forum "How come you haven't run away from me yet?"//oxo//Closed

Started December 12, 2020 by @knightinadream group

tune

As the sun began to steadily disappear behind the horizon, the night sky hung above with the moon. Kangdae leaned against the railing on the balcony staring below at the water. His hand hung over the railing. It felt cold against the warmth of the late summer. The sunlight wasn't touching his skin, but he knew it'd be safe for him to go outside.

They are halfway through the week as tonight is the third time him and Jimin will be meeting again. The fact he revealed what he truly was still shocked him in a way. Earlier in the day, he happened to have crossed paths with his mother. Odd how she sort of gave him a stern look with gentle eyes. Jimin didn't tell her everything, did she?

He shook his head trying to not think about it any further. Obviously, he isn't stuck inside a cell right now, so maybe she didn't. The corners of his lips turned up as a sneer was placed on his face. She must've kept the promise.

Suddenly, his senses caught that sweet familiar aroma once again. His fingers curled into his palm as he took a long inhale and exhale. She is nearby. Kangdae let his hands relax at his side as he bit the inside of his lip. Before walking into his room, he left the balcony doors opened.

Tucking some his hair behind his ear, he tried to make it not as messy as it was when the court ladies helped him. Unlike yesterday, today he is onky standing in his regular evening wear. An all black under coat, pants, and his usual black and blue nobleman coat. Before sitting down behind the desk, he untied the strings of the coat.

Kangdae held his brush between his fingers. It was rather difficult for him to make words appear at the other end of it. Everytime he tried, he'd gaze at the door in front of him, waiting.

Jimin wasn’t sure why she was going back. Well, she did, but it seemed almost pointless now. What else could she do? Ask the rest of her questions, and then what? Sit in silence until he wanted her to leave? Well, she supposed she might as well negotiate with him to decide what to do…
She found herself outside the prince’s doors. Remembering herself, she pulled her binyeo from her bun, left it with the guards, and wordlessly entered the room.
Gazing on him with a kind of strange sadness she couldn’t quite explain, she bowed. “Good evening, Your Highness.” She did not ask him how he was feeling. It seemed pointless now.
She took a breath, trying to compose herself. She’d thought on the previous nights, and there were still things in need of discussing. “I’ll have you know that I kept my end of the deal,” she said, without any hint of sorrow or pity. “And I still have questions. But perhaps you might just explain anything else you are hiding from me that has to do with your condition instead?”
She found herself staring at his hand holding the brush, frozen in his hand.

"Good evening to you as well, Miss Jimin. A pleasure to see you again as always.", he said. His eyes were still staring down at the blank paper. Suppose he could write as they talk, it's just he might end up writing his own thoughts throighout the discussion. Kangdae had his left index finger resting on his bottom lip while holding the brush.

Tell her everything he's hiding, splendid. Some are more easy to show, or delineate, than others. They're more obvious and simple too. Although, showing her certain things such as sucking the blood out of someone, would be terrifying from a human's perspective. On another note, he'd hate to spend the whole night wasting his breath. Explaining it all will only make him more thirsty and hungry than he already is.

Kangdae dipped the brush into the ink cartridge. With it, he wrote the character for blood in the top left corner. He snorted while looking down at the word before letting the brush sit in the cartridge. Just the word alone was oddly amusing yet satisfying to him. Thinking about it made him calm but anxious to get out and find someone to pierce their neck with his fangs. Soon. Not now, not even an hour from now, yet soon.

He thought back to what else he could write. Starting off a poem with such an intriguing word deserves to carry on holding the same energy. Alas, his mood changed course as he thought back to Jimin's question. Scratching the bridge of his nose, he shook his head. "Fine. I will explain this wonderful curse, but only piece by piece.", he sighed, "In the end, I will have told you everything I know or you'll find out some other way. Your questions will help give direction for our conversation and your curiosities. Ask away, if you so desire."

