I walked around the palace grounds, bored out of my mind. It was the first time I didn't have to do something, so honestly, I felt quite lost. There was usually an errand running in my mind, driving me insane, but I was perfectly calm. Was it because I just got done speaking to Woohyun? It was a possibility. We parted ways comfortably. We exchanged so many little and huge facts about ourselves. It felt like I was talking to an old acquaintance, a friend... a loved one. Wait, what am I saying?!  A loved one?! That's impossible! Do not fall for them! It's all a trick!  A lie! Don't you dare! I even had a huge smile on my face, and I'm sure my cheeks were burning

"Question," I asked out of nowhere. We shared enough giggles and stories to feel extremely safe with one another. Was he doing this because he feels like he must? Or is it of his nature? I cannot put my finger on his intentions. "Have you ever left the palace walls?"

"Nope," he honestly replied. "None of us have."

I was surprised. How can you rule over a kingdom and not even visit the outside town to check up on your people? "Why not?"

"It's best for us to stay within the palace walls. It's..." he sighed, "extremely complicated."

"It's not that hard to open the gates and walk out," I said. "I do it all the time."

He smiled sweetly at me. "Trust me, Sophia; if any of us leave these walls, our lives will be put in danger."

His words echoed in my mind. Lives put in danger? How is that even possible? You are the most powerful royal family in the world, and you say that your life is in danger? I bet no one dares to go against your wishes or rulings, or else their lives would be put in danger.

I sat down on a stone bench, right under one of the cherry blossom trees, just to rest. My fingers fixed all of the tangles and knots in my hair perfectly. The thoughts of my family remained in my mind. I wouldn't see them as much, and the likely hood of them visiting me was slim. I wouldn't want them to pay for a carriage, just to see me for a few hours at a time. It would be a waste of money. Maybe I can sneak away for a few hours every couple of weeks to see them. I don't honestly know. I will incredibly miss them. Honestly, I do miss them a ton already. It's the hardest choice I ever had to make; but I reminded myself one of the positive outcomes of agreeing to King Tablo's suggestion. It meant a higher pay, which would lead to a higher savings for my parents, and then will lead to a more secure and safe future for my family.

Everything I do, the air I breathe, the reason why I wake up in the morning is because I want to support and help my family in every way possible. I will sacrifice anything to ensure their safety and future.

While deep in thought, someone behind me spoke. "Afternoon." Okay, honestly, people really, really need to stop popping out of nowhere to talk to me. It's making it extremely impossible to be alone, and I am about to pull out my own hair from the frustration. Plus, I am the type to get easily scared.

Shock waves climbed up my spine from the fright. I swiftly turned my back and faced the figure, it was Hoya. He was wearing his uniform. His smile was as mischievous as we first met.

"Good afternoon," I bowed.

"No need to bow," he insisted. "Too much formality for me will cause my head to explode."

"Okay," I sat down on the bench once more. He also did, but facing the other direction. We began fiddling with our hands before he spoke once more.

"You looked incredibly beautiful yesterday."

My heart skipped a beat, just like it did for Woohyun. What is this thing they have with making me blush? Is this normal? This couldn't possibly be. Remember you fool! You hate them! I reminded myself, yet that reminder was worthless now. Ever since last night, it all changed.

"Thank you," I smiled. "But I'm sure there were a lot more beautiful girls at the banquet."

"You caught the attention of many, including my parents. I'd say that's not that bad for your first event ever... And truthfully, my brothers and I believe that you werethe captivating part of the night."

Okay. Are all the Princes taught in the ways of flirting? They probably inherited it from their father, but still. They are amazing in that category. Well, except for Prince Myungsoo. I'm sure he's going to die alone with two hundred cats in an old cobwebbed home. He is the worst!

"When I say every single one of us, I do mean it," he spoke as if he read my mind. "Don't think that one of us is unfit to be Prince just because of how he acted towards you."

Shocked, I tried to shake it off. "He talked to you?"

"He didn't have to," Prince Hoya started laughing. "I know him well enough to know how he is. It takes him a while to determine if someone is worth the time befriending."

"I don't need his friendship," I sneered.

"But if you befriend six of the Woo brothers, then you must befriend all of us! Impossible to say no to that deal."

"I can live without him."

"Things will change~ I promise!"

"Hoyaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!" A strong, unique voice yelled from the distance. Both of us turned to look and saw Prince Dongwoo standing in the sun, his bare chest exposed. He started running towards us and pushed Hoya from my side. Hoya tipped over like a baby trying to stand for the first time, landing on the green grass around us. Dongwoo quickly took his place with an amplified smile. "Oh why hello there, Sophia."

"Hello Prince Dongwoo." Whatever you do. DO NOT. I repeat. DO NOT trail off and stares at his torso. It will be unladylike and extremely obvious for you to do so.

I did notice how sweaty and evenly tan he was. His muscles weren't too exaggerated, but enough to show that he was strong and powerful. Hoya jumped onto his feet, similar to a dancer, and patted his uniform down. He glared at his sibling intensely.

