Joohyun was squealing in joy ever since Seungwan mentioned about exploring the town.

 

This is it! Finally! After being locked in the dungeon. Okay Joohyun was a bit overdramatic there.
 

"Calm your senses, woman. You can't go out there looking like that." Seungwan grabbed her by the shoulders, successfully silencing the joyous latter.
 

Seungwan scanned the woman in front of her. Her long black hair was styled neatly, it was tied in a single long braid decorated with a ribbon at the end. Also called
Daeng'gi Meori.

 

Her face was pale but her lips didn't fail to give colour to her face. The hanbok she was wearing wasn't any normal hanbok you would see in the town. As it was bright coloured, only wore by royalties, upper class, and other court officials.

 

In short, the princess's whole being shouts she's a princess. Including the fact, that she gained half-half of her parent's features.
 

 

"Nu-uh. You're totally not going out like that."

 

"What do you mean? Do I look unfashioned? Should I fix myself?" Joohyun partially panicked, she didn't know jumping from excitement would cause her to become this disheveled.
 

 

"No! Totally not! You're actually pretty, that's why you can't go out like that. You'll gain attraction." Seungwan explained.
 

 

"Well, then let's just wear veils." Joohyun answered.

 

"Hello? Bae Joohyun? Are you out of your mind? Villagers would become much more suspicious. Come on, let's go to the wardrobe and get you something."

 

So Joohyun and Seungwan went inside of the Princess's room with her servants as well.
 

 

"Lady Chaeyoung, could you please get us a hanbok? The light earth coloured ones." Seungwan

 

"Yes, Lady Seungwan." the girl politely nodded.

 

Seungwan unbraided Joohyun's hair and straighten the strands so it won't puff out. Joohyun's hair was soft and shiny so it wasn't that hard to entangle them.

 

Seungwan attached two small, flower-themed clips at each side of Joohyun's hair, both of them above both of her ears.

 

"There, you look... Oh come on, Joohyun, why do you have to be this pretty?" Seungwan contemplated again on how to "lessen" this girl's beauty.

 

"Can we just wipe some charcoal or cement on your face?" Seungwan suggested slash asked.

 

"Goodness no, Seungwan!" Joohyun immediately refused. "You're focusing on me too much, you should be "fixing" yourself."

 

"Oh, no need. The people know me already."

 

Joohyun was amused. "Really? Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

 

"Aren't we going to ask permission from your father?"

 

"Right."

 

Her father refused at first, mainly at the fact that she would soon become the crown princess. Her identity must be kept at the moment. Joohyun's begs, saying she haven't gotten out of the castle for years, eventually made her father to approve of the request.

 

Well of course there was still a condition, there would be a guard with them in a plain sight to ensure their safety. One thing Joohyun also noticed throughout the years were the increased number of guards in the palace, she wonders where in the world did her father managed to get those.

 

-
 

 

Seungwan wasn't lying when she said the people knew her, 'cause the moment they stepped foot in the town, people were smiling and waving at her. Well, now them, with Joohyun right now.

 

Joohyun was so happy, she had to keep herself from jumping.

 

It made her heart full seeing the town. There are people selling pots, some are even out offering rice wines in cups, and some have hays and other vegetables in a basket, some holding beside their waist for support and some above their heads.

 

There were street-fighting as well and Seungwan had to hold Joohyun still as it looks like the girl will barge in and stop the whole event.
 

 

"Joohyun, this happens like almost everyday. It's a normal thing already." Seungwan explained.

 

 

There were crowd as well and Joohyun and Seungwan were one of them. Joohyun muttered "oohs" and "aahs" when one of the bodies came to a loud slump in the ground. Sure, Joohyun had seen some of these things in the palace with the guards, but not this close, and it was a nerve-wracking yet exciting feeling for her.

 

They soon head to walk in the stalls, old ladies were offering them kimchi to taste and the both of them were glad to accept it. While walking a bit more, Joohyun kept on glancing and glancing at every part of the town.
 

 

Luckily, it was not in the hottest part of the day anymore as it was already evening.
 

 

"Looking for the owner of those particular eyes?" Seungwan suddenly asked with of course, a hint of a tease in her voice also.

 

"You really like to bring that up anywhere, anytime of the day, huh."

