royal blood | sim jaeyun

thirteen🩸

The next morning, Miyeon awoke to the familiar sound of soft knocking on her door. Harin entered with a warm smile here to wake her up.

"Good morning, Princess Miyeon," Harin said cheerfully as she approached the bed. "It's time to get up. Your parents have requested to see you and Prince Jaeyun for an important meeting."

Miyeon stretched, feeling the remnants of the previous night's conversation still fresh in her mind. For probably the first time in her life, Miyeon got to experience being a normal person like everyone else. But the next day had arrived, and now it was long gone.

Once Miyeon was dressed and ready for the day, a knock came at her door. Expecting it to be Jaeyun, she opened it with a small smile, but her expression faltered immediately when she saw Jungwoo standing there instead. His cold, confident smirk greeted her as he leaned against the door frame.

"Good morning, Princess," he said smoothly. "I've come to take you downstairs. My parents and yours are waiting for you and Jaeyun."

Miyeon hesitated, eyeing him cautiously. "I thought Jaeyun would be here to escort me."

Jungwoo's smirk widened slightly. "He's occupied. So I volunteered."

Miyeon stepped out of her room but couldn't shake the curiosity gnawing at her after what she and Jaeyun had witnessed yesterday. As they walked down the hall, she asked, "About yesterday, that woman you were with at the restaurant,who was she?"

Jungwoo's smirk faltered for a moment, his expression turning cold. "None of your concern, Princess."

Miyeon frowned, not appreciating his dismissive tone. "She looked pretty captivated by you. And Jaeyun seemed rather concerned."

Jungwoo stopped, turning to face her fully, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "You shouldn't concern yourself with things that don't involve you. Jaeyun likes to act like the protector, but he doesn't understand the world I live in. The choices I make."

Miyeon held her ground, her gaze steady despite the intimidation he attempted to project. "Still, it didn't seem right."

Jungwoo scoffed lightly, his smirk returning slightly. "You're sweet, Princess, but don't meddle in things beyond your control. Now, shall we?" He gestured toward the stairs, clearly done with the conversation.

Miyeon bit her lip, feeling unsettled, but followed Alaric down the corridor, all the while wishing Jaeyun had been the one to take her down instead.

As they made their way downstairs, her heart pounded in her chest unsure of what to expect. When they entered the room, her gaze immediately landed on Jaeyun, who was already seated with her parents. He looked calm but distant, his eyes briefly meeting hers before shifting away. She could feel the tension in the air and immediately sensed that something significant was about to be announced.

Her father, stood up with a stern expression and gestured for her to sit beside Jaeyun. Once she was settled, he spoke in his deep, authoritative voice. "Miyeon, Jaeyun, we have an important announcement to make."

Miyeon glanced at Jaeyun, who looked equally apprehensive. Her father continued, "After careful consideration and discussions with Prince Jungwoo, we've come to the conclusion that the two of you should spend some time in the Decelis Kingdom. It will help strengthen the bonds between our people and theirs."

Miyeon's eyes widened in shock. "What? We're going to Decelis?"

Jaeyun's expression turned cold, his voice sharp. "That's dangerous. You can't send Miyeon there. The Decelis Kingdom is not safe for humans."

Before anyone could react, Jungwoo stepped forward, flashing his signature smirk. "It was my suggestion actually. As the future king, it's my duty to ensure that both sides understand each other. And what better way than to have both of you experience life in my kingdom?"

Jaeyun's fists clenched on the table, his eyes narrowing at his brother. "Jungwoo, you know what the vampires are like in Decelis. Why would you suggest something like this?"

Jungwoo waved off Jaeyun's concerns with a dismissive flick of his hand. "You're being over dramatic, brother. I'm simply doing what's best for both our kingdoms. Besides, you'll be there with her. I'm sure you can manage."

Miyeon's heart pounded. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. The thought of leaving her home to live in a kingdom full of vampires, where she would be the only human, terrified her. She could see the same fear in Jaeyun's eyes, though he tried to mask it with his usual cool demeanour.

"Are you seriously considering this?" Jaeyun asked, his voice low as he turned to his parents.

But before they could respond, King Taemin nodded. "It's already been decided, Jaeyun. You will both leave in two days."

"Two days? That's such short notice!" Miyeon voice wavered with a mix of shock and frustration.

Jungwoo raised an eyebrow. "Calm down Princess. You're acting as if you're never coming back here." he replied, clearly unfazed by Miyeon's outburst.

Miyeon felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as her mind raced, struggling to grasp the full weight of what was happening. Jungwoo's smirk remained firmly in place, clearly pleased with himself.

"There is nothing more for us to say so you are all dismissed now." said Queen Jiwoo, interrupting them.

As Miyeon turned to leave the room, her eyes caught a glimpse of Jungwoo leaning in close to Jaeyun whispering something into his ear. The smirk on Jungwoo's face was unmistakable, and whatever he said caused Jaeyun's already tense expression to harden even further.

Miyeon's heart sank, a chill running down her spine as she watched Jaeyun's fists clenched again. Jungwoo's words clearly had some weight on him.

Before she could make sense of it, he stepped back, his face twisted into a smug grin, while Jaeyun remained eerily quiet, his jaw clenched in barely contained anger.

Miyeon hesitated at the door, her concern for Jaeyun growing. Whatever Alaric had whispered, it had affected him deeply. She knew something wasn't right, and the looming trip to the Decelis Kingdom felt even more unsettling.

As they walked together down the corridor, Miyeon couldn't shake the uneasy feeling gnawing at her. She glanced over at Jaeyun, his face tight with frustration, clearly still bothered by whatever Alaric had whispered.

Unable to hold back any longer, she asked, "What did he just say to you back there?"

Jaeyun's expression remained unchanged, but his voice came out flat, almost dismissive. "It was nothing, Miyeon. Just my brother being him as usual."

Miyeon frowned, unconvinced. She could feel that Jaeyun was holding something back. His usual calm demeanour was now veiled with a tension she hadn't seen in him before.

"Are you sure? It seemed like more than just that," she pressed, her concern growing.

Jaeyun shot her a quick look, his lips thinning into a forced smile. "Don't worry about it, Miyeon. You already have enough on your mind with the trip. Focus on that."

Miyeon nodded slowly, but a sense of unease settled in her chest. She could feel it. Jaeyun was hiding something, and whatever it was, it had something to do with Jungwoo. The weight of the unknown made her feel even more anxious about their upcoming stay in Decelis.