One month later... 

Bada sighed as she walked out from the palace kitchen. She was punished for being the maid in the palace's kitchen. Madam Kang was relocated to some countryside to manage a small farm. Bada look at her own reflection from the copper tray located in the kitchen. Her face was smudged with black traces of charcoal. Bada took out a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped her face. 

"How does it feel to be at a place you are supposed to be?" A kitchen maid came to her and snatched her handkerchief. Bada glared at the maid before she snatched her handkerchief back. "How dare you!?!" The maid yelled in shock when Bada dares to snatch back the handkerchief from her. Bada pushed the maid before walking away from the hallway. 

"Kang Bada!!!" The royal chef screamed as soon as he spotted her in the kitchen. Bada stood straight and bowed her head to her superior. "You got into a fight with Yuhwa?" The man asked with his loud voice. He knew the reputation Bada had as the stepdaughter of Marquess Lee how she lied to the crown prince and aimed to be the queen of the kingdom when she did not even have noble blood. He heard it all. She even dares to hurt the empire best black knight that brought victory for the kingdom, Duke Jeon. 

"Girls, take her to the chicken coop and teach her some lesson." Without giving time for Bada to reach. Four kitchen maids came towards her and dragged her out from the kitchen. Once they arrived at the coop, one of the maids slapped Bada's face real hard. Bada stood straight as she held her cheek. "You still able to stare at us like that?" The maid that snatched her handkerchief earlier yelled. Bada smirked. "If you want to fight, then, let's fight?" Bada took a step back as she stood correctly in her stance. 

"I'll break your neck if you come closer." Bada pulled up her sleeves, getting ready to defend herself. She's not a weak woman. She could fight them with her martial art knowledge. She was one of the best woman prodigies at the academy due to her fighting skills. The fours kitchen maids took a few steps backwards, knowing that Bada won't back down easily.  "Ouch!" Bada hissed when one of the maids threw a fist-size stone at her head. 

"You want to fight with stone?" Bada yelled in anger as she held her head. She could feel warm liquid coming out from the open wound on her head. "Throw it." The maids yelled, and all of them throw stones towards Bada simultaneously. Bada fell on her as she covered her head from the flying rocks that were coming her way. "Stop it!" Bada screamed as she got no time to dodge all the rocks. 

"Are you scared now, Miss Kang?" One of the maids smirked as she threw another stone towards Bada. Bada look at the maids in anger. She's not backing down to those maids. Bada reached out to grab a wood. "Stop it before I kill you." Bada stood up on her feet as she grabs a piece of long wood. Bada was about to charge forward and defend herself when she heard someone was calling for her. 

"Sister! Stop it!" Aera yelled as she saw Bada was about to attack four maids around her with a piece of wood. Aera, who was on her horse for an evening ride with the prince, came to the back part of the palace and heard noises. She stopped Bada from attacking the four weak maids. Bada dropped the piece of wood and bowed her head to the future crown princess. Lee Aera is the fiance of the crown prince. 

"What are you guys doing fighting at a chicken coop?" Aera asked as she hops down from her horse. Suddenly another horse hooves stomping the ground was heard approaching their location. Bada kept her head low, knowing the prince and the duke might come to see what was going on when Aera was there scolding them. "I hate it when people fight. Please, don't use violence in the palace. Please...," Aera said as she looks at the maids and Bada. 

"What's going on here?" The crown prince asked as he walked towards the scene. He stood tall beside Aera as he looks at the people who made his fiance upset. He pointed his finger at one of the maids. "You, tell me what is going on?" The maid bowed her head greeting the crown prince. Her eyes wavered as the prince continued to wait for her response. 

"Your highness, Kang Bada was attacking us. She was trying to beat us up." The maid replied as tears stream down on her face. Bada looks at the maid with the tail of her eyes as she sighed. None of them was going to tell the truth, that they are the ones who started all this violence. "Kang Bada?" The prince raised his brow as his eyes laid at the girl in the maid attire standing at the back of the other four maids. She didn't look like Kang Bada anymore; her white apron was stained with charcoals and dirt. Her hair that usually tucks in a tight bun was a mess. 

