you shine more than glitter and gold

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/31347083.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: M/M
Fandom: 전지적 독자 시점 - 싱숑 | Omniscient Reader - Sing-Shong
Relationship: Kim Dokja/Yoo Joonghyuk
Characters: Kim Dokja, Yoo Joonghyuk, Han Sooyoung, Lee Hyunsung, Jung
Heewon, Lee Jihye (Omniscient Reader), Lee Gilyoung, Shin Yoosung,
Other Character Tags to Be Added
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - No Scenarios
(Omniscient Reader), prince!yjh, Other Additional Tags to Be Added,
What am I doing, unbetaed and unedited, i die like kdj. that's it
Language: English
Series: Part 2 of you shine more than glitter and gold
Stats: Published: 2021-12-12 Words: 5,127 Chapters: 2/?
 you shine more than glitter and gold
by chxdok

Summary

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you right now.”

“Because,” the intruder spluttered, gasping for air. “That would be terribly rude?”

Yoo Joonghyuk had always been alone.

(Maybe, maybe he had a friend once, one born of paper and ink and messenger birds sent far
away, but it has been so long since he’s last heard back that he doesn’t even know if the
recipient is still alive. Some days he thinks it’s a dream, his own subconscious pitying his
solitary life and gifting him his only friend, a sweet hallucination of his own.)

Thus, Yoo Joonghyuk was long resigned to being alone. His future was always meant to be
one of solitude.

And then, suddenly, it was not.

Notes

heyo!
apologies for this mess. it is unedited (I'll probably go back and finish editing it later) but I
really just wanted to get this out impulsively. thus, beware of mistakes galore and please have
mercy on me. I wrote this in like an hour while sleep deprived and distracted. still, i hope you
enjoy!

update 10/12/21: the first chapter has been updated and edited a bit!

See the end of the work for more notes

 Chapter 1

Yoo Joonghyuk had always been alone.

As a brilliant young prince gifted in the art of battle and beyond intelligent in his studies, he
had been barred from the world, too caught up in academics and training to even consider the
prospect of friends. Before the age of twelve, Yoo Joonghyuk had already successfully bested
one of the kingdom’s best knights in battle. His afternoons were spent surrounded by books
and battered training dummies, and Yoo Joonghyuk could vividly remember passing by
groups of giggling kids playing ball as he made his way to the training grounds, the sword he
was hefting too big for his small frame. He was talented, and his childhood was spent
cultivating that talent. Friends were a dream belonging to a different life, one that was not
Yoo Joonghyuk’s.

Family wasn’t much different. He was orphaned at the age of thirteen, his parents having died
on their expedition to a neighboring country. Gone like wisps of smoke, the memory of their
presence drifting into the wind until it was long gone. Panic had permeated the palace that
day, and he had been roughly ushered into his room and told to stay as the court officials
attempted to deal with the sudden tragedy. Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t remember crying when he
heard the news. He didn’t remember many things. (He couldn't bring himself to remember his
parents’ faces anymore. It had been too long, and he had already tried too many times, years
ago when he still knew what warmth felt like).

His sister and only form of company, Yoo Mia, was sent off to another country with the
promise of a political marriage a year after their parents’ passing. The kingdom had suffered
a significant blow following the death of the king and queen, and an arranged marriage was
the most efficient way to gain an ally. (Yoo Joonghyuk does remember crying then, the tears
pooling in his eyes as he watched his sister’s carriage vanish at the turn of the road. It had hit
him, how they were both simply pawns in a game, puppets on a string, never to be in full
control of their own lives.)

He had no friends, no confidants, no companions. The closest he had to a friend was his
advisor, who in and of herself was a pain to deal with. Neither particularly enjoyed each
other’s company, instead both often serving as a source of annoyance for the other.

(Maybe, maybe he had a friend once, one born of paper and ink and messenger birds sent far
away, but it has been so long since he’s last heard back that he doesn’t even know if the
recipient is still alive. Some days he thinks it’s a dream, his own subconscious pitying his
solitary life and gifting him his only friend, a sweet hallucination of his own.)

Thus, Yoo Joonghyuk was long resigned to being alone. His future was always meant to be
one of solitude.

And then, suddenly, it was not.

“Is this a joke?”

