five.

The awkward silence was suffocating.

Junmyeon fidgeted in his seat, twiddling his thumbs as he looked around the room. Although it was just the Queen’s study room, it screamed luxury and royalty.

He took a peek at the Queen, who was busy with her paperwork. Her brows were furrowed and she was biting on her bottom lip as she read the document. Before he realised it, he was staring at the Queen.

She is beautiful, that was a fact he knew ever since he caught sight of her during his first performance in the Kingdom of Red. But the fact that she is the Red Queen gets him nervous. She was known to be a cruel and ruthless Queen.

The Queen looked up from her papers, and raised a brow at the male. Knowing that he was caught, Junmyeon quickly looked down with his ears turning red.

“Your name is Suho, right?” She asks, causing Junmyeon to look up.

Junmyeon nodded, “Kind of.”

“Kind of? Is that not your real name then?” She asked again, her expression remaining the same – indifferent.

Junmyeon nodded again, avoiding eye contact with the Queen.

Silence took over the room again. It was probably the best time to apologise to the Queen. Although he was unsure of the exact reason why the Queen had summoned him (although her reaction when he stepped in seems to hint that she wasn’t the one who summoned him), he decided it was best to apologise.

“Where is he?” He heard the Queen mutter to herself, and she stood up.

“I’m sorry!” Junmyeon stood up and blurted out. He immediately slapped a hand over his mouth when the Queen looked at him with a bewildered look. This was not how he planned to apologise to the Queen.

“You’re sorry for…?” The Queen trailed off, sounding confused about the male’s sudden apology.

Junmyeon cleared his throat, “For that night…for winking at you without knowing who you were! You were disgusted that a lowly peasant has dared to make a move on you, r-right? I-I wasn’t thinking when I did that. So please forgive me!”

The Queen simply stared at him, and it unnerved him. Why isn’t she saying anything? Why does she look so…emotionless?

What if she doesn’t accept his apology? What if he is going to be the first one to be executed after a while?

“You’re sorry for that?” He heard the Queen said.

“Y-yes!” He replied.

He started to panic as the Queen remained silent, and her emotionless eyes stared at his. He then remembered about the bag of coins that Jay had given to him prior to this. His face brightened up and took the bag of coins that hanging from his belt.

He placed it on the Queen’s table, and the sound of the coins chinking against each other was loud in the silent room.

“What is the meaning of this?” The Queen asked, looking at the brown bag on her study table. She placed her hand on the study table.

“C-coins…I heard-”

“I know what it is. I’m asking you, what is the meaning of this?” The Queen asked again, cutting Junmyeon off. This time, her tone was cold and sharp, and it sent chills down Junmyeon’s back.

“I was afraid that…you might execute me for what I have unknowingly done on that night. So I heard that this could…”

“Enough.” The Queen cut him off.

Junmyeon fell silent. Before he realised it, he looked straight at the Queen. Her cold eyes remained on the brown bag and her lips were pressed into a thin line. He lowered his gaze to her hand that was on the table and he noticed that it had been curled into a fist, trembling.

The Queen suddenly let out a laugh, falling back into her seat. Although she was laughing, Junmyeon realised that she didn’t sound joyful or happy. It sounded strained and painful.

He was taken aback. He was at a loss. He didn’t know what to do.

Her laughter trailed off, and silence took over the room again. Junmyeon could only stare at the Queen.

“You’re just like everybody else, aren’t you?” She chuckled darkly. She looked up and Junmyeon