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@♡ lee kiyong ᵏᶦⁿᵍ She had to try her best not to break out in laughter at her brother's solution to the problem, wondering just how often the royal had actually tried to go out while hiding his identity. After all, wearing a mask in broad daylight would certainly only make the two of them seem suspicious and stand out even more. Still, she decided to humor his suggestion. Pinching the skirt of her dress, she once again did a curtsy.

"As you wish, you majesty."

With that, she straightened her back again, turning on her heel to head back to her chambers, her lady-in-waiting in tow. Settling on her bed, she waited for her maids to return with her outfit for the day. It took a few minutes, but eventually her maids came back with several dress options. Though plain in comparison to the gowns she'd usually wear at the royal court, they were still of excellent quality and comfortable to move around in. In the end, the young princess decided to go with a linen dress of darker olive green color, the only accessories a thin leather string belt as well as a simple hair clip to keep her locks in a simple half up hairdo, no makeup.

Doing a twirl in front of the mirror, Yuqi gave an approving nod to her maids, satisfied with her looks. The outfit was simple enough to blend in with the crowds, allowing her a quick exit should there be a need for it.

"Alright...here we go."

On her way out, she grabbed the mask her lady-in-waiting had prepared for her, her expression showing no sign of her actual thoughts. She still found it a rather silly idea, but who was she to deny the king any of his wishes. Softly, she exhaled with a sigh, holding the mask in her hand as she headed downstairs to meet up with her brother at the main gate.

@♡ lee yuqi ᵖʳᶦⁿᶜᵉˢˢ the question left kiyong pondering for a while before he hummed, "well, perhaps we can use some masks or something to hide our faces, at least? whether they know it was me or not, it's not my problem. our people will act accordingly anyway," he answered, trying to stay composed. kiyong just wants to spend some time with his sister, and that's all he could ask for now. he wants to fix things and his relationship between them.

he turned to yuqi's lady-in-waiting and cleared his throat, giving her his order. "prepare some cover-up dress for the princess and a mask, for your princess will be joining me shortly after. you don't have to follow us. i will keep her safe. it's a promise," his gaze went to his sister again, and a small smile grew on his lips.

"you can take your time to get ready; i'll be waiting outside of the main gate."

@♡ lee kiyong ᵏᶦⁿᵍ Despite being siblings bound by blood, Yuqi still couldn't bring herself to look directly at her oldest brother, her eyes always straying off, looking anywhere but his eyes. At least she didn't seem to be the only nervous one, the smile on his face so different from his usual stoic expression, the hint of uncertainty in his voice sounding so foreign. Initially wanting to decline no matter what his request would be, the young royal stopped herself from making any hasty decisions, lips pressed into a flat line as she let his question run through her mind once again.

But it only opened up more questions. Why would he need her to accompany him for any errands when there were enough other people more fitting for this role? So was there another reason for this odd request? Some ulterior motive? But no matter from which angle she looked at the situation, it just seemed odd. Out of character. Which in return only piqued her interest, a spark of mischief lighting up her eyes. Even more so when he made an additional suggestion.

"Alright...I wanted to visit the city anyway. But how are you planning to cover up, your highness? I don't think there's anyone in our entire kingdom who wouldn't recognize your face, your stature, your aura."

@♡ lee yuqi ᵖʳᶦⁿᶜᵉˢˢ the melodious voice unexpectedly interrupted kiyong's deep contemplation, causing him to startle slightly before turning to look at one of his younger sisters. a nervous smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he struggled to find the right words. "um, hey there... would you be okay accompanying me to town? i, um, have some errands to run and some deals to negotiate. it would be nice to have someone to, you know, keep me company."

internally, kiyong winced at his own awkwardness, feeling like every word that escaped his mouth only added to his embarrassment. he couldn't help but wonder if his sister noticed his clumsy attempt at inviting her along. was he even saying the right things? or was he just making a fool of himself?

as he awaited his sister's response, kiyong's heart raced with anxiety, his mind racing through all the possible ways this interaction could go wrong. what if she laughed at him? or worse, what if she said no? the mere thought sent a shiver down his spine, reminding him of just how much he relied on his siblings for support and companionship.

despite his nerves, kiyong knew he had to push past his discomfort for the sake of their bond. after all, family was everything to him, and he couldn't bear the thought of letting his awkwardness get in the way of their relationship. so, with bated breath, he awaited his sister's response, hoping against hope that she would agree to accompany him despite his clumsy invitation. "whatever makes you comfortable, either you want us to cover up or expose ourselves, it's up to you. which one is more entertaining." suggested him.

@♡ lee kiyong ᵏᶦⁿᵍ Staring at her own reflection in the mirror, she can't help but frown, a thin vertical line marring the smooth skin of her forehead as her eyebrows furrowed even further. She didn't like this, didn't like it at all. under normal circumstances, Yuqi would have tried to come up with some excuse, faking a cold or something of that sorts, but with Kangjoon being the one to actually pitch this idea, she couldn't exactly refuse.

Still, being alone with Kiyong always left her feeling queasy.

"Nothing we can do about it..." Muttering to herself, the young royal pulled another face at her reflection before turning around, her mind already busy with formulating different plans on how to escape this predicament as quickly as possible without offending anyone. Would two or three hours be enough to make him feel satisfied enough to let her go back? Probably.

Those were the thoughts running through her mind as she stepped out of her bedchamber, following the king's servant as he led her down to the main hall. Stopping at the door as her arrival was announced, Yuqi took one deep breath to brace herself, forcing a polite smile to her lips as she walked into the main hall, pinching the skirt of her dress as she greeted her oldest brother with a curtsy.

"Your highness. You called for me?"

@♡ lee yuqi ᵖʳᶦⁿᶜᵉˢˢ ⟨ currently he's waiting inside the main hall for yuqi to comes out from her chambers as he already asked his servants to notify yuqi about his rare request. ⟩

kiyong hesitate for his decision to asking one of his younger sister for this kind of — family's date. he was wondering if they should covered up and hides their identity or not — making him more anxious because he's a pretty awkward person to hang out with. after all, he still needs to bridge the gaps between them. one by one.

one by one.

he was staring off the view in front of him with a soft sighs, while waiting for the younger princess to come out from her chamber.