Prince Taehyung let out his breath in a long exhale, almost like a sigh, his face shining due to the grin that stretched across his sweet face. “It is really nice to escape that room once in a while,” he explained, but he didn’t have to for you to know exactly what he meant. It had been two days after your heart-to-heart with Jimin, and even before that, your brothers and the allied Crown Prince had been stuck in endless discussions about the approaching war.

You couldn’t hold back a smile. While you frequently wished you could participate in those meetings, you had no doubt that you would be sick of them by now if you were in his shoes. However, did he have to spend his rare leisure time on a walk in the gardens with you? Unlike Prince Taehyung’s clear demonstration of his relief, your sigh of resignation was an inward one. Of course he would ask you to accompany him when he had the time. The two of you were all but officially betrothed, after all. Prince Taehyung’s willingness to openly show his frustrations to you was a good sign, you supposed. You would rather have a husband who was honest about his feelings and thoughts, both good and bad, instead of one who kept his emotions festering under the surface. And yet, you couldn’t bring yourself to return the courtesy.

Conversely, you were struggling to hide how awkward you were feeling around him. He might have known that one of his aims when visiting was to get acquainted with his possible bride-to-be, you had no idea if he had, but you definitely only saw him as a neighbouring Crown Prince in the beginning, and then as a good friend. Was it such a jump to go from a friend to a significant other? Although you knew early on that a political marriage was expected of you and your brothers, stories from Ji Eun as well as the castle maids had you daydreaming of finding a love match, even before you’d met Jin. Your fantasies as a teenage girl had always involved you meeting the man of your dreams, and he would be a prince. Perhaps because that was conventional for princesses, or maybe that’s all that you’d known, or even convenient, because daydreams were supposed to be perfect, weren’t they?

Yet when you had met and fell in love with Jin, the fact that he wasn’t royalty, or even nobility didn’t seem inconvenient at all. It was clear that it wasn’t perfect – you were not that delusional – but it sure felt like it was. Loving Jin felt natural. It felt right. Despite such a relationship between a Princess and a commoner was nigh impossible.

The idea of marrying Crown Prince Taehyung, on the other hand, didn’t feel right, but at the same time, it didn’t feel… wrong. Was it because he was the logical choice for a husband? No one, not even yourself, could deny the boons that a marriage to him would bring. An alliance with a powerful country, military strength, an influential husband, the list went on. These were the reasons you’d kept in mind every time you needed the strength to face reality, and you’d found yourself needing it quite often. His breath-taking good looks and kind personality were a bonus just for you, unlike his other attributes that were advantages for Amaryll, but it didn’t make you feel more inclined to accept him. Jin had all that in abundance. No, the reason you had swallowed this unofficial engagement was for your country, and that was far from the daydreams that you’d been wishing for. But that was reality, and you’d come to accept that.

However, that didn’t magically stop you from feeling frustrated, nor did it make you feel less awkward being alone with him. After all, the last time you remember being alone with him was during your last “dance lesson”, and that was so long ago. You had gone to Zinnis since, and saw him in passing since your father had been murdered, but there were others around then. In fact, the only time that you’d been in his company as his betrothed prior to this was in the meeting that sealed your fate with him. You had been given time to prepare for the possibility shortly beforehand, but you doubted that a lifetime would be enough to ready you for it.

So when he reached for your hand, you could barely stop yourself from jumping into the air in surprise. Your head whipped around to look at him, but he was staring forward, steadfastly avoiding you or whatever question you might have blurted out. Not that you could say anything in your surprise at the sudden gesture. It was far from being the first time you’d touched the Crown Prince. There had been several occasions where you had taken Crown Prince Taehyung’s arm; Namjoon’s coronation ceremony was such an instance. During all those dance lessons, too, the Prince had held you in close proximity, and once you’d gotten past the embarrassment of having two left feet, you’d enjoyed the dances, the talking and occasionally the bantering that happened in between the steps. But the latter had been long before you’d known that he was to be your betrothed, and the former had been in public. It was just for show, so you didn’t feel anything more than fulfilling your obligations. Except for the times Jin had seen you doing it. Neither occasion occurred often, but the way your heart had shrivelled up inside, it might as well have happened ten million times. It felt that awful. Regardless of what Jin had told you to do for the sake of your country, you couldn’t help but feel like you’d betrayed him. The only reason you thought you were able to endure it was because you knew it was required of you. But holding hands like this… it wasn’t necessary, and that made it personal. This was intimate.

