?????? finest man in the ENTIRE WORLD ACTUALLY
HAECHAN LOVE HAECHAN LIFE
JOSHUA & MINGHAO BEAUTIFUL, FOLLOW IN SEOUL 2023
Every single ship/pairing/otp/brotp/friendship etc in Seventeenđ
3&10: Joshua & The8Â
Billboard with a picture of Elon Musk: Defend billionaires. Weâre Just like you.
Commie on the Rez: Spotted in the wild. I hate this mf place
Elle M. (they/them): If u saw Lex Luthor do this in a Superman comic u would be like âpshh way too over the too not even a super villain would be this obviousâ
Made by me cause I had to uwu
A compilation of Joshua's many shocked faces for those who need it!
at age fifteen, youâre betrothed to a prince named jeonghan. at age twenty-five, youâre set to marry him. so, when your father gives you a chance to find love all on your own, you immediately take it. now if only jeonghan would stop fucking sabotaging every relationship youâre trying to get into.
â FEATURING;Â jeonghan x reader
â Â WORD COUNT;Â 1k words
â Â TAGS;Â princess!reader, enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, emotional romantic and sexual tension all in one lmao, angst, smut (in the future scenes, this teaser is sfw!)
â Â NOTES; so my blog won't die in my absence nd slight inactivity from writing, i decided to leave you guys a snippet of the third n last part of my royalty series <3 as always, content in my teasers are not final and can be subject to change so heads up on that!
this is part of the itâs complicated series.
Itâs several hours past midnight when you hear three gentle but firm knocks on the door to your bedchambers.Â
Annoyed, you stare at the collection of unopened gifts stacked high on your vanity. From delicacies from the neighboring kingdoms to the most expensive collection of cosmetics in Ancarra, your guests certainly knew how to curry your favor. But not even their lavish presents can dispel the pure vexation thatâs been making your blood boil the entire evening.Â
Not bothering to answer the door, you whisk yourself into the plush seat tucked underneath the dresser. Thereâs only one halfwit currently residing in the castle brave enough to disturb you in the dead of night, and with how terribly tonightâs festivities went, youâre in no mood to extend your hospitality to anyoneâmuch less Seraphiaâs exasperating, insufferable, schemingâ
âIsnât it a little too late to be testing out swatches, Your Grace?â
You try to ignore him. The way his silken dress shirt dangles half untucked from his trousers. The self-satisfied look on his face when he notices you fumbling with the cherry red rouge youâre applying to your lips.Â
But try as you may, you cannot ignore Jeonghan when he reaches a hand in front of you, nimble fingers wiping off the excess color that you accidentally tinted just a few millimeters from your lip line.Â
Not when his smoldering stare holds yours captive in the image reflected in your gilded mirror. Not when you canât even find it in yourself to resist when he gently grabs your chin and forces your gaze to marvel at the man himself.
âSulking again, Princess?â Jeonghan sneers and you want to hate him for it, but you canât. âI saved you from a man charged with treason three times in a single decade. Why are you pouting at me like I took away the love of your life?â
âBecause youâve made it your lifeâs purpose to make mine miserable,â you snarl, putting as much venom into the words as you can. âMinghao isnât a traitor. If he was, he wouldnât be sitting on top of the RènxĂŹng empire. He wouldnât even be daring enough to show his face here for the sole purpose of courting me.â
He sighs as if meaning to be sympathetic, but youâve long seen past the ruse. âPoor little thing, still being played like a fool all because you abhor the idea of one day becoming my wife. Tell me, didnât you find it odd, how persistent he was in pursuing a woman whoâs already spoken for?â
âI am not spoken for,â you interject, trying not to crumble from how his thumb lightly dabs at your lower lip. âNot by you. Not by anyone. Father gave me a choiceââ
âYes, of course. Everyone knows the story of the Ancarran Princess whoâs chained to a troublesome foreigner. So troublesome that she had to beg on her knees just to get the king to reconsider,â Jeonghan coos, face inching ever-so close to yours. Â
âBut as it turns out, all the other men youâre trying your damnedest to replace me with are even worse fiends than I.âÂ
Your lungs burn as if theyâve been set aflame and Jeonghan is merely adding more fuel to the blaze. âYouâre despicable.â
âAnd you, Your Grace, are much too gullible,â he chuckles, each breath fanning hotly against your skin. âIâd say just give it up and surrender, but youâve been fighting against me since we were children. Putting an end to our very interesting relationship in such a boring way wouldnât make good for the history books, no?â
All of a sudden, you remember something that Soonyoung told you in passing. How Jeonghan is someone who cherishes his loved ones deeper than one would otherwise expect. He loves his homeland. He loves his family. Above all, he loves his people.
With how he keeps reeling you back from all your attempts to escape your engagement, any other person would assume that he loves you just as much.
But how are you supposed to believe that someone like him is capable of love when all he does is thrive off your misery?
âThis new rouge youâre testing out,â he murmurs, as if itâs remotely acceptable to just shift the conversation after what he just told you. âItâs the kind that takes days to remove once it dries, no?â
âIn what way does it concern you?â you grit.Â
The despicable prince simply hums. âOh, nothing. Itâs just that Iâm quite curious about its actual longevity.âÂ
You can practically hear your heart stutter to a stop when he closes the distance even moreâonly a hairâs breadth separating your mouth from his. Youâre clueless as to how it happened, but you suddenly find your fingers coiled around the front of his shirt. Looking for purchase. For solid ground.
But you should know better than to anchor yourself to someone as unpredictable as Jeonghan.
âIf someone were to ruin it in the next ten seconds, would you even be more furious than you are now?â he whispers and you can feel the ghost of a smirk against your lips. âOr would it garner the opposite effect? Would you finally melt into their arms? Would you let them tear all your defenses asunder?â
Your pulse is roaring in your ears and all of a sudden, you canât remember how to breathe. His intense stare is pinning you in place no matter how badly you want to escape. The scent of expensive champagne lingers on his lips and you find yourself craving for a taste.Â
But you canât. You canât want that. You canât want him.Â
This is the man whoâs made your life a living hell for as long as you can remember. The man youâll be cursed to sit beside in a throne room forever if you donât do anything about it fast.Â
You know these facts perfectly well, and yetâŚ
Your eyes flutter closed as you hook your wrists across the back of his neck, letting your arch-nemesis fall deep into you.
this is part of the itâs complicated series.
want to be added to the taglist? leave a reply <3
pairing: prince!jaehyun x (f) reader
genre/warnings: smut, angst, horror, arranged marriage, unprotected sex, graphic descriptions of violence, mentions of vomiting and suicide, major character death
word count: 22.4k
summary: Every single night before bed, you play your royal husband, Jaehyun, a song on his grandfatherâs piano as a distraction from the ominous sounds you hear. To the public, youâre all smiles, but discreetly, youâre a slave to your suspicions. Though it seems the more you pry, the more secrets you start to unravel.
authorâs note: so, remember when i said i wasnât writing a halloween fic? yeah, i lied. happy spooky season!
Donât stop, donât stop, donât stop, you chanted to yourself, running because your life depended on it.Â
Your feet hurt and you had lost track of how long you had been running for, but you pushed yourself forward even as your energy from the adrenaline started to dwindle.Â
Never had you needed to fight for your life before. Fight for anything. Your legs burned from ache, begging for a break while your bare feet slapped against wet dirt. Your face was damp with tears and rainwater. But you never stopped. Not even for a second.Â
Not as long as he was behind you. Even after hours of running, you knew he wouldnât stop until he had at last caught you. He could run across acres of land and never break a sweat.Â
Lightning struck and you screamed, only to realize it was the shrouds of darkness looming over you. You were on edge.Â
âMy love,â Jaehyun sang, calling out to you from a distance.Â
His voice made you shudder, but you bunched your dress into your fists, the white gown difficult to run in. You didnât look back, though you knew that he wasnât far.Â
Pushing Jaehyunâs voice to the back of your head, you tried to find an escape route. The garden had to stretch across at least a thousand acres. There was no end in sight. You were inclined to believe you were running in circles across perfectly manicured grass and stone trails.Â
Jaehyun had the upper hand. It was his palace, for heavenâs sake. He had grown up wandering around these paths and exploring halls that were carbon copies of each other. You had barely made it out of the palace, clearing corridor after corridor, though unsure if you were making any distance because of how they paralleled.
You found another stone footpath, feeling the ground harden beneath your feet where moonlight shone through the tiniest of puddles. For whatever reason, seeing your scared face in your reflection gave you chills. Your face that was once perfectly made was ruined with streaks of mascara, black.Â
What should have been the happiest day of your life had quickly turned upside-down.Â
When you glanced aside, what you saw nearly got another hair-raising scream out of you, but you bit your lip hard enough to make yourself bleed.Â
Horror was beginning not to explain your feelings as you fought for survival, wide eyes drifting around the pond in a perfect rectangle. There were tombstones surrounding the pond, watered by rain. You could see names etched on them; your parents, Jaehyunâs parents, and some of his servants. Dead fish floated in the water.Â
âNo,â you cried out, kneeling aside your parentsâ gravestones. You didnât care that your dress dirtied. You lost all purpose for it the second you saw him for the monster he had been all along.Â
From the beginning this had only been a perfectly crafted game where you never had a chance. You were baited like an animal and Jaehyun was somewhere watching you like a hawk in the sky, because little did you know, you would never make it out.Â
He had made sure of that.Â
âThis is your home now,â Jaehyun exclaimed, but it was all white noise to you. You didnât even know where he was or how far he stood from you. Your mind was racing but empty all the while.Â
You knew there had to be a shed somewhere. If you were quick, maybe you could hit him over the head with a trowel or a really heavy pot. If you wanted to make it out alive, you had to escape on your own. You knew there was nobody else alive out here aside from you and Jaehyun.Â
Not to mention thinking about what Jaehyun would do to you if he caught you made your blood run cold, because you simply didnât know. He was an enigma to you now. You went from living every little girlâs dreams of becoming a princess to living a never-ending nightmare.
âDarling. There you are,â Jaehyun said, as if he hadnât already had you trapped.Â
You screamed, screamed a silent cry, unable to hear his wet footsteps over the sound of your mind racing a thousand thoughts per hour. It was over. You lost. He had caught you.Â
Jaehyun swept you into his arms and crooned, âShh, itâs alright. Everything is okay, darling.â
Every exhale was a battle. You heaved, chest undulating, and tried to regain some semblance of composure. Your eyes studied the room and you realized you were no longer in Jaehyunâs boundless garden, but in his chamber. There was no rain pouring on you. Only sweat beading at your skin, cooling at your neck.Â
âIt was just a nightmare,â Jaehyun whispered, voice sweet and tender as it had always been.Â
You still shuddered, but you were relieved that it was only a dream. You leaned into Jaehyunâs touch, breathing in the crisp air.Â
You flitted your gaze to the balcony attached to the giant chamber, blocked off by a glass door. The royal blue curtains were drawn, giving you a perfect view of the garden it overlooked. Rain fell brutally and little droplets gathered at the screen.Â
Nights like this were a recurring series of events ever since you started sharing a bed with Jaehyun. You would wake in the middle of the night, damp with sweat, screaming your lungs off. Jaehyun would hold you and whisper sweet nothings in your ears, trying to calm you down.Â
If you were being honest, it wasnât Jaehyun that was giving you nightmares, in spite of the fact that the one key element they all shared was that he would be hunting you down in all of them. It was the dangerous lack of sleep you were getting. Interestingly, the monarchy had owls that kept you up at night, and when you finally fell asleep, bad dreams loomed over you.Â
For whatever reason, sleep deprivation made you prone to them. You tried to remind yourself Jaehyun was a great guy and your stupid brain playing tricks on you was not a reflection of his character, but the fact that you consistently had more or less the same dream solely about him made you antsy.Â
Grow up. Dreams donât mean anything. You sound like a little girl afraid of the monsters under her bed, you hissed to yourself, chastising. The fact that it was so silly was enough to make you promptly dismiss your worries.Â
For the three months you had been engaged, Jaehyun took the extra time to get to know you. It was strange, because he didnât need to. Your marriage was a business proposal rather than the kneeling before your lover kind, and both of your parents had influence throughout the country. You had never spoken until then.Â
In spite of that detail, Jaehyun treated you as if he could see himself truly loving you one day. Maybe because he wanted things to be as non-awkward as possible, given that you would be sharing the same bed at night.Â
By day, Jaehyun would flaunt you in front of the media and hold you flush against him at royal events as he did throughout your betrothal. The wedding had to have been the most remarkable occasion of them all. It lasted throughout the entire day, hundreds of thousands of people present to celebrate your nuptials.Â
When you married, you moved into the palace, which was precisely when the nightmares started. Because of those goddamn owls.Â
Some nights later, you shot up again, having yet another nightmare. Noticing the bedside lamp was switched on, you glanced to your side, observing Jaehyun with a book in hand and spectacles sitting squarely on the bridge of his nose. âAnother bad dream?â
You nodded, biting your lip. You felt bad and slightly embarrassed. Never had you and Jaehyun shared a bed until your honeymoon, so his first impression of your sleeping habits were you being prone to crying out in the middle of the night.Â
Jaehyun, setting his book to the side after marking his place, opened his arms for you. You crawled into them without hesitation. Over time, they had started to feel like home. It took the edge off your homesickness.Â
This is your home now. You shivered. Itâs just a dream. Itâs just a dream. Itâs just a very bad fucking dream, you comforted yourself.
Jaehyun whispered tenderly, âTell me what you saw.â
You swallowed and damped your throat. Though you had told him about the owls, you kept to yourself the bit about him chasing you like a serial killer. âItâs a little dark,â you told him in fair warning.Â
Jaehyun didnât seem to give a damn. âItâs only a dream. It canât scare me. Unless a monster is going to hop out of your cute brain and yell, âBoo!ââ
You giggled. Leave it to Jaehyun to make you laugh when you needed it most. He had come to learn your needs over those three months of bonding.
Jaehyun threw you an expectant look. âWell?â
You hesitated, but ultimately gave in. Jaehyun was your husband now, for fuckâs sake. What couldnât you tell him? âWell, every night I have the same nightmare about⌠you. Youâre always chasing me throughout the castle. Every time, I get close to escaping, but you catch me in the end. And then I wake up.â
âItâs not very realistic.âÂ
You pulled back, giving him a look. âHm?â
âI would never chase you,â Jaehyun said. âI will always have you right where I want you.â
Your eyes flickered. It was an unsettling comment, but you tried to let it go. Jaehyun doesnât have an evil bone in his body, you reminded yourself. Heâs harmless.