Jimin backpedaled, suddenly regretting the way she had spoken. Something about the prince’s tone reminded her of how hard he must’ve been fighting to keep his secret.
“Ah- forgive me, Your Highness, my curiosity got the best of me, and I was rude and invasive. You don’t have to tell me everything if you don’t wish it.” Her voice was a bit panicked at first, but it steadied.
Her eyes followed the brush as he dipped in ink and wrote. A small sigh of frustration left her lips. “You seem busy, Your Highness. I now feel hesitant to ask my questions.”
She was always used to knowing when she was wanted or needed, and what she was needed for. What those she served wanted her to do or say. She didn’t know any of that now. She had been forced into last few hours to serve the prince in a way that he didn’t even want her to, and now that she knew what was wrong with him, she felt stuck. She knew what she had to for the Queen, but not the prince, and thus her frustration.
She rubbed her temple. “Might as well. Curse my curiosity,” she muttered. “I have two main questions, if you don’t mind my asking. I wondered if the way you touched me that first night had anything to do with your condition. And… the man who attacked you… he isn’t the first one you’ve killed, is he?”

Kangdae's eyes glistened over as they looked up at her. Why is she apologizing all of the sudden? She kept her end of the deal, now, even though he internally hates it, it's his time to keep his. Shaking his head, he motioned for her to sit down.

Tapping on the table, he bit his bottom lip. It was not hard for him to remember the first night. Finding how to explain is what's making him ponder. "Yes, it was due to my condition. Before you came in that evening, I could smell your blood all the way over at the end.", he said, "I touched you because I was wondering whether or not I should've made you my next meal. I wanted a closer look, but obviously I made my decision, didn't I?"

He continued talking, "And that wasn't a man, he was a monster in his own sickening right. He certainly was my first, but not my last. Besides, he wasn't my first feast, I only killed him because he made me this way. I avenged myself."

The way his words strung together made him sound like a madman. But what he does isn't even murder, it's his way of surviving. He has to or he'll die. Seems like every single option he has been given thanks to the spirits and his mother all lead towards some sort of danger for him. Might as well walk into one with open arms, should he? "Next question, or is there something you want me to talk to about?"

Jimin sighed. She was probably going to sigh a lot during this conversation. Obliging the prince’s gesture, she went over and sat down.
“Ah, sorry,” she muttered, wanting to get it out of the way. “The only one you’ve killed, not the first.”
Without thinking, her hand went up to her neck, her brow knotting up as she thought on his words. She stared down at her lap. Her lip curled at the thought of being a meal. “Yes, you certainly made your decision, Your Highness.” She lowered her voice. “I suppose I can be glad you didn’t do it for a more perverted reason…”
Hah, which is more perverted then? She wondered silently. Lust, or bloodlust? It seemed like I was implying the former. It’s almost amusing to think about. Her hand slid down to rest on her collarbone.
She sighed. Again. “‘I only killed him because he made me this way’? Your Highness, why does this make me pity you so?” She was almost thinking out loud at this point, which felt both strange and familiar at the same time. She didn’t feel as composed or driven like she had the previous nights; her thoughts wandered and her body felt looser. Suddenly she longed for something she had not longed for in ages.
She rubbed her temple, trying to clear her head. Get it together.
“For now, just anything that you’re hiding that you would be willing to talk about,” she said. “I’m not sure what questions to ask, or how to ask them, if I’m being honest.”

"Even if it was in a perverted lustful manner, I would not have done it when I just met you that evening. I am sorry about that," he said, "And while you are very beautiful, I guarantee you that my intentions wouldn't take such a drastic turn; even a creature such as myself has to be cautious."

Pity. The last thing he wanted was to think about the fact someone feels pity for him; not to mention someone feeling something for him. He cannot comprehend the sensation of so. "Why does it? I'm not sure, I wish there was a simple way to explain it," he exhaled as he adjusted his coat. "Maybe it's because going through a similar situation is unimaginable to you. It's awfully tragic and lonesome."

