After what happened at the interrogation room, Taeyeon avoided Baekhyun for the rest of the week.

All the servants working under them noticed the cold war between the Royal couple, because when Taeyeon and Baekhyun accidentally crossed paths in the palace, Taeyeon didn’t even bat an eye at him.

She wouldn’t even go to the library so that she won’t bump into him. Everywhere he will usually go, she will purposely take the longer route to avoid him.

Baekhyun would use his position as the Crown Prince to summon her to his chambers, but she will come up with excuses like she’s tired or feeling a bit under the weather to come to his chambers. 

His Royal Highness also arranged treats and snacks for her room, so that she will stop this cold war between them. But she coldly rejected them and they were sent back to the kitchen instead.

“You said, the treats will work.”

“My sincere apologies, Your Royal Highness. Noble ladies usually like treats,” Eunuch Nam quickly kneeled down to apologize, feeling the Crown Prince’s anger rising by the minute.

“Well your trick didn’t work,” muttered the Crown Prince under his breath as he rested his forehead onto his palm. “And I don’t even want to try asking Soo for advice. You two are clueless!”

Soo cleared his throat to speak, “How about arranging a meeting? We can lie to the Crown Princess that the King has summoned her.”

“Oh yes, that’s a good idea. In the name of the King, it should work,” Eunuch Nam agreed.

“Now that’s embarrassing for a Crown Prince to do, isn’t it? Lying to his wife just to see her,” Baekhyun sighed.

“Your Highness, if you want to talk to her, then you should put away your status as Crown Prince and talk to Her Highness as her husband,” said Soo.

Eunuch Nam stared up at Soo, surprised to hear words of wisdom coming out from Soo’s mouth, when the latter has only shown them that he only knows how to fight his whole life.

“Soo is right, Your Highness.”

“This better work. If I further embarrass myself, your heads will be rolling on the floor,” threatened the Crown Prince. Eunuch Nam gulped and nodded eagerly.

It surprised them to see the change in the Crown Prince over the months after he got married. The Crown Prince has indeed changed for the better ever since Taeyeon came, they both shared a knowing glance that the Crown Prince had actually asked them for advice on how to make up with his wife.

***

When Taeyeon received news from Hui that the King had summoned her to the gazebo near the small stream in the palace, Taeyeon knew that it was a trick and there was no way the King would summon her there.

Hui ended up confessing to her that it was actually an order by the Crown Prince, delivered by Eunuch Nam to her.

Taeyeon didn’t want to go at first, but she felt a bit guilty about avoiding him all week, and she found herself trying to understand him these days instead of completely blocking him out. She decided that this is the chance to talk to him, to learn more about how he became that way.

On the way to the gazebo, she kept thinking about what Court Lady Jo told her before about Baekhyun’s past, that he changed when the late Queen passed away. But she doesn’t know if that alone has shaped him the way he is today.

When she reached there, the Crown Prince was already sitting under the gazebo. She hesitated to approach him, but when he suddenly looked back and spotted her, he stood up and walked towards her instead.

Taeyeon stood still, fidgeting nervously with her fingers under her sleeves, waiting for him to reach her.

“Let’s talk.”

He reached out his hand, waiting for her to give him her permission to talk. Taeyeon nodded, and placed her hand in his, and together they walked to the gazebo and took a seat side by side.

Their servants were meters away from the gazebo, as instructed by the Crown Prince so that the Royal couple could have a private conversation.

“I’m sorry.”

Taeyeon froze, a mix of disbelief and surprise washing over her as she received an unexpected apology from the Crown Prince himself. Her eyes widened, searching his face for any signs of insincerity or deception, but what she found was a genuine vulnerability, etched in his expression.

Emotions surged within her, swirling in a whirlwind of confusion and conflicting feelings.

