"So, when can we expect an heir?" The practitioner asks, causing both Soojin and Yun Ki's cheeks to grow beet-red as they scream in unison.

"Mwo?!?!"

The two of them stare ahead at the old man, who'd just wiped out a stain of rouge from Yun Ki's paling skin.

The Practitioner disposes the stained cotton, looking up at them.

"Why are you shocked? It's a normal question, isn't it?" He chuckles, causing Yun Ki to hiccup, skin heating up.

"Why? You won't always be young, will you?" The elderly man asks, swatting a hand over Yun Ki's covered groin, causing him to flinch.

"Aish.." Yun Ki mutters, right hand cupping his painful tender member, that had just been hit.

It was a brutal attack on Junior Yun Ki, unannounced.

Soojin opens her mouth, only to be left astounded at how forward the man was.

He meets Soojin's eyes, who seems to be in a shock.

"It's the right time. Trust me, as the Royal Family's trusted Practitioner, this month adjoining between Summer and Winter is the ideal period for your seeds to bear fruit. I believe, the womb should be coddling warm, enough to harbour a foetus." The man comments, reaching out for another cotton pad and a pair of sharp tweezers, moving towards Yun Ki's face.

"Agh, necrotic debris removal is a pain.." The man speaks, meeting Yun Ki's gaping wound, much like his blown out eyes.

A trickle of sweat rolls down Yun Ki's neck, as his Adam's Apple bobs with it, cascading down.

"I see you've broken into a cold sweat. Yun Ki-ssi, I'm familiar with every part of you. I helped Late Queen deliver you with Ah Ma. She was so delighted to see b-both your faces.." The man trails.

"Alas, your twin passed away the same year you took to the throne, otherwise, it'd be him we were calling Jeonha.." The man mutters nonchalantly, having no sense of discretion over the fact that he's mumbled out another hidden secret.

Yun Ki immediately looks over at Soojin, causing the sharp ends of the tweezer to tug on his skin, forcefully, causing him to let out a high pitched shriek.

Soojin watches the abrupt unheard voice leave the Yun Ki's throat and one would wonder where such a shrill resonating voice would've taken origin from.

Her mouth is agape as she puts a hand over her mouth, holding back the giggles, escaping past her curled lips.

"W-What was that?" She asks, laughing at Yun Ki's face.

Today was not proving to be easy on Yun Ki's ego or self-respect.

Rather, it was being tested and triggered.

Chief Hong joins in on the laughter.

"This is one of the many voices Jeonha is capable of enacting. Stick around, Your Highness and you'll see bouts of tears running down his eyes and streams of mucous plugs pouring out of his reddened nose."

Yun Ki pats his foot on the ground.

"Chief! Don't you have places you ought to be? That scoundrel Chief Guard is still missing. What's the update on him?" Yun Ki snarls, eyes filled with tears from the stinging sensation overwhelming him.

His voice is loud and thunderous almost as though he's enraged at the fun the three of the people were having at his expense.

Chief Hong murmurs an apology.

"Forgive me, Jeonha. I'll go check on the update. Please excuse me." He mumbles, kneeling before Yun Ki, head bowed.

Yun Ki signals with a careless spasm of his right hand,

"Go Go, don't bother me.." Yun Ki mutters, under his breath, causing the man to leave.

The Practitioner discards the soiled wrappings, pulling out a thin guaged needle.

"I see the rotten temper hasn't left, just yet.." He hums, in a sing-song fashion.

Yun Ki huffs out loud, staring at the pointy tip of the needle.

He gulps out loud.

��So what if it hasn't?" He counters, with an attitude, satoori as thick as a commoner's.

Soojin feels apprehensive as though if she overstays her visit, she may be at the receiving end of his temper.

She looks at his hand, the one thats gripping her own, tightly.

His digits are intertwined with hers as a thick blue vessel runs from his knuckle over to his forearm.

She calmly retrieves her arm from his grasp, placing her own hand back over her knee as she stands up from her position beside Yun Ki.

She bows her head as Yun Ki feels his hand being met by the cold mattress, warmth being snatched.

"I believe I'm overstaying. I just wanted to check in on you, actually. I apologise for disturbing you, Jeonha." Soojin speaks, passing him a small smile.

She turns in her tracks, showing herself out.

Yun Ki moves the ascending Practitioner's hands away from his face as he feels his throat filling up with clogged emotions and out of impulse, lets out a squeak.

"No! You stay!!" He thunders, causing Soojin to stop in her tracks and look back at him, wide eyed.

Yun Ki clears his throat, scratching his head.

"I-I meant, you could stay.." He speaks, meekly.

"..If you wa-want to..I suppose?" He lets out watching The Practitioner look at Soojin with a smile.

Soojin fiddles with her fingers.

"I-I didn't know if you'd want me any longer.." She speaks, looking straight at Yun Ki, as though just the two of them exist in this enclosed room, thats's burning up with every stutter leaving past both of their rosy lips.