Immediately he wanted to change the topic. Revealing all he has hidden for so long already has made him feel uneasy, but not being able to know what he is feeling right now is worse. Kangdae could have sworn he felt something sharp inside him. Almost dagger like in a sense. He shook of the feeling while trying to figure out what to say next.

Where to even begin? It's all very straightforward. Blood, sunlight being dangerous, not aging, being incredibly agile… "I don't know where to begin. I have only been this way for three years," Kangdae stared off to the side, "My fangs only appear at certain moments. When I'm awfully hungry, sucking someone's blood, angry, or feel attacked do they appear. Same goes for when my eyes turn red, except it's more easy to control that than the fangs."

So the prince thinks the lady-in-waiting is beautiful? Hah. Jimin tried to hide a smirk as she searched his face. “It’s alright, we did just meet. I was caught off guard, though.”
Then the smirk faded. She thought for a moment. “Perhaps, but I wouldn’t say it’s so unimaginable to me. At least, not in that way.” Her mind drifted back to her brother, much to her own annoyance. Luckily, the prince’s next words let her refocus.
She chuckled. “Well, it’s not a bad place to start, Your Highness. It explains why you don’t immediately look like your attacker when I look at you. I’ve heard that your kind have more monstrous, less human appearances, so that’s why it wasn’t immediately obvious to me what you were. Perhaps that’s what most people believe. I’ve heard other things, so I’m curious. Can you ride moonbeams, transform into certain animals, or slip through small spaces? Do you have super strength?”
She didn’t think her brother had an imagination this large, so he must’ve heard it from someone else, thinking back. Even so, why not find out if what he said was true?

Did he do something wrong? He could have sworn he saw her smirk for a moment. How he caught a glimpse of that was beyond him. Maybe it was because he's actually talking about what he's hidden. That doesn't seem right. What is it then?

No matter who told them the stories and tales, Kangdae was sure they all heard about vampires having monstrous demon-like appearances. The long sharp nails, big fangs, red eyes. Some tales he recalled described the monsters as human-like, yet the majority of them were the complete opposite. Could be possible that is why it's easy to trick humans into luring them in.

Her questions made him laugh almost immediately after she finished. Where did she get all of that from? The imagination some people have… Clearly he cannot fit in small spaces, he's one of the tallest people in this palace. Nor can he ride moonbeams or turn into small creatures. Well, he has not tried to do those yet, but from what he's learned and experienced, he probably cannot.

"Whoever told you all of this is quite the storyteller, I must say. On the other hand, I cannot do those things. Although, I wouldn't be surprised if I do have super strength." he said, "I can jump very high in the sky, almost like I'm flying for a brief period of time. Also we can run at incredible speeds unlike any other. That's how I was able to approach you from behind and get onto the roof."

He went back to chuckling for a few seconds. Afterwards he looked down at the floor as he cleared his throat. Kangdae could not help himself being so amused. Now that he hasn't been a human for a while, they are incredibly intriguing to watch and hear. Sure, he was one, but he cannot remember how it felt to be like one.