“Let us take a look around, shall we?” He said to the empty gardens before him, instead of looking at you, standing beside him. You couldn’t work up your throat to give him an answer, so he took your silence as a yes and started forward. And for some reason, you followed him without complaint. The flowers had been carefully planted, and many were in bloom, lining the path beautifully. However, it was completely wasted on you, as your mind was too busy to return to something that resembled sanity that the scenery completely escaped your notice. The Prince’s hand was warm and big – probably bigger than Jin’s hand. It would have been reassuring if it was Jin’s hand, but with Prince Taehyung, it was just very awkward. Yet you didn’t feel like pulling away, either. Perhaps it didn’t feel horribly offensive or weird, or because you’d been in closer contact with him before, regardless of the differences in this situation and the previous ones. Or because pulling away would have made things even more awkward.

In any case, you followed his lead, and eventually regained your mental faculties enough to start thinking rationally. No matter how you went about it, taking your hand in his was unexpected. You couldn’t help but wonder the reasoning behind his actions. He was obviously trying to get closer to you, but why? You were aware that arranged marriages between royalty and nobility were often distant. There were obviously intimate acts involved, as they usually had children, but the spouses normally lived their lives almost separately, not really bothering to spend much time with each other outside meals or some interaction with their children after the woman had produced an heir and a spare. Some were even hostile towards each other. It was unfortunate, but such were the ways of the world. At least, your world. Your parents didn’t love each other, but they were friendlier than most, and clearly enjoyed each other’s company on the occasions that they did spend time with each other, which wasn’t all that much in your opinion. They were considered luckier than most.

Your marriage to Crown Prince Taehyung would most likely be similar to that in your mind. Maybe you would see each other more often, as you wished to be involved in governing and you were hoping that he wouldn’t be averse to the idea. But the marriage would be purely political, with both sides standing to gain benefits. Amaryll was in desperate need of military might right now, but Delphina would also gain a lot from an alliance with Amaryll, a country that was rich in resources and fertile land. You knew that. He knew that. Your engagement and subsequent marriage were as good as done. As much as you wished that a miracle that would cancel the marriage would come along, you were aware that the arrangement was set in stone. So why did he feel the need to do this? He could just wait until the moment your engagement was announced, then the wedding day, and that would have been enough. The outcome would be the same. There was no need to spend more time with each other than necessary. Courting you, even just for show, was not necessary.

None of this would be good for your heart, you were sure. Once again, you looked up at him for answers. But none was forthcoming, and you didn’t know how to ask. Or what to ask, even. After some time trying to think of something to say that might prompt him to clarify the meaning behind this, you found yourself simply staring at him. Your fiancé-to-be was undoubtedly handsome – you had been aware of that from the very beginning, but you had never taken the time to really study him. From your point of view, his side profile showcased his prominent nose. His lips were nowhere near as plump or inviting as Jin’s were, but his eyes were captivating, even when you could only see one of them in your current position. They were big and your own were instantly drawn to it. His dark brown hair had been combed neatly, and suddenly you wondered if it was as soft as Jin’s. Although his shoulders couldn’t match Jin’s – no one had shoulders that would rival Jin’s endless expanse of broad shoulders – you thought that his build was suited to him. It lent an elegance befitting a Crown Prince.

All of a sudden, he turned his head to glance at you. This time you did jump, just a tiny bit, before quickly snapping your head to look straight to the front, but not before you saw that he looked away hurriedly too. Why oh why did you end up staring at him? How? And to get caught doing so! You could feel blood rushing to your face, and you wanted to die of mortification. Wasn’t he feeling your anxiousness through your connected hands? Because you were sure that you were either sweating profusely or trembling. With embarrassment or from resisting the urge to pull away to run and hide, you had no idea. But Prince Taehyung didn’t let go. In fact, the only indication that he’d seen you staring and then frantically pretended that you weren’t was a soft clearing of his throat. You prayed that he would say something to ease the awkwardness, and not ask why you were staring so intently at him.

