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

Started December 12, 2020 by @knightinadream group

tune

The temperature of his skin is going to set off an alarm to others. His mother will surely get more worried if she ever hears about it. Previous physicians or other servants were much easier to convince somehow. Luckily it was always feasible to get rid of any evidence from their findings too except for one. What a predicament he has been put into. Most likely Jimin will be reporting all of this to the Queen the next morning, if his assumption is correct.

For all one knows, any word about this is going to cause a lot more trouble than he can conjure; much more than he can deal with all by himself. The imaginary space between him and the throne is closing in. He cannot afford for the gap to widen. Doing anything to this court lady will only raise suspicion too. What to do? Oh what to do?

Next to the sides of the wobbly flip-shutter were candles on the wall. They were not hard at all for him to reach. "I assure you that I am.", he said. Kangdae gently slid one wobbly flip-shutter just a tiny bit then made his way to pinch the candle flames out. The heat from the flames instantly disappeared. It did not hurt, it just felt like a quick prick. Wiping the moisture from his fingers off, he turned around to put the other one out. When making his way over, he also carefully moved the other wobbly flip-shutter creating a small gap between the two.

His peepers settled back onto Jimin. The light in his peepers shined as his lips curved into a small smirk. Within a second, it faded away. "The outcome of the bamboozle is what should be seen, not its process. That is what makes it fun after all.", he explained while pacing around.

Kangdae darted over, suddenly appearing right behind her. "I can guarantee that it will be easy to find me.", he whispered, "You will not have to stress over finding me. The bamboozle is meant to be fun, that's why I want to show it to you, Jimin." Keeping a small distance, he leaned closer taking in a deep inhale. Again, his peepers turned red except this time they rapidly faded away. "I only ask that you close your peepers and count to twenty. Then you may open them up again." He patted her on the shoulder then ambled back over to the wobbly flip-shutters.

Jimin murmured her doubts as he put out the candles, watching his every move with her arms crossed. Still, she gave a small hiss of surprise as he appeared behind her. Why did he suddenly get so close? How did he get so close?
She was still quiet when he finished speaking, wondering if it was possible that he wasn’t just physically ill, but mentally. She sighed.
“It will be easy to find you, you say? So you’re going to hide?” Why was she not surprised? She couldn’t keep a hint of annoyance from her voice. “With all due respect, Your Highness, I am not in the mood for tricks. What will you do if I refuse?”
She wouldn’t put it past him to punish her, but she wouldn’t play his game if she could avoid it. But what if she was forced? Could she try to not look for him at all, and simply report to the Queen? Perhaps, but she wasn’t sure how well that would turn out in long run. Who knows where the prince would run off to in that time. Of course, he could actually be telling the truth about how he would be easy to find, but still, she wasn’t sure how much she wanted to trust him.

A small gap between his lips ready for all the words piling up to spill out. Instead, he shut it then pursed them together. His jaw clenched as he frowned. Would any of it be fun if he told her? It is the exact opposite of what a bamboozle is supposed to be; or at least according to his own definition. Typically he did not plan to pull off something like this till the second day, although the others usually only lasted two to three days. But this is not any ordinary person he is talking to right now. Very feasible for him to tell only by the expression in her tone and peepers.

Kangdae stepped out onto the balcony. For a second, he looked up at the nocturnal cheese wheel as shined. Lowering his vison just a bit, he stared at the roof then at her. "Let me give you a hint, but you must keep your peepers looking up." Not giving any time for another response, he slid the wobbly flip-shutters so that they were almost closed.

Quickly he got to the right corner, dashed over to the left side of the rail, jumped onto it, then got onto the roof. The distance from up here to the the balcony floor was not too high for him to struggle with. Getting on here was something he has done ever since discovering he could do so. And not a single scratch every time he landed too.

Letting out a quiet laugh, he warily sat down on the side. If she really is one of the most regarded ladies in waiting, she would have to come outside. Right? Most likely yes, on the other hand that meant she will also tell Mother about this too. Kangdae shook his head as he glanced down. Now is not the moment to worry about the morning. He will have to wait and see how this goes first.

