Yonghwa just finished his round with his subordinate and reported it to Doojoon in the base, when suddenly someone came.

“Annyeonghaseyo,” greeted Hyesung as she smiled widely. She came with some of her teammates.

Yonghwa was surprised to see her again since he just got information some days ago from Sooyeon that Hyesung attended the Queen’s Annual Gala Dinner.

“Ohh, Hyesung-ssi. You’ve arrived already,” said Doojoon cheerfully. He couldn’t hide his happiness to see her again. He was a certified Jung Hyesung’s fans.

Hyesung giggled then said, “Ne, I just needed to attend the Queen’s invitation and finished some stuff in Seoul then come back here again.” She looked at Yonghwa excitedly while saying that.

Doojoon grinned as he looked at Yonghwa too. But Yonghwa chose to silence.

“Ahh, geuraeyo. Welcome back, then,” said Doojoon again after Yonghwa didn’t give any sign to say something.

“Thank you,” said Hyesung as she looked at Yonghwa again. This time, Yonghwa decided to smile at her.

“Ahh, I brought this from Seoul. Please share with your friends in the barrack. I’m sure you guys miss Korean foods so much, don’t you?” said she as she asked her teammates to place some boxes in front of Yonghwa and Doojoon. That boxes were full of side dishes.

“Aigoo, Hyesung-ssi. Thank you very much. We don’t know how to show our gratitude to you for giving us all of this. But jeongmalyo, kamhasamnida.” Doojoon was surprised by the gift.

“Aniyo, I just brought some boxes for our team but then I remember that you guys must feel the same too. It’s difficult to find Korean food here.” She laughed gracefully as she explained this. She looked at Yonghwa again after that.

Yonghwa thought that he should show his gratitude to her too at least. “Thank you so much, Hyesung-ssi. We will enjoy this with our friends in the barrack. If you need anything help, please don’t hesitate to ask us.”

“Ne, kamsahamnida, Yonghwa-ssi.” She looked so happy after Yonghwa finally said something to her. “Oke then, I’ll get going. See you around, guys.” She bade them goodbye after that.

But then Yonghwa and Doojoon saw how the kids who lived near the base suddenly gathered around Hyesung. It seemed like she was popular among the kids.

“She is really like an angel, isn’t she?” said Doojoon as he couldn’t hide his awe towards her.

Yonghwa just smiled. He agreed but he thought that Seohyun is still the best of all the girls in the world.

“She is not only pretty and smart but also has a very good heart. I heard that she is not from a rich family and yet she helped people more than any rich daughter has done,” added Doojoon again.

“Ne, I agree with you in some points,” said Yonghwa simply in the end.

“What? In some points? Do you mean, there is another girl who did more than her? Nugu? Your girlfriend?” Doojoon looked so curious but upset in the same time. For him, Hyesung is such a perfect woman.

Yonghwa chuckled. “I just know some girls who did as much as her or maybe more than her, but they don’t get much coverage as she did. That’s all.”

“Jinjja? Could you introduce one of them to me then?” said Doojoon jokingly in the end.

“No. You better go after Jung Hyesung-ssi, Lieutenant Yoon,” said Yonghwa as he smiled then left Doojoon. He brought three boxes at once and let the last box in front of his senior.

After Doojoon said that Hyesung liked him, Yonghwa, who didn’t want to admit it at first, finally could see how different the way she looked at him was. He also got information from Sooyeon about Hyesung’s possible hidden agenda for doing all of this. But he still wanted to think that Sooyeon might be wrong because Hyesung looked really enjoying this volunteering activity.

He then decided to just be as professional as he could in front of her. He just hoped she didn’t really make any move to approach him.

But some hours after that, right after the dinner time, the base got a report that one team that consisted three of JHS Foundation members and a UN Peacekeeping officer got an accident. They were followed by a group of strange people and got into the land of mines. Their car was broken.

Since Captain Jo was still in UN Peacekeeping Officer Headquarter, Doojoon was the only superior in the base at that time.

Yonghwa and his three teammates were asked to check them directly. But when he was about to go, Hyesung came.

“Please take me with you,” said Hyesung in a panicked tone. She looked so miserable.

