“You must be Lady Lee.”

Minhee turned towards the owner of the voice and she saw a very beautiful lady with a lot of servants behind her. She thought of the lady as kind and classy, and admired her immediately even after only a few seconds of seeing her.

“Y-Yes, I am Lee Minhee.” She bowed respectfully.

“It’s nice to see such a pretty face that almost everyone in the palace is talking about.” The lady smiled at her.

“M-Me? I think it’s because I don’t really fit in this place.” She tried to laugh in a demure manner so as not to embarrass herself in front of the beautiful lady.

“I see that you look really special. No wonder that the smile on my son’s face earlier is exceptional. I heard from the ministers that you amused him. You should stay here in the palace. I have never seen him so delighted after he ascended the throne.” The lady went closer to her and took Minhee’s hands in hers. “Thank you for making him smile.”

“Y-Your son?” Minhee looked at her confused.

“Ah, yes. King Jiseok is my son. And also Prince Jiho. Oh, my poor second prince.” The lady frowned a little when she remembered the prince.

“You are their mother?” Minhee blinked as she looked closely at her face. She couldn’t believe that the lady is already a mother of two grown-up guys.

“Yes. I’m the Queen Mother, as the people address me. But you can just call me eomma if you want to. I really want to have a daughter, but the gods of birth gave me and my late husband only two sons.” She smiled at Minhee. “You will be my daughter from now on.”

“Me? B-But… I…”

“Oh, and Jiseok told me that he asked you to cure my youngest son, right? Can you do it?” The Queen Mother looked at her with pleading eyes. “I believe you can, right? He’s really unhealthy since birth, and I’m afraid that he is getting weaker and weaker right now. He is suffering from a severe fever for almost ten days already and the doctors don’t know what to do anymore. You will help him, right?”

“Actually… I… errr…” Minhee avoided eye-contact.

“Is there something wrong?”

“Uhmm…” She bit her lower lip. “I-I… I was lost. Yeah, yeah. I’m actually finding my way back to Prince Jiho’s quarters but I don’t know where to go.” She lied and faked a smile. She doesn’t want to disappoint the Queen Mother.

“Oh, is that so? Do you want me to go with you?”

Minhee waved her hands in front of her face. “N-No. Thank you. I don’t want to burden you. The Queen Mother might have other things to attend to.” She chuckled lightly.

“Oh, right! I need to visit the palace kitchen.” The Queen Mother glanced at her. “But I will have two of my servants to accompany you to Jiho’s quarters so you will find your way back.” She turned to the servants looking like they are around Minhee’s age. “Sohyun. Yonsaeng. Please accompany Lady Lee to Prince Jiho’s quarters.”

“Yes, Queen Mother.” The two bowed and waited for Minhee to acknowledge them.

The Queen Mother held onto Minhee’s hands for the second time. “Thank you. Thank you! And also, I told you to address me as eomma. If you call me Queen Mother once again, you will get your punishment from me, understood?” She joked at Minhee.

“A-Ah, yes…. Eomma.”

The Queen Mother smiled at her again before going her way to the palace kitchen, while the two servants led her to the prince’s chambers.

Aish! She’s so beautiful and kind that I don’t want to disappoint her. Minhee thought while walking. I really don’t want to see that arrogant prince again. He’s not fit to be her son!

“Lady Lee.” One of the servants interrupted her thoughts.

“Yes?”

“We’re already here.”

Minhee stared at the front door of the familiar chamber. She sighed before giving a smile to the servants. “Oh, thank you for coming with me. You can go now.”

“Yes, Lady Lee.” The two girls bowed to her then turned to the other servants watching over the quarters of the prince. “Lady Lee is here to check on Prince Jiho. Please inform him that she is already here outside.”

The other one bowed and entered the room.

“Prince Jiho.”

“Why?” The prince didn’t even bother to sit up from lying down. He’s busy thinking about a certain girl’s face that he admired, and how soft her lips felt against his.

“Lady Lee is outside.”

Prince Jiho blinked before looking straight at the servant. “Who?”

“Lady Lee.”

“Don’t lie to me. She already left earlier. Why would she come back, eh?”

“But, Prince Ji-“ The servant was cut off as Minhee stormed inside.

“What’s taking it so long?” She glared at the servant then at Jiho.

“I’m sorry, Lady Lee.” The servant bowed apologetically.

“No, it’s fine. You can go now. I’ll just call you when I need help with this arrogant sick man.” She dismissed the servant, leaving the prince and her alone in the room.

Prince Jiho sat up and blinked at her, looking like a ghost had just appeared in front of him. Minhee continued glaring at him as she crossed her arms.

“Do you still have a fever?!” She asked him in an irritated tone.

“H-Huh? Wait, wait! Why did you come back? I thought you already left? Go! I told you I don’t need you.” The prince shooed her away.

“Do you have a cold? Cough?” Minhee continued asking him.

“Why do you care?!”

“How about a headache?”

“Leave! No one needs you here!” Prince Jiho tried to stand up but lost his balance. Minhee chuckled and shook her head before helping the prince sit down. “Don’t touch me!” The prince pushed her.

Minhee glared at him one more time. “Let’s be clear here. I’m doing this for your mother, not you. So please, calm down.”

“My mother? The Queen Mother?”

“Yeah. So just shut up there and let me see your temperature!” Minhee said and put down her bag beside her. She took out her emergency kit and got the digital thermometer. “Say aahh!”

“Wait. What’s that?! Why are you going to put that inside my mouth? What if it’s a poison?!”

Minhee glared at him for the nth time, and the prince surrendered.

“It’s a thermometer. Once it made a sound like beep beep it will be able to tell me your body temperature.” She explained.

