Starfall. |Lee Know

Thirty-Four.

Dabin wanted nothing but to escape this place as soon as possible. She merely could hold herself together during the public official ceremony. After that ceremony, it was time for the private event which was held in the Ballroom with only the close people to Christopher and Annis. And that was what triggered Dabin even more. It didn't help her how she remembered that first night she had spotted him looking all dazzling up there by himself.

Seeing how she was on the edge of breaking down and crying out, Changbin escorted his sister to the second floor till it was an appropriate time to take her back home. But that didn't help either. Standing up there, looking down on the people dancing and conversing from over the railings while holding her champagne flute, it did nothing but remind her of Minho.

So, that is how he felt. She thought.

That was how he felt while standing up there, watching people having their fun while he was trying his best to hide from their judging eyes. He must've been as nervous as she is right now. He must've been having difficulty breathing but trying to at least look stable. He must've been wanting to run away.

Dabin sighed as she twirled the rest of her champagne and then swallowed all of it, lifting the flute bottom-up. Dangerously, Dabin placed the flute on top of the railings and looked at it with an empty smile. Some voice deep inside of her told her to just drop it down on the dancing people below her. She chuckled to herself at the thought. Maybe she was finally drunk. Her hand moved to the flute to shove it. Just before she touched it, her hand was grabbed before all of her was yanked away from the railings and twirled around.

Dabin yelped and surely was about to scream but got silenced once her eyes fell on the face of the culprit. The face she missed the most. The handsome face of her beloved fiance. Dabin was too shocked to talk or even breathe. He was there, holding her by the waist to his body. She was in his arms. She was touching him and smelling his unmistakeable familiar scent.

Dabin's hand went up to cup his face as if she was trying to make sure it wasn't a dream. He gave her a broken smile with an audible sigh as he leaned more into her palm, rubbing his cheek against it. His bony cheek. Just then, Dabin noticed how prominent his cheekbones were. His face was slimmer and he looked like he lost weight. His hair was a little longer. His eyes had dark circles around them. Although he was clean, shaved, and in a clean black and white tuxedo, although he didn't look visibly hurt, it looked like he had a tough time in that investigation.

"Breathe, Princess." He talked lowly. "You don't want to pass out." He let out a breathy chuckle.

Dabin gasped, finally breathing after holding her breath for long without even knowing she did. She threw herself at Minho, wrapping her arms around him and locking them tightly. She let out her cries that she tried hard to keep. Minho tightened his grip around her. It tore him how hard she was crying while hugging him. In all honesty, he wanted to break down too, but he needed to stay composed for the rest of the night.

As Dabin was calming down, the lights in the hall dimmed and soft music started playing. It seemed to be time for King Christopher and Queen Annis to dance. Minho held Dabin one step away from him. He pulled out his handkerchief from the pocket of his suit jacket. Minho wiped her damp face for her before holding her left hand in his right, and resting his left on her waist.

"How about a dance?" He talked sweetly. Dabin just nodded. She was still trying to gather up her words. Minho started swaying their bodies softly in the empty secluded space of the second floor. "How have you been?" Minho questioned. "It must've been hard on you. I'm sorry for all you had to go through because of me."

Dabin shook her head. "It's okay." She hiccupped. "It's okay as long as you are here now."

Minho's face darkened and Dabin could see that although it was dim around them. "I'm not going to be here for long," Minho said in his strained voice.

"What? Why? Didn't they let you go?" Dabin panicked.

"It's only temporary." He cocked his head over his shoulder. Just then, Dabin could spot the two officers in their Royal Uniform from the Lee Kingdom standing just behind them, having their eagle eyes on Minho. "I-... According to them, I was proven guilty." Minho uttered and Dabin's heart dropped to her feet. "They just allowed me to briefly attend Chris's wedding before... before I go."

If Minho didn't have Dabin in his arms as they were dancing, she would've surely dropped to the ground.

"G-Go? Whe-re?" Her shaking voice barely uttered as her tears started streaming down her face again. She knew what was coming. She knew the worst was yet to come.

"I don't know." Minho was almost choking. A painful lump was constricting his throat. "I'm.. I-" He paused to gulp and let his tears stream down as he pulled Dabin closer. "I'm going to leave. They decided to banish me from the kingdom. I'm no longer a royal member."

"Please," She gasped through her silent sobs. "I know you did nothing wrong. There must be something you can do. What about the others? They found nothing against your cousins? You can't leave! You can't leave. Please. If you are going away, at least take me with you, Minho. Don'-"

"Shh." Minho shushed her softly and gave her a broken smile while cupping her face and bringing it to his. His tears fell to her already damp cheeks. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being terrible. I'm sorry for allowing my curse to reach you." His voice was heartbreaking.

"What curse, Minho? That's not a curse or bad luck. That's something schemed against you." She sobbed. "You are not cursed."

"I am." He deadpanned. "I brought nothing but bad luck and misfortune to whoever came close to me. I did nothing but hurt others since the day I was born." Minho and Dabin stopped moving. They were face to face with crying closed eyes. "I don't want to go, Dabin. I don't. But we both know I have to."

"Please." She pleaded.

"I should've known that from the beginning," Minho said through his falling tears.

"Stop, Minho." She gasped. "It's not the end. We'll find a way. Changbin promised me. He'll do something. Maybe it's.. Maybe it's just not our time now, but we'll definitely make it back together."

"I just.. I just wanted to live a happy simple life. I didn't want a position or anything. I didn't even choose to be born as royalty." He looked at Dabin's face. "All I wanted is you. All I ever dreamed of having was you. But it seems like I don't deserve an angel like yourself. Cursed men don't end up having angels in their arms for the rest of their lives."

He was broken. He was doubting himself and his worth. They broke him after he was just starting to get along with his life. They took away from him the only thing he ever wanted and wished for.

The music playing was still going on and on nonstop. The violin sounds became very clear in Dabin's ears as she looked at the broken man ahead of her. The one who taught her true love. The one who was yet again teaching her a new feeling, to let go. It was time to let him go, for now.

"It's time to say goodbye." Minho uttered.

Dabin stepped closer to him and cupped his face, forcing him to look at her. "For now," She added to his sentence. "This is not the end, Minho. I promise I will find a way back to you." She breathed in to calm herself. "I don't care whether you are royalty or not. All I care about is you, Minho. I will walk through fire and through rain just to be with you again. This day will come."

"Be happy, Dabin." Minho said, ignoring her words that he couldn't believe.

"I will be happy with you. You are permanent to me. You are stuck on me like a tattoo."

Minho leaned in to plant a soft kiss on her damp cheek. He pulled back and looked at her brokenly. "Goodbye, my princess." He whispered.

"Until we meet again, my prince." She whispered back and slowly, painfully slowly, she let go of him.