EMPRESS DARA’S P.O.V

After the exhibition, I ordered Mr. Choi Seunghyun to meet me in the grand palace at seven o’clock that night.

“Dara, do you know who you’re meeting tonight?” Unnie asked as I continued reading the new law bills.

“He’s one of the candidates and I believe he’s also a celebrity like the other four.”

“He’s not just a celebrity but a really handsome actor.” I raised a brow.

“You seem interested in him, so why would I choose to marry this man if my own cousin shows interest in him?” I teased.

“Dara!” she yelled.

“You imperial majesty, I apologize for the interruption but Lord Choi has arrived.” my royal secretary informed me through the intercom and I chuckled.

“Unnie if you like this man then you should go for it. I am not going to stand in the way of two individuals just because of a stupid consort issue.” I sincerely said to her while she sighed.

“Dara, I admire him for his movies and I do not know the man at all.” She argued.

“Why don’t you try to know him?”

“Just meet with him and tell him that he is a candidate and his training will begin soon.” She bid farewell and kissed me goodnight and left my office.

A few minutes later, three knocks caused me to look up and the door did not open. I forgot.

“You may come in.” I ordered in the most poised and sophisticated voice.

The door opened and my chief attendant and secretary entered, followed by Mr. Seunghyun with a bouquet of pink tulips at hand.

“Welcome Mr. Choi and you shouldn’t have bothered, but thank you.” I walked towards him with arms wide open and I gladly took the bouquet from him. “These tulips are just marvelous!” I smiled at the sight of the flowers and I immediately asked him to sit down in the lounge area of my office.

“Would you like me to take care of these flowers, your majesty?” asked Lady Jung.

“Thank you and would you please put them on my right bedside table?” She bowed and left Mr. Choi, Yang, and I inside the office.

“Would you like some refreshments?” I asked. I must look like a fool right now? And why am I talking to him as if I’m some kind of attendant-educator?

“Water would be nice.” He tried looking me in the eye but he averted his eye right away. I smiled.

“Yang, kindly give me iced tea and iced water for Mr. Choi.” I sighed. “Seunghyun-shi, is it alright if I call you oppa instead?” I wanted to but I was shocked to see his reaction.

“WHAT?” he immediately stood up while yelling and the security personnel came barging in the office. He looked behind him and was shocked to see ten men with guns pointed at him.

“Are you alright, your majesty?” asked Dong Wook, my security detail.

“Dong Wook, I am fine; we both are. I just said something that might have shocked Mr. Choi here. There is no harm done here.” I explained and he immediately draws his gun back to his holster.

“We are right behind the door if you need anything, your majesty.” He eyed the stranger in the room and ordered his men to go back to their positions after bowing at me.

“I will get the refreshments, ma’am.” Yang bowed and closed the grand door behind him.

“I shall apologize for my rudeness. I am not quite skilled with these kinds of conversations; hence my behavior caused you to be off guard. Again, I am terribly sorry.”

“It’s alright your majesty. I was just… quite shocked at your previous questions.” He explained while he went back on sitting down in a very slow pace.

“Ah! There is a reason behind that question and that is because…” I sighed midway through the sentence and smiled at him before continuing, “The parliament has asked me to marry and my family and I built a list of candidates—by candidates, I mean a husband-to-be.”

He blinked several times and I just waited for him to snap of his trance. I mean, this man is shocked, but I am the woman. If ever, I should be the one freezing up. I am only twenty-two years old. I maybe an empress but I also have a life of my own. I should be making my own personal decisions and not be controlled by other people. However, I am the Empress of the Korean Empire, I am expected to ensure that the survival of the next generations to come, and I have a duty as the leader of an empire.

“I… I’m one of the candidates, then?” he finally spoke.

“Yes, you are one of the candidates.”

“How many are there?”

“There are five candidates.”

“So… I’m one of the candidates, right?”

“Yes, I think I already confirmed that.”

“What happens next?”

“Well, you and the others will be trained and observed here in the palace for two months minimal. You will be trained to act like royalty, trained to know the palace inner court rules, and trained to be my husband.” I stood up. “You will be living here in the palace with us and it will give you and the others to get close to me and the royal family.”

“Am I the first?”

“First? Can you clarify the question please?”

“Am I the first one that you met?”

“No, you are the fourth one.”

“I see. Well, what if… what if I don’t agree to this?”

I smiled inwardly to myself. Wow, I think I’m getting rejected. Huh! So this is what it feels like to be dumped.

“We will respect your decision Mr. Choi.”

“Please call me Seunghyun.”

“Then, call me by my name: Dara.”

“How long do I get to make a decision?”

“You have two weeks. The English royals will be gone by then. By then, we must hurry because I only have seven months to enter a relationship, and another six months to marry.”

“Ma’am…” Yang knocked on the door. “May I come in?”

“Yes, you may enter.” I sighed.

After drinking a whole glass of ice water, Mr. Choi… I mean, Seunghyun-shi bid farewell to me and told me that he will be thinking of a decision by the due date.

The doors opened and closed once he was gone. It was only Yang and I in the office and I felt lonely once again. I may have a powerful empire but I never actually felt lonely before until father died.

“It is the loneliest job in the world, my princess.” Father reminded me once when I was younger. “You may have everything in your grasp but once you are in office, you will realize that you do not have everything at all.”

“Your majesty, is everything alright? Are you feeling unwell?” Yang asked with worried eyes.

“I am fine Yang. I’m just a bit tired. I shall call it a night.” I said to him and collected all the bills and locked it in my safe, yet another protocol.

Protocols here, protocols there… I mean, all my life I have been showered with rules and I just feel caged.

After supper, I went straight to my chambers and went online to catch up on some shows that I found interesting over the years. After all, I am also a human being.

GUYS!!! I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING IN SUCH A LONG TIME. I'M GETTING MARRIED AND I HAVE SCHOOL IN ABOUT A MONTH OR SO. THAT'S WHY I'M CRAMMING EVERYTHING I COULD DO THIS SUMMER BECAUSE BY NEXT YEAR, I'LL BE REALLY BUSY. I'LL BE UPDATING MORE ALRIGHT? THANKS FOR UNDERSTANDING. AS USUAL... 

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