[It’s the king’s birthday. To come up with a great gift, Ju decides to invite Seol while his mother was away due to her sickness. The crown prince asked Seol to massage the king’s shoulder, in which the girl agrees. She also happily says since she always got a lit of gifts from him, she wants to give anything the king wants. But his request was quite unexpected.]

Ju paced around his chamber, contemplating. Tomorrow is the king’s birthday. His father’s. His mother Queen Daemok is very ill as much as she couldn’t move from her bed leaving Ju to think of the way to appease his father. Due to many preparation for the most glorious day in Goryeo and the meetings the king had made him stressed.

“Crown Prince?”

Ju turned to see Seol who was tilting her head in confusion.

“What’s wrong?” Seol asked.

The crown prince was aware of the fact that his father always dotes on her. Not that he was jealous, but he just knew that the king spoils her whenever he gets the opportunity. For her last year’s birthday, he was heard that the king gave her beautiful hanboks and her favorite snacks. When she trip and was about to cry, he was always there to soothe the child.

Then, Ju made an idea as he grabbed her hand.

“Seol-ah. You know what day tomorrow is, right?” 

“Yes. It’s uncle So’s birthday, right?” Seol answered.

“Yes. And you want to make him happy, don’t you?” Ju smiled.

Seol nodded her head vigorously at that.

“Of course! I want uncle smile everyday!” Seol smiled.

Ju looked around in case no one’s around them. He shooed his servants outside as he dragged Seol away from them.

“I have a plan and I need your help.”

From the next day, Ju, his sisters and Seol arrived at the large, empty pavilion with magenta pillar surrounded as a form of hexagon with dark roof. He had his servants prepared all the decorations Seol and princesses made.

“So you’re saying we have to put all of these around here?” Princess Bo-Hwa asked.
“It’s for the best.” Ju simply replied.

“I love decorations, it’s fluffy.” Princess Mun-Deok giggled as she held the flowery decorations.

“Well, don’t just stand here. Let’s begin!” Seol jumped as she held the decorations around pavilion, followed by Ju and his sisters helping her as the servants smiled warmly at them.

They could see Seol trying to reach the up for the flower decorations and the court ladies held her up, helping the girl. She thanked them with sweet smile as she put the flowers on each corner. Some of the court ladies were moving the tables directed by Ju as the princesses were dragging the rest of the adornments. Wang Chi and his sisters were watching them afar, interested. His sisters persuaded him to help them as he agreed to, secretly because of Seol. For several hours, they have finally finished the decorations as Hwangbo siblings returned to their household as the princesses were leaving as they had to go for the etiquette lessons.

Fortunately, Baek-Ah and Jung who was watching them all along decided to bring their brother for the surprise prepared for him.

“Remind me you two, why are you bringing me here?” the king asked.

“It’s a surprise~,” Baek-Ah smiled, “and you will love them, right Jung?”

Jung nodded his head. They arrived at the decorated pavilion, only to get impressed. Ju and Seol was waiting for them as they bowed, then with a mischievous smile they yelled as loud as they could.

“SURPRISE!”

Gwangjong jerked back a little as he looked around and looked at the two.

“…did you—”

Before he could finish ask, Ju dragged Seol with proud smile.

“Actually, it was HER idea.” Ju replied.

Seol blinked her eyes, then smiled.

“We wanted to make a surprises so we decided to make gifts,” Seol said, bashfully twirling her waist around, “I always got a lot of presents from you and I wanted to give you gifts as many as I could.”

‘The gift is giving him a gifts…’ Baek-Ah and Jung muttered from their head simultaneously.

Seol and Ju asked the king to sit on the chair as Seol was standing in front. The king remembered his deceased brother Eun’s birthday. He remembered how Soo sang for the tenth prince, appreciated him for the friendship they shared.

“I couldn’t get to buy a lot as I don’t really much know what uncle So likes.”

‘Nope, no need to. He’s already touched.’ Ju, Baek-Ah and Jung muttered in their mind at the same time.

“So in order to make it up, I decide to give you three gifts.”

Ju came over and whispered.

“Seol, give his majesty a massage on his shoulder. He’s been really stressed with the duties from the court.”

