It was finally the annual trip to the east, Seulgi had never really liked this trip because she had to meet her relatives who were always so busy up to her mother. But she had to, because she was the crown princess, the future ruler of the nation. 

"Seulgi-ah, go and have a rest. I will ask Yoon Ah to call you when your cousins are here." The queen said softly to her daughter after they arrived at the tents. There was royal guards around and servants were busy running up and down to fetch things for their masters. Seulgi nodded at her mother and bowed before she left her parents' tent. 

Two guards followed after her to her to her tent which was further away from her parents' one. She glimpsed at a girl who was fetching a bucket of water from the well then she just went into the tent when one of the guards pulled the cover for her. The guard closed the cover and stood at each side of the entrance. 

Meanwhile, Joohyun was so busy. Jihyo, who was the head of servants in the Empress' hall ordered the rest of the servants, including Yoon Ah, to set up water bath for other princesses who were Seulgi's cousins. They were also running about, preparing ingredients for the lunch. Su Ji nudged Seungwan when she saw another princess arriving. "That must be princess Soojung." 

"How do you know?" Seungwan frowned and peeped at the princess who was coming down from the royal cart elegantly but her face was straight and emotionless. 

"Look at that expression. There. They say she is cold as snow." Su Ji whispered quietly and Joohyun who was fetching the water at their side heard it and turned her head around to look at the princess curiously. Indeed, she looked very cold and distant. 

"Better stop talking now before she has our heads chopped off." Seungwan whispered back urgently and they went back to prepare the ingredient. Joohyun looked away quickly as well as they were taught not to stare at the royals because they were low lives. 

"Soojung!" The Empress' face lit up when she saw her niece coming into the tent to greet her. Princess Soojung bowed politely at her aunt and the Empress asked her to rise immediately, standing up to walk over to hug her favourite niece. "It has been so long! You have grown so much taller." The Empress had a good look at Princess Soojung and the younger one beamed a soft shy smile. "You must be tired after a long trip from the north. Quick, go and have a rest. I will ask someone to call you when it is time for lunch." 

When Joohyun went back to the well to fetch another bucket of water, she saw Princess Soojung walking out of the Empress' tent and towards the tent just next to the crown princess. She was really beautiful, Joohyun was definitely amazed at her beauty. 

The servants took another hour to set up the lunch for the royals and they retreated to stand in a line while the Head of servants went to inform their respective masters that the lunch was ready. 

Seulgi was reading when Yoon Ah came in to bow at her and inform her. She put the book in her hand away and straightened her robe. It was too thick. She did not like it. "Yoon Ah, get me a thinner robe." 

Yoon Ah scurried to bring a new set of robe for Seulgi which Seulgi just took it and changed into it after Yoon Ah turned around, she did not even bother to pass Yoon Ah the worn robe as she just put it on the chair before she strolled out of the tent. "Ah... what a bias princess." Yoon Ah mumbled to herself as she recalled Joohyun telling her story about the robe incident. 

Everyone at the long dining table stood up to greet the Empress and the Queen while the servants dropped to their knees. The Empress gave them the permission to rise and asked her relatives to have a seat after she sat first. Seulgi was sitting adjacent to the Empress while the queen was sitting opposite to Seulgi, which was also on the side of the Empress. 

"Well well, Sooyeon-ah, it has been so long since I saw you and you are looking better than last year. Do you have any good news to share?" A lady who looked older than the Empress spoke. 

The Empress laughed lightly and shook her head. "Sooji Unnie, not like you don't know about the famine in the south. It gave me a headache." The lady who was apparently an older sister of the Empress sighed as she nodded. "But our Seulgi never fails to impress me. She came up with an extremely good solution and the ministers were even impressed by it." The Empress turned to her right to smile at her daughter proudly. 

Seulgi's sisters, Miyoung and Hyoyeon rolled her eyes quietly and they just ate in silence when everyone was throwing compliment at the crown princess again. 

"Ahh Umuni, it was really nothing. You definitely have a better solution than me but you just gave me an opportunity to speak in the court." Seulgi said politely and this made the Empress chuckle heartily. 

"Look at her. She is so humble and knows how to speak! Where did the spoilt Seulgi go?" The Empress joked and the rest of the royals laughed with her. "Soojung-ah," the Empress called the princess on her left, further down the table. 

Seulgi turned to look at who her mother was calling at and she saw a slightly flustered girl looking back at her mother. "Y-yes, immo (aunt) ?" 

