The more time Cheng Xiao spent with Eunseo, the more she regretted her stubbornness. She was the best company anyone could ask for – a funny, caring, sweet person, who understood her as much as Bona did.  

The princess had grown to like taking care of her while she recovered. She asked Bona to bring two meals instead of one to her room, so she could deliver it to Eunseo herself and eat in her company. 

“How much more time do you need to stay here?” Cheng Xiao asked, finishing her food. 

“Not much longer, I guess. A couple more days, maybe? If it was my decision, I would leave by tomorrow, but doctor Dawon is very headstrong.” Eunseo pouted. 

She was so purely cute, Cheng Xiao couldn’t help but smile whenever she made that cute expression of hers. The princess used her thumb to wipe away a rice grain from the corner of Eunseo's lips, slightly touching the cut that was still clearly visible. Eunseo looked at her eyes and noticed her staring at her face. 

“Your face... still hasn't recovered.” Cheng Xiao muttered, letting her delicate fingers run through her cut. 

“It doesn't look like it will.” She smiled, closing her eyes to her gentle touch. 

“W-What?” 

“It’s scarring. The cut was too deep for it to heal completely.”  

Silence reigned for a few seconds. 

“I’m so sorry, Eunseo.” She let her arm fall, like she lost all strength. 

Eunseo opened her eyes to find Cheng Xiao's shining. 

“Don’t cry, silly. It’s fine. The blade didn’t reach my eye, so I’m grateful I didn’t go blind.”  

Cheng Xiao stared deeply into her eyes, her chin slightly dropped. 

“How can you be so... positive about life? You almost died, you were so badly hurt, you’re going to have a scar across your face for the rest of your life and you are... grateful that you didn’t go blind?” 

“I’m not only grateful for it. I’m also grateful I was able to save you, that you weren’t hurt, and that the cut didn’t leave a scar on that beautiful face instead.” Her hand traveled to Cheng Xiao's cheek.  

They held each other’s gaze, and Eunseo's gulp broke the silence, as she retracted her hand. 

“I-I mean, you would still look beautiful with a scar, I mean, you’re beautiful anyway.” She added, almost stumbling on her own words. 

Cheng Xiao felt her face starting to burn. She had been told that many times before, but never in such an honest, natural way as Eunseo did. Her eyes couldn’t leave Eunseo's face. It was amazing how the scar didn't affect her beauty one bit. In fact, it only made her more charming, more unique. Each passing day, Cheng Xiao was more drawn to her. The guard who would give her life for hers, who never even thought of resenting her or blaming her for it. 

“I’m sorry-" 

“Eunseo.” Cheng Xiao interrupted, grabbing her hand, making Eunseo turn her head and lock eyes with the princess. “Don’t leave me.” 

Eunseo was about to open when a knock on the door interrupted the moment. Eunseo gave her a small smile as Bona stepped inside. 

“Xiao, it’s time you go back to your room.” 

“Who do you think you are to send me to bed? My mother?” Cheng Xiao joked. 

“Something like it. Now now, let’s go. Eunseo needs to rest too, right?”  

“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.” Eunseo squeezed her hand. 

Cheng Xiao smiled at her and got up. 

“Have a good night.” Eunseo muttered. 

“You too. Rest well.” 

Bona walked beside Cheng Xiao to her room, occasionally peeking at her from the corner of her eyes. There was a constant smile on the princess’ lips and a faint blush over her cheeks. 

“I told you before, didn’t I?” Bona said as she entered Cheng Xiao's room. 

“What?” 

“That you would get along well with Eunseo.” 

“You can stop it now.” Cheng Xiao said, changing into her pajamas. 

“I saw. The hands.” Bona muttered. 

“Y-Yes, and?” 

“Oh, nothing.” There was that mischievous smile on Bona's lips. 

“What's with that face?” 

“What face? I was born with it. Now, bed.” 

Cheng Xiao glared at her and laid down. Bona leaned in to kiss the princess' forehead. 

“Sleep well, princess Xiao Xiao. Dream about Eunseo.” She whispered the last sentence. 

Cheng Xiao turned around and sulked, hiding her face under the blankets. 

♚♚♚

Eunseo left the medical wing at last. Doctor Dawon said she needed to take it easy in the beginning, but she could slowly get back to her personal guard life. And Cheng Xiao couldn’t be happier. 

She took Eunseo outside, to the back garden she missed so much. 

“Beautiful, right?” Cheng Xiao asked, spinning with her arms wide open, deeply breathing the fresh air. 

“I’ve been here in case you forgot.” 

Cheng Xiao stopped abruptly and looked back at her. 

“Right, it was here that I… That you...” 

“Xiao, forget it.” Eunseo took a step closer to her and held her arms. “It’s time to move on.” 

“I just… can’t forgive myself." 

“I've forgiven you a long time ago. You should do the same with yourself.” 

Cheng Xiao stared down, when a hand on her chin made her look up until she found Eunseo's eyes. 

“There's no need to carry such an unnecessary weight on those strong shoulders when you're already carrying so many responsibilities, right?" The princess nodded with a smile. “Now, why did you bring me here?” 

