Yi-I also got kicked out because he tried to avoid the hazing ritual. I heard he even got bullied." Eun-Im pouted, a bit scared.
"Then is that why they kept calling us low-level clerks and made us do petty chores? And is that why they told us we aren't historians?" Hae-Ryung asked the real questions, as the twin-like girls looked at each other and replied positively and simultaneously.
"I think it's time we make a change." Min-Ji said, looking at Sa-Hui with a knowing smirk on her face.

And thus, they got a paper, writing down the time and place for their Hazing Ritual and went to Min U-Won, asking him to agree for this Ritual to take place. As soon as he heard what the girls had to say, he blinked, letting silence overtake him for a few seconds, before saying out loud - A Hazing Ritual - Making all the men in the room look at him with disbelief and curiosity.

"Do you even know what a hazing ritual consists of?" he asked the girls once again, as if they had no idea what they were getting into - And honestly, they half-didn't, but they still had to take action, one way or another.
"Yes, we do. You can beat us up, make us dance, and even strip us naked." although Sa-Hui was the designated leader this time, Min-Ji couldn't help but look at her with a tint of embarrassment as she thought how she indirectly told her husband to look at naked women and have his wife naked in front of the whole department. Maybe she should have taken the lead this time too, it would have spared her some really embarrassing thoughts and images...
"We can't do that to a woman." oh, thank Heavens... "Go back." he said, obviously not wanting to cause more embarrassment.
"Is it because women can't be Government officials? We got to this position by taking the civil service exam just like everybody else. But why are we exempted from going through a hazing ritual? Is it because we're women and can't be accepted as historians?" yes, go Sa-Hui, go!
"No, that's not it." can't disrespect a Princess, huh?
"Well, that's what it seems like to me. Here are the place and time of the ritual. I hope to see you there." and with that, the women bowed to him and left the room. The last one was the Princess, of course, who gave her husband an amused smile, and left with an indifferent shrug of her shoulders.

Time passed much faster than expected, and Min-Ji was grateful to her maid for coming in to bring her some snacks, otherwise, her stomach would have begun to growl at the ritual, because, as soon as the girls stepped inside the meeting room, she saw all the officials there, in their best clothes, with food on all the tables and Official Yang at the very top.

"Enter, enter! We didn't want to keep you waiting so we asked everyone to gather a little early." Official Yang said "This is our way of paying our respects." Official Kim continued, showing off his attire. "And this croaker from the South is an expression of sincerity." Official An showed off a plate. Looking at her husband, Min-Ji smiled softly seeing how he was pretty disappointed himself at the mocking behaviour of his colleagues.
"Sincerity my foo-" Eun-Im tried to protest, but Min-Ji stepped in with her Princess grace.
"We thank you all for taking some of your precious time to come here, to our initiation hazing ritual. I see you have come in your best outfits. You should have told us in advance. I apologise we haven't come dressed in our best outfits to match your respects. As a token of apology, please do drink and eat at your leisure, the cost will be covered but us, so please, enjoy this night as much as you wish." bowing with respect at them, she urged the rest of her friends to follow her lead and get this over with - And successfully.
"Okay, great. I hope you'll be very obedient to your seniors. Go on, take your seats. Now, drink the whole thing." Officer Yang sure is up to no good today, the Princess thought to herself as she smiled and sat down at her seat, smiling at her friend to encourage them and smile as well, so they won't give the men any satisfaction. As the girls took a hold of the small, drinking cup, the Official had to sneer a bit and taunt them. "No, not that one. The one next to it." referring to the soup bowl that was filled with a transparent liquid. It had to be some kind of strong wine, otherwise the other men wouldn't have laughed.
"Wh-What?! All this?! B-But how can we finish this...No!" A-Ran let the bowl fall on the table as she looked at the Official with a dignified expression. 
"Why? Because you're a woman?" Officer Kim asked mockingly.
"I guess the hazing ritual is a bit too-" but Min-Ji, as she gritted her teeth in anger, didn't let Officer Yang continue his tauntings as she took the bowl in her hands and went on her feet with a glowing smile.
"Let's have a toast in the honour of the hardwork and passion the Historians put each and every day to make this country a better place! Cheers!" she grinned mockingly at them, mimicking Officer Yang, as she, in one go, gulped down the whole bowl, leaving the men awestruck. "My...it was cold too! Officer Yang, I think you know women's poems...They say the Beverages must be cold as Winter, and you ensured it is just that! How refreshing...I have never felt more alive! Thank you for this treat, Officer." bowing her head again, she raised her hand, motioning for the men to follow her lead and drink as well. You can't have a one-man toast, right?
"Ah...Haha...Right..." the man in cause grumbled as he, and the rest of the men, had to drink, albeit, from the smaller cup. "I have to say, Clerk Yi is very bright! Okay, then. Have another bowl." and so, he took a bottle of wine, showing it off. Officer An then hurried to take the bottle and tried to lean and pour it in the bowl, but Min-Ji realised she'd have to drink the whole bottle anyway, so, might as well go for the shock factor.
"How generous of you, Officer! And you, Officer An, thank you for personally coming to bring me this gift, I am honoured!" she got to her feet to snatch away the bowl from his hands, giving him a forced smile. "If you wouldn't mind my...Manners...Then I will go ahead and have this gift all for myself." taking a deep breath, she gripped the bottle carefully and forced herself to gulp down the whole thing. It is true, she was used to high-quality fruit-wine, much sweeter, and this is much stronger and bitter than what she is used to...But so far, she isn't dizzy, so the plan works fine enough. And if she fails, she still has 4 back up plans. "Officer, was this different than the first one? I think this is much better. I wonder why. I...Think it is because you truly love us! That's it, isn't it! I read once in a book someone saying that the more you love someone, the more you want to make them suffer. You must be the sweetest man alive, Officer Yang. You truly spoil us." the woman chuckled, thrusting the empty bottle at Officer An's chest as she smirked at the provoking Officer.
"Well, if you think it was so good, why not try this other bottle as well? Officer An!" and once again, he came with a bottle. However, this time, Hae-Ryung snatched it away, making Min-Ji look at her questioningly.
"If you say the Officer's love manifests through his making us suffer, than I believe we must all share this gift as well." as so, she poured the wine equally to all girls, so they won't have to drink so much at once. And it worked, for it wasn't so much in the bottle, and even the light-weights could gulp it down. "As Clerk Yi stated, your affection towards us is truly touching, however, we must return the love. King Wen of Zhou became a true leader when he was imprisoned. And Qu Yuan wrote Li Sao after he was banished from Zhou, so the Analects of Confucius say, as she very rightfully explained, 'Making someone suffer comes from true affection. It means you give people hardships because you love them'." and saying so, Hae-Ryung made the room quiet once again.
"Wonderfully spoken, Clerk Goo! Now, then, how about we show Official Yang that his affections for us is reciprocated tenfold?" grinning at Hae-Ryung, Min-Ji snatched Eun-Im's full bowl of wine and sat in front of him, handing him the bowl. "Take this as our token of respect." the look on her face held the fakest bright smile she could have, and it was the perfect expression to mimic the man in front of her. On her right, she could hear Officer Min trying to hold himself from chuckling at how ruthless she was being. Kill them with kindness, the saying goes, but she was outright poisoning them. 
Officer Yang clapped and laughed all of a sudden, and a man brought forth a vase full of wine. "Very well, let's do this!" he said, looking challengingly at the girl.
"Then go ahead and drink this...Unless you are afraid...A woman will drink you under the table." she smirked at him tauntingly, and he could only go ahead and gulp down the bowl too. "Cheers!" he said, as all the men followed his suit, but with the small cups. Then, he smugly dipped it into the vase and handed it to her back. 
"Don't regret it." he said, waiting for her reaction.
"Thank you for your generosity." she said, and gulping it down, showing no emotion of disgust, she ended by using her sleeve to wipe away the wetness from her lips. "Do excuse my lack of manners tonight." and thus, she got her hand into the vase as well.
"Dip it as much as you want." he warned her, seeing that she barely took a quarter for his share.

With each bowl he drank, his men clapped, while with every bowl she finished, the women cheered happily, encouraging her to win this competition. After a few bowls, some of the men were already under the table and Officer Min was getting worried for her. "Clerk Min, you don't have to continue this. You all have proved what you had to prove. Stop before you bring harm to yourselves, all of you." he tried to say, but both of the contestants glared at him at the same time.
"Don't worry, Officer Min. Next, I promise, I will drink YOU under the table!" she said, aggressively turning back to get another bowl of alcohol.
"You heard her, Officer Min, don't interfere with such important business! We need a clear winner, and that will be me!" Officer Yang spoke to him, and U-Won could only sigh and shake his head in disbelief.

After many, many bowls, the vase of wine was finished, and only the girls, Min U-Won and Officer Yang were still awake, yet the two contestants were giggling and slurring a bit too much. "Are we done...?" Yang tried to speak, but his words were a jumble. "Is there more?" he asked, his head hung and swaying a bit.
Looking around, she noticed a stray bottle by Officer Min's table, and grinning and giggling, she stretched to grab it, but the man, in his concern, took the bottle and held it away. "That's enough." he said in a stern voice, but she wouldn't listen. Instead, he saw her crawling over to him and reaching over the table to get it. Her face was flushed from drinking half of the alcohol vase - And more than that - And she couldn't stop herself from giggling. She was cute, that was true, a smile truly suited her, yet he'd rather have her smile while sober.
"Don't worry, Min-Min, I promise this Princess will drink with you next! But gimme that bottle, I wanna be the winner! Pleeeaaseee~!" ...Min-Min? What the hell was the nickname. With a sigh, he gave in and handed her the bottle, as he facepalmed, yet still carefully watched what was happening.
"You're really a crazy..." Yang slurred incomprehensively as he heard the sound of wine being poured into the bowl for the hundredth...Thousandth...Time. "You're really a crazy woman!" the Officer wagged his finger at her, giggling.
"I know! Thank youuuu~!" and so, licking her lips, she gulped the bowl once again, and as she finished, she started laughing - Very freely, without any manners, but full of joy, as the bowl was held high above her head. "Let's see you win, Officer~!" and so she got the bowl on the table and with shaky hands, poured more wine from the last bottle, handing it to the man.
"...............I miss my mother.........." was the last thing he cried out before he collapsed on the ground.
"YEEEEEEEEES! I WIN! I WIIIIIIIN! THE FEMALE HISTORIANS PREVAIL ONCE AGAIN! YAAAAAY!" Min-Ji jumped to her feet and started yelling loudly, only to grab her head and try to regain her balance, and then start laughing again.
"...Sir...Did you...? What? They won?!" the Officials, one by one, were awakened by the girl's gleeful screech, and the rest of the women went to her, as she stumbled in zig-zag and tripped a few times to reach them, then collapsed in their arms as they jumped up and down and yelled in happiness.
"WE DID IT! WE WON! WE WON!" they laughed and celebrated, and Min-Ji turned to the collapsed man, sticking her tongue out unceremoniously.  
"LOSER! LOOK AT THE LOSER ON THE GROUND! HE LOST! I WON! HAAAA!!! LET'S HAVE MORE DRINKS TO CELEBRAAAATEEEE!!!" however, hearing that, everyone stopped what they were doing and yelled, in unison, a very loud "NO!"
"Oh...Okay...Then...Let's have...SLEEP!" she fist pumped the air, as the men around tried to help get the fallen Officer up, and U-Won let out an aggravated exhale of disbelief. This woman was impossible, he thought to himself. However, he still got up and walked to her, trying to talk very seriously to her. "Go home, Clerk Yi. That's enough drinking for you. Tomorrow you still have work. You're not exempt from it, even if you won this silly competition of yours." he explained, hoping he would get through to her...But he should have known better. You can't reason with drunk people.
She merely grinned at him in defiance. "Don't worry, Min-Min, I promised you, you're next! I promise, I'll be careful and put a pillow under your head when you collapse like Officer Yang." she laughed at her own joke, but the girls around her felt a bit awkward. Only Hae-Ryung, who drank a bit more, was giggling a bit.
Taking a deep breath to contain hidden how done with her he was, he just shook his head and picked her up bridal style, not even caring of the gasps from the women, and went outside. Problem was, he wasn't sure where she was staying, so that was a problem.
"Where is your home, Min-Ji?" he asked, hoping it wouldn't be too close to the royal family and anywhere where people would talk.
"My home...Is...Where my home is! Is here! Where the heart is!" she giggled, throwing her hands up in the air.
"And where is your heart?" he asked, still having a fragment of hope.
"Here, in the chest, between the lungs. Right. Here. You have one too. Right here. In this exact place...Ah! I can feel it! It...Kinda beats fast." she exclaimed, placing her hand on his chest. "Too fast. Are you okay, Min-Min? You're not afraid, are you? Don't worry, I'll protect you if you're afraid. I can't be a Princess, so I guess I'll be a Prince. I'll fight even a dragon for you...But you have to promise me. Promise...Uh...You...Promise you...Won't be such a boring jerk...Like when we were kids. And talk to me. Well, I guess you already talk to me...But you didn't! I thought you were mute! So don't ignore me! If you do, I won't save you!" she pouted, resting her chin on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around him.
U-Won wanted to say a couple of things to this rant...No, he wasn't afraid. Why did she think he was a jerk? Well, no matter, he knew that was her impression of him, and it didn't change, though he wasn't sure why. Maybe because he wasn't talkative? Or because he'd spend more time with Yi-Jin than with her? Or because he would read when he was around her? Who knows. But that dragon thing...What was that about? Dragons don't exist, what was she even thinking about? "Thank you, Min-Ji. I appreciate it." however, that was all he said, as he was stopped by a eunuch and two maids.
"Ah! Your Highness! Your Highness! What happened! Are you injured?! Oh, no, no, no, the King will have our heads for this...Eun-Ji, Seo-Hyun, what are we gonna do?!" great, more loud people.
"She's fine, she just drank a bit too much. Tell me where she stays so I can bring her home." and please don't yell and attract more attention than needed. Again.
"Yessss! Certainly, certainly, follow me!" Eunuch Yun exclaimed, urging the Official to follow him back to the Pavilion of Lilies and Narcissi.
"I won! I won! Haha...Eun-Ji! Seo-Hyun! I won! I drank Official Yang under the table! We won the hazing ritual! Now those jerks won't see us as scum anymore. Shoulda seen his face...As he collapsed on the ground...And cried for his mummy...Hahaha! Ah...If he dares mock me again, I will tell him to go hide under mummy's skirts. Haha...Ah...What a beautiful night..." she continued to slur and chuckle, still feeling very euphoric.
"Yes, yes, you did great today. You can go sleep now." he tried to tell her, but she just wouldn't do as was told.
"...But I have to walk you back home and make sure you're okay. You were the only one ever nice to me in the Office...I know you tried to stop it 'cuz you were concerned for me. But I have to protect you too, now. The Palace is dangerous at night. And you don't know how to fight." she whined, which made him chuckle, but...He kinda felt...Happy? This petite girl, half his size and so drunk she barely knew her own name said she will protect him. How cute.
"Thank you, Min-Ji." he said once again, noticing the two maids who were awww'ing at them and doing kissy faces, while the eunuch could only scold them.
"Keep your mouths shut, you idiots! The Princess is already betrothed! This won't be spoken of again!"  the eunuch said, but two voices called out, at the same time -
"He is my husband" and "I am her husband" they said, making the three servants stop in their tracks at once.
"AHHH, OFFICER MIN, ALL OUR RESPECTS! WE APOLOGISE FOR-" the eunuch started yelling, making the girl groan.
"No need for apologise. Show me her room. Also, at her request, please do refrain from addressing her Royal or Marital status while in public, it shall interfere with her job." he explained calmly as he entered the small Pavilion surrounded by so many beautiful flowers.
"Yes, yes, of course, sir, of course!" the eunuch said, showing the Officer the way to her room so he could lay her down on the bed.
"Sleep well, Min-Ji." he said as soon as he carefully put her down, only for her to grab his sleeve, once again.
"Min-Min...Can you bride my hair? Pretty please?" she asked, pouting at him.
"Why don't you let it down? You liked it that way, didn't you?" he asked, crouching to her level.
"Yeah, outside, where it's wind so it flies everywhere. When I sleep, it just sticks everywhere. Once, I almost strangled myself in my sleep with it. It's so long...I bet even Rapunzel's isn't that long..." she muttered, looking down at her lap.
Rapunzel...? He heard that name before, surely...Or did he? He must've. Anyhow, he abided her wishes and took her hair down from the intricate braid her maid did, and he, instead, made a much simpler one that would hang past her shoulder, lighting up her beautiful face. "Is this good?" he asked, brushing away the stray hair from her face.
"Yeah...Perfect. Thanks..." and saying that, she fell on the bed, very much asleep, still holding onto his sleeve.

With a small smile, he put his hand over hers so she would let go, and with one last look at her, he left back to his home. That day, as a whole, was nothing more than a huge disaster...But, he had to admit, despite the drinking contest, which was a whole show in itself, she compared this grown woman with the child he knew, and she was so different. She used to want to beat everyone who pissed her off, told her what to do or disrespected her...But now, she welcomed all with a graceful smile and retorted back perfectly every word. She held herself with so much grace, even in the most mundane things she did, even if she didn't realise that herself - It was in her blood, surely - He wanted to protect her from the people bullying her, but she didn't need protection. He handled herself so well, without even needing to use the Princess card to make them bow down to her.

He was very much intrigued of what each day was going to bring, and what troubles she will get herself into.

The next day, Min U-Won expected not to see either Officer Yang, nor the Princess, yet somehow, they were both there, at the earliest hours, but while the man was slower than a slug, the girl was smiling widely and in defiance, radiating with victory and superiority and she greeted everyone. "Good morning to every Historian except those who beg for their mummies when they are defeated in a drinking game by a girl. I'd rather have a drink with your mother than you. Alas! Anyhow, I see my fellow female historians have already arrive, therefor, I shall join them in cleaning up the library. Have a lovely day!" she said and rushed to join the others. Just as expected, Officer Yang exploded with anger as he loudly yelled after her, but he was only met with laughs, as she fell back on his chair, the hat on his head so crooked it almost fell off completely.

The library work was quickly finished, thanks to the 5 of them working together, so on their way to return, the Queen Dowager's court lady, Choe, along with many others, came to greet them and take them to the Royal Mother. Seeing her, the Queen looked at Min-Ji with a smile, only for her to quickly put a finger to her lips to tell her not to speak up, and then looked at her with a playful smile.

As they sat down in front of the old royalty, each of them having their own tables with tea and snacks, they were all very anxious at being in the presence of a royalty. Oh, if only they knew... "It's bamboo dew tea, which I only serve to special guests. Drink slowly and savour the tea." The Queen urged them to drink, and of course, forgetting she was supposed to be nervous like the others, she raised the cup up. "We thank you, Your Highness, for being so benevolent and kind to us. We shall drink in your honour!" she said, drinking the tea. "It tastes as special as you described it, Your Highness." she bowed her head as a thanks.
"I am glad. So? How do you like working in the palace so far?" the Dowager asked, making all of them grip their hands tightly in their laps, knowing they shouldn't say anything out of place.
"W-We are just... Honoured and grateful that we can... Assist His Majesty and..." Eun-Im stuttered, trying to come up with a coherent sentence, but failed, making the Queen chuckle at her nervousness.
"I apologise. I put you on the spot by asking such a question. I have lived in the palace for almost 50 years. I certainly understand how you must be feeling now. I'm sure nothing is easy and you're probably intimidated by everyone. I heard that the officers at the Office of Royal Decrees tend to pick on novices." the Queen said, making 3 girls deny that, one only chuckle while another muttered in agreement, only to try to take away her statement frankly. "It's okay. You can be honest with me. Joseon is an extremely cruel place to those who go off the beaten path. I'm sure it's much worse for you ladies, who managed to land Government posts as women. However, you ladies are historians of this country, no matter what anybody says. You are not here to assist the King. Please think that you are here to look after the people and do your best. If I can be of help in any way, I will gladly lend a helping hand." as gracious and loving as always.
"We are much obliged, Your Majesty." Sa-Hui was the first to speak, as the others followed.
"We thank you for your love and care, Your Majesty. As women in the palace, we hope to not only make you, but the whole country proud. In the end, our duty as historians is to make sure we serve the country and all its people, by serving them the truth and the truth alone, no matter what. A toast for the benevolent Queen Dowager of our beautiful country!" putting more tea in her cup, she toasted, as the girls followed, and the Dowager chuckled. She knew very well her granddaughter was so bold in her speech with her because they were very close, however, she realised, she wanted to be kept anonymous, and she was going to make sure that facade doesn't slip.

They finished the tea and then left the place, as Eun-Im and A-Ran were very cheerful about how lovely the Queen Dowager was with them - Finally, a speck of kindness in this cruel palace! They continued to gossip about how ugly the men of the Office are, until they were called upon by a young girl, who told them to follow her...And then...They saw Court Lady Choe? "What is the matter, ma'am?" Eun-Im asked, very confused, as the maids in white grabbed all 5 of them. Maybe they didn't get the memento that one of them is actually the Princess and she shouldn't be harmed. If the worst comes to worst, she'll have to pull the trump card from her sleeve much faster than anticipated. "What is the meaning of this?" Hae-Ryung asked, only to get slapped by this bitchy court lady.

"You shall learn the code of conduct for Inner Court ladies." she said, only to be met by a scoff from the Princess.
"And why should we? Since when are we Court ladies, anyway? You heard the Queen Mother with your own ears, didn't you? We don't serve the King, but the country. We are not maids or court ladies and we serve no master. We took an exam, we are Government officials and we belong to the Office of Royal Decrees. We are Historians, therefor, we have nothing to do with the rules of your Inner Palace, do you understand, Lady Choe?" Min-Ji glared at the evil lady who was acting on her behalf - Surely she couldn't be doing her grandmother's wishes, otherwise, she wouldn't have been included in this, right? 
"Shut your mouth, you insolent wench. Know your place!" Choe yelled as she slapped Min-Ji, before the maids in white threw the female historians to the ground. "If you run your mouth thoughtlessly, I shall sear it. If you steal anything, I shall cut your hands off. And if you lose your chastity, you will be beheaded. You mustn't remember anything that you see and hear. Here, you are blind, deaf and mindless. Don't ever forget that! Just lie low and be a lady! All you have to do is obey orders! Do you understand?!" Choe yelled at them, but Min-Ji couldn't suppress all the anger she was feeling. This wasn't like the mockings of the historians, this was a complete different matter, and the Princess was absolutely livid. 
Yi Min-Ji shot to her feet and sneered the court lady without having any fear in her heart. "Who do you think you are, ordering us around, you stupid maid? Huh? You think just because you work for the Queen Mother, you are entitled to go do anything you want? Oh, you're wrong! You will not lay a finger on any of these women! We got into this palace through sheer hard work, intelligence and ambition! We came here to serve the country! To learn, to observe, to analyse, to hear, to see, to write down every little detail that we are in contact with. A stupid maid won't tell us what to do! We are Historians and we belong to the Office of Royal Decrees, not to your stupid Inner Palace! I will go ahead and speak my mind, because I earned that right! I will lose my chastity one day, because I am a woman and I am allowed to have a life, and even more, I have a husband! We are not King's women, nor maids or concubines, so any rule you want us to abide, does not, and will not, concern us! I won't be jaded by fear or intimidation, especially from some weakling who hides behind Her Highness's power! I won't be stripped of choice and life, just because you never got that in your life and you are jealous! I won't be a lady, because I am a Government Official! I am a Historian, and we obey no-one but the laws of the Historians! Do you understand? I said...DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!" Min-Ji's voice was loud and clear, yet filled with anger and a powerful force that lead her to go with the right path. She didn't want to pull the Princess card, but if that bitch was continuing to piss her off, she will slap her rank all over her face.
"HOLD HER DOWN! If this bitch doesn't understand the rules of the palace, than I shall make sure it's engraved in your mind forever! Take your punishment!" Lady Choe took the hot iron and pointed it at her face as the white-garbed maid all went to get ahold of the impudent Historian.
"I AM A HISTORIAN!" Min-Ji screeched loudly as she thought, in vain, to throw the maids off of her, seeing the hot iron approaching her.

A saving voice, however, was suddenly heard, and rapid and loud footsteps came through, as all the historians gathered around. "What do you think you're doing?!" the shocked voice of disbelief came from none other than Min U-Won, who went to pull off the maids from Min-Ji. "They belong to the Office of Royal Decrees. They have no reason to be here with you now." he pulled the girl behind him, to go back to the girls.
"This concerns the Inner Court. Stay out of it!" the Court Lady still didn't stop, which was a concern on its own.
"You are threatening Government officials! Since when was that the Inner Court's job?" and after a bit more yelling from the two, Min-Ji, unable to stop herself from inflicting punishment, marched in front of the court lady and harshly grabbed her jaw, squeezing as hard as she could. 
"Never. In your life. Threaten. A Princess. Again. Do you understand me, Choe?!" the anger she was emanating, along with the Princess Card she pulled, in a voice low enough only for her and U-Won to hear, as he was right there, was a hard enough blow. Combined with a pissed-off slap, it drove all the Court Ladies out of there. 
"Are you hurt?" U-Won muttered, brushing the hair from her face.
"Apart from the bitch slapping me, I'm fine. I returned the favour. I have to do my hair again now. I have a head ache now, and that's not how I wanted to have my day go by. Let's go back, I want to lock myself in the library and organise all books. Again." she sighed, picking up the pace with the rest of them as she patted down her hair and clothes, all messy from the altercation.

By the time the two caught up to the group, they have already stopped, and Officer Yang was scolding the girls for going for getting in such a mess because they didn't follow the rules. Rules that were never even spoken around them. At all. Not even once. Nothing. They were taught absolutely nothing.  
The two could hear everything that the Official said, as he was scolding them loud enough, but U-Won could feel the anger in his wife's heart as she was quiet. This was worse than the quiet before the storm. He remembered the ruthlessness and wrath from her eyes, even before, when she was a powerless child. Now, it's a force to be reckoned with.

He knew that, if Officer Yang wanted a war, she was going to take up her armor and weapons and fight back so hard, he won't know what hit him, and he will go crying to his mother - Again. 
Min U-Won knew. It was going to be a bloody mess. A bloodbath. And this time, he was pretty sure that all the pressure that was put on the girls will be enough to make them break down and retaliate, not caring about any consequence. They were already empowered by Min-Ji's recklessness and boldness. 

It was going to be a mess.

Chapter Text

"Why are you worrying about the Second State Councillor's son...When you can't even take care of yourself? Why did you follow her in the first place?! Even my dog doesn't follow strangers!" Yang scolded them, wagging his finger at them.
"We had no idea, sir." Eun-Im explained in a dejected voice.  "We were told the Queen Dowager asked for us --"
"It's your fault that you had no idea! Even the Queen Dowager must follow the proper protocols when she wishes to summon us, Government officials. ESPECIALLY us, historians, ought to finish what we were working on, check what else needs to be done, and report everything to the office before gong anywhere, even if the Grim Reaper wants to take us. Before that, we can't even die, you fools!" he sneered at them very harshly. 
"How could we have known that?!" A-Ran cried out in a defeated voice. "We had no idea because you taught us nothing! You didn't tell us anything!" she began, as her best friend tried to calm her down, but that was her breaking point. "But it is true! Sir, what have you taught us? And other officers, what have you taught us?! We couldn't even learn from you because you taught us nothing!" her voice was breaking so hard because of the crying that Min-Ji couldn't help but put her hand on her shoulder, showing her that she was there for her, encouraging her to speak her mind. "How could you expect us to just figure everything out on our own and know how to tackle such situations?! You are all responsible for what went through today. If you hadn't belittled us by calling us 'Clerks' at the Office of Royal Decrees, the court ladies wouldn't have dared to take us and treat us like maids! I sincerely thought after the Hazing Ritual, we gained your respect enough for you to actually accept us and want to teach us!" a heartfelt speech, that was, one that left everyone quiet and thinking...Except Brainless Kim.
"Don't exaggerate, they were only trying to intimidate you." Kim tried to downplay the situation, but a harsh voice came from behind. 
"SHUT UP!" she said, stepping forward. "You weren't there, you don't know. You didn't get slapped around, wrestled in the dirt, threatened or had a searing iron in front of your face, centimeters away from getting your skin melted." she glared at him, allowing A-Ran to continue her speech.
"They said we're His Majesty's women and they told us that we must their code of conduct and lie low for that reason. We must forget everything we see and hear. They said we ought to obey all orders until we die! They clearly treated us like maids, and no matter how much Min-Ji tried and struggled to tell her we were historians, they'd just punish her worse and tell her to shut up or they'll sear her tongue off! Could you still tell us that we deserve to talk about rules and protocols?!" and thus, she ran away, followed by Hae-Ryung and Eun-Im.
"How dare she raise her voice at us?!" Kim spoke again, only to be pushed away by Min-Ji, as she watched her friend run away.
"...I was so angry, I wanted to lash out at you as well. I wanted to blame you. To curse you, almost. We did everything we could to earn the respect we should have gotten as soon as we stepped into that stupid Office of yours...But honestly...I don't think I could have said it any better than her. If you're jealous on us, go ahead and be jealous. We don't care about that. But at the very least, don't expect us to be born with knowledge of being a historian and then see us brave any hardship on our own. You made us fetch you water, insulted us, mocked us, taunted us...And then, you came to rescue us from the maids. I...Actually thought that...You, all, being there for us...Meant that you accepted us. But I was wrong. Boy, was I wrong. You actually...Dared...To scold us. You told us...It's our fault for not knowing...But how could we have known? Did any of you tell us? No. Did you give us a book of rules? No. You told us to fetch you water and paper. Yes, that's what a historian should do. Then, next time we get in trouble, don't be surprised if one of us is actually maimed. Heaven knows, those maids can wrestle better than any one you put together. If you weren't there when you were...Well, I wonder if I would have still had this impertinent tongue of mine right now. Unfortunately for you, truth always comes to light when you least expect it, so even if I am dead, another will take my place...That is...What a Historian is...Right?" Min-Ji looked up at the sky, sighing in exhaustion as she pulled back her hair before chuckling sarcastically. "...Ah, right. We are women, therefor, we aren't Historians in your eyes. I forgot. I apologise that my parents didn't give birth to a boy. Trust me, I have, to this day, to live with the knowledge that if I were a boy, I wouldn't have been in such a shitty situation, and that maybe people wouldn't have hated me because I was born, to quote, the useless gender. Next time to cry to your mummy, tell her she's worthless. And look into her eyes. Tell her she's useless because she's a woman, and watch the disappointment, hurt and sorrow in her eyes. Yeah. That's what we feel every day. But she will smile at you, and say that she still loves you. Because that's what women do best. Put up with stupid men's belittlement and carry on with this curse of a life. Thank you, everyone, for continuing the torment. That why we became Historians. To suffer even here, not just at home." looking at Officer Yang, whose eyes were cast down on the ground, pondering very seriously at the situation at hand, Min-Ji took off after her friend, hoping to comfort her to her best abilities.

When she finally caught up to the girls, A-Ran was crouched on the ground, sobbing her eyes out from all the pain and sorrow her broken heart was feeling, as her friends were rubbing her back to comfort her somehow.

"Had I known I'd be treated like this, I would've never taken the exam. What did we do so wrong? Why is everyone so mean to us? What did we do wrong?!" she hid her face in her hands, buried in her knees, unable to find an answer for those blasted questions.
"I'm glad you said those things. I'm truly proud of you." Hae-Ryung praised the girl in a soft voice, patting her back.
"You were so brave, A-Ran. I'm really, really proud of you. After you left, I saw the look on their face...Officer Yang was the most affected. He couldn't even look up from the ground. Your words were very strong and impactful. I truly believe that your sincerity is going to have an impact." Min-Ji pulled A-Ran into a hug, petting her hair and letting her cry to her heart's content.

It was a long day, truly, for all 5 of them, and that evening, Min-Ji only stood on the rock of her lily pond, her hair let down to just fly wherever it wanted, dressed in her light sleeping wear, and having some fruit wine next to her. She requested to her servants to just take the day off and leave her be alone the whole day, unbothered by anything and anyone. She wanted to feel the cold air on her skin and attempt to cool down the boiling anger surging through her veins that was actively giving her the horrible impulse of either clawing the skin on her arms off, tearing off her hair, screeching into the Heavens or breaking everything that she saw in her path.

She truly wished that the impulsive and destructive part of her was buried deep inside since her childhood and wouldn't resurface again, but it was times like these she realised that maybe she couldn't actually control her inner monster and maybe she deserved all the bad things happening to her.

As she watched the Sun setting and the sky become an ocean of the most beautiful palette of colours, she took out her flute and began to play away her emotions as her eyes were numbly looking into the horizon, unfocused and mindless. The girl didn't even realise the sound of approaching footsteps until the person was already sat on the rock next to her, and they, too, were quiet and looking pensive at the sky.

"Hello. Again. Do excuse my indecent attire, I told my servants to take the day off. Nobody comes to this place, so...I wasn't...Expecting visitors of any kind." she let out a sarcastic-amused exhale, putting down the flute in her lap, yet she didn't look at her visitor.
"It should be me asking for forgiveness, not you. I'm not a man of words, but actions, and my ignorance and lack of taking proper action indirectly resulted in the suffering and pressure of all 5 of you, and for that, I apologise. I promise to take a more active role in your teaching and becoming of proper historians." Officer Min hung his head, looking down at the still water.
"...I knew this was going to happen. It's a good thing the men at the Office can still be touched by the right words, cries and emotions, otherwise, I would have really been horrified at the work environment I was into. I have seen evil many time, U-Won. Neither of you is evil. I chose to believe that...And I was right. I don't even really blame Officer Kim...He's still a silly child. He's what, 19? I bet his hazing ritual was so bad and he was bullied by everyone so much that he felt the need to have any newbie suffer as much as he did." she shrugged, dangling her feet onto the water's sheen.
"I promise you, things will change. I will make sure all 5 of you know what to expect and the proper regulations, so you won't get in trouble like that ever again. You are a part of the Office of Royal Decrees now, no matter what anyone says. You belong with us now." his statement earned a chuckle from the girl who raised her legs to her chest, hugging them and resting her chin on her knees.
"After we left...A-Ran was crying so hard. She could barely say anything coherent. She was...Devastated. The brightest and most cheerful person I've seen in my entire life was reduced to nothing but a sobbing mess because of what happened. But...That wasn't the worst part, you know. The worst part was...What she was saying. She repeated a single sentence...A question. Over...And over...And over...Until I couldn't do it anymore and I had to leave. I thought that I...That I've been through enough. I thought that I had no more tears to cry. I thought I wouldn't get angry again...Not like in the past. But I was wrong. Again." with a shaky chuckle, Min-Ji pulled back the hair draping over her face, and looking up at the sky, forcing herself not to cry.
"What did she say?" he knew he had to ask, and he also knew the reply would hurt him, but it was inevitable. He deserved this indirect pain after everything that happened.
Min-Ji, for the first time since he arrived, turned her head to look at him. She could see the remorse and guilt in his eyes, while he could see hers being glossy, and her nose turning slightly pink, and her bottom lip was trembling in an attempt to stop herself from crying.
"What. Did we. Do. So. Wrong...To deserve this. What did...We...Do...Wrong." she had to stop herself after each word, as it had more of an impact on her than she even realised...Until she said it with her own mouth. "Do you have any idea how often women ask themselves and their mothers that, since they are very little children? Too. Often. Mummy, why does daddy hate me? Mummy, why is daddy so mean to you? Mummy, why doesn't daddy look at me? Mummy, what does worthless mean, and why did daddy call me that? Mummy, why did daddy tell me I shouldn't have been born? Mummy, why can't I go out and play with the children outside? Mummy, why am I not allowed to learn to read and write? Mummy, why...Why the hell does life hate us so much? Mummy...Why...Did you hate us so much...That you made me a girl." casting her eyes down, she turned her head away from him, patting her face with the back of her hand so to wipe away the stray tears streaming down her pale face. "Can you even imagine the amount of times His Majesty, my father, ordered me to get beaten up and whipped under - Disciplinary - pretexts, because no matter what I did, it was never good enough for him. Do you have any idea how it is...To have your own parent cast you out and exile you...And tell you to your face that your birth was a mistake just because you were born the wrong gender, as if I, or anyone else, had any choice in the matter? It's a 50-50 chance and I lost the lottery. And I have to pay for it my entire life." she let out a long and pained sigh, in a way cursing herself for speaking so much to someone else, but in a way, she felt more at ease and relieved for finally speaking after so long.
"I had no idea that you had to go through all this. You and all the women...I didn't know. I am truly sorry for my ignorance." after a few seconds of silence, his response came, although, he knew it was lackluster and no amount of words could erase what was happening throughout the country.
"It's...Not...Your fault. You are not like that. I saw that already. You are in that small percent that is different. And...For that, I guess I am grateful. At least my husband won't whip me around for daring to speak." she snorted sarcastically, before sighing again. "No matter. Anyway. Don't feel too bad. All will be forgiven and forgotten soon enough."
"Min-Ji." U-Won called out her name, as he looked at her with mixed emotions. There was nothing more to say. Words weren't going to fix the situation, actions would. The least words can do is to try to put together the shattered pieces of her heart, and he hoped that staying by her side, in silence, would amount for something. "Could you play the flute again?"
Pouring some wine in her cup, she gulped it down, and poured some for U-Won as well, handing him the cup. 
"I hope you don't mind drinking from the same cup as me. We'll have to do that as our wedding ceremony in the future, anyway." she said, seeing the man accept the cup without any protest, drinking the wine. 
"Of course I don't mind." he said as she handed him the wine bottle, letting him pour as much as he wanted. 
"I'm...Not really good at playing the flute, actually. I haven't touched it in ages." she muttered, rotating around her flute with her fingers, a bit awkwardly.
"I think it was beautiful." his words were truthful, and he looked at her so she could see he was genuine. She chuckled softly, looking down, a bit embarrassed, before nodding in agreement.
"When I was little, I had to learn how to be a Princess. I hoped that my father would accept me if I were to learn how to do feminine things. I played the flute for him, and he broke it. I played the Chinese guqin for him, and he burnt it away. I sang for him, and he said I should never open my mouth again. I danced for him, and he said he would break my legs if he ever sees me dance again. So, I turned to what Yi Jin was doing. Archery and Horse riding. Together, we planned a little tournament. We both know, to this day, that I'm the better archer and rider...But me winning...And even daring to attempt such masculine activities...Resulted in getting punished so badly that I still have nightmares about it, to this day, and sometimes, I think I still feel the pain on my back from the whips. I vowed to never try to do anything again, in fear of being punished again. I don't know what came over me today that I wanted to play the flute...But I guess, if you want me to do it, I don't really have any reason not to." shrugging a bit, she brought the flute to her mouth, and closing her eyes, she let the flow take over her and play to her heart's content, while U-Won was looking at the rising Moon and glowing starts that embellished the sky after the Sun disappeared, and continued drinking wine, letting the music calm his senses as he kept thinking at the words she confessed. 

Having to keep such secrets must be so painful, he thought, and even more, he never realised that being a royal woman could mean you live such a horrible life. She was very brave for continuing on with life and still have the guts to be such a leader to the women, while also being so provoking and confrontational when needed, but in the most refined way. Never once, did she attempt to use insults or use her rank, instead, she used her wit against everyone. She must truly hate her Princess status and her family after everything she was put through, and he could understand that. Truly, he can. He knows it's better to shut up and do what you're told, sometimes, as so not create unnecessary trouble, but how long can one person alone endure such abuse and mistreatment, especially from the people who are supposed to love and protect you above all.

Then, he thought at the time they were children, and how he often tried to jump on him, to wrestle him, to yell at him, all because he was prioritising his reading over spending time doing physical activities with her. He didn't want to do archery or play tag or hide-and-seek, his studies were more important, but maybe letting her vent some steam off wouldn't have been too bad either. In her mind, he was acting as arrogant as her Royal Father, he thought, so no wonder she hated him so much. She was so hurt and distraught. She hated silence, it made her feel unsafe and uneasy, so she always talked and moved around.

Maybe, by attempting to constantly do something, she was trying to push away all the pain and negative thoughts she was having, but she couldn't with him. All this time, she only had the Crown Prince to support her, and sometimes, not even him, because they had to be kept separated for so long, due to royal orders. What a pitiful life women have to live.

Then, U-Won remembered his sister, the Crown Princes, Min U-Hui, and how little he gets to see her, but in those short occasions they meet, she's always miserable. Not because the Crown Prince is mistreating her, but because of the lack of feelings between those two, he refuses to do his duties as a husband, and all the blame falls on her for not producing an heir out of thin air. And even the other female historian, Song Sa-Hui, who is a noble. She's always silent, yet very calculated and brave, yet deep inside, you can still see the hurt and injustice she had to endure over the years, and he was almost curious, if not, pained, to imagine what she had to go through at such a tender age in her childhood.

The next morning, as was expected, the 5 female historians were lead into the library to be taught the rankings of the Office, as per Officer Yang's request. "This is the organisational chart of our office." he said. "So, look here. The 8 designated historians of the Office of Royal Decrees are called Hanrim. You know that, right?" the Officer asked, as the girls merely nodded. "First Historian Yang Si-Haeng holds the highest office among them. After him, it's First Historian Min U-Won. Among the Second Historians, Officer Son Gil-Seung has seniority over Hyeon Gyeong-Muk." the Officer explained, and as curious as ever, A-Ran raised her hand to ask a question.
"Is there a hierarchy even among the same office ranks?" she asked, making the Officer smirk at her.
"Of course. We all began to work at different times. For example, the 4 of us may all be senior 9th-rank officers. I can swear at these 3, but they can't do that to me." Officer Hwang said very dramatically, making Min-Ji stifle a giggle. "And Officer Seong Seo-Gwon can swear at Officer An Hong-Ik and Officer Kim Chi-Guk. Officer An Hong-Ik can swear at Officer Kim Chi-Guk. Officer Kim-Chi-Guk....." he had to stop himself as he pointed his pointing stick at the young Officer who was extending his arms towards the women, smiling at his superior, full of hope. "....has no one. He just has to take it." hearing such an anti-climatic answer, Min-Ji couldn't help her unceremonious laughter, especially seeing the crest-fallen expression on the young one's face.
"Officer Hwang!" Officer Kim, very shocked, had his arm up. "But I'm a senior officer to them!" he tried to protest, making the superior grin at him. 
"Hey, even if that's true, Clerk Goo and Clerk Yi are 26 years old and you're 19. How can you swear at them?! Don't you know that elders come first? Elders come first!" he exclaimed, making all girls attempt to stifle their giggles.

However, as that took place, the door behind them opened, revealing a protesting Officer Hyeon who scolded them all. "Hey! How can the senior 9th rank officers and clerks all sit around in here?! Ehh?? Should I be running around doing errands as a Second Historian?" he was pretty indignant about this.
"Do you need us to do something?" Officer Seong was the first to ask. "No, you're good. You four, come." was the answer, and thus, he left the library. The girls looked up at the four superiors, waiting on what to do, and they all motioned for them to hurry up and follow the Historian and do whatever they have to do.

And thus, the 5 women were brought to the Pavilion where all the decisions are made. The two male historians split at the two opposite tables for writing, and of course, Min-Ji went to stand behind her husband, along with Hae-Ryung and A-Ran. As the girls looked around, admiring the beautiful decorations around the room, some of the advisors, all garbed in red, stepped inside, and all had to protest. "How dare a bunch of women come in here?! Get out of here right now!" they all pointed fingers at them, scrutinising them.
"We are not women, we are Historians, and we are here to learn how to do our jobs. Please do make an exception and overlook our genders, for they serve no meaning while we wear these uniforms." Min-Ji bowed to them, but of course, she wasn't met with a very positive response, and the other girls looked back at Officer Min for help and support. 
He got up from his desk and, instead of looking at the advisors, he pointed at the desk. "This is the Historian's desk." he said in a simple voice, that was supposed to explain everything he intends to do, for everyone, without having to actually say it.
"Officer Min, are you letting us attend a royal meeting?" Eun-Im asked, shocked, at the radical change in behaviour, but he explained nothing. Doing so would only bring trouble. "Get to your positions." he ordered them, hoping for no more words to be told. 
"Officer Min, what do you think you're doing? Women should not be allowed in here! How dare you taint the royal court?" but Officer Min didn't even look at the Advisor, instead, he prepared his book and paint brush, waiting for the elder to just go away and stop his complaining. "You are being unbelievably rude! How dare you ignore me when I'm talking to you?" but he was quickly stopped by another as soon as U-Won's father stepped through. Min-Ji felt a chill go down her spine, remembering even now how much he terrified her, only with that gaze alone, but nonetheless, they all bowed at him, and they could see the look of disappointment he was giving his own son. Disgusting.

Thankfully, all the scrutinising, insults and protests were stopped as the Crown Prince's arrival was loudly announced, and everyone got in position to bow to him. Min-Ji looked up, as she bowed, to see if he was going to look for her - And he did. He looked left and right, analysing the female historians, and a small smile, that quickly vanished, crept on as soon as he saw his own sister and her genuine smile. And then he sat down, awaiting the petitions, as she opened her book and readied her paint brush.

An official in blue ran inside and handed Official 1 a petition from an official in Hadong, Gyeonsang Province. The endless rain has caused the river to overflow and flooded dozens of villages. There are hundreds of villagers who drowned or got buried in the landslide.  - The Crown Prince closed his eyes in pain at the misfortune of his subjects, then opened his eyes in disbelief that something like that was happening. - What was the official doing during the endless rain? the Crown Prince asked. Why didn't he evacuate the villagers? 

Most of the people who died were actually hiding in Jirisan so they could avoid paying military taxes. That guy said.

Tell him to console the villagers by distributing food from the Relief Office. It'll take days to restore the damage. They won't need to pay taxes for the time being. And--- the Crown Prince's order was abruptly interrupted by Official 2 - Guy with ugly eyebrows.

You cannot do that. They may have suffered from the flood, but they are criminals who avoided military duties. You should be punishing them. How can you think of sparing them from paying taxes? The Official who spoke first refuted the order.

Are you saying I should collect taxes from those people who lost their families and have nowhere to go? the Prince asked in disbelief.

You cannot get swayed by your personal emotions. Officer 3 ( i think? ) protested rasply. Think about why they ended up in that situation in the first place. They brought that upon themselves by living in the mountains just so they could do tax evasion. 

Second State Councilor Min said - Your Royal Highness, how many people are running away to avoid paying military taxes, and that's causing trouble to each district's tax office. Military taxes are the most important duty of the people of this country. Those who do not follow show no loyalty to their country. You should arrest them all and tighten the country's discipline.

Please do so, Your Royal Highness - All Advisors chanted together, bowing. Please withdraw your order, your Royal Highness, they continued. And they said it twice.

Then it was silent for a few seconds.

Did you say that military taxes are the duty of this country's people? Then what about you? Have you ever paid taxes? the Prince asked, making the Advisors shut up and look down. What about your fathers or sons? Have they paid taxes? 

Officer Ugly I-Forgot-The-Number said - Military taxes are meant to be paid by peasants - which made Prince angry and he slammed his hand on the table, getting up.

Since when? Since when did paying taxes became a duty for those who are weak and poor? - Prince's question was met with silence - Before the wars broke out in Joseon, everyone in this country was obligated to pay taxes. But with time, powerful officials stopped paying them. Wealthy noblemen too. Now, even the middle-class people do the same. That's why poor people ended up with all the responsibility. Asking a wealthy man to pay a portion of his wealth and asking a poor man the same, are different to the core. The ones standing here on most of the country's wealth are busy shifting the responsibility on the poor and ask them to give more than what they own. That's why our people leave their homes and choose to live in the mountains. You think they don't show loyalty to the country? Even if they choose to turn their backs on our country, I won't turn my back on them. That's what a country should do. That is what a King should do. the Prince stated with fire.

Suddenly, the door was opened and the King appeared, followed by his eunuch. You arrogant fool, he said, referring to the Crown Prince, as everyone bowed deeply and the Prince hurried down from his seat and down the stairs to meet the King on the open corridor. I let you act as a regent due to your enthusiasm, but how dare you talk about the King's duty while I am still live? 

Father, I was just-- The Prince tried to explain himself, but he was cut off.

