Khaolin

To help your mother out, you started working as a servant in the palace. At first, you simply washed clothes, but then you were hired as a maid for the emperor's concubine.

Meiling was a very kind and cheerful concubine, several years older than you. She treated everyone with kindness.

Haoling came to her, as he did to the other concubines. He was the emperor's son and was already over twenty.

When he saw you, at first he didn’t pay any attention, but then he began to look at you more and more often and realize how sweet you really are.

You tried not to look at him, because it was impossible, since he was higher in status than you, but he didn’t hide his interest in you at all.

Haolin started coming to Meiling too often. He often asked where you were or what you were doing.

Sometimes it really irritated you.

One day a holiday was scheduled and you had to be there as a servant for a concubine.

While still sitting in Meiling's palace, Haolin came to you and smiled, bowing to her. They began to talk, but his gaze kept returning to you.

After apologizing to the concubine, Haolin approached you. You bowed when you saw him, and he pulled something out of his pocket.

You glanced at the object in his hands. It was a beautiful hairpin, which he pinned to your hair. Haolin's cheeks flushed and he quickly left. The maids looked at you in surprise, but you didn't understand why. It looked like an ordinary hairpin.

You didn't know that in your kingdom there is a tradition where a man gives a hairpin to a girl, thereby secretly and wordlessly declaring his love to her.