I quickly left the guest room, not bothering to send Woobin off and hurried to my father’s office. I didn’t get too far when Mirae called for me from down the hall.

“Princess, your father is waiting for you. He wants to have lunch together.” 

Good timing. 

I didn't waste a second before making my way to where my father was. If Woobin isn’t going to listen to me, then I will find someone that will take my words seriously.

Once arriving, my father looks up from where he is sitting to welcome me with a bright smile. “There you are.”

I gave him a quick smile before sitting across from him. With the servers and maids bringing out the plates of food, I couldn’t break the news to him immediately.

“Haewon, make sure you eat a lot.” My father pointed at the plates with the pair of chopsticks in his hand. “It would have been nice if Prince Woobin had joined us before leaving.”

“Father, there’s something you need to know.”

He nodded as he placed a little bit of each side dish into my bowl of rice. “I’m listening, but eat a bit first.” He smiled brightly.

“Father, it’s important,” I emphasized and waited for him to look up, indicating that he was listening to me. “I think there may be another uprising.”

He placed his chopsticks down and continued to chew the food already in his mouth. “How do you know?”

“Those were Sungrok’s last words to me.” Well, it wasn’t exactly that but, I didn’t want this conversation to end the same way it ended with Woobin. “Now, I know it is hard to believe but we can never be too careful, right?”

“Haewon, are you sure?” 

“Of course, I am.”

He breathed out before continuing, “and you trust his words?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the Lone Werewolf isn’t that trustworthy, are you sure it wasn’t one of his tricks?” My father questioned calmly but I was anything but calm.

“Are you also doubting my words?” Can I not be taken seriously? “Are you also going to brush away this possible threat?”

“Haewon,” he called me softly. “That’s not what I’m saying.”

“But, you don’t trust me.” 

“It’s not you that I don’t trust, I don’t trust the Lone Werewolf,” he insisted, but it did nothing to make me feel better.

This felt like Sungrok’s situation all over again. I wasn’t going to be listened to and it felt awful. 

“Honey, your food is getting cold,” my father breaks the silence and picks his chopsticks up again.

“I’m not hungry.” 

Before I could get up from my chair to leave the dining table, my father reaches out for my hand. “Please understand, Haewon.” His pleading temporarily keeps me at the table but I didn’t lift my eyes to look at him. “You’re worrying over nothing. There hasn’t been any sign of an uprising ever since the region of Yoggu had crushed the last one.”

“People could possibly get hurt.” I want my words and worries to reach him. I look up to meet his eyes and he pats my hand with his.

“We can take care of it.”

I didn’t have a response and he retracts his hand, before motioning towards my bowl of rice.

“Haewon, please eat. You promised.”

And, that was the end of discussion. To make good on my part of the deal, I grab the pair of chopsticks from beside my bowl and slowly begin eating. Lunch carried on without further talk regarding anything with Lone Werewolves instead, my father spoke about more banquets and royal dinners that were scheduled later on in the week and month.

When he noticed me not adding to any of the conversation, he stopped as his eyes landed on me. “Haewon, I know you’re upset -“

“I’m not upset.” I picked at my food that had been barely touched.

“You didn’t complain about the gatherings - you’re upset,” he concludes once more. When he doesn’t hear a reply, he sighs. “I will have Steel look into it.”

My hands stop their movements and I meet his eyes before finally responding, “that’s all I want.” 

He nods and gives me a small smile. “I know you mean well, Haewon.” 

“I just don’t want people getting hurt, father.”

“I know.” He places his lap napkin onto the table before switching the subject to something brighter. “So, what are you going to do today?”

I thought about it for a second, but there really wasn’t much of a list. “I’m visiting Daehyun.”

“Please remember -“

“Don’t get attached,” I finished off his sentence for him. Only because I don’t think I would really heed his advice. It’s not like I was getting really close to him. I’m just lonely and just want someone to talk to.

“Good.” He gets up from his seat and I do the same. “I’ll be in my office when you need me.”

After my father left, I headed towards the prison tower. Now that I’m thinking about it, I have been spending more time here than my greenhouse. That’s unexpected. 

Without much trouble, I was let into the tower and I climbed the stairs, up to where Daehyun should be held. Even if I insisted, they wouldn’t put him in a hospital bed. Again, pressing the notch beside the metal door, I wait for the floor to be opened up to me.

“Why is a Princess frequenting such a place?”

The voice belonging to Daehyun welcomes me and I step in to greet him. “How are the injuries?” I focused on the white bandages wrapped around his body. “You look like a mummy.”

“Is that what your people do?”

“What do you mean?” I casually placed my hands behind my back and stood in my spot. The quietness coming from the other cells made me think of Woobin’s castle’s prison. It was a whole lot calmer here.

“Defend humans.” 

His words brought me back from my unrelated thoughts. “I don’t know what you’re saying.”

“Werewolves couldn’t have done this.” Daehyun motions at the state of his body. “Humans are the only ones that would do something like this.”

“Hero wouldn’t be wrong about that,” I quickly denied without any doubt.

“He’s a royal mutt. As long as he says the right things, I’m sure he could say anything and it’ll be a fact.”  

“Daehyun, it’s not nice to call someone a mutt.” 

“Don’t say my name like we’re acquaintances,” he unkindly points out. 

“I mean, you’re the one that told me your name -“ I saw him open his mouth to protest, “ — fine. What you do want me to call you?”

He doesn’t respond and since I figure he didn’t know at the moment, I switch the subject.

“You remind me of someone.”

He plays along, seeing there is no way in stopping our interaction. “Of who?”

“He was also a Lone Werewolf and his words were rough like yours.” My hands that were held behind my back unclasped so that they can play with the buttons on my blouse. “Is it like that with all Lone Werewolves?” I asked innocently. “Do you all hate humans?”

“Yes.” There was no hesitation in his answer. “It’s like this inbred hatred - something natural that doesn't need to be learned.”

“Though I don’t like it, I understand it.” I looked back at him.

It’s expected from those who had never seen anything positive about humans. I’m sure not everyone out there hate or degrade Werewolves, but I’m convinced there are only few. I can guess where this distrust grew from – Lone Werewolves are a group that is heavily targeted by humans because by nature, they are alone. They travel alone and they are attacked when they are alone. So I can imagine the hatred that some of them hold for royals or in general, humans.

“If you do, then you know how I can’t stand being here.” 

“But if you leave, I won’t have some