Yonghwa looked at Doojoon immediately. He was still a subordinate and the decision was still on Doojoon’s as his superior.

“No, we can’t let you go, Hyesung-ssi. It’s for your safety,” said Doojoon calmly.

“But three of our members are there. I should make sure they are oke,” replied Hyesung sternly.

“I’m sorry, Hyesung-ssi. But we can’t. Please wait here and be patient. We will do our best to reach them.” But Doojoon was still in his stance. Even though he liked joking around, Doojoon was actually a wise person.

“How can I wait patiently when my friends are in danger right now. Please, I promise I’ll behave. But take me with you. Jebalyo,” begged Hyesung as she became teary.

“I’m sorry, Hyesung-ssi but…”

“All right then. I will go there by myself if you won’t allow me to go,” she cut Doojoon as she threatened him. She then turned around, ready to leave, but Yonghwa stopped her by grabbing her hand.

“Wait, Hyesung-ssi. You can’t do that,” said Yonghwa in a worried tone.

“You guys refuse to take me there. So what else I can do? I’ll go there myself, Yonghwa-ssi. So, let me go,” said she stubbornly.

Doojoon took a deep breath because of that. “Hyesung-ssi. Please, you can’t do that.”

“I just want to go there and make sure their condition with my own eyes, Doojoon-ssi. They are still under my responsibility. Jebalyo.” She started crying this time.

Doojoon then looked at Yonghwa who didn’t give any reaction. He didn’t have a right to make a decision.

“Jebal, Doojoon-ssi.” She kept begging. And Doojoon looked so confused. It made Yonghwa worried because Doojoon obviously couldn’t stand with her sadness.

“Oke then. You can go with them. But you must stick with Junior Lieutenant Lee no matter what, Hyesung-ssi. I don’t want you to add more trouble to all of us. Could you promise that to us?” Doojoon finally made a decision.

What? Yonghwa couldn’t believe what Doojoon just said.

“I promise I’ll behave, Captain,” said Hyesung after Doojoon agreed with her plea.

Yonghwa was about to argue when Doojoon suddenly said, “Protect her and make sure you’ll rescue our team there, Junior Lieutenant Lee.”

Yonghwa was stunned. It was an official order. He couldn’t refuse it.

“Please make sure to take them safely,” added Doojoon to Yonghwa again.

Yonghwa didn’t have any choice.

“Yes, Sir,” said he in the end as he saluted to him then looked at Hyesung. “Let’s go, Hyesung-ssi.”

Hyesung nodded and followed him right away.

Yonghwa took three cars with him. He drove one car with Hyesung and led the way, while the other two cars were driven by four of his teammates and followed him behind.

Yonghwa didn’t say anything in the car. They drove in silence. But when they finally arrived the location where the lost team had told them before, Yonghwa finally said, “In front of us is a land of mines, Hyesung-ssi. From now on, you should follow everything I said. I’m the leader in this team.”

Hyesung gulped but she nodded. Yonghwa could see how scared she was at that time but she was trying to look calm.

Yonghwa then went out of the car, followed by Hyesung and his teammates from the cars behind them. It was so dark but they could see the light from about 500 meters in front of them. It seemed that they couldn’t go anywhere because of mines that could be anywhere. Yonghwa suddenly felt so disappointed. The officer in that team should start making the way instead of waiting for the rescue team like that. But he took a deep breath after that. He should be calm.

“Sergeant Major Choi and Sergeant Ham, please start making the way. Sergeant Kim and me will cover you from behind,” ordered Yonghwa to the three of his teammates before he turned to Hyesung, “And you have to wait here with Sergeant Major Kang, Hyesung-ssi. We will check the land and make a way for them.”

“No, I’ll go with you,” said Hyesung in a panicked tone. She also grabbed Yonghwa’s hand as she was saying that. She couldn’t hide her fear.

“Hyesung-ssi. You promised not to add more trouble, didn’t you?” Yonghwa suddenly felt so annoyed by her stubbornness. He promised to himself to talk about this with Doojoon later. He would use his position as the Crown Prince if he needed to because letting Hyesung go with the rescue team was such a crazy idea.

