The early signs of dawn shone through the window as you rolled up your sleeves and prepared for the work you had ahead of you. Today you were assigned one of the more tedious and time consuming tasks, scrubbing the entryway of the manor. You gave a fistpump in the air to bring up your spirit, as you whispered, “_____, Fighting.” You had to be quiet, after all your stepmother and stepsisters were still asleep. As for your father, he was out of the house dealing with his business that usually took and kept him away from home. After your mother had passed and your father had remarried to a woman named Eunhye, you were told by your Stepmother that you would be doing all the household chores. Along with your stepmother came two step sisters, Jieun and Jihae, who both were around your age. At first you were excited to gain two sisters, having been an only child, however, that notion was short lived as they had made it well known that they wanted nothing to do with you. You questioned whether Eunhye had married your father out of love and happiness or for the wealth that your family had. However, you could tell that your father was happy and you decided to put up with the mistreatment and all the chores, so long as he continued to be happy. It wasn't all that bad, especially when they left you alone for the majority of the day to deal with your chores.

Hours had passed when you finally scrubbed the last of the floor. You stood and rubbed your aching shoulder and stretched to loosen up your tight muscles. Deciding that you need some fresh air you decided to head out to your favorite part of the entire manor. You exited the house and passed through the familiar iron gate that lead to the garden. You followed the pebbled path that lead to a giant willow tree. This particular tree held important significance to you, as you had planted it with your mother. You remember her telling you that when a Willow tree grew to full maturity it can fulfill the heart's wish. You loved this place, it always had a calming effect on you and you often escaped your confines of the manor by staying in the garden. You sat on an iron bench that rested beneath the tree and looked out across the pond. You inhaled slowly, feeling content with the peaceful atmosphere of your sanctuary. All of the sudden you heard a cat hiss quickly followed by the barking of a dog and within seconds the source of commotion came into your view as a smoke colored Bengal cat was being chased by a black Korean Jindo dog. You chuckled as you watched the antics of the two. The pair was familiar as they were often in your garden, however they usually get along and aren't always fighting. They came around so often that you had named them and considered them your friends. After noticing you, the cat headed straight for you with the dog not too far behind. Once it was within reasonable distance, the cat took a leap of faith straight into your arms. You wrapped your arms around the cat as the dog slowed its pace and sat on the floor in front of you. “Yeol.” You said sternly to the dog as if it could understand what you were going to say, “Why are you chasing Jong? You know he hates it.” You said, petting Jong’s head comfortingly as he continued to seemingly glare at Yeol. As if to prove that he didn’t understand the lecture you were trying to give him he picked up his hind leg to scratch behind his ear. You chuckled and reached out to pat Yeol’s head, “Thanks for cheering me up.” Your smile was returned with a silly dog grin.

The peace returned as you pet Jong, who now laid curled in your lap, and watched Yeol chase the fish around the perimeter of the pond. You were beginning to doze off, having woken up so early, but you were immediately brought back to your senses that when a loud noise startled you from behind. CAW. You looked up into the willow tree that sat behind you to find out that the source of the noise was a black crow resting upon the tree branch. CAW. It called once more as it flapped its wings and you recognised this crow because of the L shaped patch of white on its wings. This crow you had seen in the garden upon numerous occasions and you even called it L. However, he was usually quiet as it observed from the tree, so you asked, “L, why was he being so noisy today?” Your attention was gained once more as you heard a sound, similar to thunder, drawing near to your manor. After a second you recognised the sound as the galloping of a horse on the way to your estate. Afraid that you would be caught “slacking off,” as your stepmother put it, you rushed back inside to avoid any negative confrontations. You entered the house through the back door and picked up the nearest duster and pretended to dust the curtains as a knock was heard from the door. The knock was quickly followed by a call from your stepmother, “______! Answer the door and be polite!” “Yes ma’am” was your reply as you hurried to the door to not keep your guest waiting. As you opened the door you were greeted by the royal messenger , and after seeing who was at the door you opened it wider to allow them in. Your stepmother entered the room, followed by Jieun and Jihae, and curtsied asking, “To what do we owe the pleasure?” The messenger cleared his throat as he stated off of a piece of paper,

“To the _(Last Name)_ household:

Your royal highness requests your attendance at the ball tonight and tomorrow's evening as well. It will be at the end of this 2-day ball where Prince Jang will announce who he would like to have as his bride. The attendance of every lady in the household would be much appreciated. Signed: The Grand Duke, Lee Howon.”