Yun Ki shakes his head.

"I don't mind..one bit.." He whispers the last part to himself, watching Soojin bite on her lower lip out of anxiety as though her legs are cemented and can't move an inch.

"Should we start with the procedure or must I watch you yearn for your Wife, Yun Ki-ssi?" The elderly man chimes, teasingly, causing Yun Ki's eyes to tear from you and exhale out, calming himself.

Soojin takes back her original position and is met by Yun Ki intertwining their digits, sparing no glance her way as he peers his eyes shut, ready to feel the sting of the needle, piercing through his epidermis.

Yet, he feels nothing.

All because, his pain-relief is next to him.

But also, it's been a while since he's chewed on the bark.

And so begins, the tumultuous process of his scar being sown shut by trained fingers and gentle caresses and squeezes being reciprocated between the King and Queen.

—————

Yun Ki's face is coated in light bandaging post his stitches.

He walks the Practitioner out of his Chamber, with Soojin following his every step.

In Fact, Yun Ki wants to get rid of the elderly man before he spews before Soojin any more facts that could cause Yun Ki's head to trail back in his neck like a Tortoise.

Before he leaves, he hands Yun Ki a pack of fenugreek, a natural aphrodisiac herb.

"Seonsaengnim, you didn't need to.." Yun Ki whispers, blocking the view from Soojin's line of sight.

"I know you'll need it. The Queen is exuding fertility. Don't miss this chance." He whispers, tightening Yun Ki's fist that held the aphrodisiac.

Yun Ki looks down, embarrassed, clasping his fist tighter.

Soojin stands behind him at the foot of his Chamber.

"I believe I should get going.." She murmurs before Yun Ki's shy form as he holds her arm, reverting any attempts on letting her go.

"Could you spare me some time? I have to talk to you about the elephant in the room." Yun Ki asks, hand lingering over his arm.

Soojin nods, following him to the sitting area.

She seats herself before him, avoiding eye contact.

"Soojin, I wanted to talk to you about my Twin." He says, clearing his thorat.

"I want you to tell me what he's told you about The Royal Family and just about any hints regarding his future plans..I mean, he would've confided in you for a reason."

Yun Ki mumbles, pouring her a cup of Camomile Tea.

He offers it to her and she accepts with two hands, respectfully.

"H-He was just very pain-stricken, as per what he looked before me. He was loathing of you, always. He'd mentioned something about you slitting The Master's Son's throat with a blade, leaving him to bleed to death which was why you were put in exile. He even mentioned how you tricked him into usurping the Throne, by unfair means. J-Just whenever he thought of you, the vessel over his forehead would pop out of his skin... I'm to blame, Yun Ki. If I'm being honest, I was vocal about my hatred towards you, as well. I believe partly the reason he trusted me was because I'd hated you, so insanely when you brought me in as your wife." Soojin confesses, feeling her heart lighten.

Yun Ki hums in response, fiddling with the ear of the teacup, watching steam escape.

He lets out a small disgruntled laugh.

"I can understand your hatred for me. Hell, I lived loathing myself for most part of my life. But, whatever he fed you, were white lies. He's absolutely cunning. His power of manipulation surpasses even the wisest man. Your naivety would've allowed him to crawl under your skin. He's always wanted whatever I had. However, what baffles me is how I thought he'd left for good. Especially when he'd been given a handsome amount of cash to leave and never come back.."

Yun Ki thinks.

Soojin's brows crease.

"H-He told me you tried to kill him by taking him to the outskirts of Baekmin, to chop his head off.." She says, plastering a hand over her mouth.

Yun Ki rubs his forehead, angrily.

"Soojin, that never happened. Hy-Hyung, I mean Yong Sun, was always known in The Palace for weaving stories." Yun Ki breathes out, all frustrated.

Soojin's heart drops.

God, she'd been such a fool, maligning her honour with that dirtbag.

Yet, Yun Ki sat before her, with a heart full of compassion, the evening golden hour cascading over his face.

Cascading over his soft features.

His cute nose that scrunched up every time he was embarrassed.

The mole over his cheek, his companion.

Was he always this gentle looking?

Soojin wonders sipping the piping hot tea, burning her tongue, that she bites, eyes closed.

"Soojin, I wanted to ask you a personal question. Please don't take me the wrong way..." Yun Ki mumbles, looking down.

Soojin hums, in response, watching him intently.

A hand goes up to scratch the back of his neck.

Silence and tension settles between the two of them.

But, this was something that had been troubling Yun Ki's mind ever since that night.

"Did you sleep with him, Soojin-ah?" He asks, looking away from her eyes, for he has trespassed over a personal lawn.

------Korean Words Used------

Jeonha = King.

Seonsaengnim = Respectful way of addressing the elderly, used for Elder Men.

Satoori = regional dialect, pronunciation.