“Hey stupid! Wake up!”

“Huh?” Tiffany is still daze. She blinks her eyes multiple times before getting up while yawning.

Her little brother crosses his arm while watching his lazy sister. “There are 2 big guys trying to threaten our parents. Get up!” He pulls her hand roughly causing her to fall her on the floor.

“Ouch!” She rubs at her before trailing her brother to the living room.

 

The sound of breaking things can be heard clearly and the living room is mess with papers flying around and the couch is upside down.

She can saw a man who is grasping her father’s collar demanding money. She knew it right away; they are loan sharks.

 

“It’s time for you to pay your debt. Where’s the money?” The men asked her father who is trembling at their sudden appearance.

He gulps. “I promise you I will pay the debt but please not now. I don’t have enough money to pay you back.” Her father answers.

The men are glaring at him. “Who cares? We want it now!” The shout was too loud causing Tiffany to step forth and mocks them back.

“Who are you trying to talk back to my appa like that?”

He takes a quick glances at her and smirks. “And who are you? Are you the one who are going to pay for this?”

Tiffany bolts her eyes. “What if I don’t want to?” Both of them are glaring at each other. Neither of them wants to give up.

One of the men gives up. He gives her father one last warning. “We will give you 2 days but if you don’t pay on the spot, we will sold everything inside your house. Understand?”

After throwing a quick glance over the house, the men are walking out from the house and shut the door roughly.

 

After they left, Tiffany is in rage over the situation, which happened just now. “That men have a gut! If only I knew martial art, I would kill them right away!” Tiffany shows her fist on air.

Her father is letting out a long sigh. “Honey, what should we do?” Her father asks his wife.

His wife shook her head. “I don’t know. They only give us 2 days to find the money but where would we find it? Wait, do you remember that locket? The one that my father give it to me when we were married?” She is starting to search at every drawer.

Her husband still blurs. “Locket?”

She’s annoyed with his attitude; throw rage at him. “Aish! Hurry up and search for it!” Her husband quickly nods and searching for it too.

 

The siblings only watch their parents busy searching for the locket, which is going to help their family from being chase by loan sharks.

Tiffany whispers at her brother. “What are they searching?”

He shrugs his shoulder. “I don’t know.”

 

After an hour searching for the locket, they are finally found it; hidden under blankets.

“Yeah! I found it!” Her mother is jumping with joy and hugs her husband in relieve.

Her mother can’t stop grinning. “This will help us! I know it will.” Her parents are smiling happily.

 

Tiffany can’t help herself but asking. “The locket is going to help us? How?”

Her mother looks at her with hope. “My dear daughter, this locket and you are going to help our family.” She says.

Tiffany is taken aback. “Huh?”

Her father clarifies everything. “You know your grandfather and the late Highness is best friend since army. This locket is a gift from his best friend’s. He wishes that one day when your mother had a daughter, they want you to marry his friend’s grandson with this locket as a gift.”

“Oh!” She nods but then bolted her eyes. “Me what? Getting married to his grandson? You mean the Crown Prince?”

 

‘Married with that arrogant Prince? No way!’

 

Her mother uses her puppy eyes to make her fall for that. “Then, what would you do if you’re in our shoes?” She pleads.

Tiffany groans. “Eomma, but …”

 

There is a loud knock on the front door causing them to divert their gaze towards the door. Her mother orders her brother to open the door.

 

Her brother is surprised with 2 men who is wearing black suit and greeting him with polite gesture.

“Is this Hwang’s house?” One of them men asks him.

He nods before gestures them to enter. “Yes, it is. Please, come in.”

 

Her brother went back to the living room to inform them about the sudden guests. “Eomma, there are 2 men who is wearing black suit at our house.”

They look at each other before hurrying to welcome the guests; leaving Tiffany grits her teeth, a sign she protests.

 

The guests are taking a seat on the couch with serious expression on their face. They look up to see Tiffany’s mother.

She gives them question look. “May I know who are you and what purpose are you coming to here?”

One of the representatives’ nods to other before proceeds to talk. “I’m the head of secretary who is in charge at the Palace. Mind if I ask you, do you still keep the locket where our Highness gave to your father?”

