The Royal Marriage

Unrequited

(KHAN SE ONG)

"I'm in a WHAT?"

I think all the pores in my body popped up wide when the Consort told me that I am in a...

"Unrequited love story. And to be clear, you are the one pining away at your crush." He said while waving a dismissive hand on me as he passed me to go behind his desk.

I am ever so glad we are alone in the Consort's work office because just the thought of someone knowing that I am crushing on someone like I am a teenager is embarrassing enough. Them thinking it is unrequited would just kill me.

I'm not being dramatic.

"I don't know what you are talking about," I go for blind cluelessness to deflect his observation that I am pining away at my crush.

"Really?" The Consort smiled at me as he sat on his chair behind the desk. I felt a chill run down my back at that smile. The Consort is a dangerous person. Sometimes even more dangerous than the other royals in this Palace. He is astute, frank and could be brutal.

I shrugged. I must held on as long as I can to survive him. "Yes. I don't know what you are talking about."

The Consort let out a dramatic sigh. He also gave me a pitying look. Signs that he is getting ready to annihilate me. "Okay, if you want to play it like that, sure lets play it like that. I will take back what I said about you having a massive unsolicited crush on someone if you can tell me what was I wearing yesterday during the meeting with the play's production."

Yesterday, in a surprising move, the Consort joined the meeting of the Queen and the Princess with the directors and senior crews of the play that invited the Princess to be a part of it. The Consort happened to also volunteered himself to do some part on that play and when the meeting was over, he gave me a cryptic message of "thanking him later". I don't know what that means but I have a feeling I will find out today what those words are for.

I blinked as I tried to remember what he was wearing during yesterday's meeting. "A suit?" I said when nothing particular pops in my head. But he regularly wears a suit while working so maybe that would be a lucky guess.

The Consort smiled. "Oh my, that was good. Next question, what was the color of the tie I was wearing with that suit?" He asked.

Fuck! Why is he asking that? How should I know what color of tie he was wearing yesterday?! I barely pay attentioned to my own clothes, why would I bother staring at his?! Fuck this shit!

"I dunno. Blue?" I said while wishing I could get another lucky guess.

The Consort teared up a post it note, crumpled it and threw that at me while laughing. "You miserable bastard. I was not wearing a suit and tie yesterday. You jerk!"

I sighed tiredly while letting that crumpled post it note to bounce on my chest and land on my feet. "Fine! You got me. So I was not paying attention to your outfit of the day yesterday. Sue me!" I grumbled at him.

"I should sue you! Or at the very least deduct your pay. How dare you not pay attention to me?!" The Consort scowled while grumbling back at me. Then he relaxed against the backrest of his chair to regard me with amusement. "I won't deduct your pay if you will tell me whats the color of the gems in Princess Baozang's ring yesterday."

Pale rose. The color of the gem embedded on the Princess' ring yesterday was pale rose. It matched the bright pink color of her dress. She was tastefully attired yesterday. And when she walked close by me, I got a hint of her enchanting floral perfume. She smells good.

I kept my mouth shut and didn't give the answer to the Consort. He will win if I do that.

Well, he will also win if I stayed quiet because silence is always an admittance of guilt for this royal. Consort Dayu doesn't need a verbal confirmation to know that his point is right. That makes him a truly formidable opponent. He is relentless.