Eun-bi was mistaken.

Accountant Cha wasn't on his way home. His steps were as swift as a fox as he hustled down the empty footpath and towards the southern part of the palace. Twice, he turned around and Eun-bi leaped out of sight. He surveyed his surroundings, checking if anyone was following him.

Her brows raised, wondering what he was doing. Was he going to meet a woman? Or commit a crime?

She was on the mission alone after forcing her court ladies to remain behind and wait for her return. While she knew it wasn't a good idea to tail a man in the darkness, how else was she going to watch him in secret if everybody followed her and caused a commotion?

There was a blend of excitement and nervousness as she felt like an investigator. As Accountant Cha continued on his way, she darted from tree to tree and bush to bush. Despite that, she realised she wasn't fast enough to catch up to that man's pace.

He vanished around the corner and she gave chase, but the next place she stumbled into sparked a great sense of familiarity.

It was the living quarters that were previously used to house the candidates of the Selection. During those weeks that Eun-bi had stayed, she made unforgettable memories and life-changing decisions that brought her to who she was today.

Now, the place sat cold and empty, waiting to be accommodated by foreign envoys and other guests. There was not a single soul in sight except her. Even Accountant Cha had disappeared.

But she knew he was still here somewhere. Where was he?

Why was he wandering about at such a late hour?

She crept closer to the wooden terrace and moved along the outskirts of the rooms, trying to locate him. When she rounded the corner and towards the back of the building, she spotted her target and hurriedly hid behind the wall to watch him.

Accountant Cha stood right by the pond with his back facing her, unmoving and staring into the distance. The glistening water shivered and reflected the crescent moon in the night sky above them.

A vivid memory flashed in Eun-bi's mind then, causing her to flinch. This was the same place where she had encountered the first death that happened during the Selection. Because of somebody's jealousy and greed to win the competition, a girl was found floating dead in the water.

Eun-bi could never erase that scene from her memories. Ever.

But what was Accountant Cha doing here? He couldn't simply be out for a night walk and enjoying the moonlight, could he?

And why was she terribly disappointed that he was doing nothing?

As if sensing her presence, Accountant Cha swivelled around and Eun-bi hid behind the wall. A second later, she heard his footsteps approaching in her direction. Panic gripped her as she looked around frantically, knowing she needed a place to hide fast.

Think, Eun-bi. Think!

There was a window next to her, and she hurriedly pulled it open, silently thanking her ancestors that it was unlocked. She climbed through it, treading gently on the other side, and put the latch in place immediately.

The silence was deafening. Even her own breath sounded so loud that she had to cover her mouth with her hands.

Soon, the shadow glided across the window, startling her. It hovered outside her room briefly before vanishing and moving on to the next.

Eun-bi's anxiety remained, knowing that he could still return. She took a few quiet steps backwards, inching towards the tall folding screen in the bedchamber, when suddenly, a pair of hands wrapped around her waist from behind and covered her mouth. Pulling her back into the shadows.

Thinking it was Accountant Cha, her instincts kicked in and she struggled against the man, stomping his right foot until she heard a soothing voice whispering quietly into her ear.

"It's me."

Stunned, Eun-hi glanced up with wide eyes, only to meet her husband, whom she badly missed. Yul?

He finally came back!

This time, he wasn't in her dreams, but in reality.

Overwhelmed with delight, Eun-bi almost forgot that they were hiding and nearly tackled Yul until he shot her a look of warning. She went quiet immediately, feeling embarrassed but happy and relieved.

Seeing her calmed down, he removed his hand from her mouth, but continued holding her against his warm body. Not once did he let go of her.

He turned back to the window, his gaze firm with his jaw clenched tightly. His hand tightened around her waist protectively, his eyes flashing dangerously.

Watching him, Eun-bi recognised at first glance that he was unhappy. His cold eyes held animosity towards the Accountant Cha for something that she wasn't aware of.

She swallowed nervously. Could it be he had already heard of her rumours circulating in the palace?

A shuffle of movements came from outside the room, but this time, it was from the door instead. Accountant Cha had entered the building and must be searching the rooms, trying to locate her.

That was, until the loud voices of the patrol guards startled them all.

"Who's there?! Come out right this instance! You do not have permission to roam in this area at this hour."

Yul and Eun-bi heard Accountant Cha's footsteps fade away, taking off as the guards checked each room for trespassers.

As a guard burst into the room, Eun-bi lifted both hands innocently. "It's just us."

