Chapter 10.

"And I promise you this: No matter who enters your life, I will love you more than any of them."

The sun was shining brightly overhead, white fluffy clouds littering the sky. The roads were lined with blossoming flowers and it was the definition of a fairy-tale perfect day.

Except in fairy tales, the main character usually had a happily ever after that followed the end of the story.

They were used to saying goodbye but Hanbyul didn’t know why this one hit harder than the rest. He had stayed longer than he usually did and she should have been satisfied with just that but she was greedy when it came to him and it always felt like their time was so short.

Swallowing the thick lump in , she breathed in deeply hoping that the tears that threatened to fall would recede.

Jaehyun let out a soft sigh, reaching up to press his hand to her cheek. She instantly leaned against it. “I don’t know when I’ll be back. The anti-Neo faction is progressively becoming more aggressive and Chaeyeon needs me back at the palace,” he murmured and Hanbyul felt her bottom lip tremble.

“I know.”

She really did and she understood. But it didn’t make it any easier on her heart.

“Don’t cry, Cookie. You know I’m weak to your tears,” he joked.

Hanbyul furiously rubbed her eyes. “I’m not crying,” she said.

His gaze softened when he saw the red rim of her under eye, damp from the tears that threatened to well in her eyes. “Stubborn girl,” the words were familiar and it made Hanbyul want to cry more.

She placed her hand on top of his, the one that held her cheek, and her red rose lips formed the words that still made his heart flip.

“I love you. Promise you’ll stay safe?” She asked, looking for any reassurance in his eyes.

When he looked at her, her heart dropped. That was a look that gave no empty promises and when he replied with a gentle, “I’ll try,” she couldn’t stop the lone tear that slipped down her cheek.

The smile touching his lips was laced with regret and he let go her cheek, reaching for her hand instead. Her eyes widened as he slipped the sparkling ring on her left hand—it was a perfect fit and when she looked closely, she saw the elegant engraving on the inside of the ring that said my star.

Her eyes widened. “Is this…”

She didn’t finish her sentence but Jaehyun’s subtle nod told her he understood her unasked question and her breath caught in .

“Take care of it for me?” He asked, his expression more serious than she had ever seen it. She heard the nervousness in his question and she let out a small sob. Hanbyul couldn’t have stopped the tears even if she wanted to.

“Ask me when you come back and I’ll say yes,” she whispered and his eyes lit up. He swooped down and placed a chaste kiss to her lips.

“I promise.”

Hanbyul clutched her hand tightly to her chest as she watched him ride off to join his squadron. The sun was much too bright and she blamed it for the tears that streamed down her cheeks.

He was a man who never let down on a promise and she would hold him to it.

The journey back to the Kingdom was a short and uneventful week of travel, yet it felt like the longest journey Jaehyun had ever made. His mind kept wandering back to the girl he’d left behind in Seasons and more than once, he had been tempted to turn around and abandon his duties to follow his heart.

“Wipe that glum frown off your face, Captain. It’s an unattractive look,” Haechan called out as they entered the palace gates.

“Yeah, don’t be so upset. I’m sure we’ll be back in Seasons much sooner than you think,” Doyoung tried to console the sulking King.

Jaehyun let out a small sigh as he dismounted his horse and walked towards the palace. They made their way to Jaehyun’s study room to discuss their plan of action against the anti-Neo faction when a rustling noise by the window caught their attention.

“Yo!”

Johnny immediately whipped out his sword and a startled, “Woah, hold your horses! It’s me!” came from the young boy perched on the top branch of the closest tree to the