Meanwhile, at the village chief’s house, the villagers voice their concerns and demands. However, the village chief is the single individual in the village and nearby villages and towns that know Eunwoo and Minjun’s Royal identities. He alone bears the burden of calming the frightened villagers without revealing Eunwoo and Minjun’s Royal identities. 

“We can’t drive them out. Where will they go? Are they not also simple people who need shelter to stay dry from the rain and warm from the cold, food to eat, and a companion beside them? How will other villages look at us? Are we barbarians?”

“If we don’t drive them out now, we’ll all die! If the village chief doesn’t agree then we’ll have to do it ourselves!”

“Did you say Minjun is dying?” The village chief turns to the shaman who nods. “Then why do we have to drive them out? The powerful shaman will soon be satisfied, we must not intervene.”

“There is a large bonfire in their front yard! Probably burning the powerful shaman’s tools. Minjun won’t die so easily. If so, what will the powerful shaman do to us?”

The village chief grooms his gray beard, looking deep in thought. He turns to his wife who is also a shaman and asks for some space to speak with his wife. Then he tells her, “Eunwoo is the Third Prince of the King and Minjun is his wife. If either of them dies, I will receive the King and Queen’s furies! But if I help them live, we will receive the powerful shaman’s wrath! My dear wife, I believe in this situation we must save Their Highnesses first. I will send a letter to the King and hopefully, the King will send in talents to get rid of the powerful shaman!”

His wife agrees and prepares her tools to exorcise Eunwoo and Minjun’s home. First, they appease the ignorant villagers and then rush to Eunwoo and Minjun’s home. 

“Eunwoo! Minjun! Are you two home?” The village chief and his wife call from the other side of the fences. 

“Yes. We’re home!” Eunwoo goes to greet them after the fourth call since he only recognizes them as the village chief and his wife after the third call. “What business does the village chief have with me?”

“My wife is a shaman and we would like to offer our help… May we come in and see Minjun?” 

Eunwoo knows that the village chief knew of his identity as the Third Prince of Silla and thus is a little suspicious of the kind gesture. He ponders whether the village chief is doing this kind gesture because he wants to stay on the King’s good side or their enemies.

Nevertheless, to test them, Eunwoo brings them inside the house and gathers Minjun in his arms. He lowers his voice, “I would offer you both drinks but I prefer not separating from my wife even for a moment.”

The old couple glances at one another, confused by Eunwoo’s change in affection toward Minjun even though the villagers who witnessed it earlier already told them. They simply didn’t believe it when told and now they’re still not convinced. 

“That’s quite alright… How is Minjun? Is he feeling any better?” 

“He stopped trembling and sweating about an hour ago, but I don’t know if the baby will be okay,” Eunwoo answers and watches their slight movements carefully. 

“We saw the stuff you’re burning outside. It seems that the shaman still doesn’t know Minjun is pregnant, which is a good thing. I’ll do a cleansing exorcism and we can only hope that the shaman Minjun has wronged will calm down and leave him be,” the village chief’s wife says with a hopeless tone like she didn’t believe the things she said toward the end.

While the village chief’s wife performs the exorcism, Minjun grabs onto Eunwoo’s collar and clenches his teeth, yet still isn’t making any sound. When the village chief’s wife is about to finish and opens the door to let out the bad air and spirits, she is jumped by a figure with sullen red eyes and dark lips on the other side of the fence. It wears white and yellow scripts on its body and adorned its neck with teeth and wood beads. 

She jumps into her husband’s arms, “They’re too powerful! I’m scared! I’m scared!”

The village chief peeks his head through the door and also sees the figure on the other side of the fences, “They must’ve sent a messenger. I’m afraid we can’t help you. You two must leave our village as soon as possible. Please leave in three days or we’ll drive you both out!”

“Let’s leave!” The village chief’s wife climbs onto her husband, and they leave in a rush, pretending to not see the figure on the other side of the fences as they pass by. 

Eunwoo doesn’t believe in ghosts and exorcism, but faced with this reality, he is giving them more thought. Perhaps in this world, ghosts and exorcism are real. If so, how should he move forward and save his wife and child?

