Bright streets filled with merry laughter, entertainers performing and dancing on the streets, lanterns floating in the river… So this was what Songak was like during a night of celebration.

“I love this!” I gushed. Minyoung giggled at my excitement and placed a hand on my shoulder as I gazed in awe at the lantern-lit river. “Do you know what, Minyoung? With so much joy in the air and you by my side, this is the best day I’ve spent in Songak,” I said, turning to her as I beamed.

“You are the prettiest when you smile.”

“I am, aren’t I?”

“My lady deserves to be happy every day,” she told me before her hand fell from my shoulder and gently took ahold of my hand. “I will make sure of it.”

“Oh, Minyoung! You are so sweet today! I do not doubt that I will come to be very jealous of the person you fall in love with when he receives all your sweet words rather than me,” I chuckled, reaching over with my free hand to gently pat her on the head.

I turned to admire a bright lantern beside us which stood tall in front of the lake but it was not before noticing how Minyoung’s face had fallen at my words. However, upon second glance, her smile had returned as she happily looked at me. I was about to question her about it but the thought left me when I heard two voices near us.

“At this rate, I won’t be able to marry! My body will shrivel up!”

“You’re much younger than me. Why are you in such bad shape?”

“We’re only one year apart.”

“Oh… Are we?”

I couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped me when I caught sight of the conversation happening between a tired-looking female servant sitting on the ground and a round-eyed noblewoman who was fondly smiling down at her. They both turned to me and Minyoung immediately bowed to them. I, on the other hand, had my arms crossed as amusement flickered across my face.

“How funny,” I commented with a small smile. “Are you really unaware of your servant’s age?”

The noblewoman’s servant immediately stood up and bowed to me. “My lady is suffering from memory loss, my lady! Please do not mind her!”

The noblewoman’s eyes widened at her servant’s words. “Chaeryung! How can you tell strangers not to mind me?” She then faced me and bit her lower lip in embarrassment. “My name is Haesoo. What is yours?”

“Me?” I raised an eyebrow at her before remembering that here in Songak, I’m probably not as well-known as back in Chungju. “Yura. I am Lady Yura of Chungju’s Yu clan. My paternal aunt is Queen Yu.”

The servant Chaeryung’s mouth fell open upon my revelation. “My lady, are you a cousin of the princes?”

My lips formed a thin line at the question but Minyoung stepped forward to answer for me. “Minyoung will answer for my lady. In response to Chaeryung’s question, my lady is of course a relative of the royal family. She is the cousin of the third, fourth and fourteenth princes.”

Haesoo nodded in understanding before extending a hand out towards me. “Let’s be friends, Yura!”

I was so taken aback that I found myself choking on air and that caused Haesoo to tentatively