Starfall. |Lee Know

Fourteen.

Dabin's face was bright red while sitting in the backseat of Prince Lee's car. She glimpsed at him to find his face as blank as ever. How could he be that unaffected by the earlier teasing?

After the event was wrapped and when the others were bidding goodbyes to leave for their kingdoms, Felix offered Dabin to go on a tour with him as he agreed with Changbin before he escorted her back to her plane, but that was when Prince Lee announced that Dabin was having dinner with him instead.

Hwang let out a wolf whistle almost immediately, but then he choked when he knew that the dinner was to be at the palace. Felix's face dropped and Christopher couldn't stop smirking at Minho. Dabin was shrinking in herself and rethinking her choice of accepting his invitation. Christopher threw Dabin a knowing look, but finding the girl looking at him cluelessly, he chuckled and shook his head in disbelief.

That awkwardness was ended by a final warning from Christopher that they'd better not get caught. And that was hell loads more confusing. What's wrong with a ROYAL DINNER INVITATION, you people?

Finally getting away from their smirks and scoffs, Dabin and Minho hopped in the car and headed to the Royal Palace of the Lee Kingdom. The car was silent as the driver led them through the quiet streets. Nearing a nearly empty area, Dabin could spot fences and security. That must be the Royal Territory. As they passed the gate, Dabin was confused.

It wasn't a wide area. Actually, she could see the palace from the gate. That was odd. The palace itself was odd. It looked more like a modern mansion or a minimal palace. It was pretty small compared to the Seo Palace and the Bang Palace. There was security surrounding the place, but it was very few.

Stopping at the entrance of the palace, a security guard opened the door for Dabin and bowed down formally to her. A second later, she found Minho right by her side, giving her a gentle hand to help her upstairs. Dabin received that hand and allowed him to guide her through the wide entrance that was opened for them. But still, it was odd how no servants or officials were waiting to welcome them. She knew she wasn't that important, but it was a Royal Protocol!

Upon entering the palace, Dabin found herself relaxing. A very calming jasmine aroma filled the place. The lights were few and warm, not blinding. The place itself was warm, unlike the slightly chilling weather outside. The main hall looked cozy and minimal.

Is the minimalism a thing in this kingdom?

Why does everything look simple and basic?

"What do you want for dinner?" Prince Lee asked.

Dabin knitted her brows and looked at him weirdly. What type of questions was that?

"Umm, whatever on today's dinner menu?" Dabin answered-questioned.

"There's no menu." Minho shrugged. "I can make you whatever you want to eat."

Blinking, blinking, and blinking. "W-What?" She stuttered. "You," She pointed at him. "are making the dinner?"

Minho nodded. There was no hint of joking on his face. He was serious.

Dabin was weirded out. She had always thought that the four kingdoms had the same rules and structure, but it seemed like the Lee Kingdom was a bit different. At Dabin's kingdom, no royal member is allowed into the kitchens area. She visited the kitchen two times in her twenty-four years of life in her palace!

Dabin was so deep in her thoughts to notice that Minho was taking off his suit jacket, his waistcoat, and his bow. He threw them over a seat behind him and started rolling up his sleeves. Dabin was taken aback again. Where is the help in this freaking palace? Aren't they supposed to help him take off his suit? Wait? Why is he taking off his suit in the main hall of the palace?

"Do you want to wait in here, or in the dining room, or come with me?" He asked her.

"Come with you to.. the kitchen?" She questioned, earning a nod from him. Dabin looked around to assess the situation. Inside the palace, she didn't see a single soul. No security, no maids or servants. So, sticking to him was the safest option. "I'll come with you."

Minho nodded and started walking towards a corridor. Dabin followed him closely while clutching her purse and looking around. Taking a few stairs down, they reached the open area of the kitchen. It wasn't a small one but still loads smaller than her palace's kitchen.

Once they entered it, Minho went straight to work. Never in Dabin's wildest dream, she could've ever thought that one day she would be in a prince's kitchen, with the prince himself cooking her dinner, while wearing an apron on top of his dress shirt and slacks, and his tiara still on top of his head. That looked like a scene from a comic show!

"Do you have any allergy to specific foods?" Minho asked as he opened the fridge to pull out some ingredients.

"No. I can eat well almost everything." Dabin replied and stepped back, leaning on an empty counter while watching Minho get two pieces of steak. "Why are you cooking yourself?"

"I always make my own food." He replied and started seasoning the meat after unwrapping and placing it on a wooden cutting board.

"And why is that? Are the cooks here okay with you playing around their kitchen?" She chuckled.

"There are no cooks here." Minho said and grabbed a plastic bag to put the meat and the seasoning in and mix them.

"What do you mean there are no cooks here?" She asked and straightened up to walk closer to him. She stopped just on the other side of the counter he was using, letting it be the only thing separating them. "What about the King and the Queen? Who cooks for them?"

Minho looked at her strangely. "There is no king or queen here! This is my private palace." He was blank and serious as ever.

Dabin's eyes widened drastically. "Does that mean, you live here alone?" He nodded. "So," She gulped. "Right now, it's only you and me in this palace? All by ourselves?"

Now it was making sense why the others were smirking and snickering. Why they were giving them weird looks and why Christopher warned them not to get caught.

Now it's obvious why everything looked small, basic, and minimal and why there wasn't any help or staff.

That wasn't a Royal Dinner Invitation.

That was almost a dinner date!

That wasn't the Royal Palace of Lee Kingdom.

That was the Private Palace of Prince Lee!