After the village chief has left, Minjun digs into a cupboard and brings out a small porcelain container. He frowns while facing his husband, “This subject has been hiding this from Your Highness.”

Eunwoo only sees the nervousness on Minjun’s face, not realizing the content of the small porcelain container includes delicate jade, gold, and rare gems. 

“This subject wants Your Highness to know its existence and use them however Your Highness sees fit.” Minjun’s hands tremble as he transfers the small porcelain container to Eunwoo.

“These are your savings, your dowry, aren’t they?” He feels the cool and smooth container in his hand. Minjun’s solemn nod scores the entire surface of his heart, burnt by Minjun’s sincerity and vulnerability. 

When he was a gambler and a horrible person, Minjun could’ve definitely left with these treasures… In fact, he is glad that he never found these to waste away. He is utterly humbled.

Eunwoo places the small porcelain container aside and moves closer to embrace his dear spouse.

“May I kiss you?”

Minjun’s eyes flutter, but looks at Eunwoo endearingly and nods. Immediately, the warmth brought by Eunwoo envelops him, wishing that this new Eunwoo would not betray him or his sincerity.

“Why are you crying?” Eunwoo pulls away and touches the wet corners of Minjun’s eyes. 

Minjun raises his hand to cut the silver thread connecting their lips, but Eunwoo goes in for another victorious tongue battle. He dares to raise his arms and wraps them around Eunwoo’s neck, startling his husband. 

“This subject—”

“It’s okay… I will hate myself if I take advantage of you.”

Minjun parts his lips, wanting to change Eunwoo’s mind, but gives up just before a sound flickers off his tongue. To change the mood, he says, “I’m feeling better. I’ll make us breakfast.”

“After you get better, I won’t stop you if you want to cook for us. But, today and until that day, I want you to rest well and wait for my craftsmanship. Okay?” 

The two giggle in each other's arms. Eunwoo goes to make them breakfast while Minjun rests in bed, feeling a little nervous and a little happier. 

After breakfast, Eunwoo decides to go up the mountains again and dig up the ginseng patch he found a few days ago, perhaps picking some herbs and hunting some fish or hares. 

However, Minjun couldn’t stay still. He collects their laundry and washes them by the well in the backyard before tidying up here and there around their home. The villagers who walk by to deliver lunch and water to the fields notice Minjun but are too scared of Eunwoo to say hi. 

Once he feels that he couldn’t do more around the house, he picks up the hoe and a basket to tend their one field. Villagers see Minjun and sigh in their hearts. 

“Your husband has you attending the fields?” Someone courageous asks.

Minjun doesn’t want to explain himself and simply smiles lightly and nods. In the field, Minjun plants the seeds from the last harvest in his basket since he has done the necessary plowing before the rain. And in just a few hours, he’s done. 

He looks at the field, admiring the hope for the incoming harvest when he and everyone else is interrupted by a loud voice.

“Minjun!”

The villagers gasp and tremble at their own safety and the beating that is about to come for Minjun. They have seen this much too often.

Eunwoo’s back and shoulders are covered with mountain goods, quite heavy. When he steps, the wet ground covers up to his ankles and makes a sloppy sound. 

Others are too nervous to look, but Minjun is smiling the whole time. He reaches for a handkerchief and wipes the mud from Eunwoo’s face and hands.

“So this field is ours?” 

Minjun nods, and says, “I’m done here as well, should we go home?”

Eunwoo notices the sweat on Minjun’s temples and neck, but he looks at himself. He is much too dirty to wipe off the sweat with the cuffs of his shirt or carry Minjun home like how he planned when he saw Minjun in the field just moments earlier.

Since his hands are cleaned by Minjun, he grabs Minjun’s wrist, “Let’s go.”

At home, the front yard is neater, there are clothes drying on a line, and the gung bedding is also laid out to dry,

Eunwoo takes them to the kitchen, which he is also impressed by, and places a kiss on Minjun’s forehead, “You did so much. I want to let you know that I appreciate your hard work. Thank you.”

“I—It was nothing, Your Highness.”

The acknowledgment and the stare flush Minjun’s cheeks and ears bright red. He only looks down at the hands holding his hands, not wanting to move away from this moment.

“However, I ask that you don’t overwork yourself either. Can you promise me that?” Eunwoo leans in to see the shy and soft black eyes. 

Minjun closes his eyes and nods.