A grin crept up on her again as the prince laughed. Jimin found herself liking the way it sounded; crisp, tenor waves that slightly dipped into a bass tone as it continued.
She couldn’t resist snorting, more to herself than the prince, “My brother? A storyteller? Such a ridiculous thought. He only told me those things to scare me. He must’ve heard it from someone else. Anyway, I’m not surprised, but I would’ve thought you’d figure out if you had super strength by now. Fascinating though, how you can jump and run. Certainly explains things.”
She straightened, folding her hands in her lap. Her expression became more serious. “Something weighs on my mind now, Your Highness. I have been assigned by the Queen to watch and examine you, figure out what is wrong, and cure you by the time of your enthronement. Clearly, this cannot be cured through conventional means. I’m assuming if you don’t mind, that you don’t know of some other, unconventional method of returning you to a living, human state. And thinking about it, I have come to agree with you. Perhaps it would best for everyone, even Pyeonghwa as a whole, to not know of this.”
She took a breath, her gaze drifting downward. “Still, I feel loyal to Her Majesty. I can’t bring myself to fail her. And now that I know the truth, it feels almost treasonous to lie. And I don’t know how long I can keep it up.”
“P-perhaps I shouldn’t, but I have also thought about what will happen when you do inherit the throne. This would all be well and good if only you… you didn’t have a desire for blood. Ideally, if you were the monster as described in the stories underneath that human-like face, you could be killed quietly. But,” Jimin continued, her eyes flicking back to him. “I don’t believe that’s what you are. And that complicates things. What would it look like for Pyeonghwa to have a vampire as its king?”
Another breath. She blinked. “And that, my prince, is a longer, more drawn-out version of my bluntness. Forgive me, if it offends you. For now, I only ask you one thing. Help me to convince the Queen that I’m making progress, but in a way that I can still keep my end of the deal. I’m unsure of how long it could go on, but I’d like it to for as long as possible.”
Jimin’s stomach churned. To ask something like this of the prince! She almost regretted changing the subject so instantaneously. Of course, he obviously had his reasons for wanting to help her, but she didn’t think something like this happened before. And it probably wasn’t allowed. But what else could she do? She couldn’t do this on her own.

As she spoke, Kangdae rested his chin on the palm of his hand. Each word that fell out of her lips was processed. Not once did he feel the need to interject or leave. He just sat there staring across at her carefully listening to each word.

It may be best to not let everyone know that he is a vampire, but they cannot just pretend that vampires don't exist all together. Telling his mother this also makes him feel very uneasy. They cannot go on forever hiding all of this from her. It'd make her upset. Who knows how she'll react?

And returning to his previous state, the thought almost scared him. He already had to deal with becoming and being a vampire, but the possibility of being human again? Impossible. "In the mountains west of the capital, there's said to be this dark crimson plant that can reverse the effects. Whether or not it works or kills you in the process, I do not know sadly."

"I can see my reign going two ways. First, I rule with greed. I can have anyone I want. I can abuse my power to feed on whoever I'd like while censoring and killing anyone who dares to get in my way. All the power will go to me because who else can stop me? Eventually someone will kill me whether it be the people, a soldier, or even my brother, if time has passed," he stopped for a second before continuing, "Or, I can rule as a real king. I can protect the people from other vampires. I can educate them because I am one. Maybe I can even create a group of men successful enough to attack the vampires who really are monsters. But I cannot rule forever, I'll have to abdicate the throne to Doyun when he's old enough."

Kangdae got up from behind the desk. He took a moment to flatten out the wrinkles in his robe before making his way over to Jimin. Sitting down beside her, he noticed how her hands rested on her lap. Slowly, he placed his hand over them and gently rubbed the side of hers with his thumb. "Do not worry. I'll do everything I can to convince her. You'll be alright," he promised, "While I may have the need for blood and the abilities human cannot possess, I still am Kangdae nevertheless."

He feels terrible for having to pull Jimin into such a potential mess. The thought of how troubling it may be for her did not really cross his mind. All he thought of was himself and how to keep going without facing the potential of dying.

"Also, you do not have to apologize. Your bluntness was very necessary. I would have never expected anyone like you to be; you are fascinating for sure. We will make this situation go for as along as we can. By the end, it should be better for the both of us and everyone else."

(Haha ty)

Jimin watched the prince carefully, raising her brow. So her assumption was… mostly wrong. But the plant seemed like it came from a folktale; it seemed so far away, and the uncertainty of its effectiveness made her dismiss the idea after a second or two.
She chuckled softly. “That second option sounds very appealing, Your Highness. But I wonder what you will do after you abdicate.” She was no royal, of course, and she often had more important things to think about, so she could only begin to imagine what a ruler did after they abdicated.
She watched silently as the prince made his way over to her. Though his hands were cold, as expected, she didn’t pull away. She wasn’t sure why. Mere politeness, or something else? She felt her ears grow hot. “Thank you, sir, that… that reassures me.”
She found herself suppressing a grin once again. Oh right, the prince actually has a name. What a marvel. Funny how things like that would slip her mind. Kangdae… it was a nice name, she thought, now that it was staring at her in the face.
The grin twitched. Heh, who knew my bluntness would be so necessary? Then it was gone. “I certainly hope so, Your Highness. I certainly hope so. You… you are fascinating as well.”

