"Open up."
"Go to hell."
At this point, your age was definitely showing. You didn't even care about Nayun or Jungkook anymore. You didn't learn anything, you didn't understand the consequences of refusing orders from your Prince; you just hated him more and more by the hour, and you felt miserable.
"God fucking damn it, where's the key?" You hear a sigh followed by shuffling through the door. Within a minute, he's opened your door and closed it again. "I need to carry this around with me from now on."
You lay curled up on your bed with a blanket covering your entire body.
"How're you holding up?" Taehyung asks.
When you don't respond, he sighs annoyedly.
"Come on, it's been a whole day. Are you just going to pretend to sleep until the world ends?"
"A whole day, and you're still an insufferable asshole," you retort.
Taehyung runs his free hand through his hair, and that's when the smell of chicken hits you. You hadn't eaten in so long, the mere aroma had you salivating. "I brought you food."
You think for a moment. To eat or not to eat?
...
"Shove it," your pettiness comes through.
"No thanks. It's your choice on what to do with it."
And with that, he places the plate of food and water on your dresser, and he leaves the room.
You turn and peak out of your cocoon for a moment, eying the expensive palace food you've grown accustomed to eating.
"Fuck him," you breathe. "I'd rather starve."
...
The next day, at around the same time, which you know from how long the sun's been out, Taehyung comes around with food again.
When he notices yesterday's laying untouched on the table, he frowns. "Sooyun? Are you awake?"
Over the last course of 24 hours, you decided that you were too mature to get into arguments and insults with Taehyung, so now he only got the silence treatment. Unfortunately, your nose begins to tickle, and you're unable to hold in a sneeze at that moment. "Ah-choo!"
Taehyung finds himself smiling. She can't see me anyway, He thinks. "Why didn't you eat yesterday?"
Because I hate you.
"Fine, here's fresh food if you have an appetite," he drops off the new plate and water, and locks you back up.
If I have an appetite? Bitch.
You were starving.
...
Another day passed, and Taehyung was becoming concerned. Not only had you not eaten a single bite, but your water was clearly not drunk either. If you weren't taking water from the sink in the bathroom, you might start having withdrawal symptoms soon.
So after peaking his head into your room and seeing you in the exact same position as the last two days, he calls Namjoon. "Can you try to get her to eat today? I have to train right now, and she won't take anything from me."
Namjoon nods curtly. "Yes, Your Highness."
Of course, Namjoon noticed the full plates of food leaving your room every day, and he was concerned too. Gently knocking on your door and twisting the knob, he makes his way in.
"Miss Sooyun?"
Your eyes fly open. Namjoon?
"Hello?"
You pull down the blanket to uncover your face and sit up. "What are you doing here?"
He smiles widely. "I heard that you're trying to starve yourself to death."
"Ugh," you roll your eyes. "Anything to get out of this hellhole."
"Is it uncomfortable, Miss?"
You scoff. "Are you serious? I have less than 50 square feet to move around, and I don't even know how there's oxygen coming in here." He hands you the glass of water as you're talking, and you narrow your eyes at him. "Did Taehyung send you here?"
"No," he lies. "I'm worried about you. It's been several days since you've last eaten."
You eye the glass in his hands. You're about to refuse it, when his award-winning, eye smile comes out.
"For me?" he says, and you could swear your heart skipped a beat.
Stupid attractive men, You mentally curse.
"Fine," you mumble softly while taking the glass from his hands and sipping. The cool water feels heavenly flowing down your dry throat, and you down the cup in seconds.
Namjoon smiles. "I'll get you more later. Eat some food first."
You take the fork from his hands and eye the plate hungrily. "Are you sure it's not poisoned?"
He chuckles while dropping to one knee by your bed. "I certainly hope not."
"Hold on," you blurt out before moving to the side of the bed and patting the space next to you. "Sit here."
"Oh, no no, it's—"
"Shut up, and do it," you demand confidently, snatching the food from his hands and quickly getting to work.
You knew you were going to regret eating so fast now, but you didn't care anymore. You were more than starving, and this might've been the last meal you ate in a while.
