CAPTIVATED || JEONGCHEOL

ᡣ𐭩 . Fourteen

Fuck.

Really was the only word Jeonghan could think about at the moment.

This moment, as he sat on his garden chair on the patio, awaiting the arrival of his ex friend.

'Ex' because she was batshit crazy in Jeonghan's opinion. She did try to poison him at 13 for talking to another girl at a ball...

Cross out crazy, psychotic sounds more like it.

The only reason she wasn't arrested and beheaded for attempted murder and regicide was because she was the princess of the neighbouring country, Salvinas.

A country known for their love of war and bloodshed.

Maybe Julia didn't appear crazy in her own country because everyone's equally lost their minds over there.

Jeonghan's eye twitched when he saw the maids lower their heads in perfect synchronisation.

Julia was here.

She wore a crimson dress and boasted her beautiful ginger hair which was coiled into tight curls. The red tint of her cheeks accentuated her pale and flawless skin which was adorned with freckles that danced across her cheeks.

"Hannie! Are you happy to see me?" Her bloody lips curled into a sinister smile. She swayed from side to side, letting her arms stretch out for a hug.

Jeonghan sat still.

"No hug today, huh." She immediately brought her arms back down to her sides and nonchalantly began to walk towards the rounded garden table, and a sword appeared to be strapped onto her back in a holster.

"God Julia, you're not in Salvinas, nobody here's gonna come for your neck." Jeonghan groaned and rolled his eyes, totally over her grand entrance.

"Still petty I see." She sighed and shifted her attention towards the innocent looking maid who was pouring them tea. "Your house maids are quite the lookers."

"Don't go after my maids, Julia." Jeonghan shook his head before taking a sip of his tea, staring the ginger down with a burning gaze.

Julia completely ignored Jeonghan's efforts to stop her, and instead pulled the pretty maid onto her lap, placing a kiss on her lips. "How cute."

"Stop beating around the bush and get to the point. What the hell do you want." Jeonghan waved a hand and dismissed the maid who was blushing like crazy.

"Well, shouldn't you be flattered, Han? I just finished leading an army through a war and immediately came here to marry you at the wish of the king. Didn't you read my letter?" She was now slightly bent over the table, toying with her curly strands as if she was simply gossiping to an old friend, sarcasm dripping from her tone.

"You know I can't marry you."

"You will."

"You tried to kill me because I greeted another girl, who was, in fact, a maid!" Jeonghan had slammed the teacup down onto the saucer which made the table wobble out of its original position.

"Christ Han! That was like 8 years ago, calm down. You know I've always just been like that." She giggled to herself, proud of her pointed argument.

Jeonghan sighed again for what felt like the fifth time today. He couldn't possibly marry a tyrant who was not only a notoriously known killer but also someone who couldn't keep herself to one person. Did he also mention that she was crazy?

"Change my mind then. If I see that you don't like me because of someone or something else and not your grudge against me, then I'll leave you alone. No marriage."

Jeonghan smiled. He was thrilled, actually that he was given a chance to escape her. They 'were' good friends so Jeonghn knew that she still had at least a droplet of humanity in her. After all, Jeonghan couldn't blame Julia too much for her tyrannical ways since she was forced to take the role as Queen at 17 when the King died. Not even a single second was spared for her to mourn him, so she had to grovel in her pain alone and turn to other means to deal with it.

Sex, killing, sex again et-cetera.

Julia dropped the strand of hair that she was fiddling with and sharpened her gaze on someone lurking behind them, standing at position beside the lake, at the entrance of the garden.

"Does that one always stare like that? He looks like he's got an awfully bad temper." Jeonghan spun around in his chair and fixed his gaze on none other than Seungcheol who was practically sending death threats through his eyes, his lips pressed against each other into a straight line.

He rolled his eyes.

Not surprising, really. "That one's a brat so he is. But he gets the job done, so I keep him around." Jeonghan turned back around, fully ignoring Seungcheol's efforts to scare off the guest. He had to admit that it was cute to see the vampires desperation.

In truth the only thing Seungcheol really was doing was Jeonghan.

Julia raised an eyebrow but soon laid it to rest.

"Where's father in law?" Julia smirked, eyeing Jeonghan so closely that it started to make a particular servant unnerved.

"That doesn't humour me," Jeonghan scoffed. "If you would be so kind, please follow my maid to your living quarters for the week." Jeonghan stood up abruptly, his social battery had run out a long time ago and he was beginning to get tired of her usual, snarky tone.

He picked out a maid and brought her over to Julia who was now also standing up, towering over the young staff. "This is Marie, I'll leave you in her hands."

Julia smacked her lips together and tilted her head in delight as she scanned the maid's face with detail and precision. After a few seconds, she smiled. "Perfect."

"Oh, and Julia," Jeonghan paused to get her attention. The redhead swung her head up and responded in her usual blatant tone, "what."

"Don't even try it."

The tyrant threw her head back and began to cackle. What Jeonghan really meant was 'don't try to seduce my maid or get in her pants.' She was quite surprised at his ability to see through her so easily and, well it's not like it wasn't something she was known for doing frequently.

"I'll try."

—————
Wassup. Um I'm lowkey quite happy rn bcs I
don't have writers block for once. Yay!
Hope yall are having a good April.
Don't forget to like and follow if you enjoyed this chapter.
-kai