"No one asked you to be here," he scoffed loudly.

"I wanted to say hi to our new friend here," Dongwoo turned to look at his brother in the eyes. "Anyway, it's your turn. Don't get messy this time."

"Are you saying thatI'm the animal in this house?"

"None of us are exempt from that."

Their words stuck to my brain. I felt like they were just using words to overstress the importance of the thing that must be done; yet I also felt like they were not. I tried to ignore them to my best ability, but failed miserably. They argued just like Jonathan and Benjamin do, usually over the littlest thing that was amplified to seem worse.

"It seems as though it is my time to depart from you," Hoya took a hold of my hand and kissed it lightly. "Until next time, Sophia."

He walked away towards the palace. This left just me and a shirtless redheaded Prince. Oh. Joy.

"Why aren't you wearing a shirt, Prince? If you don't mind me asking." Which I'm pretty sure he didn't mind at all. He seemed like the kind of guy who liked to show off his assets, and his was definitely his muscles.

"I just came back from a jog. It gets pretty hot, you know," he grinned at me.

Good lord this boy is teasing me, isn't he. "Oh. I see."

"Did you have a fun time last night? You looked immensely bored standing next to an elephant bush."

The way he said that, just made me start laughing uncontrollably. He also burst out in this robust and haughty laugh. He started rocking back and forth. His laugh was a special one, alright; I'd never heard one like it.

As both of us calmed down, I replied, "It just wasn't my type of party. And that was a pretty nice and handsome elephant, if I must say."

"I know what you mean by it not being your type of party. The Princesses always want to talk to you and when another starts a conversation, you can feel the heat rise around you. There is no freedom or space to breathe," he sighed while messing with his hair. His biceps were as built as his abs. And yes, I did notice. Because yes, I did look at his stomach as he laughed. Those abs were like chocolate in bar form.

"No privacy?"

"Absolutely none! It's ridiculous! My brothers and I have formed a system; we don't leave one alone and we try to stay as a uniform group as much as possible. But the rate that the girls' interest grows in us, the harder it is. Aish."

"But aren't you guys supposed to marry one of them?"

"You would think so," he stretched his arms out, "but really no. There are ways around the rules, but a whole bunch of elderly do not like rules being broken. Nonetheless my family still breaks them. You see, my mother isn't of royal blood. She's just as normal in every way as you."

"But isn't that illegal?"

"It is," the Prince nodded.

"Then... how...?"

"Love has no boundaries, think about it this way. She sacrificed something so precious to her so that she could be with the one she loved."

I was curious. I wonder what he meant by that. There was such an air of mystery and confusion about this family. When you think you have it all figured out, they throw a twist in it like it was a normal thing. How come I didn't hear about this beforehand?

"Are you going to go to the palace any time soon?" He sat up, tall and flexing. I guess he wanted to change the subject. It was understandable why he would want to; it was for the best that we did. "We can walk together if you'd like."

"Sure," I patted my clothes as I stood up. "Maybe my things will be there already."

"Oh yeah," he sighed, "you're going to be living in the palace. Are you excited?"

We started walking together to the palace. I bet it did look incredibly odd for me and him to be in this position, especially the little detail of him being shirtless. But I overlooked it.

"It's just a place to live right?" I asked. "I'll still work here, so no problem in my eyes. As long as my family reaps the benefits."

He got extremely quiet. The expression on his face as the same as it was when his father first announced my move in the ballroom—flushed and flabbergasted. "You might not enjoy it."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Never mind," he smiled big. "It's nothing. The seven of us aren't anything like your family, you know? So it might be a hard transition for you."

"I'm sure I'll do just fine."

He was hiding something. I was positive it was the same thing that Damien refuses to tell me. I was going to find out, one way or another. What is it? I couldn't stop thinking about it. There were so many unknown stories and facts about their family that it could drive anyone to insanity.

"DONGWOO!" the stern voice of the oldest brother yelled.

Both of us were already in the palace by now, walking up the stairs. I first stopped in my tracks to turn and saw it was Sunggyu with Sungyeol and Sungjong. I could tell by his voice that he wasn't pleased at all. The other two just stood beside him, laughing lightly. Dongwoo turned around and waved at his older brother.

"Oh heeeey Sunggyu~" he grinned.

"Dongwoo! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Sunggyu marched up the marble steps. "Are you trying to get us in some deep trouble again?!"

"I was just walking her to her room!"

"Shirtless?!"

"I'm sorry I couldn't make a shirt out of leaves to impress you brother!" Dongwoo started mocking his brother's tone. "We were just checking to see if her things were already there."

"Fine, then Sungjong and Sungyeol, you two go with her to check. I'm talking to Dongwoo for a while," Sunggyu firmly ordered.

Sungjong pranced his way up to me while Sungyeol's long legs seemed to carry him with ease. We departed together. I could still hear Sunggyu and Dongwoo's argument as we reached the top of the staircase. Those two enjoyed bickering at each other, but you could tell the hint of love between their words. It was their siblings relationship and no one had the ability to change it. Sungyeol and Sungjong started laughing simultaneously. I joined them immediately.

