Kim Taeyeon thought that she had gone mad when she slowly registered what Baekhyun just told her in her mind.

I am the Crown Prince.

That phrase replayed in her mind again and again as she stared at him in disbelief.

“What?” she let out an unlady-like snort. “This isn’t the time to joke about this.”

The serious stare he gave her told her that he wasn’t joking at all.

“Are you being serious right now?” she whispered, putting her hands to in surprise. “You are the Crown Prince?”

“Yes,” he replied shortly. “We don’t have much time before your servants find us.”

Taeyeon just silently stared up at him, still finding it unbelievable that he is actually the Crown Prince. She did think about him from time to time while she was in the palace, she even thought that she would never be able to see him again after she got married to the Crown Prince. But here he is, actually being the man she is going to get married to tomorrow.

“I have decided to help you escape. Are you in, or not?” he asked, wasting no time to get straight to the point, already annoyed with all the noise going on outside the room.

She gulped and swiftly glanced at the door.

“Why are you helping me?” she asked.

“We are running out of time, quick, do you want to escape this place or not?”

Her eyes shifted from him to the door, feeling overwhelmed by the stress of making such an important decision in only a short amount of time.

“What should we do right now?” she asked him.

“It is up to you.”

“I -, I don’t know what to think right now. I need more time to think.”

“There is no more time,” he muttered under his breath. “This might be your only chance to escape, after the wedding, you will officially become the Crown Princess. And by then, committing treason or even death will be your only way to leave the palace.”

“Don’t remind me that, you think I don’t know? I have been thinking about this for days,” she let out in frustration, slightly pacing at the spot in front of the Crown Prince. “I just can’t, after seeing my family today, I realized that their lives are now in my hands. If I run away, they will be punished, and I guess it isn’t so bad to get married, it’s just you.”

Baekhyun raised an eyebrow in confusion at that, wondering if he should feel offended by that.

“So you just want to stay here for the rest of your life? How about your dream to become a herbalist?” he asked.

Taeyeon looked up at him, surprised that he remembered. “I am not saying that I will give up on my dream, I just have to find another way to achieve it.”

They both were quiet for a moment, both staring at each other, waiting for the other person to do something.

”I guess I shouldn’t have dragged you here,” he finally said. “I will see you tomorrow at the wedding ceremony then,” he said over his shoulder as he unlocked the door and sprinted out from there before anyone could get a clear look of his face.

Taeyeon remained still until Court Lady Jo and her servants found her. They tried to ask her who was the man who snatched her away earlier, but she kept silent and asked to be left alone once she reached her room.

“Agassi,” Court Lady Jo called out from outside the room. When there was no reply, Court Lady Jo added, “I am coming in now, agassi.”

When she slid open the door, she saw Taeyeon calmly sitting in front of the desk with a book laid out in front of her, staring at it.

“Agassi, are you alright?” she asked again, placing a gentle hand on Taeyeon’s shoulder which snapped her out of her thoughts. “Agassi.”

“I am fine,” she mumbled.

“Here, drink some tea,” said Court Lady Jo, pouring a cup of tea and placing it in front of Taeyeon.

“Thank you,” Taeyeon said as she slowly picked up the cup and took a small sip.

Court Lady Jo simply smiled and said, “Agassi, is there anything bothering you? You can just tell me.”

Taeyeon looked up at Court Lady Jo gratefully, but her lips remained sealed, she wasn’t ready to say anything, she didn’t know what to say.

How can she tell Court Lady Jo that she just found out that the man she has been thinking about this whole time was actually the Crown Prince himself?

“Court Lady Jo.”

“Yes, agassi?”

“What is the Crown Prince really like? I know you told me last time that he was a cheerful person when he was younger, but how about now?”

“I think I told you everything last time, what else do you want to know?”

“Hmm, like what are his hobbies? What does he do every day?” she asked.

If she is going to be marrying this man, she should at least know about his likes and dislikes.

“His Royal Highness is a reserved and quiet person. He isn’t particularly active, all he does is train at the field till late at night, and carry out his princely duties during the day. Other than that, his Royal Highness doesn’t really do anything. There is nothing much to say.”

“So you mean he is boring?”

“Not exactly, but I guess I don’t know much because I am not part of his court. Maybe you can get to know his Royal Highness better after the wedding tomorrow,” said Court Lady Jo, smiling teasingly at Taeyeon.

“Oh right, I have a wedding tomorrow,” Taeyeon sighed, as if she just remembered.

“You should sleep now Agassi, tomorrow is your big day,” said Court Lady Jo as she started to prepare the bed for her destined highness.

***

“Your Highness, please don’t run away like that ever again, I nearly had a heart attack,” complained Eunuch Nam, as he helped the Crown Prince out of his robe.

The Crown Prince simply nodded and stretched out his arms to both sides as Eunuch Nam helped him to change into his night robe. Once he was changed, he sat down in front of his desk and grabbed a book to read.

“Your highness, you should rest early. Tomorrow is the wedding ceremony.”

“What’s the use of sleeping early today when I can get up early anyway?” he said nonchalantly, casually flipping the pages of the book.

“Tomorrow is different, your highness. It is your royal wedding, a memorable day for Joseon. You need to get plenty of rest to focus on the wedding ceremony tomorrow.”

“Your highness,” Soo called out from outside the room.

“Come in.”

The doors slid open and Soo stepped in.

“Anything new to report?” the Crown Prince asked, looking up from his book.

“I noticed that someone was following me when I tried to investigate the person that had been meeting Prince Jung outside the palace. I confronted him, and he killed himself before I could get a name from him.”

