{In the palace}

Once again, the maids have prepared the bath for the crown prince in the noon. The crown prince undressed himself and the head eunuch neatly hung the navy-blue royal robe.

“Your Highness, please return back early.”

The crown prince has finished changing in his noblemen’s dress. He promised he will be back by evening and requested the head eunuch to cover up for him as usual. While the guards were distracted, the crown prince jumped over the wall and sneaked out of the palace.

As soon as the crown prince was gone, the head eunuch went straight to the Queen to report.

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“Make sure you arrange the flower accordingly. And since today is your first day, don’t feel pressure and just observe what we do.” The owner of the flower shop explained to Whee-in about her role in the shop. Whee-in has taken a side job to work as a florist in the capital near the palace. She took the evening shift as that was the only time slot when she was free from her main work as a maid. For a quick learner, Whee-in was able to secure a good spot in the shop.

“Aachooo!”, Whee-in sneezed out of nowhere when she was making a flower bouquet for their regular customer. “Bless you”, the young man smiled on seeing Whee-in rubbing her nose like a kid.

Whee-in was informed that the young man would drop by at any random day to buy a bouquet of daisies from the flower shop for over three years now. He was a mystery to Whee-in. He gave no name and no one knew who he was.

The man wore one of the finest silk dresses and his physique added more charm to it. He was taller than the average men in the town, and with the high nose bridge and the clear-cut jawline, he surpassed every handsome man Whee-in knew. Even the men in the capital seemed to be no match for him.

“I am sorry. No notes?”, Whee-in asked him looking in the sad brown eyes. The gloomy eyes contrast the handsome face. Even though they exchange a few conversations, every time he dropped by to buy flowers, Whee-in could not bring herself to ask the young man who he was and why he had such a miserable look in his eyes because his presence flaunt their differences in status.

“Just the flowers.” The young man placed five copper coins on the counter. Maybe the daisies were for his lover? Or for someone whom he wished to live with forever.

“Here is the order. Please continue to buy flowers from us”, Whee-in smiled and bowed to the young man.

After the man left, she turned around and rubbed her nose, “Did someone talk about me?”

>>>

“I AM LEAVING YOU! I AM GOING TO WHEE-IN’s PLACE. LIVE A GOOD LIFE, SISTER!”, Hye-jin yelled as she walked out of the door.

“You better come back right now, sister. Don’t make me force you.” Yong-sun held back her tears as she called for Hye-jin.

“I DARE YOU”, the little one was adamant and soon she was out of Yong-sun’s sight.

“Fine. Don’t come back then. I don’t care about the consequences.”

Earlier that day, the sisters were chilling in the hall-like room. Yong-sun was playing around with her potions. In the corner, Hye-jin was scribbling hard on her journal with her torso bending over as if the journal was her in.

Like any other day, the forest was quiet and the sisters were doing their own things. However, Yong-sun was bored out of her brain, and after a short while, she started to annoy her only sister.

Yong-sun stumbled towards Hye-jin who was busy with her journal. She paced back and forth behind Hye-jin eyeing on the journal. She then stuck her head in and asked, “What are you writing?”

Hye-jin closed the book in a flash and stammered, “I- It’s nothing. What are you doing? I told you not to look at my stuff. Why are you so nosy?”

“Did I saw it right?”, Yong-sun stared at Hye-jin intensely expecting a Yes or No reply. Hye-jin was aware of Yong-sun’s serious look and knew lying won’t make either of them feel better.

“Yes.”      

“I will never allow it.” Solar stood firm.

“Why can’t I go to the town? Do we look different from them? We bleed the same blood. What’s wrong with trying to mix with them? What’s wrong with wanting to be free? I am sick of this forest!”

Seeing the tear rolling down her sister’s cheek was enough to break Yong-sun’s heart. “You know what they have done. Would you rather be free than safe?”

