Rinji ghosted the halls of the archives, tempted to stop and marvel at the sheer number of scrolls that surrounded her thin body. Newly lacquered scrolls with black and red seals peppered one section of the cathedral-like library, while older ones with rotting knots of twine were situated up on the highest shelves and permeated the unknown areas she had yet to explore.

She'd gone there after formulating her plan: she'd search the archives for information about the plant, and find some sort of record of all who entered the palace. By being in the archives without permission, however, she was trespassing -- an infraction that wouldn't go without punishment if she were to get caught. She sneaked around each shelf, making sure that she was alone in the dark room before she made her move; she couldn't afford to get caught by anyone, or be grounded for her actions.

With her goal clear in her mind and her fears set aside, she entered the administrative section of the archives and picked up her first scroll. Her puffy, red eyes burned as they strained to find some sort of starting point. She scanned the eloquently drawn symbols hanging about the scroll; some like black chandeliers hanging from curved ceilings, and some as strict and severe as a straight line could be. Shaking her head, she put the scroll back, failing to find anything of use.

She repeated this process countless times, her frustration multiplying into oblivion and her time running out. The sun was beginning to rise, and life had begun to creep from the palace residences and buildings. Her movements were hasty and frantic with fear and urgency, yet slowed by the heavy need for sleep that burdened her bones and spun her brain in circles. She felt ready to give up for the time being -- until she spotted a giant, endless scroll that seemed to never end.

Willing to try anything, she opened up the scroll to find countless names and birth dates -- first arranged in an inorderly fashion, then growing more organized and inclusive as she continued down the pages. It soon grew to contain records of lords, nobles, their families, succession dates, and -- as Rinji had hoped -- a collection of all the women of the harem.

Suddenly alert and attentive, the princess continued down the list to find the most recent entries. She found her mother's entry -- sparking curiosity and confusion at the same time. Her mother shouldn't have been in the entry; the harem was only for the king, and a relationship between a noble and a lady could get both in trouble.

She had to think about it for a while for it to make sense. Her father had found her at the same time that the two kings had met, and since His Majesty had loved His Divine Grace, there wasn't a need for the harem. To dissolve the harem would be impractical; it had existed for years before the king was even born, and would be of use again when Namjoon's heir came into power.

It dawned on Rinji that she was the heiress, and she would own the harem if she married.

Making a mental note to ask about it later, she continued to find the newest entry, her aunt Mirin. The name was beautifully written on the paper with new ink -- the newest name on the list. She looked at the name for a while, wondering why she joined the harem. She also found it extremely off-putting that her aunt entered the harem two days before Hancheol was poisoned.

I have to ask questions later, Rinji thought, shaking her head and putting the scroll back carefully in its place. Time had passed and sunrise had finally dawned on the palace, showcasing all its glittering colors.

She began to sway and bend her back while walking, feigning tiredness and grief as she exited the empty archives and made her way outside. As she planned, two servants immediately rushed to her side, offering her an escort to her rooms and something light to eat.

She put on a half-smile, knowing she wasn't really lying.

On her way to her rooms, Rinji passed by the gardens, where she caught her father slumped on the ground in rivers of tears. She reached out towards him, half-wrestling from the gentle constraints of her servants and running for him.

"Papa," she wept, the image of his sad countenance striking fear into her heart. "What's wrong?"

"R-Rin-Rin, sweetheart," he asked, pulling Rinji into his embrace. "I'm sorry. Your mother...she wants a divorce."

Her heart dropped below the ground, burying itself next to Hancheol's tomb.

"W-What? N-No...this can't be. This can't be! How could she"--

"Please, Rinji-ah, don't blame your mother. She has to take care of herself as well. There's nothing we can do."

"What is going on here?"

The shrill, concerned voice of Rinji's mother leapt from beyond them, approaching at scarily rapid speed as Seonbi stood over them.

"No need, Seonbi," Taehyung sighed, his voice growing cold. "I already told her."

"Told her what? What is this?"

"You want to leave Papa," Rinji sobbed, pulling herself into Taehyung's chest. "I'll never forgive you if you leave Papa!"

"What?! I never said"--

"Seonbi"--

The two stared into each other's eyes, searching desperately for the truth.

"The note..." the father began, shaking his head. "You said you wanted to leave...because..."

"I never said that," Seonbi began shakily, on the verge of tears. "I would never leave you and Rinji. Never. "

"Then...then who wrote the note?"

Taehyung and Seonbi fell silent.

Rinji gasped, somehow surprised at the cruelty of the one she knew was at fault.

"I know exactly who did it. Mama, Papa, I'm going to need your help. We're going to kill two birds with one stone."