As the sun began its descent, casting long shadows across the tranquil courtyard of Chosun, Mina's words echoed in Diana's mind. The weight of her warning lingered, a silent specter amidst the beauty of the ancient atelier.
"I'm just worried about something, Diana," Mina's voice resounded, soft yet urgent. She held Diana tightly, as if her embrace could shield her from the dangers that lurked in the past. "I know you need help from those gents from the past, but... I think you should beware."
Diana furrowed her brow, her curiosity piqued. "Beware of what?"
Mina's eyes flickered with apprehension. "You shouldn't get too entangled with them, Diana. The consequences could be dire."
Diana chuckled nervously, a hint of skepticism tainting her tone. "You mean like in those time-traveler movies? Altering the past changes the present?"
Mina's grip tightened, her expression grave. "It's not just fiction, Diana. Interfering with the past could unravel everything we hold dear. What if this atelier, our lives... what if they vanish, as if they never existed?"
The gravity of Mina's words settled over Diana like a heavy shroud. "You mean everything?"
Mina nodded solemnly. "So please, Diana, heed my warning. Learn what you must, but return to Seoul before it's too late. Before the threads of time entangle us irreversibly. Promise me you'll be cautious."
Diana's heart constricted with uncertainty. She wanted to assure Mina, to ease her fears with a simple promise. But as she gazed into Mina's eyes, she found herself unable to speak the words. For in that moment, the allure of the past beckoned, its mysteries calling to her with a siren's song. And amidst the delicate tapestries of time, Diana hesitated, torn between duty and desire.
Within the grandeur of Danro's Mansion, where tradition intertwined seamlessly with elegance, Madam Mi-yeon's needlework lessons unfolded with meticulous precision.
"You are pulling the thread too tight," she admonished gently, her voice a melodic cadence in the tranquil atmosphere. "In this case, you should check the inner side of the fabric carefully, and leave some space in between... Good."
Under her guidance, Diana embarked on a journey of discovery, from the delicate handling of needles to the discerning selection of threads and fabrics. Each lesson was a symphony of instruction, strict yet imbued with a profound beauty that mirrored the artistry of Hanbok itself.
Diana's eyes widened in awe as she surveyed her handiwork. "Wow, I only retouched this part a little but the whole layout looks different now...!"
Hanbok, with its rectilinear and two-dimensional tailoring, held secrets that whispered only to those who dared to listen. Unlike the structured formality of Western attire, Hanbok flourished when worn, its natural elegance captivating hearts with a simple yet profound charm.
"I can never learn this back in Seoul...!" Diana exclaimed, her heart brimming with newfound joy. Lost in the rhythm of her lessons, time seemed to blur as she immersed herself in the mastery of Madam Mi-yeon's craft.
"-Now, you shall try making a patchwork quilt with these fabric pieces....Whenever I see your work," Madam Mi-yeon paused, her gaze soft yet discerning, "I'm at a loss for words."
Diana's heart sank at the thought of disappointing her mentor. "I'm sorry," she murmured, her confidence waning.
But Madam Mi-yeon's response was unexpected, her smile radiant with pride. "Ah, you've mistaken my words," she reassured gently.
Diana's eyes widened in disbelief as Madam Mi-yeon continued, her praise like a balm to her soul. "All I meant was that your skills are unbelievably great. The seam is tight and straight as if it's measured with a ruler. This is the best overstitch I've ever seen."
A surge of gratitude overwhelmed Diana, her heart soaring with newfound confidence. "Oh, wow... I've never thought I'd get your recognition, master!"
Madam Mi-yeon's humility belied her wisdom as she spoke, her words a testament to Diana's dedication. "My recognition doesn't mean much," she replied simply.
"But it means so much to me!" Diana interjected, her smile radiant with pride.
As Madam Mi-yeon watched her protege with a mixture of admiration and affection, she spoke words that echoed in Diana's soul. "I can see the effort you put into practicing over years. You may be proud of yourself. I'm sure your mother will be very proud of you, watching over you from above."
Tears welled in Diana's eyes as she nodded, her heart overflowing with gratitude. "Yes, thank you, ma'am...!"
In the quiet stillness of the front yard, bathed in the gentle glow of moonlight, Diana lingered, her thoughts swirling with unanswered questions. As she awaited Sung's return, the anticipation of her impending journey back to Seoul weighed heavily upon her mind.
