***

Continuation from previous chapter*

Taejeong Hall

There’s something about Seungwan that Joohyun is starting to notice. The young royal looks more human now. As someone who is naturally sharp, even the smallest thing won’t escape her eyes, including how the latter starts her day and ends it by praying to her late mother. Every week, she’ll change the flower under the painting. She can see how much her mother means to Seungwan.

By 07:20 AM sharp (Seungwan never misses her time, much to Joohyun’s amusement), the young royal will be ready in her simple sky blue button-up and black slacks, or her princess-on-duty-suit depending on her schedule that day.

Then, she will have her breakfast. A full course Korean breakfast complete with various side dishes (the royal sure gets the finest meal in the morning), but sometimes she’ll ask to have a bowl of bibimbap and seaweed soup instead. She says her mother used to prepare these meals for her so she tried to have them at least once a month.

Joohyun understands the sentiment. She too tries to visit the same tteokbokki stall in the market at least once a month. After her father has passed away, she and her mother moved to an apartment far from the market so it’s a bit difficult but she’ll always make time.

Sometimes, Joohyun will join the young royal in having her breakfast but most of the time she doesn't. She isn’t a morning person. She usually wakes up around 7:30 AM, just when Seungwan is ready to leave their hall of residence. She used to wake up much later but she thought she has to at least greet her wife before the latter goes to the office. After all, the maids are present around them, rumors will be easily spread around if she doesn’t play her part well.

With a peck on Joohyun’s cheek and (sometimes) a few greasy talks from Seungwan not to mention, the promise that she’ll come home soon, the young royal will leave a few squealing maids behind.

This is bad. The young princess told herself.

After spending almost two months living together, she’s starting to memorize Seungwan’s habits out of her consciousness.

She hasn’t realized that she’s been standing in the middle of the living room for a few minutes now, until Seungwan emerged from the bathroom, looking fresh and flushed due to the warm bath. The smell of orange blossom fills the room. She used to hate smelling other fragrances than lavender but now she kind of tolerates it. Her nose got used to it just like how Seungwan’s presence in her life.

This is very bad.

Joohyun is aware that she is not immune to loneliness. She too longs for someone to hold and to love but the thing is, once she’s attracted to someone, she won’t be able to look away. All her attention will be focused solely on that person. She’s the type who always goes down so bad for her lover. She can be a fool in love, who blindly trusts her lover. She knows herself very well, that’s why she protects herself tenfold after her last ex, the biggest jerk on earth.

She is also very aware that Seungwan has her way with women. The young royal knows the right words, the right action, and not to mention her gentle affection. Combined with her status in society, it’s a fatal attraction, no wonder … no wonder women left and right kept falling on her whims, even Joohyun’s mother likes her.

Joohyun inhales sharply when Seungwan gently touches her arm, “You okay?” Somehow her wife’s hand feels cold on her.

“I’m okay.” Joohyun manages to whisper as she draws herself a little, creating a gap between them. Her mind is in havoc, she needs to cool down.

“I’m going to take a bath now.” She whispers before leaving her wife.

Seungwan watched her wife leave with a hasty step. Having been living together for 2 months now, she picks up one or two things about her wife. Just by a glance, she can sense that something is bothering Joohyun.

But what?

The young royal scratched her head, and thought to herself, ‘Is she angry because I complimented her? Or is she angry because I about our first night? Well … the image is still so vivid. I can’t blame anyone but her.’

Every now and then, Seungwan would find her mind fleeting to that particular scene on their first night. It was probably because she hadn’t shared any intimate moments with anyone since they were married. It wasn’t that long but why was she so thirsty?

It never happened before, spending time with women was always her way to get what she wants, it was never about her needs. She didn’t even feel like ‘floating in heaven’ when she did that with her previous partners, well, yes it felt good but the feeling was never extraordinary to the point she thought she could live well without having for the rest of her life.

So … what is this?

Is she feeling curious?

She didn’t give in to her needs that night so maybe that was the reason why she kept thinking about it. That night, was the first time she felt herself feeling so aroused over someone. She never asked for before, it was always her exes asking, begging for her to touch them.

Is this why she keeps lusting over Joohyun?

Well, she won’t deny it, the older woman is undeniably attractive.

Inside, out.

The first time she saw her in the exhibition hall, she felt so starstruck.

Seungwan is a royal therefore she has a higher status, but Joohyun has this regal aura around her and her snappy attitude added to the charm. Growing up with rules all her life, making the young royal craves something out of her norm. Her thirst to rebel is always there but she suppressed it for the sake of getting her revenge and she finds the same spirit in Joohyun. The woman who wants to break free from her family’s claws. She feels that they have some kind of connection, therefore Joohyun is perfect for her plan.

Initially, she thought everything would be strictly business between them but now as they shared their time together, she can’t deny that she quite likes her company, scratch that, she likes her company a lot. Even though they mostly bicker with each other but it helps her divert her mind from the storm that she’s about to make. Joohyun is alone in the palace so she tries to come back earlier once or twice a week because she knows how lonely it feels to be left alone in such a hellish place.

Joohyun might not know, but lately, Seungwan has tried to make her feel more comfortable in the palace. She let the woman re-decorate their bedroom (after the latter complained how the room looked so dull) and even gave up her biggest study room as Joohyun’s dresser. She even gave the woman the freedom to go out as much as she wants as long as she takes her guard along with her.

Seungwan sighed internally. She’s starting to act like a simp.

So what is it?

What is it that makes Joohyun so special?

