"I am not going back there!" Jin-Ri defiantly answered
Yeng, marched towards Jin-Ri picked her up by the ears, and walked out of the hut "Now, you said the well right?" She looked to the left and right before deciding the best direction to go "We go this way!" Yeng said with Jin-Ri still in tow.
After a short walk, the pair arrived at the village well. "Okay, we're here where did you leave the prince?" Yeng asked her friend.
Jin-Ri rubbed her ear the moment Yeng let go, She marched to the other side of the well only to find out that the prince was not there "He's gone? He's gone!" she yelped, her hands covering her mouth
Yeng on the other hand found the ground interesting "Hey Jin-Ri take a look at this"
Jin-Ri quickly looked at what her friend was pointing at "Footprints? They must be soldiers…I heard them coming this way, that's why I ran"
"Oh my, what if they already found the dead prince? They must have taken his body,surely increase the security around the capital…they will trace this back to us and send us to jail or worse the chopping table!" Yeng panicked, her voice worried that in a day or two they would be charged with killing the prince.
Jin-Ri did not answer, he found a separate set of footprints "Quiet!" she said to Yeng "Look at this, another set of tracks. It came from the well and it leads to that dark alley over there" Jin-Ri said pointing from the well to the dark alley to their left.
Yeng approached the tracks in question "So what about it?" she inquired
Jin-Ri explained her theory "The prince was in common clothes when I saw him"
Perplexed Yeng could only ask "So what if he was not in his royal robes?"
"Can't you get it? He was in disguise and probably snuck out of the palace" She took Yeng's hands "These tracks are his, he didn't want to get caught so he high-tailed it out of here before the soldiers arrived. The prince is not dead…he is alive!" Jin-Ri confidently deduced, trying to make her friend understand that the prince is alive and well somewhere
"How can you be so sure?" Yeng nervously asked, trying to make sense of her friend's theory
"I'm sure of it, there is no doubt about it, he is alive somewhere" Jin-Ri insisted, she was so sure of her deduction that she screamed in glee uncontrollably.
The pair were disturbed when they suddenly heard whistles and the rustling of footsteps heading in their direction. "We better go or the two of us will be the dead ones" Yeng suggested
"You're right, time to go!" The pair quickly ran away from the place. By the time the soldiers arrived the area was already empty and no one was there.
Early the next day, after helping Yeng get ready for her new job, Jin-Ri wore her court lady uniform she finished her ensemble with a plain pink upper garment and a long blue skirt.
They walked to their new jobs, and Yeng dropped off Jin-Ri first Before she left Yeng called her attention "Remember, that plaque that you have already means you passed the selection process, you should not have any problems entering the palace grounds. Once there go directly to the registry building and present the plaque with your papers to get your assignment, understand"
"Yes, mother!" Jin-Ri expressed with a smile and made her way to the palace after teasing her friend
When she entered the palace gates, she presented the wooden plaque. The soldier examined it for a while before returning it to Jin-Ri and letting her pass. "Aish…such an untrusting man, does he think this is a fake?" she thought to herself
She made her way to the registry area, which was the residence of the headcourt ladies. She waited in line almost the entire morning for her turn to receive her assignment. When it was her turn, she walked to one of the vacant tables and presented her plaque and papers. The head lady looked at the plaque opened the rolled parchment and looked at Jin-Ri with an eyebrow raised. Jin-Ri smiled nervously as she was asked by the registrar "Name?"
Clearing her throat, Jin-Ri answered "Hong Jin-Ri madame"
The registrar checked her name in the master lists and crossed it out after verification. "Laundry that is your assignment," The head lady said, after which she stamped Jin-Ri's registration paper and handed it to her.
"WAIT!" shouted a eunuch running towards the registration area, looking at Jin-Ri he asked, "Are you one of the new court maidens?"
"Yes, I just finished registering" Jin-Ri nervously answered
"Head lady Ong…put her assignment on hold, I will need her for the selection process, I still lack one more candidate," The eunuch asked Lady Ong
"Chief Eunuch Ahn, there are a lot of more experienced court maidens out there, why this rookie?" Lady Ong asked
Eunuch Ahn explained "The King wanted new ones, he said it was better to train the new ones directly rather than the veteran court ladies" He then took Jin-Ri by the hand and pulled her along with him
"The King? Why?" Jin-Ri asked, but the eunuch did not say anything. He just continued to pull Jin-Ri towards the royal courtroom.
In the courtroom, Jin-Ri saw several other court maidens like herself lined up, they were whispering to each other wondering why they were there. "Go in line with the others" Eunuch Ahn instructed her.
Jin-Ri complied with the orders given to her, lining up with the rest of the court maidens and observing each one closely. "I'm curious as to why we've been brought here. Oh dear...could they be selecting a chamber slave? I've heard tales of how the royals from the past used to do that, choosing the most attractive servants to serve them in the bedroom. Well, I may be pretty, but there's no chance I'll end up in that position!" she thought to herself, her imagination going into overdrive.
The silence in the room was broken by a sudden announcement "Bow in respect to the King and the royal family," shouted a eunuch
Everyone in the courtroom dropped to their knees and bowed their heads. Jin-Ri was left standing as she looked to her left and right. The moment she saw the royal family entering she quickly dropped to the floor and bowed as well.