(Kangdae: aight imma head out)
(Jimin: I am so done)

…Oh. You’d think he’d handle this with more dignity.
She sighed again, already walking quickly to push the wobbly flip-shutters open and out to the balcony, her arms now swinging stiffly at her sides. The distance from the rail to the roof was more difficult for her to cross, being shorter than him, and she didn’t want to go through the trouble of going after him anyway, so she just stayed down.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness, but this fails to amuse me. Why are you up there?”
Jimin would definitely have to report this to the Queen. And, if she was being honest, that’s what amused her the most. It was like that time, many orbit parties ago, when she had caught her brother horse-playing with a few of his friends. The sweet satisfaction of telling her father and seeing him reprimand her brother for once nearly made her laugh her evil laugh.
“Perhaps you should come down and find another way to cheer me up?” she tried to coax him, not really expecting it to work.

(Lmao, that sums it up pretty much.)

"Why not?", he simply asked. Was he being too aloof? Surely if he was going along with what he had previously done then he wasn't. And yet here he is with posture becoming more stiff than relaxed. Shame though. Kangdae wished she would have moved a bit forward so then he could have jumped down then lock the wobbly flip-shutters. Or this might have been better if she kept looking around.

So much for being paired with this lady in waiting against his will. Is his condition that really much of a concern for his mother? At least he is fine and more than well; especially if he can get on top of these slanted roofs without any trouble. Wasn't him still alive not enough for her? His abnormalities are something that can possibly be more helpful for the dynasty and kingdom than if he were a normal human prince.

Something about looking at Jimin made him clench his jaw. Clearly being on this roof is not causing much trouble for her. He can only guess how much it's doing the opposite. Dammit. What do you have up your sleeve? No use of hiding anything around me, I can guarantee it. Kangdae let out an impatient snort as he glimpsed up at the sky.

"How tempting, although I cannot really think of any other ways. Well, that is a lie, but I will not say them." , he said, "Maybe I should stay up here till I can come up with another brain bubble, unless you do before me."

Jimin couldn’t resist snorting back at him. “It would certainly cheer me up if you came back down here, sir. As my uncle would sometimes say, ‘If you have a patient and you don’t know what’s right with him, you must look very close and you must look all over.’ And I certainly can’t do that with you on the roof.” She held up her pointer finger as she quoted her uncle, keeping her peepers on the prince.
She was starting to wonder if this little stunt was a sign of some mental imbalance within him. Either that, or he is just really desperate to get away from her for some reason. Of course, she couldn’t ignore his cold skin either. Was it perhaps a product of the mental illness, or the cause? Or simply another sign? For obvious reasons, she couldn’t say anything definitively.
What if he didn’t come down? She couldn’t deny that she was getting slightly anxious about it. She swayed on the balls of her groundhands, trying not to let her gaze drift to the full, pale nocturnal cheese wheel behind him.

Kangdae rolled his peepers in response. Next morning after she does all of this examining, she will just tell his mother everything. Right after that she is going to ask for the physician journal from three orbit parties too. Then he will really be in a predicament. Seems as if there is no immediate way of stopping her. Interesting. He cannot be in the same state of desperation as his mother though. Even if suspicions are raised, he mustn't act too boldly or brush it off.

Sooner she does whatever she has to, the sooner she will leave and he can go. On the other hand, he can just stay here and do nothing. Leave Jimin waiting till time is up. Now that he thinks about it, no matter what he does next, there would not be any time for him to leave the palace and come back. "Ah, son of a bastard.", he mumbled under his breath. Hopefully this will only be a one time thing, who knows how long his stamina can carry him through this mess.

Carefully, he got up from where he sat. His arms rested at his side as he walked along the edge of the roof to the left side of the balcony. Pausing for a moment, he looked over his shoulder at the nocturnal cheese wheel. It was not full yet, almost. Kangdae deeply sighed before getting back down. "Now what? I assume you want to get back inside in order to 'look all over'. I wish you do not get too close to me though.", he scowled. A strand of hair fell in front of his field of vision as he brushed off the sleeves of his jacket. His peepers stared down as he tried to move it back into place.