Jaehyun clambered out of bed, sitting his spectacles on top of his book, and stood on two feet. When you merely watched him with interest, he beckoned you to mirror him. âCome on. I have something to show you.â
Hesitantly you obeyed him, crawling from bed and sliding on your slippers. Following him into the halls, you walked hand in hand with Jaehyun the entire time who had laced his fingers through yours comfortably. The gesture made you smile, no matter how little.Â
Like in your dreams, the corridors were of length and resembled each other almost precisely. High stone walls stood tall, statues at its sides, and chandeliers glared at you from above your heads. Given it was after nightfall, the halls were dimly lit.Â
One of the statues you swore you saw move and give you a mean glower. You asked curiously, âDid you ever break anything when you were a child?â
âNot that I remember. No.â
âHuh,â you retorted. âYou must have been a wonderful child.â
âI stayed in my room and looked out the window,â Jaehyun muttered under his breath.Â
Your eyes flickered.
Jaehyun brought you to a room at the very end of the passage but before he drew the doors open, he told you softly, âClose your eyes.â
You rolled your eyes, but did as told, giggling. Jaehyun got a hold of both of your hands and placed them over your face for safe measure. Then, he drew the doors open, pushing you inside.Â
Jaehyun guided you mysteriously throughout the room and you let him without question. You knew he had switched the lights on, the corners of your vision getting brighter in spite of the dark void, and he stopped you momentarily.Â
âNow, open.â
You slowly opened your eyes, squinting while you adjusted to the bright lights. Then they focused in front of you, and what you saw made you giddy with excitement.Â
âWhoa,â you gasped, running a hand over the grand piano. It was royal blue, monarchical patterns thoughtfully designed over the lid.Â
Jaehyun was sporting the biggest smile you had ever seen. âDo you like it?â
You bobbed your head. During your engagement, you remembered telling Jaehyun, en passant, that you had been enamored with playing pianos since you were little. âYou remembered,â you said quietly, touched.Â
Jaehyunâs dimples showed and it was the cutest thing ever. He spoke softly, âThis was my grandfatherâs piano. He hated bad weather and played it when it stormed. I know that itâs not the same, but I thought that maybe if you played the piano before bed, it would help with your nightmares.â
âThatâs really thoughtful of you, Jaehyun,â you replied, heat spreading through your chest like wildfire. âDo you want me to play you a song?â
âYes,â Jaehyun said and pulled out a chair.Â
You sat on the piano bench, getting comfortable and warming up your fingers lest they cramped in the middle of your impromptu performance. For a multigenerational piano, it was still in perfect condition.Â
âMy mother taught me this,â you told him in preparation.Â
You proceeded to play him a mind-blowing masterpiece, your eyes and hands trained to the keyboard. Jaehyun was dumbfounded that any human being could be so graceful while playing an instrument and kept himself fixed to your supple fingers. He was enamored, knowing then and there that he wanted to hear you play your sweet song forever.Â
Eyes closed, everything disappeared behind the sound of the keys, and you carried yourself to a world where there was nothing but you and your piano. Where no harm could reach you.Â
Me and my song. That's how you got through everything. As long as you had a piano, everything would be okay.Â
When you were done, you glanced up at Jaehyun, studying him for a reaction.Â
Jaehyun was all smiles. He was endlessly proud of you, clasping his hands together in applause when the performance ended. His heart was asking for an encore, and he knew you most likely wanted one yourself. He could see that you were truly at peace when you played, in a world of your own, at your happiest.Â
âYouâre the most talented player I've ever heard,â Jaehyun whispered sweetly.Â
Heat filled your cheeks and you hid it with a roll of your eyes. âYouâre only saying that because Iâm your wife.â
Jaehyun took your hands in his palms again, kissing the back of your palm tenderly. âYou are my talented wife, who I love very much.â
Your heart stopped. His wife. Who he loved. He loved you? You expected to be merely something he had to put up with, but Jaehyun had come to genuinely love you. To say nothing of yourself. This boy had swept you off of your feet in no time at all.Â
âI love you too,â you whispered back, smiling so hard your cheeks hurt. Now that he had done such a thoughtful gesture, you loved him even more.Â
Jaehyun saw the stars in your eyes and squeezed your hand. âAre you ready to go back to bed?â
âYes,â you chirped with glee.Â
Jaehyun hoisted you into his arms bridal style and you squealed in surprise, wreathing your arms around his neck while he carried you back to the bedchamber.Â
You slept soundly after that. No screaming. No nightmares.Â
As it turned out, his grandfatherâs piano was the perfect countermeasure for your night terrors. You were dumbfounded that you actually managed to sleep through the whole night, well rested for the formal dinners and publicity appearances that came with being royalty.
For each of them, you clung flush to Jaehyunâs side, radiant. You didnât speak unless spoken to. It was no question why you of all the women from a handpicked list were selected to become his wife. You had been cautiously groomed for the role, the pretty and obedient little thing meant to stand by the prince's side and carry his children. Especially his son.
Maybe it seemed demeaning, though you had no intention of making waves in the monarchy. You kept in step, rather than marched to the beat of your own drum. You were more than content to silently bathe in their luxuries and confide in your husband.
But it did get lonely.
One lazy afternoon, just after lunch, the king approached you and Jaehyun as the two of you were shooting the breeze in The Great Chamber. You noticed his father first and greeted him respectfully, âGood afternoon, Your Majesty.â
Jaehyun opted for a polite bow.Â
The king motioned his head. âGood afternoon. I am only here to announce your mother-in-law and Iâs departure. We will be traveling abroad on business for a couple of weeks. Your mother-in-law is already with an escort waiting outside the exit hall.â
That baffled Jaehyun. âWhy the abrupt exit?â
âWe have some affairs to attend to that couldnât wait and we owe the prime minister a favor. We will return as briefly as possible.â
Jaehyun nodded. âTravel safely.â
âOf course. And son, the country is yours in our absence,â said the king. Then, he locked eyes with you. âYours as well.â
You were stunned for a couple of seconds, but masked it well and replied demurely, âYes, sir.â
The king bid each of you farewell individually then scurried to the exit hall with his wife to be chauffeured to their private charter.Â
Jaehyun met your eyes with a mischievous smile and said when his parents were out of earshot, âAppears itâs just the two of us.â
âMm-hm,â you hummed, amused by the amount of sheer mischief in his stare. âJust me, you, and the hundred other people that live in this palace.â
Jaehyun chuckled, lifted your wrist, and pressed a sweet kiss to the back of your hand. âWhat if I sent everybody home? You heard my father. Iâm in charge.â
âI also very clearly heard him mention that Iâm in charge too. And I donât think thatâs a very good idea. Whoâs going to make the spoiled princeâs every meal three times a day, everyday?âÂ
âFair point,â Jaehyun mumbled. âDo you really think that Iâm spoiled?â
You replied without skipping a beat, âRotten.â
âWhat a shame,â Jaehyun said. âWould it also be a shame if you came upstairs to spoil me some more?â
âOnly if you didnât spoil me back,â you replied tamely, but Jaehyun could see the unbridled lust in your eyes. It never lied to him.Â
You two scurried through the halls like a pair of hormonal teenagers, staggering towards the elevator with dwindling patience and giggling the entire ride upstairs.Â
When you came to bed that night after spending an undocumented amount of time playing Jaehyun the piano in what was once his grandfatherâs bedchamber, he threw his big arms around your waist and drifted off to the view of your backside.Â
But when you abruptly woke, he was nowhere to be found.
You sat up in a panic. Heâs just using the bathroom. Yeah, that sounds about right, you consoled yourself. The clock stared back at you on the wall, and noting the time, you decided you would wait for him to return.Â
Jaehyun never returned to his bedroom. You watched hours tick away at their own pace, but there was no sign of him. And in lieu of your husbandâs soft snores, you only heard those familiar owls, feet dragging down the hall, and impatient ticking.Â
Which was completely unnerving.
You didnât get any sleep that night. Not until Jaehyun at last came back and worriedly asked why you looked as if you had just finished a twelve-hour shift in the dungeon.Â
Choosing to ignore him, you snarled, âWhere were you?â
Jaehyunâs eyes flickered. âWell, I was in the study. I had some late night affairs to attend to.â
âThe king and queen are absent. Our royal activities have been suspended. There is nothing you could possibly need to take care of at four in the morning,â you pressed, arms folded.Â
âMost of our royal activities have been temporarily suspended,â Jaehyun corrected with a swiftness. âWhy do you think my father left us in control? The country never sleeps.â
You sulked, especially grumpy from the lack of sleep.Â
Jaehyun watched you with surprise. Your grouchy, irritable attitude graveled him, because he couldnât comprehend what he had done that was so wrong. âWhatâs gotten into you?â
You exhaled loudly. Maybe you were overreacting a little. Jaehyun did make a valid point, after all. Somebody still needed to nurse the country in the king and queenâs absence. âIâm sorry. Youâre right. Iâm being unreasonable,â you replied, unable to justify your cynicism.Â
Not to mention you couldnât think of a single other thing that Jaehyun could have been doing so early in the morning. It was a completely plausible excuse, whether you believed it or not. And it wasnât as if Jaehyun had ever given you a reason to doubt him.Â
But the feet dragging through the halls was the second most eerie sound you had ever heard, just after those evil owls that reminded you too much of gargoyles. You chalked it up to some staff members keeping guard on a late shift and gave it up.Â
Jaehyun pried your stubborn hand away from your crossed arms and you let him. His touch was exactly what you needed to soothe your unease. âYou look tired,â he commented. âHave you been sleeping?â
âNo, I was waiting for you to come back,â you grumbled gruffly and stifled a yawn out of habit. It was unladylike, they said.
Jaehyun chuckled in amusement, but scolded, âYou shouldnât wait up for me. Iâm a busy man and a princess needs her beauty sleep.â
âMaybe I feel safe when youâre next to me,â you mumbled under your breath, eyes fixed to his thumb rubbing circles at your wrist.Â
âIâm never far from you, baby,â Jaehyun reassured you gently. âIâm always two steps behind you.â
âBehind me or ahead of me?â
âIâm omnipresent,â Jaehyun whispered and kissed your cheek sweetly. âYou can play the piano. I can sing. Would you like for me to sing you a song?â
âYes,â you replied without stopping to mull it over.Â
Jaehyun told you to lie back down and you obeyed without a second thought, slipping under the blankets. You felt even warmer when he snaked his arms back around you and started to croon softly in your ears, voice tickling your neck and ultimately lulling you back to slumber.Â
Whether or not he got back up after that was entirely unbeknownst to you.Â
You slept so peacefully in Jaehyunâs embrace that you didnât even rouse until afternoon, well after Jaehyun had slipped from bed and told you good morning, whispering something in your ear about how he had duties to attend to.
You, on the other hand, were cleared of any scheduling. Which gave you ample time to explore the gardens.Â
Now sporting a pretty knee-length dress, you had some tea and toast as a makeshift breakfast and scuttled outside in quick, short strides. The grandiose garden was easily your favorite spot in the whole palace. You could get lost in its labyrinth of superbly pruned shrubs and terraces decked in flower petals.Â
For lack of a better word, it was a humbling experience. It made you feel small to be isolated in such a huge garden. You may have been a princess, next in succession to the queenâs throne, but you were also just some girl in a world larger than you would ever know.Â
You could prance around and gawk at pretty flowers day in and day out. It didnât take much to keep you happy. But you rather liked company.Â
When you noticed one of the gardeners you recognized tending to some blossoms, you chirped, âHi, Giselle.â
Giselle greeted you very respectfully, curtsying at your presence. âGreetings, Your Royal Highness.â
âOh, please,â you said, almost rolling your eyes. âYou can call me by my name.â
âThe king and queen wouldnât approve of the informalities, maâam.â
You didnât really give a damn and waved her off, replying nonchalantly, âWhile that is true, the king and queen are not here, and itâs only the two of us in this garden. When we are alone, you may call me by my name and I will call you by yours.â
âIf you insist,â Giselle replied, followed by your name.Â
You smiled triumphantly.Â
From your previous encounters and run-ins, you had already gathered that Giselle unfortunately wasnât very much of a talker, though you couldnât fault her. She did what she was told and minded the business that paid her. Literally. It would do her no good to kindle conflict in the monarchy.Â
âThese flowers are pretty,â you remarked absentmindedly.Â
Giselle hummed. âTheyâre azaleas.â
âElegance, temperance, and death,â you said knowledgeably, staring from the terrace.Â
Which surprised Giselle. âAre you into flower symbolism?â
You shrugged. âI know a thing or two.â
âHm.â
You pointed to some other flowers. They were very recognizable to you at this point. âThose are white roses. Purity, innocence, loyalty, and fresh beginnings. Itâs no secret why they were scattered all over my wedding.â
âSecrecy and silence,â Giselle added offhandedly.
For a couple of seconds, that, metaphorically speaking, threw you off balance. âThat too,â you said quietly.
Giselle said nothing.Â
You considered making peace with the silence, but with your thoughts at daggers drawn with one another, you quickly accepted that wouldnât be possible. Secrecy and silence. There was no doubt it suited the monarchs aptly. Sometimes you even wondered what you knew about Jaehyun, because he was ghastly private.
Maybe you werenât the closest of married couples, but you knew enough. Jaehyun liked music and singing. He was introverted and quite shy, which was laughable when considering that he was soon to become king. He was calm and sensitive. Sensual, but reticent.Â
Jaehyun already made clear he loved you. Maybe with time, he would show you his heart.Â
Then, you had another thought. Secret, but not so much silent. âHey, Giselle,â you called out. âDo you ever hear strange noises in the palace?â
âI donât know what you mean. Everything is normal in the royal palace.â
You frowned. It hit you that you never asked Jaehyun if they bothered him. It was possible that growing up in the castle had numbed him. âI hear owls at night.âÂ
âThat is because there are owls and they are nocturnal. We havenât tried to get rid of them because they are helpful with the garden,â was all Giselle said.Â
âWell, sure,â you mumbled, because it was an entirely logical explanation. âBut what about the noises I hear in the hallway?â
âSome employees take late shifts to keep guard of the palace. They are merely monitoring the halls.â
That was what you told yourself, because it was completely reasonable. But something about this place gave you a bad gut feeling and left a bitter taste in your mouth. You couldnât explain it, because it was just a hunch.Â
âIn all due respect, what you hear is elementary. Word of advice? Believe what I tell you now or get two hours of sleep at night later.â
You recoiled in surprise. âExcuse me?âÂ
Giselle turned around, glanced around for any watchful eyes, and made eye contact with you. She stepped onto the terrace and whispered, âI hear scratches in the walls and cries in the floorboards. You can rationalize footsteps in the hallway, but whimpers in the chamber? Not so easy. Convince yourself that itâs nothing while you still can.â
âIf I have to convince myself that itâs nothing then that means thereâs something,â you shot back, looking her plain in the eye. Which also meant there was something she wasnât telling you. âWhat are you hiding?âÂ
Giselle wavered, hesitant. She wore it on her face. Her body language was screaming at you and you desperately wanted to know what it was saying. âYouâre royalty,â she finally said after a moment. âYou have lived lavishly your whole life without ever needing to worry about a thing. Maybe I envy what you have, but Iâm not telling you this from a black heart when I say my woes are not yours.â
You didnât bristle, but softened. She was opening up to you, and you knew there was more to this tangent of hers.Â
âI come from a poor background and work here to provide for my household,â she said tamely, harboring no resentment whatsoever. She wasnât the least bit vindictive. âBecause of that, I canât afford to poke my nose where it doesnât belong. Even if it keeps me up at night.â
âThe noises,â you said. âThey keep you up at night?â
âBecause of that piano,â Giselle grumbled under her breath.Â
âWhat?â
Giselle pivoted and walked back to the plants, dismissing your concern. âIâve already said too much. Please, mention this to nobody. But if you must, leave my name out.â
You nodded. âOff the record.â
Giselle smiled thinly.Â
Backpedaling, you pointed to another shrubbery of flowers. âWhat are those?â
âHydrangeas. They might seem high maintenance, but they are fairly easy to take care of. The queen loves them, so I give them some extra attention,â Giselle told you while hoisting a watering pot.Â
You hummed. âBlue flowers.â
âDesire, love, and infinity,â Giselle sighed poignantly.Â
For half an hour, you volunteered to help Giselle with her gardening duties before she shooed you away, claiming you had done enough of her responsibilities. You wandered in the garden still, lingering, just outside of Jaehyunâs bedchamber window.
