“This looks great.” Heeji smiled as their food arrived, the waitress bowed politely before stepping away.

“You were craving for this?” Taeyong mused as he started to slice the chicken steak for her.

“It’s been a week, don’t laugh.” She made a face at him.

“So, how are things? The palace maids mentioned you’ve been asking if you can bring in your Batmobile in the palace.”

Then Heeji started to frown.

“I can only bring it in if you’re okay with it.” She nudged his shoe with hers, Taeyong chuckled.

“I’ll call the palace later.”

“Yes!” She nodded before taking a small piece and popping it in .

“You should try this,” She said as she dipped a piece in the cheese sauce and brought it to his lips.

“Heeji, it’s fine~”

“Eat it.” She whined, Taeyong just opened his mouth.

“Good, right?” She chuckled before leaning over to brush the cheese on the side of his lip, Taeyong blinked but he just chewed.

“We should do this often, you seem to like the food here so much.” He stated with a small smile as she sliced another piece for herself.

“Remember back when you visited my house and we accidentally broke on of halmae’s antique jars?” She spoke.

“I really thought I was going to die that day.” He nodded.

“Well, I found a photo of us that day. It brought so much memories.” She nodded and looked at her plate.

“Have you..spoken to your family yet?” He asked carefully, Heeji shook her head and sighed.

“I don’t know, I mean, I just can’t believe that they’d lie to me, but halmae has been trying to reach me, and I don’t think that I can face them now.” She continued.

“Then, I’ll come with you.” He stated.

“Taeyong, it’s fine, I can~”

“We’re a set now, Jiji. We can go after this, I’ll drive us.” He offered.

“I’m sure you miss your old home, bigung.” He said with a tilt of his head, she smiled uneasily.

“It’s fine, we wont get yelled at.” He said lightly before placing pieces of sliced chicken on her plate.

“Okay, let’s ditch class, leave the campus without our guards and say hi to the Jungs who sold me off to you.” She nodded solemnly.

“It’s not like that. Thinking about it now, I kind of needed you to be my bride.” Taeyong nodded, Heeji paused.

“What?”

“You suit the palace life, my perfect bigung mama.” He winked at her before urging her to eat.

“Oh, well, it’s not like I have a choice.” She murmured before picking up her fork.

“You are so dead.” Yunho mused just as the car pulled over in front of the house, Heeji’s father fidgeted on his seat.

Mr. Jung looked up as his daughter stepped in the room; Taeyong was a few steps behind her, his palm on the small of her back.

“Heeji~”

“Look, a room full of liars.” Heeji hummed, Yunho shook his head.

“Heeji, we had to~” Her mother tried to talk, but she just shook her head, her eyes went to her grandmother.

“What did you want to talk about, halmae?” She spoke, Taeyong sat down across Yunho, his eyes went to Heeji briefly as she sat down beside the elder.

“The family registry.”

Taeyong noticed how Heeji went pale, his brows furrowed.

“Yes? Jaehyun’s not even here and uncle~” Heeji panicked slightly, she met eyes with her older cousin.

“He will be informed as well; he is already on his way here.” The elder stated.

“Why would you want to talk about it now, eomma?” Her son spoke.

“I am retiring soon, it’s time we let the children take over, of course, I doubt Heeji can.” She smiled at Taeyong.

“Well, there are certain rules for members of the royal family might make it difficult for her to..work.” He nodded politely.

“Yes, yes, we know, se ja, that’s why, I asked Heeji to be here. That sister of yours has been relying on her~”

“Halmae!” Heeji suddenly stood up, Taeyong grew confused.

“Heeji has a sister?” The prince spoke.

“Well, yeah, but~”

“I didn’t come here so that we could discuss her. Halbae wanted her out.” She glanced at her parents.

“Heeji, now’s not the time~”

“Can you step out for a bit? I don’t want you to hear this.” She faced Taeyong, he stood up.

“I’ll explain later.” She smiled at him.

“I’ll wait outside.” He replied before leaving the room.

“I don’t even know why she’s still living at our home.” Heeji turned to her parents, Yunho shook his head at her.

“Heeji, don’t be like this. Why can’t you just admit that you were wrong?” Mr. Jung sighed, then the doors opened, Jaehyun walked in.

“I’m wrong? Of course, like how you lied to me, none of you ever took my side. You always pitied that orphan, right? Even though she grew up to be a snake, you all still blindly take her side.” She snapped, her grandmother crossed her arms.

Jaehyun looked away.

“Heeji, sit down!” Mr. Jung looked at her.

