It was while the girl was walking to the city. She wanted to end all of this tedious boredom she was going through.
And then, the streets of Shilla were right in front of her. It is said you can’t pass the borders unless you are a rightful citizen of the city. But Yingtai was neither a Chinese nor a Korean citizen. She was not a part of the Asian peninsula at all.
And so, she snuck into a dress shop, borrowed and tried on a few hanboks, chose one and ran out of there with it on. And you would think she would not get away with it, but she certainly did.
And so, she returned to the Shilla Academy, running and pretending to waltz with a partner. As she pirouetted across the halls of the school, one of the remaining students that were female had taken notice. Both Jadeus and Pan had taken notice as well.
“O, she has it terribly!” said the female student.
“What has happened?” asked Jadeus.
“Isn’t it obvious?” asked the female student, “The girl is in love!”
“In love you say?”
Yingtai kept waltzing and waltzing throughout the hall. When she was in her quarters, she had found her necklace of pearls that she had also found from the town shops missing. She became quite worried.
Where have they gone?
Yingtai had then searched high and low for the pearls. And then, she found the door to the Counseling Court’s room. But the door was already open.
When she entered the room, however, she found a chest laying on the floor that was right next to the door.
Quietly, she opened the chest and searched inside without making a single sound. But the pearls were not there. However, again, she found a pair of acupuncture needles.
She held them on one hand, while the other held the chest open wide.
I’m going to need this someday!
She then stuffed them in the pocket of the hanbok.
Very carefully, Yingtai slowly closed the chest.
They’re not inside the chest, she thought vigorously, But where could they be right now?
Yingtai then noticed a shelf that had a loaf of antiquities on either side. She turned her head and saw yet another little embroidered chest.
Maybe they're in there!
Again, quietly, though, she ran to the shelf, grabbed the chest in her hands, opened it up and rummaged inside it.
But all she could find was a diamond ring. But she knew her pearl necklace was enough for her.
So, she put the diamond ring back in the chest and set it back in the spot between the two books. And just when she thought she was alone…
“Fair maiden,” said the voice of Jadeus, “Have you lost something?”
But Yingtai could not speak any words and shook her head.
Jadeus raised an eyebrow, “Then why have you come? Is there something troubling you?”
Yingtai did not have any other choice. Jadeus came closer.
Yingtai then whispered, “Damian!”
She eventually found the pearls sitting on the side where Helmuth sat. She snatched them, arranged them around her neck and then walked away without saying a word.
And once she was gone, Damian arrived. He seemed a bit confused. He noticed Yingtai taking her leave.
“But why is she leaving?” he asked, “Have you said something offensive to her?”
“No, of course not!” replied Jadeus, “I would never offend a lady with such beauty!”
“Such words; well said; I am very impressed.”
Jadeus chuckled.
Meanwhile, while Yingtai was rushing all the way back to her dormitory, when suddenly, Helmuth shouted, “My pearls!”