When you glanced up, you saw him watching you fondly through the balcony screen, and waved him down with a beaming smile.
Jaehyun was downstairs in a flash, sporting chinos and a casual blazer. He looked very handsome, which was nothing new for him. Plus with his pretty brown eyes and adorable dimples that were both impossible to not get lost in, you had to will yourself not to swoon.
âHi,â you greeted.Â
âHi,â Jaehyun replied, mirroring you. Except he leaned in to snake his arms just below your ribs and kissed the corner of your mouth.Â
You smiled at his affections, though they had disarmed you a long time ago. His ability to unsettle you when he was gone but soothe you when he touched you was to be studied. âHow has your day been so far?â
Jaehyun groaned. âNext subject.â
That got a chuckle out of you. Being the ruler of a country was no easy feat, but if there was anybody fitted for the role, it was Jaehyun. âHopefully your parents havenât left you with too much trouble.â
Jaehyun shrugged his shoulders. âI want to relax. You look like youâre having fun.â
âSomething like that.âÂ
You decided against confiding in him about the reality of your day thus far. Not because you didnât trust him, but because you werenât sure of anything yourself. Giselle had mentioned something about the piano he had gifted you. Jaehyun might have been your best bet at knowing what she meant, but you needed to do a little more investigating before you got him involved.Â
Now that you had another personâs opinion, you could say with total confidence that you werenât crazy. There was something spooky going on in the monarchy and you wanted to know what.Â
For now, you would shove the thought to a corner in the back of your mind. Days at the palace were full of whimsical fun. The nights were terrifying.Â
Speaking of whimsical fun, Jaehyun spoke up and asked, âDo you want to ride the ferry with me?â
That caught your attention. âFerry?â
âYeah. Thereâs a huge lake down this path and we have a mini ferry that travels from one end to the other. You interested?â
âSign me up,â you exclaimed enthusiastically.Â
Getting a hold of your hand, Jaehyun walked you through the courtyard to the wooden dock at the top of the lake. Unsurprisingly, it had a decorated roofed patio with a lounging nook to wait for the vessel to return.
Fortunately for you, it was already waiting at the dock, unoccupied save for the captain Jaehyun had called up during your relaxed walk to the boating site.Â
Jaehyun helped you aboard, having done this more times than he cared to admit. When you were safely secured on the tiny ferry, you thanked him for being a gentleman and watched him climb aboard himself.Â
The captain exited the wheelhouse. âOnce to and from, Your Royal Highness?â
âMake it twice. We have time to waste,â said Jaehyun, looking at you with all the affections a man could possess.Â
Shortly afterwards, you started moving. You stood beside Jaehyun and gripped the railing, watching the water splash beneath the boat. This place was beautiful, no doubt. Your choice to get married in the garden was unregretted.Â
Eerily beautiful, you thought. Though you loved the garden, there were a couple of places you avoided. Mainly the ones that made appearances in your nightmares, like the shed.Â
The silence was comfortable, both you and Jaehyun soaking in the view, but you broke it to say, âYouâre an only child.â
âI guess you could say that.â
You gave him a look. âWhat do you mean?âÂ
Jaehyun shook his head, dismissive. âNothing. Keep talking.â
You were curious, wanting to know all there was on this boy, but let it go for his sake. âDoesnât it get lonely - alone in this big palace? Your parents are busy nurturing the country like itâs their own child.â
Jaehyun didnât show a single fucking emotion on his face, though that was far from shocking by now. When it was time to get personal, he became the iciest man you knew. His cold indifference somehow burned you.
You grimaced when you saw his face. âSorry if I crossed a line.â
âNo, itâs okay,â Jaehyun replied, giving you a reassuring kiss to the cheek. âI was lonely before I met you. No siblings. Few people I could trust. When I was young, I learned rather quickly that life is a game of survival. You can never be too sure whoâs friend or foe.â
You listened attentively, nestling closer to his chest.Â
âI was taught to be my own guard, in a way. And thereâs nobody to blame but myself for chasing away everybody who tries to get close. But then you came,â Jaehyun said, smiling at you adoringly. âAnd there was an instant connection. I think I saw pieces of myself inside of you.â
âYou did?â
Jaehyun bobbed his head. âYeah. Some people see this meek, demure princess, but I see the woman that almost cooked my ass when I wasnât tucked into bed with her,â he joked, getting a laugh out of you.Â
You giggled.Â
Jaehyun was smiling like an idiot. It was cute and wholesome. âOn a serious note, I see somebody strong and assertive. Somebody whoâs not afraid to fight for what they want, even if it means going through hell and back. Somebody unbroken and undeterred.â
âMm-hm. And you liked that,â you hummed, giving him a hooded stare.Â
âYou have no idea,â Jaehyun purred before leaning in to smash his lips against yours.
You giggled into his mouth. Your heart skipped a beat or two when Jaehyun kissed you, tempted to leap into the palm of his hands where she belonged. The Jaehyun you had come to know was a romantic and there was nothing more romantic than making out with your lover on a beautiful ferry ride.Â
Except for making love with your lover below a beautiful ferry ride.Â
âBelow deck,â Jaehyun murmured in your ear, delicately slipping his hands from your waist to lace his fingers through yours. You didnât hesitate to follow him through the little hall, coming out in a bedroom at its very end.Â
You hardly even got to stand long enough to take note of your surroundings before Jaehyun hoisted you up and threw you against the silk sheets. You cried out in shock. Jaehyun had taken you more times than you bothered to count, but you were in awe at how rough the prince got when it came to sex.
When Jaehyun crept over you, staring at you with a blend of awe and unbridled lust in those pretty brown eyes of his, you combed your fingers through his dark hair and drew his mouth to yours again.Â
You could hear your heart thudding in your ears as you kissed him slowly. Your lips only knew each other and you could taste the ecstasy on the tip of your tongue. To say nothing of the touches. While you were fisting his hair, Jaehyun stripped you naked, tossing your dress and groping your perfect breasts.Â
Jaehyun was warm to the touch, but his fingers never failed to make you shiver. âI love the way your lips feel,â you confessed when he separated from your mouth.Â
Only to kiss his way down your stomach, lips gentle and tender. Jaehyun cocked you a glance and grinned. âAnd what about my dick?â
âDonât ask stupid questions. I love your dick, duh, but thatâs a different conversation deserving of its own speech. Particularly a long-winded one with a very heartfelt peroration at the climax.â
Jaehyunâs head bobbed as he snickered at the thought, before teasing, âWell, we have the Great Chamber for that when youâre ready. Feel free.â
Your laughter rang out in the little bedroom. Then, Jaehyun switched on a dime, dragging your legs towards the edge of the bed before spreading them apart like jelly and burying his face between your thighs.Â
Every time Jaehyun took you to bed, you remembered the first night of your honeymoon. When he took you to a cabin in the woods in Aprilâs spring, flipped you over, and made you cry for all the forest to hear. By day, you watched nature and waltzed to his many vinyls, and by night, you made love for hours.Â
And to think that was only a month ago. You felt as if youâd loved Jaehyun for years.
Jaehyun ate you out until you came undone at the mercy of his brutal tongue, clamping his palms at your thighs while you convulsed and shuddered, and undulated. Fuck, he knew your body too well. You arched off the bed one final time then slumped down, defeated.
You gawked in disbelief while he watched you scramble for breath with a cocked brow. Your bodyâs capacity for pleasure knew no bounds when Jaehyun was the one pleasing you. âReady to take my cock?â he asked, excitement nipping sharply in his chest at the thought of ruining you.
You nodded your head almost instantly. Your lack of patience was written all over you and you wanted him. Right now.
Jaehyunâs hands were quick to reach for his cock, steering himself skillfully to bury himself inside of your pussy. A wet sound filled the air when he sank inside and you instantly moaned his name as though it was an instinct.Â
You drove Jaehyun mad when you called out his name like that; with pining and desperation, and everything in between. Heaven had brought you to him and fate would keep you by his side until the very end.Â
âJay,â came your airy voice. Just being filled with your husbandâs cock made you feel like you were elevating, ascending into the air.Â
Your sounds were euphoric and drove Jaehyun to the very brink of madness, and with the last of his restraint gone, he was impelled to move at long last, thrusting into you at a leisurely yet hard pace. He lowered his face to meet yours, lips locked in a wet smack. You were skin to skin, your stiff nipples pressed against his bare chest.Â
Every moment was as special as the first. As a woman groomed to become a figure of importance, you were raised to remain chaste until marriage. And the day you exchanged vows with Jaehyun, he made your whole body shudder.Â
âGod is a woman,â Jaehyun rasped, heart racing so quickly it might have burst. You were warm all over and his hands roamed every nook of your body, every curve.Â
Even though you wanted to laugh, all that came from your mouth was a breathless moan. Moments like these where you knew nothing but Jaehyun, scooped into his strong arms, you couldnât help but realize how lucky you were. Not a second went by where you took him for granted.
Things couldâve been different. Jaehyun could have been an insufferable spoiled prick that acted entitled to his wife, but he was far from the visions of him you saw in your nightmares. You were grateful to be married to a man that both respected you and valued your happiness.Â
You locked your legs around him, pulling him into you deeper, and kissed him until the two of you were gasping for air. âYou get me so wet, Jay,â you whispered, tangling your fingers through his head.
At those words, Jaehyun released an animalistic growl, so aroused you thought he might break. His thoughts revolved solely around you. How much like poison you were. How outrageously perfect you were. Head to toe.Â
You beamed with pride, pleased to have such a dangerous effect on your husband. The two of you meeting each other was mutually assured destruction. Nothing had been the same since Jaehyun laid eyes on you. When he saw you for the first time, he knew that he had to have you.Â
While your body rocked from the sheer force of Jaehyunâs thrusts, the boat gently thrashed in the water. Your breasts bounced and the sight had made Jaehyun lose what was left of his mind. One day, in the none too distant future, they would be swollen with milk and Jaehyun imagined you carrying his children.Â
That thought alone could have finished him. He thought of it every time he fucked you full of cum, pumping his load inside of you rough and deep, just the way you begged for him to. Watching your belly swell with your shared child would do unspeakable things to Jaehyunâs psyche.Â
Part of you drowned out the sounds of the water splattering against the boat in favor of listening to Jaehyunâs relentless groans. Your husband always had a flair for the romantic. Hopelessly, he used to think, until he met you.Â
Staring up at Jaehyun, you were bewitched by the gentle gracefulness of his features, especially as they tensed with unbridled pleasure. âCan I tell you something?â you asked.Â
Jaehyun nodded his head. âAnything,â he whispered.Â
âYou smell so good.â
Jaehyunâs laughter rang out in your ears. The sight and sound brought a smile to your face. You didnât know anyone with a more perfect laugh and you would give anything to see it again. âThatâs so random.â
âBut true,â you added, inhaling his scent the closer he got to your naked chest. There was hardly any space between you two at all.Â
Jaehyun was all smiling from ear to ear. âCan I tell you something?â
âAlways.â
Jaehyun leaned into your ear, deepening his voice to a breathtaking whisper, âYouâre the most beautiful person Iâve ever seen.â
Your heart stopped. There was something about his voice tickling your earlobe that made you gush and tighten around his cock. After searching for the ability to speak, you replied, âFunny. I feel the same way about you.â
Jaehyun chuckled deeply and you swore you became lightheaded. âYeah?â
âCan I tell you one more thing?â
âGo for it.â
âIâm about to cum,â you told him, climax threatening to rip you apart.Â
âIâm gonna make you cum,â Jaehyun said, voice dark with determination. You gasped when his fingers sank to your clit and his thumb teased your bundle of nerves.Â
Heat swallowed you whole. You couldnât process all of the sensations that your body was experiencing all at once. A scream came out of your mouth and Jaehyun stifled them with his palm as you trembled with orgasm, cursing the stars.Â
Jaehyun didnât stop fucking until he was certain that you couldnât take anymore. You went round after round, fisting the sticky sheets, grateful that he chose to take two trips across the lake. You had time to kill.Â
Your body was worn and utterly spent when Jaehyun was finished with you. You fell slack against the sheets, unable to move your stiff limbs. Given that Jaehyun was left with more than a handful of responsibilities, it shouldâve come to you as no shock that he took his stress out on you.
And you were more than eager to let him. When Jaehyun made love to you, the power he wielded over you was endless. Your body was seized by him and your heart was his on a platter.Â
âI love you,â Jaehyun whispered deeply in your ear. It was enough to drive any woman mad. You were too breathless to say anything back, chest undulating.Â
For a couple of moments neither of you could hardly move and you stayed nestled into each otherâs side till you regained the strength to hunt for your tossed clothes. Flush against Jaehyunâs skin, the sexual tension still lingered, and he was overwhelmingly aware of how naked you were.Â
After quickly redressing yourselves, you just sat on the bed for a little longer, feeling the boat still sway and knowing you werenât back home. Jaehyunâs hand was flat against your backside, never letting you forget that he was at your side.Â
You tried to fend off some wandering thoughts, but your curiosity got the better of you and you surrendered to your need to know. âJaehyun, I have something to tell you.â
Your tone was not lost on him. âIt sounds serious.â
âYeah, kind of,â you replied, swallowing the taste in your throat that made you nauseous. âItâs about my dreams. Itâs not just the owl noises. I think thereâs something else going on.â
Jaehyunâs brows were furrowed. âLike what?â
There was a lump in your throat. After you confided in him about your doubts and suspicions, there was no going back. âLike the piano,â you said, unsure of yourself.Â
Jaehyunâs demeanor shifted suddenly, aggressively. He went from cool and collected to stern on a dime, chastising, âStop looking.â
His tone affronted you. âExcuse me?â
âItâs for your own safety. You need not to worry your pretty little head.â
Narrowing your eyes, you pressed, âSo there is something going on that youâre not telling me.â
Jaehyun exhaled a heavy breath, smoothing a hand through his hair. âPromise me youâll stop prying. This is serious. I will tell you everything that you need to know when itâs time.â
âJaehyun, you know I canât promise that,â you whispered.Â
âPlease,â Jaehyun said, eyes glistening.Â
God, he was begging you? It had to have been serious. You couldnât fathom him pleading for you not to investigate otherwise. But rather than discourage you, it only intensified your will to get to the bottom of the matter.Â
Massaging your temple, you sighed, âOkay. Pinky promise.â
You giggled when Jaehyun interlocked his pinky finger with yours, but you werenât certain how long you would be capable of keeping that promise.Â
Soon after your confession, the captain signaled that the boat had returned to the dock. Jaehyun led you back through the narrow hallway with your hand in his, as if nothing had happened.Â
The sex. The little divulgence that followed. Heâs way too naturally gifted at slipping back into this royal character, you realized. In a way, you already knew that. Jaehyun could fuck the daylights out of you then smile and wave at the media as if he was their innocent successor to the throne.
