Night Prince

Hope

The stone staircase spiralled down from the rooftop, leading Seri and Ri Jeong Hyeok down the winding path back to the castle. In the warm confines of the castle, they shook off the biting cold night air. Footsteps echoed off the cobblestone walls, sounding louder than usual since most of the castle's inhabitants were fast asleep.

The oversized cloak fastened around Seri's neck at the courtesy of her Night Prince dragged across the floor, brushing against the stones before Ri Jeong Hyeok lifted the cloak up for ease of movement.

Smiles were exchanged in the dim corridor before they continued their journey back to the West Wing of the castle where Seri was staying. Soon, their foot met tiled floors, a marrying of modern royalty with the ancientness of the aged castle.

Stopping in front of the room, Seri checked the empty corridors once again before she opened the door.

"Seri ssi, I don't think it's-" Ri Jeong Hyeok started protesting. He was taught to be a gentleman and that meant a man should never enter a woman's room alone.

Of course, Seri didn't give him a choice. The beauty was known for her feistiness for good reason. She simply pulled him into the bedroom when he showed signs of hesitation.

Now don't get her wrong, Seri doesn't just let anyone into her room. She knew how to protect herself and the prince simply won her trust over. She knew that he would never harm her intentionally. She trusted him.

Besides, she desperately needed to show him the book.

"Seri ssi, maybe we can do this in the library?" Ri Jeong Hyeok suggested.

After Seri pulled him into the room, the poor prince stayed put near the door, not daring to cross the threshold to the room. He was almost pressed up against the far wall where the door was, shifting uneasily as he watched Seri.

"I'm good, Jeong Hyeok ssi. Come here, you have to see this." Seri waved him over.

When he never came, Seri let out a heavy sigh and snapped the book shut. Taking purposeful strides up to him, the beauty pulled him further into the room, much to the prince's horror.

Noting down the lack of chairs at the study table, Seri plonked herself down on the queen-sized bed and began to flip the pages of the heavy book.

"Jeong Hyeok ssi, sit down." Seri patted the empty space next to her.

"I'm perfectly fine standing." The prince swallowed nervously.

Rolling her eyes, Seri once again resorted to pulling the prince down next to her. Reaching out to wrap her hand around Jeong Hyeok's wrist, Seri never gave the prince the option to reject her offer.

Did he expect them to stand and read from the book that weighed like a sack of rice? She wasn't particularly fond of the idea of getting a sore wrist from holding the ridiculously heavy book.

Of course, her bold actions had the prince feeling shy all over as evident by his lobster-red face. Shifting uncomfortably, Ri Jeong Hyeok tried his best to put some distance between him and Seri, not wanting to take advantage of her trust.

"Relax, Jeong Hyeok ssi. I just need to show you this." Seri finally stopped flipping the pages when she found the one she was looking at.

"What's this?" Ri Jeong Hyeok's eyebrows were knitted tight together as he read the contents.

Of course, he knew what he was reading but he was having trouble understanding it. His brain refused to process anything related to that day. All shyness left him when he saw his brother's name at the top of the page, a reminder of a tragedy the befell the castle.