Once Upon A Royal Christmas (Chaennie)

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Lisa brought Rosie a large bowl of beef stew for dinner that night as Rosie kicked off her boots at the door and sought out fresh dry socks to change into. She sat it at her desk as she propped herself up at her desk to grade Ella's latest homework and classwork assignments. She found it hard to sit still despite how cold she was as a strange spirit of giddiness had taken hold of her since her and Jennie had parted ways. Near death experience aside, today had been a very good day, and she couldn't wait for the next.

Just as she situated herself to be sitting on top of her cold feet to warm them in their now fresh layer of socks and positioned herself to dive into Lisa's scrumptious smelling soup, her phone started ringing. Her once starving stomach sank when she saw just who's name popped up on screen.

Sooyoung Choi.

This was going to be bad. But after being her assistant for so long, Rosie knew better than to continually dodge calls from the Queen of all Media, so, reluctantly, she answered.

"Hello, Ms. Choi," Rosie greeted, clearing her throat after her voice cracked.

"Is this someone at the morgue?" Sooyoung demanded. "Or the embassy perhaps?"

"No, this is Rosie--"

"Because Roseanne Park better be either dead or arrested after not responding to any of my calls or messages for the past three days." Sooyoung continued, sending Rosie only into a deeper spiral of dread.

"Uh, actually about that Ms. Choi--"

"I did not send you to Europe for a holiday vacation, Ms. Park," Sooyoung interrupted, venom seeping from her words, paralyzing Rosie's mouth as it sagged open. "I sent you there on an assignment. An assignment that you failed to complete."

"Ms. Choi--"

"And now," Sooyoung cut her off, her voice now near shouting through the phone. "You are missing days of work, dodging calls and emails, and neglecting your duties as a CNT employee all because of some exclusive that you refuse to provide any details about. I will not be paying for your return flight and if you are not here by the end of the week to collect your things from your desk, I will be throwing all of it personally into the street."

"Ms. Choi--"

"Just where the hell even are you?!"

"I'm in the palace."

For the first time in what Rosie believes to be Sooyoung Choi's entire life, she's stunned to silence.

"Excuse me?" Her boss asked after a moment, the vicious tenor now gone.

"I'm in the Westfallian palace," Rosie explained swiftly, not sure when Ms. Choi would cut her off again. "There was a mix up when I came for the press conference and they now think that I am the new tutor."

"A tutor..." Sooyoung drummed her fingers along her desk as she pursed her lips. "For who?"

"Lady Ella, Ms. Choi. She's the soon-to-be queen's niece."

"The daughter of the psychopathic former King."

"Um, yes, technically. But--"

"Have you had a lot of contact with her?"

"Well, yeah, I'm her tutor so I see her about seven hours each day for our lessons, and then some times in the evening. Like today, we were out for a horseback ride with her mom--"

"The disgraced Dutchess who used to be queen."

"Um, yeah. I mean, she's a lot more than that too--"