 

"Of course. I totally want to see her, she seems pretty judging how her eyes look."

 

Joohyun would be lying if she said she hadn't, not even a little, expected to see her old friend. In fact, the moment Seungwan mentioned, the more her curiousity bloomed.
 

 

Could she be living in Baek'je also?

 

"Knew it. You're totally looking for her." Seungwan said, grinning from ear-to-ear at Joohyun. "Well, you know what, my favorite cousin. We can interrogate our beautiful, young, townswomen in here."
 

 

"You know that's embarassing, right? I can't believe your dignity flew out of nowhere the moment we headed here."

 

"And you know that's a nice and probably a possible way to see your friend."

 

Joohyun really didn't know what to do with her free-spirited cousin but here she was, asking the young ladies about themselves rather than asking about the goods they're selling.
 

 

"So your name is Nayeon, Im Nayeon?"
 

 

"Yes, pretty lady. I'm also selling these hair pieces and I think they really fit you." the good-looking lady, Nayeon, said while bringing up a red hair piece that indeed looked pretty with Joohyun.
 

 

"Do people call you other names, like "Seul", perhaps?"
 

 

Joohyun knew it was pointless because this girl in front of her looked far from the little Seul she knew and she can feel Seungwan stifling a laugh beside her. But of course she had to consider the fact that maybe her friend grew and maybe, just maybe, her face changed a little bit. But this girl in front of her had no remnants of Seul whatsoever.

 

"Uh.." Nayeon thinks of for a while. "Well, my friends called me tokki, because of my teeth."

 

 

* tokki - rabbit in Korean 

 

 

"Oh okay. Thanks Nayeon. Oh and I would like to buy the hair piece you were showing to me a while ago." Joohyun said, for wasting the girl's time.

 

-

 

"Oh come on Joohyun, one more, pleaseee." Seungwan whined.
 

 

Nayeon was the first and certainly the last lady she would do that to. Seungwan kept on blabbering things to her about being able to meet Seul, having to see Seul, finally being able to talk with the townspeople, and once again meeting Seul.
 

 

"I'm certain you're doing this for your own entertainment. Don't even think I can't see you trying hard to contain your laugh a while ago!" Joohyun fires back.

 

"Okay, okay. Let me do it this time now." Seungwan surrenders and of course to calm Joohyun down.

 

Throughout the years, Seungwan noticed that Joohyun's temper decreases each day, or maybe it's only when she's around. Nonetheless, she knew more not to piss the girl off.

 

Seungwan caught sight of someone who she thinks garners the same pair of eyes she always sees in Joohyun's table.

 

"Come on, Joohyun, there!"

 

Seungwan taps the shoulder of the girl who turned around to stuff more cabbage in her stall.

 

"Good evening to you, my dear lady." Seungwan starts off and Joohyun was sure Seungwan has been doing this a lot of times that it just rolls out of her tongue easily.

 

The young lady turned around and smiled at the both of them. "Would you like buy our fresh vegetables? These cabbages were just delivered minutes ago."

 

Joohyun was a bit shocked to find that the girl's eyes shared a detail with the same pair of eyes she's been sketching each night.

 

Yet, the girl's in front of her, were sharp, sharp and fiery. Unlike, the sharp yet soft, she had known.

 

"Oh, actually we're currently looking for fine ladies.." Seungwan said.

 

Joohyun almost slapped Seungwan right at the moment, if only she didn't continue.

 

"..because we have a lot of hanboks at home, and we thought of giving it out."

 

That was some lame excuse Seungwan muttered, Joohyun thought, but atleast the girl bought it.

 

"Oh. Well I'm Jennie. Jennie Kim." the girl started off. "I know it's a bit shocking but long story short, I wasn't born here."

 

Seungwan nodded but cut to the chase. "So, do you have alternate names or such, something other people call you?"

 

"Well, my parents gave me a name, Tiger. Oh and "Jisoo's special someone""

 

"What?" Both Seungwan and Joohyun asked.
 

 

"I have this friend from the South and she keeps on calling me I'm her special someone. So I thought I'd include that."
 

 

Seungwan chuckles at that.

 

"Do you somehow, go by "Seul"?" Joohyun asked.
 

 

"Seul? No one called me that."

