Princess | Kim Jiwoong

Chapter 5 : Petty Pride

" Netizens point out how awkward and stiff Prince Jiwoong and Princess Hana looked with each other during their engagement ceremony. It is speculated that they are getting married forcefully against their will."

Hana scrolled through the article which pinpointed every little small interaction.

"So they want us to act like lovers from the past life?"
She turned her head sideways to look outside through the car window.

Her new home stood infront of her.

A maid showed Hana to the rooms in Jiwoong's estate.
" And this is your bedroom."

"Thank you, Yuri" She looked at the young girl with a friendly smile.

Yuri was trully moved just with the fact that someone remembered her name and made an effort to thank her, unlike someone.

...

"Place them here" Hana said to Ricky who was carrying a cardboard box full of large medical books.

"Do you have any idea of when Jiwoong will be back at home?" She asked the boy.

It has been a week since she moved in to her new residence but she was yet to see jiwoong's face once.

She had to be a thickheaded, delusional, dense person if she didn't yet realise that Jiwoong was purposefully ignoring her.

The first mission of hers was to earn Jiwoong's trust. However, it seems to be going in the complete opposite directio.

"Don't know. Out of our radar." Ricky responded with his low and hoarse voice.

He had an attractive and alluring voice. However, that voice rarely shows any emotions, always maintaining the same monotonic tone.

Hana has known Ricky for 14 years. Same goes for Hao. Ricky and Hao were childhood playmates, always stogether, laughing and doing silly pranks on her.

"Now look at them. Playing the strict superior- junior role."

Hearing a car engine's sound, she went infront of the window.

A male with black hair got out of a Audi A8 model car.
   "It's Sung Hanbin."
   she recognised the boy as the heir of Zerone, the biggest conpany in South korea.

This countries biggest comercial income comes from the rare ores found undeneath the lands of south korean and most of the mines are owned by Zerone.

While fixing her hair in the mirror, she scanned her falsely smiling lips and deceptive eye.
She walked towards the hallway infront of jiwoong's study knowing that hanbin would come out of it anytime soon.

"Mr.Sung Hanbin." She exclaimes widening the eyes subtly, before continuing,
"What brings you here?" she put on a perplexed expression.

"I just had to grab something from hyung's study"
Upon hearing Hanbin's reply hana quickly glanced at his empty hand.

" it must been valuable for him to personally come by." She muttered to herself.

"Hyung? You and Jiwoong must be close "

He chuckled lightly before replying,
" Yes. Hyung is really the best hyung."

She thought about searching the study, but it would be impractical to think that she could possibly find something that sung hanbin missed, without even knowing what she is searching for.

Later that day, in the evening, a message arrived on Hana's phone, from Ricky. It was a link to a location.

...

Jiwoong was coming back to the hotel after a his late-night walk alongside the beach accompanied by his crescent shaped buddy.

"Sir, you have a visitor." The lady at the reception desk told him while pointing towards the lounge area.

As soon as he entered the lounge room, a female wrapped him in her embrace, burying her head on his well-built chest.

" There's a paparazzi here. Play along." The girl muttered in a faint breathy voice.

He narrowed his eyes to meet her eyes. After a moment of hestitation, he ruffled her hair while softly saying,
" I missed you "

Of course, it was for the paparazzi to hear.

Nevertheless, A part of him felt like tangling his hand in her soft hair and embracing her tighter.
  Angry at himself for not being angry with her, he says in a low and stern voice,

" Enough. Let go now. "

...

Jiwoong locked the door of his suit room and turned towards Hana,
" Why are you here? "

"Do I need a reason to come see my fiancé? " It was unsettling to Jiwoong how even after all that, his heart fluttered after hearing the word "my fiancé" from her.

"Stop putting on a performance. Just act like your real self" His cold gaze was fixated on her.

"What is wrong with this guy" No matter how hard Hana contemplated, she couldn't wrap her head around the reason he is acting like this.
    He wasn't like this when she met him on Paris. There must have been a trigger point.

  ' Is this about that trivial article? He is being this petty over that insignificant neighborhood auntie's gossip? No way...."

" You have to tell me what it is about me that pissed you off. Only then I can fix it." She said looking at a place somewhere over his shoulder.

"There is nothing wrong with you and nothing for you to fix." He turns around and walks over to the table, pouring himself a glass of water.

" It's just me who assumed that there might be a chance of something blossoming between us.
   It's just me who one-sidedly fantasized and then fell into agony when my fantasy shattered.

I know, It wasn't love and I was not jealous. It was my pride that got damaged seeing 'my woman' with another man."

He reaffirmed himself, gulping down the water down his throat.

"Whatever emo phase you are going through, fix it up and make sure to attend the dinner banquet tomorrow." Having heard enough, Hana snapped back, making Jiwoong flinch.

It was the first time, he saw a expression in her face that was not a forced courteous smile.

...

Hana had just finished getting prepared for the family dinner banquet today.
  After the confrontation that day, Jiwoong still hasn't come home. But she knew he had no choice but to be present there.

"Heard that my brother-in-law is ignoring you. That's not what was supposed to happen, right?"     
   She again read the text in her phone.
   She pulled the corners of her lips upwards and smiled. Seeing her reflection in the mirror blurry, she wide-opened her eye in order to dry out the single drop of tear that was threatening to fall.

...