I order the Crown Prince to leave. No protest from his son was accepted. The King went to his seat and read the petition himself. I reduced the tax by half the amount, but they still cannot pay it. Dismiss the official in Hadong. The Governor of Gyeo-Something Province shall put down his position. The King ordered. The Prince left the room. The meeting ended.

Min-Ji sighed, massaging her wrist and bowing like the rest, followed all the Historians outside. As soon as they were pretty far away from the pavilion, the girls finally felt more courageous to speak again, after hold on to their breaths from the suspense and pressure. "I felt so suffocated inside!" Eun-Im whined, making the Princess chuckle. "Aren't those men some of the most competent Government officials that work in the royal court? But they keep rejecting every single comment made by his Royal Highness. They are like a group of gamecocks." she continued, making Min-Ji started giggling in amusement.
"Did you j-just...Say...The advisors are...Gamecocks? Imagine the actual animal with those silly hats, cucking and clacking at each other and flapping their red wings, and ---" but she couldn't continued from the laughter.
"Gamecocks, huh? That's a very nice way of explaining the very purpose of royal advisors." Officer Sung chuckled as well. 
"Royal advisors?" Eun-Im asked, confused. "That's what you call the officials at the Office of Inspector-Generals and the Office of Censors. They each have slightly different roles, but they both have a duty to correct the King's mistakes and stop him from doing arbitrary things like today." he explained, making Min-Ji tap Eun-Im's shoulder lightly to get her attention.
"Basically, they are paid to argue all they and say no to anything that strays from the rules already set in stone." she grinned at the girls, who stared giggling.
"Ehhh, really? I wonder how that would be. Mother always said I'm too argumentative for my own good!" A-Ran gasped, looking at Min-Ji.
"Hey, hey. Hey! So, if they're paid to argue...Ah! I know! I will pay anyone who wants to argue with me! Or, I can buy you drinks all night long! How's that sound, eh? Come on, no one wants? It'll be fun, I promise! Uh...I promise I won't throw anyone in the well!" the girl tried, but it was in vain, for everyone around her shook their heads at her.
"It wasn't arbitrary." Hae-Ryung suddenly spoke, making everyone stop in their tracks to look at her. "Don't you think so? His Royal Highness wasn't being arbitrary by wanting to help the people. He was just doing his job. That's what I think." she ended, making the Princess sweat drop. As a sister, she completely understood and was on the Prince's side. Justice was a strong point of hers and she couldn't stand injustice. However, as a historian, she knew she should stay as far as possible from any personal feelings or thoughts, so it wouldn't taint he neutrality when she writes.
"Your opinions are not important. Historians are people who record what they see and hear. Your opinions will only make you become biased, and if you record what you think, that will only end up being a journal, not a record of history." and thus, U-Won left, leaving Hae-Ryung to her own thoughts.
"Hae-Ryung. He is right, as a historian. But as a human, you are right. Take what you will of that." patting her shoulder, Min-Ji left with the rest of the group.

However, as soon as they got back to the Office, they were told to show what they wrote. As she opened her book, Min-Ji realised that what she thought and what she wrote wasn't exactly similar, and the calligraphy she cared for so much was...Less than optimal. Her cheeks suddenly flushed pink with embarrassment and she hid her face in the open book, as the men were laughing at their handwriting.

"Gosh, I'm shocked at how bad these writings are." Officer An said. "You were asked to write letters, not draw plants!" Officer Yang laughed, pointing at each of them. 
"...Are they pretty plants, at least?" Min-Ji's soft voice asked, unable to raise her head from the book. 
"You should become an artist!" he laughed with the rest.
"This was our first time at a royal meeting! You don't have to be so mean!" Eun-Im scolded them, looking down.
"You really need to practice a lot more." the kind Officer Seung spoke with a sweet smile on his face.
"We promise we will. Please continue teaching us and having patience with us." Min-Ji bowed at them, yet she still didn't show her face.
"Officer Min! Officer Min! Come and see their writings!" one of the Officers hurried the First Historian, and because of curiosity, Min-Ji peeked a tiny bit from behind the book to see what he was doing.

The man in cause went to Eun-Im, looked at her writing, then at her face, and his eyes were wide in disbelief. He then went to A-Ran, went very close to the book, blinked, and made a shocked - No, horrified, rather, expression as he looked at the girl. He then closed his eyes to cleanse his mind from what he had just seen, and went to Hae-Ryung, shaking his head. Next was Sa-Hui who sheepishly opened the book, and then, it was the Princess.

U-Won gingerly put his hand on the book. "Let me see it." he said in a voice that was not rude or demanding, so she slowly let her fingers untangle from the book, looking down, not daring to meet his gaze from the embarrassment. "Ugly Officer...Officer I forgot the number...That guy...The other guy...Officer with ugly eyebrows...Well, I've seen worse. Officer Kim's first writing looked like he let the ink stain the paper." saying that, he nodded, handing her back her book and went next to the others, not bothering with Officer Kim's protests.
"Can you read what they wrote?" Officer Yang asked very curious. "No. This isn't easy. I thought I'd at least be able to recognise one letter, but it's really not easy. The saving grace was Clerk Yi's writing. Sort of." he sighed, while the other men tried to stifle their laughs.
"We will get better and work harder!" Min-Jin bowed again, still looking down.
"Alright, alright. What did you learn at the royal meeting?" he asked again.
"That all Advisors look the same and that saying Ugly Officer or Ugly Thick Eyebrows won't give much information." came Min-Ji's awkward chuckle, which made some of them laugh.
"It was hard. It already takes time to write down what people say, but they all talk so fast." came in A-Ran's response. "I had a hard time because I couldn't tell who was whom." Eun-Im agreed with Min-Ji. "The Official with Thick eyebrows, The Official with big head. The official with a short neck. That's what I wrote. How do you all manage to tell them apart?" she continued.
"...Is My Ugly Thick Eyebrows and your Thick Eyebrows the same person?" Min-Ji asked softly, earning a slap from A-Ran who was biting her lip not to chuckle.
"There is a way." and so, Officer Min handed A-Ran the Record of Appearance. "Ah, look, Officer Min's father. With that scary look, I can recognise him from a thousand advisors." Min-Ji impulsively said, only to then realise what she said and looking at Min U-Won, she then quickly looked away.
"Yes, he's the Second State Councilor, Min Ik-Pyeong." Officer Seung explained to them with a kind smile.
"Oh! That's the Official with big head! Jegal Tak, a 7th rank official of the Royal Secretariat." Eun-Im exclaimed, as she went to another page. "And that's Thick Eyebrows!" her, along with Min-Ji, gasped together in recognition, then grinned at each other.
"Yes, that is correct. Not only the 3 state councilors, but also officials from the Office of the Inspector-Generals, the Office of Censors and the Royal Secretariat, the Office of State Records, the Office of Special Advisors and the Office of Royal Lectures. It is a recording of all the officials' appearances and their positions for us historians. It's our tradition to keep it updated and hand it over to the new historians...So it belongs to you now." Min U-Won explained, making all the girls smile at him gratefully.
"Does that mean you're acknowledging us as historians?" Sa-Hui asked him, but was cut of by Officer An.
"Hey, don't get ahead of yourself. You have never even had a blistered hand, how can you call yourselves historians?" he scolded her quickly.
"With the first blister, I promise to come to you." the Princess gave him a mocking smile.
"Read it whenever you can and memorize everything. It will be of help." as all the girls bowed to the men as thanks, Hae-Ryung personally went to Officer Min to thank him, then went back to the girls to get a better look at the Book.

That night, after making sure everyone left, Min-Ji took out another empty book and properly wrote down the events that unfolded that day, this time, making sure she write calligraphically and actually gets the Officials right. Finishing that, she got yet another book and tried to re-create the Book of Appearances, so she could take the copy home with her and properly examine it. It was a bit more difficult with the drawings, but she made it work, somehow. The whole night, she spent working on her copy, and she was happy with how it was turning out, so far. Sure, it was going to be a work that will be prolonged over more nights, but today's work is for today, and tomorrow's work is for tomorrow.

Not realising how tired, nor hungry she was being, Min-Ji soon fell asleep on her open book, with a smile on her face, in the middle of the night, hearing the crickets and toads sing outside of the Office.

Chapter Text

When the first Officials walked inside the Office of Royal Decrees, they weren't met with the usual empty place, but by seeing a petite woman garbed in the baby blue and white Historian uniform sleeping peacefully over a book. Some of them wanted to laugh, but some of them commended her for working so hard to achieve her goals, just like they do, but sometimes, they take their position for granted.

"Wake up, Clerk Yi." Officer Seung shook her awake, speaking to her in a gentle manner. As soon as soon fluttered her eyes open, very tired, she yawned and stretched in her chair, revealing smudged words on her face from falling asleep on the still-drying writing. She didn't realise why the men were laughing at her like that, and truth is, she was too tired, to even realise that it was morning. "Officer Seung? 's morning already?" she asked, her eyes still half-lidded from the sleep.
"Yes, it is morning. 6:30 AM. You fell asleep here." he explained kindly, yet he still held an amused smile on his face.
"Oh...Really? Huh...Didn't think I'd fall asleep writing. Guess there's a first for everything." as she said that, she rubbed her face to wake up, only to smudge the ink much worse on her face, making the men laugh even harder.
"What's all this commotion so early in the morning?" Officer Yang's nagging voice came by as he and Officer Min entered the Office.
"Look at her! She has ink all over her face and she doesn't know!" Officer An laughed. "Well, now he knows, genius." Officer Kim scolded him.
"Enough, enough, you two. Clerk Yi, go get some water and wash your face. We have a long day today." Officer Yang dismissed those two as the girl merely blinked and nodded, groggily getting up and going to get some water from the bucket and put it in a bowl. But instead of washing her face, she drank it. And smiled.
"You're not drunk, are you?" the masculine voice of the familiar man who always looks out for him came in the library as he saw her serenely sitting in the chair, resting.
"Nah. Apparently, I fell asleep writing last night." she spoke so casually that even her stomach protested at her negligence.
"So you skipped both dinner and breakfast, didn't you? Your servants must be worrying by now." he shook his head, which made the girl sober and straighten up. 
"Oh. You're right. Guess I'll have to apologise to them tonight." she muttered as she scratched the back of her head.
"You're impossible. You can have my lunch. Just don't do that again. Or, if you do, at least make sure you take care of yourself." he sighed in exasperation, taking the handkerchief from her hand and dipping it in the water of the now re-filled bowl.
"Hey...U-Won...Can I ask you something?" she asked, looking down with a shy smile as he held her chin in his fingers so he could wipe away the ink from her face. He hummed in approval, still absent-minded, not expecting her weird question at all. "Wanna be my wife?" hearing that, the napkin in his hand almost fell on the ground. He could only blink and look up with a confused frown. "Since I got here, you've been taking so much care of me. Like a wife would take care of her husband. I would never be able to be so good to you, as you are to me. Guess when I told you I was going to be a Prince, and you, the Princess, I knew what I was saying, even if I was drunk out of my wits." she chuckled, looking away timidly. "Even risking being found here and having the truth about us exposed...You still put me as your priority. I really appreciate and see what you're doing, you know? Thank you." she told him with a sweet, grateful smile on her face.
"Don't be silly. You're my wife, of course I'd take care of you. Now stop saying such things. Officer Yang was right, you have a long day ahead, you need energy. Don't be stubborn and let me share the food with you at lunch." shaking his head, he went back to cleaning her face, yet her smile was still burnt into his retina.
"Okay. You win. Just this time." she hummed in amusement, closing her eyes and letting him continue wiping away the ink.

The usual morning routine was finished at the Bureau, they enjoyed a nice and warm lunch, went to attend the royal meeting once again, then all the female historians had to follow Officers Yang and An to watch a dead body brought in. "My gosh, look at your faces? Are you scared to look at dead bodies because you're women?" An's voice suddenly started mocking them.
"Scared? Who's scared of a corpse? Are you projecting on us, Officer An?" Min-Ji's head shot up, looking with confusion at the shortest Historian. "Me? Scared? Ha! I'm a man, who do you think you're talking to, anyway? Huh?!" he shot back immediately.
"I'm more scared of working overtime than those dead bodies." Eun-Im stated, as the girls all agreed. "We should be going home. Why do we suddenly need to go outside for work?" she continued whining. "I agree. I'm already exhausted after having attended the royal meeting. Gosh, I can't believe we even have to attend an autopsy." A-Ran agreed with her friend, pouting.
"Why are you taking it out on me? I didn't kill them. Should I go around asking all the murderers in this country not to kill anyone since you're exhausted?" Officer Yang scolded them sarcastically, making Min-Ji chuckle and nod. "It's a historian's job to attend autopsies. Stop complaining and follow me...It'll be less while while the Sun's out."

As they arrived at the autopsy room, Min-Ji insisted on going with Officer Yang to see the survivor with the odd medical procedure that saved his life. His injury was sewn with a thread and a needle. The physicians found it barbaric, but the female historian, inspecting the wound, recognised the practice from somewhere. She was sure she heard of this before...Western...It had to be. Stitches, right? That had to be it. This made her think very deeply and carefully about what she remembered and from where, but couldn't, for the life of it, remember.

Sighing as they were dismissed, she followed her superior to the other room where the female historians were writing down the autopsy results told by the physician, only to have Hae-Ryung interrogate Officer Yang herself, saying she wanted to see the wound and what was the medical practice. "His body was sewn with a thread as if it was a blanket. Are you happy?!" he quickly blurted out, but it only made her more curious. This made A-Ran gasp very loudly, Yang to tease her and An to vomit again, while the physician was patting his ack pitifully.
"He had stitches. It's a Western procedure, but I heard it was taught in Qing pretty recently. They say a wound heals faster and better if the flesh is brought together." Min-Ji explained casually, which made Hae-Ryung pester her now, as she didn't get the approval to see the body. 
"Really?! How fascinating, I want to see it too!" Hae-Ryung protested, but of course Officer Yang wanted to just go home already.
"No, you can't. Not only did the Royal Investigation Bureau say no, but I also want to hurry up and go home." she tried to protest again, but he came up with a hilarious threat. "One more word -- And I'll make you spend the entire night with the dead bodies. If you want to annoy someone, go to Clerk Yi, she saw it with her own eyes." and then he suddenly turned around, hissing at them and scaring the wits out of everyone.

But truly, how did she know about stitches anyway? She couldn't have seen it herself, could she? Right? It's not practice is Joseon, and she's never been out of the Palace...

Right?

Enough for one day, however, Min-Ji is tired and needs to eat properly, and her maids made sure she overeats while her Eunuch scolded her enough for a lifetime. Or probably not. Eunuchs always know how to scold a person into oblivion anyway. At least he cares for her, that much she knows, and the more nagging a person is, the more they care about the person they are nagging.

Eunuch Yun and the two maids have been the only family she has had for so long. Could've been worse, though, at least she had them, and Yi Rim had Eunuch Heo and the two maids, and they get along so well too.

As the maids braided her hair and prepared her for sleep, the Princess put her head down on her pillow, and putting the blanket over her, she let the dream world take over her.

However, she didn't dream. Instead, she had a nightmare. She saw a man in red getting, the King's clothes, crouching at her height - She was much shorter, for some reason - And he was calling her his little Nightingale. He told her he is proud to be the father of such a brilliant and talented young lady, and that she is destined for greatness. 

She was happy, and she could feel her heart swelling from glee...But it was also painful. None of that was true, and even in the dream-world, she knew that. But just as this beautiful image came by, it was also snatched away, as a long sword was thrust through the King's back, almost hitting her as well, and she felt herself being dragged away from him and thrown into a filthy jail, where she got beaten up.

And then she woke up. And she was crying. It was already close to 5 in the morning, so might as well wake up and get ready. Once again, she was the first to get to the Office of Royal Decrees, yet this time, instead of sleeping on the table, she was went to the back, to organise the library's books, hoping she won't be disturbed for a while.

After what seemed to her to be 10 minutes, yet it was actually close to 3 hours, Clerk Goo rushed into the library and snatched away the Book of Appearances, looking frantically over to look for...Someone? And she showed Min-Ji the blank page where Prince Dowon should have been. At the same time, the other three apprentices got in and started looking at the book.

"Why has this page been left blank? The page for Prince Dowon. Everyone else has a portrait on their page. Only this one has been left blank." Hae-Ryung asked again.
"Apprentice Goo, have you not heard about Prince Dowon? There are rumours about him...Prince Dowon is the prince sent into exile at Nokseodang, the place hidden deep inside the palace, close to the exiled Princess's Pavilion of Lilies and Narcissi. Rumour has it that their entire bodies are covered in boils. I heard they're like monsters who resemble neither man nor animal, so they are embarrassed to even leave their rooms!" A-Ran told her the rumours, making Min-Ji sweat drop. Is that what they said of her?! Honestly...
"I heard His Majesty had no choice but to lock them up! They say they were both born insane and often threatened to kill servants and anyone who passed by them!" Eun-Im dramatically spoke her rumour, making Hae-Ryung gasp in shock.
"And you think it's true?!" she asked in disbelief.
"I mean, they have to be, right? If they are both His Majesty's children, then why are they still living in the palace without even getting married?" busted!! "They can't even attend any birthday celebrations, the King's visit to royal tombs or Greeting ceremony."
"Hey, come on, rumours are just that - Rumours. Besides, think of it! You all saw the Crown Prince, right? And he is handsome! Therefor his siblings must also be pretty, right? Right??" Min-Ji chuckled awkwardly, but was quickly saved by an official who called them back to the main room, where a commotion took place.
"What's going on?" A-Ran asked, confused at being called to that place like that.
"You'll work at the Inner Palace starting today. Go and get your books and brushes." hearing Officer Min say that, Min-Ji couldn't help but gasp and let the book in her hand fall down on the ground with a loud, echo-ing thud. "Oh, u-uh...H-Haha! Wonderful news! Thank you for this lovely opportunity!" she continued chuckling awkwardly as she bent down to pick up her book and rushed out with her paintbrush and ink, sharing a quick look with her husband before leaving.

And so, Hae-Ryung went to Yi Rim's place at Nokseodang, Min-Ji hurried to the Crown Prince's pavilion, and she didn't care where the rest went, as long as she didn't have to see the King, otherwise, a terrible, terrible mess would happen. "Your Royal Highness, I am Yi Min-Ji and today I will be your Historian." the Princess walked in front of her brother and bowed at him with an excited smile.
"What a lovely surprise seeing you here today. Did you choose me?" he chuckled, pouring some tea in a cup and handing it to her.
"Of course! Hae-Ryung wanted to go to Yi Rim, so I quickly said I wanted to come here today. Although, really, anywhere but near the King, y'know?" she chuckled, nodding at him as thanks for the tea. "I heard it was your idea. Thank you. As always, what would I do without you."
"Think nothing of it. I'm just happy seeing you smile like that. Are you enjoying your work so far?" he asked, drinking some tea as well.
"Oh, it's lovely! As everything in life, it has its ups and downs, but I believe by now, we managed to gain the men's respect and we are treated and taught nicely now. Also...I got to meet Min U-Won again, and now I don't hate him anymore. He's been very nice with me, so there's that." she tiled her head a bit, playfully, then chuckled.
"I see, I see. Glad to hear that." he nodded, smiling brotherly at her. 
"Ah, right, I forgot! The girl started gossiping about the Exiled Prince and Princess! You won't believe what they say about me and Yi Rim!" she started laughing almost childishly. "So, one of the girls said the reason we are exiled is because we want to hide from the world because our entire body is covered in boils! In boils, Jin!" she laughed so hard that he couldn't help but follow, although, his eyes were wide from shock at such rumours.
"I don't think I've ever heard a crazier rumours than this." he admitted, almost as if he was congratulating the rumour started.
"And the other girl said the King locked us up for being lunatics who killed court ladies! What more is gonna come up, anyway? That we can fly? Or that we are half-fairies?" she shook her head in amusement.
"Did you say anything?" he asked back immediately.
"Of course! When do I not say something, anyway?" she smirked at him, glancing at him with a sly expression. "I told them that...If the Crown Prince is pretty, than by default, all his siblings are pretty as well!"
"You called me...Pretty?" he frowned, blinking in shock.
"I called you handsome." Min-Ji corrected herself, making her brother nod in understanding.
"Perfect! You did perfect, then! I am very, very proud of you." he commented, making the girl grin.
"You know I'll always say nice things about you to anyone. But I digress! I should go back to my job and leave you to read your stuff. It's just barely noon, and you already seem pretty tired. Take it easy when you can, please." getting up from her seat and going to the Historian's table, she grinned widely, as it was her first time actually using one, and opening her book, she began to write, this time, in a much better calligraphy.

At eleven o'clock, Female Historian Yi Min-Ji arrives at the Crown Prince's pavilion. The Crown prince is reading petitions brought in by the Officials. He is alone in the room, with the exception of his Eunuch who is periodically pouring tea into his cup.
As he reads each petition, he signs it and puts the royal stamp on them.

The First State Councilor stepped inside the room to discuss state affairs with the Crown Prince. 

"As per your instructions, we sent Governor of Jinju, Kim Seung-Hak, as a relieving officer, to help those who are suffering from the aftermath of the flood. However, if his Majesty finds out..." the Councilor told the Crown Prince, as he looked worried.

"I will take care of it, so please do not be concerned. However, the floods and droughts that occur every year are causing the people a great deal of concern. I'd like you to try to come up with a solution. Is there a book that explains the sewage and reservoir systems in detail?" the Crown Prince asked the Councilor.

"Yes, there is. I will make sure to provide it for Your Royal Highness at the earliest convenience. Please do excuse me, for now." the Councilor said, getting up and bowing to the Crown Prince, before leaving the room.

"What a day..." His Royal Highness sighed, going back to reading the remaining 5 petitions.

But then, the loud gong outside was heard, and thus, her job at the Inner Court was finished. "As a Historian, I cannot express any personal thought or opinion regarding what I hear or see. However, I am still a human, and a sister, therefor, as your sister, I can say that I am very proud of you and the decisions you are making. They are going to turn this country into a prosperous one very soon. I think...You are going to be an amazing King in the future, and I can't wait until you change the future of our home." and smiling at him, she, too, left the room, leaving him speechless, but still, a bit more confident in his own heart and decisions.

When she returned, the other girls were already there, and Officer Yang personally decided to read and criticise each and every one of the books written by the girls. First, it was A-Ran's book, who went to see the Queen. Apparently, Yang's rage was so great that he let out an angry war-cry as he slammed shut the book, and, as usual, began to rant-scold them.

"Is this supposed to be a joke? This is practically useless! Even my dog would've done a better job than this! A much better job!" I want that dog for myself too, Min-Ji thought, realising how often the Officer praises his dog.
"Sir, we did our best to -" A-Ran tried to defend herself, but... "You didn't even do any work! Rather, it sounds like you've befriended Her Majesty! Ehh? Gosh, I'm speechless! My Gosh! The pastries were delicious, and I was elated to find out that we are both from the same town!" the way he was mockingly reading A-Ran's book content amused the girls, but it made him even angrier.  "Are you girls getting a kick out of this? Are you? Apprentice Oh, the court lady kicked you out before you could even enter the Queen Dowager's chamber!" oh...? Why wouldn't Grandma let the girl in? Was she meeting someone important...? "And you, Apprentice Goo -- You filed 30! 30! Pages! with this one sentence - His Highness turned another page - !! Do you really all find this situation amusing?!" his voice was so high pitched that he sounded like a squeaky mouse. "YEP!" Min-Ji couldn't help herself, which made Officer Yang shriek again. "You two! ...You two are a tiny bit better than these girls here, but you still have a long way to go if you want to become true historians!" it was Apprentice Song's and Apprentice Yi's turn to get scolded. "Yes, sir, yes, understood. We promise we'll do better next time." Min-Ji nodded at him, mostly to annoy him, really, but what she said was the truth nonetheless.
"You have been here for just over a month now! What exactly have you learned here?! Have you been busy chatting and admiring the palace?!" he yelled at them.
"I learnt that Officer Yang's dog is smarter than all the Historians put together, and that Officer Yang can't hold his own in a drinking contest against a woman, and oftentimes grovels on the floor, crying for his mother." this earned another screech from the scolding man who was going insane. "You...You want to drive me insane, don't you, you, crazy woman?! You just never learn, do you?! When I was a rookie, by the end of my first month--- !" but because of all the abrupt ways he was moving, his hat fell on his eyes, and his neck snapped.

To escape his wrath, the girls quickly rushed to the library and began to giggle at how funny Officer Yang's face is when he turns red from anger. Then they whined how harsh he was on them without preparing them in advance, and Eun-Im said how jealous she was of A-Ran for having such a lovely meeting with the Queen. Yes, the Queen can be a very sweet lady. Not like she has a choice, really. But then, A-Ran said she was worried about Hae-Ryung's safety with Prince Dowon, only to hear that he is tall, and handsome...And Mildly ill-tempered. Yes, Min-Ji thought, that sounds very much like the Yi Rim she knows. But then...

"Ah, hey! So...If Prince Dowon is as dreamy as you described him...Does that mean the Princess looks like a dairy as well?!" is it time to panic yet? "With skin as white as snow and beautiful eyes?" then, A-Ran continued Eun-Im's question. "Ehh, if Prince Dowon is so handsome, I bet the Princess is the most beautiful woman in the whole Joseon!" don't blush....Don't get flustered... "Let's ask Officer Min to let one of us visit her too! I bet she wants some female company after being alone for so long!" not wrong, but --
But Min-Ji couldn't stop the two giggling girls, nor the more quieter ones who followed just as curious and gathered in front of Officer Min.
"What is it this time?" he asked, a bit impatiently, realising that, when they are grouped together, nothing good is going to happen.
"Officer Min! We wanted to ask you about the Princess!" he could only blink in confusion, frowning a bit. "We were allowed to see the exiled Prince, Prince Dowon, but what about the exiled Princess?! Can we also go and see her?!" Eun-Im was the first to speak. Hard. Very hard.
"We can't." he managed to spew after a few seconds of thinking. 
"That doesn't make sense, now, does it? Why discriminate between the two exiled royal children? Is it because she is a woman? The Queen, the Queen Dowager and the Crown Princess had historians with them today, so why is she exempt from it? Even if all she does is to do her make up, her hair, or even look up at the clouds...I already wrote 30 pages just saying how Prince Dowon turns a page, I don't see what's any different with the Princess." Hae-Ryung also joined in the chime.
"...I guess...It won't harm anyone...Would it?" Min-Ji muttered, looking at U-Won and giving a discreet nod.
Sighing, he let the brush fall on the table and dragged his palm down his face. "Fine. We'll see what we can do. I'll go to her tomorrow and inform her of this. She has no idea there are female historians...Or any historians interested in writing down what she's doing the whole day. The Pavilion of Lilies and Narcissi is as lonely and quiet and Nokseodong, so be mindful of what you're doing. She's timid, so don't bother her too much." this called for a disaster in the making.
"Ehh?! Why do you get to see her first?! You're a man, it's you who she should be more weary of!" A-Ran blurted out, making Officer Min blink and look at her very offended.
"The Princess already knows who I am. My sister is the Crown Princess, therefor, on very few occasions, we stumbled upon each other. Now, enough of this, I don't have to report everything I do to you. Go back to work." getting to offended was actually quite adorable, Min-Ji thought, as she smiled in amusement.
"Then...Is she as the rumours say? The most beautiful woman in Joseon?" Eun-Im asked in a softer voice. "As pretty as a fairy?!" A-Ran continued, making the Officer stop - And think - And then, after enough pondering, he answered.
"...Yes." a single world earned excited cheers from the of the girls, while the Princess could only look him in the eyes with a shocked and slightly flustered expression, before turning back to do her work.

By the end of the day, as they were walking home, Officer Min caught up with Apprentice Yi and gave her a concerned look. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" he asked sternly.
"They already knew where my home is. It was just a matter of time, really. Now that Hae-Ryung is so involved with my brother...And that my brother seems to like her very much...Well, let's just say, I'd rather say the truth myself than let any of those two brothers of mine mess up my story, you know?" Min-Ji sighed, looking up at the sky.
"I can understand that. Let us hope those 4 can keep a secret." although he said that, he didn't believe himself either.
"...What should I do tomorrow? Should I wear my normal clothes? Or just go as a historian? Either way, I'm not entirely sure how I will be able to do my duty as a historian at the same time as just being a Princess. Besides, the girls can't write my name there, or say -- The Princess's name is Yi Min Ji, and she goes undercover as a commoner working as a historian -- Otherwise, I might as well jump in a well!" she ended so dramatically that U-Won couldn't help but chuckle.
"...I think I have an idea. I will go inform the Crown Prince, so you need not worry. Dress as you normally would, and tomorrow, I will come get you from your home. We will solve this somehow. Don't worry." he reassured her, as always. 
"...Okay. I'm sure you came up with a brilliant plan, so I trust you. I'll see you tomorrow...Take care of yourself, okay? You seem more tired than usual...Uhm...Bye." nodding at him, she finished her awkward rant by hurrying back home, leaving Min U-Won behind, to look at her silhouette that was becoming smaller and smaller with each step she took.

The next day, Min-Ji explained to her servants what was going on, and giggling, the two maids came up with the most beautiful outfit - It was a new outfit, she thought, or maybe she just never cared for it - Because it was a soft, link pink with lots of golden embellishments all over. It was fit for a Princess, of course...But she didn't want any of those annoying hair or head ornaments. Instead, she just had her hair done in a long side-braid that went over her shoulder and put on a nice tie intertwined in the middle of it, and to tie it down.
But she never wore pink before, and she felt quite awkward.
Oh well, hopefully, this day will just end already.

Soon enough, noon struck, and just as expected U-Won was in front of her Pavilion, patiently waiting for her. Blushing slightly, she left her room and put on her shoes, allowing the three servants to follow them to whoever-knows that the Officer planned. "So, where are we going?" she asked, as she was leaded through the forest down the familiar path.
"You already know where, why ask?" he chuckled, showing her the archery pavilion. Standing there, her two brothers were already there, waiting for them.
"You, my dear, are the most insane man there is on this Earth." yet, despite that, she couldn't help but grin at him, and he, too, returned the gesture.

As soon as she walked up at the pavilion that was half towering over the pond, the two historian girls gasped out loud. "Apprentice Yi?! Officer Min?! What are you two doing here?!" Eun-Im asked, her head snapping back and forth between those two.
"Perfect shot as always...Brother. I see, despite the passing years, your skill in archery did not get rusty at all." Min-Ji addressed her older brother who hit bullseye from the first shot.
"BROTHER?!" the girls chanted once again, making the three men laugh at them, while Min-Ji could only look down in embarrassment. "Min-Ji, what is going on?!"
"So, uh, you see...I am Princess Yi Min-Ji. Who lives in the Pavilion of Lilies and Narcissi. The Exiled Princess. And every other rumour you want to say. That would be me. Uh...Sorry for deceiving you...I guess." with an awkward chuckle, she looked away, her gaze glued to the practice target. "I would appreciate it if you could keep it between ourselves...And, well, A-Ran and Sa-Hui too, but just us, alright? The last thing I want is for the whole Palace to find out that the Princess left her home to work in the Palace or something." she sighed, approaching the girls.
"What do you say, Apprentice Goo? Is my sister as the rumours say?" Yi Rim put his arm around her shoulders as he looked with a teasing smile at Hae-Ryung.
"W-Well -" the girl stuttered, still not sure what to say. "Don't give her a hard time, brother. It's not nice putting people on the spot like that. You should know better. Girls, please, do continue treating me as you have before. I'd hate to have our friendship end because of something as insignificant as a rank. Can you promise me that?" she bowed at them, hoping that would get them to realise the gravity of the situation.
"O-Oh, yes, of course, you can count on us! Please, don't bow at us, Min-Ji -- I mean, Princess, uh--" Eun-Im rambled on and on, which made Jin laugh heartly at them.
"Sister, why don't you let them breathe a bit. Come join me. I'm sure you missed your bow, didn't you?" Jin motioned for her to approach him, as U-Won went to the girls and began writing what had to be written.
"...Did you have it polished recently?! It looks brand new!...Whoa...!" Min-Ji exclaimed as she was given her bow by Jin's Eunuch, and she tried on the tense bowstring.
"As a matter of fact, I did. When Officer Min told me the girls wanted to see you, I figured I should plan something nice for you. I'm sure you missed this more than me. Go on, try it." the elder brother urged the girl to try her bow for the first time in a long time.
She got in position, put on the arrow and drew back her elbow back enough to give it enough speed, and inclining it at the right angle - She let the arrow flow gracefully over the luscious sheen of the pond. "BULLSEYE!" her Eunuch cheered for her, making her smile dazzlingly. "I have to admit, you were always better than me at this. Seems that even now, it's the same. Congratulations." her brother congratulated her with a clap.
"It's so refreshing. Seeing this pond again, and feeling the carved wood of the bow. Having you next to me, and competing on who's the best archer. It's quite stress-relieving." she states, taking another arrow, and then another, and another, each of them hitting right where it should.
"I'm really happy to hear you're enjoying yourself, sister." Yi Rim smiled at her softly. "May I give it a try?"
"O-Oh, of course! Here, take this bow, it's better for beginners. You should hold your arm this wa-" Min-Ji tried to explain to him, but was quickly stopped by the boy. 
"I don't need help, thank you. I can do this." he told her, however, he was holding the arrow pretty badly. "Then I hope, for your sake, that you hit bullseye as well." stepping back, she watched her younger brother shoot and hit --- The grass. Of course, everyone around snored in amusement at the anti-climatic result.
"What on Earth is wrong with this bow?!" he asked, snapping the string with his fingers, only for his siblings and the historian girls to giggle at him. "You see, archery is an extremely challenging sport. Your arms. You must have strong arms, and you need to keep your balance--" he said that, looking at the historians, only for his sister to slap his arm. "Are you implying I have manly arms?!" she asked, looking at him with a horrified expression. 
"N-No, no, Heavens, no, of course not! I-I meant that -- Well-- That -- Maybe Apprentice Go should give it a try for herself, if she thinks my skills are that funny! yes, that's what I meant!" he tried to rectify his mistake, only for the female historian to smile gracefully, pick up the bow from Yi Rim and shoot Bullseye with no problem. And she earned the right to laugh at the Prince as much as she'd like.
"THAT WAS AMAZING!" at once, the Princess unceremoniously jump-hugged the apprentice, congratulating her. 
"You are quite the archer. Who taught you hot to shoot arrows?" Jin asked her. 
"I spent my childhood days in Yanjing and it was a hobby of mine." she smiled tauntingly at the youngest prince.
"I see. Prince Dowon had no clue and handed you an arrow. But I guess he was just trying to teach a fish how to swim." the elder price smiled proudly at the historian, as if she was seeing his own sister.
"Aren't you here as a historian? It seems like you've forgotten what you duty is." this boy had such a frail ego - His elder siblings thought, chuckling between themselves.
"I apologise, Your Highness. I will make sure I don't leave out a single word you just said." and thus, she handed him back the bow and the two female historians continued writing. 
"Hey, that wasn't for the record - Don't write -- Apprentice Goo!" he tried to call out to her.
"Stop bothering her when she's at work. Besides, you picked on her first. You deserved it." Min-Ji mocked him, only to see him huff in anger.
"Apprentice Goo, you and my sister are so similar, it's shocking. When she was a child, she'd want nothing more than to shoot arrows and ride horses with me in the forest. Not once did she want to go anywhere near a needle or anything feminine. If you're curious, ask Officer Min. The three of us often spent time together as children. Should have seen her - " Jin laughed, patting his sister's shoulder, only for her to widen her eyes and protest loudly.
"Ahhh--! That's enough! Don't tell them how bad I was as a child! They'll really think I'm some...Untamable mischief who's up to no good! That's not me!" she shot quickly, only making the Crown Prince laugh harder.
"I don't have to say anything. They can judge for themselves. Besides...I've never heard of a Princess being an Ace at archery, so I think you'll make history with that." he grinned at her, making her stop her protesting.
"Yes, the Archer Princess who has Man-Arms, according to Prince Dowon!" she glared at her younger brother, who only grimaced at her. "If I say I miss sword-fighting, will you spar with me?" she tried her luck with her elder brother, who only chuckled at her, shaking his head.
"You're impossible. Maybe next time, we can't do that here. Besides, we had so much fun, we didn't realise how fast time flew, did we? It's getting late, you should go. You have to turn in your work for today, don't you?" and thus, they left the Archery Pavilion. The two female historians were urged to hurry, while the Princess remained in the back with the First Historian.

They looked at each other, then looked down, and walked in silence for most of the time, until Min-Ji finally spoke. "So, what are we going to do about my book? Or we just say I was sick and didn't come to work at all?" she asked, having no idea what to do.
"No. You'll copy what I wrote and hand in your book as soon as you change in your uniform." U-Won explained to her, guiding her back to the Pavilion.
"But, then, what about you? You can't pretend you had the day off, when you worked so hard today! Besides...I can't write about myself. It wouldn't be fair, as a Historian. I would be subjective. Besides, in the future, the truth that the Historian and the Princess are the same person will come to light, and it would serve as a bad example." she protested, making him smile a bit.
"Very well. Then write about any of your brothers. You were there, it counts. I recorded what everyone said." he agreed, waiting outside the Pavilion to give her enough time and space to change into her Historian attire, and when it was over, she had the maids fetch some tea and snacks. They deserved a treat, after all. 
"I hope you like this tea. When we went to the Queen Dowager, she had this new, special brew, and I liked it so much, I asked her for some. She said she only give it for special guests...And considering you're my only guest...And special...I hope you like it."  she smiled bashfully as she picked up the pot and gracefully poured it in both of their cups.
"Thank you. It is good. I've never had this before." U-Won agreed with her statement.
"I can give you some when you go home, if you want. My Royal Grandmother was very generous with her gift." chuckling, Min-Ji picked up her paintbrush and began writing down everything written there, diligently and calligraphically, making sure every word is written with much care and delicacy.

As she absent-mindedly copied the relevant portions of U-Won's book, twisting the words a little, so they won't be so ad litteram, she stumbled upon a short segment that made her stop a bit and re-read. And she re-read it a few times, before her lips parted a bit from the shock of what she was reading.
The First Historian, the man who preached, above all, the importance of being impersonal and not write subjective things...Wrote the following statement.

Followed by her three servants, Eunuch Yun, Maid Eun-Jin and Maid Seo-Hyun, the beautiful Princess, dressed in a pink outfit, walked up teh Pavilion, standing next to her two royal brothers, the Crown Prince and Prince Dowon, and she smiled at them so brightly and happily that she looked like a fairy.

And then, sometime later into the transcript...

She gracefully picked up the bow and drew back the arrow, and shot Bullseye. All the servants cheered at once. Her dark eyes widened, sparkling in glee, as if she was a fawn.  ----- "Are you implying I have manly arms?!" the Princess asked Prince Dowon. No, in fact. she doesn't. Her arms and hands are feminine, despite the hard work she does daily.

Biting her bottom lip in embarrassment, she chuckled and drank her cup of tea. "If I knew I would be reading something so lovely, I would have asked Eun-Jin to bring the new Peach Wine. It's quite sweet, actually." she said that, yet, she noticed U-Won frowning in confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked, taking his book back as she handed it to him.
"Have you learnt to write without thinking?" she asked, teasingly, noticing the horror in his eyes and the silent gasp he made as he realised his terrible mistake.
"You should not have read this. I deeply apologise, this is not how a Historian should write. I will throw away this book and pretend none of that happened. Don't take that as an example, it's the poorest writing I've ever done in my life as a historian." he bowed to her on the ground, which made her alert. "Hey, get up, you! Never bow to me again! Of all people, not you. You shouldn't have to bow at me under any circumstance. You're my husband and I respect you. You're the only man, apart from my brothers, who earned by respect. If you want to apologise...Let me keep this book. And you write down another version, more impersonal and neutral. How does that sound? And we go and submit them together when we're done. Is that alright?" as she practically sprung from her seat to drag him of from his bowing, she saw him nodding in agreement.
"Thank you. And I apologise for having to read something so indecent." he muttered, taking his spare book and writing down everything he wrote, sparing the embarrassing details.
"...So...You think I'm beautiful like a fairy, huh? And I have fawn eyes?" Min-Ji smiled, batting her eyes at him, getting a bit closer, over the table, to tease him.
"Min-Ji!" he scolded her with a look of disbelief and shame on his face. He already did such a mistake, he doesn't need more teasing.
"If it makes for anything, I also think you are very handsome, and quite probably, the most attractive man in the Palace." she said, casually drinking her tea.
"...You're impossible." he sighed deeply, shaking his head and trying to block out anything she'd say.

Although, he had to say, hearing her say that felt...Good. But that won't stop him from bashing his head on the table when he gets home from the idiocy he displayed during the day. To write like that...About her, nonetheless...And then offer it as an example! Preposterous! How stupid and tragic can he be?

No matter, the long day was finally over and they could finally go and turn in their work, and go back home...And sleep. He really needs to sleep and let the night wash away all the stupid things he did and thought. It was enough for a day. Truly, it was enough.

Besides, tomorrow is a new day, and he was as sure as the Sun rising the next day that the female historians were going to do something stupid again and that the whole department will be in disarray for the oddest of reasons.

Chapter Text

Another week finished, another scolding from Officer Yang, and finally, the end of the day came by and the girls happily left work - And despite their complaining, they realised -- Pay Day has arrived! Their very first pay! A whole month has already passed, and Min-Ji couldn't be more excited. She didn't care about all the hard work, nor any scolding or mocking from her colleagues - She was just happy to be able to do this job as it was.

The girls all giddily hurried to get their stipend and celebrate with a nice night out, drinking -- However, as they were waiting, they saw all the clerks who were carrying large rice sacks on their backs and even -- Some even used wheelbarrows to carry the heavy sacks - And when it was their turn...There was no rice left! The basic excuse was that they came by too late, they were lazy, it was a lean year...And better luck next time.

Clearly, it was a scam. They all new it, and felt incredibly betrayed and disappointed. "Surely, I'm not the only one who doesn't get it, right?! How...How can the warehouse be empty?!" A-Ran whined, pointing at the vacant warehouse. 
"My stipend...My precious...Stipend..." Eun-Im...Poor Eun-Im fell to her knees, crying. Min-Ji looked at her with a frown on her face...She must be in need of money, otherwise, she wouldn't react this way. Poor girl...
"Let's all go drinking! My treat! Let's drink away our sorrows, I'm sure we all deserve it." Min-Ji proposed, and with long faces, they agreed and got a lot of alcohol at the inn.

All the tables were full of people eating and drinking together, chatting to and fro, while the girls sat in silence, thinking back at their stolen payment. "I heard it's a lean year." Hae-Ryung tried to justify what happened. "I guess the Government office isn't doing well either. Still, they promised to give us everything next month. So, cheer up!" she continued, pouring herself some alcohol, but Min-Ji remained quite. Surely, it won't be this easy, will it?
"She's right. We don't even get paid much anyway. So it won't matter even if we get it a month later." A-Ran tried to comfort her friend. 
"It does matter to me." Eun-Im sighed deeply. "I'm pretty sure the loan sharks are waiting in front of my house to get their hands on my stipend." she explained, looking down.
"You took a loan?!" A-Ran and Min-Ji exclaimed loudly from the shock.
"My father is a senior 8th-rank civil officer. You think he would have been able to afford all the food and drinks for the hazing ritual we had? There was no choice but to borrow money." the tone became so depressing that it broke the Princess's heart.

However, just then, very loud voices, cheery, got in the court of the tavern, calling for the most expensive alcohol. It was their fellow historians. The female historians, recognising them, called out for them, and thus, they moved to one big table to celebrate together.
"I don't know if it's because Chi-Guk's buying today, but the alcohol tastes great and I feel so happy." Officer Hwang exclaimed happily.
"But why is Officer Kim suddenly buying everyone drinks? Did you get in trouble or something?" Eun-Im asked, eating some food.
"Ah! What are you saying on such a good day like this? Today is a historic day! Chi-Gu finally received his full stipend for the first time ever!" Officer An praised his young friend. Min-Ji, from the shocked, dropped her chopsticks on the table.
"...Say that again?!" she gasped in horror. "Are you saying even he hasn't gotten properly paid until now?! Even after how long he's been working at the Office?!"
"That's right!" Chi-Guk exclaimed...Before sighing sadly. "The first couple of months they only gave me a portion because I was apparently late. The next couple of months, it was because of the lean year. And after that, it was because there was a cold wave." the boy slurred tragically.
"So, every month, they rolled the wheel of excuses so they won't pay you in full...That means that...Everything that we should have been paid went to the higher, richer officials. Fantastic. And you thought there wasn't corruption around...How disappointing." Min-Ji's disgusted grimace seemed to alert the others around her.
"Just hire an assistant clerk next time. And become close to the officials at Gwangheungchang. I told Chi-Guk that so many times!" Officer An screamed at the younger one.
"Officer Seung...This...Happened to everyone? Not only at our office, but all the newbies from the Government...Right?" Min-Ji looked at the man who smiled apologetic at her, nodding.
"Unfortunately, yes, that is what happened. It's like tradition...So you can't really change much." he exclaimed, making her ponder.
"So...The Clerks we saw at Gwangcheungchang, you mean?" Hae-Ryung asked, remembering the hard-working men.
"Yes, they're actually clerks from the Ministry of Personnel, but it's so hard for everyone to get paid, so the officials ask them for help." Seung explained for the girls once again.
"Yeah, right. Help. You have no idea how much money they got in return for helping them collect their stipend." Officer Kim sneered drunkly, his hat almost falling from his head. "The same goes for the Officials at Gawngcheungchang. You need to bribe them in order to get your pay, before the warehouse gets empty! ...They're a bunch of thieves..." poor boy...He really must have worked so hard for it...It's obvious he was pissed.
"That's absurd!" Eun-Im protested. "You need to get them paid for you to get paid?! Then the ones who are too poor to bribe them will remain poor, and the ones who are rich will get even richer!"
"That's the custom around here, and customs are much scarier than the law. You ladies should also look for assistant clerks instead of wasting your time." a depressing silence hung over the participants of the table.
"So...You mean to say this has been going on for a long time, yes? Hasn't His Majesty -...No, rather, His Royal Majesty, the Crown Prince, been informed of this? He seems to be very eager to help the ones in need...I don't know...I just...I think it's so unfair the people like Officer Kim have to work for months...Almost a whole year...To get paid properly, despite all the hard work and dedication he puts forward every day for our country...Yet he's not...I don't know. I just...The Crown Prince seems to be so eager to show justice and equality for all...I..." Min-Ji came on strong with her statement, but gradually, became quieter and sadder, seeing the men shake their head.
"No...We can't really do that. If we make petitions, we'll get in trouble with the other Offices for disturbing the customs...Trust me when I say this...These men are sharks. If you touch even a single grain of their rice, they'll rip you apart." Officer Hwang explained. 
"And we can't really bother His Royal Highness with such trivial things, he already has enough on his plate." Officer Seung added.
"Ahhh! That's enough! Let's not get depressed by talking about money! Let's just get drunk and forget about it all!" Officer An protested. Min-Ji looked down, gulping another cup of alcohol and thinking hard on her next move.

For the remainder of the night, they drank away their sorrows, until they stumbled back home still be depressed. However, Min-Ji didn't go to her home, but the Crown Prince's, asking for audience, despite being pretty late. Thankfully, he was still awake, doing paper work.
He was very confused about her coming over, but hearing what she had to say saddened him truly. 
"I can't believe I've been living for over 20 years in the Palace and I had no idea such...Such...Injustice...Such...Corruption was taking place! And, even worse...I don't know what to do! So...I came to see you and ask for your advice. The fellow historians said they nobody reports such things because they don't want to get their Office and superiors in trouble, but also, because the high-ups are scary when it comes to customs and losing even a single grain of rice. I don't know what I should do...But...Jin, one of my friends had to take a loan to pay her 5th part of what we consumed at the Hazing Ritual...And...I had no idea. Even her father couldn't pay for it...I want to do something and pay her back all the money she took...And more, she I won't have to see her break down crying again because she wasn't paid, as she deserved, for all the hard work. I want to give them all the part they deserve...It just...It makes me so sad...Seeing this. And...It took almost a year for Officer Kim to be paid properly. A year, Jin! Eun-Im would have to sell her house at this point, if she's not paid! ...What do I do? Can I give her my pay in any way? All of them -- Can I give them all everything I have?!" the poor Princess had tears in her eyes, and it moved her brother so much that she got up and embraced her, patting her hair to comfort her.
"Don't worry, sister, I'll think of something. We'll pay your friend. All of them. I'll think of what to do with this problem as well. Thank you for telling me, I appreciate your kind heart and sense of justice. Since it's a bit easier for you to go around the Palace and observe what's going on, you've always been the one to tell me of any problem. Thank you for thinking about our people and the good of our country. I promise I'll find a way to get all 5 of your your proper pay, even if I have to get it from my own pocket." he comforted her in a kind, soothing voice, even though they both knew, deep inside, they were both boiling with anger at how bad most of the problems around the Palace were. They both hated corruption and exploitation so much, which was so wonder why they always acted together so well.
"Okay...Thank you for taking the time to listen to me, even though it's so late, Jin. I always know that I can talk to you when I need it. Thank you." Min-Ji smiled tearfully at him.
"Of course. Any time, you know, I'll always be here for you. Now, be careful going home. It's late. Good night." and thus, she left his pavilion, going to her own to get a proper sleep and wash away the slight tipsiness.

