A Royal Mess

Part 21

Present, Jungkook POV
My fingers restlessly tap against the wooden armrest as I wait for Chief Kang.
You can do this, Jungkook ah. You must convince him that Y/n is the most suitable candidate to be your queen.
The sound of footsteps make me lift my gaze in an instant.
"Your Royal Highness." Chief Kang bows at me.
"What took you so long?" I snap, annoyed.
"My apologies. I had a few things-"
"Ugh, never mind. Chief Kang, I- ehm.. I'm calling you here to inform you that I'm getting married." I clear my throat & try to sound as authoritative as possible.
"That's good news. You are at a suitable age for marriage. Who is the lucky lady? Is it Princess Yunxi from the kingdom of Wu? They have a very well-trained & strong army. If we join hands with them, it will strengthen our defense."
"N-No." I hesitantly reply.
"Then, is it Princess Minjung? Her father owns an enormous piece of farm land near our western border, which will become our asset if you marry her since she's an only child."
The more he guesses, the more petrified I become.
How am I supposed to tell him that the lucky lady is Y/n? Jungah is right. He would never let me marry Y/n who brings nothing to the table. I shouldn't tell him about my plan to propose to her.
"Your Royal Highness, you seem.. troubled. Is there anything I can help you with?" He asks, concerned.
"No. I mean- yes. I'm planning to propose to my fiancee-to-be, could you please get me a suitable ring? I heard that I should propose with an heirloom ring?"
"You want me to get you a ring? But you haven't told me who you are planning to marry." He looks utterly confused.
"It's a secret for now. I'll let you know when I'm ready. Don't worry, it's someone who is perfect to be my queen." I assure him.
"But, Your Royal Highness, you should ask the Queen for the ring. It's not my place to-"
"You know that Mother is unwell. I don't want to say the wrong thing & trigger some unpleasant memories. You are much more eloquent than me, so please do it for me. I'll talk to her once everything is settled."
"Well.. If it's your command, then I shall do it." He nods, albeit rather hesitantly.
"Thank you, Chief Kang." I smile at him.

The following day
The dark blue sapphire glows under the sunlight as I observe the ring which Chief Kang has just delivered.
He said that this was the ring my grandmother had worn on her wedding & subsequently my mother.
"I think she'll like this." I smile to myself.
A soft knock on my door prompts me to hastily put the ring in my pocket.
"Come in."
"Your Highness." Y/n enters & bows.
My palms begin to perspire. I can hear my rapid heartbeat pounding in my ears.
It's time, Jungkook ah. You've got to pop the question now.
"Why did you summon me, Your Highness?" She asks.
"Please sit down." I take her hand & sit her on the sofa.
She squirms on her seat, seemingly nervous as well.
"Y/n ah, I was going to ask you this question a few days ago but Jungah interrupted me, so I'm going to ask you now. Will you marry me?"
I get down on one knee & show her the sapphire ring.
Surprised, her jaw drops & her hand instantly covers her mouth.
"Y-Your Highness, I- I don't- I don't know what to say." She stutters, her voice quivering.
"Just tell me your answer." I look up at her & smile encouragingly.
"I- I- Could you give me some time to think about it?"
Her response is definitely not what I expected. I thought that she would be ecstatic. I thought that she would readily said yes to my proposal.
Have I read the signals wrong?
"Y/n ah, haven't you forgiven my past mistakes? Or have I done something wrong?"
"No, you haven't done anything wrong. And I told you I'd forgiven you. But marriage is a huge step, a once-in-a-lifetime affair, so I need to think about it carefully. You don't mind, do you?" She hesitantly asks.
"Of course not! Take your time. I'll be patiently waiting." I force a stiff smile & rise to my feet.
"Thank you very much for your understanding. Uhm.. Would you mind if I take my leave now? I need some time alone."
"Oh. Alright. Let me know once you've made a decision."
"I will. Have a good day, Your Highness." She bows & leaves the room.
I push my hair back, still finding it hard to believe that she didn't accept my proposal.
I'm the King of this kingdom now.If she marries me, she'll have everything! Why does she need time to think?
I pace back & forth, frustrated by the unanswered question. Then, something comes to mind.
Could it be- No. That's impossible. There's no way that she's stalling because of Taehyung. I'm the King, he's a mere gardener. A traitor's son. There must be another reason, but it's definitely not him. Right?