In a kingdom torn by power struggles and political intrigue, Jieun, the rightful heir to the throne of the East, finds herself sidelined as her brother, Jungwon, takes control. Determined to reclaim her birthright, Jieun seeks alliances and forms a...
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SHE HAD QUESTIONED THE SERVANTS. After many hours of talking to them individually ━ and threatening to cut their tongues out, Jieun had come to a conclusion. There was a schedule, each servant worked in a shift. On each weekday a certain group of servants were assigned to take care of the meals. That group had been her focus, specifically that group that worked during Thursdays.
Hyewon was the one who Jieun suspected, a girl no older than herself who had served the family for a year. She had been seen lurking around the King's food, always asking him for more wine despite his goblet being full.
Jieun opened the door to Riki's chambers, seeing him on a chair, a chain around his ankle to keep him confined to the room. He was still a prisoner, after all.
'My prince,' she greeted him, looking somewhat pleased for once.
My prince. . . her prince
Riki's heart skipped a small beat as she entered his room, her voice catching him by surprise. 'Princess!' he replied as he looked up at her and stood from his chair, his leg chain clanking with a soft clatter.
The fact that she had called him 'my prince' should not have been a surprise after how things had developed between them the previous day. However, he found his mind lingering on that simple, two-word phrase regardless.
'Comfortable?' she asked, eyes trailing down to the chain.
'As cosy as you can get while chained to a wall, princess,' he replied with a soft chuckle. 'But I am sure I deserve it, all things considered.'
The corners of her lips tugged into the tiniest of smiles. 'I will tell the guards to remove it on the morrow.'
He smiled fondly at the sight of her smile, his leg chain clanking together again.
'Your kindness knows no bounds, princess,' he replied in a soft, admiring tone. 'But you will have to forgive me, I must confess. . .' He leaned in slightly, letting out a chuckle. 'I think I prefer you without the stern, unapproachable façade. It suits you, there is something different about you when you're smiling.'
