My Selection | JENO

Chapter 5

"I'm so sorry, I should have looked at where I was going." Jeno exclaimed as he slowly released his grip from Nara's waist once she had steadied herself with the help of using Jeno's shoulders.

Nara simply gave him a small smile before shaking her head.

"I should be the one apologizing. I was the one that walked straight into you." Nara told him.

Now that Jeno was in front of her, she could properly take in each of his features. Jeno had oval eyes, a sharp nose, and pink lips. His hair was no longer the platinum blonde like in the photos but rather a soft brown. He was tall, around the same height as Jaemin and muscular, which Nara had felt when he had gripped tightly on her waist.

Nara couldn't but smile at how nervous he was in front of her so she stuck her hand out.

"I'm Kang Nara, the Princess of Illea, but you probably already know me." Nara said. She watched as Jeno hesitantly took her hand before giving her a firm shake.

"Lee Jeno of Clermont." Jeno told her.

"I know." Nara said before covering her mouth. She had accidentally let the words slip out of her mouth.

Jeno stared at her, eyes wide in surprise. "You do?"

Nara nodded. Jeno's face slowly turned into a wide smile. "From the movies, right?"

"Yes, that's right." Nara said, thankful that Jeno had given the suggestion. She didn't want to expose that Jeno had already caught her eye.

"Well, if you may excuse me, your highness, but I was kind of heading to the bathroom." Jeno said, pointing to the doors at the end of the hall.

"Oh, don't let me stop you." Nara said, stepping aside. Jeno gave her a quick bow before making his way to the washroom, disappearing from her sight.

"Can't possibly be falling for one already." Nara turned around to see Jaemin, arms crossed, his now blue hair slicked back, wearing the same black suit Jeno was as he leaned against the palace walls.

"Oh shut up." Nara said, rolling her eyes before walking away, heading towards her room.

Could she be falling for Jeno?

...

That night, Nara had dinner with her parents for the last time. Every night after that, they would be eating with the Selected.

"The boys had their makeovers today." The Queen said, breaking the silence.

"I bumped into Jaemin. He has blue hair now." Nara said, taking a bite of her food. She glanced up though as she noticed that both her parents had stopped eating.

"You're not supposed to see the Selected." The King told her.

"It was Jaemin, father. You're forgetting that he lives here." Nara was glad she had said Jaemin's name, not Jeno's. Otherwise she would have no excuse and would have to tell her parents about their embarrassing encounter.

"I suppose that's fair." The King said and the three of them continued to eat again.

"You'll be having your first meeting with them during the interviews tomorrow. How are you feeling?" The Queen asked. Nara shrugged her shoulders.

"Should I be feeling something?" Nara asked back. Her parents chuckled at her answer.

"Excited? Nervous?" Her father suggested. Nara's fork scraped against her plate.

"How did you feel?" Nara asked her parents. They both chuckled.

"I was excited to no longer be the only young adult in the castle. Being the only child was quite lonely." The King said.

"I, on the other hand, dreaded it. I didn't want to bs part of the Selection, it was something my parents wanted." Her mother told her.

"I see. I guess I'm feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness." Nara said, answering her parents' question.

"That's perfectly normal." The King said, nodding his head. Nara had another question in her head, fighting an internal battle on whether to ask her parents or not.

"Do you believe in fate?" The asking side had won.

The King and Queen exchanged glances before answering her question.

"I mean, fate brought us together." The Queen said, giving her daughter a smile.

"I suppose you're right." Nara said, continuing to eat her dinner.

...

Nara smoothed her deep violet lace dress. It was long sleeved and tight around her body. Her hair was also down, falling into soft waves behind her back.

In front of her, the boys were in their first etiquette class, Heeyoung teaching them which forks to use and which glasses goes with what drink. Nara peeked through the crack of the door, observing the boys.

Some of them were paying attention, others, not so much. Nara could tell that some were struggling to keep theirs eyes open and some were whispering to one another. She noticed Jaemin sitting beside Jeno, the two of them sitting upright and paying close attention to Heeyoung's words.

Eventually, the lesson ended and their breakfast was brought in, much to their delight. Once the waiters had all left, Nara took a deep breath before making her way through the double doors.

The men all froze, surprised at her presence. Some were already standing up to greet her while others looked like deer caught in headlights. Nara could tell that Heeyoung was holding the urge to yell at them. Nara gave them all a smile.

"Please, sit and enjoy your breakfast while I speak." Nara said them. She watched as they bobbled their heads before following her words.

Jaemin had a wide smirk on his face and it took everything in Nara to not tell him to wipe it off his face. Jeno was giving her a wide eye smile from beside him, and Nara tried her best not to smile back when her eyes met his.

"I hope you are all enjoying your morning so far. I will be speaking with Heeyoung along with my parents, the King and Queen, of your progress, so please do pay attention to her lessons, and uninteresting they may seem, they are vital as the potential ruler of Illea." Nara said, the boys letting out small chuckles. She could tell that Heeyoung was secretly thanking her.

"While you eat, you will be called in one by one so I can get to know each of you better. Once that is completed, you will all be going to your next lesson. Are there any question?" Nara looked around the room. Silence. Nara clapped her hands together.

"In that case, I look forward to meeting you all." Nara said with a smile. She exited the dinning room, doors closing behind her. She heard the murmurs of the boys, probably talking about her.

Nara turned and made her way to the next room, where two chairs were placed in the middle for her interviews with the thirty-five men.

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Peek-a-boo ✌️