5. TRAP

Her brush touched the chestnut roofs that leaned against each other, as the streets bustled with crowds. As she finished off the last touches, a hurried knock echoed through her ears. 

“Lady Son, the Queen requests an emergency meeting.” A maid dipped her head. 

Naeun shared a questioned look with Hayoung before dropping her brushes. She swept off the dried paint. “Sure, I’ll be on my way.”

Unlike her warm painting, she felt a sense of chill at the circle room, as the Queen sat on the altar with her lips flattened. After curtsying, she stole a glance around the room, before meeting the foxy eyes of lady Yoo, who curled her lips into a threatening smirk.

“Ladies, apologies for calling you all urgently. I have received reports that one of you, has apparently, violated the contest rules. Please bear with me as I understand the situation.”

“Firstly, Lady Yoo - you raised this matter. Please explain to everyone what you have found.” 

Immediately, Naeun felt a sense of unease creeping down her back.

“Your royal highness,” Lady Yooa curtsied at the queen, then stepped out to the front of the crowd with her head up high. “Two nights ago, my lady-in-waiting saw one of our court ladies sitting on the bench in the courtyard.” She turned to the timid figure behind her. 
“Arin, tell them what you saw.” 

Arin scuttled then knelt with her head lowered at the Queen. 

“Y… Your royal highness… two nights ago, I left the bedroom of my lady’s after preparing her night routine. I walked down the corridor and past the courtyard to the maid’s rooms. There… I saw a lady… she… wasn’t in proper clothing and had her hair down.” 

Naeun’s mouth turned dry.

“And… she… smiled at a man who sat next to her.” 

Her gut plummeted as her fingers trembled. She released a shaky breath and kept her eyes firm and lips flat. 

The Queen had her eyebrows raised. “So you saw a contestant meeting an unknown guy?” 

Arin dipped her head lower. “Yes, your royal highness. I couldn’t see who the man was from my angle, but… I saw the lady’s face.” 

The Queen’s pupils steeled. “And who is it?” 

“Your royal highness… it’s… it’s…” Arin had her head flat on the marble floor, as she mumbled. “It’s Lady Son.” 

Others gasped, as they turned with eyes widened at the elegant figure behind them.

Naeun closed her eyes briefly. Her heart thumped loudly against her chest. She was foolish. She shouldn’t have left her room that night. She took a deep breath, as her pupils darted quickly. She had to think of a way to get out of this mess. 

Standing behind her, Hayoung stepped out, with an arm in front of her lady. “Arin, be careful of your words. My lady wouldn’t do something like that.” 

Lady Yoo sparked. “Shut up, you maid. This isn’t the position for you to speak.” 

The Queen sent a look of disproval at Lady Yoo, before turning back to Naeun with narrowed eyes. 

Naeun’s pale face flushed with anger, as she shot a cold glare at Lady Yoo. Lady Yoo widened her eyes briefly, shocked at such an expression from the quiet Lady Son, before reverting to a sneer. Naeun never cared if people insulted her, but if they insulted her family and friends, she wouldn’t tolerate. 

With her blood boiling, Naeun turned to Hayoung and patted her arm lightly. “It’s okay. I’ll explain.” She muttered. 

With her heart thumping loudly against her chest, Naeun kept her expression calm and composed as she stepped towards the front of the altar and knelt beneath the Queen. She kept her trembling voice steady. “Your royal highness. On that night, I was feeling unwell, so I decided to get some fresh air at the courtyard of the West wing. After gaining permission from the guards, I sat at the bench in the courtyard right outside our rooms. I did not intend to meet or have any affair with any man besides the Prince.”

“You liar!” Lady Yoo shouted. “Arin said that you had your head on someone’s shoulders! Two maids and guards saw you staying up with a man! I asked the guards posting outside our building, they said you didn’t come back for the whole night!” 

Gasps from other contestants became louder.

The Queen’s stare turned icy as her jaw clenched. 

Naeun’s head dipped lower. “Your royal highness, when I was sitting at the bench, I did have a polite and friendly conversation with…”

Lady Yoo interrupted her again. “See! You WERE meeting a man!” 