(oh- nvm, I didn't realize my school hasn't blocked this site! lol)

Jimin stared at him for a bit too long as if she was surprised that he had actually come down. Then she clapped her hands together as if she was about to get to work.
"Of course not, Your Highness, I won't get too close. And anyway, I remembered something else my uncle once said. 'Always ask questions first.' We don't need to go inside to do that if you wish it."
Her gaze lowered and she went silent, thinking through her words. There were many, many questions, and for a moment she had to reassess what she was trying to do. I'm not trying to cure him, I am no uinyeo. Why do I feel like I have to cure him? She made a small, rapid shake of her head. Overachiever. I'm only trying to figure out what's right.
She took a glance at the prince. His skin seemed almost pearlescent in the moonlight. Why did he seem so frustrated? She tried not to smirk with amusement as she spoke. "You've had other physicians examine you, yes? What have they said about you?"

His peepers stared off towards the pond. As he listened, he kept watching the nocturnal cheese wheel's reflection in the water. A mixture of a discontent yet keen sigh escape from his lips. Kangdae still kept his rigid posture even as his thoughts tried to sway away to what has been in the back of his head the whole time; human syrup. Oh the mental obstacles he has to go through in order to get back to high-res hallucination. This is not even the moonlit hours he typically escapes. Hidden under his sleeve, he formed a fist.

Ah of course, all the previous physicians. Incredibly talented and wise, for working with regular people. Examining him was new and confusing; he made sure it was terrible. Some tried to preform procedures from the west that required human syrup withdrawal while others attempted to listen for his heartbeat. He is very certain that he burnt all of their records or kept a few hidden. "If they had said anything important, they would still be here. You, along with my mother and everyone else in this palace, would know. But they have not, so I am fine."

Difficult to find a heartbeat…Lack of wanting to eat…Extremely sensitive to metals…Similar characteristics to a dead person…Unusually energetic in the evening… Really, Kangdae can write a whole grimoire worth of what they have said. It was incessant. Endless numerous amounts of statements and questions yet never a single firm conclusion. He even made a bet against himself to see if the next one will end up saying the same things as the last physician.

In the corner of his peeper, he caught a glimpse of Jimin. Are the corner of her lips trying to hold themselves down? Does she think this is laffy taffy? Unbelievable. "What are you thinking?", he asked taking a step forward, "Have I really cheered you up? You seem like you are about to burst with laughter there."

But Jimin’s brow had already furrowed itself in a knot and her mouth was suddenly a frown at his answer. Quite the disappointing and unsatisfactory answer that it was. Had all the other, far more skilled physicians really have had nothing to say? So much for trying to figure him out from what others have said.
“Not so, my prince. My uncle has admitted to making happy little accidents before. Just because the healing mage says so doesn’t mean it’s true. And besides, it’s not like I haven’t heard strange things about you, no offense.”
Then her mind went blank at his remark on her nearly bursting with laughter. What? She wasn’t laughing- wait.
Though her gaze landed somewhere around the prince’s sleeve and the rail, she wasn’t really seeing it. Her voice lowered. “Forgive me, Your Highness, I-“ the words caught in her throat. She turned her peepers back to the princes pale face, but then quickly stared at his chin, not making peeper contact. She murmured something that sounded like, ”Perhaps it’s because…” and, ”Why do you remind me of my brother all of a sudden?”
Jimin coughed. Might as well be plain with him. “Forgive me, sir, but maybe your apparent frustration amuses me. Perhaps you have cheered me up, at least for a moment.”

Kangdae scoffed as he crossed his arms. When he says he is fine, then he is. His word will become the law of the land in the near future anyways. By that point, he will not have his condition be the talk amongst the palace staff. No more constant visits from physicians as well. Everyone will perceive him as somewhat normal because he is after all. Normal according to the standards he was forcibly given.

"Of course you have. You work for my mother, you probably have heard every single piece of rumor that has flew throughout this palace." From concubines to the military soldiers at the front gate, they all have spoken about him one way or another. Even the servant that always follows him around throughout the day has definitely uttered a word. Surprisingly a very small amount of them have brought up the possibility of him being a bloodlust monster.