Is it because of her thirst for the woman?

Or is it because she genuinely cares for her?

But then, Seungwan is not the type who easily falls in love nor a fool to let herself give away her heart that easily. Her difficult life teaches her to be careful, to not wear her heart on her sleeve, and always be on her guard. She is a rational person, mind over heart, that’s what she always believe. She is always careful when taking a step, everything is planned and calculated. Nothing ever missed but right now, Joohyun has managed to make her doubt her belief.

Why does that drunk Joohyun keep lingering on her mind?

No matter how much she tries to forget it. A memory of the woman writhing under her is as stubborn as the real-life Joohyun. If she isn’t busy thinking about her plan, she probably will think about it more than she can imagine.

Seungwan heard the bathroom door being opened and as usual, the lavender smell emerged as soon as Joohyun stepped out, drying her hair with a towel.

As usual, she looks fine, no matter if it's day or night. She always looks so fine, be it in that skin-tight dress that hugged her body so well or even in her baggy clothes.

Is it Seungwan hormones talking? She doesn’t know.

Joohyun noticed her stare and frowned, “What?”

“What?” Seungwan woke up from her stupor and mimicked her wife back.

“Something on my face?”

“No, rather, are you practicing dark magic or something?”

Because you’re so enchanting.

“What the hell are you talking about, Seungwan?”

“I have no idea either,” Seungwan says before clearing . She has to find a solution to this primal need over Joohyun or else it’ll distract her.

She can’t afford to get distracted by her hormones. It’s so embarrassing!

“Anyway, let’s meet your grandmother tomorrow. I want to get your father's ceremony done earlier.”

“Huh?” Her wife looks so surprised, “But it’s only two months after our wedding.”

Seungwan knew about the agreement between Joohyun and Madam Bae, the latter would give the ceremony six months after their marriage but Seungwan thought to push it earlier. She did this out of her concern for Joohyun and her mother, especially her mother. Seungwan knew the feeling of being an outcast and stripped from her rights by her own family. She hated that so she wanted to give back the rights and properties to Joohyun and her mother, no need to prolong it. She trusted Joohyun enough not to break the contract after the ceremony.

“The eighth full moon is a good month to hold a ceremony. I thought you would want this sooner instead of prolonging it.”

“But Madam Bae won’t … “

“Grandma Bae. From now on, you call her, Grandma Bae. You’re a Princess now, your status higher than her. They can’t ask you to treat them as if they’re above you,” Seungwan reminds her.

“Right.” Joohyun kept forgetting that she is a princess now.

“Don’t worry. I’m good at persuading people. Leave it to me.” Seungwan waves her hand like it’s nothing, well yeah, Madam Bae won’t be able to say no to the crown princess. It’ll be a death wish.

“Thank you,” Joohyun says genuinely. She can’t help but feel her heart touched by Seungwan’s kind act. The latter didn’t need to help her like this but she did. Whatever her reason was, it didn’t erase the fact that she helped her to honor her father. Someone who was so important to Joohyun.

“It means a lot to me and you know why,” Joohyun sighs happily, her smiles glowing, “If you ever need my help on something, just let me know. I’ll help you out as a payback for your kindness.”

Seungwan nodded, feeling warm on her cheeks. She had expected that Joohyun would be feeling grateful but not like this. Offering her something, well, she knows that she wants one thing from her …

No!

Seungwan shakes her head.

“Sure. I’ll let you know if … if I need your help,” she stumbles on her words. Can’t help it when she sees the other woman grinning from ear to ear.

***

Next day

Seungwan was already off to work an hour ago meanwhile Joohyun wasn’t needed until around lunchtime so she thought to spend her time walking around the Palace, familiarizing herself. Something that she should do in her first few days but she was too busy adapting to her princess roles and she also wanted to avoid stumbled upon Sohee as much as possible. Sunhwa on other hand, would visit her once or twice a week, she should’ve visited the older woman since she was the younger of the two but Princess Sunhwa didn’t really care. She would come whenever she wanted or rather whenever she had juicy gossip around.

Anyway, Joohyun noticed that the Palace was beautiful in the morning. She wanted to enjoy her free time and thought maybe she should visit one of the gardens. There were 3 gardens in the palace and the East Garden was the closest to her residence so it was a perfect choice until she remembered the pond where she met Seungwan after the crown prince's birthday ceremony a few months ago.

“Hey, Chaeyoung. I wonder, can you take me to the pond?”

Chaeyoung, who was a rather bright young woman, nodded eagerly.

“Yes, Wangnyeo. Which pond?”

Joohyun frowned upon hearing her question, “How many ponds are there?”

“Well, we have 3 ponds. The first one and the largest is King’s pond, it’s near the Gojong hall. The second one is Mugunghwa pond, it’s in the middle of The Palace, near Sohee-wangnyeo’s residence, and the last one … umm, Queen’s pond, we have to cross the west garden first to reach it.”

“Hmm … I don’t remember the name but I know there is this long red bridge there, the step to get there is rocky and there are a lot of trees surrounding the pond.”

Chaeyoung held her breath, she knew that pond very well.

“That’s the Queen’s pond,” she murmurs quietly.

“Oh, can you take me there?”

“Ye-yes but it’ll take around 15 minutes to reach the pond,” Chaeyoung is feeling rather reluctant to bring the princess there.

“It’s fine. I’ve got enough time until lunch but does other Princess like to hang out there? I mean, I don’t want to interrupt any of them,” truthfully she doesn’t want to meet any of them, she wants to spend her time alone.

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