My Selection | JENO

Chapter 18

"Your highness, Renjun wanted to give this to you." A maid said, walking into Nara's room with a canvas in her hand.

Nara had just woken up after the long night. She and Jeno had eventually left the Men's Room after saying goodnight to each other. She could still recall the feeling of his lips on hers as she sat in her bed, half awake. She quickly shook the thoughts out of her head to focus on the gift Renjun had given to her instead.

"Can you bring it here?" Nara asked. The maid nodded, bringing the canvas closer. It was a beautiful painting, the one he had been working on when she had bumped into him in the gardens. It was absolutely breathtaking, each stroke done with perfection. Nara quickly got up on her feet.

"What are the boys doing right now?" Nara asked her maids.

"Some are up, some are still sleeping. Most are just wandering around the castle." The maid replied.

"Find out where Renjun is while I get ready." Nara instructed. The maid nodded, quickly heading out of the princess' room to follow her orders.

...

Once Nara was ready, she made her way to Renjun's room where the boy apparently was. She knocked on the door and the boy answered, a surprised look on his face.

"Oh, hello your highness. I wasn't expecting to see you here." Renjun said as he widened the door for her. Nara took a step inside, taking a look around.

"You've already packed?" Nara said as she saw the suitcase in the corner. Renjun nodded his head.

"I already know that you're only keeping six of us after tonight so I wanted to be ready." Renjun told her. Nara turned to face him.

"I got your painting." Renjun's lips were pressed together.

"That was my farewell gift."

"I know." Nara said, taking a step towards him. "Don't you think you're jumping ahead?"

"I just like being prepared." Renjun confessed. Nara shook her head, staring at the ground as a small smile formed on her lips.

"In that case, you might be a little upset tonight." Nara said as she left his room, leaving the confused boy alone.

As Nara closed the door behind her, she was surprised to bump into a familiar face.

"You were in Renjun's room?" Jeno said. Nara nodded.

"Yes, he had given me a gift this morning and I wanted to thank him." Nara told him. That's when Nara realized that his face was dull. Was he jealous?

"I see." Jeno said, beginning to walk away. Nara quickly went after him, grabbing his arm.

"Jeno listen." Nara called out. Jeno let out a sigh as he stopped in his tracks, turning to face her.

"No, Nara, I get it. There's fourteen other men here that want to marry you as well and I understand that you'll be spending time alone with all of them." Jeno said before removing her hand from his wrist.

"Now if you excuse me, your highness, I had promised Jaemin and Cai that I would meet them for lunch."

With that, Jeno disappeared down the steps, leaving Nara standing at the top of the staircase.

....

"You seem upset." Cai said as he entered Nara's study, uninvited and without a warning. Nara immediately shooed her maids away.

"If you weren't a prince, I would have kicked you out. Knock next time." Nara said, putting down her pen. Cai shrugged his shoulders, plopping himself down on the couch in front of her desk.