Unfazed by the scene, the guard bowed wordlessly and backed out of the room quickly. Eun-bi confused, just as Yul leaned down to answer her curiosity. "It was me who told them to come. I ordered the patrols to be conducted more frequently around the palace at night."

"You did? Why? Is something happening in the palace?"

A shadow clouded his troubled eyes. "Rats," he said. "I suspect there are a few of them who have infiltrated the palace."

She knew he was referring to people who were corrupted or committing treason. "How long have they been here?"

"I don't know. It might have been longer than we thought." He pulled her closer to him, fitting her body against his and placing a hand on the small of her back. "But don't you worry. I will protect you."

"I know. Isn't that why you have placed so many guards by my side? Especially Officer Hyong. He's always watching me, even if I can't always spot him. I know he's out there somewhere."

She slipped her hands around his waist, yearning for his warm embrace. "Have you been well? Did you get sick?" When she shook her head, he asked again. "Were there any more letters that you've received?"

"No. But I was waiting for yours. I was getting ready to dispatch an army when you haven't come back. I was planning to be their general and leave the palace to find you," she joked. "Why do we've to miss each other often like this?"

He breathed a sigh, showing a face full of apology. "I'm sorry," he said. "I won't be leaving again. Why were you out running alone tonight? You shouldn't be out alone. It's dangerous."

"I thought I saw a familiar face while I was on a night stroll."

"That man... Do you like him?"

Eun-bi's jaw dropped in horror. "No! Him? That crackpot? Over my dead body! He was acting suspicious, so I followed him."

His shoulders sagged in relief. "Good."

Her eyes narrowed at him. "You were testing me?" She pouted and stepped away, crossing her arms in disbelief. "I can't believe you didn't trust me. How did it even cross your mind that I would have fallen for him?"

Yul was taken aback. Her words had broken his usually composed state. "It's not that. If you were friends with him, I would have been jealous. If it's more than that, I would have killed him."

"Jealous?" That was a rare word that he used. Her anger dissipated quickly, and she gnawed on her bottom lip. "And here I was getting worried that you will soon take concubines. I guess we're having the same concerns."

They both exchanged awkward glances, slightly embarrassed at their little trifle, until Yul stepped forward and cradled her face in his hands. "Taking in concubines? Never. I would break traditions if I have to."

She lifted her face as his lips covered hers, giving her a kiss full of warmth and softness as she murmured dazedly. "Good. Because I don't like to share what's mine."

They broke apart minutes later. "Now, it's your turn. Tell me about your adventures when you went outside! I'm dying to hear them."

He smiled at her excitement. "Not here. We'll talk in your room."

"My room? Got it." She grasped his hand and led the way, but suddenly, he was limping. "You got hurt?"

Yul, the Crown Prince who always acted strong and invincible in his fights, winced a little. "It's... Well..."

Realisation and guilt hit her. "Oh. It was me. I'm so sorry!" It was her fault that he was hurt, because she had stomped on his foot a few times earlier when she thought he was someone else. "Does it hurt a lot?"

"It is not that bad..."

"Let's go. I'll treat it when we return to my room." When he barely moved, she got onto her knees and held out her arms. "Do you need me to carry you, Your Highness?"

The tips of his ears turned red, embarrassed by her teasing. "No."

She laughed out loud and stood up. "I may be smaller than you but I'm positively certain I can carry you on my back! I can do anything for you if I put my mind to it, Your Highness."

Though stubborn, he allowed her to hold his arm as they walked out of the building and down the steps. As Eun-bi recounted her earlier encounter with Accountant Cha to him, he halted.

"Can you bring me to where that man stood earlier?"

She did as he asked, bringing him to the edge of the pond. She watched his thoughtful expression as he went on a knee and studied the place, as if he was looking for something.

"Yul?" She mirrored his actions, but there are only rocks, stones and grasses around them. "What are we searching for?"

Eventually, he picked up something. "This."

He showed her a grey pebble in his hand. "What is that?" she asked. "Did Accountant Cha drop this here?"

Yul nodded. "I've seen such messages before during my investigation. This is a way of communication. He was leaving this for his comrades here."

When he flipped the pebble over, there were characters carved onto the surface. Yangsan. "This is the name of a mountain," Yul explained. "A silver mine was recently discovered there, and this is only known to a few high-ranking officials within the palace, but he managed to steal that information from somewhere."

Lifting his head, his eyes blazed with determination. "I need your help to catch a criminal, Eun-bi."