The King and royal family took their respective thrones, all save for one. "Where is the Prince Young-Sik? He should be here for the selection process of the lady in waiting" The Queen asked
Everyone had a look around "He is not present Your Majesty" one of the ladies in waiting announced
"Aish…you little troublemaker," Man-Ju thought to himself, he then stood up and spoke "I will summon him, Your Highness"
"No! Stay put that is not your job" The King said, gesturing to the crowned prince to sit back "Chief Eunuch, find him and tell him the King is summoning him"
"Yes, Your Highness!" The eunuch bowed and quickly ran out of the room
Still bowed, Jin-Ri thought to herself "So this is a selection process for a new lady in waiting, Jin-Ri you lucky pretty lady you, I could be assigned to a high official or a member of the royal family or the King himself" Jin-Ri snickered as she spoke to herself
In the gazebo by the palace lake, Prince Young-Sik flips through the pages of the book of politics. He was reading diligently when he heard someone calling for him. He looked at the person from a distance running towards him "Your Highness! Your Highness!" The eunuch shouted
Young-Sik stood up and closed the book, he walked out of the gazebo to meet the eunuch. "What is it?" he asked
The old eunuch panted and wheezed as he caught his breath. When he was able to breathe easily again, he said to the prince "The King…the King wants your presence in the courtroom Your Highness" the eunuch told the prince, he wheezed before speaking "Common my Prince, the King and the Queen as well as the crowned prince are waiting"
The eunuch grabbed Young-Sik by the hand and dragged him toward the courtroom "Hey! Hey! Let me go you old fart, I can walk on my own HEY!" Young-Sik shouted but the eunuch paid no attention and continued to drag the prince with him
Just a few moments later, the prince strode into the courtroom, and Jin-Ri's heart skipped a beat as she instantly recognized him. Her eyes grew wide with shock, and she couldn't help but mutter about her terrible luck. Desperate to escape the spotlight, she attempted to slip to the back of the line, but the crowd had other plans, shoving her right back to the front. With no means of escape, Jin-Ri averted her gaze, silently praying that the prince wouldn't recognize her. "You're late!" The crowned prince said to the young prince the minute he walked in front of the royal family
Young-Sik just shrugged both of his shoulders while taking a look around at the gathered crowd. "Forgive me crowned prince. I didn't realize that I am needed in selecting a new lady in waiting"
Queen Eri gently shook her head before she spoke "Prince Young-Sik…this is not for any of us but for you?"
"For me?" He looked at his father with an expression of surprise etched on his face "Seriously? Do I look like I need more servants? I've got a whole army of them already! I can't even sneeze without someone rushing to my side. What am I supposed to do with more?!"
The King burst into laughter, "Oh, you little rascal! You've earned yourself a legendary status among our servants for always making a run for it and leaving them in a jam!" The audience exchanged knowing glances and chuckles, reminiscing about the delightful messes that followed the prince's sneaky escapades.
"Hey, it's not my fault they're lagging," he said, defending himself.
"That's why I'm giving you a new one. This lady in waiting will be your shadow," the King chuckled. He watched his son squirm out of trouble.
"Wait, what?" Young-Sik asked, confused by the King's words. "Shadow? Do you mean she will stick to me like glue? Even when I'm... you know."
The royal family collectively nodded in agreement to his query "Where on earth is my personal space?" he blurted out, obviously peeved by the King's idea to keep tabs on him.
"You'll have your privacy back once you prove to me you won't wander off from the palace," the King stated firmly. "Now make a choice or I'll have the head lady and chief eunuch attached to your legs!"
With a VIP pass to the chaos, Jin-Ri muttered under her breath, "What a cheeky little goblin! I really should've given him a whack that would make him rethink his life choices!"
"Absolutely not!" Young-Sik dramatically turned on his heels, fully prepared to storm off. As he strolled past the line of court maidens, he suddenly had a change of heart and retraced his steps until he was standing in front of the nervous Jin-Ri. He crouched down to get a better look at her face, but she kept avoiding his gaze by looking up at the ceiling. The prince tried to sneak a peek from a different angle, but Jin-Ri cleverly shifted her gaze to the left. Young-Sik leaned in the same direction, only for Jin-Ri to swiftly turn her head to the right.
Young-Sik had enough of the court maiden's tomfoolery, so he grabbed her cheeks and twisted her face towards him for a closer inspection. The moment he realized it was the girl who smacked him on the head, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. All Jin-Ri could do was squeak out a timid "Hi!"
Young-Sik started to gag when he saw her uhm…plainly average face again. Jin-Ri's eye grew wide at the prince's reaction "What a cheeky little goblin, doesn't he know how pretty I am?" She murmured.
"So, do you two know each other?" Prince Man-Ju inquired, raising an eyebrow.
Young-Sik and Jin-Ri chimed in together, "Not at all!" Their eyes met, sparking a moment of confusion.
"Are you both certain? Because it seems like a little something is going on..." Queen Eri began but was quickly interrupted.
"I have no idea who this person is!" they exclaimed in perfect harmony, then shot each other a glare. "Why are you copying me? Cut it out! You're driving me crazy!"
"Is there a problem Prince Young-Sik?" Queen Eri asked.
Young-Sik strapped his hands on Jin-Ri's mouth to stop her from speaking "Yes Your Majesty there is a problem…I don't need a personal entourage. I am fine by myself."