Chapter IV

Honestly, Sungjae had never thought he could meet a person more worrisome than his hyungs, but she waltzed and proved him wrong from the very moment he saw her. 

With all the things happening in his life right now, Sungjae could confidently claim that the timeline of his life could be currently defined into two: pre-Sooyoung era and Sooyoung era.

After prancing away cheerfully to flutter from one stall to the other, leisurely eyeing trinkets and accessories that caught her fancy, she bumped into a person. It would've been fine if it was just an ordinary person. With the offender being none other than herself, she could easily charm her way out of  any troublesome situations. Unfortunately, the person she bumped into wasn't just any person but turned out to be the crown prince in disguise.

Sungjae knew the crown prince. They were close friends at some point, having been tutored under one person and being of the same age. It was inevitable for the two of them to get acquainted. If it wasn't his tutor dragging him to the palace to teach him and the prince together, his own father will bring him to work and leave him with the young royalty. He was the crown prince's designated playmate and he particularly didn't have much fondness towards him. Not because he was unpleasant, though he could be, but because it felt more like a chore and a burden to play with someone from the royal family. It wasn't like the crown prince was a bad person.  He just  found it annoying how he frequently got roped into palace affairs as a political hostage along with the prince. Sungjae despised getting dragged into it, which was inevitable because people liked going to him to get to the crown prince. Nevertheless, they stopped being playmates after a certain traumatic incident and had drifted apart.

To be more precise, Sungjae avoided the prince.

Ironically, though he knew the crown prince knows that he goes out of his way to minimize their contact, the heir to the throne grew even more fond of him and frequently sought him out (though thankfully, that has dwindled in the recent years). He was flattered, but it was the kind of attention he regarded with contempt.

Then again, the prince is known to obsessively covet the things he couldn't obtain and dislikes it when things don't go his way.

"Omo, I'm so sorry." He heard Sooyoung say. Despite the fact that it was her back that was facing him, he could already tell how flustered and embarrassed she was from the tone of her voice. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and bumped into you."

"No, it's fine young miss. There's no need to be flustered you can lift your head---ah!" The crown prince suddenly exclaimed once she lifted her head, cutting himself in the process as he pointed at her with a beaming smile plastered on his face and recognition gleaming in his eyes. "You're that person, aren't you?"

Furrowing his brows, Sungjae shuffled closer to Sooyoung, settling right beside her instead of behind her. The crown prince wasn't known for playing around but didn't that suspiciously sound like a pick up line? It bothered him enough that the prince didn't seem to notice his presence but this? The crown prince has a wife for crying out loud.

"I'm not quite sure what you're talking about mister. Perhaps you've mistaken me for another person?" 

He turned to her and noted the slight discomfort in her expression. This made him wonder if there was some truth in the prince's question. However, she had always been a walking enigma to him and shrugged the thought off. He could've been looking too much into it. Besides, when could the two of them even have the opportunity to meet each other?

Aside from today, Sungjae couldn't remember a time where they met and Sooyoung never got out of the house without him chaperoning her around. His father would throw a fit. The patriarch of the Yook household was dead set on making her his daughter-in-law, not just so that he could marry him off or to get beautiful grandbabies, but because he didn't want him, his son, to be caught up in unnecessary political affairs should he marry a daughter from his subordinates (though his father never made it a secret that should he fancy some girl from whichever household, he would go out of his way to get them engaged. Sungjae understands that having no engagement at his age could be considered an embarrassment as it's easy for rumors to spread, but was he even known to care?) Aside from the family of his older sister's husband, Sungjae's father knew no one who is as unambitious and as disinterested as they are when it comes to power.

"Your highness," Sungjae butted in with a slight nod, not bothering to show proper decorum when they were out in the open streets and in broad daylight. "Fancy meeting you here." He stated with a smile, pulling Sooyoung discretely closer to him such that she's almost leaning against him.

Seeing him, the crown prince's smile got wider, "Sungjae!" He exclaimed brightly, interest twinkling curiously in his eyes upon observing their close proximity, "it's nice meeting you here too. You may drop the honorifics. I'm trying to go incognito." He said, dropping his voice in the last sentence into a mock whisper, considering the loudness of the market area, and ending it with a playful wink.

