𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐑 [Kim Taehyung FF]

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟑 - 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐥

Princess Fiorella's breath came in ragged gasps as she sprinted through the dense jungle, the darkness of the night closing in around her.

The moonlight casting shadows that flickered with her every movement. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, each beat a reminder of the urgency of her escape from the Daegu Palace.

The secret maid sent by her father, had guided her out of the palace. where everyone was busy at the festival she seized the opportunity and escaped as per her father told.

Now, alone, Fiorella's senses were heightened. The ground was uneven, roots and rocks threatening to trip her at every step, but she pressed on, driven by the hope that the Incheon soldiers awaited her in the middle of the jungle.

"Keep going, Fiorella," she whispered to herself. Her silken gown, now torn and muddied, clung to her legs.

Suddenly, a rustle ahead made her freeze. She pressed herself against a tree, her breaths shallow and frantic.

From the shadows, a figure emerged, clad in the familiar armor of the Incheon soldiers. Relief washed over her, her knees nearly buckling under the weight of her exhaustion.

"Princess Fiorella," the soldier whispered urgently, recognizing her at once. "Your father sent us. You're safe now."

At Daegu Palace, Emperor Taehyung engaged in conversation with the assembled nobles. Yet beneath his composed exterior, he simmered with anger. Princess Fiorella's absence from the dinner had not gone unnoticed, and his patience was wearing thin.

Suddenly, the head maid Hye Ji appeared at the entrance of the hall, her face pale with tension and fear. Other maids stood behind her, their heads bowed in deference.

"Your Majesty," Hye Ji's trembling voice broke the murmur of conversation, causing Taehyung to turn and face her.

"Princess-Princess Fiorella is not present in the palace."

Taehyung's eyes narrowed into icy slits as he locked his gaze onto the trembling maid.

"What do you mean she is not present in the palace?"