Reika's POV...

I woke up early & saw oppa leave for his meeting...everone else was doing there jobs, after my daily routine--I told  them that I'll just stay in my room for the whole day, they said yes & rested in the living room. While they were resting, I secretly hid the sleeping gas granade (it's weird) under the couch. I wore my mask & then the sleeping gas was around the whole castle...

'W-what the?'

'H-hyung! W-what's---'

'TAEMIN!'

'W-what is this?'

'K-key, w-wake up!'

'Guys, i-it's sleeping ga--'

Forgive me, guys...then the sleeping gas disappeared but all of them will be asleep for a long time, I removed my mask & thought where to start my investigation...

'Now, where would appa & umma hide something...it should be somewhere not really used...' Hmm...

The library! I'm the only one who reads the books there but there's one book I haven't read....it was old but when I looked at it, oppa said that it was just a book of royal rules...

I went to the library & saw the shelf with the old book, I tried to pull it out but it just revealed a necklace--I pushed the book back to the shelf & then beside where I was standing...a group of tiles moves to the right, revealing a stair case going underground...

'Woah...that is so creepy...' I went down & the tiles above me immediately closed

'It's so dark--AHHHHH!!!!!' After falling from the stairs, I saw torches on the wall light up lke magic--I knew there was something weird in this castle. 

I looked around & saw 2 paintings...the first one has a woman & a man while the other one has a small boy with a little girl beside him...

On the first painting, both of them were wearing a crowns & the woman had a staff..

King & Queen Kim

'U-umma & appa?' This is a painting of umma & appa while they were still here, but why would they put the painting here & not inside the castle above?

'If this is umma & appa then...' I observed the painting beside them...

Prince Kim Jong Woon & Princess Kim Reika

'Is this me & oppa? He's holding the mask that he wore during the Mascarade Party...odd' I wakled around & saw an old book with a box beside it...

'What is this?' I tried opening the box

'Aish, it's locked...' Then I tried opening the book but it won't open..

Maybe the book needs a key, but I don't see a prt of the book that needs a key--but there's a shaped cased on the cover of the book that has a shape of a pendant...

I remembered the necklace that I found by the book on the shelf, I got it & put the pendant on the cover the book...and then the booked opened

'State your name...' It talks!

'K-Kim Reika'

'Kim Reika, King & Queen Kim's daughter...'

"D-deh...'

'Are you alone?'

'Y-yes...'

'Now watch & listen carefully...' Then an orb of light appeared above the book & started showing some scenes...

'Legend says that 9 witches have lived forever by the use of prince's blood, they are forever young thanks to those princes who were believed to be murdered...'

'H-how did the princes went to them?'

'The 9 witches cast a spell on them to make them fall in love to them & once the prince completely trusts them, they kill the prince for their blood to be young forever...'

I gasped & so terrified...

'8 of the witches are evil but 1 was only forced to join them for the sake of her parents...she would work as a maid & tell the princes to go to a witche's mascarade party, where they cast the spell on the prince...'

'Tell me a prince that was a victim of them...'

'Prince Jung Yong Hwa'

I gasped, h-he was a victim...? S-so he was in a spell...

'Soon, another prince shall be another victim...'

'W-who can stop them?!'

'No one knows...but 9 men has the power to save others except the princes...'

'W-what do you mean?'

'If one of the witches wants a prince who is in love with somebody else, the other witches will kidnapped her & cast a spell to forget him...and the 9 men are the ones that canonly stop them from hurting the princesses...'

'9 men...'

'The 9 men have masks that gave them powers, they are all friends...3 of them are kings while 6 are princes' I wonder who are they

'You will know soon who they are...' I just nod

'This is key will open the box beside me...' Then it gave me a heart key & I opened the box

'A black & white heart necklace?'

'That neckace will protect you from the magic of the 9 witches...they will soon attack on you so always wear this necklace...'

I wore the necklace & looked at it...

'You shall not tell anyone about your adventure here n this chamber....'

'D-deh...'

'Be careful, Kim Reika...these 9 witches can hurt you very much than any person the world can....' The book closed & so as the box...

Then I saw a letter in front of me, I read it...

Kim Reika, 

You're a very special daughter to us, if you're reading this...it means you have found the sacred chamber. I don't know how to stop the 9 witches but please be careful, protect yourself. You always wanted to be a violinist, right? You loved playing the violin but as you grow, you will change...I know that someday, you have to be married for the throne. You will be a great queen, my daughter & you will have a king that you love! You will face difficult challenges but you can still overcome it...please protect yourself & your brother, Jong Woon. Be strong, my daughter...you can stop the 9 witches. I love you & Jong Woon, don't forget that...

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 -Your umma, Queen Kim

'Umma...so you mean that appa was killed by those witches?' I thought of what I can do...

'I can't stop those witches, I don't have any kind of power...aish, oppa...'

'I'm home, Reika~!' I gasp at that voice! Oppa!

I panicked & found another set of stair case going up, I immediately ran to it while the torches on the wall were turning off one by one. As I reach the top, I opened the door above me which led me under my bed in my room.  I crawled out & looked to see if all the torches were out & it was--I closed it & pretended to read a novel on my bed...

'Reika?' I looked at the door & saw oppa

'Oppa~ You're home!' I acted & hugged him

'What did you do all day?' Had an investigation in the castle & found out the mystery...

'I was just in my room...' I lied to him

'Oh~ Well, the others fell asleep when I came in but they're awake now. Come on, let's have dinner! Tomorrow night, we still have to attend a mascarade party!' He pulled me out of my bedroom & went in the dinig room for dinner...

9 witches...9 men in masks...a necklace...the paintings...a letter...

I still have a mystery to un cover & a problem to fix...

'Princess, why aren't you eating?'

'S-sorry Key-umma...' I stood up & headed for my room

'W-why are you leavng?' Onew-ssi...I sighed

'I lost my appetite, I'll just see all of you tomorrow...' I went to my room & hope to get a  good night sleep...

Yesung's POV...

'What's wrong with Reika?' I asked them

'We don't know king, we fell asleep the whole day...' Taemin said

'Maybe she's tired, who knows? Maybe she did something tiring while we're asleep...' Hmm, Jonghyun's right.

'Okay. Tiffany, tomorrow is the mascarade party & Princess Hyoyeon's kingdom is far--we should leave early...'

'Okay king, I'll prepare her early...'

'Thanks...' I said & continued my meal

I wonder what's wrong with Reika,  I've never seen her like this...

Oh well, at least she's safe...

End of POV...

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