You stepped quietly down the stairs, trying not to wake the prisoners.
It wasn't like they could attack you, anyways. The most they would do is make a bunch of noise and get you in trouble. Taehyung and Jungkook would scold you for your recklessness, but sometimes a lady just needed to be reckless.
Regardless of the circumstances, you couldn't keep your questions to yourself anymore. You needed to know more about this arrangement, about this man whom you were engaged to. Jungkook and Jimin both obviously disapproved of your engagement, and quite frankly, you weren't fond of it either. But what other options did you really have at this point? You weren't taught any real trades, and only had a basic knowledge of arts and culture. Most of your time was spent with your father or with his colleagues, talking business. You didn't mind it, and you could probably be fairly good at it, but what business could you take part in? Father had already lost his. Had you known sooner, you would have asked to become part of the trade to help him. But he had never indicated anything was amiss, and you had never thought to ask.
Marrying a complete stranger was the only way you wouldn't be completely useless to your beautiful father. He had already lost so much... you couldn't sit around and wait for him to lose even more.
You came to Seokjin's cell, peering in between the bars. He was asleep, his legs bent in a strange position and his face turned away from you towards the wall.
You gently tapped on the cell bar. He didn't move. Deciding he must have been a heavy sleeper, you tapped again, whispering his name. Even in the dark, you could tell that he wasn't even flinching, no movements despite how much noise you were beginning to make.
"Seokjin?" you whispered, "Are you alive?"
No movement. Looking around, you picked up a broken piece of wood and pegged him in the back with it. He still didn't stir. A warning flag flashed through your mind. Was he ill? Did he get sick down here? You hadn't come down in days and anything could have happened. And if anything happened to him, then his father...
You reached for the key on the wall and unlocked the door, closing it behind you. You went to Seokjin's side, touching his shoulder.
"Seokjin?" you asked again, nuding him. "Are you alright?"
You yelped as you were suddenly slammed against the wall behind you, two hands pressing your shoulders hard into the stone. Seokjin's eyes were cold, even when a small grin curled on his lips.
"You fell for the oldest trick in the book," he teased. "You really have no sense, do you?"
You tried to shove him off, but he held fast, staring at you as if he was trying to analyze your entire existence. His eyes dropped to the key that was now on the floor next to you.
"Are you going to escape now?" you asked, trying to stay calm.
He chuckled. "I could. But then where would I go? I don't have a ship, and I don't care to take over this one, honestly."
You shifted under the weight of his hands against your shoulders. "Aren't you taking me back?"
His head cocked to the side as he looked at you. "Who said I was here for you at all?"
"But... your father... you said..."
"I said that my father sent me to retrieve you. I never said I intended to do it."
You furrowed your brows at him.
"What?" he asked. "Did you think I really cared about you? We don't know each other. I have no attachments to you. Even less so with you at my father's heel."
He dropped his hands, taunting you with his smirk.
"I am not at your father's heel," you threw back. "I wasn't even told who I was arranged to until after our dance."
"Ah, that explains it then."
"Explains what?"
"The way you looked at me when we first met," Seokjin said. "So... hopeful."
He grinned. You frowned.
"But then you realized you were arranged to marry my father," he continued, "and decided that was a better offer, yes? Money is quite the hot commodity these days."
"I don't care about your money. I care about my father."
"Which requires money. Don't try to spin it, dear mother. A gold-digger always has a legitimate reason, but that doesn't change who they are."
"Do not call me mother," you said, disgusted, "and I am no gold-digger."
"You agreed to marry my father for financial stability, yes?"
You opened your mouth to reply, then shut it again.
"You're no different than the other women who have tried the same," he said. "You're all horrifically boring at this point."
"Then why are you here?" you asked.
He stared at you, as if the answer would appear in the air without him opening his mouth to say it. After a few breaths, you understood.
"You came for the Eros, didn't you?" you said.
His head dipped to the side as he smiled. "You can read me that easily, can you?"
"It's not hard to determine what a man wants when you know he doesn't want you."
You paused, stuttering, realizing that it had came out entirely different than you had wanted it to.
He chuckled darkly. "Is that your problem? You wished for me to come after you?"
"Of course not!"
"Maybe I was wrong about your intentions. It seems you have desires I wasn't aware of."
"What are you talking about?"
He brought a finger to the end of your hair. "I could offer you a choice, I suppose. Do you want to become my step-mother... or do you want to become mine?"
You shoved him off, coming to your feet. "You disgusting rat! I have no interest in you or your stupid mind games. I have met plenty of aristocratic gentlemen - dull to the absolute core - and wouldn't even agree to marriage if it weren't for my father."
"And why would you agree to help him?" He came to his feet to face you. "How can you have no bitter feelings? Your father sold you."
"My father gave me an option," you returned. "If I had refused him outright, he would have changed his mind."
Seokjin laughed. "So if I were the rich man, would you come to me instead of my father?"
He was trying to bait you - get some kind of power over you - and you didn't appreciate it. You shrugged with one shoulder, batting your eyelashes innocently.
"I can't imagine you to be rich, Seokjin. Therefore, I've never considered you."
He grabbed your wrist and spun you back to him, shoving your back against the wall. With one hand on each side of you, he leaned in, his natural scent more intoxicating than any cologne. As he stared into your eyes, you could see the frustration and aggression built in them.
"You have no idea who you're speaking to," he growled. "I possess things far more powerful than money. Mark my words. You'll regret your carelessness, dear mother..."
"Stop calling me that," you replied. "And what does it matter to me what you have to offer? I've already been sold, remember?"
Saying the words yourself made your heart waver. You bit your bottom lip, trying to steady it. Long silence passed between you. You could feel Seokjin watching you, even though you weren't meeting his eyes.
"Is... is he kind?" you asked.
You heard Jin's breath. "What?"
You decided to look up at him. "Your father. Is he kind?"
He held your gaze, no words coming through his lips. You looked back, until he forced himself to look away.
"You're too pure," he replied bitterly. "It makes you far more irritating."
You laughed ironically. "Jungkook said the same thing. I didn't realize you two had so much in common."
Seokjin returned to face you, narrowing his eyes. It took him two full breaths to speak.
"You care about the crew on this ship, don't you?" he asked.
You shoved him off of you, leaning over to pick up the fallen key. Gripping it in your hand, you walked over to the door, shutting it behind you and locking Seokjin back in his cell. When you turned to him, he only smiled, walking forward to lean against the bars.
"That's a mistake, dear mother," he said. "You should never fall for a sailor until he's been rightly judged."
You rolled your eyes. "I haven't fallen for anyone."
He laughed through his nose as you began to walk back upstairs.
"Be careful what you get attached to," he called after you. "You never know when it will be taken away."
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A/N:
Happy Korean Chuseok everyone! I've had the last few days off, and I've been able to work on some passion projects, some kpop dance choreo, and on my commercial version of THE REBELLION! I can't wait to share the cover with you!
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