Sora felt her heart stop beating as she whirled around at the sudden voice.

Her eyes widened when she saw Chanyeol holding onto the piece of letter she had just written and was waiting for it to dry before she was to send it over to Japan. She felt her whole life flash in front of her and almost felt as if her time was up.

Well, her time really was. Chanyeol found out she was a spy, how the hell was she supposed to survive this?

Chanyeol was looking at her like he never saw her before, the new information definitely coming off as a real shocker. He looked at Sora up and down and shook his head, closing his eyes. "Tell me this letter you're writing is just a joke." his voice broke and he was almost begging.

Sora winced and clutched her fingers. She didn't want him to find out this way.

In fact, she didn't want him to find out at all.

"It's not." Sora whispered. "I really am a spy. My name is Aimi Higashiyama, I am General Higashiyama's adopted daughter. Everything written there is true."

Sora wondered if she could send a pigeon over to Japan before Chanyeol decided to behead her. She had to tell her father that the plans were ruined and she was going to die. Not out of love, but responsibility. It was the least she could do for him since he had brought her up when no one else wanted to.

"You're a spy." Chanyeol repeated, swallowing hard. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, taking a few moments to let the fact settle in. And then he opened his eyes so suddenly, moving into action so quickly that he nearly scared Sora into bits.

He reached out to grab her arm, crushing the letter in his other hand and pulled Sora with him. Sora vaguely wondered if she was about to be dragged off to be killed right then and there.

Chanyeol pushed Sora into his quarters and closed the doors, locking them behind him. He put his ear to the door for a few moments and was finally satisfied when he figured there wasn't anyone out there listening in. He turned around and looked at Sora, his gaze so soft and tender that Sora thought she was dreaming.

There wasn't a hint of hate or anger in his eyes. Just soft, passionate, love.

"Tell me about your mission." Chanyeol said in a low voice. "Why were you sent here? A war? Japan wants to start a war with Korea?"

Sora bit her lip. No, not Japan. Her father, her father wanted to start a war with Korea. Her father wanted Korea. It didn't matter what those peasants and commoners thought because her father was the one making all the decisions. He preferred to be called the General instead of the Ruler or anything like that because he wanted to give off a scary vibe.

Chanyeol took a step towards her. "Are you not allowed to say anything?" he whispered, frowning. "What was your mission here? What were you spying about here? What is there to know?"

Sora her lips. "Well firstly...Jeonha does his military troop plans on paper...which is conveniently available." she didn't dare meet his eyes. "And I was here to create chaos in the Palace, of which isn't looking very well because Jeonha and Byul are still so loving despite my attempts.

Chanyeol blinked. Her attempts? So Byul's worry about Baekhyun turning to Sora wasn't unfounded, but because Sora had hinted something to Byul? "Wait, so you telling me that you like Baekhyun hyung," Chanyeol said slowly. "Is that part of the plan as well?"

Sora avoided his eyes and furrowed her brows. "I understand that I will be beheaded for this." she muttered. "If you are to do so, at least don't question my motives and actions and just let me die."

Chanyeol stared at her for a long while. Sora fidgeted under his gaze, feeling restless. She felt like a child being caught eating candy, except this guilt was much stronger than that. She could feel his disappointment in her identity and motives, her actions and character.

And Sora was torn, knowing that she let Chanyeol down.

"I'm not going to behead you." he said finally. "I'm not going to tell anyone about this." he declared.

Sora's eyes shot up to him in surprise. "What are you-" "I'm saying that you don't need to be a spy for Japan. You can be a spy for Korea." Chanyeol told her. "You don't have to be Aimi Higashiyama, you can continue being Im Sora. Weren't you happy these days here? Don't you want these days to continue?" he asked.

Sora remained quiet. "I'm really hoping you will change sides, Sora." Chanyeol took her hand and gave it a light squeeze as he searched her face. "I'm taking a huge risk over here. A risk that might kill millions, that might overturn the ruling party, that might even destroy Korea. But I'm doing it, because I love you. And I trust you."

Sora choked back a sob. Was he an idiot?

"I'm hoping you will change, Sora." he whispered, his eyes pleading. "Please stop being a spy for Japan. Help us if they attack. You can be a true blooded korean and no one will know you're a Japanese, no one can tell. You can lead a brand new life here, a better life." he begged. "Just stop being a spy, hmm?"

Sora met his eyes and a tear trickled down her cheek. His offer was so tempting. She wanted to become Im Sora for real, she wanted to serve Baekhyun with all her heart, she wanted to stay here where Chanyeol was, and these new EXO friends. Her time here in korea for these few weeks was happier than her whole life back in her hometown. It was so tempting to give up those dreary tortorous days where she was expected to train with the boys to become a top notch martial artist.

She remembered being locked in a room with just a bed, being forced to go hungry to train her determination. Finally given food but the food was put in a room on the third floor of a building and she wasn't allowed to use the stairs or doors to reach it. She had to climb up the walls and had bloodied all her fingers and knuckles.

She didn't have any friends. All of her brothers were trying to become the fastest, strongest fighter out of them so that they could be favored by General Higashiyama and even within the siblings, even if not blood-related, there were always competition and hostility.

She so so so wanted to shed of Aimi Higashiyama.

"But I can't." she whispered. "I owe the General a debt. A debt of life. He had saved me when I was dying as a child and had given me food and a place to live. I can't ignore that, Chanyeol-gun. I can't."

