Jeonghan, ensconced near the towering window, watched with a heavy heart as the tree swayed in harmony with the wind, its dance a poignant reflection of his own inner turmoil. Seungcheol's decree reverberated within the chambers of his mind like the incessant drip of a broken tap: "You shall return to the Yoon Empire."
Since that fateful proclamation, Seungcheol had not deigned to set foot within Jeonghan's sanctum, leaving him to grapple with his anguish in solitary contemplation. Though sustenance and necessities continued to be provided, courtesy of Seungcheol's directives, Jeonghan found himself ensnared within the confines of his own despair, lacking the fortitude to confront the world beyond.
"I have committed an irreparable error," Jeonghan whispered to himself, his fingers tightening around the hairstick, a poignant memento from Seungcheol. "If I could relinquish my life in exchange for this transgression, I would do so willingly..." His eyes brimmed with unshed tears, yet he willed them to remain steadfast.
A sudden knock at the door shattered the oppressive silence, prompting Jeonghan to rise and traverse the chamber with purpose.
"Enter," he intoned regally, his demeanor a mask of composure as Mingyu presented himself at the threshold, his gaze averted in a display of cold detachment. The chill that permeated the air served as a stark reminder of the rift that had formed between Jeonghan and those who had once been his closest confidants.
"Prince Jeonghan, these are the jewels and delicacies dispatched by our Emperor," Mingyu announced, stepping aside to allow a maid bearing trays laden with opulent treasures to enter. "You are to depart this evening..."
The pronouncement hung heavy in the air, eliciting a gasp of disbelief from Jeonghan as the gravity of Seungcheol's edict dawned upon him.
"To what destination?" Jeonghan queried, swallowing back a surge of overwhelming emotion as he clenched his fists in defiance.
"To the Yoon Empire--"
"No!" Jeonghan interjected, pushing the trays aside as he strode purposefully from the chamber. "Where is Seungcheol?" he demanded of Mingyu, whose downcast gaze bespoke a sense of conflicted loyalty.
Mingyu's silence spoke volumes, echoing the inner turmoil that gnawed at his conscience, torn between allegiance to his sovereign and empathy for Jeonghan's plight.
"Where is Seungcheol!" Jeonghan implored once more, his voice tinged with desperation as he brushed past Mingyu, his resolve unyielding.
The courthouse beckoned to him like a beacon of hope amidst the encroaching darkness, its imposing facade a testament to the trials that awaited him within. With each labored breath, Jeonghan propelled himself forward, his determination unshakeable in the face of adversity.
"Please..." he beseeched, his voice a fervent prayer as he crossed the threshold, his spirit ablaze with the fervor of his convictions. "Please do not cast me aside..."
Was this not what Jeonghan had longed for? To be freed from Seungcheol's embrace?
The truth unveils itself in simplicity: his ardor for Seungcheol, the pulsating heart, the fluttering eyelids, the lips that stir, the ears attuned solely to Seungcheol's voice. He exists, breathes, and endures for Seungcheol alone – the embodiment of undying devotion, a love unyielding, befitting of royalty.
In that moment of reckoning, Jeonghan's resolve faltered, his heart laid bare before the altar of his undying love for Seungcheol. For all his yearning to sever the ties that bound them, he found himself inexorably drawn to Seungcheol by the immutable bonds of affection that bound their souls as one.
With limbs trembling and resolve undiminished, Jeonghan collapsed at the courthouse threshold, his spirit battered yet unbroken, his unwavering love for Seungcheol a beacon of light amidst the gathering gloom.
Summoning a shaky breath, Jeonghan pushed open the grand doors of the courthouse, the hall brimming with advisor royals and ministers, their gazes laden with a myriad of emotions – hatred, indifference, pity, and anger. Yet, he remained undeterred, his focus unwavering as he fixed his gaze upon the one individual who held his entire existence in his hands – the Emperor of Sel Kingdom, Choi Seungcheol.
As Jeonghan forged determined steps toward Seungcheol, none dared to impede his progress, until he stood face to face with the Emperor, who regarded him with eyes as vacant as a moonless night.
Seungcheol felt his heart quicken, his gaze discerning the devastation etched upon Jeonghan's countenance. His breath ragged, his attire disheveled, his lips faintly tinted with crimson – signs of a desperate sprint from the chamber to the courthouse. Though concern gnawed at Seungcheol's conscience, he suppressed it, reminding himself that before him stood a traitor, not his cherished rose, not the love that once gazed upon him with adoration.
"This is Prince Jeonghan, not Seungcheol's rose," he reminded himself sternly, steeling his resolve against the longing to reach out and comfort.
"Are you truly intent on returning me?" Jeonghan's voice wavered, a flicker of hope dancing in his eyes, only to be extinguished by the icy veneer of Seungcheol's gaze. Did Seungcheol no longer desire his presence? Was he repulsed by Jeonghan's proximity? Did he harbor disdain?
"Was it not your desire to remedy the offense of my acquisition from the Yoon Empire without consent that plunged my kingdom into peril?" Seungcheol's tone was frigid, his gaze piercing into Jeonghan's trembling orbs.
"But—" Jeonghan's voice faltered, his attempts to articulate futile against Seungcheol's accusatory glare. Seungcheol was right, yet so utterly wrong.
"I do not wish to depart," Jeonghan pleaded, desperation lacing his words as he clasped his hands before Seungcheol, who clenched his fists in response.
Seungcheol yearned to reach out, to enfold Jeonghan in his embrace, to banish the anguish etched upon his visage. Jeonghan should never kneel before him in supplication.
"I am willing to serve as your humble servant, I beseech you, do not cast me away," Jeonghan choked, his voice laden with raw emotion as he sank to his knees, clutching onto Seungcheol's garments.
Suppressing a tremulous sigh and the overwhelming urge to succumb to Jeonghan's plea, Seungcheol stepped back, allowing Jeonghan to collapse onto the cold floor.
"Junhui, exercise your judgment in the best interest of the kingdom," Seungcheol declared, his voice heavy with resignation as he descended from the throne, leaving Jeonghan forsaken amidst the pitying gazes of the courtiers, the ache of Seungcheol's indifference piercing his heart.
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-Vaish
My exams are ending soon, omggg 🥹🤭
Sorry for the short chapter 🥲