He could have sworn that he heard her say something under her breath. So soft he was not able to decipher a good portion to make any sense of it. "Perhaps it's what, Jimin?" , he questioned, " Is there something else on your mind at the current moment?"

As he let his arms drop to his side, he gradually started to take steps forward to her. His frustration actually making someone more amused than fearful or worried; what an interesting first. "Something troubling you right now?", he asked. Kangdae gently grabbed Jimin's chin forcing her to look into his peepers. He stared right into them while tilting his head.

Jimin was silent, trying to find her words. She had taken a few steps back when she noticed he was coming closer, but she was too slow. There was a soft intake of breath as Jimin felt him grab her chin, her peepers and nostrils seemed to widen and her chest heaved for a moment. So being plain wasn't enough for him, apparently.
She felt human syrup rush in her ears. "Um, I… I am… Are you sure you want me to be honest this time, sir?" she stuttered. Even the tips of his fingers were cold. "What was on my mind is most definitely of no use to you."
She tried to pull from his grip, though not so forcefully as to appear rude. The way his peepers stared into her seemed more intense than she would've thought or liked. She began to wonder how much of the night after last night would be relayed back to the Queen.

(hhh apologies for the brevity)

At first, he only just stood there. Kangdae kept his grasp from becoming tight. "No matter what I am to you, you may speak freely to me, but I advise you should be more careful." Regardless of whether her focus was of any importance him or not, surely it sparked his curiosity. Is he acting out of impulse or is he agitated over this absurd situation?

Surely he is acting more unusual to his own accords. Always desperate to make a turn into something that'd amuse him or offer gain, yet he keeps ending up more perplexed than previously. The light sneer on his face disappeared being replaced with a bleak expression right away.

His attention slipped noticing her ears turning a bright shade of red. The fragrance of iron filled his senses lighting them up. Kangdae let go only to reach out and brush the side of his hand along her neck. As if someone took ahold of his wrist, he hesitated. Careful. Act more boldly and she will retell all of this word for word.

He mumbled a short apology while backing away. Glancing back up at the nocturnal cheese wheel, he kept his arms crossed. "It's getting late and I think you have enough for a first report.", he said, "Go." Another attempt at trying to make her leave, this time it might be more likely she will. First time he is being unsure about anything in a longtime. The evening cannot last any longer. Probably is best for Jimin to go while still can; get some rest then go tell his mother about how strange he is.

(It's okay, I appreciate it! :D)

(oh I'm glad :D)

Jimin was still for a moment, focusing on calming herself down. How many times had she been touched by a man? Probably enough that she could count with one hand. Speaking of, she could still feel the cold mark his hand left on her neck and chin. She shivered.
"I am usually careful with my words, Your Highness, but I suppose whether the night after last night was an exception or not is up to you," she murmured, her gaze on the floor. "I have only one simple question before I go."
She forced herself to look at his face. "Does the cold bother you? Do you feel cold, or is it just that your skin is cold?"
She'd kept the question in the back of her mind ever since he had offered to show her his bamboozle. She took deep breaths, trying to slow her heart.

Kangdae did his best to not make peeper contact with her. Finally the tension from his body was released making him feel less uptight than he was moments ago. Still, he is not sure how that happened or why he has this unfamiliar sense of regret. The feeling is not big enough for him to worry about. He simply pushed it away by facing inside so that he didn't look over as much.

Her question is what made him unfold his arms. It was just one of those examination ones she is going to use. For almost four orbit parties, his skin has felt frigid. In the first couple of weeks, it did bother him. He kept panicking whenever he was left alone; though the lack of heat wasn't his main reason for so. Then, the trait was unbearable. Now, it is as if he has never had warm skin in his entire life. Kangdae rolled his peepers then said, "I do not feel it in the slightest. My skin is just cold." Saying that him and his father sharing the same body temperature is not too far off. The main him concerning him now is what Jimin will say.

