Lost in a Masquerade

06

Jessica looked at the time and an hour had passed. All she needed now was a shoulder to cry on. 

Did father suspect me of this? Did he put Jimin up to this? He must have. Otherwise, how would Jimin know where I was staying? Is Jimin a spy? Will he tell father everything? Why now? If he wanted, he could have told my father a month ago. Did father give a command to the hotel to allow him to stay here? Is this why my command was overruled?

Jessica found herself sitting on the same edge for half an hour as more and more questions emerged in her mind and the delay in the arrival of her lover made her furious. Thirty minutes turned to sixty and then one hundred and twenty, there was no sign of anyone.

"Did Jimin tell my father? Did my father kill him?" The princess scurried out of her room and looked around frantically. All the room doors were open, except one at the end of the corridor. Sauntering towards it, she impatiently banged his hands on the door.

Jimin answered in almost a jiffy. Jessica's eyes found the paste he'd applied to the corner of his lips, but the ache she felt for the older male wasn't enough to tame her vexation at him. "Did you tell my father?"

"I would never," Jimin spoke, his voice turning heavy as his throat formed a knot, so he cleared it before speaking additionally. "Your royalty."

"How much does my father know?" The princess had her fists closed tightly and her chest rose heavily.

"He suspects that something is eating you up. You have been losing temper quite a lot and he worries, my princess. I am a counselor and a therapist. I can help you if you open up with me."

"How can you help me when I have no problem? I don't need your help."

Jimin's face passed over with tenderness and his eyes dripped empathy at the young princess. "The longer you deny, it will get more difficult for you now when you know that I know."

"You know nothing!" The princess pointed her finger at Jimin and stepped closer. "You hear me? You know nothing."

"I do know something," Jimin valiantly disregarded the statement.

"You don't know me! You don't know anything!" Jessica raked her hands harshly through her hair, not caring about pulling at them which she would have, in any other scenario. While taking a bath, her attendants always went the extra mile to treat her scalp as feebly as they could, but she could hardly care about her beauty at that instant.

"What did he offer you? A promise of a lifetime? A happy royal ending? They are all lies." Jimin continued with no intention of backing down now.

"How dare you?" Jessica now towered to the older male, vindication in her eyes.

"I can prove it. I can show you that you are just a means of luxury to him."

"Think before you speak."

"I have been collecting evidence. I have proof behind my every statement. I left the congregation early and I have been working on it since then."

"You can't prove anything."

"I can."

"You can't."

"I can if you allow me."

"I want you dead. I've decided now."

"Killing me won't make Lee Geon love you." Jimin declared, keeping his hands behind his back and staring at the princess.

Jessica felt the earth suddenly dip under her feet and she lost her footing, managing to stumble against the older's bedpost. Jimin really knew. She had been defeated.