❛ 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 ❜ | jsc

22

aera had been sitting on her bed for the past hour, gazing at the mirror at her own miserable expression.

her hair was softly curled and tiny white flowers had been weaved in and out of it. sungchan had sent a dress for her, he wanted her to look her best for some reason. aera was still unsure about this whole thing.

why would sungchan want her at his wedding? to suffer? still, she had promised to be there. she smoothed down the silky fabric of her dress just as someone knocked on her door.

aera hummed in response, signaling that it would be okay to enter and in came renjun, looking absolutely jaw-dropping in a suit. she smiled at him. "you ready?"

renjun watched her with a wary expression, he had no idea about the deal with sungchan because she hadn't told him. he was still confused as to why she wanted to go to the wedding but he wasn't one to ask too many questions.

as aerea stood up, renjun came closer to fix a flower in her hair. when he glanced at her face again, they were extremely close.

it was the perfect distance for a kiss and renjun seemed to think so when he glanced down at her lips, which were painted a soft pink.

aera tried to speak but stuttered so she just shut her mouth instead.

"you look beautiful." he breathed out and looked at her in the eyes again. as she returned his intense gaze, she saw so many different emotions in his eyes.

the one that stood out the most was pain. he knew. he knew she still loved the prince.

renjun stepped away from her and sighed, giving up the chance to kiss her. she could feel his disappointment and it hurt. she loved renjun too, just not as much as sungchan. with renjun, it was more of a love by consequence, she only came to have such emotions for him because he was willing to step in to mend her heart.

she frowned, remembering her father's words, never try and mend someone's broken heart, because they'll always leave you for the person that broke them.

"renjun-" she began, but renjun cut her off.

"aera. stop. i know you love him and you'll always will, i can't force you to return my feelings. the soulmate bond gave you a chance to choose me and you didn't. there's nothing i can do even though it hurts. just... look at your arm." he said.

aera looked down, expecting the fox to be where it always was, except it was a fox at all. it was a dove.

she looked back up at renjun, who was hiding his face from her, blinking the tears away desperately.

"come on, we'll be late for the wedding." renjun said and held out his arm to escort the girl.

~

the entire venue was filled to the brim with royals from all over. the separate kingdoms had come to witness the joining of two powerful kingdoms. yet as sungchan stood awkwardly, the bride was nowhere to be found.

bom was still in her bride's chambers, tears streaming down her face as she was face to face with chenle. he had come to give her flowers and say goodbye to his love forever.

he couldn't seem to leave, however, when bom had hugged him and started crying.

"i don't want this." she whispered to him and he stroked her braided her.

"i always thought you did." he confessed and she shook her head.

"it'll mean war if i don't do this, sungchan's dad won't be happy if i withdraw." she told him.

chenle tilted his head. "but sungchan doesn't love you either, you would only suffer in your marriage."

bom sighed, leaning her body closer to chenle, liking the warmth he radiated. "the contract says if either party withdraws, all treaties and ties will be cut and military action will come into play."

chenle blinked, his lips curving up into a smile. "and what if both parties withdraw?"

bom looked at him weirdly. "what do you mean?"

"sungchan plans on taking aera and running away to his brother's kingdom tonight. he might not have to run though if you forfeit the marriage as well. it would be a stalemate."

bom's eyes widened and chenle placed a hand on her cheek.

"will you forfeit the marriage for me?" he asked, giving her another chance to prove her love for him.

bom nodded without a pause. "will you walk me down the aisle then?"

chenle smirked at the notion of causing chaos. "i don't see why not."