Kingdom

26. Hiding Place (4)

"The Princess sent you here?" Mira asks, eyes wide open.

"Yes, she said you offered to show her around." Jungkook confirms.

Mira smiles, taking a mental note to give Nori a hug once she sees her.

"Yes, indeed. I promised that!" the Lady cheerfully declares.

Teaming up with the Princess was a great idea, Mira concludes. Nori is an awesome ally. But there is only one problem: Mira's not wearing her best dress, her hair looks too simple, tied in a long braid. Why didn't the Princes mention Kook in her note? That could have given the Lady some time to prepare. Maybe it was a last minute decision. Who knows what was the Princess's real intention. But whatever this is, Mira is grateful. Excited.

She planned to use the morning to arrange her clothes but now there are far more important things to do. She leaves her unpacked luggage and her messy room to her handmaiden and hurries to show Jungkook around.

He looks more handsome than yesterday, if that's even possible. His dark circles are gone, his complexion looks healthier and his eyes sparkle with vivid energy. The guard uniform suits him well but wraps a bit tight around his chest. Kook has outgrown those clothes. Soon he will be asked to wear the blue-colored Daegu uniform. It will fit him so well. Mira is excited, thrilled about the future, especially if that future includes Jungkook strolling around the Palace, looking stunningly handsome in his new uniform.

Then out of a sudden Mira's excitement turns to nervousness. There he is, the man of her dreams, the brave young soldier with a charming smile and big dark eyes. He walks beside her quietly, keeping a respectful distance, listening to her words attentively and nodding from time to time. He is so close and so far away. Distant and unreachable.

Mira talks a lot, she can't catch her breath from talking. About the weather, about the building's architecture, about the court ladies being too keen to gossip, about her troubles on her way to the Palace. Her mind is a hive of thoughts that run away in all directions.

The Lady is not easily intimidated or flustered by the presence of men. In fact she knows how to talk to them freely, grown up in a Palace surrounded by young boys. Most of her closest friends are men.

But Jungkook is not any man, he is the man. A temptation sent to stir her mind. In his presence Mira is no longer a confident and experienced woman, she is a little girl who has just learned to walk and has no idea what her next step should be. Kook's soft, unreadable expression hides all his thoughts and feelings away. He smiles from time to time but says nothing, absolutely nothing. His quietness makes Mira's agitation grow. Suddenly she forgets all about the thing she was saying and stops in place.

"Do I bore you with my talk?" Mira asks, her expression tensing.

"No, not at all. I am learning a lot of interesting things." Jungkook says, his face calm but difficult to read. Mira cannot conclude if he is being polite or sincere. "I never knew there were so many kinds of teapot-making techniques. Daegu's craftsmen must be some of the best in the world."

"I was talking about teapots?" Mira asks, confused. She has no memory of what she was saying.

"Yes, my Lady, you mentioned the tea house, on the other side of this building and the many kinds of teas one can try there. Then you talked about teapots for around 10 minutes."

A wide, bright smile appears on Jungkook's lips, melting Mira's thought in a puddle of gibberish. She has absolutely no idea what to say. For the first time ever she is speechless.

"My Lady, are you okay?" Kook asks, looking concerned."You look pale."

This cannot be happening. Mira cannot be losing her composure so easily and embarrass herself so foolishly. Jungkook is a man like any other. Yes, he is absolutely gorgeous, but that should not turn Mira into a dysfunctional mess. The Princess's words must have influenced the Lady a bit too much, making her believe that Kook is more unreachable than he really is. Mira never gives up without a fight. And she is to fight fiercely today.