The Bodyguard // Lee Heeseung

ten

i made my way up to my father's office and knocked on his door.

"enter!"

Ni-ki and i entered his office. he was sitting behind his desk looking at some paper work, and the fire had been lit in the fire place.

"i see that you finally got around the renovating the place," i say as i sit in one of the chairs.

"yes, in fact that interior designer was just here to collect his paycheck," my father laughs.

"Ni-ki, thank you for escorting my daughter, you are dismissed." with that, Ni-ki bows before exiting the room.

"so, what did you need to talk to me about this time," i say with a sigh while crossing my arms.

"well, as you know, the kingdom has fallen into great sorrow due to mr. Suh's death..."

"dad not this again! i know what the kingdom is like, and you don't need to remind me about his death every single goddamn time!"

"WATCH YOU LANGUAGE YOUNG LADY!" my father stands up from his chair, and all i can do is sink back in mine and release the tears that my eyes had been holding.

if only he knew how much the memory was seared into my brain, just slowly tearing me apart. 

"i have planned a ball to reunite the kingdom together, and for you to find a potential spouse."

"DAD, I-

this is absolute madness! you think that a ball will fix all my problems and reunite the kingdom? right after my friend's death?!"

"THAT IS FINAL. you are dismissed."

there was nothing i could do. when his decision is final, it means final.

i ran out of his office as fast as i could, my tears streaming down my face.

"seoyeon!" Ni-ki called after me, but i just ran. i had to get away from there, away from my duties of being royalty just for a minute.

just then i bumped into someone.

"s-sorry." i said then attempted to run off to my bedroom, but the person grabbed my arm.

"your Majesty?"

i looked up to see those beautiful brown orbs that i could never forget.

heeseung.

.

.

.

.

.

i found myself taking a walk around the palace with heeseung by my side. he was concerned for me, and asked me to take a walk with him, but never pushed me to tell him anything.

that was one of the reasons i liked his company. he was polite, and he never tried to get caught up in anyone else's business.

"heeseung."

he turned around and looked at me with a small smile on his face.

"yes, your Grace?"

"oh jeez, please, call me seoyeon."

"is that a command?"

"yes." i say with a smile.

"very well then seoyeon, what is it?"

oh my god.

the way he said my name was nothing like i've ever heard in my life.

he said it with a tone that was angelic, like he saw me as someone to be respected, but also someone who was fragile.

"w-well...umm...."

he arched a brow before taking a few strides towards me.

"i just wanted to say....thank you."

"thank you? for what?"

"for your company. for taking a walk with me. i really needed it."

"i'm glad that i was of some use to you," he said with a smile. "would you like to talk about what's giving you a hard time? if you're not comfortable though, then don't."

"no no, it's fine."

"my father keeps bringing up Johnny's death, and it's always really hard and painful to hear. in fact, i'm not sure if he's aware just how much Johnny's death has impacted me, and scarred me. just now when i was up in his office, he had to mention it all over again. then he told me that he was planning a ball that would take place here in hopes to reunite the kingdom. he also wants me to start thinking about dating someone. i just found it all ridiculous, especially since i'm still healing."

"your Majesty, i completely understand."

"y-you do?" i looked up at him. now i was curious.

"well, when i was three, my father had died at war saving the kingdom. he brought honor to our family, but my mother was absolutely devastated, and she eventually couldn't take it anymore. she died of heartache a few months later. then i ended up training at the palace since i was five."

"oh my gosh, heeseung i'm so sorry. i never knew."

"it's alright," he said looking at me with a sad smile. "it's just that i felt obligated to tell you that since you were so vulnerable in front of me. i thought it was only fair that you knew something about me and my suffering."

i looked up at him and gave him the biggest smile possible.

it's nice to have a friend you can lean on, especially in your darkest times.