The early morning had never felt so nerve-wrecking for Sakura.

Usually, she would be woken up by the birds' singing that was always heard at this side of the Fujiwara estate. Almost in that instant, her maids would hurry to help her get into her clothes and put her makeup on. Right after that, she would invariably want to take a walk in the perimeter close to her chamber, as it was close to the river that flowed gently through the estate.

Even now, the elements of a perfect morning were there, but because of an added ingredient, she was now anxious, imagining different scenarios to the words she was close to saying the previous day.

She had been too impulsive last night. When Chaeyeon had said that she wished to be a better friend, that had made something inside Sakura snap. In that moment, she didn't care if Chaeyeon was a woman, or if she was from wherever she was. Full of resolve, she had wanted to tell the infuriatingly attractive woman that no, she did not want to be friends with her at all, but so, so much more.

Fortunately for her, Aoi had interrupted them, preventing Sakura from being honest about her feelings. It seemed quite contradictory that she would be happy to be restricted from speaking her mind, but she knew it was not the time. As it was, things were now hairy.

It wasn't because Chaeyeon was a woman, as she had reached a personal point where she understood that it didn't matter. Her feelings remained the same. It was because of the unbelivable confession Chaeyeon had made.

Coming from the future?

That was absolutely ridiculous, and if it wasn't for that cave's existence, she would've felt outright insulted at Chaeyeon's words.

But now, with the knowledge of that cave, to her, the mere fact that Chaeyeon had, somehow, managed to appear here, traveling to this country to relay writings that are now guiding them to defeat her brother, was serendipity to her. There was obviously something important about Chaeyeon that had led the young woman to the place she was now.

Nevertheless, even if she ignored those things, was it really wise to confess her feelings to Chaeyeon so openly? She had been taught all her life that making advances on men was unsightly, as you had to wait for a man to court you first... But Chaeyeon was a woman, so what did that really mean? Were her advances now acceptable?

And, even if she decided to pursue Chaeyeon wholeheartedly, was that even worth it? She knew what she felt for the woman, but she also knew that, if Chaeyeon was telling the truth, she would be leaving sooner rather than later. If that was the case, was it really worth to risk her heart even further?

These thoughts tortured Sakura from the moment Chaeyeon left her chamber to that morning when her maids were preparing her to head out, except that this time, she would have her daily morning walk with Chaeyeon.

To be honest, though, it was easier to think about what to ask her in terms of the writings and the significance of Chaeyeon's existence here (given that what Chaeyeon had told her is the truth), than to think about what she is going to tell Chaeyeon now that her bravado has left.

"Breathe at ease, Your Grace," Aoi said softly, a soft frown marring her face.

"Of course," she said, breathing out heavily. "Of course."

"Are you sure you are not ill?" Aoi asked again.

Sakura moved to answer, but before she could, Juri spoke first. "I think it's just the jitters of being here again after such a long trip." Turning to look at the maid, Juri winked at Sakura conspiratorially, as if she was aware of something Aoi wasn't.

"Yes, that's right," Sakura agreed, smiling briefly at Juri before Aoi turned to look at both of them. Sakura knew there's no conspiration, as Aoi seemed to know what Juri knew, exemplified by the way she had interrupted her talk with Chaeyeon, something the woman had never done with any other guest she'd had.

But Chaeyeon wasn't any other guest, naturally, so Aoi's reaction had been, at some point, comprehensible, and, in Aoi's eyes, justifiable.

Narrowing her eyes at both of them, she huffed, continuing to tie the belt on the Princess' waist.

"Are we visiting Mina first?" the shorter maid asked, changing the topic. It seemed that she was absolutely aware of the reason why Sakura was so nervous, but didn't want to acknowledge it.

"Yes, as soon as Chaeyeon arrives, we'll be going there," Sakura confirmed.

"Your Grace, wouldn't it have been better if I was sent to fetch Chaeyeon while you got ready?" Juri asked innocently, moving to grab the materials to paint Sakura's face.

"It's alright. I'd rather be ready first before anything else happens," Sakura answered, though, to be fair, that wasn't the complete truth. In reality, she wanted more time to think things through before Chaeyeon came.

After the makeup was ready, Sakura sent Juri to fetch Chaeyeon.

--

The morning was a little strange for Chaeyeon, as she had been placidly sleeping when she was suddenly woken up by some women who had proclaimed they had come help her get ready. Her room had become a warzone in the next few minutes, as the women laid out layers of clothing she was meant to wear and put some cosmetics on one of the furniture. She had wanted to reject everything so she could just dress herself with the clothes she had already been wearing (though they were dirty) for the past weeks, but she felt compassion at the idea of all these women running around the estate with all of these clothes and makeup, only to be plainly rejected.

So, here she was, getting dressed with several layers of clothing.

This didn't mean she wasn't alert about her surroundings. Despite having heard Sakura's reaction towards her existence, and knowing (thanks to Juri), that Sakura didn't mean harm at all, she still wasn't used to having everything be alright. After all, this whole journey had been fraught with setback after setback. She could never be sure she could be safe at one place.

(And it wasn't that she distrusted Sakura, but rather… what if Sakura's remaining family was like Prince Tomiyasu? What if she was driven out? Or sent in a wild goose chase? She had no way of knowing.)

She harrumphed when she was put the final garment, feeling a little heavy. How could Sakura walk with these on for the duration they had to walk to the Fujiwara residence? She certainly was to be admired.

Finally one woman grabbed onto the container that had white powder, but Chaeyeon shook her head.

"No powder, please," she said. "Could I try to do it myself?" The women seemed bewildered at the petition, but made way for her to get to the makeup.

Chaeyeon hadn't used makeup in a long time, the last time being when she was in middle school and had wanted to learn how to put makeup on, so she wasn't sure what to do.

