Byul her lips nervously as she stared at herself in the mirror.

She was wearing the best dress she had, or rather, the best dress as told by Attendant Kim previously, and had her hair made up in the usual single braid with cute pink head wear.

She turned a round in the mirror and took a deep breath. "Cool it, Han Eunbyul. You're able to do this." she whispered to herself. "You've been down that street so many times in your life, what's so difficult about it now?"

Well, she never went down the streets as Han Eunbyul, future wife of the Crown Prince Byun Baekhyun neither.

Byul let out a small sigh and wringed her hands. She really didn't know why she was so nervous about this whole thing. Meeting the other fellow commoners should be an easy task for her, seeing how she was well-liked when she was still a bodyguard. Being a future princess shouldn't change things much.

However, Byul was still slightly nervous about visiting the people of the nation with the title of Baekhyun's intended because it really made everything different.

No one would dare to joke around with her anymore, none of those boys she sparred with would dare look at her in the eye, none of the people would act like themselves around her.

She didn't want that to happen. She was still the same Han Eunbyul, if only everyone knew that.

Byul forced a smile in the mirror and made a fist in the air. "Fighting!" she whispered. "You can charm the socks off everyone in the Capital City!" she encouraged herself.

"You ready?" Baekhyun's voice came calling out. "You're taking a hell lot of time in there! I'm coming in!"

Byul rolled her eyes and shook her head. She checked her hair once more in the mirror to make sure she didn't look bad.

"I'm really coming in!" Baekhyun threatened. "Especially if you aren't wearing anything!"

That guy. Byul wrinkled her nose in displeasure and stormed out of her changing room, glowering at the guy in question. Baekhyun took no notice of the scowl on her face as he took in her sight from head to toe in that beautiful expensive hanbok she was wearing. He let out a low whistle and grinned. "Someone's looking pretty today."

Byul cleared , her cheeks turning pink. "Aish." she pulled at the hanbok. "Don't embarrass me like that."

"You do look pretty today." Baekhyun pointed out earnestly. He looked over at Sora with raised brows. "Doesn't she?" Sora smiled at Byul and nodded, agreeing.

"Although I do like you better with pants on." Baekhyun murmured. "That's Han Eunbyul. But well," he shrugged and opened his arms. "Come here and I'll give you a good luck hug."

Byul looked absolutely horrified at the prospect and she shuffled further away from him. "Excuse me?" she shrieked. "Might I remind you that we aren't alone here!" she pointed at Sora and a few giggling maids in the room.

"So?" Baekhyun looked unaffected. "Good luck hug. Now." he pouted.

"No thanks." Byul darted out of the door before he could catch her. "I think I'll survive without those hugs of yours." she ran off to the carriage with the maids following behind her, trying to keep up.

Baekhyun's jaw dropped as he watched her go. "What? Do you don't want my hug? You're going to regret it!" he pouted. He went to the door and watched as Byul boarded the carriage, getting ready to drive into the city. He let out a small sigh and waved, not caring if Byul was looking or not.

"Good luck!" he murmured, smiling softly.

Sora watched him silently and wringed her fingers behind her back, her brows knitted together, looking troubled. She sighed softly and lowered her gaze to the ground, biting her lips. *I don't want to break them up.*

"Gongjumama! You're here!" the people cheered at once when they saw Byul arriving.

It was the Princess's duty to look after her people and Byul was intending to do that. She was going to visit every single shop down the row of shop houses in the Capital City, to look into the matters which needed caring and also to serve up to the name of future Crown Princess.

So far, the people were pretty supportive of her. There were kids that came running out of their homes when they heard that she was about to arrive and beamed at her, jumping up and down in excitement when she appeared. Byul felt like she turned into a celebrity all of a sudden.

Byul smiled politely at all of them as she went to the first shop down the row, a shop selling herbs and medicinal ointments. The old Grandpa selling the medicinal herbs seemed absolutely delighted to see Byul and he couldn't stop bowing even with his sore back. Byul ended up bowing with equal enthusiasm, the both of them never standing straight for a moment.

"Halabeonim, how is business these days?" Byul asked kindly, looking around the shop. She remembered passing her in the past and looking in, wanting to buy herbs for her younger brother when he fell ill but not having the money to.

It was a miracle that Jaeho survived without herbs or medicine, but other kids weren't that lucky when they fell ill. Byul wanted this to change, the fact that vital things like medicine and health care weren't made available to everyone because of the prince.

"The usual." The Grandpa smiled respectfully. "Gongjumama, would you like some herbs to bring back to the palace? I have some remedies for extra smooth skin that are selling very well."

Byul frowned at this. "Halabeonim, how about the herbs for treating illnesses?" she questioned. "I think remedies for beauty are secondary compared to health, are they not?"

"Yes," the Grandpa stuttered a little. "But most of the people who come here to buy herbs ask for beauty care." he defended.

Byul glanced outside at the listening crowd and saw some of them rolling their eyes at the Grandpa's words. "Or do you mean most of the people who can afford the herbs?" she murmured softly, sighing.

