Day 14
Marry the Princess, they Said
Day 14.
Today marks the end of two weeks that I have been in this world.
Though I am not any closer to my initial goal (which is to bring the Prince back), I still feel as though I have accomplished something, as I have gotten closer to the Prince.
However, the strange feelings do not go away. In fact, they have gotten worse. Was it really possible for the condition to escalate so quickly in the span of one day? Suddenly, my heart starts jumping in my chest even when the Prince merely walks into the room. And when I see him smile at me, an unusual feeling bubbles in my stomach that never happened before. My breath gets caught in my throat as I gawk at him, which seems to always make him laugh. And when the sweet sound reaches my ears, it seems as though everything is suddenly right in my world.
I then realize that the Prince has become an important person to me. Not that he was not important before; he was, but right now... he is important to me as a person I truly care for, not just someone I have to bring back as part of my quest.
It seems as though the Prince did not need to go to work today. I am relieved, as I am still not comfortable with the idea of Royalty working. I anticipated that we were then going to be staying inside; however, towards midday after we have eaten our lunch, he persuaded me to go out with him someplace. I obliged, of course, since I have wanted to spend proper time with the Prince myself.
We walked along the streets, finding it to be somewhat deserted (relatively) since it seemed to be snowing hard today, more so than usual. I suddenly felt the Prince's hands slipping slowly into mine. I look down at him, puzzled and waited for an explanation, but he gave none; he merely gave me yet another one of his sweet smiles. He asked me if I minded the gesture; I, of course, replied in the negative. The fluttering feeling in my stomach returned as I tried to control my heartbeat once more. I must get checked by the local physician; I am starting to get worried about my condition. I do not think this is normal at all.
He brought me to an open space overlooking a big body of water, which he called Hangang Park. Apparently, this is where people went to spend time with each other whenever they have time; however, at this time of the year, there are not as many who go due to the cold weather. He told me that this is perfect, since he never did like being near large crowds. He laid down a piece of cloth for us to sit down on (the Prince is truly prepared for everything), and then told me to wait as he ran off.
I looked towards his retreating figure, utterly intrigued by the very endearing quirks the Prince is starting to show. I thought that he was a fairly serious person when I met him; but now, it seems as though he is the exact opposite. He is serious at times, yes, but most of the time he is a very fun person to be with. I am still the person telling all the not-so funny jokes all the time, but he is always ready with a pleasant laugh. Just seeing him in the morning already completes my day.
The Prince came back with what appeared to be two pieces of cylindrical metal in his hand. He handed me one, and to my surprise, the heat radiating from it seeped through my gloves. I watched as he pulled what appears to be a switch on the bottle, and drank from it. He peered at me and wondered why I was watching him, when he told me he forgot that I am from another world. He opened the cylindrical metal contraption for me, and to my surprise, the aroma of coffee radiated from inside. He told me that the hot coffee in this world came from 'vending machines', and what I am holding is a 'can' that they typically come in. Ah, all the interesting contraptions this world truly offers. I do not think I will be able to learn of all of them before we go back. I am lying if I said that I would not miss this world; I truly will, for all the convenience it offers. However, I still long for my real home, and wonder if the Prince sometimes does too.
He seemed to have read my mind, as he suddenly put down his can of coffee and peered at me seriously. I am suddenly aware of his piercing yet soft gaze directed on me, as I became entirely conscious of my whole being. He let out a loud sigh, then suddenly started asking questions about my world and his parents and everything that he has to do.
I was surprised, since the Prince has not expressed any sort of interest in anything pertaining to our world for all the days I have been with him. I began eagerly answering his questions and telling him things that I have not yet mentioned; It seemed as though we sat out in the cold for a long, long time, with me prattling away and the Prince listening on patiently and excitedly.
After my whole tirade of explanations when I was sure I had exhausted all of the information I have for him, we sat in silence for a few moments to give ourselves time to contemplate. And it seemed as though we sat there for a good hour; but I did not mind, as it seems as though time goes by very fast even when the Prince is merely sitting beside me. He heaved another heavy sigh, and once again, his hand found my hand as he gave it a tight squeeze. I peered at him, he looked back at me with a gaze I could not read. It seemed as though he was debating on what to tell me.
Then finally, after a few agonizing moments, he asked me when I was going to go back.
I told him that I will go back when he wants to, as it is my mission to bring him with me. And he asked if I will stay here if he does not want to go back. I immediately replied in the affirmative, and told him that it is my mission and I am not allowed to go back without him. Then he asked me a question that legitimately threw me off guard.
He asked if I would stay here with him even if he makes the decision that he does not want to go back and will instead stay here forever.
I do not know how the answer to that question. I have never thought about it. Will I really be required to stay with the Prince as long as he does not want to go back, or will I be sent back when it is clear that he expresses no desire? However, I take one look at him, and my mouth immediately replies in the affirmative before I could even think about anything. It finally dawned on me, at that moment, that I have ceased to view the Prince as a mission.
I genuinely wanted to be with him, even if it means staying in this world.
He seemed surprised by my answer, but did not say anything. Instead, that sweet, small smile that I so love crossed his lips once more, as he looked down on our hands. Without my noticing, our hands were naturally intertwined, as if it were meant to be in each other's. I made no move to pull away; neither did he. We sat there for a few moments, with him looking down on our hands blankly. I was slightly alarmed at his unusual acting, but before I could ask him, he looked back up at me and stared straight into my eyes.
I noticed a slight tinge of pink forming at his cheeks, as they turned redder every second he spends looking at me. I became alarmed, thinking that he may be getting sick. Without thinking, I used my free hand to feel his cheek; he jumped slightly, but almost unnoticeably. He made no move to break the gaze; not knowing what to do, I held it. Was it audacious of me to stare straight into Royalty's eyes? But it seemed rude to look away, too. It seemed as though he was reading me and to interrupt that would seem disrespectful.
Then suddenly, he broke the gaze and buried his face deep into my coat, mumbling something I did not catch. Almost as if my arms were not my own, I automatically wrapped them around the Prince's smaller frame, filming him in my embrace. His arms slowly encircled my waist, as he kept his face buried in my chest. I willed my heart to stop beating so fast and loudly, as he was bound to notice! However, as luck would have it, my heart stubbornly beat even faster the longer we stayed in this position. I swallowed and prayed hard, hoping that he would not notice my nervousness (I could only chalk it up to that feeling, as this is Royalty in close proximity to my body, after all). I do not know why the Prince suddenly acted that way; perhaps he was feeling cold and wanted to share my body warmth. I am more than willing, though I very much wished that my chest would obey my orders for once and stop my heart from trying to jump out.
He pulled away slightly, though not fully; enough to make himself heard. He asked me why my heart was going mad, and quite frankly, I did not know how to answer. I do not know what I am feeling, so I cannot give a definite reply. I stammered for a few moments, racking my brain for any excuses. He then laughed at me, before pulling away entirely though still staying close. He then looked towards the sunset, and pointed it out to me.
The colors of the sky as they blended with the orange and red of the sun truly made the sight breathtaking. The flaming orb slowly set towards the horizon, as I watched in awe. And then, the Prince said it.
I like you.
And suddenly, the sunset was forgotten as I turned to him in shock.
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