Queen Myeong-Hwa offered a gentle, knowing smile as she took in the sight of the twins: their hands stained with dark ink and their breaths coming in short, panicked hitches. She walked forward, the silk of her robes trailing elegantly behind her, and reached out to pat their heads with a mother’s tenderness.

  “I know you must be terribly upset because of the lockdown,” she said, her voice soft but firm. “But with the Red Death spreading through the outskirts, I simply cannot allow you outside the palace walls anytime soon. It is for your own protection.”

  Both twins immediately pouted, sinking back into their cushions in a display of coordinated royal sulking. Queen Myeong-Hwa let out a long, weary sigh at their stubbornness. “I am well aware that you two aren't the type to sit still and listen. I had originally asked your sister, Seo-Yeon, to keep a close eye on you, but she has been utterly consumed with helping with the preparations for the Memorial Rites of the Ancestors.”

  Turning toward the sliding doors, the Queen gave a subtle nod to her head lady-in-waiting, signaling for someone to be admitted. A faint, mischievous smile played on her lips. “Since Seo-Yeon is occupied, I have asked Lady Shin to do so instead.”

  Lady Shin Soo-In stepped into the room, her presence bringing a sudden shift in the atmosphere. The twins looked at her, their pouts softening as they realized what their mother was doing. It was a classic olive branch; the Queen clearly knew the twins hadn't had a chance to speak with Lady Shin after the chaotic incident at the village three days ago. By appointing her as their "guardian," she was giving them a chance to mend their relationship and ease the tension.

  “Well then, I shall take my leave,” Queen Myeong-Hwa said, casting one final, amused glance at the mess of parchment and brushes. “I will send for a fresh supply of ground ink, as it appears you have managed to exhaust your current stock entirely.” With that final parting remark, she exited the room, the doors sliding shut with a soft click.

  A heavy silence descended upon the chambers. Lady Shin stood before the two twins, her posture straight and her expression unreadable. For several long minutes, nobody spoke; it was a silent battle of wills, each waiting for the other to break the tension first.

  Finally, Lady Shin took a deep, steadying inhale. She looked down at their ink-smudged faces and the frantic stacks of scrolls they had tried to hide.

  “So,” she said, her tone a mixture of amusement and lingering sternness. “Were Your Highnesses so engrossed in your scholarly pursuits that you decided to paint yourselves with ink marks as well?”

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Well...” Gi-Reu began, intending to offer a witty excuse, but he was cut short as Mi-Reu’s hand clamped onto the back of his neck, forcing him into a deep, sudden bow.

  “We are terribly sorry for what happened at the village, Lady Shin!” Mi-Reu cried out, her voice thick with genuine remorse. “You and Brother Yi-Joon were reprimanded by the court and our parents because of our recklessness!”

  Gi-Reu remained in the bow, but his face, hidden from Lady Shin but visible to the floorboards, twisted into a mask of silent protest. His expression clearly screamed, “What do you mean? Wasn't she the one who technically led us there?” However, one sharp, side-eyed glare from Mi-Reu was enough to keep his mouth shut.

  “No... no, Your Highnesses, please stand up!” Lady Shin knelt hurriedly on the cushions next to them, her hands fluttering as she tried to calm their frantic apologies. “It wasn’t your fault. I was the one who heard the cries first; I was the one who insisted we investigate the source of the noise. If anyone is to blame for the breach of protocol, it is I.”

  “No, but because of this...” Mi-Reu started, her voice trailing off with a heavy sense of guilt. “Your father... he must have sent word for you to return to Joseon as early as possible after the Rites are finished, right?”

  “If we had just listened and retreated the moment the Inspector General warned us, you wouldn’t have been scolded,” Gi-Reu added, his voice uncharacteristically quiet. “We know how much you cherish your visits to Haebang... we didn't want to cut your freedom short.”

  Lady Shin looked at them for a long moment before her face broke into a soft, melancholy smile. She reached out and patted both of their heads. “There is no need for apologies. In fact, the situation is quite the opposite of what you imagine.”

  As the twins raised their heads, blinking in confusion, Lady Shin began to help them gather the scattered parchments to tidy the room. “My father has not summoned me back in anger. On the contrary, he has asked me to delay my return to Joseon for as long as possible once the Memorial Rites conclude.”

  The twins exchanged a puzzled look. “Why?” Gi-Reu asked. “ it would make sense for your father to call you back to reprimand for getting too close to a plague-ridden village, wouldn’t it?”

  Mi-Reu nodded in agreement, but she noticed the way Lady Shin’s smile turned strained and fragile.

  “That would be the case in normal times, but... not right now,” Lady Shin said, meticulously stacking the messy parchments. “The Red Death has not only taken root here in Haebang. It also did so across the borders in Joseon. From what my father writes, the situation back home is far more dire than what we are seeing here.”

  She paused, her gaze distant as she thought of the mounting death tolls being recorded in her homeland every day. “He believes it is safer for me to remain here and not risk the journey back across infected territories. He has already sent a formal request to His Majesty to extend my stay indefinitely.”

  “I see...” Mi-Reu murmured, her own smile turning sober. She knew that in this era, a plague in a kingdom usually meant a catastrophic loss of life everywhere.

  Gi-Reu, sensing the atmosphere growing dangerously heavy, took a deep breath and decided to shift their focus. “Actually, we haven't just been sulking! We found something incredible in the reports of the Red Death! That’s what we were pouring all our energy into before you walked in!”