The king was not pleased.

The furrowed eyebrows and piercing gaze would be an indicator for all the ministers to shut their mouths, prepare for the worst, and hope that the ruler of the nation will not lash out.

“Minister Yoon,” the king called.

“Present, Your Majesty.” The middle-aged man with grey hair took a few steps towards the center of the hall from his original position in line with other officials and bowed to the king.

“Tell me something. How many soldiers are guarding the palace walls?”

As the minister of defence, Minister Yoon needed to answer or who knows what will happen to him. “More than a thousand, Your Majesty.” His voice did not waver but the sweats are forming on his forehead.

“That’ a large amount of men am I right?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

There was a long silence. The crown prince did not dare lift his head up in order to avoid eye contact with his own father who’s sitting on the throne. Meanwhile, the second and third prince could only hope that their father will not kill anyone today. Baekhyun wouldn’t want that to happen.

The king leaned back in his seat for a moment, heaving a deep sigh before leaning forward again with rage. “AND HOW IN THE WORLD CAN AN INTRUDER PASS ALL THE SECURITY IN THIS PLACE?!”

The voice echoed in the room frighteningly but no one said a word.

“The princess was almost killed and none of you noticed about the intruder! It’s a good thing we managed to track him down but do you want to know something very important? That intruder could have killed the entire royal family! And when that happens, all of you are going to be dead too.”

As the king took some needed breath, the crown prince looked at his own uncle, Minister Yoon, and gave the man a glare.

“Tighten the security of this palace, recruit more men if you must! DO YOUR JOB PROPERLY!!”

All government officials know that their king is not only mad at the minister of defense but also enraged at everyone. The princess managed to get away from the life-threatening incident but she might not be that lucky next time. Moreover, she’s not the only one in danger. Every single person in the palace could be harmed if the security measures aren’t strong enough.

“What the hell are all of you doing here, standing idly like statues? Go back to your stations and find me the accomplices! Do something useful!” The king barked angrily while everyone bowed fearfully before running out from the meeting hall as if the place was on fire. The crown prince and Jongdae also bowed to the king before guided out by their eunuchs out.

Knowing that his father would want to say something, Sehun stayed behind. Not until the room was completely empty did the third prince begin speaking.

“I’ve found the intruder’s identity and associates.”

“And is he related to the conspiracy chain?” the king muttered.

“It’s a she. And yes, she belongs to an underground organization led by someone very familiar with the palace ground. We are still trying to find their leader. Their hideout is full of our inner palace directory, soldier and maids drawings. I fear that they have plans to swap our people with their own members. And my biggest worry is that they have proceeded with the plot.”

The old man with beard widen his eyes, words from his son struck him like lightning. All of the hypothesis makes sense.

He asked, “Are they plotting to kill me?”

Sehun was silent, hands gripping tightly on the sword placed in his belt. “They want Baekhyun. Her pictures are placed everywhere in their hiding place. It means that their members know who to attack by now. None of your pictures are there, not even the queen and empress, not even the crown prince.”

The king slammed his hand on the wooden table in front of him, causing ink to spill and porcelain cup to vibrate along. Sehun is used to his father’s emotion so he never flinched. He’s only like this when the princess is involved.

“I want you to protect Baekhyun all the time. She needs a general to look after her safety.”

Sehun cleared his throat, “After the incident, the queen had insisted that I became the crown prince’s personal bodyguard to protect him and the queen herself. They made me sign a paper of agreement.”

Clicking his tongue, the king once again slammed the table with his hand. “Wicked witch!” The books on the table are thrown down to the floor. “Do not pay much attention to them. They already have an army to protect them.”

“I have placed Lieutenant Park, Official Park Yoonshil’s son, to guard Baekhyun’s pavilion when I’m unavailable. I personally believe that he can be trusted because he’s skilled and passionate in protecting the princess.”

“Don’t tell me it’s that Chanyeol boy again.”

“It is…”

Even though the matter at hands is serious, the king could still manage a low grumble of distaste. “I’m not letting Baekhyun marry that man. He’s stealing my one and only daughter from me!”

“Actually your daughter is the one who keeps visiting the training camp to see him.”

Another low growl of jealousy erupted and Sehun almost chuckled.

Yes, the king has a complex towards his daughter. King Hyunjeong, known for his harsh disciplinary regulations, heart made of steel, and absolute commands, has a soft spot for a young lady named Baekhyun, his own little girl. The king had three sons before the girl was born and he worshipped his daughter very much. Not only that, she’s born by the royal concubine who Sehun noted to be the only love interest in his father’s life.  Lady Choi is a very caring lady, sometimes a little fussy but warm nonetheless. All those positive traits are inherited to Baekhyun and Sehun thanked the heavens that she doesn’t inherit the king’s short temper.

Not many know that the princess is the most favored among the king’s children and if the nation can be ruled by a queen alone, it wouldn’t take King Hyunjeong even a heartbeat to send her daughter up to the throne and have the kingdom all to herself. He would turn into nothing but a puddle of goo whenever his daughter is around and adore her entire existence like he always does. But still, he never showed anyone his fondness for the youngest child in fear they’ll use her for politics menace.

“I will get going to investigate this matter further then.”

“Wait,” The king uttered before Sehun could take a step away. “Please send my gratitude for Luhan. She had saved the princess’ life after all. Ask for what she wants, I will grant it if I can.”

“As you wish, your Majesty.”

--

Sehun isn’t really a patient person. He gets mad at little things no thanks to the bad genes his father had given. And that includes getting mad at whoever interrupts his training session. With a fake respect, Sehun lowered his wooden sword and bowed at the crown prince.

“What did you and father talk about in the meeting hall?”

“We discussed the security and more men training for the capital’s enforcement. The walls need more skilled men, not only in swordsmanship but also tactic and knowledge wise.”
Sehun wasn’t entirely lying beca