“Did he use the suicide pill?”

Soo nodded solemnly.

“These people are surprisingly loyal to their employer,” said Baekhyun as he clenched his fist into a ball. “Find out where and how they are getting this pill. It all must come from the same supplier. Locate the supplier and we will soon find who is behind the murder of the late Crown Prince.”

“Yes, your highness. I will get to it,” Soo said, quickly bowing towards his highness and exciting the room.

“Your Highness –”

“I know. I will sleep later. Leave the room, I need room to think right now.”

“Yes, your highness,” Eunuch Nam followed his royal highness’ orders and quickly exited the room. Once the Crown Prince was alone, he pushed his desk away and laid down on the bed, covering himself with the warm blanket.

He can’t sleep.

Not now.

He has a million thoughts going on inside his head, and a certain noble lady has occupied most of it.

He always had a plan, but this time, things seem to be out of his control.

What if Taeyeon suddenly changed her mind and decided to escape anyway? What should he expect tomorrow at the wedding ceremony when she doesn’t show up? The King would be furious and consider this a disrespect to the royal family and arrest the Kim family.

But will Kim Taeyeon really risk it?

He could tell that she badly wants to escape the betrothal. But the consequences to her actions were holding her back. He simply couldn’t read her, she always seemed mindless to him, the type that rushes into helping others without thinking about the dangers.

He heaved a heavy sigh, realizing that he was still thinking about her when he should be focusing on investigating the conspiracy surrounding his brother’s death.

Pulling the blanket over his head, he decided to force himself to fall asleep before he goes mad thinking about her. 

Who cares if she doesn’t show up at the wedding ceremony tomorrow?

What matters is that whether she shows up tomorrow or not, he will be getting a step closer to finding his brother’s murderer. 

The only news he should be waiting for is from Soo, when he comes back after locating the supplier of the suicide pill.

***

“He… is the Crown Prince?”

Taeyeon stared up at the ceiling, it probably has been 2 hours since the lights were out. Her conversation with her future husband replayed in her mind again and again and it wouldn’t let her get a shut-eye.

She turned over to her side, tucking her hand underneath the hard pillow.

She actually wasn’t looking forward to the wedding ceremony tomorrow, and even dreaded her big day as the days were approaching. But after finding out that Hyun is the one she is marrying, she finds herself actually looking forward to the wedding ceremony tomorrow.

Snap out of it Kim Taeyeon! Don’t be thrown off course by other people, especially men!

What is wrong with her? She still couldn’t understand everything that she’s feeling right now.

Hyun probably won’t make a bad husband, but he’s not just anyone, he’s the future King of Joseon. And if she gets married tomorrow, who knows what her fate might be?

She probably should stop calling him Hyun and start calling him Your Royal Highness.

“Your Royal Highness,” she mumbled under her breath as she slowly succumbed to a deep slumber.

***

“Wow, my head feels heavy. Please catch me if I fall at the ceremony,” Taeyeon joked nervously as Court Lady Jo helped her to put on the heavy traditional head piece on her head. No one reacted to her joke, everyone else seems even more nervous than her.

“Agassi, your father has come to visit,” Hui came in to announce.

Taeyeon immediately stood up, almost losing her balance as she went over to envelope her father into a hug. “Abeoji, I have missed you!”

Her father just smiled as he patted his only daughter on the back. Court Lady Jo and the other servants left the room to give the bride and her father some privacy.

“I still can’t believe that you are getting married today,” said her father. “You have always argued that you don’t want a husband, and that you want freedom.”

The smile on Taeyeon’s face faded away when she was reminded of what she is sacrificing for this.

“It’s alright, I will pull through. I always do, “ she mumbled as she patted down her gown. “I am sorry that I ran away from home.”

Her father had always been strict with her. While her mother prioritised getting her married and finding her a good husband, her father prioritised her education. When everyone underestimated her because of her gender, her father was the only one who taught her to be hungry for knowledge.

“It’s all in the past,” he said, and his expression turned serious. “Taeyeon-a, living in the palace won’t be easy. You really have to look out for yourself, do you understand?”

She nodded quietly.

“There are enemies everywhere, the most dangerous ones are the ones that hide behind a facade.”

“Don’t worry, I will take care of myself.”

Hui called from outside the door to let them know that they should get going as the wedding ceremony is beginning soon.

“Love you,” she hugged her father one last time before getting escorted out of the room by her servants.

***

The wedding looked very grand. When Taeyeon walked out, she didn’t expect so many important people in the country, sitting there to witness the wedding. Her heart beat faster and faster as she slowly made her way up to the platform.

She saw the Crown Prince from far away, he was gazing off into a distance blankly, wanting to be anywhere but here. Her heart sank, wondering if he hated the idea of marrying her.

Is she going to be unhappy living in the palace forever? What happens if he gets concubines, and she gets pushed away? She’s going to get abandoned by her husband and slowly grows old alone in the palace.

She shook that image out of her mind, now isn’t the time to overthink about the future.

When she got closer, their eyes met, and his gaze looked different compared to last night. It looked like it was observing her, probably wondering why she turned up at the wedding when she could just try to escape before the ceremony even started.

It's been a very long time since she saw him properly, under the daylight. He looks a lot different compared to the first time she met him, the scars he had on his face had already faded, and she found herself thinking that he looks rather good-looking standing there.

As she got distracted by her thoughts, she accidentally tripped and felt herself falling forward. The heavy head piece on her head was only dragging her down towards gravity, she squeezed her eyes shut, ready to take the fall.

But a pair of hands quickly grabbed her, saving her from the fall.