𝐫𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲•𝐣𝐢𝐡𝐚𝐧

nineteen

JISOO HAD no idea what was going on. after they gave the family doctor a call about jisoo's symptoms, all the princes(and mingyu) were suddenly inside his room(technically not his room), while he was forced to stay in bed. they were asking him if he can eat, stand or whatever—which he all confidently answered yes to. how weird.

jisoo feels like the queen on her deathbed. what was happening? did jisoo catch some kind of disease? can he get three wishes before his death or something?

and, if he can, can his first wish be getting a stable goddamn job?

"i don't understa—" jisoo starts, once everyone was done asking questions. he always gets cut off, that he wonders if he should speak at all. but then again, if he doesn't speak, the people around him would think that something bad has happened to him.

"the king is on his way back here, too. contain the whole estate, call all the helpers and tell them to be ready to explain to the king. how did this happen?" when did seungcheol get here? okay, okay okay okay, this is weird. everything is weird. why is everyone being summoned? is jisoo's condition that bad? why are they acting like he's so special? isn't he just falling in love a while ago?

i'd rather be falling in love than be diseased, thank you very much.

"do you feel nauseous, jisoo-ssi?" seokmin asks, looming over jisoo. he was the only person who's ever gotten at least a meter close to jisoo. "the doctor said that you most probably have chicken pox."

oh. that's why they're all keeping their distance from jisoo. how did jisoo get it, though? he thought that only kids can acquire chicken pox. he learns something new everyday. (and, acquires something new seldomly—like this one.)

ah! anyway, why isn't the doctor here? who's going to give jisoo food and such necessities when everyone refuses to get close to him(of course, who would want chicken pox?)? mingyu turned his back on jisoo, too. traitor.

"so... why is the doctor not here?"

"he's... he's out of the kingdom. we can't send you to a hospital either, the news about the royal family letting a stranger in the estate will spread like wildfire. this will spark a lot of different rumours. we don't want that, do we?" seokmin replied, stepping backwards. jisoo frowned as the last person who wasn't afraid to approach him was not by his side anymore.

"but... we can call junhui and they can pick me—"

"the king is arriving in a minute." the double doors of jisoo's room had bursted open, revealing minghao with two other guards behind him. they were sweaty, jisoo remarked. "please calm down. he will know what to do."

"is it really fine to let him in here?" seungcheol approaches minghao, with crossed arms. "i don't understand why the king even headed back home when he's busy."

"it's the king's own will. we gave him warnings, but we still need to follow his order."

no, not a queen in her deathbed. jisoo felt like he was going to give birth to a baby or something in the wrong date and now his family members are storming inside the room while panicking. such a weird comparison, but it's the perfect thing to liken this whole situation with.

and, hey, isn't the king upset with jisoo? what's with the—

"HONG JISOO-SSI!" a dramatic yell, accompanied by hurried footsteps. jisoo feared that the king was actually not worried for him, that jeonghan was actually just angry for jisoo getting chicken pox and breeding the said disease in his estate. yeah, that must be it, right? jeonghan sounds angry.

"everyone, please exit the room." minghao instructs, raising a hand. the three lee princes and mingyu gave jisoo empathic looks before they stepped out of his room, while the other guards(along with minghao) never spared him a glance as they exited.

what, are guards acting more like royalties now? why are they so snobby? they should be here, to guard jeonghan or something in case jisoo does an unpleasant deed that might happen just right now. jisoo is not exactly in a good mindset, with the sound of his heartbeat thumping in his ears.

shit. jisoo's heartbeat only fastened its pace once the room was left with him, jeonghan, and an awkward silence.

"i got chicken pox when i was a kid, too, so i can take care of you for the meantime." jeonghan said, taking his coat off swiftly as he approached jisoo. "i came rushing. i can't let anybody else get infected in the estate, and since the doctor is out of the kingdom, i have to contain you myself. does that sound okay?"

it was too hard to comprehend. jisoo was distracted by how itchy his skin felt.

"hong jisoo-ssi, i'm afraid i need you to give me permission before i do anything." jeonghan sighed, grabbing a chair behind him and sitting on it. the noise took jisoo's attention to jeonghan. "please give me permission. i don't want anything bad to happen."

jisoo voices out his ideas. "i will give you permission if you cancel the plan."

jeonghan laughed, for the very first time in a long while. "you talk too much, jisoo-ssi. please set your plans aside first. you are the top priority right now."

jisoo liked it. jeonghan was laughing. just like how it was, before the whole war thing came into surface. who knew that jeonghan would be the kind of person who would eat his pride away for the sake of other people? nobody. everyone in this palace just sees him as a warfreak.

i'm seeing his good qualities now..

"okay. i will let you. but, i'm pretty much fine as of now." jisoo bragged, raising an eyebrow at jeonghan. "what are we going to do now?"

jeonghan sighed, shrugging. "i was worried all for nothing. i even left jisung-ah all alone, what kind of manners do i have?" jeonghan facepalmed rather gracefully.

"setting that aside, i'm touched. you look all sweaty and exhausted, your highness, and i'm guessing that it's because you—"

"yes, i was worried for the people working here, and for you."

jisoo lets jeonghan's words hang in the air for a while, before humming in acknowledgement and lying down on his bed to sleep. he heard jeonghan calling for a maid, and he didn't bother tuning in. like, jeonghan could give him poison and he could care less. jeonghan can give jisoo whatever he wanted, jisoo will just be sleeping.

but wait, this is not called ignorance. no, no. jisoo was sure it's not ignorance. he believed that it was called... trust.

"i suppose that's a good thing," jisoo starts, pulling his blanket up his chin. jeonghan noticed this and immediately came to jisoo's aid, tucking him safely under the covers. jisoo felt a blush creep on his cheeks. "the king cares for his kingdom after all."

"my kingdom, and you, hong jisoo-ssi," jeonghan snorted, eyeing jisoo. "sleep well. i'll contact the doctor and try to have him here tomorrow for you."