I flinch when the clock strikes twelve.  Man, I got too carried away by the lessons.

“Kai,”

“I’m here, bro,” He pats my back.

“I’m not looking for comfort,” I say through gritted teeth, blowing out a huge sigh.  “I’m asking you to leave for the hall first.  I’m going out to pick her up,”

Kai makes a disgusting expression and dodges my punch, trotting away as I told him to.  “Don’t be an idiot!” He says.

“Shut up!” I yell back, turning away and exiting the building.

Hana, Hana, Hana.  Where could she be?

I check the stables, not there.

I check the gardens, not there.

I start to worry.  Where is she? She’s not in the castle either.  I push the dining hall doors open and move to hover around my seat.  My mother’s already seated and Kai is too.

“I can’t—“

I gape when I see her walking into the dining hall, a trolley in her hands, pushing the silver platters towards our table, beginning to lift each platter up.  She’s dressed, but in her housekeeper uniform.

“Hana,” I call out.

She looks up and holds my gaze for a second, then her jaw drops open.  ‘This is the lunch?’ She mouths, her face panicked.

I nod, putting up an apologetic look.

‘What the—

“This is Hana?”

We both flinch when my mother speaks.  Hana stutters and I mentally slap myself for not telling her. 

“Y-Yes, Your Highness,” She squeaks, locking her hands and keeping her head down.

My mother lifts her eyebrows at me, gesturing with her hands as if she was trying to say, “What are you doing standing there like an idiot? Get her a seat!”

I rush forward like I just went play from pause, and took Hana’s hand, guiding her to the seat beside me.  We sit at the same time and she says through gritted teeth; “Why didn’t you tell me?”

I grimace and whisper back.  “Sorry,”

She sighs and clears , still keeping her head lowered.

“Hello, dear,” My mother says.

“H-hello, Your Highness,” Hana answers.

“Can you look up a bit, dear? I’d love to see your face,”

Hana glances at me reluctantly but lifts up her head, her eyes on the table. 

“Kyungsoo, can you take her headband off, please?”

I reach out to her and untie her headband with a single pull and her brown locks tumble down neatly to frame her face. 

The table falls to silence until Hana clears .  “Is something wrong?” She looks up into my mother’s eyes.

“Ah there we go,” My mother smiles, setting her hand together.  “You have beautiful eyes, my dear,”

“T-Thank you,  Your Highness,” Hana shies away again and kicks my feet under the table.

“Y-yeah, you do,” I blurt out and she reflexively glares at me.  “Sorry,”

“I can see her charm, mom,” Kai grins and my mother nods at him.

“I can see it too,” My mother clucks her tongue, and silently cackles with Kai, settling down when Hana stands up from her chair.

“I’m sorry, I have to, erm,” She trots towards the trolley and starts lifting up the platters, serving them tidily on the table.

My mother looks at me and smiles proudly, and Kai nods approvingly.

I sigh.

I’m really sorry, Hana.

Hana takes her seat beside me again and waits until everybody hold their silverware, and proceed to eating the food served.

“Eat,” I nudge her with my elbow and she nods, taking the silverware as well. 

During the meal, Hana speaks up.  “I’m sorry, Your Highness, but on what occassion am I invited to this table?”

“Oh?” My mother looks at me.  “Kyungsoo didn’t tell you?”

“No, he didn’t,” Hana snaps, then adds quietly.  “Your Highness,”

My mother chuckles and gestures at me.  “Why don’t you tell her for us, hm?”

I fight the urge to drop my forehead onto my food and clear my throat.  “Well, Hana, the reason by which you were invited to have lunch with me—and my mother and Kai—is the fact that I have obtained clarity for my feelings towards you,” My voice fades out at the end.

“Ah,” She nods, reddening.

My mother squeals and grabs Kai’s hand.  “I can’t stand this anymore,”

“Mom, calm,” I say and she quiets down, fanning herself. 

“And it would be nice to know what you think about our Kyungsoo here,” Kai says, in a tone that somewhat makes the atmosphere comfortable.

“Well, um,” Hana hesitates and shrugs.  “I like him, I guess,” She then quickly corrects herself.  “I mean, you know, I have a reason but I just can’t spell it out,”

“Mm-hmm,” My mother tucks a lock of hair behind her ear.  “I know that feeling,”

“Right?” Hana grins, her tension falling apart all at once.

“Right,” My mother smiles back at her.

And with that line, it seems like Hana has been a part of us since a very long time ago.  Conversation flows smoothly and Hana can laugh freely, along with my mother and Kai.  I enjoyed the time very much, because aside from the fact that Hana can feel at ease with my family, they can also see this side of her, the side that made me fall in love with her. 

“Well,” My mother sets her napkin tidily on the table.  “That was an excellent meal.  Thank you for joining us, Hana,”

“It was my pleasure, Your Highness,” Hana smiles.  “It’s a great honor to be able to sit at the same table with the royal family, when I’m just a keeper in the castle grounds,”

“Yeah, a keeper Kyungsoo fell in love with,” Kai says and we all chuckle.

“I’ll have my leave then,” My mother stands up.  “Kai, come.  We have business to take care of,”

The two leave quickly and I bet my buttons they’re laughing their butts off outside the hall.  I help Hana take the plates off of the table and onto the trolley.

“So,” Hana starts.  “Clarity of your feelings, huh?”

“Shut up,” I nudge her.

She chuckles.  “That’s nice to know, Kyungsoo,”

Our words are replaced by the clink of plates and silverware.  Then Hana becomes the one to start another conversation.

“But you know why I like you?” She says.

“Hm?” I look up.  Startled by her eyes, (for the millionth time) I freeze, waiting for her words.

“Because, as cheesy as it sounds, I’ve never had somebody make me laugh like you did,”

I frown at the melancholy passing over her face and something nags at the back of my mind.

She returns her smile quickly though, pushing me away from the trolley.  “You made me eat already.  Let me push the trolley away,”

I follow her and hold the door open for her, trailing behind her until she reaches the back of the castle, where dirty work is done.

“I really should have dressed up,” She sighs, punching me gently on the arm.  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because if I did, you wouldn’t want to come,” I smile down at her, tying her headband from the front this time, so I let my arms come around her.  I do it slowly, just to stay close to her.  She finally pushes me back gently, her hands on my chest. 

“Too close,” She looks away, blushing.

I chuckle, then peck her cheek.  “That’s for yesterday,”

Before she could react, I turn away, throwing her a wave.  “I had a great time, Hana,”

I smile like an idiot and cross the dining hall and leave it, feeling extremely refreshed, somehow.  I trot towards my mother and Kai, joining their conversation.

“What’s up?”

They both stare at me like I’m a stranger then narrow their eyes at me.  “You did something to her, didn’t you?”

Kai rubs his chin thoughtfully.  “Probably kissed her cheek, ‘for yesterday’”

I gape and he laughs.  “Bull’s eye,”

“I like her a lot, Kyungsoo,” My mother says, nodding vigorously.  “She’s pretty and nice,”

“I like her too,” Kai pats my back.  “Good job,”

I grin at my mom, happy that I didn’t disappoint her.

“But there was something out of the ordinary,” She frowns.  “What answer do you have when I ask you this question; why is a housekeeper so well-mannered?”

The lunch flashes again in my mind and my forehead creases into a frown.  Straight-backed sitting position, proper table manners, poised throughout a meal.

The three of us frown.

And the thought that nags at my mind slowly comes to the surface.