I proceeded to show the Queen how to create a series of small cakes. She was a great cook herself, but probably didn't get to practice much because she has so many workers ready to feed her at all times. We shared a ton of giggles throughout that time, even though I technically couldn't hear it.  I didn't bring up my Mother's name anymore though; it was clear that her past was something she wasn't comfortable facing yet.

Having to turn your back to your past, events that shaped you, and embrace a brand new future must be so hard... I applaud her for her courage.

I brushed the back of my hand to my forehead. Both of us were covered in flour and sugar after a while. We created ten separate cakes, since she insisted that we make one for each of the boys and for her and Tablo and for myself. All were color coordinated and decorated according to each boy.

"What's going on?" someone's head first entered the room.

Queen Jenny and I both turned our bodies to look at who it was. And it was not someone I wanted to be alone with. The Queen immediately dashed off to hug her son, covering him in some flour also. She touched his face for a few seconds before waving goodbye to me, then leaving.

Great. I was left with him.

"Time for me to go," I placed the cakes on a cart and brushed myself down. "See you around, Prince Myungsoo."

"You know," he took a few steps towards me. I stopped in my own tracks, staring into his eyes. "This is just like how we first met."

"This is no time to start flirting with me, Prince," I was a bit harsh due to his sudden change of heart. "And as I recall, we started arguing the first time we spoke to each other."

"Incorrect," he grinned slyly at me, "I first saw you beforehand, when you were just as covered in flour, in the hallway to be exact."

The image returned to my mind. He was the Prince I had seen at the window, wasn't he? "I don't believe that counts as a first meeting."

"True, we had met a long time ago..." he murmured.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing," Myungsoo raised his hand to cover his mouth.

"Okay then," I turned my back to him, placing my hands on the railings of the cart. "If you don't mind me, I'm going to deliver these."

I felt a warm breath against my neck. His presence was much closer than it was before. This feeling... I remember it... It was just like in my dream.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry I was so harsh to you."

"You—"

"Let me finish, please. Let me explain myself properly to you. I... I am not the kind of guy to be so heartless and cold to others. I was only like that to you, just so you'd stay away from us. I thought if you hated at least one of us, with all your might, that you'd keep your distance from our family. Woohyun was right to believe that maybe, just maybe, your hate for us could strengthen and you would leave and be safe," he sighed. I could sense the uncomfortable feeling in his throat. "I made that choice to be the one to drive you away. Clearly, it didn't work. I was harsh because I wanted you to be safe. Please listen to my words."

"Do you not understand how baffling you sound right now?" My own throat began to hurt. I felt the tears rushing to my eyes, but I held them back.

What are these feelings I am currently experiencing?

"To be so ruthless to you one second... and kiss you the next, I understand how unclear my motives seem. I hope that one day you understand that I tried my best. I pushed you as far as I could, not to protect my brothers or myself, but to protect you. Your life, your heartbeat, is worth more than anything to me, to my brothers, to all of us."

As soon as he spoke that last line, my heart sank. It was just like my dream. A voice... a person... insisting that I listen to his words, to obey his orders, all for my safety.

"It's foolish to care for someone you don't even know."

"It's not something we can control. It's not something we can turn on and off like a lightbulb. I apologize for abruptly kissing you in your room. It was not my choice to make... I just couldn't handle it anymore..."

I didn't speak. He remained right behind me, his mouth inches away from the back of my head. I didn't know if I should turn around, or stay like this. If I should yell or stay calm. I was honestly confused. How am I supposed to feel?

"You do not comprehend how much control the seven of us practice because of your presence. The moment you stepped foot in the kingdom, all of our senses heightened. We agreed to avoid you as much as possible. We all realized it was for the best. But that was the most difficult thing we had to do. Every time you inch closer to me, my heart does flips."

"It's only because you want my blood," I made an assumption. I couldn't comprehend why he would confess to me like this.

"No; my hunger is not for your blood," he sounded like he was crying by now. "It's for your love. To be honest, yes, my instincts indicate for me to bite into your neck; but it is something I can control. That I can restrict with maximum power. But my heart, my heart yearns for yours."

"Myungsoo..."

"I don't know how else to explain it to you," his voice cracked now. He sniffled a bit, and then proceeded to try to keep his composure. "I just hope you forgive me. I take back all of those words I had said to you, calling you 'maid' and urging that you leave."

His sincerity was enough to convince me to forgive him. I turned around before he could rapidly disappear . What am I going to do with you? My hand found its way against his, holding it lightly and comfortably. "You are forgiven."

