"Pardon..?" Baekhyun asks, appalled by his mother's question. He wonders how she was able to hear the sounds of their laughter with their living quarters on the complete other side of the estate, and swallows thickly at the unpleased expression on the woman's face. "What are you talking about, m-mother..?" 

The Queen sighs, not liking how easily her son is lying to her. And knowing Baekhyun, he must have his reasons; yet, the sense of dread is too much to bear. She worries her only son is doing things that will ruin their stability, the kingdom they had founded over the blood shared through familial and shared blood of other royal folk. 

"Baekhyun-ah.. Take a seat-"

"No!" The prince exclaims, his snappy tone surprising his own mother. Never has he raised his voice like this before, only unless extremely provoked. Yet, his mother couldn't help but feel even more dread settle within her doubtful curiosity at such an innocent question and command. Baekhyun's mother worries about her son's future, and how his decisions may affect that of set for him. "I-I don't want to sit, mother. There was no one in my room last night and I don't know what you are accusing me of!" Baekhyun defends, rage filling through him and his fists clenched to his sides. The guilt settles in later as he witnesses the Queen sigh and shake her head, her glance full of seldom glisten as she opens to speak, yet, nothing seems to be coming out. 

"I am not accusing you of anything, Byun Baekhyun. I am asking you a simple question and I only ask that of the truth from you. Can you not tell your own mother what is true and what is not?" With his mother's tone now growing terse and very stern, the prince now knows that his mother only asks that of the truth, nothing less and nothing more. The least he could do was to at least tell her who he had met, despite knowing of the damning consequences of doing so. 

Mirae could be banished, she could be thrown into an entirely different village separate of that surrounding the Kingdom's gathering city, and Baekhyun forbidden to ever see or meet her again. It was too much to bear, yet... At this very moment, it was all he could risk.

Sighing the young prince takes his seat as ordered, clamping his fingers over his lap and avoiding his mother's accusing gaze. 

"It was a woman, a woman I had taken in-" 

"Have you gone mad, Byun Baekhyun!? Do you realize how this could affect how dangerously you are playing with the most sanctified rule in this estate?" 

"I know mother! I know!" He cries out, standing up and holding the Queen by her shoulders. Baekhyun stares deeply into her eyes, hurt and completely lost and his mother is quick to notice the peril in his eyes. The confusion within them, the struggle, the fear—Fear that she has seen before in his father's eyes; her husband's eyes. "It was a friend. okay? Can I not just leave it at that?!" The prince pleads, not wanting to reveal Mirae's identity and ruin the chance of ever seeing her again. 

His mother is still dissatisfied with his reply, crossing her arms over her bosom and clucking her tongue. Despite the amount of anger beginning to course through her veins, she complied and did so with a heavy sigh. Not only did she dislike the idea of Baekhyun going behind his parents' back and being disloyal, but more so the mere thought as to who he was in his quarters with. 

"Respect and bite your tongue," His mother recants, as if it were a hypnaeda induced under influence. "For Royal blood shall not be tainted." Her words resonate through the tensing silence, leaving with a simple glance over at her son's periled face. The mother in her tugs at her to comfort him, yet she knows she must also protect her Kingdom as well—even if that means sacrificing her son's happiness for that of the countless people within the villages and towns all under her and the King's control. Cruel one may call it, but it was a duty that must be fulfilled; a duty the Queen must uphold her covenant to. 

Baekhyun stirs within his swirling thoughts as he begins to wonder and worry for Mirae. His mind fills with questions, wondering if she was okay wherever she might be despite being injured, to the next time he would be able to see her.

How can you feel such attachment to a woman you had just met?

How can you simply yearn for her presence when you barely know the minimum about her own self?

Why must you immerse yourself into the problems of someone you have never spent more than a mere night with?

All these questions drove the prince beyond frustration, and all he could do was sit and wait around. Though the King and Queen would like for their only son to find his princess within the royalties offered within the fruits of others, Baekhyun already knows he has found his princess—His princess he has yet to know, to come to realize why he feels such strong, compelling attraction towards her, and yet to understand his fascination with someone so different, yet so alike in the loneliness of their homes. 

Baekhyun sits in his study, gaze dazed as he stares at the hour hand growing closer and closer to the 6 o'clock hour. The rain is pouring out, the darkness sweeping over the land and engulfing the night into twinkles of the stars, and that of the fixtures within the Royal's Estate. Though the prince likes the sound of rain pattering and falling along his windows, the soothing drops of precipitation do him no good as he stares dejectedly with worries and questions racing through his mind. There hasn't been a single moment since this morning where he has gone without thinking about Mirae, and what he were to do once he faces his mother and father again. Surely, his mother must've kept the information to herself, but knowing the dire circumstances surrounding his actions and the consequences it yields, there is also that chance where she might have told him. Nonetheless, he couldn't care much about himself at the very moment. All he cared about was getting through the dinner as quickly as possible, and running out into the pouring rain to find her. Wherever she may be, that is where he wanted to go. And wherever he wanted to go, she would be. 

The prince stands from his thoughts, planting his feet onto the ground and staring at himself in the reflection of his mirror. His suit is polished, its coat tinted to a fine dark hue and the thick sweater beneath to keep him away from the cold matching the darkness in his eyes. There isn't anything bright or lively to him anymore, and just as he had always expected it to be. Happiness doesn't come in long bursts, they come in short ones and before one knows it, the moment is gone forever and the rest is left for nostalgia to tend to. Baekhyun has learned this constantly, yet, he always dreaded this disappointment. 

