The atmosphere around them became tensed, Shinyoung looked at the knight in front of her in the eyes trying to find a hint of mischief but she found none. He wasn't fooling around. Instead of a blessing to her, she took it as a curse. The insides of her stomach turned, she was scared for some reasons. Of what, she couldn't possibly answer.

"Chan, don't fool around. You know it's not funny." Soonyoung stifled an awkward laugh, to get rid of the tension in the air. He was worried that the Queen might break down because her brother was a sensitive topic, not that they'd ever joke around about him. However, he knew better that Chan would never dare to joke around about that.

So it only meant that he was being serious.

Soonyoung glanced a look at the Queen beside him, the look she put on was readable. She was surprise, the was a glint of hope in her eyes to actually believe Chan but a part of her wasn't ready. He couldn't understand what she was hiding, but it seemed that she was afraid. She too had a thought that it wasn't possible for her brother to be alive.

"I'm not making a joke, he's really outside!" Chan insisted and looked at the Queen right in the eyes, to convince her that he wasn't lying nor was he joking around. "I don't know how to explain it, but he's waiting outside since none of the guards would allow him inside. They were afraid this might be some kind of trick." the younger one explained.

"Chan, stop it. It's not funny at all." Seungcheol's warn made the atmosphere around them even tenser. However, the younger knight was a bit offended that no one believed him. Why on Earth would he joke around something like this? "Shinyoung, why don't you see it for yourself, and tell them that I'm not lyi-"

"Stop it already!" her sharp tone made the knights silent. "If any of you think joking around about my brother is a funny thing, then stop!" she shrieked. The others were shock of how much she was angry, they had never seen her this way. "He's gone, he fell into an abyss and I let him! I know you miss him as well, but joking around about him, when he's gone forever, it-it's not funny!" Shinyoung said and unknowingly she cried.

"B-but, Shinyoung, I'm not lying to you."

"Chan, that's enough already-"

"He speaks the truth."

That voice, that was the first thing that crossed her mind when she heard the familiar voice. However, as if she was frozen on her spot, she couldn't dare herself to turn around. To look at whoever was speaking. She knew that voice so well, but why was she so afraid to confirm it?

Since when did she ever became a coward? Unexpectedly, she started shivering and the tears wouldn't stop flowing down her cheeks. Was this real? Was she dreaming? She couldn't give any answers at all and she was scared to check. Shinyoung had also noticed that both of the knights on her sides were frozen on their feets as well.

"How rude of you to not welcome your brother." he spoke again. Shinyoung tried calming herself down