Shixun has just changed into newer clothes, but she liked the one before. Pity, it had to be torn at the side. The one she has on now was pretty much similar, only it was coral in colour.

“You okay?” Baekhyun asked with concern laced in his voice. “You need anything?”

Shixun shook her head and sighed. She didn’t ask for any of this, she didn’t want to be labelled as a criminal’s child; because she knew her father wasn’t one. He only followed His Majesty’s orders and instructions—

“Were you, treated this way too?”

Baekhyun was taken aback at her question, before nodding reluctantly. “But, I had Kai to bring me out of that situation.” He beamed, etching a bright smile from ear to ear. “Without Kai, I wouldn’t have been able to even leave my shell now.”

Shixun nodded, tutting under her breath afterwards. His name — Kai — seemed way too familiar to her. But she couldn’t understand why.

“How did you know Kai?”

Baekhyun was about to answer before pausing. He bit his bottom lip, trying to find an answer that wouldn’t raise so much suspicion. “We trained together and all, you know.”

“Anyways, we should go.” Baekhyun ushered, holding out a hand to her before she could ask anything. “Everyone’s waiting for you.”

Shixun her lips nervously, “Everyone…?”

Baekhyun simply snickered under his breath, taking her hand into his. He gave her palm a little squeeze, “You’ll be fine.” He assured, ruffling her hair.

~”~

Shixun wasn’t ready.

She wasn’t ready at all.

Baekhyun brought her to the dining hall, with her hand in his and she didn’t expect the whole Royal Family to be there. Even that Kai was there. Was he allowed to be seated in the same table as them?

“Oh, there you are Shixun.” The King bellowed, standing up to greet and welcome the brunette. “I didn’t think you’d get lost since Baekhyun was around, what took you?”

Shixun averted her gaze from the King to the Crown Prince, and Luhan returned the stare back at her. His wore an expressionless front, as if knowing the brunette wouldn’t expose him.

“I… took long to change,” she lied. “My apologies.”

The King took her response and ushered both Baekhyun and her to sit on the table. Shixun gave Baekhyun a shocked look, she didn’t know what to do. But the latter silently gave a reassuring smile, taking her by the hand again to sit beside him on Kai’s right.

“Dig in Shixun,” The King told, not wiping the smile on his face. “I requested for more food to be cooked just for you.”

The brunette thanked him, but she didn’t feel comfortable at all. Being in the presence of the Royal Family scared her, she didn’t know how they all feel towards her.

“Here,” Baekhyun placed croissants and eggs, together with bacon on his friend’s plate. “Tell me if you want more.”

Shixun mumbled a ‘thank you’ under her breath, beaming when Baekhyun poured her tea— forsythia tea to be specific. She watched as well when the latter placed a few of the flower petals on a small plate. The brunette cocked both eyebrows when he pushed the plate to her.

“They’re nice,” he told with a flat tone in his voice, but his eyes were still set into crescents. “You should give them a try, they’re edible raw too.”

Shixun hummed and picked one petal from the plate. Before she could put one in , the Kings youngest daughter spoke.

“Are you sick too?”

Everyone on the table looked up and directed their gaze to her.

And everybody knows; forsythia flowers were the sole treatment for the sickness. But they were difficult to grow around here, and they would need to be exported from other countries. In addition, ever since the revelation of the sickness, the quantity of those flowers depleted drastically.

“Sick…?” Shixun frowned, “No… I’m not…”

“Irene, I doubt the researcher’s child would even be sick because of letalis.” Krystal retorted, throwing a disgusted look as she poked into her food. “She probably hogged the antidote all to herself now for all we know.”

Letalis.

That was what they called the epidemic, making Shixun comprehend what Krystal was trying to drive at.

“Krystal.” The King snapped at his daughter for treating Shixun as if it was even her fault. “Enough.”

Irene dismissed her sister’s retort, evidently more mature and reasonable as compared to the latter. “Then, why are you offering her the petals?”

“What’s wrong with it— your highness?” She remembered to add.

By now, everyone was surprised that Shixun genuinely isn’t aware of the petals’ purposes.

“It’s a temporary treatment for letalis, Lady Wu.” Kai told her directly, “It was in one of your father’s books, are you unaware?”

The brunette hesitantly shook her head, she didn’t know anything much except for a few things