Silence. You waited a little more, but still nothing. It might not be the wisest of actions, but your curiosity overcame your shyness and you chanced another look at him. He was training his eyes straight forward, just like you were a moment ago. Perhaps even harder than you were. And was he… blushing? It must be the weather. Spring tended to bring with it rain and wind, after all. That was how you explained away the redness of his cheeks, but it didn’t resolve the weird tension between you. Unable to bear it any longer, you finally asked him one of the many questions weighing in your mind. “So… what do you make of this arrangement?”

Prince Taehyung didn’t ask you to clarify what you meant by ‘this arrangement’. In fact, he didn’t say anything at all, for a while. Part of you wanted to ask him again, to make sure that he’d heard you, but you couldn’t bring yourself to do so once more. If he somehow didn’t hear you when you were walking right next to him, then you’d just go on like you had never said anything. And if he had heard you but chose not to answer, then you’d pretend you had never raised the question as well. It would be the height of rudeness for him to ignore your direct question — surprising, really — since you’d thought of him as polite, even while remaining very friendly. But you were sure he had his reasons if he didn’t answer, so you wanted to allow him his privacy.

“To be honest,” he started after you’d concluded that he would not say anything, “I guess I wish it hadn’t been arranged.”

You didn’t know what to make of his answer. His speech was more relaxed, as if he was confiding to someone close. Which you would be, if the two of you did get married. But you didn’t feel very close to him. Actually, now you felt that you were less close than you were when he was simply your impromptu dance instructor. He was an easy friend then. Now, with this marriage looming over your head, having him hold your hand and talk to you less formally unsettled you. As if some barrier between you and the Crown Prince was morphing. And you were afraid that if you prod it further than you had, it would take on a new shape. Or disappear altogether. Yet you asked, anyway. “Why?” It wasn’t as if you wished otherwise. Given the choice, you wished that this marriage hadn’t been arranged either. So you and Jin wouldn’t have to go through this anguish. Still, you wanted to know his reasoning. Did he have a sweetheart back home? The thought squeezed at your heart for a mysterious reason. You couldn’t be jealous; not when you didn’t have feelings for him. But you supposed even you wouldn’t be happy with the idea of your husband having a mistress, even if neither of you felt anything for each other.

Again, Prince Taehyung took his time answering. Or rather, he tried to answer several times, but failed to get past the first word. It was funny to see the normally calm, confident Prince Taehyung like this. You giggled softly, thinking that he didn’t want the marriage to happen any more than you did and struggling to find a way to tell you that. At least you could be mutually miserable about it. “Don’t worry, I won’t be offended. Just say what’s on your mind,” you told him, relaxing your speech as well to reassure him so he would say what he felt. Then perhaps you could come clean about your feelings about the marriage, too.

The gesture didn’t go unnoticed, as his large hand squeezed yours gratefully. “Well, having other people arrange and make the proposal in my stead made it difficult for me to do it myself,” he said, stopping and turning to face you. Finally looking at you, a serious expression mirroring his solemn words. “It would have been so much easier to tell you how I feel about you if I could ask for your hand in marriage myself, you know?”

It was a good thing that the two of you had stopped in the middle of the path. Otherwise, you’d probably stumble and fall flat on your face. “What?” You didn’t mean to ask such a redundant question because you’d heard every word, but the question came out of your mouth without even thinking. What did he mean by that? His meaning was clear, but you couldn’t believe it. Any other explanation, even the inanest would make more sense than this. All this time you’d thought his feelings towards you were similar to yours towards him; a good friend that was held in high regard. A sense of camaraderie due to being forced into similar situations for the sake of your country. Affection at most. Never would you have guessed that the Crown Prince of your neighbouring country would actually want to marry you of his own volition. How he felt about you – you didn’t want to let yourself arrive to the only conclusion his words could lead you to.

“Is it that surprising?” Prince Taehyung let out a strained chuckle. His cheeks were even redder than before, and yet the air was completely still. This time, the slightly clumsy side of him didn’t amuse you.

“Uh – a little, I suppose.” It was an understatement, but it would be unseemly to show him the full extent of your disbelief. “I hardly believe that I am deserving of such honour,” you said, reverting back to a more formal way of speaking. Now that you knew that he didn’t think of you as just a friend, you weren’t sure about getting closer to him. The idea of a loveless marriage but filled with mutual respect was hard enough, but you could cajole yourself into living with it because you’d thought that he, at least, felt the same. You could perform your duties, bear him his heirs and neither of you would have to share any more intimacies than you had to. You could live your days separately when you could if you wanted to. But what would happen if one of you felt – and wanted – more than that?

