❛ 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 ❜ | jsc

31

"sungchan?" aera asked him. he softly hummed in response. "when will you be crowned king?" she carefully asked. "never" he nonchalantly brought out.

aera sat up a bit, staring at him in confusion. he looked back at her with a raised brow. "what? i told you i'd give away the crown for you."

"i know, but that doesn't mean that you would actually do it" she replied in shock. "isn't this what you have been waiting for all your life?" her eyes softened as she started to feel guilty.

"you're the one i've been really waiting for all my life. i want us to work out and stay together forever. and besides, i've never felt so stressed in my whole life and i don't think i could take that for another 50 years or so." he explained.

aera bit her inner cheek. "are you really sure you want to give the crown away.. for me?"

sungchan gave her a sweet smile together with a small peck on her lips. "yes i'm sure. it actually already happened"

aera's jaw dropped as she heard those words. "you already did it? then who's going to rule this kingdom" she asked, starting to slightly panic.

he took one of her hands into his. "relax. eunhye is going to take over. i'm going to be the new head of the guards as mother still wanted me to have an important role"

"wasn't she mad? when did you even tell her? why are you just telling me now? what about hae-" she got cut off by sungchans finger on her lips.

"one question at a time please" he told her with a laugh. "but of course she didn't like it, but when i told her, eunhye was eavesdropping us. so she volunteered to be the next queen"

aera was still in shock. she didn't have to become queen. a great burden fell off her shoulders as the thought sunk in.

"i told her a little before you were talking with renjun in the dungeons, where i basically told you"

aera playfully hit his arm with a frown. "do you really think i'd get that you literally gave up the crown for me! i thought it was just something you said to make me feel better" she said with a pout.

sungchan cupped her head into his hands, making her stare at him. "of course i would do that for you. i love you"

aera lovingly looked at the boy, the sparks that he had seen the first night returning. a smile creeped on his face as butterflies flew through his stomach.

"i love you" he whispered before he softly placed his lips onto hers. aera smiled into the kiss. after some seconds, she broke the kiss. "i love you too. i still can't believe you would do that for me." she brought out.

sungchan was about to say something when there was a knock on the door. "yes?" as the door opened it revealed a concerned haechan.

the pair turned towards the concerned boy. "what's wrong?" aera asked, noticing his expression.

"renjun left the castle last night. he left a note for you aera." he carefully spoke, handing the girl the note.

dear aera,

i'm sorry for leaving you without saying goodbye, but after what you had told me, i just couldn't. i know now that there is nothing i could do to make you change the way you feel for me anymore. and i can't be around you anymore knowing that you will never love me back, so i decided there is nothing left for me in the castle. i hope you will become happy with your prince.

please don't come looking for me. i want to start a new life, without a soulmate or a lover. i want to be on my own for a little while.

love renjun

aera gulped as she read those words, tears slowly starting to form in her eyes. her best friend for as long as she could remember just left her without even saying goodbye.

sungchan embraced her with a tight hug, noticing the tears in her eyes. he mouthed haechan a thank you.

"why would he just leave like that" she softly brought out, on the verge of breaking into tears.

"because he couldn't bare the pain of seeing us together, just like i couldn't bare it when you were together with renjun" he told her, sweetly caressing her cheek with his thumb.

"don't worry about him okay? he's a well trained knight" he said to make her a little calmer.

aera nodded, but even though felt really nervous.

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THE END