Beside you, the mattress sinks down under Namjoon, who sits awkwardly at the edge of the bed. Without looking up from your food, you tease, "God, I'm not going to attack you. You can sit closer."
He pauses before breaking into laughter and getting up to lean in more comfortably. "You're really something, you know that?"
"I do," you respond quickly. For a minute, you're cheered up by Namjoon and enjoy his company, sharing light banter and small giggles. But then you're reminded of everything happening outside, and the dead look in your eyes returns. "How're Jungkook and Nayun?"
"Well," he sighs. "They're both alive. Jungkook's still in the hospital because the shot was so close to his heart, but the King claims that he's going to be imprisoned right after recovery. Nayun...
"She's in a separate jail. Underground."
You swallow a lump in your throat. "Does she have basic necessities?"
Namjoon nods. "Her old maids bring her everything. His and Her Majesty still haven't announced what they plan to do with her."
You play with your food, tossing it around in your plate. You've lost your appetite.
"Don't worry about them, my lady. They're safe for now. You should eat up so you can have energy for your next controversial move," he teases with a small smile.
"Mm," you shake your head with a sigh. "Namjoon?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think I did the right thing?"
He raises an inquisitive brow.
"I mean—I'm sorry, I know you're a knight. You're obviously not going to agree with me. But... what should I have done? Was I really just supposed to sit and take it?" You eye your food sadly, collecting rice on the fork and tilting it off again.
Namjoon parts his lips and suddenly scans the room, looking at all the corners before turning to you with his tongue against his cheek. "Are there any cameras in here?" he asks.
You never thought of that. Curious yourself now, you examine the walls thoroughly. "I'm not sure."
"Then," he swallows, "I'll tell you.
"I know you did the right thing."
Your heart swells. At least one person that you've spoken to agrees with you.
"Not only do I understand it from your perspective, the duty you had to protect your little sister, but truly...you saved two lives."
You smile faintly. Right. "I-I can't believe she's pregnant," you whisper.
You tried to block the idea out for the last few days, only tried to think about your part in all of this, but Nayun? Even after all of your warnings, the deals you made with both her and Jungkook, she ended up pregnant.
With the Prince's child.
"Do you think they'll let her off the punishment?" you ask hopefully.
"I—" He takes a deep breath. "I don't know."
"..." You nod. That was in the hands of the royals.
"Enough sulking, Miss." Namjoon takes the plate from your hands and shovels food onto the fork. He holds it out to you. "Eat."
Your frown turns up slightly, and you take the bite into your mouth, though not without a cherry pink blush on your cheeks.
"Good girl. Take care of yourself."
You smile as he feeds the remaining food to you, and your stomach gives a satisfied growl. You flush.
Namjoon chuckles. "It's alright, I know the feeling." He dusts himself off and stands up with a groan. "Then, farewell for now, my lady."
He turns around toward the door, taking your dishes with him, when your voice stops his steps. "W-Wait," you say timidly.
"Hmm?" He turns quarter-way, eyes doey and questioning.
The words exit your lips without you even thinking. "I-I know this is going to sound weird but c-can I hug you?" You cringe at your request.
What the hell was that, Sooyun? You look like a fucking weirdo.
Truth was, being locked up alone in this room had you feeling all types of lonely, and you desperately needed the human contact. Aside from Taehyung, who you despised at the moment, Namjoon was the only person you ever saw. Good old, dependable Namjoon.
He smiles, an unexpected, genuine smile. "Lonely?" he asks.
Spot on. You scoff. "Don't try to psycho-analyze me. I just...want a hug."
With his signature, dashing smile, he puts down the dishes and leans down to your seated form. You get onto your knees with the same pink-tinted cheeks, and you wrap your arms around his torso.
He responds by mirroring you and pulling you closer into his chest, offering you the exact comfort and support you need.
The moment is so sweet, you're almost brought to tears. You were so heartbroken over everything, your tear ducts couldn't physically produce more tears after that first night in the prison. Now, with the reminder of hardships and the water in your system, it was coming back.