At the end of the message he handed the paper to your stepmother and took his leave after a bow.

As soon as the door closed shut, Jieun and Jihae began fussing over what they would wear, “Mother, what should I wear?” “No. Mother help me first. After all, I am the oldest and most suitable to marry Prince Jang.” The continued to bicker until your stepmother held up her hand, silencing the duo in an instant. “My daughters. I will help you both look your best for a chance to love the future king.” They squealed and began to head upstairs with your stepmother not far behind. You began to wonder what the castle looked like, especially when it was decorated for a ball and packed with men and women wearing their best attire. You….really wanted to go, but you thought that your stepmother would never entertain the idea of you accompanying them and “ruining” Jieun and Jihae’s chances. However, your thoughts were hung up on on phrase within the letter: ‘every lady in the household.’ That included you…..Right? So you took the risk and called for your stepmother’s attention, “Ma’am.” She turned and looked at you, a look of irritation hidden behind a fake smile, “Yes, _____.” “Well… I was wondering if I could attend the ball as well. Since the letter from the Grand Duke asked that all ladies of the household to attend.” She seemed to stir up some thoughts and said, “You may attend.” In excitement you smiled and said, “Thank you, Ma’am.” She held up her hand and continued, “However you can only attend if you finish all your chores and find you own attire that will be suitable for the presence our king and prince Jang.” She started up the stairs and didn’t turn back around as she said, “Oh. Be sure to be done by 7:00 p.m sharp because that is when my carriage is leaving.” You curtsied, even though she couldn’t see you, “Yes, Ma’am. Thank you, Ma’am.” You glanced at the clock and realized that you had to be quick about finishing up your chores because the time already read 5:00p.m. You began your chores immediately in hopes of finishing in enough time to find a dress.

You put your pace into overdrive and the hard work payed off. By the time you finished your chores the clock read 6:00pm, which left you with one whole hour to prepare for the ball. You had an hour to find a dress to wear and you wasted no time as you dove into your closet. Outfit after outfit you pulled out and held in front of you as you checked how you would look in your body length mirror. After some time, you pulled out the last outfit and your spirits were shot down as you realized nothing within your closet was near suitable for a royal ball. You sat on the floor and released a sad sigh. Knowing nothing could be done, you began to pick up all you clothes that now lay on the floor. However, you didn’t get very far in the cleanup process as you heard a soft thump behind you. Meow You turned to find Jong sitting upon a trunk below the window. “Jong, what are you doing here?” You asked in surprise. He seemed to answer you as he lifted one paw up and hit the lock that kept the trunk sealed. His action triggered a thought, as you recalled that the trunk held possessions of your mother. ‘What if there is a dress in there?’ you thought as you grabbed the key from your drawer and picked Jong up off the box. You unlocked the box and looked inside to find exactly what you were looking for. You picked up the pink colored gown and held it up to you. You looked into the mirror and smiled, “Perfect.”

The time read 6:45 as you walked down the stairs and joined your stepsisters who were already ready. They looked at you and their facial expressions turned cold as they looked you over. When your stepmother entered, they began to complain about the dress you were wearing. “_____. Where did you get that dress?” Your stepmother asked sternly. “It was my mother’s.” You replied as you took interest in the floor not removing your stare. Jieun started, “That’s a pretty dress.” Jihae continued, “Too bad it’s all wet.” Before you could ask what they were talking about you were doused in water. You looked up in shock and saw your step sisters holding flower vases, now empty of the water that was once inside them. Despite the you anger felt about them ruining the dress you said, “That’s okay….I still have time to change into another dress. I’ll be right back.” However, before you could head back up to your room, “______” Your stepmother said as she now stood by the clock that currently read 6:50, but not for long, as she stuck her hand into the clock and moved the minute hand till the clock now read 7:00p.m. As if to seal your fate, the clock’s chime resonated through the house as she continued, “There is no time.”