“Alright. Why don’t you get ready to take a bath? I’ll boil you some water.”

“No, Your Highness. I’m not that dirty. Your Highness should bathe first.”

Eunwoo leans into Minjun’s face again and chuckles, “Dare to refute? I’m teasing you. I’m not angry. Then, may you grab some clothes for me? I’m too dirty, I don’t want to carry mud into the house.”

While Minjun goes to grab his clothes, he starts a fire and boils some water. Then he bathes with cold water and comes out covering his lower half.

“Why didn’t Your Highness wait for the water to boil?” Minjun stands to the side, holding the new set of clothes.

Eunwoo glances at the pot of water that is steaming and receives the clothes from Minjun, “That pot of water is for you. Go get a new set of clothes for yourself and bathe.”

Minjun knits his brows, but not knowing how to communicate his perplexity, he complies. And while he bathes in warm water, Eunwoo brings in the gung bedding and laundry since it’s getting dark. The fire in the kitchen is still burning, and he makes their dinner.

After bathing, Minjun leaves the cooking to the willful Eunwoo and finds that the bedding and laundry are brought in but unsettled. He makes their bed and folds their clothes. 

He rubs his belly from time to time, thinking to himself that he doesn’t quite understand Eunwoo’s personality. He feels spoiled so he also wants to spoil his husband, but his husband doesn’t let him. 

“Sorry that dinner took so long,” Eunwoo says with a laugh and sets the tray between himself and Minjun. “The pheasant and ginseng soup took longer than expected.”

Eunwoo is unsure if Minjun prefers the thigh, the drums, the breasts, or the wings. So, he picks up a piece of each for him.

“This subject can’t steal—eat all of this.”

“It’s not stealing when I give them to you.” Eunwoo places a piece of the pheasant’s breast to Minjun’s mouth, “Try it.”

“How is it? Good, I’m glad it’s to your liking… Tomorrow, I’m taking the ginseng to sell in town. I would like you to come with me. I don’t want others to bully you when I’m not around.”

“Will go.”

Then there is silence between them as they eat. Though they’ve survived a misfortune as of late which has brought them closer, there is still a wall between them. Minjun has difficulty fully expressing himself both in thoughts and actions, always waiting for Eunwoo’s lead. Eunwoo, on the other hand, has resorted to lunatic tactics. 

“The sky is clear tonight, I would like to see the stars with you,” Eunwoo places down his chopsticks and says after contemplating Minjun's glum expression. 

Minjun looks up with the slightest hint of a smile and nods. He reaches for the tray, “Let this subject clean up.”

“We can both do it.” Eunwoo stands up, takes the tray, and offers a hand, “Let me help you.”

They wash and put the dishes away. Eunwoo takes them outside to look up at the stars under the clear sky. He wraps himself around Minjun because it’s quite cold outside. 

Unsure of what the other person wants, Eunwoo begins, “That set of stars is called Leo, and the set next to that is called Virgo… In the land beyond the eastern horizon, there are some who believe that we are born under a certain zodiac constellation that brings about our personality and even destiny.”

“Similar to the rat, ox, and such?”

“Yes.” Eunwo laughs and continues, “But I was never one to care too much so I can’t tell you more than that. I can only recognize them in the night sky… My learning in that foreign country was about how the universe came to be. There are those who study an adjacent field to mine where all they do is look up at the sky and try to see if we can get back out there.”

“… Get back out there?” Minjun turns his head toward Eunwoo.

“Yes. Humankind has once escaped past the sky and made it to the back of the moon.” He rubs his cheek against Minjun’s, “We even sent stuff to other worlds close to us and beyond the grasp of our sun.”

“How do you know? How is that possible for humankind?”

Eunwoo chuckles and looks back up at the sky, “It wasn’t done by one or two people in one or two human generations. It was done by thousands of years of cumulative knowledge from hundreds of thousands if not millions or billions of individuals. Most of it is math, which I’m not that good at.”

“So, Minjun.”

Minjun looks up.

Eunwoo moves to face Minjun and embraces the body before him, “I’ve decided to not care about the repercussions and use my knowledge to better myself. Life is too short to endure only suffering. If possible, I want to live a happy and content life with you… Are you scared? I want to bind you to me when we barely know each other.”

Minjun shakes his head. Satisfied, Eunwoo whispers, “Thank you.”