Once In A Lifetime || Hwang Minhyun

Chapter 2

Date: March 25th 1887

"Where is the princess? She's 10 minutes late." I asked one of her maids. She bowed down slightly and said "She's almost ready."

I stood next to her bedroom door waiting for her. After a few moments I heard the door open so I stood up properly to show respect to her.

"Minhyun. What are you doing here?" She asked me with a confused facial expression plastered on her face.

"I'm here to escort you to the dining room." I told her as I walked towards her and stood behind her waiting for her to walk forward.

She grabbed the sides of her dress and lifted it up slightly helping her walk easier without tripping but I couldn't not say anything "That's not how young ladies walk. Let go of your dress."

She looked at me with the side of her eyes and scoffed. "Young ladies don't act like that. You're supposed to be elegant, princess."

She continued walking and I followed her of course because I was her bodyguard.

"Straighten your back, princess." I said as we were still walking. She stopped walking and turned around to me "Can you stop telling me what to do?" She raised her voice at me.

"That's not how a princess should speak. I'm here to protect you and teach you how to be a true princess so please pardon my words if I made you feel uncomfortable or offended you." I apologized sincerely and placed my hand over my chest as I bowed down slightly proving to her that I was genuine.

"It's alright." She simply said and continued walking down the hallway towards the dining room to eat breakfast.

We finally arrived and were standing in front of the door. I whispered to her "Don't forget to smile and apologize for being late." She nodded and then the huge doors were opened by the servants.

We walked in and she did exactly what I told her to do. She smiled brightly and greeted everyone around the table then apologized for being late.

The king and queen were smiling widely happy that she started to change and started acting like a true young lady.

"It's fine. Sit down darling." The queen said still smiling. She lifted her dress up slightly to sit down. "Please take a seat." The king said as he looked at me smiling.

"Your majesty it would be impolite for a bodyguard to sit on the same table with highest class people." I said politely.

"You're her teacher too. You take care of her also you come from a prestigious family it would be rude for me to not welcome you. Please take a seat." The king insisted.

"I cannot decline a request by your majesty." I said and pulled the chair the opposite of the princess.

I kept watching her every move. I noticed she picked up the wrong fork so I cleared my throat. "Pardon me." I said so I could get her attention. She looked up at me and I picked up the right fork from beside my plate. She looked at her hand and noticed that the fork in her hand was different from the one I had in my hand so she placed it back and picked up the right one.

I noticed that the queen saw the scene but she just smiled. She seemed so happy that the princess was changing and becoming more polite.

Every minute she would look up at me to make sure that she was making the right choices. I straightened my back wider so she would get the hint to sit up properly which she did.

After the breakfast was over. We both excused ourselves and left the dining room. Once we left she breathed heavily. "That was so intense." She told me. I could tell from the tone of her voice that she was relieved to leave the castle.

She walked towards the backyard and of course I was behind her. She wasn't allowed to be left alone at all.

"I would like to be by myself for a while to clear my head off of things." She told me but I ignored her and walked behind her. She walked towards the oak tree and sat down under it.

"Princess, it's inappropriate for a princess to sit on the ground." I told her but she suddenly burst out saying "Could you stop for once?! Don't you think that you're overdoing it? I get it you're my teacher but I'm tired and feel like I don't deserve being a princess because you make me feel I don't deserve that title."

I stood beside her and didn't utter a single word. She sighed heavily and I couldn't just ignore that. She was still eighteen and was still very young also she had to be prepared to be a queen at anytime. "Princess Edlyn. May I ask you what is troubling you?" I asked her softly.

"I feel stressed out and worn out. I don't want to be a queen, it pressures me to carry that title and it's a huge responsibility that I don't think I'm capable of." She said honestly as she looked up at me still sitting on the ground.

"Please watch your words princess. If anyone heard you say those words you would be in big trouble and punished." I said as I looked around the area making sure that no one was around.

She looked up at me and I noticed that her eyes were watery I assumed that she felt very pressured and tried to hide it. "Those emotions are the emotions you're supposed to get rid of. A queen should be strong and shouldn't be emotional. You're going to rule the whole country so you're supposed to be brave and unstoppable. Having a pure and soft heart will ruin you and the country." I told her strictly. She then looked away from me to look at the garden.

She closed her eyes and leaned her back against the trunk of the tree enjoying the beautiful spring breeze and the sound of the birds singing. I decided to let her be in her own world even though it was inappropriate for a princess to sit on the ground because after a certain time she would become queen and won't be allowed to do childish actions.