A Royal Mess

Part 20

A few days later, Taehyung POV
Royals from all over the kingdom have all gathered in the extravagant hall to bear witness to the historic moment that's going to happen shortly. Even though I'm indistinguishable from the rest of the attendees in the fancy outfit Chief Kang prepared for me, I feel extremely uncomfortable & out of place.
I can't wait for this to end.
Soon, my silent prayer is granted. The young king-to-be steps into the tightly packed hall & a hush instantly descends on the murmuring crowd.
Jungkook looks handsome in his regal cape & armor. Yet, the person who has all my attention is the girl sauntering behind him along with his other entourage.
Y/n.
She looks absolutely stunning in the open-shoulder red ballgown, embellished with gold lace. However, the luxurious outfit can't mask her apparent awkwardness. Her face is lowered all through the long walk from the gate to the throne. Although I can't see her eyes, I'm sure that they must be filled with anxiety.
As Court lady Ji predicted, Jungkook ordered the guards to release Y/n not long after I met her in the dungeon. She's been staying by his side ever since.
Even though I understand that it's favorable for her to stay on his good side, I still can't shake off the burning jealousy every single time I see her with him.
One little thing that gives me a little comfort is the unease in her gestures whenever she's with him. It shows that this situation isn't what she hopes for, that she doesn't enjoy being with him.
The ceremony is starting. People elbows each other to get closer to the throne, but I choose to stay at the back.
As the priest lifts the crown over Jungkook's head, a pang of regret pierces my chest.
It could've been me.
No, don't even go there. You did the right thing. You did the right thing.

Flashback
"Yes Ajusshi, I decide to stay as a gardener in this palace." I move my gaze to the floor, afraid of meeting his.
"What?!" Chief Kang exclaims loudly, making me jump.
"I-I'm never going to lead the coup. Just let me live peacefully."
"Peacefully? You call this peace? Yes, it might look peaceful on the outside, but I know that you will never have peace in your heart!" He flails his arms in exasperation.
"My decision is final. You can't change my mind. That's all I want to say. Good bye." I nod at him & turn to the door.
"Wait! Why did you change your mind? Did someone tell you something?" He grabs my arm to stop me.
"Nobody told me anything. I've always been skeptical about your plan. I might have nothing to lose, but what about you? What about the other people who plan to join the coup? There are too many lives that could be lost. I can't risk it."
"Taehyung ah, they are willing to sacrifice their lives because they believe that you'll be a good king. See? You always think about other people first before yourself, which is a sign that you-"
"Stop. I don't want to listen anymore. As I told you, my decision is final. Please don't talk to me about this again. I don't want to be charged with treason like my father."
I slide his hand off my arm & quickly leave the room.
"Do you want her to suffer as much as you do if you get killed? Do you want her to cry herself to sleep every night, thinking about what she could have done to save you? If you don't, don't do anything reckless. Then, at least, you'll still be able to see her, talk to her, & spend time with her in this palace."
Court lady Ji's words echo in my ears again.
Yes, that's right Taehyung ah. You need to accept your fate to protect her.

Present, Y/n POV
My heart pounds in my chest as I see the priest lifts the crown over Jungkook's head.
He's finally going to be king.
"Today, we gather here to witness the commencement of a new beginning for our beloved kingdom. Under the power that God has bestowed upon me, with this crown, I shall now pronounce His Royal Highness Jungkook as our King. May God bless you endlessly with wisdom, strength & health. Long live the King!" The priest proclaims as he places the bejeweled crown on top of Jungkook's head.
The whole room erupts in cheers & applause. Every person in the room seems to be smiling from ear to ear, even Jungah & the Queen. All except one.
Jungkook himself.
He doesn't look happy. In fact, he looks rather sad, which is odd. Then, I notice something glinting on his face. A drop of tear.
It's there only for a fraction of second because he swiftly wipes it away, but I manage to catch the fleeting moment.
Why is he crying? Is he reminded of his father?
Nevertheless, the sorrow on his face is gone when he rises from the throne & steps forward to address the crowd.
"My beloved people, I sincerely thank you for coming all the way here for my coronation. As your new king, I pledge myself to your service. I promise to govern this kingdom justly & wisely so that I won't disappoint the people of our kingdom. May God bless us all."
Another round of deafening cheers & applause explodes. Jungkook spends the next few hours talking with the ceremony attendees, while I, as a part of his entourage, follow along wherever he goes.
All of the people congratulate him & give him nothing but praises, although I can see that some of them don't truly mean what they say.
Jungkook stays calm & composed at all times, playing the part of the King very well. He became a totally different person over night after his father died. Even in private, he speaks & acts more cautiously now. Gone is the old spontaneous, mischievous, outspoken Jungkook.
"I think that's enough, Your Highness. Let's go back to your room." Chief Kang steps closer to Jungkook & whispers in his ear.
"Alright." Jungkook nods.
Right when we're about to exit the room, I catch something in the corner of my eye that makes me abruptly turn my head.
Taehyung.
He's standing close to the wall, almost unrecognizable in his expensive blue & gold shirt. He's staring intently at me with a gaze that I can only call accusing.
Feeling guilty, I hastily look away.
He almost got into a huge trouble for trying to help me escape & I promised to find him after I got freed, yet I haven't fulfilled my promise. It's only natural that he's angry. I have to talk to him as soon as possible.
However, it's much easier said than done. Jungkook has moved my bedroom to a room closer to his, which makes it that much more difficult to sneak out without being caught.
"Y/n?" Jungkook's call breaks my daze.
"Y-Yes, Your Highness?"
"Please follow me to my room. I have something to tell you." He smiles at me & says.
"Yes, Your Highness." I nod at him.
His entourage gradually dissolves, each person going back to their duty. Only a few guards & I are left to escort him back to his room.
"Don't let anyone in unless I allow you to." He warns the guards before holding my hand & pulling me inside.
His touch feels familiar yet foreign. I don't know why but I feel like my relationship with him is back to square one, back to when we first met after he tried to execute my father. He's still very nice to me & I can tell that he genuinely likes me, but somehow I'm scared of him.
After hearing about his father's death, it crossed my mind that he might not die of natural cause since it was too sudden. And when I overheard the court ladies gossiping about it, saying that Jungkook was the last person to meet the King that night, it made me even more suspicious.
Did he kill his own father to rise to the throne? But why now? He doesn't seem like the type of person who would do that. Am I wrong? Maybe he is truly evil like Taehyung said?
All in all, I'm deeply confused & conflicted. My life before coming to the palace was simple, but now it's as complicated as a tangled thread.
"What are you thinking about?" Noticing my blank expression, he asks.
"Nothing. What is it that you want to talk about?" I cover up my inner turmoil with a smile.
"Y/n ah, you know that I like you, right?" His question comes out of nowhere that it takes me aback.
"Uhm.. Yes. You've mentioned it to me before." My heart begins to hammer out of anxiety, not knowing the direction of this conversation.
"Well, I've become the King now, so there is nothing that will get in between us anymore. With that being said.."
He reaches into the pocket of his trousers & takes out a small royal blue velvet box. My eyes instantly widen in shock. Panic courses through my veins.
Oh my God. No. Please don't ask me that.
He looks straight into my eyes, a bright smile splitting his lips.
"Kim Y/n, will you-"