Hyukjae looked up and down at the reflection in the mirror several times, with a complex mood. He wasn't sure what to feel about this... This face, without mistake, was his face - no doubt about that. It just felt very strange to see himself with long hair, and white colour at that! And a pair of russet-coloured eyes. The differences were only these 2, but it could turn his face to look more beautiful.

This face is the so-called most beautiful person…

The so-called most beautiful person is this face…

“...” Hyukjae’s eyes twitched at this finding.

His face aside, looking at the body made his heart hurt a little. He wasn’t a man who was clinging to the idea of masculinity as he had seen the dark part of life… but to see his muscle-packed body had now changed to this delicate, weakling body… There goes his hard-earned tough guy appearance! (T-T)

An inaudible sound pulled Hyukjae back out of his own reverie. He turned his head to look at the large wooden double doors which were slowly open. The door was delicately crafted with phoenix and flowers design. In reality, the door didn’t make any sound at all. He could “hear” it all due to the fact that his senses were sharper than average people.

A young pretty maiden who looked to be in mid twenties walked in, she was wearing a light-green robe with light-pink lining and wide sleeves embroidered by flower patterns, and a light-pink skirt with the same flower embroidery at the edge of the skirt. A navy blue arm-wide belt fastened around her slim waist. Black long hair delicately styled in buns and braids. 

Based on the information he learnt in the dream, this lady was no other than the prince's personal maidservant who had been with the prince since he was 7 years old. Her name was Yeon. She was smart and quick witted, this could be the reason as to why she could stay beside the fussy prince for this long. 

Yeon walked into the bedchamber with a medium-sized basin of warm water on her hands, only to freeze and gasp as she saw the prince standing in front of the mirror. "Your Royal Highness, you finally awake!" Her voice contained a sincere joy and relief despite the exhaustion oozing out of her whole body. "Call for the royal physician! His Royal Highness is awake!" She yelled loudly toward the servants standing outside the bedchamber.

"Don't have to call for a physician, the wound has healed and I am fine now." Hyukjae quickly said. He didn't want to make this a big deal, and he was kind of afraid the physician would make him drink bitter medicine. As a grown man, he wasn't shy to admit that he loved sweets and hated bitter taste. 

He was certain that he talked calmly and showed a neutral expression on his pretty face, and this body's voice was naturally soft with a neutral pitch, neither low as men nor high as women. This face, this body and this voice together, there was no other word than 'lovely' could better describe his current image. Therefore, he was startled that the response he got was a servant who looked like she was ready to beg him to spare her life.

Yeon kneeled on the floor as soon as the words came out of Hyukjae’s mouth. Hyukjae winced at the thud sound as her knees hit the hard floor hard. He was sensitive to pain regardless if it was on his own body or others’ body. Her back bending down, arms on the floor in front of her knees, head lowered as much as possible. 

With a soft and respectful voice, she begged, "Please forgive this lowly servant for not following your orders, Your Royal Highness. But Your Royal Highness had been unconscious for 40 days since the time Your Royal Highness  was wounded that night. Your Royal Highness' heart had stopped beating when the guards brought His Royal Highness to the royal physician. Then after that, despite Your Royal Highness' wound healing well, Your Royal Highness didn't wake up at all. This lowly servant had been very worried day and night, and the physician had temporarily moved into the guest wing for convenience. Please punish this lowly servant for speaking out of turn and begging Your Royal Highness to let the physician check on the wound." 

Finishing her long speech, Yeon banged her head on the hard ground without hesitation. An audible thud sound echoing through the room, louder than when her knees hitting the floor.

The unexpected response aside, the content of the speech was even more unexpected, then her banging her head on the floor top them all off. This encounter alone had successfully caught Hyukjae off guard as he experienced a culture shock for the first time in his life. Missions to other countries or continents were plentiful and sometimes more complex, but Hyukjae could face them all with a straight face. But this current situation was far beyond what his modern brain could understand.

