“Oh no,” Soonyoung gasps. “This is it. We’re definitely screwed. We’re so done.”

 

“What’s he saying?”

 

Jeonghan shakes his head.

 

Wonwoo’s eyebrows meet at the center as he examines the locks. Chains are placed in several turns on the door, severely padlocked to make sure no one gets in.

 

They all whip their heads around.

 

“What’s that?”

 

“I’ll check.”

 

Soonyoung jumps and holds on Jisoo. “I’ll come with you!”

 

They don’t even have to guess what’s happening here. Jeonghan does the same as Wonwoo did, then the locks fall from his hands with a loud thud. The whole kingdom goes quiet until Soonyoung—they know too well—starts talking again and when he returns with Jisoo they have several people behind them.

 

“Your Highness!”

 

“We already tried everything! Hiding, talking, but the Queen still got a hold of the locks.”

 

 

 

 

 

Chulsoo can’t sleep. It’s been half an hour of turning around and hitting her siblings on the faces, so she decided to go out of their small house and breathe in the not-so fresh air.

 

Outside the walls is a whole new world for them. They have their own system, way of living, naming the things they see in their surroundings. Maybe a new language as well.

 

Chulsoo lives to the south of their land, directly behind the wall. Seungcheol lives on the west but this night the girl can see him lurking around the woods. He looks like a dangerous boar with red eyes.

 

“Seungcheol!” Chulsoo hisses and gestures for him to come close. He does, then pulls the girl by her forearm away from her home. “Where are we going?”

 

“You’ll see.”

 

He helps the girl climb the tree by hoisting her up from his shoulder. It’s an occurrence for them to be doing such activities when they don’t have to work in the fields, or back then when they couldn’t visit grandma Lee to distract themselves. It was their secret way to looking into what were inside the walls.

 

It’s the most they can do, considering that the walls are protected by invisible electrical fields that certainly no one can pass by.

 

“Woah.”

 

They’re having a look at V district.

 

“It’s too dark.”

 

The only source of light is the burning of wood located at what it seems is the plaza. They’re not seeing anyone walking around, not even dogs, and Chulsoo thinks how vulnerable these people are.

 

Aren’t they scared the rebels might plan an attack on them?

 

They both squint their eyes to try seeing more of what’s currently in front of them. The sound of burning wood is very distinct even from their location. By now there are several people walking to some direction with torches and lamps in their hands. Chulsoo can also see the exit to their territory and she almost falls when one of the persons opens it.

 

“Go down! Go down!” She pushes Seungcheol from the tree and he falls hard on the ground. “I’m sorry!”

 

Jisoo can be unpredictable at times, just like how he suddenly opened the supply room while the others were panicking by the side. Jeonghan was almost at his end and Wonwoo was going to give up and do it the next day, when he saw the twins’ helper calling on their attentions and showing the unlocked door.

 

“How did you do tha—“ Soonyoung held on Wonwoo’s cloak again. “Where did you get the keys?!”

 

“You know, Prince Wonwoo cooped you up too much you don’t know what’s happening in the kingdom.”

 

Wonwoo glared at Jisoo while Soonyoung pouted at the other servants laughing at him. Jeeonghan shook his head with a smile.

 

“We better get moving.”

 

Chulsoo and Seungcheol hide in the woods as the door keeps on getting wider. It doesn’t create any sound because they always make sure all their things and duties are nicely done, like oiling the hinges. What the inside of the kingdom doesn’t know and will never bother knowing.

 

“Don’t tell me...” Seungcheol shakes his head.

 

Chulsoo looks at them. She doesn’t know why but she feels a bit nervous. She sees two lean men go to the front of all the servants, their hands out then they see them.

 

The same baskets.

 

“What the fuc—“

 

“Shh!”

 

Soonyoung’s hands stop moving and he looks around.

 

“Oh my god someone can see us this is seriously the end—“

 

“Close your mouth, Soonyoung.”

 

Wonwoo doesn’t remember how many times he has scolded his helper. Or how long he has been speaking so diligently.

 

Jeonghan lifts baskets out of the crate and asks the others to place them within a safe distance from the houses. Wonwoo makes sure that the letters aren’t slipping off, Jisoo is running from one direction to the other with multiple baskets in his hands. He might look lanky but he’s actually a very strong man. Soonyoung is still cautious with being exposed like that, doing his duties quickly so that they can go back unharmed.

 

“So this is what they do?”

 

Seungcheol moves forward. Chulsoo’s eyes widen and she pulls him back but he’s stronger. He’s making himself seen bit by bit and there’s a stranger a few feet away from placing a basket in front of Chulsoo’s house.

 

She takes in a deep breath.

 

“No! Seungcheol!”

 

She grabs on thin air, Seungcheol slipping off as quickly as he can.

 

Everyone stops moving and freezes when they hear a scream.

 

Wonwoo becomes nervou