"Pardon? Your Majesty, your royal order is…?"

"Find the perfect crown princess for my son during the ball to celebrate his coming-of-age."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Jongwoon bowed down gracefully to accept the royal order from His Majesty the King. In two months, Crown Prince Kyuhyun will turn eighteen which is an eligible age for marriage. As the young prince's royal advisor, it was his duty to search for the perfect candidate and introduce her to the crown prince. He excused himself and quickly got to work. There were countless noble ladies in the kingdom and he must go through the list thoroughly. Only the wisest, kindest, and most gorgeous lady would be suitable to stand beside the perfect prince.

And that person is definitely not me.

He shook the strayed thought away. It didn't matter how much he loved and cared for the charming crown prince. He was merely a royal advisor. That place beside the young prince didn't belong to him… Sighing, Jongwoon stepped into his private study, ready to start the candidate investigation, only to find the said crown prince sleeping on a pigeon-blood lush chaise lounge. He snorted. The prince ran away from his classes again. He covered the future monarch with a silk blanket before starting his work. An occasional sound of songbirds and the young prince's even breathing accompanied him as he went through a list of the houses with a daughter, checking their backgrounds one by one.

"Mm, Jongwoon hyung? Since when did you come back? Why don't you wake me up?"

"I wouldn't dare, Your Highness."

"Hyung! I told you to use my name!"

Crown Prince Kyuhyun's pout prompted a giggle from him. He was brought into the palace from a street by the King and the Queen and grew up alongside the crown prince. Being four years older, he had always treated the prince as a younger brother. However, his feelings for the crown prince started to change after Crown Prince Kyuhyun stepped into adolescence. He fell for the younger man's kindness, bravery and maturity. But the dashing prince was like the sun, too bright to look at it directly, while he was just a tiny star, one of many in the vast sky. So, he knew better than to dream hopelessly and focused on becoming a great help for the crown prince in the future.

"You know very well that I can't."

"But it's just the two of us here. You promised!"

The crown prince got up and sat down on the desk instead. Jongwoon worked hard to stop a blush from spreading when the young prince cupped his face. His heart drummed crazily as the gentle brown eyes stared into his very soul.

"Call me by my name, please, hyung…"

"K-Kyuhyun…?"

"That's more like it!"

Crown Prince Kyuhyun nodded happily and let him go. The young prince then noticed a paper he was writing and read it with a frown.

"A crown princess candidate?"

"Yes, His Majesty the King ordered me to find the perfect betrothed for you during your coming-of-age ball."

"Hm, did father make any specific requirements?"

"No, but it's my duty to find the perfect bride for you, Kyuhyun."

"I see~"

To his slight surprise, the crown prince actually seemed overjoyed at the news. The charming smile made his heart ache instead of skipping a beat today. Jongwoon pursed his lips. He had no idea that Kyuhyun wanted to get married so badly… The younger man even hummed while playing with his hair and caressing his cheek. If the crown prince got married then… No. As a faithful servant, he should strive to achieve his master's happiness. Even if it cost his own…

"I can't wait for the ball to arrive!"

Yes, even if that person wasn't him…

******************************************

"Lady Iris from House Delacroix is well-versed in diplomacy and—"

"My deepest apologies, my lady, but no."

Jongwoon wasn't even done with the introduction yet when the crown prince resolutely shot him down. He hid a relieved sigh in his heart as he nodded at the noble lady who curtsied to them. The beautiful maiden gracefully raised up and excused herself. He frowned a bit, noticing how the lady actually seemed satisfied. Maybe the lady already had someone she fancied so she didn't want to be wed to the crown prince? Her circumstances aside, he couldn't believe that Kyuhyun would turn down someone with exceptional talents without a second thought.

"K— Ahem, Your Highness, are you not satisfied with the lady? Personally, I think Lady Iris is a rare talent in diplomacy and qualifies for the crown princess title."

"She is. I won't deny that. However, my betrothed must be someone even more skillful than that."