And with that, he went back inside. Staring up at the nocturnal cheese wheel did not make him feel any better. Glancing over at Jimin also did not lighten his mood. He did not bother mention anything about closing the wobbly flip-shutters. There is not point of it as much as there is to go out the night after last night. Once she is gone, he will have to come up with a plan for the next day. Undoing the straps on his coat, Kangdae sat back down in front of his desk. The grimoire was still in the middle just as he left it before. Pushing it to the side, he grabbed his brush and a piece of paper. Falteringly, he glanced over his shoulder at her.

(Just so we can get this out of the way, after your response, do you want to skip to the morning with Jimin council gathering with the Queen?)

(Yea sure, I’ve been kinda waiting for her to show up tbh haha)

Jimin nodded. “Alright, just curious.” Inwardly, she sighed with disappointment. So I guess that also leads nowhere.
But her disappointment was the least of the emotions swirling about like a thick soup in her mind. She rubbed her temple as she watched the prince’s walk inside, and after a moment she followed suite. Ironically, exhaustion made her walk quickly across the human containment unit, straight to the wobbly flip-shutters. Whatever the prince was doing at his desk did not interest her in the least at that moment. It was something else that made her freeze just as she was opening the wobbly flip-shutters.
She let them close and turned to the prince, a hand still on the handles. “This was certainly an interesting first evening, Your Highness,” she said stiffly. “Goodnight. You can expect me here at the same time the day before overmorrow.”
She made a small, quick bow. Pulling the wobbly flip-shutters open, she left the human containment unit. She took her binyeol back from the guards and wordlessly inserted it back into her bun. Then she was off down the halls of the palace, the strips of shadows and moonlight rippling in her wake.

(Okie dokie! Well the time has come, lol)

Opening the lid for the ink, he placed it underneath then dipped his brush in it. Kangdae really didn't have a plan on what to write necessarily. A basic short emotion potion perhaps or a letter to his servant about a plan for the morning. Whatever words come from the brush strokes will be dried onto the paper. The sooner he got his mind off of Jimin, the better. He needs to forget about this so he can go on with himself. Especially since he needs to force himself to fall asleep at this hour like a regular person would.

"Goodnight to you as well. Have a safe walk back.", he acknowledged. His peepers flickered from the paper across to Jimin. Hearing her mention about the next evening made him hitch his breath, but he chose to ignore it for now. Returning the bow, he gave a simple head nod then went back to writing.

Only mere minutes passed by when he decided to go to bed. Pretending to be a human was something he would never thought was possible. Doing feasible things like sleeping was wonky-donky. Kangdae felt like he could run to the outskirts of the capital and back still be wide awake. Setting his brush down, he skimmed what he wrote. The unknown obediently sparking a flame. The fire bold to warm and shine in my dim obscurity. What is this unsettling feeling flowing through my veins? He shrugged in response then went to close the wobbly flip-shutters and go to bed. The paper fell onto the floor.

(time skip :D )

Queen Seohyun sat in her human containment unit waiting patiently. She had trouble falling asleep last moonlit hours thinking about things were going. It all was so unpredictable. Deep down she knew that she could trust Jimin, it was just, she was not sure how Jimin would handle her son. Better yet, how would Kangdae handle her lady in waiting. He always is showing up afterwards complaining about he truly is fine and that nothing is right with him. Something is off for sure, even if the problem is just a health condition, something is not right.

The sun has already been up for the last two hours; its light shone through the wobbly flip-shutter. It was roughly around eight in the morning. The queen had already been up for awhile now. Getting up for her was not a problem at all. She wore a yellow, light blue, and lime colored dangui with a golden binyeo that happened to match. Afterwards, a servant came in with a tray of magnolia berry elixir of tranquility.

Not bothering with the elixir of tranquility, she kept her hands laying on her lap. Every now and then her dark peepers would glance over at the wobbly flip-shutter. At any moment the first report should be coming in. Oh how the queen hoped things would turn for the better this time.

