Starfall. |Lee Know

Thirty-Three.

Three weeks.

Three long never-ending weeks since Dabin saw Minho's face, since she had the best night in her life before she woke up to a tragic reality. Three weeks since he was arrested and taken to investigation in The Royal High Court with no clue of why he was even taken there and not the Royal Investigation Unit.

Dabin avoided the news at all costs. They were all talking nonsense about her fiance. Last thing she read was that he was proven guilty of whatever he was accused of doing. Bullshit! He would never use the public's money. He would never misuse the donations he received for the project. He would never deal with fake and paper companies. How could they prove him guilty? What evidence do they have?

If Minho was proven guilty, that meant he at least would be expelled from the Lee Kingdom after taking his Royal Title from him, that is if they decided to be nice to him and Dabin knew they wouldn't be. At last, those who framed him were his cousins who wanted nothing good for him.

Changbin had been assuring Dabin all those weeks that they were in contact with Minho through Felix. He was supposedly doing good through the heavy investigation and interrogation, but that didn't allow Dabin's heart to rest even the slightest. Changbin informed her that they all were doing their best to support him and prove his innocence. He assured her that they knew who the culprits were and that they were working on finding anything against them.

Still, nothing felt right for Dabin. She had that gut feeling of something even worse coming for them. Her heart wasn't settling even the slightest. So, when Changbin told her that Christopher's wedding would be held on its assigned date, Dabin didn't feel the slightest of excitement for the event although she was super excited about it before.

The month before, when Christopher made his wedding date official, Dabin was jumping out of joy, not because Chris was getting married, but because she would be attending the event with her fiance being her escort for the first time, plus, the after wedding Royal Ball would be held in the same hall where she saw Minho for the first time.

But now it doesn't sound like something she would enjoy anymore, especially with Dabin's and Minho's assigned wedding date coming closer.

The couple had agreed to have their wedding one month after Chris's. They should've been preparing for their wedding. They should've been doing the final touches of their awaiting home. They should've been doing the final fittings for their gowns, but Dabin's gown was hanging in her closet, neglected, since it arrived a week or so before. She didn't even have a single look at it. She didn't have the will to. Not before she sees her lover.

So, sitting in front of a mirror in a very dark blue dress, being dolled up for Chris's wedding, didn't make any sense for Dabin. She didn't want to attend that wedding. She wouldn't be able to share Chris's happiness at the moment. She wouldn't even be able to muster up a fake smile. She wouldn't be able to heartfully congratulate him and his Queen-to-be, Annis. The whole situation was overwhelming and she wanted nothing but to curl up in her bed with her sadness and tears. She wanted to close her eyes and open them to find herself in Minho's arms, three weeks before when she spent the night at his private palace that was becoming theirs.

A soft knock on the door followed by footsteps, echoed to Dabin's ears inside her walk-in closet where she was seated in front of the mirror, looking at her reflection that didn't look pretty at all although she had her makeup and hair done, and was clad in a very beautiful dark blue dress.

"As beautiful as always." Changbin said from behind, looking at his sister with empathy.

"I doubt." That was all she said. The stylist, who was doing the final touches on her hair, excused herself and left with a formal bow.

Once the stylist was out, Changbin walked closer to Dabin. "But you are." He said and pulled her tiara from the vanity table, placing it on the crown of her head.

Dabin sighed loudly and her tears were brimming in her eyes. "I don't want to go, Changbin. I-I.. I don't feel like being surrounded by all those people and their judging eyes."

Changbin's heart broke into a million pieces cause he knew why she was acting like that. Since the news about Minho broke, people had been eyeing Dabin weirdly. Some were pitying her. Some were talking about her future and how she was tainted with a criminal spouse. Others supposed it was Minho's jinx back. Whispers echoed around her here and there. Changbin wished he could shut them up all but he couldn't. And Dabin couldn't stay hiding too.

Dabin's family wasn't giving her a break. The first thing they demanded after the news of Minho, was to call off the engagement at once, which Dabin and Changbin opposed. It went to the extent of locking Dabin in her wing again to stop her from trying to reach for Minho or contact him. Her mother wanted the proposal ring off her finger but Dabin never agreed and kept wearing it proudly, trying her best to ignore the eyes of the help around the palace who were looking at her and her ring with judging eyes.

Changbin felt like they went back in time to when Dabin was invisible and Minho had those whispers flying around him everywhere. But the thing is, Dabin was very visible now and she was the one having all the whispers.

Placing his hands gently on her shoulders, Changbin talked. "I promise I will make it short. You'll just have to be seen for a minute or so and then I will send you home."

Dabin sniffled, her tears threatening to fall. "I don't want to be there without him. I don't want to be anywhere or anything unless he's back and safe." She gasped for air from how hard she was holding back her cries.

Changbin wrapped her in his arms from behind. "I know, sweetheart. I know." He cooed. "I swear I'll do whatever I can to bring him back to your side. I will make it happen, Dabin." He looked at her through the mirror, catching her teary eyes. "Whatever it takes and however it goes, I'll make sure you two are together again, living the life you were dreaming of and building it together. I promise."