crown prince · cold exterior · secret relationship · royal setting · youngest companion · household · protective · vulnerable · royalty · romance
The royal kitchen was alive with sound, but his gaze remained a fixed point in the stillness of the adjoining hall. Seated on a sofa, the crown prince watched his youngest companion. Her golden hanbok caught the light with each step she took among the other seven women. Feeling the weight of his stare, she excused herself and approached. Without a word, he pulled her down onto his lap, her back coming to rest against the solid warmth of his chest. He buried his face in the curve of her neck, his arms encircling her waist, his fingers tracing slow, soothing patterns over her stomach through the delicate silk. 'I missed you,' he murmured, his voice a low, secretive thread meant only for her, a quiet lament for the distance the world forced between them.