WAKING up to the smell of chlorine didn't seem unnatural to me at all, the continuous beeping sound of the heart monitor coaxed me out of a deep slumber, and the sound of someone furiously hitting the keys on a keyboard causes me to turn my head. I blink my eyes rapidly as the person's face has me questioning just about everything.

There's no doubt that it's her though, and Ji Hyun noona did mention that persons close to the Crown Princess have been reincarnated. But, I had no idea that she would be here as well.

The tapping sound pauses for a bit, her sharp eyes look up from the laptop's screen and meet my own. If I had the strength in my limbs I would be hiding under the blankets right now.

"You're awake." I gather all the energy I can find as I sit up in bed, "I've been appointed as your guardian."

She crosses her arms and judging by her tone, I know for sure that she doesn't want to be here. And so I bow gratefully, "thank you. You can go-"

"Byun Baek Hyun," she quickly interjects as she stares me down, "born in Bucheon, May 6, nineteen ninety-two."

She raises her neatly waxed eyebrows at me, "education, Kyung Hee Cyber University." She scoffs, "you didn't even go to a notable school."

I recoil at her remark, "what does that have to do with anything?"

She leans in closer, a bit menacingly I must add. "Yah, why is a useless idol like you hanging around my boss?"

I open my mouth to answer but the sound of the door opening beats me to it, and my guardian backs away from me immediately. "Baek Hyun-ah!"

Miss Yoon runs over to my bed with a worried look on her face, her eyes give my body a once over then she places a comforting palm on my cheek. "Are you alright?"

I nod my head with a small smile, "yes." 

She turns to the woman behind her, "you can head back to the office now, Chan Hee."

Forget the kind, soft-spoken girl from my dreams, the Chan Hee from this era shoots lasers out of her eyes! 

"Why didn't you tell me that you are unwell?" Miss Yoon takes a seat by my bedside, "I would've never asked you to stay at the house if I knew this would happen."

I shake my head, "it's alright, this isn't the first time this has happened." 

She sighs deeply, and it's then that I spot the worry lines on her forehead. "This might sound weird, but I guess I should be thanking you. Ri Na left that dark, dungeon of hers this morning."

I raise my eyebrows, "how is she?"

She flashes her hand at the question, "the same, but for the first time in a long while, she took interest in someone else."

My heart speeds up at the news, "that's a good thing, right?"

"Is it?" she sighs once more, "instead of calling the ambulance, she phoned Chan Hee. Baek Hyun, she left you there on the floor for about four hours, is that something a normal person would do?"

"Miss Yoon..."

The aged lady clears as she looks at me, "I want to formally apologize for putting your health in jeopardy. I shouldn't have asked such a huge favour when I know how difficult Ri Na can be."

"There's no need to apologize," I look directly at her, "I don't blame you, or Ri Na for what happened."

"ARE you serious?" I watch as she throws her head back and laughs loudly, "she robbed you?"

I roll my eyes as take a sip of water, "why would she do that?"

Ji Hyun shrugs at the question as she looks at me with a twinkle in her eye, "maybe she needed the money."

I sigh, and she laughs loudly once more. "This is quite serious though," she sobers up in an instant as she looks at me.

"What do you mean?" she scratches her hair with a small sigh, "what is it now?"

"Maybe, she hates you," I blink rapidly, "there are times when the soul doesn't leave behind strong feelings from its past life. If there's something that the Crown Princess was upset with you for, then there's a possibility that Yang Ri Na will exhibit those feelings herself." 

I run a hand over my face then look back at her, "so, you're saying that Yang Ri Na will probably treat me like sh*t, simply because the Crown Princess was pissed at the Crown Prince?"

She nods, "but the Crown Princess could've been upset about anything!" I get up from the stool, "they argued like any couple out there, how will I know exactly what she was upset about?"

"I don't know Baek Hyun-ah," she sighs as well, "the only person who has access to those memories is you. For now, you need to meditate more."

I nod my head, "and you have to visit her again." I furrow my eyebrows, "her mother says she left that room of hers in the morning right? Yang Ri Na needs to see you as much as possible, maybe I'll be able to help her."

"Can you do that?" my eyes widen, "seriously?"

She shrugs nonchalantly, "I'm not making any promises here, but something about her condition seems a bit weird. I need you to monitor her and report to me." 

I let the members fuss over me for the entire week after leaving the hospital, I even behaved myself while at the company, and so I continued to practice hard without being snarky. And so when my well-deserved day-off rolled around, I made it my duty to be at Ri Na's house.

Armed with Ashwagandha in my pockets, and of course, the trust I have in Ji Hyun noona, I enter the house as calmly as possible. However, it's Chan Hee that greets me at the door, and judging by the look on her face, I can easily tell that she doesn't want me to be here.

It's also obvious that she's protective of Ri Na, the Chan Hee from back then was indeed loyal to the Crown Princess. I guess some people never change, despite the number of times they've been reincarnated. 

"Ask one question at a time," Chan Hee turns on her heels after leading me up the stairs and onto the second floor, "if you upset Miss Yang, I will personally throw you out."

I nod my head with a nervous swallow, the tone of her voice and the conviction in her eyes, would make even a gang leader scared of her. I exhale quietly as she opens the double doors before us and steps inside, I clench my fist as I follow her, and I'm not eve