"The Countess asks about you often. Have you been well?" Lord Seo Changbin, the heir of Slaede, asked after you settled under the generous shade of the gazebo.
"I have. Please send her my warm regards, Lord Seo." you offered him a polite smile as your butler placed filled teacups before the two of you.
Slaede and Lurmuse were neighbors, the friendship between their nobles ancient yet eternally strong. Being fellow border forces had also made your fiefdoms the perfect strategic partners, befitting the long history of peace shared between you.
If there was anyone in this lifetime you would consider a friend, it would be Changbin. You had known him nearly all your life, having had to see him often due to the closeness of your families. Your parents liked to organize play dates and study sessions for the two of you as children, and as you matured, you would attend banquets and balls together—on the rare occasion the Crown Prince was not hoarding you all to himself.
Changbin was one of the candidates you had considered for the execution of your plan. He had the status, reputation, and military power to stand against the royal family if he wished. He would have made a perfect aide, if not for the one fault that deterred you from choosing him.
You had seen enough lifetimes to recognize an infatuation upon sight, and even though you could not pinpoint when he started to, you knew that Changbin liked you. That sentiment was a double-edged sword. It would provide enough reason for Changbin to lend you his power, but it would then prevent you from achieving the resolution you desired.
You would not allow yourself to hurt him as such.
The partner you had sought had to have no prior attachments to you or reason to develop any. It was the only way you could succeed.
"To be honest with you, we could hardly believe the wedding invitation that had reached us," Changbin remarked lightly, reaching for the milk jug to pour some into his tea. "It was a surprise. I can only regrettably imagine how the Prince's banquet unfolded."
"He had been upset," you recalled dully, and he chuckled at your tone.
"Understandably so. I don't presume he had expected a rejection, let alone the hundred guests present."
You shrugged, a shadow of a smile on your lips. There was no denying that rejecting the Crown Prince had brought you an inexplicable sense of pleasure. "That is more so his fault than mine."
"You aren't mistaken," he agreed.
Though he tried to hide it, you still caught the hint of regret and apprehension in his voice. A fleeting bitterness. He had been at the border when the banquet was held, overseeing the forces that helped protect the kingdom, and could not attend as a result.
Your deal with Minho had consequently shattered his hopes of ever asking for your hand. There was no rectifying that truth. As cruel as it was, pretending that you were still unaware of his feelings was the best you could do for his sake.
"What of you?" you prompted after a sip of your tea. "I hear that Her Excellency has set her eyes on the eldest Lady Gaele."
"Ah, well," he laughed, awkwardly stirring his drink. "I have not yet discussed anything with her."
You had met said Lady Gaele once before, and she was a lovely, sophisticated young woman. You were sure that your friend would direct his affections toward her in due time. All he needed was a push.
"Perhaps you should, lest your youth be wasted at the border."
That seemed to cheer him up a little, and he joked, "Worry not. I will not rot away in the garrisons."
You and Changbin indulged in light conversation as the hour passed, catching up on everything that you had missed in each other's lives. He talked to you about his station at the heart of Slaede's forces, and the increasing bandit problem plaguing the border towns. You listened to him thoughtfully, having little to add on your own.
Sooner than you anticipated, your tea and pastries were finished, and Changbin was preparing to end his spontaneous visit. Receiving his coat from your butler, he said, "It was truly a delight to speak to you again—"
"I had not been aware we had guests today," a familiar voice sounded a short distance behind you, and Changbin straightened, his countenance losing all animation as your husband approached.
"Lord Lee, I must apologize for intruding into your home uninvited."
"Not at all," Minho waved a dismissive hand, glancing at you. He was not displeased, but a glint of curiosity shone in his keen eyes.
You stepped closer to his side, remarking cordially, "Lord Seo was delivering the Countess' regards. As you know, our families share an extensive history of camaraderie."
"Is that so?" Minho's smile was illusive, drifting between politely faux and intrigued. "Do extend my invitation, then. Our palace would be more than honored to host Their Excellencies one day."
"I will be sure to. Likewise, the Palace of Slaede opens its doors to you any time," Changbin responded. The formality of their exchange was so wearingly dull yet neither ceased it.
He fixed his coat, which was the rich burgundy shade of his fiefdom's flag. "If you may pardon me for cutting short our pleasantries. I have other matters to see to."
Entrusting Sycross to see him on his way, you watched as Changbin left after that, not looking back once.
"You needn't worry about him," you told Minho once he had gotten far enough. "Lord Seo will be engaged in the summer."
"I never said that I was worried," he tilted his head to look at you, a puzzling mix of relief and amusement illuminating his ethereal features, "If anything, I'm glad to know that my wife is not the social recluse she once claimed to be."
You were rudely reminded of the time you had told him plainly, over breakfast, that you had no friends. You wondered, mortified, if he had been thinking about that ever since.
You cleared your throat, electing to change the topic. Why was he even out in the garden in the first place? "Were you looking for me?"
"Yes, I was," Minho affirmed, hands clasped behind his back. He started to walk in the direction of the palace, and you accompanied him, attentive to what he might say.
"Why?"
"I will be leaving in two days' time."
The news struck you with the force of a thunderclap. Sudden, leaving in its wake a grim silence in your mind. A maelstrom of distress.
"I predict that the journey will last no longer than a month," he continued to explain. "But I'm afraid that I will not be able to send correspondences often due to the sensitive nature of our whereabouts."
"Is that so?" your voice felt distant, detached from yourself. In the month since the kidnapping incident, Minho had stayed at the palace, been at your side where you could easily find him. The idea of him leaving stirred a myriad of undesirable emotions in your core. Disappointment. Fear. Loss.
All dangerous feelings to be harboring.
You snapped out of your spell of gloom. Why did you care so much? Minho was merely a player in your meticulous game, whose purpose you had carefully decided. For the buds of your efforts to blossom, you needed to remind yourself of your end goal.
Nothing in this lifetime was permanent or secure, after all.
Perhaps, a break from Minho was necessary for you to right your mind and regain focus on the plan.
You gathered the pieces of your composure and spoke more clearly, "I wish you luck on your journey, then."
"Thank you," he muttered through a sigh. "But that's not what is important."
He stopped in his tracks and spun to face you. A gentle wind decided to blow right then, ruffling the ends of his hair playfully, carrying his concerned words effortlessly.
"You have to be careful. We still don't know why you were targeted, so make sure to never compromise on your safety. Have Ryujin by your side at all times when Seungmin cannot be. Do not push them away."
The sincerity in his tone rendered you speechless.
He had not simply said that for the sake of an act, but out of true worry for your wellbeing. The more you thought about that notion and what lay unexplored underneath it, the more it unsettled you.
With a faint shiver and a weak smile, you met his unwavering gaze. "Don't worry about me. I will be all right."