Did she do the right think telling the Crown Prince about this issue? Definitely. Is she going to be suffer for it? Most likely. Does she care? Hell no. She's been through enough already, what the hell can affect her, anyway? Probably nothing, so might as well.

If she can act as the people's voice whenever she's off-work, then so be it. She has been silenced for much too long, so it's time she speaks for those without a voice as well. If she, as the Princess, doesn't do that, then who would?

The next day, for the most of the morning, everything went perfectly natural - Nothing out of the ordinary. Min-Ji went around with books in her hand, organising thing for all the Officers in the room, taking particular care of Officer Min's desk, smiling sweetly at him and continuing her bee-work.

However, unexpectedly -- Maybe? The front door was very loudly slammed, making the Princess jump in surprise and almost drop the way too many books in her hand - As a man dressed in blue roughly stormed inside the office. "My gosh, look who's here again. Does he have nothing better to do?" Officer Yang sarcastically said.
"Who is Goo Hae-Ryung?" he asked, making Min-Ji tense up immediately and let the books sit on the corner of U-Won's desk. "Who is Apprentice Goo Hae-Ryung?!" he asked again in a louder, more hostile voice, waving around a paper. The girl, looking around, got up from her seat and bowed at the man. "Is it you? Are you the lunatic who wrote this petition?" he yelled, throwing the petition to the ground, making the 9th rank officials all get up and try to calm him down. 
"Sir, wait. I don't know what this is about, but please, calm down." Officer Seung tried to say. Min-Ji stole a look at her husband, who looked at her with a questioning look. "I'm sorry" she muttered to him, seeing as his reaction changed to a shocked one, even more confused.
"Read that petition, and you'll find out why I'm so angry." the official in blue sneered at them. To asses the situation, First Historian Yang got up from his desk, bent to pick up the crumbled petition, and read it out loud.
"Please ban the recruitment of assistant clerks to prevent stipend corruption...And make the officials come to Gwangheungchang themselves..." Officer Yang, Officer Hyun and Officer An read, each of them taking turns, because it was too painful a problem and they realised how bad this situation was.
Min-Ji looked at U-Won who got up and stood next to her, lethargically blinking, as a way to calm down and think rationally.
"Do you think you're the only smart one around here?! Do you think we're staying quiet about this because we're idiots?! Even the Three Offices can't do anything about this issue because it involves thousands of people! So who are you to cause a fuss?! Who do you think you are to raise this issue?! If His Majesty had found out about this, everyone here, including you, would've gotten fired! Do you know that?! You already crossed the line by entering the palace when you're NOTHING but a woman! So the least you can do is try your best not to cause trouble!" he sneered at the poor girl.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" pissed off, Min-Ji slammed her hand on the table, marching in front of Hae-Ryung protectively, glaring at the man.
"Sir! Be careful with your words." U-Won warned the Official.
"I'm already trying my best not to curse at her right now. Do you have a problem with that?!" the Official gritted his teeth at Official Min.
"And who do you think you are? Huh?! If you have a problem with women working at the Office of Royal Decrees, then I encourage you to write a petition to the Crown Prince and see how he reacts! Who knows, maybe it will be you who gets fired, after all. If you dare question our position here, as Government Officials, then you are going against the Royal Order of his Royal Highness, therefor I can accuse you of treason! Do you want that? No, of course you don't. Now, I suggest you leave this place before you insult any more historians, because, I can assure you, things will get ugly. And that is not a threat, but a fact." her eyes were aflame with anger as all the historians gathered around, each of them having different thoughts running through their heads at the moment.
"Oh, look at you. You guys are just a bunch of weak-hearted fools. You can't even educate your women! No wonder this one --" and with his disgusting finger he roughly poked Min-Ji's forehead "-- was able to tame you like little bitches, while that one there with the teary eyes, was able to do something like...Like this!" but before he could say another thing, the Princess slapped his hand away, earning gasps from the two extroverted girls.
"Touch me again and I'll cut your hand off myself." the Princess sneered in a low, threatening voice, as the Official, with a disgusted look, stepped away from her, looking at all the men in the room " ... The Office of Royal Decrees is a complete mess." and thus, he stormed off. 
"Ah, what a jerk. Hae-Ryung, are you alright? Don't put at heart what he said. If he picks on you again, I'll cut off his tongue myself, I promise." the Princess rubbed the victim's arms, comforting her in a sweet voice.
"Apprentice Goo...What is your --" Officer Yang tried to say, but was quickly cut off by Hae-Ryung.
"I don't mind being scolded...But at least I'd like to know what I did wrong." she spoke out, turning to the Officer.
"What? I can't believe you have the guts to say that right now." he spoke incredulously.
"I noticed an irregularity so I only asked that things be set right. I only did what I should have done. So why --....Why do I need to be reprimanded for that?! I cannot understand it!" she cried, trying to keep her composure.
"Hae-Ryung--" Yang angrily tried to go after her, but once again, the Princess stepped in front of her protectively.
"If all of you want to blame this on Hae-Ryung, then blame it on me as well." she spoke loud and confident, without the littlest fear in her voice. She held conviction and wasn't afraid of any official. She held her head high and spoke with dignity. "In my time off work, I noticed numerous problems concerning this irregularity. I noticed people struggling because they couldn't afford their daily lives with their families, because, despite how hard they work day and night - Despite all the ambition and passion they have, they never get paid properly. Sometimes, not at all. Last night, for the first time, I heard about this issue. Two of your fellow historians, in fact, explained their stories. One worked hard for almost a whole year, and just now, got his full stipend, and the other had to get loans to pay for that stupid Hazing Ritual because nor her or her father could afford to pay the share. Are you all happy for that? I doubt it. But you all wallow and grovel in platitude and do nothing about it. You're cowards who think only of yourselves, not of everyone in the country. Not that I blame you, really, because nobody thinks of you either, so I understand." she nodded, letting her voice go to a sweet, more understanding one.
"Where are you trying to go with this, Apprentice Yi?" Yang barely manage to keep his voice in check.
"Last time I went to have a talk with the Princess. It was off-duty, therefor, nobody can tell me I am failing in my job as a Historian. I told her what I saw and asked what I should do about it. She thanked me for telling me that, saying she had no idea of the atrocities and corruption in the Palace, and then went to have an audience with her brother, the Crown Prince, who, in turn, promised to look into this matter. What I'm saying, Officer Yang, is that the Prince first heard about this complaint from me, not from Hae-Ryung, so if you want to punish someone, go ahead and punish me. I will take any kind of responsibility or punishment you throw my way, and I will do so with pride and dignity because I know I did the right thing, whether or not thing will change in the future, for the better or worse. I finished what I had to say." nodding at the man who, as he was wagging around his finger accusatory at her, spewed different accusations at her, and he was dragged away by his fellow 9th rank Officers to a meeting. "Go back to work, Hae-Ryung. It will be okay. I, personally, can promise you that. I will protect you. So don't be afraid to speak." patting her shoulder, she urged her to sit down at her desk and continue writing.

Thankfully for them, the gong resounded though the palace, which meant everyone had to go do their duties, therefor Hae-Ryung was able to go do Prince Dowon and be his historian. Sa-Hui went to the Crown Prince, Eun-Im was sent to the Crown Princess and Min-Ji was 'dragged' away to attend another Royal Meeting. She knew that was Officer Min's way of getting to talk to her without arising any suspicion...Because, after all, why should the other hear what they had to say? It was strictly confidential and it regarded only the two of them.

But for the longest time, nobody spoke - Min-Ji was expecting the First Historian to ask her something...Anything, really - However, he was as quiet as the lake. He must be really thinking it over. What a mess. "U-Uhmm...U-Won...?" after a while, the Princess, finally managed to stutter out his name. A questioning hum encouraged her to continue speaking. "Was I...Wrong...In what I did? I'm...Really...Not sure." the sincerity in her voice made the man stop walking. He licked his lips, looked up at the sky for a bit, then shook his head as his answer.
"I'm not entirely sure what you did. I'd like you to tell me what exactly happened." he stepped closer to her as she nodded. 
"Well...Yesterday was pay day. And, I think you gathered by now...None of us 5 got paid because of the Official's excuse. Eun-Im started crying, saying she really needed the payment because she took on a loan to pay her 5th part from all the consummation at the Ritual. And I felt bad, since it was mostly me who abused it and drank half of that wine vase, remember? We went to drink our sadness away, and then the 9th rank Officials came in, cheerful that Chi-Guk got finally payed in full after almost a year...And everyone at the table got very depressed all of a sudden, saying this was old practice and it happened to everyone. I felt really bad that I, as a Princess, with a duty to the people of Joseon and to the country, let something so major slip by me..." she explained, ending with a deep sigh.
"...And then you went to talk to the Crown Prince about it." U-Won continued for her.
"Yes. I told him everything I told your right now and I said...I didn't know what to do or...How to go on with this information. Ever since we were children, I and Jin have been very...Prone to right the wrongs, no matter what. We would play judge and...Even if it was a peasant child, we'd make sure they were brought justice, even if he had to give them our own stuff. And this...Habit...Continued on, even now. I was ashamed that I've been living in the palace for over 20 years and I had no idea about the payment method corruption. I told him I wanted to get the girls payed no matter what, even if I have to sell all my clothes to give them their stipend. And I said I wanted to pay Eun-Im's loan, and give her family a bonus, so they won't feel so bad after working so bad, and in vain. And he said he'd look into the matter and see what he can do. I'm...A bit afraid of petitions, you know? Because I know the Advisors and my brother's thinking is different...And if the King sees something like this...He'd go livid and punish everyone in our Office. And...I wasn't sure if it was the Clerks' fault or the people paying them who were in the wrong. I was, and still am, very confused. But I'm the Princess, and I, unlike everyone, can speak to the Prince. As his sister. So...I thought...Maybe I would do something good for those who need it. It's not much you can do as a Princess, but if I can be the advocate of the people from the shadows, I don't mind getting punished, you know? I'm really...Used to it anyway." she sighed, looking down, waiting for an answer. 
But the answer didn't come for the longest time, and they got on the stairs of the Pavilion of the Royal Meeting. "Do you hate me, U-Won?" she asked, wanting to hear his voice. She was feeling anxious whenever she was around him and he didn't speak. He held such a mysterious aura and very often, she couldn't understand him unless she heard his voice. His tone, his words...They meant a lot to her. And she wanted to hear him.
"Never." she expected a positive or a negative answer...Maybe even an indefinite one...But...Never? That word alone, made her smile brightly. If he said that, then maybe, it meant she did the right thing, right? That must be it.
"Thank you." smiling up at him, much more relieved, she hurried to sit at the Historian's table and began writing down everything.

The meeting went unexpectedly well, with no loud chanting to revert a Royal Order or any major disagreements, so when they got back, they could continue their work in peace.
Well, it wasn't much peace because, apparently, all the Clerks at the Office of Royal Decrees decided they didn't want to work anymore because of the petition.
Most of the 9th rank Officials went around carrying books and documents on their back in a big rucksack, while all the rest were writing at their tables. Min U-Won got up, and Apprentice Yi stopped him. 
"If you need anything, I will fetch it for you. Alright? I may not have written or said anything about the Clerks, but I am still half of the cause of this mess. At least for you. Let me make your life easier. Please." as the grip on his sleeve tightened a bit and she looked at him with those pleading doe eyes, he couldn't resist her. He rolled his eyes and sighed, knowing that somehow, he always ends up doing what she wants. 
"Fine. Bring me some water. I need a new book and then grind me some ink. Continue with what you were doing, then." he wasn't exactly comfortable telling her what to do. He wasn't sure if it was because he knew she was a Princess, or because she was his wife and he respected and cared for her, but it was a very awkward feeling in his gut. But her smiling at him so gratefully let him be at ease a bit.

Not much time left, and a commotion was heard outside - Apprentice Goo returned from Nokseodong, and was getting called a troublemaker by the Officials doing the hard work. Getting inside the Office, she looked around very confused, asking what was going on, only to get called the 'Pride of the Office of Royal Decrees' in a very derogatory manner.
Then, Eun-Im, who came in carrying lots of books, explained to her what was going on and A-Ran whined that there's so much work to do, she won't get to go home. 

Hae-Ryung went to ask Officer Yang why the Clerks at the wrong Office were protesting like that, only to be told the truth - People were arrogant and most were related - So apparently, something like this was to be expected.
After getting mocked a bit more, Hae-Ryung said she'll take care of everything by herself.
"It's way too much work for her alone. I'll help." came in the kind voice of Officer Seung.
"I am to blame too, so I don't mind doing some hard work and not going home. I don't have what to go home to anyway." Min-Ji shrugged casually, but Officer Min's voice rejected the idea.
"No, you won't. Either of you." he said, getting up and walking in front of the girl. "All of this happened because of you, so you must take responsibility for it." and saying that, he threw a pile of papers in her arms.
"Officer Min! Even so, it is way too much work for her to handle on her own!" Eun-Im tried to come to her aid. "Please allow us apprentices to help her out! We will finish everything by the end of the day!" A-Ran continued her friend's statement.
"Apprentice Goo was the one who submitted the petition, not you, girls. None of you can help her." his words left a solemn silence over them.
"Excuse me, Officer Min...I don't understand. Although I didn't write the petition myself, I still contributed to this mess and...I even said I will accept the responsibility and punishment bestowed on me for my actions. So...Why am I not allowed to help Apprentice Goo?" there was nothing confrontational about her voice, she was just...So confused.
"You're impulsive and you jump to help everyone without thinking of the consequences. For you, it's a worse punishment if you're not allowed to help. That's why." he exclaimed, and instead of the retort back that he expected, he noticed she merely nodded in understanding. "Okay. I understand." and thus, she went back to grinding ink for him as he sat back at his desk.

After that, nobody spoke in the office, too busy to speak because of all the work they had to do. 
Of course, as U-Won stated, the girl's hands began trembling at some point because she was constantly looking at her friend struggling with the copious amount of work, while she was just doing her normal job and occasionally fetching things for the Officer.
That's exactly why he had to constantly be on the lookout for any misdeed she might do.
Slamming his hand on the pile of paper that she attempted to steal from Apprentice Goo so she could help, and she only giggled sheepishly.
Or slam his hand on the door frame to block the entrance so she won't help the girl organise the library books.
Or even bring her water or a spare paintbrush.

It almost seemed like a game of cat and mouse at this point, as she was doing it mostly to play around with him, not to help Apprentice Goo anymore.

That's how a weirdly long day ended, and a new one began early in the morning, only to see most of the work already done. Apprentice Goo must really be a diligent and hard-working person, Min-Ji thought, examining the huge pile of finished papers.

Of course, as soon as she instinctively approached the pile of papers to carry them around, the piercing eyes of Officer Min made her stop dead in her track, chuckle awkwardly, and run in the library for more books.
Her biggest surprise was yet to come, for, as soon as she got back to the Office...

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" she gasped loudly, looking at the 'clerk' dressed in pink grinding ink.
"Sister!" he showed a sweet and innocent smile to the girl with the horrified look on her face who loudly dropped the books she was holding.
"Don't you - SISTER - me! What...What....What in the world are you doing here?!" she quickly stepped over the spilled books and shook the Prince by his shoulders.
"Grinding ink!" he spoke so serenely that Min-Ji couldn't help but stop and....Look at him.
"Grinding...Ink?" she repeated slower, raising her head to look at Officer Min, who held a similar expression as her, realising who this clerk actually was. "Grinding. Ink. Who do you think you are?" the girl asked, laughing awkwardly at him.
"Clerk Yi of the Office of Royal Secretariat. Sam-Bo said so." it felt like the sky fell on her.
"I guess I'm suddenly not the biggest problem in the Palace anymore." facepalming, she looked back and forth between her brother and husband, wanting to rip her hair of. "Okay. Grind ink. Only that. Be a sweet boy and don't cause trouble. Please. I beg of you. This place is chaotic enough as it is." with a shaky voice, she went to pick up her books and go to her seat to do her work.
"Hey, you! Are you going to grind ink all day?! Get here! Take those papers to the Office of Censors." Officer Yang snapped at the Prince and he just...Obediently...Gathered the scrolls and went in front of his desk. Thankfully, Hae-Ryung got back to the Office and had the same reaction as the Princess upon seeing him.
"Please go easy on my brother, he-...He's new around here!" Min-Ji pleaded tragically, tugging at her braid.
"By the way...Where is the Office of Censors, sir?" oh no.
"...Are you a lunatic?" blinking, Officer Yang spoke in that...That voice of him.
"Clerk Yi! Clerk Yi! I'll show you the way, come on." thankfully, Apprentice Goo started dragging him away by the sleeve, getting him out of the Office, making his sister sigh in relief.
"Please don't come back today." she muttered softly, looking up at the ceiling with a defeated expression.

For the most of the day the two didn't return to the Office, but when they did, it was chaos again. Apparently, the Administration record disappeared without a trace, and everyone had to search for it, or they'll all get fired. If the Office of Royal Decrees was a mess...Now, it's far worse.

Soon...Prince Dowon realised he mistook the Record with the Report and sent the Record instead to the Office...And things were terrible.
But thankfully, the record was found by the end of the day, and the following one, Clerk Yi disappeared without a trace! No more headache for Min-Ji!

Except for the extra work piled on her back, that is, and First Historian Yang's 'Motivational' yellings.
One by one, however, the historians gathered in front of Yang's desk, telling him they'd go on vacation if he, as the representative, doesn't go and apologise on his knees to the Clerks to return.

Yikes.

The atmosphere and begging were very intense in that small circle, until Officer Min slammed shut his book and said he'd go. "If they want to salvage their pride, I should be the one to go." he said, getting up on his feet at looking at the pitiful men.
"That's right! An apology from people like us won't make them budge! But if the Second State Councillor's son apologises on his knees-" Officer Yang pointed dramatically at U-Won.
"Hey! First of all, stop referring to him as another person's property! First Historian Min is the pride of the Office of Royal Decrees, and I'm saying that in a non-derogatory way. I'll be dead before I let him get on his knees and beg to those...Those filthy, lazy cockroaches--" she scolded the Officer, only to get her shoulder patted.
"Enough." Officer Min said, signing for her to follow him as well. 
They were already half-way through the Office, when Hae-Ryung got up, saying she'd go as well. "You told me to take responsibility since I started all this. I'll deal with this. Please let me go." and the approval came from Officer Yang in a very small, pitched voice.
"Wait here. I'll come pick you up when everything is ready." U-Won pointed towards Apprentice Goo to make sure she doesn't get in trouble again. They then went to invite some of the Clerks for a more official diner of 'apology'. After booking the table and ordering the food in advance, they went back to Min's house so he could get changed in proper clothes.
"Is it really okay that I'm dressed in my uniform, and you're dressed so formally?" she asked as soon as he stepped inside the house.
"It's better this way. Men can get away with more when it comes to formalities, but since you are a woman, I think it's better to keep the Government official and show that you are professional. Besides...The eyes of some Clerks shouldn't see a Princess, nor should they have an apology from her." and saying so, he went to get changed, while she waited on a wooden bench outside, by the flower garden.

Of course, Min-Ji couldn't stay still for more than five minutes and she started wondering around the place, admiring the colourful flowers and the blooming trees. It really was a pretty day. Too bad it had to be ruined by those stupid clerks. They demand apologies, but they are in the wrong.
"I didn't think you'd stop fidgeting around just to admire flowers." came U-Won's voice, all of a sudden.
"I have a policy since some years ago. If you have the chance, always stop to smell or admire a flower, and always stop to pet a dog or a cat. It's my way of saying that sometimes...It's good to stop working so hard and stressing over the negative things...And give yourself at least a minute of relaxation and peace of mind by looking at beautiful things. They are all around us. We're just so used to them that we take them for granted." she chuckled softly, pointing at the blue sky that barely had any trace of clouds. "Like the sky. The clouds are pretty, but so are the stars. Right?" she turned her head to finally look at him as he stepped next to her.
Taking the time to look at the clouds as well, he grunted in approval. "You are right."
"Did you dress by yourself?" she asked, smiling in amusement. He frowned, blinking at her and tilting his head a bit in confusion. "Of course."
"Yeah, I can see that. Come here. Just because you are hurrying, doesn't mean you should have your clothes messy." she scolded him as she re-did the ribbon from under his chin, then fixed the collar of the jeonbok, and the sleeves of the under blouse. "There, all good now. Let's go." smiling at her work, she turned around to leave. However, the man didn't move. Instead, he looked up at the tree's long branches, towering above them, and stretching a bit, he picked a pink flower from it. He twirled it between his fingers, stepping towards her, and put it behind Min-Ji's ear. 
"When I first saw you again, after all these years, you were wearing a yellow flower, and you were smiling. But I think pink looks better on you." Looking at her with an accomplished smile, he started walking back to the Office to pick Hae-Ryung up.

The girl, seeing them and the cute sort of tension between them, merely smiled and joined them. When they arrived at the kisaeng house, and the two women sat on each side of the Officer, watching the nasty, arrogant grin on the 6 clerks's faces. Not wanting to let the First Historian take the initiative, Min-ji got the teapot and poured for each of them some tea.
"I know it's not much, but please, enjoy." U-Won spoke in a courteous, polite voice. 5 of the clerks were ready to barbarically dig in, until the one in the middle, the eldest, cleared his throat loudly, stopping them. "You're right It really isn't much."
"What kind of meals do you normally eat? You make it sound like you eat gold." she mocked them, making them get goggly, shocked eyes at her.
"Apprentice." Min-Ji tsked, getting her attention to shut up. This really wasn't the time to be sassy. Officer Min threw her a shady look that was enough to get her to stop.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, he looked at the Clerks again. "I'll ask them to bring something else." 
"No, it's okay. We'll just eat for your sake." and they started digging in, saying how good this and that was.
"When are you going to come back to work?" going back to business.
"I'm not sure. We're very tired from all the hard work we've been doing. We know we should be going back, but it's hard to bring ourselves to do so." the leader of the pack laughed sardonically. "It's quite hard to make up our minds." another agreed.
"It sounds like...You want something." U-Won pointed out calmly.
"Officer Min, that's quite upsetting to hear. Why would we want anything from you?" they all laughed in a choir. "We just want you to show us that you care." they went on.
"Clerk Park!" Hae-Ryung scolded him harshly.
"Apprentice!" Min-Ji turned to her in a split second. "That's enough." she said through her gritted teeth.
"But before that...I'd like to teach that arrogant woman some manners." Clerk Park smirked at her. "What are you doing? Hurry up and kneel!" the one next to him incited.
"We sincerely apologise for her rash behaviour." Min-Ji bowed her head at them.
"You want to apologise in her stead? Fine! Go ahead and bow to us - But twice! One for you, one for her! Come on, go on!" one of the snarky clerks laughed at her.
She gritted, but took a deep breath and with an exhale, she tried to get up - But a hand on her shoulder kept her down. "Enough!" U-Won's strict, booming voice resounded harshly around the chamber, making it go very quite. "Don't even think about getting up." he turned slightly to the girl, taking his hand from her shoulder. "Neither of you did anything wrong. There's no reason for you to bow to anyone, or apologise." he spoke, looking intently at Clerk Park.
"Officer Min, if that's how you're going to deal with this..." the Clerks grumbled, ready to get up, until Min U-Won took the book that lay between him and his wife and loudly slammed it on the table. "What's that?"
"Well, don't you know how to read? It's a book filled from cover to cover with all the irregularities the clerks committed. This one is just for our department. We have books on the others too." the Princess, snorted, taunting them with a smirk as she slammed her own hand over the book, dangling it in the air and opening it, and seeing it was empty, she chuckled sarcastically. "Ah, Clerk Park, it's no surprise you are the oldest. You have the most strikes as well. No wonder. Here, Apprentice Goo, look at it for yourself." and so, she tossed the book to her friend.
"What? Irregularities?" bingo. The overly-guilty look on their face made them recoil in fear. "What do you mean? What kind of nonsense is that? That's absurd!" they each kept protesting. "You're bluffing! There can't be such a book!" the younger Clerk laughed in a pitched voice. "We're just clerks, why would you keep a record of us?"
"So...You mean to tell me Clerk Park is a Saint and never, in his life, accepted bribes from Officer Park? Or from Kim Chuk Jeom, the Investigation Bureau officer? Or from Advisor Yun? I'm pretty sure I head the 3rd rank Officer of the Office of Censors also bribed one of you for quite some months." said Min-Ji, mockingly, as Hae-Ryung was flipping through the pages and making grimaces and silent gasps looking at each of them.
"Well now I get why you asked me to tail Clerk Park!" Hae-Ryung looked in realisation at Officer Min.
"This is me showing you that I care. What do you say? Is this not enough?" he asked, and raising his empty cup of tea, Min-Ji quickly poured tea in it, grinning mischievously at him, as he very dramatically drank his cup, still looking maliciously at the very frightened Clerks.

And thus, the Clerks agreed to come back to work the next day if they burn the book and promise never to mention it again. And so they did, of course. "Officer Min is a man of his words. You may trust him. Just get ready to come back to work." and thus, Clerk Park, shuddering in fear, looked once again at the burning book, booked at the Officer and ran away.
"Ahh...When I said you are the pride of our Office, I knew what I was saying. Honestly, you were brilliant!" Min-Ji laughed childishly, poking the burning book with a stick. 
"Officer Min, I didn't know you knew how to bluff. That book. I opened it, and there was nothing written inside. How could you lie so well without even flinching? And you -- How could you come up with those names on the spot like that?" Hae-Ryung asked the two.
"I do know about their irregularities. I just didn't write them down. I have them all in my head." he explained clearly.
"As for my part...I just came up with the first 3 names that came into my head. Besides, most people have the same name and rank. Advisor Yun, Officer Yun...There must be hundreds of them. Clerk Park is so old, he must have gotten bribes from every official in the Palace by now." the girl shrugged, getting up and throwing away the stick. "Also...I'm sorry for yelling at you. I wasn't sure what Officer Min's master plan was, so I was waiting for the momentum to come. I'm not usually one to scold or stop someone from speaking their mind, especially after what happened a few days ago...So, I am sorry. Truly. They deserved getting reprimanded by you, and even worse." the girl smiled at Hae-Ryung, who, in turn, shook her head.
"No need to apologise to me. You've done me more good than I could even think of, and I can't thank you enough for stepping in front of me twice and taking my side back then. I appreciate it." the girls shared giddy smiles, feeling triumphant and accomplished. "By the way, about what you said earlier...Did you really mean it? Do you really think...We did nothing wrong?"
"You were merely trying to correct what's wrong. That's not wrong. I don't think it's wrong." he explained, making Min-Ji smile at him softly.
"Then why did you say such words to me that day?" the Apprentice asked, very confused at his thinking.
"Because you still must take responsibility for doing what's right. And...I wanted you to learn on your own...That you're not just a girl who only causes trouble." hearing those words, the Princess's heart melted, knowing he had more to say, but he wanted to let Apprentice Goo behind, to let those words sink in, so he went on ahead.
Of course, the Princess wasn't going to just stay behind, so she ran to catch up with him. "I am very proud of you, you know? I'm not sure why I feel the need to say it, but it's true. You were really amazing. Also, your collar and hat got messed up again." she teased him, making him roll his eyes, but he didn't protest when she stepped in front of him to fix them. "You know...I never realised you had such a...A...What should I call it...Devilish side." she chuckled, biting her tongue in amusement.
"Devilish...?" he blinked at her, very confused.
"Yeah. What you did back there...That bluffing...It reminded me of when I was little and I would pull pranks on people. I've always been a great liar...Well, to call that an accomplishment...Anyway. What I'm saying is...I'm happy to see this mischievous...Playful side of yours. It makes me remember that the opinion I had of you back then was very wrong. Well, I knew it even back then, but I was always too angry to care about anyone else but myself and my anger. I guess, even now...No matter what I do, I still somehow manage to revert back to that pitiful state and bring others troubles." she chuckled sadly, looking down, her hands gently laying on his chest, where the two sides of his collar met.
"You're not like that anymore. I already told Apprentice Goo, and I will tell you again. You did the right thing. And you don't bring others trouble. Never say that again." he voice was sterner, as if he was scolding her, but she could only chuckle.
"You were still super, super cool. And I think you have magical eyes." he raised an eyebrow, questioning her. "They can turn very, very quickly from sweet and soft, to understanding and calm, to mischievous and sparkling, to stern, intense and angry, to...Extremely done with anyone's stupidity and all the trouble that happens inside the Office by even one of us breathing. Honestly, I could stare at you all day when at work, just to see you roll your eyes and internally scream 'Kill me already!' whenever Officer Yang opens his mouth!" she was laughing so hard by now, her body was shaking and she had to rest her head on his chest to calm down.
"I'm...Not sure how I should respond to that." he muttered, patting her back.
"No, you're right, you can't, I'm sorry. I put you on the spot, it's not fair for you." she used the back of her hand to wipe away the stray tears from all the laughing. "I just...Sometimes feel the need to say the weirdest things, and most of the time, you're the unfortunate victim of all the thoughts that run through my head." despite still grinning, she managed to calm down.
"I'm...Glad I can be the person you can talk to so freely. I'm really happy." he said, as they started walking back home. 
"Now you're being just too nice." she threw him an amused look, dismissing what he said. 
"If you don't believe me, then...You should know that I didn't stop you from getting up, just because I didn't think that you were wrong to do what you did. I also didn't want to have my wife disrespected and having to bow in front of anyone." he spoke confidently, but he didn't dare look at her. And yet, he heard her giggling.
"Now look who puts whom on the spot. You're a very sweet man, U-Won. I'm happy it is you. I'll see you tomorrow." and thus, she put her hand on the side of his face and kissed his cheek before turning to go back home. Maybe she was bolder than usual, but why shouldn't she? How couldn't she be so forward and direct when he's being so charming without even realising?

The next day it was already perfect, because all the Clerks were back to work, and Min-Ji had a little ace in her sleeve. Officer Yang was getting a back massage from Officer An, when suddenly, after much flattery, the First Historian decided to have all men in the Office come with him to have celebratory drinks. Without the girls. Jerk.

Min-Ji only smirked, skipping out of the Office and, with some difficulty, managed to much a heavy wheelbarrow with 5 big rice sacks in it. "PAY TIME, LADIES!" she yelled at them, only for all 4 of them to drop their brushes in shock. And all the men had huge, shocked eyes.
"Wh-Wh-What's that, Apprentice Yi?!" Officer Yang asked in shock, his finger trembling in shock.
"Since the Princess was so gracious, she handed me a slip of paper signed by His Royal Highness so I could collect the payment for all of us, Female Historians. It's not much, but...Since it's our first time getting paid...I think this calls for celebratory drinks! I pay!" Min-Ji jumped up and down in excitement, seeing Eun-Im and A-Ran shriek in girly, pitched voices and throw themselves at the Princess.
"You're the best, Min-Ji!" the happiness swimming in their eyes was all the payment she needed. 
"No need to thank me, I just did what was right. Officer Min! You're coming with us! I won't let you get stolen away by these nasty low lives. Come on, let the ladies spoil you. I'm paying for everything tonight, darlings, so eat and drink as much as you want!" her dazzling smile was like sunshine for the whole room.
"Can we join you too? Please? Pretty please? Triple pretty please?" Officer Kim and Officer An begged her, betraying Officer Yang.
"Wh-?! TRAITORS!" he gasped, stomping away.
"The only other men who can join us are Officers Seung and Son. The rest of you better learn some manners when you speak to us. Cheers!" and with that, the 4 other women helped her push that wheelbarrow, while only Officer Min followed. The other two didn't bother and just continued their work.

They sat at the table and ordered way too much, but who cared? They were having fun. After the 3rd finished bottle, they were already very giddy and would occasionally burst into funny songs.
"I still feel a bit weird not addressing you by the proper honorifics, but...Thank you, Min-Ji. Before I left for work today, father told me that he managed to pay off the sharks thanks to the Crown Prince. It was you, wasn't it?" Eun-Im asked, resting her head on the Princess's shoulder, her arms around her, embracing her.
"Yeah...But think nothing of it! You didn't deserve to get through that. I am a Princess, my duty is to the country and its people. When I see injustice, I report it. At least that...Since I can't really do anything else. So...Let's hope I won't have what to report to my brother!" she laughed graciously, drinking another cup of wine.
"I'm just happy that somehow, things ended well." Hae-Ryung agreed curtly.
"Say...Has any of you been outside Joseon? I heard so many nice things about what's outside our borders...I want to go see them too, one day. Want to all go together?" the Princess grinned at them, quite serene.
"I spent most of my childhood in Qing, and I got to see the Great Chinese Wall. They say it was built 2000 years ago, to protect the provinces of China from the invaders. It's...Huge!" Hae-Ryung explained, stretching her hands left and right to exaggerate it.
"Whoa...! That's amazing! What about the West? Did you hear anything about the West?" the Princess grinned innocently, propping her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her hands.
"Well, I don't know much, but...They say there is a country that has this tower monument...And it is leaning! It just...Stays like this chopstick all the time! And it never falls! And this tower is...Huge!" the girl put a chopstick in a diagonal position, making all the girls gasp in wonder.
"We have to go see that!" A-Ran exclaimed quickly.
"But...Isn't the West supposed to be full of barbarians?" Eun-Im asked a bit afraid.
"Oh, goodness, no, not at all! They have Kings and palaces, just like us! Not to mention, their knowledge in science and the medical field in general is quite outstanding! They learn from these huge books in this universal language of their called 'Latin' or in another very frequently used called 'French', and they came up with difficult words for everything! For example, they named all the bones! Like...Like..." and thinking, she drank another cup of wine. "The knee-caps -- They call them 'Patella' because it looks like a pan to then, and that's what Patella means. Also, the thigh bone is called 'Femur' because Femur means thigh in Latin! Isn't that fascinating?" the Princess giggled, downing yet another cup.
"Ehh? But why do they have to name everything and make complicated things even more complicated?" Eun-Im pouted, her cheeks pink from too much alcohol.
"Well...People who use fancy words in usual sentences usually appear smart and cool. I guess that's why. I want to brag about how smart they are." Min-Ji laughed at that.

It wasn't long before they decided to get back home, and the Officer was nice enough to walk her back home. "How did you know all those things? They are banned in Joseon." he asked when they got in the gardens on the Pavilion. 
"Oh, I learnt that when I was very young of co-......Huh? What did I say? Can you tell me what I just said?" the girl stopped in her tracks, sobering up immediately.
"You learnt that when you were very young." he repeated again, making her slap her forehead hard. 
"That makes no sense...How could I have learnt that...I-...I...I think I'm missing a pretty huge chunk of my memory and now I'm getting panicked. Something is not right. I can feel it. I...I'll go talk to Grandma tomorrow...She must now. I can't be losing my mind, right? That would mean I forget thing, not make up super specific stuff in foreign languages, right?" she looked at him with a pretty desperate expression.
"Don't panic, you'll just make it worse. Go sleep and wait until tomorrow. Whatever it is, it can wait. But...Try not to say thing like that out loud so easily. Who knows who could hear and what they might say. That knowledge is banned, you could be put on trial for treason." he explained pretty seriously.
"...I didn't even realise what I was saying until now. I felt so...Excited...When I said those things back at the tavern...I felt like...This knowledge...Represents me. That it's a very important part of me. And now it's just...Gone. I feel like I'm losing my sense of who I am. And it's not the first time recently." she sighed aggravated, looking up at the beautiful starry sky.
"Min-Ji." his voice was much calmer, able to ground and sooth her. "Things will be okay. Trust me." hearing him reassure her, she already felt much better. She had no idea how she could warm up to him so much in barely a month, but she felt so close and connected to him.
"Hey, U-Won...Can I ask you something?" she said, a smiling creeping on her face. "Of course." he answered, as always.
"When we get married...Wanna go see this...Leaning Tower of Pisa together?" her voice was soft, almost barely above a whisper, as if she, herself, was much more shocked at saying such words, than he was, hearing them.
"We can go anywhere you want." he replied after a while, returning the smile. He, too, felt that the silver light of the moon was connecting them somehow. That their emotions were finally understanding each other, like two missing pieces from a puzzle.
"Sweet. I'll think of an itinerary." she breathed out, in a timid glee. "I'll see you tomorrow. Good night, U-Won." and, once again, she kissed his cheek and went inside her dormitory to get ready for yet another tiring yet exciting day at work.

Chapter Text

"I hope you're having a lovely morning, Royal Grandmother." Min-Ji bowed to her mother before sitting in front of her at the table.
"You as well, my darling. Are you here as a Historian today, or as a granddaughter?" the elderly woman asked with a sweet smile on her face.
"As a granddaughter. I wanted to ask you something very important...About my past. Maybe I was too young back then, hence why I cannot remember some key aspects, and if possible, I would like you to clarify them for me." she explained, seeing the way her grandmother stiffened up a bit.
"Sure, my dear, if I can, I will clarifying everything. Tell me, what is it?" the Queen Dowager nodded, seeing the trouble face of the girl.
"A few days ago I saw a man who had a wound treated with a Western medical practice. It's called stitching, and it's supposed to bring the wound together to close up faster and heal better. I have never seen or heard about that...So...How did I know about it? Apprentice Goo said she knew about this practice as well, but she said she heard about it when staying in Qing. I have never left the palace, therefor, that can't be the case for me. Something like this happened again yesterday, when I suddenly started speaking about two Western languages, namely Latin and French...And I even named some of the bones with their Latin counterparts. Officer Min warned me about this, reminding me that I shouldn't know such things...Because they have been banned in Joseon...So...How...Did I just suddenly...Know all these things? Albeit, I was drunk, so I was speaking more freely than usual, but, the question still stands."  Min-Ji sighed, hanging her head, very disappointed in herself for forgetting such things.
"My darling...You have always been a bright and intelligent young lady, even when you were a very little child. Everyone was very impressed with how quickly and easily you could remember and even understand things that were taught to you. For your sake, as well as your brother's, I cannot tell you everything yet, but just know that...Things weren't always as they are now. Please, just endure these hardships a little bit more, and I promise you, better days will soon come." as always, you can never get a direct answer in the palace.
"Have you heard about the recent plague problem? And how the King wants to send Yi Rim there to appease the population? It just got out, the King left to go see him." Min-Ji said, making her grandmother's eyes widen and shoot up to her feet.
"What did you say?!" she asked, shocked at what she was hearing.
"Yes. Jin wanted to take his place, I heard, but the King wouldn't have it. I don't know how, but I remember I got smallpox when I was young and I got the variolation vaccine...Again, another banned, Western practice, and I also remember it was made from the puss of a cow with cowpox...So...I will volunteer to go there as well, as a historian, and take care of him, if he really must go." the young girl told her grandmother, who sighed and nodded.
"I will have a talk with the King. In the meantime, if you remember anything, please come and tell me again. And, Min-Ji? Make sure you don't tell anyone else. Officer Min was right when he warned you. I am afraid for you." the Dowager told her granddaughter, who nodded and looked down.
"I...Truly hope that...Soon, you will deem it the right time to tell me the truth." and thus, the young girl bowed to her grandmother and left for the Office of Royal Decrees, where the whole place was silent.

Min-Ji didn't need any explanation, she already knew what was going on. She heard everything. She just sighed, barely making 3 footsteps inside the Office, and raised her hand up. "I had smallpox, I'm going. If you say again this year has been cursed by the coming of Female Historians, think again, since a Female Historian is going to save your coward ass from going to see the plague with your own eyes." she said in a very dead inside voice and unceremoniously let herself fall into her chair. "Honestly, what a day." and silence took over the whole department for a few seconds, before Hae-Ryung put her hand in the air as well.
"I've once suffered from smallpox as well. I'm going as well." everyone started looking back and forth between the two girls - One of them had a pensive, borderline exhausted and disgusted look on her face, while the other was smiling sheepishly.

And the rest of the day, everything was quiet. Officer Min was the man in charge who agreed to go as well. They left earlier that day to have enough time to prepare and pack for the journey ahead.
The next day, the Historians, along with a small group of servants and guards, awaited the young Prince so they could depart on their journey towards the plagued city.

As she wasn't there as a Princess, and only a select few knew the truth, she had the walk all the way to the first stop, a nice river, where they all took a break and rested a bit. The journey wasn't too bad, Min-Ji thought. True, she never had to walk for so long in her life, but all the work around the Office made her have a bit more stamina than usual. Besides, she had the great company of U-Won and Hae-Ryung who were on either side of her, so whenever they felt like it, they'd chat about whatever things they thought of in that moment.

The girls opened their books to continue writing - More Apprentice Goo, because Apprentice Yi just had a serene smile on her face and admired the rapidly flowing river. She didn't realise, at first, that her husband was missing, until he returned with two wooden bowls of fresh water for both the girls. "You can take a break." he told them as he sat next to his wife. "Just remember what needs to be recorded and write it down later. Take a second to admire this place." he said, looking up at the trees, as if he was looking at the singing birds.
"Are you finally taking my advice?" Min-Ji grinned at him sweetly, earning a nod from him. "Then, close your eyes, and listen. Sometimes, it's not enough to see, but you need to hear as well. It is not often when we can listen to the nightingales sing like this...And hear the river running so wildly. Do you remember that time? When I threw you in the river?" the girl giggled, looking down with a toothy smile.
"How could I forget. It was the first time I scolded you. I couldn't write for a week. I was so angry, I dragged you down with me." the ghost of a smile appeared on his face.
"That was also the first time that I thought that maybe you weren't so bad after all. It was the first time you actually did something because of your emotions. You weren't quiet or passive. And you actually did something. I was happy. So happy that I continued to pester you even worse from then on." she laughed, hiding her face with her hands.
"If I knew I could make you stop pestering me by just throwing you in the river or throwing books at you, I'd have done that sooner." he teased, making the girl nudge his side with her elbow. "No, you wouldn't have. You always respected me too much to give in to my stupid provoking. You've always been a much better person than I'll ever be." she said that, yet, he merely shook his head.
"It's only times like these when I'll tell you to shut up." he scolded her again.
"I didn't realise you and Officer Min knew each other from so long ago. You seem really close." Hae-Ryung noted, making the two look at each other and shake their head simultaneously.
"Remember when you found out I was a Princess? Back then, at the archery pavilion? Jin told you that if you want to know how bad I was as a child, to just ask U-Won. We first met 20 years ago, but we haven't seen each other in over 15 years. I had no idea he was working in the Palace either, although, I should have expected that, obviously. So...Yeah. I guess we grew closer since working together and having to see each other daily. But Jin always says that I was the unruly one...You should have seen this one! He did nothing but read all day! He was so boring! He didn't even look at me when I was standing next to him!" although the Princess spoke as if she was reprimanding her husband, she ended up laughing a bit too hard.
"You just won't ever let go of that, will you?" he sighed, rolling his eyes again.
"Hey, I just acknowledged that you are much sweeter now than you used to be, why are you so upset? Hmm?" she held her chin up in mock-accusation, only to grin at that done with life expression he held on his face.
"Min-Ji is right. Officer Min, you really don't know you are actually very sweet?" Hae-Ryung said all of a sudden.
"Me?" he looked at both girls with a surprised expression.
"I mean, think about it. You brought over a bowl of water for these rookies and even gave us some advice. You even volunteered to come because you were worried about sending us alone." the girl said very confidently, making Min-Ji bite her bottom lip and look down, barely able to contain her amusement. "Ah, that was--" U-Won tried to explain himself, but was quickly cut off by the Apprentice. "I cannot send two mere apprentices alone, unaccompanied by any official historian. It was your sense of duty. But let's just say your concern for us took up about 20% of the reason. Or 30, maybe. It'll make me feel better, you know, and I'm sure Min-Ji thinks the same. Thank you for the water." the girl said, leaving the man speechless. Glancing at him, Min-Ji finally burst into laughter.
"Should we tell her?" Min-Ji asked, making the man roll his eyes and look around.
"If you want." he grumbled, looking away.
"Hae-Ryung, can you keep another secret? This time, as much as possible, from the girls too?" the girl asked, seeing her friend blink a few times and then quickly nod her head. The Princess, waved her hand at her to get closer, and whispered in her ear. "U-Won is my husband." and a loud, dramatic gasp resounded through the forest. "Very discreet!" Min-Ji laughed, with a playfully-sarcastic tone in her voice.
"What?! Really?! Since when?! How come no one knows, then?!" Hae-Ryung asked, seeing the Princess close her eyes, smile, and putting her hands behind her head, she let herself lay down on the rock she was standing, and looked up at the slowly moving clouds.
"We were 6. We've been betrothed ever since. That's why I hated him...I think. Nobody, except his father and the Royal family knows, because we didn't hold the Wedding yet. Grandmother was able to keep things on a tight leash so far, and sometimes, I think the King forgets that I exist, so lucky me! I don't have to go through that painfully boring and dreadful ceremony yet. U-Won's sister is the Crown Princess. We were both at their wedding. I don't know how she was able to go through it without crying or something." a sad smile was painted on her face, Hae-Ryung realised, and thought back to her own planned marriage and how she quite literally ran away and begged her fiance to call it off.
"I understand. We don't have the luxury of choose to marry the one we fall in love with. Especially you, since you're directly related to the Royal Family. I'm truly sorry you, and every woman, has to go through this. My brother too...He was able to keep me single until this age...Which is really old as it is, but then, the Officials continued to pressure him into marrying me, and he had to. He found a nice man, but...But I ran away from my wedding to take the service exam, and I begged him to cancel the wedding because I will not marry him." Apprentice Goo explained her own story, hearing a hum from the girl laying down.
"When I told my father I won't marry anyone, I couldn't sleep on my back for a month. He had me whipped as a punishment for daring to say something like that. 10 days, 10 lashes. I was 6 years old. Not fun." a self-deprecating chuckle came from the Princess.
"You never told me that. I feel awful that you had to go through that because of me." Officer Min turned to look at her with a shocked face.
"How is it your fault? Even if you weren't born, it would have been another man. The result would have been the same. But if you weren't born, than maybe the man I would be betrothed to would be some kind of brute. If anything, I should thank Heavens it was you, and I told you that before." she scolded him with her gaze.
"I'm glad to know at least it is Officer Min. He's a nice man and will take good care of you." Hae-Ryung said. And it was silence for a few seconds, save for the loud sound of the river running free.
"...Even if it wasn't arranged already...He's the only man I would choose to marry." and saying that, the Princess shot up from her spot, patted her uniform to get the dust away and went stretched a bit, going to follow the rest of the people who began moving again. She noticed, however, the surprised look on his face. After everything that happened, neither of them thought she would say or feel something like that.

The rest of the walk was spent in mostly silence and a bit of tension, except for the saving grace from Hae-Ryung who would often begin conversations and, of course, Min-Ji would continue, blabbing on about, sometimes, even unrelated things altogether.
Even so, it was a blessing when they finally arrived. They were tired, but still, they had to act professional and note down everything going on.
The three historians gathered on either side of Prince Dowon's seat, writing down what each person said. As expected, Yi Rim, who had no experience with this whatsoever, had no idea that he had to be the one to tell them to be seated. Sweet child. As always, Eunuch Heo to the rescue.

The officials of this province said the outbreak is subsiding by the day, that he shouldn't worry and that the medicine has arrived safely and that the victims are receiving treatment. The same in Pyongan, they said. However, they way they spoke...It sounded way too much like fake flattery. The Prince smiled kindly at them, obviously happy to hear that the people were happy that he was there to console them...But since it's an epidemy, things can't be that easy, can they?

