Liability (VSOO)[18+]

•Epilogue• Part 3

Their breath caught in their chests as if they had forgotten how to breathe.

But as the spell began to break, she appeared more frightened than enchanted by the peculiar moment they shared.

"You... you're not... my little brother!" Jihoon stammered in astonishment as he gazed at her. Her lips curled into a small smile at his words, and she quickly moved to push herself up from the ground.

"Let me help you," Jihoon offered, swiftly turning her to the side so she could regain her footing. With a gentle touch, he managed to guide her back up onto her feet.

"I'm sooooo sorry"

"I'm so sorry... I'm... I'm so embarrassed that I... I didn't say anything. Maybe if I had spoken up, this wouldn't have happened. I mean, how foolish of me not to say anything? I could have said something, anything, but I just kept quiet. I shouldn't have come here. I just wanted to meet someone to talk to because I was so bored, preferably a woman, to be honest. I sneaked into the castle hoping to find someone—" She rambled on without pause until Jihoon quickly interrupted her.

"Wowwwoww!!"

"You sure know how to talk... and a lot!" Jihoon remarked, smiling at her.

"Just hang on a minute, will you?" he said, returning her smile.

"Oh, my bad... I... I... I just tend to ramble a lot when I'm nervous!" she mumbled with a sudden, wide grin on her face. Her eyes were twitching for some reason, which caused him to chuckle.

"You're quite peculiar... What's your name?" Jihoon inquired, crossing his arms over his chest, studying her expressions intently.

"M-my... my name is Hara, Princess of the Rubies," she stammered initially, then swiftly took a bow before him. Jihoon chuckled once more and promptly took hold of her arm.

"Don't"

"Save that for the King and Queen only!" Jihoon remarked, surprising her.

"But... but you are Prince Jihoon... of the High Kingdom... I must!" she insisted. Jihoon couldn't help but smile, amused by her ever-changing expressions.

"Well, you certainly know who I am!" Jihoon remarked.

"My friends don't usually do that... you know, the bowing and all that stuff," Jihoon continued. Hara gasped softly as she grasped the meaning of his words.

"Your... your friends, you say?" She was utterly perplexed. Jihoon observed her bewildered expression, smiling broadly at how comical she appeared.

"Come on, friend... let's take a stroll around the castle so you can share everything that's on your mind right now!" Jihoon said, grabbing her hand and leading her toward the terrace.

While Jihoon escorted Hara to the nearest terrace in the castle, General Amaldana made his way to the corner of the room where Taehyung and Kijung were seated. Sensing someone approaching, Kijung swiftly opened the door.

"General?" Taehyung uttered in disbelief. General Amaldana straightened his posture and met Taehyung's gaze.

"I wish to speak with you, my King," he said, bowing his head as a sign of seeking permission. Taehyung glanced at Kijung and gave him a small nod.

"Please, come in," Taehyung replied. As Kijung left the room, General Amaldana spoke with a firm voice.

"Your Majesty, I hope that whatever occurred in the courtroom will not impact our relations in general."

"My intentions are always honest," General Amaldana declared. A sudden smirk played on Taehyung's lips.

"Is that so, General?" Taehyung responded, walking to the other end of the room without breaking eye contact.

"I have observed you... I have studied the way you speak, move, and react to your surroundings,"

"In the courtroom, you appear particularly sharp and innovative with your words."

"I wonder why?" Taehyung mused. General Amaldana chuckled softly, tilting his head slightly to the right.

"I am simply voicing my relic's concerns and issues, Your Majesty," he replied.

"Why is it that I find it hard to believe anything you've just said?" Taehyung questioned.

"Do you know what I think?" he continued. "I believe you actually want us to regress to the dark ages."

"A time and place where peace and harmony were only attained by shedding the blood of our enemies," Taehyung stated without hesitation. General Amaldana's expression hardened upon hearing the King's words. His gaze dropped to the ground.

"That's not true!" General Amaldana retorted. "All my people want is to preserve our identity! You, as the High King, dismantle every notion of our roots and beliefs from hundreds of years!"

"Our blood... our sacred blood will mean nothing," General Amaldana argued. Taehyung sighed and took a few steps forward, maintaining a stern gaze into his eyes.

"I do not understand this fear!" Taehyung exclaimed. "Have I given any indication that I will be dismantling the existing monarchs of each relic? I have never said or even thought of doing such a thing!"

"Or is this because I sent your king to the dungeons after discovering that he ordered the assassination of my wife... YOUR QUEEN?" Taehyung's voice was firm.

"I only seek peace and stability, and if the relics are unwilling to cooperate, then I will have to take less pleasant measures," Taehyung declared. General Amaldana appeared tense and devoid of composure. His anger was palpable as he breathed heavily.

"Your Majesty, my people need a sense of security... without any doubts about what the monarchy signifies to you," General Amaldana emphasized.

"We seek reassurance... or at the very least a guarantee that you won't strip us of our dignity!" he voiced passionately. Taehyung felt it was futile; these people seemed unable to comprehend or accept their King's words and sincerity. Nothing he said seemed enough to convince them.

"I have a soluu-" Taehyung halted his sentence as the door swung open. His gaze fell upon a visibly nervous Kijung, signaling only one thing.

"She's in labor?" Taehyung thought, his eyes widening as he looked at Kijung.

"Take me there immediately!" he exclaimed, leaving a bemused expression on General Amaldana's face as he realized that the Queen was finally in labor.