“Y—Your Highness, please let this subject go. This subject is hurting,” Minjun furrows his brows and sucks in his pale and dried lips. 

“Sorry,” Eunwoo loosens his grip on Minjun. “How about some dinner? You must be hungry.”

Minjun nods his head, hoping that the task will give Eunwoo a change of pace although he would vomit out the food if he consumes any at this time. 

Eunwoo places Minjun back onto the gung bedding. Before he begins to cook, he checks their proximity and the bonfire. It’s only when he concludes that everything is normal that he begins cooking. He cooks in silence so that he could hear movements from the other room where Minjun is resting.

He grills some eels on the side, but the main meal is unseasoned millet porridge with eggs. He wants things to be easy for Minjun’s stomach. Once dinner is prepared, he returns to the Minjun and feeds him.

“Eat a little, alright?” Eunwoo says after placing food on Minjun’s closed lips. 

Minjun shakes his head, “They’ll just come out later.”

“Then drink the ginseng tonic I prepared for you,” Eunwoo tries to win every rice grain he can get off of Minjun who is so tired that he agrees.

But a spoonful makes Minjun cough out black blood, and Eunwoo simply doesn’t force Minjun anymore. He lets Minjun rest as he finishes the food and prepares to change the sheets and wipe down Minjun’s body.

“No. It’s okay,” Minjun sounds as soon as Eunwoo attempts to untie his trousers. His voice is meek and frightened like a little rabbit.

“You’ll get more sick if you won’t let me wipe you down. Please, let me wipe you down. Alright, Minjun?” Eunwoo smiles and holds the trembling hands.

“No.”

“Minjun… Please?”

Minjun raises a hand to cover Eunwoo’s eyes, “Then you can’t look.”

Eunwoo agrees, but it quickly backfires. The darkness makes him more imaginative with his sense of touch. Everywhere he touches is tender and warm. He wants to hold this body and kiss every part ever so blissfully. His hands slow down, wanting to prolong the act. 

When he hears the quietest moan, his eyes open to see helpless red cheeks. He quickly finishes wiping with his eyes open since Minjun shuts his. In the end, he resisted the urge to kiss and hold Minjun’s body.

That night, thunder clashes and rain plunders. Eunwoo wakes up to move Minjun since the roof is leaking near them. They sit in a corner, shivering from the cold weather. 

Minjun is too sick to think but Eunwoo is weighted with anxiety. Yesterday, he was worried about providing for his family. Today, he is worried about Minjun and the child’s safety against the illness, the shaman, and even the villagers. Where should he take them to live and eliminate the dangers they’re constantly bombarded with?

“What’s with the long face?” Minjun whispers with a hoarse tone.

Eunwoo places his cheek against Minjun’s sweaty forehead, “I’ll protect you both.”

Minjun sneers and then coughs but no blood comes out. Eunwoo feeds him some water and continues to hold him tightly. 

“Your Highness needn’t protect this subject. Your Highness must look out for the dragon's body first. It’ll be easier for Your Highness if Your Highness abandons this subject here. Your Highness’s life is much more important than a subject.”

“You don’t believe I can protect you both?” 

“Your Highness should leave once the rain has calmed down a little. No one will think Your Highness left if this subject stays behind…”

Eunwoo boops Minjun’s nose with a disgusted frown. He couldn’t blame Minjun for saying any of these things because he is a coward. When he moved to South Korea, he was called Loser-Back-Home because it’s partially true. He didn’t see a future in America, and after a few years in South Korea, he didn’t see a future either. He is a coward because nothing feels permanent, and he is a coward because he feels used.

His existence in America was to fulfill his adoptive parents’ dream of having a child. They never expect anything from him. His existence in South Korea was filled with expectations from his biological parents who didn’t raise him. His Kingly father in this world sees him as an eyesore, waiting to dispel him, which he did. How is he supposed to be brave in places he never belonged?

The only people Eunwoo feels any sort of affinity for are the man curled in a ball of pain in his arms and his unborn child in the man’s body. 

“Would you like it better if I kill them?” Eunwoo stares into Minjun’s unconsciousness, not expecting a reply because it wasn’t a question anymore.