CH 304

Why is this kingdom so interested in the prince’s bedroom? I answered quietly while touching my forehead at the feeling of a rushing headache.

“It’s a misunderstanding.”

“It’s natural.”

“I think there was a rumour like that because I slept with Kim Woo-jin, but when Kim Woo-jin was found, the situation wasn’t good, so I had no choice but to do it.”

“I understand.”

You understand? Then why were you doing this? Ha Tae-heon looked at me, who was puzzled, and touched my cheek as if jokingly, then straightened his upper body.

“I’m jealous of what I understand. And if I don’t express myself like this, you won’t notice my jealousy, so there’s nothing I can do about it.”

It sounded like he was blaming me. Is it just me?

Anyway, I felt a little sorry for Ha Tae-heon. No matter how fake it was, I decided to marry him, but rumours like that had spread.

“I’m sorry. Did the other team members hear of it?”

“Of course, it’s a rumour that has spread throughout the central capital. Cheon Sa-yeon and I knew it was that guy as soon as we heard the rumour. Maybe there are other guys out there, right?”

“No way.”

Ha Tae-heon didn’t trust me this much. I felt a bit unfair, but if I talked more, it would hurt only me, so I changed the topic of the conversation.

“The wedding will start in a few days, do you have any additional information?”

“No, there’s not. Even Cheon Sa-yeon didn’t say anything.”

Ha Tae-heon, who was being abused by Min Ah-rin, Park Geon-ho, and Kwon Jeong-han, who were mentally controlled, didn’t have many opportunities to leave the house.

So, Cheon Sa-yeon, who was relatively free, was wandering outside looking for information instead, but no matter how much he looked around, he couldn’t find any information related to this space and fairy tales.

“In this case, we have no choice but to proceed with the wedding and see what happens after that.”

“There’s nothing we can do. For now, that’s the best.”

The past week had only been peaceful, so I was rather anxious.

All we could do in this situation was wait for the wedding. A sigh came out.

“Still, I’m happy because my marriage partner is Ha Tae-heon-ssi.”

I had been thinking about it since I entered this space.

It would have been a lot more complicated if the role of Cinderella wasn’t Ha Tae-heon, but another team member who had been mentally controlled, or someone I had never seen before. As marriage was the most likely solution, I was very lucky to have Ha Tae-heon as my partner.

Ha Tae-heon opened his eyes slightly wide as if he was surprised at the words I said with a smile to evoke the subdued atmosphere. Then, with the tips of his ears red, he bowed his head toward me again.

“Wa, wait a minute. Wait.”

Ha Tae-heon, who was approaching to kiss me naturally, was startled as I blocked it with my hand. Ha Tae-heon frowned with dissatisfaction.

“Why are you doing it again?”

“If you propose first and then ask why I’m doing this, what should I say?”

“It’s not a proposal…”

He knew it wasn’t what I meant. He must be joking. As I expected, Ha Tae-heon wasn’t stubborn and quietly retreated.

“So what are we going to do next?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m talking about Kim Woo-jin. Are you going to sleep with him together?”

“If I had a good status like other team members, I would be less concerned, but that’s not the case, so it’s safe to have him around. After all, there are three days left until the wedding.”

“I don’t like it.”

“Be an adult man, Ha Tae-heon-ssi.”

Ha Tae-heon raised only one corner of his mouth this time when I said firmly that even if he was jealous, I couldn’t step back.

“Yeah. I’m the one who’s going to marry you after all.”

“…um, Ha Tae-heon-ssi.”

After thinking for a while, I looked at Ha Tae-heon and opened my mouth.

“There’s no need to worry about the relationship between Kim Woo-jin and me. Kim Woo-jin is a friend to me and a younger brother to protect.”

“……”

“And this is a created space. To be honest, I don’t quite understand why Ha Tae-heon-ssi is jealous.”

Ha Tae-heon laughed bitterly as if he had swallowed some medicine at the last talk.

“Right. Of course, you don’t know. I love you, but you don’t love me.”

“I…”

“Of course, I want your jealousy, but… I have no intention of forcing you. It’s not a matter that you could do with force.”

Ha Tae-heon, speaking in a calm voice, looked genuinely bitter.

“But Han Yi-gyeol. I’d like you to reconsider this again. I wonder if Kim Woo-jin really sees you as a friend.”

A corner of my head sank coldly.

It was like being stabbed in the corner. I tried to refute the same thing about Kim Woo-jin, but the words didn’t come out easily.

I bit my lips, unable to hide my perplexity. Ha Tae-heon, who was looking at me in a complicated way, sighed and turned away from me.

“That’s it for today. I will also look around the castle in the remaining time.”

“…I understand.”

“I will come to you as soon as I find out more.”

