We held hands as we strolled out of Ji Na's room, after she and Junmyeon had a lengthy mother-and-son chat. 

"She said I used to get myself stuck in the dryer when I was baby, I was a lot of work," he said, shaking his head. "She said she'd always see me in the sun when I was a toddler, I wouldn't remember since I don't seem to maintain my tan. How come mother never told me that?"

"What did she tell you about your childhood?" I asked.

"She said I was a quick learner, I excelled in exams. How I was such a good natured boy, and Kyungsoo was more of the troublemaker. She said I looked more like her, and that was it. I don't recall anything significant," he said, sounding melancholy. "Maybe she doesn't know much about me..."

"Every mother has their way of showing their love to their children, Junmyeon," I said. "Maybe the Queen expresses her love to you in a different way, a way that doesn't scream she loves you - but she does, she really does, Junmyeon."

"I'm not doubting her love, Irene. I love her too, it's just - how can she hide such a big part of me from myself? Was she scared that I'd stop loving her if I knew she didn't give birth to me?"

"Would you?"

"Of course not, I'm still her son and it doesn't change anything," he said. "I'm just - sad that she wanted to keep that part of me a secret, like it's a disgrace and it'd bring shame to the family. It's like I'm a disgrace to the family."

"You are not a disgrace, Junmyeon," I answered. "But you're okay with your past?"

"I've come to accept it, why can't Kyungsoo and everybody else?"

We stopped walking,  and I took both of his hand. He looked at me and I looked at him. "Then this is going to be easy if you've believed it yourself. You've nailed the hard part, the easy part is convincing everybody else. I think it's time you had a talk with the Queen, sit down and tell everything to her, from start to finish. If she loves you - and I know she does - she'll understand. Everything's going to be okay, alright?"

He stared at me, "Are you okay with it?"

I smiled, "Of course I'm okay with it. Why would I not? I literally love Ji Na, and to love her son makes it even better. I'd be completely fine with becoming her daughter-in-law."

He grinned, "Does that mean you're agreeing to marry me now?"

I swated him, "Watch it, I was giving an example. I never agreed to any proposal yet, I'm not an easy woman, Prince Junmyeon. Don't think I'm that easily seduced by you, I still have my dignity!"

He laughed, "Of course, how could I ever forget?" and he looked at his watch. "Wow, look at the time. Almost dawn. We should get going, otherwise someone might accuse me of mauling you in the garden. Then you'd never regain your dignity ever again and you'd have to marry me."

"The way you say it sounds like you desperately want it to happen, Kim Junmyeon."

He grinned even more crookedly, "What if I do?"

"Irene, have you noticed Jiyeon hasn't been around lately?" Seulgi asked me during breakfast.

"Now that you say it, Jiyeon really hasn't been seen around lately," I said. I never really paid any attention to Jiyeon, not that I ever cared, but she was prominently missing for some reason. It had been three days since we had seen her. I started to dread if she was already planning her next move on the other girls.

"Excuse me," I stopped one of passing maids, she was serving a platter of pomegrantes. "Is Jiyeon well? We haven't seen her lately, and we're a little concerned."

"Oh, miss Jiyeon has been acting very unusual lately, miss Irene," the maid answered. "She won't come out of her room, we think she's ill. But she doesn't want a doctor to check on her, and we are never allowed in, not even her own maids. We don't know what to do, miss Irene."

I let that sink in, and started to analyze. She wasn't the kind of person to not flaunt every way she could, let alone hide. There had to be somthing very wrong with her, or just anything in that case. So I smiled and nodded, "Oh dear," I said, in a concerned tone. "I did hear her say she wasn't feeling well a few days ago, she looked pale and ill. I-I thought she would get better. Did anyone tend to her these few days?"

The maid shook her head, "She wouldn't let anyone in, I'm afraid. It's troubling, miss."

"I see," I replied, and clasped my hands together. "I know! How about you tell the kitchen to prepare a batch of herbal tea for her? She might come through if I persuade her!"

