four || track

The sound of a glass breaking echoed throughout the large halls of the palace.

The princess stood outside the broken window with her eyes wide and mouth hanged open. She didn’t expect the ball to fly that far way. A thud sound ran through ears as the golf club slipped from her hands, making her heart pound just as loud.

“Oh no.” Nayoung’s going to kill me.

Shortly after, the palace workers arrived at the spot and started cleaning the area. They pulled the princess away from the scene and scanned her for any glass shards that might have gotten stuck on her dress. The maids sighed in relief when they saw she was alright.

Physically, yes.

Mentally, not so sure.

Somi looked like her soul had already flown away. The servants did not notice that Princess Somi was already in another world, her mind in a chaotic state.

‘Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. This is terrible. If Nayoung sees this, she’s----‘ “She’s really going to kill me!” her hands moved up to her head, messing up her neatly braided hair. The new maids looked at her in surprise while the ones who had been serving her longer only sighed inwardly.

One of the new maids reached out to her, “Your highness---“ but flinched when the princess suddenly panicked. “I----I have to hide.” Somi hysterically held the hands of the maid who reached out to her and said. “I can’t let her find me. She’s going to kill me!”

The new maid furrowed her brows as she pulled her face from the princess. ‘This princess is acting really weird. ’ she thought. Today was actually her first day working in the palace. It’s her first time seeing the princess up close and she didn’t understand what she was so worried about.

“Who is going to kill you?”

Somi instantaneously froze. ‘She’s here.’

Nayoung slowly walked towards Somi, who refused to face her, her right hand yielding a sword with the crest of Marionet carved at the center of the handle, and her left hand wiping it with a cloth.

“Na-Nayoung.” Somi said, still not turning around. “Is she angry?” she leaned in to the girl and asked. The servant’s eyes moved beyond Somi and into the woman. “She—she’s not looking your highness.” She moved her eyes again, so as not to meet the gaze of the woman. “She’s----wiping a sword, your highness.”

Somi’s body tensed more. “She’s really angry!” she softly shouted in panic. The maid questioned her statement.

‘It didn’t look like she was angry.’ The maid slightly tilted her head and stared at the woman, who now was actually staring at the princess, so when she took a glance, their eyes suddenly met. Her head instantly went back to its position in front of Somi. She didn’t know why but her heart started pounding fast and her knees became shaky.

Was she scared?

“She—she’s looking your highness.” She gulped. “She’s right behind you, your highness.”

“Wake up bonehead.” Heechul had been waking Sohye up for the last thirty minutes. He couldn’t believe how much of a heavy sleeper this brat was. “Wake up!” and like she did earlier, she opened her eyes for a second and closed them again.

Heechul’s eye twitched. ‘Why you little-‘ He looked really pissed off.

As a last resort, Heechul inched closer to Sohye’s ear and whispered. “Sohye, are you not going to wake up?” A slight groan escaped her lips as her head moved away, but other than that, nothing.

‘Haha.’ He laughed in his head with a tone of sarcasm. ‘This kid is really pushing it.’

Again, Heechul moved closer to Sohye’s ear and said softly. “Sohye,”----No reaction----so he did what he had to do. Heechul took a deep breath and directed his mouth at her ear. “Wake up you tad little dormhouse! Do you know how much sleep you’ve had? You fall asleep at any chance you get and it’s me who’s suffering! Wake up!”

Sohye automatically covered her ears as she felt her eardrums explode. He was dreaming of something good when suddenly, Heechul appeared and started shouting at her. Only a bit later did she realize that it wasn’t actually a dream.

Sohye glared at him.

‘And you have the nerve to glare at me.’ Heechul snorted as he raised the curtains and looked outside. “Our stop is near.”

Sohye’s forehead creased. “Huh? Why?” she asked. ‘Isn’t the palace still far away?’

“Yes, and we’ll be walking from there.”

Ha?

Did he just say what she thought he said?

“What was that?” she asked, hoping that she heard wrong.

“We’ll be walking from there.”

Sohye’s smile faded and her eyes widened, she couldn’t believe what just passed through her ears. “By walking---you mean---“

Heechul nodded, his gaze still fixed outside. “Yes, by foot.” Heechul walked past her and opened the front window and talked to the coachman. “Please turn right at the foot of the mountain.”

“Huh?” the coachman though weirdly of him. ‘Why would he go there?’ “But that place is—“

“Please turn right.” Heechul commanded and made himself clear.

“As you say.” The coachman could only nod. He shrugged off the uneasiness within him and continued with his job.

“Brother?” Mina rubbed her eyes and sat up when she woke up from a rustling sound around the corner. “Are you going somewhere?”

Mingyu looked back to her sister and smiled. “I’m bringing your sister back.” Mingyu lifted his back and slid it to his back. “I’ll be back soon. Can you take care of Ji hoon while I’m gone?”

Mina stared at him for a few seconds then nodded. He walked towards Mina, ruffled her hair, and planted a kiss on her head. “There’s food on the table and some money on the cabinet. Use it when you need to.” she nodded again.

“Take care, brother.”

Both of them smiled at each other. “Don’t eat too much.” He chuckled as he left the house.

“Won!” Lee called him as closed the door. Mingyu went towards his friend who was already inside the wagon. “My uncle said that we have to be there by night. Have you packed everything you need?”

Mingyu nodded and countered. “Don’t you think I’m the one who needs to ask you that question?” Knowing his friend, he probably would’ve forgotten something.

Lee laughed, “No man, Dawon packed my things so I’m sure I have everything necessary.”

‘And he tells me to not spoil Lee too much.’

“So, you ready to go?” Mingyu nodded in agreement and got up the wagon. “You’re really lucky I’m your friend.” He jokingly said.

“Yeah, really lucky.”

Wait for me Sohye.

­

“So,” Sohye stared at the tall mountain in front of her. “What are we actually doing here?” she suspiciously looked at Heechul, who in return, smiled at her.

Oh no. What is he planning now?

“Let’s go.” Heechul picked up his luggage and started to walk around the mountain, Sohye hesitated but in the end, she decided to follow him.

It’s not like she had something better planned anyway.

After a long round of walking, Sohye gradually slowed down as her knees began to shake. “Wh---Why are we heading towards the forest?” she asked nervously, her heart beating faster with each step. “What…are we doing here?” she nervously asked. Heechul didn’t answer, only took a left turn and entered the forest. “Heechul!”

“You’ll get lost if you don’t stay close to me!” finally he said a word, just the words she didn’t want to hear.

Sohye picked up her pace and chased Heechul, and this time, she was determined to keep up.

Heechul took turns here and there and Sohye was beginning to doubt him.