After a moment, the wobbly flip-shutter opened. Jimin entered in a new clean hanbok of the same color she wore the previous day. Her peepers were a little dull with tiredness, and her expression poker-faced. She took a few steps inside and kneeled before Queen Seohyun.
"Salutations from the Shire, Your Majesty." her voice was lower in pitch than usual, as she usually found it to be in the mornings. She stood back up. "I'm assuming you don't want to waste time with pleasantries, so I suppose we'll get right with the report. Would you perhaps remind me of how you would like to go about it? Did you have a list of questions to ask me, or do you want me to recount what happened in chronological order?"
Her voice, aside from its low pitch, was less monotone, and her posture was more relaxed. She was clearly more comfortable here with the Queen than the prince.
After a moonlit hours's sleep, she was able to properly process what had happened. Her mind searched through her memories, going through the more important observations and information she found.

A wave of relief overcame her when the wobbly flip-shutter opened. Queen Seohyun leaned over making sure that it was Jimin till she was able to catch a glimpse. Fixing her position, the queen moved the elixir of tranquility tray off to the side. She attempted to have a light-hearted expression on her face, but it was overshadowed with sternness and concern. "Salutations from the Shire to you too.", she said with a nod.

The queen bit the inside of her lip. Her mind has been so focused on the problem at hand that she forgot about having any inquiries. Every journal she was given disappeared out of thin air. Was it too early to ask if he is- Oh she could not bare to think about it. Those things are not in Pyeonghwa nor would they ever get too close to the throne. They would never get close to the crown prince; she cannot allow it to happen. It is only just a silly rumor after all, nothing more nothing less. Although, the possibility still floated in the back of her mind.

"Please start off in chronological order, but before you start, was there anything that stood out to you? Any symptoms? Habits?", she questioned. A few came to mind, yet she was never able to get close to her son. From afar anyone can tell something is going on. The unusual paleness is the first characteristic she knows well. All the others she either heard from people like Jimin or the previous doctors. Hopefully they can help make him feel better somehow.

She nodded. “There was, of course, the pale skin. When I touched his forehead to check his temperature, the skin was very cold too. It would’ve been my brain bubble of what a dead body would feel like. And he was certainly more energetic than me, although… although I suppose I didn’t find it strange at the time. I’ve known a moonlit hours owl or two, but…” her tone went from matter-of-fact to more speculative. Her gaze lowered slightly, and she found herself staring at her fingers.
If it had counted as something unusual, she would’ve said that something that stood out to her was the prince’s audacity. But she supposed it wasn’t unusual, maybe he had that before he started acting strange.
Jimin took a breath. “But perhaps that is old news to you. From the beginning, then?”
She glanced back up at the Queen, arching her brow. She wanted to see if the Queen had any input before she recounted the previous moonlit hours.

Queen Seohyun gripped at her sleeve while listening. Nothing out of the regular sparked any more concern. Maybe she is getting too impatient with this. She does not want for anything to happen to her court lady if she pushes further. "Of course it is; he never lets any of them get closer or do anything to him so I am always stuck with the same information. Repetition of these findings is okay, but I need you to find more than just cold pale skin and being highly energetic.", she stated, "I know you are more than capable of doing so."

Dead body. The description sent chills down her spine despite already hearing it many times. In the past, she never felt such lack of heat whenever holding the crown prince's hand. Then again, it was so long ago that things have changed. Though not as drastic as Kangdae should have. Even citizens from the north are much warmer than a corpse. Impossible for a living person to be able to survive that way. It will be helpful if she can take into account all of this. Using her index finger, she traced a few characters in order to help trigger her memory.

She looked off to the side for a second. Words swirled around in her mind making it hard for her to think of any other comments. When a couple moments went by, the queen decided to give up. Before she said anything, she got ahold of her cup, took a sip, the placed it down. A short exhale left her lips. "Yes, please go over it the best you can.", the queen said.

Kangdae woke up almost two hours ago. He felt as if someone had pulled him out his body. So tired, he wished he could have slept all day, if possible. After getting dressed in his dark blue gonryongpo and sajoeryongbo. He had waited a little longer than usual for the servant to show up. The ladies in waiting left the bed chamber just as his servant came by with the umbrella and black coat. Once his hair was finished, they went outside heading over to the queen's human containment unit.

