Ji-hwan barely made it past the palace entrance before his breathing was in short, spasmodic gasps.
He pushed a hand against his chest. It had been too close.
Seong-min shouldn't have caught sight of him. Shouldn't have shouted his name like that. Ji-hwan had wished to live in peace, beyond the palace. But now the king was paying attention to him.
And previously, as soon as Seong-min became interested in something, he would never leave it.
"Lord Yoon?"
Ji-hwan turned around. Minister Kang Yeon-su, the king's closest confidant, was standing close. A man Ji-hwan had admired in his previous life—before he, too, had turned against him.
Ji-hwan's smile turned stiff. "Minister Kang."
The old man stared at him for a while. "It does not happen very frequently that His Majesty summons a man for nothing. Do you know why he summoned you before him?"
Ji-hwan shook his head. "I do not.".
A lie.
Minister Kang bowed, but his eyes expressed something—doubt, suspicion? "Then I would counsel caution, Lord Yoon. His Majesty does not normally take an interest in foreigners.".
Stranger.
Ji-hwan almost laughed. If only it were so simple.
But Seong-min's gaze earlier had told him otherwise. The king felt something. A ghost of recognition.
Ji-hwan had dedicated one life to Seong-min.
He would not make the same mistake in this one.
But when he stepped out of the palace, he knew it in his bones.
Destiny was not yet finished with them