𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 | 정원

26

Ji-ah woke up to a quiet stillness. For a moment, she remained covered beneath her blankets, eyes closed, savoring the warmth of her bed. But as the fog of sleep began to clear, she noticed something different—an unusual brightness spilling through the curtains, casting a soft glow across her room.

She sat up slowly, pushing the covers aside, her feet grazing the cool floor. A glance toward the window confirmed what she had suspected. Snow. The world outside had transformed overnight, a thick blanket of white covering the once-bare ground.

Ji-ah stood and limped her way to the window, her breath catching at the sight. Flurries of snow drifted lazily from the sky, the trees and rooftops dusted in delicate white. It looked beautiful, but Ji-ah can't help but feel uneasy. It reminded her of the dream.

Her thoughts wandered to the previous night—Jungwon's words, the tension between them that still lingered in her chest. It wasn't just about him anymore; it was about the secrets she knew he was hiding, and the ones she was starting to uncover herself.

She had to figure out the dreams she was getting too, and what they really meant. 

After getting ready, Ji-ah felt restless. She needed some space to think, so she decided to find a quiet spot in one of the palace's lounge rooms, hoping for a moment of solitude.

However, as soon as she stepped into the lounge, she froze mid-step. Someone somersaulted through the air, narrowly missing her head.

Shocked, Ni-ki barely stabilised himself, before landing with an impressive flourish, both hands bracing the floor for stability.

Ji-ah blinked, trying not to gape. Of course, he was a vampire—there was probably nothing he couldn't do.

"Sorry, are you alright?" Ni-ki asked, his sharp eyes scanning her with concern.

"I'm fine," Ji-ah managed to say, still slightly stunned.

"Ni-ki, you can't just pull stunts like that everywhere. You could've hurt her," Jake scolded as he strolled in from behind.

"I didn't think anyone would come in," Ni-ki muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"No, it's fine. I was just about to leave anyway..." She trailed off, not expecting the princes to be  in this room.

But before she could take another step, Jake gestured towards the room with an easy smile. "No need. We'll leave instead."

"Oh, no!" Ji-ah quickly waved her hand. "You can stay. I was just looking for a quiet place to sit." She motioned towards the couch in the corner. "I'll just sit here."

For some reason, both of them seemed to be aware of Ji-ah. Both princes exchanged a brief glance, but they nodded and returned to their spots on the couch across from her, eyes already glued to their phones.

She did her best to ignore the two, who were now engrossed in some game on their phones. 

Suddenly, Ni-ki jumped up, his voice cutting through the stillness. "I win! You owe me dinner this week." He announced triumphantly before darting out of the room with a grin.

"Fine, fine," Jake muttered with a defeated shake of his head, clearly used to Ni-ki's antics.

Ji-ah glanced at Jake briefly, noticing the relaxed smile on his face. It was a welcome change from the sullen expression she'd last seen him wear during the party. 

Jake caught her glance and gave a small smile. "Ji-ah, I'm sorry.. that we had to hide things from you."

"Oh," Ji-ah said, taken aback by the sudden apology. "It's alright."