Yieun’s spine collapsed like a limp noodle under weight as she plopped into her bed, which strained and creaked under the sudden load. Spreading her hands above her head, she sighed.

“My Lady! What happened?” Cailin, who had almost worn holes into the carpet with her incessant walking, pounced on Yieun for answers. “What happened at the palace?”

“My marriage was decided on.”

“Wha-” Gasping, a wide eyed Cailin covered her mouth with her hands. “To whom? Why did you have to go to the palace for it?”

Ignoring her maid’s shocked expression with a nonchalant expression, she replied, “To the Prince of Xhirnez. The Empress is his nominal mother, so of course she had to decide on it.”

Cailin was glued to her spot to the floor. Her mouth opened, but no words came out, so she closed it before feeling like she had to say something, so she opened it again, but no comprehensible thoughts made their way through her lips.

“Stop gaping like a fish.”

“M-my lady! What will you do now?”

Propping herself up on her elbows to meet her handmaid's eyes. Yieun replied, “What else? I am going to prepare for my wedding.”

“My Lady, please don’t joke. How can you marry someone like that?”

“Lin. Don’t badmouth my fiance like that.”

Cailin’s eyebrows divorced her eyes. “My-my lady….”

“I’m kidding.” 

“Please don’t give me heart attacks like that.” Sighing Cailin remembered the time. “My Lady, should I fetch lunch? ”

Thinking about the many hours that had been spent due to the complicated process of entering the palace, Yieun nodded. She was hungry. Cailin scurried out of the room, closing the wooden doors on her way out, leaving Yieun with nothing but her thoughts. Her eyes mindlessly traced the blue cloth hanging from her bed frame as she thought about the day’s events. I am one step closer. It will get harder from here on, won't it? I wonder what my brother will think of this. Ah, why do I care about what he thinks?

Sigh.

“My Lady, I brought food.” Cailin’s voice was accompanied by clacks of her shoes on the stone floor as she brought in a tray of food. Slowly she arranged the dishes onto the table before helping her mistress get up. 

Yieun evaluated the lukewarm assortment in front of her. A porridge, one dish of meat and two dishes of vegetables along with soup. How generous of them to add in meat.