“Yongguk, where’s Daehyun? He’s not in his room –“ 

“He left, Princess,” Yongguk responds as soon as I meet him in the middle of the hallway. 

I expected all types of responses except for that one and I actually felt a sting in my heart when I heard him say that. “Is that so?” I looked out the large window and my eyes drifted to the forest. “Did he return there?”

“I’m not sure, Princess.”

“What if he gets hurt?” The Werewolves were most likely lying in waiting.

“That is none of our concern.” Yongguk once again retreats back to his normal behavior. 

“How could you say that?” I gently chided him and let out a long sigh. “Geez, this dampened my mood.” 

“You shouldn’t feel so down,” Yongguk slowly begins. “He would eventually have to leave anyway.”

That’s right. What did I think was going to come out of this meeting? But during this whole time, I pushed the thought that we would eventually have to separate to the back of my mind. 

…Yet, I didn’t realize it would be so soon.

The feeling suddenly creeps in and I know what it is. 

Loneliness. 

I had forgotten what it felt like when Daehyun arrived and now it returned when the Werewolf left. 

“I’m yours for today.” Yongguk breaks me from my gloomy thoughts. “We can do whatever you want.”

I was taken aback by the news. This is the most I have ever been with Yongguk in a row.

“Then, do you want to go somewhere with me?”

***

“I’m sure you know what I’m talking about now, right?” I looked at the boy sitting in the corner of the cell. I was supposed to visit the black Werewolf together with Daehyun but seeing that he left without saying a word, I should just return back to my old routine.

Trying my best to spend as much time as I can with Yongguk. 

“He attacked Daehyun, right?” I questioned but I wasn’t sure if Yongguk would provide an answer.

“How do you know, Princess?”

“I can put things together.” I looked up at him with a smile. I walk forward and Yongguk attempts to stop me. “It’s fine, he’s not much of a threat.” As I come closer, so did the young boy.

Again, he would try to sniff me.

“Yongguk, do I smell strange?” I wondered aloud while kneeling before the bars.

“You only smell of roses, Princess,” Yongguk replies from behind me.

Roses? I reach in through the cell just like yesterday and Yongguk panics before pulling me back.

“Princess, please refrain from doing things that could get you hurt.” His action surprises the young boy and he flinches.

“Yongguk, you’re scaring him.” I ignor his words. “Just watch.” Again, I reach in and the boy moves forward to smell my hand. This time, I didn’t jerk away when he  it.

“Do you think he likes the smell of roses?” The memory of him being in my bedroom and then sniffing me when he had me against the wall came to mind. I turned back to look at Yongguk, who seemed to be in deep thought. “Do you mind letting me in on your secrets?” I smiled up at him.

“Princess –“

“I can help, you know.” I turned back to look at the Werewolf. “Whether you keep me ignorant or not, I will still get hurt so at least let me have the satisfaction of helping.”

“It’s best to stay away,” Yongguk advises.

By the look on his face, I’m sure he couldn’t understand why I would choose to worry my self with these things.

“But, it’s my duty to know.” It's the only response I can think of. I’ve seen him get hurt so many times and I just want to be of use – to be able to prevent him from being injured. Is that so wrong? “I also deserve to know why Daehyun left.” 

***

“Okay, we’re going to sit here and have a discussion.” I sternly pushed Yongguk into the seat across from me. I made him followed me to the library and sat him at the desk. “Like two grown ups,” I added.

He sighs and thinks about what he should do.

“What stops you from telling me these things?” I wanted to get to the bottom of Yongguk’s hesitation.

“I want you to allow us Knights to handle it,” he responds.

“Do you think I can’t help?” 

“Of course not,” Yongguk quickly denies. 

“Then, what is it?” I didn’t know why Yongguk insists on keeping quiet about things. “Are you going to continue to hide these things from me even when I become queen?”

Hearing my question, he realized the flaw in his thinking. “For now, I thought I could keep you from worrying,” he reveals.

“But nonetheless, I’m still worrying,” I break the news to him. “First, tell me what you know.”

Yongguk doesn’t respond right away and I can visibly see how tense he gets. “They’re all involved.”

I breathe out after finally getting past the first part his tough barrier. “Okay, who?”

