A scream of pain echoes in the noblemen residence, while the gatekeeper and male servants cringes at the noise as it feels like there is a battle cry. Everyone else is shuffling around, minding his or her own business, and ignoring the fact that there is a maid getting whipped to death by the multi-tailed whip.

“Yoona, what is happening to Soojung?” the scared boy looks at the poor maid getting whipped over and over again. He wasn’t always fond of Soojung because she wasn’t the nicest to him (and she used the fact that she was a maid for the prince so she elicits more power to her advantage), but no human being deserves this treatment.

“There were rumors going around of her falling in love with the prince she had to serve. It was bad to the point that the other maids got jealous and told on her. We aren’t supposed to even make eye contact with any of the princes if we don’t serve them, so falling in love gets this type of punishment.”

If there was anything Kyungsoo learned about being in the palace, is that he should never get involve with anything. That’s the only way to survive.

If fate had not exhibited a cruel twist that day, he nor his sister would have been sent to serve here. But since his family was drawn, he sacrificed himself for his younger sister. He loved her too much to ever see her in this hell. Being in here is like a witch placing a malicious curse and the only way to escape is to die.

The common civilians admire the palace and want to live in the palace, but they don’t know that living in the palace is like walking on a thin rope. One wrong move and your life is taken away.

-----

“-and thus, the 3^rd prince will be the crown prince.”

The high-ranking officials and government officials were all taken back by the emperor’s speech. The emperor didn’t discuss this with them in their daily council meetings, but now the emperor is saying this in the throne hall. No one in the central throne hall says a word; for fear that it could be used against them.

Woobin clenches his fist in anger as he watches how none of his brothers are saying anything to the emperor’s request. He is the oldest among them, so he should be the one to take the throne. Why should it be Chanyeol? The guy hates politics and spends the day practicing martial arts. Just because he was a natural genius doesn’t mean opportunities should arise this easily.

“I am in no mean disagreeing with your selection your majesty. I understand that you trust prince Chanyeol but why is it that you aren’t handing down the throne to your eldest?” one of the court officials speaks up.

The emperor looks at his sons and then laughs, causing a disruption among others. With a shallow exhale he continues, “I have six amazing sons and thus my decision was difficult. But seeing as how Chanyeol resembles my first son who passed away, that is where my mind will be made. Chanyeol is assertive and smart, he knows everything about the national and state affairs and I trust he will make a great crown prince.”

Empress Kim holds empress dowager’s hand, hoping she would say something, something that will change the emperor’s mind, but empress dowager remains silent. She might be the emperor’s mother but she cannot change the emperor’s mind when it is set. Nevertheless, he didn’t discuss the matter with any of them beforehand so it is clear that he didn’t want others opinion.  

“If you don’t accept Chanyeol as the crown prince, you are also not accepting my words as the emperor.”

Every court officials gets down on their knees, “no your highness. Your decision is as high as the heavens.”

“Excellent. Tonight we will celebrate.”

-----

“Everything must be perfect because tonight is a special night. The emperor has chosen a crown prince. You have to make sure that nothing goes wrong with the ceremony and that every decoration has no slight mistake. Or else, your life will be considered a mistake.” The eunuch points to the maids and keeps a stern face. He looks brief to his surroundings and catch sight of Kyungsoo, “you are on duty to take care of the 4^th prince bath.”

Kyungsoo bows but his heart feels like it will fall out of his chest. Why did Soojung’s job have to fall in his hands?

It’s ok Kyungsoo. All you have to do is make sure his bath is nice and warm. Keep calm and just don’t ruin anything.

-----

Chanyeol was reading a book from the library but his mind is wandering off. He skims through the book but looks up when he notices Baekhyun, Jongin and Jisoo sitting beside him. It is strange to see Baekhyun enter the government office complex. Baekhyun hates reading (or state affairs in general), he only enters the library when he has to gossip.

“So you’re on a different level than us now” Baekhyun wants to nudge Chanyeol on the shoulder but stops.

Chanyeol puts down the book and laughs, “I consider you all my brothers. It wasn’t like you treated me as a hyungnim before anyways. The title crown prince shouldn’t be any different.”

“I wish my room was here. You get your own study room and residence in the east palace. It makes it much easier to walk to get to the pavilion and play.” Baekhyun isn’t jealous of the title crown prince, he’s just jealous of the fact that the crown prince new residence is located by the beautiful pavilion, where there’s a wide pond and beautiful corridors.

“You can’t play all day Baekhyun.” Chanyeol shakes his head at his younger brother. Baekhyun is older than Jisoo, but his immaturity level is the same as the youngest, Joohyuk.

