Pied Piper (Kim Namjoon x Reader)

Chapter 4

A satisfied smile on his face, he was quick to welcome you inside. Unlike the princess's quarter, there were no maids in waiting. The Prince values most his privacy. You held the tray with shaking hands, your eyes remaining on the bowl of soup to not spill any.

He sank back at his work table, stacks of papers spreading across the surface. He had cleared most of it for you to put down the tray. Unknowing of what you should do, you allowed him to adjust the tray himself to fit his liking. After he seemed settled, you decided to leave, becoming very aware of the sound of your loud heartbeat. He noticed right away that you were leaving and quickly stood up from his seat, causing it to fall over. The chair fell to the ground and made you to jump a little.

"Your Highness, are you alright?" you asked, running back to him. His face was still full of color and his breathing seemed normal. He seemed stunned for a second, probably unaware that he had done this. But switched back to his princely self soon after. And by this, the devilish smile appeared, pulling you in more. There are two sides of him, naturally, as does any other human. The charismatic side for diplomatic and public affairs. And the side of him that gets what he wants.

"Surely Seokjin told you that I was sick." Namjoon said, "You wouldn't leave a sick person by himself, right?" He leaned forward, hands on the desk.

Your face was burning up and you felt like you were the sick one. "Well, um, I don't want to disturb you while you eat and you seem fine, for the most part..." you said in a quiet voice. You've never been alone with him for this long before. The space felt smaller than it actually was.

"Are you accusing me of lying?" One of his eyebrow raised as the chocolate orbs pierce through you.

"Your Highness, my apologies. I don't mean anything by that statement-"

"Then sit down." It was a royal command and you took the seat in front of him. After picking up his seat from the ground, he began eating his soup. He blew on it like a kid would and you realized because of his status, he must have been lonely. With both parents working to run the country, him and Ha Eun were by themselves or surrounded by country officials most of the time. That's why the two of them are so close, they only had each other. And that's why the Prince values his friends so much because they see him as more than being royalty. Even the twins are under his care and tutelage. He can sense that they're probably lonely too.

"Am I fun to look at?" he asked. It knocked you out of your thoughts, you realized you had propped an elbow up and your head rested on it, staring at him like a stalker.

"My apologies, your Highness." you said, submerged in embarrassment. You really did want to leave now. But his gaze continued to pin you down.

"I'm just joking. Please look at me all you want." he went back to eating. This time, determined to not make a fool of yourself, you looked around at his room instead. The work table, much like the king's, was the first thing you see. His bedroom was on the side. He had minimal decorations. A large bookshelf behind him, his portrait above that. He had a few ornaments on his desk. A small wooden globe gifted by the twins, they claimed they made it themselves but Hoseok said otherwise. A glass flower from when he traveled to Japan as the representative. He was only 15 when he did that. The weight of the world fell on his shoulders so quickly. A framed photo of his family, similar to the one Ha Eun has on her wall.

He finished the soup and returned to his work. You frowned. "Your Highness, pardon my intrusion, but you should rest a little before going back to work. You should also stand up and walk around for easier digestion."

He tilted his head for a moment, stealing a glance at the clock on his table. Then he stood up and walked into his room. He returned with a coat on and another one in his hand. "Stand up." he said gently. And when you did, he wrapped the coat around you.

"Your Highness, what are you doing?" He didn't say anything. In the process, his body was inches from you, you could feel his warm breath. You lowered your head to not look directly at him. The length went to a little bit above your knee.

"It's cold out, you'll get sick, like me. And I won't be able to take care of you from far away." he whispered. If words could melt, you'd be a puddle right now. He stepped back and headed for the door. "C'mon slowpoke."

"Where are we going?" you asked, joining him by his side. Well, a foot behind him.

"You told me to walk around.m."

"But," you began, looking at his coat around you. Surely it would be inappropriate for you to wear this in public.

"Don't worry about it." he said, answering your concerns. "We'll be in the secret garden, no one will bother us." Outside, he told Yoongi where he was going and declined the elder's offer to come along. Yoongi didn't put up a big fight when that happened. He did whisper something to the prince, which made him jab Yoongi in the stomach.

The garden was a patch of land behind the prince's quarter. Four walls of roses with a path leading to a gazebo. The Prince is a romantic at heart. There was a chess game set up on the marble table.

"Do you play?" he asked, his finger on the queen, tilting her back and forth.

"No, I never got the chance to learn. The boys at the orphanage never let me join them." It was a bittersweet memory. Your whole childhood was there, and for the most part, they were your family for better or for worse. But you guys stuck together because you only had each other. Most of them were abandoned, some had parents dying or unable to support them any longer. As far as you know, someone dropped you off when you were a toddler and left. The orphanage didn't say much after that.

"I'm sorry I brought that up." the Prince said.

You shook your head, "Please do not worry about me."

"Well, I would like to teach you how to play, if you don't mind." he suggested. You gulped unknowingly. The Prince was a master of many talents, you were afraid to make a fool of yourself in front of him. Nonetheless, you accepted the offer. "The point is to reach the opponent's king." He began to describe the role of each piece and how they move. It was a reality for him. "And the queen," he said, picking up the piece and pointed it at you, "can do whatever she needs to protect her king. Got it?"

You nodded slowly. What he did caught you off guard, but you brushed it off, thinking nothing more of it. The game began. You made rookie mistakes of attacking rather than defending. The Prince won within a few moves.

"It's getting colder. We should head back, your Highness." When you got back, Yoongi seemed anxious.

"Your uncle is inside." he said in a low voice. The prince's jaws tightened. He was visibly uncomfortable. You followed him inside in his command. Daehan sat on the sofa, legs crossed. His mustache twitching. He stood up to hug his nephew but smile dropped when he saw you.

"What were you doing with her?" he asked. You felt strangely violated as if he had slapped you.

"We were just on a walk, uncle."

"You need to start looking at eligible partners, not wasting your time on people like her."

"Uncle, enough." the Prince snapped. "What did you need?"

"I have important business to talk to you about. In private." That last part was directed at you. The glare was burning through you. You took the cue and began leaving.

"Y/N," the Prince called out. The simple gesture of saying your name made your heart flutter. "Will I see you at the king's birthday celebration?"

"I-"

"Of course not. She's just a servant after all." Daehan snarled. His mouth curled into a smile, it exudes pure hatred towards you, much like with any other servants. He deems them as unworthy, expendable. And you fall right into that category.