Taemin had wanted to sleep in the next morning, after all the work he had done in Minho's bedroom, but he was woken early by an unexpected visitor in his bedroom. Somehow Kibum had gotten past the locked door. He stood before his bed, examining his mother's dress that he had left on the couch.

"Hey!" Taemin snapped and sat up.

"How many days have you been wearing this thing?" Kibum asked, disgusted. He examined the tear in front, which had only gotten bigger the longer Taemin wore it.

"It doesn't matter to you. Give it back!" He jumped up from the bed, despite only being clothed in his underwear. He went to grab the dress from the magician, but he pulled it out of his reach.

"Relax, I just want to wash it for you. And fix the tear."

"It's the only clothes I brought with me, now give it back."

"There's those." Kibum gestured to the dress pile.

"I'm not wearing those."

"This dress, that dress. What does it matter? You've been wearing this one for the past week, just pick another one."

"That was my mother's."

"Well you'll destroy it at this rate. And I brought your cloak back, so just wear that for sentimental value."

Taemin looked to the couch, where his maroon cloak was folded neatly. It looked like it had been washed and pressed, and in even better condition than when he had donned it.

"How did Minho get ahold of that anyway?" Kibum asked.

"He ripped it off me, that's how," he said as he picked it up to look it over. It even felt softer than before.

"Well that explains the tears. Don't worry, I fixed them. Good as new."

Taemin was too busy examining the cloak to notice the magician creeping closer to the door. By the time he did notice, he had already slipped out, taking his mother's dress with him.

"Hey!" Taemin yelled. He had half a mind to chase after him, but he was still in his underwear and was reluctant to leave his bedroom. (As if putting on one of the other dresses would be any less humiliating.)

He watched the magician leaving down the hallway. "I'll bring it back!" he assured.

Taemin signed in frustration, before closing himself back inside his room. His gaze went to the pile of dresses. Even if he didn't hate the thought of being forced to wear them, they were all ribbon and lace and satin. Even his sister would have looked utterly ridiculous in them.

He picked through them, but there was nothing more modest hiding at the bottom. Desperate, he went to the adjoining room that served as a salon. There was a large wardrobe inside, which he had never checked before. He was relieved to find more clothing.

They were all for a woman, but they were less frilly than the ones that had been displayed. He pulled out a simple black cotton dress and pulled it over his head.

It was actually more comfortable than his mother's dress, since it didn't have a corset. And the fabric was much softer. He supposed being expensive did have its perks.

He cringed as he looked at himself in the mirror, but at least it wasn't too ridiculous looking (for a dress). He grabbed his mother's cloak from the couch, put on his boots, and then left his bedroom.

He was already awake, he might as well do something.

Taemin had learned Jinki's schedule and knew he would find him in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. He had just finished putting all the food onto Minho's serving tray when Taemin entered.

"Ah, you're up early," he said.

"Kibum woke me. He stole my mother's dress," he told him boredly.

Jinki laughed a little. "Well, as long as he doesn't start wearing it. Having you around is confusing enough as it is, although I don't think Kibum would look quite as convincing."

Taemin didn't think he himself was that convincing. He wondered how everyone else managed to see something he didn't.

"Could you do me a favor and take this to Minho?" Jinki asked, depositing the tray in his hands before he had the time to refuse him. "He's in the lounge."

He would have argued, but Jinki looked busy preparing the rest of the food that would be their breakfast. The least he could do was take Minho his. Although it wouldn't hurt Minho to actually share breakfast with them for once. The guy was locked in a house with four other people, it wouldn't kill him to at least socialize with them.

Taemin left the kitchen and made his way to the lounge. He knocked on the closed doors, but didn't wait for a reply before entering. Minho was sitting in his favorite chair, ruminating over something.

"Jinki asked me to bring you this," Taemin explained simply, while extending the tray.

Minho looked confused as he took it from him. All on its own, the door to the lounge swung shut. Taemin might not have noticed, except when he turned to leave, the doors wouldn't open.

"Um...I think the doors locked," he told his host.

"What?" Minho said, as he rose and went to check for himself. He tried to pull them open, but they wouldn't budge for him either. He slammed his palm against the wood, hoping to get someone's attention. "Kibum! I know you're out there! Kibum!" He yelled through the wood, but got no reply. "That son of a..."

"Minho?" Jonghyun called from the other side.

"Jonghyun, the doors locked."

"Huh, that's strange," the gardener commented, before trying to open it from the other side. It wasn't working for him either. "Wait a minute, I'll go get something to open it with."

Minho sighed as the gardener left. He made his way back to his chair and sat heavily, before eating from his breakfast.

Taemin leaned against one of the tables to wait patiently for help to arrive. He pulled his cloak around his body to cover his dress, hoping Minho wouldn't notice that he cracked and took one of his.

He wondered how long Jonghyun would be.

"Do you want some food?" Minho asked, though he seemed more annoyed than considerate.