“Congratulations though hyungnim” Jongin reaches for Chanyeol’s shoulder. “I’m only saying this to you but I’m glad you were picked over Woobin hyungnim.”

“I think the same” Jisoo nods in agreement.

“You’re always following what Jongin says. Follower.” Baekhyun sticks his tongue out and Jisoo wants to rip that tongue out of Baekhyun’s mouth.

“Oh yeah, what happened to the maid that took care of you Jongin?”

Baekhyun’s words made Jongin’s face pale, an evident sign that something was up. The last thing he wanted to talk about is how his maid was punished because of a scandal with him. Chanyeol can sense something is up so he changes the topic. “So you’ll get a new maid?”

“I guess. Well she’s just changing the water for my bath. My eunuch does the rest.”

“How about I let Taeyeon take care of it for you? She will not get you into any trouble and she’s been by my side for really long time, so I trust her.”

“But hyungnim-”

“Save it. It’s just taking care of our bath water. Your new maid can serve me instead.”

-----

The food flies off the table causing the maids to quiver in fear. “Get out! All of you!” Empress Kim orders. They all rush out of the empress residence; afraid to be the person the dishes will fly at.

Joohyuk momentarily recalls how intimidated he was of his mother when she gets angry. He watches as his mother throws all the plates off the table and then his eyes meets Woobin, who is glaring at him. He turns his gaze away from Woobin but he stumbles when Woobin grabs his shoulder and shakes it in anger. “Why couldn’t you say anything? Why couldn’t you stand up for me when the emperor made the wrong decision? Why are you so useless!”

Joohyuk gets shoved back by Woobin but their mother pulls Woobin back. “Why are you taking your anger out on your brother? It is your fault that you were unable to earn the emperor’s favor. How could you let it slip away to Chanyeol! You know that the crown prince will eventually become the emperor and yet you let that chance slip away! Now empress Park will strut around thinking she has everybody beneath her.”

“I had no idea the emperor cared about Chanyeol that much. I had no idea he was going to make an announcement like that in the throne hall. Mother you are the closest to the emperor, why couldn’t you convince him? It should’ve been me!”

Woobin falls onto the ground and grabs ahold of face. The ominous silence is causing Joohyuk to become afraid. He watches as his mother approaches Woobin and hugs him, “I tried to convince the emperor but he has stopped listening to me. But this isn’t the end Woobin. How can the crown prince become the emperor if we turn everyone against him? We need to get rid of him.”

A sudden sharp clattering noise makes them jump but it was just from the cup that Joohyuk drops. His mother shakes her head, “you are an incompetent. All you two know is being nice to others but look, does anyone care for you?”

She touches Woobin’s face and smiles at her son. “Tonight you need to gather 20 men to assassinate the crown prince at the ceremony. If anyone gets in the way, they will join the crown prince in his funeral.”

Joohyuk eyes widen and he shakes his head. “Mother that’s regicide-“

A sharp slap burns on his face and anxiety crept up his spine. “You are to remain silent. Don’t get involve in any of this. Your older brother has to be the crown prince. Do you understand?”

His eyes drop to the floor as a tear runs down his face. Chanyeol is also his brother.

-----

Kyungsoo gets a bit lost trying to find the crown prince residence. He has never served the crown prince before because the crown prince didn’t exist! I’m going to be dead before I even get the bath water ready for him.

Inhaling steadily, he tries to walk faster but being his clumsy self, he bumps into a taller body. Kyungsoo yelps and just when he almost falls back, the guy reaches for his arm and saves him from falling. Kyungsoo eyes widen when he looks at the dragon on his robes and pulls his arm away from the guy and gets on his knees. “Y-Your highness, I’m so sorry. I didn’t watch where I was going. I was in a hurry and I’m so sorry. Please punish me if you wish.” Kyungsoo shakes as he stares at the ground. This is why he likes saying in the noblemen residence better, because he doesn’t get his clumsy self into as much trouble.

It was only logical that he will get punished for this but instead, the prince laughs. “You must be the new maid that is now assigned to take care of the crown prince?”

Is he the crown prince?

“You’re in luck because I’m not the crown prince. Get up.”

Kyungsoo scrambles on his feet, but his eyes still remain looking at the ground.

“Look at me. Is my face uglier than the ground?”

“No, your highness” Kyungsoo looks up.

Jongin smiles, this maid has beautiful bold eyes. It looks as if it could pop out of its sockets. Jongin softens and straightens his figure, “I’m the 4^th prince, Jongin.”

The one Soojung is in love with. At first Kyungsoo did judge her for falling in love with someone out of her league, but now looking at the prince in front of him, he can understand why Soojung fell for him. He seems down to earth and different from the nobilities who uses their powers to look down on everyone else.

