Chapter LXXVI
1674 Words
일흔 여섯째 왕관 (76)
“Jae Kyung-ssi…”
Jae Kyung looked at him. “Hmm?”
“Do you… do you like me?”
That made her stare at him for a minute. A minute of silence invaded the spaces between them. When she chose to break the silence between them, she spoke. “What?”
That made the Grand Prince gasped in silence as he realized what he asked her. He waved his hands in utter panic. “No! No! That’s not what I meant to ask! No, don’t get the wrong idea, Your Highness!”
“Ah, you mean can anyone like you?”
That made Prince Yi Ryeo stop. “Eh?”
“That’s what you actually mean to ask, right? If anyone could like you?” Jae Kyung asked him once again.
“Ah… yeah…”
“Of course, Your Highness! As I said, everyone will like you. Because for real, Grand Prince Yi Ryeo is every girl’s type. From the good manners, attitude, good social standing, smart, kind and handsome, you couldn’t ask for more because that’s Prince Yi Ryeo. You’re basically everyone’s ideal type,” she told him and grinned. “I understand what you’re trying to say, Your Highness. I can read between the lines.”
“Ah, yeah. Thank you for that…” Prince Yi Ryeo said as he scratched his nape. “I was actually flattered that you saw me like that. I never received such a compliment.”
Jae Kyung’s eyes widen that she didn’t even manage to take a bite from the mocha she’s holding. “You’re kidding.”
“I’m not…” he muttered as he smiled awkwardly.
“I don’t believe it,” she told him. “You deserved to be praised like that, you know?”
He just smiled shyly. “It really didn’t matter to me if I’ll receive compliments or not… but I am happy that you saw me that way.”
Jae Kyung grinned at him.
“And it didn’t really matter whosoever likes me or admires me…” Prince Yi Ryeo looked at her once again. “What matters to me is how the only person I like sees me…”
Jae Kyung stared at him for a couple of seconds and when she realized something, she gasped. “Oh my gosh! You have a crush!”
That made Prince Yi Ryeo look away with a shy smile on his face. He flinched when she suddenly pat his arm. “You should definitely make a move right now! You should tell her how you feel!”
“I want to… I really do… but…”
“Jae Kyung-ah.”
Jae Kyung immediately turned her head to Prince Yi Eul who’s now standing meters away from them. She couldn’t help but smile as she stood up, holding her chima, and walked towards him. She bowed and greeted the Crown Prince with a huge smile on her face.
“Sorry, I’m late. Did you wait long?”
She shook her head and smiled. “No,” both of them looked at Prince Yi Ryeo and the latter nodded with a smile on his face. “His Highness accompanied me and even brought some snacks for me so I’m not really bored waiting.”
Prince Yi Eul smiled and nodded at the Grand Prince then proceeded on patting Jae Kyung’s head. “That’s great, you lazy bum.”
“I’m not a lazy bum, you phony prince.”
“I dropped by to Her Majesty’s leisure room and asked her if I could fetch you now and she said we’re good to go so we can go home now.”
“I badly want to go home because the next episode of the TV show that I watched will release a new episode right now.”
“Ugh, you and your obsession with Netflix,” the Crown Prince’s eyes settled on Prince Yi Ryeo and with a nod, he spoke. “We have to go now.”
Prince Yi Ryeo spoke. “Oh, okay. Take care on your way home.”
Jae Kyung immediately waved at him in full enthusiasm. “Goodbye, Your Highness! See you next time! I’ll treat you next time as well!”
The Grand Prince flaunted a soft smile for her and waved his hands. “Goodbye, take care.”
He looked at the two walking side by side with each other. He could see how Prince Yi Eul held Jae Kyung as if she meant the world to him. With all their smiles and laughter, he could see how they’re so in love.
He couldn’t help but feel the envy creeping inside him.
He wished he didn’t see that because he felt so illegal that he has this feeling hidden inside him.
