Royal Bonds | Y.Jw

| 10 |

I stood silently lined up along with the other maids that had started working at the castle this year. We were a total of 13 girls, all standing in line, patiently waiting. Soon enough the thing we waited for came once the king stormed in through the door to the room we were standing in.

"In about an hour the Bang family will arrive at the castle. You have all been assigned a chore around the family. Some of you will tend to the Lady's need, some fo you will tend to the Lord's need, some of you have even been lucky enough to be around princess Taehee," the king listed and it took everything in me to contain my snort. Oh yes, how incredibly lucky I am, "any questions?"

"Your majesty?" one of the girls further down the line spoke up and we all looked down towards her, "I have yet to be assigned a chore, may I ask what I'll be doing?"

"Goo, right?" the king questioned and the girl quietly nodded as he fixed the sleeve cuffs of his shirt, "it has been decided you're so incapable as a maid that you have yet to be assigned a bigger chore. If this incapability continues you will be sent to the dungeons before the year is over. So improve," the king sternly stated as he gave her a harsh look, "anything else?" it stayed silent in the room as I glanced down towards the girl who had gotten scolded, "no? An hour, be in your places until then. And Lim?"

"Yes, your Majesty?" I immediately snapped my head over to him and he just sent me and uninterested glance.

"My son's been asking for you," he sighed and I just nodded before immediately setting into a fast walk and rushing out of the room to go up to Jungwon's room.

I kept my back straight as I walked fast, my feet screaming for me to free them from the heels I was forced to walk in once at work. There was no doubt that my feet most definitely needed an ice bath tonight with all the blisters I've been getting lately.

"Ji!" a voice called out and I immediately froze, "I uhm... uh... I mean... Miss Lim!"

A small smile spread on my lips before I turned to Jungwon, who seemed to be utmost frantic as he realized his mistake of calling me by my nickname. He quickly rushed up to me and muttered a small apology, obviously scared that he got me into trouble by calling me by my nickname.

"Your father said you asked for me," I stated and Jungwon immediately nodded.

"How long until my life is ruined?" he questioned and I tried to surpress a small laugh before answering him.

"About an hour," I calmly stated and he nodded before just grabbing my hand but quickly letting go of it again.

"I keep forgetting," I complained and face palmed himself as he turned his back to me to suck in a deep breath before turning back around to me again, "Let's go to Eden."

Jungwon immediately rushed down the hallway that led towards Eden, as I tried to keep up with his pace, however struggling a lot with how badly my feet hurt. Jungwon seemed to notice I was struggling to keep up with his pace and quickly turned around to look at me as he folded his sleeves us, like he usually did when he was done with his classes.

"Are you good?" he questioned and I just nodded as I tried to rush up to him, "no you're not."

"I'm fine," I assured him with a small smile as I reached him. Jungwon gave me a skeptical look before looking down at my feet and arched a brow.

"It's those, isn't it?" he questioned with disgust lacing his voice as he pointed down at my shoes. I stayed silent before he let out of a small sigh, "it is! It's those devil shoes."

"I just need to break them in," I excused and he just gave me a look that screamed he didn't believe me.

Jungwon didn't say anything, he simply ran a hand through his hair and subtly licked his lips before looking down the hallway behind me and back down the hallway behind him. Without any warning or any hesitation he sweeped me off the ground and lifted me up with an arm behind my back and an arm under my knees. I immediately stiffended and urgently looked around, only resulting in Jungwon letting out a small laugh at me.

"Relax... I'll just excuse it with you fainting due to overwork, make my dad like me a bit for harming you," he muttered under his breath as he got a cold look on his face. Sometimes it truly scared and shocked me how he could just switch from 'happy little Wonie' to 'I can kill you' within seconds.

"Are you sure?" I questioned and he just nodded at me with a small smile as he looked over at me.

"You don't remember?" he questioned and I just stared at him, "when we were younger I promised you something very important."

I frowned at him as I concentrated about the memory he was talking about when it all came flooding back to me.

I was sitting on the small swing hanging from the Birch tree out in Eden. Jungwon was sitting in the gazebo, eating fruit his mom had brought for us when he looked over at me. As the wind brushed through the leaves of the birch tree it let out a small melody that sounded like Spring, light and sweet bells.

"Ji?" Jungwon called out, we couldn't be more than six at this time, but I still hummed as a reply, as I so often do still, "I'm gonna be your knight in shining armour when we grow older. I'll keep you safe from anything that can hurt you."

I smiled softly at the memory before beginning to fiddle with my fingers and a small snort came from Jungwon.

"So now you remember," he figured and I just nodded quietly as I leaned my head to the side and leaned it against his broad shoulder, "and we're going to that exact place right now."

"Okay..."