Starfall. |Lee Know

Seven.

Clean and washed, in her light nightgown, Dabin dropped herself on her bed. It was almost dawn and she had to sleep but her mind was still busy with the earlier events. Changbin wasn't there to think with. He's probably wasted and passed out with his group of handsome princes and nobles. Dabin was sure it was a scene that she wished she witnessed. Does the mysterious Prince Lee Minho drink much too?

Dabin jolted at the thought, but not because she was surprised at how she was thinking about him, because she was hell-curious about him. She pulled her laptop from the nightstand and turned it on. The internet will surely have answers to her curiosity. With crossed legs, she rested her back on the headboard of the bed and laptop in her lap to search.

The more she searched, the more her face darkened. It seemed like that prince was the ugly duckling of his kingdom just like her. He too was called a jinx for reasons similar to hers.

Unlike her, Minho was an only child and the only kid to the King of the Lee Kingdom. When the late Queen was pregnant with him, she suddenly got so sick in her final months of pregnancy. That sickness led to the early labor and delivery of Minho. The Queen was even more sick after that and couldn't hold on for long and left the world a few weeks later, leaving the newborn behind her. The whole kingdom was shaken, especially because of how the Queen was loved by her people. Not only the kingdom but also the King who lost his beloved wife earlier than he expected. And because of that, he couldn't deal with his own kid.

As a result, Minho had to grow up on his own with only the help of the caregivers and his advisor who was a man with a grandfather attitude than an advisor. At the age of three, Minho found a woman in their palace, introducing herself as the new Queen. He was too young to realize anything but that was the first time he called someone Mother. For the next two years, that woman was nothing but a true mother to him. The people around the palace doubted if his real mother would have loved and cared for him as the current Queen did. Thanks to her, Minho learned what a family's love meant, especially with how his father finally started getting closer to little Minho.

But that happiness didn't last for long. During those years, the new Queen got pregnant more than once, but never her pregnancy made it past the first trimester. At the age of five, Minho was thrilled about the Queen's pregnancy which was going smoothly and perfectly to the last trimester. She was a few weeks away from giving birth to his young sibling. The whole Kingdom was expecting the arrival of a prince as it seemed.

But then what happened with the late Queen, happened with the current one. She got very sick and had to go into early labor. But this time, it was the child who couldn't make it. The Queen survived but since that day, she distanced herself from Minho. She finally listened to the people around the palace who called him a jinx, a cursed child, and bad news. And Minho had to be on his own all over again.

And it seemed that his jinx never disappeared. He grew up so isolated and unseen. The people of the Lee Kingdom always criticized him for not showing up, not talking at public events, and not participating in any business related to the kingdom. And when he did show up, he would always be seen with a scowl on his face.

Dabin saw very very many photos of him with that scowl they talked about. People who snapped those photos always left comments like 'he's about to slap us', 'Is he angry?', 'How is that scowling face will be a king one day?', 'Is it too late for our King to try and have another child?', 'Does anyone at least know what is his voice like? I don't think I ever heard him speak!'.

Those were the comments about him since he was a child and up till now. And because of that, and despite him being almost thirty years old now, he was still not announced as the King's official successor. It seemed like the King had second thoughts about his own son and was looking for another heir. And it also seemed that Minho himself wasn't interested in being a king or anything.

And to make it even worse, his curse or jinx extended to his former fiancée. When he was twenty-six, he was engaged to a girl from the Hwang Royal Family. They made the perfect match as the newspaper announced back then. And that was the only time the people of his kingdom cheered for him and supported him. They were happy that he was finally doing something. If he gets married now and gets involved in the kingdom's matters, then he will make a king one day.

But that too didn't last for long.

A week before their wedding, and while the princess was on her way to the Lee Kingdom for preparations in a lavish parade, surrounded by the people of the two kingdoms who were extremely happy with that marriage, she had a terrible accident. She didn't lose her life but had to use a wheelchair for months or probably years after. That's when the Minho's curse clicked in and they dropped off the marriage for good.

And that's how he didn't dare to ask any other girl's hand for marriage even if it was an arranged one.

He was a jinx.

A curse.

Dabin sighed. Her eyes were glued to a photo of him in a public conference. He had that infamous scowl of his, but in her eyes, she saw fear. He wasn't scowling with anger. He was panicked. He was afraid of something. He wasn't comfortable. He seemed like he needed support.

After all, that prince had to grow up on his own.

Just like her.