From afar, a young man surrounded by a crowd of pretty girls would seem like an innocent gathering. Other men would look on in envy while ladies, who were not part of the crowd, would peer at him with interest. But from up close, what bystanders do not see is the venomous tussle that poor young man was caught in between.

Taehyung shifted uncomfortably.

Judging by his ill-fitting disguise, he had grown a few inches again. He tugged at his upper garment which was stretched tightly around the shoulders and blew his fringe back in annoyance. Only a month ago, his disguise had fit perfectly. By assuming the form of a grubby wayfarer, Taehyung was free to wander around the city inconspicuously, much like he used to in his youth. He was invisible. However, to his dismay, it was not enough to escape the notice of the keen-eyed daughters of vendors.

"No, he'll be coming with me," Taehyung heard a girl with short hair say as she looped her arm around his.

"No, me," a different one insisted, pulling him aside. "Don't go with her. She'll sell you cheap soju."

"Well, we have the best meat buns!" another girl interrupted. "You said you wanted to buy some, right?"

Taehyung stood helplessly as the girls surrounding him bickered.

Like his older brother, he had grown to be attractive. Toned, tall and equipped with a charming box-like smile, the youngest Kim had undergone a transformation that was likened to the ugly duckling turning into a swan. With just a glance, the girls were head over heels.

However, unlike his older brother, he had not mastered the art of smooth-talking.

Taehyung nervously licked his lips. He was unaccustomed to being in the spotlight, let alone being surrounded by impressionable, young ladies. Had he known having princely looks would lead to trouble, he would never have wished to grow up to be like his cousin so much in his youth.

"Forgive me," Taehyung interrupted, his rich baritone voice resonating like a gong. Almost immediately, the girls ceased their squabble. Taehyung gulped as all eyes fell on him. "I- I have somewhere I need to be—"

"What? You're going already?"

"What about our plans?"

"You can't go yet!"

Taehyung was forced to retreat as the throng advanced. "Look, I apologise but I am already running late."

"Late for what?"

"Are you meeting someone?"

"Who?"

Taehyung fumbled as the girls attacked him with questions in rapid-fire. At this rate, he will never get time to see the orphans and return home before his presence is missed. He needed to escape soon and fast.

"Leave him alone!"

As if answering his prayers, a familiar voice tore through the hubbub, catching both the girls' and Taehyung's attention. Taehyung blinked as a wild-haired wench came charging in, pursued by a shabbily dressed man. Equipped with a bucket, the wench hurled its contents without warning, drenching everyone in the vicinity in a slimy, brown liquid. There was an outcry of surprise.

"What're you doing?"

"Ew! It stinks!"

"What is this?"

Horrified screeches escaped the girls' lips as a putrid scent reached their nostrils. Taehyung stepped back in disgust. He had dodged the water just in time but the girls closest him were not so lucky. Clinging to their garments, like a potent cologne, was the fetid odour of fish.

"If any of you bother him again," Gyuri threatened, "I'll throw more than just fish water at you!"

"You're insane!" one of them shrieked as she tried to wipe the gunk off her clothes. "What kind of person does this?"

"A lunatic. That's who!"

"This old hag has completely lost it!"

"Hey!" Gyuri glowered. "I'm only twenty. I'm still considered a young a.d.u.l.t, y' know!"

The girls looked like they wanted to pounce on Gyuri, but upon meeting eyes with her, thought better of it. Despite her short stature, Gyuri can be as intimidating as a mama bear protecting her kin. To Taehyung's relief, the girls begrudgingly left, but not without casting dirty looks at her.

"That's right," Gyuri shouted, unaffected by their stares. "Go home! Don't make me tell your mothers on you!" She turned to the shabbily dressed man, who Taehyung recognised to be a local fisherman. "Thanks for lending me your bucket, sir. Oh, and sorry for running off like that." The man huffed as he snatched his bucket back. As their footsteps faded away, she turned to Taehyung. "You okay?"

Taehyung nodded. With blades of grass still stuck in her hair and her clothes creased from running, Gyuri resembled a wayfarer more than he did. He smiled. Headstrong as he was, he still enjoyed Gyuri fussing over him. "I am now."

"Thank goodness," Gyuri said, breathing out a sigh of relief. "When Chun Chun told me you were in trouble, I thought you'd picked a fight again. I didn't expect it to be this kind of trouble."

"They came out of nowhere. I only asked one of them where I can buy meat buns and then suddenly, I was surrounded. I—" Taehyung frowned when he heard Gyuri chuckling. "Why are you laughing?"

"I just find it funny how you're not scared to take on guys who bully the orphans, but you're afraid of teenage girls."

Taehyung huffed. "Would you rather I was in a brawl with ruffians instead?"

