"Are you insane?" Byul hissed, her eyes darting around to see of anyone was looking.

She turned back and glared at Baekhyun. "It's preposterous!"she grumbled. "How can I live in your quarters?"

Baekhyun raised a brow. "If you don't remember, Eunbyul, you stayed at my quarters the other time when you were poisoned and recuperating." he reminded her.

"Yeah but I was sick! And I just saved your life!" Byul protested. "No one would wonder why I was staying. They'd think it's because of guilt. But there's no reason for me to stay at your quarters now when there's a servant lodging right there."

Baekhyun crossed his arms. "In fact there are a lot of reasons why you should move over." he clicked his tongue.

"One, so that I can see you the first thing in the morning." Baekhyun ticked off his fingers. "Two, so that you're the last person I see at night. Three, so that I can sneak over to your room in the middle of the night if I can't sleep. Four, so that my heart is at ease knowing that you're near. Five, so that we can have breakfast together in the morning. Six, so that-"

"STOP!" Byul raised her hands. She gaped at him. "Not one of those reasons make sense, Ddong-ha." she mumbled. "How can I tell people that in moving over to the Crown Prince's quarters for the following reasons?"

"Then just tell them you love me and I love you." he grinned. "There, settled."

"Ddong-ha..." Byul frowned.

Baekhyun nudged her and poked her forehead, rubbing the creases her brows were making as they furrowed together. "Eunbyul...." he mimicked her tone.

"Don't call me that." Byul grumbled. "Can't you call me Byul like everyone else?"

"No. I'm your lover, I deserve a different name. And besides, Eunbyul's your name. I like it that way." Baekhyun played with her fingers. "And when are you going I stop calling me Ddong-ha and start with the Baekhyun oppa?"

He grinned at her. "Come on, say it once. Baekhyun oppppaaaaaaa~"

Byul whacked his head hard. "Retard."

"Hey." Baekhyun pouted, massaging his sore area. "I'm going to become stupid if you continue with this violent treatment." he warned.

Byul grinned. "Any difference to how you are now?"

Baekhyun made a face and twitched her nose. "You're lucky you're you and I love you." he muttered under his breath. He looked at her and caught the lovely view of her cheeks reddening, looking radiant and lovely.

Baekhyun smiled, leaning in for a kiss when the door burst opened and the other princes filled in. "Noona! You're moving over to Baekhyun hyung's quarters permanently?" Sehun shrieked.

Byul's eyes widened and she looked at Baekhyun in surprise. "You told them? It's not even confirmed!"

Baekhyun grinned sheepishly. "I may have let my mouth slip in the morning when I talked to some servants." he chuckled nervously. "I mean, a man in love you know."

"Argh I can't believe it." Byul groaned into her palms. Baekhyun patted her head. "Don't worry. Living with me is the best thing that's happening to your life."

"Or the worst. Definitely the worst." Kai muttered.

Suho looked at the two with a smile. "So I guess this means you two..." he wriggled his brows.

Byul's face instantly pinked while Baekhyun's broke into a fantastic bright smile. "Yeah." he grinned widely.

His eyes slipped to Chanyeol at the side and his smile faltered a bit. He had been thinking of it the whole night.

"Congratulations hyung!" D.O. clapped in the background. "Finally!"

Baekhyun smiled distractedly. "Uhm thanks." he got up from his seat. "Yeol can I talk to you?"

Chanyeol nodded and made his way out. Baekhyun followed, but not before turning back and wagging his finger at the princes. "Crown Prince orders: Convince Han Eunbyul to move into my quarters before I get back. Understood!"

"No problemo~" Sehun winked.

Baekhyun met Byul's eyes and sent a private smile, before he went off. Byul scratched her head in wonder. "What did they have to talk about?"

"Important things, Byul. Important things." Suho murmured.

-----

"What do you want to talk about?" Chanyeol turned to Baekhyun, plastering a smile.

Baekhyun felt his heart cringe. He loved Byul, he needed her. But if their union was made with the sacrifice of Chanyeol, it wouldn't make him any happier.

"Yeol you don't need to fake it. We both know how much we love Eunbyul." Baekhyun murmured. "We both know how it would hurt."

Chanyeol flinched. Eunbyul already? Why did it sound more affectionate than calling her Byul?