“Growing up, I was mostly brought up by my mother. As I was the middle child and not the Crown Prince at that time, my father only looked my older brother’s way and rarely spoke to me. Then, my mother suddenly passed away,” he paused, a mix of pain and regret etched on his expression. “I was blamed for being the main reason my mother was assassinated. There were not enough guards in my room when the assassins came. At that time, she was with me in my room to read me a bedtime story because I said I couldn’t sleep.”

Taeyeon held her breath, unable to form words to comfort him. She could see that he is still traumatized by that event in his past. Not only did he witness his mother getting assassinated in front of him, he was also blamed for his mother’s death at such a young age. No one should ever experience that.

“Not long after, I was poisoned and almost killed by a servant I trusted. They blamed me again for putting my trust easily into a mere servant,” he continued. “I resented everyone in the palace, even my own blood for everything I had to go through. To exert control and seek validation from my father, I started to force myself to become stronger so that my father could see that I can protect myself and the kingdom.”

Taeyeon could tell that Baekhyun carried scars of his own, wounds that shaped his twisted worldview. He had been betrayed and hurt, and in turn, he sought to inflict pain upon others as a way of shielding himself from further harm.

She placed her hand on his arm gently, a gesture of solidarity and reassurance. “Was there anyone in your life that ever gave you warmth and comfort?”

“My older brother was the only one.”

“I… I appreciate your apology,” she began, her voice soft but steady. “I understand that it’s not always easy to open up and share your feelings. But I want you to know that I genuinely care about your well-being. From now on, I want to create a safe space for you, a space where you can freely express yourself without judgment or fear.”

As she looked into his eyes, she saw his remorse, his genuine desire for redemption. She saw the vulnerability that mirrored her own, and she recognized that in this moment, they stood on the precipice of healing.

“And I am sorry for avoiding you all this time. I am glad that we had this talk.”

He offered her a fragile smile and she smiled back.

The weights on their shoulders were instantly lifted, now that they understand each other.

***

Things in the palace were peaceful for a while, Baekhyun and Taeyeon made up, and they met up in the library everyday to read. Sometimes they exchanged small talk between them, and at times they would just read in silence.

It seemed like everything was finally going smoothly for Taeyeon, until news from back home came crashing down on her world at once.

Her father had succumbed to his illness and passed away.

The Crown Prince immediately granted her permission to leave the palace and go back home for his funeral.

When Taeyeon bursted in through the doors, the funeral was already set up. Her mother was sobbing uncontrollably in the middle of the courtyard where the funeral was held.

Her younger brother was also there by his mother’s side, trying to console her as he tried to be strong for both of them.

“Minwoo-a, how did this happen?” she asked her brother. She didn’t cry on the way back home, but when she saw her brother and her mother crying, she bursted into tears as she dropped onto the floor.

“We don’t know. We were told by the physician that he will recover yesterday. But when mother went in to feed him lunch, he had already stopped breathing.”

The family started to mourn for the head of the family’s death. Taeyeon went through the whole funeral process numbly, her father’s sudden and unexpected death came to her so suddenly she still refused to believe that it happened.

After the funeral, she was escorted back to the palace. She asked Hui and Court Lady Jo to leave her alone as she wanted to be alone in her room. The Crown Princess sat huddled at a corner in her room, her heart still heavy with grief. The weight of sorrow pressed down upon her shoulders like a heavy burden she couldn’t shake.

The world around her seemed to fade as she retreated into her thoughts, memories of her father flooding her mind like a bittersweet symphony. She could still feel the warmth of his embrace, and recall the wise words he had whispered into her ear.

But now, all that remained were the echoes of his presence, a void that could never be filled. Her heart ached for the conversations they would never share, the experiences they would never have together.

The pain was raw, unyielding, and seemed to consume her, leaving her feeling adrift in a sea of emotions.

In the days that followed, she didn’t leave her room and barely had any appetite to eat anything. The Crown Prince decided that after leaving her alone for these few days, he should go and check on her.