"Is he always so strict?" I managed to ask.

"He's the oldest," Sungyeol replied, "I guess that's the way it's supposed to be."

"In a way, I do understand his pain," I remembered how stern I am with my siblings. Not as much as Sunggyu, but enough to feel the frustration he must have over his more carefree relatives.

"It'll be so much fun having you live in the palace!" Sungjong sang. "We can have tea parties and then we can gather flowers together for the rooms."

Sungyeol elbowed him lightly in the stomach. "It's not best if we hang out too much."

"Right right," the feminine brother groaned. "No fun though."

"Do I have some sort of disease that is repelling all of you away or something?" I asked jokingly. I mean to be honest, all of the princes are acting a bit odd.

"No no no no  no! It's not that," Sungyeol started scratching his head. "It's a bit... no a ton more complicated than that."

"But with a little bit of luck, it will get better," Sungjong smiled.

"I don't quite understand...." I looked puzzled.

"Good, its better if you don't," the taller of the two told me. "Safety comes first."

"What is it that none of you are talking to me about?" I finally asked. What the hell are you keeping a secret? And why do only such a few people know?

"What so ever do you mean?" Sungjong's light voice asked.

"Something fishy is going on around here," I protested. "An old friend of mine is somehow involved and the seven of you boys are also."

"It's not for you to know," a spine tingling voice interrupted.

It was his voice. My hands formed knuckles. I dare not turn around to see the figure. I knew who it was. His tone of voice and the way he spoke gave it away. My enemy. The rudest Prince of all. Myungsoo.

"Brother!" exclaimed Sungjong. "Hello~ We are just taking Sophia to her room, would you like to join us?"

"I'll take her myself," Myungsoo's voice seriously spoke. I was shocked. Did he just say what I think he said? "It's time for you guys to go anyway. Hoya is finished."

"It's time already?" Sungyeol asked.

"Awe poo! I wanted to see your face when you see your room!" Sungjong linked arms with me. "Well, later then, let's have some desert treats yeah?"

"Sure," I nodded with a smile. He was absolutely adorable in every possible way. Just so cute and a pleasant spirit.

"Until later tonight," Sungyeol grinned slyly at me.

 "Goodbye Sophia!" Sungjong even blew me a kiss.

Both boys proceeded to dance their way down the stairs, which was a bit odd to me. But hey, after a while, things in the palace seem completely normal. I was now stuck with the unfit Prince. I didn't even turn around to acknowledge him. He took a few steps, stopping when he was directly behind me. I could feel his warm breath against my hair, neck, and ears.

"You know it's rude to not acknowledge someone."

"It's rude to constantly refer to someone as a peasant, but hey, you seemed to do it naturally."

"Let me just take you to your room before you start crying."

He led the way to one of the grand doors. My hands trembled as I reached for the gold doorknob. I first peaked my head in before widening the gap for the rest of my body to fit through. But I felt a force push me further into the room. I was astonished by the sudden event.

And what happened next truly caught me off guard. It was something that I could never forget. 

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HEYYY GUYS :D sorry for the late update! D: i'll try to update as much as I can but since I have so many important tests coming up, I doubt it ;w; sobs. okay soo how d o you guys like the story so far what are your favorite parts? hard to believe i've only gotten through two days technically XD lol. 

Aren't the boys just fabulous!? jk. most of them are. I wanted this chapter to be filled with mystery but with some fun and cute aspects to it also! I wonder who you guys ship with Sophia. you should tell me lol. And your opinions on the mysteries and the secrets in this family! :O I want to hear everything! (:

I wonder what happened to Sophia.... lol. wait I know! but i'm not telling you yet :3

@chibbiz--awee thanks~ I'll update daily if I can!  :D I'm happy that you enjoy it <3

@Shadow_Heart~ They do don't they?! lol. That wasn't intentional XD maybe my innter hp fan is coming out haha. Oh I knew someone would catch that little tidbit! yaaay~ thank you <3

@anaStar~ lol you are one quick reader I must say! That's cute :D I think WoohyunxSophia is going to be one of my favorite pairings, but i'm not sure yet lol. They do seem to have a ton of chemistry though. oh ho ho. mysteriesss~ I promise promise promise that Myungsoo will surprise you all in the later chapters! He has this even darker cloud of darkness around him that's different from the others. Thank you! I will update soon <3

@LeePeppers~ It is!? I'm so glad to hear that! :D hehe~ Sophia moving into the palace will definitely change things! Aweee <3 he is so gentlemanlike ;w; sobs i wish i had someone like him. I'm glad that you're waiting for Myungsoo! His character transformation is bound to happen! (: It's alright lol. english isn't my first language either so I know how you feel~ I wish you luck friend :D <3

@aikachan~ awee thank you~ I never thought it'd get this many views and subs ;w; sobs. Stay tuned ~ (: <3