Though this was different. Jaehyun obviously had no intention of letting you know exactly what he was hiding any time soon. And if he thought you would just sit around and wait for answers, he had severely underestimated you just like every other man in this country.Â
Something unforgivably dark and sinister was happening. That was undeniable. You just needed to find out what.
Hours came and went, as did people. Jaehyun was right, you supposed. The country never slept. The palace alone was bustling with life at all times.Â
Which made you think. If both you and Giselle were apprehensive of the obvious skeletons the monarchy had in its closet, there was no way you were alone. Somebody else had to know something. Somebody with just as much to lose.Â
You just had to play your cards right. Giselle didnât lie when she said that she had a lot more at stake than you. Even if the royal family abandoned you for whatever reason, you had the safety net of your own wealthy family to fall back on. Not everybody was as fortunate.Â
When the sun set below the horizon, Jaehyun accompanied you to his grandfatherâs bedchamber, though only because you didnât want him to grow suspicious. The piano was the only way to bulldoze your ceaseless thoughts. You were lost in your own head.Â
âI love you, Jaehyun,â you told him out of nowhere.
Jaehyun looked pleasantly surprised. It wasnât often you confessed your affections. âWhereâs this coming from?â
Your mind wandered back to earlier. Though you werenât happy about him brushing off your concerns, your heart couldnât deny the way it thumped for him. âI never said it back. And you didnât make me.â
âBecause I already know.â
You blew out a breath. Your heart told you not to risk losing his trust, but your mind was screaming that he was keeping something from you. Days ago, you wouldâve been more than content with submissively obeying your husbandâs commands.Â
But peace had never been an option.Â
It wasnât long before you crept into bed with each other. You slept peacefully and uninterrupted by any nightmares. Again.Â
Breakfast was spent together as always. Now that his parents had left the two of you in charge, it was often the only time you had available in the mornings to share.Â
Any other morning, you would complain, but you were waiting with bated breath for the opportunity to get away and sneak around like a thief in the night. You werenât keen on lying to Jaehyun, but he would just have to understand the rationale. You couldnât keep living antsily.Â
You spread some butter on your toast and asked, âWould you like to visit the markets with me this afternoon?â
Jaehyun frowned. Had he not been so busy, he wouldâve done whatever you wanted. You wondered why your schedule was so clear, because when Jaehyun was preoccupied, half the time so were you. âI would love to, but the committee needs my opinion on some political stuff.â
Your tone was disappointed, âPolitical stuff?âÂ
Jaehyun nodded. He seemed to have fallen for it somehow. âI wonât bore you with the details.â
âWell, I wonât keep you, then,â you said, taking a sip of steaming hot coffee. Jaehyun had made it for you just the way he knew that you liked it.Â
âAre you trying to get rid of me? Iâm not expected to be present for another fifteen minutes.â Jaehyunâs tone was light, but the accusation made your heart beat faster.
Donning your most innocent voice, you assured him, âOf course not. I just know how much you like to be punctual.â
âThat is true,â Jaehyun muttered.Â
Ironically, the hours seemed to drag on, because you couldnât wait for Jaehyun to leave for once. The second he was finally far out of your vicinity you discarded your leftovers and prepared yourself for the grueling task ahead of you.Â
Only when you emerged from the dining hall and set out on your little exploit did it occur to you that you didnât have even the slightest clue who to ask. A couple of servants had been around quite longer than others, yet they were dreadfully tight-lipped. But for good reason.Â
Bumping into a younger one, you exclaimed, âOh, good heavens! Pardon me, Mr. Kim.â
Jungwoo bowed gracefully and replied, âNo, I apologize, Your Highness. Iâll pay closer attention.â
âItâs fine. Iâve been out of it since I got out of bed with Jaehyun,â you confessed, flashing a courteous smile.Â
To your surprise, Jungwoo threw you a baffled glance. âYou share a bed with the prince?â
âYes, he is my husband. Is that odd?â
âIâm surprised. It goes against tradition. The king and queen have always had separate bedrooms,â Jungwoo told you, scratching the back of his neck.Â
That was news. Though given how secretive these people were, everything was news to you. âI didnât know that.â
Jungwoo rifled through his pockets for a spare key, pressing it into a lock on a nearby door as he rambled, âI wouldnât either, but my dad worked here. And my granddad. With their debts, they passed down useless knowledge.â
Your interest was quickly piqued. Maybe you didnât need to take your chances with an older worker after all. Jungwoo, way more affable and approachable, bore the knowledge of generations. âNo knowledge is useless.â
âYeah, maybe, but itâs not exactly power,â Jungwoo said, grabbing some items out of a utility closet.
âWhat do you mean?â
You watched Jungwoo shut the door and promptly lock it behind himself. âThere are some things itâs better you donât know, maâam.â
âIâm sick of other people telling me whatâs best for me,â you grumbled irritably. âI already know about the piano. Well, kind of.â
Jungwooâs entire attitude flipped on a dime. Glancing across the hallway twice as if he was preparing to cross a road, he dropped his items on a cart and spoke softly, âFollow me.â
Obviously, you were confused, but you didnât dare disobey. This mightâve been your only chance at getting closer to the truth.
Jungwoo led you to a door hidden behind the stairway with a big sign warding off intruders, though it was locked, as to be expected. This family apparently couldnât afford to take any chances. With what, you had no clue.Â
Strangely enough, Jungwoo had a key and wheeled his cart inside of the room after it clicked open. You curiously trailed behind him once he locked it behind you, wanting to know all there was to learn about this place.
There was a chain to your right and Jungwoo tugged on it, watching the lights barely flicker on. It was dim and empty, and though it was a test of your willpower, you fought off your nerves and remained unbroken.Â
Narrowing into a hallway, the entrance seemed to go on for a hundred miles and a half. Your footsteps bounced off every wall and the sound made you nervous. Of course, Jungwoo would never in his life knowingly lead you astray and you chose to have faith in the belief that heâd never bring you straight to danger.Â
But it made you wonder. If you recalled correctly, Giselle mentioned something about scratching in the walls. Your understanding of architecture was limited, but this place had to be built in between other parts of the castle.Â
Weird, you whispered to yourself, rubbing your arms. It seemed that the deeper you went down this hallway, the colder the air got.Â
âWatch your step. Itâs creaky,â Jungwoo warned, leaving his cart in the hall. You glanced around him to see what he was talking about and that was when you noticed another set of stairs.
You shook your head and cursed, âPardon my language, but Jesus Christ - how deep does this shit go?â
Jungwoo chuckled. âToo deep, maâam.â
You had no strength to tell him to drop the titles. This was a few conversations far from your first encounter with Jungwoo and he respectfully declined each of your suggestions for him to call you by your name.Â
The floorboards did indeed creak as you stepped down them and the sound couldnât have been any more unnerving. You appreciated Jungwoo dutifully walking in front of you as if he was defending you with his life. Not that there was anything down here to jump out and get you.Â
You hoped.Â
Whatever disaster of a room that you just walked inside of was far from what you expected this staircase to lead to, though you werenât too sure. At the end of the seemingly never-ending hallway was nothing but a pile of junk. If you were being frank, it looked like a bunch of hungry wild animals had a field day. Things had been tossed. Almost as if a fight of some kind had unraveled here.Â
It was a hot mess. The place looked a solid minute away from crumbling in on itself, and that was you being generous. Your arm hairs were standing at attention now. You took one good look at the barrels just shy of you, noted the temperature, and pieced together why.Â
âItâs⌠a cellar,â you said, noticeably disappointed.Â
âIt was a cellar,â Jungwoo told you, glancing around and wrinkling his nose. âThis room hasnât been used for at least a decade.â
Voice dripping with sarcasm, you deadpanned, âYou donât say.â
âOh, I say.â
Your lips parted and the room echoed with your laughter. You were very grateful that Jungwoo made you laugh, because it helped you forget how anxious everything about your surroundings made you. âWhy?â
Jungwoo outwardly processed every emotion and confusion was the most expressive of the plenty. âPardon?â
âWhy did you bring me here?â
Jungwoo stepped forward, inspecting the walls as if he was checking for damages. And there were many. âBecause I have something to tell you that I can tell nobody,â Jungwoo said, his usually chipper tone borderline stern. âBut first I need you to tell me what you know.â
Those werenât exactly inviting words, but it was Jungwoo. You could trust him. Or maybe you wanted to, at least, but you couldnât even trust Jaehyun. You confessed, âAssuming you mean the piano, itâs nothing much. But I know itâs connected. To the sounds I hear at night, I mean.â
âOh, the walking. And the whispers,â Jungwoo said like it was the most normal thing in the world.Â
You shook your head in disappointment. You werenât fucking crazy and Jaehyunâs family wasnât going to trick you into thinking that you were. âI knew I wasnât the only one.â
Jungwooâs tone was only slightly accusatory, âJaehyun doesnât know that youâre investigating.â
You frowned. He was a little too good at this. âYou didnât phrase that like a question.â
âThereâs no way that he would let you get this close.â
âItâs been justified,â you huffed, irritated. All this secrecy and suspense was killing you. You just wanted to get to the heart of⌠whatever. Â
Skeptical, Jungwooâs head was tilted. His loyalty was in you, but also the heir. âHas it?â
You donned your most assertive voice and reasoned, âJaehyun is obviously keeping something from me. Things that keep me up at night for hours. I refuse to continue my life in such a manner. Itâs an eye for an eye.â
Jungwoo listened to your rant and agreed that your actions were justified. Thus he would be keeping this between the two of you. With a nod, Jungwoo replied, âOkay, I understand.â
You nodded. âGood.â
âBut I also understand the prince.â
Your eyes darted to Jungwoo.Â
Before you could part your lips to speak, Jungwoo added, âBecause once you know the truth, it spreads and festers like a wildfire. If you let it, it can consume you. Thatâs why I hate that you know this.â
âI donât know anything,â you grumbled.Â
âJaehyunâs grandfather used to own that piano in his bedchamber,â Jungwoo started, passing down what only moments ago he thought was useless info.Â
âYes, I know. Jaehyun told me.â
âYeah, well, his grandfather was extremely territorial with the piano,â Jungwoo said hesitantly. âIf there was a problem, he cleaned it himself. Mended it himself.â
You were yet to understand what that had to do with anything. âSounds like he just didnât want anybody touching his stuff.â
âThatâs what my dad thought, but apparently anybody who touched it either died mysteriously or disappeared without a trace soon after.â
Your expression shifted from confused to painfully perplexed. âThatâs foolish.â
âI told you that my father worked here. He thought it was rubbish. Then, one day after leaving to clean that very bedchamber, he never came back home,â Jungwoo said, willing himself to keep it together. After so many years, grief was a nonfactor. Despair was channeled into anger.
âJungwooâŚ,â you trailed, choosing your words carefully. You knew what it was like to lose somebody. âAre you sure?â
Jungwooâs eyes were sharper than you had ever seen them. You never knew such an easy-going guy was harboring so much pain. âIâve been told that because Iâm grieving a loss, Iâll believe anything for closure. I donât agree. Thereâs something fishy going on and unlike the others, Iâm not afraid to admit it to myself.â
âThis is a lot,â you told him.Â
Jungwoo nodded, wholly aware. âTrue, but it doesnât stop there. Did you know that Jaehyun had an older brother?â
Your shoulders stiffened, because you recalled mentioning that Jaehyun was an only child yesterday, and he became deflective. âNo, I didnât.â
âYeah, four years older. Apparently, he died after falling out of a window.â
You grimaced. âHe commited suicide?â
âSo the story goes,â Jungwoo answered, but his tone said loud and clear that he didnât buy it for one goddamn minute. âAnd get this - he fell from the window of his grandfatherâs bedchamber.â
Scratching the back of your head, you asked skeptically, âHow come the public didnât know about the first-born son?â
Jungwoo snorted. âI had a feeling that you would ask. The royal family waits five years before announcing the birth of their children. Isnât that convenient?â
âAlmost too convenient,â you mumbled under your breath. If Jaehyunâs older brother died just shy of five years old, that wouldâve simplified the process of covering up his death.Â
Jungwoo glanced over at you, aching. And maybe a little desperate. âDo you believe me?â
A tiny sigh escaped your mouth and you planted your palm on your forehead, overwhelmed by the load of information that was just dumped on you and unsure what to do with its weight. âIf what youâre saying is true, this is dangerous,â you replied levelly.Â
Jungwoo huffed, âYouâre telling me.â
âBut Jaehyun and I have touched the piano on several occasions. I play it every night just so that I donât have to hear those godawful noises,â you added, hesitating. âShouldnât I be dying?â
Jungwoo fell silent for a sudden, mulling something over. Then, he said quietly, âThere is another possibility...â
âWhat?â
âPerpetuity,â was Jungwooâs response, voice quieting even though only you were there to hear him. âThis one Iâm not so sure of. The rumor is that if you touch the piano, you meet one of two fates. Death at your hand, or being condemned to your worst nightmare. It sounds like bullshit.â
His confidence seemed to waver, but you were interested. You were driven by a determination to discover all there was to know about this godforsaken place. âHow exactly is one condemned to their own nightmare?â
âYour deepest fear will become your ultimate fate,â Jungwoo explained, wrapping his arms around his torso. âYour worst nightmare will come to life. And youâll live it everyday until you die.â
You devolved into nipping cold shudders. And it had little to nothing to do with the basically subzero temperature of the room that you occupied. Of course, Jungwoo didnât mean literal nightmares, but it didnât help that not too long ago you were being haunted by bad dreams.Â
Your worst fear was living the same day for the rest of your life. Adventure was your natural instinct and curiosity was your vice. Itâs what you stood for and a part of yourself that you refused to negotiate. You couldâve had every dollar that the world had to offer, but you would never gamble away your freedom.Â
Thankfully, this life gave you more than enough. So what you were expected to be beautiful and ladylike when people had their eyes fixed to you. Did it matter? That didnât change that when there was nobody there to judge you, you were liberated.Â
Because it had always been that way, ever since you were a kid. You knew that to some people your existence served one purpose. And you didnât care. You got to be yourself in the solace of this gigantic palace.Â
At least for now. Freedom came with a sacrifice; your own sanity and peace of mind. And truth be told, you werenât sure if it was a fair trade.Â
âIâve been having these dreams,â you started, swallowing.Â
âWhat kind of dreams?â
âBad ones,â you confessed, wanting to curl into yourself. Those dreams put the fear of god into you. âWhen the noises werenât keeping me awake, these nightmares would take their turn. Jaehyun hunted me down in all of them. And I would wake up after he catches me.â
Jungwoo noticed that your voice was a little shaky and offered you a compassionate hand squeeze, saying, âItâs okay. Theyâre not real. Jaehyun wouldnât hurt you.â
âI know, butâŚ,â you trailed. âI had them repeatedly. Same dream, different night. The only other difference was that they would happen in another place. But they stopped after Jaehyun started taking me to play the piano before bed.â
Jungwoo stiffened. âThatâs⌠convenient.â Like a lot of things here.Â
âI know,â you agreed, shaking your head. Just the thought of Jaehyun was making you tremble with anger. You knew he was secretive, but it felt like he was borderline lying to you.Â
Then again, Jaehyun didnât deny that there was something that he was keeping from you. Instead of telling you cheap excuses of consolations, he admitted that there was something grave enough he couldnât even confide in you about it. And you didnât know if that was worse.Â
Things were beginning to appear increasingly more eerie. âDo you want to know why I took you down here?â Jungwoo asked quietly.