A fist slammed into the wall, the collision echoing in the large foyer. The pristine file held in
the offending hand burst open, crisp white papers fluttering around in the air before they
settled lightly on the floor in a disorderly pile. Unfazed, Han Sooyoung simply leveled a
glare at the prince, ignoring the mess of papers littering the once spotless floor. “What’s the
problem this time, you bastard?”

Yoo Joonghyuk reached down to grab a fallen sheet, shoving it in his advisor’s face. “This is
supposed to be a profile on my betrothed , and yet it doesn’t even provide a name?” Han
Sooyoung didn’t miss the venom laced into that word, full of displeasure and loathing. Even
if she had, the acid in the prince’s gaze would have sufficed to get the message across. She
was used to that look. Yoo Joonghyuk had never particularly liked the idea of marriage, much
less an arranged one. Consequently, since the court announced their plans to find the prince a
husband, Han Sooyoung had had much time to familiarize herself with Yoo Joonghyuk’s
abhorrence-filled expression.

“Furthermore,” Yoo Joonghyuk continued, finger jabbing at a picture printed on the paper’s
surface, “what’s this supposed to mean? The portrait is censored, for god’s sake! Am I
supposed to go into this marriage without even knowing what my fiancé looks like?”

Han Sooyoung sighed, fingers rubbing at her temples. She felt her left eye twitch violently.
This bastard could really be a headache. “Why are you so surprised? Have you not listened to
any of the court’s attempts to tell you about the prince of the Eastern Kingdom?” Yoo
Joonghyuk at least had the dignity to look mildly ashamed, a flicker of guilt crossing over his
features, even if just for a second.

“We already warned you, not much is known about the prince of the Eastern Kingdom.” Han
Sooyoung resigned herself to regurgitating the court briefing that had occurred but two days
ago. “The King and Queen are protective, and the prince doesn’t seem to enjoy the limelight
much.” She glanced down at the picture in Yoo Joonghyuk’s hands. The prince’s face was
blotted out with two white squares, the only distinguishable features visible being his downy
black hair and part of a mischievous and unlucky smile. His lips possessed a cocky tilt, and
Han Sooyoung suddenly felt the inexplicable urge to punch something. “He’s known only as
the Demon King of Salvation.”

Yoo Joonghyuk snorted. “That’s a stupid name.”

“Says the Supreme Conquering King.” She met Yoo Joonghyuk’s scowl with one of her own
before continuing. “We’ve done as much of a background check as we could, but there’s no
doubt that he’s a brilliant figure; his people love him, you know? They say he protects them
well and he easily crushes their enemies, hence Demon King of Salvation and all that.” She
rolled her eyes and reached into her coat pocket, pulling out one of her emergency lemon
lollipops. She was going to need the sugar to get through this conversation.

Silence filled the foyer, and Han Sooyoung looked up from unwrapping her lollipop to see
Yoo Joonghyuk looking dazedly at the mildly crumpled paper in his hand.

“Hey, earth to Yoo Joonghyuk? What are you-”

“A brilliant tactician and strategist,” Yoo Joonghyuk mumbled, reading off of the file. His
fingers traced the sentence delicately, and for a second, it seemed as if his eyes were
unfocused, staring at a different reality.

And Han Sooyoung suddenly understood. “You’re still thinking about him, aren’t you?” The
prince flinched at the words, shoulders tensing as he lowered his head. She saw his hand
instinctively rub his right knuckles, and a small frown found a way onto her face.
Before she could say anything, Yoo Joonghyuk suddenly straightened, deftly turning on his
heels and walking away. “You must be confused, old woman,” he called over his shoulder.
“The only person I’m thinking about is the incompetent court official who failed to acquire a
simple portrait of my betrothed, and what I’m going to do to him when I find him.”

The sound of boots clicking on the palace floor diminished as the prince disappeared from
view. Sighing, Han Sooyoung popped the lollipop in her mouth, when she realized-

“Yoo Joonghyuk, you bastard, come back here and clean up these papers!”

‘ Send your main troops to the South. The enemy has gathered there to launch a surprise
counterattack at the crack of dawn. Keep Squadron Three in the West and have them set up a
decoy camp. Be discreet about it. The East will be taken care of. Trust me.’

Thin, delicate cursive danced across parchment, the dark ink illuminated by the flickering
light from the candles adorning his desk. Yoo Joonghyuk tapped his foot, twisted the metal
ring around his finger, dragged a rough hand across his tired eyes. The note was suspicious,
at best, and lethal, at worst. Origins unknown, the letter was a mystery, the sender
untrackable.