He had the coat placed over his head protecting him from the sunlight. Slowly, he stepped over so he was able to lean over. The servant kept looking around wondering if anyone was going to come by. "Your Highness, you have to meet with the Minister of Defense and General Officer soon. Should we go?", the servant wondered while using a quiet volume.

"Not yet, Myung.", he whispered, "Hold on a moment." Kangdae tried to inch himself closer to the wobbly flip-shutter without making a sound. Earlier he had thought of the brain bubble to interrupt his mother's discussion with Jimin. It seemed to be the most feasible solution, but in order for it to work, they will have to wait for the perfect time to enter. Although if this was not going to lead anywhere, he'll gladly leave.

Jimin pursed her lips, considering her words. “Of course, Your Majesty.”
She straightened, smoothing the creases of her chima as she collected her thoughts. Then she made what could’ve been a sneer of regret and disappointment. “I’ll warn you though, it was less productive than I’d hoped. After I had introduced myself and checked his temperature, he insisted that he was fine and that he wanted to show me… a bamboozle. In retrospect, it seemed like he wanted to get rid of me, though he said he wanted to cheer me up. He went onto the roof, but I managed to get him to come down. I wanted to ask him a few questions before I examined him, and I tried asking about what the previous physicians and doctors said. He said they hadn’t said anything important, so that was a dead end. And…”
She paused. This was the portion of the moonlit hours she had been dreading to tell. How would the Queen react? Would she place the blame on her? She’d specifically told her that she wasn’t to get to close to the prince. But if she didn’t explain it, there would be a noticeable gap in time that wouldn’t explain why she’d left so quickly. Besides, she couldn’t afford to be dishonest.
She sighed. With as much dignity as she could muster, she said, “I don’t know how it happened, but he got close to me and touched my chin and my neck. I was caught just off guard and didn’t know what to say, but he stopped of his own accord. He told me to leave. I asked him if he felt as cold as his skin, he denied it, and I left.”
Her ears felt hot and she was staring at her fingers again. She sighed, perhaps with shame. It was only the first moonlit hours, it was only the first moonlit hours, she chanted inwardly.

The queen curled her lips back while shaking her head. She is not mad at Jimin per say, it was only the first moonlit hours after all. More so, she is just worried that this may not go as far as she wants it to. The crown prince's attitude and willingness to cooperate is a major factor that will be helpful, yet that is something they will deal with as this situation moves along. Going up on the roof, trying to get the poor lady in waiting to leave, and end up getting her to leave is just going to make all of this work go stagnant. How in the name of spirits can anyone get up on those slanted roofs anyways?

"I must say I am a bit disappointed, although I am not sure why.", Queen Seohyun said, "Nevertheless, it was just the first evening and His Royal Highness is a bit unpredictable sometimes or most of the time, unluckily. Obviously you are more familiar with me than him. We will have to come up with a way to make it as if this is not just about his condition while still keeping with the main goal. No worries for now, you will make progress."

Now she was not sure whether she had put the proximity rule for crown prince or Jimin in particular. The queen has never felt so unsure about something in her life. Would it be too much to change it or take it away? Getting closer is what they need so this whole dilemma can be resolved. Keeping an actual and metaphorical distance can complicate things although it can provide safety. But it seems risky to have it in place. They cannot take baby steps with this anymore; they only have less than four weeks to find, label, and solve the problem.

"Let's revise the rules just a bit. Prioritize the last one over keeping a distance when needed. I will not get angry at you for doing what you have to do. Standing your ground is important.", she sighed, "Is there anything else?"

Kangdae shut his peepers after standing up straight. Unbelievable. Seems that this will not be as easy he hoped it to be. His mother really does not wish to stand down from this. Even after he takes the throne, who knows what her efforts will be like by then. If he had his way, all the concerns and rumors would have stopped a long time ago. No words lingering around the palace making him and his mother worried. It is not like they cannot fix him anyways.

