The palace was always either enduring a storm or going through a state of calmness before a storm – there was no in-between. These days, it was so quiet that I rarely saw anyone other than the servants and I even had to use a lower voice in the courtyard since there was nobody around and I didn’t want to be called out for being a noisemaker. It felt very strange with the palace being unusually quiet and after a while of this, I ended up sending Minyoung to investigate. She was quick to return with news and after hearing what it was, I finally understood: The palace was in mourning. This was how things were when there was a loss in the royal family and I felt sorry for not having known that the wife of the eighth prince had recently passed away due to illness. As far as I could remember, the eighth prince’s late wife was Haesoo’s cousin. It must have been terribly difficult for her, losing her memory and then her only family in Songak. There wasn’t anything I could do but hope that Haesoo would be fine. Even though she is not my friend but also not a stranger, no one deserves to suffer like this.

I spent the entire morning thinking about Haesoo until a maid from the queen’s quarters found me to inform me that I would be having lunch with Queen Yu. All throughout the meal, neither the queen nor I spoke a word to one another. I couldn’t even understand why she had called me over.

“You are probably wondering why I spontaneously invited you to dine with me,” said Queen Yu, all of a sudden before sending me a smile that was clearly insincere.

This queen hears thoughts!

Returning her false smile, I replied, “Lady Yura is honoured to enjoy a meal in your company, Your Highness. The food here is incomparable to anything I have ever eaten before.”

“If you like the food so much then you should eat some more. You are too skinny for a lady,” Queen Yu went on.

Did she bring me here just to have someone to bully?

I nodded in response and ate a large spoonful of rice as if I was trying to prove something but I didn’t know what. Queen Yu was so cunning that she confused me. In my peripheral vision, I could see Minyoung standing in a corner with a few other maids and she didn’t look too pleased.

At that moment, Queen Yu cleared and I slowly looked up to meet her dissatisfied gaze.

“You seem to have a good palate but then why is your taste in hairpieces so bad?” asked Queen Yu as she side-eyed one of her maids and then gestured for the maid to pull the offending hairpin out of my hair. Queen Yu twirled the orange butterfly hairpin between her fingers and tut-tutted before shooting a mocking glance at me. “Tell me, Yura, are you not ashamed to be wearing something so ugly?”

I wordlessly lowered my head again. How was I supposed to answer a question like that? I liked the hairpin and so I wore it. What shame would there be?

Queen Yu tut-tutted again and Minyoung. “You. Are you not my niece’s personal maid?”

“Y-yes, that is correct, your Hi—”

“Go out and buy a better hairpin. This is too hideous to look at.”

Minyoung bowed and began to walk backwards out of the room as Queen Yu tossed the hairpin onto the floor. This entire situation was ridiculous! I could hardly believe that the queen had just thrown my possession away and now she was ordering my Minyoung around.

I cleared my throat loudly and glared at Minyoung to stop her and then I turned to Queen Yu with a frown. She was questioningly smiling at me and for a moment, I felt that the amusement on her face was very similar to Wang Yo. I could tell that I was very close to snapping and so I put on the widest smile I could muster.

“Your Highness, since this is a matter concerning me, I will follow the order in the stead of my servant,” I told her in a sickeningly sweet voice. “Surely you will not mind?”

Queen Yu scoffed in a mocking manner and raised her teacup to her lips. “Is this supposedly noble lady of the Yu clan truly suggesting that she will carry out a servant’s order?”

“That is correct, Your Highness. In fact, Yura insists.” I dabbed a handkerchief against my mouth and stood up from the table. “Do excuse myself and my servant Minyoung, Your Highness.”

I bowed once more and then turned away, my smile instantly dropping as the doors opened for me. Minyoung nagged and nagged as I stormed down the hallway leading towards the exit of the queen’s quarters; she tried and failed to convince me to stay behind and let her go instead as I walked across the palace courtyard; she only stopped talking and admitted defeat when we approached the palace gates.