"High standards, huh?" Jongwoon snorted, "the only people who would pass that are Jungsu, the Minister of Diplomacy himself, and me, his disciple."

Kyuhyun smirked and Jongwoon's heart skipped a beat.

"Yeah, that's my point."

"What?"

The charming crown prince ignored his puzzled look and signaled him to call for the next candidate.

.

.

.

"Lady Evelyn's beauty is well-known over—"

"Indeed, her beauty exceeds even the rumor but the lady still isn't someone who I'm looking for. I'm sorry, my lady."

Once again, Jongwoon watched the lady excuse herself while smiling knowingly. The ladies that he introduced to the crown prince today all left with a smile on their lips. Did the ladies in the kingdom already have someone they held dear? How come no one showed signs of wanting to be a crown princess? Most importantly, how come Kyuhyun immediately turned them down without hesitation? Of course, his selfish side was secretly happy. But the rational side also worried that he would fail his task.

"K— Your Highness, could it be that Lady Evelyn is not to your liking?"

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, hyung. The lady is a stunning beauty but she doesn't make my heart flutter."

"Then, what kind of ladies does Your Highness prefer? If I know your preference, it'll greatly save us a lot of time."

He asked because he was genuinely curious. He had known the younger for more than a decade but he had never seen Kyuhyun lay his eyes on anyone before.

"Hm~ Someone older, kind, hard-working, sincere, indulgent to me, maybe? Oh, with beautiful eyes, gorgeous smile, cute chubby cheeks, and adorable small hands too~"

"Oh, that should narrow down the list by a lot."

Jongwoon yelped when the young prince suddenly pinched his cheek.

.

.

.

"Lady Belle from House Amarette fits your criteria and she's also an outstanding scholar—"

"Still not her."

This time, the crown prince didn't even say anything to the lady. Jongwoon hurried to apologize in his superior's stead. However, the lady actually giggled in mirth while curtseying to them, much to his puzzlement. What happened? He knew that the noble ladies were an expert in hiding their emotions but he was good at reading people too. Either he read them all wrong or none of the lady candidates wanted to be a crown princess. Is that even possible? What should he do if Kyuhyun wasn't interested in any of the ladies?

"Any candidates left?"

"K— Your Highness, I've already gone through all the names in the candidate list…"

"Really? Finally!"

"Your Highness, this isn't the time to celebrate! I can't fail my mission… There are countless beautiful ladies attending the ball. Surely, someone must've caught your eyes?"

"Yes, someone did but you've yet to introduce that person to me."

Jongwoon frowned and looked around the grand ballroom. Although there were hundred candidates, he meticulously introduced them all to the crown prince. So, it was impossible for anyone to be left out. However… He clenched his hands behind his back while biting his lip. Did Kyuhyun just confess that he already had a sweetheart whom he fancied? He swallowed jealousy down and forced a polite smile as he addressed the crown prince.

"Your Highness, may I inquire about the identity of this mysterious person who caught your eyes? Are they presenting at the ball?"

"I have a portrait if you want to take a look~"

Crown Prince Kyuhyun smiled and took out a leather-bound notebook from the pocket. Jongwoon took it and opened the first page, only for his hand to immediately stop.

It was a portrait sketch of him.

Confused, he flipped through the rest of the notebook but found only a drawing of himself in different angles and from different periods in his life. He kept turning the page until he reached the last one. His heartbeat then sped up when he saw a small oval mirror embedded in the cover. The reflection staring back at him was blushing darkly with wide surprised eyes. No wonder his cheeks suddenly felt warm. Wait. Crown Prince Kyuhyun said that this notebook contained a portrait of the person who caught his eyes but there were only his sketches so far. And the mirror in the back cover… Jongwoon looked up at the young prince but found the other man already watching him while smiling warmly.

"I-It's me…?"

"Yes, only you, always you, hyung."

"Why…? Even though there are many suitable candidates here…"

"True, the ball is full of many lovely ladies. However, I only ever look at you, Jongwoon hyung."

"M-Me? But…"

"You're the only person whom I want by my side. Will you be my crown princess, Jongwoon hyung?"

