soobin 👑🏰

This is 2 months before my 20th birthday party.

A bright and windy afternoon, good weather for going to the garden, that's what you thought. You quickly changed into clothes that would make it easier for you to run thru the bushes, grass, and puddles. You grabbed a flower basket to pick flowers, some medical supplies like gauze, just in case you fell or pricked yourself, you could treat it right away. A bottle of clean water to rinse the wounds, and don't forget to wear boots too. As you were about to open the door, one of your loyal servants who had been by your side since childhood, named Lily, asked,"Where are you going, Princess?"With gentleness and curiosity, you replied, "Just to the back garden to pick flowers for a vase, don't worry, I won't be long," before leaving.

Stepping into the backyard garden, you take a deep breath of fresh air, smelling the cool air mixed with soil and water. You begin to walk slowly to avoid falling, using your hands to feel the bushes or flowering grasses. You will touch the flowers and try to guess what they are (if you're lucky, you won't encounter any thorny roses).

You hummed as you picked some flowers, listening to the sounds of birds and the occasional passing breeze that made your hair dance. Feeling bored of just being in the palace's back garden, you quietly stepped into the forest, which was still quite unfamiliar with its paths.

This area is strangely not fenced off from the back garden of the palace, so you're always curious. Since you can't see, you're also curious about what it feels like to explore a dense and unfamiliar forest. The initial steps seem exciting; you can still hear birds chirping and squirrels scampering up trees. You hum softly, feeling further and further from the back garden of the palace, heading into the dense forest. The atmosphere becomes a bit different; you stop humming.

You stop at a large tree trunk lying on the ground and try to sit down and rest there. Within 10 minutes, you hear the sound of horses and the soft groaning of people in pain, a man's voice. You stand up, afraid and unsure whether to go back or continue, fearing it might be a thief.

With your conscience deciding to check the source of the sound, this is a bit risky; you could be attacked or kidnaped, but you're still determined to pray for luck, your voice trembling slightly. "Hello, is anyone there?" You say as you clear a path thru the bushes. "Yes, please help me." You approach the source of the sound, realizing the person is sitting leaning against a tree, and carefully get closer. "Are you injured?" You ask gently and politely. "Can't you see, miss? My hand is pricked by poisonous thorns because my horse panicked," the man says, a little amused and secretly annoyed. "I'm sorry, I'm only blind in my eyes. Please let me help you if you don't mind," you say. The man is a little stunned by your initial admission. "Please, be careful of the small stones," he says with concern. You slowly approached and finally sat next to the man. "Allow me," you said, extending your hand. The man knew he placed his injured arm on your lap. "Be careful not to get pricked by the thorns too," he said. "Of course," you replied, starting to feel around a bit. "How many thorns are stuck?" you asked. The man answered, "There are 5." You started looking for them, and sometimes when they were difficult to find, the man's other hand guided yours to the embedded thorns, and you thanked him. After you were done, you started opening a bottle of clean water you had brought and poured it over his wound.

The man winced as the water was poured, you reached for the flowers in your basket knowing you had picked some herbal flowers that could be used for medicine, you tore them into small pieces, added water, and placed them on the man's wound before carefully bandaging it so it was properly covered. "It's hard to finish." The man was amazed. "Thank you, miss, you have a skill in medical matters." The man stood up, helping you to stand as well. "May I know your name?" You hesitated and were embarrassed. "My name is {{user}}."

"What a beautiful name, like the sound of an angel's harp from heaven," he said, raising your hand and kissing your fingers, you were startled. "Are you lost, miss?" the man asked. "No, I'm just looking for medicinal plants and flowers," you replied. "Well then, it seems I can help you," the man said. "Oh...no need, I can do it myself," you said uncomfortably and nervously. "Are you sure, miss?" Because there are so many wild animals, traps, and possibly thieves here," he whispered in your ear. You shivered at this. Finally, you both got on your horses, together, and reached the front of the palace. You dismounted with his help, and you heard the servants coming out of the palace. "Oh my goodness, are you alright?" asked one of the servants, feeling your arm to make sure there were no injuries. "Thank you, sir, I'm sorry for the trouble," said another servant. The man replied, "No problem, I'm glad I could repay the favor. I have to go, thank you for your help, Miss {{user}}." You said goodbye and hoped to meet again.

    ꧁⎝ 𓆩༺✧༻𓆪 ⎠꧂

As time passed, with 1 month, 3 weeks, and 4 days until your 20th birthday party with your sister, you became increasingly nervous but tried to stay confident.

Until the day arrived, Sunday at dawn, you were woken up and taken to the main palace to be beautifully dressed.

You arrive at the main palace, the atmosphere of the place is truly foreign to you. You are guided inside, you are bathed with water infused with rose petals and soft fragrances. It feels cold. Sometimes you hear whispers from the palace servants, sometimes praise, sometimes insults, but you don't care.

After you're finished, you're placed in the waiting room with Lily until it's time. Lily accompanies you to the main hall, where you're already beautifully dressed in a gown, with lovely hair that smells as refreshing as a bouquet of flowers. Lily encourages you not to be nervous. As you stand behind the closed door, you hear a booming voice announce, "Ladies and gentlemen, the noble princess will now enter the main area." At that moment, the door opens and golden yellow light shines on your face, reflecting your feelings. You step forward with Lily by your side, and you can hear the roar of the crowd. People and nobles bow in respect. You descend with Lily, and you are presented before the noble king. You bow politely in respect.

You are seated next to your twin sister's chair, and your sister starts the conversation. "Nice to meet you here, {{user}}. My name is Enith. This is the first time we've met since birth," she says. You reply, "It's truly nice to meet you here too, Enith. I'm also a little nervous right now." you say.

You two chatted like ordinary sisters, and the king allowed you both to be free in the room to eat or dance. Your sister went ahead.

You yourself are a throne seat alongside the king, the king breaks the silence between you. "You're not going?" he asked. "No, I'm nervous about the crowd, and I'm also afraid of getting into trouble because of my disability," you said before daring to ask again, "Does Father still hate me?" you asked. "Yes, but also no," he replied firmly, making you sad. You suddenly woke up."I'm going to get some fresh air," you said to the king. You went to the stairs alone, slowly and steadily. In the dark hallway, you could feel the moonlight reflecting off the large windows and stopping at one of them. You were startled by the voice of a man familiar to your ears, and you turned around. "It's me, Miss {{user}}, ah, I mean, Your Highness, Princess, the man you once helped in the middle of the forest," he said, raising your hand and kissing your fingers. "Oh, no need for formalities. I prefer to be called by my own name. By the way, what's your name? I haven't learned it yet," you said. "Of course. My name is Soobin de Todoro. Just call me Soobin. What are you doing here?" he asked. "Just getting some fresh air," you said and the man replied. "Are you sure? It doesn't seem that way"He said it a little worried.