At first she was startled.  Then a soft expression passes across her face, but it quickly hardens to another that I don’t think she’ll be letting go of.

“Why are you here?” She asks, looking away.

“Hana, I-“

“What are you doing here?”

“You’re-“

“Why do you have to come here?” I notice her knuckles turn white at her grip on the door.  “Leave, Prince.  Leave and meet me no more,”

All my composure breaks away and I stop the door loudly as she strives to shut it at my face.  “No,”

Her expression hardens and she raises her voice, staring at me in the eye.  “This is my home, I am the Son Nobles’ firstborn and I command you to leave!”

I register her words and find myself smiling at her very gently.  “Thank you for telling me the truth,”

Hana seems to understand what I mean because she stares at me bewilderedly and pushes the door repeatedly, grunting with effort as she hides her face.  “Leave, Prince.  Just leave,”

I easily open the door and grab her by the shoulders, cupping her cheek, forcing her to look at me.  She struggles, but I push her back, pinning her to the wall. “No,” I sternly say.  “I will stay.  And it’s Kyungsoo,”

The tears b her eyes finally reach their limits and roll down their cheeks.  She holds herself back from hugging me, clutching at my shirt tightly.  “Kyungsoo,” She sobs.  “Why? Why are you here? Why am I here?” Her sobs turn louder.  “I understand nothing,”

I wrap her with my arms and let her cry, let her tears wet my shoulder, before pulling back and lowering my torso to level with her face.  “It’s going to be alright, Hana,” I wipe her tears away.  “There’s nothing to be scared of,” I lean in and plant a kiss on both of her eyes, her cheeks, her nose, and without thinking press my lips onto hers, breathing in her scent closely and tasting the salty tinge of her tears.  Her hands are on my chest, not pushing me away, just staying there, on the beat of my heart.  She kisses me back gently, being the one to pull away.

“So sly,” She whispers, looking away shyly.

I chuckle and guide her onto the nearest sofa, letting her take a seat first.  “I’m sorry for intruding but I’ll get you some water,” I stand up and stop at my tracks when Hana grabs my wrist.

“It’s okay, I’m fine,” She says quietly. 

I sit beside her and keep my eyes on her face.  “I’ve missed you,” I blurt out, immediately regretting it.  “Man, no, that’s not what I meant, I’m sorry for being cheesy-“

“I did too,” Hana’s eyes finds mine and she grips my hand reassuringly.  Her smile was soft, but sad.

“I heard everything from Aunt Kim, Hana,” I say.  Her eyes widen in surprise but she shakes her head with a smile.

“Aunt Kim is an amazing woman,” She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear.  “I’m sorry, Kyungsoo.  For lying to you, for breaking into the castle, I’m sorry towards the queen too, and Kai-ssi, for being a fraud and for not telling the truth all this time,”

I could tell she meant it.  “What happened?”

“I was being childish,” She sighs.  “Stupid and selfish, I ran away from home because I did not want to be a successor, I did not want to be engaged to someone I did not know, I did not love, I wanted to leave home, I wanted to run away from my mother and father who kept insisting for me to leave my love for plants and focus on being a noble’s daughter, I wanted to run away from the lessons, from all the matter of pride and dignity, from all the riches, from everything,”

Her eyes are locked onto her hands.  “But I didn’t think of Yookyung,” She clenches her fists tightly.  “I didn’t know that it would all come down to her suffering.  She had to know how it felt like to be me.  She had to suffer the consequences, she had to live two lives,”

Hana lowered her head in shame.  “I was too scared to return.  But when I did, Yookyung was the first to welcome me.  She hugged me and looked at me fondly, with a wide grin and happy tears saying, “Welcome home, unnie, I’ve missed you,” and did all this just for me,” She looks at me in question.  “I don’t understand.  She was supposed to hate me, but instead, she said that she wanted to share the responsibility of being the Sons successors.  She didn’t want me to go through it alone, now that I’ve returned.  I don’t understand,”

“Yookyung really loves you.  Even at the greenhouse when she first met me, she was so close to talking about you.  She had said how she didn’t deserve to be in her position back then, and well, now I see that she, too, feels guilty in a way,” I state quietly.  “I’m guessing you’ve never actually told your parents about your love for plants? I’m guessing that they do not know you manage the herbs plantation all over the city?”

“How do you know?” Hana blinks. 

“Figured as much.  A gardener saw me inspecting the plantation and told me it was Miss Hana’s doing,” I smile at her.  “You don’t just love plants, Hana, you’re born with green thumbs.  Why don’t you talk to your parents? Tell them how much you want all this to be a huge part of your life,”

“But what if they say no? What if they turn me down again?” She frowns, worried.

“I’ll be there,” I stare square into her eyes.  “I’ll be there, and Yookyung will be there,”

The words embed itself into her mind, creating a newfound determination I see in her beautiful eyes.

“Okay,” She stands up.  “Okay, I’ll talk to them now.  I’ll announce my arrival and talk to them right now, this instant,”

“That’s the way,” I smile proudly at her, ruffling her hair.

“Thanks, Kyungsoo,” She stands on tiptoes and plants a kiss on my lips.  “For the kiss and for everything else,”

“My pleasure,” I follow her out the door, reaching out to her figure, so close now, as if nothing could separate us from each other.