Royal Bonds | Y.Jw

| 47 |

For some reason I felt quite nervous when I had to go up to the actual ballroom. I had quitely climbed the stairs that would lead up to the front hall, mostly because I was hesitant, seeing as it was really the first time I was dressed in something as formal and fancy as I was in that moment.

"Woah," a small mutter had made me raise my head from the floor immediately.

The moment I looked up I locked eyes with Jungwon, who had paused in the middle of fixing the cuffs on his shirt, his dark blue blazer draped across his arm.

"Hold on, give me a moment," Jungwon held up his hand before turning his back to me and sucking in a deep breath, looking up towards the ceiling.

"Are you alright?" I questioned carefully, trying to near Jungwon a bit.

"Yeah..." he let out a deep breath as he turned back around to me, his eyes clearly glazed over, "I just... I wasn't ready to see you like this..."

"I'm sorry," I let out a small laugh at him, quickly reaching up to wipe away any tears that was threatening to fall, "I didn't want to make you cry."

"Just... please, please, promise me to dance the waltz with me," he whispered and grabbed my hands in his, only having me nod at him.

"I promise," I assured him, "and I read the book... you do sound insane, but I don't care," I remarked and he let out a small laugh.

"Well... then..." he trailed off as he straightened up properly, "may I escort you to the ballroom?"

"Of course," I smiled softly.

Jungwon let go of my hands and quickly pulled on his blazer, fixing his sleeves before extending an arm towards him.

"Is it now I curtsey?" I questioned with a small laugh, to which he shrugged.

"If you feel like it," he excused, "you might have to get used to doing curtseys, not to me, but to others."

I squinted my eyes at him before slowly lifting one leg behind the other and bending the leg I was standing on slightly. Immediately I wobbled in my heels, and Jungwon was quick to grab onto my arm.

"Don't fall on me now m'lady," he let out a small laugh as I straightened up and planted both feet on the ground once again, "you can fall for me later."

"What a charmer," I commented and rolled my eyes playfully.

"Says the girl who couldn't stand on her feet," he retorted and dusted my skirt off carefully, "now... it might get suspicious if we stay here for longer than needed."

I nodded before following after Jungwon down towards the ballroom, from where the orchestra's music already was flowing from. There was something about just the atmosphere I could feel out on the hallway that made me stop in my tracks, having Jungwon immediately turn to me.

"Are you alright?" he questioned as he stepped in front of me as a barrier between me and the ballroom, "overwhelming?"

"Yeah..." I whispered with a small nod.

"You barely have to be there," he assured me, "when we go in I can go straight up to pianist Kim and ask him to play the waltz, we'll dance it together and then we can go down to Eden."

"Why is it so important to dance that waltz?" I sighed and he smiled softly at me.

"You wanna hear the crazy and insane sounding reason?" he questioned softly and I nodded at him, "this in here," he whispered and tapped right under my left collarbone, "will get connected to this in here," he patted on the left side of his chest," once that waltz have been danced... it's like... magic," he whispered and I quietly nodded at him, "you understand?"

"Yeah," I murmured, "weirdly enough, I do."

"If these two are connected... they can't force us with anyone else," he whispered and held my hand tightly in his, "it's just one dance. Ji, only one."

"Okay..." I whispered with a small nod, "I can do it."

"You're right you can," he nodded with a small smirk, "so now my Love, let me take you to the ball," he offered, bowing down and extending his hand towards me.

I let out a small laugh, feeling the tension raise off of me after Jungwon had lightened it with his goofy poshness. 

"Just so you know... I am head over heels for you," Jungwon whispered as we stepped into the ballroom, making me snap my head to him while he just smiled down at me, "I'm serious. You know that."

"I need to go look for seamstress Jung," I excused and patted his arm softly, "gotta make sure she's fine. The sewing room is awfully cold and she doesn't remember the last time she's seen sunlight so I doubt she can last long on her feet tonight."

"Don't hide from me," he warned and I just hummed with a small nod while he raised my hand to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on the back of my hand, "and curtsey," he added on, holding onto my hand as I attempted at a small curtsey ending with both of us letting out small laughs at my minor success in doing a curtsy.

I let my hand slip out of his as I continued into the crowd or fancy clothed people, either high ranked workers at the castle, royal family members, friends or other royal families. Here and there were a few lower ranking workers at the castle, mainly the ones I had asked to be there as well, just to feel a tad bit more comfortable, such as Lin.

Speaking of Lin it didn't take me long before I spotted her standing beside the piano, seemingly saying something to Sunoo, who just smiled and nodded at her. I don't know what she said or what he agreed to, but judging by the smile on his face I suppose it was something good.