The Queen kept her unwavering gaze at Naeun. 

Naeun sighed inwardly. She really didn’t want other ladies to know of the prince’s special attention towards her, but there was no choice. She had to stay for the nightmares.

She took a deep breath and lifted her head with determination at the Queen. “Your royal highness, that person was…”

“She was with me.” A loud, vehement voice echoed across the marble walls. 

The ladies turned abruptly at the proportioned man with broad and defined shoulders, who stood at the entrance, then curtsied one by one. “Your highness.” They muttered.

His shoes clattered on the marble floor as he strode past the bowed heads, with his body upright and his eyes steeled. “Your royal highness.” He bowed at the Queen. 

The Queen’s gaze softened as she flattened her curling lips. “Crown Prince, what brings you here?”

“His majesty requests for your presence in the council meeting, your highness.” Taemin’s lips flattened. The Queen nodded. “I’ll be there in a second.”

She turned back to Naeun, who knelt with her head lowered respectfully. Her heart still thumped against her chest with the sudden presence of the Prince. “Lady Son.” Naeun lifted up her head, keeping her face calm as she gazed at the Queen.

“Were you really with the prince?” 

Naeun bowed with her knees still bent. “Yes, your highness.” 

The Queen stared into her truthful eyes, then nodded and glanced briefly at her son, before turning her gaze back to the lady who knelt before her. 

“Lady Son, I’m glad you are on good terms with the Prince, but please pay attention to your actions in order to avoid misunderstandings.” The Queen had a twinkle in her eyes. “Yes, your royal highness.” Naeun dipped her head in respect. The Queen’s glint turned sharp as she shifted to Yooa, who pursed her lips and forced a smile. “Lady Yoo, I understand your good intentions, but please be reminded that jealousy and prejudice are unacceptable traits of a future-queen.” She said with her voice loud and forceful. 

Yooa bit her lip as she bowed to the Queen. “Yes, I understand, your royal highness.”

The Queen nodded nonchalantly, then turned to Taemin, who stole glances at the figure kneeling beneath her. She forced down a smile and gestured Naeun to stand.

“Ladies, this marks the completion of our assembly. Results of the final round will be announced soon. I’ll see you all by then.” She said as she stepped down the altar and walked gracefully towards her son. 

They curtsied as the Prince and the Queen exited the hall. 

Naeun stood as almost all the other ladies left the room and shot glances at her. 

Seulgi walked by, mumbling words of concern, while Naeun returned a smile. Yooa snarled, shoved past her and shot daggers from her glare. 

Holding Naeun’s arm, Hayoung returned a glare to Yooa’s silhouette.

With the hall emptied, Hayoung complained quietly. “Lady Yooa… she was trying to backstab you!What a jerk.”

Naeun remained silent. She knew from the first day that she had to be careful of Lady Yoo, but never knew she would go as far as this point. 

Hayoung continued. “Good thing that you were with the Prince that night. If it was someone else, we would be doomed.”

Though Yooa couldn’t get Naeun in trouble, she made it clear that Son Naeun, will be her next target. 

Naeun gripped Hayoung’s wrist tightly and turned to face her with dark steeled eyes. “Hayoung. We have to be extra careful from now on. We’re treading on thin ice.” Hayoung pursed her lips shut and nodded firmly. “Yes, my lady.”

……

Tomorrow was the day for the mission. Naeun wandered back and forth of her room, pursing her lips tightly. She thought of weeks ago, when Yooa placed insects inside Krystal’s dress and broke Seulgi’s shoes. The moonlight shimmered on the marble floor, as she woke Hayoung and scuttled downstairs, to where Naeun kept her painting. 

She twisted open her art room, before finding fragments of painted white paper scattered across the room. 

She drew in a large breath as Hayoung gasped loudly. 

Her painting. 

It shattered like glass on the wooden floor. 

She clenched her fists until her fingernails dug painfully into her palms as she stared at her broken canvas, with paint spluttered and large cracks between the bustling markets and smiling faces.

Her face turned crimson as her jaw hardened. She knew who did it - it was clear from the outburst in the afternoon. 

Before Hayoung could ask her what Naeun can do, she glanced at the clo