The three historians went outside in a solemn silence, only to be stopped by the two government officials who started sweet-talking Officer Min and telling him to give his father a good word about them, and they they turned around to leave. However, U-Won's strong sense of justice smelled there was something amiss here, and called them out. "Lord Jang. You're the Governor of Pyongan Province, so that's where you should be. What are  you doing here in Haeju?" this sentence made the man who got called out to widen his eyes and shock and a mixture of slight guilt, awkwardness and fright. 
"Haha...! Uh...I mean, His Highness came all the way here to console the people of Pyongan Province, I had to come here and greet him in person, of course. Hahaha!" he laughed, trying to cover up his mistakes.
"You did. Now you can return to your people." Min-Ji's low voice was heard suddenly.
"You shouldn't concern yourselves with such silly things. Get some rest, your meals will be ready shortly." and so they both left at once.
"If that's not the face of guilty man hiding something, I don't know what is." the Princess sighed, biting her bottom lip.
"Your Highness-" Hae-Ryung said suddenly, only to quickly correct herself as soon as she received a scolding look from the Princess. "Min-Ji. Do you know what Haeju is known for its mountains and beaches?" she asked, seeing the girl blink rapidly.
"...Beaches?" the Princess muttered, confused at what she was hearing.
"Yes. You must be tired after all the working, perhaps you can go and relax there? It's pretty close, actually." the Apprentice explained to her, and she nodded. The Princess stood in her spot for a while, absent-minded. So much that she didn't even realise the Apprentice left already.
"The Sun is setting. Are you going to stand there all day?" U-Won's voice brought her back to reality all of a sudden.
"I had no idea there were beaches in Joseon. And I call myself an intelligent woman." she chuckled, getting a grip on his sleeve and rushing towards the sandy beach, only to trip a few times while walking on the sand.

She then stopped and crouched, putting her hands on the small dunes, giggling at how soft they were. Then, she got her fingers through it, held a fistful in her hand, and then watched it all fall through her fingers. Grinning, she let herself fall on the ground and took off her shoes and socks and dragged up the material of her clothes to properly feel each step she was taking. 
"Why are you just standing there and looking at me? Go on, you do this too! It's really fun!" she waved her hand up so he would come along, but he merely shook his head. 
"Are you going to pester me until I do?" he asked from the stairs, only to see her grin mischievously. 
"You know me by now, you don't even need to ask." she said, and he sighed, walking with some difficulty towards the water, and with some reticence and a quite a few exhausted sighs, trying to keep his composure, he finally sat down and took off his shoes and socks as well, but didn't move. Instead, he just grimaced at the feeling.
"You're going to get wrinkles faster if you keep frowning like that all the time, you know?" she marched up to him, snatching the book and brush from his hands and letting them fall to the ground next to their shoes. Then, he held his hands and dragged him towards the water.
"No." he stated strictly, seeing the sparkle in her eyes. 
"We're just going to dip or feet in the water, that's all." she reassured him, as she stepped backwards towards the water, feeling the cold feeling of the wet sand.
"If you dare do something stupid, I swear, I-" he warned, only for the girl to stop all of a sudden. 
"I JUST REALISED SOMETHING!" she said, looking at the beautiful setting Sun, feeling the sea breeze on her face. "Silly me!" and with this eureka, she quickly untied her hair and let the ebony cascade fall down her back, her luscious black hair gracefully flying, guided by the wind. "That's more like it." she extended her arms widely on either side, letting the strong breeze caress her face and make waves of her clothes. "Don't be so boring, U-Won! Live a little! How many times in a life time do you get the opportunity to see a beach?" she chuckled at him, seeing his skepticism. "Take that stupid thing off your head and untie your hair. There's no one else hear but me, so don't be so afraid." she continued, walking up to him and snatching away his official hat, putting it down next to everything else.
"We are here for work, not leisure time." he tried to scold her, but it didn't work. 
"We finished work. A few hours ago. You have no excuse to let loose a bit." she said, seeing how slowly, his hands were moving to the bun on his head, and with an annoyed look, he let his long hair fall down as well.
"Happy now?" he almost seemed angry, but she knew it was nothing of the sort.
"More than I've been in my entire life." she grinned, getting in front of him. She got on her tip toes and, without any warning, got her fingers through his hair, raking all the way from his scalp to the ends. "Your hair is so much nicer than mine. Honestly, this stupid hair fashion should disappear and let you keep your hair down more often. It's very pretty. And this shade too...It looks as black as ebony. I'm jealous!" she chuckled softly, making the man purse his lips a bit.
"Don't you think you've become bolder recently? I let you get away with many things, just because you are my wife." he scolded her in a strict voice, but one look into his eyes, and she smiled at him.
"Do you want me to stop?" she asked softly, only to receive the answer she expected. "No." he said, as he raised his head to look at the horizon - There, so far away, the way the sky was mirrored in the water's sheen, it looked as if the sky and the ocean were touching. "You're enjoying this as much as I am. You just don't want to admit it. - I'm a man of actions, not words. - You keep saying, but every time you speak, it's always something important."
"Shut up." he said, and in that instant, he pushed he shoulder lightly. However lightly, she wasn't expecting it, and she stumbled backwards. As she was falling, she yelped and gripped his hand, only for the both of them to fall into the water.

As soon as she got her head out of the water, she spitted it and grimaced at how disgusting salt water was, only to get pulled back in the water, thanks to a tug on her elbow. She squeaked in shock once again, and as soon as she managed to open her eyes, she stared in shock at the soaked man next to her. "Why did you have to pull me back?!" she gasped at him, very much shocked.
"You grabbed me first." he said. "But you pushed me! I just didn't want to fall!" she refuted. "I didn't even push you that hard, how was I supposed to know you would trip on your own feet like that." and then they both stopped bickering and just held fond looks on their faces.

After staying like that for a while, U-Won got up and held his hand out to Min-Ji to take and help her up, and went back on the shore. They twisted their clothes and hair, hoping to get them to dry a bit faster, but it was going to be hell. At least they had spare clothes.
And so, they returned to their rooms, changed, and went back outside. Min-Ji used a comb to thoroughly untangle her wet hair, hoping to take away a bit from the wetness from it, because honestly, they both looked like wet rats. "Let's have more days like this one." the Princess said all of a sudden, looking up at the glowing moon. "It was really fun. I guess...Every experience is better when you have who to share it with." she smiled softly, handing the comb to her husband to get his hair in check too, while she began braiding her own.
"I agree." he answered, and allowed the comfortable silence to take over.

The next day, Min-Ji looked around her room and realised Hae-Ryung was nowhere to be seen. Confused, she went to look for her brother, but his Eunuch said he disappeared. The preparations for that stupid ritual to fight against the pandemic were already finished, but there was no Prince anywhere to assist.
Officer Min, Apprentice Yi, Eunuch Heo and the Advisor could only stop them from going inside the Prince's room, saying he's still asleep, hoping he would return already.
It took a whole hour, but U-Won noticed the Prince getting up the stairs and hollered his name out loud, so the officials would stop bothering them already.

"There will be no ritual." Yi Rim stated, anger in his eyes. He must know something. Furious, he grabbed his sister's sleeve and dragged her inside the meeting room. "You listen too. You're not a historian today." he said, pushing her down on the chair to his left. Yi Rim always held his sister's analysing and observing abilities very important, and he remembers from an early age that she always knew what he or his brother felt like, no matter how they were behaving, or the words they were saying.
After a short silence, Prince Dowon finally spoke - He accused the reports given by the two officials of being false. No surprise, Min-Ji thought. What Official would want to stay in the middle of an epidemy anyway?

"What do you mean, Your Highness? Why would the report be false?" Officer Jang protested vehemently. "I don't know where you heard such rumours, but it's not true at all." the other official, however, seemed more...Scheming.
"I met the people in person and heard their stories. Are you still going to claim...That they are false rumours?" the Prince glared at the two officials.
"I think it should be understood by now...The Prince already knows of your wrong doings, therefor I believe that the sooner you speak and come clean with what you've done, the better for everyone." Min-Ji spoke in a dignified manner, looking the silent Officer in the eyes.
"We did nothing wrong, Your Highness! The people are always angry, especially in a situation like this. They're always busy badmouthing the officials, they need a scapegoat! They are just complaining! You must not believe every word they say!" Officer Jang tried to cover up, but the Princess slammed her hand on the table. 
"You, shut up. You, speak the truth already. The arrogant way you hold yourself emanates the guilt. No, not even guilt, you don't care what happens to those people, as long as you're doing well. Go on. Tell the truth." Min-Ji pressured him, her fixated eyes looking like hell itself.
"Yes, yes, I was going to, no need for such a ruckus. I sent the false report." Officer Jang's eyes were wide as saucers from the shock of admittance. "But I had no other choice. It was for our people. Ever since the epidemic broke up, in Pyongan Province, there are many more people who suffered from damages due to plundering, arson and theft than people who died due to the epidemic itself. If I had reported the truth about what was going on here, that would have led people in Hanyang finding out about the epidemic. Then what would have happened to Hanyang? And what would have happened to the 200.000 people who live there?" the officer explained himself, making the girl let out an aggravated exhale and roll her eyes.
"And what about the fact that you stole the relief food that my father sent to the region? And the fact that you made healthy people die by confining them to their village? Did you also do that for the people?" the prince sneered, very angry.
"The sacrifices of a hundred lives could save thousands. All I did was make a choice." the man held his head high with dignity.
"How arrogant of you to decide something like this on your own! Who do you think you are, choosing something like this? Who are you to dictate the lives of people? Do you think an Officer's job is to play God? Do you think you can choose who lives and who dies, while you stay huddled in the comfort of safety with the hoarded food and medicine that you stole?! Huh? Did you think such acts would be left unknown? Did you honestly think the truth won't come out, sooner or later?" the poisonous tone in her voice was like whips on the flesh.
"Prepare the medicine and the relief food. I must go to Pyongan Province right now." and saying that, the Prince and Princess got up and left the room in an angry hurry.

They prepared  for the trip, put veils over their faces and arrived at the village surrounded by smoke. Without any fear, the two sibling went inside to witness the chaos first hand. Dozens and hundreds of people were suffering, people were coughing and hacking...
Until they heard a child giggle, and following it, they saw a woman taking care of some children who were laughing, reading, eating...And it seemed as if this place was a piece of Heaven in hell.
This woman held a boy's arm, made a small cut until it bleed slightly, and put something over it. "What are you doing?!" the prince yelled at the woman.
"Don't worry. That's the cure for smallpox. It's non-conventional, but it works." the girl said, putting her hand on his shoulder to calm her brother down as the woman who was doing the variolation and the physician bowed down to the Prince.
"If you were a royal physician, why did you let her do that?! She was infecting the children!" the Prince pointed an accusatory finger towards the woman.
"No, she wasn't, Your Highness. It is a medical procedure called Variolation." the physician spoke.
"Since ancient times, it's been known that infecting healthy people with fluid from those with active smallpox immunises them against the disease after causing a mild case of it." the woman explained the logic behind it.
"However, half of the people who are variolated die. It's a high-risk prevention method." the Advisor spoke.
"But half of them live! Think of it! This whole place has active smallpox crawling everywhere, it's only a matter of time before more and more people get infected, if they don't get treated. It's better to prevent this from happening. Variolation CAN save people, but if the people are already infected, then what can you do about it?" the Princess spoke in defense of the procedure.
"I tested 12 children and 7 of them have fully recovered. The other 5 aren't doing too well." the women explained.
"7 out of 12 means the success rate is better than 50%! I think this is encouraging!" the Princess exclaimed in fascination.
"You wicked witch! How could you conduct such a risky test on children who are physically weak?" the advisor yelled at the woman.
"But she said she saved 7 of them! And that the other 5 aren't doing well, but they aren't dead either, so that means there is hope for them! Not to mention, it is exactly because they are children that this procedure can work better. They are not infants, but at least 5 years old, which means their bodies work much faster than us, older people. It's not about the physical body, but the way it works inside, the physiology that we cannot see." Min-Ji argued with the advisor.
"Providence is what saved those children's lives, it has nothing to do with what she did!" the advisor claimed the benevolence of God.
"Providence is Bullshit! It is science that saves people! Why else would physicians exist?! Why else would they work so hard to find out cures for illnesses that have plagued humanity for so long? A thousand years ago, people would die at 30 years old at most, from the merest cold, and more than 70% of children died in infancy because of all the diseases and conditions they had to live in! But time and development ensured that medicine was created and now, as you can see, I am 26 years old, I have gone through the Variolation procedure as a child, and I think I'm healthier than ever! God didn't invent the cure for fevers and colds, it was medics! Leaving this purge in the nonexistent hands of a God is actively allowing these people to die!" the girl fought harder, very offended that people were still using God's will as a motive.
"You say that, but what if the children who were infected didn't get the plague at all?!" the Advisor asked harshly.
"And what if they did? Look at this place! It's Godforsaken! There are dead people everyone on the ground! If God allowed them to get infected, you think He'd spare children just because they are children?! A physician's job is to first prevent an illness, then cure! You can't ask a physician watch the world burn in front of their very eyes, and tell them not to get a bucket of water to try to extinguish the flames!" the Princess was, by now, very pissed off.
"Your Highness, please allow us to perform Variolation on more people here. We can't just stand back and watch as the plague takes another life. It's the best solution we have at the moment." the physician bowed to the ground, pleading.
"No, you cannot." the Prince said, which made his sister turn at him abruptly with a shocked and offended look on her face. "We mustn't take such a huge risk using people's lives. Stop this now." and thus, he left.
"Does my word mean nothing to you at all?! You asked me to step down as a historian today and act as your sister and advisor. Why did you do that if you weren't going to even take into account my words?!" the Princess called out to him, but he just...Left. Without turning back. "...Idiot." she continued, before realising that the only people left around were her husband and the two physicians. "Please don't write down my diss in the book." she sighed, seeing him shake his head.
"I won't." he reassured her quickly.
"What would you have done?" she asked him softly, making him look down for a while. 
"Don't ask me that. I do not know. Not now. But I believe what you said wasn't wrong." he agreed with her. "We should go back for now." 
"Can you please wait for me 5 more minutes?" she asked, and seeing him nod, she smiled and turned to the two physicians. "I am Princess Yi Min-Ji, Prince Dowon's older sister. I came here as a Female historian, as you can see...Nobody in the Palace knows my true identity, thankfully...But I believe that, as things seem to be around here, I will have to return as the Princess." she chuckled a bit, and as she noticed the two physicians gasp and attempt to bow, she stopped them. "Please, do not bow and do not address to me by my Royal status. As I said, I came here as a mere historian. First of all, I...I want to apologise on my brother's behalf. He is not even 20 years old and he has been exiled in his own pavilion for his whole life, so everything around him is strange and new...And most of these...Non-conventional practices have been banned by the King, as you all know. Second of all, in behalf of all the people of Joseon, I would like to thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for risking your lives to come here and try, as much as possible, to save other people's lives, when their own officials abandoned them. I think it's commendable what you're doing, and if I hear again that it was God's will that saved those children, I swear I'm going to throw that person into a well with my own hands." the Princess took a deep sigh to calm herself down.
"Your Highness, there is no need to apologise or thank us. We just do what we think is best for the people. What you said back there...Is it true that you went through the Variolation procedure?" the woman asked as the two went to sit on a bench.
"Yes. I remember something was put into my arm and I remember it hurt a lot. I think that was what they called inoculation. I'm sorry, I don't remember much, it was like...20 years ago...But I remember I got very sick and I had a high fever and I panicked and I wouldn't stop crying...But then...I remember a kind voice calming me down...And someone holding me and telling me that I will be okay, without a doubt." the Princess explained, only to hear a moan of pain, making the two women shoot up to their feet. "U-Won, please don't touch anything. You haven't had smallpox and I'm afraid for you." the girl looked at him with worried eyes, before spazzically running to the young girl laying on the wooden plank.
"Don't worry about me, worry about yourself." he said, not moving from his spot.
"You are very brave and kind, Your Highness, if you don't mind my forwardness. I do not know how you have so much knowledge about healing, but I thank you for defending our work earlier. And now, for helping me as well. She has a fever, we should reduce it. Physician Kim, please bring a new bucket of water from the well, this one is too warm." the woman instructed the man dressed in white who hurried and brought a new bucket with ice-cold water. The woman went to grab some rags and the Princess soaked it in the cold water and patted the child's face, then folded it over he forehead.
"Excuse me for asking, but may I know you name?" the Princess asked, smiling at the woman.
"Mo-Hwa, Your Highness." the woman said, making the Princess frown. 
"Mo-Hwa? Hmm...This name sounds familiar. Do we know each other? I feel like I used to have a friend with that name when I was little." Min-Ji tilted her head cutely like a puppy.
"Oh, uhm...I'm not sure, Your Highness. I imagine it would be someone with the same name as me, but with a different status." she stumbled over her answer, but the Princess didn't press it. Everyone has secrets, after all.
"Mo-Hwa...I have a request for you. And I would please like you to allow me to do it." the girl suddenly spoke, her eyes averting towards her husband who was looking at her with careful eyes.
"Anything, Your Highness." she answered, and after a few seconds, Min-Ji turned to look the woman straight in the eyes, and talked firmly. "I would like you to let me help you take care of those in need until the day I leave this place. I am a Princess and my duty is to look after the people of Joseon. There is not much I can do, but since I can't get infected and I still hold some medical knowledge, I would like you to allow me to assist you." the woman gasped in shock, her bottom lip trembling.
"Y-Your Highness, how could I-" the woman began, only for the girl to cut her off. "You said you can allow me to do anything, so do that! If you won't take it as a request, then I will have to put it as a Royal Order, and I don't want to abuse my status for no reason." 
Mo-Hwa saw the determination in the girl's eyes, and looking down at the trembling girl who needed help, then at the others who needed looking after, she finally caved in and sighed, nodding her head. "We thank you for your help, Your Highness. It would be much appreciated." 
"Sweet! I will tell my husband to go back. I'm afraid he'll get infected if he stays out too long...And then I'll come back, alright?" saying that, the girl jumped from the wooden plank and rushed to U-Won, putting her hands on his arms and gave him a guilty grin. "Please go back to safety. I will remain here to assist Mo-Hwa and look after the sick people. So...Please, don't wait for me anymore. The more you stay out here, the bigger the risk of infecting yourself. Also, try to keep this veil to cover your face as much as possible, it works in preventing. Not completely, but it's better than nothing." the girl squeezed his arms affectuously, giving him a sad smile. He wanted to protest, but as he looked down at her, and then back at the children behind her, and all the people suffering on the streets, he let out an exhale and nodded.
"I hope you know what you're doing." he said, a serious expression on his face.
"To be fair...I'm not entirely sure myself what I'm doing. Thing is...I can't get infected. So...So I know that...If I were to return now, without doing anything...I wouldn't be able to forgive myself my whole life. I have to at least try to help them out. Two people alone can't take care of an entire city. It's...It's the least I can do." she explained, sighing and looking down, a bit depressed.
"I know. You have a saving-people complex. But that's not bad. Just...Try to take care of yourself, alright? You're not known for being very...Self-preserving, as we all know." with a dry hum of amusement, U-Won heard her chuckle softly.
"If I'm not the hero, then have I even lived at all?" she smiled at him, and he couldn't help but do the same. As they looked each other in the eye for a few seconds, U-Won gently cupped her face and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Be careful." he said, and with one last look, he left back home, leaving the girl standing there in shock at his gesture. But it was enough to make her grin and go back with more positive energies to help those in need.

Hours passed faster than anticipated, some kids got sick, some got better, some needed attending of any way, and even while at that, there were adults out there who were on the verge of their last breathes, and there was nothing anyone could do for them...Except for burning them, to stop the disease from spreading further...Since the smoke veiling the city.

She heard dreams of people, and wishes, and even the dying words of some who knew that was the point of no return for them...But they were happy that a pretty fairy for there to help them as much as she could.

"It always gets windy and rainy when flowers start to bloom." Mo-Hwa said, but honestly, it's not easy being surrounded by so much death and suffering, when all your life you've left a secluded life in the safe comfort of your home. "You can neither blame yourself, nor others." Mo-Hwa said, seeing the Princess shed tears as one more young girl died in her arms.

The night was the hardest, since they could barely see, and the only light peeked from the Moon and the many candles lit everywhere. It was sad, what was happening, but Mo-Hwa told her to see the good part in all of this. She did a good deed, and she got to learn some medical things. As the Sun began to rise again, the Princess was exhausted and laid on the ground, looking up at the pink Sun, until the woman came by with a book. It was called "Variolation for Cowpox by Yeongan".

"Mo-Hwa..." the Princess got up, tired, looking at the book. "Where did you learn how to do all these things, considering they are banned?" she asked with a big yawn.
"I studied medicine at a place called Seoraewon around 20 years ago." the woman said, and as soon as she heard the name of the village, the Princess's mind stopped working and the book fell from her hands. "I and my teacher wrote that book together while studying the Variolation methods. I collected the fluid from the lesions and injected people with it with my own hands. Also, I saw all the people completely recovering with my own two eyes." she continued her explanation.
"...Seoraewon...You said? 20 years ago? That means it was you who did the Variolation procedure on me, wasn't it?" Min-Ji asked, bending to get the book and then looking intently at the woman. "I have forgotten that name for so many years...But hearing you say it...It sounds so familiar. But...I think...I think it was a beautiful place for people to live in." she said, her bottom lip quivering a bit.
"It was." the woman spoke solemnly. "Your Highness...You have overworked yourself without rest the whole day and night. Please, you should go and sleep. The Sun is already up and you didn't get a wink of sleep and barely had time to eat or drink anything. Your husband must be worried sick about you." hearing the woman physician say that, Min-Ji snorted, but nodded her head. She was right. 
"Alright...I will go. But please, you too, try to find some rest. You must have worked yourself into exhaustion until now. Also...Thank you. For everything." the girl bowed at the woman and then, washing her hands, she returned back to where they were sleeping, and as soon as she opened the door to her room, she noticed another bed next to hers, and a man sleeping soundly, while, on the table, a teapot, two cups and some snacks were left over.

Smiling at him, she kneeled as quietly as possible to eat and drink a bit, to thank him for the gesture, and when she was down, she slowly got under the covers of her head and sighed, feeling the exhaustion in her bones and muscles for the first time since she started working.

She fell asleep in a matter of seconds.

Chapter Text

And then she was awakened by a stupid rooster.

"I'll make you into soup!" Min-Ji groaned loudly, turning on the side and covering her head with her blanket.
"Poor rooster." a low chuckle made her turn to her other side and peek through the blanket.
"It didn't wake you up, did it? You seem fresh as a daisy. I look as if the Leaning Tower of Pisa finally collapsed on me." she whined before covering her face again.
"Did you manage to get any sleep?" he asked, getting up from his bed.
"...An hour." she muttered, making him sigh.
"Trouble girl." he said. "Go back to sleep. You're exempt from your duty as a Historian. You already stepped down from it when Prince Dowon acted on a whim and disregarded your duty completely." he sighed, ready to leave the room.
"Wait. I'm coming. I can't just stay here when the world is burning." groaning, she threw the blanket off her and managed to get herself up. "I think my age is not 26, but 66 at this point. My back is killing me." she chuckled, following the man outside.
"You do know I'm not going to let you write anything down as a historian, correct?" he asked, just to make sure.
"I know. I am, by far, the worst historian in history, and I am aware of that. Not to mention the inconsistencies from the books. Historian Yi Min-Ji, Princess Yi Min-Ji...I was supposed to come here as a historian, yet all I do is call my brother an idiot and take care of the sick. I came here hoping I would be able to take care of my brother, but he's a stubborn little jerk who only listens after he barks. Why tell me to stop being a historian and act as his sister if he's not even going to acknowledge I'm around." she huffed, seeing the man shake his head at her annoyance.

Inside, a meeting was taking place - Hae-Ryung, apparently, had a chat with Mo-Hwa as well, and received the same Variolation book as Min-Ji, yet she gave it to the Prince to read and change his opinion.
And change he did because he ordered the people to get vaccinated, and him to serve as an example. The Princess had to grip the back of her husband's uniform to keep herself up from fainting from shock.

Either Hae-Ryung is a master manipulator, or her brother really is an idiot who can only listen and think things through properly after barking mad.

No matter how much people tried to change his mind, he wanted Mo-Hwa to inject him. Admirable, yes, but still...Shocking. She would have done the same if she were the Prince, alas, she has already had the procedure done, so a second time is useless.

As the historians left the building, U-Won went directly to Hae-Ryung, asking her if she knew why the Prince changed his mind so suddenly. "I visited His Highness last night and gave him a book. It's about cowpox variolation." she said.
"Why did you do it?" Officer Min asked at once, assessing her strictly with his eyes.
"I wanted His Highness to change his mind." bad reply.
"For what reason?" his voice went stricter and a bit higher.
"Because I thought it was the right decision." she explained, making the Princess sigh deeply and close her eyes. The duty of a historian is to remain neutral and not do anything so radical. She understands how difficult it is, as she, herself, hasn't been perfect, especially as she very often was torn between her duty as a Historian and that as a Princess. Alas...Perhaps Hae-Ryung should have told her, at least, to deliver that book, not be so directly involved with the Prince's decision.
"Do you think it was the right decision to make, even as a historian?" he asked once again.
"I am a subject of this nation before I am a historian. I can't just sit and write historical records, knowing how many people are dying!" you could have left it at his door at least...More discreetly...? Oh dear...
"That is your job as a historian! Your job is to listen, not to speak! You're not someone who makes decisions! Your job is to record all decisions." he scolded her strictly.
"Why bother with all the trouble of training us if all we have to do is record things? Why don't they just hire anyone who can write?" she asked in indignation.
"A lot of people know how to write...But only a handful know their place." he said before taking a deep breath and calming himself down. "There are rights and wrongs in every history, and we, as historians, ought to accept that fact. The moment you decide to right someone's wrongs or change someone's opinion...The moment you have such thoughts...You turn into a novelist who writes about history however she likes. Do you understand?" and without anyone saying anything, he left in a rush.
"If I knew this was going to happen, I would have made rooster soup and slept through all this. I have a headache." the Princess groaned, fixing her hair and following the man to where her brother was ready to get injected.

All the common people of the place gathered to watch the Prince get injected with cow pus liquid. "Be brave, brother. I know it hurts. It hurt me too, but I spent the whole day yesterday among sick people, and I'm perfectly fine. I promise you, so will you." Min-Ji encouraged the Princess, sitting besides him and holding his other hand tightly.

Of course, as expected, he had a fever that day, so, as his sister, she had to take care of him the whole day, and the other day as well, but very soon, he was in perfect health, as the physician said, and apart from some dizziness and signs that he's getting better on his skin, he was doing great.
The bad part was the somehow, Mo-Hwa disappeared, which made the Princess very suspicious...But, at the same time, the Prince agreed to continue the Variolation, and, as she learnt the procedure, she helped all the commoners get injected as well. It wasn't the easiest procedure, but she was happy to be able to help those in need. She especially loves the sweet smiles from the little girls who said she was very pretty.

At the end of the day, she was was exhausted out of her wits and just sat on the porch, leaning her head on U-Won's shoulder. "I'm the worst historian in the world." she muttered, looking at the moon.
"You have competition." he chuckled, obviously referring to Apprentice Goo.
"Did we do bad? I mean, as Historians, yeah, I know. We should remain as neutral as any ghost. But...As people, I mean. I get her. As a Princess, I feel the need to constantly do something about the mess His Majesty creates. But, as a Historian...Good Lord. I must be the department's disappointment." she sighed, dragging her hands down her face.
"I stand by what I told her. If the whole trip she didn't write anything, then it would have been fine. She would have been just Goo Hae-Ryung. Just like you are Princess Yi Min-Ji, and that's what I wrote throughout the whole book. But she continued to write all the time. You can't have - And then I changed His Highness's mind so he changed his order the next morning - in the records." his lips were forming a thing line.
"It must be hard being a First Historian. You have to take care of everyone all the time, and try to right their mistakes. It's difficult sometimes...To stay neutral and ignorant of everything going on around you...But honestly, if I could, I would do anything in this world to be able to just...Stop butting my nose is everyone's business. But Lord knows I tried, and I failed. Personal relationships are a mess - Thank you, Yi Rim - And knowledge is even worse - Thank you, Variolation knowledge -." she sighed, patting his chest to agree with him.
"You are right. It's hard. But that's out job as Historians. We can't do anything about that." he muttered, taking her hand in his.
"U-Won..." she muttered, her breath shaky. "Yesterday...I had 5 people dying in my arms. But everyone else that I treated survived. I did more good than bad, and yet, I can't stop thinking about those who died. I can't...I just...I don't even know how I should be feeling. I blame myself for their death, even if I know it's not my fault and no matter what, I couldn't have saved them. I can't play with people's fates." she squeezed his hand for comfort.
"Nobody should live to see these atrocities happen. Likewise, nobody should have to live these atrocities either." he said softly.
"There was a young girl who smiled at me...And she said she was happy she was dying. She said...The plague got her fiance before they could get married, and now she was living in sorrow." the girl's eyes started watering. "She was smiling...And thanking me...For being there for her...So she wouldn't die alone. She said she was afraid of death...But...That she was more afraid of living all her life alone." Min-Ji told him the touching story, biting her lip hard to keep herself from sobbing.
"I'm so sorry, Min-Ji. I'm so sorry." words couldn't do much in this situation, U-Won knew that, and no matter how many times you apologise like that, the dead won't come back to life.
"And then...There was this child...A small girl, whose mother died due to smallpox...And...Even though she was hazy from fever, she was constantly smiling at me. She said I had pretty hair, so I let my hair down and let all the girls play with it. I read them stories...And I braided their hair as well. And this little girl, she...She wanted me to hold her in my arms and rock her and sing her a lullaby. She said her mother always did that for her. And I did that. I stepped on my vow to never sing again...And I did. I held the girl in my arms and sang to her. Do you know what happened?" she asked, bursting into tears. "She said I looked pretty like her mother. And she smiled and closed her eyes. And she died. I started panicking and called Mo-Hwa to help me resuscitate her or something...But no matter what we did, it didn't work. I couldn't save her, U-Won. I couldn't." at this point, the man held her tightly in his arms, one arm holding her against his chest, while with his other hand, he caressed her hair to comfort her as she cried harder.

For the most of the night, U-Won tried to comfort the girl at the best of his abilities. It wasn't much he, or anyone else, could do. Death didn't discriminate between sinners or saints. It just takes...And it takes...And it takes. And there was nothing anyone could do about it. They just had to accept what was happening. Suffering and Joy were both parts of the same coin called Life, and each second, it was being flipped - One in favour of the other. 

All they could do was try to help people as much as they could.

The next day, as well, Min-Ji woke up early in the morning to run around the town and take care of people, with it with medication, taking care of children, cooking, moving wood around and what not.
As both girls were pretty handy, they teamed up, and prepared the medicine that was going to be given to those who were still sick. On the way to the kitchens, they both saw Officer Min and Prince Dowon awkwardly standing in the middle of the road, doing nothing, so they had to nudge them with some words to get off their high horses and be useful.

Their first task was to feed children, but...No matter what they did, the children refused vehemently. So they were sent to start the fire in the kitchen.
There, however, they only did smoke and no fire, so the girls scolded them and snatching away the fans, they aggressively flapped them to start the fire. "You two are useless, and you call yourselves men. You should thank your servants more often, or you'd die of hunger. Honestly." they rolled their eyes at the two embarrassed men.

And they were send to hurry up and move the firewood...Only for them to be very afraid and wary, moving them one by one, only to see one man alone carry a huge stack on his shoulder...While they, together, struggled to drag one...

Min-Ji, Hae-Ryung and Eunuch Heo all said in unison - They are useless.

After a long day of lots of failures, the two girls finished making everyone dinner and they sat at the table, sighing in exhaustion.

until Yi Rim smiled and said "Where are the side dishes? Don't we have side dishes?"...Which pissed his sister enough for her to give him the most forced smile and say "I will kill you." 
"I guess we don't really need them! Haha!" the prince laughed awkwardly, seeing his sister's glare.

As they ate the soup, two cute girly voices called out to them - "Your Highness" one said, while the other "Fairy Princess". Min-Ji was shocked hearing anyone address her that way, but she recognised the girl - It was one of the girl to whom she personally did the variolation procedure and tended to her until she got better.

"Here! My mother told me to give this to you." the first one said, handing the Prince a basked, filled with cookies.
"Thank you. Please tell her I thank her as well." the Prince smiled sweetly at her.
In turn, the other went to the Princess and handed her a light blue hair tying material on which pink flowers were painted.
"Thank you for saving me, Fairy Princess! I hope you like this. I made it with my mama to thank you for saving me and my friends. They told me how you let them play with your hair and you sang to them, and they all said you looked like a flower fairy! And...And...Thank you for coming to our town...And...I hope you come here again and play with us!" and the little girl hugged the Princess, and then ran to the other one and holding hands, they skipped back home together.

No matter how hard she tried, the tears couldn't be stopped, and her whole face was a mess, but she was still smiling so happily. "I can't believe...Someone is...Actually thanking me...For doing something for them...Am I sleeping? I must be dreaming, right?" she laughed between her tears, trying, and failing, to wipe them away. Hae-Ryung smiled at her and patted her back, giving her her napkin to help her out. Meanwhile, Yi Rim looked at the weird-looking cookies, and the Eunuch told him they are "Gaetteok" because they are ugly but taste amazing.

Immediately, the Princess snatched one from the basket and took a bit - Then closed her eyes and smiled - "It's the best dessert I've had in my life." she said, her heart wavering with emotions. "Go on, you guys try it too." she held up the basket for everyone to take one.
"We didn't even give out that much barley today." Hae-Ryung stated with a sad smile on her face. "I guess she used most of it to cook this for you, Your Highness."
"Are you saying...They used the food they got to cook this for me?" the Prince asked, shocked at what he was hearing. "They've been starving for days...But they did this for me?" he asked again, incredulous, and each time, he got positive answers.
This urged him to give it a try, and he almost cried of happiness, seeing it's delicious and that everyone should try. Officer Min followed, saying it's amazing, and that whoever named the cookie knew what he was doing.

They continued having a merry time, until it was late enough and they had to go rest, for tomorrow, they were finally going home, after so long. The two didn't bother moving their beds from one room to another, anyway. They were all too exhausted enough as it was...So, as U-Won laid down on his bed, sighing in relief that the day was over, Min-Ji unbraided her hair and did it again. "U-Won...Do you know how to tie properly tie the daenggi?" she asked, turning to him, handing him the accessory given by the little girl. "No." he looked down, knowing that he was a disaster the whole day. "But you know how to make a basic knot, don't you?" she asked, urging him to just take the daenggi and tie her hair. 
"Is this good?" he asked, tracing his fingers over it. "Yeah, it's fine. It looks pretty good actually. Thank you." she smiled, admiring the cute flowers before finally laying down as well.
"Why did you want me to tie it for you?" the man asked, turning to look at her. 
"Isn't it obvious?" she asked, but the look on his face obviously asked for confirmation. "You've been so nice to me since we got here. Well, you've been nice to me all the time, but, what I'm saying is...You were literally physically and emotionally there for me when I needed you the most. And I appreciate that. I still look back at these days...They went by so fast, and sometimes, I feel like I'm still dreaming and all these things didn't actually happen. But, no matter what happens when we get home...I'm happy you were here with me. Thank you." she smiled softly at him, turning to her side and reaching out for his hand, squeezing it softly.
"I didn't...Do much. I wish I would have been able to do more. But when you need me, I'll be here for you, no matter what. I promise you that." squeezing her hand back, he watched her smile and close her eyes, ready to sleep. "Thank you." she muttered once again, before letting sleep take over her completely.

The next morning, they prepared to leave, but as a goodbye. all the citizens bowed to the ground in front of the prince, as thank you. He almost cried from the emotions surging through him. Min-Ji couldn't help but lean on her husband, squeezing his arm in happiness, and then go on and return home, even though they were late.

However, when they returned, waiting for them was the King himself, and instead of greeting his son, he slapped him hard and started scolding him harshly for not listening to his orders, and, of course, since Yi Rim believed deeply that what he did was correct, he maintained his convictions, no matter what.

Min-Ji made sure to hide behind U-Won so she won't be noticed and get in trouble as well, and made sure to have her head hung. The King wanted to have Yi Rim imprisoned, but thankfully, Jin arrived just in time to use the 'Historians are watching' excuse, and all three historians took out their brushes, opened their books, and were ready to write.

Thankfully, they were able to return to work. Unfortunately, Officer Yang forced the girls to stay awake the whole night and work because of some stupid Palace tradition. Thankfully...Sa-Hui knew where Officer Yang hid his wine and the girls went out, made a small campfire and started drinking and chatting.

And so, they started talking about their lives and why they became historians. A-Ran said that, despite having being born in a very wealthy family, they were all a mess, so she was so angry she wanted to do something for herself.
Sa-Hui said she didn't want to live like an ornament, nor entrust her like to a man, which made them all talk about how they can't agree with the idea that they have to be married to a man before they even speak to him.

Then...They started talking about marriage and men and...Weird stuff. 

"I don't want to marry someone based on their credentials alone. I want to meet someone I can truly like and marry him because I'm so in love with him." A-Ran said, blushing.
"I'm not sure how I feel about marriage...But there is one thing I want to do before I die...I want to fall in love with a good-looking but crazy man and have a crazy, passionate affair with him!" by this, all the other girls started giggling. "What? Haven't you all thought about something like that at least once?" she urged them to confess. "Come on. Raise your hand if you've ever imagined dating a handsome lunatic!"
"Me! I have thought about something like that!" A-Ran, after biting her fingers a bit, raised her hand up in the air. Then, even Hae-Ryung, and with a bit of urging, Sa-Hui, raised their hands.
"What about you, Min-Ji?" A-Ran asked, making the Princess looked down at her cup.
"I...Genuinely don't know. Thing is...Because I am a Princess, I've been betrothed since I was 6 years old. And...I guess, knowing that, I never really thought of anyone else. Now, I'll be honest, especially when I was little, I was vehemently opposed to getting married, so I was so angry, I hated this man with my entire soul, so I never wanted to think about anything related to love or men, you get me?" the girl sighed, earning a pat on the back of understanding from Sa-Hui.
"Wait, so that --- You're married?!" A-Ran gasped loudly.
"Yeah, she said that before, remember? Back when we got ganged up by the Queen Dowager's court ladies." Eun-Im reminded her.
"Ehhh! Then...Then...Do we know him? I don't remember a Royal Wedding though..." A-Ran whined, confused.
"We didn't get officially married yet. I think the King forgot about me for a while, and thankfully so, and whenever he'd want to go on with the ceremonies, the Queen Dowager would delay it for another year or so." she explained the dilemma.
"How is he? Is he strong and handsome? Is he super smart? You met him, didn't you?" Eun-Im leaned forward.
"Ah...Well...I personally think he's very attractive. I haven't seen him in over 15 years, so I knew him only as a frail, boring, bookish, quiet child. And now I saw him as a man who holds himself tall, with dignity and respect. And he has this...Mysterious and aloof aura around him, and you never know what he thinks until you manage to decipher his mind and heart. But he's very thoughtful and protective and sweet...And he always encourages me to speak my mind and act when I think I should act. And, most importantly...I earned his respected, and he earned mine. He sees me as his equal and promised to never tell me to shut up or...Stop being who I am. I think that's...Such a rare quality in men nowadays. Very admirable." she didn't realise that, by the end of it, she was blushing, but the girls could only let out dreamy awww's.
"So, who is it, who is it? Is he from the Palace? Or maybe from somewhere abroad?" A-Ran pressed on, and she noticed the Princess grinning, very amused, and shared a look with Hae-Ryung who was barely able to stop herself from laughing.
"It's Officer Min." Sa-Hui suddenly said, making the Princess snap her gaze at her, shocked.
"How did you know?" she asked, curious. "I thought he hid that pretty well."
"OFFICER MIN IS YOUR HUSBAND?! NO WAY!" their eyes were wide as saucers, not believing what they were hearing.
"You did hide it well. I just had a hunch something was going on. It's not like any of those men would have realised, anyway, but I'm sure the girls picked up on some of the interactions, at some point." Sa-Hui explained, making Hae-Ryung nod in agreement.
"Yeah, that's right. Especially when we went to get the clerks back, you had that flower in your hair, and I was juuust sure that Officer Min was the one to put it for you." she smiled teasingly.
"Alright, alright, I understand, we need to be more discreet. I'll note that down." she chuckled, very amused. "But, you know...I guess I'm happy it can be seen a bit from outside too...And...I guess I'm happy I was lucky enough to get a nice man, not some brainless brute like we see so many women who have to endure constant disrespect and stuff." she bit her lip before downing another cup of wine. "But! I will make sure that, when we are ready and finally do that stupid ceremony, you will all be invited and be guests of honour. I don't know what I would have done without such nice lady friends, honestly. I had to live 20 very lonely and sad years, isolated, away from people...And now, in barely 2 months, things changed radically. I'm really happy." 

And thus, they toasted again, and by the end of it, they agreed to just go home, or work, or something similar. And thankfully, the night was over, and another day came by again, and all the Officials were hungover as hell. A loud bang from the door, and the Crown Princess barged into the room. The first to realise was her own brother, who got up, his eyes wide in shock. The next was the Princess who shot to her feet, blinking in confusion. 

"How long have you been here?" U-Hui asked Min-Ji, her eyes shartp. 
"Two months now." she spoke softly, hanging her head to notify her nobody knows.
"I see...Must be nice, not having your face known to anyone around you. How long do you think this will last?" she asked her with a small sneer.
"As long as possible, I hope. Your Royal Highness, with what purpose have you come here?" the Princess asked U-Hui, who smiled, very annoyed. 
"Just come with me. These two as well." and just as rapidly as she arrived, she left, and the three female historians after her.

As expected, she walked to her husband's pavilion and barged in after he refused to see her, making the Councilor leave at once, and then...She began to quarrel with the Crown Prince. And, sadly, rightfully so.

Min-Ji's hand shook a bit as she wrote down everything she said...And all of her brother's excuses. She couldn't believe, more than anything, that U-hui has been in the palace for 15 years...
The sweet and innocent girl from back then was now such an angry spirit...Because Jin doesn't support her in the slightest. He should have known, by now, that if he doesn't have an heir, it won't be him that gets reprimanded, but her. 

He gave the excuses of having to take care of urgent petitions in every night, out of those few ones, when they'd have been able to conceive a boy. And he told her to shut up.

"Yes, all I do is bite my tongue. When I speak out, people say a princess who produces no heir is making excuses. And when I raise my eyebrows, people say that the overbearing and vicious Crown Princess is putting you down. Thus, all I can do is live in silence as if I don't exist." and hearing that, he hung his head. 

He had to hear with his own ears, finally, from the Crown Princess herself - He had to be reminded that, in these 15 years since she came into the Palace, as a little girl, she never asked for his love - She knew she would never get it - But she asked to be allowed to do her duty and give him an heir. She begged him numerous times, and he just ignored her.

"I am blamed because you don't have an heir, and you never embraced me, knowing that I cannot conceive under such circumstances. I am also blamed for you lack of affection. Do you know how I feel when everything, from the turbulent political situation, to the famine is blamed on my lack of virtue?" the hurt in her voice was so painful to everyone hearing her speak, but especially the Princess, who had to listen and write down all those things. She understood that pressure well, but she could never even think of comparing her situation to poor U-Hui.

"I want to go out to the streets and shout from the top of my lungs that I cannot possibly conceive the child of a man I barely get to see." she lashed out...And he finally apologised. But who needs an apology? Actions are better than any word. She threatened that, if he ignores her again, she would really shout out all her woes for everyone to hear, just to embarrass him.

And then, she got up and looked at Mn-Ji. She then looked back at the Crown Prince, and let out a sarcastic, yet pitiful exhale. "For your sake, Princess, I hope my brother won't treat you the same way your own brother treats me." and saying that, she looked sharply at the other two historian girls, asking them loudly if they wrote every single word down, as a silent threat, and then left the room.

The Princess's bottom lip was quivering softly, and her eyes were glimmering with pity and sadness, until finally, she managed to get up. "Oh, Jin...The Royal Family truly is the most unfortunate one in the whole country." she said before finally leaving the pavilion and silently following the other two girls who were suffering from the aftermath tension of the 'couple's fight' as they put it as soon as they arrived back at the Office.

Instead of answering the historians' questions, she silently walked to U-Won's desk and gingerly put down her book, opened so he could read what his sister had to say. "I'm sorry." she said is a soft voice, wiping the stray tear that found itself streaming down her cheek. And then she went to her seat and worked quietly, completely ignoring everyone's problems of whether or not to keep it written.

It was a complete mess of a day, with Officer Yang going to the Councilor, who went to the Vice-Councilor who all said they had no idea what to do with that information and they just let Officer Min to decide, only to be summoned by the Crown Prince himself - No doubt, to attempt to erase that, but knowing U-Won, he never bends his own rules.

As Mo-Hwa said before, there's always rainy and windy before a flower blooms - And that blooming flower came in the form of Jin asking the female historians to see him, only to reward them with a red brush - The one famously known to have been used by the Female Historians from the past - Many praises and, of course...Two days off!

And they decided to spend them with a very nice river picnic, dressed in their prettiest outfits, flirting with the guards bathing in the water. One of the guards with longer hair and a charming grin even winked at Min-Ji who blushed and hid her face in her hands, unused to such behaviour. But it was so cool to have so much fun with the girls while some really well trained men entertain you. Very odd, primal behaviour, but she can't say she's entirely ashamed. Now at least she kinda gets the whole "Affair with an Attractive lunatic" idea, at least.

Her plans were cut short, unfortunately, as it started raining. Oh well, at least they shared good laughs together!

Chapter Text

Another day, another problem at the Office of Royal Decrees - Once again, noticed by Hae-Ryung's high observation skills - In the official records, a ton of irregularities were found, all due to that Kinship Act, as they called it. An official must never serve in the city they were born, otherwise, they risk being biased, thus impersonal and they are prone to making mistakes and injustice.

Officer Yang, seeing this, gathered all the Historians around the long table to find more irregularities in the records, and got so angry seeing that they were working so hard, day and night, only to receive forgeries so shamelessly. The Ministry of Personnel forged their personal information. The First Historian sneered, realising it wasn't just some Clerk scam - They certainly wouldn't have the guts - So it must be the higher ups of the Ministry, without a doubt.

Seeing this, Officer Min's strong sense of justice activated and he stomped to the pile of papers with the record and was ready to leave the Office. "OFFICER MIN!" Min-Ji's voice called out to him, and he barely managed to make himself stop and glance at her. "Be careful." she nodded at him, and with a nod back, he left to deliver justice. She was sure he was going to do something reckless, which is exactly why she was worried.
"Why did he stop for you and not for me?" Officer Yang whined, looking at the girl.
"I don't have an annoying voice?" she grinned at him playfully, loving to piss him off, because his face and wagging finger is hilarious.

Upon returning back to the Office after some time, he went past Min-Ji's desk, patted her on the head and went straight to work without another word. They hoped, for everyone's sakes, things would get resolved without any consequences...But things didn't go as planned.

As usual, First Historian Min U-Won, along with Officer Seung and Apprentice Yi were attending the Royal Meeting, however, the repercussions of one's actions were revealed, and thus, an Advisor was forced to read a petition that shook everyone to the core. "I, Jeong Gye-Ju, from the Office of Diplomatic Correspondence, ask for the impeachment of First Historian Min U-Won." the red paintbrush fell from Min-Ji's hand right on the ground, and she had to quickly bend down and grab it, then put her hand on his back, in an attempt to hopefully keep him grounded and level-headed as much as possible, despite the accusations brought against him so unfairly. "It is always essential to be cautious when hiring a historian. And in order to prove their innocence, we even looked into the mistakes of their family members. However, Min U-Won's brother-in-law got punished for plotting a conspiracy and his own sister ended up committing suicide due to the feeling of being wronged. That eventually caused an issue with his credibility. However, because he's the son of a prestigious family..." the Advisor continued meekly until he was abruptly stopped by another who accused him of rudeness.

The poor Historian stiffened up from the shock, and all Min-Ji could do was squeeze his shoulder while looking up at her Royal brother who frowned at the accusation he was hearing. How dare they? The issue was already dealt with, so what kind of conspiracy was this?

Another Advisor, however, thought that these accusations may hold some ground and believed he shouldn't be a historian who records the country's records...And someone hiding his 'flaws' shouldn't be allowed to be given the right to record the history in a biased way.

