She entered into his life that night. The same way so many criminals had done before — roughly thrown onto the marble floor, knees cracking from the impact. She yelped and choked back a sob.

“Daughter of the drug lord, sire,” the knight spat, clad in black-drenched armour. She didn’t respond, head hanging down, eyes refusing to look anywhere but the cold floor. Junmyeon couldn’t tell if she had done so out of shame or respect. Perhaps both, he thought. 

“I told you to bring him in and you brought in his daughter?” His voice resounded around the hall, bouncing off the walls, the floor, the delicately cut glass making up the huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling. 

“Y-yes, but sire, he holds his daughter very dearly in his heart. I and the others agree that he will come for her,” The knight who was just before proud of bringing the ‘bait’ to the King now cowered in fear. 

Junmyeon didn’t reply the knight. He lowered his gaze to the kneeling girl. Drenched to the bone from the heavy morning rain. Her short black hair was shiny and flattened from the rain. Strange, not many females style hair short these days. “I have other plans for her, get her washed up. Bring her into my study afterwards and call the others for me,” He said before returning to the stack of paperwork which awaited for his approval.

Two hours later, Junmyeon’s friends were gathered in the Junmyeon’s study. Buzzing about why they were called. Junmyeon entered shortly after, chatting about how their night had been. 

“Let her in,” Junmyeon replied to the three curt knocks on the door. The door opened revealing the nicely dressed and well washed girl from earlier in the morning, a knight with his chest puffed out behind her. The knight grabbed her arm rashly and almost threw her onto her knees like he had done in the morning.

“Don’t, leave her be. You may take your leave,” Junmyeon interrupted his actions. The knight froze for a moment, the King had rarely asked him to be more gentle with the ‘criminals’. He let go and left. The door clicked closed but the girls head still hung down, she dropped to her knees, sweeping at the non-existent dust on her new light blue dress. 

The nine men in the room looked at her, she was unmoving, not even a budge. Jongdae almost opened his mouth to talk to her, Junmyeon silenced him with the lift of his hand. 

“Introduce yourself,” Junmyeon told her. She didn’t answer him right away. When she did, her voice was dry. She answered him with a soft voice, her name was Penny. 

“Lift your chin,” He commands. She does as she’s told, trying to ignore the men’s curious gazes at her. She was small. Her eyes seemed trained to show indifferency, eye bags prominent from the lack of sleep. 

“Any takers?” Junmyeon says, scanning the expressions of his friends. “I was thinking of having her become one of your concubines until I can make use of her.” 

The King glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, her pupils were shaking at his words. 

“But if you quickly tell me your father’s location, I’ll make sure you get good food and shelter tonight. Of course, you will stay untouched,” He says to her. She doesn’t respond. Kyungsoo asks what she did, thinking she was a criminal. 

“Nothing, she’s bait for her criminal father,” Junmyeon tells him.

“Don’t treat her like this, Junmyeon. She has done nothing wrong, I’ll take care of her,” Kyungsoo says. There isn’t much expression in his voice. Junmyeon’s a little surprised. The girl would be his first and only concubine. 

She whips her head up and stares at the strange man with eyes filled with tears. She quickly wipes them away with her hand, regains her poise and once again loses all expression in her face. 

“I guess it’s settled then. Kyungsoo’s first concubine,” Junmyeon remarks, smirking slightly. Clearly amused that his friend had found a concubine.

“She isn’t my concubine, she’s a guest. Treat her nicely, Junmyeon. She’s bringing you the criminal you’ve been looking for for months,” Kyungsoo tells him. The girl is in awe, this was the first time she had seen someone talk to the King in such a manner. 

“Penny? Was it? Join us for breakfast today. You look hungry,” Kyungsoo reached his hand out to let her hold it. She returned his gesture with a small smile and a soft gaze, which made Kyungsoo’s stomach twist with a mixture of sudden nervousness and adoration. The King’s stomach does the same.

Junmyeon didn’t know why but he kept checking on the criminal’s daughter during breakfast. She obviously didn’t know what she was entitled to on the dining table.

“Penny, try the apple strudel. I think it might be to your liking. It usually is for most cases,” she looks at him with big eyes and bows as best she could at a dinning table before taking a humble piece of the strudel and munching on it. 

That night, Junmyeon was ing into one of his many concubines. The grip he had on the woman’s hip would leave behind a bruise. But for some reason, as he ed his hardness into her, hearing the groans and moans of the woman whom he was dominating, he could’t help but think about the criminal’s daughter. He came into the woman, then pushed her off his with disgust. Maybe he would ask Kyungsoo to lend him the girl for a night.