The Accidental Monarch

Timing

Feeling bad about waking her at such an ungodly hour, Jeong-hyeok lets Seri sleep in for the rest of the morning. She finds herself incredibly refreshed from her nap when she rises around noon and goes in search of the prince. Instead of finding him, she encounters another man sitting at the dining room table and eating some samgyetang from a third place setting arranged for him.

His mouth drops open and his spoon clatters onto the table when he sees her. "Yoon Seri?"

"Who are you?"

Her question comes at the exact moment he utters her name in shock. He remains speechless by her presence while she regards him warily and wonders where the waiting staff had gone when she needed them the most. Jeong-hyeok did not mention any visitors coming. And judging by the way the man was dressed, it may be farfetched to think that he is royalty. Is he an intruder?

The actress swipes a butter knife from the table and points it at him as menacingly as possible, which quite frankly would not scare a fly. "Tell me who you are before I call the Royal Guard."

He appears nonplussed. "Sweetheart, I am pretty sure that Pyo Chi-su would not bat an eye if you tell him that you found me in here." He may be a friend since he knows the prince's security detail by name. He stands and offers his hand. "Sorry. Where are my manners? Cho Cheol-gang."

She only blinks in response, still unsure about how to proceed, and so he takes matters into his own hands. His right hand knocks the knife out of her grip and his left hand catches the flying utensil in the air. Before she can process what happened, he has the knife pointed at her throat.

His expression betrays his dark intentions and tells her that he has the potential to kill. She maintains her bravado despite her knees trembling in fear, "What do you think you are doing?"

He cocks his head. "Just extending the same courtesy you have shown me so far, sweetheart."

She finds the nickname grating on her nerves. "Please do not call me that."

A smirk lifts the side of his chapped lips. "What should I call you then?"

"Put that down."

The sharp order comes from the prince entering the room, and the actress witnesses how the other man hides his murderous demeanor from the royal. Jeong-hyeok stands protectively in front of her and speaks to him in a cold tone, "I was not informed that you were coming here."

"Well, technically, you don't need to be informed. This is my home as much as it is yours," Cheol-gang points out as he places the knife back on the table. "Mi-ran said that any member of the royal family can stay here if she is not around. I may not have aircrafts ready at my disposal, but I do have the hourly boats. And they take me to my destination just fine."

He smiles as if it were an attempt at a joke, but it does not have the desired effect on the prince. "I came here in the hope for some privacy," the latter tells him. "I still have the house for the next twenty-four hours as we will leave for Seoul tomorrow. Until then, and I apologize for being blunt, but I must ask you to leave me and my guest alone and seek accommodation elsewhere."

"Now, now, Jeong-hyeok," Cheol-gang tuts and shakes his head in disappointment. "There are plenty of rooms here for me to choose from. Why waste my money if I can stay here for free?"

"You pointed a knife at my girlfriend," Jeong-hyeok hisses. "I think it is fair if I want you to leave."

The older man looks as if all of his birthdays have come at once. "Ah, so it is a secret love affair between you two," he clasps his hands together in delight. "The tabloids will eat this up. They are all clamoring for an update after that video went viral. Imagine if they caught wind of your vacation on the royal family's private island. How romantic. I can see the headlines already."