U-Won's father was judgingly looking at his son, who was holding his writing wrist with his other hand, in a way to force himself to write. Min-Ji bent down a little and whispered in his ear "Don't force yourself." she said, looking up at her brother with a pleading look.
"Officer Min, you are dismissed. Apprentice Yi can record in your stead." the Prince said, and with a sight, the girl put her hands on her husband's shoulders, squeezing them. "Please, go. I'll take care of everything and I'll come shortly." Despite the reticence and some more looks exchanged between him and the Crown Prince, U-Won left robotically and dejected outside. It didn't feel right - Her, sitting on the Historian's desk, all alone, while U-Won wasn't even in the same room, and even worse, she had to record such a horrible conversation. Even when she was punished by her father, she never felt so helpless.

The meeting continued for a little under and hour, and as soon as it ended, without any kind of courtesy, Min-Ji bolted out and ran towards the Office and, upon seeing the man in cause, wrapped her arms around him from behind. "Let's go." she said, panting from running so much. But he said nothing for a while, only choosing to look down.
"Did you run all the way here?" he muttered in a low voice.
"Of course. How could I leave you alone after what happened?" she asked, managing to calm her breath down.
"Officer Son, you take care of my work today." and, stepping in front of the other First Historian, he snatched away his book, threw it away, and urged him to leave him with. U-Won nodded, turning to leave the place, but discreetly pinched Min-Ji's sleeve to signal for her to follow as well.

Officer Yang brought them to the inn so they could enjoy some drinks, and maybe try to drown the sorrow and worries somehow. "What do you go around doing these days to make someone write a petition like that? Who did you irritate this time?" Officer Yang asked, but U-Won only looked down at his cup.
"He only wanted to bring justice and right the wrong done with the addresses. You realise what that means, don't you?" Min-Ji explained, holding one of U-Won's hands in both her own, rubbing them in a way to comfort him silently.
"Ahhh, my gosh, just drink up. I'm sure this won't last long anyway." Si-Heung sighed, lifting his cup and clinking with the other two. However, they could barely take a sip, because the peering,  judging eyes of other officials, gossiping and insulting the man. "Jeez, this is totally ruining my mood." he groaned, as the girl started glaring harshly at those men.
"I'm going to yell at them." Min-Ji shot up to storm at them, but was quickly dragged back on the bench by her husband who was shaking his head at her. "How can I just sit here idly without doing anything when you're suffering so much because of other's bullshit?!" she whisper-yelled at him, but the man merely looked down, gritting his teeth.
"Excuse me, do you have any empty rooms?" Officer Yang asked, but the victim only sighed, getting up.
"It's alright, I should get going." he bowed his head at the Officer and stepped to leave the inn, but the men's gossips were too much for him. 
"He's just some spoiled son of a high-ranking official. Since his father acts as if he's the king, he thinks he's the crown prince. No wonder everyone calls him Crown Prince Min." those jerks irked on, making the female historian's blood boil with anger. She stormed back to their table, snatched the wine bottle, pouring its contents on the jerk's head, shocking Officer Yang who gasped loudly, but couldn't help but laugh.
"I'll make sure the Crown Prince hears what you said just now and behead you for treason and ill-speaking of the Royal Family." the girl threatened him, then went to U-Won and intertwining her fingers with his, she looked back at Officer Yang, muttered a 'Thank you' and dragged the man away.

However much she wanted to go home, he dragged the girl back to the office, only to meet the other 4 female historians. "Go get ready. We are going to Dongungjeon." he told them simply, and led the way to the Crown Prince's pavilion.

Only Hae-Ryung followed, as a Historian, to record the conversation that came with their arrival. Min-Ji was there, by his side, seated next to him, but she had no idea what was going to follow. The atmosphere through the room was rather tense, at least on one end of it, as Jin merely smiled encouragingly at his oldest friend, reassuring him that everything will be okay.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I couldn't let you record it yourself, and I let my sister do it in your stead so we could finish the meeting faster and let her see you." the Crown Prince explained his earlier dismissal.
"I understand. I wouldn't have...Been able to record it in a fair manner." U-Won nodded, looking down.
"Do not be concerned. I will not respond to that petition." despite this reassurance, however, U-Won's pain was too great to go on. Bowing his head, he put on the table, very carefully, a white paper - It was a resignation paper.
"No! Y-You can't resign! You can't! Jin, don't let him do it!" Min-Ji panicked, looking between her husband and her brother.
"Must you...Resign from your post?" Jin asked in a grave, very serious voice.
"Please accept it." U-Won pleaded, once again.
"I cannot." Jin's eyes were strict and fixated on his friend.
"Please. Accept it." U-Won insisted, only to be yelled at. "Min U-Won!" Jin's yell made even the historian recording the meeting shudder a bit. "Have you forgotten what you said when you came to see me that day? You asked me to make you a historian. You said you will record the names of those who suffered because of your father and wash away his sins with your own two hands for it is...! For it is your last duty as U-Yeong's brother. That is what you told me. What happened to that determination of yours?" hearing those words of truth, U-Won could only look at the Prince, barely blinking, yet with glossy, suffering eyes. "No matter what people say, you have done nothing to be ashamed of. You aced the examination but turned down the senior 6th rank. To become a historian, you started at the lowest position. You are an honest, upright historian who never compromises his principles. That is good enough. Do not falter." Jin encouraged his friend with everything he could, trying to remind the young man of his strong moral compass and how hard he's worked his way up to the position he hold now.
"I cannot take it anymore." U-Won managed to blurt out after a few seconds. "People...Gossiping about U-Yeong. She died a lonely death while enduring contempt of the people. She deserves...To rest in peace...Don't you think?" the man said, a tear almost escaping his eye. "Please accept my resignation, Your Royal Highness." leaving the room in silence, U-Won got up and exited the pavilion, with Hae-Ryung on his tail.
"Brother...You can't let him resign...Please." the Princess muttered, sadness evident on her face.
"No, I won't. But...Go with him. He needs someone." and saying that, the girl quickly rushed out of the room, and seeing as he even stepped past the female historian, Min-Ji went to him, intertwined their hands together and tugged him to come with her. He looked at her with an unreadable expression, not budging.
"I can't let you suffer alone. Come to my place. I don't want you to have to see your father. I don't care what you do, but just...Come with me. Please." she pleaded softly, and in the end, he just...Let his feet do whatever they wanted. And they followed her home.

He watched aimlessly as the girl commanded her servants left and right, before guiding him to the pond where they stood at before. Eunuch Heo prepared quite a lot of wine bottles, while the maids prepared some light snacks, made a small campfire outside and then left the two to just stay by themselves.

Min-Ji knew that during situations like this, nobody felt like eating - Only drinking - To hopefully forget all their woes...Temporarily, at least.

Neither of them spoke a word until the 4nd or 5th bottle was finished, and by that time, U-Won's tears were finally free to fall without any restraint. "Oh, honey..." the girl muttered, crawling by her husband's side and, as she took off his hat and the hair from its topnotch restraint, she held him tightly to her chest, caressing his face and hair, whispering soothing words into his ear. "It's alright, my dear. You can let go of anything holding you back. You've been bottling your emotions and sorrows for so long...Let it go. I'm here...I will always be here for you, no matter what." and with this, something in his heart clicked and a soft sob escaped his mouth...Followed by another and another, until he was completely clinging onto her, burying his face into her bossom, his arms tightly holding onto her as if to dear life, and an endless stream of tears wet his red cheeks.

"I just...Don't get it...Why...Why did he have to do that...To U-Yeong? To my sister...To his own...Daughter...That's how politics work, he always says...You gotta make sacrifices...But he never made any sacrifices! He just...Sacrificed everyone else...Especially his own children. What the hell kind of father does that?!" he yelled loudly, between his sobs.
"No father who loves his children would ever bring harm to them." Min-Ji muttered, remembering all the punishment she suffered.
"He...He said...That I live in the past and can't let go of all my regrets...He told me to let go and move on...BUT THAT'S WHAT HE SAID WHEN SHE DIED TOO! My own sister! He didn't even let me mourn her! He said that after I buried her with my own two hands! He told me to forget about her!" the raw emotions as he screamed out to the whole world to hear were like nails down his throat. He was desperate, and lived a desperate life. His nails were digging into her arms as if to dear life.
"U-Won...You shouldn't forget about her. I think you should remember her, and the beautiful memories you made together. Do you want to tell me about her? Forget about your anger and frustrations with your father, you know he's done tons of bad things and that he's remorseless. You are not him. You are the most wonderful man in this country, and I stand by that. But tonight, we are focusing on you and your well-being, so let's talk about something beautiful, like your sister." she managed to coerce him to show her his face, and she cupped it, planting sweet kisses all over his face. He nodded and look at the ground, using his sleeve to wipe his tears, but they still flowed.
"She was really pretty...And she liked to wear pink clothes. And she loved to paint...She was very talented and passionate when it came to is, she made so many paintings every week. I don't know why...Maybe because she was my youngest sister, but I was always the closest to her. I remember...She loved to wear pink the most...So I got her a pink daeggi as a gift." he muttered painfully, and in that moment, Min-Ji brought him yet again into another embrace, before urging him to lay his head on her lap, so she could soothingly play with his hair.
"That sounds so beautiful...Would you show me some of her paintings some day? What did she like to paint the most?" Min-Ji asked, caressing his face and using her thumb to wipe his tears.
"Flowers...She loved flowers so much...She was practically obsessed with all the flowers, knowing their names and their meanings. Remember how I put that flower in your hair? She told me to do that for my wife…She said it means that…I have a deep affection towards her. And it’s true. I just wish that she was here to meet you…To be at my Wedding as I was at hers…And I think…You’d have been great friends.” U-Won confessed, holding onto the girl’s hand and playing with her fingers.
“I’m sure we would have been the best of friend. I wish I could have invited her here to see all these flowers around. I could have gifted her a lily. They mean innocence and purity…And she truly sounds like a lovely angel.” Min-Ji smiled softly at the man in her lap.
“She…She also loved embroidering. I think…She did a better job than even mother. She made a handkerchief for me…On the day that I passed my service exam with top marks. It has flowers of all sorts…And…In the middle…It’s my name. She gave it to me for good luck, and it worked. She was my lucky charm. And I failed her…I let her die…I let him kill her and get away with it…” her started sobbing harder, squeezing onto her hand and she shushed him gently.
“Never say that again, my darling. It’s not your fault. None of it is. Your father’s actions don’t define who you are. You are a man, first of all, and you are noble, kind and honorable. You are nothing like him. He is not even half the man you are. I am sure U-Yeong is extremely proud of you, even now, even if she is not physically here with us. She is right here, with you, in her heart, and she is looking after you and giving you all her love and support. Please don’t block it away, it will upset her if you do.” Min-Ji brushed away the stray hair that stuck to his face from all the crying, and bent down to kiss his forehead. He then got his hand inside his clothes and, to her surprise, he held out a white handkerchief which he held tightly in his fist.
“Then…You…You have this. Keep it. It’s a gift from her.” After some time spent in silence, he managed to choke out those words. “I want you to have it. I’m…I’m sure she would have been happy.”
“Are you sure you want to give me this gift that she gave you?” Min-Ji asked her lover in a soft, delicate voice.
“Mhm…Yes. I’m sure. She told me to treasure the one I love more than life itself…So…With this…” but he wasn’t able to finish his sentence.
“U-Won.” Min-Ji’s voice called out to him, making his eyes – Now so soft and pooled with a mix of sorrow, desperation, helplessness and hopelessness – Look up at her. “I love you.” She continued, her voice confident, yet sweet. “I really do. So…If you think this handkerchief is a way for you to feel closer to your sister, than please, keep it to yourself. I know that your feelings for me are true, and I could never ask for a better man to meet and call my husband. You have so much love in your heart, my sweetling, but you never had anyone to give it to, and it’s been hurting you for so long, instead of healing you. I’m really happy that you were able to express how you truly felt to me…Even though it was painful. I want you to trust me enough to feel comfortable to speak to me about anything that your heart tells you to. I am really, truly proud of you, and I am 100% positive that U-Yeong would have been as well.” Leaning down, Min-Ji placed her lips softly on his, stealing a sweet kiss before pulling back. His dark eyes were like a helpless doe’s, sparkling and in need of saving.
“Thank you…Thank you. Thank you.” He kept repeating in a voice, barely above a whisper, and his arms wrapped around her torso, weeping.

It took a while for him to manage to cry all the piled up emotions from his heart but, after a while, he calmed down a bit and, closing his pink, puffy eyes, he asked “ Can you please sing for me?” question which truly shocked her, but… ”Anything for you.” She replied, a gentle smile on her face as she kissed his forehead once more and thought of some lullaby that she remembered and sang it to him.

It wasn’t long before, along with the hair-caressing she did for him, he fell asleep in her lap, and Min-Ji could only look at him with affection, not daring to move an inch from her position, afraid of waking him up or disturbing him.

Somehow, Eun-Jin was still awake so she went to her master to ask if she can be of any assistance. The Princess asked for a blanket and once of those flat yet fluffy pillow to put under his head and cover him so he won’t be feeling cold.
She felt quite at ease humming and singing into the night with him by her side – Awake or Asleep – His presence was still soothing to her soul, and the gentle caress of Mother Moon’s silver light guarding over them was enough to make her heart throb with emotion.

She didn’t dare move from her spot, yet one hand was propping her up so she wouldn’t fall on the ground should she actually fall asleep – Which she doubted, as she wasn’t exactly sleepy – Yet morning came by unusually fast and she was more asleep than awake.

And then the birds of the morning started chirping loudly into a beautiful choir that woke up the both of them. “Bird hunting season just began, you, stupid, winged, feathered jerk…!” the girl’s groan made the man chuckle, noticing she didn’t even bother opening her eyes. Then, he looked at the way he fell asleep and realized the Princess might have not exactly gone to sleep, since she hasn’t budged since the moment he closed his eyes.
“I’m sorry.” He muttered, a bit embarrassed, as he got from the ground.
“Oh…Ouch. Now I realise my legs went numb after some time. Oh well. I guess it’s late, let’s get ready for work.” She managed to say between some yawns as she somehow stumbled inside her pavilion to ask her maids for some snacks and some water to freshen them up. “Also…What are you sorry for, anyway? I see no reason to be sorry for, especially since you were able to sleep a bit after having such a horrible and tough day. Come on, we have yet another horrible and tough day…But honestly, at this point, I guess that’s just how work is, anyway.” She laughed weakly, splashing some water on her face and proceeding to do her make up.
“You weren’t able to get a night’s proper sleep because of me... I apologise for that. But…Still. Thank you for being here for me. I needed that.” He bowed at her, only to get roughly straightened up.
“Didn’t I tell you not to bow at me? Besides…Next time you say that, let’s make it fun, hmm?” she said with a mischievous smirk on her face – It took a bit for the man to realise the implication, which made him open his mouth in protest, only to exhale in disbelief at the boldness of that joke.
“Honestly…” he shook his head and, just before they left the gardens, he stopped her. “I know I was extremely drunk last night, but I still stand by what I said. And I want you to have this. I have no regrets knowing that you have it.” he put the handkerchief in her hand, holding it tightly and kissing her fingers. “I mean it.”
“I know. You mean every word you say. Thank you. And I still stand by what I said last night as well, just so you know.” With a light chuckle, she wrapped her fingers onto his sleeve and walked to work, the Office of Royal Decrees.

Upon entering, from U-Won’s designated seat, a wild, trashing Officer Hyun shot up and stammered some lame excuses as to why he was sitting in the wrong desk. That idiot thought Officer Min will be no more…Truly, an idiot! He even had to jump on one leg to his own seat because of how hard he hit his leg. Honestly…He deserved that.
“Look at you, arriving at the palace after me!” Officer Yang teased Officer Min, just to test waters, and thankfully, U-Won behaved as he normally did. Si-Heung’s smile slowly widened and everything lit up and got back to normal at the Office.

One hour passed, then two, and three and Min-Ji got bored of writing tirelessly, so she went back to the library to look around for some books and eventually organise them for the hundredth time. She didn't realise how another Officer walked inside until he called out her name. He looked down, then back up at her with the ghost of a smile. "Thanks." he said, making the girl look up from the book she was reading with a confused expression.
"What do you mean, Officer Yang?" she asked, blinking questioningly.
"I don't know what you did, but you did well. I didn't think I'd see Officer Min get so close to someone. I'm happy for him. And for you too." this serious kind of talk was so odd for the man, but for the first time, he kinda sounded...Fatherly?
"You don't have to thank me for anything. Really, I did nothing much. I just offered him some drinks and my company. He just needed to vent out his frustrations a bit...And a lot of sleep. He was exhausted." the girl explained vaguely, with a smile on her face.
"You have no idea how he was after the tragedy, but I know, and when I say you did well, you did well. Don't argue with me. Besides! That time when you poured the wine bottle on that guy's head! Haa! Should've seen his face! Then I went ahead and threw my own cup at his face!" the Officer started laughing loudly, making the girl chuckle and show him thumbs up.
"If anything, you did well, Officer!" she praised him, very amused. Then, hearing the laughter, Officer Min got in, his eyes questioning the two laughing partners.
"Did you know Officer Yang threw his wine cup at that guy after we left?! Too bad we weren't there to see it happen!" Min-Ji grinned, making him realise immediately was they were talking about.
"I see. I apologise for my less than optimal behavior from yesterday. I made everyone worry." U-Won tried to bow to the other First Historian, but was quickly stopped by him, in his usual, spazzic way.
"Ah, ah, ah, ah, no, honestly, stop that, everyone has bad days. It's just good to have you back." the Officer spoke immediately.
"It is thanks to my wife's are that I stand here today." Officer Min stated, nodding his head, making the girl in cause widen her eyes a bit at the shock of hearing him say that so freely in front of someone.
"Yeah, Yeah, I get it, wives really are something el-...WIFE?!" realising, in the end, what he said, Si-Heung shrieked his last word pretty loudly from the shock, making the couple put their hands over his mouth to shut him up.
"Keep it a secret, will you? Nobody knows, so let's keep it that way for a bit longer, alright?" the girl whisper-yelled at the Officer who could merely chirp and nod his head.
"Honestly, you two...You two are really, really insane. Come on, back to work, both of you! Stop dwadling around, both of you!" the Officer clapped his hands hurriedly, pushing the two out of the library so he could remain a few seconds longer and contain himself from the shock. "Sheesh...Married, they say. Insane."

As they left the library, however, Min-Ji couldn't help but chuckle at both men and how they reacted. "And you say I'm the bold one." she stated, teasingly.
"I was happy, so I forgot myself. I apologise." he said without the least bit of remorse.
"I don't really mind it. I think it was really sweet of you to say something like that so shamelessly." she nudged him with her elbow, only earning a roll of his eyes. "Do you know what Officer Yang said to me?" she asked him with a smile on her face, earning a hum of curiosity. "He wanted to thank me for taking care of you...And that I was awesome to spill the wine bottle of that guy's head and it inspired him to throw him cup at his face too. I never realised I was such an inspiration for people." she stated playfully, seeing him nod.
"Officer Yang is a nice man...If you get to see him in the very rare occasions when he's not a mess. It's even rarer than the Solar Eclipse." this man joked in the most serious tone possible, making the girl fail in her attempt to stifle her laughter. "You're impossible."

Chapter Text

"Officer Min, please! Are you addicted to being the center of attention?!" Officer Yang cried out, running inside the Office, following U-Won, who stomped angrily into the Bureau. "Come on. Let's please let this one slide. Don't get involved and wreak havoc! Apprentice Yi, do something!" the desperate First Historian looked pleadingly at U-Won's wife.
"What's...Going on?" the woman in cause asked, putting down her brush carefully.
"Get ready. I need you to go to Daejojeon." hearing those words, the Officer fell to his knees, defeated, while Min-Ji could only stare with wide eyes.
"That's...The King's place. No matter how reckless and carefree I am, unfortunately, I cannot go there or I'm sure to lose my life. Sorry you can't rely on me with this one." the girl spoke in a shaky voice, looking down in fear.
"Officer Min, the female historians have never entered the bedchamber yet. First we should ask permission-" Officer Seung hoped to smooth the situation.
"Since when did we, historians, need permission to do our job?" U-Won scolded them, letting the silence sink in. "Second State Councilor is there. You must enter the chamber no matter what." his voice was grave, making everyone's hearts sink in fear.
"You mean to tell me that even the most fearless, impertinent and bull-headed of the female historians is afraid of doing something like this?! Then, clearly, nobody will do it, Officer Min! We all value our lives, you know?" Officer Kim grumbled at what he was hearing.
"There are worse things than dying, you know? It's not death I fear, but a much worse fate, therefor I have all the rights in the world to be terrified of showing my face to the King!" she shot up from her seat, glaring at the Child-Historian.
"I'll do it." Hae-Ryung volunteered, making her friend snap her head towards her. "If it needs to be done...Then I'll go there." she sighed, looking down, evidently very anxious.

The tension of Apprentice Goo not being in the room with everyone, knowing she's in such a precarious situation, felt like someone was lighting up a fire underneath their seats - They all felt that - But only few showed it.
Minutes felt like centuries, or even more, and all the waiting, without having any knowledge of what was going on, was excruciatingly painful, especially for the Princess who was having sudden flashbacks of all the agony she had to endure because of her Royal Father.

She was so lost in her mind that only Officer Hyun who stormed into the Office, shrieking out Officer Min's name while stumbling over his two feet, managed to snap her back to reality.

The sky felt as if it fell on the Princess's head as she heard the news of Hae-Ryung's imprisonment and she needed to go outside and breathe some fresh air before coming back inside, still hazy. They all formed a semi-circle around Officer Min's table as Officer Yang scolded the man for his decision.

"It's not Officer Min's fault, sit." Officer Seung defended the First Historian. "It is our duty as historians to sit in on the King's meetings with his subjects." he continued in his usual, calm voice.
"That's not what she did. She practically spied on the King." Officer Hyun rectified.
"That's because she wasn't allowed to enter the room. The King was doing a misdeed, so she had to do her job." Min-Ji sneered in anger. 
"Well, she's certainly more fearless than you, at least! I mean - How dare she eavesdrop at Daejojeon?!" Hyun's overly dramatic gesticulating pissed the others off.
"Then what about the historian Min In-Saeng? The historian during the reign of King Taejong. He eavesdropped through the doors and even from behind the folding screens. That's why he's still highly respected as a historian to this day. Why are you calling Apprentice Goo a spy?" Eun-Im sassily scolded the man.
"I completely agree. Apprentice Goo simply did her duty as a historian. His Majesty should have allowed her to sit in on the meeting in the first place." A-Ran agreed with her friend, only to get shut up by Officer An.
"Why are you telling her to shut up when she's completely true? We can't let this slide and we can't let Hae-Ryung go through this alone...Or get punished for something like this." Min-Ji protested, leaning on U-Won's desk.
"Exactly! So, maybe, all of you should make sure not to let your guard down. The first time is the hardest, but who knows which one of us will get arrested next time?!" A-Ran pointed at each and every one of them.
"Apprentice Yi, most likely.." An grumbled, a grimace on his face.
"Even so, we are legitimate historians-" Officer Kim began to protest, only to get snapped at by Sa-Hui.
"So are we. We passed the civil service exam as well." she threw him a shady look, making him apologise softly.
"Why is the Royal Family such a god damn mess..." Min-Ji sighed loudly and aggravated, holding her face in her hands.
"Then, what is there to be done? Protest against the King and demand her release?!" Officer Yang began flapping his arms around in frustration.
"It is time we filled an ultimate petition...I will go bring an axe!" Officer Hwang said loudly, but was stopped by Officer Son. Hearing that, Apprentice Yi's eyes snapped wide with realisation immediately looking at Officer Min with a questioning gaze. But he couldn't even look her in the eyes, he just looked down with a pondering look.
"Okay, okay, enough...He always talks about that axe. In any case, it is true that Apprentice Goo disobeyed the Royal Order. If we side with her now, it won't end with her now, it won't end with just her being exiled. All of us could be reprimanded, sir!" Officer Hyun spoke against the protest.
"Disobeyed the Royal Order?! The King has no right to read what she, as a historian, wrote! Who cares about his stupid Royal Order, not even Heaven or God is allowed to read what we wrote! Do you think things were always so easy for historians since the very foundation of this job?! How many hundreds of years of Historian-Persecution did we have to endure to be allowed into meeting rooms so freely?! Huh?! As far as I remember, there is no King who ever, in history, demanded to read what a historian wrote, and not to mention, to arrest one for doing their duty! It's preposterous!" Min-Ji argued back immediately, filled with rage.
"OKAY, SILENCE!...Let me think." Officer Yang yelled out as he began to pace back and forth, pensive about what to do. "Alright, I've made my decision."
"What? After much consideration, did you decide to make Officer Min make the final decision once again?" Officer An asked, making Apprentice Yi slap her forehead loudly.
"NO, you punk!" he yelled at the Officer, before taking a deep breath. "As historians, we ought to..." 

And thus, the First Historian explained the fighting plan - The protesting. Protesting by not doing their due work. It wasn't enough that they were constantly overworked and underpaid, but now, they had an Apprentice less, so they blamed having no more paper on ink on not joining the Royal meeting. They didn't do their work...Min-Ji was leaning down on her chair, her feet on the table and playing the flute while Officer Yang was swinging around, drinking wine and humming a tune, Officer Kim was making some weird statues from sticks and brushes, Eun-Im was painting flowers with the ink on scrolls...

And then, when they were pressured to work by other officials, they all left the room, claiming they had horrible stomachaches and need to go relieve themselves immediately.

Oh dear. The Office of Royal Decrees truly is a mess.

But then, an even bigger mess came by, when some officials from the Royal Secretariat were sent to quite literally fight the historians - Physically - And snatch all the books for the King to read.

"He wants war?! FINE! HE WILL GET ONE! Soldiers, get ready for a bloody genocide!" slamming her flute on the table, she went in the backroom, got a brook and untangled the thin branches from the long broom handle and twirled around the sturdy wood. 
"Warrior Yi came back, huh?" Officer Kim joked around, only to hide behind Officer Hwang upon seeing the murderous look on her face. She meant business.

"Chief Royal Secretary, what brings you all the way  to the humble abode of the Office of Royal Decrees?" Officer Yang asked, his teeth gritted down on a toothpick.
"I came here to take care of my job, obviously not because I wanted to see you." the Secretary sneered at the Officer.
"Then, out with it, let's hear what you had to do that you had to bring all your minions?" smug Offer Yang strikes again.
"His Majesty has ordered us to inspect the Office of Royal Decrees. I need to take the administration record. Go ahead and hand over the Administration record." he pressured, making everyone shocked at what the King was asking for.
"Why are you being like this when you're well aware of how things are done here?!" Officer Yang was PISSED. "The administration record is what makes up the annals. No King in history has read our administration record, and it must stay like that from now on as well. Please leave." 
"You mean to say...You wish to disobey the royal command?" the Secretary pressured them.
"As historians, our priority is obeying the law of this country." Offer Yang can be cool when he wants to. He even made U-Won smile
"Fine. If you won't clear the way, we will have to force our way in." the Secretary then signaled his minions to force their entry, but Min-Ji stepped in front of the Historians, the wooden handle ready to strike.
"I'd really like to see you try." and, smirking, she sprinted at the running clerks and let herself slide to the ground, striking their ankles with the wood to make them trip. Then, she jumped back up and hit them over their backs, keeping them down. "I'd be careful if I were you. I really can't stand your hats and I'd like to take them off. Thing is...I may take them off along with your heads too, if I get too pissed off." the girl threatened, stepping roughly on the back of a clerk.
"Don't get intimidated by some wench! You are men, get in! Get in!" the Secretary angrily yelled, making the standing clerks run for the entrance of the Office, but big Officer Son was there to stop at least 4 or 5 of them, throwing them to the ground.

With just two skilled people striking the clerks down, the Secretary's minions were already very demoralised, so by the time the rest of the historians had to fight, there weren't that many left...Albeit, the remaining historians were twigs who never had to fight before...

Then again, U-Won managed to stay out of the fight until one clerk pissed him off and got him in a hand lock behind his back, earning the other First Historian's admiration who, later on, got a punch to the face, and then he, in turn, punched the official in blue...Where men shouldn't be punched. "Well, that was a punch from the heart." Min-Ji whistled along with her husband, cringing a bit at the idea.

A lot of bloody noses, pinched ears, punches and kicks were given in the now dusty outside, and Officer Yang had to beg Officer Son and Apprentice Yi not to actually kill anyone in their plight. Later, though, the other girls joined in with brooms and towels, and together, they managed to drive the Secretary off...Temporarily, at least.

They had to barricade themselves inside the Office, letting only the girls sneak away to bring some provisions to last them over night, at least. It wasn't much, but they managed to steal some snacks and bring them in some napkins, while Min-Ji managed to run away to her Pavilion and tell her maid what happened and to prepare some food and leave it in a secret place so she could come and get it at a later hour.

It was already the dead of night and Min-Ji, once again, managed to sneak out with some of the girls and bring in all the delicious food brought by the Princess's diligent maids - And they prepared a LOT of food... - To last them the whole winter, maybe.

But hey, at least everyone was happy, in the end, and they emptied out all the wine bottles in Yang's many secret stashes. "Those jerks from the secretariat are roaming around like vultures, looking for a chance to strike." A-Ran grumbled while enjoying some beef. "But at least Min-Ji's maids were sweet and made us food! They're the best!" she laughed merrily, making the girl in cause laugh awkwardly as the men looked at her with a questioning look.
"You're from a rich family? Or married rich?" Officer Kim asked so curious.
"Oh, I, uh...Uh...The first. Uh...Both. I think both. Yeah." Min-Ji blinked rapidly, not sure how to answer as she blurted out a stuttered reply.
"Ehh...How lucky! Then why do you even want to work, anyway? Work is a huge pain. If I were a girl, I'd just sit in my garden all day and look at the sky and be all lazy." Officer Hyun groaned, letting himself fall on his back.
"...Well, uhm...I guess...I was bored of doing nothing at all." she answered vaguely, shrinking back.
"How can you be bored of doing nothing?! Relaxing is really nice!" Hyun protested, which made the girl bite her lip.
"Fine. I wanted to distance myself from my abusive father. I ran away from home without actually running away. Are you happy now? Can you stop butting into my personal mess of a life? Yes? Thank you." she smiled acidly, sitting on the ground and leaning back on U-Won's leg, man who was drinking some tea in the chair behind her.
"I have children and even 3 grandchildren and I taught all of them to be respectful and mindful of everyone in their family. That household doesn't sound like the best place for a child to grow in. If this job saved you, then I hope you are happy now." Officer Son, despite never talking much, truly said only words of wisdom.
"...Yeah. Since I got here, I've been feeling the happiest in these 26 years of being alive. Thank you." she looked down, nodding at the man who held a small smile on his face. "Which is why I'm going to make sure things stay the way they are. We'll get through with this hardship as well and things will go back to normal. I'm sure." she spoke softly, making Officer Yang shoot up to his feet.
"EXACTLY! We're not going home until His Majesty takes back his order. We are not taking a step outside of this room!" he then, with an excess of zeal, jumped on a table and yelled. "Let us die in hunger protecting history! Instead of becoming a coward who gave up the Administration Record!" He held his fist up into the air, making the Female Historians also raise their hands up in the air and yell "YES!" along with most of the other men...Sans the cowards. "Hey. Gyeong-Muk. Hong-Ik. Chi-Guk. Why aren't you answering me? Aren't you historians?" he asked in an accusatory way.
"Of course we are historians...We are! But you don't have to go that far. It's not like His Majesty told us to rewrite the daily records. We can just...Let them take a peek at the administration record." Hyun grumbled as an answer.
"And you keep mentioning the law, but the law can always change. This way, or that way...But if you lose your life once, you can never get that back! If you think about it, my life might be more important than my pride as a historian." Officer An accused him, which made the Princess shoot to her feet.
"COWARDS! You call yourselves men, but you can't even serve your country! This is not about your historian pride, you already proved times and times again that you have none! But I refuse to let the King win this fight just because of some weaklings who are afraid to die! Get out if you're so afraid, then! I can understand Chi-Guk, he's just a child! But you two?! You are pathetic! Just resign and go beg the Secretary for some spot as a minion, I'm sure he's in need of some after I and Officer Son almost killed most of them." Min-Ji sneered into Hong-Ik's face, intimidating him. Chi-Guk, who started crying, slowly went to put his arms around the angry girl, like a puppy asking for comfort.
"I'm sorry! I'm j-just...I'm so afraid...! I'm sorry, big sis...!" he gave the girl his best puppy-dog eyes impression, leaning his chin on her shoulder, making her stare at him in shock.
"It's okay, I know you are scared. You're just a child, you shouldn't have to hear us say things like this. Thing is, if we stay united, they can't kill all of us at once. I heard there was something called...Walking Protest? I don't know, but what I'm saying is...If the people of Joseon hear the King is abusing his power and becoming a tyrant, punishing us for no reason, they'll come and protest, right? We can't just give up because we're afraid, otherwise we'll just get thrown around like ragdolls and humiliated by all the Offices...Even worse than we are now, seen as the Mess of the Palace. We have earned the right to be impertinent, so we should fight for the rights that our ancestors fought so hard for." Min-Ji, melting a bit at Chi-Guk's kitten-like cuteness, patted his head motherly and encouraged her fellow historians.
"...Yes! Big sis Min-Ji is right! We can't let them do what they want with us! We are nobody's playthings!" the boy raised his fist, encouraged.
"I'm not doing all this just for the sake of our pride, you know. Min-Ji is right. If we let him read the Administration Record this once, you think His Majesty will read it and say - Goodness, you have such pretty handwriting! - Would he really let it go like that?! No way, he'll ask - Why did you write this here? What about this? - It's the beginning of never-ending nitpicking! After he makes a couple of amendments there, he'll move onto the daily records, then annals and that's how you end up becoming a puppet that only humours your superiors!" Officer Yang yelled that out, letting his words sink in.
"You, men, maybe don't understand the gravity of this, but us, as women, who have been oppressed for ages...Who have to sit quietly and obediently, first to abide your father, then, when you're thrown away from your house to another, to abide your husband, without any right to speak up...Do you have any idea how aggravating that is? You have no freedom, no right, no...No nothing. All you have is a beating if you dare raise the wrong finger when the people who are above  you play with your strings. Do you really want to become that way? We're already slaves to our work, but now we'll be slaves to everyone in the Palace. Men piss on women, but the way I see it, we're the only ones in this room with any courage to stand up to what we believe in and fight for our rights." Min-Ji scolded all the men around who were cowering.
"What Min-Ji said was exactly right. Do you all think historians were always able to roam the halls freely and write in their sachaek at ease? Ever since the foundation, it took 100 years for a historian to sit down...And it took 300 years for us to look straight into His Majesty's eyes! Our predecessors wrote petitions, were exiled and fought hard to make that happen!" Officer mean flapped his hands around vehemently. "If we! ...If we...Let him read the administration record...Who know if it'll take 10 years or 100 years for that to be corrected?" these heartfelt speeches made Chi-Guk cry more into Min-Ji's embrace.
"I'm sorry, Officer Yang...Big sis Min-Ji...I know the importance of the administration...But I was too scared. Forgive me. I missed my wife...And I wanted to go home...That's why I said that. I apologise." he sobbed harder, making the girl hold him tightly and get her handkerchief from her pocket and put it in his hand to wipe his face.
"It's alright, Chi-Guk, it's alright. I think we all understand what you are feeling and...And I think, despite what we are saying, we still are afraid anyhow. But we can do this. Together. I'm sure we will succeed, so don't give up hope. The Sun will still rise tomorrow." rubbing the kid's arm, all of a sudden, all historians - Sans the serious trio - Started sobbing in group and got into a huge group hug around Min-Ji and Chi-Guk. 
"Guys, don't cry! Who said we can't go home?" came Officer Hwang's sob. "We will surely walk out of the Office of Royal Decrees!" 
"All of you, remember your tears...The tears that protected history!" Officer Yang yelled in a shrill voice "Our tears are noble! We will protect! Cry as much as you want!" but the embrace only got tighter and more suffocating.
"Guys...! I can't breathe! Please, let me go...! Uh...U-Won? Sa-Hui? Help? Please? Pretty, pretty please with a cherry on top? ... I think I'm going to faint." Min-Ji's weak plea went unanswered for a long time, until finally, Officer Min and the three girls managed to pry apart the huge group hug, dragging the poor girl away, to safety. "Never...Ever...Let me play the big sis part again..." she took deep breaths, calming herself down.
"It's going to be a very long night." U-Won groaned, dragging his hand down his face.
"Tell me about it." Sa-Hui nodded in agreement.

Thankfully, though, all these tears drained them of their energy so they fell asleep faster. U-Won was nice enough to get on the ground and let Min-Ji sleep in his arms, to keep her warm and cozier than on the ground. They watched in silence as their colleagues either slept peacefully or snored louder than a bear. Min-Ji rested her face on his shoulder, putting her hand on the side of his face. "U-Won...What are we going to do? I don't think petitions are going to help much...I know my father better thank anyone...And he's ruthless. That's why...I don't know what to do..." she spoke in a soft voice, not wanting to wake the others up.
"I have an idea, but it's selfish. Very selfish. And insane. I can't ask you to do something as absurd as that." he mumbled, putting his hand on the back of her head, caressing her hair.
"Don't give me that. You are my husband and I will stay by your side no matter what. You want to do that Ultimate Petition, don't you?" a hum of approval came after a few seconds of pondering. "Then I will do it with you. No matter what...I will not let you walk alone...Not again." she cuddled into his embrace, hearing him sigh.
"If we don't die together tomorrow, then let's get married and live together forever. How's that?" he asked, kissing her forehead.
"Sounds like the perfect plan for me." she mused, holding his hand and letting sleep take over her.

The next day, the couple left the Office and went to their homes to prepare themselves for what was to come. U-Won left first, for Min-Ji quickly went to her grandmother's to tell her that she was going to do something reckless. Something  so insane.

"I do not know what you want to do, my darling, but must you really put yourself at risk in front of His Majesty? Do you really hold those historians so dear to your heart that you'd give up your own life on a whim?" the Queen Dowager asked, only to see the girl's eyes very confident and strict.
"If I don't do this, I will regret it for the rest of my life. I am married to Min U-Won, and even without that ceremony, I will still stand by his side, in life and in death. I just...I want to know if...If there is any chance I will get out of this alive." she bowed to the ground in front of her grandmother who could only sigh and nod in understanding.
"I understand your position. Truly, I do. Whenever you tell me about your Historian adventures...You remind me so much of your Father." she said, her face becoming nostalgic and pained.
"I am nothing like His Majesty. I would never exile or bring harm to my own children...And I would want my subjects to love me, not fear me and hate me for taking all the stupidest decisions. I would want all the people, no matter the gender or social status, to be able to learn if they will, and be given an equal chance to succeed in life, if they put enough hard work and passion into it. And I would be open to all cultures, religions and science practices, no matter the country they are from." she spoke strictly, very offended at being compared with the King.
"Oh, my darling...If only you knew..." a sweet, motherly smile crept on the face of the Royal Grandmother.
"Are you...Implying that...My father is not the King? ...No, actually, let me rephrase that. My father is not THIS King?" and that smile of hers was enough to confirm what she already theorised awhile ago thanks to that repeated nightmare she had.
"If he were alive, he would have absolutely adored you. His sweet nightingale, the Princess Historian, always there in the front row to right the wrong and stop the corruption of the Palace." the Grandmother was barely able to stop herself from shedding a tear.
"Grandmother...That means...All that knowledge I have is from the time Father was alive, right? When we went to help the people with the smallpox epidemy, I met a woman physician named Mo-Hwa. She said she learnt the western medical practices from a master in this village called Seoraewon and that it's very possible she was the one to perform the variolation on me. She taught me how to do it and after she disappeared, I was the one to do the procedure on the rest of the citizens. It was a nice place, wasn't it? Seoraewon? I'm sure it was." Min-Ji's teeth were gritted in fury, realising why she had to endure all this pain. 
"Yes, my darling, it was. You loved it very much, and your Father would often let you there to learn. You were very close with another young girl who was also very bright. Now, go, my dear. Hold your head high and don't be afraid, no matter what. Be brave and hold your husband's hand, if you love him so much. I can't guarantee you will leave unpunished, but I promise you, I will make sure you get out of there alive." the Queen Dowager's blessing was enough to make the girl bow to the ground and then smile at her grandmother.
"Thank you, Grandmother. I promise you...I will make you proud, and father too...And I will make sure to always protect Yi Rim as well. Now that I know some part of the truth...I can properly think and try to remember what happened. I will go now. I love you, Grandmother." and thus, she left the pavilion and went to her own pavilion to change in the white outfit, and combing her hair thoroughly, she let it down, to flow down her back, and put no make up on.

Her maids and eunuch were sobbing, desperately trying to stop her, but after telling them that there was no way she was going to turn back, and that even the Dowager promised she'll get out alive, they were only left a sobbing mess. When U-Won arrived her pavilion to pick her up, dressed in his white robes, without the official hat on, only his topnotch, and even that, messy, an axe in his hand, they looked at each other, white in the face, and reached their hands towards each other, holding each other tightly. "I love you." their voices were barely audible, but their hearts knew what they felt.

Her servants continued sobbing and ran to the Office of Royal Decrees, while U-Won and Min-Ji found stepped in front of Daejojeon, took of their shoes and places the axe, wrapped in a white cloth, carefully on the ground. Then, they both bowed deeply and went in a kneeling position, their hands now on their lap, looking straight at the pavilion.

"Your Majesty!" they both called out, as loud as their lungs held them. "Please withdraw your royal order regarding the inspection of the Administration Record! If you refuse to do so, you can go ahead and behead us with this axe!" U-Won continued, his voice manly and just.
"Please withdraw your royal order regarding the inspection of the Administration Record! If you refuse to do so, you can go ahead and behead us with this axe!" Min-Ji said the same thing, almost as if she was her husband's exact echo.

"I can't believe they are crazy enough to do it...!" Officer Yang gasped, his hands on his head from shock.
"Big sis Min-Ji...! Hey, shouldn't we go there with them?!" Chi-Guk cried out, only for Hyun to slap his hand on his mouth.
"Hey, do you think that axe is a joke?! They're literally risking their life! They're telling his Majesty to kill them if he's not going to do as they ask." Hyun scolded the young boy.
"B-But...Sis Min-Ji...! ...Ah! Officer Yang, look, His Majesty!" the boy clinged on the Oficer's sleeve, pulling at his arm, afraid for his new-found big sister.

"Your Majesty...If you go against the law and decide to inspect the administration record, it'll forever remain as a flaw to you! So please withdraw your order!" U-Won yelled, seeing the King look at him with anger.
"Your Majesty, please withdraw your order! Don't erase all these years of history and go against the rules of the country!" Min-Ji yelled out her plea as well, standing by her husband's side.

The King's councilor, watching in horror, quickly ran in front of them, begging them to get up already. "Officer Min, Apprentice Yi, what do you think you're doing? How could you bring an axe to the royal palace?" but he was met with silence, as the two only looked straight at the greatest authority. "Please get up. This isn't something to be stubborn about." 
"Do you think...We are incorrect?" U-Won asked, shifting his gaze to the Councilor instead. "As the Chancellor and historian of this country, do you really have nothing against the inspection of the administration record?" he continued, making the Councilor sigh in defeat.
"You...?!" busted. "YOU?! What are YOU doing here?! How dare you...You...?! GET UP, NOW!" the King stormed down the stairs, right in front of the couple - And Min-Ji got up, bowing her head at the King. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING HERE?! What do you have to do with this protest?!" the King's angry scream made the girl blink a bit to ground herself.
"Your Majesty, for the past months I have been working as a Female Historian, therefor I, not as a Princess, nor as Min U-Won's wife or Your Majesty's daughter - But as a Historian of this country - Have to please ask you to withdraw your royal order." the girl spoke - And there was silence - And then, a loud ringing into her ear. The King slapped her face so hard that she fell to the ground with a loud thud, busting her lip, a small stream of blood finding its way down her white chin.
"You are just an insolent woman who doesn't know her place! I exiled you for a reason, and now, not only do you dare to meddle in the royal and government affairs, but you also go against my own orders to you, as your father! How dare you disobey me like this?! You think you have any say in this matter? You think I will actually withdraw my order, just because it is you here, making a show out if it?!" the man scolded the girl, who, with some difficulty, dragged herself up and raised her ghostly pale face, looking straight into his eyes.
"I am here as a Historian, not as your daughter! I ask you to please withdraw your royal order! We cannot allow anyone to look at anything a historian writes, let alone the Administration record! You don't have the right! Not the skies, not God, not Heaven itself either. Please, do not erase centuries of history." the Princess spoke loud, and with dignity, only for the King to growl and hurry to snatch the axe in anger - But as his fingers touched it, he was held back by his advisors and the axe fell with a loud clank on the ground.
"Just because it was against the law, historians were free from being restrained for hundreds of years and you're trying to go against me, your own father, just because you, a mere wench, doesn't agree with my order?! What gives YOU the right to speak your opinions?!" he yelled at her, barely able to content himself from ripping her head apart with his own two hands.
"That is more of a reason why we cannot give in. I'm sorry to say this, but why do you think the law and our previous kings decided to protect the historians for such a long period of time? It's because they wanted us to record historical events without having to succumb to authority. Nobody, except the historians, has the right to read and inspect the administration record! Nobody, not even you, Your Majesty, has that right!" U-Won backed up his wife with just as much strength and conviction.
"I HAVE NO RIGHT?! HOW DARE YOU?! I WILL KILL YOU BOTH -- " but, once again, the King was held back by 4 Advisors to make sure he doesn't kill either of them. "I WILL SHOW YOU WHAT KIND OF RIGHT I HAVE!"

"BIG SIS MIN-JI!" Officer Kim started sobbing into Officer Yang's sleeve, who was shifting his weight from one leg to the other, unable to stand still from all the tension.
"They are insane. They are insane. They are insane." he kept muttering, without seemingly being able to stop, just like a broken record.

And then, all the ruckus stopped, and a loud protest was heard from somewhere away - And it grew louder and louder, and men in white, protesting loudly, stepped just behind the couple, with one man alone as the representative. It was Officer Son's cousin, the leader of the Wailing Protest carried by the scholars of Sungkyunkwan. The King's eyes were wide with shock at all the impertinence happening around.

"The 400 year old history of our honorable country is at risk in the name of inspection. The future of this country is dark and gloomy. How are we going to endure this sadness and sorrow?" and the choir of protesters wailed loudly. "If the King takes the life of a historian just because he makes him feel uneasy, our lives as scholars will equally be considered worthless. How are we, the scholars of Sungkyunkwan, supposed to respect our King in this kind of situation?" the protest continued.

"If you think this protest will save you...You are dead wrong. You are just a worthless woman who bands with men and mimics their behaviour. You are supposed to be a Princess, but you are nothing more than disobeying, impertinent, unruly child who only ever gave me trouble and did nothing but wrong and mistakes! If you think you'll get away with this unpunished, think again." the King snarled at his daughter, who looked as emotionless and ghastly as a ghost, her eyes gleaming in pain, both physical and emotional.

However, another loud and distinct string of wailing protests were heard, approaching rapidly, and Min-Ji soon realised that her fellow historians finally got the courage to act and be brave. As they got in front of the King as well, Min-Ji took a step back and knelt next to her husband, just as before, as a personal sign of protest - I'm not your property anymore, I am with him - She said with this action.

And the King, and all his advisors, went inside the room, leaving the protesters alone. U-Won, not daring to say anything, reached his hand in Min-Ji's lap and, intertwining his fingers with hers, they held hands together on the ground, next to them, squeezing as tightly as they could. He could feel the pain her heart harboured after hearing a father's words for his daughter, and the fear of punishment that was keeping her on edge. He wanted to hold her, to wipe the blood from her face and tell her he will protect her...But he could do none of that. He could only silently watch the sole, silent tear falling down her face, and the soft whimper.

