Kai arrived at the palace, and the first place he went was Li Jen's chamber.
"Li Jen." He whispered, knocking on her door. He waited for three minutes before it was finally open, reveling an excited looking Li Jen.
"Kai, you are here. Come inside." She quickly pulled him into the room, and check up and down the hall before closing the doors.
"Why did you take so long to open the door?" Kai ask, when Li Jen face him.
"Oh, um..I was putting away some things." She reply, her eyes didn't meet Kai's like they usually do.
"What kind of things?" Kai looked at her suspiciously.
Li Jen started to panic internally, before she calm herself down and smile at Kai. "Kai." She call his name while walking up to him. "We are going to be switching lives for a day, there are girly things in this room that I don't want you, who is a boy, to see."
Kai mouth formed an O shape. "Oh, ok. But Li Jen, I have work in the stables to do. How are we going to get out of it?" Kai looked panic, as he started wondering if he had made the right decision to help Li Jen.
"Don't worry about that. I already inform Jun that you will be taking the day off and spending it with me." Li Jen smile with confidence.
Kai nodded, but suddenly became worried again. "What about mother, how are we going to ex-" Li Jen cut him off before he could finish what he was saying.
"I will be back before it's time for you to leave, so your mother won't expect a thing." Li Jen assured him. "Come, follow me." Li Jen direct him to a marble table at the far end corner of the room and took up two golden necklace from off the table. "These necklaces are what we are going to use to do the transformation."
Kai took one of the necklace from Li Jen's hand and hold it up to examine it. He look at the golden chain, then his eyes traveled down to the circular pendant, with some small drogan designs around it. But what caught his eyes the most is the emerald crystal inside the pendant. It sparkle was majestic, and it reflects the morning sun with elegance.
Kai handed back the necklace to Li Jen with a smile. "So, we just put this on, and we automatically look like each other?" He ask intreged with the idea.
"Yes, it will give the little difference that we have. Like for instance, your half Korean look which I don't have. And my feminine posture that you don't have, even though you kind of look like a girl. But just not cruvy enough."
Kai glared at her, which cause Li Jen to chuckle.
"I should not be curvy because I am a man. So-"
You can say whatever, but you have feminine features but still look a bit manily."
Kai didn't say anything else to her. He just rolled his eyes and pout.
"Aww, don't be mad. Smile for me." She pinch his cheeks in an attempt to make him smile. Which she successfully did, and continue to pinch his cheeks when she saw his dimples that she adore so much. "You are so cute and sweet, any girl that court you in the future will be one lucky lady."
Kai smile flutter after hearing Li Jen's word. Could he possible tell her that....no, he will not. That is one secret he will keep to himself for all eternity.
"Oh Li Jen, no girl wants me. For I am not beautiful and well loved like you." Kai pulled out of Li Jen's hold. "I am not as desired and fancied as you-"
"Kai-"
"I am nobody, but you are. So any suitor will want you, but me, I am just....a nobody." Kai turned away from Li Jen and quickly wipe the stray tears from his cheeks. Even though he know that Li Jen will never see him as soft and weak, but he didn't want her to see him cry. To see him this vulnerable, especially now since he has agreed to take part in Li Jen's scheme and become her for a day. He could seems weak to her, but knowing Li Jen. She probably knows him better than how he knows himself.
And his thoughts were right, Li Jen do know him. Because she came around to face him, and he could see the worry and tears in her eyes.
"Are all those negative things you think about yourself? Don't you know how special you are Kai."
"That is easy for you to say. You are not a ordinary nobody like me. I am just a worthless boy that was abondan by his own parents at a riverside, and the two people that manage to take me in, I guess them so much trouble each day. And you know what, all those things I said is true, because if they weren't, my sister wouldn't remind me that I am all those things each and everyday." Kai sobs suddenly echoes throughout the room, and Li Jen pull him into her arms. Tears rapidly running down
her cheeks, as her heart breaks at Kai's words.
"I don't think that you are worthless, and Wang May is just stupid and jealous." Li Jen mumbled as she smoothly rub Kai's back in comfort so his sobbing would calm down.
"May stupid, I know. But what is there for her to be jealous about." Kai sniff before he continue to speak. She knows who she is in this world. She is flawless and have all the boys in our village falling at her feet, and she has all the young maidens following her around like she is some kind of-"
"Princess." Li Jen mutter sadly, and Kai nodded.
"She and Zhang has this brother sister bond that I wish that I was apart of, but they exclude me out of most of the things they do together. May always get praise by our father, while I get punished even when May is the one who started the fuss."
"But, you have a mom that loves you so much. I see everyday how she treats you like the most priceless gem in this world, in which you are."
Kai laugh bitterly as he pull away from Li Jen's embrace. "Now that is actually something she is jealous of. Mother never lets her get away with anything, and always defending me, and that makes May act out even more. But never the less-"
"You and I have that sister brother bond, and he might not show it. But Jie consider you as a young sibling too. And what I said about you being special, I speak the truth. I have always known you were special, but there is something different about you. I can't quite place my finger on it, but from yesterday there is just this...huh, I really don't know how to describe it."
"I know how." Li Jen look up when she heard the playful tone returning to Kai's voice, and she could help the smile that grace her lips.
"And what that might be?" She happily play along. She never ever wants to see Kai sad or upset, and those words he said about himself just broke her heart.
"Yesterday was my birthday and I became a man." Kai puffed his chest, and Li Jen burst out laughing.
"A man, no, that's not it." Li Jen said through laughter which made Kai pout a little before he smile again.
"Look how earlier I was about to ruin your big day, and for that Li Jen, I am sorry."
"It's ok, I am just glad that you got all that negativity off your chest." She hug Kai for a little bit before pulling away.
"So, what are you going to do the whole day as a simpleton?"
"Mhm, let's see." Li Jen scratch her chin in thought. "Oh, I want to visit your village and prank May in the most embarrassing way."
Kai rolled his eyes at her. "Seriously, I do that everyday. And plus, I don't think that pranking May is what you have on your agenda for today. So spill it."
Li Jen cheeks form a shade or red, and Kai got the message. "Oh, so you are going to see the havester's son."
Li Jen smiled at him, and Kai cooed at her.
"Aww young love." He said in a dreamy state, before his face change into one of disgusted. "Bleh, thinking about romance is making me sick." Li Jen playfully smack him on his arm.
"You won't be saying that when you fall in love one-day."
"Me, fall in love. Never." Kai said holding his chest like Li Jen had offended him. "But you are going to transform backing into yourself when you go to see him right?"
"Yes." Li Jen answered.
"Oh, thank God. I didn't want you to make him falling in love with my good looks."
Li Jen just smile at his silliness, before getting what she needs for the transformation spell.
She glance at Kai one last time before whispering to herself. 'I only hope this works, and Kai, thank you for helping me out and I am sorry for what ever happens in the future.