That morning, Areum rested her chin on her palm at the palace veranda, deep in thought.
Hyeon and Sora, who always accompanied her, were used to seeing their lady 'lost in her own world' — but today, it was worse than usual.
"Areum-nim, why are you daydreaming?" Hyeon asked gently.
Areum pouted cutely. "I'm thinking... should I go back to the future... or become a celebrity here?"
Sora nearly choked on her saliva. "A celebrity...?"
Areum nodded seriously. "Yeah! I'm cute, right? I'm sure I could trend in the Goryeo era!"
Sora and Hyeon could only force a smile. In their hearts, the two loyal handmaidens had already waved the white flag at their agassi's 'uniqueness.'
"Operation: Escape"
Suddenly, Areum got an idea. If she acted too strange... maybe the palace people would get bored of her and 'kick' her out!
Mission: Be weird at god-level so she'd be banished outside — and find a portal!
Areum strolled through the palace garden while:
Singing a K-pop song loudly, "Cause I-I-I'm in the stars tonight~" (BTS's Dynamite!)
Hopping and dancing, throwing up finger hearts (which nobody in Goryeo understood)
Picking up palace cats and pretending to hold a 'live concert' by the pond
All the maids and guards slowly backed away, afraid of being caught in her 'strange curse.'
"Wang Joon's Growing Confusion"
From afar, Prince Wang Joon observed quietly. Arms crossed, brows slightly furrowed, he muttered:
> "Why does my heart feel lighter every time I see her?"
He tried to hold back his laughter when he saw Areum running around the garden with a blanket over her head, shouting, "I'm a Goryeo alien!"
And yet, somehow, When Areum laughed — his heart felt at peace. When Areum smiled — his soul felt free.
"If this is magic... I'm willing to fall under its spell."
"A Cute Moment in the Palace Lounge"
That afternoon, Wang Joon 'accidentally' bumped into Areum who was doodling on the ground.
"Areum... what are you doing?"
Areum beamed brightly. "I'm drawing a time portal. Who knows... maybe I can go home?"
She bent down to show him her odd round scribbles on the dirt.
Wang Joon knelt beside her — completely ignoring propriety.
"I'll help," he said simply.
Areum blinked in surprise. "You... want to draw too?"
Wang Joon nodded slowly, giving a small smile.
While drawing, he asked, "If you find that portal... do you really want to leave?"
Areum fell silent.
"The Beginning of Inner Conflict"
Inside her heart, she answered:
> "I miss my world... but why do I feel sad at the thought of leaving this place?"
She looked at Wang Joon. The prince wasn't just handsome — he was patient, kind, and always there for her, even when she acted crazy.
Wang Joon gazed deeply at Areum.
"I... might miss you," he said suddenly, his voice low.
Areum froze. Her face turned as red as a pomegranate.
She quickly jumped up, pretending to be angry.
"Who asked you to miss me! I... I haven't even decided if I'm going back yet!"
Then she ran off in a flustered panic, leaving Wang Joon chuckling and shaking his head.
That night, Areum sat on her bed, hugging a pillow tightly.
In her heart, she thought:
> "If I go back... I'll lose all of this. If I stay... I might fall in love."
She rolled around on the bed, letting out a small wail.
"Ughhhh!! Why is the world so cruel!!"
Her handmaidens outside the door could only hear the sounds of pillow-punching — and smiled sympathetically.
To Be Continued...