Bobbing your head, you shifted to give Jungwoo your undivided attention. Something about the vibes of this room put you off. You didnât like it. You could sense that something heinous had occurred maybe in the very spot that you stood.Â
âThe princeâs grandfather spent a lot of time down here.â
âReally?â
Jungwoo nodded. âApparently, he flipped out one day and trashed the whole place. It happened a few days before he passed, so the story goes. Then, they relocated the cellar and closed this room off.â
That explains the mess, you thought to yourself. But not much else. âWhy would they do that?â
âLike hell I know,â Jungwoo replied with a shrug of his shoulders. âMy bet is that theyâre hiding something. Which we already knew, but I get lost every time I try to figure out what it is exactly.â
âYou arenât the only one,â you droned, releasing a pained breath.Â
Jungwoo mustered a smile, but it was thin. âWell, if itâs quite alright, I would like to return to my duties, Your Highness.â
âYes, of course. Thank you for everything. Youâve been a great help,â you said, bowing respectfully in gratitude.Â
Jungwoo mirrored your movement. âItâs been a pleasure,â he told you sweetly. âI canât skip out on my daily responsibilities, but if you ever need me, say the word and Iâll come.â
After thanking Jungwoo again and him assuring you that you werenât in any way indebted to him, you trailed him up the creaky stairs and headed your own separate ways.
The brightness of the hallway compared to the lifeless cellar made you squint your eyes and wobble towards the edge of the stairs as you took a moment to readjust. Your brain also needed a second to process the newfound information. Now you had more answers, but twice as many questions.Â
Maybe Jungwoo was right. Maybe knowledge wasnât power; it was a burden. But you were already in too deep to quit looking.Â
Jaehyun was too preoccupied to accompany you to his grandfatherâs former bedchamber tonight and thus you opted out of the visit altogether. Of course, you knew what would inevitably happen if you didnât press those keys, but you had an aggressive curiosity to sate.
The piano and your dreams were related. You knew that now. But if one of the pianoâs unpredictable fates was to prolong its victims' agony, how come it abated yours instead?
For half a second, you wondered if Jungwoo was really telling the truth. You wanted to believe him, you really did, but something came to you and whispered not to trust anyone.Â
Not even Jaehyun. Hell, especially not Jaehyun.Â
Pulling the blankets over his thighs, Jaehyun glanced over to you as he crawled into bed and asked, âDid you have a good day without me?â
âIt was long without you,â you replied, plopping a glass of water at your bedside in case you got thirsty.Â
âIâm sure. What did you do?â
âA little bit of everything. I had the most wonderful dinner. I only wish you couldâve stuck around for dessert. The chef said he misses cooking in front of you.â It was only partly a lie. Your weakened appetite wouldnât allow you to eat in spite of the full-course meals prepped for you.Â
Jaehyun was smiling at some passing memories of him tagging along with you to aggravate the chef with curious banter. Though you mainly did all of the talking. âThatâs good,â he said, chuckling quietly in amusement. âTell him that Iâm sorry I wasnât there to hush you.â
Rolling your eyes, you grumbled, âWhatever.â
Jaehyun's infectious laughter filled your ears again. âGoodnight,â he whispered, leaning in to press a kiss to your brow.
âGoodnight,â you said back, releasing a shaky breath. For all of a second, you forgot that you were mad at him. His arms felt safe. Like home.Â
This is your home now. A cool shudder wrecked through you. How Jaehyun could feel so dangerous but so inviting all at once was beyond you.Â
You sank to your bloodied knees, unable to withstand the cramp shooting its way up your calves. Your tireless sprinting left you with just enough strength to crawl behind a door, thanking god that it was unlocked and quietly pushing it closed.Â
The space was completely silent, save for your labored breaths that you endeavored to suppress. Jaehyun couldnât have been too far. It was a blessing that you even managed to escape him.
For now. Something told you that he wouldnât give up so easily.
Pure darkness suffocated you with its chokehold. You glanced up and searched desperately for a light source. Your surroundings were virtually invisible. Propping your hands on the door, you pushed yourself off of the floor and groped the wall for a light, finding a chain and tugging it impatiently.
It took a couple of tries for the lights to flicker on. The space around you was hardly any less dim, but at the very least, you could make out where you were.
âDarling, come back,â called out Jaehyunâs featherlight voice just outside of the door. âLetâs just talk. All I want is to talk.â
He was closing in. You never realized your heart could thump at this quick of a rhythm. You never imagined the day where you would be terrified for your life. Your eyes winced in pain as you moved along the cracked wall, but you couldnât stop.Â
Shivers tensed your entire body as you descended down the hallway. Bare feet hit the cold naked floor, because you opted out of running in heels minutes earlier.Â
Jaehyunâs footsteps came louder, closer. You swore quietly to yourself, realizing that the lights mightâve shone under the door and given you away. But the harder you tried to move, groping the wall for purchase, the more tempted you were to cry out in excruciating pain.Â
And then the worst happened. The door opened, a fraction of outdoor light stretching down the hallway to where you stood.Â
Your heart screamed in panic and alarm. Fear was merciless. None of this was fair. Jaehyun could give chase for hours, and he would if it came down to it, but you were running on empty.Â
âBaby, I know youâre in there,â Jaehyun called out gently, yet menacingly altogether.Â
It took everything in you not to mutter, âFuck,â under your breath as you tried to get further and further away from him, hoping and wishing that he wouldnât follow you if you were quiet enough.
Taking in one deep inhale, you tried to stabilize your breathing, but after running halfway across the palace, your work was cut out for you. You walked inch by inch, careful with your motions in case your injured legs misstepped and you came to the ground with a resounding thud, and moved as soundlessly as you could.Â
To your shock, you came across a stairway. In spite of how strangely familiar it seemed, you didnât know where it would take you, but there was absolutely no way in hell that you were turning back.
 It was only down from here.Â
Except there was a problem. The stairs had no railing and you didnât trust yourself to feel your way through without tumbling down to your doom. You dropped to the floor again, putting your back to wherever the stairs led, and began to descend.Â
Jaehyunâs footsteps let you know he was still there, easing his way down the dark hallway. You didnât understand why he walked so leisurely, taking his time to capture you. Almost like he knew you wouldnât get far either way.Â
Your feet passed one stair at a time, cautious. You didnât want to make any noise, but that ship sailed when one of the stairs creaked loudly. They reacted unfavorably to too much pressure, whining in response.Â
Panic made your blood thump in your ear and you hoped that Jaehyun didnât hear, but you gave up on that when he said, âDarling, I can hear you.â
With all hope gone, you scurried down the stairs, ceasing to care about how safely you got there as long as you still made it alive in the end. You didnât focus on breathing. Only on getting the fuck out of here.
You kept glancing up the stairs just to make sure Jaehyun wasnât too near until your foot touched a different cool surface and you knew you were at the bottom. When you turned around though, your terror only intensified.Â
There was no place for you to go. Nowhere for you to run. There were no other paths for you to take because the room was a dead end.Â
âGive up, baby,â Jaehyun said, finally at the top of the stairs. He was coming down, slowly but surely, and he was going to take you. âIâve got you. Thereâs nowhere else for you to run.â
With every step he took down the stairs, you took twice as many backwards, wobbling towards a wall. Like there was some kind of secret passage that would save your life.Â
There was no use anymore. Jaehyun set his feet on the floor and grabbed you just as you tried to turn away from him, pulling you into his open arms. You never stood a chance. He was stronger than you. Faster than you.Â
âItâs all okay,â Jaehyun whispered as you sobbed, your back burning wherever his fingers attempted to soothe you. âWeâre together now.â
Your body veered to life, jerking awake. Your eyes instinctively snapped to your legs, searching them for injuries, but at worst they looked slightly stiff.Â
The rest of you trembled. You knew this was going to come, but it felt worse than you remembered. With a quick glance to your left, you noticed that Jaehyun wasnât there.Â
You didnât know if it was really something that you shouldâve thought twice about or if the circumstances were just naturally making you suspicious. Either way, you wanted to know where he was. After a long day of handling his responsibilities, he shouldâve been unable to leave bed, and yet, his side of the bed wasnât even a little warm.Â
Too cold for him to be in the bathroom. Too cold for him to take a quick trip to the kitchen for a midnight snack.Â
You impulsively decided to investigate and rose to your feet, putting your toes in your slippers and stealthing down the corridor. You didnât know where to look, but it helped that you saw a light coming from just down the hall, and you followed it discreetly.Â
All it would take was one wrong move for Jaehyun to overhear your footsteps. There didn't seem to be anyone patrolling down this corridor, which was typical, because Jaehyunâs family usually had their guards stand outside the entrance doors.Â
That only meant that you had to be quieter. The door to Jaehyunâs office was wide open, inviting anyone to see what he was up to, but you didnât want to make yourself known yet. You wanted to see who he was when you werenât there.Â
Ignoring the formidable stares of the statues, you crept closer to Jaehyunâs private office, breathing solely through your nose. The same hallways you loved to cruise seemed so much scarier when the lights were off.
Finally, you approached the light, hearing chatter the closer you grew to the door. You attached yourself to the wall, peaking your head inside ever so slightly. But when you saw what was happening inside, you stifled a gasp.Â
Jaehyun was at his document-laden desk, looking far from exhausted, and he was sitting face-to-face with Jungwoo.Â
âAccordingly, I will have to take charge of the country a little longer and my parents duties will fall into my palms,â Jaehyun said, folding his arms across the desk. Â
Given that you were at an awkward angle, you couldnât see Jungwoo's face, but you could hear the confusion in his voice, âI understand, Your Highness, though respectfully, I donât see why you asked me here.â
âIâm requesting a favor.â
âMay I know what it is?â
You shuffled to get a better glimpse into Jaehyunâs office, but scraped the floor with your heel in the process. You swore under your breath, hoping they didnât hear you, and sensed your heartbeat quicken.Â
Jaehyun stiffened in his chair. âDid you hear that noise?â
âWell, this palace is infamous for them, but Iâm afraid that I canât say that Iâm a victim of sound,â Jungwoo replied, cocking his head to trail his gaze where Jaehyunâs had fallen.Â
Your face tensed with confusion. Jungwoo didnât hear the noises?
âThatâs not what I meant,â Jaehyun said, standing from his seat to investigate.Â
At the sound of footsteps, you quickly tiptoed towards a nearby door, pushing it open and squeezing yourself between hardware supplies. It was a tight fit, but you only focused on avoiding Jaehyun.
He glanced around both sides of the hallway, as if he was preparing to cross a bustling road. There was nothing. You were hiding in a closet merely a few feet away.Â
You exhaled a quiet breath of relief when you heard him retreating, but frowned when you heard the door close behind him. You were clueless. What did Jaehyun have to hide? And with Jungwoo of all people, you wondered.Â
Stumbling out of the closet and into the darkness, you crossed your arms. Jungwoo was one of the few people you found reliable here, but there was something he knew right now that you didnât. You turned the corner to withdraw back to Jaehyunâs bedchamber, immediately jotting down a mental note to press him about it later.Â
When you came back to bed, you found yourself still nervous without Jaehyun beside you. And you rebuked yourself for it instantly after.Â
You didnât realize it in your sleep, but the place where your dream occurred was the cellar Jungwoo had taken you to. Only darker. And with a soon-to-be king chasing you to the end.Â
You shook your head with a groan, deciding that you would catch some sleep. For whatever reason, you had a strange feeling that youâd be needing it soon.
To your shock, it was daylight when you rose again. Somehow, you actually slept through the entire night. The only sounds that jolted you awake were those of impatient knocks coming from the bedchamber door.Â
You exhaled grumpily and groaned, âCan I help you?â
âGood morning, Your Highness. Per your husbandâs wishes, Iâve come to wake you for your schedule today,â came Jungwooâs voice.Â
Your eyes snapped open. Glancing to your side, you noticed that Jaehyun wasnât there, and wondered if he ever returned. âI wasnât aware that I had anything scheduled for today.â
âIt was arranged overnight.â
âMay I ask what was arranged?â
Jungwoo answered, âThere will be a dinner party this evening in the east wing in honor of His Highnessâ grandfather. The staff will be coming to style you shortly.â
Huh, I didnât know that his grandfatherâs birthday was today. Then again, Jaehyun was very private. âOkay, thank you.â
âYouâre very welcome.â
Before he could run off to take care of his other tasks, you called out, âJungwoo?â
âYes, maâam?â
You considered asking Jungwoo about his encounter with Jaehyun the night before, but decided at the last minute that you didnât need him to know that you had been there. âNevermind. Thanks a ton.â
For a whole day, you were kept preoccupied in Jaehyunâs bedchamber with a number of women fixed to you. The hours were so busy that you barely had time to think about your ongoing crisis. And half of you wondered if it was deliberate.Â
At least for a minute, you did. With the corset throttling the life out of you, it was difficult to focus on anything else. You were grateful when they lessened the pressure on your organs. The dress was a sparkling royal blue, like you suspected the bulk of the guests attire would be. According to Jaehyun, it was his grandfatherâs favorite color.Â
It took hours for the women to finish with your makeup and hair. When the final touches were added, it was rapidly nearing dusk. The sun would be retiring below the horizon and the moon would settle over you now, quietly watching.Â
Just after seven oâclock, an nth staff member came to escort you to the ballroom on the east wing. You were disappointed that Jaehyun hadnât come, but sucked it up. Like you, he had most likely been preparing for the party. He mustâve had other roles to fulfill. After all, it was in honor of his late grandfather.Â
His parents were out of the country, too. You remembered overhearing him mention to Jungwoo that their visit had been extended for whatever reason.