“You must be blind to your redeeming qualities, then.” Once again, your fiancé-to-be took forward steps, and your brain wasn’t functioning well enough to send command to your limbs, so you simply followed. “Countless women have been thrown my way in the hopes that one would pique my interest to take as a wife, but they were all the same. Unremarkable. In my eyes, at least,” he added, too kind to disparage the ladies that had not managed to sway him. “I’m sure they can attract many other men, probably ones even more worthy than I am.”

His lop-sided grin was disarming, and you weren’t sure if it was a self-depreciating one or a joking one. You couldn’t imagine any man who could hold a candle against Prince Taehyung, who had not only a royal title and riches, but also had a gentle personality and gorgeous looks to go with them. Except for Jin, but Jin was special. And you were biased; you’d be the first to admit that. Just as there were qualities that the love of your life had that you had not seen in Prince Taehyung, like bravery and unwavering loyalty, the Crown Prince had redeeming qualities of his own. Attributes that Jin didn’t have, if you were being objective. Part of you wanted to ask him the reason he made it seem like you were the exception, but something stopped you. You weren’t interested in him, not romantically. So why would you need to know that? Pushing down your curiosity, you simply said, “Thank you.”

He was speechless for a few moments following your abrupt gratitude towards his explanation. No doubt he was expecting you to question him further. Just to satisfy your curiosity, perhaps. Fishing for compliments, maybe. But you had convinced yourself that you weren’t interested in receiving compliments from him and there was no reason for you to know more. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see another large smile stretching across his face as he processed that you didn’t care for sweet words. Truth be told, it wasn’t as if you didn’t like being complimented. Who doesn’t love being fawned over? Yet you were wary of your muddled feelings towards this man, and having him flatter you did not seem to be a good idea to test the fluidity of the way you looked at him, despite the Crown Prince being honest. Especially because Prince Taehyung seemed to be honest. Thankfully, he did not elaborate further on the matter – but it didn’t mean that he was going to change the subject. “How about you? What do you think about this arrangement?”

The question shouldn’t be unexpected, as it was natural that he would want to know your thoughts about it, yet it stumped you regardless. If Prince Taehyung had agreed to marry you because of the advantages the bond would bring to his country and his people, then you would have straightforwardly told him that your agreement had been for similar reasons. You might have even divulged about your secret relationship with your former Royal Guard. It wasn’t as if you hadn’t entertained that idea before, naïve as it seems. But every time you did, you could just hear Jimin’s voice inside your head. Despite your softening feelings towards him, the fact remained that while you had known Prince Taehyung for a while, you hadn’t spent that much time with him. So far, he had shown an extremely kind, understanding nature. You had always thought of yourself as a good judge of character, so you believed that your thoughts about the Crown Prince was true, but what if you were not? Even your brothers, whom you were convinced you knew inside and out, sometimes didn’t behave the way you expected them to. Would Prince Taehyung really not mind the woman he was practically betrothed to having a secret relationship with another man? Would he actually support you, and not do anything untoward to either you or Jin? And even if he did accept it and cancelled the arrangement, what of your people, and the war? Would his advisors be as understanding and agree to lend support to a country that had nothing to offer? Would he even want to bother convincing them otherwise if the marriage was off the table? Truthfully, you couldn’t be absolutely sure things would work out to your advantage, even if Prince Taehyung had only seen you as a means to a political advantage. Now that he had confessed to actually having deeper feelings for you, you knew you could never let him know that you were in love with someone else.

“I’m happy with this arrangement,” you answered him with the best smile you could muster. In a way, it was true. Your marriage to the Crown Prince could win the war for Amaryllis – perhaps even reducing the duration and loss. And that brought you immense relief and a measure of happiness. You wanted to content yourself with that. To convince him, and perhaps yourself, of your answer, you looked sideways at him as you said it, but you had trouble meeting his eyes. With your focus really on the tall, trimmed bushes in the distance that you could see over his shoulder, you hoped that he would believe your words.

There was another pause in the conversation after you replied. You were afraid that blathering on would only draw attention to your white lie, so you didn’t continue. Even though your answer was simple, Prince Taehyung took some time to mull over it. Letting it sink in. With every second he took you became more convinced that he would call you out on your bluff, and your hand felt clammy in his. What if he pressed you for more details? You couldn’t tell him the whole truth, but you didn’t want to lie to him outright, either.

