Seolhyunari strode into the inner courtyard, searching for the King who had just summoned her. She passed several rows of lush greenery before she spotted her father standing near a fountain. As she approached the man, she caught a glimpse of flowing ruby hair behind him. Her eyes were immediately drawn to this intriguing sight, and she found it increasingly difficult to look away.

"You summoned me, Your Majesty?" The princess asked, stealing furtive glances behind the King's burly figure. She saw a brooding redhead around her age lingering in the man's shadow. The King noticed Seolhyunari's curious interest in the girl so he stepped aside, fully revealing the redhead for his daughter's appraisal. The young stranger didn't seem too thrilled with this sudden action, especially now with Seolhyunari's scrutinizing gaze.

"Introduce yourself to the princess." The King ordered in a steady tone.

After a split second of hesitation (stemming from reluctance), the redhead bowed and began to speak. "Greetings, Your Highness. My name is Hye... Linus. My name...is Linus."

The King appeared satisfied with this introduction. "Seolhyunari, Linus has been brought to the castle to serve as your personal attendant. She will do precisely as she is told. Otherwise, I shall make the necessary adjustments to ensure it." He gave Linus a sharp glance. "Now then, I will take my leave to see to the kingdom's foreign affairs. I will see you anon." The monarch walked away, leaving the two girls alone in the courtyard.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Linus. I am the princess of Angelus. Had you arrived before my coming-of-age, my name would be Seolhyun. But as of recent, I am now Seolhyunari." The brunette puffed out her chest proudly while Linus merely let out a short hum of acknowledgement. The shorter girl paid no mind to the aloof attitude of the taller as she skipped over to one of the flower beds. She beckoned her attendant to come near, gesturing to the colorful flowers. "Shall we weave flower crowns?"

Linus furrowed her brows but nonetheless crouched down next to the princess, tearing a flower from its stem. She felt that she was going to be more of a tool to entertain the princess rather than a servant to attend to her. She examined the flower carefully as Seolhyunari watched. "That is an amaryllis. It means radiant beauty. You should make your crown out of it. Not only does its color bear a striking resemblance to that of your hair, it will fit you well because you are beautiful."

"I am aware." Linus replied flatly as she plucked more of the red flowers. She noticed a bloom of white daffodils and took one, earning a disapproving look from the brunette observing her. 

"Linus, you should pick more daffodils." The princess suggested as she bent over and picked additional daffodils from the same bloom. "A single daffodil will bring misfortune. Have you not heard one of the old tales of the kingdom? Proserpina was picking flowers when she was abducted by the King of Abyssus. She had picked a single daffodil." Seolhyunari handed Linus more daffodils, a smile playing upon her lips.

"I am unfamiliar...with such tales. I do not believe in such superstition anyway." The princess' smile dropped. Linus folded and twisted the flowers altogether, forming a crown. She gave it to the pouting Seolhyunari. "There are far greater things to fear, and they are very much real."

"...why are you giving this to me? Were you not weaving it for yourself?" 

"I am only here to serve Your Highness. I have no other purpose than that designated to me by the King." Seolhyunari thoughtfully fiddled with the daffodil-amaryllis crown in her hands. 

"However, you are my personal attendant. You must do as I say. Place this atop of your head." Linus paused for a moment before wordlessly obeying the princess' order. The brunette grinned, admiring the redhead's appearance with the crown. "I believe we will get along just fine, Linus."

Seolhyunari crept past a few guards here and there to reach the servants' quarters, where Linus told her she would be sleeping. She tiptoed down the hallway, took a couple of turns and finally reached her attendant's room. She entered the unlocked room, seeing the redhead lying on her small trundle bed. "Linus?" She whispered, slinking towards the girl. She heard a soft sniffling from underneath the covers. Carefully, she sat down next to the lump and tugged the blanket down, quietly gasping at what she saw.

"Why are you crying?"

Linus groaned, squeezing her eyes shut before replying: "...I feel cold."

