They settled at the place that was named Taem’s Place, obviously in the name of Taemin.

“Choi Jinri, can’t you help to clear the things inside?” Taemin complained.

“Nope. I’m still a young girl, young at heart, at the very least.” Jinri replied, munching on an apple as she sat down on the couch.

Why does that phrase sound so familiar? Taemin thought to himself. He then brushed the thoughts away and continued to clear up the area.

As much as they had their own servants, the servants were all out there t the huge garden, so the interior clearing was left to the couple.

Okay, technically speaking it was supposed to be the couple, but somehow it ended up with Taemin doing everything.

“Lee Taemin, this part is not clean enough…” *Ah Choo!*

Taemin just brushed all the dust towards her direction when she was halfway through her complaints.

“Yah! Lee Taemin, what was that for?” Jinri pouted.

No Taemin stop being softhearted upon seeing her pout. Yes it was her pout that made him only complain and not force her to help him. If it were other people, Taemin would have dragged him/her off his/her seat and shoved a broom at him/her.

“Punishment, for someone who sits around, eats and does nothing.” Taemin flatly replied.

“And who knows, if the apple you just swallowed were layered with all the dust and dirt.” Taemin continued, occasionally glancing towards her for her response.

“OH MY GOD NO!” *Eulp* Jinri tried to throw up the apple from inside .

“EWK! Choi Jinri are you mad! Stop digging inside your mouth!” Taemin exclaimed. Well, he never thought that she would react in THAT manner. He only meant to scare her a little. He dropped his cloth and went to her, trying to pull her fingers away from .

“LET GO OF ME! OH MY GOD WHO KNOWS IF YOUR HANDS ARE CLEAN!” Jinri shrieked at the thought at Taemin just holding on to the cloth seconds ago. The cloth that was used to wipe who- knows-how-many-ornaments dusted with who-knows-how-many-years of dust.

“I won’t let go! Don’t throw up in this room please! I spend hours clearing it!” Taemin rebutted, continuing his advances on her hands.

“FINE! I WON’T IF YOUR HANDS LEAVE MINE NOW!” Jinri had no choice but to agree.

PHEW. Taemin heaved a sigh of relief. He was fine with clearing dust and dirt. But no, not vomits. That grosses him out A LOT.

…

“I know one way to kill the germs and dirt that you have swallowed,” Taemin casually initiated.

“Serious? How?” Jinri’s excited tone replied.

“Take this!” Taemin shoved a broom into her hands.

“Yah! What is this?” Jinri protested.

“Accumulate good karma. Then the germs won’t attack you.” came Taemin’s casual reply, as if there was really something like that.

“You think I’ll believe you?” Jinri eyed him with a suspicious look.

“I think you will not dare to risk it.” Taemin replied with a mocking smile.

And yes, Taemin was spot on.

So Jinri was holding on to the broom and trying to sweep. Thing is, she isn’t really sure how to do these things.

And Taemin saw it. He walked towards her.

“Yah yah yah, you’re sweeping the dirt towards you instead!” Taemin began.

“Omo! No! Then how?” Jinri panicked.

Aha, this really worked. Taemin used the scare technique to make her listen.

Taemin stood behind her, placed his hands over hers and shifted her hands to the proper position. He then wielded the broom in the proper direction.

Now Jinri could not deny that kind of heart skipping moment began when he placed his hand over hers. Something’s really wrong with my heart these days, she concluded.

“Yah! Are you listening?” Taemin waved his hand in front of her face.

“Huh? Yes.” Jinri replied. Her mind flew to her thoughts just now.

“Arasso?” Taemin questioned.

“Can you repeat again?” Jinri muttered in a soft tone.

Aish! What was this girl doing when I was teaching her? Taemin scratched his head in frustration.

“Okay, look at me carefully…” Taemin instructed. He meant look at his hand movements, but Jinri turned around to look at him instead, just when he was leaning forward to mobilize his hand movement.

And yeap, *click*, they kissed, AGAIN.

That heart skipping a beat again. Oh wait, no, it’s thumping faster than before! Omo what’s wrong with my heart. Jinri cried inside her mind.

