Eunjoo hurried out into the palace courtyard, his boots striking the stone path quickly as he moved to cut off the two women before they reached the gates. He dropped into a deep, formal bow right in front of them.
"Mistress Lizhan," Eunjoo said, keeping his eyes lowered. "May I have a moment with your daughter?"
Lizhan stopped walking, her dark silk robes settling around her heels. Her cold gaze swept over him before sliding toward Raine. "Dae-Ryeong Choi Eunjoo, I hope you still remember what I told you years ago. You've always been a skilled commander — I won't argue that. I respect your lineage. But my daughter will not be pulled into foolish romances. If that's why you stopped us, you can leave now."
Lizhan tried to step past him, but Raine moved forward and bowed her head low.
"Mother, please," Raine said, her voice soft and pleading. "I need to speak with Eunjoo too. I promise it won't interfere with my duties to Shengyowon. You have nothing to worry about."
Lizhan studied her daughter for a long, quiet moment. The tension between them stretched on until the Mistress finally let out a measured breath.
"Very well," she said. "Keep it brief. I'm heading to Yeoljindang to speak with Archpriest Yohan on an urgent matter. The moment I return, you leave with me."
"I understand, Mother," Raine said with a polite bow of her head.
Lizhan walked toward her waiting carriage, flanked by two Shengyowon guards in dark armor. The carriage rolled off down the stone driveway toward the nearby city streets. Yeoljindang was only a short ride from the palace grounds — just a few minutes away.
Eunjoo led Raine down a side path to a garden pavilion tucked behind thick bamboo, well out of earshot of the palace guards.
Once they were alone, Raine's soft, obedient posture disappeared. Her chin lifted, and her brown eyes turned sharp and guarded.
"What is this about, Eunjoo?" she asked, her tone suddenly brisk and cold.
Eunjoo paused, caught off guard by the sudden coolness. "My sister asked me to talk to you. She wants you to change your mother's mind about agreeing to the emperor's request."
Raine stared at him, stunned. "What?"
"This is serious, Raine," Eunjoo said, stepping closer. "The Fabled Class isn't exaggerating. The Gates of Abaddon are getting worse every month. I've read the intelligence reports coming out of the west. Maybe the empire hasn't felt it yet, but what happens tomorrow? Those fighters proved themselves on the front lines. They bled defending our lands from invaders. I hope you understand my position."
Raine shook her head with a dry, bitter laugh. "Eunjoo, you know I have no say over my mother. She controls every part of my life. If she told the Emperor no, then the answer is no. I am sorry, Eunjoo, but there is nothing I can do."
"Of course," Eunjoo said, his voice going cold. "I should've remembered. That's exactly why you left me."
Raine looked at him, stunned.
Eunjoo held her gaze, a sad, humorless smile crossing his face. "How cold. Three years since we last stood this close, and you don't even ask how I've been."
"Why would that matter now?" Raine asked, her voice shaking slightly even as she tried to stay composed. "Whatever we had back then — we had to set it aside for our futures. I don't want bad blood between us, Eunjoo. But I also can't keep carrying this weight in my chest every time I see you, or the guilt that hits me whenever I hear your name."
Eunjoo stood quietly in the shade of the pavilion.
"Is that Raine talking?" he said softly. "Or the future Mistress of Shengyowon?"
The words landed hard. Raine bit her lip, but a tear escaped anyway and slid down her cheek. She quickly turned her face away, staring out at the garden pond.
Eunjoo watched her for a long, silent minute. Finally he stepped back from the railing.
"Raine..." he said quietly.
She kept her back to him, looking out through the wooden arches.
"I know I'll regret it if I walk away without saying this," Eunjoo went on. "I really did miss you. A lot. And as for the guilt you feel whenever you see me, or hear my name — I hope it stays with you."
He turned and walked down the stone steps. Raine watched his back disappear into the trees, her tears slowly drying.
Meanwhile, across the district, the heavy carriage carrying the Mistress of Shengyowon pulled up before the stone gates of Yeoljindang.
