chapter soundtrack:
a bed of flowers - million eyes

Youngro wasn't aware of the time, but she was so sure she overslept that morning. From how bright the ray of sun filling the dimmed room last night, she would guess it was probably passed 7 AM by then.

Her vision was still blurry as she was just woke up seconds ago. So, she decided to close her eyes once more while she's gathering her consciousness. She had a really good sleep last night...

The girl stirred slightly, then proceeded to stretch her body. However, her movement was stopped when she could feel a strong arm that was wrapping her waist, and a warm skin touching her back.

It was Im Sooho.

The thoughts of her sleeping with her newly wedded husband — not to mention what just happened last night — made the girl flustered. It triggered the girl to gather herself up quickly.

She was under the blankets and Im Sooho was hugging her closely from the back. By then, Eun Youngro had fully awakened from her sleep. Her eyes were fully opened and she was already thinking of what to do that morning to make things less awkward.

Last night... was amazing. Youngro could feel the slight feeling of sore on the lower part of her body, however she was pleased. She was pleased with everything that happened last night. So she smiled, although her mind was still rushing on finding out what to do and what to say to the man who was hugging her from behind that morning—

 

"You're awake?"

 

His hoarse voice surprised her, making the girl instantly snapped her head to the back to find the Crown Prince staring at her from behind. His dark eyes looked dreamy. And Youngro had never seen this man looking as charming as he was that morning.

A fond smile was already plastered on his face the moment Youngro landed her eyes on him. His eyebrows were raised as he was still waiting for the girl to respond. When he saw her freezing on her current position, he left out a soft chuckle. "Good morning, Eun Youngro." He whispered softly.

His arm that was wrapping Youngro's waist moved up to caressed her arms. Slowly, the Crown Prince lowered his head and landed a kiss on her exposed shoulder.

And that gesture completely melted her.

"Good... morning, Sooho-ssi." Youngro pursed her lips and turned her head away, hiding her blushed cheeks.

Her heart was beating so fast. She needed to calm down.

When Youngro could feel her heartbeat progressively turned slower and back to the normal pace, she slowly pushed the side of her body so she could turn around to face Sooho who was laying behind her. And when she did, the first thing she saw was his exposed chest—

 

Gulp.

 

Sooho grinned when he found Youngro blinking her doe eyes in silence. She was adorable. And beautiful— like a flower in his eyes.

"Did you sleep well?" He asked, tilting his head. His fingers softly her long hair. "Are you... feeling okay, after last night?"

Youngro silently nodded, answering his question.

She didn't know why, but that morning she was feeling so intimate with Sooho. And she thought, the man must be feeling the same way, since he still had his arms wrapping her body once more that morning. She could feel him softly caressing her back while humming softly.

That morning, she felt as if she was less afraid to make a move on him. So, her fingers slowly raised up, and drew circles on the man's chest. "I did." She whispered back at him. "Last night... It felt... good."

The girl snuggled closer to him, sneaking her arms around his well built body. "It felt so good." She whispered bashfully as she hid her face on his chest.

When Sooho heard her answer, he couldn't help but chuckled giddily in return. Seeing his wife being shy like that made his heart softened. As the girl snuggled to his chest, his arms moved lower to her back, holding her closer. "Well, glad to know that. I'm feeling the same way too." He said, before kissing the top of Youngro's head.

The sound of his soft breathings.

That manly scent of his.

His arms around her.

Youngro sighed. She didn't want to go anywhere. Couldn't they just stay there all day long?

The girl tilted her head up to see the Crown Prince's face above her once more. When their eyes met, the man swiftly moved closer and kissed her lips.

 

Another score for Im Sooho.

 

By then, Youngro was burying her face again on his chest. She wasn't able to face him with her reddened face.

While they were staying close to each other, Youngro silently moved her fingers down to touch Sooho's abs. Silently, she chuckled to herself. "I'm glad I didn't leave any scar here..." She whispered.

"Hm?"

"Remember the first day we... bumped into each other? At the campus. I spilled my hot coffee that afternoon."

Of course, Sooho still remembered it. The memories that flashed back in his head made the man muffled his laugh. He couldn't believe the clumsy girl who bumped into her in front of the campus lift would be his future wife, and she would be a woman he loved who was embraced in his arms that morning.

"It burned." He uttered, a frown was visible on his face.

Youngro laughed heartily, facing the man again. This time, she was smiling widely with her heart shaped lips and her beautiful eyes were sparkling as she laughed. "I'm sorry!"

