Lost in a Masquerade

14

The guffaws were hanging in the air when Jessica walked down in her overalls.

She could hear the voices disappearing all too suddenly, which meant that her presence on the stairway was registered from the living room. 

She walked elegantly, unbothered to spare a look.

 When she spotted a mop of silver from hindsight, her head whipped at it so quickly with widened eyes and throbbing heart that everyone else in the room could discern the urgency in the princess' action.

"Daughter," the king extended his hand out.

 "I hope you had a good sleep as you wished to get."

"I slept okay," Jessica answered with no trace of emotions on her face. 

Jimin stood up along with Lee Geon as a protocol to now greet the princess.

The princess cared for nothing as she sat down without any words spoken. 

The king was familiar with the princess' volatility, so he didn't care much for it. 

The guests sat after the crown princess and resumed eating. 

The only contribution of Jessica to the conversation was by becoming a source of amusement for her father, who teased her for her bizarre choice of clothes on the occasion. 

Jessica ate, her heartbeats kept slipping past her . 

She felt these were the last moments of her respectful life. 

Jimin was here now, which meant the king would be informed, and her time in the castle would be over.

To the best of her royal capability, she kept dabbing the napkin over her face to hide the out pour of the sweat. 

Jimin seemed to pay attention and he wanted to hold the princess' hand and assure her that everything was going to be okay. 

"I feel a little under the weather," Jessica suddenly stood up when she couldn't control the pace of her heart anymore. 

"I will be in my bed-chamber."Jimin was vexed when he spotted the man there, understanding how he must have treated the princess's fragile mind.

 If it was up to him, he'd make Lee Geon pay for everything he'd done.

"Thank you, your highness. I shall now be excused," Lee Geon spoke no sooner than Jessica had gone.

When Jimin saw the man taking the left stairway, he felt the chink in the armor. 

Did Jessica really forgive him so soon? 

Did the moments they shared mean nothing to the princess?

 Was Lee Geon's clasp on Jessica's mind so strong? 

Everything in him told him to roar and bring the man to his own feet, begging for mercy. 

After all, he was no ordinary man. 

If he didn't revoke his coronation, he would be a serving king for three years by now.

 He chose this life and never regretted it until today. 

But he knew it was his anger talking, not his sane side.

"We need to talk, your majesty."The king waited anxiously, but patiently, to hear from his counselor again since congregation.

"Should we take a walk?" The king asked.

"If we could go to your study, that would be perfect, your majesty."