“I truly do not understand why you insist on being so nervous. If the rider lacks confidence, the steed will mirror that hesitation,” Prince Min-Soo remarked, his voice steady as he rode his horse alongside Mi-Reu. They were traversing the foggy, mountainous grasslands at the outskirts of the capital during the early morning chill.

  “I am trying my best!” Mi-Reu retorted, her knuckles white as she gripped the leather reins. Her horse trotted forward with a cautious, sluggish pace, sensing its rider's internal trepidation.

  “Just relax your posture. You aren't in a race, and you certainly don’t have to compete with Gi-Reu,” Prince Min-Soo advised. He pulled his mount to a halt at a wide clearing to observe Mi-Reu as she practiced her laps. He then cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting toward the horizon, “Don’t venture too far, Gi-Reu!”

  In the distance, Gi-Reu was a mere blur of motion. He was galloping across the windy grassland with reckless speed, weaving from one cluster of trees to another with the natural grace of a seasoned cavalryman.

  “Her Highness is already performing significantly better than during our first session,” a smooth voice interjected. Another rider pulled up beside the two siblings, clad in the striking uniform of the Royal Guard, a sturdy, dark blue cheollic reinforced with blackened leather pauldrons and a high-collared silk sash that bore the crest of the Haebang Dynasty. “In just three short months, Your Highness is now capable of riding alone without a handler. That is quite an achievement in and of itself,” he finished, offering a charming, easy smile.

  Mi-Reu smiled back at him, feeling a flush of pride. “Thank you for the encouragement, Escort Choi.”

  Royal Guard Choi Kang-Ho nodded respectfully, the morning light catching the polished hilt of his sword. “I shall go and check up on His Highness Gi-Reu up ahead. He seems to be testing the limits of his horse’s endurance again,” he said before urging his mount forward. As he rushed toward the distant silhouette of the royal twin brother, a separate unit of guards hovered in the distance, maintaining a discreet but vigilant perimeter.

  “Mother truly is becoming far too overprotective regarding the two of you,” Prince Min-Soo sighed, casting a weary glance at the line of guards observing them from the ridge. “Escort Choi alone would be more than sufficient protection, given he has been assigned to your personal detail since you were infants. Yet, for the last three months, we haven't been able to travel even to the outskirts without a whole specialized guard unit trailing behind us.”

  “She is likely just worried because of Gi-Reu’s inherent recklessness,” Mi-Reu said, watching Escort Choi in the distance. The guard was currently yelling at Gi-Reu to slow down as he chased behind the boy.

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  “As if Gi-Reu is the only one who invites trouble,” Prince Min-Soo replied, casting an accusing, knowing look toward his sister.

  “Whatever do you mean, Brother Min-Soo?!” Mi-Reu revolted, guiding her horse a bit closer to his. She widened her eyes, adopting a perfectly crafted, adorable expression of pure innocence. “I was deathly afraid of even touching a horse three months ago. How would I ever dare to contemplate any mischief?”

  “Don't give me that look, you little brat,” Prince Min-Soo said, completely unmoved by her performance. “I know you and Gi-Reu were secretly planning to ditch your escort today to go and explore the nearby peasant village!”

  “Eh...” Mi-Reu’s face instantly dropped, her mask of innocence shattered. She grumbled under her breath, “Escort Choi snitched on us again, didn't he? That man can't keep a secret to save his life...”

  “So, you were actually planning to do that,” Prince Min-Soo replied with a triumphant smirk.

  Mi-Reu froze, realizing too late that she had been trapped. Escort Choi hadn't reported anything at all; it had merely been a shrewd hunch by her older brother, and she had just handed him the confirmation on a silver platter.

  “That... ah... That,” Mi-Reu stammered, her mind spinning gears in a desperate attempt to find a plausible defense. But the trap had already snapped shut.

  Prince Min-Soo shook his head, his smirk fading into a weary sigh. “We will be returning to the palace grounds early today, and the rest of your afternoon will be dedicated strictly to physical training. Don’t you two even dream of attempting to sneak into the peasant villages.”

  “But... Brother!” Mi-Reu began, her voice rising in a plea for just a few more minutes of freedom outside the high walls.

  Before she could finish her protest, the rhythmic thud of hooves announced the return of the other half of their party. Gi-Reu pulled his horse to a sharp halt right beside them, followed closely by a slightly winded Escort Choi.

  “Why must we go back?” Gi-Reu demanded, clearly catching the tail end of the conversation. “Didn’t Father already grant us explicit permission for longer horseback riding sessions months ago as part of our reward?!”

  “Because reports have arrived of a plague spreading rapidly through the nearby rural settlements,” Prince Min-Soo replied, his voice dropping into a stern, authoritative tone that brooked no argument. “We are returning immediately. For the coming months, you will both be cautioned against visiting or even approaching, any populated areas outside the palace gates.”

  “A plague?” Mi-Reu whispered, the word sending a chill through her despite the morning sun. While she was stunned, a colder, more logical part of her brain wasn't entirely surprised. In her past life, she had read enough history to know the grim pattern: famine was almost always followed by pestilence. It would have been more odd if a sickness hadn't followed the crop failures.

  “You also have to submit your financial records and the bookkeeping for your budgets to Mother tonight, do you not?” Prince Min-Soo reminded them as they began to turn their horses back toward the capital. “It is better to return now so you can focus on those accounts after your training sessions are complete.”

  “Ergh...” Gi-Reu let out a guttural groan of pure frustration, his dreams of exploring the common markets dissolving into the reality of ink-stained fingers and sore muscles.

  With the heavy mood of the impending quarantine hanging over them, the group spurred their horses into a steady trot, heading back toward the sprawling silhouette of the royal palace.