Baekhyun walked into the fighting arena, the reminiscence of what he had heard from his mother’s physician echoing in his ears. He pulled out his sword out of its scabbard, but instead of practicing the moves prior to the training session with his juniors as he always did, he just let the sword hand from his hand, and stood there idly, thinking about the physician’s words.

“She’s in a vegetative state captain. So we cannot predict when she will wake up, but for now, we can assure that she’s out of danger. All you have to do is make sure she is nursed well, and let’s hope she will wake up soon.”

He saw a captain of another brigade of the royal army walking across the arena and entering Chanyeol’s office, yet he ignored him and continued pacing immersed in his thoughts. He raised his sword to place the shining metal on his palm, and saw his own blurred reflection through it.

“It’s better for you to move on with your life captain. Taking leave from work for days like this will not affect your mother in a good way.” the physician had said, out of pure concern because he had known Baekhyun’s family since years, and knew what kind of problems the mother and son had gone through. “Sometimes, patients appear unconscious from outside, yet they hear and feel everything even though they can’t open their eyes or move. So what if our lady also knows what’s going on with you right now? Will she be happy if she knows that you are just drinking and hanging around her, instead of working and living your life as you used to do?”

Heaving a heavy sigh which tightened his heart, he pushed back the sword into its scabbard and started making his way towards Chanyeol’s office.

“So I need eight more soldiers placed around Captain Byun’s mother’s place, and another twelve around my place as well. Will you be able to do that Captain Yoon?”

Baekhyun raised his eyebrows, hearing Sehun requesting for more security for their mansions from Captain Yoon, a fellow captain from the royal army. The captain nodded thoughtfully before speaking up.

“The thing is Captain Oh... we’ve already used more than half of our brigade for the security of General Park’s mansion. And the rest are appointed as guards for Lady Shin, because the General wants her to move back into their own mansion today. So if it’s alright with you, we can appoint them around your mansions this evening, after Lady Shin is safely in the mansion.”

Sehun nodded. “Fine then, just make sure everyone is appointed just as I asked you, please captain.”

The captain bowed curtly and left the office, smiling with a nod to Baekhyun on his way out. Baekhyun returned his gesture with a smile, and walked to his younger friend and sat on the edge of the table. “I stepped out of my mom’s place this morning to see almost two dozens of guards placed around the mansion walls. Was that your doing too?” he asked. “And now you’re requesting for even more? But have you got any information on the spies’ whereabouts that you’re tightening the security like this?”

Sehun didn’t hear Baekhyun’s words, and he stared at the table in front of him blankly.

“Sehun?”

“Sehun!!!”

Sehun jumped as the older male shook him by his arm, and looked up at him with widened eyes. “What did you say hyung?”

Baekhyun raised an eyebrow at him. “What could get our super focused Oh Sehun distracted to this extent? This is not the first time I noticed this happening.” He got off the table and leaned on it with his elbows. “Tell us if you’ve got a problem kid, what’s wrong?”

Sehun shook his head. “Nothing hyung,” he shook his head, his face still bearing the same blank expression as before. “Nothing.”

* * * * * * * *

Jongin was walking past the maid’s bedrooms, when he noticed one room having its door half open, and a low humming noise coming from inside. It didn’t take him a second to peek in, once he recognized the voice as Haesol’s.

The girl was sitting on the floor by a low table, and in her hands was a broken hairpin. She was carefully rearranging the loosen crystal beads on it, and trying her best to keep them in place on the pin with a needle and thread.

“What are you doing?”

Haesol looked up in surprise, but quickly turned her expression into a cold one and turned back to her work.

“Did your hair pin break? Want me to buy a new one for you?”

He walked into the room and sat near the table, facing the girl who didn’t care a single bit about his questions. “I can buy a better one if you like. They sell jewellery and accessories that looks like real crystal, gold and silver in the market down town. No one will ever know that they are fake.” He continued with a cheery smile.

Haesol looked up, and placed the hairpin on the table. “Does this look like a fake to you? This is an original gold pin from china, and these crystals are real ones and quite precious too!” she snapped at him. “As if my mistress would use any fake stuff.” She muttered under head breath with a pout.

“That’s not yours? It’s Lady Seora’s?” Jongin widened his eyes. “But why do you have to mend broken ones if they are hers? It’s not like she cannot afford a new one.”

Haesol shook her head. “It’s for me. I mend them because they are too pretty to be thrown out and she doesn’t mind if I take them.” she stopped her talk midway to shoot him another warning glare. “But don’t you dare tell her this. Because she’ll be upset and buy me new ones if so. She treats me enough already and I don’t want to make her feel sorry for me even more.” With that he took back her work into her hands and started struggling back with it. “Why can’t I remember the original patter of beads? It was not like this I’m sure...”

Jongin stared at the girl sitting in front of him, who was now threading her needle again, biting her lower lip and concentrating hard on her work. His eyes travelled up to her hair, which was tied in a dark brown piece of ribbon, which showed a faded embroidery patter giving away that it was once used by her mistress, and have been used too long by Haesol once her mistress had thrown it away. His eyes then travelled down to her dress, a dark green overcoat over a charcoal grey dress, with stains here and there showing evidence of all the chores she had done in the household.

He couldn’t understand the sudden urge he felt in his heart. And he was not capable of understanding whether it was pity for the girl the kind of feelings he was forcing himself to have for her.

“Will you reconsider coming back to me-”

She looked up with anger clearly written on her eyes, talking back before he could finish his words. “Since you’re no help in mending these accessories, why don’t you just go back to your duties? Lady Seora is returning today so you must be extremely busy getting ready for that.” she said, emphasizing the sarcasm in her tone.

“Will you reconsider coming back to me if I buy you new clothes and jewellery?”

“What do you take me fo