“Your Royal Highness, the Crown Princess ordered us to not let anyone in,” said Court Lady Jo when the Crown Prince showed up outside the Crown Princess’ chambers.

“Let me in, I am the Crown Prince of Joseon and also her husband,” the Crown Prince ordered. Court Lady Jo reluctantly nodded towards the servants to open the door for His Royal Highness.

"Your Highness, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has arrived," Court Lady Jo announced to let Taeyeon know.

In the dimly lit room, the Crown Prince’s heart squeezed a little when he saw his wife sitting at a corner, staring into space expressionless. Her tear-streaked face displayed a tapestry of emotions – disbelief, pain, and a profound sense of loss.

Baekhyun could tell that she has suffered, the food on her table was left untouched and her bed looked too neat to look like it has been slept in.

“I don’t want anyone to see me like this. Get out or I will scream,” she said softly, without looking up to see him.

He simply ignored her warning and walked towards her, squatting down by her side.

“Please leave me alo–” she was caught off guard when he suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her into a warm and comforting embrace.

As his strong arms enveloped her, she felt an immediate sense of solace. His hug conveyed a reassurance that she was not alone in her sorrow. He held her close, providing a safe harbor for her tears to fall, knowing that sometimes the best way to heal is through the simple act of being present.

He whispered softly, “It’s okay. I’m here for you, you can cry your heart out and vent to me” and those few words held the power to soothe her heartache.

"It's my fault."

"No, it isn't."

"It's my fault."

"No, don't say that."

“No, it's my fault. I regret so much for running away from home, causing my father heartache and now he’s gone,” she said, finally sobbing into his arms.

“Don’t blame yourself. Your father will be sad to see you like this.”

She knew that he was there for her, that he would support her through thick and thin. She didn’t know how long she cried for, but her legs felt numb from sitting in the same position for too long. She could feel the depth of his affection, and her tears began to subside.

With his arms still wrapped around her, she looked up into his eyes, a silent expression of gratitude passing between them.

“Your wellbeing matters to me, and I want you to know that I will be there for you just as much as you are for me.”

She felt touched by his words, tears welled up in her eyes again as she buried her face back into his arms. “Thank you for being here with me.”

A small smile formed on the corner of his lips, feeling glad that he can also bring comfort to her, just like how she is there for him.

After Taeyeon finally calmed down, they both continued to sit side by side in silence, shoulders touching, at the same corner Taeyeon was huddling in just a few minutes ago.

“A few months ago, when the late Crown Prince passed away, I felt all alone. While I was still mourning his death alone in my room, everyone else was busy talking about me becoming the next Crown Prince,” he said as Taeyeon looked over at him to listen. “And I think, if someone had been there, crying together with me from the same pain, maybe it wouldn’t have been as painful. So when you are grieving, I feel that you would feel better if someone is by your side.”

Taeyeon started to tear up again. Baekhyun came to comfort her because he knew what it feels like to lose someone you love and he didn’t want her to feel the same as he felt that time the late Crown Prince passed away.

While she had her family with her to mourn together for her father’s death at the funeral, Baekhyun had no one. He couldn’t even cry freely and had to hide his emotions in the palace.

“I just felt like telling you that,” he flashed a sad smile at her.

Baekhyun was hesitant to share with her about his feelings at first, but seeing how she has finally opened up to him, he decided that it is only fair to share with her about his feelings of losing someone you love as well.

It felt like they got a lot closer, sharing the same pain and helping each other to go through it. Taeyeon saw a new side of him, the empathetic side of him that he never shows to anyone. She felt special to have him finally open up to her, and she believes that he also feels more comfortable around her.

“I will leave you alone then,” he cleared his throat and stood up to leave. “Eat the food before they get cold.”

She nodded and said, “Thank you again, Hyun.”

As the Crown Prince’s back turned to her, he hid a smile that had formed on the corner of his lips as he walked past the Crown Princess' servants. No matter how many times she called him that, he can’t seem to suppress how excited it makes him feel.