The white cloth laid gently on my hands as I tied it into a loop with trembling hands.

Yuna was at my side, her hands covering half of her face as she tried to muffle her sobs.

I let out a shaky sigh as I finished the knot, and cold sweat broke out on my neck as I hung the long end of the looped cloth on the beam.

“M-my lady,” Yuna suddenly grabbed onto my arm, “D-don’t do this.”

I stared at Yuna and then casted my eyes upwards as I stared at cloth hung on the beam, waiting for me to step into them.

“Bring me the stool, Yuna.” I whispered as my trembling hands patted her own, “Go bring me a stool.”

“N-no!” Yuna burst into tears as her grip on my arm tightened, “I…I won’t allow you to die!”

“Yuna!” I said sharply as tears streamed down my own face, “Don’t cry for me, don’t you dare!”

Yuna immediately halted her tears, yet hiccups emerged from her lips and her expression still wore the same amount of sadness.

Letting her hands fall from my arms, Yuna quietly went and retrieved the stool from outside as slowly as she could, and when she brought the stool in front of me, I could see anger written all over her face.

“I hate the king,” Yuna said quietly as she placed the stool down, “I hate concubine Taeyoung.”

“Yuna, don’t.” I wrapped her into a hug, “What if others hear you?”

“Then I will die with you, my lady.” Yuna squeezed my waist, “You’re the only mistress I will serve whole heartedly in my life.”

“You suffered so much because of me, Yuna.” I let go of Yuna’s shoulders yet Yuna stay glued to my waist, “I know you received bullying from the other maidservants this past year because of my exile.”

“No!” Yuna let go of my waist and stared into my eye earnestly. “You’re the one who gave me a name, my lady! You’re the one who accepted me as a maidservant even though I barely passed the test, you showered me with so much love!”

I smiled gently, and a tiny bit of warmth touched my already hardened heart.

Pulling away from Yuna’s grasp, I heaved a deep breath and stood on the stool.

Yuna began crying again as I stepped onto the stool, yet she bit her lips and minimized her sobs to the least.

Staring at the loop dangling right in front of me, I clenched my fists together and pretended that it was a doorway to heaven.

And with last one breath, I threw everything out of my mind as I fastened the loop around my neck, and kicked the stool away.

~~~

It was warm, and so dark.

So dark, yet so comfortable.

Soyoung.

Who was calling me? My eyes twitched a little as a sweet voice rang out in my head.

Soyoung, are you there?

My senses slowly came to me as I could just slightly move my fingers and twitch my facial parts, yet my eyes refused to open and my limbs were numb and weak.

Soyoung, wake up!

I gasped as my eyes flew open and I sprang up into a sitting position with heavy pants.

Heaving several deep breaths to calm myself down, I blinked as I stared up into the face of probably the most beautiful girl I have seen in my life.

The girl gave me a sweet smile as I stared at her, and I frowned slightly as I saw that she was floating on a cloud.

“A…fairy?” I said slowly, and my eyes widened as I quickly stood up and glanced around myself.

Beautiful willow trees softly swayed with the gentle wind as a clear, transparent stream flowed down the mountain with a merry tinkle. There was grass everywhere, grass so green and soft that I just want to throw away my dignity and roll on the grass like a child. Flowers that reflected the clear, aqua blue sky sang in a harmonious tune as creatures that I have never seen before roamed this breathtaking place.

“Wow…” I couldn’t help but in my breath as I took in the scenery that beheld me, and I turned to the fairy, whose lips twitched up into a gentle smile.

“Where am I?” I asked the fairy in wonder, “Am I in…heaven?”

The fairy chuckled.

“Heaven?” She repeated my sentence, “I’m afraid not.”

I frowned.

“Oh,” I muttered, “I thought I was dead. Then…you’re not a fairy?”

The fairy shook her head. “I’m not a fairy.”

“Then what are you?” I pointed to the cloud she was floating on, “You’re not human, are you?”

“I’m the guardian of the afterlife, my name is Guardian Seohyun.” The guardian gave me a short bow, “And you are currently in what we call the ‘unknown.’”

“What is that?”

“The unknown is a place for people who died unnaturally, which is, for example, you suiciding.”

I blinked.

“I didn’t suicide out of my own will,” I said as sadness overwhelmed me, “It was my lord’s orders.”

“Precisely,”