Princess Hours (2019) [HIATUS]

CHAPTER #5

Irene couldn't stop playing with the hem of her dress, she just can't hide how nervous she is. How funny it is that she just found out who is her soon to be fiancé yesterday, when whom she assume is a butler pay a visit to her mother yesterday asking about her grandfather ring.

He chat with her mother for a while, asking about her condition and talk like an old friend before her mother introduce her to him. He is a really polite and nice middle age man, his grey hair is style neatly, he wear a three piece suit and blue tie complete with black shiny dress shoes and black frame glasses perfecting his looks.

He politely ask to have a chat with her in the family room at the ward, and she agree without any further question.
"Miss Bae Joohyun, let me officially introduce myself" he said, when they seating across each other "I'm Yoo Jae Suk, chief household secretary of the palace"
Irene mind still wondering what is the reason for someone from the palace to be here, to talk to her
"my present here, is to officially deliver message from her majesty the queen" Irene is now really confused, why would the queen have something to tell her, "She request your presence to the place tomorrow, she wants to officially meet you"
"wait...Mr. Yoo Jae Suk-sshi, I think I'm a bit lost here"
"Please do tell me Miss Bae, what part did confuse you?"
"everything" Irene feels like she's in the dark this whole time "the queen, me and the palace"
"oh dear, isn't it common if your future in law want to meet you"
'Future in law', that statement instantly click in Irene's mind and that very moment she is mad with her mother for not filling this little detail of information to her.

And that lead to this moment, at the very next day like he said, Yoo Jae Suk pick her up at her house and thirty minutes later wearing a simple white long sleeve dress that has floral pattern and it ends right above her knee, with her hair down and nude wedges she is now riding at the back of a limousine courtesy of the palace feeling like the world will soon drown her.

She expect the worst of what will happen today.

Irene knew she would be lost if she being left alone to find the way out, ever since they arrive all she do is to follow Mr.Yoo steps inside the palace, that man must know his way even with his eyes close. She never thought in her lifetime she could walk around inside the Blue Palace, that what people term for the South Korea's Royal Palace, let alone to meet the queen personally.

But like the famous saying, destiny is a joke, who think a nobody like her is going to be the queen future in law. Irene still feel like this is all just a dream, a weird dream and in no time everything is going back to where it was supposed to be, her mother being healthy and her family have no whatsoever connection to the royalty.

Mr.Yoo step stopped right in front of the grand beige door, he open it and turn his way to face Irene "Please do come in miss" his hand gesture her politely. Inside, there is a huge dining table that made out of white marble whit 8 chairs lining up around it, there is small but elegant chandelier hang just above it, around the room hangs a few expensive paintings and ornament that she guess from around the globe and gray and comfy carpet is covering the floor. Looking around the room, she could smell wealthiness just looking at the room.

"Please sit here Miss, " Mr. Yoo pull out one of the chair "Her Majesty will soon arrive, is there anything you like to drink?"
"just water please"
"right then, please do excuse me" Mr.Yoo bows to her and exit the room, a little moment later a maid with a black uniform come to the room and serve her a glass of water, she drink the water in a gulp hoping to easer her nervousness.

She doesn't know what to do while waiting for the queen, playing with her phone seems inappropriate and she is scared to move around. Thankfully the queen arrive not long after that, Irene often sees her in the news article of television but never sees her in person.

Despite her age, the queen look really beautiful in real life, intimidating and classy are two words that Irene would use to describe the queen appearance. Not like what she sees in any drama where the female royal family member wear hanbok, the queen wore white long sleeve blouse with high waist navy skirt with blue pump to complete her appearance. Her hair is style at the back, more like a bun but in a classy way.

The moment that the queen step inside the room, Irene instantly stand from her seat and bow when she finally stand in short distance from her.

"Please do sit my dear," she said when she finally sat down herself
Irene obey her word without any hesitation, "Mrs. Kim, please bring some tea and snack for our guest"
"Yes your Majesty" Mrs.Kim, a middle age woman who always stand beside the queen since they entered the room must be her personal assistant.

"Don't be nervous dear," the queen must see how nervous Irene is, Irene never feel this nervous in every interview she has been "let's just think that this is a casual conversation, to know each other"
Irene just smile and nods to her word "how is your mother?"
"She is getting better now" Her word got interrupted when Mrs.Kim, the secretary enter the room, a few maid are walking behind her, holding a tray with different kind of foods. While the maid are serving the food at the table, Irene thought something to say to the queen. "Thank you for what you did for my mother at this hospital your majesty, we could not be more grateful for your thoughtfulness" she said when all the maids are finished serving the food.

"It is the least we could do, after all, we all going to be a family right?"
Irene smile awkwardly, because the idea of marrying the prince still so foreign to her and for a moment when she is busy being nervous because of the queen present, she forgot about that part,
"so, tell me miss bae, or can I call you Joo hyun-sshi?"
"Whatever suit you, your majesty "
"Is true that people call you Irene? It does not sound like a Korean name"
"It's true, but it actually more like a nickname. It start back when I was in high school, where I write for my school paper, Irene is like my pen name. But as the time goes by, I think my article attract more people than I expected then all of sudden they start to call me Irene, and it stuck until the present time"
The queen just smile, then she start to sip her drink "just to reminder that as a royal family, we do go by royal name, but not an English name"
Irene instantly knew that the queen disapprove the name 'Irene', but there is nothing she can do expect nodding slowly and smile gesturing that she listen to what the queen had to say.

After that Irene and the queen do some small talk, or more like small interview since the queen is the one who is asking question and Irene is the one who give the answer.Like where did she go to school, what she did for a living, and a bit more about her family.

Irene knew that the queen must know these fact beforehand, because somebody must do a background check for the queen, and all these question that she ask to Irene must be some sort of confirmation.

"Do you love your job?"
"For now, I enjoy what I do for a living, mam"
The queen smile, but more like a pity smile "Joohyun-sshi, you might realize that no member of the royal family have a professional career, it is because each of the royal family have their own duty and it will be hard to balance both of it" she pause a while "and it does go the same for you, when you join our family"
Irene is loss at word, that fact is really hit her hard.

She know that there are some sacrifice she need to make on her way to this arrangement, but hearing that directly from the queen makes her want to crawl out this situation.
"Have you met Suho?" That a question that Irene should expect, but somehow it still surprising to hear "you should at least met him once, even though it's not personal since you go to the same school with him and you cover a few story about him"
Right before Irene could answer, Mrs.Kim come to the room and announce that the said prince has arrive
"Please do send him in Mrs.Kim"

"yes, your majesty"

You know the scene where the male main character of Korean Drama enter a room, as a group or a solo, and they all good looking, then the scene play in a slow motion with a good camera angle that make people around them stops in a awe, that is what Irene feels when she see prince Suho come into the room. But those moment only last for a while, she feels awkward after remembering what she just witness the other day. Irene know that this isn't getting any easier.