Daeun POV

It had been a few days since I returned and things were progressing slowly but smoothly. King Hoya was still a bit skeptical, but he was starting to accept everything I was telling him. Sungjong, on the other hand, hasn't been around since I last saw him by the pond.

Everyone in the palace seemed to still want to ignore me. Most would even silently chuckled behind my back when they saw I didn't have the Crown Princess's gown on.

I had been standing by the pond like I usually did, when Sungjong ran up to me. "Show me that thing again" he said as he tried to catch his breath.

I smiled as I pulled out the norigae. "This?" I asked.

"Can I see it for a second?" he asked as he held out his hand.

"Okay" I replied as I gently placed it in his hand.

He held the norigae delicately and began examining it. "I can't believe it" he stumbled back a few steps. Then he looked at me speechlessly "How...?"

"So you finally figured out the meaning of the norigae" I smiled.

He took a calming breath and asked "How is this possible?"

I shook my head "Even I don't fully understand everything that has happened." Then I leaned against the railing of the bridge we were standing on and sighed. "All I know, is that I intend to see it through to the end."

"You mean...."

I nodded "Yes, Sungjong."

"Why?"

I looked at the pond and said "Because I love him and he has been waiting for me to return for the past eleven years."

"Eleven years?"

"I know that Jiae was the one who pushed me in the pond eleven years ago. I also know that you were with her at the time too."

"How?" he became nervous.

"I heard you guys laughing and talking about it a few years ago. You all were wondering why I would even go near the pond after the trick you played on me."

His eyes widened "Daeun..."

"Don't worry Sungjong" I giggled "I'm not mad or upset about it. I'm actually glad I was pushed into the pond."

"You are?"

Sungjong POV

"Yes, I am" she smiled. "I was able to meet Sungyeol because I was pushed into the pond."

As I stood beside her on the bridge, I couldn't help but stare at her. I never realized it before, but Daeun really was beautiful. And, despite everything we did to her, she never held any animosity towards us.

I laughingly sighed "I wish I would have talked to you sooner. We could have been friends all this time, if I wasn't so stupid and stubborn." I handed her back the norigae. "What happens now?"

She looked out over the pond and said "It's time to put everything in it's rightful place."

"What do you mean?" I was confused.

"You want to marry Jiae, right?" she looked right at me.

I was shocked into silence.

"Well? Do you want to marry her or not?"

"Of course I do!" I screamed a little too loud. Then I came back to my senses and said "But I won't be able to marry her until I become King."

"Says who?" she chuckled. 

"It's been our tradition since King Sungyeol... took..." She raised her eyebrows with a smile and a giggle. "But..."

"If you want her to be your Crown Princess, we can make it happen" she smiled genuinely.

"Thank you, Daeun!" I wrapped my arms around her and gave her hug. As I pulled away, I gave her a peck on the cheek "You have no idea what this means to me!"

She giggled "Actually, I think I do."

Jiae POV

I hadn't seen Sungjong for a few days and I was starting to get worried, so I spoke to his friend Sunggyu and found out that he had been holed up in the library researching something. I didn't want to disturb him while he was busy, but I missed seeing his face so I decided to go and visit him for a little bit.

As I was walking near the pond, I heard Sungjong scream "Of course I do!"

I walked a little further in the direction I heard his voice and was shocked when I saw him hugging Daeun. Then he gave her a kiss on the cheek and my heart crashed to pieces. They looked as though they were a happy couple. "Did he change his mind? Is he going to marry her now?" I whispered to myself.

The two of them then turned and started to walk away while happily chatting about something. As I watched them, tears began to fall from my eyes. I can't believe he would betray me like this.

Hoya POV

The day before we were to have the banquet, I received a letter from the temple stating that the head monk would be coming the following day to deliver a message at the banquet.

"The head monk is coming?" my wife Soojeong stated just as surprised as I was. "Why would he make an announcement at the banquet?"

"I'm not certain, but I think I might know what this is about."

"What?" she pressed for an answer.

"I think it best to wait and hear what he has to say rather than speculate" I replied. Rather than thinking about what was going to happen, I decided it would be best to go for a walk.

We were enjoying the beautiful day when suddenly she huffed angrily "What the hell does he think he is doing?"

I looked in the direction she was facing and saw Sungjong and Daeun happily talking and laughing by the pond. "Perhaps they are just having a nice conversation" I tried to ease her worries, but it fell on deaf ears.

"Please" she huffed at me. "You've wanted him to marry her for the longest time! You must have said something to him to make him act that way!"

"I didn't say anything to him" I tried to reassure her, but again she would not listen.

"I've seen enough of this! Jiae would be heart broken if she saw this. I better go and check on her" Soojeong said as she rushed off to see Jiae.