IMPERIAL

𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 | 29

"When were you planning to tell me that you are well equipped with swords?" His voice sounded surprisingly calm but the Korean Prince was anything but calm in his head. He was...fucked.

Quite literally.

When he had seen Rosaliá making those powerful moves on the duel ground and defeating the commandant ranking directly below the black ace of his kingdom's army, he had nothing but a new found admiration for the woman he was in love with.

But he wished he knew about this hobby of hers before.

Her small squeal as she caught hold of his hand that had sneaked in to pinch her waist lightly under the dinner table made the two look at each other simultaneously while the rest were all occupied with their respective people of interest.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He whined lowly as he sipped on his drink before looking back at his half eaten food in front of him.

"You never asked, your highness."

Her answer triggered a loud snort from him as he gave her a deathly side eye.

"I can't believe you. You have the nerve to say that to me so blatantly." He scoffed making all his calls that he could to show her that he was upset but his hand on her thighs and the gentle caress of his fingers on them were saying something else.

"Why are you even mad at me?" She asked facing him finally, forgetting about the people who were gathered around for their voices were almost drowning in the voices that echoed cheerfully in the hall.

"Why am I mad at you?," Jungkook widened his eyes at her before taking a hold of her hand tightly, "you mean to tell me that Vante had the absolute privilege of seeing that...that badass side of yours before and god knows how many times and you are asking me why am I even MAD at you?"

"Ohh...so you are jealous..."she smirked as she leaned into him.

"Hell, yes." His immediate confirmation to her tease made Rosaliá loose her smirk as a soft smile took its place making her bring a hand up to gently ward off the silky hair that had draped half of his forehead while she stared at him.

"Don't worry. I have much more better things to show you that nobody else knows about." She whispered near his face, making him sigh heavily as the lewdness of what he had been masking as playful madness finally came into light. And all because Rosaliá just indirectly whispered her open invitation to him in front of a handful of royals, that he had forgotten until then.

"Why don't you two just kiss already? You are practically breathing each other." The German Prince's window wiper laugh making them both look at him, Jungkook chuckled at him before holding Rosaliá's hand tighter in his.

                   ~ ♛ ~

The knock on the double doors of the palace library made Rosaliá avert her eyes from the book in her hand as her eyes fell upon the male who she had not expected to see at all. For a fact, it was their actual first meet.

"Am I disturbing, lady Rosaliá?"

"Absolutely not. Please do come." Rosaliá stood up bowing to the elder male who bowed to her slightly before gazing at her face with utmost disbelief.

His eyes taking the minutest details of even the pre-aged slight wrinkles near the corners of her eyes, now even more prevalent courtesy to the beloved prince who made her smile more. His eyes glassy with a sadness that she was unknown to, Rosaliá softly smiled at him before gesturing him to take a seat which he accepted silently.

"What brings you here?" She asked making the man look up at her in a bit of an alarm as he waited for a few seconds before responding to her.

"I had heard about you a lot. And had the privilege to actually see you spar with one of my students. I wanted to make sure I meet you and express how impressed I was." His words fell like soft snow flakes on the untrampled ground alike the scene outside the palace.

But they were anything but cold. The careful annotation of his words into sentences as he looked almost scared that she would disappear if he would blink made Rosaliá awry.

"Secretary Lee. You seem very anxious. Would you like some water?" She asked removing a coaster covered glass of the said liquid as she handed it to him.

"How have you been?" The sudden question of her well-being was the last thing Rosaliá had expected the Royal Secretary to the King of South Korea to ask her.

They were conversing like long lost friends when it was the first time that they had met. And as Rosaliá watched the male with subtle scrutiny to her guarded eyes she couldn't help but notice them twitch as he kept blinking away the dewy ness to them.

"I have been very well. Thank you for asking." She smiled back.

"I am glad." He nodded holding the glass in his grip.

"Where did you live before coming to Busan?" He asked making Rosaliá sit back as she smiled fondly at the memories.

"I was in France. Country side."

"Parents...?" He asked carefully, analysing if it was safe to interrogate her as such.

"Aren't alive anymore. In fact, I have no family left." She said, voice completely devoid of any kind of emotion as she dead stared at him watching him as he inhaled a deep breath his eyes closing on their accord.

"I am sorry to hear that." His voice trembled as he spoke.

"I will not take anymore of your time. I must have hindered away your leisure space by coming. I apologise." He said making her chuckle as she stood up, shaking her head at him.

"It is alright, sir."

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Lady Rosaliá." He said smiling at her as his hand lightly sat on her head making Rosaliá flinch but she stayed put.

"Likewise." She said before the male gave her a last sparkly smile through his beady eyes before leaving her to her thoughts.

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