Chapter XLIII
1643 Words
사십삼분의 왕관 (43)
Every girl’s dream is to have a fairytale-like wedding. It’s once in a lifetime for every girl so it must be beautiful and memorable.
But in Jin Hee’s case, it’s not.
To be honest, she’ll be happy. Who wouldn’t, right? Getting married is one of every girl’s dreams. Especially that she’s married to an actual prince.
It feels like a romantic novel scenery, she’ll say.
But in her case, it’s not even real. It’s not really worth it to be called a fairytale-like happily ever after.
It’s not worth it to be a happy story to be told because they didn’t just deceive people nor their family nor their friends…
…They’re deceiving their selves as well.
— Dealing Prince Arrogant, Chapter 30
After re-reading the latest update of her novel which she posted earlier, Jae Kyung turned her phone down when she saw Crown Prince Yi Eul went inside. He’s now wearing his casual white shirt and comfortable white jeogori and baji (baggy pants).
Prince Yi Eul’s eyes settled on her and he slightly frowned. “Why are you still wearing that?”
Jae Kyung looked at her clothes. She’s still wearing dangui a set of her jeogori and chima underneath. She’s also wearing her braid, tteoljam, and tteolguji since they still entertained so many guests earlier and because of the first night ritual. “What about it?”
“Aren’t you feeling hot?” Prince Yi Eul asked, slightly pointing her. “You can take it off, you know? You have your white jeogori and chima underneath then tomorrow, I’ll ask the servants to fetch you some clothes to wear.”
She gripped on the dangui she’s wearing and she noticed that the Crown Prince was sitting with his back as if he’s not looking at her which actually made her smile for the small gesture.
After she took off her dangui and everything except for her white jeogori, chima and braids, she spoke. “You-You can look now.”
With a blank face, Prince Yi Eul looked at her. “Wow, you look decent right now.”
“You—” Jae Kyung was about to fire back when she realized something. “Wait, what are you doing here? We’re supposed to stay in separate rooms, right? We agreed on that.”
“If you knew how I badly want to have a separate bed to sleep in as well but for real, we can’t. This is our “first night”. People might get suspicious if they saw us in separate rooms. They’ll find it weird. So, let’s just bear for it for a night,” he responded as he leaned on the bed’s headboard and sighed.
“Right,” Jae Kyung nodded and sat beside Prince Yi Eul and leaned on the headboard as well.
A pregnant silence filled their rooms. They couldn’t hear anything aside from the night breeze that blew the leaves and their breathing.
“You lied to me.”
Prince Yi Eul looked at her.
“You said your parents will go home to meet me and my parents as well as they’ll going to attend the wedding as well,” Jae Kyung spoke. She once had this conversation with Prince Yi Eul regarding his parents' idea about their relationship but the Crown Prince just kept brushing the topic off and said that they might go home to find out everything. At first, Jae Kyung didn't mind it at all but after weeks of being in and out of the House of Yi, she realized that there's some loophole behind Prince Yi Eul's family. “But that whole time, I only saw Queen Jang Eun…”
“Did I?”
“Yeah, you did! Ugh, I don’t want to say this but your parents are bad for not attending. I know it’s fake, like, everything that we did is fake but at least they should attend, right? Because that’s how and what parents should do—support their child in situations like this. They're your son, not just the Crown Prince of South Korea. As your parents, they should, you know, show their love and support towards you.”
“I wish they did,” Prince Yi Eul went silent for a second before he chuckled as he spoke. “Manyak geudeuri sara itttamyon, geudeureun danji nareul jijihaneun got isange ireul handago saenggakanda…”
Jae Kyung paused as her gaze settled on Prince Yi Eul once again. “What…?”
“My mom also wants to see me getting married as well,” Prince Yi Eul said with a faint smile on his face. “Just like how your foster parents felt when they saw you getting married to me as well.”
But Jae Kyung knew that his smile is not a smile of happiness.
“I might be an i***t for thinking that they’re still alive… that they’re still here… with me,” Prince Yi Eul slightly raised his head to look at the ceiling. “Sound pathetic, right?”
Jae Kyung kept her silence.
“It was my tenth birthday and we celebrated it together. We took a road trip… the three of us went on a picnic in The Garden of Morning Calm in Gapyeong-gun because both mom and I love that place. Both mom and dad were very busy but they still managed to celebrate every birthday with me. They never missed any of my birthdays when I was a kid. I was so happy that time…” he said, telling her his childhood memory to her. “But then… that incident happened. We were caught in a car accident… both my mom and dad died… and I was the only one who survived. I was left alone that time… while holding both mom and dad’s cold, bloody hands.”
Jae Kyung silently gasped, picturing every single thing Prince Yi Eul said to her inside her mind and she felt emphatic towards the Crown Prince.
“Sounds weird, right? I’m acting like they’re still alive… as if they’re in the other country, living there where in fact, they’re not really coming back to me,” Prince Yi Eul said. “I don’t know if it’s because I don’t want to feel so alone or because… I felt guilty about what happened, until now. And I thought… what if we didn’t go on a road trip? What if we didn’t go to the garden? What if I didn’t insist to go outdoors to celebrate my birthday? Maybe… mom and dad are still alive. Mom and dad are still here… with me.”
Jae Kyung couldn’t help but feel the throbbing sensation inside her chest that she even felt her tears began to pool inside her eyes.
They’re opposite in their situation.
Her mom died because of abuse and her dad divorced her mom, leaving her all alone at a young age. She could say her childhood was miserable and traumatic for her but she stayed strong and optimistic that’s why she achieved what she had right now.
His parents died because of an accident on the happiest day in his life at a young age. Such tragedy ruined his perfect, happy childhood.
They may have different situations but both of them lost their parents at a young age.
Both of them were left alone.
Before Jae Kyung could even think twice, she suddenly hugged the Crown Prince. Prince Yi Eul was actually taken aback because of it. “J-Jae Kyung—what are you—?!”
“You’re not alone…” Jae Kyung muttered, hugging the Crown Prince tight. “I’m already here. It may be a short while that I’ll be with you, but I will always be your side. You will never be alone, Your Highness.”
Prince Yi Eul’s face softened after he heard what Jae Kyung said. He slowly closed his eyes and hugged her back, feeling her warmth and hearing the loud pounding of her heart. He couldn’t help but burst into a chuckle as he slowly pulled away from her, only to see her teary-eyed. “Ya, I should be the one who must be emotional here, right? Why are you crying?”
“Sorry, I can’t help it,” Jae Kyung responded as she sniffed. “I didn’t know you have such a lonely childhood.”
“You crazy, lazy bum,” Prince Yi Eul muttered as he put his hand on her head. He kept her eyes on her. “If six months will end and we’ll going to break up, I hope we’ll still look at each other and smile and that… we’ll be friends as well. I don’t want to lose someone like you as a friend because you’re the only one who has the audacity to defy me yet the one that I can rely on.”
Don’t. Stop. Stop saying that.
Jae Kyung didn’t know how to respond so she just hummed.
They just kept their eyes locked at each other until Prince Yi Eul pulled her closer to kiss her forehead down to her misty eyes and silently… softly claimed her lips.
진희는 태자의 말을 듣지 않기를 바랐다.
황태자가 그녀를 친구로 잃고 싶지 않다고 말하는 순간 그녀가 가슴속에 피어오르는 고통을 결코 느끼지 못하도록 말이다.
She wished she didn’t hear what he said.
So that she’ll never feel the pain piercing in her heart the moment he said he didn’t want to lose her as his friend.
— Dealing Prince Arrogant, Chapter 32
- Writer
