I go through the mail we received today and rip open the one from the Son Nobles’ family.

“They can’t come,” I drop the piece of paper onto the desk and sit down.  “The more the reason for us to suspect that Hana has gone home,”

“It says a meeting planned prior to our request for their presence,” My mother spells out. 

Kai sighs.  “Hana going home is pretty much prior to anything if she really is their daughter,” He glances at the letter and at my mother.  “Why do you think she wanted to leave home that much? The Sons don’t look like a bad bunch,”

“She said she was scared of a responsibility,” I rake a frustrated hand through my hair.  “And Yookyung, who’s supposed to be her younger sister, said that she ‘didn’t deserve the position’ or something of the sort,”

“So she ran away because she didn’t want to lead,” My mother sums up and I nod.

“I should have seen the resemblance, I keep noticing it but I couldn’t find its match,” I look at Yookyung’s picture and Hana’s again.  “Man,”

“Kyungsoo, don’t worry,” My mother sets her hand on my shoulder.  “Don’t worry.  If she’s home, then she’s fine.  If she decided on going there, she must have did after a proper consideration.  She is a lady after all, she would at least be able to organize her thoughts properly,”

“Yeah, if she couldn’t leave out her table manners, then she’s that much of a lady,” Kai jokes and evokes a chuckle from our lips.

I scratch the back of my head and cross my arms.  “I don’t know, I’m just really worried about her.  I mean, she ran away from home.  How would her parents react? As nice as they look like they are, they would at least flip once,”

“That’s a consequence,” My mother shrugs, tidying up the files on the table and leaving out Yookyung and Hana’s picture for me.  “Leave, Kyungsoo, go get a nap,” She cups my cheek and kisses my forehead.  “Rest,”

I nod and pat Kai’s shoulder before leaving the room, dragging my feet upstairs into my room.  I slept for a total of 4 hours after the two days Hana had disappeared.  I had waited for the letter and well, now that it came, I still don’t have a clear statement of her whereabouts.

“Ah, but at least, she’s sort of home,” I mutter to myself, dropping onto the bed.  I’m exhausted.  It’s amazing how I’m this tired because of one person.  I usually get this tired only because of stuff related to the kingdom, but now, it’s because of one person. 

Before I fall asleep, I shake my head to myself and walk towards my desk, pulling out my pen and a piece of paper, writing a letter to Yookyung.  I write exactly 8 words on it;

Dear Yookyung,

Is Hana safe?

Take care,

Kyungsoo

I press the castle’s seal onto it and call for a keeper to send my letter as quick as possible.  I finally, properly, set my head on my pillow and close my eyes, falling asleep immediately.

***

My eyes flutter open and with them half closed, I walk to answer the door.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but the reply came,” The male keeper said, still in his travelling clothes.

“Thank you, you did an amazing job,” I shake his hand and dismiss him, closing the door behind my back.  I check the time before opening the letter and see that it has been exactly 6 hours since I sent the letter.  They work hard alright.

I rip open the seal and pull out the paper inside, reading its contents.

Dear Your Majesty, Do Kyungsoo,

She is safe, here.

She has changed.

Regards,

Son Yookyung

Although relieved, I frown.  “She has changed?” I read the words aloud to myself.

The only way to know is to visit.

“Mother?”

“Come in, Kyungsoo,”

I step into her room and sit at the edge of her bed.  “Can we visit the Sons tomorrow?”

My mother waits for a few seconds before answering, “But you go alone,” I look at her in question and she returns my gaze as she says, “I do not want to humiliate them with my presence,”

I lower my head and nod.  If my mother were to come, Hana would be utterly humiliated.  She would be willing to degrade herself as a noble in order to apologize to my mother, which will not be unknown by her parents, surely.  For her intrudence, insolence and all the things she should not have done, she would persist to apologize and well, that would not be good.

“Just tell her, although I was a slightly taken aback, but no harm done,” My mother smiles at me and grips my hand reassuringly.  “Now, Kyungsoo, you know that she’s safe and you know that she’s home.  Rest properly, it’s still nine.  You have plenty of time to get some rest,”

“Mm,” I pull up my mother’s covers and turn of the lights before leaving.  “Night, mom,”

“Mm,” She answers and I return to my room.

Well, all we can do is wait for tomorrow to come and see what happens.