"I thought you'd learned your lesson after being punished for being the kitchen maid?" Taehyung said to Bada, who kept her head low, avoiding looking at him in his eyes. A maid could never look at the prince in the eyes. That was one of the hierarchy rules they hold on to in the palace. "She attacks us with that wood." Another maid muttered as she pointed to the wood laying on the ground just right beside Bada's leg. 

"Who are you to hurt my people, Kang Bada?" Taehyung hissed in anger as he took a few steps forward closer towards Bada. She remained still in her position, not even lifting her head to look at Taehyung causes the man anger to rise more. Everyone around them stays silent as they could sense that the crown prince is getting angry. There was no more smiling and friendly face. 

"I think she is the one being attacked." Duke Jeon spoke, breaking the deadly silence atmosphere. Jungkook hops off from his horse as he walks closer to Bada. He didn't want the crown prince to look stupid, and at the same time, he didn't want to see any injustice. "The back of her head is bleeding, and her forehead is swollen. Looking at the scratches on her hands and arm, I think she was the one being attack here." Jungkook said as circling Kang Bada, observing her state from top to toe. Nobody would believe that she used to be the stepdaughter of Marquess Lee if they saw her in this state. 

"Sister, are you hurt?" Aera asked realizing that what Jungkook said was true. The other four maids look fine, but Bada was a mess. Bada did not even react to Aera's words. Aera should've asked about her condition first before talking about violence in the palace. Maybe because she was not her real sister so the woman should've not even care asking. 

"Your highness, why are you here in this part of the palace?" The royal chef came out from the kitchen in panicked as he saw the crown prince's horse and the dark knight. "Royal chef, I want you to resolve the conflict between the kitchen maids. I don't want to see anything like this in the future." Taehyung steps back as he went back to his horse. Aera looks at Bada one last time before she hops on her horse again. "Let's go, princess," Taehyung said as he moves away with his horse, followed by Aera. 

"Miss Kang?" Duke Jeon lowered himself to look at Bada's face. "I think all you should go ahead, Miss Kang should take a rest for today," Jungkook said, dismissing the four maids and the royal chef. Bada, who was standing still in her position, finally took her first step. She was slightly dizzy, probably because the rock that they threw hit her head. 

"You should've defended yourself better," Jungkook said as he followed the lady to her quarter. "I didn't know that they are going to throw rocks at me." She muttered as she walked forward, dusting off her apron. She sighed, is she supposed to be the kitchen maid forever? Bitna was appointed to be a volunteer at an army medical camp to contribute her knowledge to help to treat the royal troops. It was thanks to Aera that know Bitna capability in medicine, or else Bitna would also become a kitchen helper like her. 

"Why are you following me?" Bada turned around as she realized that the Duke was still following her. He shook his head and just went away without replying to her question. Bada look at the man in confusion. Jungkook spares one last glance at Bada before he went away riding his horse. Bada sighed, she used to dream to be the queen in this palace but now, she cannot help but hate the palace to her core. 

The night deepens as Bada fell asleep on her tiny bed. Suddenly, the door of her quarter was knocked. Bada walked towards the door and opened the door. She bowed her head as her eyes meet the eyes of the person who knocks on her door. "Duke? What are you doing here?" Bada whispered as she did not want to wake the other sleeping maids in the building. Jungkook took out an ointment balm from his pocket and gave it to the woman. 

"It's calendula balm for your wound," Jungkook said as Bada eyes focused on his hand. She didn't take the balm, but she just looks at the balm coldly. The duke pushed the lady into her quarter and shut the door. "What are you doing? Men are not allowed to come into a royal maids' room." Bada said as the man barged into her room, ignoring the palace ethics. The duke look around the small room that was only lit up by the moonlight. He looks at the lady in curiosity. How did she know it was him when she opened the door? He was covering his face with his cloak, and the bottom part of his face was hidden behind a mask. 

"How do you know I'm the Duke?" He turned around to take a closer look at the lady. Bada sat on the edge of her bed as she rolled her eyes. "Your smell," She muttered as she had no energy to talk to him. Jungkook sniffed his body for a couple of seconds. He was a black knight that was trained not to leave any traces behind, even the slightest smell. How did she smell him? He looks at the lady attentively. He couldn't help but think she was the girl that he's been looking for. 

