had he been more observant, he would have noticed that he was following in the steps of the young lady. as it was, he was far more preoccupied with the intricacy of curves and art in the decorations that someone had so graciously pointed out. now he felt guilty having missed the minute details that someone surely spent many hours toiling over. he stopped only because he found himself nearly walking against this woman, which would have been catastrophic and embarrassing, and he took a hasty step back to bow in apology. “not at all, my lady!” he squinted slightly, blinking a little, and straightened up again, wondering where he recognised her from. surely he’d met her before – ah! “lady han, was it?” if anything, his father versed him more on who their allies were. “i apologise – i did not realise that i was walking behind you. if you’d like, we can walk together. have you noticed the details in these decorations? look!” he reached for a nearby sash hanging off a pole, hand under silk, looking at it first and then her. “isn’t this magnificent? although the money in this celebration would be much more valuable given to the people – but i believe they, too, might find enjoyment in it as we do, if they were allowed. ah – i apologise again!” he let go of the sash and bowed quickly. “i seem to have rambled on... i only meant to say that i was admiring other things... not that you aren’t admirable! or beautiful! you are – i’ve heard tell – but i.... wasn’t...following you...” he finished meekly, managing to make a fool of himself once again.

“to others, perhaps.” there were more people in their world who could appreciate good decorations from bad ones, but outside of those circles revolving around money and power, these decorations would have been a source of wonder. it would be more luxury than they could afford. “it has its own value,” he finally conceded after some thought, eyes drawn upwards to the lanterns and the cloth, then to the stars beyond these lights, difficult to see in their glow but present nonetheless. entranced for a moment, he hummed happily at the sight, before being brought back to earth with the noise of the revelries. “i believe it is quite appropriate for the celebrant. who are we to criticise the tastes of the queen?”

it was in the presence of the hungu that daejun realised he was in. it was their philosophies, the way they spoke, and as much as he tried to separate himself from their circle he could not. these were aspirants, nameless members, eager to prove themselves something against the thought of scholars and literati. daejun did not want a battle, only a discussion, and as he smiled and took a step back, retreated, they closed in on the gap he had once occupied, as if eager to jeer at him with their backs turned. in this step he found himself stumbling against another body, and he caught her wrist out of instinct and fear that he had knocked against her hard enough for her to fall. he released it quickly, and bowed. “i’m sorry!” the observation of his smile caused him to sigh and, as if that wiped the slate clean, smiled ever regretful that she had caught him in the act of an almost-lie. “i’m sorry. discussions without willingness to listen... they exhaust me so. i dare say it isn’t a discussion at all...” he motioned for them to walk, for her to follow as he held his own hands behind his back. “have you experienced that, my lady? a discussion with closed ears? it occurs so often in our politics that i scarcely believe anything would change if men so clearly only want to hear their own words and not others’.”

“you make it seem as if i am committing a crime.” perhaps he was. he had never been briefed on the ethics of picking flowers from the base of a tree. they were beautiful, and as much time as daejun spent with miran, he could never quite remember their names. she was a very distracting teacher, and he only sought to gather them to learn more about them. “a bouquet of flowers from the palace is sure to woo any woman,” he continued, determinedly picking one last flower to complete a flimsy bouquet of five – just in case – and finally stood up, brushing a bit of dirt off his pants. “would you like one, my lady?” he asks, inviting and soft and warm.

this man was a foreigner, but it was that which made him all the more noticeable. daejun recognised him and did not deign to offend him any more than he seemed, and any more than he already had towards others without meaning to. there was a reason, it seemed, why he did not frequent the palace. perhaps it made sharper thorns out of the roses that grew within its high walls. “is that so, sir?” he asked with slight caution, not wanting to cause further annoyance of anybody. “what about it disappointed you? i thought it was quite lovely.”

daejun looked down at himself first. he thought that the satin and silk work was as fine as could be. it certainly did not rival the adornments that anyone of the royal family would wear, and even then he thought that they spent far too much of the people’s money, but he was not exempt from indulging in such luxuries. perhaps it was the crude little charm hanging off his belt. a child had given it to him in the market earlier, and had asked him to wear it with the hopes that a royal would see her skill and perhaps buy her wares. daejun did not have the heart to say no, and even his father had looked on him with clear disapproval once he caught sight of it. “i...cannot apologise for offending your sight, sir,” he says, without yet comprehending to whom he is speaking. “i made a promise to someone to wear it tonight. that it caught your eye would surely delight her.” 

he laughed then. “a dance will not hypnotise me,” he assured the man, not suffering to look away from the performance. he knew some of these people personally, albeit in passing. they entertained him and others on the streets and they were no amateurs. each movement was measured, precise, beautiful. “but, if you would refer to the minister in the corner having his fun with a kisaeng,” he continued, finally looking towards the man, who seemed more imposing than himself – perhaps from the less friendly expression, though he did not let that deter him in the least – “then i would surely avert my eyes, if only to grant them their privacy, though i doubt that that would be scarce at such an event.”