Vivid | Lee Minho

•Scene 2•

It was also safer. You did not want to entangle Chaeryeong and her innocent students in the Crown Prince's intrigues.

"How long will renovations take?" the young woman wondered, her voice thickened by hesitancy.

"A year, I presume," you guessed and she sucked in a silent breath. This change was going to rattle her, you had expected as much.

"I understand this may feel rather sudden and difficult, but worry not," you tried to reassure her. "You will have help along the way. I will be sure to find other teachers to assist you as part of the education scheme."

She did not respond, seemingly lost in thought, and a sense of doubt began to ring in your head. Was she going to back out?

"Do you not wish to proceed with the arrangement?" you prodded gently.

"No!" she raised her shoulders defensively, snapping out of her daze. There was ambition in her eyes when her grip on the map tightened. "Thank you, my lady. I will work harder to see this plan succeed."

It was the fire in her kind eyes that made you choose her for this trial. She had the passion necessary for the success of such a magnanimous project. You placed a hand on your heart, relieved. "I am glad to hear that."

You discussed renovations and other ideas further. When you finished and decided to return to the palace, the sky was beginning to flaunt purple and pink hues.

Seungmin held out a hand to help you into your carriage and you took it gingerly, stopping before you could enter. "Seungmin?"

"Yes, my lady?"

You looked around you briefly. The street was empty, save for the few wary passersby. If a tragedy were to occur, it would take too much time for the news of it to reach the palace.

"Would you kindly see to it that more guards are placed to patrol this area during the renovations?" you asked.

"As you wish," his response was solemn and unquestioning. In the eyes of a normal person, there was valid reasoning behind your request. The construction around this building would also make it vulnerable to robberies and vandalism. It would only be a wise decision to have it guarded.

But the truth was much grimmer.

You stepped into your velvet-cushioned carriage. The modest school building peeked at you through the gilded windows.

A week, you estimated.

A week at most, and they will be sure to find you.

• • •

It had been a little more than a week, and the renovations were progressing smoothly.

Chaeryeong and her students had successfully relocated to the repurposed storehouse, leaving you to freely oversee the work on the old school.

You spent a generous portion of your time at the site, accompanied by the head builder with whom you finalized your renovation plans. You wanted to fix the entrance, make it wide and welcoming, as well as add more windows and a small garden. The walls would also be freshly painted to give the school a pleasant and sophisticated appearance.

As to the interior, you planned to install a proper chalkboard and rows of seats for the students. You had also ordered other materials to be brought in; books and writing tools to replace the wooden boards and charcoal.

In a year's time or so, this building would become unrecognizable, completely new. You hoped that the changes would serve Chaeryeong well.

You were on your way toward the renovation site again today, watching as the city passed you by. You had gotten used to the colors and shapes of Adorance, yet you still felt like an outsider here. This city would never be your true home, much like any other, for you were not going to stay for long anyway.