you're so golden! || minsung ||

17

"She must have done something horrible," Woojin insists.

"That's not what she implied," Areum counters.

Sohui pulls on the caste Seven girl's arm. "What did she really say?"

Chun-ja had been sent home.

It was crucial for the selected to understand this specific elimination, as it was the first isolated exclusion and that it was not motivated by a breach of rules. There was no mass exit based on first impressions, nor a threat of self-exclusion related to fear of attacks. Chun-ja had done or said something wrong and everyone wanted to know what.

Areum, whose bedroom faced Chun-ja's, had seen her come in and was the only person she had spoken to before she left. Areum sighs and repeats the story for the third time.

"She and prince Minho had a date, as you already knew," she begins, gesturing as if she wants to clear her thoughts. Chun-ja's date was, in fact, common knowledge. Jisung had heard the prince's question, however, after the photo shoot the day before, she had bragged about it to anyone who would listen. "Apparently, they both went to take some pictures, as Chun-ja belongs to the caste Five and photography is one of their characteristics."

"It was her second date with the prince. That's so weird," comments Mi-Suk.

Areum continues, "She started to cry. I asked her what had happened and she said that she was going home, that the prince had sent her away. I gave her a hug and asked her what was that it had happened. Chun-ja told me she couldn't tell me, but I didn't understand why. Are we not allowed to explain why we were eliminated?"

"That wasn't in the rules, was it?" Felix asks.

"No one has told me anything about it," Mi-suk replies, and several other selected nod their heads, sharing the same opinion.

"But what did she say?" Yejun insists.

Areum lets out another sigh. "Chun-ja told me it's better to be careful with what I say. Then, she went into her bedroom and slammed the door. I didn't see her anymore."

The hall is silent for a few minutes while the selected reflect.

"She must have insulted him," Woojin suggests.

"Well, if that was really the reason for her leaving, it's an injustice, as the prince claimed that someone in this hall insulted him the first time they saw each other," Yejun complains.

Everyone starts looking around, trying to identify the culprit, perhaps hoping to get the person - in this case, Jisung - to be expelled too. The purple-haired boy casts a nervous glance at Areum, the only person aware that it was Jisung who had a less friendly conversation with Minho.

She springs into action and changes the subject, "Did she talk about the country? About politics or something?"

Sohui clicks her tongue. "Please! It would have to be such a boring date to start talking politics. Has anyone here already talked to the prince about the government of the country?"

Well, technically, Jisung and Minho have already talked about the rebels and their attacks and this indirectly relates to the country's government. No one responds though.

"Of course not!" Sohui continues. "The prince is looking for a wife or a husband, not an assistant."

"Don't you think you're underestimating him?" Areum scoffs. "Don't you believe he wants someone with their own ideas and opinions?"

Yejun throws his head back and laughs. "The prince is perfectly capable of running the country on his own, he was educated for that. Besides, he has teams of people to help him make decisions. Why would he want someone else to tell him what to do? If I were you, Areum, I would begin to learn to keep quiet. At least until he marries you."