You stood in the empty entry way, even after they had left, trying to process what had happened. ….Why?.....Just …. Why couldn’t they accept you? You accepted them into your home, being nice and respectful, as your mother told you, but they still treated you like the dirt beneath their feet. Tears, long suppressed, trailed down your cheeks in a never ending supply. You ran out the back door, to the place that comforted you and brought you as close to your mother's arms as humanly possible, the willow tree. You arrived at the tree and collapsed at the base of the tree, your tears falling upon the roots off the tree. You cried as you thought, ‘I just wanted to escape this life for a couple of evenings, even one would have been enough. I wanted to feel rooted to something like a flower or tree and not like the dirt that gets blown around with nothing holding it in place and stable.’ You sat at the foot of the tree, with your back against its trunk, you whispered “That is all I wish.” “A pretty lady shouldn’t be crying all alone.” You had not heard anyone enter the garden, so the appearance of a new voice startled your unprepared self. You jumped away and quickly turned to see a handsome dark haired man leaning against your willow tree. He wore a suit that was completely red from top to bottom and covered in black X like shapes. His outfit was topped off with a black fedora upon his head. “Sorry.” He said with a smile, “My name is Nam Woohyun.” (A/n: For his outfit, think Delicious MV) He bowed slightly, “I am here because I heard your heart's wish.” You looked at him a little strange and asked, “So...you are like my fairy Godmother.” He laughed, “More like your Fairy Godfather considering,” he gestured to himself, “I am a guy.” You smiled for the first time in a while, “Okay, Woohyun. How are you going to help me?” “That, my dear ______, is a secret.” Confused you were going to question him, “But-” He held up his hand, “Ah.” He smiled, “I don’t want to ruin the surprise. Comeback here again in 24 hours and you will see exactly how I will help you.” He turned you around and pushed you towards your house, “Now go get some beauty sleep. Goodnight, _____” You turned around in order to wish him a goodnight as well, but when you turned around you found yourself alone, so you called out into the open air, “Goodnight, Woohyun.”

As you were asked, you left for the garden after your stepmother and stepsisters had left. You pushed open the iron gate and entered the garden. As you approached the tree, you spotted Woohyun, who was sporting the outfit from yesterday, accompanied with three other men. Even from where you where, you could tell that you didn’t know those three men, so what purpose did the play in Woohyun’s big plot to help you. As you approached the four men, you noticed that the three you didn’t recognise were all wearing matching white suits. “______! Right on time.” Woohyun said as he smiled to you. “I have some people I need to introduce to you, although you might not recognise them, well at least, not in this form.” You turned your attention to the three men. The tallest one had dark hair that was swept to the left, the next was a handsome young lad who seemed to be perfect in all the right places, and the final man had slightly longer hair than the prior two with a boyish smile upon his face. “_______, I recruited some friends to help you out tonight. The tall one is Sungyeol, that Pretty boy there is Myungsoo and the one with the smile is Sungjong.” Woohyun introduced these strangers and out of politeness you introduced yourself, “Hello. My name is ______.” You smiles and continued, “Woohyun. What do you mean by ‘this form’?” Woohyun grinned, “You see, I turned some local animals into human.” The way Woohyun stated that sentence made the act seem like an everyday occurrence. You turned your attention back to the three men in front of you and stared a little harder, Woohyun said you knew them before. Suddenly it hit you you pointed at Sungyeol, “Yeol?” He smiled and said, “Yep.” He leaned his head down, but you didn’t know why. Sungjong was next to speak, “Humans don’t do that, Sungyeol. It’s weird.” Sungyeol shot Sungjong a fiery look, “Yah! Lee Sungjong.” He turned back to you and said, “Sorry. I guess old habits die hard.” After a second, you got why he leaned his head to you, dogs loved to be pet. You chuckled and stood on your tippy toes and ruffled his hair, “That’s okay.” “What about you, Jong?” you asked. He smiled and held up one finger, “One last time.” You ruffled his hair and turned to Myungsoo. The most interactions with an animal you had was with Yeol and Jong, however, Myungsoo’s quiet demeanor and presence was familiar. Answering what you felt was right, “L?” He smiled softly and said, “I hope we will be useful tonight.” You replied, “Of course! I don’t know how I could ever repay you.” Myungsoo smiled, “You already did.” Before you could question what he meant, Woohyun cut off your thoughts, “Well...It’s getting late.” He rolled up his sleeve and continued, “Let’s get started.” He walked over to a pumpkin that laid in the garden and made a heart with his hand and ‘threw’ it in the pumpkins and as he did that he said, “Shooby Dooby Doop.” Before you could state how ridiculous he looked, your words were taken out of your mouth as the pumpkin began to change color and shape. In a matter of seconds, a beautiful white carriage appeared. “Round 2.” Woohyun now turned to a bunch of fireflies and repeated his ritual. Once more your breath was taken away as you watched the fireflies grow and transform into four horses to lead the carriage. You watched as Myungsoo walked and took his place as coachman. Sungyeol walked and opened the door to the carriage and Sungjong followed behind Sungyeol, but stood opposite of him as he extended his hand and offered to help you into the carriage. “Ah…. I forgot.” Once more, Woohyun performed his magic, but this time he shot his heart at you. In an instant, you now stood in the most extravagant dress you had ever seen, but what caught your eyes the most was the pair of glass slippers that adorned your feet. “Woohyun…..I don’t know what to say?” He smiled caringly, “You don’t need to say anything...I know what you are feeling.” You hugged him in appreciation and whispered, “Thank You.” He pulled away and smiled, “However, my magic is only limited. You have until 12:00a.m before everything reverts back into their original state...Well not quite everything...But that's for later.”He turned you towards the carriage, “Go knock them dead.” You accepted Sungjong’s extended hand and entered the carriage. You glanced back, one final time, Woohyun winked and in an instant he disappeared, only leaving his impression upon your heart.

