The entire Palace was up and about in a frenzy as they prepared for the birthday dinner at night.

The Crown Prince was hitting a ripe old age of 21, hehe kidding. But anyway, he was turning 21, hitting the age of what most people considered official adulthood.

It would be a big affair and a grand one indeed.

The servants and maids were all busy preparing for the feast at night at the guards were being briefed about the security at night.

They couldn't afford to be tardy or a little bit relaxed about the matter. After all, the last birthday bash they had an assassin attempted to shoot their future ruler and just only missed his heart.

They wouldn't get so lucky every single time.

Byul too made sure to stick closer to Baekhyun despite her own dislikes because she knew dangerous people could sneak into the Palace easily with the birthday feast going on.

But Baekhyun didn't appreciate it of course.

"Yah why are you sticking so close to me today?" Baekhyun raised a brow at Byul. "Now that I'm 21 you're finding me manly and decided to fall for me huh?"

Byul rolled her eyes and aimed a punch at his arm. Baekhyun howled in pain and shot her a look. "No you idiot." she hissed.

She looked around carefully. "Don't you remember the last birthday feast in the Palace?" she reminded him. "You were shot. On your arm."

She gave him a look that told him that she wasn't kidding. "If they tried again and you aren't as lucky as the first time..." she shuddered.

Baekhyun locked his lips nervously, a little bothered by it. He hadn't thought of the assassin much, but now that Byul talked about it....

"I'm sure he's not going to strike again." Baekhyun convinced. He shot her a slanted glance. "And besides, your face can scare anyone off." he scoffed.

"Yah!" Byul aimed another punch at Baekhyun but he managed to dodge it. He grinned triumphantly. "Aha!"

Byul rolled her eyes and hit his other arm, harder. "Yah!" Baekhyun pouted, rubbing the sore area. "I don't think there had been an abusing bodyguard like you ever in the whole of Korea's history." he blew a raspberry.

Byul's lips twitched up, amused. "Well there isn't a Ddong-ha like you in the whole of Korea's history either isn't there?" she retorted.

"Humph mean." Baekhyun pretended to be angry. They walked together around the gardens and Baekhyun bit his lip. There were maids around talking about the feast at night and even Baekhyun felt the excitement.

It was his party after all.

"So...you're going to wear this to the feast at night?" he asked, raising his brows questioningly.

Byul looked down at her guard uniform. "Hmm? Yeah why?" she asked, shrugging. "No holes that need patching right?"

Baekhyun made a face, rolling his eyes. "You're seriously not a girl, Han Eunbyul. Other girls would be thinking of accessories and make up and dresses they'd wear to impress the prince on his birthday, and you're trying to put me off."

Byul jutted her bottom lip out. "Not that I need to impress you anyway." she responded coolly. "Id much rather impress the other princes than you."

"Ayye. That's why I say you're not a girl, Han Eunbyul." Baekhyun pushed her forehead and strolled in front of her.

Byul pouted, shooting daggers at Baekhyun's back. She looked down at herself one more time and crossed her arms.

"I'm a girl, damn it."

Byul stared at the flower pin in her hands and gulped. It still looked shiny and glittery like the first day Baekhyun gave it to her.

She didn't know why she did, but perhaps it was because she knew how rare it was for Baekhyun to say sorry and thanks, which was why she polished it carefully once in a while and kept it safe and sound.

Baekhyun was busy dressing for his own feast and Byul was free for the few moments before he emerged, ready for his feast.

Byul thought against changing her clothes because it would show how she regarded Baekhyun's words too seriously.

But she couldn't help but think about them despite herself.

"You're not a girl, Han Eunbyul."

Byul let out an anguished sigh and growled. "That Ddong-ha's making me think about things I never did. Aish!" she grumbled.

Byul looked at the beautiful pearl white flower pin and tool a deep breath. She looked into the mirror and slowly reached up to her hair.

She brushed the few stubborn stray strands of hair out of the way. She fumbled with the pin, not used to this sort of thing.

She finally managed to stick the thing in her head and she stared at herself. Just a pin, but it made her look quite different.

The little flower complemented her brown hair, her smooth skin. Her round eyes shone together with the pin, and contrasted with her pink lips.

Her usual boyish and tough demeanor seemed to soften a little just with that little hair accessory.

"I look....like a girl." Byul murmured.

She stared for a few more moments and shook her head. "Aish!!! I'm not wearing this!" she groaned and reached up to her hair.

At that instant, she heard someone skittering on top of the roof. The entire servant lodge was empty as everyone was out doing their tasks and she was the only one there.

Byul's eyes widened as she remembered the assassin. *Could it be-*

She immediately stood up and bounded out of the door, grabbing her sword.

She squinted up at the roof and saw a small figure making its way further and further away from her. And nearer and nearer to Baekhyun's quarters.

"Oh no!" Byul whispered and quickly climbed onto the roof. She ran after the figure, aware of the activity going on under her as the maids and servants put up the decorations.

She got closer to the figure and crept quietly. She reached for her sword and a soft clang rang in the air.

The figure whipped his head round to look back. His eyes met Byul's.

Byul stiffened.

The figure cursed under his breath and ran away, skipping past roof after roof. Byul had a hard time keeping up and eventually lost him.

She panted and rested on one of the roofs. "He better not do anything again. Not on Ddong-ha's birthday."