Prince Jiho sneered. “Why do you need to use that small wand or whatever you call that when the palace doctors can tell my body temperature just by placing their hands on my forehead? Can’t you do that? Even I can do that.”

Minhee hit his forehead. “This one can tell your exact temperature, so I can know how severe your fever is.”

Beep. Beep.

She took out the thermometer stuck in Prince Jiho’s mouth and checked the little monitor.

39^oC.

“I don’t get it how you can still manage to talk back rudely when you’re burning in fever.” Minhee scoffed. “When was the last time you took a bath?”

“Around… Hmmm…” Jiho thought for a while. “…twelve days ago. Why?”

She stood up and pulled Jiho with her.

“Wait. Why?!” The prince hesitated.

“You need to take a bath.”

“Isn’t it bad for me? It’s too cold! Are you really trying to cure me or are you rushing my death?!”

Minhee rolled her eyes. “That’s why your condition isn’t getting better. You need to take a bath. The water will help to cool your skin.” She took Jiho’s left hand in hers and pulled her. Little did she know, the prince blushed at the contact. “Where’s your bathroom?”

“Outside.”

She pulled him to go out.

“Yah! I’m a sick person! I should stay indoors.”

“But you need to take a bath!”

“Why are you even acting like you know more than the palace doctors? They told me to stay indoors and taking a bath is actually prohibited.” Prince Jiho argued, but Minhee just laughed at it.

“That’s why you’re still sick. The water will help cool your skin, and also wash away the germs and bacteria lingering on you for twelve days. Eew!”

“G-Germs? B-Bac… what?”

“Those are living dirt.”

“Living dirt? W-What are those? Hey! Are you sure that you’re not a hoax?” Prince Jiho leaned in closer to examine Minhee’s face. As he get closer and closer, she felt her cheeks flush.

Minhee pushed Jiho and looked away. “Stop asking questions! I’m not a doctor or scientist to know everything!”

“Exactly! So why are you acting like one?” He crossed his arms.

“Because the dumb prince in front of me doesn’t know how to cure a simple fever that the people from where I live can restore their health through self-medication.” Minhee scoffed.

“Are you mocking the medical people of the Joseon Dynasty?!”

“I did not say anything.” She casually left Prince Jiho in his quarters and went outside.

“Yah! Yaaaahhh!!!” Minhee turned back to see the prince chasing after her. Before she could even move, he crashed onto her and both of them landed on the floor. All the servants outside were shocked and did not know what to do. They are not allowed to touch a member of the royal family. Only the medical doctors can, so they cannot help the prince get up.

Jiho, on the other hand, wanted to stay like that forever. He wanted to just stare at Minhee’s face, but…

“Hey! Get off me!” Minhee, who happened to fall beneath Prince Jiho pushed the sick harshly, making him roll on his back hissing in pain. She stood up and dusted her shirt. “Hey! Get up and take a bath!”

“Lady Lee.” A servant called her.

“Yes?” Minhee answered the servant with too much innocence and friendliness on her face that’s completely different from the Minhee talking rudely to Jiho. The prince saw it, leaving him dumbfounded.

“Is she the same impolite girl talking to me earlier?” Prince Jiho scoffed. “Why would she be rude to the prince and be nice to the servants?!”

“Lady Lee. You mentioned earlier that Prince Jiho needs to take a bath, but the doctors actually advised not to. Isn’t it bad for his health when he is still suffering from an illness?” The servant inquired.

“I told you!” The prince stood up and stuck his tongue out at Minhee, but she just ignored it.

“I believe that he needs to take a bath to wash all the dirt in his body making him sicker. Also, he needs to cool his body to make his temperature back to normal.”

“O-Okay. We will just fetch some water from the well.” The servants bowed to her and the prince before doing their tasks.

Minhee turned to look at Jiho. With the prince realizing her gaze on him, he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “What? Am I too handsome to resist?”

“Where is the bathroom here?” She crossed her arms. “I can’t see any.”

Prince Jiho scoffed. “There. My bathroom is behind my quarters.”

“Then go.” She nodded at the direction the prince pointed at, but Jiho just stared at her. “What?”

“Aren’t you going with me?”

She widened her eyes. “W-What a-are you t-talking about? Of course, n-not!”

“I need help to take off my clothes.” The prince stated.

“Then ask one of your servants. I’m not doing it.” Minhee looked away.

“None of them is allowed to touch me. I can do it on my own, but I’m sick right now so I can’t.”

“Then it’s not my problem.”

“Then I won’t take a bath anymore.” He started to walk away, but Minhee grabbed his wrist.

“Don’t tell me, that’s what you are wearing twelve days ago?” She looked at him in disgust.

“No. I changed five days ago with the help of the palace nurses.”

“Still… you’re so unhygienic!” Minhee let go of his wrist and stepped back, trying to distance herself from the prince.

He took this opportunity to annoy her more and went closer to her. “You don’t want to be near me, huh?” He opened his arms and caught Minhee in his embrace. The prince laughed as Minhee squirmed with the hug.

“Hey! Hey! Let go of me, you dirty ba-“ She was cut off by someone who faked a cough.

“O-Oh, hyung. I mean… King Jiseok.” The prince smiled at his brother, but still not letting go of the girl in his arms.

The older one raised an eyebrow as he looked at Prince Jiho hugging Minhee. “Aren’t you getting too close with her?”

“H-Huh?” The prince looked at Minhee wiggling, and finally let go of her. “H-Haha.” He scratched his head. “N-No. We’re just playing around. Right, Lady Lee?” Before Minhee could walk away, Jiho put his arm around her shoulder.

Minhee looked at King Jiseok and showed him a look not agreeing to Jiho. The king saw this and smiled. “Jiho. Please listen to whatever she tells you. I trust Minhee.”

“All right. I understand.”