𝐃𝐘𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐘 | soo-won

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟔

SEVERAL HOURS LATER , the moon was out in full and Ru-Jia had not come to the dining hall. Soo-Won walked the halls of her castle, arriving at his bedchambers which were right across from hers. Her door was slightly ajar and he could see a small lamp lit in the room.

He knocked on the door, holding the platter of food in his hands.

"Princess. It's me, Soo-Won."

There were a couple seconds of silence and he was just about to turn around when he heard the Princess' voice.

"Come in, Soo-Won."

With a relieved smile, the blonde male made his way into the room. He saw the princess sitting on an armchair, a wine glass in hand as she stared out her window. Her hair was hanging loosely beside her shoulders which were partially covered by the silk robe tied around her waist. Her legs were bent, resting on the longer part of the chair. She wasn't wearing any makeup and he could clearly see the exhaustion written on her face.

"You didn't eat in the dining hall," he said, putting down the platter of food on the table. The Princess continued to stare blankly out the window, her hand tilting the glass as the wine swished from side to side.

Soo-Won softly grasped her hand in his, removing the glass from her hand slowly, "Drinking on an empty stomach won't end well."

Ru-Jia's lips formed a line but she refrained from protesting against it. After all, he wasn't wrong. She would definitely have an intense hangover the next morning, not eating would only make it worse.

She turned her head, watching Soo-Won pour a cup of hot tea. The lamp's golden hues glowed against his skin, reflecting in his green irises. His hair was slightly messy, the ponytail looser than usual.

He walked over and handed the cup to her, the smile on his face almost hesitant. Ru-Jia accepted the cup silently, staring at the table with a tired look. To her surprise, Soo-Won suddenly fell to the floor, kneeling right beside her.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she whispered frantically.

"Ru-Jia," he replied, "Please forgive me for being so incompetent towards you. You had given me a chance and I had squandered it."

Ruelle looked at him, putting the cup down onto the table, "You.."

Soo-Won kept his position, a serious look in his eyes, "As much as I wish it wasn't true, you were right to say I was like any other suitor who proposed to you.. I have disrespected your space and feelings all for my own personal gain. And for that, I sincerely apologize."

The Princess watched him, her lips parted slightly at the surprising declaration from the male. After a few moments of silence, she finally sighed.

"Please raise your head," she said slowly, "I... as well overreacted. As an adult, I am ashamed of snapping at you like that. It was childish, and for that I apologize."

The blonde male's eyes widened as he looked up, their eyes locking on to each other. Whether it was from the wine or the pure exhaustion, Ru-Jia found herself relaxing almost entirely within Soo-Won's presence.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Princess." he whispered softly, standing up. He then proceeded to push the platter of food closer to her, scooping some of the curry into a spoon.

"I can feed myself," she murmured, watching him bring the spoon to her lips.

"But you haven't," he replied smoothly, "So I will."

Ruelle rolled her eyes, but allowed him to do as he pleased. He pulled a seat, sitting on it as he began to feed her slowly. The cool breeze blew from the open window into the room, blowing the silk robe off her shoulders. Her shiver did not go unnoticed by the male as he quickly removed his robe, placing it around her shoulders.

"It's like you're doing everything you can to make me take care of you," he chuckled.

The princess went to remove the robe, only to have Soo-Won place his hand on hers.

"But I'm more than happy to do so," he interrupted, his voice soft as he smiled at her.

She released her hold on the robe, letting it fully cover her as she leaned back onto the couch. Her gaze lingered on the table before finally moving to where he was sitting.

"Ne Soo-Won," Ruelle said slowly, "You know this marriage isn't going to be easy. Moments like the one we had earlier will happen again."

Soo-Won was silent, watching his fiancé stare deeply into the fire.

"Are you truly alright with that?"

Ruelle's voice was low, quiet— vulnerable even. It was the first time he had truly seen this side of her. He knew the answer to her question the moment it left her lips.

"If it's you," he said firmly, "I'm alright with it as long as I can stand beside you through it all."

Soo-Won stood up, walking over to her. He then sat beside her, intertwining his fingers with hers.

"You're going to be my wife as well as the most amazing Queen of Kouka," he smiled tenderly, "What's not alright about that?"

Ruelle sat in shock, her heart beating just a tad quicker as she let his words sink in. He was alright with that? With her negative outbursts? With her snappy responses to his coolheaded ones? He must've been fooling her, or he was an even bigger fool himself for believing his words.

As she was about to retort something back, she suddenly felt her head leaning against his shoulder. It was warm. Very warm and welcoming. She was no longer shivering with the help of his robe. He had his hand wrapped around her shoulder as the two continued to stare into the burning wood in the fireplace.

Even if he is a fool , Ruelle thought, I wouldn't mind playing dumb for a little longer.

With her lids beginning to close, the princess took a deep sigh. It was no use bottling up such a trivial memory, it was especially useless to drink so heavily on it. She finally made up her mind. Taking the dive, she sat up , turning her attention to the male sitting beside her. Her heart could wither and that would be the end of it.

"Soo-Won," she spoke softly, "What are your opinions on your predecessor, King Ill?"