They didn't know how long they stood there, but the Chancellor finally got out and went to Officer Yang, telling him the King was withdrawing the order - Finally.
"What's the catch?" Min-Ji asked, looking up at him. "Knowing him, it can't end this easily, can it?"
The Advisor sighed loudly, closing his eyes and nodding. "The Princess  has to receive her punishment for disobeying a father's order and deceiving the Government. Princess...You have to understand, what you have done is a terrible offense -" he tried to speak softly, but she got up, stepping in front of him.
"I did nothing wrong and I stand by it. I will not go bow down and apologise. I earned my Royal Brother's approval to become a historian, and the Queen Dowager's blessing to go forth with this protest and stand by in support of my husband and all my fellow Historian colleagues. If that's why he wants to punish me, let him. I've been punished for much less. What does he want?" she asked, her hands held behind her back, her hand held high.
"...His Majesty...Wants you to be flogged and caned for disciplinary means. He said he knows the Queen Dowager is going to take your side and protect you, so just one day is the most he can do. This is punishment is because you are the Princess, not because you are a historian. Ah...I hate seeing you like this, Your Highness...I really do. I tried to lessen the punishment, but this is the least I can do. I am sorry." he bowed his head at the girl, before slowly, extending his hand towards her, for her to take and follow him to her punishment.
"NO! NO!! Officer Yang! Officer Min! Don't let them take big sis Min-Ji! They will hurt her!" Officer Kim scrambled up from his spot, stepping protectively in front of the girl.
"Princess Yi Min-Ji is also Apprentice Yi, a Female Historian of the Office of Royal Decrees, therefor, I cannot allow this to happen! If you want to punish her, punish all of us!" Officer Yang also got up, ready to fight the Chancellor.
"Please, don't make this harder than it already is. I tried, believe me, I, and all the other Advisors pleaded for the Princess to be left unpunished, exactly because she came here as a Historian...But...As a woman, she is still her father's property and she disobeyed his orders..."  the Advisor explained, looking down in shame.
"Princess Yi Min-Ji is married to me. We have been betrothed since we were 6 years old therefor she is not her father's property anymore. She is my wife." U-Won got up, pulling the girl to his chest protectively.
"I know, I know, but...I told him that, and he said...Because the ceremony wasn't performed, you are not officially wed, so that argument fails. I am sorry." the Advisor's face was pooled with sadness.
"Then let me take her place! I am a man, let me take her punishment, whatever that may be. She is a woman, her body is weak and frail compared to a man's." U-Won spoke harshly, making the other historians butt in as well.
"You can't take her! You can't take her!" they kept chanting, only for the Advisor to burst, yelling at them.
"If she doesn't come on her own to be punished, the King said he will- " he tried to speak, but the Princess beat him to that. " - The King said that he will punish all the Historians somehow. I know. That's what he does best. Beat and threaten. It's alright, I can take it. It's nothing new. Thank you, everyone, for being here for me and trying to save me. But...I am a Princess. Nobody can save me. Not even the Dowager could. The fact that I'm alive is still a surprise to me, somehow, after what he put me through. I will see you tomorrow at work. Please, take care of yourselves...Especially of my husband and little brother Chi-Guk. They need it the most." and thus, with one last desperate surge of courage, she ripped herself from everyone's grip and walked the familiar path towards the jails, where people were punished...Where she was punished into forgetting 20 years ago. She felt the rage of being lied to for 20 years, and the hatred of forgetting her own father and all those details about her beautiful childhood. But she was alive now, and she will be, no matter how many times she gets whipped or caned or flogged. She will remember.

An afternoon of agony and screams left her throat raw and back bloody, her white outfit now stained with red and pink...But she was free, and she braved yet another horrible punishment. As soon as she got out, she laughed loudly, happily, and dragged herself to the Pavilion of Lilies and Narcissi, so she could get changed and rest. She deserved it, after such a day. Her servants wept seeing her in such a zombie-like state...And yet, she could only see the light radiating through the darkness. Her husband, still dressed in white, was there, waiting for her, drinking her favourite wine while looking up at the Moon.

"You're going to finish my favourite wine very soon if you keep coming here unexpected. What are you going to do about it next time I want to get drunk out of my wits and I don't have Officer Yang to drink under the table?" Min-Ji managed to laugh weakly - As soon as the man heard her voice, he hurried to wrap his arms around her, only for her to yelp in pain and draw back. His wide eyes, he realised his fingers were tinted red from the blood - And that her white robes were white no more. "Don't worry. I can still stand on my own two feet. Last time, I couldn't. Last time, I was afraid of leaving my room for more than a month, and it took both Jin and Grandma to convince me that the King isn't outside, ready to punish me again for something like...I don't know, breathing, maybe. So...Yeah. I will be okay. Soon." she smiled at him sweetly, holding his hands, but her face was paler and sickly as never before.
"Eun-Jin, please make some tea. Seo-Hyun, get the medicine ready. Min-Ji, Officer Yang and his wife came by. They brought some marigold ointment and tea ice cubes. They said they thought wounds healed much easier with these, compared to the Royal Physician medicine. He also let two bottles of his famous 5-wines mix, to take the pain away. Officer Seung and Kim also came by a few times, hoping you'd be back so they could check on you...And Apprentices Heo and Oh came by with flowers and desserts." he told her, kissing her forehead.
"I'm so happy that people thought of me...I'm sorry for worrying everyone...You, especially...But really, I'm happy, despite all this agonising pain I'm feeling all over my body. I will ask the maids to look over my wounds and I'll come out to have a drink with you when I'm done...Unless you want to sleep or-" she tried to say, but was quickly cut off. "Let me treat you." he said, making the girl's eyes widen in shock and horror. 
"Min-Ji...I am your husband. And I am also a historian, one of those you saved by allowing yourself to be punished like that so brutally. Please, let me take care of you." he kissed her fingers, only to see her close her eyes and hang her head, shaking it quickly.
"No. I can't. No. No. No. You can't. You can't. If you...If you see it...Heavens, no, I can't let you..." she muttered, desperate tears falling down her paper-like face.
"Min-Ji, are you afraid of me? Why won't you -" shocked, he tried to argue, but he got interrupted.
"How can I let you see me like that?! Not only will I have to be naked in front of you, and that's embarrassing enough as it is, but you also have to see those...Those wounds! They are horrible, and ugly, and nasty and ghastly and...And...They are horrendous! I couldn't possibly -" but she was stopped with a strong, passionate kiss on her lips, deepened by the hand resting on the back of her head.
"Do you think I care about that? My wife is in pain and has wounds that need treating, and you think I care about what they look like, or that I'll turn my back on you and leave? You think I will change my opinion on you just because of that? If you think that, then you are wrong. I will never leave you. And if you're that embarrassed about letting me see you naked, then I will be naked as well, so you won't feel awkward or nervous. But please, let me take care of you. Let me protect you and let me love you. Min-Ji. Allow me that." he pleaded, cupping her face and making her look up at him. Her bottom lip  quivered and she let out a few dry sobs before finally, she nodded her head and made a few steps backwards, leading him back to her room.
"Fine. Here are the bandaged. Take a cloth, wet it, clean the open wounds...Because I have forming bruises, and those don't count. Then...Press a dry towel over the wound, put the ointment over the open wounds, trace the bruises with the ice cubes...And then I guess wrap the bloody wounds with the wounds. That's it. And don't look at the old scars...Those won't heal more than that." she sighed, hanging her head and pulling her hair away from her back, letting it fall in two equal parts in the front, covering most of her torso as she unwrapped her robes and let them fall down to her waist. "Oh, Min-Ji..." she could hear him muttering her name, but nonetheless, he bent down to plant a soft kiss on her shoulder blade. "I love you." he said, before taking the wet cloth and pressing lightly to the wounds, apologising after each grunt or gasp of pain, after every whimper, whine, moan of scream of agony, and with each of her tears, he would shed one as well.

The coldness from the ice cubes were numbing away the pain wherever they'd trace, despite making her shiver from the temperature difference, and the marigold ointment had a rather refreshing and soothing effect - Not stinging or painful like most of the others she'd known - And soon enough, she could only feel the obnoxious physical fatigue and exhaustion that she felt, while the jolts of pain from the punishment would make her brain even more alert than before.

When the man was finally done treating her wounds, she let out a loud sigh, stretching her limbs a bit. "Finally. I thought it would never end. Honestly, why must all bad things last for an eternity." she joked lightly, only to earn no reply. Instead, she felt a soft finger tracing a path down her back. The white web of scars, left from the previous whipping, was being touched and acknowledged now for the first time since they were made. "Please, stop. I don't like them. I want to forget they exist." she muttered, feeling his hand leaving her skin. But now it felt...Weird. Alone, and barren, almost. She missed the warmth of his touch, she realised with much shock, making her turn to look back at him - Only to realise that he, too, let his robes down his waist, to mimic her and not let her suffer through this alone. "U-Won..." she whispered his name, her cheeks flushing slightly, bringing some colour to her otherwise white complexion. "Thank you...For taking care of me." she said in a soft voice, daring to look him with the eyes with a timid expression. "Min-Ji..." he finally managed to get the strength to look back at her, extending his hands for her to take, and she did, and went to sit on his lap, her chest flushed against his. 

They stood like this for a while, neither of them daring to speak a word, not do anything until finally, she let her hands rest on top of his shoulders, and he, too, emboldened by this, put his arms around her waist. "Are you sure...?" he managed to ask after a while, knowing how tired and fatigue she might be feeling.
"Of course. I did tell you once I won't let you sleep the whole night, right? What better night then this, to enjoy myself, with you, than this one? What better night to show that, no matter what may come, I will still always have you by my side, you can turn any bad day into a beautiful one?"

He didn't need any more confirmation - He merely cupped her face and kissed her, letting all the pent up emotions they've had over the months since they met each other, flow and energise each other with all the love, passion and fire there was.

Chapter Text

"HIS MAJESTY ORDERED SO!" a loud voice from outside made the Princess jolt awake and groan in pain and exhaustion - Who the hell dared to come around a Princess's pavilion and yell like that in the middle of the night?!
"What happened?" a husky voice from below her mumbled, putting his hand around her bare form.
"Sorry, did I wake you?" she sighed, brushing the hair from his face gently and leaning down to plant a soft kiss on his lips.
"Not you...That guy. Although...Seeing you like this makes it worth waking up so early." his sweet words made the girl gasp and giggle, burying her face in his shoulder and stealing a few kisses on his neck.
"You're not tired?" despite saying that, he still had to close his eyes and let his head down, a soft sigh escaping his lips.
"Not anymore~." but her fun was ruined shortly as a loud knock on the door, followed by the maid trying to open it - Unsuccessfully - made them both groan and roll their eyes. "So glad I locked the door last night..." and with some effort, she put on her sleeping wear loosely and very messy, dragging herself to open the door for her maid. "The country better be burning, or you will, for waking us up." the Princess cleared her throat, signaling for the maid to look towards the bed and understand the implication for herself.
"Forgive me, Your Highness, I know how much you value your sleep, especially now, after what happened...But His Majesty ordered everyone in the Royal Family to go pay their respects to the Queen Dowager." the poor maid, who was also tired herself, spoke with pity.
With a loud groan, the girl hit her forehead on the wall. "That...That...Jerk...Can't take a defeat, can he? He's trying to win this power struggle by any means necessary. Fine, he wants a war, I'll give him one. Help me dress up, I'll show him that nothing in this world can defeat me." and with that, she let Seo-Hyun get in the room and take out the royal outfit. "Get me the...The Pink one. Yeah. That one's good. And I want the...Pink and gold hair accessories." her maid nodded, taking out the clothes while Eun-Jin brought the water and make up to refresh the Princess. 
"Pink looks so beautiful on you, Your Highness." Seo-Hyun admired the Princess, who yawned very unlady like.
"I'll get you pink clothes if you like them. In fact, you can just wear mine, if you want. If it's my order, you can wear anything you want. Both of you." she yawn-spoke until finally she managed to get up and look down at her husband, smiling at her from the bed. "Sweet dreams, you, lucky historian. But, bear in mind, when we get married, you won't be exempt from this torture anymore." she chuckled, seeing him nod.
"Worth it." his teasing smile made her shake her head and leave her pavilion, only to see Hae-Ryung and Yi-Rim already down, waiting for her. "Fantastic morning, huh?" she rolled her eyes, joining them to the meeting.

The King and Queen were in the first row, then Jin and U-Hui, and in the back, herself and Yi Rim - Of course, the Dowager didn't want them in, knowing that the King was up to something, so she was torturing them in her own way, getting soaked in the morning dew.

And they waited and waited until the Sun finally came up and the Royal Mother accepted them inside. They all bowed and sat on the red cushions.
"Your Majesty, have you been well?" the King spoke politely.
"Yes. You have been well and healthy too, right?" the Mother asked.
"Yes. It's all thanks to you." the Mother smiled knowingly at the sweet-talk. "I hope I didn't disturb you sleep for I came to see you at such an early hour." the King continued with his idiocy.
"Not at all. I am just touched by your visit. I hardly ever see you, even on my birthdays." the Queen Dowager spoke, knowing very well it will be written in the historian book. Min-Ji shared a look with U-Hui and smirked discreetly.
"I apologise. The governmental affairs have been keeping me so busy that I have not been able to visit you often." the King tried to explain his unfilial behaviour.
"I understand. Even though the Crown Prince has been looking after such matters as a regent, I am sure you have had a fair share of matters to attend to." perhaps Min-Ji got this sassiness from her Grandmother?
"As it seems that I have hurt your feelings very much, I feel horrible for having inattentive to you over the years." he bowed his head as an apology.
"It's quite alright. Your daughter has been filial over the years and made sure to visit me very often. I am grateful for her affections towards me." Min-Ji bit her lip hard to stop herself from grinning at her grandmother and all the subtle hints she gives.
"Very well. To make up for it, I will be sure to visit you often. I would like to visit you around this time every morning and pay my respects. What do you think?" he asked, feeling it was his time to strike.
"It is your duty as a son to visit your mother often and pay your respects. Sure, I won't reject your proposition. I shall expect you to visit my chamber every morning at this time." his attempt was ruined so majestically, it was perfect.

But the day wasn't over for the Princess, and the King made her attend the Lecture, but as a historian this time, and for some reason, he invited Prince Dowon to attend the lesson as well. The theme for the day for about the 6 behaviours a King must go by and...While the Lecturers all praised the King...Dowon, despite everyone shaking their heads at him to be silent...Actually said the King made 3 of the condemned behaviours. But he didn't get in trouble, which was fantastic! Min-Ji was shocked, but also, very proud of her younger brother and his boldness. 

Hae-Ryung was then made to attend all the King's royal meetings and write down everything, Min-Ji went back to the Office of Royal Decrees...But the fun didn't stop there, even for her. As soon as she let herself fall down on her chair, tired and hungry, all the historians gathered around her desk very loudly. "YOUR HIGHNESS!" they yelled, making the girl grimace.

"If anyone addresses me that way again, I promise you, I will throw you into a well with my own two hands...After I gain back the strength to do so. Honestly, though, don't change the way you treated me, I'll get angry. So what if I was born into the Royal Family? I am still a Historian, and here, I will be treated as Apprentice Yi whether you like it or not. Understood?" but they all bowed in unison and said "YES, YOUR HIGHNESS!" making the girl groan and let herself fall down on the chair rest, only to shoot right back and hiss in pain.
"Okay, fine. You have 10 minutes to ask me anything you want, and I will answer. I'm sure you are all very curious to know what's going on in my life. So, there you go, the chance to find out. 10 minutes -- GO!" the girl clapped her hands together, making them all shoot hundreds of questions. Only the men, of course, because the girls were already pretty much aware of what was going on.

The funniest question was - Since when have you been a Princess - Asked by Officer An, which of course, earned a lot of laughter, but there were also questions like - What is your favourite flower - or - What's it like to be a Princess - and - Why did you really become a historian - And such, and in 10 minutes, the whole department learn most of what happened in her life. It was almost like a story time, and they were so impressed and emotional that they started sobbing. The poor girl could only look at her husband and blink at their behaviour, sighing and letting herself drip down the chair, half-way under the table.

"I would like to thank all of you, again, for being so sweet yesterday and standing up for me. As well as that, I would personally like to thank the girls for coming to gift me flowers and desserts - They were outstanding -. I would like to thank Officer Yang and his wife for coming to bring me proper medicine - They worked wonders, and the ice cubes especially numbed away most of the pain, and I already feel much better than yesterday. And thank you for all the Officers who came to check up on me, even though I hadn't arrived home by then - Thank you for having me in your thoughts, I truly appreciate it. The people here, at the Office of Royal Decrees, have been more of a family than my own family ever was, and I thank you for that." cue more crying from the men who tried to get the girl in yet another group hug, only for U-Won to get to his feet and stand in front of the girl protectively.
"I have nothing against anyone here hugging my wife, especially after what happened, however, be mindful of her wounds and try not to cause more harm than good. Not to mention, she is not wearing her uniform because she was called in the middle of the night to abide His Majesty's orders, and hasn't had the time to get proper sleep or eat anything." he explained to the wailing men who gasped in shock.
"Ah...You're right. I was so caught up with everything that I forgot I didn't even eat breakfast or lunch. That man is a mayhem, honestly. Hae-Ryung is still there, attending to him. Her hand will fall soon, I bet." the Princess chuckled sarcastically, bending a bit to massage her pained leg. All the walking around made her limp a bit.
"Big sis Min-Ji, is your leg hurting you? Is it because of yesterday?" Officer Kim asked, seeing the girl nod casually. The boy hurried to get a chair for her to rest her leg on, then started massaging it. "My wife is sometimes very tired from doing work around the house, and I usually massage her legs like this. She said she feels better immediately...I hope you feel better too, sis!" the girl could only smile appreciatively at the boy, but put her hand on his shoulder, dismissing him.
"Thank you for you care, Chi-Guk, but don't worry about me. I will be alright, I promise. Also, I think your wife is very happy that you care so much for her. You're a good kid." she praised him, earning a toothy grin from him.
"Apprentice Yi has always been my favourite! Ever since I read her paper, I knew she would become a great historian! She managed to combine facts and logic with emotions and understanding of the situation of the common people, and she wrote so gracefully!" Officer Yang, with a big smile, started twirling around the room.
"After you bullied her so much, can you really say that?" Eun-Im accused the man.
"Yeah, exactly! You were always mean to Min-Ji because she was always talking back at you and because she beat you at the Hazing ritual!" A-Ran commented, making the Officer's face red, wagging his fingers at them, but wasn't able to say anything coherent.
"We are all happy you are alright...As alright as can be, after what happened. You took all the bad and came back triumphant. As a woman, as someone born in a noble family, and a historian, I am honoured to be working along someone like you." Sa-Hui, despite not talking much, melted the Princess's heart.
"Thank you so much for saying that." a sweet smile was enough of a thanks for Apprentice Song.

Things went pretty normally for a little while, and Min-Ji alternated between massaging her aching arm to writing and doing her work, until an Official ran into the room, asking for the Princess. Apparently, the King ordered her to attend meetings with the Advisors and write down everything there is, along with helping some out with things that a clerk should do, like carrying books or grinding ink.

"Don't you see I'm in my royal clothes right now? It's my day off, go away." the girl waved him off, only for him not to move.
"Your Highness...His Majesty ordered it. He said that...If you truly want to be a historian, you must be able to do such things...And that this is your way clear the offense you made towards Him." the Official spoke, almost fearfully.
"You mean to say the punishment I took was just a joke for him or what? Who the hell does he think he is, anyway?" the girl grimaced with annoyance, snorting in anger.
"Your Highness, please...He said that...As long as you are his daughter, he can do it." this made the girl raise her head slowly, in realisation.
"I see...Fine, I'll be there shortly. Tell him that no matter what he does to me, I'll still prevail and be a historian. Now go." the Princess go up, dismissing him in a harsh voice. 
"Min-Ji." U-Won called out to her, asking with his gaze if she would be okay. She merely smiled sardonically and nodded. 
"This really won't end for a long time, huh?" and with this, the girl went to do her duty wherever the King wanted her to.

She went from Advisor to Advisor, to Chancellors, to Councilors and lecturers all day, until she could barely feel her aching leg and arm anymore, and her spine was killing her for barely having the time to sit down during the day. In the spare time she had from duty to duty, catching her breath, Hae-Ryung stormed inside, very angry, and slammed down a paper on Officer Yang's desk.

"Is this what you meant by me entering the Inner Palace? Following His Majesty everywhere all day long? And all by myself?!" she yelled at him, her voice echoing through the room.
"So, how was it? Isn't it amazing to see His Majesty as soon as you wake up?" the Officer made fun of her lightly.
"NO!" Min-Ji's horrified shout was enough of a response.
"Do you know what I had to do just now?! I was summoned when I was barely awake, and I even had to clean up his feces!" she cried out in literal agony.
The Princess whistled in shock. "To think his plan was to torture a historian by embarrassing himself like that...He really is more petty than I imagined." she shook her head, blinking in disbelief and cringing at the idea itself.
"What on Earth happened?" she sighed, aggravated.
"Look at that ill-bred witch. Why are you complaining about it to Officer Yang? His Majesty is being unreasonably stubborn to win against us, historians." Officer Hyun scolded the girl, who could only watch in shock and confusion.
"He wants to win against the historians?" Hae-Ryung's gasp of disbelief was quickly answered.
"Some stuff happened while you were imprisoned. Shall I call it...A subtle power struggle between His Majesty and us?" Officer Son explained the situation well enough to the girl.
"How was that 'subtle'?! Nosebleeds, pulling hair out, and all that crying and yelling...It was like a gang fight!" Eun-Im yelled at the Officer.
"And not to mention Min-Ji's horrible punishment and how her and Officer Min almost lost their lives in the protest!" A-Ran continued her friend's statement. "That is why you got on the wrong side of His Majesty. Many are filing petitions about our jobs being obstructed, but he can't pressure historians."
"Enough." Min-Ji, with Princess grace and dignity, raised from her seat, her hand in the air to signal everyone to be silent, as she stepped in front of the clueless historian. "Hae-Ryung. You were chosen as the target because you are just an apprentice. I was chosen because I am his daughter. He is giving us a hard time to teach us a lesson. That is why...No matter what happens...You must win your end of the war. I didn't get whipped, flogged and caned, and I and my husband didn't go there with an axe, to protest, and almost get beheaded by the King in the process, just to lose this stupid war. I am petty, I am stubborn, and most of all, I have an ego and arrogance as infinite as the Universe, therefor, I am a sore loser when it comes to fighting against my father. 20 years of torture taught me that. I can assure you, however, that your treatment will end very soon. Just be witty and find a way to win against you. Even the Crown Prince praised you for your wits, I'm sure you'll find something. I have faith in you." putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, she noticed the girl looking down, her bottom lip quivering in realisation - And she was blaming herself for what happened when imprisoned. "Don't blame yourself. I chose to defy him. I knew the consequences. It was my choice, you had nothing to do with it. Chin up, I hate seeing you so upset. Be strong. You can do it." raising her chin with her fingers, the Princess gave the Apprentice a demure smile.
"The Princess is right! You should take this as a great opportunity! You get to watch and record His Majesty's daily activities all day long! Not everyone gets such a special opportunity!" Officer Hwang tried to make light of the situation.
"Yes, I imagine that watching the King shit is quite the opportunity." Min-Ji sighed, aggravated, giving him a shady look, as he could only chuckle awkwardly and shrug.
"Exactly! It's not an opportunity, it's torture!" Apprentice Goo glared at the man.
"Torture can be beneficial for you! My uncle's hair started growing again after he was flogged 10 times! He could finally wear a topnotch again after so many years!" hearing that, the room got quiet. Officer Min slapped his face hard, Apprentice Oh and Heo looked at each other with horrified looks, while the others were almost pulling hard at their hair. Min-Ji then raised her hands and unbraided her hair, letting it fall down gracefully.
"Say that again. Slowly this time." Apprentice Song apprehended Officer An for his idiocy.
"Yeah...I'm sure it was the punishments that made my hair grow so long. You learn something new every day." with a shake of her head - Not offended, but slightly amused at the man's panic - She sat back in her seat and started braiding her hair again.
"Apprentice Goo. As Apprentice Yi said, the pride of the Office of Royal Decrees and the future of you, female historians, depends on this war. Even if you end up fainting while on the job, you will never back down! Until the day His Majesty surrenders, keep going at full strength! KEEP GOING!" and somehow, Officer Yang got everyone to chant very loudly "KEEP GOING! KEEP GOING!" 
"The Office of Royal Decrees is a chaotic mess and I stand by my words." the Princess groaned, earning nods from Sa-Hui and U-Won.

For three days, this has been going on, and each time she'd limp into the Officer, all exhausted, the Officers would ask if there was anything they could do to help her, all the while Apprentice Goo was constantly busy by following the King everywhere, all the time.

By the 3rd day, as she was doing some work around the office like a busy bee, Officer Hyun ran into the office, yelling loudly. "GUYS, GUYS! THE ROYAL RED FLAGS WERE PUT OUT! WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A ROYAL WEDDING!" hearing that, all historians shot up to their feet in shock. Min-Ji's books fell from her hands and she fainted, but luckily, her husband was there to catch her in time and held her until she woke up. Officer Yang scolded the hasty Officer, coming with a water bucket and a towel to hopefully wake the girl up.

The whole Office went silent as soon as the girl woke up, and they could see how exhausted and desperate she was. "Guess you're all guests of honour at our Wedding, huh?" she managed to mutter, getting up with some help.
"We don't have to do this yet. I will go to the Queen Dowager and ask her to post-pone it again until Spring, at least." U-Won said, but to his surprise, the girl shook her head.
"Nah...It's fine. It's really fine. I'm going to use this as an opportunity to make it the best Royal Wedding there ever was...And as my final act of protest against the King and his mistreatment towards me. I'm going to go all in with everything I have and make him regret he ever went against me. Nobody, not even Heaven itself, can win against this little nightingale." the girl looked at her husband with a defying smirk.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" he asked, frowning a bit.
"Of course not, it's not like I got married before, did I? But I did attend one Royal Wedding before, so I know what to do to make it more entertaining...And an outright disaster for him. The Dowager is going to be so happy...And even your sister, I think." the girl chuckled lightly, before looking at the rest of the historians. "You're going to help me out too, aren't you? I will need your help with the preparations. I'll be dead before I let those boring guys prepare my wedding." she grinned, as everyone got pumped up and shot their fists up in support.

A devilish smile appeared on Min-Ji's face, and for the rest of the week, despite the fact that Hae-Ryung won the war for the Historians, along with a personal response from the King, this was going to be even more grand. The Princess ran around the Palace all the time, tirelessly and not caring about her limp. She would run from the Royal Meeting to the Dowager to discuss the Wedding, then to the Library, to the Office, back home, and so on, barely having a few minutes free.

She would alternate between doing work and reading or writing stuff for her wedding, and sometimes, from all the hurry, she would write the wrong things in the wrong books, and have to start all over again - But she wasn't going to give up. Never.

One day, the Crown Princess found herself inside the Office of Royal Decrees again, and looked down at the busy Princess who was writing without looking at the paper, but reading from a book. And she was writing on the desk, by now. U-Hui, instead of announcing her presence, took away the brush from the girl's hand, only to notice her robotically continue writing. She shared a look of amusement with her brother, until finally, she called out to the girl who shot up with a surprised squeak.

"U-Hui! Hey! Nice to see you, what are you doing here?" she asked, trying to regain her breath after the scare.
"I decided to help you out with the Wedding, didn't I? 3 days ago, when the King woke us all up in the middle of the night to visit the Queen Dowager, I realised there must be some petty drama between the historians and the King, and of course, that had to include you and your Royal Grandmother. I know you're going to use your Wedding to protest against the King, while also getting things your way, and I want to help. Besides, it's my brother's wedding as well, I can't stay ignorant, right?" her confident smirk made the Princess grin, her eyes sparkling with excitement. 
"This is perfect! I know just the right thing with which you can help me!" the Princess said, getting a paper and writing some things down. "Here. Read this and tell me what you think."
"...You're the most insane woman in the world. This is perfect. And Agate instead of Carnelian...This is going to be expensive. I wonder if the King will even realise the difference. As part of the Royal family, you should be able to at least know the difference between the two. And this dance...I've never seen it performed before, I only heard the story behind it. You want a mask too, don't you?" U-Hui let out a proud huff as she read all the impertinent requests from the girl.
"Then I hope you will like it. My leg still aches from the punishment given, but I will do my best to recover and perform it to the best of my abilities. The King once said that, should he see me dance again, he will break my legs. He can't do that if I'm not under his authority anymore, can he? I can't wait to see him writhe in anger in his seat." the girl chuckled, making the Crown Princess nod, fold the paper and put in in her front pocket. 
"I'll make sure everything is attended to. Take it easy with work." and with that, the Crown Princess left, and Apprentice Yi could only grin in amusement and victory. Just then, Officer Yang ran in the room and handed her a book, and he looked very tired.
"How the hell did you get such a book?!" he asked, panting.
"I sold all my clothes." she shrugged, making the girls gasp, hearing that.
"WHAT?!" they yelled, horrified.
"On his deathbed, Emperor Qianlong wrote a book about his most beloved woman, Empress Ruyi. Few people know about her because the Emperor erased all traces of her from history. There is only one book - The one in Qing, and this copy, that was brought to Joseon, and of course, I had to get my hands on it. This book is more important to me than my own life. Trust me, it was worth it. Besides...I kept the pink one." she shrugged, thanking the Officer for bringing her the book, and then she left back home.

It was already the night before the wedding, and Min-Ji was sitting by the pond, looking up at the moon and drinking wine. For some reason, she was pretty sure that U-Won would come to visit her - And she was right. The two smiled at each other and stood in a comfortable silence. She leaned her head on his shoulder, holding his hand and absent-mindedly playing with his fingers, rehearsing everything for tomorrow in her dead.

"Are you nervous?" U-Won asked, feeling her hands tremble a bit.
"Of course. I am all sorts of things, really. I wanted the wedding to be done when we both felt like it...And I wanted it to be in Spring, to go to the cherry blossom garden and watch the petals fall in the wind. And, most of all...I wanted this to be our wedding, and just that..Not to be used as a weapon. I didn't want this to be a protest or...To fight back and show off that I'm untouchable now and I can do whatever the hell I want...I wanted it to be us. Just us. You and me. And I feel bad that it has to be this way." she sighed, a sad expression obvious on her face.
"I don't mind, so don't think of it that way. The ceremony is already bad enough as it is. It's very cold and formal, and nobody smiles or...Is happy. They just want things to get over with. I'm sure that, no matter what you have planned so hard, is going to make things more entertaining." he spoke softly, raising her hands to his face and kissing her fingers.
"You've always been so sweet and understanding...I don't know what I'd do without you. You're quite literally using that axe of yours now to break away my chains." she chuckled lightly, earning a hum of amusement from him.
"At least it's a good use of that, after all." he nodded, draping his arm around the girl and bringing her closer to him.
"I'm happy that, as historians, we finally won thanks to Hae-Ryung. It gave me some free time as well, and my leg doesn't really hurt me anymore. I could properly practice thanks to that." Min-Ji mused, as she was met with a hum of agreement, and silence for a little while.
"I wanted to tell you that I assisted her. I prepared lists with all the petitions and people who would go to greet the King, and I helped her wrap up her blistered hands, and I encouraged her not to give up. I hope you don't mind." he told her that, making her raise her hand and look up at him with a confused expression.
"Why would I mind? I'm quite happy, actually. We won thanks to that. That girl really needed some encouragement after what she was put through. Thank you for that." she kissed his cheek, wrapping her arms around him.
"So do you." he said softly. "What are you planning?" he asked, for the first time since the wedding was announced.
"Oh, I can't tell you much, I want it to be a surprise. But...I will tell you two things that you should be expecting. First of them is from a book I read once, from Qing, during Emperor Yongzheng's rule. He once had a beautiful concubine who would become the Empress at some point...Her name was Zhen Huan. To get the Emperor's attention and favour, she had a cape on, and underneath it, she hid dozens of butterflies that flew all around her when she turned around to look at him. Everyone called that meeting auspicious and that their relationship will be filled with love." she chuckled softly, looking down in embarrassment.
"And was it?" U-Won asked in curiosity.
"No. I read tons of books about the Chinese royal relationships, and not even once, did I see someone who is truly happy and loved by the Emperor. It's a truly pitiful life...But the King doesn't know that, so that's all that matters to me. We are in July and now it's the perfect time to collect the most colourful butterflies and have them ready for my plan." her voice was sad, but she still smiled despite everything.
"What about the book you got about Empress Ruyi?" he asked again, frowning.
"That one is even worse. It began with her and the Crown Prince being deeply in love, and he finally got her in the palace and favoured her until she became Empress. And, even then, when they had to be painted together in royal clothes, they held hands and looked at each other, defying the rules of the Palace. Everything seemed perfect...Until he became greedy and forgot all his love for Ruyi. He started getting more and more women, not caring about the state, and he would accuse her of cheating and other bad things...And would often disrespect her. And she got fed up, cut her hair to divorce him in defiance and...She locked herself in her room. The Emperor didn't know she was terminally ill...So she died all alone, in peace, in her room. When the Emperor saw her, he went crazy. He lost the woman he loved the most because he let himself fall pray to all the sins around him...And he said that...He erased all records of her as a way to give her her freedom back. And...The last thing written is...That he dreamt of her beautiful smile every night, until he finally died. I don't think there is a more pitiful fate than to see the person you love the most forget about you and abandon you like that." the girl muttered, sighing as her eyes watered a bit.
"I know everything I would say now would probably sound like what the Emperor promised Ruyi...So, I will not use words of reassurance. I will show you actions. I promise you that I will love you, and you alone, and that I would never allow anything to take you away from me and my heart. And I promise you that I will show you that. A man can only truly have one woman he holds dear, and for me, that is you, and it will never change." hearing his sweet words, she chuckles softly, before boldly climbing on his lap and smothering him with kisses, making him fall on his back, chuckling at her eagerness.
"Fine, you win another clue with your sweet-talk. Have you ever heard about the story of the song - Prince Lanling in Battle?" she asked, pinning his hands on either side of his head.
"I know he was a war general who had very beautiful, feminine features, and had to wear a scary mask to make his enemies fear him." he answered, smiling up at her.
"That's right. He also had a wife who he loved more than his own life, and in turn, his feelings were reciprocated. But he also loved war - He was a Blood King, and he was feared by everyone. He would eventually end up rushing recklessly into the battle, worrying his wife. It became so bad that she got onto the battlefield, crying and begging him to stop fighting and come back home to her. But she got killed right in front of him, and her blood ended up staining his mask. He held her in his arms until she drew her last breath, his mask off, and his tears falling onto her face, mixing with hers, as they both confessed their last love vows. There is a song and a dance for this, since before Tang Dynasty, and the woman wears a hanfu and a half-mask to symbolise both the Prince and the Lady. It alternates from slow and graceful to faster and more valiant. What better way to show that I will fight anything in my path and I will actually save the dying Princess this time? I've had enough suffering over these 20 years. I am both the Prince and the Princess of the story. And I will defeat a whole army to prevail." her voice was daring and much more confident, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
The man pulled her down on his chest, kissing her passionately, not wanting to let go of her the whole night. "Then, I can't wait to see you tomorrow, shining brighter than the Sun itself. I don't have much power or say into the ceremony, but at least on my end, I will try my best not to let anyone do anything to disrespect you in any way. I promise." he said, seeing her look at him with her beautiful, doe eyes.
"Until tomorrow, there is still this night. Can I expect any rest?" the playful sparkle in her eyes made the man chuckle. "Not a chance."

The next day was the big day - They were both home, preparing for the way-too-long ceremony, and the Princess could only curse the overweight dress that she had to wear - And that thing on her head...It was meant to squish her brain, or something, that's how heavy it was.
No matter, at least she had her maids' help to walk...But she was exhausted by the time she reached the main palace - Despite going there in a palanquin. U-Won was already there, dressed in vibrant blue, while she was as red as the fire - And they could only look at each other with love and adoration in their eyes, despite not being able to speak or even hold hands during the ceremony.

Nervous, she looked at the large crowd there to watch the ceremony - And she could see all the Historians in the front row, smiling at them, all dressed in their best clothes - It almost reminded her of the Hazing Ritual. It gave her courage to smile. "Look at those lovely fools." she muttered to her maids, as she turned her head to look at the Royal Family - At the sweet smile of the Dowager, the mischievous smirk of the Crown Princess, and the happy and encouraging smiles from her two brothers.

In front of the red and blue table, the couple sat at each end, and they were brought a bowl of water to wash away all their sins. Then, with help from her two maid, it was Min-Ji's turn to kneel to her husband - To show that she is going to be respectful and obedient towards him. She bowed once, and then twice, and thrice, happy to get it over with. Not only was the outfit dreadfully heavy - Maybe even twice her weight - But she truly was afraid the headpiece would somehow fall to the ground. 
She then watched her husband begin to bow. Once...And twice...And a third time too. And then he smiled at her, seeing her widen his eyes in shock, but she couldn't contain the corner of her mouth turning upwards. He was supposed to bow just one time and a half, but he wanted to do it an equal times. He, too, was protesting her mistreatment in his own way, and it made her heart leap with emotions.

"Did you see that?! Why did he bow 3 times like her?" Chi-Guk asked the other historians, only to receive a smug and impressed  snort from Officer Yang.
"That insane rascal! Playing cool even now...He truly loves that girl, doesn't he?" he sniggered proudly.
"It's his way of showing his respect to her, and that he is going to treat her well and with equality." Officer Seung explained to the younger Officer.
"Ehh...! Why didn't I think of that when I got married?! Stupid, stupid!" the boy slapped his forehead, upset that he didn't think of such a thing at his own wedding.

Then, they had to be served rice wine - Drinking from the same cup, as the tradition goes - "Let her drink first." U-Won instructed the man carrying out the tradition, and Min-Ji could only smile at such a gesture, once again, what a sweetheart. She bowed her head at him, as a subtle way of thanking him, without being allowed to speak.

And then, the man was given two wooden ducks - Animal said to have only one mate throughout their whole life -One had a red cape, and the other, a blue one. The red caped one, representing the bride, had a blue and red string binding its beak - And U-Won threw it away, for everyone to see, and handed it to his wife, for them to put on the table, so they could then join the feast together, yet at the opposite ends of the table.

Everyone drank and ate plenty - Except for the Historians - They saw Min-Ji smirking and shaking her head at them not to, and they knew she had something better planned, so they should wait. And they did.

At the end of the feast, a man came to announce the end of the ceremony, but it was a bit different, and it was the Crown Princess's time to smirk. She left her seat and followed by the bride, she helped her get changed and do her hair.

"You are gorgeous, sister. And now, with this, you are going to be even more beautiful. My brother is already head over heels for you, I can't wait to see his face when he sees you there like this." U-Hui teased her friend, putting on the golden half-mask on the girl - A very precious mask embedded finely and gracefully with sparkling gems, making it look both refined and beautiful, yet also valiant.
"Thank you, U-Hui. Thank you for everything." Min-Ji was breathless with nervousness and excitement, she could only grin widely, trying to contain herself.
"Don't fret. I want to see the angry look on the King's face as much as you do. Are your arm and leg better? Will you be okay there?" she asked again, brushing her long her and pinning the top half with lots of beautiful accessories - Golden, with agate and rose quartz.
"Yeah...Look, I can bend my arms and wrist well enough, so I can do those hand moves. I'll be good. I'm just a bit nervous when I take off the cape." she chuckled lightly, making her sister-in-law roll her eyes at her.
"You'll be fine. We've got probably 100 butterflies, anyway. At least one will stay there." she teased her, helping her with the long, light red and pink hanfu, urging her to make a spin. She looked gorgeous, flowy like a pink river, and gracious like a cherry blossom petal dancing into the wind. "You look perfect. Here, hold onto the cape tightly...But make sure you don't mess your hair when you take it off. And...Have fun. I'll go ahead and have the entertainers play the music, so you get the maids to help you get the butterflies and come already." with a wink, the woman left the changing room and went back into her seat besides the Crown Prince.
"Where did you go?" he asked innocently.
"You'll see soon enough." she answered, leaning back into her seat expectingly.

Min-Ji was deaf to all the praises and compliments for her maids - She could only focused on her fingers holding tightly onto the red cape that was covering her whole form from the top of her head, down to her feet, as she slowly walked in the middle of the court, just a few meters away from her husband - She was close enough for the Royal family to see what she was doing, close enough for her husband to see her smiling at him, and for her guests of honour to be there for her with their silliness and positive vibes.

She waited for the moment the music got more rapid and, twirling, she threw off her cape, revealing a hundred butterflies that flew everywhere around her, and into the air, making everyone gasp in awe and wonder.
The music then got more mellow, and she moved slower, yet focusing on her grace and demure smile, her wrists and fingers bent at just the right angle to make all her movements flow perfectly, like the breeze going through her hair. And then it went faster, and faster, twirling around as if she was fighting a whole army, and the skirts of the hanfu were flying around as if she was a rose or chrysanthemum - soft, pink and very gracious - All the while, she was stealing glances at him, and forced herself not to smile, so she wouldn't give away the charm.

In the end, with one last twirl, she threw away even the mask and went to the ground, extending her hand towards him, as a way to show that - While the Prince of Lanling fell, along with his beloved, with no return, she had her hand up, ready to tackle the future, along with her beloved.

The Crown Princess nudged the Crown Prince, and together, they were the first to raise and clap. Then, followed the Queen Dowager, Prince Dowon, and the Queen...And begrudgingly, the King as well, despite the angry grimace he had on his face. 
The historians were all clapping and whistling happily, the girls chanting her name and her husband -...
Her husband knelt in front of her and helped her get up, holding her hands in his. None of them said anything, but the adoration sparkling in their eyes spoke more than any word there was.

The end of the ceremony was supposed to be the Princess riding in a palanquin back to the man's house, but they skipped that, with the grace of the Queen Dowager, and thus, the Princess turned around to wink at the Royal Family, and she dragged her husband and all the historians to the inn where they drank together so many times. She made sure nobody was there, except for them, and that they had all the wines and food they needed.

"And so, my dear friends, the Princess of Joseon finally won the war against her father and ran away with the beautiful First Historian!" Min-Ji laughed carefree, finally feeling the weight of the world finally being lifted off her shoulders.
"You were amazing, Min-Ji! Where did you learn to dance like that?!" A-Ran praised the girl, who could only grin and blush.
"Dancers from Qing would often come and dance here for entertaining. I saw this dance being performed when I was little, and I remember loving the story so much that I wanted to learn it. It was the first and only dance I did in front of my father, which is when he promised to break my legs if I dared dance for him again. As we all saw...My legs did a great job in defying his order." she smirked in triumph, earning more cheers from the girls.
"Should have seen Officer Min when he saw you. He couldn't move a muscle. He thought he saw a fairy or something." Officer Hwang nudged the groom with his words, earning a glare...Only to see the man nod anyway.
"Let's not use titles today though. We are here to celebrate, so we should make this as light and friendly as possible. Which means...Si-Haeng! Prepare your famous drink mix! I want to drink you under the table again!" the Princess pointed towards the First Historian who laughed and got up, dragging Hyun with him to help him up with the beverages.
"I think the ceremony was a success." U-Won spoke after drinking a cup of fruit wine.
"I wish I could have properly seen the look on the King's face, but alas...I was too busy looking at yours." the girl grinned at him shamelessly.
"Oh, trust me. He was livid. The Queen kept trying to calm him down throughout your whole performance." a feminine voice from behind spoke out - It was U-Hui, smirking down at her victoriously.
"Make space for her!" Min-Ji pushed the person to her right to make room for her sister-in-law to sit next to her. "So, I can guess it was a success, huh?"
"It was great! I'm so jealous of U-Won! He came up with all those witty things...And I had no idea! At my wedding, I was so nervous that I spelled the wine on me instead of actually drinking it! And there he was, all cool and unflinching!" Chi-Guk whined, pointing at the First Historian.
"I was nervous too, but the look on her eyes calmed me down." the groom confessed, making the girl nudge him softly.
"Even when he says he was nervous, he looks cool. How does he do it?!" Officer Hwang teased him.
"Well, people called him Crown Prince Min for a reason, didn't they? Now he really is a Prince. That's why he's so cool." Officer An shot back.
"Crown Prince Min, huh? Doesn't sound bad, actually." suddenly, Jin's voice came as well, making everyone get up. "Sit down. Tonight, we celebrate. Don't mind me being here. Congratulations for my sister and my dear friend for this wonderful day. I truly hope you live happy." the Crown Prince squeezed their shoulders, as he sat down next to U-Won, as Prince Dowon also arrived, hugging his sister. 
"Weddings aren't usually so happy, but yours is truly a hundred-year exception. I was never around to see you two interact, like everyone else here, at this table, but just from the way you smile, it is obvious you cherish each other dearly. I am happy for you two. Really, I am." the younger Prince smiled sweetly, going to seat next to Hae-Ryung.
"Thank you, brother. You are the sweetest." the Princess chuckled, and just then, Officer Yang and Hyun came back.
"WE'RE BACK! AND WE BROUGHT THE ELIXIR OF LIFE!" they yelled, only to see the 3 royal new-comers and chuckle waveringly. "Well, look at that. Is this all of us? I sure hope so, otherwise I don't think there will be enough wine in the tavern for Min-Ji to drink me under the table." 
"To what--?!" Jin's eyes went wide with shock.
"Are we going to do a re-enactment of the Hazing Ritual or what?!" A-Ran gasped, seeing the two big bowls of wine in front of Min-Ji and Si-Haeng.
"What's a Hazing Ritual?" Yi Rim asked, making everyone look at him, almost done with life.
"Yi Rim...Do you want to drink tonight?" Min-Ji asked her younger brother with a light smirk.
"I will celebrate your wedding, of course!" he spoke so innocently.
"Min-Ji, what are you--" but U-Won merely put his hand on Jin's shoulder, shaking his head.
"Why don't we have a toast first? When we are all still sober. After that, I'm sure things will get too messy." Seo-Kwon suggested, and they all agreed.
"A toast for my Fairy Princess wife." U-Won got up, raising his cup.
"A toast for my charming and loving husband." Min-Ji also go up, her cup touching his.
"A toast for this adorable and happy couple!" Officer Yang also declared cheerfully.
"A toast for the historians and our win!" Hae-Ryung chimed in.
"A TOAST FOR ALCOHOL!" Min-Ji cheered loudly, making everyone get up and toast for alcohol, drinking their cups immediately, so Si-Haeng could give them the real deal killer.

Letting loose, they would drink more than they could take, sing tavern songs, dance around pretty wobbly, but still funny, make terrible jokes and then drink even more. But they were all cheerful and happy and laughing all the time.
It was already pretty late, but unexpectedly, the tavern was graced by the presence of the Queen Dowager, and all the historian stumbled to greet her - Quite literally, actually, and some even fell on the ground for that. "Grandmother! Oh, Grandmummy, I'm so happy! Did you see me there? I danced for the first time in 20 years! And U-Won loved it! He said I looked like a fairy!" the girl giggled drunkly, hugging her grandmother, who could only chuckle.
"Yes, my darling, you were wonderful. I'm sure that boy will treat you well. You both seem very happy together." the Queen Dowager was happy - She remembers how much her son loved his little nightingale and how he vowed to let her marry out of love. Though it wasn't exactly what he had in mind, he'd surely be happy seeing her like this.
"Now I'm free! Like a bird! And I can sing as much as I want! I don't have o be afraid anymore, Grandmummy! U-Won took the axe from the protest and JBANG! He destroyed my shackles! And now I can fly~!" the girl laughed merrily, doing a twirl and looking up at the sky.
"YES! That's right! Let's fly! Now that we've had enough alcohol and food, it's time to fly!" Officer Yang's shrill voice made everyone get up and start clapping and chanting "SON GIL-SEUNG! SON GIL-SEUNG!" forgetting completely that the Dowager was there. "I THINK HE WANTS YOU GUYS TO SHOUT LOUDEEEER!" and everyone yelled even louder, until the bear man got up, and clearing his throat, he began to sing.
"Well, fine, this is a happy day! Here we goo! Ahem...PHEASANT!" he began with a powerful thrill, making everyone cheer loudly. Then, the Princess jumped next to him, thrilling the same word, but in a higher, more feminine voice. "PHEASAAAAANT!" she instigated everyone to join in the fun.
"Pheasant, pheasant, let's go hunt a pheasant! Pheasant, pheasant, pheasant, pheasant, let's go hunt a pheasant! Let's go hunt a pheasant at Jirisan!" by now, everyone who wasn't dancing already, was dragged up to join in the fun. U-Won's hands were in Min-Ji's as he was dragged around forcefully by the girl, while Hae-Ryung was trying to teach Prince Dowon what to do. Jin went to Sa-Hui while A-Ran and Eun-Im joined U-Hui. "Climb Jirisan and Mudeungsan! Climb Jirisan and Mudeungsan! And Geumseongsan! And Geumseongsan! And that's when I see a pheasant and I hear the bell on its tail! Hurio, Hurio, ha ha! Let's go hunt a pheasant! Let's go hunt a pheasant!" everyone's arms were flapping around and they were dancing silly as if they were pheasants. The Dowager could only smile kindly at their childishness and she went back to her place, letting them enjoy the night, for they deserve it.
"SI-HAENG!!" they all chanted for the man to start singing, but instead, he stumbled to get the two alcohol bowls and gave one to the Princess, who could only grin.
"Drink, Drink, Drink, Drink! The alcohol must go in! Chug, Chug, Chug, Chug, Chug, Chug, Chug, Chug! Our shoulders won't stop shaking until it's all gone!" they all repeated and sang, clapping hands, as Min-Ji took on the man and drank him under the table again, as he cried for his mother.
"I WIIIIIIIIIIN! I WIIIIIIIIIIN!" the girl smashed the bowl on the ground as everyone cried out her name.
"SING! SING! SING! SING!" they chanted for the winner to sing, and with a drunk grin, she did a twirl and stumbled in front of her husband, grabbing his hands and pulling him closer to her.
"NIGHTINGAAAALE!" she thrilled beautifully, despite being drunk - She was just so ecstatic, and free, and had no care in the world. "Sing us a song of a love a love that once belonged. Nightingale! Tell me a tale, was your journey far too long!" singing that, she started dancing around with her husband, giggling and spinning. "All the voices that are spinnin' around me, trying to tell me what to say. I can fly right besides you, and you can take me away, oh, you can take me away~!" and with that, she pulled her husband into a deep and passionate kiss, and everyone cheered loudly and toasted one more cup in their honour.