Hye-jin wipe off the tear, “It happened decades ago. People might have changed; they don’t even know we exist. You have heard what Moonbyul said. They don’t believe in witches and wizards anymore.”

Yong-sun yelled out of frustration. “Then, why do you think she can’t visit us every day? Why Whee-in is worried about her very bestfriend going to the town? Do you trust them? I am the only one you should trust.”

“But do you even trust me?”, Hye-jin yelled back as she wept. “I don’t care anymore. I am going to the town.”

Yong-sun was lost for words. “Why are you like this? Are you going to leave me alone?”

Hye-jin stared back to Yong-sun and without a word, she picked up her cloak and headed out of the door.

Yong-sun ran after her and block the path. “You are not going anywhere. What will you even do there?”

Hye-jin screamed out of irritation. “I hate you and I am leaving you.”

Hye-jin furiously walked towards the town. She was not scared anymore after knowing the town has changed. Moreover, she will never understand why her sister was such a coward. It did not make sense to her that Yong-sun was keeping her as a prisoner for an incident that took place over a century ago.

As she walks further, she finally reached the towns’ gate. The last time she saw the place, it was an open field and a knee-high wall used to mark the border of the town.

There were guards at the gate and people had to show an identity tag to enter the town. If Whee-in had not told Hye-jin about the town, she would have been caught instantly. But she had lived longer than anyone in town and known her way around the land. She could not believe that she had finally come to the town after a long time.

Hye-jin walked around the border and came to the paddy field where the walls had ended and only a few people settled down. The place was the same as she remembered.

Hye-jin grinned from ear to ear as she walked and then started to run toward it. She remembered the green paddy field and even though a few houses were built in, it hasn’t changed much; the fresh air, the smell of the earth, and the sound of kids playing far-off. She wondered if the town was still the same too.

No one looks at her in the busy market. Not even the dark cloak attracted an eye. Seeing a crowd after ages made her panic a little. The vendors on the roadside, the delicious smell from the restaurants, people of different status walking and strolling by, everything was just the same except for one thing. They didn’t glare at her, stoned her, or throw salts at her. The town was more peaceful than it was when they were kids.

Hye-jin made her way to the east of the town for her village. The path was abandoned for years and tall grasses grew far and wide before the entrance of the village. The Scorching Meadow. The ruins of the houses were still there covered in vines and creepers. Her memory of that terrifying night flashed back, making her heart race.

Just then, a rattling sound from the bushes startled Hye-jin. She looked around but without any delay, she quickly left the place.

Back in the town, Hye-jin searched for Whee-in’s house. She walked towards the area that matched Whee-in’s description of their neighborhood. The houses there were shabby, cloth lines stretch from one bamboo frame to another, and everything there was to meet the bare minimum.

She scanned the whole place and returned back to the market hoping to meet Whee-in by sheer luck. She checked the people she passed by and when the sun started to settle behind the hill, she became more anxious. Ever since she left her burnt village, she could sense an eye stalking her. She bit her nails, frantically looking for Whee-in.

“Hey!”, a hand suddenly turned Hye-jin around and she jumped with fear. “Are you lost?”, a drunk middle-aged man asked as he grabbed Hye-jin’s arm. “If you need help, I can help you.” The hands slowly circled around Hye-jin’s waist. Hye-jin pushed him off and yelled at him. “Get your filthy hands off me.”

The people around just glanced at them and continued on with their work. The man bit his lips and mumbled, threatening her to come with him if she did not want to embarrass herself. He clenched his grip on Hye-jin’s arm and hauled her towards a narrow alley.

Hye-jin trembled with fear as she quickly cast a spell. Once they entered the alley, Hye-jin slammed her hand on the man’s back. The man instantly choked and fell to the ground. In a blink of an eye, the man was paralyzed.

Terrified of the consequences if anyone sees, Hye-jin ran out from the alley into the busy street. She must get as far as possible from there. She bumped through the crowd as she ran into the never-ending road until she hit the person whom she was looking for all day.