He lifted his head. This was when I noticed that he really was crying. He had broken down while speaking his true feelings to me. "Thank you. I'm truly glad that you are here. I wish to have a fresh start with you, let's forget everything that was exchanged beforehand." His eyes were slightly pink, a few trails of tears ran down his cheeks. His lips trembled from overbearing emotional pain.

I nodded while letting go of his hand. "Good afternoon, Prince Myungsoo," a smile formed across my face. "I'm Sophia."

He wiped away his tears, stunned by my words. His mischievous grin returned. "Pleased to meet you, Sophia. Would you like some help delivering those lovely cakes?"

"Oh, why such a pleasing offer, Prince," I stepped aside as he took a hold of the cart railings. "That would be great."

Together, we rolled the cart to the second floor, entering each bedroom to put the cake on whatever table top we could find. None of the other boys were in their room, so I left a tiny note for each of them alongside the desert. When we delivered to the King, he couldn't hold in his happiness. He started messing around with Myungsoo and dancing around with his Queen. Queen Jenny herself wanted to devour every creation as we made them earlier.

The last cake delivery was both Myungsoo's and my own. We grabbed our respective cakes and smiled at each other.

"Sophia!" yelled a deep voice.

Both the Prince and I were stunned by the sudden exclamation. "Damien?" I asked.

He ran to my side, swiftly intervening between me and Myungsoo. I was quite shocked by his approach though. What the hell was he doing that for? "Sophia, get in your room."

"Damien," I tried to reason with him. "Damien, we were just delivering cakes to his family."

"I doubt that was his real intentions," Damien scoffed.

Myungsoo was incredibly annoyed at this point, I could tell. He put his cake back down on the cart and placed his hands in his pockets. "What are you trying to imply, Damien?"

"I cannot speak of it here, but you know exactly what I am implying," my old friend angrily replied. "Your intentions are clear and obvious, Prince."

"It's not like she doesn't know," Myungsoo snickered. "My brothers and I have explained it all to her. She knows all about us."

Damien froze in his place. He hurriedly turned his body to face me. His hand grazed by the door knob, pushing me into the room. It felt like it only took one eye blink to occur, since I was once in the hallway then against the wall of my bedroom the next.

My shoulders were hurting, alongside my stomach. "What the hell Damien?!"

"Are you insane?!" he yelled. "What the hell are you thinking being involved with people like them?!"

"Why are you yelling?!" I matched his tone. "Do you realize how insane you sound right now?!"

"Sophia! They are not the kind of you people you want to be around at all!"

"Then what are you doing working here?!" We were both completely frustrated. His anger had completely overpowered the happiness I felt a few minutes ago. "Why do you keep saying that I shouldn't be near them, yet here you are contradicting your own words?"

"I am only here because I am in debt with them," he calmed down slightly. "They saved the life of my Father, and working for them is my way of repaying that."

"What?" I was confused once more. There were too many damn stories and mysteries; I couldn't keep my head straight.

"My Father isn't a businessman, as our entire family tells people," he looked away from me. "Soph, since you know all about them." He hissed his words as he said them. "Vampires. Where there are vampires, there are hunters."

I couldn't even believe that he was part of this also. I blinked my eyes a couple times, while processing everything.

"Father was a hunter. He was one of the best, but with age comes mistakes. And his life was almost ended one night, until the King saved him. I am working for them because it is my honor to repay the debt of my father," he sighed.

"That means..." I uttered.

"Yes, I am a hunter myself. All of those family visits I'd tell you about when we were younger, they were actually a cover so I could travel to headquarters and train. I honed my skill, to be just like my father, and aim to kill those blood ers one by one," the anger returned. I felt scared for once. What happened to the gentle, kindhearted Damien I knew? The one who cracked so many jokes and kept me smiling at the worst of times? "I am sent off to go on assassination missions with several other 'butlers' and I will not rest until the target is eliminated."

That made perfect sense to me. It explains why numerous butlers would disappear for days at a time. They'd go in a cycle, now that I notice the pattern.

"Stop it Damien, you are scaring me," I pleaded. His tone, his stature, the words he spoke, all of them affected me mentally. I didn't recognize the figure in front of me.

"Me?" he sounded even more upset. "You are afraid of me? Here you are, prancing around the palace grounds with every single Prince—blood ers who would just love to bite into you and drink every drop of blood in your body—and acting like you are the best of friends. And I'm the scary one?"

"Damien! Get a hold of yourself!"

"Get a hold of myself?!" he repeated every word I yelled with more intensity. He could no longer control his emotions. "Do you know how ridiculous you sound right now?! How am I the frightening part of all of this!? I am merely doing my job, killing those who need to be permanently exterminated from this world, in an effort to save people like you."

"Please..." I was trembling by now. "Please Damien..."