Looking around, the prince slowly directed them to a random direction as they walked. Sungjae had no choice but to acquiesce and humor him even though it was annoying and too much of a hassle. Frankly, he'd rather not bump into the prince at all. He also felt sorry that Sooyoung got dragged along with him.

"May I know who your companion is?" The prince asked as if noticing her for the first time.

Direct to the point. That has always been his style. It might sound like an offhanded question but Sungjae knew that it was already his intention to ask from the start. He couldn't help but feel wary and feel protective of Sooyoung, especially seeing the uncomfortable interest the young royalty is showing towards her. It was a look the crown prince wears whenever something strikes his fancy. "She's a guest of our household."

"She's not a gisaeng?"

Sungjae bristled at the disappointment in his tone and almost let a frown etch on his face. "No. Don't be rude to the lady." He replied, gritting his answer out through a forced yet polite smile. "She is a daughter of a really distant relative from my mother's side." He smoothly lied. 

At his response, the crown prince just raised his brows before scrutinizing her appearance through sharp eyes. "She must be a noble then." 

Sungjae noticed how the prince didn't even bother apologizing but kept he kept his smile polite, refusing to confirm nor denounce the young prince's statement.

The crown prince continued to stare at Sooyoung. Crossing one arm over his chest and hooking a finger under his chin, he asked, "have we never really met before?" 

"Did I have a companion at the time you saw me?" She inquired right back.

The crown prince hummed with a thoughtful look on his face. "No. I supposed not. You were alone in the woods in the middle of the night at the time." 

Sooyoung chuckled softly at this, "why would a lady from a noble household go anywhere unchaperoned? Moreover, what would a lady do in the woods in the middle of the night? Certainly, you jest, your highness."

Seemingly impressed, the prince shot her a smile but gave her a look that obviously shows how he's not convinced, "maybe you were meeting someone there? A lover, perhaps?" He teased, eyes glinting with both curiosity and mirth but the insinuation that she was out doing certain things didn't sit well with Sungjae.

Even if it was only a joke.

First, the prince thought her a courtesan and now he's implying that he might've seen her out there about to do dishonorable things? Isn't it crossing the line? Also, what is his highness even doing in the woods?

At this, the young Yook decided that enough is enough and put on the best smile he could fake on his face. "Why would she go do that when we live directly in the same household?" 

The prince looked up at him, seemingly surprised at the implication of his words, and raised his hands in sheepish surrender, "I didn't know that she's your fiancé." He said, giving his companion another meaningful glance, slight regret dancing in his iris, "I just thought I would've thanked her if she was my benefactor." He said softly, oddly sounding sincere this time.

It sounded like another pick up line but Sungjae had half the mind to wonder if there was any truth to what the crown prince was saying. The crown prince is a man of honor despite being able to make questionable choices and he wouldn't put it past Sooyoung either to sneak out of their house. She had done it with her own residence after all. This made him raise his brow as he turned to look at her, but her expression bore nothing but amusement at the situation that unfolded.

As if she's only an audience as opposed to being a participant. 

It was almost fishy and he slightly wondered if he was being overprotective for no reason.

"I'm flattered that you think I'm your benefactor. But your words of praise should be reserved for the people that deserves it." She spoke softly, her tone as understanding and as regal as her countenance. Then she frowned, as if she suddenly remembered something and gave the prince an apologetic look. "Unfortunately, we have some places to go to. If you'll excuse us, we'll be late."

It was a lie. They didn't have any prior appointments, but Sungjae was more than willing to go with it so that he could be rid of himself. He gave the prince a glance and tipped his head goodbye before going after Sooyoung.

They didn't notice the crown prince eye them meaningfully, a thoughtful hum escaping his pressed lips as he frowned. He was sure that was her. How could he ever forget?

When looking at the face of death, she appeared like an angel. She glowed in the dark like a celestial being, though he was not sure if it was a trick of the light, and her beauty was otherworldly despite it being shrouded in numerous layers of thin black veil. He might not be able to see her clearly but he was sure that was her. He could still remember the worry in her actions as she took pity on him; the gentleness of her touch as she cupped his face with one hand and asked him if he was alright; her voice smooth like silk and sweeter than honey.

He was sure that it was her who saw him wounded in the forest when he was foolishly chasing after a bunch of spies and assassins. They retaliated and he ended up hurt. She healed his wounds and then briefly disappeared. He wasn't sure if it was magic or