Mirin sat at the cedarwood desk in her room, concentrating on her nearly perfect penmanship as she wrote on a piece of paper. Her hair flowed over her shoulders and down her back in a cascading fall of raven-black strands, much like that of her sister's. She hadn't missed much of Seonbi since her departure to the palace when they were much younger; rather, she had missed the nearly unfriendly rivalry that had manifested between them since childhood. Secretly, she hoped Seonbi hadn't done too well for herself, and that she could throw in a few subtle jokes of how better off she was.

Her hopes were immediately downtrodden upon seeing Seonbi walk into her rooms, along with two unfamiliar yet friendly faces. Gold and jade ornaments adorned her elaborately arranged bushels of black hair, her dress was embroidered with intricate detail and ribboned with endless trails of silk, and her total demeanor had completely changed. She was no longer the awkward, ignorant teen who had left for the palace; she had blossomed and grown into a live flower.

"Sister," she cried, holding her arms out and happily running towards Mirin. Mirin smiled in an attempt to hide her blatant jealousy, and stood up to hug her sibling -- catching the eye of Seonbi's husband and child. She was almost unable to embrace her due to her desire to have all she possessed; the demon of envy had already half-consumed her heart.

"L-Look at you. You've grown so much," she grinned, trying not to stare at her dress or her hair.

"You've become a woman yourself, Mirin-ah," Seonbi sighed, holding her sister's arms lovingly. "You're so beautiful."

"Auntie!" Rinji whispered, tempted to hide behind her father in a bolt of timid reservation. Mirin couldn't hide her shock behind a smile this time, and she gasped at the realization that overcame her seconds later.

"Auntie? I'm an auntie? Sister, is this girl your -- oh, look at you," she smiled in awe, pressing her fingers into Rinji's cheeks. "She's just like you, Seonbi."

"Rinji, this is your Aunt Mirin. Taehyung-ah, this is my sister."

Mirin looked up at the handsome man before her, dazed by his imminent handsomeness; the strength that she saw in his engraved neck, jaw and hands, covered by the formal habit he wore, was enough to put her in an endless trance.

Thinking better of it, however, she bowed before him, hiding her face as she did it.

"P-Pardon me, my lord"--

"No need for formalities," he smiled, holding out his hand to help her up. "We're all family here. Come! We shall all eat breakfast together."

She took his hand, standing up and thanking him for helping her up. As soon as she stood, they began the small procession towards Seonbi's rooms, with Rinji half skipping and leading the way.

I will not lose to my rival. Sister, I will be more than you one day!

"Hancheol?" Chindeok sighed, listening to the wind sing a cold tune to accompany her walk through the garden. "May I ask you something?"

"What is it, Chindeok?" Hancheol replied, looking at the girl as she blushed and looked away from him.

"W-What would you think...if..." she began, pausing as if the breeze's song had distracted her from her thought. Hancheol stopped to look at her, pushing a few stray strands of hair away from the delicate blossom of her rosy face.

"I-I mean...it's all simply nonsense, I mean nothing by it. Just a thought that happened to"--

"Tell me, Chindeok," Hancheol smiled, gently wrapping an arm around her.

"W-What would you think if we were to...someday...marry each other?"

Hancheol giggled shyly, shaking his head.

"N-No matter," the girl began, mirroring his actions with a tinge of sadness. "I-I was only joking"--

"What? Do you think I'd oppose the marriage?"

Chindeok's face went white as a ghost, yet redder than an apple seemingly at the same time.

"Chindeokie, I'd say no to every girl my age here in this palace. I'd even say no to Rinji, if it meant saying yes to you."

"R-Really? Do you mean that?"

Hancheol held out his hands, taking Chindeok's into his and kneeling on the ground. Looking around at the garden, he spotted an oriole perched on the branch of a small tree.

"Look at the birds, Chindeok," he began, smiling at the little creatures hopping and flying around. "Some of them came from the north, some came from the south. Some from the east, and some from the west. And yet, they must all return home to their families -- the mother and father birds and their children."

"What are you saying, Hancheollie?"

"Listen, Chindeok. When we're married, I want to become a guard, like my elder father. I might have to go away sometimes, and not come back for months. But I want you to remember that I will always come back to my family and friends -- if not in body, then in spirit."

They stared into each other's eyes for a while, finding nothing but sincerity and a happy bed of comfort. Hancheol stood from his position, sharing the lightest of kisses with Chindeok before turning his content face towards the wind and the shining sun.