“But I can't trust anyone here, except you.” She became teary and still grabbing Yonghwa’s hand.

It made Yonghwa upset even more. But he should control his emotion and chose to take a deep breath to calm himself again after that. “Look, Hyesung-ssi. We are here to rescue your friends, remember? Sergeant Major Kang will protect you. I trust him with my life. So, you have to trust us, can't you?”

But Hyesung shook her head stubbornly. “No. I’ll go with you or you’re the one who will stay here with me,” said Hyesung as she really cried this time.

Yonghwa almost exploded in anger but he closed his eyes for seconds then took a deep breath again. He reminded himself to be calm for the umpteenth time that night. Hyesung was really so stubborn. And he should make a fast decision. Bad people could appear anytime and anywhere around them. He shouldn’t waste their time any longer.

“Oke then, please stick with me, Hyesung-ssi. Sergeant Major Kang, please stay in the car and report me immediately if there any strange move.” Yonghwa decided to stop his argument with Hyesung.

“Yes, Sir,” said Sergeant Major Kang as he saluted at Yonghwa then stepped back to guard the cars.

Yonghwa, Hyesung, and three of his teammates started making the way. Yonghwa tried his best not to let his guard down. He should cover his two teammates who started checking the land and also protecting Hyesung at the same time.

“Do you think they were followed by the terrorist, Yonghwa-ssi? I heard the terrorist is always trying to kidnap the foreigner. Besides, they hate foreign army,” asked Hyesung as she grabbed Yonghwa’s uniform this time. Yonghwa’s hands were busy with the gun.

“We still don’t know yet. Please don’t ask any further, Hyesung-ssi. I should be concentrating right now,” said Yonghwa in a flat tone. He was really so annoyed by her.

“Ne, mianhaeyo, Yonghwa-ssi.”

And she really didn’t say anything again after that.

After almost one hour making a way, they finally could reach the lost team. Fortunately, no one injured, they were just shocked and scared that the strange people would kidnap them.

They spent about thirty minutes after that to come back to the cars. The rescue mission this time was successful without any shootout. Yonghwa felt so relieved.

When Yonghwa finally drove Hyesung and her teammates back to their barrack, Hyesung stopped him again.

“Can we talk?” asked she carefully.

Yonghwa felt so tired but Hyesung looked really needed to say something to him. So, after he nodded and Hyesung asked her friends to go to the barracks first, she walked Yonghwa back to the car.

“Are you still angry?” asked she again.

Yonghwa needed to take a deep breath again because of that question.

“Mianhaeyo,” said Hyesung in a guilty tone. “I know that I was so selfish back then. I also added more trouble to you with my stubbornness. But I couldn’t help it. I was so damn worried. I didn’t want anything to happen to my teammates. But I also couldn’t trust anybody there, except you.”

“You should know that keeping yourself safe is the important thing in this country, Hyesung-ssi. You should help us by not being too stubborn. We have our own procedure in keeping people around us safe. It would be such a great help if you could follow our procedure too in the future.”

“Ne, mianhaeyo, Yonghwa-ssi. I won’t do that anymore in the future,” said she again as she looked down.

“I should get going then. You have to rest too, right?” Yonghwa really felt so tired that night.

“Ne, thank you, Yonghwa-ssi. Thank you for everything.”

“This is our job, Hyesung-ssi.”

“I know. But I still want to thank you personally.”

She looked at him deeply. Yonghwa felt so awkward out of sudden. He then decided to just smile at her then bade her goodbye again. This time he didn’t let her stop him again.

He admitted that Hyesung was a kind girl. But her attention to him made him felt uneasy. He didn’t want to think about her at first, but after what had happened, Yonghwa decided to call Secretary Lee again that night. He should do something.

“Ye, Jeoha…”

Secretary Lee had not completed his sentence yet, when Yonghwa cut him right away, “I need your help, Secretary Lee.”

“If it’s about RHA again…”

“No, I need you to find everything about Jung Hyesung from JHS Foundation, Secretary Lee. Especially about the reason why her foundation suddenly became this big in a short time.”