It was truly the perfect day for everyone.

Chapter Text

"Did you hear?! Apparently, they caught a foreigner from the West!" that was the talk of the whole Palace, and for the first time in very long, the historians from the Office of Royal Decrees were ecstatic to be working there, for they can go see with their own yes what a historian looks like.

Everyone was gathered around the fair haired foreigner that was bound, kneeling on the ground, and looking around very confused and afraid. Everyone was looking at him as if he was some weird hybrid, and they were commenting on the colour of his hair, looking like a calf's fur, and that his face looks blanched. 

Thankfully, all the comments dissipated as soon as the Crown Prince arrived. "Where are you from?" the Prince asked in Korean, but got no answer. An official tried to ask in Chinese, but the foreigner was even more confused.
"Brother, if I may -" the Princess took a step further, raising her hand to speak, and with a nod of approval, she continued. "I don't think asking this man questions in any of our Easter languages is going to work, considering he is from the West and our languages are very different. May I give it a try?" she bowed her head at him, and with a pondering look, he sighed, nodding again.
"Alright. See what you can do." he extended his hand for her to give a try.

Min-Ji walked in front of the foreigner and crouched to his height, giving him a pitiful smile. Then, she pointed towards herself. "Yi Min-Ji." and then pointed at him. "You?" she asked, in Korean, hoping he would understand what she was asking. The man looked down, then at her again and nodded. "Jean Baptiste Barthélemy" he said his name with a beautiful accent, making the girl's eyes widen in shock. That accent was familiar to her, and she felt like the sky fell on her head. "Français?!" the girl gasped, earning a nod from him. "Mon Dieu..." she muttered, getting up and looking at the Prince. "This Man is from a country called France. I don't think he's going to be a threat, as long as we find a way to communicate with him. I read on a book that this country - France - Also has Kings and Queens and Palaces, so maybe they aren't as barbaric as we think they are." her statement made the whole crowd burst with gossips and such.
"Ask him if he came here with anyone." the Prince told his sister, and an official handed her a book. "And why he came to Joseon." but, no matter how much the girl skimmed through the book, there was nothing written in French, only Dutch and Portuguese, since these were the most used languages of merchants and tradings. She tried to ask him in Dutch, but he said "Je ne connais pas le néerlandais!" , in a hurried, alert voice as he shook his head. 
Min-Ji could only sigh and slam the book shut, nodding in understanding. "This book is useless, brother! We need to find someone who actually knows French. Here, we have only Dutch and Spanish, and this man said he can't understand either. He speaks only his mother tongue." she said with a dejected expression.
"Alright, I understand. Thing is, if he found his way here, he must have a reason. Even if we get him out, he'll return. Take him to the Royal Investigation Bureau and imprison him until we find a way to communicate with him. The Office of Interpreters, find someone who can interpret his words." the Prince ordered, making the girl close her eyes and sigh, turning discreetly to give the foreigner a sad smile.

And the guards roughly got him up from the ground and dragged him away, all while he kept desperately yelling "Je suis Français, Je suis Français!". The Prince looked at his sister, who smile at him. "He said he is French. It's his way of telling you how to communicate with him. He's afraid you'll kill him because of the language barrier. I truly hope you find someone who can interpret his words properly, he didn't seem that dangerous." she shrugged her shoulders and left the place.

However, as she was walking back to the Office, followed by the rest of the Historians, loud gunshots resounded throughout the palace, making everyone yelp in fear and fall to the ground, covering themselves. The Historians barricaded themselves inside their Office, but the only worried ones, in the end, were Eun-Im and A-Ran.

"But Officer Yang, aren't you worried? A foreign intruder is wandering inside the palace, for goodness' sake!" A-Ran chirped. "And there are many places in the Inner Palace where he can hide! What if we run into him?" Eun-Im chimed in.
The Officer in cause could only snort in amusement, pointing his finger at them. "That's why you're nothing but apprentices to this day. I mean, back in my day, tigers would come into the palace and lurk around the Office of Royal Decrees! But we still went to write the daily records! Did our night duties and kept working!" he dramatically got up, his fingers clenching as if they were claws. Min-Ji, who was drinking water, spit it out from laughter and started coughing and tearing up. U-Won and Hae-Ryung could only look done with life with the Officer's shenanigans. "Stop making a fuss because of a foreign intruder!"
"It's because you have no idea, Officer Yang! The intruder is awfully good at martial arts, so even when guns were fired at him...He did this! And this! And Jbang! And hit the bullets away!" A-Ran did some moves with her hands, and at this point, Min-Ji was banging her head on the table from laughing so hard.
"AND YOU GUYS DON'T KNOW, BUT I READ SOMEWHERE THAT THE BARBARIANS FROM THE WEST ARE SO STRONG, THEY ARE BULLETPROOF!" the Princess shot up, her face a mess from laughing so hard. "REALLY?!" the two girls shrieked in horror, making the Princess laugh even harder and fall back on her chair.
"This is no laughing matter! He can make it up to the roof in a single jump!" Eun-Im jumped once. "And he can move to another roof in an instant with another single jump!" she jumped again. "That's why even the guards couldn't catch him!"
"Okay, okay, that's enough. If I laugh more, I'm going to die of asphyxiation. Let me tell you something. That guy out there - His name is Jean. He is human. He is as much a human as we are. Do you understand what I'm saying? He's not bulletproof, he doesn't have superhuman powers and he can't hit bullets away in mid-air or jump from roof to roof. I promise you that. So, please, let's calm down and go back to work. I think Officer Yang's Tiger story was dramatic, but the rumours about the foreigner are much worse." the girl finally rolled her eyes and wiping her face from the tears from laughing, she went back to her writing.
"Exactly. Why don't you say that he flies through the skies on a leaf and shoots out strong winds too?" Officer Hyun made a hand-move, as if he was channeling his super powers, and Min-Ji could only cover her mouth so she won't laugh.
"Get out of here on the count of 3, otherwise I'll make you do the night duty today." Officer Yang scolded the girls in the end, and the four girls left.

Then, Officer Kim asked Officer Son to go to the toilet with him again - Apparently, he was afraid of the foreigner, after all, as he was clinging onto the man's arm like a child. "Look at them! How does he call himself a historian if he can't even go by himself?.................. WAIT FOR ME!" and then he ran after them, followed by Officers An and Hwang. 
"You must be kidding me." Min-Ji slapped her forehead, shaking her head in disbelief.

Somewhere around the middle of the day, Min-Ji got up the walk a bit, feeling tired and her body too tense to bother writing, but unexpectedly, a fellow Historian stopped her mid-way. It wasn't often when they spoke, but it was always king and friendly. "Your Highness, may I have a word with you?" Officer Seung bowed his head, making the girl sigh.
"Haven't I asked you numerous times not to address me that way?" with an embarrassed smile, he looked down and nodded. "It's alright. Tell me, what is bothering you?" 
"The foreigner...Do you think he's a bad man?" Seo-Kwon asked, and the girl answered negatively immediately.
"Not at all. In fact, I'd like to have a chat with him...Alas, he doesn't speak our language, and I haven't had contact with French in 20 years, so I have no idea how to communicate with him." she smiled sadly, beginning to walk slowly in a random direction.
"I think he is innocent as well." he replied after a while, earning a happy smile from the girl. At that instant, however, a man shoot up from the bushes and dragged the two historians down on the ground.
Officer Seung got a rosary from his sleeve and showed it to the foreigner. "Amen." he said, as a way to calm him down.
"Jean?!" the girl gasped quietly, seeing the man calm down, panting. "What do we do?!" she looked at the Officer, who looked terrified.
"We have to help him." he muttered.
"But how?! Where can we hide him? There are guards everywhere, and he stands out like a sore thumb everywhere. And it's the middle of the day." she retorted, as the man could only look down.
"The library." and with this consensus, they somehow managed to smuggle the man into the library and gave him a dark cape to hide in the corners, on the ground...Hopefully, he won't be found.

As they returned back to the Office, U-Won was already out, telling Officer Seung and Apprentice Yi to get ready for the Royal meeting, but the girl shook her head quickly. "I need to go to the Dowager urgently. Very important family business. Have fun." squeezing his shoulder, she ran to the elderly woman's pavilion, only to see the court ladies guarding the pavilion so the guards wouldn't get in.

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" The Princess's loud, booming voice alerted the guard who was confronting Lady Choe. "Get out of here! How dare you come to the Queen Dowager's bedchambers like this?! Have you no shame at all?!" the Princess stood by Lady Choe, who was just as ruthless.
"You will not take another step." she sneered, blocking the way along with the Princess and all the other ladies.
"Carry out the Royal Command! Now!" all the women gathered in a tight line, ready to take on the guards, only for the Dowager to step out of her bedchamber and yell at them.
"Stop right there! How dare you become suspicious of the Queen Dowager's palace?" she sneered, fire in her eyes. "These are grounds that I govern as the head of the Inner Court." her dignity made the guard falter as he stuttered an excuse but was cut off immediately. "In that case, you can search me first! Undo my breast-tie and search my body first!" she threatened, making the Princess grin. She must learn these intimidation tactics.

Thankfully, the guards only apologised and bowed to the Dowager, leaving the place ashamed. Seeing her granddaughter, she nodded her head to allow her inside, and she quickly hurried, jumping two steps at a time in her plight. 
"What happened? I thought you were going to bring him from Uiju yourself." the Dowager looked sternly at the woman in front of her, but the Princess's gasp made her look her way. "Mo-Hwa!"
"We will explain later." the Queen quickly dismissed the girl's shock.
"I was too late. He must have been found by the officers before I got there." the lost woman bowed her head, guilty, as the Dowager could only sigh and go seat, urging the other two females to be seated as well.
"Things got very complicated. He's only treated as a Western intruder for the time being, but if he ever happens to mention Seoraewon, the Second State Councilor won't stand still." the Dowager's lips formed a thin line.
"He struggled so much to come to Joseon, he won't open his mouth that easily." Mo-Hwa reassured the Queen, but she shook her head.
"We cannot be sure about that. You already know that Min Ik-Pyeong is a man who always gets his way, no matter what it takes." the Queen spoke solemnly, and with resentment. "I hope it never does, but if he ever does get caught, you must make a tough decision. The Second State Councilor must not get to him. Not when he's alive...And not when he's dead." those words were heavy, and the Princess could only look down, pondering, as the runaway woman bowed.
"I am hiding the Westerner. I and Officer Seung found him, and we tried to hide him away. He is in the library now, but I can't be sure if he's still there now. Mo-Hwa ran away from the village with the pandemic, so from what I gathered, the Second State Councilor is trying to get her because of the information of Seoraewon, correct? What kind of information does this man carry that he's so important, and that he had to come here, despite all the dangers?" Min-Ji asked, seeing both women widen their eyes.
"He came here to find his brother's grave. His brother was the foreign teacher who came to Joseon to teach the commoners in Seoraewon. He's the one who taught you French and Latin when you were little." the Royal Grandmother explained the situation.
"If the Second State Councilor is trying to get his hands on anyone who has any information about Seoraewon, that means he was the one who aided this King to betray my father...Right? So that means we must keep everything secret while we...While we...I don't know. What's the plan, even?" the Princess was very confused, and with each question answered, she had even more enigmas swirling in her head.
"If you can, try to protect and hide the foreigner as much as you can, but make sure you don't get in trouble. Mo-Hwa, make sure you hide, but you can pretend to be one of Min-Ji's maids for the time being. If anything, maybe you can get him out of the Palace safely, together." the Dowager explained, as the two other women bowed, understanding the ploy.

When the meeting was finally over, Min-Ji returned to the Officer of Royal Decrees, only to find male and female guards body-searching everyone. "What is going on...?" she asked, taking careful steps inside, to sit between Officers Min and Seung.
"They're searching for Christians." U-Won explained, making the girl snap her head at Officer Seung.
"Give it here." but he looked down, shaking his head and looked down. "Seo-Kwon, give me that rosary or I will cut your hand off and snatch it for myself right this instant." the aggressive whisper-yell the girl made, as her hand started clawing at his own clenched one, was desperate as she saw the guard search the person just next to Officer Seung.
Thankfully, he finally caved in and gave it to her, and she could hide it properly behind her back as he now got searched.
When it got to her being searched, she pushed away the female guard with her other hand, her chin held high in the air. "We have to search everyone. It's His Majesty's order." the female explained in a low voice.
"Are you really going to search His Majesty's own daughter? If you want to do that, then fine, go ahead. Undo my breast-tie and search my body! Can't you see what offense you're doing, being suspicious of the Royal Family of being heathens?!" she sneered at the guard who looked at her superior with wide eyes.
"Just leave her be. She's the Princess, she's not a Christian. Same with that one. He's Officer Min, the Second State Councilor's son." the male guard waved his hand dismissively, as the woman bowed and said a quick apology, leaving to search Sa-Hui.

Unfortunately, the guards then went to the library, and no matter how much Officer Seung tried to stop them, saying there are daily records there, they couldn't be stopped. But...There was no foreigner there? Odd...And worrying.

When all this was over, Officer Min dragged his wife and Officer Seung to the back room. It was quite for a while, but then, U-Won's low, calming voice started his interrogation. 
"Are you a Catholic?" he asked, earning a positive answer. "Since when?" and he said...For a while.
U-Won sighed, grimacing a bit, realising how grave the situation is. "Do you know that you could die because of that? And it's not just you. You and your entire family almost lost their lives because of this petty thing." U-Won's eyes were wide and almost-pleading for him to stop.
"It's not a petty thing. I can...Even sacrifice my life to protect this belief. Have you ever thought about this? Everyone was born as a human being, but why are some noble and others lowly? Some people starve their entire lives. Some people get sold for money as if they're an animal. But I...Why do I get to enjoy a plentiful life while they shed so much sweat and blood? In Catholicism, they teach us that we're all the same children of the Lord. We are taught that everyone equally deserves respect. I believe that we deserve to live in a world like that. And I don't think my belief is wrong." Officer Seung explained, reaching his hand to get the rosary from the Princess's hand, but she drew it away.
"I want to have this. I saved your life, I deserve it. I want to ponder a bit over what you said. As a Princess, I never care about religion, because no matter how much I prayed, nobody ever answered, so I became my own God and forged my path with my own two hands. However, it is my personal opinion that...What you just said...Shouldn't be a religion belief, but a human belief. I believe that everyone, as humans, deserves respect and that we should all have equal chances to succeed or fail. That's why I've been acting as the people's advocate for so long. I want you to think very carefully about your life and your family's life. I understand that you are afraid, not only for yourself and your family, but for your fellow Catholics, but you have to understand that you are not alone, and that you cannot, under any circumstance, act rashly." she explained, absent-mindedly tracing her thumb over the rosary beads, seeing the sad look on the man's face as he nodded.
"Thank you. Both of you." the Officer nodded and left the room without another word, his head hung.
"What are you hiding?" U-Won's voice got her out of her trance.
"The number of times I go to the toilet per day." she answered robotically, earning a tsk from the man who called out her name. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it." she looked down, playing with the rosary in her hand.
"You smile and look down whenever you lie. I'm your husband, I've supported you through all the decisions you've done. Haven't I earned your trust by now?" he stepped in front of her, his hands on her arms, looking hurt by her silence.
"It's exactly because I trust you that I don't want to tell you. I want to keep you safe no matter what." she smiled sadly at him.
"Do you think I care about safe if you get in danger? You came with me to the protest, you almost got your head chopped off, you got punished for this -- And now you try to say you're somehow going to get in trouble again, and you're not even letting me try to help?" the frustration in his voice made her sigh, resigned.
"Yep." she nodded solemnly. "I love you too much to implicate you in my troublesome family issues. This is a problem about my past and it concerns the truth. You are the best Historian there ever was -- If I tell you what's really going on, you're going to lose your neutrality and passiveness, and you're going to become subjective. I can't have that. I can't let you destroy all the hard work you put through the years. That's why I can't tell you." she slowly put her hands over his own, squeezing them affectuously.
"Don't even think about giving me that excuse. I won't take it. Tell me what is it. I can help you. Let me help you. Even if I can't do anything with actions, at least let me support you." he insisted, making the girl look up at the ceiling with a pained expression.
"Fine. You want the truth? Then prepare yourself. Your father betrayed the dethroned King so this guy standing here, the Usurper, could kill my own father and the Queen with his own hands and take the throne. The village of Seoraewon, the place where I learnt everything I know, was a beautiful place, unlike what everyone in the Palace was made to believe, and the French intruder is actually the brother of the French teacher from 20 years ago, and he is here to find his brother's grave and pray for his sins to be washed away so he could be accepted in Heaven. Oh, and, before I forget - I and Officer Seung hid the Frenchman here, in the library, before I had to go to the Dowager because I want to help him get the hell out of here and accomplish his goals. There, what do you think? Still want to support me? Still think it was a good idea to find out everything?" she snarked at him with a scolding expression, seeing how overwhelmed he was feeling right now. "Just forget everything I said and go back to your work in ignorance. It will be better for the both of us. This is family business...And it's dangerous. I'd rather die than have any harm come your way because of my mistakes. So, please...Just this once...Pretend you know nothing and do nothing." and with a kiss on his cheek, she hid the rosary in her sleeve and waltzed out of the library as if nothing happened, while the man remained stunned inside, thinking - What the hell has this day come to, anyway?

The girl exited the Office and went to her younger brother - Surely, he must not know hat was going on inside the palace, since he's always there, in his exiled pavilion - But much was her shock when she saw the French man peeing on the flowers, while the 3 other girls were staring in shock at his...Peeing...And the Prince was desperately trying to shield Hae-Ryung's sight.

Oh dear Lord.

At the end of the day, however, Hae-Ryung went to the Office and found only Officer Seung, and she begged him to keep everything written there a secret. Min-Ji could only smile, knowing that Seo-Kwon was shocked but still grateful that he had others who didn't believe the intruder was a bad guy, and that she was somehow trying to protect him. The Princess wasn't going to write anything for the time being - This was family business, and she wasn't going to act as a Historian for now...Not while everyone could read this and destroy everything by just opening their mouths.

The next day, as well, was a mess, and while everyone made fun of Officer Yang for looking like a salamander, the only reason Hae-Ryung could escape for having the content of her book revealed was that the gong resounded and she could run to Yi Rim's place. Min-Ji was already there, having a private chat with the Frenchman.

"Mo-Hwa told me why you're here. I'll get you out of the palace to meet her. She'll take us to Seoraewon. I am the Princess, and when I was young, it was your brother who taught me French. That's why I could understand some of the things you said." she spoke quietly, watching the man smile widely.
"Princesse, it's an honour to meet a student of my brother. Merci beaucoup...For helping me all this time." was all he said as Hae-Ryung got in, and they discussed a plan to escape. 

Meanwhile, Min-Ji ran to her own place to tell Mo-Hwa the escape plan and create a secondary one for the three of them to escape...Because the guards were everywhere around Nokseodong. The plan was for everyone to spread around panic and rumours that the foreigner did this and that and was found there, and in the end, he'll be dressed as Yi Rim, his hair dyed with ink while covering his face with a fan while the Eunuch would guide him out, and Hae-Ryung and Min-Ji would be there for him.

The Female Historian got him inside an abandoned stable to change, which is when Min-Ji and Mo-Hwa appeared from the back, getting him out of there - But he was nice enough to leave her a note to thank her. "I'm sorry I made you worry." the man told the emotional woman, who took him to a plain field. "Do you still remember what he looked like?" he asked in shock, hearing from her that they look alike. 
"How could I forget? I learned medicine from him for years." she looked down with a sad smile.
"Must have been annoying. Dominique nags so much." he smiled softly.
"I remember he was very kind. Although I was very young, and 20 years passed already, I still remember he had a gentle voice and he was very encouraging. It was a pleasure learning your language." a soft silence engulfed them as the frenchman asked the woman to show him where exactly he was buried...But a look on the ground from Mo-Hwa and he realised for himself the truth...
"I see. he wasn't buried because he was a criminal." he sighed, and the man looked into the horizon. "Do you think it hurt? Do you think he was scared?" he sniffed, barely able to keep himself calm, but Mo-Hwa could only shed a tear and apologise. Jean's pensive look seemed as if he was remembering the lovely times he had with his brother, and he went to kneel on the ground and pray, in French, to his God to give him eternal freedom and rest. It was about time, and 20 years too late. This act made both women emotional and they could only lean on each other as they saw the silent suffering of the Frenchie.

But, as they returned, they saw on a board that they were going to kill all Catholics if they don't get information. All 73 of them. Mo-Hwa looked at the Princess who gritted her teeth. "I'll go to my brother and tell him I'm the one who helped him escape. Hopefully, I won't get killed." she muttered, hurrying away.
"Princess, you can't! What will your Grandmother say?!" the woman physician gasped horrified.
"I can't let him kill Joseon's people for no reason. At least, if they find out the intruder is out of the palace, they won't snoop around." and with this, she made a short detour to the Office of Royal Decrees to give a silent reassurance to the two Historians who knew the truth, only to see the annoying Official in blue already there with the announcement. 

U-Won got on his feet, staring intently at his wife who bit her lip hard and the bent to Officer Seung's ear. "Don't you dare do something stupid. I'll solve this somehow." she whispered and quickly left the place, with Officer Min on her trace, stopping him in her trace.
"What do you think you're doing?!" he asked in an aggressive and worried whisper-yell.
"I got the intruder out of the Palace, and because of this, 73 people are going to get killed. I'll go to my brother and tell him it's my fault. I can't let them kill people for no reason." she tried to explain, but her husband was already too frantic.
"What the hell is in your head? You already broke all the rules of a historian, now you're going to get yourself killed?!" he asked, torment in his eyes. "Do you really want to leave me all alone like that?" his voice pained the girl so much that she couldn't even look at him anymore.
"You are right. As always. I will hand in my resignation paper to you as soon as I return. Forgive me, my darling. Forgive me. Even though I don't deserve your forgiveness, I hope you find it in your heart to understand my position. I don't deserve to be a historian, and most of all, I don't deserve to be your wife. When I get back, I will accept any kind of punishment you want to give me, as a husband or official." she spoke, biting her lip, her head hung.
"I can't even bear to yell at you, and you think I'll have the heart to punish you?! Min-Ji, you - ...Must you...Must you really do it?" he asked in a defeated voice, seeing her nod.
"If you had the chance to save almost 100 innocent people...Would you take it?" was all she said before she bowed to the ground to him, and turned around to go to her brother.

He was still alone - Sa-hui must not have arrived yet, then - Which was the perfect opportunity for hear to speak to him. She went in front of him and bowed to the ground, startling her brother - She never did something like this before, especially not to him, so why...? Oh, of course, she must have done something to help the foreigner. He should have known.

"I am the one who helped the foreigner out of the Palace. I am not asking for forgiveness, but please, don't kill the Catholics. Forgive them. They have done nothing wrong. Please spare them." he could only sigh and close his eyes in resentment.
"Get up. Tell me why did you do it." he managed to stay calm and level-headed.
"Because...We spoke. He seemed nice. He came here because his brother died here some time ago, and he wanted to pray for his God to accept him into Heaven and forgive his sins. He told me stories about his country and his people...And about his brother...And, in the end, I didn't have the heart to turn him in. He seemed like an innocent victim caught up and...I just...Couldn't stand the thought of an innocent man being killed. But now...Now that so many others are at risk...I had to do something. I will accept any punishment you wish to give me, so, please...Please...I beg of you...Spare their lives." she started crying without realising, looking up at her brother with a pleading look. How could he even think about punishing her? Their father did enough of that to her. She only thought of people's lives...And even if she was easily fooled by them, he didn't have the heart to let her cry alone.
"Fine. I will order their release. You do realise what you did was foolish, right? But...I know you'd do it again. You're too good for your own well-being. If father hears about it, I don't know what he'll do to you." he sighed, getting the girl up and pulling her to his chest, letting her weep.
"As long as those people are released, does it really matter?" she asked innocently, breaking her brother's heart.

Just then, Sa-Hui entered, bowed, not questioning anything, and simply sat hat her desk. It didn't take long, however, for the King to hear the order done by the Crown Prince and storm inside, yelling at him. "I'll give you a chance to persuade me." the King said, but neither of the Royal children could utter a word. What the hell could they say, anyway? He never listened to reason, especially when angry.
"You...You being here means you know what happened...You and that useless brother of yours...You both helped the foreigner escape, didn't you? You went behind my back to speak with the Crown Prince, knowing he's more forgiving. At least the other one had the guts to come to me directly. And you - You think I'll forgive you if you stay silent?"
"I think it was wrong. A king is a father to all his subjects and what kind of father would use his children's lives to achieve something?" Jin spoke bravely and confidently his beliefs. Min-Ji was sure he believed that, and more, he was protecting her by speaking up - Or at least, that's what she felt, considering that he took all the King's wrath to himself.
"Are you trying to tell me that I'm not qualified to be a king? Answer me! Are you denying that I'm the king of this country?!" but Jin only looked in defiance, not uttering another word.
As the King started slowly and menacingly approaching his son, Min-Ji stepped in front of him, protectively. She was afraid of how he was going to react, but Jin already protected her once, and she had to somehow return the favour. 
With a look exchange - A wrathful one, and a terrified one - The risen hand of the King was stopped by the urgent shout of the Dowager who stormed inside the room. 
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" she said, glaring at her son. "He's going to be the King of this country. How could you humiliate him like this in front of all the historians and court ladies? Are you so angry that you've even forgotten the royal family's dignity?" She. Was. LIVID. 
The King could only grimace and take a few deep breaths to calm his anger enough to speak. "I am letting this slide just this once because of your darn title." was the last thing he threatened before storming out of the room, followed by the Dowager who looked  at them with mixed feeling.

Min-Ji's legs felt weak, and she could only hug her brother tightly, sharing a look of understanding, and then she left, saying a soft "Thank you." Sa-Hui, who already formed a silent bond with the man, decided to stay, offering him her silent presence, which he found comforting.

Slowly and pensively, Min-Ji made her way back to the Office, only to find it as much a ruckus as always. Officer An was in front of everyone, dramatically telling the story of what happened, but with much more action. The Princess could only snort at him, making her way to her desk and writing the resignation paper. Silently, she went to her husband's table and place it carefully on his desk, muttering "I'm sorry." before turning back to look at everyone with the same Princess dignity as always. 

"His Majesty got extremely furious and he tried to break His Royal Highness's leg!" he started kicking his leg around. "The eunuchs tried to stop him, and the Queen Dowager kept crying! The Princess was one the ground, begging His Majesty not to her the Crown Prince." he started making half-bows, crying. "They barely managed to calm him down." 
"Hey, that sounds a bit far-fetched. I don't think His Majesty would --" Officer Son tried to call out the short Officer.
"I'm serious! I came running right after I heard about it!" Officer An tried again.
"Why do you always get so excited over false rumours?" Officer Yang scolded the man. "You're a historian, you should act like one."
"His Majesty did get extremely furious. He wanted to strike the Crown Prince and me. He didn't try to break Jin's leg. The Eunuchs weren't even in the room. The Dowager wasn't crying, she was angry and scolded the King. Her words were enough to calm him down and leave the room. I never bowed for the King, instead, I stood in front of my bother to protect him. In the end, the Catholics were released thanks to the Crown Prince's grace. The end. Let's end the story here and go back to our work." the girl said, a grave expression on her face as she went to sit at her desk, playing with the rosary under it.
"As expected, none of that was true." Officer Hyun sighed in aggravation.
"But don't you think it's strange? They took down all the announcements in less than half a day and His Royal Highness suddenly released all Catholics." Eun-Im voiced her concernes.
"Maybe they caught the barbarian?" Officer Kim speculated first.
"Then they would've hung him out in the street! Everyone in the country is shivering in fear because of him!" Hwang refuted immediately.
"Then why do you think His Royal Highness freed the Catholics?" Chi-Guk looked pensive.
"Apprentice Yi was there, why not just ask her?" Officer Yang was the brilliant mind.
"Because I asked him to." the Princess spoke nonchalantly, earning a few gasps. "I took the blame. I told him I got the intruder out of the Palace. I wanted those people saved. That's what happened. Now stop making such a big deal about. Tomorrow, nobody will remember the Frenchman anymore." she grumbled, hoping this would end already.
"Did you lie to His Royal Highness to save those people?!" A-Ran gasped in shock.
"...I am the Princess. My duty is to the people of the country before anything. I will do anything in my power to save them. People are people, they all have lives and souls and they deserve to live, no matter their beliefs or ethnicity." and with this, everyone became silent, and they didn't speak until they finally finished work. Even if they tried to say something, she wouldn't answer or clarify anything.
"What?! Do you have any idea what you did?! What if the barbarian comes back to do more damage?! Didn't you hear all the atrocities he's done?!" Officer An gaped at her.
"And you lied to the Crown Prince! You can't do that! Not as a Historian or a Princess!" Officer Hwang's horror was obvious on his face.
"Not even resignation can save you at this point..." Officer Hyun's low voice went unheard, the same as all the other complaints from everyone. It was her last day there anyway, so who cared enough to listen to all those ignorant comments.
"Why do you always get yourself in such a mess that it involves our Office too?" Officer Yang cried out.

Min-Ji was engrossed in her work, trying to forget everything that happened - Especially all the plaguing guilt, until finally, it was night, and only Officer Seung and Officer Min were there.
Seo-Kwon was the first to get up an step in front of the girl's desk, bowing at her, thanking her for saving everyone. "It is thanks to you and Officer Min that I can live." he said with a grateful smile on his face.
"Think nothing of it and never speak of it again. You can have this back...I played enough with it." getting up, she took his hand and put back the rosary, clenching his fingers around it. "Just...Be careful showing it off. I saved you once, but a second time, I can't guarantee anything." she muttered, her head still hung.
"This experience made me realise that...All my life...I've wasted studying and writing...And I forgot to live in the read world. I would like, one day, to teach people how to write and help them with legal matters. I know I won't make a lot of money, but it's fine. I'll earn enough to at least support my family. Thank you for this opportunity." he said, making the girl sigh and close her eyes.
"There was once a place like this, here, in Joseon. It was destroyed. I wish, some day, I will be able to build it again. I, too, believe in your words...So...When the time comes...I hope you will accept to teach at that place." she bowed her head at him, earning a happy and kind smile from him.
Officer Min then got up, and with a calm, understanding voice, he spoke, putting his hand on the Officer's shoulder. "This faith of yours...Is it so important for you? Is it significant enough for you to give up the path you've been on your whole life without any hesitation?" he asked, wanting to make sure that, despite everything that has been going on, the Officer's heart was still in the right place.
"I wish to protect it with all my might. I put you all in danger, and I even threatened Officer Min that I would go and reveal the contents of the book to the Crown Prince, to threaten him with the truth, should he not release the Catholics...But he stopped me, and you stepped in just in time. I wished to resign and leave because of my sins...But Officer Min, you stopped me. I am truly grateful for you. And, if such a wonderful place is ever made, it would be my greatest honour to become a teacher there." he spoke so graciously, and bowed, leaving the room without another word, leaving the two in silence.

The tension was unbearable, and neither knew what to say for a while. And then, the girl stepped from behind her desk and bowed to the ground in front of him. "Forgive me." was the only thing she said, but the shock was to great for him and he knelt and grabbed her up to stand on her feet, looking at her with a horrified expression. 
"Never do that again. Ever." he said, raising her chin up, noticing her watery eyes.
"Forgive me." she whispered again, her voice shaky.
"I have nothing to forgive. I'm not-... I'm not mad at you. I can't stay mad at you. And I won't accept your resignation either. I know I preached a thousand times to everyone the rules of a historian, but everyone still crosses the line occasionally. I can't always agree with what you do, as a historian, but...As you said, you are the Princess, and you can't stay silent. I said it before...You have a people-saving complex...And at this point, I can't really blame you anymore. I'm just worried for you. I'm your husband...And you have to hide from me, run away from the Office, you do things behind my back and keep secrets, saying that you want to keep me safe...I don't want to be safe. I want you to be safe. And I want to be by your side. So, please...Please. Min-Ji. Let me stay by your side the same way you stood by me and supported me." U-Won cupped her face, seeing the stream of tears falling down her cheeks, and the silent sobs. She could only throw herself in his arms, allowing herself to cry properly for a while, letting all the worries and fears go the hell away.

He rocked her gently in his arms, resting his chin on top of her head as his arms were holding her into a warm, protective embrace, and the sound of his beating heart somehow managed to gradually calm her down as well. When she cried all her tears, she slowly let to look up at him and gave him a thankful smile. And then, as they both held the resignation paper, they watched it burn in the fire of a candle.
Before they got to her home, U-Won kept thinking about this Catholicism that got everyone in so much trouble, and he wanted to understand why was it worth so many people's lives, so they stopped by Bookshop owner, Kim, who, after some misunderstandings - And bringing some embarrassingly graphic erotic books - He finally brought the banned book - The true meaning of the Lord of Heaven, a Gospel by Mark - Which they read together, in silence, embraced. 
Just before they fell asleep, the girl caressed her husband's face and said a soft "Je t'aime"- He didn't need a translation. He just knew what it meant, and he responded accordingly.

And the next day, everything was forgotten and swept under the rug. Min-Ji went to work, as usual, side by side with her husband, serene smiles on their faces - Until they stepped inside the chaotic Office. Most of the male historians were gathered around Officer Hyun's desk, and they were...Bullying Chi-Guk into crying?
U-Won and Min-Ji shared a look of confusion as they stepped behind them...And then went to their desks casually, as Eun-Im patter their backs to get their attention and inform them that the two were already inside the Office and their plan failed.

"Your Highness! Goodness, Princess!" they threw themselves at the girl's feet, making her stumble lightly and cling onto her husband, sharing the same look of disbelief and extreme confusion. "What's up?" she asked in a squeaky voice.
"WE ARE SORRY! Please don't tell on us to the Crown Prince!" Officer An bowed deeply to her, making her open and close her mouth like a fish from the horror and shock she was feeling. It took her husband to act and raise the man up so she wouldn't feel so uncomfortable.
"We heard everything! We had no idea what truly happened in that room! My Goodness!" he cried loudly, as Min-Ji looked up at Sa-Hui, who only smiled softly and went back to work.
"You fool! Do you have no pride as a historian? ...Princess, I hope you know, I've always been on your side from the very beginning. I just lost my composure for a short moment." Officer Yang patted the girl's back.
"That's right! I was simply offering a word of advice to a promising Apprentice! ... I never took a run at you like Jang-Gun did!" Hyun tried to defend himself by using a scape goat.
"You should have never doubted big sis Min-Ji in the first place." Chi-Guk scolded them in a meek voice.
"That's enough. Don't worry about it, it's fine. I told you, everyone would forget by tomorrow...And so should you." she scratched the back of her neck awkwardly.
"Do you really mean it?!" the men asked in a choir. "You won't tell on us to the Crown Prince?!" Officer An asked again, earning a hard slap from Hyun.
"Of course she's just saying it. Let's have her punch you and put an end to this!" Hyun dragged Hwang in front of the Princess. She'll get rid of her anger!" Hyun grinned widely.
"Yes, that's perfect! Just let her punch you once and that will be it!" Officer Yang jumped to them, dragging Hwang as well.
Min-Ji looked up at her husband and, pinching his sleeve, they slowly stepped away from the commotion. "Let's just go to work." she muttered, getting away from those idiots. "The Office of Royal Decrees truly is a mess."
"Tell me about it." U-Won could only grumble in agreement, before they shared a look and chuckled at their foolishness.

Chapter Text

For the next weeks, the Royal Family was a mess, so, of course, the Royal Affairs were even more of a mess! The flags were raised for Yi Rim to get married, he went to beg the Dowager to let him marry who he wants, she, of course, refused, then he went to cry at his sister, only to get bitter that she married from love and leave.
At the same time, Sa-Hui was put on the bride list for Prince Dowon without her knowing, so she spent most of the night with Jin licking each other's heart wounds, they were accused of having an affair, the Office of Royal Decrees and the whole palace was a mess, Sa-Hui didn't want help from Min-Ji to calm things between her and U-Hui...

Min-Ji had to stay by the Dowager's side to watch the brides perform - Almost as if brainwashed - The bride examination, all while Hae-Ryung was put through the torture of having to record everything going on.
And U-Won found his sister had snuck out of the Palace to see her brother and have a chat with him because she was much too angry...She spoke of her resentment for their father and...She even asked him to make sure Sa-Hui doesn't get in trouble.

The Crown Prince addressed the rumours, and then took some time off the day to speak with his sister about what happened, Sa-Hui eventually got a bad fever and, at the end of the day, the Dowager asked Min-Ji and Yi-Rim to come with her on a little trip. In private, though...She was told they were there to pay respects for their dead father, the dethroned King. It made it even more painful knowing that...And even worse, the anniversary of the king's death is the same as Yi Rim's birthday.

Before she left, U-Won made sure he told her to take care of herself and all the spiel, saying his 'Please come back fast and safe' through a single kiss - Soft, gentle, innocent, and leaving you wanting more.

The two royal children bowed in front of the small memorial of the dethroned king - One of them without any emotion, as he had no idea of the truth, while the other one let a tear slip from the emotion, remembering that nightmare-dream-memory of him calling her his little nightingale. It hurt, but that was that.

At the small lunch they had together, the Dowager kept pestering Prince Dowon that he'll be a great husband and even made Hae-Ryung say so...Poor them, it must hurt the two lovebirds to be so close, yet so far from each other. But the elderly made the historian join them for a cup of wine, and she couldn't refuse, even when she had tears in her eyes.

That night, the Dowager had the Princess stand by her side as Mo-Hwa and another man came in to pay their respects...And speak business.
"I am Third Inspector Goo Jae-Gyeong from the Office of the Inspector-General." the man introduced himself.
"Goo Jae-Gyeong...Are you Hae-Ryung's brother?!" the Princess looked up at him with wide eyes.
"Yes, Your Highness...In a way." he had a sad smile on his face.
"I heard you were the one who delivered the King's last letter." and with a guilty look, he came with a positive answer. "Do you know how many people lost their lives because of your betrayal?" the atmosphere through the room was tense and painful, and the girl could only look in confusion - What letter? What betrayal?! "Do you realise that what you did provided reasons for the revolt?" the Dowager was furious, and she let that be very obvious. The man could only bow to the ground, without a word to defend himself. He had no excuse for what he did. "How dare you come before me and my granddaughter so shamelessly after what you did?! You practically killed all of them, from the King to the people of Seoraewon!"  that sentence alone made the Princess frown in disbelief. Was this letter the reason for everything? A simple, small letter? "Every single one of them had a bright future ahead, but they were all killed overnight." the man was trembling with emotion and guilt, while the Princess closed her eyes, letting a single tear escape. Hearing such words hurt her soul, but she kept her composure.
"Your Majesty, you can interrogate him about it after you accomplish your goal." the man hung his head even lower...But he didn't seem afraid. It was the guilt and all the self-hatred he had to live with all this time.

He was made to step out of the room, allowing only the three women to discuss the affairs. "I, too, still cannot forgive what Goo Jae-Gyeong did. However...He came to see me, saying he'd like to pay for what he did. Please trust him." Mo-Hwa pleaded for the man in cause.
"Pay for what he did? Why now? What was he doing all those years?" she asked sarcastically.
"Hae-Ryung said she was in Qing for most of her childhood." the Princess spoke, absent-minded.
"Yes. He has been hiding in Qing, and since returning to Joseon, he has been searching for Kim Il-Mok's daily records." Mo-Hwa explained.
"Wasn't that man a historian who was killed for not wanting to turn in his daily records?" the historian Princess asked.
"Yes, that is true. He recorded the truth about the King and the circumstances of your birth and Prince Dowon's, who was born on that exact day." Mo-Hwa was the one to answer.
"So this man also knows about the daily records?" the Dowager raised her eyebrow in surprise.
"Yes, Your Majesty, but he hasn't found them yet." the physician said.
"If it's about the daily records, then it's a historian business. This is going to be tricky, but I'll try to investigate as well." the Princess muttered, pensive.
"Very well. I will allow him to assist me, for the time being, but until Prince Dowon becomes the King." cue Min-Ji's shock - But she couldn't say anything. Yi Rim would be quite the terrible King, she thought...Jin was a much better candidate...She shouldn't change the Crown Prince...This is bad.

The Princess remained quiet for the rest of the night, and would eventually go sleep, hoping to forget the conflict brewing in her heart and mind. She wished U-Won was there to hold her and distract her from everything happening...She wanted to drink wine and sit at the pond and maybe even play the flute.

What a royal mess...

And it got even worse when they returned home because they got attacked by archers. It was a mess and the Prince and Princess were thrown off their horses because of the panic. Their Eunuchs and Hae-Ryung tried to yell and urge them to get up, but only Min-Ji was able to crawl and get a piece of wood and use as a shield to drag her brother at the other end of this mess, where everyone was.

The female historian then bravely took a chair to shield her from the upcoming arrows and got to their side, and the 3 of them were helped by a guard's metal shield so they could run to safety. The Prince, with all his love, held Hae-Ryung in his arms, completely covering her from harm. Min-Ji yelped at some point, feeling a sudden pain in her shoulder, and realising that she got hit, she grew angry at them, but knew better than to rip it off and let herself hemorrhage. But it got worse when Yi Rim too got hit in the back and he fainted in the historian's arms, as they could only yell for help. They needed to get to safety, and fast.

Back at the Office of Royal Decrees, Officer An ran stumbling into the place, shrieking loudly 
"THE ROYAL FAMILY GOT ATTACKED!" making everyone shoot up to their feet. Hae-Ryung and Min-Ji were both there. Not to mention, Min-Ji was both the Princess AND Officer Min's wife, and of course, he took it the hardest.
"WHAT?!" Chief Yang's shrill yell as he fell from his chair and dragged himself up deafened everyone.
"Yes, His Royal Highness just left with the Military Training Corps." Officer An confirmed.
"What about my wife and Apprentice Goo? What happened to them?" U-Won asked, worried.
"The Princess, Prince Dowon and a few officers got injured..." Officer An said sheepishly, and the atmosphere around the place got tense.
"Those bandits must've been out of their minds. How could they attack the Royal Family?! Are they crazy?!" Officer Yang's eyes were wide and shocked.
"Apparently... They didn't seem like bandits. They didn't steal anything. They just kept shooting arrows at His and Her Highness." the Officer answered, mimicking that he was shooting arrows.
"Does that mean...They were aiming for Big sis Min-Ji and His Highness from the start?!" Chi-Guk gasped in horror.

They only got a positive answer for confirmation and the loud storming of Officer Min who left the place and went to the stables to get a horse and go be at his wife's side. He was angry enough that the Crown Prince didn't think to alert him of that, considering he is his sister's husband, but he couldn't be bothered with that. He was much more worried about Min-Ji's injuries.

"I'm fine...Really...I'm fine..." the Princess gritted her teeth in pain as Mo-Hwa cleaned her wound. "Mo-Hwa...Look at this arrow. Why is it blunt? The arrowhead should be sharp, shouldn't it?"
"Yes, Your Highness...I don't know. All I can think is that...Someone found out that the Queen Dowager took you to your father's shrine and wanted to scare or warn you..." she muttered, dressing the Princess's wound. "There, all better. It's good it was the shoulder and not a vital organ..."
"...The Second State Councilor...Huh. One day, I'll take his life with my own two hands. He's committed enough sins." the girl's anger slowly dissipated as she got up, rotating her shoulder a bit to get accustomed to the feeling. "I'm going to treat the officers. Please stay by Her Majesty's side." and the physician woman, despite the concern in her eyes, nodded her head and left for the Royal Grandmother.

The Princess worked tirelessly to dress their wounds, until Hae-Ryung got in the room to look at something. "Hae-Ryung. I can't leave this place now, but you can. Please, go investigate this matter. I'm sure you saw this too...The arrowheads are blunt." the Apprentice nodded, confirming this, and left in a hurry to find out more clues.

Night already came by and Min-Ji was treating her brother, not expecting for the door to get thrown open and to reveal the Crown Prince, panting from his rush, kneeling by their side. "Jin?! What are you doing here?!" the Princess gasped, ready to get up, but wasn't allowed to.
"You should be busy ruling the country. What brings you all the way here?" Yi Rim asked in his usual, gentle voice, yet he was still a bit tired.
"How could I not come here after what happened to you?!" he looked at both of them with concern and gravity.
"Don't worry, brother. The wounds aren't deep. The actual damage is that the horses pretty much threw us off in the commotion. Thing is...That's exactly the point. Why focus their arrows on the Prince and Princess, if you're going to use only blunt arrow heads that couldn't possibly kill us? Now to mention, they never aimed for the head, only down." Min-Ji explained the situation. "I had someone investigate."
"Brother, we are okay. I'm sure Her Majesty is a lot more startled, you should take her back." Prince Dowon said, earning a sigh from his elder brother.
"No. I'm going to stay here for a while. After you fully recover, I'll find those people who did this to you and punish them severely. Then, we'll go to the palace together." the Crown Prince was furious, but as his siblings tried to calm him down, the door was slammed open once again, revealing U-Won in his daily clothes. "Darling?" Min-Ji called out as she got up, only to be engulfed in a tight hug. His heart was beating so fast - He must have hurried here, scared and worried from all the rumours. 
"Are you alright?! I heard you got injured -" he tried to fuss over her, but the girl merely shut him up with a kiss. 
"Don't worry, I'm perfectly fine. My injury doesn't even hurt. I promise, I'm okay. Thank you for worrying over me." she said with a sweet smile, guiding him to seat down.
"Did I really have to find out what happened to my wife from the rumours?" U-Won grimaced in annoyance at his oldest friend who blinked and looked down in realisation.
"I'm sorry for my ignorance. I didn't think to tell anyone I was leaving, I just wanted to make sure they were okay." he muttered, earning a nod of understanding.
"Did you find the culprit?" Officer Min asked, earning a shake of the head.
"Not yet. But we will, and we will punish them. What happened isn't okay!" Jin's furious reply was dissipated by Hae-Ryung who called out, asking for an audience. Min-Ji called her in, saying she was the one who did the investigation, and bowing, she put the evidence on the ground in front of the Royal Children.
"These are the arrows that hit you and the other officers. The arrowheads are short and blunt, as if they were purposely made that way." Jin inspected the arrowheads and refuted the affirmation.
"Some arrowheads made by civilians are shoddy like these." he explained simply.
"It isn't just the arrows. I also found something peculiar with the bow." she explained, as the Crown Prince grabbed the bow, testing it.
"The string is much too lax to work properly. It decreases the speed and penetrative power, doesn't it?" the Princess frowned in confusion.
"Yes. And it is much too thin as well. I think they did it on purpose." the girl explained confidently.
"I tended to the officers, and all their injuries are on their arms and legs. I think they wanted to scare us or threaten us somehow." Min-Ji pointed out.
"It is true. They were brave enough to attack the Royal Family, but they failed to kill a single person when we weren't even moving, and they also used blunt arrows and loose bows." came the final conclusion.
"They didn't fail. That wasn't a raid, they just made it look like it to cover up their intentions. They wanted nobody dead. If they wanted to kill someone worth it in the Royal Family, they would have gone for the King or Crown Prince. The Dowager has no power, I am just a Princess and Yi Rim is not the Crown Prince, and not to mention he is naive and never meddled in politics. It makes no sense we'd be targeted." Min-Ji explanation made everyone silent for a bit.
"The only reason I can think of is because...We visited the dethroned king's grave." Dowon spoke gravely.

