After spending three days in the slums, Hongjoong was glad to return to Seonghwa's home. The prying eyes of the other citizens and the suspicious bobbies had him on edge all along, and the adrenaline after his outburst at Seonghwa had taken a day to die down. By the time Hongjoong had calmed about his outburst, it was already time to return and relive it. Would Seonghwa yell at Hongjoong for the unfortunate timing of his criticism? Would he demand they met as three people with John so Seonghwa could formally complain?

Hongjoong was both amused and bothered at the idea of seeing the man whine about this. The upcoming annoyance was worth the satisfaction, however.

The coacher and Jongho had agreed to smuggle Hongjoong back into the house together. Seonghwa had explicitly demanded the coacher to take Hongjoong to the city and back, so Hongjoong had a safe journey. With the joined forces of the servants, they had an easy time equipping the carriage with a bag of clothes. While on the journey, Hongjoong slipped into the soft woollen travelling dress and his wig. His other clothes went into the bag for him to carry as his luggage.

By the time he arrived back at the villa, it was late evening. The sun had set beyond the grey skies and a thin sheen of snow covered the fields. The tips of the grass still peeked through as Hongjoong's shoes left indents on the untouched white spread.

The coacher stood by his side and held Hongjoong's luggage as he knocked on the door. Moments later, Jongho opened it for him. His warm gummy smile spread on his face.

"Ah, lady Hongjoong. We missed you dearly. Please let me take your luggage." Jongho reached for the bag and the coacher handed it over without hesitation. He tipped his hat to Hongjoong.

"I wish you a pleasant night, mylady." With that, he took off into the darkness.

Hongjoong followed Jongho inside and shut the door behind him. He heard Emily and Mingi discussing something in the kitchen, and the smell of dinner still lingered in the air. It had Hongjoong's mouth water.

As they climbed the stairs, Hongjoong couldn't help his curious peep into the sitting room and the library. Seonghwa wasn't there.

Before Hongjoong could wonder what the man was doing and whether he might be out to chase after the Ripper with San, Jongho and he rounded the corner to his room. They found Seonghwa's door opened a crack and warm light spilling onto the floorboards. Seonghwa sat right in sight of the faint glow at his desk and worked on something. His head turned when he heard them in the corridor. For a moment, their eyes met.

Hongjoong looked away first.

"How was your trip?" Jongho made conversation while he carried Hongjoong's luggage into his room. They left the door open since Jongho would retreat in a few moments. The butler placed the bag next to the wardrobe and opened the curtains that had been drawn to keep the room temperature. While he opened the squeaking window to ventilate the chamber, Hongjoong sunk to sit on his bed with a sigh.

He had missed the bouncy mattress most about the house.

"It was delightful. I met some of my friends there." Hongjoong wanted to confide in Jongho that his paths had also crossed with Seonghwa, but the open doors alerted him to stay quiet. Perhaps the earl had already mentioned who he thought to be Hongjoong's brother.

"I hope they all were in good health?"

Hongjoong's eyes skimmed over the wilted flowers dotting the room. The comb Seonghwa had gifted him that Hongjoong hadn't worn ever since sat on his vanity and shone in the light.

"All fine, yes. I also visited Yeosang. We had a lot to catch up on."

Jongho huffed a smile.

"I can imagine. Will you need anything for the night? Shall I run you a bath?"

Remembering how Seonghwa hated the stench of the slums, Hongjoong nodded even when he just wanted to drop on the bed and sleep. Yeosang's uncomfortable home had robbed him of precious rest.

"I shall bathe first. Perhaps you could bring me up something to eat before you go to bed?" Hongjoong smoothed out his dress as he stood to prepare his nightgown to wear after his bath.

"Of course," Jongho grinned. He took off to the bathroom to prepare and then left Hongjoong to his devices as he hurried downstairs. His hum carried with him through the house.

Hongjoong was about to disappear into the bathroom when another noise had him halt. Much quieter and tentative than Jongho's confident strides, steps crossed Seonghwa's room. A moment later, Seonghwa appeared to lean in Hongjoong's open door. His arms were crossed, but his eyes carried a sense of welcoming.

"You're back," he greeted Hongjoong. His hesitation scared Hongjoong. What if he had connected the dots finally? What if he barely held back the accusations that threatened to spill from his lips?

"I am," Hongjoong grinned. His sweet voice and prettily dressed figure shook Seonghwa out of his trance of wariness. His stance relaxed some more.

"Is everything fine? You didn't run into any troubles?"

Hongjoong brushed it off with the shy giggle of one who was flattered about the earl's worry, but he knew the man inquired to check Hongjoong's opinion on him. Not that it was a secret, from how direct he had been.

"I know my way around and my brother was with me to help me. He told me you met. Did you two get along?"

Seonghwa stiffened. Suddenly, his lashes lowered as if he were saddened by what had happened in front of the brothel.

"You never told me about your brother," Seonghwa muttered. Surprised by him changing the topic when the inquiry had been so direct, Hongjoong blinked at him.

"Well, why would I? It's not as if you needed to be close to him since we aren't actually betrothed." His fingers flattened the gown folded over his arm. The lace and ribbons on it bothered him much less now compared to before.

He understood why Wooyoung rather got used to this lifestyle than leave his love behind. It wasn't so bad.

"He was an unusual person. Let's talk more about him tomorrow during breakfast. For today, just rest. I just wanted to check that you found back well."

Hongjoong rose his brow at him when the earl politely nodded his head and shut the door behind him. Had Hongjoong yelling at him made him tuck in his tail? Or was he confused by the possible truth he found and thus didn't know how to act?

