Chapter 12

The father slaps the son's head.

"Oh, today..." They averted to another topic but the discomfort Taeyeon was experiencing was very clear in everyone’s eyes.

A few weeks later.

Everyone knows that today is the wedding of the second prince of Kwon Kingdom and the prime minister’s daughter.

The news spread like wildfire, it was a hot topic such that it reached to all the other three Kingdoms as well.

With no exception, Taeyeon heard about it from the busy-bodies – the maids.

From what she heard through from the gossiping done by the maids daily. Everyone was supportive of the couple, they were perfect and seems as if they were made for one another.

One was handsome and a royal, another was a beauty and an official's daughter.

Taeyeon peers outside the windows from her room.

She saw her father and brother dressed up formally, on their way to the wedding venue.

Of course, they kept it a secret from her, but that silly father and son probably have yet to realize she knows it all already.

She clutches her fist, she really wants to see him again.

So she decided to ask the servants for help and was brought to the wedding venue.

Almost everyone had gathered inside the church so it was empty outside.

She got block by the guards outside because of her suspicious appearance; a scarf wrapping around her face and a trench coat wrapping around her thin body.

But she was let in when she shows them the wedding invitation card.

The bride and groom probably sent her the invitation card without knowing her identity.

She knows that because unlike other people’s invitation cards, her’s was delivered to ‘The first Princess of Kim Kingdom’ and not addressed to her name.

She walks to the wedding venue, she recognizes the place.

It was the church where Tiffany and Prince Seunghyun got married and where Jiyong proposes to her.

She enters the church sneakily so no one would notice her then she sat in the last row near the corner.

The wedding begins.

The groom appears first, she had her eyes stick to him the moment he enters the church.

He looks skinny, Taeyeon notices as her heartache painfully.

Could she be the reason for his condition? She wonders but erases the thought as she believes that he already forgets about her and has moved on with his new bride.

She watches the wedding progresses with a crumbling heart.

The exchange of vows begin, but Jiyong remains silent the entire time and only nodded his head once.

There was no exchange of rings or kisses.

That was weird but that alone is enough to make her heart crumbles into pieces.

It’s time for her to move on she realized.

This time, she is determined to.

But…

Her body has a different mindset and refuses to.

Tears flow down her cheeks.

She wipes them away and decides to quickly leave the church before anyone notices her presence.

In a sudden, everyone, mostly the females crowd around and block the only entrance.

She squeezes herself into the crowd in order to reach the exit and leave.

Hands were flying around, some hitting against her.

“Excuse me” She tried to shout as loud as she can but it was effortless, no one seems to hear her and push her around.

Then she felt something hard lands on top of her head. She reaches her hand and grabs it.

It was a bouquet!

She realized what happened, but that was only after everyone dispersed and when her eyes met the just married couple.

“Tae…” the word came out from the groom.

More tears fall from Taeyeon’s eyes, she throws the bouquet on the ground and ran out.

Everyone was puzzled at this situation but continues on with their activities. Even the father and son didn’t recognize her especially since many people were blocking their view at that time.

“You can’t go after her yet, our plan...” Taeyang grabs onto Jiyong’s arms to stop him from leaving.

Jiyong groans in frustration, he messes up his hair and looks at the direction Taeyeon is leaving unwillingly.

But he just can't leave now. Because today is his last chance if he wants to be with Taeyeon, if he lost this one chance, there might not be anymore.

He thought Kiko has Taeyeon as a hostage which is the reason why the wedding is happening right now!

He just hopes that he can make it in time.

His messenger barge into the church at that moment, with a scroll.

His face which was filled with worries changes to a serious face.

"Ladies and gentlemen" He receives the scroll and speaks out to grab everyone's attention.

Everyone at the venue turns quiet, "I have an important announcement to make", he raises up the scroll in his hand.

"This wedding is not valid. The Prime Minister has committed a grave crime and this is the evidence. I order for the whole family will be jailed for life!" The guests gasp and those near the Prime Minister's family quickly distance themselves.

The Prime Minister's eyes narrow at them then at Prince Jiyong.

"In this scroll is the evidence regarding the corruption of the Prime Minister, he swallows the citizens' taxes and pocket funds of the Kingdom which is used to build an army in a foreign land. It is proven that he wanted to take over the land. We can't tolerate any traitors in our land!" 

Everyone was shocked when they heard about it, they hissed at the Prime Minister and his family, some of them pick up their food and threw at them.

Kiko grabs onto Jiyong's arm but was pushed off by him.

"Why, why are you doing this to me?"

"Is it because of her again?" Her eyes were full of hate.

Jiyong sigh, he wonders how that adorable girl in the past became someone so evil right now?

"Kiko, please stop. This is wrong and you know it"

"I'm not wrong! You're the one who is wrong. You love me!"

"I love you as a sister, so please stop, don't do stupid things just for me" Kiko looks at him, her expression was hurt.

"You're mine!" She yells at him before she stomps off.

He looks at her regretfully.

In the end, no matter what he says has no use at all.

Everyone around them finally discovers the true side of Kiko, they send her disgusted look which she is completely unaware of as she walks over to her mother. 

The Prime Minister bites his lips, "What should we do now, my lord?" his wife asked, worried.

"Escape first of course" After he finished his sentence, he ran to the exit alone without his wife or his daughter.

But what awaits him outside was guards.

He was quickly caught and handcuffed.

His helpless wife and daughter soon follow him.

"Just wait! I won't let you lead a good life!!" The Prime Minister shouted aggressively at Prince Jiyong.

The King and the prince went back to the Kim Kingdom immediately so that they could share the news that Jiyong is not getting married and everything was just a ploy.

However, when they went back, Taeyeon was in her room and the door was locked.

They convinced her to come out and tried to tell her the news which she refuses to listen to.

The father and son then decided that it might be better not to mention Prince Jiyong to her.

A month had passed since the wedding, a ball had been arranged to introduce Taeyeon's as the Princess of the Kim Kingdom.

It was a special masquerade ball, where the guests can choose to or not wear a mask on during the ball.

Taeyeon obviously couldn't choose whether or not, she's the main character today, what do you say? No, she has to show her face to the guests.

"But my baby bump is getting more and more obvious, wouldn't it disgrace our family if they realised I'm a single mom?" Taeyeon rubbed her baby bump.

"I will be your partner, no one would dare to say anything. Maybe they might even think that I'm the father of your baby" her brother joins in the rubbing.

Her mood was already ruined by the cold joke from her brother.

The town was brighter than usual tonight.

That was because of the ball tonight, the light from the ballroom was so bright and dazzling that it lights up the whole town.

“Prince Jiyong, we’ve reached,” said Taeyang, Taeyang hand him a mask.

Jiyong looks at it and pushes it away “There’s no need for it”

Taeyang finds Jiyong acting weirdly ever since Taeyeon’s departure, was it his fault? He thought guiltily.

Ever since Taeyeon left, the originally lively and high-spirited prince turns into a cold and remiss prince.

Every order that came from his mouth was to find Taeyeon.

Little did he knows, Taeyang had never sent men to check for Taeyeon’s whereabouts. But after the wedding when they saw her, he asked his men and they informed him that Taeyeon has gone missing for a long time after being brought away by soldiers.

Taeyang clutched his fists, he pondered whether he should tell Jiyong and confessed to all his work.

However, he missed the chance to tell him, Jiyong already left the carriage.

‘I can’t drag it any longer, what if… something happens to her’ Taeyang thought, he gathers up his courage once again, he quickly catches up with the prince who