"But I'm not suitable for you…"

"Alright, my dear royal advisor, what are the must-have criteria of the perfect crown princess, in your opinion?"

"Obviously, it's someone wise, kind, hard-working, and must be loyal to you!"

Crown Prince Kyuhyun lifted his hand to press a light kiss on his fingers and Jongwoon blushed harder. The crown prince looked up and winked.

"You need not to look so far, hyung, because that person is right before me now."

The young prince hooked their hands together and Jongwoon could feel warmth spreading over his chest. Kyuhyun… loved him too…? He felt that everything happening right now was too good to be true. So, he pinched his cheek and cried softly when the pain hit him. Amused, the crown prince soothed his pain by gently caressing his cheek and happiness quickly chased away the pain. While he was relishing in the gentle touch, the King and the Queen approached them. He quickly stepped away from the crown prince and bowed down to the two monarchs.

"At ease, Jongwoon, you're like our son."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Jongwoon relaxed after seeing the Queen's motherly smile. However, he got nervous again when he turned to face the King, especially when he realized that he failed the task. No. He shook his head lightly. He did fail the royal order and couldn't find a crown princess. So, he decided to own up to his failure.

"Your Majesty, I failed your royal order. Please punish me as you see fit."

The monarch watched him with an unreadable expression and he felt even more nervous, but a firm squeeze at his hand from Kyuhyun helped ward off those feelings. Their interaction didn't escape the King's observant gaze and the man addressed him.

"And why did you fail?"

"... The crown prince only has his eyes on me and wishes to have me by his side as the crown princess. Your Majesty, please do not blame him for this. If, if anyone is at fault here…"

Jongwoon looked at Kyuhyun and strengthened his resolve.

"If anyone is at fault, then it's me who dares to fall in love with Kyuhyun despite being only a royal advisor. Your Majesty, I may not possess noble blood but my feelings and loyalty for Kyuhyun will not lose to anyone."

"Hmm, what if I told you that I do not approve of this relationship?"

"I'm willing to take as much time as Your Majesty wants to prove my dedication for Kyuhyun."

"And what if I still do not approve of you?"

Jongwoon felt his confidence deflated but he still held a gaze with the monarch. Kyuhyun had shown his dedication for him so he must do the same. While he was racking his brain for more reasons to convince the monarch, Kyuhyun came to hug him and glared at his father.

"Father, stop teasing my betrothed. I won't talk to you ever again if Jongwoon hyung runs away!"

"Hey, kid, if you and your mother can then why can't I? He's my son-in-law too."

"Dear, stop," the Queen giggled, "I won't forgive you too if you scare Jongwoon away!"

Jongwoon watched the royal family bicker back and forth dumbfounded. He looked around and saw the ball attendants smile and clap. What? Why did he feel like he was the only one being left in the dark? While he still lost his wit, Kyuhyun suddenly carried him and left the ballroom. He spent the entire night staring at the ceiling while the crown prince snored and clung to him. A few days later, he still couldn't find his wit while the giggling lady-in-waiting and many maids brought various gorgeous fabrics for him to choose from. His dumbfounded state continued even when he was standing in front of Kyuhyun who was fully dressed in royalty attire. He couldn't even remember if he kissed Kyuhyun back or not when the younger kissed him after the vows, but he probably did, judging from the crown prince's blissful gaze and smug smile. After that, he absentmindedly visited a commoner district during the day and attended a congratulatory ball at night. He only got his wit back after that when they came back to their bed chamber and Kyuhyun's hands roamed all over his body, raining countless burning kisses on his inner thighs.

"W-Wait!!! Don't tell me that everything is your plan from the beginning!!?"

"Mm, I love you too, hyung."

Ignoring his bewildered look, Kyuhyun shifted up to capture his lips and diverted his attention back to their moment at the present. It was only when their bodies completely connected that he realized…

Despite too many beautiful girls in the kingdom, Kyuhyun had chosen him as the crown princess from the beginning.