Contemporary Royals

Her Hidden Thoughts

Chapter 1

She always knew that her life is complicated, but she never really considered it until her father brought up the topic of her engagement.

It happened one Sunday morning. The family, or more like her father and she, was eating breakfast at their huge garden by the pond, letting the cool fresh morning breeze flow through their lungs. The maids were orderly lined up to their side watching them eat and waiting for orders from the master and young mistress of the house.

The sun wasn't that bright yet and her father just loves the little warmth coming out from it. They pretty much looked like a normal happy family eating together, except that they were far from it. Sulli, after hearing what her father just announced, almost choked on the omelet that she was eating. A maid rushed immediately to her side holding a ceramic box of tissue and thrusted it to her. She brushed her off.

"What? You'll be 18 soon. You're old enough to be engaged," her father said calmly while sipping his coffee but he didn't look at her.

Will be 18 soon? But I only turned 17, four months ago. Sure enough, you don't know that, because you didn't even send a birthday card. Is it more like it's about time to enter into a new trade dad? She learned to control every word that will slip from her lips. And she keeps most of them inside her head; every feeling, every thought, ideas and pain.

She tried to act nonchalant about it and wiped her lips lightly with her table napkin but she didn't answer. She replaced the napkin on her lap as one of the maids moved to her side and filled her glass with juice. She focused again on chewing her food.

"I know you knew that this would come... eventually." added by her father.

She almost rolled her eyes. Of course she knew. What else does her father needed her for, except to make her married into another greedy wealthy family who also wanted to get their hands on another line of businesses and expand more their source of income. If not for that, then she would have been returned into the orphanage the moment her adopted mother is buried deep under the earth. She ought to be thankful that that ancient tradition was still in practiced in the business sector.

She also knew better than to say anything of it in front of her father, so she just nodded a yes. Her father finally turned his head to face her, "Then, I will ask Secretary Lee to prepare it immediately. You should also get ready. You'll be meeting your fiancé soon."

Of course, she thought sourly. Her father already took the liberty of choosing a son of a conglomerate with a silver spoon stuck in its throat. What kind of businesses his family is in dad? What industry did you want now?

He should not have taken the inconvenience of acquiring her consent. He already knew the answer. She does not have the power to do something about it. Or even the courage to begin with.

She took the last bite of her food. She sipped her juice and wiped her lips. "I'm done." She was about to stand up when her father asked, "What are your plans today?" Wow. You almost sounded like a real dad to me. But that is not what he meant. It was more like he was making sure that she understood what she has to do. And to do it right away.

So she sat still again and answered, "I'll visit Rajo or some designers later, to get dresses for the meeting. And probably, buy new shoes and stuff."

She might be an adopted child but her father was giving her everything, all her luxuries and extravagances. She was never deprived of anything. She has a very expensive car, a Cadillac, with a driver, to be used at her convenience as well as her own bodyguards. But she asked her father to sack them out because she was not comfortable having them around all day, especially at school, since they scared her classmates and they shunned her more. Her father allowed her to ditch the bodyguards at once because he has no time to argue with her, but he didn't dismiss them, they were also available and can be called whenever she wants. So, she just utilizes them when she goes shopping, to carry her expensive buys and some other time when the secretary thought that she might needed protection.

She also has five black cards, three personal maids, two exclusive stylists and a team of make-up artist and hair dressers. She was studying at an exclusive school for girls, run by nuns. His father made her took up a lot of lessons too; piano, ballet, kickboxing, etc. etc. Maybe, her dad thought that if he was giving her everything, it'll be enough to say that he was doing his job as a father. How wrong he was. He never given her the most important thing, something that money could never buy, and something that she dreaded most... a fatherly love and affection.

She said what her father wanted to hear and not what she wanted to say. She left out the unimportant things, at least, those unimportant for her dad. But she continued in her mind. After that, I'll buy my school stuff. School will be starting tomorrow dad. Will you have breakfast with me then? Or... will you be here, at least?

The reason her father was most likely home was to inform her that it was about time to utilize her and nothing more. He might not come back again for a week or a month, perhaps a year? -no one knows-but she always looked forward for these small reasons to have a glimpse of her dad, to see that he is okay.

"Good." Her father finally said, and then he wiped his lips. "Mr. Kang, is the car ready?"

"Yes chairman." The butler answered. He helped him up and escorted him out of the garden, holding his briefcase. Just like that, he was gone. And she was the one who was left behind. Again.