“My lady, you are always so stubborn! Minyoung can hardly stand it!” she snapped at me and then she hesitated. “Wait, this is not another attempt to escape, is it? My lady!”

Minyoung’s frustrated face was so cute that it made me want to laugh. However, now that she was mentioning it, it was a pretty good idea.

“Stop running away from me, Yura.”

But when I remembered the words of the third prince, I let out a small giggle and shook my head. “I will do no such thing, Minyoung. You stay here so that Her Highness will believe that I truly went on the errand, that I did not give in at the last moment and send you instead. Do you understand?”

Minyoung nodded with a bright smile and patted me on the shoulder. “Minyoung understands! Whilst you’re away, I will definitely try my best to retrieve your hairpin so return to my side quickly, my lady.”

“All right.”

Just then, I felt another hand on my shoulder and I immediately scowled. Who dares to touch the princess of slaps? I did not even bother to check who the person was and slapped the hand away.

“Oh, Yura, why so fierce? I have missed you. Have you missed me?”

I froze when I recognised the voice. It was Wang Yo… He was finally showing his face. I looked up at him where he was standing beside me and then I looked over at Minyoung who seemed to be as startled as I was. Perhaps she was even more so because right in that moment, she gasped, bowed in a hurry and then turned to run away! I could not believe this girl!

But what could I do other than ignore him? I was still annoyed at the third prince being with Princess Yeonhwa and I didn’t want to see him whilst I was feeling sour about everything. I couldn’t help but wonder if he really was my first love.

I shot a cold glare at Wang Yo; he was smiling so happily at me that I felt bad for looking at him like that but it didn’t last too long because the moment he saw my expression, his face fell.

With a more neutral expression, I bowed. “Lady Yura greets the third prince.”

“What’s wrong?” he asked in a tone that sounded…sad. “Where are you going?”

“It’s nothing that concerns you, Your Highness,” I mumbled coolly, turning my back to him so that I could leave.

“Will you be back soon? Yura, you won’t be out for very long, right?” The third prince was standing behind me but I did not dare to face him because I wouldn’t be able to bear it if he looked as distraught as he sounded.

“I will be leaving now, Your Highness.”

“Yura.” I didn’t move. “Yura?” Nor did I respond. “Don’t leave me…”

Ever so slowly, I turned around and smiled. “Why would I leave you? I can’t live without you.”

The moment I said it, I felt embarrassed but I did not regret it because Wang Yo returned my smile. He was the most handsome when he smiled. If I could be the one to make him smile every day, how wonderful would that be?

And then the images of him and Yeonhwa returned to my mind and my shoulders slumped. I sent him a quick wave and prepared to leave so that he would not notice my abrupt change of mood and then I proceeded to make my way out of the palace. I was supposed to be browsing through the store at the marketplace but I was not in the mood for shopping. It was annoying that Queen Yu had insulted my taste and thrown away my hairpin and it was annoying that I was so bothered by Wang Yo being in the company of the ever so pretty Princess Yeonhwa.

But what was most annoying of all was the carelessness of the person about to feel my wrath. Here I was, walking along and minding my own business, when a bucket of dirty laundry water got thrown at me!

“AHHHH!” I screamed in shock. “Ah! Ah! Ah!” I wailed loudly as the laundry water dripped down my hair, my face and my dress. This is so disgusting!

My attacker was a frightened teenage boy around my age and he was cowering in fear as I dangerously glowered at him whilst taking staggering, wet steps towards him. “I’m so sorry, my lady! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” he desperately apologised, accidentally dropping the now empty bucket. “It is entirely my fault! I did not see you! I did wrong! Please forgive me!”

And then I slapped him across the face. I was so angry!

“Is continuously apologising the same as taking responsibility?!” I yelled.

The boy held his cheek in pain but did not stop apologising. I was on the verge of tears at this