Chapter 71— When it Begins
The night air was still when Minwha finally arrived at the courtyard prepared for their meetings.
The Crown Prince was already there, waiting as he always did—like the courtyard belonged more to her than to him.
"Minwha," he said softly.
She did not answer. Instead, she stepped closer.
And then—without hesitation—she loosened the top of her robes.
The fabric slipped slightly from her shoulder, revealing just enough to steal breath rather than reason.
The Crown Prince froze.
"What… what are you doing?" he asked quickly, turning his face away, though his ears had already turned red.
"This is improper," he added, voice tightening. "You… you should not—"
Minwha tilted her head.
"You are my patron, are you not?" she said calmly. "Or do you wish me to perform differently tonight?"
His eyes widened.
"That is not what I meant," he said, voice breaking slightly with embarrassment. "I did not call you here for… for that."
For a moment, he looked almost ashamed of himself—like he had been the one who misunderstood her intention.
Minwha watched him quietly. Then she moved past him."She set the guqin down and began to play.
The first note was soft.
The second—heavy with something unspoken.
By the third, the Crown Prince had already stopped thinking. He turned back toward her slowly.
She sat beneath the moonlight, fingers moving gracefully over the strings, her expression calm—almost distant.
But the music— The music was not.
It was tender.
Lonely. Dangerously intimate.
And it wrapped around him like something he could not step out of.
His gaze softened without him realizing.
He was lost in her.
Not as a Crown Prince. Not as a ruler.
But as a boy who had been waiting too long in silence for this.
Vira's voice flickered faintly inside Minwha's mind.
"Host… he's staring ."
"Mmm," Minwha replied inwardly. "As he should"
When the final note faded, silence returned.
Minwha stood immediately. She did not look at him.
"Minwha—wait," he called instinctively.
But she had already turned away. Leaving him behind
And just like that, every night after, she left him behind.
Standing there. Empty-handed.
Completely unable to stop her.
.
.
.
.
Then One Month passed.
They began meeting just as planned, three times a week.
But never as equals who spoke freely.
Only as two people circling something neither of them dared to feel.
One evening, as Minwha adjusted her sleeve, the Crown Prince hesitated.
"You… why do you always leave when you're done with just one song," he said.
Minwha glanced at him. "Isn't that what you paid for?"
"No!" he answered too quickly, then cleared his throat. "I only mean... You should be careful when you head back."
A pause.
Then Minwha stepped slightly closer—just enough to make his breath catch.
"Ok, I will be careful," she said softly.
And she left him standing there again.
Vira hummed inside her mind.
"Host…He obviously doesn't like you leaving early."
Minwha did not deny it.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Six Months Later
The Crown Prince was less careful now.
Less distant.
One evening, without thinking, he leaned closer than usual while she played.
Too close.
Minwha stopped playing. He froze immediately.
"I— I apologize," he said quickly, stepping back. "I did not mean to intrude."
But Minwha only studied him. Then resumed playing.
This time, she did not move away from his presence.
And he stayed there.
For the first time, neither of them corrected the distance.
Vira whispered:
"Host… are you just going to let him get close to you. Without stopping him."
Minwha's fingers never faltered as she replied.
"Is that not the point."
.
.
.
.
.
One Year Later
The crown prince began to wait for her longer.
Sometimes she arrived late on purpose. Sometimes he looked relieved when she finally appeared.
One night, after her performance ended, he hesitated longer than usual.
"Stay," he said quietly.
It was the first time he had asked.
Minwha paused. Then, instead of leaving, she sat again.
And sang. Not a performance.
Something softer.
Something meant only for him.
That night, when she finished, he did something he had never done before.
He leaned his head lightly against her shoulder.
Instantly, his body tensed.
"I… I'm sorry," he whispered, embarrassed. "I don't know why I did that."
But Minwha did not move away. She simply continued holding her guqin.
And outside the courtyard— Other gisaeng watched from a distance, whispering with jealousy.
"Why her?"
"Who does she think she was…"
"She doesn't deserve this"
"Only Dunluo remained silent—but that did not mean she supported Minwha."
One night after Minwha performance, she took Minwha to the side to talk to her.
"Minwha you've to be careful, You're walking too close to the edge right now," she warned.
" Don't forget He is the Crown Prince. You are just a gisaeng."
Minwha smiled faintly and said.
" Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
Dunluo though helpless could only sigh. "Fool…"
But she never truly stopped Minwha.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Two Years Later
There was no more hesitation in the way the Crown Prince sat beside Minwha.
He no longer asked permission for closeness.
He simply… stayed.
One evening, after a long silence, he leaned his head onto her shoulder again.
This time, slower.
Deliberate. As if he had decided it was allowed.
Minwha's fingers paused for a fraction of a second. But she did not move away.
Instead, she continued playing.
Vira murmured:
"Host… you've certainly gotten him."
Minwha's eyes softened slightly but she said nothing
.
.
.
.
Three Years Later
The line between them no longer knew where to stand.
One night, as Minwha rose to leave as usual, the Crown Prince caught her wrist.
Not harshly. Not forcefully.
Just enough.
"Stay," he said again.
But this time—it was not a request.
It was quieter. More personal.
Minwha looked at him.
For a long moment.
Then, instead of pulling away— She stepped into him.
He pulled her into his arms—slowly, as if afraid she might disappear if he hesitated.
It was not sudden. Not desperate.
It was as if something long held back had finally been allowed to breathe.
His arms tightened slightly around her. Like he was afraid she might disappear if he didn't hold her properly.
Minwha rested her head against his chest.
Listening. To his heartbeat.
Vira whispered, almost amused:
"Host… you finally caught him."
Minwha closed her eyes slightly.
"No," she said softly.
"I let him think he caught me."
And in the silence of the moonlit courtyard— Neither of them denied what they had become.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
One evening, the courtyard felt unusually quiet.
Minwha arrived as she always did—just as the lanterns were being lit and the sky was beginning to turn deep indigo. The wind moved softly through the trees, carrying the faint scent of ink and blooming night flowers.
She stood beneath the same place he usually waited.
And waited.
Time passed, but there were no footsteps.
No familiar presence.
No voice calling her name.
Minwha's fingers tightened slightly around the edge of her sleeve.
" Host did something happen…why is he late," Vira murmured inside her mind.
Minwha did not answer.
She remained still for a while longer, as if the night itself might correct itself and bring him back.
But it did not
The courtyard stayed empty.
Eventually, deep into the night, she finally turned away.
Without haste. Without expression.
And walked back to her room alone.
.
.
.
.
.
The next morning, the news spread from the palace to the market—then all the way into Hansheng Ge.
Whispers spread through corridors faster than servants could walk. Guards stood straighter. Eunuchs lowered their voices. Even the air felt heavier, like something had cracked beneath the surface of the court.
And then the words came, then spread widely.
Loud.
Unavoidable.
"The Crown Prince has been detained."
Minwha, standing in Hansheng Ge, paused mid-step.
So it begins, she thought.
Around her, voices continued.
"He was accused of withholding disaster relief funds!"
"The Northern General of Great Liang brought the accusation himself!"
"They say His Majesty ordered his immediate confinement!"
Minwha slowly turned her head toward the crowd gathering near the outer hall.
"What…?"
For the first time, her composure cracked."
Vira's voice sharpened instantly.
"Host… Is it already happening"
Minwha did not move at first.
The world around her kept speaking, kept reacting, kept spreading fear and disbelief—but her attention had narrowed into something still and focused.
"The Crown Prince… locked up?" someone repeated.
"By the King himself…"
Minwha's gaze lowered slightly.
Then, after a long pause, she turned—and walked away, back to her room.