His mind filled to the brim with questions, each one leaving more mysteries in their steads.
How had the sender known about the troop shortage at the Reincarnation Islands? Yoo
Joonghyuk had been stressing over the issue for weeks, failing to pinpoint where the enemies
were stationed and consequently unable to efficiently distribute his troops.

The sender was telling him to allocate the majority of his troops to the South. Poring over his
intel and military map again, Yoo Joonghyuk couldn’t understand the placement. He hadn’t
gotten any leads on the location of the enemy, and the South seemed as quiet and uneventful
as ever. The majority of the conflict was heavily present in the West, and to remove all but
Squadron Three was beyond risky.

Most curiously, the sender had told Yoo Joonghyuk that the East would be taken care of. With
the East covered, there would be no problems with the shortage of troops, but to leave the
safety of the East front to an anonymous sender was reckless and unthinkable.

Yoo Joonghyuk did not trust easily. Trusting the advice would be brash, idiotic, practically
suicidal. He grabbed a candle, clutched the parchment, and put the corner to the flame. The
message went up in smoke.

The next day, Yoo Joonghyuk made the reckless decision to trust.

The West Palace was well-known for its beauty, even across other nations. It boasted a series
of magnificent baroque arches and gold-gilded windows, and its ingenious incorporation of
both grand domes and piercing spires allowed it to convey an alluring sense of danger, as
cold and untouchable as its prince.

However, its architecture wasn’t the only thing the West Palace had to offer. The palace
encompassed a large garden, vibrant with fresh foliage and lush with rare specimens. Queen
of the Nights and jade vines decorated an antique pavilion sitting at the edge of a cerulean
pool, and Yoo Joonghyuk often strolled by and gazed at the water lilies when he needed to
think.

Whether after a grueling training session or a particularly frustrating court meeting (which
were, unfortunately, occurring more and more often), Yoo Joonghyuk commonly found
himself in one corner of the garden or another, seeking peace amidst the white noise and
seclusion.

In fact, it was almost a routine, so when Yoo Joonghyuk decided to take a walk in the garden
after his discussion with Han Sooyoung, he really didn’t expect to find himself with his
fingers wrapped tightly around a thin throat.

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t kill you right now.”

He tightened his grip around the intruder’s throat, thumb digging into the side of his neck
harshly as he pressed the man against the cobbled garden walls. Yoo Joonghyuk reached his
free hand to the holster strapped to his waist, but found that he didn’t have his sword with
him, not having expected to need it on one of his routine trips to the imperial gardens. He
considered regretting his lapse in judgment; however, giving the man currently clutched in
his grip a quick once-over, Yoo Joonghyuk supposed his assumption was still correct. The
man was small and thin, and the weak choking sounds he was letting out weren’t making him
seem any more threatening. The man was clawing at his grip, trying fruitlessly to pry the
prince’s fingers away from his neck. Yoo Joonghyuk was pretty sure he could snap him like a
twig if he wanted.

For a second, he imagined what a funny sight they must make, the tired and angry prince
pressing a weak, squirming man into a wall, the foliage around them hiding them from sight.
In fact, Yoo Joonghyuk was starting to think that this was sounding increasingly like the start
to a trashy porno when the man started to frantically tap Yoo Joonghyuk’s wrist with two
fingers, a plea. Yoo Joonghyuk loosened his grip marginally. He supposed it would be
unproductive to kill the man before he could talk.

The intruder spluttered, gasping for air. Color returned to his face as the blood rushed to his
head, and Yoo Joonghyuk scowled as the man practically coughed and hacked directly in his
face. Sweat ran down his temple in rivulets as the man gulped for air, black hair plastered to
the man’s panicked face.

“You have three seconds to explain yourself, and I suggest you do so wisely. I’m not a patient
man.” The intruder shot a gutsy glare at him, gesturing to his bruised throat angrily. Paying
the man’s protests no heed, Yoo Joonghyuk motioned to tighten his grip again. “I’ll ask one
more time. Why shouldn’t I kill you right now?”

The man’s eyes widened and he raised his hands placatingly in surrender. “Because,” he
croaked, “that would be terribly rude?”

