glass slippers. ʲᵃᵉᵐⁱⁿ

TENTH.

Third Person's POV

Jaemin was woken up peacefully by the chirping birds and the smell of dew on the flowers displayed on his veranda. The faint rain from last night scattered the fragrance of the plants in his room, sending a very relaxing and aromatic feeling.

He sat up from his bed and walked towards the veranda to breathe in the morning breeze. His thin polo shirt blowed with the wind. The sun made his torso slightly visible from under his shirt's silk.

Tomorrow; he's getting married tomorrow. Yes, he's excited to marry the girl he danced at the ball, but there seems off about her. He doesn't know what it is, but it's just there. The looks might be her but the feeling.. he didn't feel the spark ever since they met, excluding the ball.

Maybe she wasn't the girl at the ball. The feeling of her touch is different and so is her aura. As the wedding was getting closer by the hour, he was unsure of his marriage with that Jewel. What if the girl he danced was of magic and probably doesn't even exist?

He was having doubts now that he proceeded to overthink it through. Jaemin doesn't know what to feel now. He has thoughts on cancelling the wedding right now but before he could, a loud knock came from the door.

"Come in." He said and turned around to meet the person face to face. It slowly opened and there was Doyoung, wearing a very worried expression. Jaemin raised a brow at his butler and folded his arms. "What is it, Doyoung?"

He bowed lowly and Jaemin noticed he was trembling. "Please do follow, Your Highness. It is very urgent." Doyoung barely says that to him and he only does when it really is important. He nodded and went out of the door. "Very well. Lead the way."

While they were heading to where the man wants Jaemin to be, he kept on touching and massaging his hands, like he's really nervous. The prince noticed it and his brows slightly furrowed. What could be wrong at such time in the morning?

His butler led him to his future bride's bedroom. "Is she in need of something right now?" He asked Doyoung but he only kept silent and opened the door for him. Jaemin found that a bit disrespectful, considering he is the prince but he was surprised to see two maids standing at the foot of Jewel's bed, shedding tears.

Before he could ask them, his eyes already landed at the girl's figure on the bed. She was still wearing her night gown and Jaemin noticed that her whole body was pale. Her chest wasn't going up and down and that only meant one thing.

"What the.." He immediately approached the lifeless body. He felt remorse not because she is his loved one but because she is a citizen of their kingdom. "How.. How did this happen?" He asked and looked at the maids and at Doyoung.

"W-We don't know, Your Highness. When Jade was to serve Miss Jewel her breakfast, she already found her as she is now. There are no stabs on her body so it be impossible that someone tried to murder her with a knife. We already called the paramedics to perform an autopsy test. I hope you don't mind, sire."

Jaemin only gave a nod. "I do not. Good decision, Doyoung," He rubbed his chin and was immediately drowned in his thoughts. "Maybe she isn't the girl after all. Could this be a sign or indeed, a poisoning?" He asked no one but himself.

He studied the body carefully and realized that Jewel was still wearing the glass slippers even though she was already in bed. He walked closer to it and took the shoes off. The bottom were filled with deep cuts and dried blood that covered the entirety of her feet.

What's strange is that the slippers don't have blood and was as clear as the first time he saw it on the staircase during the night of the grand ball. He thoroughly studied the glass slippers and was shocked to see engraved words on it. Last time he remembered, those weren't there before. He knew so because he examined it after taking it from the flight of stairs.