.sixty nine.
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"I don't need your pity, little prince. So you can go now."
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The crowd quickly dispersed when more guards arrived to defend the princes, even the person who had mistreated the girl. Soon the two youngest princes were left alone, and in their privacy, Baek-ah had some questions for his youngest brother. They were about the girl he had so quickly gone up to defend. "Do you know that girl? Why is it that you were so quick to stand up and defend her?" He cocked an eyebrow at Jung in question.
Jung sighed as he began to explain how he knew her, and why he had defended her. "I don't actually know her." He paused for a moment and continued when he saw the look of confusion on his older brother's face. "She was following me around the village this morning, and I felt bad seeing someone I knew being treated like that, even if I just met her today. Also, she said she was the princess of a fallen kingdom, and I know I would like someone to stand up for you if you were being treated like that." The fourteenth prince finished, his eyes trained on the ground. He wasn't the type to be very emotional, but he still wanted his brother to know that he cared and that he would want someone to help if he were in that situation.
It warmed Baek-ah's heart to hear his brother say such things to him, and he broke out into a smile. He then pulled him in for a hug, arms around his neck tightly, and he ruffled his younger brother's hair's teasingly. "Aish, Jung-ah. Sometimes I think you're not as hard headed and emotionless as you seem."
But he knew that for a fact because he knew how much his brother had suffered when he had lost his chance to marry Park Hak Soon. Baek-ah also thought in the back of his mind that he was often mistreated by others because of his bloodline, but he would never tell his brother of it. Jung was the type to go after anyone who messed with his brothers, and Baek-ah didn't think those people were worth it. The thirteenth prince was perfectly happy with his family and with his music.
The two brothers soon went their separate ways, as Baek-ah had more errands to run for the king. Jung had no responsibilities, as he was sheltered by his mother who prevented the king from bestowing any tasks onto him. He remained around the village, trying to find more fights to participate in. But when he found none, he made his way out of the village to ifnd the road that led up to the palace. As he reached the outskirts, he passed a well and once again saw the familiar face of the girl who had been following him around. The same girl who had claimed herself to be Eun's second wife. Jung wondered how much of that was true. Up until now, he hadn't heard anything about Eun marrying anyone else.
Still, he knew Hak Soon wouldn't like it.
The girl had tears streaming down her face and her eyes were red and puffy. She was scraping the mud off her face and hands, while trying to get as much as she could off her dress. Jung stopped in front of her and she looked up to stare at him with bitter eyes.
"Can I help you?" She snapped at the fourteenth prince in annoyance.
Jung was taken aback that someone would talk to him like that. No one ever had done so. But this girl claimed to be princess, and in her mind, she thought that they were equals. Jung said nothing of it, since he knew it would be of no use. Instead, he started speaking awkwardly, scratching the back of his head sheepishly as he did so. "I just came over to see if you were okay."
She paused in her cleaning of herself and stood up straight, a regal air was definitely in her. She was prideful and unwavering as she replied to him. "I don't need your pity, little prince. So you can go now."
