You gone to the toilet? Got your popcorn? It's a long ending. (longer than my usual chapters)

Joohyun looked up to her side. Changmin was standing a distance diagonally from her, according to the social status and the formation for the 100th day ceremony. Finally, Changmin had returned to Seoul. The royal couple walked to the altar with their child, walking past all their guest. As Changmin turned his head toward the couple before her, she turned her head forward to look at them.

--Flashback—

Joohyun-ah, Changmin is in France looking for you. I went into labor because I panicked at the reason for his departure. I don’t know what you will do, but I want you to know, so that you can prepare yourself if you have seen him. Please tell me if you have seen him.

Joohyun panicked at the email. She immediately called Kris on her cellphone and told him what she had read and what she wanted to do. “Stay calm. I have a plan. Whatever you do, whoever, calls out to you –even if it’s me, respond in French.”

And she did just that. According to Kris’s plan, she spoke in French. She acted like she didn’t know Changmin, and tried to break free from him. And just on cue, Kris appeared to save her. Like he planned it, the police came after them to break the fight up and arrest them.

She looked back up at him. The bruise had cleared up from his face since the last time she saw him.

--Flashback—

“Joohyun-ah,” Yunho leaned forward with his elbows on his laps. “You know Changmin is looking for you right?”

Joohyun looked down at her hands. “You’ve seen him, haven’t you?” Joohyun didn’t respond, but her tears did. “Is that why you’re in Rome? You were running from him, weren’t you?”

“He won’t come back unless you do,” Yunho said firmly.

“I don’t want to,” she refused firmly.

“And then he won’t. This was what you didn’t want, right? And this is what’s happening, Joohyun-ah. You have to return otherwise he wouldn’t. He’s going to run away from his duties, Joohyun.”

Joohyun’s gaze softened, and Yunho knew she had taken the bait. “One week,” Joohyun said softly. “I’ll stay only for a week. He will be back for the party and I’ll leave after that.” Yunho’s smile dropped a little, but he picked it back up. “Agreed. But I wish you could stay longer. The ladies would want to spend more time with you. You have no idea how much they’ve missed you.”

A sigh escaped . Cameras were still snapping away at the procession. Joohyun reminded herself to contain everything. 'He’s back like the plan, so just do this and leave.' The procession ended and everyone was heading to the reception when a lady approached. Coming from a distance, Kris and Suho stopped the lady, knowing that she had a huge camera with her. “I’m sorry. I’m from the K------- University Newsletter. I just want a small interview with Miss Seo for the paper about her. She can refuse to answer any questions she does not want to,” the reporter appealed.

The two guards looked at Joohyun, who looked at the crowd heading to the hall reception. “It’s alright. But can we do this after the party?” Joohyun asked sweetly. The reporter grinned and accepted her request, “I will be waiting outside with the reporters. Please call me at this number.”

Was she to avoid Changmin throughout the party? Maybe they shouldn’t talk at all. Perhaps it would hurt less if they don’t meet each other. Joohyun didn’t stay attached long on the matter. Guests approached her differently, asking if she had lived well for the past one and a half years. Older friends of the family asked about her parents. She subtly shifted the subject away from her parents after answering about their health. The Jung sisters occasionally saved her from conversation with people they barely knew.

“Changmin oppa came back in time for the party! He’s been away for three months already,” Soojung stated cautiously as the three ladies sat at a table privately and had some pastry. The guards stood around them, keeping other guests away. Joohyun just nodded her head in acknowledgement.

“Aren’t you going to talk to him?” Sooyeon asked straightforwardly. Joohyun was surprised by Sooyeon’s question. “I-I- I don’t think we will. Maybe we will, haha, if we have a chance to.”

“You know that he went to find you right?” Sooyeon stated the obvious. “Eonni!” Soojung whispered at her sister.

“He went all the way to Europe to find you and you’re just going to let this chance slip away?” Joohyun was at a lost for words. Kris and Suho tensed at the princess’s question, peeking slightly behind to look at their lady. Soojung was observing Joohyun too. It’s not that they wanted to keep the two apart; they just obeyed the lady. “Do you have any idea how hard he worked to forget you? And then he had to work hard just to find you again? And now you’re going to run away again.”