𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇. enhypen

one

She loved Sunoo dearly, but there were times where he could become like an antagonist to Jihye. He took the responsibility of being Jihye's own personal 'Royal Advisor' and often became the one who made sure she did what was expected of her.

That was exactly what he was trying to do at the moment.

By now, Jihye is well aware how it ends up in the end as they've gone through this same exact scenario multiple times before. And much to her many efforts to amend the outcome, it always remained unchanged.

Looking at him out of breath made Jihye feel a pang of guilt for making him go through the trouble she was causing. However, she had gone this far and she wasn't going to surrender so easily.

Jihye lowered the hood of her cloak before speaking. "Came for a morning stroll as well, Sunoo?" She asks tilting her head, unconsciously biting the insides of her cheeks. A habit she did whenever she felt nervous.

His eyes scan her face in disbelief, as if trying to figure out if she was really playing dumb.

Even if he wasn't voicing his exasperation, Jihye knew Sunoo well enough to guess he was probably shouting every single curse word known to man in his head.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" He says slowly as he approaches her, a frenzied glint in his eyes.

Jihye paused to pull out a golden pocket watch that she never forgot to have on her, checking the time before shoving it back into her dress pocket. "I'm pretty sure it's seven in the morning and breakfast isn't another hour."

"Seriously, Jihye?!" Sunoo scoffed in desperation, wanting to violently shake her back into sanity. "Are you actually playing me for a fool?"

Jihye gulped. "If I say no will you pretend you didn't see me and not make me go back to the castle?" She murmurs with a sheepish smile and squinting eyes, knowing the backlash she will face.

"Jihye!" Sunoo shouts in bated breath which causes her and the birds scattered inside the tall trees to flinch. "The maids have been going crazy looking for you!"

"You're lucky that I found you before the guards did!" He hisses and Jihye finally begins to accept she was at fault.

Her face falls, her smile faltering as the guilt in her gut increases. "I know that running away was a bit of a low move but I don't think father would kill me for having cold feet for something like this." She tries to argue, but Sunoo only shakes his head.

"No, he's going to kill me if you're not dressed and in the dining hall before breakfast is served." He takes large steps to avoid those tree roots sprouting from the ground.

"Now come with me..." He encases a hold on her arm. "We don't have much time."

Jihye doesn't fight back when Sunoo starts pulling her towards the direction she was trying to escape from earlier. Instead she tries her best to follow Sunoo's urgent steps without tripping.

Blurs of trees and bushes flew past her eyes as the two ventured through the woods, hands connected. With each step she takes, the more Jihye starts dreading her return to the castle. What would her Father say when he found out she was caught trying to run away? If he hadn't already.

How did Sunoo always manage to find her? She didn't know. And it wasn't like Sunoo had any spell under his sleeve as he wasn't a Magian.

Then there was the question as to why he hasn't told anyone of authority that she used her magic in ways deemed as unethical? Sunoo knew that she sneaked out of the castle to learn spells that weren't the compulsory ones learned in Magic History, another rule of the many set by her Father that she constantly broke. That alone could get her in a huge amount of trouble if Sunoo were to confess-