Chapter XXXIV
1516 Words
서른 네 번째 왕관 (34)
Jae Kyung is currently glaring at Prince Yi Eul as he’s minding his own business hitting some arrows on the archery board.
“Ya, jeonha. Can I just have a day off only for today? I badly need some sleep, you know? We just went home from Jeju at 2AM,” Jae Kyung said as she unconsciously whined.
“As the princess consort, you should not slack off,” Prince Yi Eul said as he gets another arrow. He slightly motioned his eyes somewhere then he looked at Jae Kyung once again. “Pyehakkeso bogo gyesinda.” (*Daebi-mama is watching.)
Jae Kyung hastily sit up straight and held her brightly worn chima (which is really annoying for her to wear) before looking on the side where Prince Yi Eul looked earlier but it turns out that no one is actually there aside from his royal servants and Secretary Jeong.
“Secretary Jeong.”
Secretary Jeong bowed at him. “Ye, jeonha. After your archery practice, you’re going to a lunch appointment with the officials. You’ll also be going to visit Geongbyeokgung Palace as what Queen Jang Eun requested you to do so and you’ll also quest in the symposium which will be held in Yonsei University.”
Prince Yi Eul sighed as he took another shot on the board. “Okay. And oh, I think Jae Kyung is already hungry. Tell the servants to serve some snacks in the pavilion.”
“Uh, about that Your Highness. Kim Jae Kyung-ssi is…”
“What?” as soon as Prince Yi Eul turned his head to where Jae Kyung is sitting, he immediately saw Jae Kyung sleeping on the chair with her mouth open. He frowned while looking at her sleeping like a kid, totally ignoring the fact that the royal servants are watching her. He couldn’t help but just rub his forehead while frowning. “Seriously, this lazy bum.”
He actually had the urge to wake her up and scold her but he chose not to. The latter stayed awake `till 5AM after they left Jeju at 2AM. They both stayed up all night to talk to her parents because first, they have to, and second, because it’s Jae Kyung’s first time to be at home after three years so of course, she spent some bonding time with her family.
“Shall I tell one of the bodyguards to carry her, Your Highness?” Secretary Jeong asked.
Prince Yi Eul gave him a look. “No. I’ll be the one to carry her.”
The royal servants were actually shocked when they heard Prince Yi Eul said it but chose to keep silent.
The old secretary just bowed at him. “Yes, Your Highness.”
Two of the servants went to Prince Yi Eul to get both the arrow and the bow from his hands. He, then, walked towards Jae Kyung to carry her up like a bride.
He groaned as he kept on adjusting her on his arms. “Ugh, this woman really needs to lose some weight.”
“Hmm,” Prince Yi Eul heard her hum and to his surprise, she hugged him on his neck.
Prince Yi Eul couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “This girl, seriously.”
Of course, the royal servants went to his aid but he declined their presence so they just followed him on his back.
Before he could finally leave the archery area, he turned his head on Secretary Jeong. “About the lunch appointment, please cancel it. I don’t actually have the mood to go. Tell them to set up another appointment if I’m free.”
“Ye, jeonha.”
After he said so, he left with Jae Kyung sleeping in his arms like a baby.
With a pink box and a smile on his face, Prince Yi Ryeo went to the pavilion where Jae Kyung usually stayed. For some reason, he’s actually excited to see the girl once again.
As soon as he finally arrived in the pavilion, he noticed that it’s quiet and there were only four servants standing on their post. He actually knows that Jae Kyung is in the pavilion since he usually hears her singing some K-Pop songs that he didn’t know.
“Good morning, Your Highness,” the royal servants bowed as they greeted him.
Prince Yi Ryeo gave them a nod in response. “Jae Kyung-ssi… is she here?”
“Agassineun yogi opsseumnida jonha geunyoneun sasil hwangtaejawa hamkke ittta—oh,” one of the servants paused as she and the other servants looked at something in awe. (*Miss Jae Kyung is not here, Your Highness. She’s actually with the Crown Prince.)
Prince Yi Ryeo turned his head only to see Crown Prince Yi Eul carrying the sleeping Jae Kyung in his arms.
Prince Yi Ryeo slightly frowned as he felt a throbbing sensation inside his chest.
Like he’s seeing something unpleasant.
He turned his head on the servants and with a smile, he gave them the pink box full of desert. “Kindly give this to Jae Kyung-ssi.”
The royal servants bowed at him. “Ye, mama.”
Prince Yi Ryeo turned his back to them and from a smiling, happy expression, his face changed into a blank and cold one.
Jae Kyung is now sleeping comfortably on her bed like a child as the Crown Prince sat beside her while massaging his own shoulder. He kept on frowning at her as he kept on soothing the throbbing sensation on his shoulder.
“Aish, you really need to lose some weight. How can you be so heavy albeit you’re skinny?” he sighed as he removed her danghye and slightly massaged her foot. “I hired you to be my personal assistant but you ended up acting like you’re my employer. Damn this lazy bum.”
“Hmm,” he heard her hum and he shook his head as he watched her sleeping like a baby.
He, then, put her foot down and he leaned on the headrest of the bed. “I have manners and compassion, you see.”
Jae Kyung just slept soundly and Prince Yi Eul just let the silence invade their spaces.
“You know, Your Highness. This is the first time we saw Jae Kyung happy like that,” Mr. Pyo said after he poured some soju on the Crown Prince’s glass. At first, the old man is hesitant to drink with the Crown Prince but since the Crown Prince is the one who actually initiated and assured him that it’s okay for him to drink, so they drink. At first, it was awkward but Mr. Pyo seemed so tipsy so he could talk comfortably at his future son-in-law.
“When she was a kid, she’s afraid to talk to other people and even to us. She’s distant and sad. She also thought that she doesn’t belong to the family just because we just adopted her after her mother died and after we rescued her. We really tried our best to help her recover from her trauma and we showed her how much we cherish, love, and support her like she’s our own daughter, and thankfully, she slowly opened up to us and to few people as well. Guess her desired profession being a Journalist helped her cope up,” Mr. Pyo said as he let Prince Yi Eul pour him some soju. “But she’s still distant and lonely and we felt like she’s also distancing herself to other people that’s why she’s always alone. We really want her to have a happy life with no worries or torment from the past and we saw it just now, all because of you, Your Highness.”
“B-Because of me…” Prince Yi Eul muttered for he didn’t know how to respond to Jae Kyung’s uncle. I didn’t do anything. I just dragged her to work for me against her will and I even dragged her into this mess of a marriage.
“We’re so happy seeing her happy and we’re already contented by that,” Mr. Pyo said and gently, he held Prince Yi Eul’s hand which took the latter by surprise. “Please, take care of Jae Kyung, Your Highness.”
Before Prince Yi Eul could stop himself, he’s caressing Jae Kyung’s hair down to her cheek. At first, he actually flinched when he felt that Jae Kyung is moving but when the latter was actually sleeping soundly, he let his hand rest on her cheek. He didn’t even notice the tiny smile flaunting on his face while staring at Jae Kyung’s sleeping face.
“Please be by her side… always.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Pyo,” he muttered. “I may not be able to do what you want me to do.”
Because after six months, we’re going to take our own separate paths without looking back at each other. That’s how our story will end.
Urie iyagineun geuroke kkeunnal gosida…
- Writer
