"Princess Sofia! Please slow down! I can't catch up!" 16 year old Byul shouted as she tried to speed up to catch up with the Princess, who was being tiringly hyperactive in the afternoon.

"Catch me if you can!" Sofia stuck her tongue out at Byul mischievously, making the latter even more desperate to catch her. It was apparently lunch time and Princess Sofia had little thoughts on having lunch and more on playing.

"Your Highness! Please! Slow down! Goodness... Princess Sofia! You need to have your lunch! It's fifteen minutes past 1pm." Byul panted and rested her hands on her knees. Damn my stamina.

"Let her be. She needs to spend all her energy before she eats only to gain it all back and she'll go back to being hyper and the cycle repeats itself." Someone sighed from behind her. Byul immediately recognised the voice and bowed in respect.

"You don't have to do that. We're friends now. Did you forget after all that running?" Vernon smiled.

I wish we could be more than that.

The Prince had declared himself as Byul's friend if there was no one around them. Not that she could or wanted to reject. It was a offer no one would pass up.

"Sofia's a tough one to handle. Let's just go in." Vernon lead the way back to the castle.

As Byul entered the door, the many servants started to whisper as soon as the Prince walked past them, thinking they couldn't be heard. She let out a sigh.

"Rumours are already flying around in the maidens' room. I bet something worse is going to happen thanks to them." Byul fixed her clothes in nervousness. Vernon had the audacity to giggle.

"You know the consequences." He spun around to face her. Byul gave a small eye roll.

"But still... You know I'm not in the favour of His Majesty. He thinks I'm an outsider picked up from some trash place." She looked down, fumbling with the hem of her sleeves.

"You think too much. It shouldn't matter who favours you or not. And I don't think it's wise to," Vernon waved a hand in front of his face to express how she shouldn't show her feelings on her face, "you're only leading them on that you're bothered." He then ruffled her hair when no one watched.

"Yes, Your Highness." She jokingly straightened up rigidly and placed her hands on her stomach. They both giggled.

"BYUL! UNNIE! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Sofia's loud voice could be heard with a hint of weariness.

"Over here, Princess Sofia!" Byul playfully curtsied at Vernon, excusing herself to attend to the Princess.

"You're cute. Ah... What to do...?" He pivoted and walked to his study while chuckling to himself, earning weird glances from servants. He cleared his throat and they busied themselves again.

------

The next few years followed and it was soon the year Byul became a servant at 20 years old. Over the years, Vernon had decided to confess, and thank heavens did Byul reciprocate his feelings.

Least to say, the two new adults were making their feelings so so obvious.

They would take late night walks, enjoying each other's company, before sitting on 'their' bench in the huge garden at the back of the castle to talk about their day.

In the day, she would clean the rooms and do what servants normally do, but whenever she passed by Vernon or vice versa, they would throw each other glances, giggling as they mouthed things they wished they could say confidently.

Just one fine day, dearest Sofia caught them in the act and decided to be her cheeky self. "Oppa, what are you doing?" A curious 13 year old spoke a little too loudly. Vernon quickly cupped his sister's mouth shut and pulled her aside, out of view.

"Sshhh.... Keep quiet." Vernon warned his sister. She pushed his hand away.

"Why? You like Byul unnie? Does she like you too? Awww~" Sofia giggled softly.

"Don't worry. I won't say anything, I guess." Sofia whispered mischievously before running off to her private schooling lessons.

"Great going." Vernon rubbed his temples.

"Is there anything I can help, Your Highness?" A girl's voice startled him, disrupting his train of thoughts. What surprised him even more was Byul's face ever so close to his, staring right at him with concern.

"N-nothing. G-go b-back to w-work." He stammered, ears turning red, face heating up. Byul fought the urge to pinch his cheeks or squish his face between her palms.

"Hey, are you not feeling well? Your cheeks are turning really red. Your ears too." She asked, concerned as a friend, maybe even as someone more than that.

"I'm fine!" Vernon gasped as he dashed for his room.

"What is wrong with him?" Byul asked herself as she continued her chores, chuckling.

When Vernon got to his room he flopped onto his bed face first, screaming into his mattress. He then flipped his body to face the ceiling, placing a hand on his racing heart as he abruptly sat up.

"Would you calm down!?" He asked his heart. His mind wandered to her face from just now and now he can't stop thinking about her.

She definitely lives in his head rent free.

Back to no one's POV...

A few months passed and it seemed like everyone working in the castle caught on.

Byul and Vernon found it harder and harder to hide and suppress their feelings. It bubbled so hard it felt like it was going to spill over any time.

Whenever they walked past one another, they would reach for each other's hand, giving an assuring squeeze as encouragement to get through the day. It was also a silent promise that they'll meet at night.

On one of their night walks, Vernon was quieter than usual, as he'd usually input some comments here and there while Byul shared about her day.

"Are you alright? Are you tired? Should we head back in?" She looked at him with worry as they sat on their bench.

Their bench was hidden by lush greens and big old willow trees, giving them the privacy they wanted.

"Byul..." Vernon started, but choked on his nervousness. She hummed in response, placing a hand on top of his in an attempt to calm him.

It did as Vernon cleared his throat and turned his body to face her. He looked directly into her eyes, her brown eyes that never failed to spread warmth throughout his body.

"I was thinking... Do you think... You know, I really liked you from the first day I met you." Vernon gulped. Byul gave his hand an assuring squeeze, a cue to continue as she whispered a "so did I".

"Would you... Do you think... We let my parents know... I want to confidently show my love and I want you to be comfortable with that. I don't want to hide anymore. Then again, it's your decision too."

Byul hesitated as she loosened her grip on his hand. Vernon looked down as she looked away, shifting her body so she was no longer facing him.

They sat in a somewhat uncomfortable silence, minds racing with so many thoughts. Their future was at stake. Every move they had made was a risk, and publicising everything could potentially push them to the edge of a cliff.

"Vernon, you know how much I love you, right?" Byul started, breaking the silence that enveloped them for a suffocating amount of time.

"Byul..." Vernon was afraid of what she was going to say as he looked at her side profile with a loving gaze.

"Let's... Let's do this." She turned her head to face him. Their eyes met as they stared on. Vernon broke the eye contact to engulf her in his tight and warm embrace, and Byul brought her arms to hug him ever so tightly, afraid that he would slip away.

In that moment, they both knew, that they were ready to risk it all, even if it meant standing at the edge of the cliff. They just need to survive, with each other's love as their anchor.