Dawn had barely broken when heavy knocks echoed through the main gate of the Kang residence.Several royal officers arrived, bearing a sealed decree from the palace.
"By order of His Majesty the King of Joseon,Lord Kang Jun-yeol is hereby found guilty of violating the code of noble conduct.He is stripped of all rank and exiled to the northern border for an indefinite period."
The announcement was cold and final.Jun-yeol stood quietly in the courtyard, calm and composed — as if he had expected this.
His father stood on the veranda, refusing to look at him.In his eyes, Jun-yeol was no longer a son, but a stain on the Kang name.
When Eun-bi heard the news from Mi-sun — who came running into the kitchen, gasping for breath — she froze.
"Lord Kang… has been exiled!"
The words struck like thunder.The pot in Eun-bi's hands clattered to the floor, but she didn't even flinch.
"Where?" she whispered.
"They said the northern province. A cold, desolate place where no one dares to go."
Without a second thought, Eun-bi bolted out the door.
"Eun-bi! Where are you going?" Mi-sun shouted after her.
"To find the bravest fool in all of Joseon!" she yelled back.
At the main gate, Jun-yeol was preparing to depart under the watch of two guards.When he saw Eun-bi running toward him, his expression changed — half shock, half concern.
"Eun-bi! You can't be here—"
"I know!" she cut him off, panting. "But I couldn't just sit there doing nothing!"
The guards exchanged awkward glances, unsure if they should intervene.
Eun-bi looked up, tears already welling in her eyes."My lord, why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want you to be afraid."
"Afraid?" Eun-bi gave a trembling smile. "I'm more afraid of not seeing you again!"
Jun-yeol's eyes softened. "You can't come with me. The place I'm going isn't meant for someone like you."
Eun-bi straightened her back, voice suddenly fierce."Then I'll learn to survive anywhere — as long as you're there."
He let out a short, breathless laugh — the kind that carried both pain and admiration."Why do you always talk like you're in one of your own stories?"
"Because my life already feels like one, my lord," she said, smiling through her tears. "And you just happen to be the main character."
Jun-yeol stared at her — long and silent.Then, with a faint, broken smile, he reached out and brushed her cheek, wiping away her tears.
"If I followed my heart," he murmured, "I'd ask you to come with me. But if I truly love you…"He paused, voice trembling."…then I have to make sure you live safely, even if it means without me."
Eun-bi's hands shook as she gripped his tightly. "My lord…"
He held her hand in return, his gaze soft but unwavering."Don't cry, Han Eun-bi. When I leave, I want the last thing I remember to be your smile — not your tears."
She bit her lip hard, whispering,"If time ever turns again, I'll rewrite everything. But this time, I'll write a different ending."
Jun-yeol's voice was barely above a whisper. "Then I'll be waiting for that ending."
Slowly, he released her hand and mounted his horse.Before he left, he looked back and said gently,
"Don't stop writing, Eun-bi. Because out of everything in this world, your words are the one thing that can still find me."
Eun-bi stood there, watching as he rode away — the sound of hooves fading into the distance,until nothing remained but dust and silence.
And in her room, far away, the wooden pen on her desk trembled softly.As if the world itself was grieving.
That night, under the pale glow of the moon, Eun-bi wrote with trembling hands:
Today, love did not end.It simply walked a different path —and I will keep writing until I find it again.
She stared at her words for a long moment, then smiled faintly even as tears streamed down her face."You really are the most ridiculous man in Joseon…" she whispered. "Even your exile looks noble."
And somewhere far to the north, beneath the same night sky,Jun-yeol looked up at the stars and murmured,
"If your writing can cross through time,then I'll wait for you between the lines."