The Empress threw a glance at her sister, Princess Sooji and then she looked at her niece. "It has been long since your last visit to the palace. Do you want to follow immo back and stay for a few days?" 

Of course she couldn't give no as an answer. "I will if umuni allows me to." Princess Soojung said sheepishly, referring to Princess Sooji who was her mother 

Princess Sooji laughed and patted her daughter's hand. "Of course I will allow you to. Gladly." She smiled at the Empress. 

Seulgi thought that her mother would be busy catching up with her sisters and nieces so she just started eating too since she was quite hungry. Her gaze fell upon one of the servants who was looking down at her own feet and she smiled at the sight. How adorable. 

"Seulgi-ah, are you listening to me?" The Empress frowned when her daughter did not respond to her previous question. Seulgi flustered and looked at her mother in confusion. The Empress sighed and repeated herself. "I asked you to bring Soojung to walk around later. Since the two of you are of the same age, you should be friend with her. This is the first time Soojung comes on a trip since her health has gotten better already." 

The crown princess blinked at her mother and then looked at her cousin who was trying to hide her giggle when the crown princess looked so lost. "Y-Yes, umuni." Seulgi nodded. Even though she wanted to teach Joohyun shooting during her free time later, she could not go against her mother's order. Everything that the Empress said was like an order that nobody could defy. 

"Good." The Empress patted the back of Seulgi's hand and smiled at her sister. 

"Princess Seulgi hasn't talked to you today?" Seungwan asked Joohyun as they were clearing the table after the lunch. Joohyun shook her head quietly and Seungwan nudged her. "Are you sad?" 

"For?" Joohyun frowned. 

"The Empress seems to be setting Princess Seulgi and Princess Soojung up." Seungwan shrugged and stacked up the plates. 

Joohyun felt her heart sank a little and she stopped wiping the table for a moment before she got yelled at by Jihyo because she was not doing her job properly. "I don't know." She said quickly to Seungwan and then began wiping the table diligently. 

"Ahhh... don't be too upset." Seungwan gave her pouting friend a soft pat on the shoulder and left to wash the plates. 

Joohyun chewed on her bottom lip as she recalled the lunch earlier. Even though she could not see what was going on, she could hear that the Empress was indeed trying to match make Seulgi and Soojung. She rubbed on the surface of the table frustratedly and then went to the washing area to dump the dirty rag away. Her chest felt weird at the thought of Seulgi and Soojung together. They must be happily chatting and finding out about each other now. How could Seulgi have forgotten her first friend and just make a new friend like that easily just because her mother asked her to. 

On the other hand, Seulgi was taking a walk with Soojung along the river with four guards trailing behind them, far enough to not pick up on their slightly awkward conversation. 

"So... you are the cousin who is always ill." Seulgi laughed nervously and Soojung looked to her left with an unamused expression. "So-Sorry. I mean-" 

"Yes, I am." Soojung smiled afterwards when she saw how panic Seulgi was. 

Seulgi felt slightly relieved when she saw the soft smile on her cousin's face. Soojung was actually non-blood related to Seulgi because only the Empress could bear the heir to her throne. In fact, her cousins and sisters were all not blood related to her. They were bore by the wives of the royals. This was to prevent the competition between blood-related potential heirs for the throne. It just so happened that the Empress decided to have a crown princess as her third daughter so she drank the water from the River of Life. 

"Ah... are you better now?" Seulgi smiled and Soojung nodded. "Good." 

"I have spent nearly fifteen years of my life lying on the bed and tasting every sort of bitter medicine, I am so glad that I am getting better now." Soojung lamented and Seulgi felt quite bad for the princess. 

"Fifteen years? Wow..." 

"I hardly attend any lesson too." Soojung said and Seulgi nodded. 

"So... you don't have any friend too?" Seulgi asked, expectantly. She felt a rush of happiness when the younger girl shook her head, she thought that she was the only one without any friend but now, she finally had someone who would understand how she felt. "Oh... me too." 

"What? Don't you talk to other unnie?" Soojung asked, sounding a little too surprised. Her eyes grew wider when the crown princess shook her head slowly. 

"Miyoung unnie and Hyoyeon unnie don't like me." She said almost like a whisper. 

"Ahh..." Soojung nodded slowly. That's why she caught the two rolling their eyes every time the adults were praising the crown princess. "How about the other unnie? Like Eunji unnie?" She asked, referring to their cousins. 

Seulgi shook her head. "They are all older than me and alre