“I want to tell her what I really feel…” he muttered to himself. “I want to tell her that I like her. But how will I do that if she’s tied…" his eyes settled on Jae Kyung who's now smiling brightly at Prince Yi Eul while saying something. "...that if you’re already tied in marriage with my cousin?”
“There’s a prince who attended a grand ball hosted by a kingdom from the other town. He was so silent because he doesn’t know how to approach the ladies for a dance. He silently looked at the ladies who looked so pretty in their gowns, happily dancing and chatting with the other guests. As he kept standing in the crowd, a young maiden wearing a blue gown just a few distances away from where he’s standing caught his attention. He felt his heart just skipped a beat when she smiled softly in front of him. It seems like the maiden doesn’t have someone to dance to her too so he swallowed his shyness and with slightly shaky feet, he walked the distance between them and managed to offer his hand for her.
“May I have this dance, milady?” he asked.
The maiden smiled at him sweetly and took his hand for a dance.
For the first time in the prince’s life, he felt so happy while staring at the girl smiling sweetly in front of him as they waltzed the night away. He never felt love for someone else but her.
The prince seized the moment dancing with her, forgetting how time passes. He was drowned in the feeling of her in his arms, dancing with him. He was cut in his reverie and they both stopped dancing when the kingdom’s clock hits midnight.
“I’m sorry, my prince. I have to go!” before he can say a word, the maiden ran away from him, walking out from the kingdom’s ballroom.
The prince followed her as she walked down from the grand staircase but he didn’t manage to talk to her because she’s already far away from him, leaving her glass shoe in one of the grand staircases. He picked it up and managed to look at her from afar…
When his eyes settled at the maiden, he saw her meeting another prince at the bottom of the staircase.
“I left my shoe!” he heard her exclaimed at the prince in front of her.
“You’re so clumsy,” the other prince chuckled and knocked her head playfully and gently that made her giggle. “C’mon, I’ll carry you.”
He saw the maiden grinning cheekily at the other prince as he managed to give her a piggyback ride.
As the clock hits midnight, he’s not a prince anymore. He’s just an ordinary scullery boy… just an ordinary boy standing at the staircase, smiling at the maiden he loves who’s now happy with the prince she loves.”
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“Did you asked Do Wan to buy this book for you, only to read something this lame?” Prince Yi Eul asked as he raised the book in front of Jae Kyung who was listening attentively at him. They’re currently inside his study room just to read a “lame” book—if that’s what he obviously called it. He was planning to scold Jae Kyung for demanding his bodyguard to drop by at a bookshop just to buy the book and they almost got caught by paparazzi and instead of scolding her, he ended up reading the book for her.
“What? It’s not lame! It’s a best-selling anthology book, you know?” Jae Kyung pouted.
“It’s not all the time these best-selling books are worth reading, you know?” Prince Yi Eul kept on flipping the pages of the said book. “But, I’ll not gonna lie, this is actually much better than the actual fairy tale. This sounded more realistic.”
“See? I told you it’s great!” Jae Kyung grinned at him. “Now, read another one for me.”
“Am I your private reader or something? Read it yourself, you lazy bum.”
“Then why are you holding my book?”
“Because I am scanning this. You bothered Do Wan over something like this so I have the right to scan the contents myself,” Prince Yi Eul sighed and slightly cringed as he kept on reading some of the book’s contents. “Why do you guys love this cringy romantic stuff so much? It’s not like these happen in real life, though.
“Oh, c’mon. It’s not like you’re busy. Read it for me!”
“Stop and read it yourself.”
“Such a phony prince.”
“And you’re a lazy bum.”
Silently closing the book he’s reading entitled ‘Not Your Happily Ever After’ by Maxiel Linda, Prince Yi Ryeo looked at the window of his room and sighed.
As the clock hits mid-day, I am no prince anymore. I am just a boy standing at the pavilion, smiling at the maiden he loves who’s now happy with the crown prince she loves.
- Writer