In a nutshell, he was a busy man.Â
Most eyes fell on you when you entered the ballroomâs double doors. You greeted anyone nearby courteously and extended them a polite thanks for coming, as a princess should welcome her guests.Â
But your attention was quickly drawn to your husband. You were still mad at him, or at least part of you wanted to be, but he looked mighty fine in that royal blue suit and his dark hair slicked back to hell. Goddamnit.Â
âJaehyun,â you said when you finally caught up to him, almost out of breath. He refused to stay in one place for longer than a minute, one-by-one mingling politely with the crowd.Â
âThere you are,â Jaehyun said, appearing more than glad to see you. Then, he grabbed your wrist, pressing his thumb to your pulse with an arched brow. âYour heartâs beating fast. Did you run a marathon before you got here or something?â
âOr something,â you murmured, shaking your head. Your husband was light on his feet.Â
Jaehyun said to a server passing by, âPlease get my wife something cool to drink.â
âYes, immediately, Your Highness,â the servant replied, making a break for the kitchen.Â
In the meantime, you scanned your husband. Other than his sexy suit that had your mouth watering to hell and back, Jaehyun was sporting a beaming smile, grinning from ear to ear. He looked happier than usual, in a way.Â
âYouâre giving me that look.â
You flinched. His voice broke your thoughts, but your eyes kept wandering; wondering. âWhat look?â
Jaehyun retorted teasingly, âThe one that makes me feel like youâre going to eat me.â
You snickered. âItâs your grandfatherâs birthday. Heâd be turning in his grave.â
âIâm sure he wouldnât mind as long as we had fun. My grandfather was big on milking a celebration for all that it was worth. He partied until his last breath,â Jaehyun joked.Â
That was delightful news to you. âI didnât know royals knew how to really party.â
âPlease. You should see my mother after three shots of vodka when thereâs no camera rolling. Sheâs full of crazy.â
Your heart simpered. There was a lot you didnât know and hadnât seen about this family. Remembering the thought itching at the back of your mind, you wanted to mention how he wasnât in bed last night, but didnât know if it was a good time. Instead, you opted for a quiet, âYou didnât tell me your grandfatherâs birthday was close.â
You expected Jaehyun to respond with something deflective, but it caught you off-guard when he replied honestly, âThereâs a lot of things I donât tell you.â
Your eyes shone with shock, but you played it off. âLike what?â
Jaehyun kept his eyes fixed to your face without a word, as if he was studying you before making his move. âDarling, If I told you all there was to know about me, weâd be here for days,â he finally said. âMaybe weeks.â
âI want to know you,â you whispered, something poignant in your voice.Â
âYou do know me.â
The gleam in your eye shifted from sad to vicious, to coy. âDo I?â
Jaehyun nodded his head, gently smoothing a hand down the small of your back. âYes, you do. I may not always lay my heart on the line, but deep, deep down inside, you know me. The real me, baby.â
Your eyes were staring into Jaehyunâs, like they were trying to forcibly peel back his layers and bare his soul to you, but it was all in vain. All you could liken it to was looking at someone with drunk double vision, your eyes deflecting two different images of him and your mind unsure of which one to trust.Â
Sometimes I feel like you tell me just enough to keep me satisfied. And then you feed me more crumbs when I start to get cranky, like giving a bottle to a baby.Â
âThat drink you wanted, sir,â came a manly voice from beside you.Â
âThank you,â Jaehyun replied politely, handing you the glass of water.Â
You accepted it gratefully, although your thirst was no longer for anything tangible. Nothing that you could touch with your bare, naked hands. It was for something deeper.Â
Only a couple seconds later, Jaehyun said, âWell, Iâd better get going.â
Your eyes went wide. âYou arenât staying with me?â
âI have some more guests to greet and then a speech to give, and then I should be all yours,â Jaehyun told you, shooting you a consoling grin. âYou look beautiful in that dress, by the way.â
Your lips spread into a tired smile. âThanks. Iâve been wearing it all day.â
Jaehyun snorted and gave you a final pat on the back of reassurance before stepping away.Â
The party seemed to drag on without Jaehyun near your side and you were irreparably bored. You chatted with some guests with a polite set of white teeth ready to flash, but only because it was the expectation. Sneaking a couple of peeks at Jaehyun, it looked like he was still making his rounds.Â
Usually, the king and queen would help, but they obviously werenât here. Thus, it was Jaehyunâs problem. He couldnât just leave his own grandfatherâs party unattended. That wouldnât be in good taste.Â
You took a curious glimpse around and wondered how long you could disappear without anybody noticing. Probably only a couple of minutes. The whole ballroom would definitely know if you made a break for the double entrance, but if you slipped away through the kitchen, you had better odds.Â
With your glass of water in hand, you casually sauntered towards the little back hallway, hopeful your guests wouldnât question your getaway.Â
When you entered the kitchen, you were immediately asked, âWhere are you going?â
âTen,â you gasped, a hand on your chest. He hadnât even glanced up from his phone. You nearly dropped the glass of water. It had exhausted its purpose. âWould you ask that to a server?â
Ten retorted, âWould a server enter the kitchen with clacking six inch heels?â
âTouchĂŠ,â you said. That explained how he knew it was you without even looking.Â
Ten was the only son of the family chef and he had no regard for the royal life. Well, that was debatable. Your in-laws wouldâve thought he was disrespectful, had they (god forbid) ever met. You took Ten as someone unafraid to challenge the status quo. Of course, the two of you vibed. It was refreshing to talk to someone who didnât remind you of your title every now and then.Â
Ten never, ever called you Your Highness. Not because he thought it was beneath him, but because he recognized your need for a friend. Not a follower.Â
âYou didnât answer my question.â
âJust getting away for a second, if thatâs okay with you,â you deadpanned, crossing your arms.
Ten gasped dramatically. âDuring the party in loving memory of your husbandâs dead grandfather? Thatâs scandalous, babe.â
You scoffed. âPlease. Youâre not even at the party.â
Ten shot back, âIâm not married to the prince, either.â
Though you didnât mean it at all, you snarled, âYou make me sick.â
âYou hate that Iâm right,â Ten said boastfully, sporting a victorious grin.Â
âYeah, whatever,â you grumbled. âWhereâs your dad? I thought the stew was supposed to be out fifteen minutes ago.â
Ten shrugged. âSmoke break. I wouldnât eat it if I were you. Gave me the business.â
You winced. âJesus. Well, Iâll be back. I need some fresh air.â
âIâll let the hubby know if he asks questions.â
âThanks.â
Then, you were on your way.Â
The corridors were less dense than they typically were, though considering there was an event happening not too many feet away from you, you figured security was keeping a close eye on the hallway on the other side.Â
If you were being frank, you had no clue where you were going. You just knew that you couldnât be in that room with all those people much longer. Maybe you were starting to realize that the royal scene wasnât for you. Or maybe it was your heightened suspicion planting those thoughts in your head.Â
Whatever it was, you didnât like it. You wondered if Ten would take you in. You had no idea what a day in the life of Ten Lee was like, but it wouldnât hurt to find out. That was a nice backup plan.Â
But leaving Jaehyun would sicken you in ways more lethal than any deadly disease. And Jaehyun would never forsake this life in this castle.Â
It was a part of him.Â
Youâre talking crazy, you hissed to your insane thoughts. Perhaps it wasnât a great idea to leave you alone by yourself with nothing but your thoughts and the silence that fed them. You mightâve been better off finding a guest with ears prepared to be talked off.Â
The east wing was unfamiliar to you although much of it looked identical to the west one. When you somehow traveled back over to your side, it came to your attention that the gardens were nearby. Curious, you made a beeline for the doors, wondering if Giselle was out finishing up her obligations for the day.Â
Night had dulled the sky completely when you stepped onto the familiar stone paths. The moon was there in her full glory, round and curvy with a thin veil of mist overneath, and the stars were few.Â
The clacking thud that Ten spoke of was a telltale sign of your presence, but you didnât see anyone there to warn. Instead, the sound grounded you in reality, keeping you as far away from your teetering thoughts as humanly possible.Â
Wind was the only other sound. Actually, that was a lie; you heard owls lurking somewhere in the distance and knew they were wide awake. A sign that the night had truly begun.Â
âHello?â you called out. âGiselle?â
Silence. That was strange. These people usually worked from bright and early in the morning until unsettlingly dark and late at night, but of course, if Giselle had gotten off early, you couldnât complain. Good for her.Â
You were prepared to turn away and disappointedly retreat back to the party when you barely noticed something out of place in the corner of your eye.Â
Blood.Â
You were a curious person by nature. But this wasnât an inquisitive investigation. This was a precautionary measure to make sure that nobody was injured.Â
But what you saw made you physically nauseous, a stir settling in your belly instantaneously. Your first instinct was to scream at the top of your lungs. Giselle was sprawled out just shy of the ice cold stone, lying on her stomach in a thick pool of her own blood.Â
âOh my heavens,â you exclaimed, paralyzed with shock. Or fear. Probably a little (or a lot) of both.Â
Given that there was a ladder pressed against a tall tree and pruners almost right near her body, you made the reasonable assumption that sheâd fallen. The shock dimmed a little in order so that you could think, and you kneeled over to check her for a pulse, but came to the heart-stopping conclusion that she was dead.Â
You backed away from Giselle. Your heart ached for her, but you couldnât touch a dead body. The smell of death was foreign and overwhelming and you didnât know how to keep yourself composed. Finding your bearings, you did what any reasonable person would do after discovering a lifeless body.Â
You went to find help.Â
It looked like an accident, like she had taken a wrong step and made a fatal mistake, but that didnât mean you could just leave her there to rot. Somebody still had to call the police. And an ambulance.Â
Tears blurred your vision as you ran back to the east wing. You couldnât believe that Giselle was gone. You didnât want to believe that. She never let you get too close, but you recognized Giselle for the hard-working woman she was that had her life all too suddenly ripped away from her.Â
Fuck, this shouldnât have happened. Giselle divulged to you about how her family needed her. They survived off of her income, her grueling long hours of hot hard work.Â
Your mind couldnât help but come to the worst possible conclusions. What if she knew too much? She was the first one to mention the piano to you and she seemed to be in denial about something.Â
No, thatâs ridiculous. Thereâs no way the monarchy would kill a devoted worker for keeping their filthy secrets, especially from their newest addition. Sheâs been inadvertently doing them a favor.Â
Then again, someone was guaranteed to keep a secret if it died with them. Still, there was no evidence that her untimely death and the pianoâs curse was even remotely linked together. You saw the scene yourself. It looked like an accident, not a crime.Â
That made you remember what Jungwoo told you in the cellar about the deaths and disappearances. About how anybody who touched the piano either died mysteriously or disappeared without a trace.Â
You had no way of knowing for sure if Giselle ever touched the piano, but if she was a victim of sound, as Jungwoo put it, that shouldâve somehow placed a target on her back. And yours. You shuddered at the thought.Â
Spooky sounds meant contact with the piano. You had done more than touched it. Youâd played it. Almost every night for weeks. Jungwoo mentioned to Jaehyun that he didnât hear the sounds, but he never told you if he touched the piano, either.Â
But if his father had, then knowing what Jungwoo knew, you doubted that he would.Â
Whatever it was, nothing made it easier to cope. Pictures of blood kept flickering behind your eyelids whenever you blinked. Your sobs echoed off the hallway walls with your hurried footsteps, but noticing the double doors finally come into view, you tried to pull yourself back together.Â
You subconsciously sighed out in relief when you got there, but when you came to draw it open, the hands refused to budge. âFuck!â you cursed out.Â
Not that anybody would hear you. There was music thumping beneath your feet even outside the door and it wouldâve done you no good to knock. It was strange that the door was locked, though. Now that you thought about it, there also werenât any guards in the hallways.Â
But there was another entrance through the back.Â
Ten, you thought, already running again. Your legs ached from sprinting in heels, but somebody needed urgent medical attention. And Ten had a cellphone.Â
The kitchen entrance luckily wasnât too far from where you already were and you came prepared to charge through the doors, but those, like the others, were also locked. You started to bang tirelessly on the door, yelling with complete vigor, âTen, open the door! Someone needs help!â
There was no answer. You tried to beat harder, to scream louder, but every effort seemed useless. With your voice turning hoarse, that glass of water you left inside the kitchen suddenly sounded tempting.Â
âWhat the fuck,â you grumbled under your breath, exhausted and confused and in shock. You needed to lie down, but you refused to rest until help was on the way.Â
Why would Ten suddenly leave? Dinner couldnât have even been ready yet. You didnât know why he tagged along with his dad sometimes, but you did know that they came and went in the sameÂ
vehicle.Â
There was a door just to your left, one that led outside where Tenâs father wouldâve parked. You immediately made a beeline for it, curious if they were gone. It was the only way you could rationalize the locked door and Tenâs absence.Â
You hoped to see somebody out there, and you did, but they werenât breathing.Â
The chef was on the ground where he usually took his smoke breaks, bleeding as if he was torn from every seam and had been ripped open from every angle. You gaped, fixing a hand to your mouth as you wobbled in surprise, gripping the nearest wall for purchase.Â
Turning away from him, you heaved for breath and tried to keep your stomach's contents inside where they were. But there was blood splattered everywhere you looked. And if you thought the stench was overpowering earlier, you were in for the wildest ride of your life.Â
This death said loud and clear everything that Giselleâs didnât. This was no mistake. Matter of fact, this scene was so messy that it couldnât have not been done deliberately.Â
âOh my god,â you rasped, unsure of what to say. And what to do. Never had you seen a dead body outside of a funeral backdrop and having seen not one, but two very dead people was seriously wounding your ability to think.Â
All you knew was that something was fishy. You thought Giselleâs death was a self-inflicted mistake, but you werenât so convinced anymore, all things considered. This was the second body to wash up, metaphorically speaking. And this one had been undeniably murdered.Â
There was a serial killer on the loose.Â
Your first thought was Jaehyun and you started to panic, but you consoled yourself with the reminder that he had an entourage of loyal servants to protect him with their lives and shield him with their bodies. He was okay. Giselle and Tenâs father, on the other hand, not so much.Â
Speaking of Ten, you still had no clue where he was or what he was doing. For all you knew, he couldâve been the killer.Â
No. Thereâs no way. Ten didnât have a mean bone in his body, much less a murderous one. Plus, what would he have against Giselle?