And then she realized their lips touched.

She backed away immediately, only to trip over her own broom…

And fell flatly on the ground.

“MWAHAHAHAHAH!” Taemin roared into laughter.

Okay, it’s not exactly the kind of response one would expect, but perhaps if you were him and you were witnessing the entire happening, you would have laughed as well.

Instead of helping her up.

“Ouch!” Jinri yelped.

What is today seriously, such an unlucky day?

Firstly I kissed this Lee Taemin TWICE, and then now I fell TWICE as well.

And I’m not making progress with Prince Kai. She thought bitterly.

And my heart is behaving really abnormally. It skips a few beats at times, and at times it beats like mad.

She’s really sick of today. She continued to lie flat on the ground, closing her eyes.

Maybe just let today pass like this, and tomorrow will be a better day! She encouraged herself.

Yeap, she had decided that she would sleep through today like this.

Now this was a different story for Taemin. Anyone normal would be freaked out if someone trip and fell, and then collapsed to the ground, and then not responding or moving after a loud “Ouch”.

And that includes Taemin, so he was really really shocked out of his life when Jinri didn’t seem to be moving.

“Choi Jinri? Don’t scare me!” He shook her. No response.

Or rather, Jinri didn’t want to respond to him.

“Choi Jinri! Don’t die!” Taemin shouted.

“Although it would be nothing but good news in fact…” or maybe not?

Now that was a soft but powerful statement. Jinri opened her eyes immediately.

“Yah Lee Taemin, you’re such a heartless creature!” Jinri pouted and complained.

Taemin smiled as he saw her ‘alive’ once again.

Thank goodness you didn’t die! Taemin enveloped her with another hug, this time, tighter.

Another TWICE to add on to the list: hugged by Lee Taemin TWICE. But she could not deny, she felt something in her heart when she saw him glad to see her ‘alive’. She didn’t detest that embrace either.

And at that same time, Taemin could not believe this, he was actually glad to see her alive again.

The basic care and concern between a married couple perhaps, he believed.

So they continued with the clearing up, and finally, they are done.

Seated on the couch, they were taking a short rest when Jinri recalled her excitement for staying in the palace.

None other than Prince Kai, of course.

“So…Lee Taemin,” she tried to make it sound as normal as possible, “introduce the places around the palace, so that I will know my way around.”

“You seem to be very accustomed to my name. That’s good.” Taemin smiled at her.

“Yah yah Lee Taemin, that is not the main point, my question is…”

 “Arasso.” Taemin interrupted her sentence.

They went to the outside of Taem’s Place.

“Hmm…let’s see. The one to the left used to be Heenim’s Place, where the previous Crown Prince used to live in. The one to the left but closer to the middle is Kibum’s Place, where Prince Key lives in. The one to the right of Kibum’s Place is Jonghyun’s Place, and Jonghyun is the advisor that you saw just now…and the rightmost one…” he hesitated for a moment, “is an old deserted spooky area.” Taemin pointed as he introduced the different places the people resided in.

 “Ooh…Eh? Hmm…” So Prince Kai doesn’t live near here? Aish… Jinri thought to herself. But she would not give up so easily.

“Hmm Lee Taemin…so where…” She was looking for an excuse before heading into the main question. “So where does King Taein live in? And others like…maybe the Crown Prince?”

Gotcha! Choi Jinri you think I don’t know that all you want to know is Kai’s residence?

“Ah, King Taein resides at the other side of the palace, along with Queen Park Ji Yeon and the various concubines. And Kai, he stays at the other side as well.”

“But that’s not important.” He continued.

“Ah…yea, not important.” Jinri went along with him.

“So don’t let me find out that you went to the other side to look for Kai.” He continued.

“Of course not, why would I? I’m already married to you.” Jinri replied plastering a smile on her face.

Like as if you care about that? Taemin thought to himself. “Exactly my point,” He smiled back.

“Of course,” Jinri replied. Of course I will find a chance and sneak to the other side. All my hopes are there.

And even if you did go over to the other side, you wouldn’t be able to see him. Taemin thought to himself.

Because he’s not there.