With a hum, Hongjoong went to take his bath. The warm water washed all grime off him and got rid of the scent of tobacco that covered him like a second skin. He drifted in there for longer than necessary and waited until the water was cold and dark with all the grime he had collected in the past few days. As he washed off, he didn't notice that he had grabbed the rose-smelling soap until it already touched upon his skin. He didn't mind it as he cleaned the rest of himself with it.

Yeosang had cut his hair for him with a rusty pair of scissors and a comb missing two teeth. It was short enough to be comfortable under the wig again, but not too short that Hongjoong's head would get cold while he didn't wear his wig in his room.

If he ever met a man complaining about the wind getting under his hat again, Hongjoong would recommend wearing a wig.

As Hongjoong walked over to sit down on his bed and burrow under the covers, he spotted a new flower on the tray of food Jongho had set down on his nightstand for him. It laid right next to the wilted mourning bride.

Hongjoong still hadn't checked its meaning after the surprising development with Seonghwa and his escape.

While he ate the nice stew Jongho had reheated for him, Hongjoong looked up the flower. He found the mourning bride in the far back of his book with the flowers that were mostly dark.

His spoon hovered mid-air, and some stew dropped from it into his bowl as he read the text attached to it.

As Hongjoong had guessed, it was mostly presented to widows or those mourning the loss their loved ones. The literal meaning was 'unfortunate love', or a love not blessed by the stars and thus resulting in separation.

He supposed, with a blush, that the same could be said about them. The time they spent together was full of deceit and impossibilities. The thought that Seonghwa still found his way to adore Hongjoong dug through the rat catcher's stomach with an unforeseen sweetness.

If he listened to himself, he found the same attachment echoing back. He barely found it in him to hate Seonghwa anymore. He had seen how the earl worked on his character and how the barricades he had erected to keep unwanted women off gradually sunk around Hongjoong. A few weeks back, Hongjoong never would have imagined Seonghwa asking him whether he arrived safely.

Or kissing him, for that matter.

Hongjoong hesitantly ate his stew to hide the smile that formed on his face.

He doubted Seonghwa and he would ever stop squabbling. Their fights were part of why they were so close, and Hongjoong would never miss out on an opportunity to call Seonghwa an idiot.

But here he was, researching the second new flower in his hand. It was one of the most striking in the garden house. Hongjoong had noticed them last time he had been there for how many leaves they had and how gorgeously they faded from orange to a magenta pink.

It was a zinnia, and for their similar meaning to carnations, they stood on the page right next to them.

Give this flower to a friend or a lover you haven't seen for a long time. Nothing says 'I miss you' quite as much as expressing you wish them back in your arms with a zinnia.

Hongjoong gulped down the rest of his stew and glanced at his door. Should he go? The idea of meeting with Seonghwa late at night was both scandalous and set Hongjoong's heart ablaze with excitement. This flower was a fresh one, so Seonghwa still considered him dear despite getting yelled at by Hongjoong's brother.

Perhaps going could be mistaken as an invitation? Hongjoong didn't want to give the earl any reason to doubt his virtue further. Yet, why not invite him? Hongjoong had shared his bed with strangers before and Seonghwa was effortlessly attractive enough for Hongjoong to agree to spending the night.

But no, Seonghwa couldn't know his secret. He should know, but he couldn't, not yet.

For a few more minutes, Hongjoong perched in his bed, trapped between the draw of his heart and the flower, and his wisdom that told him to stay put. He hemmed and hawed, but ultimately, he put the tray on his vanity and stood to get a shawl to wrap around his shoulders. With the tarnation and his shawl clutched in his hand, he opened the door to peek into the dark corridor.

A faint shimmer of light still framed Seonghwa's door. Despite the late hour, he had to be up reading.

Hongjoong bit his lip as he glanced back to his own bed.

He was exhausted; he wanted to sleep. Everything he had to say to Seonghwa also could wait until the morning.

The sweet fragrance of the zinnia tickled his senses. He buried his nose in the soft petals to breathe in their scent.

He would be fine. Seonghwa couldn't find out and Hongjoong could retreat any time. He trusted Seonghwa not to attempt anything on Hongjoong. After multiple fist-fights, they knew when to avoid each other.

Hongjoong gulped before he stepped out into the corridor. The house laid eerily silent, but it was comforting. Upstairs, Jongho got his rest until morning, and the area of the lower floor was bathed in darkness as only the moon watched through the windows.

Hongjoong's knock on Seonghwa's door was so silent that the man would miss it if he already had fallen asleep on his books. However, only a beat passed before Hongjoong heard the rustling of blankets.

The door opened slowly, as if Seonghwa was suspicious he had misheard. When he spotted Hongjoong in his ankle-length sweet white gown, his gaze softened and he pulled the door open further. Just like last time they met at night, he hadn't changed out of his pants yet.

"Hongjoong," he whispered. The surprise in his voice mixed with a distant delight at seeing him. His eyes studied the flower that Hongjoong clutched in front of his collar that closed his gown up to his neck.

Nervous like a bird's wings, Hongjoong's heart fluttered in his chest.

"I don't know if this is considered inappropriate at this hour, but I wished to talk to you. If you aren't about to sleep yet, may I come in?"

Seonghwa's eyes widened.

"It's wildly inappropriate for an unmarried couple," he smiled. Then his hand gingerly pushed the door open further so Hongjoong could see his spacious room.

"But I wish to hear what you have to say."

Blushing, Hongjoong ducked in to join Seonghwa. The earl closed the door behind him to leave them in the privacy of his heated room. Only the lamp by his bedside was on, and he put his book aside so they could sit on the mattress together. Shy under the earl's attention, Hongjoong clutched onto his flower and his shawl. He was terrified of being found with Seonghwa in his room in only his sleepwear, but nobody in this house would bother them.

They could rest at ease, only making each other nervous.