Royal Inquisition

Nayeon was released that night and Jongdae walked her home in the most awkward silence that had ever occurred between them, even more so than the day they met. Once alone in her apartment she called Saerom to thank her and apologize for that afternoon, which the woman assured her was fine and went on to ask how Nayeon was. Thankfully Jongdae had managed to talk Saerom into keeping Nayeon's fainting a secret from her family, even from Baekhyun, so they were none-the-wiser to Saerom running the boutique, nor Nayeon's run in with Prince Sehun.

Wednesday was normal, minus Saerom showing up before lunch to check on Nayeon and hovering around the rest of the day like a protective mother bear. Thursday was another delivery day, which Nayeon was ready to tackle on her own, but Saerom was there bright and early with a request that left Nayeon two steps behind and her jaw slightly dropped.

“I want to work here,” Saerom declared in an unusually forceful manner. “Part-time or full time doesn't matter, I just want to help out.”

“Uh,” Nayeon stammered as she went back to locating the key to the front door. “O–kay, but why?” she spoke as she unlocked the shop.

The girls entered the boutique, Nayeon going to disarm the alarm while Saerom went to the blinds. “This store is how I met Baekhyun. I know he doesn't care for it much. . . or at all, but I do. It holds a precious part of our story and I love coming here. It's quaint,” she explained as they readied the shop to open.

Nayeon glanced over at her brother's fiancee, a brow raised and eyes searching for the truth in her fluffy and dramatic answer.

Huffing in defeat Saerom added, “That and I'm terribly bored. I don't want to be a housewife! Your mother praises it and Baekhyun wants to be spoiled by one, but I find it unbearably dull. I'm a people person, staying at home isn't for me.”

Nayeon snorted at Saerom's exasperated expression as she ranted. The two continued to ready the store, Nayeon showing Saerom how to deal with deliveries and how the inventory system worked. When they were about to open the store Nayeon inquired, “What made you decide to stay working now?”

“Hm? Jongdae gave me the push,” she answered flipping the sign to open.

Nayeon's brows knitted together. “Jongdae?”

“Yeah, we talked yesterday, and now here I am,” she grinned.

“Uh-huh,” Nayeon murmured to herself as she started stocking shelves and racks. That's an odd duo to converse, she thought offhandedly.

Yet that wasn't the weirdest thing to happen to Nayeon that week. That award went to Luhan showing up at Nayeon's apartment at five in the morning on Friday. Still half asleep the girl could only blink at the man and vaguely wonder how he knew where she lived as he barged into her home. She scratched the back of her head as she closed the door behind him while the man paced her small living room.

“Um, why?” was all she could manage in her tired state. Manners didn't kick in until seven and a cup of coffee.

“We have a press conference in two hours,” he said quickly. “Wear something nice no sleeves – Handler Kim's orders, not mine.”

“Huh?”

Handler Kim? A press conference? What was Luhan going on about? Nayeon tilted her head completely and totally baffled at the words leaving the man's mouth, and why he was even there at her home. She still had time didn't she? It was too early to be thinking in general, so contemplating important stressful things were definitely off the radar of speculation.

Stopping his pacing Luhan smirked at the lost, tired girl. He went over to her and began pushing her towards her bedroom as he explained again in a much slower and clearer way for her to understand. “Get ready to go, we have to be across town in an hour. Dress business casual, no sleeves pass your elbows. We'll get breakfast along the way and Handler Kim will explain more when we get there.”

Some what following Nayeon nodded. “Okay. I need coffee.”

Luhan snickered as he closed Nayeon inside her room. “Duly noted.”

“W-Wait, what?” Nayeon sputtered as she choked down her coffee.

Luhan handed her a napkin for her to dab at her chin to clean up the coffee that left in her shock. She was much more awake now as Luhan and her rode in the backseat of the black car with tinted windows. Nayeon was dressed in her favorite turquoise lace dress that had capped sleeves and a sweetheart neckline, which Luhan had nicely complimented as they left her apartment. Now she stared at the older man incredulously, this had to be some joke right, or maybe it was just a realistic dream.

“A nurse leaked news of you and the prince having matching marks to several online and news outlets,” Luhan said again calmly.

Nayeon crumpled the napkin in her left hand while her right tightened around her to-go coffee mug. Her heart was racing as her mind slowly made sense of his words and she wasn't liking it. “So this emergency press conference is too beat the news from hitting the world?” she asked in a shaky voice. Her gaze flickering between her coffee and Luhan who was now pulling out his phone.

“Not exactly. It's already spreading across the internet. Handler Kim wants to control how people perceive the two of you since this is a very unusual circumstance. He'll have a few questions for you when we arrive at the venue, so try to remain calm,” he said as he fiddled with his cellphone.

Nayeon took another sip of her coffee as she tried to relax even though she knew that she would be trembling the entire day. Nayeon didn't handle attention well and the doctor said for her to stay out of stressful situations, going to a press conference with the prince seemed like a very stressful scenario.

Ten minutes from the venue, which was the Royal Memorial, Nayeon remembered to call Saerom to ask her to open and run the boutique alone for a few hours, which the girl gladly accepted, not even bothering to ask Nayeon why before hanging up. Placing her phone back into her purse Nayeon felt her stomach flip as she stared out the window at the passing city biting anxiously on her bottom lip. She wasn't suppose to be in the lime light, not yet, she still had a week to think.

When they arrived at the memorial Luhan made it clear that Nayeon should stay close to him and keep her head down until they reached the prep room in the back of the building. Nayeon listened and did just that as flashes and voices were directed at them as they left the car. Luhan kept a firm hand on her back as he guided her down a stone path that lead to a side entrance, along the way she noticed several men dressed similarly to Luhan who were probably more security, which apparently Luhan was the head of (Nayeon learned that while she was still in the hospital, just before she was discharged). Once safely locked in a room Nayeon dared to breathe again as Luhan brought h