Yup. I updated! This is for you guys. I don't have anything to say except vote and comment. That's all! Enjoy reading!

 

With love,

 

-kariboo17

 

P.S. I have a YoonTae fic. Whoever is interested can go check it out. https://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/628386/cracking-her-code-snsd-taeyeon-yoona-yoontae

 

 

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Queen Sooyeon entered the Palace with quick steps.

 

She finally returned after her visit to Spain and she's excited to see her family first thing.

 

To her delight her mother and grandma are waiting for her inside the spacious receiving area.

 

"Mom, grandma, I'm back!"

 

She tightly hugged them for quite some time before pulling away.

 

"How's your visit with Spain's Royal Family?" Grandma Jung asked first.

 

Sooyeon sighed. "Remember Prince Esteban?"

 

Ara nodded. "If I remember correctly he's next in line for the throne."

 

"Yes. And apparently he's still single. So during our dinner the King joked about setting us up. I told him that's impossible, and I tried to sound joking as possible."

 

They two ladies chuckled at the face Sooyeon made but it was suddenly replaced with a huge grin.

 

"Where is she?" She asked with a delighted tone.

 

"She's probably in your bedroom. She hadn't have any sleep for the past two days. She was busy helping your father and finishing the proposal for the Busan Port construction."

 

Sooyeon noted her mother's words before skipping her way to her bedroom. Her mother and grandma watched her in amusement.

 

"Are you sure your daughter is a Queen? She doesn't act like one at home."

 

"I don't know either mom. But we can't do anything about it. She married a choding."

 

They shook their heads before heading outside for tea.

 

Sooyeon peeked through the door and just like what her mother said there is a huge lump under the duvet. Giggling to herself she approached the bed with careful steps, afraid she'll wake her up.

 

She sat on the edge of the bed and silently stared at the face she most missed during her absence. A smile appeared on her face when she saw her stir in her sleep. Pursing her lips together, Sooyeon slowly moved so that she's lying down, body facing her beloved.

 

She just stayed that way looking very love stricken puppy. Gazing at Yoona, Sooyeon grinned brightly when those close eyelids began to flutter open.

 

"Good afternoon."

 

"It's morning." Yoona replied.

 

"No. It's still the afternoon. Why? You thought you've slept for a day?"

 

"Yeah." Yoona nuzzled her nose against hers. "Welcome back. You should have woken me up."

 

"Well I think I just did. Sorry for waking you up."

 

"It's okay." Jumping off the bed, Yoona held a hand out. "Come, let's make breakfast."

 

"I told you it's the afternoon. But sure, let's cook dinner."

 

"Jessica, are you awake? Let's make breakfast."

 

Okay. That voice didn't sound exactly like Yoona. And why is Yoona fading away? Why is she hearing Yejin Im's voice? Did she somehow manage to enter the palace?

 

Achoo!

 

Shooting her eyes open, Jessica bolted up upon hearing the noise. Glancing to her side she noticed Yejin Im staring at her while wiping her nose with wads of tissues.

 

"Oh, you're awake." She tossed the tissues to the plastic bag they use as trash bin. "You guys fell asleep outside the tent."

 

Glancing down Jessica noticed the thick blankets covering her and Yoona. It was just like in her dream. Except it was a duvet instead of blanket.

 

"Ah. Yoona and I were stargazing last night but it looks like we fell asleep without noticing it." She mumbled embarrassed.

 

"I know. I woke up in the middle of the night for a drink and saw both of you shivering despite cuddling tightly." Yejin pointed at the blanket. "I put that over you."

 

Jessica grinned bashfully. "Sorry. We should have slept inside.

 

"Yeah. Yoona can catch flu especially after what happened last night."

 

Jessica inwardly cursed. She knew Yejin Im won't let what happened last night past. Getting to her feet, she made sure to cover Yoona with the blanket before following Yejin over to the table where the ingredients for their breakfast are all set

 

"Let's go make breakfast. Yoona gets grumpy when she wake up with an empty stomach especially after a tiring day yesterday."

 

Jessica hit her head twice with her knuckle once Yejin turned her back. She swore the woman is inate scary. One look from her and even the queen of icy glares Jessica find herself speechless. Is this how those people who received her glares felt? And again she's reminded of what she did to Yoona yesterday, further poking her guilt.

