Chapter XLV
1065 Words
사십오의 왕관 (45)
It felt like a thousand hours, in Jae Kyung’s perspective. Even if that meal with Crown Prince’s Yi Eul’s family was just an hour or two, it felt so long for Jae Kyung.
She felt kind of suffocated.
“Jinjja jajeungna…”
She felt suffocated not because of the fancy hanbok she’s been wearing but the attention she got from His Royal Highness’ family, especially from Queen Jang Eun and Princess Chae Rin.
She’s a commoner that became a princess facing the princess since birth.
She felt so little, so shy.
As soon as Jae Kyung and Prince Yi Eul finally got inside of the car, Jae Kyung finally let go a grunt, a groan then a whine. Prince Yi Eul turned his head towards her and frown.
“What the heck is wrong with you?”
Jae Kyung glared at him and spoke. “Neo! *Igeon jeongmal ne jalmosiya! You’re the one who started all this mess and why am I the only one who was suffering?! I was just trying to help you and this is what I got?!” then, she whined once again. “You have no idea how their eyes, especially Her Majesty,” she then flailed her hands as if she’s trying to emphasize something. “Especially Her Majesty! She’s staring at me as if she’s reading every single thing I do. I could actually feel everyone’s eyes boring holes on my face,” she cried, making face. “Her Majesty and Her Highness were really scaring me. I quit. I can’t do this anymore.” (*This is really your fault!)
“Ya, Halma-mama is not really that scary.”
Of course, Her Majesty is not. Jae Kyung will admit that. Queen Jang Eun was really nice to her, treating her as if she’s Her Majesty’s real granddaughter.
It’s just that, she felt suffocated to the attention she got from them, from Her Majesty herself.
“I know! I know she’s nice but I couldn’t bear this anymore. I really can’t do this, for real.”
“Oh, really? Are you sure about that? Have you forgotten about our contract? You’re the one who actually made that.”
That made Jae Kyung shut up.
Prince Yi Eul smirked at her, as if teasing her.
The former glared at him. “Can you stop that?”
He shrugged and looked straight as nowhere. Jae Kyung just heaved a sigh as she looked in the same direction as the Crown Prince while their driver was silently driving their way to their new home. Of course, the driver couldn’t hear them since there’s a glass-like barrier between them inside the car.
“Just bear with it,” Jae Kyung looked at the Crown Prince once again. “We already have 183 days left before the contract ends. Once we’ll finish and achieve our own goals, we could end everything like nothing happened.”
He side-eyed her before looking back in front, staring at nowhere. Jae Kyung fell silent after hearing those words from him that they both let the silence invade their spaces as they only heard the humming of the car’s air condition and stared at the trees and buildings come and go as they passed.
She should be happy hearing those words from him, right?
But why does she feel that something went wrong just now?
“Welcome, Your Highnesses.”
Jae Kyung silently observed the Crown Prince—their new house’s surroundings. It had the touch of those fancy traditional houses she saw on Hanok Village as well as it also has a touch of those fancy houses she saw on Gangnam. She identified the gorgeous paintings around the house, the furniture, and even the huge golden chandelier on the ceiling, illuminating the whole place.
The house was really huge for two if you’re going to minus the servants and the bodyguards serving and guarding them.
Her eyes settled on the huge portrait hanging on the wall. She couldn’t help but stare at it in awe.
It was a picture of her and the Crown Prince with a tiny smile on their faces.
When she was a kid, she was also dreaming, wanting a happily ever after. She also dreamed to become a princess and getting married to her prince charming. Oh, what indeed a sweet childhood dream.
When she got into high school, albeit she had a miserable experience with her parents when she was a kid, that didn’t stop her from dreaming, wishing for true love just like what she watched from movies and read from novels.
When she finally graduated from college and landed a job as a journalist, albeit she had a sad childhood and seeing how her parents’ marriage tore apart, that didn’t stop her from writing about true love wishing, dreaming that she also have happily ever after.
And now, she finally experienced getting married to a prince—the legit Crown Prince of South Korea. It’s indeed… her childhood dream came true.
“This is the reason why I don’t want Her Majesty to do this,” she heard Prince Yi Eul beside her, sighing. “She didn’t inform me about this house. My house is just fine. We could just live there for a while. Damn, it’s not like we’re going to last, though.”
She felt kind of suffocated.
No, she felt suffocated.
Geuge sasiriramyon geugon jinjjaya modeun gosi da gajjaga anin gochorom.
“I’m tired…” Jae Kyung muttered. She could actually feel the Crown Prince’s eyes on her but she didn’t spare him a look. “Can I go to my room? I badly need to dress up and rest.”
“Uh sure—hey, Jae Kyung—!”
She didn’t wait for Prince Yi Eul’s response and she just walked towards the stairs, going upstairs. She didn’t even spare him a look albeit she could hear him calling her.
She felt kind of suffocated.
No, she felt suffocated…
As soon as she finally went inside a certain guest room, she leaned her back on the door and put her hand over her chest, trying to breathe in and out calmly.
She felt suffocated as she felt that pang inside her chest.
“No… I shouldn’t…” she heaved a sigh as she spoke. “This can’t be…”
- Writer
