In Sumin's eighteen years of life, she had never felt this kind of serene.

Sumin was separated by the other boys and was led to another gigantic private bathroom. When the door was opened, she could smell the scent of roses. The wall tiles were in a pink colour, with the floor made with the same marbles as the rest of the Palace. There was the most enormous bathtub she had ever seen in her life right at the middle, with lost of sinks at the side which she clearly didn't have any ideas about. Even the sinks were made of bronze, and Sumin was scared that she would somehow break it in the process.

The servants prepared the bath and gave her new clothes to wear. Sumin compared the new outfit to the ones she wore, and she cringed at herself.

Once the bathtub was ready, the servants bowed and left her alone. Sumin waited for ten seconds just in case, then she locked the door from inside and stripped herself from her dirty clothes. Once she had dipped herself into the warm water, she couldn't help but let out a long, relaxed sigh. She couldn't even remember when was the last time she ever experienced washing herself in a bathtub, and to add more luxury: with warm water, bubbles, and a few rose petals.

She felt so in this giant space; like an inborn baby, just having been delivered into this cruel world. Sumin sunk lower in the water until her lips had entered the water, and she slowly closed her eyes.

Even though she was inwardly grateful of the Queen Trithis' admirable offer, Sumin was very suspicious too. What was her reason on all behind this? There must be something behind all these, because the Queen was known as a capable thinker and a very good strategist.

If she was taken here to be captured or executed, then it was impossible for that to be the case from the way the Queen treated her. There must have been another reason, probably one of her devious schemes, whatever it was. Sumin couldn't erase those brown eyes of the Queen's which had been watching her earlier.

After Sumin had washed her dirty body, she went out from the bathtub and flicked her hand at the towel. The white towel immediately went toward her in her command, and she wiped her body with it. Sumin shuddered her teeth, holding herself from the coldness biting her skin.

Once she had dried herself well, Sumin grabbed her new clothes and wore it. She found a beautiful, but simple, silver dress. There was a white ribbon around the waist as a final touch. She slipped her head and her limbs into the clothes' holes very carefully, scared that they might somehow rip in her hands. She found the dress ended right above her knees.

Sumin wiped her black hair with the towel until she was sure her hair wouldn't drop any more droplets of water. Then she brushed her hair, until she thought she was decent in her own eyes. She looked at herself in the mirror and nearly gasped.

The image of her in that beautiful dress was like an imagination. She even nearly thought this mirror was a magic trick to her eyes. Sumin would have never thought she really would be wearing a dress as gorgeous and expensive as this one.

Even back at the orphanage, Sumin was never given a dress, unlike the other girls. She was always given the dirty or the unwanted clothes, but never a dress.

"A freak like you would never be in the same level as us!"

Sumin snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a few sounds of different objects dropped to the floor. She turned around and found at least five objects on the floor. Two hair brushes, one shampoo bottle, and one toothbrush.

It was always like this whenever she was too angry or too caught up in her emotions. Various random things would be thrown out to the ground from its original places. Even after all these years of lessons with Luhan, that was the one thing she wasn't able to train at all.

After slipping her feet into her white flat shoes, inwardly grateful she wasn't given high heels because she didn't want to embarass herself; Sumin opened the door only to find Luhan already standing in front of her.

He looked dashingly handsome. He wore a silver suit with a silver tie, matching her own dress. Sumin's breath hitched for a second.

"You look...nice," Luhan said.

Sumin frowned. "Only nice?"

Luhan pursed his lips, but his gaze still stayed on her. She almost squirmed under his pressuring gaze. She felt uncomfortable, but also felt flattered being admired by him. It was a rare moment to know your best friend admiring your beauty and Sumin was glad to take every chance of it.

"Oh! Luhan! Sumin!"

Sumin caught a twitch at Luhan's eyebrow before she turned around. There was that tall cheerful guy: Park Chanyeol in his glorious red suit with a matching tie. Sumin couldn't help herself from admitting the fact that he was, well, cute. She didn't really notice it back then because she had been drowsy and to be honest, he was annoying her a little bit.

Chanyeol looked at Sumin and grinned at her. "You look very beautiful."

Sumin felt her cheeks were getting warmer and had a good feeling she was blushing a little. She had never gotten a sincere compliment from someone else. Even Luhan had never complimented her in that kind of way.

It made her feel like she was, a true woman.

"I see all of you are getting dressed up as well?"

The three of them looked to the new person ㅡ the cat-looking guy. He wore a dark purple suit, and a matching tie. He smiled in his cat-like way and watch