And why would he kill his own father?
I donât know. None of this makes sense. I donât know why anyone would hurt Giselle or the chef, or anyone for that fucking matter, you huffed, angry. These people didnât deserve to die. The person responsible would pay.Â
Unable to withstand the stench, you pinched your nose and turned for the door. Of course, it would be the only one unlocked. You had the misfortune of seeing what was behind lucky door number three.Â
Back in the halls, you only walked aimlessly. You had no idea where the fuck you were going and it was probably a terrible idea to be out and about with an anonymous blood-hungry murderer on the loose, but you werenât thinking that far.Â
Images continued to flicker in your head. You wondered what were the last things these people saw before they died, if they knew what they had coming. And you realized what a shame it was that everything these people knew died the second they took their last breaths.Â
You couldnât wrap your head around this happening. And you wanted to know why. With the chefâs murder, accidents were completely out of the window, and you thought about the piano again. But that made even less sense.Â
What business would the chef have with the piano? You doubted that man had ever strayed further than the dining hall.Â
Your thoughts traveled even further. Giselle was a gardener. The bulk of her work happened outside and there was hardly any need for her to come indoors when all the tools for her job could be found in the shed.Â
More than ever, you needed answers, and more than ever, they seemed impossibly difficult to come by.Â
The further you traveled down the hallway, the louder the sound of jagged breathing grew until it finally snapped you out of your biohazard of thoughts. You stiffened with alarm, body alert, and realized it mightâve been in your best interest to locate a useful weapon.Â
You ducked behind a corner, not wanting to be caught like a helpless damsel in distress if it was the killer (though only a lousy one wouldâve been so noisy), but you heard a groan and knew in your heart that you recognized that voice.Â
Peeking around the corner ever so slightly, you noticed Ten clutching his stomach and clinging to a wall for dear life, sticky with hot sweat. And you discerned that he was no threat.Â
âTen,â you called out, approaching him with concern. âWhatâs wrong? Did someone hurt you?â
Ten shook his head, only barely keeping himself standing. You came to grab him and noticed he was burning up a thousand degrees, helping him slowly sit on the floor. âI told you. That stew gave me the business.â
âThis isnât just a stomach ache, Ten. I think you were poisoned,â you said, crouched down to be eye level with him.Â
Ten forced a smile even though he was clearly uncomfortable and in a lot of pain. âYeah, youâre telling me. But my father was the only one controlling the food. He wouldnât do that to me.â
The mention of his father made your shoulders stiffen. You scanned Tenâs face, wondering if you shouldâve told him what you knew. If he was still alive by the end of this, he would find out one way or another. âTen, have you seen your dad?â
âI know heâs dead.âÂ
You cocked him a glance. âYou donât sound disappointed.â
âDo I sound like Iâm in a lot of pain?â Ten asked.Â
âYou sound like youâre trying to keep yourself whole.â
âThatâs because Iâm kinda dying here. Iâm sorry if Iâm bad at multitasking,â Ten hissed, paling on the spot.Â
Your gaze turned apologetic. âListen, Iâm sorry,â you whispered quietly, glancing around the hallway for suspicious onlookers. âIâve found two dead bodies and Iâve been running all over the palace looking for help. Please, donât be the third.â
âTrust me, I donât wanna be any more than you want me to beâŚ,â Ten trailed, wincing. âHoly fuck. Holy fucking shit. Iâm gonna die.â
âDonât say that!â you screamed.Â
Ten threw his head back and groaned, âBabe, I feel like my guts are being ripped open, and not in a good way.â
You wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Ten was good at keeping the mood as light as it could be as he literally died right before your eyes. And there was nothing you could do to save him. You felt helpless.Â
âWeâve got to find help,â you told him, grabbing his hands in yours.Â
Ten shook his head. His skin was glistening with a thick layer of sweat and each of his breaths sounded labored. âI canât move. The room feels so hot. I think Iâm gonna pass out.â
He looked like it, too. Tears threatened to fall from your eyes, but you fought them back. At the very least, if Ten was going now, he wouldnât go alone. âTen, somebody did this to you. You already said your father wouldnât. Somebody else had to be in the kitchen.â
Ten shrugged weakly. âSo many people went in and out of the kitchen. I donât even know their names. It couldâve been anyone.â
You released a shaky breath. That answer helped no one.Â
Tenâs eyes started to flutter and you shook him in your arms, begging, âNo, please donât close your eyes on me. Youâre a fighter. Fight.â
âIâm fighting,â he whispered, voice on the verge of silence. âBut sometimes we just lose.â
âI canât lose you, too,â you cried, trembling as you held him. For as long as he was there, breathing and talking to you, you wouldnât let him think that he was alone.Â
Ten shook his head. You knew he had given it his all, because Ten wasnât the type to go down without a fight, even if he didnât win in the end. Heâd never let someone else claim a peaceful victory. âIf I die right now, I want you to know itâs been a pleasure knowing you.â
âTenâŚ,â you said. Tears made your eyes burn now. You were clenching your fists so hard his hands were probably sore.Â
âThey might come for you. Donât surrender. Whoever this guy is, you give them hell until you canât anymore.â
A lone tear finally slipped past your cheek. âWhat if I donât make it?â
âThen you die knowing you did absolutely everything you could to stay alive,â Ten whispered with the last of his strength.Â
Your heart was bursting with sadness and unadulterated rage. To watch somebody in their final moments was different than imagining it unfold. This made it even more real. This was a picture you would never forget even in death.Â
Finally, Tenâs strength gave out, and you lingered there for a minute even after. Your thumb pressed to his wrist and you noted that he still had a weak pulse.Â
You nodded your head. That was enough for you. But you had to find help immediately.Â
And you absolutely had to find out who was responsible for this. They would have a brutal punishment.Â
You wiped the tears from your eyes and started to run again, but you didnât get far before you collided into Jaehyunâs chest, and you released a breath of relief when you saw him. âOh my goodness, Jaehyun. Thank god itâs you. Iâve been trying to get help for ages. Two people are dead and I think Tenâs on his way out.â
Jaehyunâs voice was unbothered. âReally?â
You realized then that the night was far from over.Â
You pulled back, suspicious. You just told him that two people had died in his castle. He shouldâve been fuming. âWhy do you sound so nonchalant?â
Jaehyunâs lips were in a line. âI warned you not to go looking too deep. You shouldâve listened like a good girl.â
The realization was starting to settle in, but you didnât want to know the truth. You didnât even want to fathom it. For so many weeks, youâd been unknowingly wallowing in ignorance. âThis is your fault. You did this, didnât you?â
âYes. All of it was me,â Jaehyun said, like he was proudly boasting about his murders.Â
You shook your head. You knew there was something going on, something that your husband was at the heart of, but not like this. âTenâs dying.â
Jaehyun looked and sounded completely indifferent, âOkay, thatâs dramatic. He shouldnât be dead. Heâs in for a solid nap, though. And a concussion if he hit the ground too hard.â
That didnât happen. You had been the one to personally lower Ten to the ground. Either way, you were none too pleased. You werenât sure if that was supposed to be reassuring, because Jaehyunâs tone was empty and his face was borderline inscrutable.Â
Your whole body felt weak. The room was spinning. Your own body was on the brink of collapse.Â
âYou look like youâve seen a ghost,â Jaehyun commented, studying your appearance. You probably looked like you had actually run a marathon.Â
âYouâre a monster,â you snapped, brimming with loathing and hatred.Â
Jaehyun didnât flinch. âItâs been said,â he told you, like it was only a regular insult to him.Â
You shook your head. This couldnât be happening.
Jaehyun took a step closer to you, and you took twice as many back. You wanted to be nowhere near him. This wasnât the Jaehyun you knew. He was cold. Alternatively, maybe this was the Jaehyun youâd known all along, the one youâd tried to suppress.Â
Your mind was showing you the warning signs. She was giving you all the right signals. And yet, you were blind to each of them.Â
Jaehyun tilted his head, looking at you with fucking nothing. There was nothing in his eyes. Nothing on his face. âDo you believe in happy endings?â
âNot with you in it,â you seethed, convulsing with a newfound anger you never thought you could possess, much less direct towards your husband.Â
Jaehyun snickered for the first time since youâd last seen him. âIâm giving you the chance to have yours.â
You glared at him, wary. âWhat does that mean?â
âIt means that you have thirty minutes to leave this castle and have your happy ending without me, but if I catch you before then, youâre mine. Itâs like hide and seek.â
You wanted to rage. This man had the audacity to play fucking games with you when so many lifes were gone and many more were probably at stake. There was no telling who else heâd hurt. âWhen do my thirty minutes start?â
âRight now.â
You left then and there. You couldnât stand to be in proximity of Jaehyun for another fucking second. And he didnât follow. He was letting you think that you had a chance.Â
When you turned the corner, safely out of his vision, you could finally acknowledge the beaten and battered condition of your heart. The look Jaehyun had given you only moments ago was unlike any other youâd ever seen. It was colder.Â
You shouldâve seen it coming. Jaehyun was the missing piece. This was all happening because of his grandfatherâs piano, for fuckâs sake. The same grandfather whose birthday happened to be today. Of course, it wasnât a coincidence that bodies started dropping that same day.Â
You were angry. You were hurt. To be honest, you were just the right amount of everything. And yet, you were thinking about how madly you were still in love with Jaehyun.Â
Wincing your eyes closed, you wished that this was just a nightmare like everything else. That you would wake up in Jaehyunâs arms and he'd tell you that it was all a bad dream. Unfortunately, the longer the night went on, the more you accepted that that couldnât be farther away from the truth.Â
The only real difference was that Jaehyun wasnât right on your tail. He was giving you an opportunity to escape and free yourself from this hellhole once and for all. Your shoulders suddenly felt cold when you recalled something that heâd told you.
I would never chase you, Jaehyun had said. I will always have you right where I want you.
The statement made you feel uneasy then, but you overlooked it, because you wrongfully assumed that Jaehyun was harmless.Â
You shook the thoughts away. He wasnât worth thinking about right now. Survival was your top priority and escaping was the only way youâd ever know peace.Â
The palace had a grand total of four entrances stretched across its acres - the main gate, the east entrance, the south entrance, and the west entrance. Only the east entrance was nearby. You knew Jaehyun wouldnât have made this easy, but it wouldnât hurt to try.Â
You hurried to the nearest exit leading outdoors and breathed only a little easier when you were met with the fresh, crisp night air. Given that youâd been running in heels for what felt like hours, you finally ditched them near a bush and started to run again.Â
Traveling to the gate would take forever without a car. The same could be said about the rest of the castle, far from tiny, and you only had thirty minutes on the clock.
You had to make every minute count.Â
You wanted to sob, but you focused solely on getting the fuck out of there. You hadnât forgotten about Ten, but you couldnât help him here. Jaehyun had apparently taken mercy upon him, sparing his life where he hadnât hesitated to steal others.Â
Why? Was it some kind of reflection of control? Did he realize that Ten wasnât the root of his need to kill?
Whatever that was.Â
âToo much is going on right now,â you whispered to yourself, heart thudding quicker.
For a second you wondered if the other staff you cared for was alright. These were people you saw everyday, working from dusk till dawn, and yet still treated you with respect and kindness. Their sweetness deserved to be spread, not eliminated and forgotten.Â
Giselle was gone and had no hope for revival, but as far as you were concerned, Jungwoo was still skipping around with a burden of secrets on his shoulder. Part of you couldnât bring yourself to fully trust him, not after his disaster of a meeting of Jaehyun, but that didnât mean he shouldâve died.Â
Apparently, you and Jaehyun werenât on the same page. The worst part was that you couldnât even begin to fathom what he got out of slaughtering his employees like animals. Youâd never been able to see inside his head.Â
The east gate came into view and you circled in on it, desperate to make an escape. You briefly considered the possibility of Jaehyun being nearby, potentially having taken a closer exit, prepared to hinder you by any means necessary.Â
But when the gate refused to budge like you feared, you came to the conclusion that he was definitely far away. Jaehyun was five steps ahead of you.Â
He had all of the advantages in this twisted game, you realized. Jaehyun grew up in this palace; he obviously had to know all of the ins and outs, every nook and cranny. It would take you, on the other hand, the entire thirty minutes to navigate from one end of the place to the other.Â
This game was never created to be fair. You remembered him showing you little shortcuts along the palace to make your trips shorter. If you wanted to survive, youâd have to fight for your life.Â
âFuck,â you groaned under your breath. You had no way of telling for sure how much time had passed, but if you had to guess, at least ten minutes.Â
The sky was dark and mistier than it was earlier. At least it felt that way. The tears stinging your eyes made it even harder to see and you were inching closer to succumbing to the battle. If Jaehyun had rigged it from the start, you knew there was no way in hell you were getting out.Â
But Tenâs words rang out in your brain. He was alive for now, but as far as he knew, they couldâve been his final ones. And you knew you couldnât give up yet.
Mustering the courage to continue fighting like Ten wouldâve, you remembered something. There was an emergency exit near Jaehyunâs grandfatherâs room. You didnât care to know why. Bad things just seemed to happen when he was involved.Â
Without a second thought, you headed back inside. If you wanted out, you didnât have a choice.Â
Your sanity fought for control against your pumping adrenaline and you came to accept that it wasnât possible for both to coexist with each other. One or the other. And if you were up against a sicko like Jaehyun, you needed to fight fire with fire.Â
You had to degrade yourself to his level, meet him where he was at. You had to become you at your worst version. A hell-raising monster with a thirst for blood.Â
There was a familiar ground nearby when you approached the door. The part of the garden you never wandered into, because it was the same place that godawful dream happened. With the pond and stone galore. Â
You quickly swiped a pitchfork, throwing it over your shoulder, and when you were finally through the door, started sprinting back down the hallways. The emergency exit was all the way in the west wing and you had less time than you wouldâve liked to make it the hell out of there.Â
Every bone in your body ached, but you had too much to fight for. You didnât even know what all was at stake if Jaehyun won, but you didnât want to know, and you couldnât sleep beside him at night anymore knowing who he was and what heâd done.Â
Turning each corner, you looked around for signs of a lingering Jaehyun before you kept going. Every hallway looked exactly the same as the one that came before it and it made you feel like you were walking in circles, impossible to tell if you were even going anywhere. It was thrusting you far past the brink of madness.Â
Minutes passed, but courtesy of the painful yet handy adrenaline rush, it felt like seconds when you found the west wing stairs. Taking the elevator wouldâve been a quicker option, but if Jaehyun was nearby, he would know if the elevator was preoccupied, and you had no interest in playing russian roulette with your life.Â
But there was a familiarly pungent smell in the air.Â
You wanted to be sick when you saw the source. The others were messy, but this death was brutal in ways you had never witnessed. Jungwooâs remains were perched on the stairs within a pool of nauseating blood, sitting in his own overkill.Â
His insides were definitely on the outside. Matter of fact, they were everywhere, decorating a number of steps. Jungwoo was savagely mangled and mutilated, similar to how a wolf would ravage an elk, like his killer wanted there to be little to nothing of him left.Â
âJungwoo,â you gasped in shock, crouching down as your legs started to tremble.Â
His dead body was on display. Like the person who killed him wanted you to see what theyâd done. And you couldnât bring yourself to accept that Jaehyun was the reason why.
