love until death | lee heeseung

two.

⊹₊♛₊⊹

"mother, I'm going to the village."

I could see my mother's face frown, wrinkles appearing across her face as she shook her head.

"you shouldn't go, Ari!" my mother exclaimed, worry laced in her voice as she put her hand in front of her, "what would happen if the villagers recognize you and take you away? what would happen?"

"mother, I am going to be fine," I waved it off, dismissing her antics, "please just let me have some alone time away from the palace."

"why would you want to go to the village anyways?" my mother scrunched her nose in disgust, "it's just full of the ordinary people who have no manners."

"mother, not all of the village people are bad," I retorted back, tired of her prejudice against our own people, "we rule over them and take care of them."

"it does not mean I like them, sweetie," my mother replied, shaking her head.

"please?" I begged, kneeling in front of her gracefully while holding the edges of my plain dress.

"oh alright," my mother gave in with a sigh as I gracefully bowed at her, my heart internally squealing with delight.

⊹₊♛₊⊹

"princess Ari, you must wear ordinary clothes to blend in with the other villagers," one of the guards hollered at me worriedly.

his name was Nishimura Riki, and he was very overprotective. not just me. but every single person. he must have been traumatized at some point in his life or something.

I swear he was at least twenty-two, but he acts like he had already been reincarnated for generations.

"I know, Riki, I know," I muttered, "that's why I'm going to ask for Hana's clothes."

"you shouldn't go out in the first place," the young man scowled at me with distaste.

"you're a bodyguard, Riki," I glared at him with anger, "do not interfere with my business when only one of us out of the two could roam freely as he choses."

Riki stayed silent as an awkward silence engulfed the room.

"thank you, Hana," I smiled thankfully when I saw the servant girl come into the room with one of her ordinary dresses.

when the girl exited out of the room, Riki muttered, "I'm just trying to protect you, princess."

"you are doing nothing to protect me, Riki," I replied nonchalantly, "because people who protect me would respect my choices."

⊹₊♛₊⊹

"Mai, you are here again!"

it was the village baker, Mr. Sim.

"ahjusshi!" I exclaimed with a beam on my face as I embraced the older man.

"oh how you have grown since the last time I saw you," Mr. Sim chuckled, gazing at my face.

"ahjusshi, I haven't visited in only a month," I pouted, chuckling.

"still?" Mr. Sim laughed wholeheartedly, "where do you go, child? you always seem to disappear!"

"I'm not in the village often," I lied with a straight face, but internally, I felt guilty, "my father and mother are divorced. I live with my father often, who does not live in this kingdom. I've been around just back and forth, visiting my mother and so."