Almost a year had passed since the death of the wife of the Prince Baekhyun. Everyone seemed to be over the grief of losing the kind and sweet princess, but not her husband. Baekhyun was still mourning, blaming himself for her death. 

"Seoah.." 

The sad prince was lying on his bed, hugging a yellow dress close to his chest. The dress belonged to his late wife and was her favourite of all dresses she owned because Baekhyun was the one who gave it to her.

"Can I open my eyes now?" Seoah let out a chuckle because Baekhyun had covered her eyes with a silk blindfold. They were in her chamber. Baekhyun loved to sneak into her chamber at late at night. 

"Not yet." Baekhyun said, putting his gift for her on her bed. 

"Did you prepare something for my birthday?"

"How did you know?" Baekhyun slapped her bottom lightly for ruining his suprise. Baekhyun was indeed preparing a gift for her 18th birthday.

"Ah!" It did not hurt at all but Seoah purposely exaggarated her reaction. "Of course, I know. You're making it so obvious with this blindfold." 

Baekhyun went to stand in front of Seoah, who was backfacing the bed, and tapped her arm. "You may open your eyes now."

Slowly, Seoah pulled the soft silk away from his eyes, smiling out of excitement. When her eyes fluttered open, she saw Baekhyun, who was grinning in front of her. Seoah scanned his prince's beautiful face before looked down to both of his hands. There was nothing.

"Where's my birthday gift, my prince?" Seoah was confused.

"Here." Baekhyun pointed to himself. "I'm your birthday gift." 

"You are?" Seoah cupped his face with one hand, "Does that mean you are mine now?" 

"Unofficially, yes." Baekhyun pulled her closer by the small of her waist, wrapping his strong arms around her body. 

"Good to know. May I unwrap my gift now?" She bit her lower lip, regretting her own words. Her intention was to tease the charming prince but she was the one who was getting embarassed instead.

"You wish to unwrap me?" Baekhyun raised his brow, taunting her. Then, he cackled when he saw how her soft cheeks flushed a nice shade of red. "Are you shy, my dear?"

Seoah whimpered out of embarassment before burying her face on his chest. Seoah could feel his chest shook with laughter, obviously enjoying her embarassment. 

Baekhyun caressed her soft hair before planting a kiss on the top of her head. The woman that was in his embrace was his whole world. She had been with him during his highs and lows, providing him comfort and happiness no one else could.

"You may want to turn around." 

"Why?" Seoah raised her head to look at Baekhyun's face. She mirrored his sweet smile, looking into his charming brown eyes. 

"Let me kiss your sweet lips first." Baekhyun latched his lips to her softer ones, pulling her closer by her nape before deepening the kiss. 

Seoah sighed into the kiss, her heart was full with love for her beloved prince, it felt like it was about to burst soon. Baekhyun broke the kiss with closed eyes. He rested his forehead on her, enjoying the proximity, loving how their noses were in contact.

"I love you so much, Seoah." The prince confessed in whispered tone. His chest was also heavy with his love for her.

"I love you with all of my life, Baekhyun." 

"Promise me you'll stay by my side forever."

Seoah desperately nodded her head, brushing their noses together by mistake but none of them was bothered by it. "I'll stay by your side until my last breath. I'll never leave you until the day I d—"

"Hush." Baekhyun placed his slender forefinger on her lips to stop her from finishing her sentence. "You'll not be taken away from me. I would not allow it. Not even death." 

"But my prince—"

"If death was the cause of our separation, I would be the one to die first." Nothing could be heard after that, only the two lovers looking into each other's eyes, drowning in their love and affection for one another.

"Turn around, my love." Baekhyun flashed his beloved betrothed an endearing smile before helping her to turn around to face the bed.

"Oh?" Seoah covered her gaping mouth with one hand when her eyes landed on her bed. There's a beautiful light yellow dress laid out on it. She hesitatedly approached the bed before touching the fabric of the dress with her fingertips. "Is this for me, my prince?"

Baekhyun nodded his head when Seoah looked at him with bright, twinkling eyes, for confirmation. "It's yours. Do you like it?"

"I love it!" Seoah picked the dress up and put it on her front and twirled around while giggling. "It's magnificient!"

Baekhyun decided to sit on the edge of the bed while adoring Seoah, who was still twirling around in front of a full length mirror. He felt like the luckiest person to have someone as beautiful and as loyal as Seoah in his life.

Seoah suddenly stopped when she realized she had been too preoccupied with the dress that she unintentionally ignored her prince. Baekhyun raised his brow at her sudden frown. Seoah shyly walked to the prince and sat on his lap. She put the dress next to Baekhyun on the bed.

"Thank you for this lovely dress, my prince." She kissed his cheek. "I, too, shall prepare something special for your birthday."

"I want nothing from you but your love and devotion, my dear."

"You own me, Baekhyun."

"You're mine." Baekhyun snuggled his nose on her cheek, "and I'm yours and yours only."

"Forever?"

"Forever."

Baekhyun was having difficulties to breathe. Tears were flowing down his pale face from his swollen eyes, suprising himself that there were tears left in him after countless nights of crying. His trembling lips grazed the fabric of the yellow dress, sniffing it. It pained Baekhyun that the dress no longer smelled like his wife. 

"Seoah... Please come back to me." 