“I didn’t bring you here. You’re my guard, remember? You’re supposed to go wherever I go.” Cheng Xiao crossed her arms and lifted her chin, holding a smile. 

“You’re right. Now I’m back to being your guard. Excuse my rudeness, Your Highness.” Eunseo bowed. “I’ll be watching Your Highness from afar while you meditate.” She said, taking a step back. 

“No, come back here, you-" 

“Oh oh, I remember this. I didn’t let you finish last time, so go ahead.” Eunseo smirked. 

“You little… you… little fox!” 

“Wow, is that all little princess can bring?” Eunseo chuckled, taking a step back. 

“You little, you little-" 

Eunseo launched at her, tickling her sides and making Xiao explode in a fit of loud and high pitched chuckles. She wasn’t going to stop even if Cheng Xiao begged her to, so she grabbed on her arms and with a leg behind Eunseo's, she dropped the girl to the ground. But Eunseo had quick reflexes, holding on Cheng Xiao arms, making the princess fall on top of her. 

“Ouch…” 

Cheng Xiao quickly supported herself on her hands on both sides of Eunseo's head.  

“Oh God, I’m sorry, I didn’t want to hurt you, but you weren’t stoppi-” 

In a slip second, Xiao was lying on the grass with Eunseo pinning her down.  

“Never let your guard down, princess.” She whispered, maybe a bit to closer to her face. 

Cheng Xiao could easily get out of that awkward situation, but she didn’t. She kept staring into Eunseo's eyes, analyzing the depths of every brown shade. The princess forgot how to get a hold on her body, letting her hands move to held Eunseo's face. Her eyes wandered down, finding her parted lips. 

And in the exact same moment a thought flashed on her mind, she grabbed on Eunseo’s shoulders and rolled over her.  

“I didn’t let my guard down, you just took advantage of the moment.” 

“Didn’t you do the same just now?” Eunseo teased. 

“W-What?! No, o-of course not!” Cheng Xiao tried to get up, but Eunseo grabbed her arms and rolled, changing positions again.  

“You’re very bad at being discrete, you know?” She, once again, leaned in too close.  

“What are you talking about, Eunseo?” Cheng Xiao tried to sound serious and fierce over her trembling hands.  

“Did you think I wouldn't notice the way you look at me?” 

“What way?” 

“The same way I look at you.” 

The princess wanted to say something, to hit Eunseo for reading her so easily, but her body froze under hers. 

“Not just the way you look at me. The way you touch me, the way you hold my hands, the way you react if I push a bit further, like just now. You think you can fool me and yourself, but your body talks for you. You-“ 

Before she could say another word that would embarrass Cheng Xiao even more, the princess s her hands on Eunseo’s neck and pulled her in, silencing her with her own lips.  

Cheng Xiao never thought much about what would be considered right or wrong. Princesses always married princes, didn't they? The right thing for Cheng Xiao, though, was the feeling of Eunseo's lips on hers that very moment, whether she was a prince, or a princess, or a guard, or a commoner. 

Being with Eunseo was the right thing. It could all feel too sudden, but it had been way too long since Cheng Xiao realized she had fallen for her guard. 

Cheng Xiao always thought women were much more beautiful, both inside and out, so it shouldn't come as a shock to her. They weren’t greedy, brute, insensitive like men. 

“Eunseo...” Cheng Xiao called, slightly pushing away. “Do you love me?” 

Eunseo stared into her eyes, caressing her face with the back of her hand. 

“I think ‘I love you’ is not enough to express how much I love you.” She chuckled at herself, shaking her head. “What I mean is... I love you too much. Not too much, because loving you is never going to be too much, and I think I’ll keep loving you more and more as the time goes by.” 

Cheng Xiao remained silent, studying her face like it was the first time she was looking at her. 

“I'm sorry, I can be excellent at teasing, but I’m not very good with... this.” Eunseo looked away. “But I'm serious.” Her tone became serious as she looked back at Cheng Xiao. “I love you, Xiao. More than you and maybe myself can imagine. When I said I saved you because I’m a guard and you’re the princess, even though that’s a fact, I saved you because I love you. And even if I have to fight against the whole world, even if I have to cover my whole body in scars to be with you, I will.” 

“If you have to fight the whole world to be with me, I’ll fight with you.”  

Eunseo was the one Cheng Xiao didn’t know she needed. Someone who didn’t treat her differently, or wanted her just because she was the  princess. Eunseo showed no fear in trespassing the line no one would dare to.  

She talked about her worst flaws in her face, but never judged her for her shortcomings. Eunseo had turned Cheng Xiao into a better person, showing her that no one was perfect and that everyone was allowed to be weak and need someone else. And it had nothing to do with physical strength. It was a weakness of the heart that beat so fast, and the knees that trembled if Eunseo got too close or held her hand.  

But if loving Eunseo made her weak, then she didn’t mind being weak. Because being with her also made her stronger than she'd ever imagined she could be. 

♚♚♚

A/N: yaay fluff! I hope you all are enjoying this story! Let me know your opinion in the comments ^-^