"We knew. And we acknowledged the risks of failure, hyung." Chanyeol murmured. "We both know that. And I've lost. I should be man enough to take the blow."

Baekhyun closed his eyes. Even through the masking, he knew how much Chanyeol was in pain. Because they were cousins, because they knew each other more than they knew themselves.

"I'm sorry." Baekhyun whispered. "I wish we never fell for the same girl. I wish you could have found Eunbyul first and at least confessed. I wish-"

"Hyung." Chanyeol cut in. "Even if i managed to find her first it's not going I change anything. Byul isn't the type to accept me if she doesn't love me." he sighed.

He looked at Baekhyun. "I went to that garden first you know." he chuckled bitterly. "And by some miraculous happening, I managed to miss Byul there. And you found her instead. It seems like heaven just decided to play this trick on me."

"Yeol..." Baekhyun's voice broke.

"It's hurting, Hyung." Chanyeol continued. "But we agreed. The one who lost would give his blessings. And now I'm giving you mine." he whispered. "Congratulations and be happy with Byul, hyung."

Chanyeol turned to go and Baekhyun called out to him. "Where are you going, Yeol?"

Chanyeol stopped in his steps. "I'm tired, hyung. Just let me rest." he murmured and went off.

*It seems Heaven really likes playing tricks on me. Byul. And then taking away my throne.* he thought enviously.

He stopped, surprised. *Did I just think about the throne?* he shook his head. *Aish.*

Baekhyun watched Chanyeol go with a sinking heart. He really wished they didn't fall for the same girl, but at he same time he knew he would never be able to control if his heart just wants to beat for Byul.

He sighed, staring at the ground. Someone poked him at the shoulder blade. "Why are you staring at the ground?" Byul blinked. "Where's Chanyeol-gun?"

Baekhyun took her hand and smiled softy. "He's sad, Eunbyul. I made him sad."

"Can't I do anything to help?" Byul asked worriedly.

Baekhyun shook his head. "There's nothing we can do besides wait for him to get back onto his feet again." he sighed softly. He saw Byul looking at him worriedly and he chuckled, flicking her nose. "Don't worry Eunbyul, princes are strong."

Byul rolled her eyes. "Pffft." she elbowed him. "Cocky."

Baekhyun flicked her forehead. "Stubborn."

Byul frowned and punched his arm and Baekhyun chuckled. "Stubborn girl." he whispered. "My stubborn girl."

Chanyeol trudged back into his quarters, feeling like all energy left him and he totally didn't have any interest in anything besides closing his eyes and sleeping, hoping that a good dream might take him away from this horrible reality.

It was hard, really.

He promised to be nice about it. He promised to give his well wishes. He promised to not dwell on it and move on if he wasn't the one Byul chose.

But in reality, these things were so much harder than he expected. He can't just forget Byul when he wanted to, because she had already occupied a really important place in his heart and that part would always be reserved only for her.

Chanyeol swallowed. He never thought it was hard to be a nice person. Albeit at times he would find it hard to be kind but he really tries to be the best person within his capabilities.

But at this moment, he really didn't know how to continue being the good person if it required such monumental strength and will. Couldn't he just become bad for a change?

"Chan."

Chanyeol wheeled around, seeing his father. Things were tensed between the two these days in the house and they barely talked. Chanyeol couldn't accept what his father was doing but his father never stopped trying to convince him to get into the game plan.

"Have you thought it through?" Lord Park asked carefully. "Just how long would it take for you to see that this path is the right one? That you're the rightful ruler to this land?" he demanded.

Chanyeol clenched his fists. He didn't want to think about this now.

"If you continue wasting time on silly games with the EXO-K princes, you're going to be doomed." Lord Park continued relentlessly. "I heard you guys were playing hide and seek the other day. Do you hear how ridiculous that is? The future king is playing hide and seek. Retarded, really. Don't you see Baekhyun doesn't deserve the crown like you do?"

Chanyeol shook his head and let out a frustrated yell. "Aish! Just let me think in peace, Abeoji!" he growled. "I've had enough for a day!" he stormed away into his room.

Lord Park blinked in surprise. His usually meek and pleasant son had blown off. For the first time.

"Something's bothering him." Lord Park muttered. He grinned to himself. "Time to find out what it is and use it to lure him into the plan." he grinned.