"Respect and bite your tongue, for Royal blood shall not be tainted." He murmurs to himself, before fixing his coat one last time and opening the door before the maids could call for his presence, already noticing the commotion down below the grand staircase and the chandeliers at full brightness to welcome the guests. As he repeated to his reflection, the smile on his face is evident yet still small, enough to be convincing of his mood. 

"Oh would you look at that, the young prince hadn't needed to be called yet he shows. What a wonderful son you have, surely." The woman to the right of the Duke of Ilhan greets, and Baekhyun assumes that she is the Duchess of the village as well. Baekhyun tries to force a smile, yet can't bring himself to curl his lips wider when he notices the presence of a young woman about his age, also focusing her gaze onto the young prince with wonder. Baekhyun already feels his head growing dizzy at the mere idea of what he was thinking, and was more than certain his thoughts were true. 

"The boy is very well-mannered, definitely a pleasing kid. How have you been?" He asks, bowing towards Baekhyun and the young prince reciprocates the action. 

"Fine, is all. Thank you." Baekhyun replies curtly, finding himself unable to even put up a front with guests before him. 

"Are you going to ask their daughter how she does as well?" His mother gestures with a jesting smile, nudging him on the side and Baekhyun can nearly feel his eyes rolling to the back of his head in disgust. Just as he was told from a very young age, Baekhyun bites his tongue and respects that of his mother's wishes. Yet, the later would prefer to not do such faux acts. 

"How are you this evening?" He asks the woman politely. The girl smiles flirtatiously, batting her eyelashes with coquettish intent and Baekhyun's stomach churns within itself at the mere sight of her own attempts. 

"Fine as you are, Byun Baekhyun." The girl replies, her voice slightly nasal and unpleasant to the sound. It was nothing like Mirae's calming voice, one full of optimism and rare like the gems within her eyes, and not the ones that hang around the girl that is before Baekhyun. "Lee Nara, pleasure to meet you." She introduces herself, holding out her hand and Baekhyun swallows thickly before curtly shaking her hand and pulling away at a respectable pace. 

"Let's start dinner, shall we?" Baekhyun's father announces, yet the mere smiles of the men and women around Baekhyun aren't enough to lift his spirits. Not even the thought of being with his family brings him the same joy, because he knows exactly what, or more so who, will give him the reasons to yearn to be happy. And the possibility of not seeing Mirae again was much more dreadful than anything he has ever felt before. 

With the embarkment of his father leading the way and slightly taking a tour around the winding halls and beautiful fixtures that hung from the ceiling, Nara was beside Baekhyun, persistently questioning his current affairs and familiarizing herself with the prince. Baekhyun, on the other hand, was reluctant into giving responses, often times being curt and rude one could say with his responses. His mother grew distasteful of his behavior, but understood the frustration and anger building within her son's own eyes. It pained her to see the young prince in such agitation, but she had no other choice but to bite her tongue as well, sparing that than of the duties the King and Queen must fulfill. 

"And here is the Dining Hall, as you may find familiar." His father says lastly, holding out his arm and letting the servants and maids greet the guests. In their neatly ironed and pleated uniforms, they bowed gracefully with pots and trays in their hands, holding the grandeur of platters and meals all set on fine sets of lace. Silverware was polished to utmost quality as his father had requested of them, and tea pots on each end of the spacious table to adorn the beautifully designed and gold branded tea cups empty with fine wash. 

"Are you all familiar with prime rib being the entree? We have other selections if you wish-" 

"Oh no, Your Heighness." Nara interrupts, bowing respectfully and shaking her head. "There is no need for changes, this is already a lot." Her voice is an irritant to the young prince, and his eyebrows furrow unconsciously at the mere tongue of her words. He can't stand her presence, and hates how she tries to grow closer through asking the most ridiculous and faux of questions. Baekhyun hates how superficial Nara is, and how merely she was easy to read, understand. She wasn't of essence to need be understood either, nor did she own any of the shimmering aspects that could convince Baekhyun otherwise. Call him a very quick judge of character, but he knows when he doesn't like someone when he sees it. 

"Your daughter is a gem." The Queen compliments, and Nara's accepting of his mother's remark only irritates the prince even further. No matter how skilled he has gotten over the years in putting on a facade and repressing his frustrations, this moment was definitely an exception. 

"She surely is." His father beams. "Please, do take a seat as we will start dinner. The servants have brewed tea all the way from Japan, so please do enjoy them." 

Nara sits across the table from Baekhyun, his gaze avoiding her yearning one and his parents sitting across hers on the table set for six. Taking a sip from his water, Baekhyun grabs the folded napkin and drapes it over his lap, awaiting the food and not expressing much need to talk. He was already in a foul mood with the altercation that had happened with his mother earlier, and having to meet a person of the opposite gender and of the same age was definitely not on his list to make him happy any time soon. The prince just wishes for time to fly by faster, but despite glancing at his time piece, the hour hand doesn't show that much of a change since he had left his chambers. 

"Ah, the food is here." Baekhyun's mother announces, and the swarm of servants rush over to the table, filling the cups of fresh, sweet tea brewed from the finest of leaves imported, sizzling meat prepared to perfection and sides to tend to once needed. The table looked full, sides and dishes colorful and of all tastes, and never has a meal looked any different than