“Jongin, where are we going? It hurts, let me go,” after confronting Chanyeol, Jongin grabbed and literally dragged Hye Joo out of the ballroom completely ignoring the disapprove looks from the elders and the talking of the guests. Jongin did not know what had gotten into him but he knew that if he were given the chance to turn back time he would do the same thing over and over again—that was to escape with his fiancé. He was drowned in his own thoughts that he unintentionally blocked out Hye Joo’s voice – was not aware the fact that he was inflicting pain to Hye Joo.

“Jongin come one, stop. I’m tired,” Hye Joo panted and halted while trying her best to pulled Jongin back into his sense. Ever since he met Chanyeol and they both exchanged talks and banters full of hostile she presumed but in honesty she could not hear any word from them since they both took upon themselves to talk in a very discreet distance and faint voices.

After noticing and feeling the pull from the lady behind him, Jongin stopped in his tracks and turned to face Hye Joo. He instinctively grabbed her hand and stared at the red-mark on her wrist, his eyes went solemn and soft. He then proceeded to have a look on Hye Joo’s face but Hye Joo knew better to hide her pain since she did not want Jongin to be sad and blame himself. “It’s just a red-mark, not even a bruise. It will fade away in any minute soon,” Hye Joo slowly pulled her hand out of Jongin’s grasp but Jongin tugged her hand in denial which inflicted pain and it showed on her face but she masked it away in a blink of an eye. Jongin was quick to notice and looked down in guilt. He grabbed the hem of her sleeve and walked into the pharmacy, though this time in a slower pace so Hye Joo could follow after him.

“Doesn’t this remind you when we first met?” Hye Joo broke the silence when they were waiting for the attendant to fetch some ointment since it was not an often time when and where a noble get hurt and bruised.

Hye Joo chuckled, “Well, I did sustain a huge bruise on my forehead that time so it became really hard not to forget about it.” She tried her best to lighten up the mood since the air surround them felt extremely cold to her liking but still, Jongin was still trying to collect his own thoughts.

Hye Joo sighed and proceeded to faintly smacked the back of his back, “Come on, a prince shouldn’t hunched his back like that. Sit straight.”

Jongin lifted his gaze and landed his eyes on Hye Joo’s feature, exploring every inch of it. Their gazes met and Jongin’s mouth curved into a soft smile while he inched closer to Hye Joo. Hye Joo was not aware of the reduced distance between them as she tried to decipher Jongin’s gaze until she felt warm sensation on her right-side cheek.

Once blinked. Then twice blinked.

“What are you doing?” Hye Joo backed away and hold her right-side cheek while she stared at the prince in front of her in disbelief.

“An apology,” Jongin grinned and looked up to the sky while humming.

This prince sure is an unpredictable one. I let my guard down for a moment and he managed to fire an attack on me.

“Being a betrothed to someone, I expect you not to mingle around other guys especially in public eyes,” Jongin spoke out of sudden while looking on the ground where his foot playfully grazed the grass.

“Ah! My mistake, I should’ve known better,” Hye Joo lighten up and sheepishly grinned at Jongin, “You must hate it when others talk bad behind you about your betrothed’s misbehavior.”

Jongin’s face fell after hearing the second statement from the lady beside him, she sure did not get anything that Jongin had tried to deliver from the beginning of his interruption. Well, it did not matter to him as long as she put an obvious space between her and that knight. It is only the matter of time. She is my betrothed to begin with.

Author's note:

I humbly apologise for the late and short update, I've been busy handling my school stuff and could not find the perfect time time to write and update.Thank you for reading this story in spite of my late update.