𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 // LOOΠΔ X READER

𝐬𝐢𝐱

Haseul chuckled as she stepped inside The Red Queen's gardens, her black attire standing out from the assortment of red flowers. Her heels clicked against the cobblestone pathway leading towards the castle doors. Every so often Haseul would stop walking to observe the intricate hedges trimmed to look like the queen. She always thought those bushes added to the queen's self-absorbed personality. 

Haseul turned to a bush a few feet away from the doors and plucked a single red rose from it. She brought it to her face to take a whiff of it, surprised at its smell. An unwelcoming scent filled her nose—paint, in particular. She threw her head back and laughed aloud. It was a high-pitched laugh, one that was filled with genuine amusement.

"She—" Haseul choked out, struggling to get the words out due to her uncontrollable laughter. "She painted the roses red! That's—" She chuckled some more. "Ridiculous!"

In complete honesty, Haseul had no idea where this rush of delight came from. Perhaps it was the anxiety building up in her. It had been such a long time since she had been here. 

The entertained girl let out a sigh as she tapped the bottom of her eyes gently to wipe the tears without wrecking her makeup. She looked down at the rose in her elegant hands and shook her head in disbelief. 

"You crack me up, Your Majesty," she smiled. "I think I'll keep this." 

She moseyed further, reaching the large grey doors guarded by two card soldiers. They looked at her with puzzled expressions, confused by her giggle fit from moments earlier. Haseul turned to one of the guards and smiled.

"Good morning gentlemen," she spoke in a fruity voice. "The queen sent me—if you could please let me see her, that would be splendid."

The guards didn't reply, they simply crossed their spears over the door, blocking the entrance. Haseul's smile remained, only now she started laughing again.

"Well alright then," she giggled. "After all, I have all the time in the world!"

Once again, no response from the soldiers.

"Do you get it?" She grinned. "It's because I am time! So I have all of me!"

The cards stood still.

"I'm just as confused as you are, gentlemen. Trust me, I'm not usually like this," she sighed. "Well, if you really can't let me in, I guess I'll go admire the roses again. Tell the queen I'm here, won't you?"

She strode away, her dress trailing behind her. Swaying her arms ever so slightly, Haseul paced around the garden several times, laughing each time she came across a Hyejoo-shaped hedge. She just couldn't wrap her head around them. Why spend your time caring about yourself, when you could be responsible for the lives and deaths of every person in Underland?

It was her favourite part of being Time. In her fortress, there were two sections—The Living and The Deceased. In The Living, there were pocket watches hanging from the ceiling. Each watch belonged to a person in Underland. Once their time was up, she would remove their watch from The Living, transfer it to The Deceased, and close the watch, ending their life. It was a very powerful ability that could be used the wrong way if placed in the wrong hands.

Sooner or later, Haseul stopped at a bench and took a seat. The rose she picked earlier was resting in her lap. She stared down at it. Although she laughed at it earlier, it reminded her of a young girl she once knew quite well. Haseul felt her heart sting at the thought of her. 

She took her away from me.

"Madame Time," a disembodied voice called out. Haseul looked up from the rose, stood up, and marched towards the doors, where a plump servant was waiting. He smiled at her, revealing his crooked teeth. "The queen awaits you."