Deciding to only color her lips, she grabbed the tint and the brush, carefully coloring them, afraid that, without a mirror, she was going to screw it up. Finally finished, she turned to look at the women, who were looking at her raptly, as if she were a specimen to be disected. It made her feel uncomfortable, but didn't say anything about it. Instead, she said, "I'm ready," and thanked the women for their job.

Almost immediately, the women started grabbing the cosmetics, busying themselves in leaving the chamber as clean as possible. No one had said anything over her seemingly strange choice of makeup, until one of them asked, "is this the way nobles from Silla paint their face?"

"It's the way I paint my face," Chaeyeon responded as politely as she could. The woman seemed even more bewildered with her answer. "Can I make a question of my own?"

"By all means." The woman nodded respectfully.

"Who was the one who sent you to dress me?"

"Master Fujiwara," one of the older women answered. "He sent one of his servants to tell us about your needs as a woman."

It was strange to be seen as that. A woman. After all, she had spent so much time hiding from everyone, that being acknowledged as one was… interestingly foreign.

"Alright, thank you," she said, which apparently was also stunning to the women, who looked at her strangely, but said nothing. Instead, they bowed and left the room.

So, this person, Master Fujiwara, was already aware that she and Yena were here. I mean, she already knew that, but she just didn't think the man would bother so much to the point that he would send out clothes for her. Despite being from a different time, Chaeyeon could clearly see the garments were of something like silk, delicate, but precious. Who would give these clothes to a commoner?

Maybe he was grateful for bringing Sakura unscathed.

"They didn't paint your face?" Chaeyeon heard a humorous voice say. Turning to look, she smiled at Juri's amused expression.

"I painted myself," Chaeyeon answered, gesturing for Juri to come in.

"Oh, no, I come to fetch you to go to the Princess."

"It's already time?" Chaeyeon asked, surprised at the amount of time that had gone by while she dressed.

"It is," Juri confirmed.

"Then let's go."

It wasn't until they were on their way that Juri said, "it's so strange to see you dressed like this."

"Why? Because I'm a commoner?" Chaeyeon asked, her questions having a more teasing lilt.

"You know what I mean," Juri answered, knowing that Chaeyeon didn't mean anything by her questions. "I've always seen you with the pants and shirt you brought from Silla, so this is a little… strange."

"Apparently Master Fujiwara sent these women to dress me?" Chaeyeon worded her sentence as a inquiry, wanting to know if Sakura had something to do with it.

"Yes, he doesn't think it's proper a woman should just go out without dressing up a little."

"But why, though? I am a commoner. Why should he bother?" Juri smirked.

"This is something the Princess can answer better than I can."

Chaeyeon eyed Juri critically. "There's something I don't know, is there?"

"There are many things you don't know," Juri said, never tired of joking about Chaeyeon's denseness.

"Like what?"

"Things that the Princess can answer better than I could." Chaeyeon sighed exasperatedly, but then laughed briefly.

"Things that the Princess will answer for me, right?"

"I'm sure she will, in time." Juri smiled at the expression in Chaeyeon's face. "Nothing serious, though."

"Nothing serious? Are you sure?"

"Nothing life-threatening. I promise." Chaeyeon breathed, knowing that she was being toyed with, but found she didn't mind it. After all, Juri had become sort of a friend, and, specially these past few days, she had helped Chaeyeon relax when her relationship with the Princess was still murky.

When they arrived at Sakura's chamber, the Princess was already outside, flanked by Aoi, who was looking intently at the former.

Aoi noticed them first, gesturing towards them. When the Princess turned to look at them, her expression morphed into shock when she was met with Chaeyeon's appearance.

Finally close enough, Sakura walked carefully towards Chaeyeon, as if she was afraid of something.

"Good morning," the Princess greeted kindly, looking for something in Chaeyeon's features. 'Wasn't she the one that questioned me roughly yesterday?'

"Good morning, Your Grace," Chaeyeon greeted in kind. "How was your night?" she asked courteously.

"It… It was alright. How about you?" The Princess was quiet, her gaze appraising her.

"It was restful," Chaeyeon answered. "Is this alright?" she asked, raising her arms.

"Huh?" the Princess was taken out of her reverie. "Yes, I mean, you look… different."

"Is that a compliment?" Chaeyeon asked, truly curious of the answer.

"It is," she answered quietly, as if she was torn between being heard or not. Then, as if she had made a choice, she said, "the clothes compliment you."

"Thank you, Your Grace," Chaeyeon answered, a ticklish feeling in the bottom of her stomach. "This was apparently something Master Fujiwara asked for?"

"Was it?" Sakura didn't look surprised, but there was still stiffness in her expression, stiffness reflected in Aoi.

"It was." There was a tense atmosphere between the two of them that Chaeyeon could not understand. It made her feel with strangely placed anticipation.

"Shall we go see Mina?" Sakura asked after a moment of silence.

"We should," Chaeyeon agreed, gesturing for Sakura to walk next to her.

"They didn't paint your face," Sakura affirmed when they were on their way.

"I asked them not to," Chaeyeon confessed, hoping that wasn't the reason Sakura was tense. "If that's alright."

"Was there a reason you asked them not to?"

"I'm not used to painting my face, Your Grace."

"Then how does one look beautiful where you come from?" Sakura asked, surprising Chaeyeon, as the latter didn't expect the former to ask questions so quickly, to accept what she had been told and take it at face value.

"It's normal to paint one's face. I just don't do it." Sakura hummed.

"Does this mean you are truly a commoner?"

"Yes, I am." Chaeyeon looked at Sakura. "You didn't believe me the first time I told you?"

"No," Sakura said. "There was something delicate about you that it was hard to believe you weren't. Now I know what it is."

"I'm sorry," Chaeyeon apologized again.

