"We may not have birthed you but you will be our daughter, one way or another. Start with a scholarship and end as the Queen, any path you take is your choice to make."
In a modern-day monarchy, Ari is every bit a struggling student as any other. T...
The funeral for the highest minister of the country was nothing like the one her father had experienced. While her father had enjoyed simple emptiness, the colour of black at the minister's funeral was vivid, nearly overpowering the grand bejewelled hall with its attendees. Ari could only nod and follow, however, keeping her thoughts, words and mind to herself. There was little for her to give, apart from the incense she lit for the dead man as she watched with hawk eyes, searching and scanning the next contender to be voted minister.
Ari stiffened up the moment she felt Joshua's soft tug on her arm, glancing in the direction he was looking. "Him. Forty-five degrees to my left, he's the decision maker within the political party."
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Joshua was particularly alert, the nervousness from the flight had disappeared the moment responsibility and duty came into the picture. "Him?" Ari asked in confusion, eyeing the bald man, roughly in his sixties or seventies, suffering from an unfortunate case of obesity walking their way. She'd seen the profiles too and had earlier dismissed the man to be of little or no concern. "Why him?"
"Because his vote is unpredictable." Joshua explained, quietly releasing Ari's hold on his arm, "While he, as the vice representative will stand in proxy for a while, elections are scheduled early next year. Between the two candidates that the party will support for the election, he stands neutral. The number that follows him is quite vast and—"
"The votes are divided," Ari concluded. "I would need both him and the contender he supports in my bag to effectively control this country." Joshua nodded, turning to her, pretending to offer to bring her something.
It was natural enough to leave her alone and provide ample time for Ari to find a way to converse with the decider. Leaving the scene, Jisoo disappeared, followed by Seokmin who left seconds after. "Our country must be lacking," the man in question casually appeared, the glint in his eye unmistakably dangerous, as he bowed to her station, "For there to be no one beside such a young princess of our neighbouring kingdom."
Ari smiled painstakingly, carefully holding her breath as he stepped into her vicinity, the distance between them barely within socially acceptable bounds. One second in and Ari already knew what kind of a man he was. The old lecherous eyes gave it away.
It was evident from the way his gaze swept over the curves of her dress, the open knees that showed while she sat, and the V-neck that his eyes gleefully rested on. Ari held back a shiver, utterly disgusted.
Instead, she folded her hands under her chest, allowing her bust to be accentuated just a little bit. "One can be complacent on hospitality over foreign nationals at such a grave event, Minister." Vaguely feeling sorry for Seungcheol, Ari let a small smile slip as his eyes wavered over the slightly exposed skin before snapping back up to her lips, "My country understands."
If her flaw was being a woman, so was her strength. Men were so easily led by temptation, Ari was only grateful that such fickle men did not reside as the decision-makers of her Kingdom. Looking aside to confirm the position of her guard fifty metres away, Ari pursed her lips. Seokmin was documenting every second, gathering anything that could be used as evidence.