“You have flour on your face. Did you have to rush here after cooking?”

Kyungsoo flinches back when Jongin touches his face. He wants to thank the heavens that no one is around. He wipes his own face and bows again, “your highness I’m just a maid. Please don’t be so kind to me. I don’t deserve it.”

Instead of being upset, Jongin is intrigued. This is the first time someone has resisted physical contact with him. He resisted the urge to let that remark offend him and he exhales softly. “You may go. The crown prince residence is that way.”

“T-Thank you, your highness.” Kyungsoo bows over and over again before he rushes off.

Jongin looks at his fingers that has touched the maid cheeks and feels a slight tingle. It was different from the feeling with Soojung.

-----

Oh my god no wonder Soojung fell for him. He’s so charming.

Kyungsoo shakes his head out of that thought as he reaches into the bath to feel the water temperature. Is warm for him also considered warm for the crown prince? Maybe he should add more hot water? Everyone likes hot water.

Kyungsoo holds a small bucket and just when he leans to pour it into the tub, he hears a yell that makes him startle. He accidently pours the hot water directly on the floor.

“What are you doing!?” the crown prince raises his voice.

Kyungsoo rushes to the crown prince, wanting to kneel and apologize but instead, he slips on the water he spilt earlier. Thinking he will fall on his head, he closes his eyes, waiting for it to happen but instead he feels an arm around his waist. Kyungsoo’s long hair swings slowly from the surface and his large brown eyes looks directly at the crown prince. Why am I so clumsy? Please someone just send me back to cooking and washing clothes.

The crown prince looks amuse at the owl eyes from the maid. It takes a couple more seconds before Kyungsoo settles on his feet and steps back. He kneels on the floor and tries his best to keep the tears from falling from his eyes. “I’m so sorry your highness. I deserve to be punished.”

“Yes you do, I like cold water and yet you reached for hot water. Are you trying to cook me?”

Even though Chanyeol says it in a teasing tone, the small maid doesn’t get that as tears stream from his eyes. The fine hair stands from his neck and he can sense his death is near. All the crown prince has to do is order for his death and he will be gone in a blink of an eye.

The silence makes it easier for Chanyeol to hear the sniffle from the small maid. Maybe he was too used to Taeyeon knowing everything about him that he is giving this new maid a hard time. The trembling shoulder from the maid makes it clear that Chanyeol really scared her.

“Just clean up this place while I wash up.”

“D-Don’t I have to leave if you bathe your highness?”

“You have been staring at the floor the whole time. I’m pretty sure you are more attracted to the floor.”

Chanyeol knows that this maid isn’t prone to teasing because she trembles every time Chanyeol speaks. Chanyeol refrains himself from making another smart remark as he removes his robes and gets into the bath. Kyungsoo was too occupied with cleaning up the floor to pay attention to anything else.

“Jongin told me you got lost. You must be new to the palace.” Chanyeol speaks up while the maid is still wiping the floor.

“I’ve only stayed in the noblemen residence and never left, your highness…”

“You’re lucky you ran into Jongin. If you ran into someone else, you might have been punished for not learning about the locations in the palace.”

The crown prince words are making Kyungsoo feel more thankful to the 4^th prince. Especially when the 4^th prince wanted to wipe the flour off of his cheeks, it showed his act of kindness to someone as low as Kyungsoo.

“What’s your name? You’re my maid now so if you get into any trouble, I will also look bad.”

Kyungsoo didn’t take the crown prince to be so talkative. He can hardly keep up with listening to the crown prince and talking to himself. “My name is Soo, your highness.”

“Ok Soo, are you going to leave now or are you going to keep scrubbing the same spot waiting for me to get out?”

“I-I will leave now your highness and prepare robes for you to wear at tonight’s ceremony.”

Kyungsoo scurries out of the room and Chanyeol laughs to himself. Officials and loyal subjects that are molded into perfection always surrounded him, so it is fun to see someone imperfect for a change. Someone that can make him laugh.

-----

After Kyungsoo settles the crown prince robes and lays it out perfectly, he stands outside and waits for the prince to finish his bath.

Kyungsoo thought his life was bad by being a maid for the palace. Now he’s the maid for the crown prince! Heaven must really hate him.

Kyunghee-ah, are you doing fine out there? Do you miss me? I wish I could escape this palace and see you.

Kyungsoo looks down at the hanbok like dress he was forced to wear. He really missed being a boy. Running around, and not caring how he was dressed or how he acted. He truly wishes he could be himself again, even if that is impossible.