"You don't need to apologize," Sakura said, her voice suddenly agitated. Clearing , she asked, "how about you? Have you been well?"

"Yes, I have."

"No illness?"

"No illness." But Sakura didn't seem to believe Chaeyeon's words.

"The doctor said you had to rest fifteen days. After this walk, I'm expecting you to rest. No running off," she ordered, her voice carrying a trace of the firm tone she had used with her when they were at the inn.

"I won't, Your Grace," Chaeyeon acquiesced, smiling despite the apathy-inducing order.

"What is it?" Sakura asked, surprised by the other woman's reaction.

"It's nothing," Chaeyeon said, but Sakura wasn't all too happy to leave it like that. After receiving a pointed look, she added, "I'm just… I'm happy to see you care about me." It was a gutsy confession for someone like Chaeyeon, but she truly felt relief at the tone that she would be otherwise rebuking any other time.

Her words took Sakura aback, not expecting the true relief that seeped into Chaeyeon's words. It alleviated her own fears. "Of course I care about you." She didn't exactly say what she wanted to say, but she still felt the dilemma of whether be honest or not weighing on her heart, so it was probably for the best.

"I'm glad," Chaeyeon exclaimed. However, there was some pressing thoughts in her mind, so she changed the topic. "Uh, have you received any news from Mina?"

"I haven't," Sakura answered, her gaze turning to look at their feet. "Which is why I'm going to visit today."

"I really hope she is better," Chaeyeon fret, still feeling responsible for the woman's poor health.

Sakura frowned, easily identifying the self-beating inflection. "You are not blaming yourself… are you?" When Chaeyeon didn't answer, Sakura sighed. "You saved me, two times. If it hadn't been for you, I'd be dead."

Chaeyeon frowned. "That's not…"

"It is the truth," Sakura emphasized. "I really don't understand why are you so hard on yourself."

This made Chaeyeon pause. "It is… it is how I am."

"Then that should change," Sakura countered.

"You want me to change my personality?" Chaeyeon said, trying to avoid the topic.

"I want you to stop blaming yourself when you did everything you could," Sakura continued, unmoved by Chaeyeon's attempt at changing the topic. "You have been here for us, for all three of us. You gave up a lot to see us safe. I'm completely sure that Aoi, Juri, and Mina are grateful for that, as am I."

Chaeyeon didn't understand how, but Sakura's words seemed to heal a great deal of the anxiety she had been carrying. Sighing in relief, she said, "thank you."

Sakura nodded.

"Though, to be fair," Chaeyeon added. "You also saved me, so I'm grateful for that, too."

Her words made Sakura smile appreciatively at her. "It's nothing."

"It is something," Chaeyeon countered. "I asked you to run away, and instead you came back to help me."

"You think I was going to leave you there to die?" Sakura scoffed, though she felt no animosity, knowing that Chaeyeon meant to thank her. "Of course not."

"How did you have the strength to lift that rock anyways?"

"I don't know," Sakura said, not having really thought about it. She just knew she had been in a rush to help Chaeyeon and eliminate the man that she just had moved without thinking.

"You're actually pretty strong," Chaeyeon praised.

When they finally arrived at Mina's room, Chaeyeon stepped behind Sakura, not knowing how protocol worked there. The guards that were patroling the doors bowed immediately at the sight of the Princess. Without any more ado, Sakura opened the doors, revealing a doctor who was checking on Mina.

The man turned around, hawing when he saw Sakura. "Ah, Your Grace, good morning." He bowed deeply.

"Good morning," she greeted as well. "How is my maid? Is she well?"

The man smiled. "I am fortunate to tell you that the young woman is seemingly well."

Sakura sighed in relief, knowing the man's words signaled that, in reality, Mina was alive and would continue to be. "How is her leg?"

At that, the man grimaced. "I'm not sure how well will the leg heal, Your Grace. I've corrected things as much as possible, and healing might take months, even."

This was not the news Sakura liked to hear about. "She's alive, at least." Turning to look at the maid that was lying on the bed, she said, "May I have some time?"

"Yes, of course, Your Grace."

Turning to look at Chaeyeon, she said. "Please, check on the guest's injuries."

The doctor bowed. "Yes, Your Grace."

Chaeyeon nodded at the silent directive, and left with the doctor to an adjacent room.

"Excuse me, Miss," the man said. "Could you please point out where the injury is?"

"Ah, well… it's in my chest," Chaeyeon answered. "Should I…?"

"Please." The man turned around, giving Chaeyeon a moment of intimacy that was foreign to her. Regardless, she used the small window of time to uncover the area where the ulcer was. Thanks to their long travel towards the Fujiwara residence, it now looked raw again, making Chaeyeon cringe.

When the doctor turned around, he gasped at the injury.

"How could you injure yourself like this, Miss?" he asked as he got closer to examine the ulcer.

Chaeyeon could only shrug, knowing that the story was probably better left unconvered, only known by Yena, the Princess, and the maids. "I was careless."

"Have you had other symptoms?"

"I've felt quite tired, but not much more," Chaeyeon answered. She did know that she'd had fever back at the inn, but she was alright now, so why mention it?

The doctor seemed dubious at Chaeyeon's words, but didn't press. "Alright. I'll need to apply special ointment. Wait a moment, please." He left the room for a moment, coming back with a small ceramic bowl in his hands.

"This is going to hurt," was the only warning before he covered the ulcer with the ointment. Chaeyeon hissed at the contact, but said nothing, letting the doctor do his job.

"That is all, for now," he said, grabbing the bowl and putting it on top of a bed. "Come see me tomorrow. You'll need more ointment before your injury starts to heal."

Chaeyeon nodded. "Alright."

"If you have any other symptom, please, come to me as soon as possible."