The carriage finally slowed to a stop after about 30 minutes, making the time around 9:00pm. It wasn't until then that you final realised how nervous you actually were. You took a deep breath, in hopes to calm your nerves, and a second later the door was opened by Sungyeol. You stood, accepting Sungjong’s awaiting hand, and stepped out of the carriage. You bid your new friends good bye, but not before Myungsoo said, “We will be waiting. Don’t forget to leave before 12:00a.m.” You replied, “Thank you, Myungsoo, and I won’t.” You watched the carriage leave, leaving you by yourself, and you turned and the first thing that caught your eye was the huge entryway connecting to the pure white walls, that were double in size. You stepped passed the guards and entered the carpeted hallway that would eventually lead to the ball room. You were rather late and there was no doubt in your mind that everyone’s attention would be on you as you entered. You continued on, the only sound you could hear was your footsteps until you could faintly hear the orchestra music, crescendoing until you could no longer hear your footsteps. You finally approached the curtain that separated you from the royal ball, you nodded to the guard who stood by. At your que, he pulled the curtain open and allowed you to enter.

From where you stood, at the top of the staircase, you could see dancers gracefully twirling on the dance floor, like leaves tossing in the wind. You began your descent to ground level, but you didn’t notice the stares as your eyes noted the intricate design that laid across the ceiling. When your eyes trailed down the elegant chandelier, was when you noticed the attention you had gathered. You became slightly embarrassed, a lot of unfamiliar eyes had been set on you, however you noticed three familiar figures standing not too far from the staircase. Your Stepmother stood with her daughters, but they hadn’t seemed to recognize you. You wandered around the ball room conversing with people here and there and you found to enjoy being looked at as an equal for a change. After a little while a man, not much older than you, approached you and asked for a dance. He led you to the dance floor as he began a waltz. You were suddenly thankful that your father had taught you ballroom dances, and even more thankful that you remembered them, even now. “Hello.” He said as he smiled. His eyes were rather small and when he smiled they grew even more so, but that wasn’t a bad thing. You smiled and answered with a simple, “Hello.” “My name is Kim Sunggyu, and may I know your name?” “My name is __________.” “I haven’t seen you around here before, have I.” He stated more than asked. “You would be correct. I don’t usually come to these types of events.” “You wouldn't be able to tell.” You looked at him, questioning what he meant, and he continued, “You're a lovely dancer.” You smiled, grateful for the compliment, “Thank you, Sunggyu.” It was after another minute or so, that a hand appeared on Sunggyu’s shoulder, “May I cut in?” At first Sunggyu seemed hesitant but

he handed your hand over to this new presence anyway. You took one glance and knew he must have been an important figure because of the garments that he wore. As you stepped into his lead you realized that he was light on his feet and a very good dancer. “I seem to have forgotten my manners.” He smiled, “I am the Grand Duke, Lee Howon.” You thought he was an important figure, however you didn’t think you would find yourself dancing with the prince’s right hand man, and the one who sent out the invitations. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is ___________”