The conversation broke off awkwardly and it wasn't long till Byul bade the first shop goodbye. She wondered if she could talk Baekhyun into internalising healthcare, where the king provides healthcare services to the public instead of being run private like this.

She went on to the next shop and was cheerfully greeted once again.

"Gongjumama, I was a fan of yours since your days in the Military Academy!" A young boy bounced up to Byul and the latter smiled brightly. "Is that so?" Byul carried the boy on her lap and smiled.

"Yes!" The boy beamed. "My brother was in the military academy as well and you beat him hands down! He was so embarrassed!" he laughed. "You've become my idol since then!"

Byul laughed as the people in the crowd laughed at the boys' words. Byul shifted a little uncomfortably as the truth leaked more and more. No matter how much like a lady she was behaving, she couldn't hide the past that she had been a bodyguard and she was in the military academy before. She was a rough woman, as so to speak.

Byul covered up her hesitance with a louder laugh. "What is your brother's name?"

"Lee Sungmin." the boy responded. "Hyung told me that you were the least feminine girl he had ever seen in his life! He said you climbed trees, gongjumama! Is that true?"

Byul's cheeks burned red and she looked around at the crowd. Some of the older and more conventional folks frowned at what the boy had said. What? Their Princess climbed trees? Wasn't that what naughty boys did?

"Uhm, that is a thing of the past." Byul brushed the matter away as best as she could. "How about a candy?" she offered the boy some, hoping that the topic would change.

But the impact was done. Some of the folks began leaving, shaking their heads in disapproval.

Byul smiled at them politely but could feel her heart sinking. She was really behaving as best as she could to look like a proper lady, but apparently that wasn't enough. Because she was faking as a lady, she wasn't someone like that inside. Could these people see through her facade?

Byul visited shop after shop and some of the people were less enthusiastic than others. Byul tried not to take notice of some of the smiles that looked so fake that they could positively be drawn onto the faces, and she treated everyone as genuinely as possible.

However, her background as a bodyguard seemed to be quite a disadvantage in some cases, even if others embraced her common birth.

"Oh, the gongjumama is here." One Halmeoni selling dried plums snickered when she saw Byul coming near.

"Hi, Halmeoni." Byul bowed politely, smiling. "How is the business?"

"Fine, until you came." The Halmeoni spat. Byul was taken aback by the rude behavior but tried not to let her shock show. However, her smile became forced and she knew it.

"Aha..ha." Byul laughed awkwardly, along with some of the maids following her around. "You're so humorous, Halmeoni."

The Halmeoni eyed Byul up and down. "Really, I don't see what Jeonha sees in you. Shouldn't the Queen of the country be someone of royal birth? How can a pure commoner like you rise up to that task?" she scoffed. "I bet you don't even know how to read."

Almost. She was still learning! Byul swallowed down the lump that was rising rapidly in .

"Just because you're dressing pretty in expensive hanboks and riding in carriages doesn't make you a princess." the Halmeoni said in a low voice such that no one else could hear besides Byul. "Everyone still knows that deep down, you're a ruffian. I'm embarrassed to call myself a Korean with a Queen like you leading the land."

The Halmeon stepped away, leaving Byul trembling to herself. She lowered her gaze to the ground, her hands fisted tightly till her knuckles turned white.

"Gongjumama, I'm tired. I think you won't mind if I don't send you out?" the Halmeoni strode into her store without a backward glance, slamming the door shut.

Byul bit her lip and maintained her smile even though they were some pitying gazes from everywhere. "Next destination?" she asked brightly.

------

Baekhyun paced around the palace, looking at the entrance every few seconds. He sighed softly and rubbed his temples, the worry clouding his mind.

Would Byul be okay with the visiting? He was worried. He was worried every moment she wasn't by his side, damn it.

Sora watched Baekhyun from the corner and bit her lip. She could tell that Baekhyun loved Byul very much and the same could be said for the other. For her to break up something as beautiful as this pained her heart.

But she had to.

"Jeonha," Sora said conversationally. "I heard that Prince Chanyeol was in love with Byul in the past?"

Baekhyun snapped his gaze to her, slightly surprised. "Uhm, yeah." he nodded hesitantly. "How did you know?"

"Prince Chanyeol told me." Sora murmured, instantly regretting it. Chanyeol hadn't told it to her with any remaints of feelings, but what she told Baekhyun inferred a different meaning. A meaning that she wouldn't have liked if it were true.

"Is that so?" Baekhyun's smile seemed a little worrying and forced. "He's quite a joker huh?"

"Yeah." Sora murmured. "I think Prince Chanyeol would have made a good husband for Byul, if you weren't around." she said carelessly. "He's a very faithful lover."

Baekhyun flinched. Yes, Chanyeol was.

He looked away quickly, shaking his head. What the hell was he thinking? Chanyeol would never try any tricks ever again, he promised! "Well yeah, but he's got to find another girl to love for himself because Han Eunbyul's mine." Baekhyun said firmly.

Sora sighed softly as she eyed Baekhyun's back. As what the General Higashiyama had said, if once didn't do the job, do it multiple times.

Baekhyun's trust and faith would definitely be shaken somehow. Someday.