LOVED BY YOUR MEMORY

CHAPTER 15

THE NEXT MORNING

The first light of dawn spread across the palace rooftops.

Inside the maid's quarters, Hye-in slowly opened her eyes.

For a moment, she stared at the ceiling, still caught between sleep and wakefulness.

Then she remembered the time.

Her eyes widened.

She immediately sat up.

She had overslept.

Around her, several of the other maids were already gone.

Hye-in hurriedly folded her bedding and rushed to wash.

She barely had time to fix her hair properly before changing into her palace robes.

She looked at herself in the small mirror.

Her hair was neat enough.

Her robe was properly tied.

That would have to do.

She hurried outside.

The palace was already alive.

Servants moved quickly through the courtyards, carrying out their morning duties.

Hye-in quickened her pace.

She had never been late to the Crown Prince's quarters before.

And she already knew Seo Jun would not overlook it.

---

THE CROWN PRINCE'S QUARTERS

Hye-in finally reached the Crown Prince's quarters.

She stopped outside, breathing heavily.

She tried to steady herself before entering.

Then she bowed.

"Your Highness."

Silence.

Hye-in slowly raised her head.

Seo Jun was standing near the writing table.

He was already dressed in his royal robes.

A royal record was open in his hand.

His expression was cold.

He looked at her.

Then at the doorway.

Then back at her.

"You are late."

Hye-in immediately lowered her head.

"My apologies, Your Highness."

"That is not an explanation."

Hye-in swallowed.

"I overslept."

Seo Jun's expression hardened.

"You overslept."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Do you consider your duties optional?"

"No, Your Highness."

"Then why did you arrive after the appointed time?"

Hye-in had no answer.

She lowered herself to her knees.

"I have no excuse, Your Highness."

Seo Jun stared down at her.

"You serve within the Crown Prince's quarters. Your duties begin when you are required to report, not when you happen to wake."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Do you understand?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

His voice remained stern.

"Look at me."

Hye-in slowly raised her eyes.

Seo Jun's gaze was unwavering.

"I will not tolerate repeated lateness."

"I understand."

"If you are late again, you will receive additional duties."

Hye-in's eyes widened slightly.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Stand."

Hye-in rose immediately.

Seo Jun picked up a stack of royal records from the table and placed them in front of her.

"Since you have already wasted part of the morning, you will make up for it."

Hye-in accepted the records with both hands.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Arrange these according to date."

She nodded.

"And separate the provincial records."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Seo Jun's eyes remained on her.

"Is there anything you wish to say?"

Hye-in hesitated.

"No, Your Highness."

"Good."

He turned away.

Hye-in quietly walked to the side table and began working.

Her face felt warm with embarrassment.

She had known he would be stern.

But hearing his disappointment in person was worse than she had expected.

She carefully opened the first royal record.

She would not make another mistake today.

Not after this.

For the next several minutes, the room remained completely silent.

Seo Jun continued with his own work.

Hye-in focused on the records.

Then, without looking up, Seo Jun spoke.

"Hye-in."

She immediately straightened.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Do not mistake my patience for permission to become careless."

Hye-in's fingers tightened slightly around the record.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Good."

Silence returned.

Hye-in lowered her eyes and continued working.

This morning had barely begun.

And already, she knew it was going to be a long one.

Hye-in lowered her eyes and continued working.

She carefully sorted the royal records according to their dates, checking each one before placing it into its proper pile.

After being reprimanded for arriving late, she was determined not to give Seo Jun another reason to be displeased with her.

She picked up another record.

Then another.

Everything seemed straightforward.

Until she reached a thin scroll that had been placed between two records from the eastern provinces.

Hye-in frowned.

She checked the date.

It seemed to belong there.

Without thinking too much about it, she placed it with the others.

She continued working.

Several minutes passed.

Then she gathered the completed records and approached Seo Jun.

She stopped several steps away and bowed.

"Your Highness, I have finished."

Seo Jun didn't answer immediately.

He took the first stack from her.

His eyes moved across the records.

One by one.

Hye-in stood quietly.

Then Seo Jun stopped.

His expression changed.

He picked up one of the scrolls.

"Where did you place this?"

Hye-in looked at the record.

"In the eastern province section, Your Highness."

"Why?"

"Because the date—"

"The date is not the only thing you were instructed to examine."

Hye-in fell silent.

Seo Jun unfolded the record completely.

"This concerns a royal matter from the western provinces."

Hye-in's eyes widened.

She immediately bowed.

"I apologize, Your Highness."

"You were told to separate them according to their proper classification."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"And yet you placed a western provincial record among the eastern records."

"I must have overlooked it."

Seo Jun's gaze hardened.

"You must have."

Hye-in lowered her head.

"I am sorry."

"I told you this morning that I would not tolerate carelessness."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"And you were late."

Hye-in's fingers tightened around her sleeves.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Then you made an error with the very task I gave you to complete."

Hye-in had nothing to say.

Seo Jun placed the record down.

"Did you even check your work?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Once?"

Hye-in hesitated.

"Twice."

His expression became colder.

"Then your second check was useless."

Hye-in's face fell.

She immediately bowed deeper.

"My apologies."

Seo Jun stood.

His presence alone made Hye-in straighten.

"You seem to think apologizing will correct every mistake."

"No, Your Highness."

"Then stop saying it every time."

Hye-in fell silent.

Seo Jun pointed toward the records.

"Take them back."

Hye-in carefully collected them.

"You will check every record again."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"From the beginning."

She nodded.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"And this time, do not rush."

"I won't."

Seo Jun's eyes remained fixed on her.

"You were late because you overslept. Do not compound one mistake with another."

Hye-in lowered her head.

"Understood."

"Go."

Hye-in returned to the table.

She sat down and carefully opened the first record again.

This time, she read every line.

She checked the date.

Then the province.

Then the subject of the record.

Only after making certain did she place it in the appropriate pile.

She repeated the process with the next one.

And the next.

The room remained painfully quiet.

Hye-in could feel Seo Jun's presence behind her even though he had returned to his own work.

She didn't dare make another mistake.

After some time, she finally finished.

She checked everything one final time.

Then she approached him.

"Your Highness."

Seo Jun looked up.

"I have checked them again."

He held out his hand.

Hye-in placed the records before him.

He inspected them carefully.

This time, there was no mistake.

He looked at her.

"Better."

Hye-in released the breath she had been holding.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Seo Jun returned his attention to the records.

"Do not let praise make you careless again."

Hye-in almost sighed.

"Yes, Your Highness."

She stepped back.

For a moment, she thought the matter was over.

Then Seo Jun spoke again.

"And Hye-in."

She stopped.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Tomorrow, arrive before the appointed time."

Her eyes lowered.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Not on time."

Hye-in looked up.

"Before it."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Seo Jun returned to his work.

Hye-in bowed.

"I understand."

She stepped away quietly.

Her morning had already taught her two things.

Being late was unacceptable.

And making a mistake after being warned was even worse.

She silently promised herself that she would not give Seo Jun another reason to reprimand her.

At least not today.