Acting on reflex, he rushed rushed toward the kowtowing servant. He held Yeon's shoulders in time before she did a second banging and thudding. "You! Are you insane?" Hyukjae clicked his tongue in disapproval, frown marred his small pretty face. "Look! Your forehead is red now," he continued when he saw her redden forehead. Seemed like it was gonna be bruised. It looked damn painful ah! Hyukjae shuddered at the sight.

Yeon startled at Hyukjae’s sudden action. She looked at Hyukjae with a bewildered expression. There was an unhidden worry in the prince's reproaching tone, which shouldn't be coming out the prince's mouth of all people. "Y-Your Royal Highness?" She muttered cautiously, looking at the prince with an alert eyes. 

Hyukjae pursed his lips as he let go of the bewildered servant’s shoulder who was looking at him with vigilance. Internally, he was scolding himself thinking that the maidservant must be suspicious of him. He stood up straight as he collected himself.

In that short period of time, while Hyukjae thought the silent maidservant may have grown suspicious of him, she had successfully conjured up multiple assumptions of the prince’s odd behaviour based on his history. Her thoughts were in fact lean more toward the prince’s mood swings and thinking that the prince had come up with new method of tortures. She was vigilant in order to see changes in the prince’s mood and to think of a method to appease his temper.

The two people were silent, with their non-connected thoughts. Hyukjae coughed into his fist before he turned around, "Stand up and let the physician in when they arrive." He then walked back to the bed without sparing a second glance at the maidservant.

There was a pause before Yeon replied in her usual respectful tone, "Yes, Your Royal Highness. This lowly servant understands." She stared at the prince’s retreating back in confusion. She had readied herself for the prince’s tantrum only for the prince to dismiss her. But instead of feeling gratified, she grew more alert. After all, fearing the unknown was human’s natural defence mechanism. “This servant will bring the physician in.” She bowed then retreated back, and walked out of the room with the basin on her arms.

Hyukjae sighed, he propped the pillow against the head of the bed before making himself comfortable on the large bed. He pulled the bedding quilt up to his shoulder. The thin robe couldn’t keep his body warm. While waiting for the physician, he was mulling over the short interaction he had with the maidservant and his current state of affairs.

To not cause further confusion and doubt, especially with his current lack of knowledge of situations, he needed to be more careful on his conducts. In the case he was stuck in this body and life forever, he must plan out his actions carefully. He would never live in the prince's shadow and to act as unreasonable as him, but he also didn't want to be labelled as crazy. After all, he was currently in an ancient era, where the mindset was still traditional and close-minded. What if he was accused as impostor and tortured?

It didn’t take long before the royal physician and Yeon arrived with maidservants and eunuchs trailing behind them. They came in with their body bent, back hunched, head lowered and light footsteps. The obvious caution and weariness in their whole being could easily be seen even with eyes, they were very careful to the point of looking like they were afraid to even breathe. 

Hyukjae was speechless as he watched the old physician walking toward him with obvious fear, bent back and lowered head, while the other servants were standing far with their back hunched and head bent. It must be painful to stay with this posture for a long time, he lamented silently. To this scene, Hyukjae wondered if this was common etiquette or if this was all thanks to the prince and his temper. Though, he strongly believed it was the second one without the need of investigation. After all, the prince’s violence must have left a strong impression to everyone inside and outside this palace.

Looking at their pitiful state, Hyukjae decided to not worsen the situation by keeping his silence and ignoring their presence as the old physician checked his scabbing wound and held his wrist to feel his pulses. He absent mindedly watched the physician working while he was thinking of his findings so far.

Thinking back on Yeon’s words about him being in a coma for 40 days, it was no wonder his muscles were sore and stiff. This could also explain the lack of the strength of this body, he may not be as weak after some proper meal and normal lifestyle. This thought brought relief to Hyukjae. The current strength of this body was too pitiful. On the side note, Hyukjae was quite impressed by this ancient medicine. To be completely healed in just 40 days even after such a deep wound, it was too powerful.

