When night finally settled and the palace grew quiet, joon-ho sat by the window staring at the moon lit countryard.
"I need to get back home." he whispered. But how?
He looked down at the princess's reflection in the polished window-her face now his face. Her Life now his burden.
And somewhere in this huge palace of rules,rituals,and suspicion, there must be a clue to what happened to him.
joon-ho clenched his fists.
Fine.
if I'm stuck here for now.
"... I'm going to survive."
"And maybe. I'll figure out what really happened to the princess whose body I'm in ."
The wind rustled the paper lanterns outside.
And so his strange new life began.
The next morning began with shouting.
joon-ho woke up to the sound of a wooden doors slamming open and maids tripping over each other.
" Young Highness! the morning ceremony?
The morning ceremony!
He blinked,still half asleep. "The what?
Before he could sit up, three maids descended on him like panicked birds,
" your hair -!"
" Your robes-!"
" Your posture -!"
One od them gently pulled him upright.
Another begin brushing the Impossibly long hair that still didn't feel his.
A third held up a robe so heavy it could crush his spirit.
Joon-ho lifted his hands in surrender.
" everyone calm down .
I'm awake.
Still confused,stuck in a princess -sorry crown princess body. but awake.
The maids exchanges secret looks.
"she is talking strangely again..."
"perhaps her soul truly hit her head."
"I did not hit my soul! joon-ho snapped.
But they dressed him anyway.
By the time they finished. joon-ho was wrapped in layers of silk. embroidered with phoenixes and glowing gold thread. He looked regal, elegant, fragile...
....He hated it
The walk to the ceremonial hall felt like walking into doom.
The building was wide,with the tall columns and dozens of nobles already kneeling in lines.
Everyone bowed deeply the moment joon-ho entered.
The weight of their eyes made him feel like he was balancing a stack of hot frying pans on his head.
The chief attendant whispered." please sir with grace, your Highness."
Grace.
joon-ho sat the way he always sat fast and careless.
The entire hall gasped as silk robe flew up and one servant nearly fainted.
This is-!"
" completely untraditional!"
" unqueenly!"
joon-ho blushes realising he accidentally sat like...well, a man.
legs wide.Back slouched.
Everything a crown princess should not do.
He quickly snapped his legs shut and say upright like a stiff wooden plank.
The nobles whispered furiously
joon-ho pretended not to hear them.
Next came breakfast.
A full table was set: delicate soups, steamed lotus seeds,tiny serving of side dishes so beautiful.
He almost cried.
but the problem wasn't the food-it was how he was expected to eat it.
A maid kneeled in front of him and said,"your Highness, please sip softly and elegantly."
sip softly?" joon-ho scoffed. " This soup smells amazing!"
He picked up the bowl and gulped.
Everyone froze.
one noble woman dropped her spoon.
A other clutched her chest.
A guard cough to hide a laugh.
The royal chef stood nearby, looking offended."your Highness... that is not how a crown princess -"
"Then teach me!" joon-ho snapped.
"I mean - uh- of course, I must follow tradition."
He attempted to copy their delicate movements.
He failed.
spectacularly.
He spilled broth on his silk robe
His chopsticks slipped.
The soups dripped down his chin.
The maids whispered behind fans.
"The crown princess eats...like a hungry farmer."
joon-ho lowered his spoon and whispered,this is going terribly.
Just when joon-ho thought the day couldn't get more humiliating,a deep voice echoed behind him.
" Having trouble with your meal?"
joon-ho turned and saw the crown prince -tall, composed, and as intimidating as last night.
He approached slowly,his expression unreadable.
joon-ho felt sweat tricked down his back.
"i- I'm just adjusting," he stuttered.
"New day,New appetite?
The prince raised a brow." your seem different,"
joon-ho swallowed. Differently how?"
"more outspoken",the prince said.
"less...controlled.
Even your aura feels altered."
Aura,what aura?
I don't even know how to sit properly in these clothes.
joon-ho forced a smile "!- I need rest."
The prince stepped closer, lower his voice.
"The palace is watching,haryeon every move you make will be judged.
Be careful."
joon-ho heart pounded.
Not just from fear -there was something else. something about the Prince's eyes... a glimmer of secrets.
Why did he talk as if he knew more than he let on?
By evening, joon-ho collapsed into the silk bed, aching everywhere.
He had failed etiquette class
Failed the ceremony.
Failed breakfast.
Failed everything.
But as he stared at the moon outside the window, he whispered.
"I can't keep panicking.
if I'm stuck here, I need to understand this world.
He placed a hand over his chest -the chest that wasn't his.
" somewhere in this palace is the truth.
About the real princess. about why I'm here."
He sat up straighter.
" if I'm going to survive,then tomorrow .. I start doing this my way."
The moon glowed brighter,as if accepting his challenge.
And so,the chaos of crown princess hayeon's new life had truly begun.