The temple was a large, imposing hall built from dark timber and gray brick. The sharp smell of burning charcoal and thick incense hung over the courtyard. Several followers in plain robes knelt quietly along the path, while temple attendants swept ash from the stone steps. As Lizhan stepped down from her carriage, a young cleric hurried forward and bowed low.
"Welcome to Yeoljindang, Your Highness," the cleric said. "Archpriest Yohan is currently leading a cleansing ritual for our newest followers."
"Thank you," Lizhan said smoothly. "Let him know I'm here. I have an important matter to discuss."
"I'll inform His Grace right away. Please wait in his private chambers."
Lizhan swept inside, her two guards trailing behind before taking their posts outside the door.
A few minutes later, the door creaked open. Archpriest Yohan Grale stepped in, drying his weathered hands on a clean cloth. He was an old man, his face deeply lined with wrinkles, thin white hair receding high on his forehead, dressed in a long dark robe trimmed with silver. He also wore a silver sun amulet that hung against his chest.
"Always a pleasure, Mistress Lizhan," Yohan said, offering a warm, grandfatherly smile.
The cleric bowed and pulled the door shut, leaving the two of them alone.
"What brings you to my temple today, Your Highness?" Yohan asked, pulling out a heavy chair and clearing a stack of papers off his desk.
"You've already heard the news about High Priest Abe Kizuki, I assume," Lizhan said, remaining standing.
"Ah. That," Yohan sighed, shaking his head sorrowfully. "A truly tragic loss for the empire."
"I need you to make a public statement," Lizhan said firmly. "The Hwadosen believers are blaming your order for it. Everyone knows the two faiths have been rivals for decades. Even though your side agreed to the relief funds during the council meeting, some people still suspect you or your followers were behind the attack."
Yohan let out a soft chuckle, a sly grin tugging at his mouth. "My, that's quite an accusation, Your Highness. The way you say it, one might think you suspect me yourself."
Lizhan offered a calm, easy smile. "Of course not, Your Grace. You and I nearly always agree during council sessions. But rumors stir up anger, and anger turns to violence in my city. I simply want the streets kept peaceful."
Yohan chuckled and nodded approvingly. "That's exactly why I've always liked you, Mistress of Shengyowon. You come across strict, but your heart is always with your people. If Hwadosen followers stirring up trouble in your city is the concern, I'll issue a public statement confirming we had nothing to do with the murder." He rested his hands on the desk. "Was that all you came for today, Your Highness?"
"Yes. I figured I'd stop by so the trip to the capital wasn't wasted."
"And if I may ask, why did you come to Oden today, anyway?" Yohan asked, tilting his head. "There aren't any remaining council meetings scheduled this week."
"The Emperor summoned me," Lizhan said. "He wants me to grant members of the Fabled Class entry into Shengyowon, claiming the Gates of Abaddon are showing up more often across the western lands, and that Shengyowon holds the answers."
Yohan's smile vanished. His face turned serious. "And did you agree, Your Highness?"
"No," Lizhan said flatly. "I would never take that kind of risk with Shengyowon."
Yohan's warm grin returned, and he nodded firmly. "You made the right call. You can't trust a group just because they claim to fight for a noble cause. I founded the Yeoljin faith decades ago and worked hard to build an honest reputation. Yet this Fabled Class operates entirely in secret. I've traveled through the western regions myself supporting charities, and I never once heard their name mentioned. That's very suspicious."
Lizhan nodded. "A fair point. Thank you for your wisdom, Your Grace — and for your continued support of Lingwen Fortress. I'll look forward to your statement soon."
"You know me well, Mistress Lizhan," Yohan said with a chuckle, bowing his head politely.
Lizhan said her goodbyes and returned to her carriage, her guards falling into step behind her.
Archpriest Yohan stood by the window, watching the carriage roll away from the temple gates. The warm smile on his wrinkled face faded into something cold and hollow.
Turning from the light, he crossed the study, pushed aside a hidden wall hanging, and made his way down a stone staircase into the pitch-black chamber beneath the floor. The thick wooden door slammed shut behind him, sealing off the world above.