"He said he'd be back after dealing with a problem," she murmured to herself, her brow furrowed in contemplation. "But I wonder... how is Hanyang of this time connected to Seoul of my time?"
A faint glimmer of understanding danced on the edges of her consciousness, elusive and tantalizing. Yet, try as she might, Diana struggled to grasp the full extent of the connection. Could Lord Sung hold the key to unraveling this enigma? And if so, why him? Was he more than just a wealthy aristocrat with idle pursuits?
Diana's thoughts meandered, weaving through the fabric of time and possibility. The memory of Sung's robe strap, seemingly inconsequential yet naggingly persistent, tugged at her consciousness. And then there was the curious incident of her luckycatcher, its fall from the door on the day of her first journey through time. Surely, these were not mere coincidences.
"Ugh, my head aches from too much thinking...!" Diana exclaimed, her frustration palpable. "Maybe I should go for a walk and get some fresh air..."
With a determined sigh, she pushed open the gate doors, the darkness of the streets beckoning her with an irresistible allure. In Seoul, she longed for the comfort of her bed, but here in this unfamiliar world, the urge to explore pulsed through her veins like a restless tide.
Her solitude was short-lived, however, as a voice shattered the silence, causing her to jump in surprise.
"Who's there?"
Diana's heart raced as she turned to face the source of the voice, relief flooding her as she recognized the servant.
"Eeeek?! Oh... it's the servant guy. Phew," she exclaimed, a nervous laugh escaping her lips. "Oh, it's just me, haha... I was thinking about taking a short walk around here, maybe...?"
The servant's expression softened with understanding, his offer of companionship a welcome gesture in the darkness.
"At this late hour? Well, I shall go with you, ma'am," he replied, his voice gentle yet firm.
Diana hesitated, her gratitude mingled with reluctance. "No, no- you must be tired, too-"
But the servant's insistence was unwavering. "It's alright, ma'am."
With a grateful nod, Diana acquiesced, a sense of safety washing over her at the thought of not wandering alone in the unfamiliar streets.
"Oh, gee... Okay, thanks," she replied, her voice tinged with relief. "I guess it's better than wandering off alone and find myself in trouble...!"
In the hushed streets of Bukchon, where the whispers of the night mingled with the echoes of the past, Diana found herself drawn to a mysterious silhouette amidst the darkness.
"Oh, where is that place?" she mused aloud, her gaze fixed on a house ablaze with light, defying the cloak of curfew that draped over the city.
"That's the Blue Lotus," the servant explained, his voice tinged with a mixture of intrigue and caution. "The most famous and popular brothel in Hanyang. Not only the house you see right now, but the houses in this whole street are the Blue Lotus buildings."
Diana's curiosity piqued, her eyes scanning the scene before her. Amidst the reeds by the pond, a small wooden pavilion stood sentinel, its occupant shrouded in mystery. And as the moon cast its silver glow, revealing the figure within, recognition dawned upon Diana like a whisper in the night.
"...Oh, hold on... Can I go over there?" she inquired, her voice laced with a sense of urgency.
The servant hesitated, his brows furrowing in uncertainty. "Well, you could if you pay your fee to the Blue Lotus, or if you're with someone in there."
A flicker of determination ignited in Diana's eyes. "Then, may I go there on my own now?"
The servant's skepticism lingered, but Diana pressed on, her resolve unyielding. With a subtle gesture, she produced a handful of coins, a silent plea for trust in her earnest intentions.
"Khm...! Well, it shouldn't take long, ma'am," the servant relented, his reluctance giving way to cautious acquiescence.
With a grateful nod, Diana watched as the servant retreated into the night, his silhouette melting into the shadows. With determination coursing through her veins, she made her way towards the pavilion by the pond, each step a testament to her unwavering resolve.
"My lord!" she called out, her voice cutting through the stillness of the night.
The figure within the pavilion stirred, his hand halting mid-air as he turned to face her, his gaze clouded with the haze of alcohol.
"Hey, I didn't expect to run into you today...!" Diana greeted him, her tone warm yet tinged with uncertainty.
Recognition flickered in his eyes as he regarded her, his gaze piercing yet unfocused. "Lady Diana?"