Kangdae was not sure why he bothered holding her hands. They felt so snug and summery. When was the last time he ever felt heat such as this? Unlike the sun, there were no rays to make his skin burn right away. He thought about pulling his hand away for a second since he didn't plan to do this before. Every move he's made had been carefully planned out, even when Jimin came over the first time. This time, it just felt natural for him to caress them.

Something must really be wrong with him. And it clearly is not him being a vampire. Telling her this too is just going to leave him dreadfully confused. Shutting his eyes tight, he attempted to go back to their conversation. His other hand grabbed his robe as it formed a fist. Right, his plan when he'd be king. The second, more righteous, route.

"What will I do after I abdicate? I am not sure. I get to live forever as long as I want to. Maybe I'll just stay as the king former and be there for my brother when need be. I can be of use somewhere else if he doesn't want me to," he shrugged. He never thought much of what it'd be like giving up the throne after awhile. To be honest, he was not sure if he would be able to survive for that long; he has to. "That's thirteen years from now anyways. I have other things to worry about, things that my mother keeps bothering me about like marriage. She fears that I am so strange that I already have chased away every potential bride out there. But first, I have to get the throne before all that worrying actually takes course."

Him? Fascinating? Was this payback for the first evening or the previous night? It must be, how would he be fascinating to a court lady who is truly candid? She must be great at jokes too. No, this may just be out of pity again. A simple compliment because there is nothing else a human can do for a vampire like him. Kangdae nodded as his eyebrows scrunched together. "While I appreciate your words, Jimin, you don't have to say that. I'm only interesting because I do not have a heartbeat. However, you are too kind."

Jimin honestly thought the prince would pull away by now. Indeed, how different he was from the first night. She fixed her gaze on him as his expression began to reflect his own confusion about his actions. She raised a brow.
“Ah, that makes sense,” she said. “Hmm, well, she may be worried about you finding a bride, but really, it’s not like you have to be the one to continue the royal line, right?”
When he finished, she laughed. “Your Highness, I thought you would’ve taken the compliment! And you’re the the crown prince! Surely your vampirism is not all that makes you interesting. I mean, I had to look for that in the first place, and I don’t know you that well enough, but that doesn’t mean-“ she stopped herself. “I’m rambling. Forget that, I should ask you something.”
For some reason, she was reluctant to pull her hands away herself. He’s been holding them for this long, and somehow it felt uncomfortable or awkward to pull away now. She paused, staring at them. Then, “When you said you would do everything to convince her… I’m unsure of what you mean. I was hoping you would help me come up with an alternative version of tonight’s events that I can recount to the Queen. But your words imply you would help outside of that, in other ways. I’m alright with either one, though, if that’s the case…”
She trailed off, looking up at him uncertainly. If she was going to lie, she was going to lie well. And she didn’t think the Queen would believe another one of ’oh, the prince and his shenanigans’ again.

Carrying on the royal bloodline isn't his concern. Wistfully, he let go of that idea along with marriage. Having someone to rule alongside him sounded like an outlandish dream. He shrugged once again, "No, I don't have to. Yet, she does not know nor do any of the men in the royal government know, so they still expect me to carry on the lineage as king." Every single person in the palace and kingdom believe he is human. Only the ones on palace grounds think he is strange. Strange, but still human. Everyone except Jimin presumes so.

Shifting to face her, a look of puzzlement spread across his face. Are they sure that he is the one needed to be worried about now? Kangdae chortled in immediate response. Her laughter is so warm and full of life. It's sweet yet immensely contagious. He used his free hand to grab the air then placed it over his chest. "I just did! Didn't you see? I did take it." he nodded, "And I do not know you well at all, but I can already guess what you are. You are an outspoken astute young lady; you managed to find out what I've hid. Surely, you are more fascinating in your own right."