Her laugh sounded like beautiful harmonies to him— and don't get him started on how beautiful Youngro looked that morning. She was just like an angel. And Sooho felt so lucky to have her. So when he saw the girl laughing heartily at him, he couldn't help but wrapped her in his embrace tighter while laughing along with her happily.


 

"We should take a bath. You need to pay a visit to the Queen and the Queen Dowager, right?"

"Um," Hesitantly, Youngro nodded. An expression of disappointment flashed on her face. "You're right..."

 

Sooho was so sure he didn't have any alcohol last night and he was completely sober. However, he couldn't stop smiling foolishly that morning while he was watching Eun Youngro in his arms. Strangely, he even giggled at the sight of girl pouting her lips.

"We will meet again later today." He said. "I have to pay a visit to the King... then there would be multiple meetings to attend. We will meet in one of my meetings, though. We have some post-event evaluation session with the teams. I'll meet you there."

"Can't we just stay in bed all daaay?"

"We can't." He laughed softly, shaking his head.

"Come on~"

"Nope."

"Hish."

"Come here, let's get you washed up. The maids must have prepared the warm bath for us."

"Us?"

"Mm-hm," Sooho shifted his position, getting up from the beddings with a playful grin on his face. The next second, he slipped his arm under the girl's legs and the other one was placed on her back. Easily, he picked her up. "Let's go take a bath, you lazy bunny."

Although surprised, Youngro let the man lifted her petite body up from the soft beddings. Her arms were wrapped around his strong shoulders, making sure she wouldn't fall off. When he stood up, she just realized the man had already worn his pants on— it wasn't fair. She was the only one without any strings attached then.

"What! I'm not a lazy bunny!" She refused, playfully hitting his shoulder. "Will we get some bubbles on the bath?"

"I'm not sure they would have bubbles— but we'll get it for you, Crown Princess."

"Alright. Let's take a bath, Crown Prince. Off we go!"


 

❄️

chapter soundtrack:
crystal flower - 2nd moon

"Ohh Youngro," The Queen Dowager delightedly welcomed the young girl into her chamber, then asked the maids to leave them alone inside the room.

As usual, she was wearing her beautiful pieces of royal hanbok, almost similar to the one that Youngro was wearing. However, her hair style looked more complicated with more decorations and ornaments being added in between her braids and bun. In the opposite, that morning, Maeng only rolled Youngro's hair in a bun and used up to two hair ornaments to complete her looks.

"Good morning, Your Majesty." Youngro said courteously. Without further ado, she did a complete bow to the Queen Dowager a couple of times before finally took her seat on the warm floor when the older woman gestured her to do so.

The familiar warm smile on the Queen Dowager's face didn't change at all since the first time Youngro met her in person. She was indeed one warm-hearted woman. When the maids who escorted Youngro walked out of the room, leaving them alone with only one maid—a right hand woman to the Queen Dowager— in the corner of the room, the older woman even asked Youngro to move closer to her. So, the girl carefully moved herself closer to the place where the Queen Dowager was seated.

"Oh, look at you, my dear!" She exclaimed, smiling even wider to Youngro. "You look glowing!"

"Thanks to the royal stylist who have helped me this morning with my make up, Your Majesty. They have outdone themselves." Youngro smiled in return.

"It's a different kind of glow," the older woman shifted closer to her new grand daughter, making the curious girl in front of her carefully moved even closer to her. "You did it last night with Sooho, didn't you?" She whispered.

Her question got Youngro all flustered. She quickly turned her head back to check the royal maid who stood in the corner of the chamber. She had her eyes glued on the floor in silence, and her hands were covered behind the layer of her royal maid hanbok. Were they safe if they talked about their personal topic here?

"Don't worry, my right hand woman wouldn't say anything to anyone. You're the best at keeping secrets, aren't you?" The Queen Dowager giggled as she questioned the royal maid.

And the royal maid answered politely, "Yes, Your Majesty Queen Dowager."

"She had been with me for more than 10 years now. You can trust her as much as I do." The Queen Dowager said to Youngro. With a lower voice, she then asked her again. "You did it with Sooho last night, didn't you?"

Youngro, who was blushing hardly, tried her best to remain composed in front of the older monarch in front of her. She slowly nodded, "We did, Your Majesty."

The older woman chuckled giddily, then cupped the girl's face. "Oh, that's why you're glowing differently this morning, my dear. I'm so happy that both of you are married now. I really can't wait til the day I meet little Sooho... or little Youngro? It's been a while sin