Undeterred by his guarded demeanor, Diana pressed on, her determination unwavering. "Could you spend a little time for me?"
As his guard watched her with suspicion, the man leaned against a pillar of the pavilion, his gaze narrowing as he regarded her with scrutiny.
"My dear lady, why don't you realize that the world is such a dangerous place? Especially when you're close to those dangerous men..." he cautioned, his voice laced with concern.
Diana met his gaze head-on, her resolve unshaken. "...Well, I wasn't alone, actually. I sent my servant away after spotting you! So you're responsible for me left alone tonight...!"
A moment of silence hung between them, pregnant with unspoken tension. And then, with a subtle gesture, he signaled his man to allow her entry into the pavilion.
"... This way, please," the guard offered, his tone gruff yet not unkind.
With a grateful nod, Diana followed his lead, her heart pounding with anticipation as she crossed the threshold into the pavilion.
"Phew, he drank those bottles all by himself...?" she remarked, her eyes taking in the sight of the scattered gourd bottles strewn across the wooden floor.
"Is there any problem you want to share with me...?" she ventured, her voice soft yet laced with concern.
Kooju's response was a whisper in the darkness, laden with uncertainty. "...Maybe?"
As he reclined upon the table, his gaze met hers, piercing yet clouded with the haze of intoxication. His words hung in the air like a delicate thread, weaving a tapestry of vulnerability and longing.
"I was thinking that I'm never going to wake up from this nightmare... But seeing you here, right in front of my eyes... Maybe being trapped in this dream isn't so bad, after all," he confessed, his voice a mere murmur amidst the silence.
Diana's heart swelled with empathy, her gaze lingering on his form clad in icy white robes. His vulnerability stirred something within her, an unfamiliar sensation that tugged at the edges of her consciousness.
But beneath the surface, a gnawing worry gnawed at her, a sense of unease at the sight of his intoxicated state. "So... this guy's stoned, right...? Why is he so drunk...?" she mused, her thoughts racing as she grappled with the gravity of the situation.
As Kooju reached for the bottle once more, Diana's instinct kicked in, her hand moving of its own accord to snatch the gourd bottle away. "No!!!" she exclaimed, her voice a sharp contrast to the stillness of the night.
With a determined resolve, she emptied the bottle herself, her lips tingling with the burn of the potent liquor. "Phew, this one's strong!" she remarked, her eyes fixed on Kooju's hazy form.
"Why are you stopping me from drinking?" Kooju questioned, his voice slurred with the effects of alcohol.
"Oh? I thought you poured it for me," Diana replied, her words laced with a hint of playful sarcasm. "Come on, you can't even control your own body right now. Can you make out how many fingers I'm waving here?"
But Kooju's response was a solemn admission of his inner turmoil. "I'm fine... Collapsing, fainting, or whatever I do... I only want to lose my mind for a while, except it's still not working so well."
Diana's heart ached at his words, her concern deepening with each passing moment. "But I'm not fine watching you doing this to yourself!" she insisted, her voice tinged with urgency.
As Kooju struggled to lift himself from the table, Diana's apprehension mounted, her eyes widening in alarm. "Lord Kooju?!" she exclaimed, her voice betraying her growing panic.
But Kooju's response was a mere whisper in the night, his words laden with an unexpected tenderness. "You are like a mirage, miss Diana...you lure me" he confessed, his grip tightening around her hand as if seeking solace in her touch.
Before Diana could react, Kooju's movements grew erratic, the bottles scattering across the floor in a chaotic dance. "Hey, I think he needs-...!" she began, her voice trailing off as Kooju's hand closed around hers, halting her mid-sentence.
"I'm just a little dizzy, that's all," he murmured, his gaze fixed on hers with a mixture of vulnerability and longing. And in that fleeting moment, amidst the haze of alcohol and uncertainty, Diana found herself drawn into the depths of Kooju's turmoil, her heart yearning to ease his pain and soothe his troubled soul.
Diana's words hung in the air, a gentle plea wrapped in earnest concern. As they walked side by side through the moonlit streets, she couldn't shake the feeling of unease that gnawed at her heart.
"...You call this a little?" she remarked, her voice tinged with incredulity as she regarded Kooju's troubled demeanor.