"You are the one that teaches me calendula balm is good for wound," Jungkook replied causes Bada to lift her head and look at the man. When did she ever meet him and teach him about herbs? She shook her head, but she took the balm anyway. "Thank you, Duke Jeon. But, it will be an honour if you respected my situation right now. A nobleman like you should not be in my room." Bada stood up and opened the door for the Duke. Jungkook arranged his steps to the door. "One day, you'll remember me." He whispered to her before disappeared into the darkness of the hallway. Bada was confused listening to his final words. 

Bada was given two days off by the royal chef because of her injuries, little did they know that she was already completely healed. She took the chance to go out of the palace and visit the market. She wanted to buy some cloth to repair her dresses that were torn by the mouse in the quarters. It was her first time going out to the public without her fancy dress and hair accessories. She only wore a one-piece brown dress with long sleeves while her hair was tied in a normal french braid. 

She walked along the market looking for some sewing kit. "How much is this?" Bada asked a patisserie that sold some biscuits. The patisserie look at the lady with a smirk on his face. "You are Kang Bada?" The man asked with his loud voice, attracting the attention of some people who were passing by the street. Bada nodded her head to look at the man looking at her as if she was a criminal. "I'm not selling my pastry, cookies and biscuits to a woman like you!" He spatted before pushing the girl away from his store. 

"I have money to pay for the biscuit," Bada said in anger. She felt like she was insulted by the patisserie. Bada walked away from the store, heading to another store to buy some thread and needles to sew her dresses. However, as soon as she arrived in front of the next store, the owner of the store shut the door right in front of her face. She sighed as she took a step back, looking through the window of the store. The owner of the store was there looking back at her. 

"Excuse me, I'm here to buy some thread and needles." She knocked on the door as she can she the owner of the store not moving even an inch to attend to her request. She sighed again as she continues to knock on the door. She inhaled deeply before arranging her steps to another store. All of the store owners on the street did not want to sell anything to her.

"How can a vixen like you dare to dream to be with the crown prince?" A woman yelled at her from a random window. Bada shook her head, knowing that people thought of her as a villainess that tried to take away the crown prince from Aera. That was how the people in the kingdom entertain themselves. They will try their best to took a peek at any scandals or rumours that they heard about the most loved crown prince. Bada got no other way but to went back to the palace empty-handed. She still got a lot of time before the curfew, she decided to went back to the empty Marquess Lee's mansion. 

"Marquess, are you happy looking at your house like this?" Bada mumbled as she arrived at the property. The house was still beautiful but there was no sense of livelihood there. The mansion seems cold and huge, just the same as the day she arrived there for the first time. If she knew that Marquess Lee was using her mother to pay for his debt, she will definitely rebel harder. But she was defeated when the man promised to love her mother and Bitna with all of his heart. 

"She doesn't deserve this," Bada sighed as she walked to the horse stable. As soon as she arrived there, Joe ran towards her. "Joe!"  She remembered she let the poor horse free in the woods before she was taken to the palace. She smirked remembering the Aera refused to bring Joe to the royal stable because of its crooked hoove. Bada patted the horse lovingly and whistle to the horse. Signalling the horse to follow her as she walked to the woods. 

"I let you free Joe. Find your happiness out there." Bada said as she reached the middle of the dark wood. Joe nudged her a few times as she looks at the horse sympathetically. "I'm living in the palace now. I cannot take you there with me." She said to the horse that still refused to leave her side. Bada sat on one of the large tree roots as she looks at her horse. Maybe Joe was rejected by the other horses because he's slightly smaller and slower. "I guess you belong to be by my side forever huh?" Bada said as she stared at the horse. 

Before long, suddenly she heard multiples horses hooves stomping the ground coming towards her direction. She stood straight as she pulled Joe closer to her side. Maybe the wild horses in the woods are chasing after Joe. Joe was anxious as he could sense the presence of other horses. "Young lady, you are not supposed to be in the dark wood today." A voice suddenly disturbs the silence, a hoarse and deep voice talking to her. 