His head steadily gazed down at their hands. It has been holding hers for a while now. For all one knows, he should have taken it away moments ago. Why he didn't ask to pull away before is beyond his understanding. Mumbling a soft apology, he lifted it up then let it fall on top of his right. Supposing that he had feelings like a human, he would be able to tell the atmosphere surrounding them felt peculiar. Probably was his fault anyways.

Convincing the queen. Something had to be planned out with detail. Throwing out a simple statement or just shrugging isn't going to take them far. Whatever Jimin told his mother today worked, he did get an odd look from her so it must have been related to his usual tactics. So they cannot use one of the escapades again. "What I meant was that even if you need me to be there, I will go. I can construct a story or distraction if you'd like," he offered, "Of course I can help outside of that, if you'd like, I promised you after all." He was not sure what to do whether it'd be a story or some other method. His morning schedule is practically empty so he could help out "in other ways".

Suddenly he thought back to yesterday morning when he listened in to Jimin meeting with his mother. He recalled wanting to barge in there to stop their meeting. Surely if he walked in there, they would stop talking about the meetings and progress. "Would you mind if I joined you two tomorrow?" he wondered, "Maybe you can say that I refused to talk tonight and all I did was refuse to say a word. Or I would only talk about things that did not relate to my condition at all. Then when you start to explain it to her, I'll open the door and sit down beside her. What do you think?"

She nodded. Of course no one else knew. She had been thinking, though far in the future it was, that the prince would not marry or have children as king, but his brother would after he abdicated. Though, perhaps that was just to be expected if that's how things turn out. But would he be able to sire children anyway? He was undead, so did that mean he was infertile? She made a soft shake of her head, looking off to the side. Ah, let's not go down that rabbit hole today.
Jimin glanced back, grinning, and rolled her eyes. "Fine, I suppose you did. I appreciate the compliment, Your Highness."
She rubbed her hands together after he lifted his own off; the cold had gotten to her. She decided not to comment on it, and listened silently as the prince explained.
"Perhaps…" Jimin began slowly, her brow knotting together. Having the prince join them in the middle of the meeting was not something she had thought of. "Actually, the more I think about it, the more I like it. Do you know what you'll do after you sit down?"

Ah, he does not know why he is saying these things to her. It's still astonishing to him that he even told her things about being a vampire so easily without any worry. Nor can he assume what is going on at the current moment. As much as he'd love to know what's on her mind, there is no use of questioning it. Kangdae watched as she rolled her eyes. A soft giggle managed to escape from him.

His presence should stop the report and take away the rest of the time they had. Pretending to mistaken tomorrow morning for something might be the only made-up excuse he can use. Blaming it on his servant potentially can be of some use too. Next he could create a completely different conversation. Whenever he was around his mother, he always pretended to be sweet and kind. Although she always knew that he had something up his sleeve. Being his usual self also made her question him.

"Probably initiate some sort of other conversation to divert the focus from tonight. If she keeps asking me why I am there, I'll say my servant got confused and thought I was supposed to meet with her for tea," he explained. Having half of a plan isn't going to be enough, but he didn't want to make things up on the spot. Rubbing the back of his neck, he let out a sigh. "Yet I am not sure what to discuss. The enthronement, Doyun, magnolias, you… No matter what, she'll think something is going on."

Suppose, he can try to do the same with this current discussion; only for the intent to practice for tomorrow after all. If this was not going to work, then he'll either have to come up with something else or continue to ponder about it. They have enough time to think of something anyways.

Kangdae moved a piece of his hair behind the ear. His lips curved up a small bit giving a subtle grin. Maintaining a strictly cold expression was never his mother's favorite thing nor did he expect anyone else to like it. He had no clue what to expect. "Tell me something about yourself. Anything", he grinned. Whether Jimin will buy into it or not, who knows? He doesn't, he is close to attempting to predict her next move. "Please? We cannot just sit around here for the next few weeks just talking about me, it will get awfully boring very quickly." Shifting himself closer to her, he changed his expression to a scantly pout while waiting.