And with that, Chaeyeon walked towards the room Mina was in. When she entered, she was met with the sight of the Aoi sitting right next to Mina, while the other two conversed with the injured maid. The conversation stopped when they saw her, making Chaeyeon bow out of being sorry for feeling like a wet blanket.

"Mina, are you alright?" she asked after her eyes crossed with Sakura's. The Princess was basically telling her that it was the moment to speak with the maid.

"I'm better," Mina said, nodding to herself. "Thank you for getting me out of there."

Her words surprised Chaeyeon, who shook her head. "I put you in that situation in the first place, so there's nothing to thank."

"What? You told those men where we were staying?" The question seemed benign enough, but Chaeyeon could understand it was meant to be more of a trick question that required no answer.

"Of course not." But Chaeyeon answered it anyways.

"Then there's a lot to thank," Mina said, smiling at Chaeyeon, unfazed by Chaeyeon's appearance. It was a little disconcerting. Wasn't she unconscious the whole way to the Fujiwara residence? Why wasn't she surprised?

However, not wanting the topic to surface again, as she was sure Aoi was still furious with her, she said nothing, assuming that, maybe, she was told something by the Princess or the maids when she left to take care of her injury.

"Thank you, Mina," Chaeyeon said in appreciation. She honestly could barely believe that no one blamed her for her carelessness. It made her feel some relief, but also a bigger desire to protect these women and help them as much as possible before she left.

Regardless, she did have something uncomfortable to ask, so Chaeyeon cleared , scratching her arm. "I'm sorry to ask you about it so soon, but, could you tell me what happened?"

Mina's expression became grim, but she spared nothing. "I don't know. I had to wake up in the middle of the night to relieve my necessities, when I was suddenly struck. I don't know who did it. I couldn't see their face, but I just know they just me until I was injured like this."

Chaeyeon frowned, finding Mina's recounting odd, but understanding that maybe, the people who were after them needed to have no witnesses… still…

"We'll be leaving you so you can recover, Mina," the Princess said, smiling at the maid soothingly.

"Are you going on your morning walk?" Mina asked, a wistful expression on her face. After all, she was the most active out of all the maids.

"You'll be accompanying me in no time," Sakura reassured her, feeling bad for her maid, who just smiled grimly, resignated to her current state.

"Then I'll work hard to heal. See you tomorrow."

--

It was when they arrived at Sakura's chamber again that the Princess dismissed the two maids, asking them to inquire about the list of guests for the event that was organized in Yena, Chaeyeon, and Sakura's honor. While Juri seemed to be pretty calm about the directive (in fact, she had an almost teasing glint in her eyes), Aoi was displeased, but couldn't disobey Sakura.

After they had left, they both stood in their place for a moment, not saying anything, as Chaeyeon was waiting for Sakura to lead their interactions.

"Shall we go?" Sakura said after a moment.

"Lead the way," Chaeyeon answered, gesturing towards the small road that ran through the estate.

Walking so close to the Princess was a little unnerving for Chaeyeon, what with their hands occasionally brushing, making it a little difficult for Chaeyeon to breath effortlessly. It was… uncomfortableness maybe? It made her try to move away. However, after several tries, Chaeyeon gave up. No matter how much she tried setting a comfortable distance, the Princess would shorten it, and they would again be close enough to brush their hands.

Chaeyeon tried convincing herself it was nothing. Maybe Sakura was so used to having the maids flanking her sides that she wanted to feel Chaeyeon close to her. Yes, that had to be it.

She was shaken out of her thoughts when Sakura's hand clasped her own tightly. She jumped, turning to look at Sakura questioningly. However, Sakura didn't comment on her action, instead choosing to start an entirely different conversation.

"So, there was something I wanted to discuss with you," Sakura said thoughtfully.

There wasn't any problem with grabbing a girl's hand, was there? After all, it was very common in Korea, despite the fact that she wasn't used to doing this with her friends back when she had any. This meant, then, that Sakura wanted to be her friend again, right?

"What is it?"

"Do you maybe… do you have any idea why you're here?" Sakura asked, as if unsure of what she wanted to say.

"You mean…"

"You said you come from the future," Sakura explained. "Why are you here? How are you here?"

"I… I don't know," Chaeyeon admitted. "I was just… working… when I suddenly fell into the sea. I don't know exactly what happened, but I woke up here."

"You just fell into the water and woke up here?"

Chaeyeon was hesitant to tell the whole story, more so when she had kept this detail from even Yena, not wanting to have her friend think she had gone insane. "Well, no."

"What else is there?"

"It's just…" Chaeyeon rubbed her eye. "Your Grace, I don't want to sound more insane that I'm sure I already do."

"I want to know the truth," Sakura pressed, unable to take no for an answer. She wanted… no, needed to understand who was Chaeyeon and why was she here.

"There was this… being that appeared in front of me right before I fell into the sea."

"What kind of being?" Sakura asked, already wracking her brain through her own knowledge of the folklore and myths she knew about.

"He… She… It looked very much like a human. The only thing that was different was its eyes, which were pitch black."

"A being that looks like a human?" Sakura asked to herself softly. "A mononoke maybe?"

"A what?"

"They are spirits that surround us at all times," Sakura explained. "Maybe a mononoke brought you ill will by bringing you here."

"I don't think that quite fits," Chaeyeon answered after a moment of contemplation. "I believe there is a reason why I'm here. It wasn't a random happening."

"What makes you believe that?"

"I… I've seen this monster in my dreams, often taunting me and telling me that there is something I need to do before I get home."

"So you have a mission..." Sakura trailed off, already having an answer to one of her questions. "Do you have any idea what it is?"

Chaeyeon shook her head. "I've been on this wild goose chase ever since I woke up here. It never tells me exactly what I need to do... Just I've been told that there is something important about the writings."

Sakura nodded, though, internally, it made her heart flutter to think that maybe, she and Chaeyeon were meant to meet, after all. "There is a being that I can think of, but that is just crazy."

