Chapter 9

“Your highness, please follow my finger.”

“Huh?”

Rose stared at Sang-Ki with a perplexed expression as she followed her finger moving slowly from left to right. Why was she here?

“Okay, have you been feeling weak or maybe just tired?”

“No.”

“Nausea?”

“Nope.”

“Fine, tell me what part of your head is in pain?”

“No part is painful.”

“Before where was it paining?”

“It wasn’t.”

“Why did you send Dan-Bi to the infirmary then?”

“I mean, it was paining! But then it wasn’t.”

“What? Are you messing with me? Dan-Bi came to me in such a panic it was like you were going to drop dead right at this moment.”

Okay so maybe Rose overreacted a little but she had told Dan-Bi to take her time too. Dan-Bi sat down next to her and gently stroked her hair.

“Your highness, don’t worry. Tell Sang-Ki where it hurts, she will make it fine. Even if it is something very small.”

“Here, on the sides. It’s like someone is squeezing my head.”

“Someone should squeeze your neck.”

The atmosphere in the room changed immediately. Looking at the terrified face of Her Highness Sang-ki instantly regretted her mindless comment. Dan-Bi tensed and glared at her.

“I-I’m sorry…”

“Your Highness, let's go for a walk..hmm? A good walk in the garden with all the flowers and butterflies. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

“Hmm”

Dan-Bi helped Her Highness up and asked one of the maids to prepare some fruits to eat outside. She ignored Sang-Ki and left to get something warm for Her Highness.

“I will be in the infirmary if you need me.”

“No. Come with us.”

Rose didn’t want things to be sour between them because of her. During the walk she could make an excuse and leave them alone to talk it out.

“Why are you doing this?”

“What?”

“Nothing. Let’s go.”

They had been walking in the garden for quite some time and Rose was coming up with different ideas to give them time alone. Dan-Bi was being really attentive to her today, she even let Rose hold her hand which was usually a no-no outside. Rose on the other hand made sure to keep up with Sang-Ki, if the doctor slowed so did she if she increased her pace so did Rose, crushing Sang-Ki’s intention of putting distance between Dan-Bi and herself.

“Let’s take a break.”

“Sure Your Highness. Give me a minute and I will lay out everything for you.”

“Yeah okay. I will go see the flowers there.”

“Oh you want to see those. Okay so Aera and Do-Yun you spread the sheets and set up the fruits. Remember to lay out two sheets and leave the blanket inside only for now. As for th-”

“Dan-Bi.”

“Yes your Highness.”

“You know how I usually like things right, so how about you set things up here.”

“Do you not want to see the flowers now?”

“Yes I do. What I mean is what if you set things up here while I go see the flowers?”

“Your Highness wants alone time?”

“Yes.”

Dan-Bi contemplated the proposal. She really didn’t want Her Highness alone but staying by her side forcefully wouldn’t be right too.

“I can go with Her Highness. I will stay at a distance and not speak a word, you won’t even know I am there.”

Sang-Ki suggested helping but that was the opposite of what Rose wanted.

“What? No! Why would you do that?”

“I promise I will not utter a word.”

Rose realized that Sang-Ki was implying the incident from before wouldn’t repeat and for the first time on their walk Dan-Bi spoke directly to the doctor, her words really made Rose want to bang her own head against the wall.

“Her Highness is not comfortable with you, rightly so.”

“It’s not that I am not comfortable with her, I just want to be alone. I know what happened earlier was a mistake. It caught me off guard, that's why I couldn’t control my reaction. I am sorry for that.”

“No you don’t need to be sorry.”

“Dan-Bi I don’t want people around me to feel like they are walking on thin ice. I will take Aera and Do-Yun with me so sort this out, both of you.”

Rose took off feeling proud of herself. After walking a small distance she sneaked back and hid behind the big stone with something written on it. Rose couldn’t really understand what was written but she was glad that someone decided to write a whole paragraph on the stone since that made it big enough for her to hide. She put her finger on the lips to signal the maids to keep pin drop silence.

¨You see, she is not bad.¨

¨Dan-Bi I have no idea why she is behaving so nice all of the sudden. I think she is plotting something.¨

¨Oh come on Sang-Ki, don´t start again with that. Her highness is a good soul who is stuck in the palace like you and me.¨

¨No she is not! She came here on her own accord. She wanted to be the Royal Noble Consort okay, she planned it all!¨

¨Yeah and who told you that? Your Queen? The one who is as pure as the driven snow.¨

¨No she didn't and she is your queen too.¨

¨Oh please. I am not good enough to be called the subject of the great and loving Queen.¨

¨Why can't you just like her?¨

¨Why can't you like Her Highness?¨

¨Your Her Highness is here to destroy us all.¨

¨No she is not Sang-Ki. I grew up with her, I know her.¨

¨My little goyangi, what do I do with you?¨

Sang-Ki closed the distance between them and placed a soft kiss on Dan-Bi´s lips. Rose averted her eyes, flustered. Weren't they just fighting?

With light steps Rose and the two maids walked away, giving the two space.

¨Aera, Do-Yun….¨

¨We didn't hear or see anything Your Highness.¨

¨Thank you.¨

¨No worries Your Highness, it is our job.¨

¨Also don´t speak in so much sync. It is disturbing.¨

¨We are sorry Your Highness it is not intentional. We have been together from our mother's womb and even though we don´t look alike, all our habits are similar.¨

Aera explained while laughing as Do-Yun did a face palm.

¨Oh okay.¨

Rose turned around to face the flowers, whoever planted them really loved their work. A soft smile adorned her face. She stared at them absentmindedly not wanting to acknowledge the nagging thought at the back of her head.

What did Sang-Ki mean when Seo-Yeon planned to become the Consort? Did she know something or was she just trying to keep Dan-Bi away from her?

¨Does Huibin like Mugunghwa?¨

¨You are literally the last person I wish to see.¨

¨Sorry to break it to you but you can't expect to not see me in my own garden.¨

Rose could feel Seo-Yeon´s body shivering but she wasn't going to back down and hide away in fear.

¨My apologies then I will go somewhere else.¨

¨Everywhere in the palace is mine so you can't really go somewhere I can't come.¨

¨I will leave the palace then.¨

¨Okay first you are not allowed to do that. Second I think you are forgetting I am the king, hence the kingdom is mine too.¨

¨Where did the considerate man who felt remorse for his actions go?¨

¨Someone had told me to try being gentle with you but apparently that will lead to nothing with you so I am going to experiment with a new method.¨

¨Try what you want this relationship is going no where.¨

¨You have spoken to me a lot more than last time so I think we are going somewhere. See Huibin I am trying to change okay. I haven't even touched alcohol since that night.¨

¨Um, excuse me you offered me cheongju just the other night.¨

¨I was offering it to you, I wasn't going to drink it myself.¨

Joonwoo took a step closer but before he could cover the distance between them Rose picked up a rock.

¨If you dare come any closer I swear I will not hesitate to smash your head into a pulp.¨

¨No you won´t.¨

Rose put her left foot back and swung the rock with her whole body releasing it in Joonwoo´s direction. The heavy rock with great speed hit Joonwoo´s shoulder, the impact making him take a few steps back to keep balance. Pain shot through his right shoulder as he stared at Huibin in disbelief. She actually threw it.

¨Damn it I missed the head.¨