Secretary Lee didn’t reply him right away. But after several seconds, he said, “Algaeseumnida, Jeoha.”

***

Seohyun took a deep breath to calm herself before she went out of the car. She already arrived in the parking lot of restaurant where Lady Park had told her by the email. She didn’t know what would happen to her after she entered that building. But she knew for certain that she should face them.

So, after several seconds, she started walking. She was led to a private room by the waitress right after she arrived at the main door. She guessed that RHA had booked the entire restaurant for themselves since she couldn’t any customer in there. The secret meant really a secret.

Right after the waitress opened the door for her, Seohyun could see three women had sat in a round table together. There was just an empty chair that Seohyun knew it would be for her.

“Ahh, Seo Joohyun-ssi. Please come in,” said a lady who sat in the middle in a graceful and yet cold tone. Same with the tone, the aura from that lady was also so graceful but cold and intimidating at the same time.

“Annyeonghaseyo. Seo Joohyun imnida.” Seohyun decided to introduce herself after that as she nodded politely.

“Annyeonghaseyo. Kang Yeseo imnida. Nice to meet you,” replied Madame Kang. Seohyun finally knew who Madame Kang was. Shinhye had mentioned that name in the Queen’s annual gala dinner some days ago. She must be Lee Yeonhee's acquaintance. She regretted not to search for them more last night. She was too nervous to think about that.

“Let me introduce my other friends, Seo Joohyun-ssi. This is Lady Park Seunghye. You must have known her since she was the one who called you yesterday,” said Madame Kang again as she pointed the lady who sat in her left side. She was also so graceful and cold but not so intimidating like Madame Kang.

Seohyun nodded politely to Lady Park.

“And this is Princess Hwang Jaeshin,” added Madame Kang to a lady who sat in her right side.

She’s Sooyeon Eomma, shouted Seohyun inwardly.

It seemed like Sooyeon didn’t know about this meeting because if she knew, she would tell her beforehand. But Seohyun decided to bow to her politely. She was just so relieved that compared to the other women, Princess Jaeshin looked more civil towards her.

“So, shall we start the lunch? Please have a seat, Seo Joohyun-ssi.”

Seohyun then sat on the only chair in that room, right in front of Madame Kang.

The waitress then came to serve some foods on the table. They enjoyed the lunch after that. The three of them were busy talking about something that Seohyun didn’t know. They obviously left her alone.

I know that it won’t be easy, said Seohyun inwardly. Yeah, it was not like she didn’t expect it would happen too. So, she decided to just enjoy the lunch or at least trying to look enjoying it, when actually she was so damned nervous inside.

And right after the waitress placed the dessert in front of them, Madame Kang finally looked at Seohyun and said, “We guess you must have known the reason why you’re invited to join our luncheon today, Seo Joohyun-ssi.”

Seohyun took a deep breath before saying, “I’m sorry, Madame Kang. But no, I don’t know.”

Madame Kang raised her eyebrows because of that answer and said, “Very well then.” She placed the fork near the dessert after that. “As so you know that we, Royal House Affairs, are responsible in managing all the activities inside the palace and internal court. We mainly manage all about Royal women affairs…includes the Royal Consort Selection.”

Seohyun gulped. This is it…

But Seohyun didn’t say anything after that. It was true that she was nervous but she kept silence because she didn’t find any reason to reply that explanation yet.

“We also have to make sure that all the activities in Royal Household are following the rule. And our main focus right now is the Royal Consort Selection,” added Madame Kang as she kept on emphasizing the words Royal Consort Selection.

Madame Kang sipped the tea gracefully after that. Implicitly waiting for Seohyun’s reaction.

Seohyun thought that she should make everything clear too. She shouldn’t remain silenced. So, after several seconds, she finally said, “Thank you for the brief explanation, Madame Kang. You give me such good information about RHA. But, I’m sorry. I don’t see any relation between RHA job description with me being invited today.” She decided to ask to the point.

“Ahh, geuraeyo? I’m so sorry, Seo Joohyun-ssi. It seems like we are too excited to introduce our activities to you.” Madame Kang laughed gracefully but sounded so annoying in Seohyun’s ears.

“Well then, Seo Joohyun-