"Why? What are you talking about?"

Sakura sighed, afraid of speaking ill of the gods, but deciding to just put the idea out there. "Dai. He is the god of time and aging. Maybe he could have put you here. Maybe he had a mission for you."

"A god?" Chaeyeon didn't know what to think. Sure, she knew there was something supernatural about everything that had happened to her until now, but… gods? There were so many gods that existed in so many different religions that she really wasn't sure that was something that could happen. However, she felt it was worth investigating. "If it could be a god, what do we do?"

Sakura looked at the ground in thought. "Your teacher said we had to go to Shinfu, right?"

Chaeyeon nodded. "He did. Though, now that I think about it, couldn't there be a possibility that we could get ambushed there?"

Sakura shook her head. "The temple is a sacred place. No one would risk angering the gods by shedding blood there."

Although it still provoked anxiety within Chaeyeon, she decided to trust Sakura. "So, we go to the temple?"

"We should go, if anything, to investigate further."

"Is Shinfu the temple of Dai?" Chaeyeon asked.

Sakura denied it. "No, it's of Ame no Koyane, the powerful ancestor of the Fujiwara family."

"Then… why did the monk sent me there?" Chaeyeon asked, though the question was directed at herself.

"I don't know," Sakura answered honestly. "But I do think it's worth investigating."

"And we'll be going soon?"

"Soon enough," Sakura said. "We still need to wait for you to get better, and I don't want to leave before I am entirely sure Mina will heal."

Chaeyeon wanted to argue about her health condition, but she felt that Sakura wouldn't change her mind anyways. "Alright." She still hoped that they would leave soon, as she didn't like being idle.

"Right, there is something else I wanted to talk to you about." Sakura cleared . "It's about the party in our honor."

"Juri told me there were some things you had to explain to me."

"About?"

"Why did Master Fujiwara sent me clothes and maids to do my makeup? Am I not a simple commoner?"

"Oh," Sakura exclaimed. "Well, it has quite to do with the party. The thing is… he doesn't know you are a commoner."

"What? Why?" Chaeyeon asked, slightly surprised.

"Rino might be alright with meeting with commoners… as am I," Sakura stuttered. "But the rest of the nobles wouldn't accept you here. Official Fujiwara wouldn't be accepting of you and Yena."

Chaeyeon nodded, understanding Sakura's motives. "Then I am a noble."

"But you and Yena need to act like one," Sakura pointed out.

"What do you mean?"

"You need to learn some manners for ceremonies and parties," Sakura explained.

"Is that necessary?"

"Of course it is," Sakura rebutted. "Official Fujiwara needs to welcome you here, and if you have no manners…"

"He will kick us out?" Chaeyeon finished.

"Not quite," Sakura said. "But he will make your time here very difficult."

Chaeyeon nodded. If Sakura's uncle wasn't going to kick them out, she didn't understand what could go wrong, or what could be so difficult about Master Fujiwara's treatment. However, not wanting to find out, she just decided to go along with it.

"When do you want to teach us?"

"As soon as possible," Sakura answered. She already knew that there were but a few days before the party, and they had little time to truly learn manners.

"So today," Chaeyeon murmured, clearing after. "Should I just go fetch Yena?"

"Yes, you should," Sakura said, effectively ending their conversation. Chaeyeon nodded, turning to rush towards Yena, but Sakura stops her again.

"Yes, Your Grace?" Chaeyeon asks when Sakura says nothing. The Princess seems to struggle with her words for a moment, but ultimately huffs, dismissing Chaeyeon with her hand.

"No, it's nothing. Go fetch Yena"

"Are you sure?" Chaeyeon asked, wanting to give Sakura another chance to say what she obviously wanted to say.

"Yes, go," Sakura reassured, shooing her with her hand. Chaeyeon decides to accept Sakura's words, not wanting to intrude on her feelings, and leaves to look for Yena.

Predictably, Yena was at his chamber, lying on his bed placidly, using the time of respite to rest from the exhausting journey. Chaeyeon could understand, and, honestly, felt a little bad for waking the man up.

"Yena. Choi Yena."

"Huh?" Yena mumbled as he opened his eyes blearily. "Chaeyeon?"

"Get up. Sakura needs us to meet her,"Chaeyeon explained, patting Yena's leg.

"Why?" Yena whined. "Is she going to chop my head? Or yours?"

"No." Chaeyeon rolled her eyes. "We are too uncivilized by Master Fujiwara's standards, and Sakura wants to teach us some manners."

"What does it matter? We're leaving soon, aren't we?" Yena asked as he sat on the bed. He groaned as he stretched his arms.

"Not quite," Chaeyeon admitted. "After we were installed in our rooms yesterday, Sakura beckoned me to her room."

"Oh?" Yena asked, then smirked, wiggling his eyebrows greasily. "What did you do?"

"Shut up," Chaeyeon deadpanned. "The point is, I had to tell her I came from the future."

"What?" Yena gaped at her. "Are you… You really did, didn't you? Why? Aren't you afraid she'd get mad at you?"

"I was, but there was nothing else I could do. She was already too distrusting of us both, and I didn't want to give her any more reasons to do so."

Yena didn't object, understanding Chaeyeon's line of thinking. He did ask, "What did she say? Did she laugh in your face?"

"No," Chaeyeon answered, her voice gaining an almost imperceptible twinge of wonder. "She believed me."

Yena was surprised by the answer intially, but he said nothing, waiting for Chaeyeon to elaborate.

"It was that cave, the one I told you about before. She said that it made sense, given what we have gone through."

"And then?" Yena could sense there was something unsaid, but that Chaeyeon wanted to exteriorize all the same.

