2 months before the Ball. 

Taemin walked into the mansion door as servants bowed to him along the way. Before his butler could even welcome and inform him of the family’s situation, Taemin held up a hand and nodded in understanding. 

Taemin knew where he had to go. He had been escaping from his home for 2 years. 2 years. Every time he came back to this home, it was always pulled by force. 

This is the only time that he walked in by himself, with no hatred in his eyes. Just dullness. Aloof and blandness. 

Taemin knew that he had to go to his father’s office. Like Naeun, his family works the same. His father holds absolute power. 

Taemin knocked onto the giant room door and walked in.

His father sat behind a majestic, golden desk. He looked up from the piles of papers and scanned his figure. 

Taemin returned it with a cold stare. 

His father smirked at him. “So. I thought you wanted ‘freedom’ or whatever thing you were saying back then. What makes you change your mind now?”

Taemin looked dully in his father’s eyes. “I’ll do what you want me to do… I don’t care anymore. If you want me to marry some kind of rich girl, I’ll do that. ”

His father’s lips curled. “You have been immature but now you are finally aware of your duties.”

Taemin remained silent.

His father continued. “Remember, we are the richest family in Korea, we can’t bear to lose anything. You are the son of the richest family in Korea, the company and us - the Lee family’s future.” 

——————-

5 weeks before the Ball.

Taemin sat in one of their meeting rooms in his mansion. The wedding planner and businessmen sat on one side, while he and his mother sat on the other. The wedding planner briefly explained to Taemin about the ball. 

It will be a party to welcome the newlyweds, where hundreds and thousands of business partners and companies will attend. The theme of the ball is ‘masquerade’, so for the first half of the ball, Taemin, his fiancé and all the guests will be wearing masks. When they have finished welcoming the newlyweds, business partners and company representatives will be free to take off their masks for business purposes. 

Taemin rolled his eyes internally at the arrangement. It was a forced marriage, but this ‘theme’ and party tries to make it seem less like it. He knew that the party was just a fraud, a facade. The main purpose of this was just for his family to attract more business partners and strengthen their position as the No.1 of Korea. He’s being used again for the company. He was fuming on the inside, but years of training concealed his feelings. His face remained cold and bland as the wedding planner talked. 

His mother glanced slightly at Taemin’s expression. She knew her son didn’t want this, but she had no choice. She was the one who born him in this family, and she couldn’t do anything but to watch him suffer. After the wedding planner left, his father walked into the meeting room. 

“Remember to act well in front of the guests on that day.” His father reminded him. 

Taemin nodded coldly, then left the meeting room with a slam on the door. 

His mother heaved a worrying sigh. 

————————

The Ball. 

Taemin walked into the large ballroom with his family. They arrived first to do a final check for the ballroom setting. His suit was black, a logical choice for a man of noir. It was handsomely tailored against him. There was a small golden pin on the right side of his suit. It’s his family pin, a pin for people to know that he is the son of the most powerful family in Korea. He didn’t want to wear it. He wasn’t an object for his family, he wanted to be himself. He was annoyed, but he couldn’t refuse his father’s orders. 

He was told that his fiancé is in the dressing room. That’s good. He thought. He didn’t want to face her yet. His heart was filled with another woman, the woman who’s probably in some other ballroom, waiting for another man. He longed for his Marcella. His mind was filled with her, but the guests were coming, and Taemin had to fake smile and welcome them in. All for the company, for our future. His father’s voice echoed in his head. 

He stood at the centre of the ballroom as guests rushed in, with all kinds of different masks. There were gold ones, red, blue, feathery, hard masked figures. He smiled to each of them, with a glass of champagne in his hand. It was annoying, and he hated these social events, but his freedom was gone and he could no longer be the free, relaxed Francesco in New York. He was the son of the Lee’s in Seoul. Young girls nodded excitedly to Taemin, and tried to talk to him, but he excused himself. He hated those women, the ones who approached him with intention. He thought of his true love again, the only woman who didn’t approach him with intention, the only woman who loved him for himself, not for his fame. His Naeun. He wondered what she is doing. Is she weeping before her wedding night? Is she dancing with her fiancé? Is she kissing another man? He clenched his fists at this thought. 

The ball was about to start, and Taemin felt like he was already dying from the social pressure. He wore his blue mask and walked towards the entrance, ready to march in with his bride. He wanted to run away, to leave this place and find Naeun, rush into Naeun’s wedding and bring her back to him. But he knew this was impossible. 

The music started and he walked in with his fiancé, arm in arm. He wondered how he could spend the rest of his life with a woman that he doesn’t love. It was useless though, he couldn’t do anything but to accept his fate. 

They were told to dance. Taemin started counting down, telling himself that it’ll be over soon. He touched his fiancé briefly, just for the dance. He didn’t want to even come in contact with another woman besides from his love. He let go of her quickly, as soon as the music stopped. 

———————

“Ladies and gentlemen, let welcome our future - bride and groom on stage: Mr Lee Taemin and Ms. Son Naeun!” 

Naeun widened her eyes in shock. Lee...Taemin..?! She turned sharply to her masked fiancé who stood still beside her. 

A thousand thoughts ran passed her head as her muscles remained stiff. She opened slightly behind the mask.

Lee.. Taemin?! She r