The light from the Sun came through from the sheer lace-like curtains, shining onto her face. She fidgeted around in bed and rubbed her eyes as she slowly rose up. She groaned irritably. She looked next to her to see if he was next to her. Empty, yet again. Although she's grown used to it, she couldn't help but to feel slight disappointment every time the spot next to her was vacant and cold until she heard the sound of flush coming from the en suite and her head turned towards the direction of the sound. There he was, the man she's grown so used to seeing almost every morning for the past two years. She felt nothing but comfort, security, and love whenever she looks at him. Is it love? Is she just attached? Who knows? She pushed the thoughts out of her head as he approached her. Her lower body was still under the covers while her upper body rested against the headboard of his king-sized bed. She opened the nightstand drawer to get a hairband and she tied her hair into a messy bun. He plopped himself back onto the bed as he hugged her waist. 

"What time is it?" He asked.

She checked the analogue clock on the wall. 

"It's almost 8, I should go." She said, trying to pry herself off of his grip. 

"No, stay." And stay, she did.

"Did I wake you up?"

"No, the Sun did."

He sat up and nuzzled the crook of her neck. "Myungsoo, you're tickling me. Get off."

"Get off? That's not what you said last night." She lightly slapped him on the cheek.

"Stop it, and I mean it."

"Alright, alright. Geez, live a little, won't you?"

She ignored his question/statement. "What time are you leaving today?"

"I'm supposed to get ready in half an hour and leave after breakfast. Why aren't you coming with me?"

"You're going there for business-related things. I wouldn't want to intrude."

"It isn't intruding if I want you there."

"Still, I'm not a princess. It wouldn't make any sense for me to go there in the first place. And I'm a courtesan, wouldn't that affect your image one way or another?"

"Just because I'm the only one among my brothers to have a courtesan, doesn't necessarily equate to the men not having courtesans there, mon cherie." he used his index finger to caress her bare arm. "Come on, come with me. Sevein will be so boring if you're not there."

She thought about it for a while but she refused his offer once again. "I wouldn't want your mother saying things about me." She hesitantly pried herself off of his grip around her waist. She kissed him on the forehead before leaving his room to enter hers on the floor above. After shutting the door, she rested against the white wooden door. She released the breath she had subconciously been holding. This wasn't the first time he's made her feel this way. Truthfully, she was getting worried on whether she was really falling for him. She was still just a courtesan, the chances of them being together were slim to none. It wasn't like Myungsoo treated her badly or anything, no, no. It was far from that. You could even say he spoiled her rotten even though she doesn't really expect much. Then she weighed out the choices she had in her head. The first one was that she could remain his courtesan until he were to get married (which considering his status and age, wouldn't be much time), her second choice wasn't guaranteed but maybe if he was willing, he'd keep her as a concubine even after he gets married (but again, she wouldn't be the only girl he had anymore. There was even a chance that he would have other concubines if he could and that wasn't okay with her.), the most ideal choice (but the one that was least plausible) was to have him marry her. Considering how she had an estranged relationship with her father and her not being part of royalty, it seemed more like a dream rather than a choice. She pushed the thought out of her head and went to the washroom to wash her face. She looked at herself in the mirror. If she was a princess, would she have met Myungsoo in a different circumstance or would they not cross paths? She brushed her teeth and after she was done washing up, she headed downstairs to the kitchen where she would occasionally have breakfast with the other workers. She met Sora who were one of the chefs on duty for breakfast. 

"Good morning, Eunyeon. Did you have a good rest?" the young chef greeted.

"Better than usual. You?"

"Not so well, there were weird sounding thuds coming from the floor underneath us. It was a mystery how you managed to sleep through it. Everyone heard it."

Eunyeon pushed a strand of hair behind her ear while attempting to hide the blood rushing to her cheeks because she happened to be a part of what caused those "thuds".

"Huh, strange. I didn't hear anything. Anyway, what's for breakfast?"

"Well, what would you like? Asian or Western?"

"Wow, we have a choice now? What's the occasion?"

"Some princess from Sevein is coming which means we're all slaving here until dinner time cooking signature dishes from all around the world because the King and Queen don't know what she likes to eat and they don't even know what time she's coming. I mean, if you ask me, I'd just cook the regular Korean food they usually have. She's Korean, isn't she? It's not like she'd mind."

"A princess from Sevein? What is she coming here for?"

"Some kind of engagement. Prince Minho is getting married."

"Wait, what? Prince Minho? Why?"

"I don't know but I overheard it from those maids who always gossip. I heard she's really pretty, but from what I've heard from them, the same can't be said for her personality."

"Well, I'm sure she isn't that bad. You need to stop presuming how people are before you meet them."

"You have a point. I'll try not to gag when she comes here, then." Sora said to Eunyeon while placing two bread rolls and an omelette on an empty plate for her. "Here you go. Now get out before you distract me some more, I'm going to end up burning these sesame seeds." Eunyeon chuckled and left the kitchen to eat in the mess hall with the other workers. She was eating in silence until two young maids entered the hall with plates of kimbap in their hands. Eunyeon didn't realise that she was eavesdropping until the topic of conversation happened to be the princes in the castle. It shouldn't have surprised her considering the fact that everyone gossiped about the children of the King and Queen but she couldn't help it. 

"Can't believe Prince Minho is getting engaged today. I can't flirt with him anymore. Damn, he had to get engaged only when he started responding to my advances. Do you think the other princes are gonna receive the same treatment too?" The one with the ponytail said.

"Pretty sure that the King and Queen would marry off the girls too. It's pretty sad, really. Some of them are really young."

"Mhm, I agree. I don't know what's the rush, though. Sad that I couldn't have my chance with Prince Minho."

"Man, enough about him. Prince Myungsoo never bats an eyelash whenever I accidentally rub myself against him." Hearing those words, Eunyeon's grip on her fork tightened but she tried her best to keep her composure since she didn't want them to know that she was eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Yeon, you little !" The one with the ponytail exclaimed, hitting her friend playfully on the arm. "Shut up, I don't want any of the officials to hear us. We got a good thing going on here and I don't want to lose it because of you."

"There's no one here, Subin. But Prince Myungsoo is getting married too." Eunyeon choked on the soft roll she had been eating but the maids didn't seem to hear it.

"Are you serious? It must've been true then. How do you know though?"

"Overheard the Queen and the chauffeur talking. He's going to Sevein to meet the princess he's supposed to marry, I think. He doesn't know of it yet, apparently." And with that, Eunyeon left the room and she ran outside to the gardener's shed to calm herself down.

He's really getting married, her presumptions were true.

***

A/N:

And, the second teaser is up! Congratulations to Han Eunyeon a.k.a charismatic! You've been chosen as The Prince's Courtesan woohoo~ I hope this teaser did your character justice. To the other applicants, fret not! The teasers are in no particular order in who applies first and what not, I chose the characters to see how I can write with them so don't worry! I've most probably already chose your character but I just haven't written your teaser yet. Keep applying since I have a lot of plotlines left huhuhuhu 

PS: I would like more applicants for The Unintelligable Scholar, The House Nurse, and The ophobe!