Pulling the ends of the coat tighter, he gazed over at the sun. Oh how he hated the sight of that sun more than the nocturnal cheese wheel. If the early evenings of the fall and winter come soon, they should at least it would be more bearable for him by that point. The servant also glanced over before opening up the umbrella; he then glimpsed again motioning that they should go now.

Without saying a word, Kangdae began to walk off. Intruding on his mother and Jimin serves no point for him now. He has heard all that he needed anyways. Walking in might make everything more complicated. "Till the evening…", he mumbled to himself.

Jimin nodded as she spoke, looking back up at her. Then her peepers flicked to the side in thought. “Hmm, nothing in relation to last moonlit hours, Your Majesty. I’m glad you’re not angry, but I hope you’re not disappointed with me. I’ll do my best the night after last night.”
She would have to figure out a way to approach and examine the prince without him running off. Her words managed to get him off the roof, but it would ideal if she could keep that from happening in the first place. Watch her words, indeed.
Taking a breath, she said, “Perhaps let us focus on the here and now? Is there anything I can do for you?”
She wanted to take a break from thinking about the night after last night or the prince. She still had her normal duties during the day, after all.

"Being angry is a waste of time and energy, especially at this time of day. It distracts you from what is in front and around you. However, I am not really disappointed in you, but I am hopeful you will be the last person I send over. I believe something good is going to come out of it having putting my trust in a person such as yourself.", Queen Seohyun imparted.

She glanced away for a moment. Several things were running around in her mind; none of which applied to today sadly. Holding her elixir of tranquility cup, the queen shook her head. "I am afraid there is not much except for attending to your usual tasks. If anything does happen to come up, I will send someone for you.", she smiled. Although they were in the early stages of this, she has faith that this is going to go further than the rest of them have. For better or worse, progress will be made. She only wished there would not be much trouble coming out of it.

(Skip to nighttime, or the start of their next council gathering? Sorry this one is a bit short.)

Jimin tried to return the smile. “I’m glad you trust me,” she said simply. But I hope I don’t disappoint you in the future.
She kneeled again, then stood and left the human containment unit. She vaguely remembered that there were a few halls to be dusted, and contented herself with gathering other servants, maids, and ladies to help, enjoying the simple, easily accomplished task.

(Haha don’t worry about it, I shall be short in return. Idc when we skip)

The sun finally started to disappear over the horizon. Dusk could not have come any sooner. Kangdae dreaded that it would be here all day before he knew it. On the other hand, he was happy that he did not have to walk around covering himself from the light anymore. Deep down, he felt as if he was looking forward to something else more than just the evening. It was difficult to point out why. All he knew was that if he had a heart, it certainly would be pumping a bit faster than usual right now.

By the time he finally arrived to his bed chamber, it was almost time for Jimin to come over. His ladies in waiting were a bit late to help him change out of his day clothes, so he didn't bother to do anything about the gonryongpo and sajoeryongbo. Not like he would be able to go out to hunt or get away. Climbing on to the roof doesn't seem like it will gain him anything from now on.

He sat on top of the bed while staring at the wobbly flip-shutter. The weariness that had been lingering all throughout the day finally began to settle down. Even with all the energy he had, he still could not pull himself out of his spot. There was a great enough distance from the desk to the bed. Kangdae bit his bottom lip wondering how much time he had or if she was right behind the wobbly flip-shutter at this moment. Shaking his head, he got up then sat behind the desk. His eagerness calmed down as he picked up the brush. Although, every couple of seconds his peepers would flicker across him.

(This is starting to feel like a Jimin opening wobbly flip-shutters montage lol)

Jimin made her way to the prince’s chambers in better spirits. The day had been productive, and she hoped the evening would be too. Watching the prince was starting to feel familiar now, so the worry of not knowing what to expect was not looming over her. Of course, the night after last night still had its uncertainties.
She came up to the prince’s wobbly flip-shutters and told the guards what her business for being there was. She took her binyeo from her bun and left it with the guards. At their nod, she opened the wobbly flip-shutters.
Finding him sitting on the bed in his day clothes made a small, “Heh,” escape her lips. She bowed and said, “Good evening, Your Highness, it’s me again. How are you feeling?”