Suddenly, without warning, he raised the hand that was holding yours to point to a spot in the garden bed ahead. “Have you seen those flowers before? I thought it’s too early for them yet.”

He started forward towards the blue and pink blooms, beckoning you to follow. You did as he bid, holding the hand that he had been holding up till then to your chest. Your hand felt cold without the warmth of his, and the chill seemed to be spreading to your chest. Had he sensed that you weren’t being forthright with him? From what you’d observed, Prince Taehyung was a perceptive person. Strangely, the possibility that he had figured out that you didn’t return his feelings pained you instead of making you panic. You liked him very much, you’d always known that. Prince Taehyung was the sort of person no one could possibly hate. But had he become so precious to you that hurting him made your heart ache? You weren’t sure if that was a good sign or not. Either way, there was no helping it. You tried your best to spare his feelings, but you couldn’t force yourself to love him when you really loved someone else.

Arriving by his side, you turned your attention to the flowers carpeting the ground before you. Pale blooms of blue, pink and lavender formed colourful racemes that swayed softly in the spring breeze. They were undeniably pretty, but among the many species cultivated by the castle gardeners, they were not that obviously impressive. As thankful as you were for a change in subject, you weren’t sure what Prince Taehyung wanted to convey by suddenly rushing towards the stalks of flowers. Was he just grasping for a random topic to avoid the discomfort of the previous one? The abrupt change felt unnatural, so perhaps this was the case. Still, you weren’t sure how to take up the ball and keep the conversation going. “Are you fond of hyacinths, your Highness?”

He frowned at your clear and sudden formality towards him, but when he faced you, his lips formed an adorable pout that didn’t seem befitting a Crown Prince, and yet more endearing than comical on him. “I thought we’re long past all those formalities.” Staring you down, he gave you a look that dared you to contradict him. “Let’s be relaxed around each other. I’d go crazy before long otherwise.”

There were so many things that you could nit-pick and question from his vague words if you cared to inspect it, like if he meant he couldn’t stand being cooped up with the stuffy people he spent most of his time with here, or if he couldn’t stand being distant from you, but it was better to leave it alone. Besides, he had a point. If you were to be married, being stiff around each other wasn’t a good way to start things off. And while you didn’t love Prince Taehyung, you did feel affectionate towards him. There was nothing to gain from being obstinate when your way forward was already unavoidable. “All right. Do you like hyacinths? I didn’t think you were the sort to be interested in flowers.”

“You’re right.” Prince Taehyung verified your statement readily, smiling softly at the blooms. “But lately I find myself partial to these.”

Curiosity piqued, you gave the flowers another glance. “Why?”

“They remind me of you.”

Your eyes widened in surprise at the familiar words.

“Every time I see these flowers, I remember you.”

“These?” You had asked curiously, gesturing to the large, vermillion flowers spread over the garden. Even though you were in the castle, the two of you had ventured as far as one of the furthest sections of the enormous gardens on the even more humongous castle grounds, away from the main building. Should anyone see you, you were just out on a stroll, enjoying the gradually warming weather. Spring that year had been especially cool, and it was just becoming more bearable as summer had begun to approach. As your Royal Guard, Jin had an excuse of keeping watch over you, even though it was hardly necessary within the walls of your own home. It was just one of those carefree days, and you had felt exceptionally playful. “Because our country is named after them?”

Jin’s contorted features had jokingly chided at your teasing. “No-oo,” was his exaggerated answer as you laughed. “It isn’t that simple, obviously!”

Even by this time, Jin’s childish, playful side was something you had begun to really miss. You had rarely seen him this exuberant since he had started his duties at the castle. He was so serious when he was working. That was to be expected, you’d guessed. All in all, you had nothing to complain about. At least you could see him more often instead of having to wait for opportunities to slip out of the castle. The more solemn part of him was extremely handsome, too. It suited his strong, dependable build like his smile was perfect for his sweet face. Stolen moments like these had become more precious, like jewels that shone through the humdrum days of your life, and you tried to make the most of each and every one. “Really?” Mock disbelief had made that one word a challenge you’d known he couldn’t resist. “Why then?”

