|| 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 ; 양정원

八

"I'm fine with it." I heard Yena murmur.

"Not so sure about your brother though." I whispered back.

"It's fine. I'll hit him later."

"Pfft." I bit my lip to stiffle my laughter.

"Ahem." My father cleared his throat.

"Sorry." I said.

"Yena-ssi, you may go. Jungwon, stay." Awman...

"Thank you, your majesty." She bowed before leaving. I caught the figure skater observing us with his cold gaze through the mask. He started at me for awhile, before going to his sister.

"What do you want, dad?"

"So, you've finally forgotten Eunhee?" I felt Heeseung hyung tense up. I gulped. Ugh not again...

"No..."

"Then Yena?"

"She just.... She's just different." I muttered. Ugh.

"I see. This is the file of all the girls and their backgrounds. Take a look and choose 5. Oh and, ask Yena why she isn't employed." He handed me a file. Dammit. Random number generator time. Except for Yena.

"She isn't employed?"

"No, she isn't. So ask her."

"Must she be employed to be my wife?" I raised an eyebrow.

"No. But you know the media." Fvck. Ehem. Sorry.

"Yeah got it. I'll go find her now." I muttered.

"Go ahead." I bowed and then left.

Fvck you, reporters...

⋆｡･:*✦*° °*✦*:･｡⋆

Yena's POV
I rolled my eyes as I continued walking away from oppa, who was nagging at me for spending time with the Crown Prince-Jungwon.

"Yah! Park Yena! Are you even listening?!" He frowned.

"Can you just relax? I'm fine!"

"You're fine until you're alone cornered by those sluts in that ballroom." He glared.

"Oh.."

"Yena just, please. Don't associate yourself with those royals. They're.... well, trouble. At least, trouble for yourself."

"Huh?"

"You think they like you? They're fakes. They're faker than all your idols out there. And worse. They have power. Absolute power over everything. If they don't like you and don't want you by their son's side, they're gonna tear you apart. From the inside out. Until you're nothing left." Oppa's eyes had gone dark.

"But maybe they actually are nice. You never know-"

"Oh Yena.... stop being so naive. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. They're filthier than all the homeless people out there. In their hearts."

"Oppa, maybe we shouldn't judge them too soon. After all, you've never known any of them before. How can you say that based on some assumptions!? The prince has been so nice..."

"So you wanna live with the Crown Prince huh? Thought you never even cared?" Oppa scoffed.

"No... it's not like that...." How do I describe that feeling I feel with him? It feels so comfortable... so warm... so familiar...

"Do you wanna stay cooped up in the castle for life? Do you never wanna see your family again? Do you never want to be able to walk around the Han river reading Kim Namjoon's books? Do you never wanna be able to ice skate again? Do you never ever wanna be free again? Be yourself again? Do you want to stand by that person, who hasn't even taken off his mask once in 18 years, and fake a smile everyday despite being miserable? Huh? Do you? Do you wanna be trapped? In this place? Do you think you could stand that? Never being able to do the things you want. Never being able to see mom again. Or Yeji. Or me? Do you?"