 

"Thank you for your cooperation, Jennie. We'll come back here with the hanbok we promised you." Seungwan said and they both bidded their goodbyes.
 

 

"Seungwan, you could pass off as a merchant. I'm actually quite glad you can find a business as soon as I kick you out of the palace." Joohyun laughs.
 

 

"I swear, I thought that girl was your first friend. By her eyes, I mean."
 

 

"I thought so too."
 

 

Just when Joohyun and Seungwan were about to call it a day, someone from behind them, shouted out loud.

 

 

"SLUG!"

 

 

And everyone turned their heads at the loud voice, including Joohyun and Seungwan.

 

Joohyun was surprised it was a girl. Her shout didn't sound like it came from a girl at all. She's tall and she had features that would pass off as a princess, that was what Joohyun thought.
 

 

Joohyun turned her head to where the girl was shouting at and Joohyun swore she felt the time stopped.
 

 

Because another girl, five meters away from them, looked sideways.

 

To Joohyun, it was like the time slowed down when the girl turned her head to the side and stopped when she saw the side view of her right face.


 

Seul.

 

And time seemed to play again, when both her and Seungwan were shoved away when the tall girl ran past them, chasing who seems to be Seul, in Joohyun's eyes.

 

 

Seul made a run also.

 

"Come on, Seungwan! I think I saw Seul!"


 

"That tall one?"

 

 

"No! The girl she was shouting at!" Joohyun said.
 

 

Before Seungwan could say anything anymore, Joohyun dragged her and ran with the two.

 

Joohyun mentally scolded herself, right, she wasn't that familiar with her town. Yeah, she saw Baek'je's map and sometimes she'd seen in her father's table their palace and some legends in it. But she didn't know the alleyways they had in here.
 

 

Where could she be?

 

 

"There she is!" Seungwan tugged at Joohyun slight harder.

 

 

To Joohyun's disappointment. It was the tall girl, not Seul. But atleast she would know about Seul's whereabouts.

 

"Excuse me, tall lady." Seungwan started off.

 

The tall girl didn't seem to notice them when she's actually the only tall girl and they're the only people there.
 

 

Seungwan faked a cough. "Excuse me, beautiful lady."

 

"Yes? You were calling me?" That was when the tall girl actually just acknowledged their presence.

 

"I believe you were quite loud a while ago. So can we ask you some few questions?" Joohyun asked.

 

"What does that have to do with my voice?" the tall girl raised a brow at Joohyun.
 

 

Joohyun was a bit taken back with the girl's words. After all the humble and friendly people they have met, there was this kind of person here.
 

 

"My friend here was just saying that because of your voice a while ago, we took notice of you. Apparently we're looking for fine ladies to give out hanboks and you just seem to be perfect for it." Seungwan explained.
 

 

The tall girl smiled amusingly at them.

 

"Count me in, then."

 

"Lady...?" Seungwan urged 'cause it doesn't look like she'll introduce herself.

 

"Joy."

 

 

"So, Lady Joy.. Do y-" Before Seungwan could finish her words, she was cut off by none other than Lady Joy.
 

 

"Actually, I prefer you calling me what you called me a while ago." Joy smiles again at the both of them.

 

Joohyun's eye just twitched at the action.

 

However, Seungwan laughs, "Beautiful Lady Joy" she said with emphasis, "Do you have other name, perhaps? Like names other people call you?"

 

Joy took no time in answering and said, "Beautiful, Beauty, Pretty, Aigoo-you're-so-pretty-young-girl, and Beautiful. People call me those."
 

 

Seungwan and Joohyun just had both of their jaws dropped. The girl didn't even seem to be joking.
 

 

Joohyun shook her head and thought of asking her a question also, "The "Slug" you shouted a while ago, is it a friend of yours?"

 

Surprisingly, Joy didn't blabber nonsense at all and just answered her calmly.

 

"Yes, a friend of mine."
 

 

"Is her name, perhaps, Seul?"
 

 

Joy was a bit shocked but was fast to change her mood and Joohyun did notice that. She can't help but feel excitement in her body.

 

"How did you know?"



 

Author's Note: LOL I didn't expect this update to be long as usual but yeheeet. So yeah, A LOT of characters were introduced but of course they aren't main.

Please do comment your thoughts so I'll know if I must continue this or not hehe.

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