When Taemin awoke again a few hours later, Minho was not beside him. He was a little annoyed that the man had just left him out there. Especially when he had stayed with him all night and well into the morning.

He had even taken his cloak with him.

Jonghyun was already out in the garden by then, tending to the vegetables. Taemin caught his eye when he sat up, and the gardener turned to him with a warm smile.

"Good morning."

Taemin could only grumble a reply. He was still half asleep. He pulled himself to his feet and ignored his muscles screaming in pain. Sleeping on the cold cobblestone wasn't the most comfortable of activities.

"I didn't expect you to be out here," Jonghyun commented with an obvious smile.

"Well Minho just left me here..." he complained.

"I think he's coming back. He left not a minute ago. He told me to look after you." His smile only grew. Obviously, he was concocting something out of the situation that wasn't true.

"Quit smiling," Taemin grumbled while straightening out his dress. He had never slept in the thing before. On top of it being wrinkled, it was damp from the dew.

Jonghyun only laughed, before turning back to his work.

Taemin left before he could try getting him to stay. He grabbed an apple from the orchard before heading inside and snacked on the fruit on the way to his bedroom. He needed to change out of the wet dress before anything else.

He could probably ask Kibum to wash it again for him. Come to think of it, he should have him wash the cloak too…

Since his second-best dress was also dirty, he took a few minutes to look through the wardrobe to find something else tolerable. He didn't have a whole lot of options.

Before he could decide, he heard his bedroom door open. He figured it was Kibum, since the man never knocked. When he left the adjoining room, he was surprised to find Minho standing before his bed.

He looked just as surprised to find Taemin there as well. "I'm sorry, I thought you were still outside."

"It's alright," Taemin said, still chewing on a piece of his apple.

He looked a little awkward standing there. He had his cloak bundled in his arms, wrapped around something. He had no doubt meant to leave it on Taemin's bed, but since finding him there, he decided to give it to him directly.

"Thank you," he said as he handed him the bundle.

Taemin only nodded.

He noticed Minho wasn't dressed as finely as he usually was. He looked rather casual. He even carried himself differently. Something about him just seemed...lighter.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, before nodding his head, then leaving his room once again. Taemin stared at the door long after he was gone, before unraveling the bundled cloak.

There were more clothes neatly folding inside of it. He almost jumped for joy when he realized what kind of clothes they were.

Men's clothes. Shirts and pants. Blessed pants.

He never thought he would be so happy to see a simple pair of trousers.

He laughed a little to himself. Yes, Minho was different.

Minho was so different he was even helping Jonghyun with his gardening. Taemin was very surprised when he went to help Jonghyun and found the master there with him. Minho was kneeling beside him in the dirt, listening as Jonghyun described the process of harvesting the vegetables. When Taemin quietly approached, they both looked his way, and Jonghyun was surprised to find him wearing pants.

Oh how good it felt to wear pants again. He had a feeling his expression showed it.

"What's this?" Jonghyun asked.

"What's this?" Taemin asked in return.

Knowing he was referring to Minho, Jonghyun turned to his master and shrugged. "You tell me."

Minho tried to act like he was behaving normally, but they both knew that was far from normal. In one morning he had revoked Taemin's punishment and decided to help his servants with their work. He was changing, trying to prove he was worthy of the chance his servants tried to get him. Taemin couldn't deny it.

Even though he had doubts that the change would last, he decided he would enjoy it. He might as well take advantage of it while he could.

Naeun tried as hard as she could to be strong. She put on a good front for her father and brother, and more importantly, for herself. Despite the pain and guilt, she pretended she was alright. It was easy to pretend when you had work to do and other things to worry about, but in the silence, when she was alone by herself and the weight of everything came down on her...she broke.

She sat at the kitchen table crying.

She missed Taemin so much. Their family just wasn't the same since he had left. Their father just wasn't the same. He didn't work like he supposed to. They were short on money because of it and behind on their rent. Jongin tried to make up for the difference, but it wasn't enough. The landlord had threatened them again just that morning. Daevy tried to convince him to give them more time, but she knew he couldn't persuade him forever.

Everything felt like it was coming apart.

Daevy was back at the bar, but she didn't have the fortitude to retrieve him that night. What was the use anyway, when he would only go back?

A knock on the door interrupted the lonely silence. She didn't know who would be there at that hour, and she honestly didn't feel like answering, but her curiosity got the better of her. She dried her tears as best she could and answered the door.

It was the local postal boy. Strange that he should be there so late.

"I'm sorry to bother you, miss," he said, upon noticing her puffy eyes. "I have a delivery here for your father."

"Oh," she said, still surprised by his presence, "Of course. Bring it in."

It was tools perhaps. Something he ordered before that entire mess.

"We'll have to get it off the wagon.”

Naeun followed the boy out of the house to his wagon, where he helped his companion retrieve a trunk off the back. She was surprised by the weight of it as they struggled to carry it in through the door. They set it on the floor with a loud thud.

She thanked them, then they left, leaving her alone with her father’s strange delivery.

It was no set of tools. She knew that much. But what could it be?

Curiosity got the better of her. She undid the difficult latch, then under the soft glow of the lamp light, she took a look at what had been given them.

She could hardly believe her eyes. There was gold, silver, silk, gems...

It was a mistake. It had to be a mistake. No one her father knew could be that wealthy, and none of them had reason to send such an extravagant gift. What had Daevy ever done to warrant such a delivery?

There was a note pinned to the top of the trunk. She pulled it off and read the words that were written on it.

To Daevy,

In exchange for the gift I didn’t ask for. May these items serve you better than they ever served me, and may your daughter have a taste of the life you denied her.

Minho

She still couldn’t believe it. The man who had stolen her brother had sent them enough riches to take care of their finances for months, if not years. Despite being tricked, he gave it all to them. Just what kind of a man was that beast?

She was driven to delve into the chest, to look over all the pieces in wonder and admiration. There were dozens of different items, each expensive and expertly crafted. She would have cherished each and every one of them, but Minho just gave them away.

Did he cherish Taemin more than them? Was that his payment to keep him? Like he was just property?

Or was it really in exchange for her? After all, Minho wanted her. Was he trying to tempt them with promises of riches? Did he really think she was that vain?

But vain or not, they needed those riches, and she couldn’t help but be thankful for them.

The tears she cried now were tears of relief.

A/N: Now we all know what Naeun would think. :P