The Criminal Prince

the start of an end

It was early morning when he reached home. The lights were off and there was silence inside. Hyun Ju must've went to bed after waiting too long for him — she thought maybe he got into trouble again and just went to bed on an empty stomach.

The thought sent a painful twitch in his chest even more so when he realizes she had gotten used to it. This wasn't a first time occurence and Hyun Ju had learned to trust him that he'll always be back.

He takes careful steps inside, letting out the smallest sound of creak from the opening of the door and saw from the kitchen that she had made ramen for herself. The discarded pack inside the trash can said it all.

At least she ate something even without him. He sighed.

Tae Gu went in front of her room and opened it just enough to see her sleeping soundly in bed. When he's sure seeing her safe and in peace, he closes it once again and retires to his own room.

It's almost morning, he hadn't gotten any sleep at all and there was numbing pain in all areas of his body. Deciding that the thoughts in his head were all too jumbled to be sorted in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, he gets up and grabs his towel to head to the bathroom.

How ironic that everything took place under that cruel rain, how he was captured and shoved into the palace and yet... he feels the same cold tiny splatters of water from the shower head falling down all over his body.

Only this time, it calmed him down for some reason.

Now, he finally gathered the strength to acknowledge the biggest question: Is it worth the risk?

Will acquiescing to the King's offer really do him and Hyun Ju good? He knew how sharp this double edged sword could be, and he knew he'll end up taking the bigger fall at the end if everything goes wrong.

He needed more information.

Not that he's considering this...

Well...

Maybe he does, the more he thinks about it. Which, he couldn't help... knowing it could save Hyun Ju's life.

Tae Gu shakes his head, shaking away the waters after turning the shower off. He needs to set his mind straight and weigh down his choices for this — a word from the royalty wasn't something he can just whisk away and move on, after all.

There came a knock from the door.

"Oppa?"

Damn, it's already morning. How long has he been in the shower?

He speeds up drying himself, rubbing his wet hair against the towel. "Yeah, I'll be out in a minute."

"Okay, hurry up. I cooked us breakfast and it's still hot," Hyun Ju routinely says, then goes to the dining table to finish setting up their plates.

It didn't take long for him to come out.

Their food was delicious and the aroma was simply to die for. Tae Gu's basic cooking skills was acceptable but his sister's was ten times better. She naturally has a passion for cooking, one of the many she loved doing, and he is a willing food tester.

"What did you put in this?" He asks after swallowing a chunk of meat.

"What? Why?" She almost dropped her chopsticks, concern etching her face. "Too salty?"

"No, it's good. I think better than your last recipe," he paused and swallowed. "Did you change something?"

"Oh, that's good to hear. Yeah, I did change a little."