She took a step away from him and Chanyeol flinched. "I still trust you, you know." he murmured softly. "I know you'll change somehow. I know you belong here with us." he pleaded. "I just hope you see the light soon. And Sora?"

Sora stopped in her tracks. "I really do love you." he choked. "And I'll wait till you're able to put down your identity as Aimi to finally say the words back to me as Im Sora. I'll be waiting."

-----

"What do you mean Byul left?" Suho shrieked, his eyes wide. "I hope I misunderstood you. She went shopping or something right? Horse riding. Went for a little spin around the town. Is that it?"

Baekhyun shook his head gloomily, aware of how much of an idiot he looked with his eyes puffy and red. Two days had passed since Byul had gone and the EXO-K boys finally seeked him out after he had tried all means to avoid them. It seemed the news of Byul's departure hadn't reached them yet because they all seemed so surprised. Shocked, rather.

"She said she was unhappy." Baekhyun muttered. "So I told her to go. And she went."

"You told noona to go?" Sehun tore at his hair, wanted to scream. "Hyung! You are the stupidest person ever in the whole wide world!" he whined.

Baekhyun didn't respond. Yes, yes he was.

"What in the world were you two quarrelling about in the first place to have it end like that?" D.O. frowned. "And what are you still doing here? Go and get her you !"

Baekhyun sat there, unmoving. His eyes slowly trailed to Chanyeol and the boys were surprised to find envy in the Crown Prince's eyes. "Yeol, take good care of Byul." he murmured. "She's a little hard to handle sometimes when she's exceptionally stubborn, but don't take it to heart. She's worth every bit of your frustration." he laughed softly to himself with no humor.

Chanyeol didn't understand. "Why am I supposed to take care of Byul, hyung?" he frowned. "She's your girl. If anyone is supposed to be taking care of her, it's you."

Baekhyun looked at Chanyeol. "But the one she likes is you, isn't it? That's why she's unhappy with me." he reasoned. "Who can be happy with someone they don't love-"

"You think Byul is in love with me?" Chanyeol cut in, his eyes wide in horror. "What made you think that?"

Baekhyun shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "For starters, she never tells me anything anymore. Don't think I never realized how often you visited you at your quarters and how long you two spent talking. It's like you two have a connection and her and I don't have anymore." he sighed in resignation. "Treat her well, Yeol."

"Hyung, Sehun's right. You're stupid." Chanyeol stated blandly. "The reason why she looked for me to talk was because she didn't want you to worry. She didn't want you to worry because she loves you, you babo." he shook his head. "I don't think you realize how hard it is for Byul to stay in the Palace as your prospective wife, because you've been a prince all your life. People aren't so good to her as you think, hyung."

"What do you mean?" Baehyun frowned. "She never told me anything."

Chanyeol wanted to strangle this hyung. This guy. "Of course she didn't! She didn't want you to worry, you stupid ." he shook his head. "When she went to the city to visit the folks, a few said bad things to her. Very bad things, all because she wasn't a princess and she was about to become one."

Sehun frowned at Chanyeol's words. "Those baddies."

"While you were having your insecurities, hyung, she was having hers too." Chanyeol sighed. "You could never imagine how I saw Han Eunbyul cry." he muttered at the memory. "She thought she wasn't good enough for you and she was afraid you would realize what sort of a wife you had chosen for yourself."

"What nonsense!" Baekhyun blurted. "She's more than good enough for me!"

"That's what we think but not the others." Chanyeol pointed out. "Did you know that Jaeho was bullied by Park Seongsaengnim's son just because he wasn't of royal birth? And the maids expected Mrs Han to clean her own quarters because they didn't think she was worth working for. Do you think Byul is the sort of person who would be able to withstand her own family suffering like this because of her?"

Baekhyun choked. He hadn't known any of that at all. He had misunderstood Byul's strange behavior for something ridiculous and had missed his chance when she needed him by her side. He was a fool.

"So you mean, when she left me, it wasn't because she didn't love me?" Baekhyun murmured. "It wasn't because of what I said?"

"I'm not sure what you said but I think that's the case." Chanyeol nodded grimly. "Han Eunbyul would never have left you no matter how many criticisms were thrown in her way. But Han Eunbyul would have left you within a blink of an eye if her family's happiness was threatened. And not to mention how she was feeling very insecure about your love at that time, I think it's reasonable that she left."

The princes fell into silence.

"This is some complicated ." Kai muttered, shaking his head. He looked at Baekhyun. "So now that you know, are you going to chase her back?"

The princes looked at Baekhyun, waiting for him to burst up from his chair and to rush to the stables, summoning the fiercest and fastest horse to gallop his way to Byul at once.

But Baekhyun shook his head with a bitter smile.

"No." he decided. "Because she was unhappy with me. My status has brought her unnecessary suffering, and not only to her, but also her family." his eyes dimmed. "If she's leaving me because of her family, I can't make her stay because the world doesn't revolve around us. Han Eunbyul would never be happy if her family wasn't."

He swallowed and lowered his gaze to the ground. "I'm going to pretend that I didn't know about her reasons for leaving. I'm going to pretend I'm still angry with her and still in my jealous fits."

"I'm going to let her go, because I love her, and the place she belongs isn't with me if she doesn't even smile."