Dong Wook followed the couple in front followed by Qinghe and Changling. When Changling came into view his eyes widened. He knew about the child she was carrying before she died. That day after Chushan’s funeral, he found Wu Yong after his runaway attempt, Wu Yong confessed that he and Chushan were expecting a baby.

He was shocked then felt pity when he realized that the child would never be born and because of this, he impregnated Consort Kim who gave birth to the current crown prince who is a year younger than this boy behind him.

He looked just like Wu Yong, except for his nose, since it looks like it was broken then mended again. He stopped walking when he stepped through the door. Changling bumped into him making Dong Wook turn around and give him a thorough look over.

“Why’d he stop walking?” Changling asked himself and walked around him. He sat down at the large round table in the middle of the kitchen where twenty-two seats were placed around it.

Dong Wook’s brows furrowed. Twenty-two seats were too much for one household. The four of them sat around the table while Yifan left to clean himself up. Nothing was said as they sat around the table but the boys were messing around.

Dong Wook watched Chushan look at her sons with a content smile on her face as she rubbed her dome. The two boys were tickling each other, laughing and hugging one another, “So, what brings the emperor’s royal guard here?”

Dong Wook looked at the boys who stopped messing around and were now glaring at him with hostility. Before he could say anything, two identical beautiful young girl’s walked into the room with smiles on their faces, one wearing a light blue tunic while the other wore a light green tunic.

Their hair glided down their backs adorned with accessories matching their tunics with matching coloured shoes as well.

They bowed beside the two boys then jumped on them with a giggle, “Oraboni you’re home,” they said in sync.

The girls were beautiful and had their mother’s looks. What Dong Wook found odd was that they bowed before them. When the girls got out from their hug with Qinghe they turned to Changling and kissed him on the cheek, one girl on each of his cheeks. He grinned from ear to ear.

They then turned their attention to Dong Wook looking at him confused. They never got visitors besides their three sets of grandparents and to see someone here made them curious. The girls walked up to Dong Wook and observed the man.

One girl on each side of him making him feel odd. They stared at him for some time before the one in the light blue tunic spoke, “How odd sister, doesn’t this man look like the man which our guardian keeps telling us about?”

Her sister in the light green tunic smiled amused at the man and nodded. Turning to their mother the girls smiled at her, “Shall we make tea mother while we wait for your husband?” they asked together. Chushan nodded her head and waved the girls off.

Dong Wook looked at the girls confused, who was the one who spoke of him that they spoke of and why did these two girls seem like old foxes yet they were not that young from the boy who looked like Wu Yong.

As they left, Yifan walked back in in a change of clothes cleaner than the one from before due to being thrown on the ground by his children. He leaned down and kissed his wife on the lips who pulled him back for three kisses making their sons groan.

Yifan took the seat at the head of the table. Chushan got up and sat down on his lap and kicked her feet up onto a stool near them. Dong Wook looked on without a word since he noticed also that he was ignoring. Being that he was ignored right after the twins lift.

Yifan placed his left hand on Chushan’s dome while his right hand sat at the small of her back supporting her. The twins soon walked. The daughter in the light blue tunic had a tray with a pot of tea on it with seven cups turned upside down on it while the daughter wearing a light green tunic had a tray in her hand with biscuits and cake in it.

They walked around the table, handing out tea and offering them treats, then sat down opposite the boys on the other side of the table while their parents were at the head and Dong Wook at the end of the table.

The girls sat and stared at their brothers then looked at Dong Wook then at their parents. The one in the light green tunic, pulled the cup from her lips and placed it down saying, “Let’s get this over and done with shall we, oraboni mother said you have something to say to father?”

“Yes, we shouldn’t let the silence rule over us,” the one in the light blue tunic added.

Qinghe swallowed the tea in his mouth and sat up straight in the chair, taking in a deep breath he started, “The maiden I was seeing confessed to me today that she is, in fact, a princess of the kingdom.”

Yifan looked at Qinghe surprised, whereas Changling scoffed in disgust. Yifan cleared his throat, “What else?”

“I broke it off with her and resigned from the royal education pavilion,” he said as he held out his cup to be filled by his sister in the light blue tunic who smiled at him.