That was the end of the conversation, for they needed rest, and Jin went to check on the Dowager while Min-Ji went outside to get some fresh air with U-Won. They didn't speak for a while, and she only smiled, resting her head on his shoulder, enjoying the warmth of his embrace. "I'm really happy you are hear, my dear." she whispered, content.
He kissed her temple and held her even closer - If possible - To his soul.

But this lovely moment was interrupted by Hae-Ryung and Yi Rim who passed by them. Seeing as the two were already there, the female historian waved for them to approach and have an important conversation.
"You've never been interested in political affairs, you hold no power and you wouldn't have done anything to be hated by anyone, so I don't get why this happened to you. Have you even been threatened by anyone like today? Or...Were you ever in a dangerous situation?" the girl asked, earning a shake of the head the Princess, but Yi Rim answered positively.
"When I visited the Royal Investigation Bureau...I was looking for a book called 'The Story of Ho Dam'. It's become a banned book now, so I can't get it...But I once saw the name 'Ho Dam' at this Royal Villa. Ho Dam and Yeongan - This is where the path was made. It was written on a gravestone." the Prince said, making his sister gasp.
"Yeongan is the person who wrote the Variolation book, from the village with the epidemic!" Min-Ji hurried to speak.
"They're all connected. Yeongan, Ho Dam and the physician woman from back then." Hae-Ryung nodded her head in realisation.
"...Seoraewon..." Min-Ji gritted her teeth.

But then, the Prince stated that Mo-Hwa disappeared, but Hae-Ryung saw her here, last night. Yi Rim then said the gravestone was gone, and that Eunuch Heo told him it was all a dream...But, at the mention of a dream, the younger Prince ran - Followed by the other 3 - To a locked pavilion and as they entered in the abandoned, dust-filled place...They saw a portrait hanging in the back.

It all came back together for Min-Ji, and she could only gasp in pain and fall to her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks. "No...No way..." her voice was barely above a whisper. "He was...Ho Dam...All along...How could I forget...How...How could I forget?! WHY DID I FORGET?!" the Princess started crying even louder and in frustration, so much that her husband had to drag her outside and calm her down. "The dethroned King...Prince Huiyeong, Yi Gyeom, was Ho Dam."
"Min-Ji. Min-Ji, calm down. Easy." U-Won cupped her face, trying to wipe her tears, but she merely threw herself at him.
"How could I forget my own father's face?! The person who loved me the most in this life, who called me his little nightingale and told me I will have a great future ahead of me. The person who would take me to the Royal Meetings and ask me how I would address petitions, just to see what kind of heart I had, and what I learnt at Seoraewon, and...And...The person who gifted me his own flute and taught me how to play it. How could I forget his face?!" she sobbed harder, and after a while, Hae-Ryung and Yi Rim also got out of the pavilion and looked down at the crying girl.
"Min-Ji...We have to talk." Hae-Ryung said, crouching to the Princess's level and patting her back. 
"Yeah...We...We do. We do. But...But I'm afraid." she muttered, as U-Won could only sigh in understanding.
"Min-Ji. Honey. This will stay between the 4 of us, if you're afraid. None of us would leak what we talked about. If you think your knowledge is scary, we will exclude your involvement altogether. Is that alright?" the man wiped her tears, as she could only nod in acknowledgement.
"Okay. Come to my pavilion and let's have some tea. We all need it." with some help getting up, Min-Ji asked her maid, Eun-Jin, who came with them to prepare some tea and then leave them alone.
"I guess...I can no longer pretend I don't know anything." Hae-Ryung began, a bit uneasy. "My father passed away 20 years ago because he was accused of treason. Hence, my brother, who was one of my father's students, took me to Qing to same me, and I've been living as Goo Hae-Ryung since then." the girl explained her story.
"No wonder I couldn't recognise you. We were best friends 20 years ago. If I knew your real name, I'd have remembered you immediately." Min-Ji nodded, drinking her tea.
"I've been on the run for the past 20 years...I couldn't let anything slip by mistake. I'm sorry." she said, earning an understanding shake of her head from the Princess.
"Hae-Ryung's dad was the deam of Seoraewon...It was a place where everyone was allowed to study. The foreign intruder...Jean...His brother taught us French and Latin in Seoraewon. He came here to see his brother's grave...And I and Mo-Hwa took him there. In Seoraewon I was taught some basic medicine things...I always found science fascinating...And Mo-Hwa said she learnt there from Dominique, the French teacher." Min-Ji explained, hanging her head.
"Yeongan must have been my father's pseudonym...And Ho Dam...Well..." Hae-Ryung looked at the Princess with a sad smile.
"The dethroned King is my real father. Ho Dam and Yeongan were best friends, and in turn, I and Hae-Ryung became best friends immediately. I just...Can't believe that...As his one on only daughter...The child he loved so much...I...Forgot his face...It was erased from my memory...But I know why. Gods...I know why I forgot." Min-Ji bit her lip in anger as she slammed her fist on the small table.
"But...How could you be Ho Dam's daughter...When you are my sister? And Jin's sister?" Yi Rim asked with a naive look on his face.
"The stupid King right now...He used U-Won's father to usurp the throne. He used a forged letter as a pretext to overthrow Ho Dam and...And he killed him in front of me. The King drove his sword through his back as Eunuch Yun was carrying me away. The Second State Councilor wanted to make sure the King keeps his promise and gives him immunity and a good spot in the Government...So...He made alliances. His daughter to become Crown Princess, and his son to become Prince...Through marriage. The King took me in as his own daughter and beat me up under disciplinary pretexts until I forgot...Or...Until I made myself forget...And recognise him as my father, not Yi Gyeom. That's why...All this time...He has been behaving his way with me. I was a threat. I knew what happened 20 years ago and I could weaponise this information against him." Min-Ji's silent sobbing made the other three silent as U-Won could only grit his teeth in anger and pull her to his chest.
"All this time, I thought my father was framed and accused by bad people, but if Ho Dam was the King then, why did he just let my father suffer such false allegations? I want to know the truth...I think we all do. The King would frequent Seoraewon himself, and you, Min-Ji, you were brought there very often to study. We had to live with the love of our fathers and Seoraewon in our hearts all these years, but act like we knew nothing...I was told that my father's wish was to forget about this and move on with my life. But I don't want to do that anymore. I want to know the truth. I want to find out exactly what he was accused of, what happened at Seoraewon and why was Ho Dam dethroned." Hae-Ryung said with conviction, as the Prince said he completely agrees.

Eunuch Heo, however, was there to ruin the moment and the Prince and Hae-Ryung had to go to their own place, but Min-Ji said nothing. "This is the point of no return, U-Won. You can't turn back and you can't unlearn what you heard and what you're going to hear. Are you sure you want to continue? You are a historian and...Things...Are going to be bad. Very...Bad." she warned her husband, who shook his head.
"The point of no return was expected since we were betrothed. You have all the right to find out the truth, and I won't stop you. I will stay by your side through everything. You can trust me." her husband cradled her in his arms.
"Yi Rim was the child of the dethroned King as well. Jin is this King's only child. I'm sure he will get that, eventually. My dad...He would carry me around so I could reach the books and pick up whatever I wanted to read, no matter what subject it was. He would always speak so gently with me...And he always praised me. He loved hearing me sing...And he said I sing like the most beautiful bird...The Nightingale. He said he will let me marry anyone I wanted, just like in the Western fairy tales...And that I can become anything I wanted. He said he wanted me to become his Advisor in the future...Because he trusts my judgement. I want justice, U-Won. I want the truth. I...I want him back...No matter what...The truth...I want to find out the truth and right the wrongs done by this usurper." she cried into his arms pitifully.
"We will find out the truth. You and Hae-Ryung remembered so much already, I'm sure with a few more clues, we will unveil what happened. Don't despair now." U-Won reassured her and then they stood in silence, letting the gloomy atmosphere disappear.

The next day, the two returned back to the Palace...And they went to work as if nothing happened at all. After some teasing from the Historians, Hae-Ryung asked about Kim Il-Mok. 

"Hae-Ryung. Kim Il-Mok was a historian who refused to hand in the daily records. That happened 20 years ago." Min-Ji informed the girl, hoping to give her a hint.
"That's right. He refused to hand in the daily records regarding the deposed king to Ilgicheong and was beheaded." Officer Son completed the sentence.
"But why would someone refuse to hand in the records?" A-Ran asked, curious.
"Because daily records contain the truth, and truth means knowledge, and knowledge means power. It means he held information that only he and the dethroned king knew about...And he couldn't let that go in the wrong hands." like Min Ik-Pyeong...
"Don't ask about him again. He was committed of treason...People might misunderstand your intentions." U-Won warned the girl strictly.

The rest of the day was tense. Prince Dowon tried to search and ask everywhere for the truth...But he failed. He found no records of his birth anywhere. Hearing about him kneeling all day in front of Daejojeon, however, broke Min-Ji's heart and, when she got home, she wrote a small paper "You are my only real brother." and had Eunuch Yun go give it directly to the prince who was found crying in Hae-Ryung's arms.

The real surprise was in the morning when the 'Story of Ho Dam' was found quite literally everywhere throughout the Palace - And Min-Ji could finally read it. She didn't care that she was in the Office of Royal Decrees, at work - She was going to read it, and so was U-Won. She didn't hear any reprimanding or scolding - She was reading it. She was reading and hurting, and she was furious, and she was pained and aggravated. None of the historians could understand what was going on and could only watch in shock. Hae-Ryung stole once of the books and made sure to give one to Yi Rim as well.

Not too long ago, there was once a scholar named Ho Dam. Ho Dam loved to read. He loved others. And he truly loved his country. However, the outside world was changing quickly. Western countries slowly started exerting their influence to the East. Ho Dam was sure that Neo-Confucianism, which had been the pillar of Joseon for 400 years, was no longer enough to protect Joseon.

This country needed change. Thus, he and his old friend named Yeongan came together and set a goal. That's how Seoraewon was established - The Place where Dawn Arrives - It was a place that was filled with youth and hope, hoping that Joseon will soon welcome a new beginning. Inside the walls of Seoraewon, every class and gender were all considered equal. 

It was a place where a little Nightingale was taught how to sing the song of truth and hope, and she was seen as the auspicious sign of a new beginning - A happy one.

Anyone who had talent was welcome to join and learn with everyone else. Day and night, the students would always be busy reading their books. They were each other's compass and the way to each other's future. They all dreamt of the same future. It was a beautiful place. 

However, others thought quite differently of Seoraewon. It was where peasants socialised with women, and it was also a place where people gathered to learn languages of barbarians. No one could understand them. Misunderstandings became rumours. And rumours came back as the truth. People eventually turned their backs on Seoraewon. 

The young people of Seoraewon who were full of so much hope all ended up getting killed hopelessly. 

Ho Dam and Yeongan also lost their lives that night. They dreamt of building power so we could protect our country. However, their dream ended up disappearing into darkness. 

They failed...To welcome a new beginning. And the Nightingale sang no more.

"Uh-Uhm...Big sis Min-Ji...Wh-Why are you crying?! You're making me cry too, and I don't know why!" Chi-Guk started weeping silently, seeing the girl's puffy face wet from the tears.
"All of you...Read this. Most of you should be old enough to remember what happened 20 years ago. This is the truth. The...Real truth. That's why this book was banned. The King didn't want everyone to become suspicious of the reality he and his lackeys presented to everyone when he dethroned the real King." filled with anger, Min-Ji shot up and slammed the book on the table.
"Min-Ji...We can't let word of what happened leave the Office. All of you - You are Historians, and you want the truth. No matter what, if you read this book, you are strictly forbidden from saying a word outside of this Office. Do you understand?" U-Won's grave voice made everyone silent as they looked with fear and confusion at the sole banned book on the table - The one stained with tears.

But none of them dared touch the book and they left home, fearful of the truth and the consequences of finding out what happened...For now.

All the truth came out the next day when Hae-Ryung and Yi Rim found a man who knew what happened - And he told them a clue he never understood - A clue that guided them to the daily records hidden by Kim Il-Mok, the martyr who gave his life to keep his promise to the King. He knew the vassals would dethrone the real King and that he must sacrifice himself for this.

The daily records were found in the wooden name tablet of the Pavilions - The Island of the Green Forest and The Pavilion of Lilies and Narcissi - And...

That's how all the fiasco began.

Chapter Text

~ Nightingale's Song ~

The next day, as soon as Min-Ji found out about the interrogation of the Dowager's court ladies, along as her 'home arrest', she threw her book on the ground and let out an aggravated scream. "They found out it was the Dowager's scheme to distribute the books everywhere." she sneered, pacing around the place.
"Min-Ji, don't act rashly. If they find out you know the truth about the dethroned King, you may be the next one to be imprisoned." U-Won warned her.
"I have to go see my Grandmother! I can't just let this slide. Imprisoning the Queen Dowager is a huge offense and the scholars are going to protest again as soon as it gets heard. The Royal Family is a huge mess and I can't wait until it's all over and I can finally go to work without having to bother with anyone else's business." she stomped out of the place, Officer Min on her tail, trying to keep up with her running.

As soon as they found their way in front of the Queen Dowager's pavilion, they got stopped by the guard. "His Majesty ordered not to let anyone inside. Please, return." he said, as if Min-Ji actually cared. As soon as the guard turned back, the Princess snatched away the sword from his sheath and put the blade right to his neck.
"Nobody can stop me from seeing my Grandmother, do you understand? Now step aside before I make your head fly." she threatened in a low, dangerous voice, as the guard stepped aside. 
The grip on the handle was so tight that she couldn't even unclench her fingers from it and she stormed inside her Royal Grandmother's bedchambers with it in her hands. "I'm too angry to be courteous, forgive me." she muttered, letting U-Won snatch away the sword and throw it in the corner of the room and they both got seated.
"My dear, what is the matter?" the Dowager asked, pouring her some tea to calm her down.
"This happened. How dare he treat you like this?! ...Well, everyone knows it was you who distributed the books and --... And you can speak freely in front of my husband, he's not a spy for Min Ik-Pyeong, I assure you with my life. Nobody in this world hates that man more than his own children." the girl put her hands on her face to calm herself down. "Yi Rim found out we are the Dethroned King's children. I think he'll come here to ask questions soon, because he can't ask anyone else but you. I'm the older one...I won't bring you more pain and questions. All I want is the truth to be found out already. I want to live in peace once and for all, and for that, I will help you. But Yi Rim...Yi Rim is miserable. He is lonely. And he's heartbroken. He is much softer than me and he's a naive and confused child even now. Please take care of him. If he found out the reason we are still alive is because of your promise with that guy...To give him the throne...And that you threatened to kill yourself...I don't think he'll handle it well." the Princess explained to her, taking a few deep breaths to contain all the swirling emotions that were going through her heart.
"I will take care of him, do not worry...But don't take lightly what happened to you either. Just because you are the older sister and know more, doesn't mean you have to pretend nothing happened. You have a strong sense of justice, just like your father. This little nightingale, destined for greatness, is going to shed light on the past with her song of truth and hope. You have to help me. To avenge your father, and get revenge on all the hurt you were put through for the past 20 years. You have to be strong, my darling. For your brother and for your father. Promise me that. And...Please forgive me. I had already lost my son to those traitors...I couldn't afford to lose my granddaughter and grandson as well. I was selfish. I had to save you. I had to protect you. Even now, I feel as strongly as I did back then. I saw you in pain every single day, I saw you crying, I saw you desperate...And I could do nothing about it. I was, and still am, powerless...But you were alive, and that was the only thing keeping me going, apart from my revenge-driven heart." the Queen Dowager stepped from behind the table and caressed the girl's face.
"All my life, I felt like I was being punished for no reason, but I accepted that. I took it all. I accepted the no-life I had to live in the exile. I have no real power, except for my voice. I won't cry now, I will fight to bring the truth to life. I will do anything in my power to unveil the conspiracy from 20 years ago. And then...I will allow myself to weep again. Only when I have succeeded, will I allow my heart to mourn. Until then, I will fight. I will be as ruthless as the Lanling Prince and as powerful and witty as Mulan. So please...Bless and pray for us. And be strong too. Don't cry, and bury your wrath for just a little longer. The nightingale will sing once more." and with that, the Princess got up and looked at her husband.
"Your Majesty, I vow to you, I will do anything in my power to protect Her Highness and assist her in bringing the truth to light. I want to unmask my father's sins as much as anyone who has been wronged by him. We will succeed." U-Won bowed in front of the Dowager, who could only nod.
"Maybe...Your father truly blessed you...With a happy marriage from love." the sweet voice of the Dowager, as she smiled, watching the two leave the pavilion.

And thus, they walked to the Office of Royal Decrees and saw Hae-Ryung sitting, pondering over something. Min-Ji went to her, asking if she brought her end of the papers, and was met with a positive answer. Then, as an awkward silence engulfed the room, every historian present looking at the trio. 
"Officer Yang. We need to revise some documents immediately. We have proof that, 20 years ago, the daily records have been tempered with." U-Won's authoritarian, booming voice resounded through the room, making the called man shoot to his feet with a shocked expression.
"Sorry, what now?!" he stuttered in disbelief.
"All of you, get here and read these as well. They were written by Kim Il-Mok, 20 years ago. Read these and judge for yourselves whether we should act on it and what is there to be done." and thus, the man took the papers from his bag, and along with Hae-Ryung's own pile, the sheets were distributed for everyone to read.
"I can assure you, what is written is the truth." the Princess confirmed as well, watching everyone's expressions as they read.

"This...This is completely different from the facts we know." Officer An exclaimed.
"Are you sure Officer Kim Il-Mok wrote this?" Hyun asked, looking around.
"Without a doubt." the Princess nodded.
"It is Officer Kim Il-Mok's handwriting, I can confirm that." Officer Son also came with the confirmation.
"So...This is really the truth?! The dethroned King wasn't a Catholic, and Seoraewon was just an educational institute?" Officer Hwang looked around in horror.
"Yes. I was there. My father, the Dethroned King...Ho Dam...He would often let me go there and study. They had a French teacher...He was the intruder's elder brother. Seoraewon was my second home, and I learnt medical practices, and foreign languages, and even astrology. I was barely 6 years old when this happened...But I still remember, to this day, that the time spent there became my most cherished memories." Min-Ji nodded, looking down with a dejected expression.
"That- That means His Majesty tortured and punished all those innocent people just to ascend the throne!" Officer An grimaced.
"And he beat me into forgetting who was my own father. I was 6... I was 6 years old...And he had me disciplined until I admitted he was my real father. He didn't want anyone who knew the truth to speak up and ruin his plans. Especially not the little nightingale who sang the song of truth and hope." Min-Ji's fingers became white from clenching them around the chair's backrest in fury.
"Min-Ji...Was that you? The nightingale...The one the dethroned king would bring along to help with the petitions...At the Royal meetings...Was that really you?" Officer Yang spoke in a pained voice.
"Yes. That was me. Everywhere you see talk of a nightingale, that will be me. It was my father's nickname for me. He encouraged me to speak up and bring justice upon corruption. He wanted me to become his Royal Advisor when I grew up... And look at how things turned up." the Princess grumbled, looking up to see the older man's face.
"You two - Weren't you at Sungkyunkwan 20 years ago? Didn't you hear or see anything?" Officer Hyun looked at Officers Son and Yang.
"Well, things were quite chaotic back then. I don't know what those at Seoraewon were up to, but people covered in blood were being carried out every day. And we used to see foreigners walking freely in the heart of the city. That's why scholars at Sungkyunkwan even began to go home in protest." Son explained what he remembers.
"It didn't end there..Everyone said we should submit a petition...So I signed one too." Officer Yang hung his head, gritting his teeth so he wouldn't cry in anger.
"Fear brings more fear...Rumours and gossip become the truth...And in the end...Innocent people had to die and suffer because of public incitement and corruption." the Princess muttered softly.
"So...Did the rebellion take place because of Seoraewon?" A-Ran asked.
"The dethroned king's secret letter was the final straw. It was a letter to a French Catholic priest who was in Qing at the time. It was about wanting to turn Joseon into a Catholic nation and how he should send priests to Joseon to propagate Catholic beliefs. But it got caught before it could cross the borders." U-Won explained the details about the letter.
"Thing is...This letter was forged. I don't have written evidence, but I have the statement of the traitor who did it. He came to us, saying that he wants to right the wrong...So I think he will confess, at some point. And maybe even bring the evidence needed." Min-Ji remembered the statement of Hae-Ryung's adoptive brother.
"No, wait, we do have some evidence. Here, in this paper, it says - His Majesty summoned a student at Seoraewon ' Thank you for sending me the book. Let us go to Kumgangsan together next time you are in Joseon.' - That was what the student was told to write in the letter. So...Someone forged this letter to justify the dethronement." Hae-Ryung read the contents of the paper in front of her.
"It was the perfect pretext to set things in motion." Min-Ji had to take a deep breath to calm herself down.
"So it wasn't to set things right. It was treason." Sa-Hui came with the painful conclusion. 
"Regardless of what it is, I cannot let this slide. This isn't about whether the dethroned King was falsely accused. It is not about the royal court. It boils down to whether or not someone threatened historians to manipulate the records. How dare someone alter historical facts? Do we have to sit in on every meeting, write down every single thing we hear, and work even after we go home, to put up with this?! We'll find out if it was manipulated and what kind of lunatic did it. We must find out the truth to protect the honour of the Office of Royal Decrees. Go and get me a full list of the historians that were at Ilgicheong at the time." Officer Yang was, for the first time, serious and pissed, and he meant business.
"Here. The Chancellor was in charge of all the historians at the time." Hae-Ryung showed the paper.
"You all have to realise that...This is dangerous business we are meddling in. By investigating this, we are going to find evidence of treason, and the King will find himself cornered. He may try to act and kill us. Again. Whatever you wish to do, is up to you, but you are historians, and the knowledge you read and heard just now cannot be erased." Min-Ji warned them, giving them a grave look.
"My petition killed a child's father and ruined her life. My petition led to the daily records being tempered with by corrupt officials. My petition contributed to all of this mess. If I don't solve the mess that I created, then who will?" Officer Yang walked in front of the girl, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Forgive me, Min-Ji. I will bring the truth to light and wash my sins." he said, and thus, he, along with the Princess, her husband and Hae-Ryung went to have a talk with the Chancellor.

He was the brave one to speak and tell him they found Kim Il-Mok's daily records and to ask about the unjust things that happened 20 years ago. They asked for the truth...But the man was cornered, so he retaliated. He threatened and insulted the historians. Thankfully, Hae-Ryung's sweet truth managed to hit the man where it hurt the most, and somehow, he agreed to help...A tiny bit.

And thus, the plan the four put in motion, with the invisible support of the Chancellor, was to have the Princess walk in the pavilion and read out a petition. She wanted to do it - She wanted to test the waters with the Crown Prince and to see where he stood. Was he afraid? Was he cornered? Was he aggressive? Did he know the truth? 

There were so many questions that she needed answered, and thus, she entered the pavilion, with a petition in hand, and walked through the corridor in front of the Crown Prince who looked at her with shock and confusion. "Sister, what are you doing here?" he asked, mixed feelings evident on his face.
"The historians from the Office of Royal Decrees have an important petition, and I was the person chosen to read it to you. It is urgent and it must be attended to, otherwise, we won't be able to continue our work." she put highlight on the gravity of the situation.
"Apprentice Yi - You may be a Princess, but all the petitions must go through the Royal Secretariat!" one of the Advisors said, but the Princess disregarded them and, unfolding the paper, she read out loud-
"This is a petition written by Apprentice Yi Min-Ji and Apprentice Goo Hae-Ryung." the Princess began, only to be rudely interrupted by an Advisor.
"Apprentices?! How dare female historians without any official rank--" one said, while another "The Princess is abusing her Royal Status!" 
"The female historians are Government officials as well." Officer Yang cut the complaining advisors of harshly.
"I, Apprentice Yi Min-Ji, along with Apprentice Goo Hae-Ryung, submit this to ask you to look into a suspicious incident from the past. A witness says the daily record, submitted to Ilgicheong 20 years ago, was fabricated and we have the daily record to prove that. The historian, who tried his best to protect the truth, sacrificed his life to do his duty, so his fellow historians who are alive wish to right the wrongs to pass down only true facts. We implore you to find out who threatened and persuaded the historians at Ilgicheong to distort the historical facts and which of the historians betrayad their principles and ingratiated themselves with those in power. Please find out the truth." the Princess finished speaking and folded the paper in two, looking with a stoic, demure expression at her brother who was internally freaking out.
The whole place was quiet, save for the fidgeting around of some advisors who, Min-Ji thought, were guilty, otherwise they wouldn't act that way. After a few seconds, the Prince looked at the Princess with an angry expression and he finally spoke. "Find out the truth, huh? What exactly do you mean by that?"
"We request a comprehensive and fair investigation of all 42 officials that were involved in the dethronement process." Min-Ji spoke, unflinching.
"What do you mean - Investigation - ?! Leave at once! This is no place for women to be or ask such impertinent things! How dare female historians be so shameless and much such brazen petitions?!" one Advisor yelled at her. 
"This petition is not just from them. It is from the entire Office of Royal Decrees." U-Won stood up, defending his wife. "This is a request by all the historians." 
"Your Royal Highness, this is a groundless accusation! I was one of the historians at Ilgicheong back then. What? The records were manipulated? That is simply impossible!" the guilty advisor yelled out.
"Your Royal Highness. I was in charge of managing all historians 20 years ago, but I know nothing about the records being manipulated. However, the historians do have a point. It is their duty to record history as truthfully as possible for our future generations, so if there are such suspicions, we should look into it and find out whether they are true or not." the Chancellor spoke, taking their side.
"The Chancellor is absolutely right." another one came forward. "Anyone who tried to distort historical records deserves capital punishment. Please form a special investigation committee and find out the truth."
And thus, the Crown Prince nodded and looked down at his sister, from the podium he was standing at. "I will...Not allow that. And I will not accept any more petitions regarding this." and thus, he stepped down from the podium and stepped in front of his sister. "Stop abusing the power I gave you. You are becoming impertinent. Not only do you abuse your status as a Princess, to march here and make a scene, but you abuse your privileged status as a female historian - The one that I bestowed you with - To make such petitions. This conversation ends here and I will accept no more words from you regarding this, in public, or in private. Also...This corridor is not for women to step on, and especially not for anyone that isn't the King or the Crown Prince." and, leaving his sister with her jaw dropped, he stepped past her, ready to leave.
"COWARD!" she yelled, filled with anger. "You finally find out the truth, and now, you don't want anyone to know because you are afraid! You let the injustice you vowed all your life to dissipate take over you and taint your heart! What happened to my brave brother?! The one who acted as judge and jury with me our whole lives?! What happened to the just brother who wanted nothing more than to protect the people of Joseon and correct any corruption an irregularity happening in the palace? HUH? What happened to my brother, who trusted me to be his own eyes and ears in the palace, and to tail any evil-doer, and tell him which advisors are not to be trusted, because I can walk more freely around the place because no one had any idea who I was?! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BROTHER?!" the Princess turned around, gritting her teeth, her eyes watery from anger and betrayal.
The Prince merely turned his head to look at her, and with a solemn sentence, he left the place. "I am not your brother."

The advisors, because of all the drama, couldn't speak or act, so they also left the place, leaving only the three historians in the room. The girl crouched down, burying her face in her hands, gritting her teeth so hard she was afraid they'd crumble, and trying her hardest now to break down or shriek her emotions raw. 
U-Won knelt to the ground, pulling her into an embrace while Officer Yang could only stomp next to her, angry at what happened. 
"Get up, Min-Ji. We are not giving up now." the First Historian said, patting her shoulder to give her strength.
"He knows the truth. The King must have told him. Now that he knows Prince Dowon is the rightful heir and could dethrone him, he's afraid he'll lose his position as Crown Prince...But Yi Rim doesn't want the throne, and he wouldn't take that status from him own brother. Jin...Oh, Jin, you're such a dumbass." the girl managed to regain herself and with the help of her husband, the trio left the place.
"This is not the end. Let's go back and see what else we can do." U-Won said, hearing her snort.
"I have one last ace up my sleeve...And it's as much of a gamble as our protest back then. No, it's worse, in fact. But at this point, I'm too pissed off to care anymore. My father told me to protect the truth and I will do it." she said, and thus, they met up with the other historians who were impatiently waiting. As soon as they saw the Princess angry and tearing up the petition, Officer Yang explained what went on.

The rest of the day, everyone was silent, and they didn't even felt like working. They tried, and tried, to think about how they should go on, but nobody came up with anything that would work well.

What was worse, Yi Rim went to Jin to plead for the Historian's cause, which caused him to get imprisoned in Nokseodang, unable to step out of his residence. Truly, the Crown Prince has never been more afraid or desperate.

"Officer Yang." Min-Ji suddenly got up, looking at the man in charge with seriousness in her eyes. "Can I count on your support when the time comes? Can I count on the historians backing me up to find out the truth, when I will need it the most?" she asked, resolve in her eyes.
"Yes." he said, without a second of hesitation.
"Good. I won't be coming to work in the next few days. I will see you at the Royal Banquet." and with a bow, Min-Ji left the room to meet up with Mo-Hwa and Hae-Ryung's brother - Coincidently, the girl followed as well, and they found themselves in the secret meeting, finding out the date when they will act - The exact date of the Banquet. It was the perfect strategy.

Despite everything, both of them refused to show the daily records, but made it obvious they were going to help the truth be revealed, no matter what the plan was. That way, Hae-Ryung went to ask a favour from the guard aiding their cause so she could steal away the Prince and bring them to their secret meeting, out of the palace.

But she couldn't stay still when she heard that the Second State Councilor arrested her husband and she went to the Office to see what was going on. "What the hell happened?! How dare they arrest my husband? I was the one who read the petition. I was the one who wrote it. What the hell is their problem with him? Did they get angry I wasn't here and needed a scapegoat?!" she yelled angrily as the Historians blamed Officer Yang for doing nothing. 
"Min Ik-Pyeong gave the order. It was on purpose. He wanted to arrest his own son for getting involved in this business." the Officer explained, slamming his hand on the table.
"Yet another confirmation this man is evil. He was the one who conspired with the usurper king to kill my father. I remember he was there when this usurper thrust his sword through my father's back like a coward. And then went to kill my Mother, the Queen, who had just given birth to Yi Rim. My father told her to run, but she was too exhausted and said she'd rather die by his side than live without him. This is getting bad. Very bad." the Princes sighed, leaning on a chair. 
"This is dangerous business. This man is after everyone's heads." Officer Yang agreed.
"Hae-Ryung. Tomorrow is the Banquet. Go get Yi Rim out of there. I will go get U-Won out of the prison. We will meet up where we need to...And then...We will see each other at the Banquet. If anyone is afraid to commit to their duties as historians, don't come tomorrow. That's all I had to say." the Princess shared a look with her plotting partner and thus, they both ran out the Office to do their duties.

Min-Ji ran to the prison and after pushing all the guards away, she knelt on the ground in front of her husband, only separated by the wooden cage with big holes. "My darling! What has he done to you?!" she cried out, getting her arm through the gaps in the door to reach out to him.
"Don't worry. I'll be fine. My father asked for this, but I'll get out of here, sooner or later. Believe in me." he kissed her hand, intertwining their fingers together.
"I won't leave this place until you're rescued. I won't budge from here." she declared, only to see him smile gently at her and get his own hand out of the cell, caressing her cheek with the back of his fingers.
"Don't cry for me, please. I can't stand seeing you sad. It breaks my heart. I'm not going to die, so don't worry. You have other stuff to be worried about. Go take care of them." he reassured her in his soothing voice, that made her bite her lip to prevent herself from crying more.
"It can wait. I'm not leaving you alone. Never." she stated, making him chuckle.
"As stubborn as always. Fine. I know I can't make you change your mind. Let me hold your hand. It's trembling." he stated, making her reach out both arms through the gaps so he could hold them both.
"Your Highness, you're not allowed to be here -" one of the guards marched inside, warning the girl, but she cut him off harshly with a shouted threat.
"Do you want to die?!" and with that, he left, making her husband chuckle.
"I wouldn't want to be in his shoes." he said, squeezing her hands.
"Me neither. Poor man. Having to be caught up in this mess." she managed to spare a half-smile after a while.
"Things will get better. I'm sure of that. I already promised the Dowager I will protect you and help you reveal the truth. I'm a m-" he began, only to say, at the same time as her, "Man of my words."
"Yeah, I know, I think you said that a hundred times at least." she giggled lightly at him.
"Good. That means you have faith and you trust me. Then stop being nervous. Things will go well." his smile was all she needed to calm down.

She then leaned on the cage's wooden wall, staying like this with her husband, and just looked at him. She had no idea how many hours passed, but it must be night time by now. She wouldn't reach the meeting in time, but she already knew what was going to happen at the Banquet anyway. She was going stay by the Dowager's side the next day and wait for the cue... The cue for the nightingale to sing again.

"What are you doing here?" a manly voice asked, and opening her eyes, raising her head, she her the Crown Prince, frowning in confusion.
"Staying by my husband's side, what else?" she muttered, leaning back her head on the cage.
"How long have you been here?" he put his hands behind his back, looking at the two.
"Since he got imprisoned by his stupid father." she sighed, closing her eyes again.
"It's already past midnight. Go home. Have your servants make you food and give you something to drink." he said, but she didn't budge.
"If he starves, I starve. If he doesn't drink, neither will I. If he faints, as will I. If he dies of cold, so will I. I will not leave him alone, even if the Heavens try to rip us apart." she glared at her brother who could only sigh and look away.
"Fine. Both of you, go home. Tomorrow is the Banquet and you have to be there. Don't do something you'll regret." he said, ordering a guard to unlock the cage as he helped the Princess up.
"I never regret anything I do." and with that, she got her husband out of the prison and they walked back home - Her home - The Pavilion of Lilies and Narcissi.

There, she had her servants bring them some light food and wine, outside, to look at the moon, by the pond - But that didn't last long. She merely grinned and kissed him, saying she wants to be happy in her last night alive.
"This isn't your last night alive, don't be silly." he reassured, but he only saw the playful and mischievous glint in her eyes.
"But I'll live like it is and make it memorable. Don't be boring." she warned him with a chuckle.
U-Won could only exhaled in disbelief at how bold she was, and after the obligatory roll of his eyes and shake of the head, he picked her up and brought her inside.  "I never am."

The next day, she dressed in her blue outfit and put on the daenggi from the little girl - She wanted to be wearing both royal clothes, but in the colour of the female historians - And sat at the table next to her Royal Grandmother. She scanned the place, spotting all the Historians, and smiled at them, especially seeing the reassuring nod from her husband who was standing right by her table.  

She watched the Officials kowtow 5 times, and then Min Ik-Pyeong stepped forward to read some flattery to the King. But, after that, as expected, Hae-Ryung's brother stepped from the line and knelt on the long carpet, in front of the King.

"Your Majesty, I, Third Inspector Goo Jae-Gyeong, wish to confess to the crime I committed in the year of Gyeongo and ask you to punish me for what I did. The dethroned King's secret letter found at the borders was fabricated." everyone looked at the King to see his reaction. "Min Ik-Pyeong, who was the 4th Censor at the time, ordered me to revise the letter so that it reads the dethroned king wishes to sell Joseon off to foreigners from the West. The dethroned king and everyone at Seoraewon were set up by Min Ik-Pyeong." and thus, the man bowed to the ground and put forward the letter to prove it. "In this letter, which the French physician at Seoraewon sent to his brother, he wrote that the King of Joseon does not believe in Catholicism and that Seoraewon is a place where people study new culture and technology." this confession was met with a lot of criticism from the guilty advisors. "Your Majesty! I beg you. Second State Councillor Min Ik-Pyeong, dared to deceive you and brought isgrace upon the royal court and caused such dishonorable tragedy that cannot be undone. Please take his life along with mine!" the man begged again, bowing deeply. 
"Your Majesty. Third Inspector Goo Jae-Gyeong used to work at Seoraewon, which makes him a criminal. He should have been executed 20 years ago. However, he has managed to stay alive because he betrayed his teacher and friends. Who would believe anything that comes out of his mouth?" the Second State Councilor instigated even more to aid him. Even more, Min Ik-Pyeong ordered that anyone who wishes to aid the criminal is to be punished for treason.
"Then go ahead and punish me first for treason." the Princess stood up, and with her usual dignity, stepped away from her table, and onto the carpet, in front of Hae-Ryung's brother. "Go ahead and kill me. I studied at Seoraewon, and I remember all those memories fondly. I remember everything, despite being beaten into forgetting my own father's face. I remember the place where I was taught French. The place where I was taught how to name all the bones in Latin. The place where I was taught about the astral bodies and various medical practices. I remember the people there, and their dreams, their smiles and hopes. There was nothing threatening or barbaric there. There was only bliss and future. And it was snatched away by the traitors." the Princess spoke.
"Princess, you were just a child and you are influenced by others - " the Second State Councilor stepped in front of her, glaring confrontationally and threateningly for her to shut up.
"Then punish me for treason as well." the Dowager stepped in to protect her kin. "If believing that man's words is considered a crime, go ahead and take this old woman's life first!" she provoked the resourceful man.
"Are you finally revealing your true colours?" but despite the Crown Prince yelling at him to be careful with his words, the Second State Councilor was much too powerful to be stopped. "The Queen Dowager has been in league with the remnants of Seoraewon to disseminate The Story of Ho Dam, exhibiting her disrespect towards Your Majesty. She is trying to sabotage me and Your Majesty so that Prince Dowon can ascent the throne! Until when must I pretend I know nothing about her plan?! Even at this very moment, soldiers from the Military Training Corps are on standby waiting for her orders!" he yelled accusatory.
"How is it that everyone is out to get you, considering you're such an innocent Saint? That's enough lying we've fed the country, don't you think? Why don't we reveal the truth, once and for all? I, the daughter of Yi Gyeom, Prince Huiyeong - I am the Nightingale who sings the song of truth and hope, and I will make sure that people finally find out the truth!" at this instant, a guard hurried her way, putting his sword at her throat. She merely snatched it in her hand and clenched her fist, letting the blood drip down in protest. "If you want to kill me, go ahead. I'm not the only one who knows the truth. If I die, another will stand in my place and sing my song. You had many chances to kill me, but you didn't. You can't silence me anymore." she was unflinching, even then.
Not only was she there, but Yi Rim also marched next to her, introducing himself not as Prince Dowon, but the son of the rightful King. He was yelled at by both the Crown Prince and the King, but he didn't budge, or cower in fear.
"You have had many chances to kill me in the past 20 years, so why is it that you have kept us alive? Is it not because you also know that the dethronement cannot be justified?!" Yi Rim's voice, despite being soft, was strict and spoke only the truth.
"I TOLD YOU TO SHUT YOUR MOUTHS!" the King shouted loudly, angrily, as he shot up in his seat.
"Because of your guilt, of killing your innocent brother and stealing the throne from him, you have kept us alive until this day. I was there! You looked me in the eyes when you killed my father! You saw my horrified face as I tried to hold onto him, as I begged him to live, for me! As I begged him not to leave me alone! I was made to forget everything that happened! We had to live lonely lies, filled with questions, hatred, confusion and guilt. We were fed some lies and kept in the dark for 20 years! I don't care that you killed the King to get this position - YOU KILLED MY FATHER! YOU deprived me of my father! The one who loved me! The one who supported me! The one who encouraged me to be who I am! You stole away my father, and stole Yi Rim's chance of meeting his parents! HOW DARE YOU PRETEND YOU ARE OUR FATHER WHEN YOU NEVER CARED ABOUT US?! YOU NEVER TOLD US ANY GOOD WORD - YOU EXILED US! YOU HATED US! YOU FEARED US! JUST LIKE YOU FEAR THE TRUTH BEING SPOKEN NOW!" the Princess yelled her emotions out for everyone to hear.
"YOU INSOLENT --...HOW DARE YOU?! -- ALL HISTORIANS MUST STOP WRITING!" but none of them stopped. "DID YOU NOT HEAR MY ROYAL ORDER?! If you do not leave at once, you will be beheaded right here!" he cried out his desperation.
"Is this how you try to mask the truth?! You're so afraid of your sins coming to light that you would threaten the people doing their work, just like how Historian Kim Il-Mok was killed for writing out the truth in his daily records, and refused to allow them to be tempered with?!" Min-Ji sneered at the angry King with conviction.
At that instant, Hae-Ryung and U-Won left their spots and went to stand by their lovers' side, kneeling on the ground and continuing to write.
"How dare you...How dare you disobey my order?!" the King glared at the two. "What are you all waiting for?! Drag them out of here!" the King ordered.
"You have no right to stop us from recording the truth!" U-Won was the first to yell. "Not you, not the skies, nor the Heavens! We are doing our duty - To the Country - And nothing can hide the truth for the future generations!" the Princess then pushed away the sword at her throat, pushing away the guards and glaring at the other one to stay where he was.
"Your Majesty. Even if you slash my throat, we historians will continue writing. If I die, one of my fellow historians will take my place. If you kill that historian also, another historian will take his place. Even if you kill all the historians on this land, and take all the writing brushes and paper from us, you will not be able to stop us. From mouth to mouth, from teacher to their pupils, and from elders to children, history will be told. That is...The song of truth." Hae-Ryung spoke in defense of their actions.
"And the nightingale will sing once more the song of truth and hope." the Princess's voice was stern and confident.

Then, Officer Yang, along with other 3 female historians knelt behind the four, to defend and support them.  All the other historians were emboldened by this act and they, too, stepped on the carpet, kneeling there.

"YOUR MAJESTY! We, Historians, cannot back down!" U-Won yelled out with strength.
"YOUR MAJESTY! They are all traitors! Please do not hesitate! Take their lives at once!" his own fathered ordered his demise. "YOUR MAJESTY!"
"DROP YOUR SWORD!" the Crown Prince ordered at once. He then stood up from his seat next to the Crown Princess and went in front of everyone, looking at the King. "Your Majesty. A truly loyal subject never tries to blind and deafen the king. Do you still not see it? The Second State Councilor is the one who is trying to sabotage Your Majesty, your kingdom, and all your people. He is the one who is trying to harm you." even the Crown Prince knelt in protest.
"Welcome back, brother." the Princess muttered with a small smirk of victory.
"Please accept the request from Princess Yi Min-Ji, from Prince Dowon and the historians. If anyone was falsely accused, please reinstate them. And if anyone committed a crime, please punish them. Find out the truth behind everything that happened in the year of Gyeongo thought a special investigation committee." the Prince's voice held power and leadership, for a lot of advisors knelt and asked for the same thing - 
"Please right the wrongs, Your Majesty!" they all said in a choir, as almost all the court was kneeling and pleading for the truth to be revealed. Everyone yelled the same thing, while the historians all wrote in their books. Only the Princess said something else...
"PLEASE BRING JUSTICE TO MY FATHER!" she yelled, letting a single tear fall down.

That was all it took. The truth was revealed and there was no turning back. The King was forced to accept this and, in the end, it was all over for him.
That night, as a good son, U-Won went to have one last word with his father, the person he loved the most, and then grew to hate the most with each day.
The couple went to his home, and on the way there, U-Won told her stories from his childhood and how he remembered his father - Strong, who treasured books and didn't care if he was dressed shabby, if he got his hands on new things to study. He used to fight against injustice with courage and knowledge. "U-Won. We, scholars, must have a clear conscience. That is our duty as scholars." he used to tell him, and he's lived with that saying ever since.

Power made him greedy, and he forgot his own convictions. He became blind to it all. But he didn't regret his treason. The last words the son had with his father was about how he knows the world will change and that he is wrong. That he will record this change and be proud of it. He bowed at his father and turned around, opening the door to leave. Min-Ji was there, and stole a look at her father-in-law. 

"I will always hate you for taking my father away from me. But I cannot lie that I am grateful that you taught your son so beautifully, at least in his childhood, and that I have the most wonderful husband, thanks to you. For that, I thank you. For the rest...Well...You already know." were the Princess's words as she turned to look at her husband and took his hand in hers, intertwining their fingers together and going back to her home. Together.

his was the beginning of a new era, and they wanted to spend the whole night together, knowing they will have to be separated for 3 years, because of the mourning ritual, which sucked, but traditions are traditions.

In these 3 years, Yi Rim stepped down from his position as Crown Prince and went to travel, Jin became the King of Joseon, Min-Ji became his part-time Advisor and part-time historian, Sa-Hui became a teacher, a new Seoraewon was built and Officer Seung and Sa-Hui became teachers there, they looked for foreigners to also be able to teach them what was once taught, 23 years ago...

And the Office of Royal Decrees was a s much of a mess as always, but they had new Female Historians added, as Hyun became a 7th ranker and started bossing them around. But the female historians were awarded junior 9th rank, so they weren't Apprentices anymore! And they could sass the men around even more freely than before.
Officer Son became the new First Historian, at least until U-Won came back...

And finally, 3 years passed so slowly, and all the historians were there to get U-Won and U-Hui out of that terrible place. Seeing how the two were dressed, despite wanting to greet them properly, the Princess only laughed loudly at now they looked.

"SORRY! Sorry, forgive me-- Sorry! Y-You just look like shepherds or something!" she couldn't help herself - And she never could. Seeing her, U-Won rolled his eyes and stepped in front of her, while his sister could only smile in amusement. "First Historian Min U-Won, I am quite literally abusing my power as the Princess and His Majesty's Royal Advisor, and I am ordering your return. Both of your returns, actually." she dangled a wooden token around. "Let's go home already, I missed you." she grinned, opening her arms to him.
"Let's go home." and thus, he picked her up, twirling her around, before setting her down, cupping her face and kissing her passionately, earning lots and lots of protests from the historians around who were teasing them.
"Now that's more like it." she grinned, and waving for U-Hui to come as well, and thus, they went home to get changed in proper clothes and then went to have celebratory drinks.

As always, Min-Ji had to threated Officer Yang that she'll drink him under the table after drinking enough of the man's famous deadly mix, and then, they were cheery enough to start singing. 
Once again, Officer Son began his thrill with the Pheasant song, and then, Min-Ji got up, singing her Nightingale song.

"NIGHTINGAAAALE!  Sing us a song of a love a love that once belonged. Nightingale! Tell me a tale, was your journey far too long!  All the voices that are spinnin' around me, trying to tell me what to say. I can fly right besides you, and you can take me away, oh, you can take me away~! And the Nightingale Sang Once More~!" 

And after she was done singing, she let herself fall down on the bench, grinning at her husband and whispered something in his ear.

"Hope you got enough sleep in these 3 years, 'cause you will lose it all in these next 3." 

And thus, the messy affairs of the Royal Family all ended, and Princess Yi Min-Ji lived happily ever after with her best friend and beloved husband, Prince Min U-Won, along with their children, 5 healthy puppies, given by Officer Yang.

The Nightingale's Song of Truth and Hope was heard all over Joseon, and even in Heavens.

~ The End ~

"Hey, I think I should  really become a full-fledged author at some point. Too bad I have enough jobs as it is, huh?" Min-Ji chuckled, leaning her head on her husband's shoulder as she closed the book she finished writing and looked up at the moon.
"Any more and I fear I won't see you at all from how busy you are." the man teased her with a sweet smile.
"I was lonely for 3 years, you still have to make up for that. You still have 2 more years to go." the Princess nudged him in the ribs.
"You truly became much to bold." yet even saying that, the man still brought her into a loving kiss. "I love you, Min-Ji. Forever."
"I love you, U-Won. Forever."