Jimin rested her head on her hand. She figured staying silent while the prince tried to divert the conversation would be the best option, though the prince or Queen addressing her might complicate things. "At least don't talk to or about me or your enthronement," she said. Then a thought came to her. "Well, perhaps you could interrupt to complain about me… although," she was thinking out loud again, staring but not seeing somewhere between the prince's bottom lip and chin. "That might depend on if you've ever complained about your previous physicians before…" she went quiet for a moment. "Nevermind. Just don't about me or your enthronement. I feel it will complicate things and/or make Her Majesty more stressed. And if you think she will become suspicious no matter what, then I suppose it doesn't matter. Unless you have a better idea."
She raised an eyebrow at his question and was about to ask why when he continued talking. It didn't occur to her what he might be doing. "I suppose that makes sense, Your Highness, if you want to think about the meeting tomorrow by yourself, later…" she narrowed her eyes as he came closer and pouted. Then her expression relaxed and she shrugged, saying awkwardly, "My uncle let me treat his horse's snake bite once."
Her gaze drifted downward, to her lap. It was uncomfortable to have the attention turned to her. It didn't happen often.

"I guess I will give it more thought then. I hope you would not mind if we had to improvise if it becomes necessary," he exhaled. "I am going to think of something better, I have to."

No talks of enthronement or Jimin. His fingers traced above his knee as he nodded. Suppose he can just think about it later in the evening or in the early morning instead, but he wasn't sure if it'd be best to. There would not be enough time for him to notify her if he came up with something else. Not to mention, he feels as if he has to avoid throwing her into a situation without anything knowledge of it. Doing so doesn't sound right nor would it be entertaining to see.

All the other doctors were so easy to confuse and scare. Bewailing about them was more than feasible. Obviously he would always complain to his mother about them since she was the one who came up with the idea of healing him. Quickly she got tired of it. Almost every time he met with her, it was always to tell her that he's fine and doesn't need help. Complaining to her about Jimin isn't going to do anything.

Kangdae paused. His eyes widened as his mouth opened. He would have never guessed something close to treating a horse's snake bite in a million years. Poor thing, it was bit too. Different scenario yet it probably went through a lot of pain, especially if the snake's bite can be very deadly.

What also astonished him was her. The way she acting right now. From the way she is staring down at her lap to the discomfort in her tone. Why would anyone be shy about this? If anything, Jimin should be proud. No young lady of her status treats animals; they wouldn't know how to. And her uncle trusted her enough to do it. He has never heard of anything of the such before.

"Really? I would've never expected for you to treat a horse. You must know so much about them," he said, "What happened to it? Were you successful in treating it?"

Yes, he was just doing this to see if his plan for tomorrow could work. But now he just wants to hear more from her. This is interesting.

"I… I don't mind, Your Highness," she said. "I might just stay quiet unless it's otherwise necessary."
She wanted to just let him decide what he was going to say. She knew what she was going to do, and she could try to watch and follow his lead if it was required. Besides, no other ideas came to her, and even if they did, she didn't want to dictate every word he said.
Then her head snapped in his direction, her eyes wide with surprise. "Y-you believe me?"
The few other times she told this to others, they either thought she was exaggerating or straight-up lying. Even her own parents. Of course, she was a famous doctor's niece, but surely she wouldn't have been able to do such a thing, especially being so young at the time. Surely.
She blinked a few times, opening her mouth and then closing it. She tried again. "I- yes. He was a strong stallion, and my uncle guided me. I was scared, but he was alive the next day, so… yes." She chuckled, glancing downward. "I loved that horse. My uncle isn't really one for naming things, so I named him Bam because he had this beautiful black coat, dark as night."
There was still a slight discomfort at talking about something that was so removed from their current situation, but it wasn't every day she could talk about things like this. And it was so strange; looking back at the prince, she could tell he was actually interested. Yet another thing she didn't see every day.