Dark Red Carnations | JJK

9 | Necklace

Hyerim fell on her knees as she saw Jungkook in the room. Tears began streaming down her face as she began explaining. "Your highness! This maid have been slapping and biting me! Look at these bitemarks! Look at my cheek! Fire her, please!" She pointed at Haeun as she sobbed uncontrollably.

Haeun scoffed, Hyerim's plan was to accuse her? "Your highness! I have in no shape or form assaulted her. She did that to herself. She's the one who have been slapping me!" Haeun pointed at her red cheek.

"Why did she slap you Haeun?" Jungkook seemed calm, but on the inside he was furious. He believed Haeun right away. He knew the kind of person Haeun was, she wouldn't hit someone in anger. She would rather hit someone playfully, when she were to be joking.

Haeun and Jungkook had some small arguments as a couple. But never would she hit him in pure anger.

"She wanted to take my necklace from me. She kept ordering me to give my necklace to her. She even called me names like pathetic lowlife." Haeun calmly explained, glaring daggers at Hyerim.

Jungkook eyes flared and his jaw clenched, how dare she call Haeun a pathetic lowlife?

"Don't believe her! That necklace belongs to me! She stole it from me! She even bit me and slapped me for it! Fire her!" Hyerim kept yelling, tears pouring from her eyes.

Haeun turned to Jungkook and went on her knees. "Please, your highness. Believe me, this necklace is mine. I got this as a gift from my boyfriend. Please believe me." She pleaded, lowering her head to bow.

Jungkook's angry eyes turned soft as he looked at the necklace that hung around Haeun's neck. He recognized that necklace. He was the one who bought it after all.

Jungkook extended his hand towards Haeun. "Stand up, Haeun. I believe you."

---

"This wasn't how I expected to enjoy my afternoon." The king said, eyeing the two woman who kneeled before him.

"Your majesty, this is my necklace. Lady Hyerim began cursing at me and even slapped me because she wanted my necklace. Please believe me." Haeun calmly said, fully bowing to the king.

"Don't believe her, your majesty. That necklace is mine. Why would she, a commoner have a such expensive necklace? It doesn't even make sense. I even know the price of it, it costs 5000 dollars." Hyerim lied through her teeth.

Jungkook's eyes widened at Hyerim's audacity. He knew that she was straight up lying. He kept glancing at his father who sat beside him, hoping that he didn't believe Hyerim.

"Your majesty, she knows the price because I told her. I really want to keep this job for my family. You can see a red mark on my cheek. She slapped me and I did not assault her. I do not want to lose this job." Haeun said, her tone was beginning to be desperate.

"Then how do you explain my marks, huh?" Hyerim angrily said, while glancing at Haeun for a second. "Your majesty, not only did she take my necklace. She slapped me and bit me numerous times. She needs to get fired from this job!"

"I honestly think that Lady Hyerim's explanation is more believable. Miss Haeun, give the necklace back to Hyerim and you're fired." The king sternly told, earning a glare from Jungkook.

"What? Please no, this is the only gift I got from my boyfriend!" Haeun told the king. She couldn't lose the only thing JK left her with.

"Father! You can not do this! The necklace belongs to Haeun!" Jungkook raged, the king turned to his son with confused eyes.

"What do you mean? Hyerim's explanation makes sense. Everything commoners do is to get jealous," The king spat out. "Do you even have any proof that the necklace belongs to the maid?"

"I.." Jungkook stopped himself from saying anything further. He couldn't tell his father that he was the one who bought the necklace. That would mess up everything.

But then, he got an idea. "Hyerim's maids, come here."

Hyerim's two other maids walked towards Hyerim and Haeun and bowed in respect for the royals.

"These two women came running to me saying something happened in Hyerim's room," Jungkook pointed at the two maids. "Could one of you guys tell me what you heard."

"We heard Lady Hyerim curse at Miss Haeun. We also heard Hyerim ordering Haeun to give her the necklace." One of the maids said to Jungkook.

"Well, that complicates things," The king sighed. "That could either mean that Lady Hyerim was trying to take the necklace from the maid or trying to get the necklace back."

Hyerim glared at her two other maids, before looking at the king with sadness. "Please, your majesty. I was just trying to get it back."

"Your majesty." Haeun interjected, infuriated by her step-sister. "She was the one who slapped me and slapped herself. I was not jealous. She was. This is my necklace, I would never lie about this."

The king eyed the girls before coming to a conclusion. "Haeun give me the necklace, neither of you will have it at all. The maid will not get fired, Hyerim will stay in the competition. The maid will get half of her salary this month. This is an order." Jungkook's father sternly said.

Haeun sighed in defeat, while Hyerim was trying to hide a smirk. Haeun took off the necklace and looked at it for the last time, before giving it to the king's butler.

"I win." Hyerim whispered, a tiny smirk appeared on her face.

---

Haeun sighed as she walked into her and Bora's small shared bedroom. Bora saw the defeated look on Haeun face as she walked in.

Yes, they shared a bedroom. It was rather small but the two were both okay with it. There was a single bed on either side of the room. Not far from the bed stood a small vanity and dresser.

"What happened?" Bora put her phone down and looked at Haeun in worry.

"I lost it." Haeun simply said, laying on her bed.

"Lost what?" Bora got out of her own bed and sat beside Haeun.

"My necklace. It was the only thing he left me with." Haeun sighed. "Hyerim wanted my necklace, but I wouldn't give it to her. She even slapped me and blamed me for slapping her. His majesty took my necklace in the end, not giving it to me or Hyerim."

"What? What a bitch." Bora scoffed. "Don't you have any evidence that it's yours?"

Haeun shook her head and sadly smiled. "No, nothing."

---

Published: 22/01/22