Samurai ↔ Nishimura Riki

twenty four

As he continued perusing the chapter, he found his answer.

He liked Cho Hyewon.

-

She brushed her messy hair into an uneven braid, trying to make an effort in looking presentable.

Staring blankly at her reflection in the mirror, Hyewon let out a sigh of frustration and pulled out the rubber band holding the braid in place.

Why did the empress want to see her anyway? She eyed the small envelope she had received only an hour ago delivered by Taehyun lying on the edge of the desk, requesting her presence at the royal garden. Certainly, there was a motive behind the message. Had she found out about the... no, she refused to think of the incident. Frankly, if Empress Mika did, Hyewon wouldn't be surprised if the snitch was no other than Yoon Lia blabbermouth herself.

She scowled, her patience already worn thin. There was no point in dressing herself up well now if that was the case. She already put minimal effort into her attire (which was barely any) and if the royals expected more from her, screw it. She was already done with meddling in aristocratic affairs, it had done her no good.

But as she peeked at herself in the mirror one last time, a flash of self-consciousness attacked her mind. Was she ugly? Would people criticize her? What if Riki didn't like the way she dressed? Hyewon brushed it off. Since when did she start caring about the way she dressed? She shouldn't care what others thought of her at all, especially that imprudent prince. But that mind-eating doubt chipped at her confidence, lingering in her mind.

She took a deep breath, collecting the remains of her pride, before walking out the room with her head high.

-

Hyewon made her way to the center of the garden, where awaited Empress Mika sitting in the pavillion

She could feel the stares of maids burning into her back, but she forced herself to not look back. Smile plastered on her face, she bowed to the royal. "Hello, Your Majesty. You called for me?" she asked, tight-lipped.

The empress nods good-naturedly and tips her head towards the vacant seat across from her. "Take a seat, Hyewon. Would you like some pastries?" she offered as a maid hurriedly came their way, holding a teapot. Her hands trembled as she poured the tea into two small, porcelain cups filled to the rim. Steam rose from the hot tea. She bows her head and hastily walks away.

Empress Mika lifts her cup and blows on the tea before sipping it. "Surely, you're curious about why I called you," she started.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

She smiles warmly. "Worry not, I have only good intentions for this meeting. How has been your few months guarding my son? I hope you haven't come across many troubles regarding my son, he can be impulsive and brash sometimes, I apologize for that."

Oh, don't worry, everything is just peachy. Your son and I totally didn't share some forbidden kiss and are currently avoiding each other. I didn't yell at your son the other day. Everything is just great.

Hyewon swallowed her crumpet dryly, "No, no, it's fine. He isn't a bother-" He definitely is. "And we get along great." she finished. Gosh, her throat felt parched. Although she didn't fancy drinking tea often, she reached for her teacup, only to be hit woozy by its strong smell. Hesitantly, she sniffed it and almost staggered back. The hairs of her scalp stood up. Oddly enough, it gave her bad vibes. The guard frowned slightly and sneaked a glance at the queen. The empress certainly had no qualms about the smell or aura. Maybe it was how traditional royal tea was and she was overreacting. Still, she didn't like what she sensed from it.