Jiyeon POV

About a month passed after the incident with his mother and not a day went by that the maids would come by my chambers and try to steal something. I never did like the greedy look in their eyes when I was alive, but now that I was dead it irked me even more. It was as though they felt they deserved my belongings.

They never did manage to steal anything because I was good at scaring them. It quickly became known that my chambers were haunted. They even had a shameness try to perform an exorcism, but the woman was obviously a fake.

Sungyeol used the haunted rumor to his advantage tough. He said that he would only marry a girl who could wear one of my royal dresses. After his announcement, many girls tried to enter my chambers to get one of the dresses, but they all left empty handed. There was no way I was going to allow even one of them to succeed in trying to steal a dress.

Present Day

It wasn't until eleven years ago when I saw Daeun again that I began to piece things together. For one thing, she could actually see me, which none of the other girls could. Second, she talked to me as though I were alive. Lastly, she still carried the jade norigae that Sungyeol had given to her.

It was always a pleasure to have her come and visit me. It made me feel alive again. I now understood why Sungyeol was so enamored with her after such a brief encounter.

"So, what is your role this year? Palace maid again?" I asked with amusement.

"Actually...."

"What?"

"The King drew the lots for us this year and I got Crown Princess" she sighed.

"Why do you look so disappointed? You're not happy to get that role?"

"It's not that" she sighed more. "Everyone thinks that the King wants me to marry his son Sungjong. Now that I have the role of Crown Princess, they probably think that the King rigged it." She sighed more before continuing "The truth is that Sungjong already has a girl he likes and I don't want to get in their way. If I have to act the role of Crown Princess, that means I have to interact with Sungjong more and that will only serve to fuel the rumors that the King intends for me to marry him." She collapsed on the bed with a huge sigh "Why did this have to happen?"

Daeun POV

"I guess I understand the dilemma." Jiyeon smiled as she sat next to me.

"It's not like they expect me to fulfill my role anyways."

"What do you mean?"

I giggled "The only Crown Princess dresses in the palace are in these chambers. So they don't really expect me to be able to act my role properly."

She started to laugh as well. "Then I guess we need to prove them wrong." She went over to the wardrobe and said "Which dress do you want to wear?"

My eyes widened "What are you talking about?"

"You need a dress don't you?" she smiled. "I don't mind if you were to wear it. They belong to you after all."

"Not you too!" I sighed.

"What I mean is, you are the only one I would want to wear them" she smiled again. "Besides, don't you want to look pretty for the man in the pond?"

"That's right! I almost forgot about him! What time is it?"

"So, which dress do you want?"

We rummaged through the wardrobe and found the perfect dress for me. We even picked out a number of accessories to go with it too. By the time we finished, I looked like a proper Crown Princess. "Do you really think he will think I look pretty?"

"Of course!" she said with certainty.

I can't believe I almost forgot about him. I'm glad Jiyeon reminded me before it got too late. Every year when I come to the palace, I go to the pond where I met Sungyeol.

Sungyeol POV

How many years has it been now? Eleven? Will she be there again?

"Jeonha! Where are you going?" Myungsoo, my eunuch called out to me.

"I have to go or I'll be late!"

"Not again!"

Since I met Daeun and Jiyeon at the pond, I would often go there in the hopes of meeting another girl with a beautiful smile. Then it happened, I saw Daeun again. Her image was reflected in the water's surface.

Since that second meeting, we promised to meet every year at the same time.

I rushed to the pond and waited until I saw the image of a beautiful woman appear on it's surface. "Daeun!" I shouted with joy.

"Hi Sungyeol!" she smiled back at me.

"So are you 'playing palace' again this year?" I chuckled.

"Yeah" she blushed.

"What is your role?"

"Can't you tell?" She stood up and twirled around so I could see her outfit. "I'm the Crown Princess!" she blushed.

My eyes widened. She's the Crown Princess? I looked closer at her outfit and recognized it immediately. That was one of Jiyeon's favorite dresses. How is this possible?

"What do you think? Do I look weird?"

I blinked a few times in surprise "No! You look beautiful!" I smiled. "I wish you were here with me!"

"I am here with you silly" she laughed at me.

I meant physically here with me. That way I could marry you.

As I was lost in my thoughts, a shadow appeared behind Daeun. I was about to warn her, but it was too late. She had already been pushed into the pond. I jumped into the pond just as I did the first time we met. I prayed that I would be able to save her again and my prayers were answered.

I pulled her out of the water and she immediately began to cough. "Are you alright?"

"Sungyeol? Is that really you?" she coughed some more.

"Yes Daeun, it's really me" I smiled back at her.

"Sungyeol!" she screamed happily as she wrapped her arms around me tightly.

I was so happy that she was finally here once more that I hugged her back. Then she suddenly collapsed in my arms "Daeun!" I screamed frantically.

I lifted her up and carried her back to my chambers. Thankfully, I was able to use the secret passage to get back to my chambers. If I hadn't and just one servant were around to witness this, there would have been tons of rumors circulating around the palace in a matter of seconds.

"Jeonha!" Myungsoo shouted as I entered the room. "What are you doing back...so...soon? Who is that?"

"I need your help Myungsoo" I said as I laid Daeun down on the bed.

"Jeonha, who is that woman?" he screamed at me.

"Myungsoo" I spoke carefully. "This is the woman I have been in love with my entire life. She is the woman I gave my jade norigae to eleven years ago."

"Jeonha...."

"Her name is Jang Daeun and she is the woman I intend to marry."