life may not be fair but it sure is beautiful

Secrets tend to make people lonelier

Jungeun wants nothing more than to stab Chaehyuk and be done with it while her body doubles over with laughter after a stupid joke he made. It wasn't even that funny but the stress she shouldered made it easy for her to snap even at this.

Sixty-seven days have passed since the announcement of the royal engagement and with the king's orders, the groom would be an honored guest at the palace until the wedding. When Jungeun thought that she could at least be away from the whole situation, Chaehyuk proved her wrong by attaching himself to her like a leech. She tried to distance herself from him by giving a cold shoulder but somehow king Kim Jukan learned the groom's affection towards the younger guard and as a gesture of generosity assigned Jungeun to Chaehyuk's guard until the wedding. The princess didn't need her guard that much those days anyway. She was always in lessons or in her room, not stepping foot outside her wing of the palace.

Jungeun hated the thought of leaving her service at first but even she had to admit that being near her only twisted the knife in her heart, hurting both of them even more. She tried to see glimpses of her against her better judgment. Even if she got hurt every time, even if she had trouble keeping her tears in, Jungeun still sneaked into her garden and watched her drink her morning tea with a forlorn expression. Every time she saw her face she was reminded that somehow, she managed to make the princess love 'her' so much that, she was willing to leave everything behind and run away with Jungeun. And reminded of the coward she was.

"Junghyun-ah, why are you crying?" She heard Chaehyuk ask as he touched her shoulder with worry. "I won't make any more jokes if it saddens you this much."

Her unstable emotional state made her cry without even realizing it. She wiped her tears harshly and stood straight. "Finally, something stops your horrid jokes, Chaehyuk-sshi."

Chaehyuk smiled at her sympathetically as he rubbed her back. Jungeun tensed at the chance of him feeling the fabric of her binders. "I can sense that you are still mourning your late wife. I am here to talk, dongsaeng." He offered with a smile. "In fact, why don't you call me hyung? I feel like we are close like that."

Jungeun, for the nth time, surprised by his genuine and friendly behavior, smiled sheepishly. "Thank you, hyung. I don't want to slash open newly closed wounds by talking about.... Jinsoul."

"Well, I might be the one who needs to talk about his wife-to-be." Min Hyuk said, kicking a pebble that stood in his way. "She is so distant, Junghyun-ah. I could only catch her outside of her wing one time and she just bowed and walked away without a word."

Jungeun looked at the troubled young man with a sigh. He didn't deserve this. Sure, this was an arranged marriage, but he was actually trying to make this better. They sat at the exit of her garden every day, hoping to run into her until Jiwoo sent her servant Yerim to shoo them. She was still angry at Jungeun as well as she was ignorant of Chaehyuk.

They respected her wishes and didn't step near her garden again, but she could tell that Chaehyuk was always observant of his surroundings in case she came by.

"Is she always this cold?" Chaehyuk asked as they walked towards the stables.

"I wouldn't know, hyung. I was just her guard, nothing else." Jungeun tried to eliminate any possible suspicions.

"What a lie, dongsaeng! I told you I would gather palace gossip. I know that you were her guard since you were ten and the rumors about you two." He said stopping in his tracks. "Are they true?"

Jungeun felt the air get knocked out of her lungs. "Of course, not hyung! How dare you question mine and her honor like that! I am just a companion she deemed worthy of friendship. Nothing else."