You pull away before given the opportunity to soak his shirt with your sorrows, wiping underneath your eyes and laughing embarrassedly. "I'm sorry, that was so weird."
He pats your head like an older brother would. "Don't worry about it."
...
"Is she asleep?" is the first thing you hear when you wake up. Rather, it's the cause of your waking up.
The devil is back.
"I'm not sure, Your Highness. I haven't checked."
Still in a groggy state, you realize that you aren't in your typical tight cocoon of blankets, thrown off of yourself sometime in your slumber. Your effort to cover up is cut short when the door creaks open, and you freeze.
Pretend to be asleep, pretend to be asleep.
In your best attempt to fool him, you take deep, sleep-like breaths to calm your heart rate, and you pout your lips slightly.
Your arms, which are bent and placed by your head, twitch involuntarily, and you pray that he doesn't notice as he's walking toward you.
"Oh, Sooyun," he says quietly, falling for your trick. "So beautiful."
You suddenly find the need to swallow.
He stares at your sprawled out form, heartache, fondness, and lust mixed together. He eyes your face, taking in every feature, inch by inch, before moving to the next. His gaze travels down your neck, to the thin straps of your creme white pajama dress, which curve into your body and to your rising bust. The material, silky and taut, has you looking like a newly wed bride bride—no, like an angel.
The way your pale, delicate arms are bent up to your revealed shoulders, your thin waist suffocated and tangled in fabric, the single inch of skin on your thigh shown before it's shielded by the comforter. You were angelic.
The man was enticed, staring for far too long, all the way down to where the blanket hid and back up to the highlight of it all: your face. Your soft features, flushed and pouted from sleep, are framed by feathery locks of hair, quite like the wings of an angel. The black strands lay like rays of light around you, coming outward and curving back in toward your body, sprawled but contained.
Taehyung's eyes roam your body, almost in a creepy manner, but with the purest intent.
To admire your beauty.
Taking a step closer, his gaze is set on your eyes, your nose, and then your lips. Your lips, so soft, so pink, and so familiar to him. Before the man knows it, he's seated on the ground beside you and leaning in to the delicate flesh of your lips.
You hold in a shudder. While he thought you were asleep, you were very well awake, and the feeling of his breath against your mouth had sparks flying around you.
He kisses you.
A soft, tender kiss, just enough to satisfy him but keep you asleep.
You subconsciously press your lips together when he pulls away, but Taehyung is far too love struck to notice. He brings his hand up to caress your face, thumb gliding over your cheek gently.
His eyes are soft, nearly closed as he whispers just above his breath, "I'm sorry."
Your breathing stops. Sorry for what?
"I'm so sorry, Sooyun," he repeats. "You've been nothing but moral and pure to me, and I keep insisting that you change that."
You inhale slowly, finding it difficult to focus on both his words and on your act of faking unconsciousness.
"It's not your fault," he breathes. "Nothing is your fault.
"I brought you out of your simple life into this-this corrupt, competitive game here. You don't deserve this pain, this hardship. I wish..." He holds his breath, fingers still against your cheek.
His next words have your heart beating quickly, thumping against your chest like it used to. "I wish I could give you a better life than this one. I wish I could take you out of this cruel game and treat you like you deserve to be treated.
"Not put in a game for the world to see, not forced by titles and roles... Just given happiness, a satisfying, normal life with a husband and kids, where you could continue your education and meet someone out of your own will."
His voice is so quiet and so deep, it's almost inaudible. "But, like you told me, I'm a selfish, despicable excuse of a man.
"I care about myself more than you, my feelings more than yours. I can't let you free to make your own path because... I can't live without you."
His hand moves down to the corner of your lips, voice failing as his next words struggle to come out. His whole speech made your heart close to combusting, but if it was ever going to burst out of happiness, give light to your entire world and color everything in its lost vibrancy, it was right now.
With a gentle bite of his lip and a small shudder of realization, Taehyung whispers, "I-I love you."
To be Continued...
(A/N Hello! I've been so busy I haven't had the time to revise this chapter that I wrote weeks ago, sorry for the wait 🥺 I hope you enjoyed it tho, it was pretty long compared to usual 💜)