 

"Has Yoona met your family?" asked Yejin as she whisked the eggs.

 

Jessica wiped her sweat from cutting the spam. "She met them once."

 

"And what did your family say about Yoona? Did they approve of her and this relationship?"

 

Jessica frankly didn't know the answer to that. What does her family got to say about Yoona? She know about Soojung liking Yoona to bits as proof of Soojung intercepting Jessica's supposed marriage. She even threaned Jessica that she will tear her to shreds if she let Yoona go.

 

But Jessica has no idea about her parents and her grandma. Would they like Yoona? Yes she hasn't introduced Yoona as her girlfriend yet but if you ask Jessica she'd rather not do that. She doesn't care about her parents' opinion anymore.

 

Yoona is special for her. She want to be with Yoona and even if her parents say no Jessica will still see her. Because that's what her heart says. She had the guts to turn her back to the crown, she'll probably have the guts to fight for Yoona in front of her family.

 

"My sister likes her." She answered after mulling for the right answer.

 

"What about your parents?"

 

"Ummm... They are still getting used to it." She lied. Goodness anymore questions from Yejin and she'll end up lying more which she doesn't want to happen. She was raised not to lie. But in Jessica's defense it's a white lie. She just want to protect her relationship with Yoona.

 

"Ah. Just like me." Yejin added nonchalantly. "Because I'm still getting the hang of this."

 

"I'm sorry."

 

Yejin put the pan on the portable stove. "Why are you saying sorry?"

 

"Ever since I came here you seem to be uncomfortable and I'm afraid that I might have ruined what could have been a warm reuinion of your family." Jessica spoke in her timid voice, eyes cast down for she is afraid to look at Yejin in the eye.

 

"Look. I know I might have scared you but you need to understand my feelings as Yoona's mother." Yejin applied oil to the pan. "I was just protecting her. Do you know the story of her siblings?"

 

Jessica nodded. Yoona has told her many times.

 

"I am afraid Yoona will be like her siblings. I don't know what happened but the close knit relationship they have has disappeared over the years. I don't even know why. All that I know is that Yoona hates them."

 

Jessica frowned at the last sentence. "Yoona hates them?"

 

Yejin eyed her weirdly. "Yeah. Yoona often leave first whenever we have a family thing. Her reason is always the same- she doesn't want to see her brother and sister."

 

"But that's not what Yoona told me." Yejin paused and eyed Jessica with seriousness. "She told me her brother and sister hate her and so she always leave first because she didn't want to make them feel uncomfortable."

 

Yejin doesn't get it. "Yoona said her siblings hate her? Why would she say that? They were so close when they were little. I don't get how they fell apart. It's was just like one day they suddenly stopped talking to each other. Yoona asked if she can go back to Korea and ever since then she hardly talked with Vic and Seulong."

 

"Ah, yes she told me this story." Jessica remembered. "Maybe they had misunderstanding."

 

Yejin maintained that look on Jessica. "Misunderstanding?"

 

"Yes. My sister and I once ignored each other for a month because she thought she's not important to me." Jessica vividly remembered that time. She was busy with her training but little Soojung kept on asking her to play with her. Since Jessica was too preoccupied with her studies Soojung thought she was no longer important to Jessica. The the truth was Jessica wanted to play with her the entire time but since she can't she asked the Palace maids to give the toys she have to Soojung so they can keep her company.

 

Even though Soojung is very annoying, Jessica cannot not care for her. Soojung is her only sister. Jessica sacrified the toys she liked just for her sister so that she can be happy. And then when her studies were all over she went to Soojung's room to play with her. Even simple little things like that that is enough to patch small misunderstandings but with Yoona's siblings, Jessica's afraid that there will be lots of patching up needed. Those misunderstnadings has now become wounds and if left untreated will lead to scars, scars that can never be healed anymore.

 

"Yoona is really ambiguous whenever she talks about her siblings. She doesn't specify what happened but I can feel her sadness whenever she speaks about it." Jessica looked over the peacefully sleeping Yoona with sad eyes. "She might look like she hates her sister and brother but it's probably a facade she wears to hide her sorrow."

 

Yejin followed Jessica's line of vision. Her youngest daughter that was once the happy pill of their family gatherings has became someone who no longer knows how to have fun with her family. It deeply saddened her. Her kids are supposed to stick together. What happens when she's no longer around?

