Cherry Blossom Tree (2)

After the exhausting preparation, which started early in the morning consisted of soaking his body in a rose essence bath oil, ceaselessly hydrating his hair, Chun dressed him in conservative clothing that was appropriate for wearing in a formal meeting.

The pastel colors of the dress contrasted and harmonized his pale complexion and petite figure, his long dark goldenrod hair braided and tied up in a low bun.

"What hair ornament should I use, Your Highness?" Chun asked soon as he dismissed the maidservants after getting him clothed, holding a small container filled with pieces of jewelry and ornaments by her chest.

Sungho simply answered, "Choose what's suited." How would he distinguish a decoration that would suit him? He had never groomed himself.

"Then we shall go with this."

The court lady placed the container on the vanity table as she picked one and showed it to Sungho on her palm. Finishing off his hair tied in a braided low bun; Chun inserted and accessorized it of white jade with golden lotus-shaped decoration.

With unceasingly grooming him for the past three hours, it eventually ended. Sungho tasked his court lady to present him a mirror to see himself. Chun immediately delivered one before him and he brought his face near to see his reflection.

As he slowly moved his face next to the mirror, his face that he could only see in a state of blur gradually became clear and the court lady commented, "I didn't use powder or any since Her Highness has a formerly pinkish face and cherry lips."

"I don't quite grasp whichever you're discussing but thank you for your greatest efforts, Chun. You've done an excellent job."

"It is my responsibility, Your Highness," she replied to him as she bowed a little. "Then where should I escort Her Highness out?"

"Huh?" Sungho's mind abruptly halted from her question.

"Isn't Her Highness going to meet someone? Where should I escort you?"

'That's right. I do not know where I am supposed to meet him. What should I do?'

He unconsciously brought his hands on his head, which Chun hurriedly told him to remove them and advised him not to ruin the hair. 'No, I can just go where I may make myself noticeable and simply hope for him to notice me.'

"Then let's go to the tree I visited the other day." Sungho could only laugh to himself from his stupidity of not knowing the supposed place.

...

Sungho started waiting as they arrived at the cherry blossom tree, praying for a miracle that Hyeon Ju's brother would fetch him over. However, before any, he decided to lessen his embarrassment by commanding a task to the court lady who was standing beside him.

"Chun, could you please bring me some books from the library that I would love to read and place them at the desk in my study room? I want to read them later after I return from my meeting."

"Would it be alright for me to leave you here, Your Highness?" the court lady warily asked.

"Yes," Sungho answered as he hurriedly waved his hands. "I'm going to be fine. I always visit this tree and I practically memorized the way back."

He was not kidding, though. Sungho did memorize the way back and it was not that difficult since he could still see the figures and the daylight helped him a lot.

"Okay... Then this court lady will be fetching the books as she was ordered, Your Highness."

Watching the figure of his court lady as she increased the distance between them, Sungho could not help but exhale through his nose from relief.

'Now, I can humiliate myself here without her beside me.'

Sungho waited for a while, it was not long until he seemingly saw a shadow gradually getting near and heading to his direction. He thought Chun might have chosen to stick by his side, and to him, it was the last news he wanted to hear from her.

"Chun, I told you to fetch me the books," Sungho reminded the shadow of what seemed to be his court lady from where he stood.

"Did Her Highness desire to read under the cherry blossom tree?" a voice of whom he failed to recognize replied to him.