Chapter 4.

In dreams you will lose your heartaches
Whatever you wish for, you keep

Exhausted was an understatement for how Hanbyul felt once she finally finished putting the finishing touches on the petit fours, which the servers had immediately taken off her hands to serve into the banquet hall.

True to his word, Jaehyun had already informed the kitchen staff of her coming arrival and they had obeyed her instructions on how to create her recipes without question, though several of them appeared shocked by her young age.

“Come enjoy the banquet! You’ve done more than enough work today. A little fun is warranted, no?” One of the pastry apprentices around her age, Jaemin if she recalled his name correctly, tugged her along into the banquet hall.

Hanbyul almost tripped over herself as he pulled her into the masses.

“Are you sure this is okay? I thought this event was for nobles only,” she whispered in a worried tone. She felt sorely out of place in her dainty white blouse and khaki pleated skirt that reached mid-thigh. Her apron was still tied around her waist, her hair flying out of the braid she had put it in earlier.

“Of course!” Jaemin exclaimed once they’d reached the table where the rest of the pastry chefs greeted her warmly. “King Jaehyun and Princess Chaeyeon always welcome everyone in the palace to join in on such festivities.”

At the mention of the King, her eyes roamed the room and she first made eye contact with Lucas and Haechan who were hovering over the pastries lined up on the long white tables. They caught her gaze and Haechan seemed to be saying something though his mouth was so full she couldn’t make out his words, while Lucas shot her a big grin and a thumbs up, pointing to the fruit tart in his hands.

A laugh escaped her and she shook her head exasperatedly. She turned her head slightly and saw Jaehyun dancing with another noble lady, his hands placed delicately on her waist and their bodies so close together in the crowd that Hanbyul felt almost embarrassed for even looking.

Quickly averting her gaze, she ignored the niggling feeling deep in the pits of her stomach before untying her apron and perching it on one of the chairs.

It was an amazing opportunity, she had to admit, to be able to showcase her recipes at such a large scale event for the royal family, no less, at the mere age of 19. As if the thought brought back all the memories of her slaving away in the kitchen for the past near 24 hours, she felt her knees go weak.

A hand shot out and grabbed her elbow before she could take the tumble.

“Are you okay, my lady?” A gentle voice asked and she looked up to see a handsome man peering down at her curiously.

“Ah!” She gasped, quickly adjusting herself, a hot blush warming her cheeks. “Sorry, I’m just a bit tired.”

The boy merely smiled and shook his head. “It’s no problem at all. My name is Taeyong, by the way. I’ve been to enough of these banquets to pick out an unfamiliar face when I see one.”

“My name is Hanbyul,” she gave him an appreciative smile. It was obvious by his attire that he was a noble, though he looked to be several years older than herself, possibly around the same age as Johnny. “I’m the pastry caterer for this event.”

His eyebrows shot up at that. “Pastry caterer? You look like you’re no older than 18!”

“I’m 19, thank you very much,” she countered before she could stop herself.

Taeyong let out a laugh at her cheeky tone but before he could say anything, they were interrupted as Princess Chaeyeon came barreling towards them with Johnny in tow.

“These pastries are the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my life!” Chaeyeon squealed with no further explanation as she threw her arms around Hanbyul in a hug that enveloped the tiny girl.

Hanbyul confused and bewildered eyes met Johnny’s and he merely shrugged. “Thank you, your Highness,” Hanbyul replied, her initial shyness towards strangers emerging.

“Oh no titles, please! Just call me Chaeyeon,” the princess responded. “All of our palace employees do, or at least the ones around our age do.”

“A-Are you sure?” Hanbyul stammered. In all of her fairy tale books, the royal family had always been snobby and stuck up that it had built an underlying stigma in her mind, which was now being thoroughly shattered by the easy-going nature of the princess.

“Of course!” Chaeyeon grinned. “Johnny told me that you were the mastermind behind all the delicious treats today and I just had to meet you.”

“She forced me to tell her but you might want to make a run for it now before she coerces you into being her personal pastry chef and friend,” Johnny said with a straight face, dodging Chaeyeon’s attempt to elbow him in the gut.

Though Chaeyeon looked exasperated, her eyes still curved into a smile and her laughter filled the room, unabashed and genuine just like her brother’s. That was when Hanbyul noticed the striking similarities between the two siblings. Both had chocolate brown hair and a smile that could light up the whole room. Paired with their mesmerizing charm, it was no wonder people from all across the land spoke highly of them despite their young ages.

“You might want to take Johnny’s warning seriously. There’s no escape once Chaeyeon’s set on making you her friend,” Taeyong murmured to Hanbyul though Chaeyeon’s ears perked up at that.

“Hey! Don’t turn on me too, Taeyong. I thought blood ran thicker than water,” Chaeyeon whined.

Taeyong had a teasing glint in his eyes as Johnny wrapped his arm around his shoulders. “Taeyong may be your cousin but we have brotherhood. A relationship that knows no bounds and one that a little girl like you couldn’t possibly hope to break,” Johnny quipped.

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