As you dance, you begin to glide to the centre of the room, “You sure are lucky.” You asked what Howon meant by that statement but he only replied, “Oh...I am just thinking out loud.”

You and Howon had been dancing for a couple of songs, but halfway through the third song he spun you away from him, however he let go of your hand. At least for a second, and then a hand grabbed you again enveloping your hand in warmth that seemed to affect you more than before. As he pulled you back into his arms, you found yourself looking into the eyes of another man. He seemed to notice your confused stare, he took a step away, “Will you let me have this next dance?” If you thought what Howon was wearing was extravagant, the garments this man was wearing was even more so. “Of course.” You answered, hoping to find out who this man was. You took notice that he was a little taller than, but not by much. He had a really nice smile that reached his eyes. His eyes….You couldn’t seem to remove your eyes from his. They seemed to tell more about him than any words at that moment would have. You seemed to be more aware of the hand he had on your waist than any of your previous partners and you were a little uncomfortable by your thought of how well your hand fit in his, after all you had only meet him a few minutes ago. “Tonight is a lovely night, isn’t it?” He started. “It is.” You replied. His eyes where a soft brown color and seemed bright with happiness. As if he could read the question, he said, “My name is Jang Dongwoo.” “Nice to meet you Dongwoo. My name is __________.” He smiled and brought your hand to his lips and with a gentle kiss he said, “The pleasure is all mine.” Your attention had been all too focused on the man before you had not noticed that as you danced everyone in the room had stopped to watch you. At the end of the dance, he gave a bow while you curtsied, and at this moment the crowd around you gave an applause. You wondered why they had all stopped and watched you dance, and after a second you realised that you had just danced with the Jang Dongwoo, otherwise known as the Prince. In a sudden need to be formal you added, “Your majesty.” He chuckled, a heart warming sound, and said, “Just Dongwoo will be fine. Walk with me?” He extended his arm to you, which you had accepted. He lead you to a pair of glass doors that lead outside and into the chilly night air. The night was a beautiful night, the sky was clear and the stars and moon shine brightly, lighting up the courtyard and garden. The garden was beautiful, as expected, however, different in terms of any royal garden you had seen or heard of before. There were tons of shrubs and bushes that had been cut into shapes of all sorts of animals. In many ways it resembled an exotic zoo, but made of plants. You let out a laugh as you approached a pair of deer, one female and one male, and turned to looked at Dongwoo, who was a few feet behind you. He scratched the back of his neck and let out a nervous chuckle, “I told the gardeners to fix it this way, I know, it’s weird for a Prince.” You smiled while saying, “I like it.” “You Do?” He seemed genuinely surprised at the fact that you liked it. You walked around looking at all the types of animals and as you went Dongwoo explained why he wanted that particular animal in his garden. You eventually can across a peculiar animal and asked Dongwoo what it was. He then proceeded to say, “That is a dinosaur….I put it here because my friends say I resemble one.” He then stood next to it and posed the exact way the dinosaur stood, “What do you think?” You bursted with a fit of laughter, “I can see the resemblance.” He began to laugh along with you, his laughter extremely contagious, causing you to laugh even more. After a little while you began to walk back up to the balcony, all the while you talked and got to understand the Prince, as he came to know you. He was beyond charming as he told tales of himself and was a great listener as you told yours. You felt that you could easily open up to him and you found that you didn’t want the night to end. He turned and looked into your eyes, you seemed like you had known him for longer than a few hours, your heart receptive to the attention and care he was giving you. Could this be…...love?