"Baekhyun?" The queen entered the chamber where Baekhyun had locked himself in since almost a year ago. The space was a little bit messy since the prince did not allow anyone to touch anything in his room, as he said, to keep the remaining traces of Seoah. The maids only entered the chamber to serve his meal which he barely touched because every time he swallowed, it felt coarse on his dry throat. 

The mother let out a deep sigh when her eyes landed on Baekhyun, who was sprawled on his bed. Baekhyun was awake but acting like he was not.

"I know you're awake, my son." The mother said, her pinky finger was in the palm of the little prince she was holding. The state his second born was in was breaking her heart as a mother. 

"Please leave me alone." Baekhyun croaked, burying his face on the soft fabric of the yellow dress. Baekhyun did not want to move or do anything at all, and if it was possible, he just wanted to die.

"Do you not miss your son?"

Almost immediately, Baekhyun removed the dress from his face and sat up, expecting to see his son. With tears welling up his swollen eyes, Baekhyun stretched out his arms toward his mother. His mother moved his son into his arms.

"Baby.." Baekhyun kissed Baekho all over his small face. He missed his son, he did. He only wanted to avoid his son because when he looked at his son, he thought about Seoah's death even more and it hurt him immensely. 

"Please be present during his first birthday banquet." The mother said, wiping the corner of her wet eyes with the sleeve of her purple dress. 

"It has been a year?" Baekhyun looked up at his mother, the tears that welled up in his eyes flowed down his pale face. It had been a year without Seoah yet Baekhyun still could not accept the reality of her death.

"In a week. Baekhyun, my son," the queen cleared , "It's time for you to move on. Baekho needs you, my prince. You can't stay like this forever." 

"I can't be a good father." Baekhyun shook his head but kept hugging his son close. "Not without his mother. I can't do this alone."

"You're not alone. I'm here for you, Baekhyun."

"You don't understand, mother." 

"No, Baekhyun. You're wrong. As your mother, I understand—

"Mother, please." Baekhyun cut off her mother before she could finish her sentence. "Please!" Baekhyun did not even want to live his life so his mother should not expect him to take care of Baekho. He was not capable of taking care of his own child.. After all, he was a useless husband, for sure he would be such father too.

"Forgive me. Who am I to tell you what you shall do with your life?" The queen was hurt when her son raised his voice at her.

"Oh, no. Mother, that's not—"

"I kindly ask for your presence at the banquet." The queen gently took Baekho from his father's arms with emotionless expression.

"Mother, I'm sorry. Mother.." 

Baekhyun watched in guilt when his mother leaving the chamber with Baekho without looking back.

To not upset his mother any further, Baekhyun forced himself to attend the banquet. Everything irritated the prince. The vibrant, colourful color of the guests' outfits, the loud classical music and the mouth-watering aroma of the buffet. The festivity mood pissed him to no end since he was still mourning for his wife. 

However, he had no other option than to sit through everything and treated each and every royal guest with equal politeness when they came to him to submit their gifts for Baekho. The royal guests came from different realms.

"I can tell you're a great father." A princess Baekhyun was not familiar with, said, while caressing Baekho, who was in a crib near Baekhyun's table.

"Thank you." He flashed his fake smile for the umpteenth time that day, trying hard to hide his disgust of his own self. He was not a great father, he was a failure.

"Poor little thing," the princess pointedly said it to the baby that was putting his own hand in his mouth. The baby boy looked at Baekhyun with wide eyes, occasionally blabbered incoherent words to his father for attention. "It must be hard without his mother."

Baekhyun felt annoyance exploded in his chest at her words. He thought he had made it clear to his father, to inform the guests to not speak of Seoah. Oblivious to Baekhyun's tightening fist, she continued, "I can replace her, Prince. I will take care of Baekho such as my own and I can warm your bed. Probably better than she ever did."

"Shameless!" Baekhyun pointedly shouted as he rised from his seat, chest heaving up and down, trying to control his burning anger. "Get away from me and my son, you insolent harlot!"

"Baekhyun!" The queen also rised from her seat, feeling ashamed of her son's sudden outburst. Everyone's attention was on Baekhyun and the embarassed princess. 

"What is the meaning of this?" The father of the princess stared at the father of Baekhyun in anger. King Jaejong pressed his lips together, forming a thin line. He had to be careful of his word, for he did not want to worsen the situation. 

The king looked at his wife, silently asking his wife to ask their second born to apologize. The queen understandingly nodded and headed toward their son. 

"King Gunhee," Minseok decided to avert the king's attention to him. "My brother is not feeling well so I—"

"He's no longer a boy, he must take responsibility of his own action. He can't hide behind his brother forever!" King Gunhee said with the air of finality. He wanted Baekhyun to directly apologize to him and his daughter.

Baekhyun clenched his teeth when he heard what King Gunhee said. To them, he's the weakest prince. The coward who hid behind his brothers, the loser who needed his younger brother to protect him. He then felt a soft caress on his arm. 

"Baekhyun, apologize to the princess and the king." His mother softly whispered close to him. 

"No." Baekhyun refused.

"Baekhyun." The queen urged him.

"No, mother. I will not." 

"Very well. I thought we're welcomed here but apparently we are not. I'll not forget how we are treated here, King Jaejong." 

"Baekhyun!" 

"No! I will not. It's not my fault!" Baekhyun whispered-yelled at his mother. 

"Prince Baekhyun." Finally, King Jaejong decided to take matter into his own hands. The king did not like to reprimand his second born since he was the most sensitive among the three brothers but Baekhyun had crossed th