[When playing with Hwangbo sisters, Seol meets their older brother Wang Chi. One day when she saw children with their mother and she couldn’t help but feel envious. She tearfully wished she could see her mother. Then, the wish had somehow become true within her dreams.]

Another day, another play dating princesses, Seol followed the princesses to the Damiwon. It’s been a year since she become the princesses’ playdate. They asked her if she could go to the market with them, in which she agreed. Seol used her ‘eyes’ to persuade her uncles and father permit her. Once again, they agreed even though Jung was hesitant. Seol went outside the palace and saw the princesses escorted by Baek-Ah and the mysterious boy. She stopped as she walked towards them.

The boy who’s age was same as Mun-Deok with his smile revealed his dimple, the same as the boy Seol met at the Lake Dongji, Wang Ju, the Crown Prince. 
“Seol, meet Wang Chi. Hwangbo Su’s older brother.” Baek-Ah introduced to her.

Wang Chi bowed as Seol did the same.

“Greetings to Prince Chi.” Seol greeted.

“Please to meet you, Lady Seol.” Chi smiled.

Baek-Ah lead the children to the market, letting them pick whatever they want to buy. Seol only watched them afar as she didn’t need anything to purchase. Seeing the siblings together reminded her time when she took her brothers to the market as they always preferred the toy swords and small wooden bows and arrows.

Noticing her, Chi walked over her with curiosity.

“Are you not going to buy anything?”

His young voice caught her attention. She shook her head no. Chi went back to the shop and picked one particular hairpin, gave the coins to the owner and went back to her. With a smile, he handed the hairpin to her.

“Here,” Chi formed a prim smirk, “I’m really thankful of you for befriending with my sisters.”

Judging the boy’s mature persona, Seol reluctantly accepted the small gift. Smiling in approval, Chi went back to his sisters who were trying to make a trouble.

Seol walked around the market, then noticed the little girl crying as the mother tries to calm her. She turned around and saw two children sleeping as their parents watching them with smile. As if the heaven teases her, she couldn’t help but felt bittersweet, envious of them. Every children she saw has a mother, while she doesn’t. Even though Lady Munhye is currently her new mother, she wishes to see the one who gave birth to her.

“Seol, what’s wrong?”

She spun her head and saw Baek-Ah whose eyes were filled with concern. Seol only shook her head with small grin.

“It’s nothing, uncle.”

When finishing their shopping, the kids went back to Songak. As they entered they saw the crown prince standing, wearing his black training robes. They all bowed at the same time.

“Greetings to the Crown Prince.”

“Welcome back,” Seol could hear the innocent boyish tone from the young prince. He approached to Seol, “Did you enjoy the market?”

“Yes.” Seol replied.

Then, they heard Lady Sunui’s voice calling out her children.

“We’re coming, mother,” Chi answered back and bid his goodbyes to Seol, “I’ll see you again.”

Chi and his sisters went to their mother who was smiling warmly at them as she hold Chi’s hand, leaving Seol, Ju, and his sisters.

“Are you going to join us with snacks?” Princess Wang A-Ji asked.

“I’d like to, but my father will pick me up.” Seol only smiled sadly.

Crown Prince Ju was a bit disappointed at that, but he agreed nonetheless. It’s been years since they get along, playing at the Astronomer’s Tower while no one’s watching them.

“Do you want us to walk you back to your chamber?” Ju asked.

“It’s quite alright. Lady Munhye’s waiting for me.” Seol politely declined the offer.

“Well,” Ju only formed a strained smile revealing his dimples, “it was nice to see you again, Seol.”

Seol bowed to them and walked to Damiwon. She stopped at the entrance and saw the Crown Prince and his sisters walking with their mother, Queen Daemok, and the caretaker Lady Gyeonghwagung. With one more glance, she entered the chamber where Jung and Lady Munhye was waiting for her.

“Did you have fun?” Jung asked.

“Yep.” Seol smiled.

Noticing the emptiness in her smile, Lady Munhye tilted her head.

“What’s wrong, child? Are you feeling well?”

“I was a bit tired today.” Seol answered with a sigh.

