The President's Daughter

The Bodyguard

THE PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER CAUGHT IN ANOTHER SCANDAL

The bold letters of the newspaper headline scream the gravity of her crime as if the act holds great national importance. Maybe it does, but it certainly doesn't warrant the same attention as, say, an economic depression or a worldwide pandemic. Yet the way Yoon Jeung-pyeong, the most powerful man in South Korea who also happens to be her father, is staring at her shows that he might actually think that her scandal holds the same weight as her declaring a war with another country.

With stubborn pride fueling her resolve, Yoon Seri maintains her composure as she holds their staring contest. She'll neither humiliate herself further by apologizing to the public nor will she show remorse for her actions. It's exactly what those predatory journalists want, and she won't give into the wishes of gossip hunters.

The picture underneath the headline shows her and her boyfriend – well, ex-boyfriend at this point perhaps – conveniently half-naked and literally hanging out of the open door of his car. They were in the middle of an intense make-out session, apparent from their dazed appearance in the picture, when the driver's door suddenly opened.

She wasn't even aware that there were paparazzi following them and lurking around the secluded area. The immense pride she had on her sixth sense took a devastating blow. There are more pictures, that she's more certain of than the reason why the locked door opened in the first place, but she has decided to turn a blind eye to the papers and the websites.

For her own sanity.

"Seri, this has gone way too far. You're acting more like a spoiled teenager than a woman your age," her father admonishes in disappointment. Her hands are clasped in front of her as she stands on the other side of his desk. "How many more times will you cause trouble before you start feeling sorry? Do you know how many statements I've issued apologizing on your behalf? Are you deliberately doing this to tarnish our family name?"

Her nonchalance falters at the hurtful accusation, but she remains stoic, refusing to let anyone see her true emotions especially a family member. She opens her mouth to voice out her defense when her stepmother cuts in with a croon, "That's too much, yeobo. Our Seri is in love. You were young once, weren't you? You know that these things are out of our control. I'm sure she didn't mean to cause any harm, now did you, darling?"

She bites the inside of her cheek to keep herself from lashing out. Leave it to Han Jeong-yeon to step in and save the day rather than let her fight her own battles.

"Well, these things can't happen to someone in the public eye," Jeung-pyeong argues. "Your scandals have become more and more frequent that you've left me with no choice. I've decided to assign to you a bodyguard. He'll be with you twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week."

"A bodyguard?" she echoes in disbelief. She'd been the daughter of a public figure all her life and never once did she need her own security detail. Her father must be mad to think that she'll allow some holier-than-thou, uniformed man to follow her around all day. It's suffocating enough to be surrounded by them in the Blue House. "What am I, twelve?"

"You're acting like one," he deadpans, making her cross her arms and scoff at the absurdity. "He's been briefed about the assignment and will be reporting to me about your activities at the end of every week. He has been a part of the security staff for three years now, so you don't have to worry about him not knowing protocol."

"Appa, protocol is the least of my worries right now," she laughs without humor. Her disbelief has grown with every word that has come out of his mouth, and she can feel the pinch of her nails digging into her palms. "Did you just say that he'll be reporting to you about my activities? This isn't about my security. You're tying a leash on me!"