"She was sad. She was sad that I was leaving." Although Chaeyeon had already come to terms with it, and with what it meant, she still found it strange to have someone who had been so hostile to her be so attached, to the point that she felt the need to hold her hand.

Against her own expectations, Yena smiled, as if he had chosen to forgo the teasing for a short moment. "Of course she would be sad. She likes you a lot, you idiot."

"I know that now," Chaeyeon reasoned, scratching her head as a way to dispel the self-consciousness. "But it still makes no sense to me. We've known each other for a short period of time, and part of that period she disliked me. Why does she like me now?"

"It's not strange," Yena countered. "We had only known each other for a few months, even less than that when we became friends. We HAVE known each other for less than a year, and, yet, we are close."

"I know," Chaeyeon acquiesced. "But… This somehow feels different."

"How so?"

"I don't know. It just feels like it." Chaeyeon didn't quite want to admit this to Yena, but there was something that seemed so strange about the way Sakura had acted in the past two days. She is definitely happy that Sakura is still her friend, but there is something that has changed, in an almost imperceptible way that Chaeyeon would almost feel inclined to ignore. But she couldn't.

Yena doesn't pry further. "Alright. So she knows you're from the future. Now what?"

"Well, that's the other thing I wanted to tell you about," Chaeyeon continued retelling. "Right before I left for my chamber, she told me she wanted me to meet her this morning, so I met her. She started theorizing about what the papers are, and what is their purpose."

"What did she come up with?"

"Dai, the god of time and aging. She believes that, maybe, he's the one that put me here to do something or the other with the papers."

"Sounds sound enough." Yena nodded, though he himself seemed a little skeptical. "But what about the papers? What purpose do they have?"

"I don't know." Chaeyeon shifted, moving to sit more comfortably on Yena's bed. "I don't think I told you, but when our Japanese teacher gave me the papers, he told me to go to Shinfu. So that's where the Princess wants to go first."

"He told you that?" Yena looked at her more critically. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It didn't seem relevant at the time." Chaeyeon shrugged her shoulders. "What do you think, Yena?"

"What do I think? Not much." Yena looked down thoughtfully. "I don't know about the gods people believe in here, and I'm… I have no clue about anything else. But I don't think that the Princess is wrong. There might be something for us out there." Yena's eyes suddenly twinkled with excitement. Although Yena was someone who appreaciated the resting time, it was apparent to Chaeyeon that this man lived for adventure. It made her smile. "So, when are we leaving?"

"The Princess wants us to wait until Mina is better… and, until I am better," Chaeyeon muttered the last part.

"Fair enough, but wait… Does she want to go with us, too?"

"Obviously," Chaeyeon answered sarcastically, making Yena stick out his tongue.

"And everyone will go with her? Mina, Aoi, and Juri?"

"I think so? Why, are you nervous?" Chaeyeon teased.

"Of course not," Yena denied, and, unlike previous times, his words seemed to hold the truth. After all, Yena had had some time to talk to Juri, even if he never gave any hint about his feelings. Maybe he had already gotten used to her presence. "It's just that… is it necessary?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, the Prince was basically trying to kill us all. Don't you think this puts her in danger? What if she still wants to use a damn carriage?"

"You're not wrong…" Chaeyeon acknowledged. "But we don't know where are we going, nor what we are supposed to do when we get there. I do think she could be a great help. Moreover, she is extremely stubborn. You know that. She wouldn't let me convince her to not go."

Yena nodded, to then sigh dramatically. "I know. She is so stubborn, just like you."

Chaeyeon would've liked to protest, but she knew Yena was right.

"So, what's up with your clothes? Are you dressing as a woman now?" Yena teased.

"Wasn't my idea," Chaeyeon answered.

"Clearly." It was in that moment that Yena moved slightly that Chaeyeon became aware of Yena's clothes, which were at first covered by the blanket he was using. "Did Master Fujiwara send someone to dress you, too?"

"Yes." Chaeyeon smiled. "You look pretty elegant."

"I know. Pretty handsome, right?" Yena bragged, dusting off his clothes. "I didn't want my hair done, though. I'm alright with my style."

Chaeyeon shook her head, though she completely understood Yena's thoughts, as she had felt the same on regards to makeup.

"So, let's go? I think we've left the Princess waiting for too long."

--

The Princess was sitting down in front of a table, a scroll in her hands as she read it.

"You're here," she asserted, waiting for the guests to walk closer to her.

When Yena and Chaeyeon had arrived at Sakura's chamber, Juri, who had been waiting for them to arrive, informed them that Sakura wanted to meet them at the estate's library, taking them there. They hadn't lasted long, and in the time that they had to walk, both Yena and Chaeyeon took the time to admire the beauty of the landscaping that existed, and the flowers that were, at that moment, being taken care of by a maid.

"So, what are we going to learn?" Chaeyeon asked, peeking into the scroll.

"Oficial Fujiwara is very strict about the formality in which things are done, which is, honestly, the norm, no matter what level in the nobility they are." Sakura stood up, leaving the scroll on the table. "So you're learning to bow first."

"But we already know?" Yena interjected.

"No, you don't," Sakura commented blithely. "You might have bowed to a ton of commoners, but you don't know how to bow to nobles."

"So how do we bow?" Yena arched an eyebrow.

Sakura, as if expecting the answer, gestured towards Aoi, who was prepared to received Sakura's instructions.

"Since it's unbecoming for the Princess to bow at you two or me, I'll demonstrate," the maid explained before walking in front of the two foreigners. Putting her hands at chest level, the palm of her right hand on top of her left hand, she inclined her head to look at the ground and bent her knees slightly. After the demonstration, she turned to look at the foreigners, who tried following.

"No, your hands must be in the middle of the chest. Lower your hands," Sakura corrected.

Yena huffed while Chaeyeon just nodded.

"You're bowing too low," Sakura said again.