“Hmm,” he had tried to buy some time to form an articulate answer. Soft crunching sounds were made by his heavy boots when he’d moved to stand behind you. It was more natural to have him standing beside you like this; as equals, rather than having him following you from behind as your Guard. “They are lilies, aren’t they?”

Letting out a snort that you would never allow to reach the ears of anyone else, you had folded your arms and frowned at him. “Why are you asking me? I thought you were the one who equated me to these flowers?”

With a shrug, he’d chuckled, not having a real answer to your question. “I’m not sure, but they definitely look very elegant, the way lilies do. But…” He’d trailed off in his thoughts, and you’d found yourself leaning forward, dying to know what was on his mind. “Their colour is vibrant. Lilies are usually white and pink, aren’t they? It gives a feeling of shyness, but these are nothing like that. They’re tall and proud, not afraid to stand out, and that makes them even more breath-taking.” Pulling his gaze away from the Amaryllis and towards you, his lips had curled into a gentle smile that had warmed you far more than the late spring winds. Just like you, the unspoken words conveyed how you’d looked in his eyes.

You couldn’t believe that after all this time, Jin could still cause you to flush in giddy excitement. “Th – there’s a flower that reminds me of you, too.” In an attempt to hide how flustered you were, you’d blurted out an even more embarrassing confession. Knowing that this incredible man loved you was one thing, but listening to him describe his thoughts about you was more than your heart could take. But the second he’d asked, “What is it?” you’d regretted divulging it to him.

“Gladiolus,” you’d all but whispered, but he was standing close enough to catch your answer. Having him lean over to better hear you was not going to help with your racing heartbeat, but you managed to ask; “Do you know that one?”

From the way his eyes had borne into yours, mere inches away as he shook his head, Jin had no idea how his nearness was affecting you. All the intimacies or the time you’d shared didn’t matter – it didn’t make Jin less charming, or less captivating, or less gentle in your eyes. “Maybe if you describe it to me, I might know it.”

“Uhm,” it was your turn to stall for time as you’d tried to marshal your thoughts away from your irresistible lover and into coherency. Eyelids fluttering shut had helped you block Jin’s distracting visage, and to conjure an image of the flower in question. “Straight stems that reach up for the sky… like blades of grass, but so much grander. The flowers gather in clusters halfway up the stem, making their way up to the end.”

“Hmm.” Jin’s thoughtful hum to your description returned your attention back to him. “They sound impressive.”

“They are a sight to behold,” you’d agreed with a smile directed at him. And so are you, you had thought.

“So why do they remind you of me?” He’d asked. The playfulness in his tone was more prominent than it ever was, and you’d shot him a mock withering glare, letting him know that you were simply allowing him to turn the tables onto you. Then you’d shrugged.

“I don’t know,” you’d admitted. “They look confident and strong, but still amazingly beautiful. One might wonder how those two go together, but looking at them, you’ll see that it’s possible.”

“Is that how you see me then?” He wasn’t even bothering to hide his glee at that point, and although your first instinct would normally be to retort out of embarrassment, his happiness was infectious, and you had burst into laughter.

Calls of your name cut into the merriment going on inside your head, and you startled as you realised that you’d been dreaming with your eyes open, looking at Prince Taehyung but seeing someone else. “Pardon me,” you muttered, ashamed at being caught. “Just wool-gathering.”

“That’s alright,” he said magnanimously, but it was the laughter in his eyes that tugged at the corners of your lips. “Maybe it’s time that we head inside. Someone is bound to come looking for me if I’m not there when the war council starts.” Shooting the hyacinths another look, his words sounded wistful, as if he’d rather remain here with you.

“We could take a little detour and walk by the amaryllis if you have a few moments to spare,” you offered, wanting to lift his spirits, aware that you may have contributed to his subtle downturn in mood.

With a happy, wide smile that reminded you of a puppy, he agreed. “Lead the way.”

A nagging voice told you that it was unfair to proceed with this marriage having unreciprocated feelings involved, but you dismissed it. It seemed cruel to respond to Prince Taehyung’s confession by telling him your heart belonged to another. Your decision might be unjust to him, but it was hardly fair to you and Jin, either. It would be cruel to the people of Amaryllis to subject them to more suffering and loss than necessary by pushing Prince Taehyung away. Countless members of nobility had sacrificed their happiness for less. This was the way of your world, and the sooner you could let Jin go, the better.