Not Quite a Prince || Eric Sohn

~ 35 ~

When Dayeong opened her eyes, she was in a room that wasn't her own. A beautiful room though. She struggled to sit up, and when she looked around she noticed Juyeon and the rest of her security team standing at the other end of the room. A nurse was by her side. 

"How are you feeling?" the nurse asked her.  

"Not great," Dayeong admitted, leaning back on her pillows. "I think... Can I have something to eat and drink? That would help me a lot."

"It's already on the way," the nurse said, smiling at her. "Do you need anything else?" 

She shook her head.

"Okay, I'll be on my way," the nurse said, standing up. "All of your guards will be right outside your door, so call them if you need anything," she explained. 

Her heart dropped to the floor, watching the nurse leave and the guards follow her. She'd be alone again. 

"Wait!" she said, sitting up so fast that her head spun again. The guards all turned in unison to look at her. "Um... Juyeon... can I ask you something?" she said, feeling embarrassed now. 

He nodded, motioning for the rest of the guards to leave. They left and closed the door, leaving the two of them alone. 

"What can I do for you, Your Highness?" Juyeon asked, walking over to her. 

"I just... I don't want to be alone," she said softly. "Would you mind staying with me?" she asked, gesturing to the chair beside her bed. She was feeling dizzy again, the world seemed to be spinning in ways it wasn't supposed to. 

"Of course," he replied, his tone calm and serious. Steady. His voice steadied her a bit, and she closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on her breathing. She slowly lowered herself back to her pillows. 

"I'm sorry," she mumbled as the dizziness ceased. She opened her eyes but couldn't bear to look at Juyeon directly in the face. "This is embarrassing. I didn't mean to be such a burden."

"It's not embarrassing, Your Highness," he said. "We all have our moments. You have nothing to apologize for."

A small smile came to her face and she closed her eyes again, feeling a little better now. "I'm prone to fainting," she said, feeling the need to talk to someone. "I hate it. It makes me feel so weak. I already have no power... and it just adds to that feeling, you know?" she said, looking at him. He wasn't looking at her, he probably wasn't really allowed to make eye contact, but he nodded his head ever so slightly, letting her know that he was listening. "I'm really scared," she admitted, expecting to feel better saying those words aloud. It didn't make her feel better though. Nothing changed. "Usually, at home, the nurses and guards know what to do to help me. For some reason, the scent of roses has always been really calming for me, and they always rush to get some for me," she said, laughing and shaking her head at herself. A ghost of a smile formed on Juyeon's lips, gone so quick she almost thought she'd imagined it. But she hadn't, and the sight prompted her to keep talking. 

"I'm such a pain," she continued, still half laughing at herself. "Thanks for helping me at the airport. It means a lot. And I know it's your job and all, but still, thank you. Thanks for helping me then and for not leaving me alone now." 

Juyeon was quiet for a long moment, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable. Even though she'd just met him, she somehow got the feeling that he had been listening intently, and was thinking of the best way to respond. 

"Anything you need, I'll be here," he finally said, the words bringing a smile to her lips.