Twelve

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The mundane ambience of the dining hall was broken when Wooyoung requested his father-in-law to let him visit his ailing mother.

Two weeks since the wedding, and Wooyoung had finally mustered the courage to talk to the Emperor.

"How bad is her condition?" The empress asked sympathetically.

"The last time she wrote to me, she said she had only a few days left. I really wish to stay with her in her last days."
Wooyoung swallowed the lump in his throat, looking down at the untouched bacon on his plate.
He could feel the gaze of the Choi family boring into him and he shifted uneasily in his seat.

Asking to visit his own family shouldn't be as disquieting as it's feeling at the moment.
Anything he did lately felt nerve wracking to say the least.

A slight slip up on his part and his head will be detached from his body. He couldn't afford that. He was quite attached to his head.

Jongcheol cleared his throat and his gaze softened as he looked at Wooyoung.

"Certainly. You can go visit her and stay with her for as long as you wish." He smiled. "After all, what kind of a father would I be if I restrict my child of basic freedom."

Father.
His heart squeezed inside his chest.

Wooyoung grinned, looking at yeosang who gave him a 'see? I told you' look.

He glanced at San. The older prince looked uninterested and focused on the food in front of him.

"Thank you so much." He replied unable to suppress his growing smile. The thought of meeting his family and seeing his home made him jittery.

"Also," emperor added. "San, you shall be going with your husband."

The mentioned looked up with raised eyebrows at his father.

"All the way to Amaris?" He asked, unable to conceal the exasperation in his tone.

"Yes. He is your rightfully wedded husband, San. What are the ton going to assume if the spouse of the prince travels such a far distance alone without his other half?" His mother chimed in, her voice stern. "We do not want unnecessary rumours to circulate around the kingdom, do we?"

San's jaw tightened and he nodded stiffly.

Wooyoung pursed his lips and took a bite of the bacon.

Great.

*

Wooyoung stepped into the enormous carriage and seated himself opposite San.

The older glanced at the ebony haired male and went back to his book.

The carriage began swaying lightly. The journey had begun.

Wooyoung sighed, spending a fortnight right in front of the infuriating little shit wasn't going to be easy. It took all his will power to not slice his neck right there and then.

His eyes lingered on the older. San in casual dressing was a new sight. His crimson hair was untied and messy, flowing around in every direction as the wind gently caressed his elegant face, making him look exquisite like a work of art.

San looked up at the prince, feeling his gaze on him.
Wooyoung averted his eyes and looked out of the window, frowning slightly.

The taller stared at him for a few more seconds and resumed his reading.

An hour or so passed in silence. The first rays of sunlight lit up the world as the sun poured through the translucent curtains of the carriage. San shut his book to look out of the window. The heavens flushed with a pearly glow as the melodic tune of the songbirds drifted in.

Wooyoung opened the curtains and a serene smile made its way on his lips as he looked at the sky with a peaceful look.

His profile beamed. The golden luminosity spilled onto his captivating face and San's breath got stuck in his lungs as he gazed at the younger looking ethereal as he sat there with closed eyes and a smile on his face, basking in the morning light.

His lungs fluttered when the ebony haired turned to look at him with raised brows.

San found it extremely difficult to look away. He stared into those striking brown eyes that held the warmth of an everlasting hearth, as if they were the wood that could burn with golden flame yet be forever perfectly entire.

"Are you okay?" Wooyoung spoke, breaking San from his very questionable thoughts. He cleared his throat and licked his suddenly chapped lips.

What's wrong with me?

"Never been better." He answered stupidly, avoiding the younger's skeptical gaze.

Whatever just happened was scary. He didn't like that feeling in his chest. He didn't want to feel that thing in his stomach.

San inhaled deeply and shut his eyes.

It's okay. It's just a spur of the moment. It will go away soon.

Oh boy, little did he know...

🥀

I love this chapter so much. Finally some fluttering of hearts and stealing glances 🌚

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