 

What did happen between her children?

 

 

****

 

 

"Get out of my life Yoona! I don't need you!"

 

"I hate you! I hate you Yoona!"

 

Eyes slowly fluttered open. Every day Yoona wakes up with the same dream- or rather nightmare. The last words of her sister and brother has left a scar in her heart.

 

Victoria wants Yoona out of her life, Yoona did exactly as that.

 

Seulong hates Yoona and so Yoona hated him in return.

 

They didn't want Yoona part of their lives so she pretended they never existed. What did she ever do to them? She can't remember doing anything grave to them to make them hate her this way. If ever, Yoona was always sensitive for her sibling's feelings. If they ever get to a fight she always apologize first even though she didn't start the fight.

 

Sitting up, Yoona rubbed her eyes as she stiffled a yawn. It's a great day ahead of her with Jessica right beside her so she would not let her nightmare get the best of her. They don't exist in her life anymore, right?

 

But wait.

 

Glancing on her side she noticed Jessica's no longer by her side.

 

"Sica?" She called.

 

"Yoongie!"

 

Looking towards the direction of that melodious voice, Yoona grinned at the sight of her girlfriend and mother cooking their breakfast together.

 

"Wow. What do we have here?" She went around the table sniffing each dish. "They smell good!"

 

"Your mom and I made it!" Jessica excitedly scooted next to Yoona, hooking their arms together.

 

"Really?" Yoona glanced over her mother with a dorky grin. "Who's the best mother in the world?"

 

Yejin laughed heartily. Messing her daughter's already dishevelled hair, she managed, "You... You only say that when you're in a good mood. It's because of the food right?"

 

"No, not really. I am also happy the two most important women in my life made these."

 

Her mother scoffed. "Alright, alright. Let's go eat."

 

"But where's dad?"

 

"He's talking to someone." She pointed at Jaehoon standing a few meters away engrossed with talking on his phone. "Why don't you go call him? You know how he can't turn down his little girl?"

 

Just like what her mother said Yoona called over her dad. He didn't come at first but after showing those puppy eyes and rare aegyo he happily ended the call and joined them for breakfast.

 

Indeed this day will really be a great day for Yoona and the hand that she's holding assured her of that. As long as Jessica is beside her everything will be alright.

 

 

****

 

 

"Yoona hasn't called or texted me yet." Taeyeon started first. "I've been calling since yesterday but no response."

 

In front of her is Princess Soojung, again wearing a cap to hide her face just like the other day. Beside her is Seohyun while across her is Sunny.

 

Tiffany, Sooyoung, and Yuri are just standing around them. Soojung came during the time when customers were dwindling little by little because it's time they head back to work and school. There were only less than ten customers left so the work load isn't that demanding. That's why they decided to gather around the Princess.

 

"My sister isn't even answering the phone. It goes straight to voice mail." Soojung scoffed at the image of her sister lazing in bed all day. "She's probably having the time of her life."

 

She reached a hand over to Seohyun who quickly passed her a folder. "Anyway I came here to give you this."

 

She slid the folder on the table toward Sunny. "So after ordering Seohyun to check about any tampering devices around the palace we discover twenty seven bugs."

 

Sunny gasped. Slowly she flipped the pages open, skimming through the documents.

 

"Wow. Is this everything?" Sunny found it difficult to even speak out of shock.

 

Seohyun shook her head. "The palace is huge, unnie. We are thinking this is only the half of it."

 

Collective gasps were heard from everyone. Who wouldn't be shocked? Planting those bugs require more than one individual because the palace is huge. One individual planting it in places hard to notice would need to be someone who knows every corner of the palace. If that's the case then planting those wouldn't be so difficult or suspicious.

 

So it's either an inside job or people from outside managed to sneaked inside the palace. The latter is rather improbable because the place has state of the art security. The guards are also present 24/7.

 

"Do you need anything Princess? Juice? Anything?" Sooyoung offered.

 

Soojung shook her head. She gestured Sunny to continue reading. The next page had Sunny gaping in disbelief. Looking up to Soojung, the girl nodded in silent confirmation.

 

"Carbon monoxide inside Sooyeon's pillow?" She stuttered in disbelief. "How- what- Why?"

 

"I wish I know the answer to that unnie." Seohyun casted her eyes down. "The device was designed to release Carbon monoxide wh