“The Lone Werewolf, the black Werewolf, and the individual Werewolves hiding within the forest.”

That’s a good start. “Keep going because I know there’s more.”

“At first, we believed the Lone Werewolf was their target but recently, you have been the one attacked so we think the target has changed to you, Princess.”

For sure, Daehyun had been the target but the black Werewolf had aimed for me the two times he has attacked. 

“What are you thinking about, Princess?” Yongguk peers at me from his seat.

“I can’t be the target.” I remembered specifically that when the black Werewolf had a chance to hurt me, he didn’t. “What else was there?” I need to know more. There are still too many gray areas.

Yongguk went on to tell me about the drug that was found in the black Werewolf’s system and its possible effects, the marks matching up with Daehyun, and the sharp whistle. 

I do remember the things Yongguk had previously spoke to me about – the bindings and the delayed healing.

“Also, the black Werewolf spoke,” Yongguk reveals to my surprise.

“What did he say?” I was certain he couldn’t utter a single word the last time I visited him.

“He only said, ‘Jongup’ and ‘not bad’.” He seemed confused even as he was telling me.

Jongup? “It was said in that context?” I asked and received a nod from Yongguk. 

“I grabbed his arms after he grew restless and that was the response I got.” 

I remembered he became unsettled when I pulled my hand away, most likely scaring him but he reacted in rage in contrast to how he responded to Yongguk. What was different?

And, suddenly it clicked.

“Yongguk, I think that’s his name.” It would most certainly make sense. “He thought you were going to hurt him and he responded, ‘Jongup, not bad’.” Those injuries, they didn’t come from our Knights, someone was hurting him. “There’s a possibility that he’s been punished often.”

“By those Werewolves out there?” Yongguk slowly starts to understand where I'm going.

“He must have done something wrong.” But, what did he do? “Yongguk, are you willing to try something?” 

“Am I going to like your idea, Princess?” 

Probably not.

“I want you to release the black Werewolf.” 

***

“Princess, this isn’t a good idea.” Bronze stood beside me as I waited in the hall. Once hearing my plan, Yongguk alerted the King, the Knights, and the workers within the castle about it.

Though at first glance it seems stupid, everyone's desperate to get to the bottom of the big mystery – desperate enough to listen to and carry out my ‘bad idea’.

“Well, you’re here if anything goes wrong.” I turned to look at him. 

“What if the Werewolf escapes?” Bronze brought up the only flaw in the plan.

And confidently, I responded, “he won’t.”

Bronze presses on his earpiece to listen more closely. “Princess, he’s been released.”

I should be closer than the greenhouse, so my scent should be stronger – so now, I wait. “Mister, please let me know if you hear the whistle.” Something we needed to prepare for.

“Haewon.” My father comes marching down the hall with Steel at his side. “The deal was that you wouldn’t start without me.” 

“If you two come here, you’ll cloud my scent,” I answered worriedly. “And Mr. Bang, glad to see your cast is off.” I smiled up at him.

“Haewon, how could you be so fearless?” My father goes on, more concerned of my well-being than I am. There's nothing to be scared of. The Werewolf couldn’t shift as they had placed bindings on him so his strength and speed would be lowered by a fraction.

“Father, just watch.” 

“He’s a floor above us,” Bronze alerts us. 

Steel and my father looked at the both of us, I’m sure still questioning the plan but I was one hundred percent positive. 

A few minutes later, “he’s right around the corner.” Bronze turns in the direction where the young boy should be. We all turned with him and saw the Werewolf stopping at the end of the hall. “Red is on his way.”

“Tell him not to come,” I quickly told Bronze. There were too many people here already. But, I was content with how it turned out – I knew the Werewolf would find me.

Suddenly, his attention is diverted elsewhere and he looks away.

“The whistle,” Bronze notifies us as soon as he hears it.

What should I do? The whistle is going to outweigh my scent. I panicked while the Knights alerted each other in fear the Werewolf would escape. Soon, he takes off running in the direction of the whistle. Okay, that’s absolutely not good.

In response, I took off done the hall as well. “Jongup!” 

“Princess!” 

“Haewon!”

“Don’t stop me!” Just like I ordered,