“It’s bigung mama or your highness, abeoji. That’s how you should address me.” She said coldly, the elders were stunned.

“You can call me your daughter again if you have kicked out your snake out of the house.”

Then she faced her halmae.

“I respect whatever decision you make, halmae.”

“I will follow what your grandfather has stated, my child. You don’t have to worry about that.”

Taeyong leaned back against the marble balustrade.

“Sister?” He murmured, he had no recollection of ever meeting another Jung young lady or her being mentioned to him at all.

His brows knitted together as he crossed his arms, he looked up as he saw Heeji step out from the glass doors.

“Hey,” She said softly, Taeyong dropped his arms to his side, he was about to move when Heeji suddenly walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Taeyong stilled.

“That was too close. Too close.” She mumbled, Taeyong just wrapped one arm around her.

“I’m sorry for asking you to leave, I just…didn’t want you to see how…messy my family really is.” She said softly.

“It’s fine. I understand.” He nodded and pressed his nose against her hair briefly.

“You want that explanation now, huh?” She said as she pulled back, his arm remained on her waist as she moved.

“Only if you’re willing to tell me.”

Heeji chewed on her lip briefly.

“My mother was still pregnant with me when a small child was left at our doorstep, later they found out that she was already a year old.”

Taeyong nodded, his eyes not leaving her face.

“So, they took her in. And then I was born, we grew up together, my parents explained to me who she really is. Everyone accepted her, Yunho oppa and Jaehyunie too. But halbae has always been..different. He didn’t want to see her, so, when we attended parties, or events, we never took her with us. That’s why you never heard about her or even saw her.”

“Grandpa Jung didn’t like her?” Taeyong echoed, she nodded.

“Then a few years before he died, he found out that appa has plans to include her in the family registry, halbae got so angry. He made his will early, my adoptive sister will ever get anything from LG and that she is to be kicked out from the household when she finishes school.”

“Has she finished school?”

“Not yet.” Heeji replied, she looked away from him.

“I’m guessing you two aren’t on good terms?” He asked carefully, Heeji’s eyes widened.

You have no idea.

“Yeah.” She said quickly before looking at her shoes, Taeyong gave her a small smile before pulling her to him.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have suggested that we come. You’re stressed now.” He murmured.

“I should have told you about her sooner, but…things got in the way.” She stated.

“It’s fine. I understand.”

No, you don’t understand. You shouldn’t choose her.

Heeji stared at her reflection; she was dressed in a white tweed dress that rested a few inches above her knees.

“That was too close. Too close.” She whispered to herself as two palace maids brushed her hair and proceeded to curl it.

She took out her phone, it was a message from Jaerin.

Party tonight. You game? Bring the prince with you. –Jaerin

She shook her head in amusement before setting the device away, the maids bowed politely and stepped out of the room, she touched her now curled locks briefly.

“I need a drink.” She muttered as she put on her Gucci heels and walked out of the room.

“Yeah, I had to leave early,”

She paused, she recognized Taeyong’s voice, she glanced to her left and saw him standing by the veranda with his phone in hand.

“We had to drop by Heeji’s home….Look, Ahyoung-ah, I know we had plans but~”

Heeji’s lips quirked up.

“Taeyong-ah?” She said a little loudly, Taeyong turned to her, she noticed how his tie still hung loose around the collar of his ivory white dress shirt.

“Oh, you’re ready.” He said distractedly.

“Who you talking to?” She asked sweetly as she walked to her.

“Hmm, Ahyoung, could you excuse~”

“Wait,” She said as she proceeded to tie the navy blue necktie meticulously, the crown prince grew conscious of his close her face was to his.

Heeji could hear Ahyoung calling out Taeyong’s name from the other line, her lips quirked up.

“There, perfect.” She said as she pulled back slightly, a hint of a smirk appeared on her face.

“Thanks, Jiji.” Taeyong nodded quickly.

“I’ll be waiting in your room.” She patted his cheek softly before walking away from him, her heels made pleasant tick tacking noises on the marble floor as she crossed the hall.

Taeyong exhaled and went back to his call.

“Ahyoung, I’m sorry that was~”

“You let her go in your room? What are you two doing?” Ahyoung demanded, Taeyong winced.

“No, we’re about to go to an event and she meant~”

“That doesn’t answer the question, Taeyong.” She snapped.

Taeyong ran his fingers through his hair.

“First you get angry at me for telling you I had to leave school yesterday because of a family emergency and now you want to start a fight over a small thing?”

“A family emergency? It was just Heeji!”

“She’s not just Heeji, she’s my wife!”

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