They bowed again, but Sakura didn't seem to be satisfied. "Bow again. Stay there. Don't come back up." Observing them for a moment, she finally grabbed onto Chaeyeon's arm, lowering her arm softly. "Your hands must be here."

Chaeyeon was startled by a hand touching her jaw, the fingers lightly caressing the cheek. "Your head must not be that low. Raise it a little."

"Ah, uh, y-yes," Chaeyeon stuttered, feeling the touch a bit too intimate to be something casual. 'It's nothing. It's obviously nothing. I'm just exaggerating.'

"Right there." Sakura smiled, as if nothing was amiss. "Yena, look at Chaeyeon for a moment." The young man stood straight again, turning to look at Chaeyeon with a barely contained laugh. He had been able to see what Sakura had been doing from the corner of his eye, but had decided to say nothing, wanting to see Chaeyeon's reaction.

"Alright." Yena nodded. "Should I try again?"

"Please do," Sakura said, stepping back. Chaeyeon, remembering Juri's words about the Princess having to be careful around men now that she was back at the Fujiwara estate, turned to look at Yena, hoping to help Sakura correct Yena's posture.

When Yena bowed again, Chaeyeon exclaimed, "Oh, not so low." She stretched her hand to move Yena's face slightly, but her arm was intercepted by the Princess.

"You don't have to give him pointers like that." Sakura smiled, but Chaeyeon could see the danger in her smile, as if the Princess was daring her to disobey her. While Chaeyeon couldn't understand why the Princess didn't want her touching Yena, she obeyed, nevertheless, scared of the menace hiding behind Sakura's eyes.

"A-alright." Sakura's smiled eased, and she released Chaeyeon's arm from her grip. Although Chaeyeon wanted to help Yena, she felt awkward at continuing the lesson. She didn't know how to describe it, but the exchange between the two of them felt like something that Yena shouldn't have seen. "Well, your head is too low, Yena."

"Yes, I'm correcting." But Yena didn't comment on it, which was something that Chaeyeon didn't expect. However, his eyes twinkled with mischief, as if he was bading his time to lay it on Chaeyeon. "Like this?"

"Uh, I guess," Chaeyeon said hesitantly, turning to look at the Princess despite the awkwardness. She turned back to look at Yena when she saw the Princess looking at her.

"Raise your hands a bit." Chaeyeon felt relief at the eyes that had diverted from her.

"Yes, that's correct," Sakura nodded in approval. "It's not entirely perfect, but we don't have much time." She, once again, sat at the table. "Come, sit."

The foreigners followed her lead, but not before Yena sneaked a mischievous glance at Chaeyeon.

Sakura cleared . "The next thing I would like to work on is in your speech."

"What's wrong with our speech?" Chaeyeon asked.

"Your Japanese is actually very good" Sakura admitted. "The problem is that you're not aware of the talking etiquette within nobility."

"There's an etiquette?" Yena asked incredulously.

"Not an etiquette per se... Perhaps I'm not explaining myself correctly. There are certain unwritten rules about how to relate with other nobles, specially in events and ceremonies," Sakura explained. "For example, you two tend to be very frank, no matter the topic. And well, that is not something good."

"Why? Then how do you engage in conversation with others?"

Sakura huffed. "I'm not sure how to explain either," she murmured. "Anyway, I'll try to exemplify with Aoi." The maid stood straight at Sakura's words, turning to look at the Princess.

"Good evening, Your Grace," Aoi said, bowing in the way Yena and Chaeyeon had been taught.

"Good evening, Aoi," Sakura responded in kind.

"Have you been well?"

"I've been wonderful!" Sakura exclaimed, smiling in such a way that, although it was meant to look beautiful, it looked unsincere to Chaeyeon. It definitely did not fit the Princess. "Though I've wished for brighter company these past few days."

"It is then quite fortunate that this celebration has been made in your honor." Sakura gestured for Aoi to stop the demonstration.

"We have to speak like that?" Yena look at the Princess skeptically. Chaeyeon didn't like that way of speaking, as it seemed like a chore, but didn't protest in the way Yena did.

"I know it's not something you two are used to, but try." Yena seemed like he was going to protest some more, but at the sight of Aoi's glare, just agreed, nodding.

"Alright, then. Good evening, Chaeyeon," he said, his humorous tone betraying his personal feelings over this practice. It made Chaeyeon smile slightly.

"Good evening, Yena. Have you been well?"

"My day has been marvelous!" Yena exclaimed, making Chaeyeon hide her laugh behind a cough. "I have to admit, though, my nap was most restful."

"That is wonderful." Neither of them could resist it. The talk seemed so ridiculous for both of them, both ended up laughing.

"Are you joking about this?" Sakura questioned crossly.

"We are not, Your Grace," Chaeyeon reassured, remainders of laughter still spilling from her lips. "It's just that… we are not used to hearing each other talk like this."

"Moreover," Yena continued. "I just can't take Chaeyeon seriously. I just can't."

Sakura, peeved at the little severity they were treating the matter, heaved in exasperation. "Fine, then leave. We're done with this."

Yena, although feeling the Princess was being too sensitive, corrected himself humorously. "No need, Your Grace. I'll behave. I promise."

Chaeyeon nodded, wanting to calm the Princess down. "We were just being dumb."

Sakura huffed. "Stop treating this like a game. I need you two to be on your best behavior during this party."

Yena smiled unevenly. "What's the worse thing that could happen if these people don't like us?"

"The treatment others could give you, specially Official Fujiwara, could be very cold, isolating," Sakura said. "Though you might not resent it as much as nobles who have grown to expect certain treatment from others. I do think that Official Fujiwara wouldn't want to host you for long, nor would he like for me to sustain a relationship with either of you. This could be a problem, because we still need to see what is on those papers. I assume you know?" Sakura directed the last question at Yena, who nodded. "It would not go well."