Seohyunari rubbed the thin fabric between her fingers, frowning. "Wait here. I will return soon."

After waiting in the darkness for a while, Linus heard someone enter her room. She looked up and saw a forlorn Seolhyunari with a blanket in her arms. "This is all I could find...it is, in fact, my own blanket." 

Linus wasn't actually cold, but she couldn't come up with another reason for her tears. "Do not concern yourself over me. Return to your room - What are you doing?!" The redhead hissed as Seolhyunari crawled into bed with her, throwing the blanket over them. 

"Keeping you warm, of course." She snuggled against the disgruntled Linus, who was beginning to feel a bit too warm.

"Keep your distance. I am a servant." Linus tried to gently pry the princess off of her but she would not budge. The brunette actually clung to her tighter the more she resisted.

"You are my friend." Linus sighed and rolled onto her side, facing away from Seolhyunari. "Linus... Do you miss your home?" The servant slightly flinched.

"...I do."

"Where do you come from?"

"...that is not important."

Linus huffed as the princess threw an arm around her. "A secretive one, hm? Fear not. As you are my friend..." The older girl turned her head toward Seolhyunari, who smiled warmly at her as the moonlight shone on her too perfectly. "I am yours."

Linus suddenly flipped the blankets onto Seolhyunari, who let out a cry of protest. "I am too warm now." She ignored the princess' grumbling, preoccupied with her own thoughts.

Perhaps if she soaked up the cold, it would help freeze her tumultuous heart.

"Foolish girl! How dare you drop the bread! Are you not aware that this bread itself is worth more than your petty life?!" The maid seized a rolling pin from the counter.

Seolhyunari was passing by with her father when she heard the commotion and rushed to the kitchen to witness the maid raising a rolling pin, preparing to strike Linus. Before she was able to oppose the maid's action, the woman brought the rolling pin down. However, Linus grabbed a tray beside her and quickly defended herself from the attack. The maid gaped at her briefly before attempting a barrage of blows to the servant, which the latter swiftly avoided. Eventually, the kitchen utensil could not withstand much more of the maid's aggression and snapped in half.

"Insolence!" The maid shouted angrily as Linus shielded herself behind a very dented bread tray. The woman looked to the counter for another weapon but Seolhyunari barged into the kitchen area with the King in tow.

"Enough! You will cease to assault Linus!" The princess stood in front of her baffled attendant, glaring at the maid. The woman noticed the King's presence and immediately slipped into a submissive state.

"M-My sincerest apologies, Your Highness. But this good-for-nothing fails any task given to her. I was simply intending to punish her." Linus lowered the dented bread tray, seeing that she was safe now.

"Touch her you will not. Seolhyunari. Linus. Come with me."

The girls silently followed the King to the courtyard, exchanging uncertain glances. He stopped at a particular point and turned around, staring at the redhead. "Linus, I observed what you had done earlier." Linus hung her head low, expecting to be scolded for her actions.

"You have great potential." Both Seolhyunari and Linus tilted their heads upward in surprise. "You have natural talent, for combat perhaps. As of tomorrow, you will be trained to become a guard. And you will protect the princess."

"...yes, Your Majesty."

"Refrain from informing others of your former status. They will look down upon you."

"Yes, sire."

Several months passed, and Linus became increasingly busy with her military duties. She and Seolhyunari were not able to spend as much time together as they both wanted (but refused to admit). They grew distant as well.

However, one day in the courtyard, they happened to encounter one another. Unfortunately...

"You have developed so well, Linus." One of the ladies-in-waiting oozed, her arms around the redhead's neck. The guard didn't seem to mind this, but she kept her hands to herself. Seolhyunari happened to overhear, and she rolled her eyes. "I heard the King is making the consideration of appointing you High Constable."

"I expected as much." The woman giggled and Seolhyunari wondered why she decided to do her reading in the courtyard, where the women of the Court were usually flirting with Linus.

"Oh Linus, you are at a tender age, are you not? May I inquire, what have been your experiences so far?"