WHACKKK! Joohyun jumped slightly as the hard file hit the table. “How did this happen?” the crown prince asked calmly. With her controlled voice, she answered the crown prince’s question, explaining how the woman had gotten into the young prince’s room and how the guards had captured a paparazzo.

The crown prince took off his glasses and pressed his nose bridge. “When are you going to grow up?” he asked his son. Yunho didn’t respond. The father looked up at him and so did Joohyun. Yunho had his earphones on, so he couldn’t hear them. Joohyun discreetly used her foot to nudge him. Yunho looked away from his screen and looked at the disturbance at his feet. “Joohyun,” the father’s voice boomed. Her eyes turned back to him. “Stop.”

Yunho took off his earphones and listened to his father lecture him. It was the same cycle of “you’re 27” to “you’re the prince” to “you’re the future king of Korea”. Even Joohyun had heard it plenty of times.

“What if I don’t want to be king?” Yunho suddenly asked. Everyone in the room was caught off-guard. This was the first time that the prince had retaliated with such a question. “What if I’m not fit?”

“Your highness, you shouldn’t think like that. You have the potential to be a great king,” Joohyun said quickly to dissipate the tension and seeds of doubt in the room.

“Joohyun, stop,” the father said. “Everyone, leave the room. I need a moment with my son. I’ll continue with you later, Joohyun.” The staff started to recede out of the room.

“You know what, Joohyun stop. Yunho said. “Why don’t we settle it now? What are you going to do with her, Father? Fire her?”

“Everyone, out of the room NOW!” The staff quickly bowed and retreated. “Joohyun. Stay.” Joohyun went back to her original position and waited as the room emptied out.

“Have a seat, Joohyun,” the crown prince said in a softer voice. Joohyun sat opposite the young prince. “Why are you doing this to me?”

“I just felt like I shouldn’t be king anymore. Changmin’s serious about it, let him have the position,” Yunho said.

“So you’re saying I should not ascend the throne, is that it?” the father asked. Joohyun started feeling out of place, her heart rate increasing.

“Asc