"I'm fine."

"You haven't eaten, have you?"

Taemin finally met his gaze. Minho held the tray out toward him. "Take something, I can't eat all of this."

He gave in and took a slice of bread from his tray, then sat in one of the seats across from him. Minho's attention went back to his breakfast, but he still looked no less annoyed.

"Thanks," Taemin said, after he had eaten the last piece of his bread.

"Don't thank me, I'm not the one who locked you in here." He took the bowl of sliced peaches and handed them to him, not giving him the chance to refuse.

"What do you mean?" Taemin asked, though he had a feeling that he already knew.

"That door wouldn't just lock on its own."

"You think one of them did it?"

"Kibum did it, though it probably wasn't his idea."

"Jinki," Taemin realized.

Minho nodded.

Everything that happened that morning suddenly made sense, from Kibum waking him early to Jinki sending him to that room. "But why?"

He sighed, "They're trying to make us get along, I suppose."

"And they thought locking us in here would do that?"

"Or sharing a meal. Jinki never gives me this much food." He extended the tray again, offering him something else. Taemin took some of the sausages.

"How long do you think they'll leave us in here?"

"Too long probably."

It was Taemin's turn to sigh. He settled into his chair and resigned himself to the fact that they'd be in there a while.

"Tell me about your life," Minho said, when the silence became too much. He might have been interested, but he purposefully kept his gaze on his food.

"I'm locked in a mansion and spend my days cleaning," he quipped.

Minho was not amused. "I meant before coming here."

Taemin shrugged and wrapped his cloak tighter around his body to get more comfortable. "There's not much to tell. I lived with my father and my brother and sister. Some nights I would work at the tavern, but I'd mostly help my father with his work."

"What does your father make? He never said."

"Pottery and such."

"Does he do well with that?"

"Well enough. It's kept us fed all our lives." Thinking about his father made him only more homesick. For the sake of his own sanity, he tried not to think about home very often. Missing his family hurt too much, especially knowing he was stuck there indefinitely.

"What of your mother?"

"She died last year," he said solemnly. He suddenly missed being in her dress. He didn't realize how comforting it felt. "What about your family?" He asked before thoughts of her could overwhelm him.

"Not much of a family. My parents were too concerned with their money and affairs to be concerned about me. They gave me this house and all the luxuries a person could ever want, but failed to give me any of the things I really needed. I haven't seen them since before I was cursed."

Hearing him speak, Taemin's heart ached. He couldn't imagine growing up without his parent’s constant love in his life. "I'm sorry," he said.

Minho smiled dryly. "It doesn't matter. I got over it a long time ago."

But Taemin had a feeling that was something you could never get over.

"How long have you been cursed?"

"Too long. Time gets muddied for me. I can't even remember it right."

"And there's no other way you can get out of here?"

"I've tried. Why do you think Kibum is here?" He finally met Taemin's gaze and his face displayed an honesty he hadn't seen before. "I thought a magician might be powerful enough to help me break free of this torment."

Taemin sighed and shook his head. "It's a shame."

"What is?"

"That you didn't try doing things differently with my father. If you had been nice to him, he might have let you meet Naeun and neither of us would be in this uncomfortable situation."

He saw Minho's jaw set angrily. "When your father and I met, I was already a beast. That was his first impression of me - a wild, ugly beast. Don't lie to me and say he would have voluntarily let his daughter anywhere near me."

"You have no idea who he is, how sympathetic he is toward people. If you had taken the time to get to know him--"

"I tried!" he snapped, "He wanted nothing to do with me. All he could think about was the terrible beast lurking around, dismissing the fact that it likely saved his life! He didn't want to take the time to get to know me. He didn't want to hear my story. He just wanted to run as far away as possible."

He wondered if it was true. His father was easily excitable. Perhaps he had been too frightened to listen to the man.

"He didn't tell us it was a beast," he said, after along moment of silence, "He said a man saved him from the robbers. A man. And you know what, my sister was so grateful that she wanted to bring you a gift. If you hadn't threatened him, you would have met my sister. And you wouldn't be stuck here eating breakfast with a boy in a dress."

Minho didn't reply. His attention was once again on his meal, though he seemed to have lost his appetite. The two of them became silent again, but not long afterward, the door opened.

Jonghyun stood outside, holding a pick in his hand. "Got it!" he announced triumphantly.

Minho didn't look as relieved as Taemin thought he would. He only glared at Jonghyun, as if telling him he knew exactly what was going on, and that he should get as far away as possible before he got hurt.

Jonghyun cleared his throat awkwardly, before leaving.

Taemin rose from his seat, giving Minho a nod. "Thanks for sharing your food." He then went to leave.

"Taemin," Minho said, causing him to stop. "Would you...like to share breakfast with me again tomorrow?"

He was surprised. "Sure, why not?"

Minho smiled. It was an actual smile too, free from sarcasm or distain. Granted, it wasn't a big smile...but it was something.