A Royal Mess

Part 11

The following morning
A light knock on the door wakes me up from my dreamless sleep.
"Court Lady Ji?" I call out, but the door stays closed & nobody responds.
I sluggishly rub my eyes & stagger towards the door.
Surprisingly, the door creaks open when I push it lightly.
It's not locked? That's odd.
I pop my head through the gap & find that there's no one standing outside.
Where are the guards?
My eyes land on a bouquet of flowers on the floor right in front of my door.

"Daffodils?" I mutter to myself in confusion.
The yellow & ivory blooms are simply tied together with a yellow string at the stems. I carefully check the bouquet for any attached messages, but there's none.
Is this for me? Who put it here?
A name flashes in my head. Taehyung.
Did Tae deliver this for me? Well, he is the most plausible person since he's a gardener.
A surge of delight inadvertently lifts the corner of my lips. However, my conversation with Jungah yesterday comes to mind, flattening my smile right away.
Right. I decided to let him go.
With a heavy heart, I place the bouquet back on the floor & motion to close the door. But then, I stop.
Letting go of my feelings for him doesn't mean that I can't be friends with him, right?
I quickly grab the bouquet & shut the door before I have any second thoughts.
The daffodils' rich floral fragrance permeates the air as I place them in an empty vase near my bed. Their heady scent & cheery color have managed to brighten up my gloomy mood.
"Thank you, Tae." I cradle my chin & smile at the flowers as if I'm talking to him in person.

About two hours later, Court Lady Ji steps through my door with the other maids as usual.
"Good morning, Miss Y/n. Let's get you ready for the day." She nods at her assistants & they instantly rush towards me.
"Is the princess coming again today?" I ask.
"No. You're going to meet someone else this morning." She replies as she flips through the dresses in my wardrobe.
"Someone else? Who?"
"The queen."
"The queen?!" I gasp in utter shock.
"Yes, Her Royal Highness herself. That's why we have to dress you up extra special today. Please take off your necklace." She extends her palm towards me.
"M-My necklace? Why?" I protectively clutch the pendant of my mother's necklace in my fist.
"Because it doesn't match your dress. You can keep it in the trinket box & wear it again later. Come on."
"A-Alright." I reluctantly undo the hook of the necklace & place it carefully inside the tiny metal box in my drawer.
They help me apply some light make up, do my hair, & fit into a pearl-embellished light purple dress. I stare at my own reflection in the mirror & feel like I'm looking at a completely different person.
"And the last touch.." Court Lady Ji mutters as she clasp on a sapphire necklace around my neck.
"Wow.. It's beautiful.." I gingerly touch the pearl-encrusted sapphire pendant.