Yifan remained quiet and looked at his daughters who were looking at their brothers with smiles on their faces. Yifan then cleared his throat, “Children, I’d like to introduce you to the emperors’ royal guard, Mr Hwan Dong Wook, Dong Wook, these are our children, you already know my son Qinghe. The young man beside him is Changling, the two beautiful girls are respective, Qian Lan in the light blue tunic and Qian Luse. Together they make up the four pillars of our household and represent us, their parents. Now might I ask, why is it that you followed Qinghe up into the mountains?”

Dong Wook looked on at the family profoundly. Yifan saying that these children of theirs represent them means that they fully trust their children to make decisions on behalf of them. Clearing his throat, “The emperor ordered me to return with you and your son to the capital for Qinghe’s punishment for involving the princess in an affair.”

Qinghe, Changling, Qian Lan and Qian Luse turned their heads at the same time in Dong Wook’s direction. It was so in sync that Dong Wook felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, “Bullshit!” Changling cursed.

Dong Wook frowned. “Now, now, oraboni. Let’s wait until he finishes explaining before you curse him out,” Qian Luse mediated.

Changling grumbled but remained quiet. “Mr Hwan, please continue,” Qian Luse said while walking over to him with the teapot. As she poured him another cup he continued after a thank you, “My words are true. Qinghe and the princess were in an affair together, he’ll be punished and there is nothing you can do about it. He was originally sentenced to death but the princesses begged for leniency leading to his punishment being ten years imprisonment.”

The four pairs of eyes on him stared at him in mockery and amusement. It was quiet for some time making Dong Wook feel uneasy. His eyes connected with Changling’s. He looked at Dong Wook the same way Wu Yong looked at him when he annoyed him.

Seeing that Dong Wook was looking at him, Changling leaned forward resting his head lazily on his palm, “Are you done?” he asked.

Dong Wook nodded his head. The sisters looked away from him making eye contact with each other then looked at their brothers who were staring at them as well. Yifan and Chushan got up waving at Dong Wook then walked out of the front door to watch over their children playing in the yard.

The four turned their attention to Dong Wook, “You know its bullshit without us having to say anything. The princess lied to my brother and now he has to suffer because of her if that man thinks he’s going to get away with his tyranny he’s got another thing coming.”

“Now, now oraboni, the first issue we need to deal with is the princess, she needs to be punished for lying to oraboni,” Qian Lan said with a smirk on her face as she looked into her cup of tea.

“Yes, she can’t get away with making our brother fall for her and get our hopes up with the marriage proposal we were preparing for her family,” Qian Luse added.

“By the looks of it, there will be no proposal since her father wants Hyung dead,” Changling said with contempt.

“Who does she think she is?” Qian Luse gritted through her teeth. The three of them nodded in agreement while Qinghe was in his own world thinking about Mei Yuan. He really wanted to marry her, wanted to be with her but she’s his child, Changling’s biological sister.

“Oraboni?!” Qian Lan called drawing him out of his thoughts.

“Yes?” he asked unconcernedly.

The twins sighed looking at their brother. They knew how excited he was and in love he was with this girl he had yet to introduce to the family. Their brother looked lost currently and this wasn’t the bubbly Qinghe they knew.

“Let’s agree to heading to the imperial palace to speak to the princess. We’ll hand oraboni over but under no circumstances will he get placed in prison, we need to show the emperor that his decision is … bullshit,” Qian Luse stated.

The four of them looked at each other knowingly then gazed at Dong Wook who was staring at them impressed. He’d never seen children discuss a topic such as this, so calmly.

“Mr Hwan, we’ll accompany you to the palace but not to hand over our brother,” Qian Lan stated.

“But just know, that if he tries anything funny, we’re not letting him get away with it, understand?” Changling asked.

Dong Wook looked at them then nodded slowly.

“We’ll depart tomorrow morning,” Qinghe added then got up and dragged Changling with him. The twins smiled at him then got up, “You are welcome to sleep outside if you want,” Qian Luse said with a smile on her face.

Qian Lan chuckled shaking her head, “My sister doesn’t mean it, we have a guest room so feel free to make yourself comfortable. Our parents are outside and dinner will be ready in two hours,” she said and walked off with her sister beside her.