✓ the hooded princess • kim seungmin

s i x t y t w o

"Bring it to my room, please."

The man nodded curtly before lifting up the canvas painting Eunkyung just brought from the academy. She gave a subtle warning look to him to carry it with care.

"That's huge," Eunji said as she passed by. "Did Seungmin paint that?"

The younger hummed. "Yes."

"True love doesn't fade, I guess." The sister joked and she faked a gagging action.

"You make it sounds like we are old."

"Sorry, let me rephrase. True love will not fade." she snickered. "Is it a gift before he leaves?"

The question caught her off guard. Eunkyung halted in her steps, automatically made the man who carried the paint stopped as well. She furrowed her eyebrows and turned to Eunji who was trying to peek Seungmin's work.

"What do you mean before he leaves?"

"You don't know? He doesn't tell you anything?" she questioned and the younger shook her head. "Oops."

"Eunji!"

"He is leaving for his military college, I thought you already knew."

Eunkyung froze at the sudden news. Seungmin once told her that his father wanted him to get into a military college that's located far from here but the decision was not made yet. Also, when did he send his applications? Eunkyung hated to be the i-must-know partner but this was a bit shocking for her. How did her sister know but she didn't?

"The offer letter came last week." Eunji continued.

"How did you know?"

"He told me." the sister shrugged.

Eunkyung could hear her heart cracked a bit. Seungmin told Eunji himself? Is he for real?

When seeing no reaction, Eunji said more, "He asked for– hey!"

However, before she could finish her sentence Eunkyung had already walked away. The man with the paint just followed, clueless. When they arrived at her room he quickly excused himself as he was afraid if Eunkyung suddenly scold him for nothing.

The door shut, leaving the youngest princess with so many questions.

How could he?

༆

"Your Highness," the timid voice perked her ears. Said girl raised her head lightly with a subtle glare but it was replied with a small chuckle. "What are you doing here, Princess Eunkyung?"

She furrowed her eyebrows. Her eyes squinted until the other person couldn't see them anymore. "Are you my bodyguard?"

"No, Your Highness. I apologise." the person lightly bowed with a small smile. "I am just wondering what's a princess doing here in our place. On top of that, it's a–"

The girl slammed the table and stood up straight. Her finger weakly pointed at the ponytail bartender and slurred, "Are you saying me, a princess of this kingdom cannot enter your shop? Excuse me? The audacity?!"

Her loud voice caught several attention.

".....It's a wine shop." the bartender ended her sentence. Suppressing a laugh was so hard in front of this drunk royal. The bartender sat on the chair behind the counter and rested her chin on her fist. "Are you having a fight with your lover?"

"Do you realise who you are talking to?" the princess raised her voice. "Do you think it's appropriate to ask a personal question? Do you–?!"

Before she could finish her sentence, the bartender poured another glass of wine. The princess quickly gulped it and slammed the glass on the counter, again, catching attention from other customers. The bartender however let it be because she knows well how a drunk person act. And she knows that the princess does not usually act like this. It's just the alcohol.