You now approached the castle once more, ready to return to the guest that await inside. However, before you could re-enter the glass doors, he turned you to face his and he tucked a loose hair, one that had fallen out of place, behind your ear. You heart reacted, blood rushing to your face. He then began to say, “Time has never flown this way before. You are extraordinary and someone I would like to spend more time together in the future, ________.” He smiled and glanced down at his watch, “After all, it is almost midnight.” Those words had your blood turn cold. You hadn't realized that much time had already passed. “What?” You asked to see if what you heard was right. “It is almost midnight….Three minutes till, infact. Hard to believe, right?” You zoned out, as you heard Woohyun’s words play in your head, ‘However, my magic is only limited. You have until 12:00a.m before everything reverts back into their original state’ You needed to leave….immediately. So when Dongwoo turned to head back inside, you denied your heart's desire and turn in the opposite direction……..and ran.

The wind ripped past you as you ran. Your desire to not be found out fueled your speed and provided you with a bit of distance between you and Dongwoo. You were out the front gate and running down the stairs in no time, “_______! Don’t Go!!!!” You couldn’t turn back…..You didn’t want him to see you resemble a commoner, even if you technically weren't. You pressed on, almost done with the stairs, you stumbled and lost one of your slippers. You didn’t want to leave it behind, but it was the slipper or you being caught. So you left it and disappeared into the woods that outlined the castle. As you entered the treeline, you heard the clock tower strike twelve and the magnificent dress reverted back to your everyday clothes. The only trace of your magical night was the opposite slipper who had lost its partner. You laughed bitterly at the irony…..as you found you resembled the lone slipper in some way. You took it off of your foot and tucked into the safety of your pocket. ‘Well,’ you turned in the direction of home, ‘Time to get home.’ As you began walking, you began to worry about Myungsoo, Sungyeol, and Sungjong as you couldn’t help but wonder where they were. After trekking for a little while, you eventually came across a pumpkin that was smashed in the middle of the road. You instantly knew it was your carriage. So where were the boys? You glanced around and could not see any trace of them. Where could they be? Feeling hopeless, you let out a sigh, it was best to continue home before it got any later than it already was. Not even two steps forward, you felt a force slam against you, nearly knocking you off of your feet. You heart jumped in fright, thinking for a moment that a guards from the castle followed you, however, that thought was diminished as you heard, “_______! We were worried about you!” You turned and looked into the big eyes of Sungjong. “Sungjongie!” You exclaimed in surprise. You looked behind him and saw Sungyeol and Myungsoo trailing after Sungjong. Sungyeol looked at you and asked, “What happened to not forgetting 12:00am.?” You looked at your feet and muttered an apology. Myungsoo was next to speak, “It’s okay, ______. We were just worried. Let’s go home.” You began walking home together. Knowing that you were not alone made you feel a lot better. Is this what Woohyun meant by not everything reverting back….If so, you were glad.

Today seemed like any other ordinary day at your home. You cleaned as usual and headed into the garden. You sat and thought about what you heard you Step’s talking about. They were excited that the Grand Duke, Howon, was coming to all the houses personally to have every lady try on your lost glass slipper. The Prince wanted you found, however, no one knew it was you he was searching for. You knew that your stepmother wouldn’t allow you any near the house for a chance to try on the slipper. Afterall, as far as she was concerned, you never attended the ball. Your mind slipped back onto that wonderful night, and more specifically to when you were dancing with Dongwoo. A smile graced your face at the thought of the Prince, as you wondered if you were ever going to be able to see him again. In your best attempt to recreate the feelings from that night, you stood and began to hum the song you remember hearing as you danced with Dongwoo. As if he were there once more, the memory of him leading you pulled your feet as you began to waltz by yourself. You smiled as you remembered the way he looked at you and the conversations you had. You continued dancing and closed your eyes, so you were surprised when you felt a hand slip into yours and an arm being placed on your waist. Your first thought was that it was Myungsoo, Sungyeol, or Sungjong joining your fun. However, you found the feelings you felt as you danced with this person so incredible similar to the feelings you felt while you were with Dongwoo. You opened your eyes and looked into a pair of chocolate brown eyes, that looked amused and shone brightly in the light of day. He pulled you into a quick embrace and you felt your heart flutter and your cheeks get warm. You looked at the willow tree, still wrapped in his embrace, you wondered if it had answered your heart’s wish as he said, “________. I found you.”