~Eunji's POV~

"You must be a maid of honour. What were you doing out here all by yourself?" the mysterious man asked as he took off his outer garment and placed it around my still-shivering-from-fear shoulders.

His voice.

His voice sounded exactly like...

Baekhyun...

I looked up to see his face. He was wearing a mask and a straw hat which covered up his face, so I couldn't confirm that Baekhyun was his reincarnation.

"W-who are you?" I said in a royal way. By my instincts (coz I can't see his face), he gave me a strange look.

"I-I mean w-who are you?" I said in a casual and formal way.

But I received no answer. He just grinned back.

"You must be starving. Come follow me," he said as he lent me his hand. "I know the best tteok (rice cake) store.

*

*

~a few hours later~

*

*

Night came and the moon hung up in the night sky.

After all that horse riding, eating rice cakes, going on the swings and seeing people walking on tightropes, made me exhausted.

"Today was fun." I said to the man who had saved my life today, as we reached near the Palace.

"Yea, it was. You know your way from here right?" He asked.

"Yea."

"Then I'll see you next time." He said as he ran back to wherever he had come from.

Then it struck me. I hadn't asked for his name.

But what was the use of knowing a man's name who I will never be able to meet again? Bomi would kill me as soon as I see her.

I just stood there looking at him until he disappeared into the night. He never turned back once.

"ONGJU- NIM!" a familiar voice called out.

A very familiar voice.

Bomi.

I must prepare for her long articulation.

*

*

~Next day~

*

*

"and then this man came flying down out of no where and fought the landlords away, like hi-ya." I continued on with my story as Princess Namjoo and I walked along the flowerbeds.

"So what you're saying is that, you left the Palace yesterday." Princess Namjoo stated. I looked at her and smiled nervously.

"Anyway, and then we went horseback riding, ate rice cakes, went on swings and saw tightrope walkers." I said and left the princess speechless.

"What's the name of this guy?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask."

"Well whoever it is, you seem to fancy him," she said as she stopped to water her favourite flower ever so gracefully.

"What do you mean? He's a total stranger. Why would I like him?" I said flustered. But I felt deep inside that I was deceiving myself.

Could this be possible? Could I possibly have grown special feelings towards a..stranger?

*

~A few days later~

*

"Your Majesty, Eunji Gongjumama is here." the maid announced to the King.

"Come in."

I stepped into the King's chamber for the first time with a pounding heart. Princess Namjoo was already sitting on the dining table.

"Why did you ask for me?" I asked.

"Sit down." Namjoo said and gestured me to a seat.

"I called you girls here to talk about something very important," our father started.

What could it be?

My curiosity level rose to its maximum as soon as the King finished talking.

"What is it Father?" Princess Namjoo questioned. Curiosity was written all over her face as well.

"Well, I decided that...' The King continued.

I wished he would talk faster. It was driving me mad.

I needed to know what the big news was.