“Restaurant?” 

Eunwoo grins with blushed cheeks, “Let me treat you.”

At the restaurant, the waiters greet them well. They order a few dishes which come promptly. There are pancakes with wild onions, stewed miscellaneous beef cuts, fish with soy sauce, and a few house side dishes. 

Eunwoo smiles at the nervous Minjun, “Though I was always told, it isn’t until today that I learn the meaning behind the phrase ‘Os-i nal-gae-da’. I am treated like a noble in this little town because of the clothes you’ve prepared for me.”

“They’re your clothes. I didn’t do anything,” Minjun lowers his lashes, waiting for Eunwoo to pick up his chopsticks.

“Let’s eat.” 

And as they enjoy brunch, they hear the same conversation from different mouths. That conversation being, the King had dreamed of a dream. Dream tellers of all talents have come and told the King what his dream means. Though some have different ideas, one thing was consistent. If there is a solar eclipse, then the kingdom will fall.

Now, the King is looking for someone who can predict a solar eclipse. 

“Is your appetite also ruined?” Eunwoo gives a helpless look. 

“Last night… Can't you predict a solar eclipse?” Minjun narrows his brows, anxious. 

Eunwoo moves his seat to Minjun’s side. He slouches his back and tilts his head up to meet Minjun’s eyes. 

Minjun straightens his own back and turns his head to the other side. 

“The Kingdom of Silla will fall sooner or later. I only care about our family. I don’t want to help the person who abandoned his own son.”

Being ignored by Minjun, who was once a General and promised his freedom upon completing the punishment, Eunwoo guesses where Minjun’s loyalty lies. After all, Minjun is probably still in love with—

“Will it make you happy if I calculate when the solar eclipse will occur?” 

“Yes.” Minjun turns back with a little smile, “Please do.”

“Anything for you.” Eunwoo stands up and offers a hand, “Let’s go shopping. I’ll need some tools and supplies.”

The conversation he heard this morning in the Mugunghwa Clinic is the same one in the restaurant. At first, he wasn’t so interested since a total solar eclipse happens once every one hundred years or so. It is expected to happen. However, the difference between the conversation in the Mugunghwa Clinic and the restaurant is that one group had more information. 

The individuals at the Mugunghwa Clinic know of the exiled Prince, the ill King, and the battle for the throne between the remaining two Princes. It is said that whichever Prince can predict when the solar eclipse will happen becomes the Crown Prince as decreed by the King himself.

Eunwoo pays for their meal and takes Minjun shopping. They buy ink and paper, wood and metal tools, rice and spices, and visit the remaining clinic to test out traditional medical skills. However, it was unsatisfactory. They leave the town after buying some simple medicinal products for the common cold and such since a doctor is hard to come by in their little village.

“Why are you buying wood? Just cut the trees in the mountain,” the village chief shakes his head in disapproval. 

Eunwoo can only laugh and walks beside the donkey cart, having no desire to explain himself or his plans.

At the village, in front of the village chief’s house, they part ways with the village chief. On their way back, a little goblin-like child stands by their fence. 

“Ahjussi!” The child calls out.

Minjun goes ahead to approach the child, “What’s wrong? Where’s your noona?”

“Noona is sick. I—I… Ahjussi, please help noona,” the child falls apart with snots and tears.

Minjun narrows his brows and turns back to look at Eunwoo. He pats the child’s head, “Take me there.”

Eunwoo stands there by himself in front of his house, smiling but also sighing. He goes inside, lets off the load, and organizes everything. Then he bathes in cold water after sweating the whole day.

When the sun is still high, he plants two beams of equal dimensions in two holes of equal depths on opposite ends of his compound. Afterwards, he measured the height of the poles and their shadows. He will have to do this a couple more times to double check the circumference of the earth and its distance from the moon. 

As he goes to prepare dinner, Minjun finally returns with a dark face. He prepares a warm bath and asks Minjun to relax and wait for dinner.

“Why isn’t Your Highness angry with this subject?”

Eunwoo takes Minjun’s nervous hands, “Do you recall the last time I was angry with you? You got more sick and I became helpless. I rather forgive you than stay mad and cause you problems.”

“Don’t worry. We can discuss more after you bathe. You must be tired after today,” Eunwoo interrupts before Minjun could give a rebuttal. 

Minjun’s face got darker but complies with the order to bathe. The warm water easily relaxes his body. Before he knows it, he’s in bed with new clothes and a crouched figure sitting beside him.

“Feeling better?” Eunwoo’s voice is dry and his eyes are a little red. “Would you like some food?”

“Your Highness… What happened?”

Eunwoo forces a charming smile, “You fell asleep while bathing. I apologize for not noticing. The water was cold when I found you.”

“Let me help you.” Eunwoo’s arm wraps around Minjun’s shoulders. He brushes away the stray hair, “I’ll go warm up the food.”

In a short time, Eunwoo returns with a tray of food. He sits on the other side and tries to feed his wife like before. However, Minjun raises a hand to block his advances. 

“This subject fell asleep because he is tired. Your Highness needn’t feel guilty… Also, this subject has some things to discuss with Your Highness.”

“I’m all ears,” Eunwoo fakes another smile with his eyes. 

Minjun averts the gaze and says in a low voice, “The two children are pitiful. The older one is really ill. This subject is afraid she may die if she doesn’t see a doctor…”

“How can I help?” Eunwoo places his chopsticks down. 

“They have parents and relatives in this village, so it’s not appropriate for us to help.” Minjun meets Eunwoo’s eyes and explains firmly, “However, those relatives will not have the two children’s best interest in mind. They’ve run away from home and have been living by themselves for a year. None of the relatives took them in and the parents care not for their children.”

“Should we adopt them?” 

Minjun looks surprised, “This subject dares not suggest that. Only to take them in as students or servants…”

“Why not? The status of a child would benefit them more than a student or a servant.” 

The darkness on Minjun’s face fades with Eunwoo’s sincerity. He truly pity those two children as he sees his elder sister and himself in that sibling pair. 

Seeing that Minjun’s face is brighter than before, Eunwoo heaves a wave of worries away. Taking in a pair of daughter and son could be an issue, but seeing Minjun’s sadness is probably a hundred or a thousand degrees more difficult for Eunwoo to bear.

“Eat some food. I’ll go see the village chief and ask for the proper procedures so that we can take them in lawfully without bad rumors.” Eunwoo gestures for them to eat and asks, “Are the two children willing?”

Minjun frowns with bulging cheeks, “This subject will convince them tomorrow.”

“Will you call me, ‘Your Highness’, and yourself, ‘this subject’, in front of our children?” Eunwoo blushes with the word but Minjun’s heart skips a beat. “Why don’t you try calling me, husband? Or nae sarang? Yeobo? Yeonin?”

With a face painted in red, Minjun dare not look up to meet the mean husband. He mumbles the words, “Please don’t tease this subject so much, Your Highness.” 

“Alright. Alright. We will take one step at a time.”

The two eat their dinner in silence, only occasionally catching each other stealing glances. One would stare and the other would look away, but both are flattered by the other’s attention.