The people around clapped as the prince made his way back from the shooting point. Taeyong smiled slightly, acknowledging the praises people gave him.
He retreated and took a seat next to the princess, as planned. He was trying to stall time for his bodyguard to get to work. The prince had to endure the princess in exchange he would get just the information he needed to find his fiancée.
Two months, the princess had been gone for too long and he worried she was suffering out there. Two months out of her comfort zone, the sacrifice she had to do just to survive, it was cruel and it was more of a reason for him to bring her home.
"Goodness, I've always knew you had a talent for archery, I didn't know you were this skilful." Hara smiled sweetly as she complimented the apple of her eye.
Taeyong gave her a small smile. "I appreciate the compliment, Milady. However, I am not as good as your father." The princess almost snickered, "Of course, the king was a master of everything." She said almost so halfheartedly.
"Your late sister used to admire him so much, she told me her mother had her eyes on the king for quite some time." Taeyong bravely brought up Seora as the topic, he couldn't know if he was being paranoid, but he noticed the slight changes in her facade.
There was a minute of silent before the princess broke into an obnoxious grin. "Ah, Seora." She smiled at the name, it was so cynical. "Father told me she was so much like the late queen." Hara suddenly looked at him before staring back at the scenery.
"A beauty, knowledgable, graceful but she lacked of charisma." At the last characteristic, Taeyong couldn't help but to look at her in the eyes. He tried to tame down his own anger, as he was pretending and so he faked a laugh.
It was more of a nervous chuckle. "The late queen was awfully brave, she stood up for herself and her family quite often." She said. "Of course, we do know that words have consequences as well." Hara stopped before flashing yet another smile at him.
《—♡ 》
"The maids mentioned something about an assassin—"
"Assassin?" Taeyong cut him off too quickly, he became uneasy in an instant at the word. "Yes, but none of them had ever seen his face, but he often meets the queen before the wedding. However, he was said to never come back after the princess' death surfaces." Doyoung patiently explained.
Taeyong was silent for a while, "She must've known about the assassination, explained why she didn't show up." The prince mumbled to himself. "How do we prove the queen hired an assassin?" The question was meant for himself but instead the prince voiced it aloud.
"I think I should finish the late queen's investigation first." Doyoung said. "What do you mean?" The young prince was clueless. "Princess Seora had reasons to believe she was killed, and assassins are bound to leave a mark on their victims, as proof that they were the one who killed." He explained.
"But the queen's body must've deceased by now." Taeyong voiced ever so naively. "Not necessarily on the body, my prince." Doyoung almost smiled as he was amused. "Either on the weapon that was left on the body, for example an arrow, or the cup in which they poisoned."
Taeyong was silent for a while, Seora told him about her mother's death once, everyone said the queen killed herself but she never believed so. However, Seora never went in detail on why she thought so, she had a hard time talking about it.
"I will check on the late queen's chambers, for any sign of assassination and if we can relate it to this queen, we have proof." Doyoung gave a thin smile to the prince in which he nodded in acknowledgment.
《—♡ 》
"I'm heading off somewhere, do not leave without me." Yuta ordered as he turned to look at Eunmi who was busy reading again. He was growing curious on how she knew how to read as only noblemen could but he never asked, he kept it to himself because he ought to find an answer soon.
However, he noticed that she would pretend to want to read whenever he caught her opening a book. Eunmi was faking it for a reason he doesn't know but he thought it was no harm, maybe she didn't want to be forced to teach or work in the palace.
As Yuta left the library, his feet took him quickly as he ran out of the town and towards the palace. He needed to confirm something, as he worked for the queen before he left marks of his own as proof that he did the job, however, he realised that he had never killed the princess but the marks he left might be discovered instead.
He remembered his way to the princess' chambers as he wanted to check if he had been careless. Unfortunately before he could sneak in, he noticed a palace guard walking around the compound.
Still, when he viewed closely, he realised that he had seen the man before. It was the guy from the shop who seemed to have an interest in Eunmi. He worked for the palace, what made him come to town?
In the end, Yuta had to turn back as it was too risky to sneak into the palace in broad daylight. He headed back to town and decided to stroll around. He was offered to buy many from the vendors, but then something caught his eyes as he remembered it caught Eunmi's too.
With a cheeky smile, he entered the shop and his hands instantly reached out for the red cloth, sewn neatly and hung in the most dashing way to catch his attention.
He smiled to himself, with a purchase in his hands as he headed back to the shop. It was time to head back home, he saw Eunmi already shutting the front door close, locking it.
"Glad to know you found your way back." The girl smiled, teasing him. "I would never forget to get back to you." Seora laughed at his comment. Their walk home wasn't usually silent until today.
Seora wasn't the type to talk, as Yuta was the who'd usually do so. However today, he was silent, something was in his mind and it made the princess curious.
"Is everything alright?" She asked and Yuta's eyes rounded at the question, he was quite startled that she was the one initiating the conversation. "Of course, why wouldn't it be?" He asked.
"What is that you carry?" She asked, pointing to the packaging he had in his hand. "Oh, just a little treat for myself." The male grinned as he took a slight look at her. Seora was curious, but she decided not to bother much.
As usual, they reached her house first. However, Yuta didn't leave so quickly, instead he stood there smiling like an idiot at the girl. "What is it that's going on with you, you're acting strange ever since you came back." Seora said.
The male didn't reply, instead he handed her the package he was holding. Confused, Seora hesitated to take it from him but did so eventually as he was very eager for her to accept.
"What is this?" She asked. "Open it when you're inside." He said. "Why would you—" "You're welcome." The male flashed yet another smile at her. "If you want to repay me for it, you better be at the festival tomorrow night." He said and left quickly.
Seora was confused, she stood there for a while until she heard Hayoung's voice from inside.
《—♡ 》
🐾dreams are coming to
my country and I wont
be able to see them bcs
I have finals 😭 😭
im so devastated,, i have
no strength to face this
reality because its so hard
for artists to have an event here!