All the skepticism you had towards him devolved into regret. Of course, Jungwoo wasnât to blame for any of the wicked stuff happening in the shadows. Like his father, he was a victim. And at the end of the day, like you, all he wanted was answers.Â
There was a weight on your chest and an unbridled rage spiraling inside your heart. âIâll find them for you,â you whispered vengefully.Â
Then, you heard it. Scratching in the walls stretching near the stairway. In spite of the several claims of their existence, youâd never heard them until now. Soon after, you couldâve swore you heard a familiar voice.Â
Jaehyun. He was in the fucking walls?Â
Stepping around Jungwooâs bloody corpse, careful not to step your bare feet in any stray specks of blood, you headed upstairs with a sparkling revolve keeping your blood pumping. The emergency exit was close.Â
It was actually right down the hallway. When you were walking from the bedchamber with Jaehyun, the journey felt longer, but you ignored every glare from those evil statues and came right in front of the emergency door.Â
After yanking the knob, it begrudgingly opened and you stepped inside without a moment of consideration. There was no time. Do or die.Â
The door closed behind you on its own terms. You just kept pushing. This was your only ticket to escape and though you werenât exactly sure where the path led, you had no intention to stop and fret about your whereabouts. It was worth nothing though, that the deeper you came, the more it felt like a secret passageway.Â
The hallway didnât look the way you pictured an escape route. The walls were accessorized with portraits and lights. And you couldnât believe your shock when you saw it diverge into different paths like a crossroad.Â
This fucking was a secret passageway.Â
There was something else you noticed. Those scratches sounded closer than they had when you were outside, like somebody dragging their nails onto the walls as they walked.Â
âWhat the fuck?â you wondered.Â
You stiffened when you heard your husbandâs voice, âDarling, is that you? Your thirty minutes are over.â
Nope. Silent as ever, you made for the other path. You were picking your battles.Â
Jaehyun was probably closer to the way out of here after all. He wouldâve never given you a free opportunity. He was probably guarding the escape just in case you were clever (or lucky) enough.Â
His footsteps were slow. You couldnât see him, but you could hear him, and he was in no particular hurry to catch you. You worried that you were walking into a dead end, but when you came out on the other side, there was another set of doors.Â
Your eyes flickered between them. You had time to waste before Jaehyun even got anywhere close to you, but you wanted to get ahead. After a moment of carefully contemplating, you made the nerve-wracking decision to go for the right.Â
When you stepped out, you found yourself right back where it all began. You were outside, but not as far as you wouldâve liked. It was the gardens. You glimpsed around and saw the tree you wed Jaehyun under.Â
Though it had been full of white flowers the day you exchanged vows, promising each other eternity, they had unfortunately succumbed to the drier air.Â
âThat was a fun day, huh?â
Your startled body jolted with alarm and the usual ease that filled you when you realized it was only Jaehyun behind you was nowhere to be found. He was the evil youâd been searching for, hiding in plain sight.Â
He had you fooled. He made you think that he was somebody he wasnât. Worst of all, you believed him. You trusted him, completely and utterly. You were willing to give him all of you at the drop of a dime.Â
âStay back. Iâll hurt you,â you threatened, posing the pitchfork in your sweaty hands.Â
Emotion flickered over Jaehyunâs face; amusement. âA pitchfork? Thatâs really medieval, donât you think?â
Your tone darkened, âIâm warning you.â
Jaehyun stepped closer, leaving himself open and vulnerable. âThen, do it. Iâm right here. I have no weapon,â he said, holding his hands above him.Â
Panic settled in. It occurred to you that your feelings for Jaehyun would never let him hurt you unless your own life was threatened, and for some reason, you believed that Jaehyun would never hurt you. He had all of the opportunities. Yet he had never a finger on you.Â
Plus you still needed answers. For yourself, and for the people whose lives were taken because of them. Tears stinging your eyes again and a shattering echoing out in your heart, you tossed the pitchfork aside and roared, âI hate you!â
âThat isnât true,â Jaehyun said, gentle and tender. His voice was loving, but his eyes were soulless. âYou love me. I make you happy.â
You shook your head vigorously. âIâve spent the past couple of hours in distress, all because of you. Why? Whatâs really going on, Jaehyun?â
âAt the end of the day, the piano calls, and I answer. The responsibility skipped my father, but itâs what my grandfather did. I didnât have a choice,â Jaehyun said, wholly convinced that this was some god-given obligation.Â
And you were having none of it. It was just excuses. âThat doesnât make sense. You killed all of those people because of a fucking piano?â
âThis is why I couldnât tell you. I knew that you wouldnât understand. You have to live it to know.â
âWhat the hell are you talking about?â you seethed, stepping away from him.
Jaehyun didnât follow. He was comfortable standing there and watching you, because he knew you had nowhere to run. âThis isnât a regular piano. It hands out curses like candy. Itâs an entity and to prevent itself from being destroyed, it chooses its protectors.â
The whole world was spinning. Was he trying to tell you that the piano was alive or something?Â
âHe was the chosen protector - my grandfather, I mean. Like I said, it skipped my father and went to me. The piano gives anyone that touches it one of two curses to protect itself. I only enforce that fate.â Â
The world around you was starting to blur. Jaehyun didnât see those corpses as people. Instead, he saw them as curses that needed to be removed.Â
Standing required too much extra strength that you didnât have. You stumbled and staggered, weakening by the second, and when you started to head for the ground, Jaehyun caught you in his strong arms. âCareful. You might get hurt.â
He was perfectly composed while everything as you knew it was falling apart, piece by fucking piece. Glancing into his eyes, you hissed, âWhat are the curses?â
âHm?â
âYou said that when someone touches the piano, they get one of two curses. What are they?â
âDeath,â Jaehyun said as normal as ever. âOr perpetuity. They have to live their worst fear until the day that they croak.â
You didnât think that you could get any angrier, but that didnât even begin to describe the sharp pain heating your whole body up to hell. âYou let me touch that piano, you encouraged me to, knowing I would immediately be cursed.â
Jaehyun saw where you were going with this and replied coolly, âIf I knew you were going to die, I wouldâve kept you away from it.â
âSo you knew I wouldâve been cursed with perpetuity,â you said in an accusing tone. âMeaning you knew my biggest fear.â
âI mightâve exploited my power. Your every nightmare revolves around me. Youâre so scared of me it keeps you awake at night. I had to use that to my advantage. I canât lose you.â
And there it was. The ugly truth on a silver platter. Jaehyun gave you the creeps and instead of trying to prove his innocence to you, he took advantage of your fear, making sure to create a reality where you would never be able to get rid of him for as long as you both breathed.
This was the end. Glancing at the tree where you exchanged vows only earlier this spring, you realized that everything pointed back to Jaehyun. It always had.Â
Pulling back from Jaehyun, because you couldnât stand to touch him, you snapped, âYou didnât chase me, because you knew that in the end, everything led back to you.â
Jaehyun didnât deny it, chuckling. Like he thought that he was clever. âWhy would I chase you when Iâve already bound you to me?â
You physically felt weak and sick. You didnât want to believe that Jaehyun had somehow manipulated your fate so that you couldnât leave him. Your only escape was through death. Every shaky exhale you took ached.Â
Jaehyun continued, âThatâs why your little dreams donât make sense. It doesnât matter how far or quickly you run away from me. I will always catch you without trying. I always get what I want and youâll never slip through my fingers. Youâre mine.â
At those words, you wobbled away, but it was more like a vicious drawback. âYou killed Giselle and Jungwoo and Tenâs father. Why?â
Like he was incapable, there wasnât a lick of remorse in Jaehyunâs voice when he replied, âI put Giselle out of her misery. She had the perpetuity curse. No matter how hard she worked, she was going to be doomed to her worst nightmare for the rest of life - dying poor. I only made it happen sooner. It was quick.âÂ
You felt like regurgitating yesterdayâs lunch the longer this conversation happened, but you held it back.Â
âJungwoo had it coming. He didnât have the curse, unlike his father, but it was obvious that he had a thing for you and it was disgusting. I honestly did him a favor. He doesnât have to live in pain anymore.â
Had a thing for you? You never got that vibe from Jungwoo. He was polite and respectful, and you treated him likewise. You never thought you would get a man killed for his manners.Â
âAnd the chef,â Jaehyun began, pleasure flickering onto his face for the briefest of seconds, but you swore it was there. âHe was just practice and a victim of opportunity. Itâs been a minute. Iâm rusty.â
âYou killed him for no reason,â you spat.Â
âIt appears that way.â
Your body recoiled with every unpleasant feeling it had to offer. âYou killed Jungwoo for no reason, too. He was just a nice guy,â you said through gritted teeth.Â
It was like the angrier you got, the calmer Jaehyun stood, taking every one of your metaphorical hits like they were a gentle nudge to the shoulder. âI killed him out of love for you. He wanted what was mine. I had to remind him of his place. He was a nobody.â
Turning away, you decided that you couldnât look at Jaehyun any longer. You couldnât believe the words coming out of his mouth. You were upset and disappointed and everything in between.Â
Jaehyunâs eyes were fixed to that goddamn tree. âI had no feelings for you at first. Marrying you was just another duty I knew I had to fulfill for my country. It was business. But then we started to get to know each other, and I fell for you.â
âI had feelings for you too,â you croaked, voice shaking with pain.Â
Jaehyun was quick to add, âYou still do. Donât you see what I did for you? I turned you into royalty.â
âI never fucking asked you to,â you screamed off the top of your lungs. Letting the whole palace hear you for all you cared, if anybody was still alive in there. âI married you because it was what my parents wanted. I just happened to actually like you for a minute.â
âYouâll come around,â Jaehyun said nonchalantly, unfazed by your aggression. âYouâll realize that you were made for me. And youâll accept that our love was written in the stars.â
There were no stars when you glanced into the night sky. Not even a sliver of the moon. Even she was too ashamed of what was happening under her nose right now and couldnât bear to witness it unfold.Â
But it dawned on you then. The only time you would ever see the moon and her stars again was if you stepped onto the grounds of this very garden. Jaehyun had caught you. You waltzed straight into his trap and now you had to reap what youâd sowed.Â
You were his. Whether you liked it or not. You mightâve not ever given up on escaping him, even if it took a lifetime, but for right now, Jaehyun had won.Â
âLetâs go, baby,â Jaehyun said, wrapping an arm around your waist. You shuddered. His hands were cold to the touch. âItâs late. We should get ready for bed. We have to stop by the piano so that you donât have bad dreams.â
The walk to Jaehyunâs grandfatherâs bedchamber was quieter than it had ever been. You kept him at armâs length, ashamed. And maybe a little fearful.Â
And there the piano stood in its glory when the door opened, untouched and unmoving. She was evil as ever, wallowing in her curse. Your fingers ran across the keys as the curse wrecked through your blood, present and constant.Â
âIâll never forgive you for this,â you whispered, glancing up at Jaehyun.Â
For the first time in a minute, Jaehyun smiled. He replied sweetly, âDarling, itâs okay. Youâll understand soon. We only have each other now.â
You didnât want to know what that meant. Instead, you pressed your fingers to the bitterly cold keys, squeezing your eyes closed as you played a melody by heart.
Finally, tears started to fall down, gathering on the keys. Then, you realized that you werenât a victim of sound, but an indulger. Your body was there, but your mind was with nature. With the blowing wind and gentle breezes, the rippling water and swimming critters.Â
Your mind was with your friends. With Giselle in the garden, helping her trim branches and plot plants for the queen. With Jungwoo, exploring new places around the palace that you never knew existed. With Ten, rambling about anything and everything under the sun.Â
You escaped through every harmonious noise, fingers pacing ruthlessly, and keeping your eyes closed as you pretended that everything was okay.Â
Jaehyun came behind you, resting his head on your shoulder while his arms came around you again. His touch was familiar and though it used to keep you whole, when you sat there, defenseless and helpless, you could feel a piece of you break off and die in his arms.Â
âBecause the greatest war Seungcheol had ever waged was against your heart.â
historical! au | enemies to lovers! au | smut, fluff | 41k words
s u m m a r y : there was only one thing you hated more than your restricted life, and that was choi seungcheolâthe greatest venetian general who has ever lived. when a marriage is arranged between the two of you, you were sure it would end in bloodshed. however, as you and seungcheol are forced to attend balls and share a few hard truths, you realise you have more in common with the mysterious general than you thought.
c o n t e n t : military commander! seungcheol, noblewoman! artist! mc, artist! minghao, artist! soonyoung who are both annoying (affectionate), cheol and mc absolutely hate each other because i need to see proper e2l, cheol has a scar on his lip (yes this needs a separate warning), this is set in renaissance venice so there will be many artist references, the doge = basically ruler of venice, themes of sexism, constant arguing between mc and cheol, there is fluff, also angst mature warnings -> tons of sexual tension, making out fuelled by hatred, cheol calls you carrissima (which personally i find very hot) fingering, oral sex (f. receiving), unprotected sex (only because medieval contraception is horrendous), petnames cheol says some vile things during the deed, slight corruption kink
p l a y l i s t : dangerous woman by ariana grande || war of the hearts by sade || love is stronger than pride by sade || i donât understand but i luv u by seventeen
t a g l i s t : at the bottom of the fic!
a u t h o r â s n o t e : hi hello thank you everyone for waiting for this monster fic!! thank you alice and addy for being the reason i finished this fic, thank you chia for creating a beautiful picture of general! cheol, and greatest thanks to choi seungcheol the man you are </3 i hope you all enjoy this fic as much as i enjoyed writing it <33
WHEN THE VENETIAN REPUBLIC DEFEATED THE OTTOMANS ONCE AND FOR ALL, EVERY CITIZENâBE IT PEASANT OR THE RICHEST ARISTOCRATâKNEW WHO WAS BEHIND THAT VICTORY.
His name sparked life into the deathly, cramped streets. Whispers and cheers carried along the murky lakes, the rushed streams underneath the city, lapping up to the cobblestoned shoreâentering the ears of marketeers, patricians, nuns, prostitutes, everyone. Wherever one went, the commanderâs name rang like the dozen church bells, scattered throughout the lake-locked lands.
The buzz in the air was more frantic this afternoon, though, because the victorsâ party was finally returning to the state.
Finally returning home.
You, despite your familyâs excitement, despite your connections to the man behind the success of it all, could not have cared less.
Keep reading
⥠happy birthday to the one and only johnny suh! âĄ