As for the interaction with the maidservant, despite it being short and unexpected, Hyukjae could further clarify his own existence and the existence of his dream or to be specific, the existence of Prince Eun Hyuk. He could interact and affect others through his speech and actions. This further solidified his conjectures: that dream was the prince's memory, and he transmigrated to the prince’s body when the prince died from the shot of the arrow. Although, he would need to wait for a few days to see if this theory were right. If he still woke up in this body and in this room, then it was probably true that he transmigrated into this body and was stuck in this ancient era.

While his brain churned all these kinds of thoughts, Hyukjae unconsciously pursed his lips. He was too deep in his own thoughts that he failed to see the old physician’s hands which were checking on the wound trembling and cold sweats forming on his forehead and back.

"The wound has healed completely and there is no other danger to Your Royal Highness’ body." The old physician’s low voice brought Hyukjae off of his own thoughts. He was trying his best to talk normally despite his increasingly parching throat caused by the anxiety. "It is truly a miracle that Your Royal Highness survived from the wound and finally woke up. After a proper meal and some light exercises, Your Royal Highness should be able to make a full recovery.” 

Hyukjae nodded at the physician’s words and looked up at the physician. He was surprised to see the sweat on the physician’s old face and the old man’s back and head was bent down further (it looked as if he would turn into a ball if he could!). Hyukjae dumbfoundedly stared at the increasingly anxious old man as the trembling of his hands could no longer be hidden by the long sleeve of his robe. Hyukjae raised his delicate brows in wonder. What got this physician frightened so suddenly. 

Still confused, Hyukjae looked down at his thin robe. It was slightly open by the physician when he was checking on his wound. Hyukjae looked at the wound wondering if it was the cause of the physician’s worries, but the wound was still the same as before: healing properly. He frowned as he didn’t understand where the old man’s fear came from no matter how much his brain worked. He was about to open his mouth to ask when the physician beat him to it.

Hyukjae failed to notice that every changes in his facial expression caused further turmoil in the physician's old heart. It almost made the old man hyperventilated multiple times. Thus, when the physician saw the prince about to open his red lips, he plopped down on his knees and prostrated in front of the bed. His movement was followed by Yeon and the other servants as they dropped to their knees and prostrated on the floor. Due to their position, they didn’t see how the prince they feared was startled and looked at them with his eyes wide and jaw slacked.

Hyukjae was dumbfounded. Utterly, massively dumbfounded! In such a short period of time, he had received 2 culture shock events in a row. He was a bit relieved that there was a soft thick carpet made of fur in front of his bed, it at least decreased a bit of impact on the old man’s knees as they hit the hard floor. Hyukjae sighed in relief to discover this. But his relief was cut short as multiple thudding sounds echoing throughout the room and he was greeted by the sight of 7 people prostrating on the floor. He had trained to keep his calm in various dangerous situations, but getting people to drop on his knees was not included in this list!

In all honesty, he wasn’t sure how to handle such situations. In all of his life, even until his death, no one had ever bowed their head down to him, and now he was suddenly facing a bunch of people kowtowing. This upgrade was too high ah!

With a trembling body and voice, the physician lifted his upper body from the carpet but keeping his back bent and head low. “Your Royal Highness, even though the scar won’t disappear completely, it is still a blessing that Your Royal Highness has fully recovered. This servant will work harder to find ways to remove the scar. Please spare this servant and grant more time.”

“...” 

He knew from the start that he wouldn’t have a smooth sailing life due to the prince’s history. But this unjust accusation was still hard to swallow! He couldn’t even refute this misunderstanding as getting enraged due to the scar definitely matched the prince’s personality.

(2499 words)

Mini theater:

Physician and the servants (constantly trembling in fear): Oh no, the prince is quiet because he was too angry. Would this finally drives the prince to lift a dagger and kill them?

Yeon (self-balming and anxious): I knew it, I should've notice that the prince's odd behaviour is due to his extreme anger when he found out about the wound. He was standing in front of mirror, that was the biggest hint but I fail to notice! Will the prince finally lost his mind and start the killing spree?!

Hyukjae: Sigh...what a sad life. I finally escaped the life of living in violent environment and violent works, only to be a violent man. Is the universe trying to tell me something?