“How- Why are you here?”, Whee-in asked, looking up and down at Hye-jin to make sure it really was her. Hye-jin hugged Whee-in and almost cried while explaining what had happened.

Whee-in calmed Hye-jin down first. “You did the right thing. Don’t worry. We’ll go to Moonbyul. Follow me.” Whee-in took Hye-jin to the blacksmith shop where Moonbyul had started to work. A man welcomed them and told them to wait while he called for Moonbyul. She came out from the fireplace with black coal smudged on her chin and her hair tied back in a ponytail. She was sweating a lot too, so she stood a little further away from them. She was calmed to see Hye-jin because she could at least predict this would happen someday.

Hye-jin gaped at Moonbyul, “Wah. You look even more-,“ Whee-in nudged Hye-jin to stop it and told Moonbyul what happened. Hye-jin was new to town and of course, someone could take an interest in her. But no one shall know of her existence to avoid the commotion.

After night falls, they returned back to their house. Whee-in cooked what was there for the night and served the dinner. As the three women ate their meal, Moonbyul asked if Yong-sun gave Hye-jin consent to leave the forest.

Hye-jin gulped in the bland soup and replied, “She is not my mom. Why would I need her permission? But don’t worry. She knows I went here.”

Moonbyul nod her head and continued to eat. Was Yong-sun really okay with this? She would not carelessly send her sister here. Was there a reason behind why she came?

The mattress was laid and the three of them squeezed themselves in the small bedroom. Whee-in was excited to sleep with Hye-jin for the first time. They went on talking about themselves.

“Have I told you about that man?”, Whee-in asked.

“Which man? We haven’t met for three weeks.” Hye-jin pouted.

“Ah! A lot could happen in three weeks.” Whee-in nodded and then went on to tell Hye-jin about her new work and that Moonbyul started working at the blacksmith at the same time. She took her time to talk about the mysterious regular customer of the flower shop.

“Maybe he is someone from a high position that people shouldn’t know about.” Hye-jin deduced from the description of the man.

“But everyone knows the noblemen's sons.”

Hye-jin sat up and gazed at Whee-in, “Then, a con man or intruder from another kingdom? What if...A PRINCE?”

“No way!”, Whee-in yelled and sat up too.

Moonbyul covered her head with the blanket. She only wanted to get a good sleep after working a long day. But the two women continued to gossip. She had enough and yelled out of frustration, “Do you think a prince will come and buy from a peasant shop? He has his own massive garden. Now shut up and sleep. You are going back to your sister tomorrow.”

The atmosphere escalated quickly just like that and all of them went to sleep silently.

The next dawn, Moonbyul woke Hye-jin to send her back to her sister. She would not take care of a runaway whose existence could cause havoc. If she were to do so, then it would be only when Yong-sun utters the word.

“Byul. Can we let her stay just for a few more days?”, Whee-in certainly did not want to let Hye-jin go back too soon.

Moonbyul heaved a sigh and replied, “Don’t you care about her sister? She must be extremely worried. You know she is traumatized to set foot out of the forest. Maybe not our fault, but we also play a part in it. Now, say your goodbyes. I will make sure she leaves safely.”

Whee-in sulked and mumbled loud enough for Moonbyul to hear, “Why don’t you just go and live with her?”

She hugged Hye-jin and bid her goodbye. Hye-jin could have stayed longer but yes, she was concerned about her only family. And the town did not feel like home anymore with her village gone. “Next time, I will convince Yong-sun and we both will visit you. You won’t have to worry about coming to the forest again.”

Back to the route, Hye-jin took to reach the town, Moonbyul and her made their way to the Witchery Forest. Even though the path was long, it was safe for travel and Hye-jin advised Moonbyul to take it in case it was hard to leave town.

At the border of the forest, Hye-jin thanked Moonbyul for accompanying her and went into the forest.