“Welcome,” Joohyun said and bowed to the arriving guest, the servants bowing behind her. The palace was throwing a reception to welcome back the soldiers who went to Japan for disaster relief efforts and honor them. Families of the soldiers were invited to join in this appreciation, especially the parents of the soldier.

However, as much as it was the royal family who hosted the event, the likelihood of the first prince showing himself at the event was tiny. Joohyun had to, time and again, tell the single ladies that the handsome prince was not well enough to attend the event, “But he would have liked to join the Royal Highnesses in honoring your brothers.”

As the guests and the royal hosts were enjoying performances from the traditional dance troupe, Joohyun stood behind to monitor the flow of the dinner courses and the needs of the guests. “Excuse me miss, may I help you?” Joohyun turned to see a guest peering through the glass doors as a servant tried to attend to her.

“I’m just looking around,” the ignorant lady replied without looking at the servant. Joohyun walked up to the lady and excused the servant, inquiring of the situation herself. “I feel a little stuffy in here. Can I go out for some air?”

Joohyun smiled and said, “Sure, miss. The garden is down the hallway to the left,” directing to the hallway to the garden with her hand, trusting that the guards there would keep an eye on her the whole time. But Joohyun was surprised that the guest had known how to walk to the garden without waiting for directions from her.

After a while, Joohyun started worrying about the guest who hadn’t returned from the garden. “Someone please update the whereabouts of the guest in the palace garden?”

“Sorry miss?”

“Has the lady left the garden yet?”

“Miss, there is no lady in the garden. It’s only the five guards that are stationed here, including me.”

Joohyun furrowed her brows in confusion. “Who saw a guest walk through the hallway to the garden? She was in purple.”

“Miss, this is Gua