Jung held his daughter and tucked her inside her bed.

“If you need anything, tell us. I’ll tell the king you were exhausted.”

Seol merely nodded her head. Looking outside the window, she could see the sunset with the auburn sky invading the view. As her parents left the room, Baek-Ah entered.

“Hello, sun-spot. How do you feel?” He asked.

“I’m sleepy,” Seol mumbled, “but somehow I cannot sleep.”

Baek-Ah watched the sky then formed a grin.

“Let me tell you something. When the night took over, there’s a star sparkles up. If you wish for something with a shooting star, it becomes real.”

Seol pouted.

“Liar.”

“I’m not lying. It’s real, because—” Before he could finish the sentence, he stopped remembered such story from Hae Soo, “—because that’s how my wish became true.”

Seol didn’t say anything at that.

“Is there anything you wish for?”

Seol remembered the time she saw couple of children with their parents. Mostly with their mother. She frowned a bit.

“Mom…”

“Excuse me?” Baek-Ah was taken aback with her reply.

Seol only shook her head as she covered herself with a think blanket. Seeing the child has no will to answer he sighed as he dismissed himself outside her room. As the door shut, she reached for the table beside, grabbed her favorite hairpin decorated with jades forming a white peony flowers and butterfly. It was her mother’s hairpin.

Before she could realize, she was sniffing as she restrained her sobs. She looked up to the sky that has finally become a night filled with starlight. She sniffed again, letting a tear escape from her eyes and closed it.

“I wish I could see my mom. Even if it’s from my dreams, I want to see her.”

She covered herself with a blanket and drifted herself into asleep, holding the hairpin as her dear life. Little did she knew, the tall majestic figure was standing behind the closed door, with his face covered with forlorn, solemn eyes.

“Your majesty.” Baek-Ah called out.

The king only nodded his head and walked away from the chamber, letting a poor child sleep peacefully in her dreams.

In the lake of Dongji, Seol was running around passing every wild flowers by. Watching the butterflies flying above, she attempted to catch one of them only to fall on her back. As she laid on the field, the small butterfly landed on her hairpin. She tried to catch one more time, but missed it. Oddly, the small white butterfly was flapping its wing in front of her and flew away as if it wants her to follow it.

Curious, she walked the path the butterfly was flying. She stopped as she realized she was at unknown field of peonies and magnolias. She looked around to see the butterfly, but she couldn’t find it. Upset, she sat on the field and was about to rest until…

“Seol-ah.”

She abruptly sat up as she heard a soft, warm voice of a woman. She looked around but saw no one.

“Seol-ah.”

The voice rang and she turned around, only to find a woman standing far away. She was wearing a white hanbok with her hair tied back in buns with hairpin. The same hairpin her mother wore a ling time ago. The woman had a loving, motherly expression with a doe-like eyes smiling at her. The white butterflies were surrounding the woman as if she was a divine being. Seol took one step forward to see a better look. The woman waved her hand at her with beautiful smile and that’s where Seol finally recognized who she was as the girl smiled widely.

“Mother?”

Excited and disbelieved, she ran as fast as she could towards the woman she called mother. Afraid her mother will leave her, she ran faster until she crashed into her embrace as the woman kneeled down, hugging her child.

“Mom…I missed you.”

“It’s alright,” Soo soothed her daughter, “I’m here.”

“Why did you leave?” Seol let her face buried into her mother’s embrace.

“I’m sorry, sweetie,” Soo patted her daughter’s back, “but remember, I’m not leaving you alone. I’m only living inside you.”

“But I don’t want to leave you.” Seol whined with tears soaking her doe-like eyes.

“I’m always with you.” Hae Soo smiled as the butterflies and blossom petals surrounded her and slowly disappeared leaving her daughter watching above.
Saddened she laid back only to clutch the hairpin tighter, until she swore she heard her mother’s voice rang in her heart.

“Even when you can’t see me, I’m here with you.”

Seol smiled as she sleeps, oblivious to a sensation of her head and patted soothingly by a a strong but warm hand that belongs to none other than the king himself who was smiling at a small angel sleeping with a same smile her mother wore.