"No, of course not." She beckoned for them to leave and Taehyung followed, shortening his stride to match hers. "Imagine my surprise, though," Gyuri continued, "when I discovered you were being held captive by a bunch of pushy girls! You're lucky I scouted them first. I almost brought a weapon instead of a bucket of fish water."

"I could have dealt with it myself," Taehyung sulked. "I had it under control."

Gyuri scoffed. "As if."

Eager to change the topic, Taehyung grumbled, "Where are we going? This is not the way to the orphans."

"I told them to wait for me at the sanatorium," Gyuri said before biting her lip. Taehyung narrowed his eyes at her. "Don't be mad, but I told them to fetch Master Namjoon should I not return."

"You did what? But Cousin Namjoon does not know I snuck out of the house today!"

"What was I supposed to do? Tell them to wait?"

"Yes!"

"You know they wouldn't. If I hadn't told them to go to the sanatorium, they would've tried to help you. I don't think I could've protected you and the orphans."

At this, Taehyung halted. "What makes you think I cannot protect myself?" Gyuri jolted at Taehyung's sharp tone. She peered up at him and saw his thick brows furrowed deeply. "I am not a child anymore, Gyuri. I do not need you to protect me."

"Of- of course not," Gyuri agreed, and for the first time, faced Taehyung properly. She observed how much he had changed. How he now towered over her as they spoke; how his voice was significantly lower in pitch; how his features were more defined. Without realising it, Taehyung had grown up before her very eyes. "You're sixteen."

"Fifteen," Taehyung corrected. "It will be my sixteenth summer soon."

"I can't believe it's already been five years…" Taehyung watched as Gyuri's expression softened. It may have been his imagination, but he thought he saw a hint of sadness in her eyes as she brought her hand to her c.h.e.s.t. She glanced to the left just as the clanging of a bell grew louder. "A lot has happened since then."

In the distance, a tram filled with pale-faced passengers slowly approached while many people gathered at the nearest station. Amongst the local folk were ladies in western frocks and men with top hats. They were loitering around the stalls, chatting in different languages- a sight that, only recently, had become more common since the alliance with the Waekugin had been formed. Stalls selling foreign goods such as sweets, trinkets and exquisite cloth populated the street. Derelict land that used to dot the vicinity with green spaces now had new buildings erected in their place. A new tailor, a new hotel, a new bank, a new restaurant: the street that was once bustling with livestock, vegetables and artisan crafts were being replaced by newer and larger establishments.

Unknown to Taehyung, Gyuri was conflicted by the sight.

There was something melancholy about seeing Saim change. While she welcomed modernisation and the benefits it brought, she could not help but feel a sense of loss. Old buildings were being demolished; farmland was being developed into homes and even their style of clothing was changing. The old was being replaced by something new every day. Time was moving quickly. And eventually, everything around her would cease to exist.

They've moved on without you.

Gyuri pressed her hand closer to her c.h.e.s.t, where the jade ring lay hidden. For five years, she had lived away from her family. For five years, she had searched for a way to return home. All this time, she had yearned to go back, but what if she had no home to return to?

Gyuri wondered whether the life she remembered was real at all. What if I never lived in London? What if Subin is just a name I came up for myself? What if this is my reality?

The only proof she had was a jade ring: a relic of a time that hadn't yet been. And with no one else to corroborate what she knew, Gyuri feared her sense of identity was slipping.

Spotting the distant look on Gyuri's face, Taehyung spoke, "We should keep moving forward." Gyuri met eyes with him and he elaborated, "It is already late. I promised the orphans I would come to see them today."

Gyuri merely nodded in response.

But before they could take a step further, a shrill voice caused them to stay put.

"We must make haste with preparations!" Taehyung heard someone exclaim.

"I can't believe it's finally happening!"

"Our prayers have finally been answered!

"What do you think's going on?" Gyuri asked as she eyed the growing crowd. Without realising it, she and Taehyung were already gravitating towards the huddle.

"I am not sure." Peering above the villagers in front of him, Taehyung spotted a messenger wearing the insignia of the Jade Lotus. He watched as the messenger finished sticking a notice on the bulletin board which was the cause of the ruckus. He gasped.

"What is it?" With her view obscured, Gyuri could not see what everyone was fussing about. "What's going on?"

"It is a royal edict," Taehyung replied, his voice barely a whisper. He tore his eyes away from the board and peered down at Gyuri, his eyes still rounded in disbelief. "It is decreed that a representative- an eligible maiden- from every family must attend the selection."

"A selection?" Gyuri repeated. "You mean—?"

Taehyung nodded. Gyuri shivered as an unexpected gust of wind blew past and a petal got caught in her hair.

"His Majesty… has opened his harem."