Royal Bonds | Y.Jw

| 44 |

"Mom?" I quietly questioned sitting at the dining table, and shoving the food into my mouth. Mom immediately humming as she raised her head to look at me.

"Yes sweetie?" she softly spoke making me look over at her.

"Do you like Jungwon-ie?" I cocked my head to the side as a small smile spread on her lips.

"Say, Jiyeon-ie... do you have a crush?" she softly teased, only earning a shrug from me while I munched on my dinner, "well... I think... the prince is a lovely boy. Very kind, considerate, polite, protective, careful. What do you think about the Prince?"

"He's cute," I shortly replied making mom let out a small laugh at me.

"You like him?" mom questioned and I just nodded, "more than as a friend?"

"But he has a princess," I remarked, remembering the foreign Princess mom had told me about everytime I brought this subject up.

"But, who do the Prince think is his Princess? You, or her?" mom questioned and I immediately smiled as I looked across the table at her.

"Are you listening Ji?" Jungwon softly spoke, tracing small patterns on the back of my shoulder as I laid partially on top of his chest.

"Hm?" I hummed as I turned my head to glance up at him, only getting a small laugh in return.

"You didn't listen did you?" he questioned in amusement as I just stayed silent while he tugged the blanket further up around, "where's your mind?"

"In the past," I whispered and he hummed as he glanced down at me, "when I was... around eight I think... mom and I eating dinner together."

"Was it a good dinner?" he questioned and I just shrugged.

"We talked about you... I think already then I was beginning to fancy you," I admitted and Jungwon let out a small laugh, softly giving me a squeeze, "but I knew about Taehee then. Mom used to remind me that whenever I hinted at liking you."

"You really already knew then," he sighed and I hummed at him with a small nod.

"But this time mom questioned me... who you considered as your princess, me or her... I think I know the answer now," I admitted and he smiled softly as I looked up at him, "don't you think?"

"That you know the answer?" he questioned as I placed my chin on the back of my hand, which rested softly on his chest, "is that even a question? Am I not obvious enough?"

"Taehee's your princess?" I teased and he rolled his eyes.

"Oh yeah, because I was so worried sick for her that I threw up, when the castle was attacked again," he sarcastically replied and I immediately pushed myself up on my elbows, a frown growing on my face as I looked down at him, "what?"

"You threw up that night?" I whispered and he just looked at me before nodding, "why?"

"I was worried," he admitted, "I knew I was safe, but for what I knew you could be hiding in an obvious place such as under a table. So many things could've gone wrong and happened to you... it made me sick."

"But..." I slowly trailed off not fully understanding why it had made him sick.

"You are aware of how much I really do love you, right?" he questioned and tugged a stray hair over behind my ear, "I'm seriously not kidding when I say I'd give my life for you."

"That's unhealthy," I whispered and he quietly shook his head at me, "it is, Won."

"It's just like love should be," he whispered, "it's exactly what you deserve."

"You're gonna make me cry," I whispered and nuzzled my head into the crook of his neck, a small laugh escaping him as I did so.

"So we're ignoring the cleaning we have to do in here?" he questioned and I lifted my head again immediately, looking around his room for any sign of what had to be cleaned.

"With any luck there isn't a broken mirror in the bathroom. I'll take it when you're in your classes tomorrow," I excused and he hummed quietly before pushing my head back into the crook of his neck.

"Are we getting lazy miss lim?" he softly chuckled and I let out a small whine.

"You aren't the one who ran through half of the castle last night," I defended and he let out a small laugh at me, softly rubbing his hand on my back.

A loud knock on the door let a deep sigh emit from Jungwon as he closed his eyes tightly, holding up a hand as if to ask me to just stay quiet.

"Yah, Jungwon-ah," Taehee's voice sounded out on the other side of the door while Jungwon simply pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Just... don't say anything," Jungwon whispered as I continued to look up at his face, watching how much he looked to hate the fact that Taehee was here again.

"Jungwon-ah!" her screech came once again, "yah! You can't be spending time with that maid, your dad put down a restriction from that! You know he did! He told you at dinner a few days ago!"

"I don't care Taehee, leave me alone," Jungwon quietly sighed as I continued to stare up at him.

"Hide under your covers," I whispered and he frowned at me as I moved out of his grip and over onto the edge of the bed, quickly slipping into my maid heels, "hide, Jungwon."

Giving me a weird look Jungwon slowly slid down under his covers as I walked over to the door and opened it to Taehee having her fist raised to knock again.

"How may I help you your Highness?" I questioned with forced kindness.

"The Prince," she immediately stated and I glanced over my shoulder, actually not seeing Jungwon.

"I'm afraid he's not here. Perhaps he's in the North Wing Library, he enjoys it quite a lot," I remarked and she let out a small huff at me, glaring as if I was the cause that Jungwon supposedly was in the Library, "the Science section is his favorite as far as I've heard."

Without even saying a word Taehee turned on her heel with a small 'hmph' escaping her while she just marched towards the Northern library, which in fact did not exist in the castle. But it'll keep her occupied for a good hour or two.

I immediately closed the door once again, letting out a deep sigh as I kicked off the heels and massaged one of my feet.

"You're magnificent, you know that, right?" Jungwon questioned as he arbuptly sat up in his bed.

"I know," I nodded with a small smirk as I walked back to his bed and sat down on the edge, "so... I'm gonna go get dinner for you-"

"For us," Jungwon corrected and I just nodded with a small laugh.

"In half an hour," I finished and he grinned widely within seconds, "deal?"

"Yeah," he breathed out with a small smile, "can I ask how you got the picture?" he questioned carefully and glanced over at the small photo that laid on his nightstand.

"It was shoved into my hand after they heard me addressed as Jiyeon," I let out a small sigh.

"They got ahold of you?" Jungwon almost choked on his own breath, "so they did hurt you."

"They did not," I shook my head at him, "they escorted us towards the dining room, but we never got that far before Sunghoon and I ran for another room. I just thought... would be nice to keep this one around," I excused and looked over at the photo, "you cherished it so much."

"You risked your life for a photo?" he let out a small laugh of disbelief.

"Yah, don't sit and act like you didn't just say in the cheesiest way possible that you'd give up your life for me," I loudly retorted only making his laugh brighten even more at the mere thought of how stupid this discussion was.