"What I'm curious about, though, is… if you thought I was a noble, despite my 'rough' behavior, why wouldn't they think that?" Chaeyeon asked.

"First of all, I thought you were a noble, ascribing your behavior to having spent time with commoners," Sakura explained. "They might think the same that I did, since they have no reference as to how nobles from Silla would act. However, they would still think that you are vulgar, and the effect would be the same."

"So they can't know how we got here either?" Chaeyeon inquired, not liking where this was going. Although she wasn't entirely happy with lying, she understood where Sakura came from. What Chaeyeon disliked was the idea of having to sustain such an elaborate lie.

"They can't," Sakura confirmed. Apparently, Chaeyeon's feelings on the matter were easy to sense, as Sakura tried explaining. "We really need to do this. I want our next investigation to be as free from interferences as possible."

"I understand," Chaeyeon said. "My real worry is to continue this lie with Master Fujiwara. There's so much we can change in our behavior before our story looks suspicious."

"Which is why I'll try my best to keep both of you away from Official Fujiwara," Sakura reassured. "By the way, you musn't call him Master. Only servants call him Master."

"We call him Official?" Yena asked. Sakura nodded.

"Yes, he'll know I've already told you who he is." Sakura grabbed onto a parchment, extending it on the table. Grabbing a pen and submerging the tip in ink, she said, "alright. I'd like for you two to get the story straight."

Chaeyeon shrugged her shoulders. "You're the one who knows what story would Official Fujiwara like, Your Grace."

"But you need to be comfortable with the story to explain it," Sakura countered.

"Well, I don't know about Yena, but I don't mind what the story is as long as it's not too far from the truth and it's not too outlandish." Chaeyeon turned to look at her friend, who just agreed.

"I'm fine with whatever," Yena answered, not disliking lying as much as Chaeyeon did.

Sakura was quiet for a moment, but after some contemplation, she finally said. "Alright, then. I'm going to give a small story, based on what little I know about both of you." She cleared . "Alright. You are nobles that came on a ship from the Kingdom of Silla to study the culture. You arrived, but you were kidnapped by the Prince's monks, so as to try to find support elsewhere. I came alongside with Rino, and we decided to help you leave, and in exchange, you helped reach home."

"That's… very simple," Chaeyeon commented, having expected Sakura to expand vastly into her backstory.

Sakura nodded, despite herself. "That's the easy part of the story. The difficult part is talking about your past. Who are you? Who are your parents? What do you do with your time? What type of literature exists in Silla?"

Yena sighed in chagrin. "How the hell am I supposed to know that?" he murmured, not wanting to anger neither the Princess nor Aoi. "This sounds like a marriage proposal," he joked out loud, making Chaeyeon unexpectedly stiffen.

"This is of course necessary," Sakura answered, her cheeks dusted a pretty pink. "Differing from the Prince, who was suspicious of you, the nobles here won't care as much about the journey we have taken to get here. Rather, they'd want to ask all of the things I've already mentioned, and anything else that is on the same vein."

"Then… what should we do?" Chaeyeon asked. "I'm not very aware of noble life in Silla, and… well, I think Yena isn't, either." Yena nodded, not insulted at Chaeyeon's comment.

"I'm as peasant as any other farmer," Yena said.

Sakura didn't seem pacified by their comments. "You must have at least an idea of how nobles act."

Yena shrugged. "I've never talked to a noble. And the most I've seen was their fancy clothes."

"I'm not sure if I know." Chaeyeon scratched her neck. "I mean, I know they learn manners, they learn, depending on what things they have available to them, history or poetry or philosophy. They learn to play an instrument? That's as much as I know."

Sakura sighed. "Do you know anything about these topics?"

Chaeyeon shook her head. "I know about dancing, and I know how to emote through dancing, but I wouldn't be able to talk in depth about any of those topics." She was never that good a student, and after her mother's death, her grades had plunged into the abyss. She was barely able to graduate.

"Then I'll have to keep you away as much as possible from them," Sakura concluded, her face relaying the frustration and uncertainty she felt. "Well, let's answer those questions, at least. Who are your parents? What is your family known for?"

"Uh…" Chaeyeon had to think for a moment. "I guess, my father is from the house of Lee… and… my family is known for being musicians and artists."

When Sakura turned to look at Yena, the latter, instead, turned to look at Chaeyeon, confused as to what to say. "I really have no idea what to say. Huh… I guess, my father is from the house of Choi…? Uh. My… family is not that well known. They are mostly merchants."

"Are merchants nobles in Silla?" Sakura asked.

"Who knows?" Yena said. He had only met Master Shinyu. Was he a noble? He didn't know.

"Alright," Sakura interjected, though she seemed unsatisfied. "Alright. What do you do on your free time?"

"I play an instrument," Yena answered with more confidence. "The gayageum."

"What's a gayageum?" Sakura asked.

"It's kind of an elongated instrument with thick strings at each extremity of the instrument,"Chaeyeon explained.

"It's like a koto," Sakura said, but interjected before Yena or Chaeyeon could answer. "Nevermind. Do not tell them what it is. Lie if you must. That way they won't be likely to ask you to play."

Yena agreed.

"In my case, I dance," Chaeyeon answered simplistically. Sakura nodded, not asking for any elaboration on the matter.

"And I guess I can't quite ask you about the literature from Silla."

Both foreigners shook their heads.

"Then I'll have to take you away, somehow," Sakura huffed. "Well, as long as you learn how to bow and talk, you might pass for nobles."

"You want us to continue practicing?" Yena asked in disbelief.

"I gave you the small intermission to stop joking around." Sakura glared at Yena. "But if we want to work without being bothered, Official Fujiwara must believe you two."

While Yena groaned, Chaeyeon smiled conciliatorily. "Alright, then. Let's practice."