The conversation with Ha Tae-heon ended with only an unpleasant feeling. When I left the drawing room after Ha Tae-heon, Kim Woo-jin, who was waiting in the hallway, approached me right away.

Seeing his auburn eyes staring straight at me made my heart ache.

‘I still don’t know, Kim Woo-jin.’

What kind of comfort should I have given to him, who looked sad. Should we have talked more instead of hearing your gentle refusal to take a break?

If, as Ha Tae-heon said, Kim Woo-jin had such feelings for me…

‘What should I do?’

The fact that I and Kim Woo-jin were also men didn’t mean much anymore. Because I had realized through experience that there could be someone who liked me regardless of gender.

“Prince?”

As I stared at him without saying a word, Kim Woo-jin made a puzzled expression. On top of that face, Kim Woo-jin’s face overlapped with the one I met alone in the room.

“Nothing. Let’s go back to the room.”

“Yes.”

I regretted it later, but there was no way to find out for now. Let’s get out of this space and ask again when Kim Woo-jin was released from mental control.

Having put off the problem for which I couldn’t find an answer, I tapped Kim Woo-jin on the shoulder and walked forward.

* * *

Time flew by quickly and in the blink of an eye, the day of the wedding came.

I woke up forcibly by the maids who came into the room from dawn and immediately after taking a bath, I started dressing up.

“The wedding is held during the day… do I have to prepare already?”

“There are only seven hours left, so it’s tight.”

“Of course, Prince! It’s a precious day that only comes once, so you should dress splendidly. We will do our best to help.”

Seeing Woo Seo-hyuk and the maids full of enthusiasm, who answered as if it were natural, made me really tired.

“Hey there. Get some brushes from the box.”

“Wait. That kid…”

One of the maids who was putting makeup on me gave an order to Kim Woo-jin, who was standing next to me. Surprised, Kim Woo-jin moved first before I even said that he wasn’t a servant.

Kim Woo-jin, who brought the brush as the maid told him, continued to run errands like a servant after that. Rather, it was me who was uncomfortable with that behaviour.

After all the makeup was done, I had to try on several sets of clothes hanging on hangers one by one to find the most suitable wedding dress. At least, the amount was reduced.

If I stood still, the maids would dress me for it, but it was too burdensome because I had never had this kind of experience in my life.

“Phew, we did finish on time.”

“The Prince is so handsome!”

“You look really good with white.”

“If the Prince chooses a perfume, I will spray it right away.”

The tedious process of changing ended with a white suit, jewellery studded with bright yellow topaz, and a golden cloak symbolizing the kingdom. I sighed inwardly as I picked out the perfume.

‘Even if I were to be reborn, I would never be able to live this kind of life.’

It would be better to live as a commoner and to live with others didn’t suit my personality. I hope this fairy tale ended with the wedding.

“When you are ready, you can go to the wedding hall. Please follow me.”

“Can I take Kim Woo-jin as well?”

“…that’s alright, but only in front of the dining hall.”

“Come here, Kim Woo-jin.”

Kim Woo-jin, who was holding a beautiful dress while helping me, hesitated, then put it down on the sofa and quickly followed me.

As I walked down the hallway following Woo Seo-hyuk, I deliberately opened up a little distance with Woo Seo-hyuk and whispered to Kim Woo-jin.

“Kim Woo-jin, I told you before. You don’t have to come out and serve me.”

“Pardon?”

“I don’t want you to work all the time. So there’s no need to look around or forcefully take care of it.”

Upon hearing this, Kim Woo-jin made a strange expression. He blinked his eyes as if contemplating for a moment and answered calmly.

“I will do anything as long as I can stay by the Prince’s side.”

“……”

“I don’t dislike working. I can confidently help the Prince in the name of work.”

“I never wished for that. I want you to be by my side as my friend.”

This was my sincerity towards Kim Woo-jin. From the time we first met until now, Kim Woo-jin and I had gotten along very well as friends. So I believed that Kim Woo-jin was also satisfied with this relationship.

When I looked at him with a complicated mind, Kim Woo-jin also made eye contact with me. The midday sun shone through the walls of the outer hallway, which were lined with rose vines.

“I’m sorry, Prince.”

“……”

“I cannot be your friend.”

With his back to the sunlight, Kim Woo-jin left me with a gentle refusal, just like he did in that room.

It must have meant that we couldn’t be friends because of the difference between the status of a slave and a prince, but somehow it sounded different. The words ‘I cannot be your friend’ stabbed me in the chest.

“Prince, there is not much time left.”

When I stopped and didn’t follow, Woo Seo-hyuk, who was ahead, urged me. I felt a stinging pain like a thorn in my heart and accelerated my pace.

“I’ll go.”

First… let’s get married. We have to check if the space changed.

And… and…

‘Let’s talk again with Kim Woo-jin when we go out. Do it right this time.’