Despite his outward facade of composure, she sensed the weight of his burden pressing upon him, a silent shadow that lurked behind his stoic expression. With a soft sigh, she offered him a small gesture of comfort, her hand resting gently in his as they walked.
For a while, they walked in silence, the only sound the soft shuffle of their footsteps against the cobblestone pavement. Diana stole glances at Kooju, noting the flicker of sorrow that danced in his eyes, hidden beneath a veneer of quiet resolve.
"I shall walk you back to your place," Kooju suddenly announced, his voice devoid of the earlier vulnerability.
Diana's brow furrowed in confusion. "...Are you really drunk?" she ventured, her curiosity piqued by his sudden change in demeanor.
"I never said I am drunk," Kooju replied cryptically, his words hanging in the air like a silent echo of their shared moment of vulnerability.
As he reached out his hand towards her, Diana felt a pang of empathy tugging at her heart. "I only said, I want to lose my mind but it's not working so well," he confessed, his voice heavy with the weight of his inner turmoil.
In that moment, as they made their way back to Madam Mi-yeon's mansion, Diana couldn't help but marvel at Kooju's transformation. Gone was the man who had drowned his sorrows in a sea of alcohol, replaced by a figure of quiet strength and determination.
"Umm..." Diana began tentatively, her voice soft yet resolute.
Kooju turned to her, his gaze unwavering as he awaited her words.
"I don't know what's troubling you, but when you have to make a choice, and you spend too much time thinking what's the right thing to do, you eventually forget why you are making that choice in the first place," Diana spoke from the depths of her heart, her words a beacon of guidance in the darkness.
She stopped in her tracks, her gaze locking with Kooju's as she continued, her voice steady with conviction. "I think you need to take your time to look around yourself. Take a step away from that problem. I don't know what's troubling you and it's probably none of my business, but I just want to tell you... You don't have to torment yourself just because other people do to you."
Kooju's response was a mere whisper, his voice laden with a mixture of resignation and sorrow. "That's... too sad."
And as they stood there, bathed in the moonlight, their shared moment of vulnerability hung between them like a delicate thread, binding them together in an unspoken bond of understanding and empathy.
At the mansion gate, as the wooden barrier stood between Diana and the voices beyond, she knew her time with Kooju had come to an end.
"Oh, lord Sung must be back...! Oh, lord Kooju... I should head inside now. Thank you for walking me here," she remarked, her voice tinged with regret as she prepared to bid farewell.
But before she could take her leave, Kooju's hand shot out, grasping her sleeve with unexpected urgency.
"Miss Diana..." he began, his voice a mere whisper amidst the night.
Diana's heart fluttered with uncertainty, her gaze meeting his with a mixture of surprise and apprehension. "Um, I'm really sorry, lord Kooju... but I really need to be going now," she replied, her voice gentle yet firm.
"Why do you have to leave so suddenly...? As if you're going somewhere far... Running far away from me..." Kooju's words hung in the air, laden with unspoken longing.
Diana's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why would I run far away from you?" she questioned, her tone tinged with bewilderment.
Though her destination lay in Seoul, it was not Kooju she sought to escape. Rather, it was the looming presence of Sung, lurking behind the mansion doors, that spurred her retreat.
"Anyhow, I'll see you again later...!" Diana offered, her words a bittersweet farewell.
As Kooju reluctantly released her sleeve, Diana's heart twinged with regret. "Aww, this feels bad now... Well... thank you for walking with me all the way here..." she murmured, her voice tinged with sorrow.
But before she could turn away, Kooju's voice halted her in her tracks. "Wait," he called out, his tone filled with urgency.
Diana turned back, her gaze meeting his as he produced something from his inner pocket. It was the aroma pouch, the very same one she had admired in the market.
"Thank you so much..." Diana breathed, her heart swelling with gratitude at the unexpected gesture of kindness.
With a heavy heart, she bid Kooju farewell one last time, the aroma pouch clutched tightly in her hand. As she made her way inside the mansion, the weight of their parting hung heavy in the air, a silent testament to the bond they shared.
Unbeknownst to her, the moon above was shrouded in clouds, its luminous glow obscured by the veil of night. And as Diana disappeared into the darkness of the mansion, she left behind a piece of her heart, entwined with the memories of their fleeting encounter.