The maid seemed to believe my act, and she nodded, "That's a wonderful idea, miss Irene! I'll tell the cooks immediately!"

"Make sure it's dandelion tea with a pinch of lemongrass flavoring." 

With the tray of tea and cheesecakes, I ventured up the stairs to the room next to mine. The one which I used to see maids come and go as they wept with bruises. I turned the knob of the door, and it didn't budge. As expected, it was locked. Luckily, I pulled out one of my poppy bob pins from my hair and started picking the lock. It took some time since it had been long since I used my lock picking skills, it was important during my time back home - where we scavenged abandoned areas in search of resources.

The lock unhinged with a satisfying click! and I slowly turned the knob, hoping to not make much sound. To be honest, my heart was beating attentively. I cleared my throat, "Miss Jiyeon? Miss, I have tea for you."

At first, there was no response. Then there was a sudden shriek of anger, I knew who it was. "I thought I told you to stay out! The door was locked! How dare you interrupt my privacy?!"

"But, miss I-"

"Get out this instant!"

The sound was coming from the behind the large bed. I scanned the room, pillows were scattered everywhere and the curtains were tugged unevenly. Next to the nightstand, were trays of unfinished food that reeked of some mold. I recognized them as food sent up by the castle servants, and I guessed that Jiyeon had waited until no one was there to collect her dinner. But...why would she do that?

I settled another new tray atop the dressing table, and crept slowly towards the other side of the bed. "Miss Jiyeon? Are you alright? Um, I'll get you a doctor-"

"No!" she snapped, and she raised her head. I was not ready for the sight, and I stiffled a gasp. 

Her eyes were hazy and milky, as if she had cataracts. Her skin was sickly pale and her hair was disheveled with streaks sticking out. As sson as she saw me, she shrieked in return. "Irene? Get out!" and she threw one of her pillows at me. I dodged, and she doved behind the velvet curtains. I thought I was mishearing things, but I definitely heard weeping. Silent weeping.

I had a positive feeling I knew what had happened, but then again, the possiblities of it were near zero. No, I had to be seeing things. I crept closer still, with my hands shaking and cold. 

"J-Jiyeon?" I squeaked. The weeping continued. "Jiyeon, please look up."

"No..." she moaned as her hands covered her face. "P-please...no one can see me like this..." and she kept on shaking.

"Jiyeon!" and I grabbed her by the hands. She gasped and I jerked away when she revealed her face. My biggest fear crept in, I knew the signs anywhere and anytime. 

"Oh my god," my lips trembled as I tclamped my mouth with my hand. "You're infected..."

She shook her head frantically, "N-no! Irene, I'm NOT infected! I'm not!"

"No..." and I skidded further. "Get away from me! Don't touch me!"

"Please..." she cried. "No one can see me like this...No, Junmyeon can never know!"

I tried calming her down, she didn't seem to be fully inflicted with the virus yet. She still seemed conscious. "Jieyeon, I need you to calm down. Listen to me, and calm down." and as she took deep breaths, I tried calming myself down. If I wasn't in a castle, I would've done what I'd do when I was home. The safest way to stop Infected. Tie them down, end their heartbeats, make it quick and painless. There were the curtain ropes I could use to tie Jiyeon up...I couldn't. What was wrong with me?

I gulped, "Jiyeon," I said finally, barely a whisper. "What happened?"

And she broke down, "I-if I didn't try to go into the woods that n-night...oh, I should've left, I should have known it was dangerous..."

"Hold on," I said, I figured she meant the woods behind the castle. The one I thought had been replanted by castle constructors, artificial nature. "What were you doing in the woods?"

"The duke..." she moaned without thinking twice. "W-we promised to meet...I-I waited for him...."

"What was in the woods?" I asked scarcely.

She trembled, "Don't make me remember! No, not its face... It did this to me!"

"Snap out of it!" I ordered her. "I'm telling you one more time, who did this to you? What was in the woods?" the last question slipped just before I could hold it back out of fear.

She swallowed, her milky eyes dreading. 

"Infected."