She gives the locket to them with trembling hands. “He – here you are.”

They take a closer look before exchange silent agreement. “It is the real locket. Is that your daughter?”

“Oh, yes she is.”

“We have been informed that your daughter shall come to the palace when she’s turning 19 and we are going to prepare for the wedding ceremony.”

Her parents take a quick glance at each other before smiling widely. “ Then, when she will met the Queen?”

He smiles as a reply. “If it’s okay with you, how about now?”

She agrees. She turns her attention towards Tiffany and orders her to change her clothes. “Tiffany, go change. You’re going to meet the Queen who is your future mother-in-law.”

Tiffany bolts her eyes. “What should I? I never agr - …”

Her mother quickly close sher mouth and lets out an awkward laugh. “I’m so sorry. She just woke up this morning and started to babble nonsense. Excuse us.”

She pushes her to her room and quickly locks the door.

 

Tiffany throws her rage at her. “Eomma! I never agree on this agreement!”

Her mother crosses her arm. “Yah! Shouldn’t you be glad that you are going to marry royal people? Just think if you are married to the Queen’s son, our debt is settles. Those loan sharks won’t coming to us anymore.” Her mother says with coherent tone. Tiffany got nothing to do but to agree in order to save her parents.

 

After changing the better clothes, she follows them to the Palace to meet the Queen. In the car, she keeps biting her lower lips as a sign she’s nervous.

 

‘Isn’t this is mentally abusive? Why do I have parents like that? So greedy!’ She grits her teeth.

 

“We have arrived to our destination.” One of them opens the door for her.

She nods as she takes a step outside the car. “Th – thank you.” She walks in with awe.

 

The front door is decorated with the big lion statue as she enters. Once she got inside, the gold furniture and painting is all over the wall in the palace. She can’t closes properly as she enter what they called ‘living room’.

 

She is waiting for the Queen to arrive as she takes a sit on the table; she is served with a cup of tea.

“I’m way lowlife to get married with royal people unlike Yoona.” She sighs as she tries to take a sip of her tea but it way too hot that it burns her tongue.

She accidentally pours the tea on her skirt and it smeared the skirt a bit.

“Aish! What problem do I encounter this time? Stupid Tiffany!” She is mentally knocks her head when someone is announcing the Queen’s arrival.

 

“Here’s come the Queen!” The voice announces her arrival.

Tiffany who doesn’t know what to do; quickly wipes her skirt as she stands up to meet the elegant Queen.

The Queen was wearing an elegant hanbok, a dress whom Korean people wearing in the ancient time.

She is stunning with her appearance. ‘Oh, my! She’s beautiful.’ Quickly shook her head, she is bowing as a respect to her.

The Queen nods before ushered her to sit. “Please, sit down.” She sits across the table and facing Tiffany who is still looking down.

She coughs a little before starts the conversation. “Do you know what purpose you’re coming to here?”

“Yes, your Highness.” She answers.

“Good. Can we proceed the marriage?”

Tiffany hesitates but eager to ask. “Your Highness, I come to ask for one condition if I agree to this marriage.”

The Queen is taken aback with her response. “The Crown Princess may not ask anything regarding the condition if she agreed to this marriage. She must be willingly to do this.”

Tiffany bites her lower lips. “I – I know, Your Highness but this is regarding my family matters. I want to help them freed from the loan sharks. That is why I agreed to this marriage.” She haves to look down, afraid to look at the Queen’s face.

The Queen is disappointing with her behavior. “For your information, these things are not your concern. We would solve this matter but I really am disappointing in you.”

She can’t reply any further when another voice is announcing the Empress arrival.

 

“Announcing the Empress arrival!”

Both of them immediately standing up and give bowing respect to her.

The Empress is a woman who is in the middle of 50 years but yet, look young and smiling sweetly at Tiffany.

“Is this the Crown Princess? Wow, she’s even beautiful in reality for I am only seeing you in the picture.”

 

Tiffany nods. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

The Empress nods. “By the way, what are you talking about before I arrive?”

The silence is filling the room as both of them are hesitates to tell the truth.