Bada turns her head to see some man in hunting attire while riding their horse. Bada stood up and bow her head. "I'm sorry. I'll get going." Bada bowed her head and arranged her steps to the west direction, the direction of her house. "Why are you walking? Ride the horse instead." The man said causes Bada to halt her step and look back at the owner of the voice. 

"He's a special horse," Bada said shortly before continuing to walk away with Joe following her steps. "Excuse me, Miss, do you know your way out?" Another man asked causes Bada to halt her steps again. "I know my way out. Thank you for asking." Bada bowed her head, appreciating the concern. The dark wood part of their forest is really thick and usually, only experts hunter went there to catch deer or wild boar. Of course, those men are going to be concern looking at Bada sitting alone in the thick wood with a horse. Their attires are different from what commonly wore by the people of her kingdom. 

"Sir, maybe the lady is a local. We should've asked for her help." One man at the back of the troop yelled at the leader. Bada pretended like she heard nothing and continue to walk. "Miss, one of my hunters was hurt by a boar. Did you know where is the nearest inn for hunters?" A man with fair skin hop down from his horse and talked to her. Bada look at the man and his troops. 

"Where did you come from?" Bada asked as she makes some distance from the man. She notices that all of them are not wearing the attire that they normally wear in her country. The head of the troop took off his hat and bow his head to her. "We are mercenaries from the West. My name is Baron Min Yoongi." The man reached out his hand but Bada just bows her head instead of shaking his hand. 

"We are looking for the nearest inn before dark. One of my hunters was hurt." He added as Bada remained silent observing his troops top to toe. Bada nodded her head and walked. "Follow me." She said. The baron nodded his head and instructed the troop to follow the lady. After a few hours walking, Bada patted her horse and whistle to the horse instructing the horse to go back as she needs to head back to the palace after she leads the troops to the inn. The horse ran away from her, disappeared in the direction of Marquess Lee mansion. 

"Come on, hop on my horse." Baron Min reached out his hand, offering the lady to ride together. Bada look at the front and her surrounding. She might be late if she did not accept the offer. She nodded her head and took his hand. The baron pulled the lady by her hand and secure her waist in front of him. "Let's go." The man said as the horse was galloping in the direction of their town. 

They reached the nearest inn in the town in no time with Baron Min riding skills and Bada's guidance. Bada looks up to see the position of the sun. She's getting late. She will be punished by the palace ethical committee if she didn't make it to the palace in time. "Miss thank-" The head of the troop was about to utter a word when Bada bowed her head and arranged her heels to the palace. 

"Enjoy your stay. I need to go." Bada waved her hand as she quickens her steps heading towards the palace. She will be punished. Her mind was filled with the cruel disciplinary act if she was late. She lifts the end of her skirt as she ran faster. Her steps were halted when a horse blocked her way. She was about to curse in anger but she held it in when she saw Baron Min was on top of the horse smiling at her. 

"Let me return your favour back. I can tell you are already late." He stated reaching out his hand to help the lady to get on to his horse. Without questioning or dragging any conversation, she took the offer and accept his help. Bada shows him the way to the side entrance of the palace. They arrived at the side gate of the palace in short time thanks to Baron Min's skilled horse riding. 

"Thank you so much Baron Min." She bowed her head as soon as she step her heels on the rubbles. The baron nodded his head and took out something from his pouch. "This is for you. I guess we'll see each other if we're fated to see each other again." Bada took the book that he handed and the man took of his hat and brought it close to his chest as a gratitude of her help. Bada walked into the gate of the palace once Baron Min ride away. 

She arrived just in time before the gate was closed. She walkes slowly towards her quarters. She was supposed to go out to buy some knitting and sewing kits to repair her dresses. But no one in this kingdom will ever accept her as a customer. Bada walked down the quiet pavement for the maids and kitchen helpers, knowing nobody will be around as dinner is approaching. The kitchen helpers were the busiest during this time. Bada look down at the book the Baron gave to her. It's a book about the West country. She smiles as she skimmed through the pages of the book. She never had time to read since she came to the palace. She missed her mother. She misses her freedom.