"That's not an answer," Meical snapped.
"You're already barely keeping food down some mornings. And you want to walk straight into Radomir's territory?"
Min-jae's jaw clenched. "I won't let him touch me."
"That's not the point," Meical said. "The point is that you're vulnerable. And he's unstable."
Min-jae looked away. "I can manage."
Meical laughed once, humorless. "That's what you said last time."
The words landed harder than either of them expected.
Min-jae's shoulders tensed. "That's not fair."
"Isn't it?" Meical asked quietly. "You left before. You walked into danger before. And now you're standing here telling me you're going to do it again."
Min-jae turned back to him. "This isn't about me."
"It always is," Meical said. "Because you don't know how to stop carrying the weight of everyone else."
Min-jae's voice softened, but didn't waver. "And you want me to ignore a woman being beaten because it's inconvenient?"
Meical flinched.
"I didn't say that."
