Mountain Rose

17. Heartbreak of a Prince

"Everything comes as it pleases and leaves without a goodbye. Like this, I don't want to love anything."

IU ft Suga, Eight

***

Viscount Kim slapped a hand against his forehead. "Did he just faint?" he asked, as the servants who had caught the youth in their arms lowered him down to the ground.

Yoongi was barely listening; his world was spinning, and he was reeling from the appearance of the young man from Eunji's village.

Couldn't he just have one day where he could be happy?

"Get him to one of the guest chambers."

The viscount turned to him sharply. "But Eunji-"

"She'll notice him soon enough. If not tonight, tomorrow."

He hated how small his voice sounded.

He hated how nervous he was feeling, knowing that this was not just any ordinary person, but the one person that could shatter everything he was building with Eunji.

As the servants reached to hoist his unexpected visitor up, his body twitched, and he jerked awake, gasping in fright.

Oh, great. He's awake now.

"Let him go," he commanded, as the youth stood up, "Welcome back. Namjoon, isn't it?"

The boy stared at him warily, clearly terrified despite the deadpan tone he had tried to convey. "Yes," he said, "You know my name."

"Eunji has told me much about you," he said, watching Namjoon's eyes widen, "It appears you have resisted the enchantments and have entered through the veil into the compounds of my palace. What business have you, good sir?"

Namjoon, looking a tad more courageous not that he knew he was exactly where he had hoped to be, stepped forward. "Please, I've come to speak with her," he said, sounding desperate, "Her father is ill, and nothing has helped. He is dying, and all he does is call his daughter's name over and over again."

Yoongi refused to acknowledge the look on his viscount's face.

"And?" he asked emotionlessly, "You wish to bring her home to him, in the hopes that he will somehow see her before he dies?"

Namjoon seemed to shudder under his scrutiny. "Yes," he said, his voice trembling, "Yes, please."

He let out a low growl, the sound rippling through the cool night that had been going so well.

It could be a lie, he thought to himself.

Her father is a crook, no matter how noble Eunji has made him to be. It could simply be an elaborate hoax in order to take her back.

But if it truly is a plan, wouldn't one of her brothers be in this boy's place?

He had to admit, it was highly suspicious.

But if her father was truly dying, he wouldn't want to hold her back.

Namjoon looked too much in despair to be lying, and Yoongi knew he barely knew the young man, but he did know that Eunji trusted him as one of her closest friends.

Jealousy and frustration aside, Yoongi wasn't heartless.

He took a long breath, and noticed his servants collectively watching him in the silence that followed.

They were waiting for him to explode, to bare his teeth and scare the visitor witless before throwing him out and telling him never to return.

He swallowed the lump in his throat, realizing that he wasn't even close to being angry. Annoyed, yes. Anxious, yes.