Return (✔)

Tense dinner

"What took you so long?" In-hye asked as soon as Mi-yeon come back.
"Sorry... just a bit accident and I can't find the right shelves." Mi-yeon apologised.
"What accident? Never mind.. here, let me help you.." In-hye offered before helping Mi-yeon to arrange the napkins.
"So, there's seven members of the family?" Mi-yeon asked as she saw seven set of dishes on the table.
"Yeah, practically five.. there are another people close to them." In-hye answered.
As soon as they finished, they went to line up with the other maids. Getting ready to greet the royal family.
"Listen, your job later on is just simple. You have to pour the tea into each cup, but only if they want to. Just be careful and don't be nervous." In-hye whispered.
Mi-yeon replied with a nodded.

"And remember, always lowered your head.. don't ever look at them directly, that'll be rude.." In-hye advised.
"Arasso..." Mi-yeon answered.
A few minutes later, the door slid open. They all came in and took their place at the dining table. All the maids bowed almost at the same time. While Mi-yeon was amazed at them.
In-hye elbowed her arm startling her, making her bowed a bit late then others.
The King and Queen took their place, so where the princes and the princess.
Prince Chul-soo sat just in front of Mi-yeon but back facing her. So, neither of them knew that they were at the same room.
Meanwhile, opposite Chul-soo were Chul-woo and Chun-hwa sitting side by side.

They ate their dinner quietly. Mi-yeon almost yawned while waiting for the next order. To lessen her boredom, she kept watching and playing with her own feet by moving her toes, since she can't look up.
Until The Queen spoke out, causing Mi-yeon startled a little. Luckily no one noticed her.
"So, Chul-soo... Have you think about it?" Queen Taeyeon asked.
"About what?" Prince Chul-soo asked confusedly.
Mi-yeon doesn't even know who's speaking. She wondered, which one of them was the prince? What does he look like? The truth is, she doesn't even care. It's not like she's in charge of the prince. But she must know to make sure she won't mistaken anyone else as the prince.
"About Princess Se-kyung.. you agreed to marry her, right?" Queen Taeyeon asked excitedly.

Prince Chul-soo almost choked at the question.
"Umma, I told you before.. I'm not interested." Chul-soo beamed.
"You must think properly my dear.. you must get married to someone to become a king, and of course, that 'someone' I mean is a princess. You
don't even know any girl. If you're not marrying her, who else would you marry? Maids?" Queen Taeyeon said, continued by laugh at her last statement.
Somehow, the maids felt hurt by her words and lowered their head more except for Mi-yeon. She doesn't feel anything.
Why should she hurt when she already knew her place. It's not like she's in love with the prince.
"What's wrong with marrying a maid?" Prince Chul-soo said, challenging.
"Chul-soo!!!" Taeyeon shouted.

Suddenly sound of a spoon dropped clinging loudly filling every corner of the room.
It was caused by King Junmyeon. Who knows he did it on purpose or by accident.
"Let's just not talk about that now." The King said not even looking away from his food.
"Honey, you should not be careless. Are you even trying to change the topic again? Why are you always defending your son?" Queen Taeyeon felt irritated. She knew why Junmyeon acted like that. She knew deep inside Junmyeon's heart.. he still loved that woman... Joohyun..
"I'm not... it's just that we're eating now.. and the maids and other workers are still here. Let's just talk about this privately." King Junmyeon said and continued eating.

Taeyeon felt more irritated. She just hold her anger and gritted her teeth. She can't argue while the workers still there.
"Tea, please!!! Hurry.. I need drinks.." Taeyeon let go of her anger to the maid.
But no one dares to say anything. Chief Ga-in walked to the queen and pour the tea without any expression.
Somehow, the atmosphere became more tension than before.
Everyone seems to have lost their appetite. But still force themselves to act normal and focused on their food.

"I want drinks..." Prince Chul-soo beamed.
"Me too, please..." A person beside him also spoke.
But,there's silence for a while.
"I said drinks!!! Where's my tea??" Prince Chul-soo snapped.
Mi-yeon stood blankly before In-hye poked her arm.
"That's your signal!" She whispered.
"Ouh.. sorry..." She quickly take the pot beside her and walked to Prince Chul-soo.
She poured the drinks into his cup, not even bothered looking at him. So were him.
"So slow..." Prince Chul-soo muttered but loud enough for Mi-yeon to hear it. It was indeed her fault but no need to say that.
"Snobbish..." She muttered back thinking he might not have heard it. But her thought was absolutely wrong. He heard it.

But when he glanced at her, she already turned away and started pouring the tea to another guy beside him.
So, he just let her go. Beside, he's not in mood to scold anyone now.
"Yoon Mi-yeon?" The guy asked, causing Mi-yeon to accidentally shake and almost over fill the tea. She was a bit shocked to see Baek Hee-joon, the one she met earlier was there.
'So, he's not just someone... Was he the prince?' Mi-yeon thought.
The cling sound of the pot and the cup touched making all of them turned to her except Prince Chul-soo. He just felt no need to.
"S.. sorry..." She said realising her mistake.
Her action make In-hye almost slapped her own forehead.

"Wait, aren't you the girl at the garden earlier?" Prince Chul-woo spoke out recognising her. Then everyone turned to him immediately. Chun-hwa also started to recognise her back.
Chul-soo also turned his head away from his food, not to look at Chul-woo but the girl Chul-woo talked about. Yes, it's her...
No wonder she's so rude by muttering back at him.
"What is it? Did something happened earlier?" Queen Taeyeon asked.
Princess Chun-hwa quickly kicked Chul-woo's leg before he could speak.
"Ouch! Who did that?" Prince Chul-woo growled.

Everyone looked at him confusedly.
"It's nothing... em.. nothing important..." Princess Chun-hwa said ignoring his frowned.
Then everyone nodded understand before continued eating.
Mi-yeon bowed before going back to her place.
"Why did you do that?" Prince Chul-woo whispered to his sister realising it was none other than her who might do that.
"You almost caused her a big trouble. I had told you before, not to cause trouble to others." Princess Chun-hwa whispered back then rolling her eyes.
"Fine." He pouted.