Before the king could refuse, Seol already dragged the chair behind him and attempted to reach on the top as her height was barely touching the edge of the seat, much to Jung, Baek-Ah, and the king’s greatest attempt not to giggle. As Seol managed to climb up, she used her tiny fist and tapped his shoulders with steady tempo. Gwangjong couldn’t help but smile at her attempt. His large hand grabbed her smaller one.

“Thank you, Seol. That’s good enough.”

The king smiled at her as she returned back with her cheerful, toothy ones. Looking at the king’s unusually warm, soft expressions Ju often wished his father could make such expression to him also, but in remind of himself as a son of the wife he doesn’t love, he shook his head incredulous of such impossible wish he made.

“Crown prince,” One of the court lady bowed, “your mother’s calling for you.”

Ju nodded his head as he excused himself, escorted by Baek-Ah and Jung leaving the king and Seol alone. The girl jumped off from the seat and stood beside him.

“Uncle So, anything else you want to have?” Seol asked, her doe-like eyes shining.

The king looked up to the sky, thinking. When the moment he realized the girl was his and Soo’s daughter, he wanted to bring her to palace and let her live as a princess she deserves to be, but he doesn’t wish to take the freedom away from the girl whose adventures and lives awaits for her. Since there are no servants around them, he guessed this was the only time he could be a bit…selfish for one wish he desired to grant.

“Yes, yes I do.”

Seol walked closer.

“Really? What is it? Tell me anything.” Seol ran around cheerfully and skipped beside him.

Gwangjong smiled, somewhat wistfully and longing.

“Would you—for only today—call me father?”

Seol blinked her eyes couple of times, unexpected with his wish. She knew he has one son as a crown prince with three princesses as his daughters. She wasn’t sure whether they have good or bad relationship, but she decided not to ask why he asked for such request.

Noticing her perplexity, he formed a sad smile.

“Perhaps—just once? It’s your uncle’s only wish.”

“Just one? Are you sure?” Seol asked.

The king only nodded his head with “yes.”

Seol contemplated for a while. Then, with a wide smile and her arms spread up, waving she spoke the word the king had died waiting for, as if her words were her magic spell.

“Daddy~.”

The couple of seconds were the silence that greeted her. The king smiled and the next thing she realized, the king held the girl and embraced her tightly like a dear, fragile life. Seol couldn’t see his uncle’s expression but she hoped it made him happy enough, in which it was more than that.

“Thank you.”

Seol could hear his voice shaking, but sounded very gleeful, deeply moved even. She giggled happily and said the magic word again.

“Te-he, daddy.”

Little did she knew, the king’s eyes were wet, as much as he wanted to stop. She heard Lady Munhye searching for her as he finally let go.

“I’m coming~.” Seol replied.

The king asked if she wanted him to walk to her room, and she agreed.

“About what happened, why don’t we keep it as a secret?”

At her uncle’s question, she nodded.

“Okay, I love secrets.”

The night was quite breezy enough to send people a chill. Noticing the coldness, the girl immediately held the king’s hand. He looked at the child who was grinning.

“Hehe, is it warm?”

For the first time in his life, Gwangjong held his child’s hand. Small and fragile, almost like her mother’s. He blinked his eyes, and formed a smile not noticing a tear escaped from his eyes.

“Yes…yes it is.”

Epilogue:

Next day…

“Uncle~. Are you alright?” Seol asked from outside the king’s chamber along with Ju, guarded by old eunuch.

As they didn’t heard anything from inside, Ju asked the old man.

“What happened?”

The old eunuch only stared at little girl and the boy with sympathetic expression.

“Well…”

Inside the room, Baek-Ah was busy with a desperate attempt to calm the king’s emotional breakdown.

“Uhh…your majesty? Brother?” Baek-Ah called out, concerned.

Baek-Ah swore he heard the king’s mumbling: “Now, I have no regrets…” finished with another breakdown.

Outside the room, Jung came beside Seol with a confused expression as Baek-Ah came out.

“What happened?” Jung asked.

“I don’t know,” Baek-Ah then looked at Seol, “Seol, did something happened yesterday?”

Seol only smiled.

“I think he loved my gifts so much.”

With her enigmatic reply, three of them tilted their head, mildly confused and curious.

“What gifts?”

Seol only grinned mischievously as she skipped away.

“It’s a secret~!”

And the three followed her.

“Oi, not fair!” The three ran to her, feigned their offended expression but smiling.