He took heavy steps towards me. I didn't move. I couldn't move. I wanted to run. This person in front of me was not someone I recognized at all. Fear engulfed every centimeter of my body. "You need to stay away from them. At all times."

"You do not control me."

"Hell I don't Soph! Do you not realize what will happen to your family if you mysteriously disappear? Think about the pain they will feel when you don't return home someday?! Do you not care about them now that you have a new vampire one?"

"Don't you dare bring my family up!" I slapped him across the face. "Don't you dare. I have no intentions to be one. As you are doing your job, I am doing mine. Do you not hear yourself right now?! Since when did we switch places! I was the one who loathed them, and you were the one who insisted I not jump to conclusions. This is not like you at all!!"

"People grow up," he wiped the red mark on his cheek. His eyes didn't change. Who is this person? "And it's clear that you are living in a fantasylike world where everything is perfect. Open your eyes Soph, it's not."

"Stop it! Stop it right now Damien!"

"If any of them ever lay a hand on you, I swear to God I will kill them all," he walked towards my door. A dark aura now overpowered him. He changed. "If they don't stay away from you, then you stay away from them. Either way, there better be some distance. Or else hell will break lose. And I am not afraid to turn my back and slaughter everyone who gets in my way."

"Who are you..."

"I'm a killer," his hand turned the door knob. "I can and will kill every single person in their family if I have to. You are not getting involved in this. This world, this problem, it is not a place for someone like you. I give you my word Sophia, the moment your heartbeat stops will be the same moment their lives end."

His words echoed in my mind. I fell to the floor. I was just threatened by my best friend. Now it was my turn to be like Myungsoo... am I correct? I must keep my distance from them all, to protect them. I became the protector instead of the protected at this moment. My heart was racing like a horse. This entire day has been a rollercoaster ride of mixed emotions.

I was completely ecstatic to finally know the truth, no matter how ridiculous sounding it was. As long as I got the truth, I was happy. Then I got to even spend some time with Mother's best friend, the Queen herself! I wish I could rush home and explain everything to her... but I knew it wasn't even allowed to be an option.

Plus Myungsoo apologized and explained everything to me. That was truly the highlight of my day... That boy... I don't know what sort of attraction he holds on me. No matter how angry I was before, something about him just pulled me. The moment our lips touched, it was as if fireworks exploded in my mind. To tell you the truth, as he spoke to me in the kitchen, I had hoped that he would wrap his arms around me.

I wanted to be in his grasp, for as long as I could be.

And now, I just had the biggest fight in the entire world with an old friend. An old friend that was a hunter, an emotionally unstable and vampire hating hunter. This person, this being that I just argued with, was something that I never met before. He... He was someone different. How I wish it didn't have to come down to this.

But I know for a fact that in no way was I going to be able to stay away from them. Just as they knew they couldn't for me. All seven Princes wanted me in their lives, and I wanted to be a part of theirs. This sort of relationship is something that I cannot just turn my back to. No matter what Damien tells me, I'm not going to follow his words.

My heart controls my actions, and my heart tells me to continue loving them.

I can't believe it... I actually love them... some more than others...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WAAAAAAH~ another conflicting chapter! Like this one guys? I told you it would be something quite controversial and so heart racingly packed with information! :D Now it's all explained how Damien is involved... and his true feelings. dun dun dun! Plus Myungsoo! he confesses the hidden meaning behind is cruel words and his sudden kiss! adfjak; 

Tell me what you think below! This is one of my favorite chapters. It brings about a new twist or several, with explaining a few more mysteries. :3 hehe. 

I've been getting a bunch of subscribers lately ;w; sobs. May I ask a little favor of you guys? To spread the word of my story. I would really like that hehe~ 

@Coala17-lol like father like son i guess XD aweee thanks for reading <3

@coasterdeera-aweee thanks for choosing to read my little story :3 The title is a little cheesy isn't it XD I only chose it because it did a play on the word 'woo' which is the first part of the entertainment business that INFINITE is in, Woollim :3 haha. corny, i understand T_T awee thanks for your kind comments, it makes me smile (: hehe! I wonder who she will end up with in the end ^^ yay a myungsoo and sophia shipper though finally !

@joycecute25-hello~ thanks for choosing to read my story :D i will forsure update as much as i can so you don't lose interest hehe!

@flightless-hi hi ^o^ thank you for reading my story hehe. awee how cute ;w; i'm glad that you are captivated by my writing :3 comments like this empowers me to continue writing!

@LeePeppers-Queen jenny is such a cutie isn't she? :D thank you for sticking with my story for so long lol. (:

@chibbiz-hehe~ updated :3