Yoo Joonghyuk blinked. He gave himself a second to process the words, then blinked again.
Then he dropped the man, who flopped limply on the ground like a depressed squid before
meeting the prince’s blank gaze with a glare of his own. The Squid Man, as Yoo Joonghyuk
so generously dubbed him, clutched his own throat protectively as a comedically affronted
look made its home on his face. “What the hell, you buffoon, why couldn’t you have let me
down gently, you-”
“What courtesy do I owe a trespasser?” Turns out, placing his foot right above someone’s
throat was an effective way to stop them from talking. Squid Man shut up immediately,
eyeing the boot below his chin with caution. Eyes flicking between Yoo Joonghyuk’s boot,
Yoo Joonghyuk’s murderous gaze, and a seemingly arbitrary point in the middle of the
garden’s foliage, Squid Man seemed to come to a conclusion.

Gently nudging the shoe away from his throat while gesturing at Yoo Joonghyuk in a
pacifying manner, Squid Man cleared his throat before speaking. “I’m not a trespasser, and if
you hadn’t attacked me the second you saw me , I would’ve been able to explain myself.”
Another glare. “In fact, I, uh, I’m the new gardener!”

Yoo Joonghyuk gave Squid Man a sadistic smile. “Liar. We don’t have a new gardener.” He
actually had no idea whether or not they had hired a new gardener, but he pressed forward,
suspicions still intact. If the man were truly as innocent as he claimed, the truth would come
to light after Yoo Joonghyuk placed him in captivity. For now, it was safer to put the man in
chains.

Yoo Joonghyuk let his foot press down, fully planning on snapping the intruder’s neck. Or, at
least, rendering the man incapacitated for a while. Yoo Joonghyuk (unfortunately) needed to
keep the man alive for information gathering. A breach in security at the West Palace was a
serious matter, and he was well aware of the insurgence groups hiding in the shadows,
waiting for the right opportunity to overthrow the prince. Under the solid and stable
reputation that the Western Kingdom maintained on the outside, he knew that the kingdom
had been in a state of gradually declining stability ever since the death of the King and
Queen. He and the court could only do so much to command power with the lack of an
official monarch, and many rebel groups had formed in the darkness, ready to strike at the
vulnerable prince. He silently reminded himself to alert Han Sooyoung about the intrusion
and to prepare the torture chambers for the man.

Suddenly, an excruciating pain shot through his stomach. Yoo Joonghyuk found himself on
cold dirt, howling in pain and clutching his crotch as the intruder scurried up before looking
at Yoo Joonghyuk’s writhing figure. Through blurry eyes, Yoo Joonghyuk could see the man
hesitate, looking back and forth between Yoo Joonghyuk and the rest of the garden. With
wide eyes and a frantically whispered, “oh my god, I’m so sorry,” the man turned and ran
into the foliage, disappearing from view.

In the midst of the pain clouding his mind, Yoo Joonghyuk managed to form one coherent
thought:
That fucker .
 Chapter 2
Chapter Notes

I'M SO SORRY HI I'M STILL ALIVE

have not updated in a hot sec pls forgive me

i've been really busy and will probably still be for the next month or two, but i'll try to
get in more updates! once again, ty for reading this completely unedited mess of ideas!

disclaimer 12/12/21: the first chapter was edited a bit, so if you read that earlier, then
you might wanna go back and take a look!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

“Get Lee Hyunsung for me.”

Yoo Joonghyuk stormed through the halls, ears flushed and gait crooked. Half an hour since
the encounter and he was still aching; he could only be satisfied that the event had happened
in a secluded part of the garden with no prying eyes. His eyes narrowed and he clenched his
jaw as he thought about the intruder. I will kill him .

Han Sooyoung trailed after him, clearly confused and spouting profanities as she ran to catch
up. “You actual bastard, you better give me an explanation before I do anything for you. Why
did you call for me so suddenly? I’ll have you know, I was in the middle of a meeting with an
Eastern diplomat-”

“There was an intruder.” He stopped walking, turning around to face Han Sooyoung. His
sudden halt shocked her, and she ran straight into his chest, yelping. She rubbed at her nose,
prepared to unleash verbal hell on the bane of her existence, before Yoo Joonghyuk’s words
fully sank in.

Regardless of how turbulent their relationship was, there was a reason why Han Sooyoung
was the prince’s advisor. The profanities died in her throat as she narrowed her eyes, and they
both resumed walking at a slower pace. “Okay,” she muttered after a few seconds. “Okay.
Tell me all the details.”
Yoo Joonghyuk relayed the events in detail, from the location where he encountered the
intruder to the intruder’s appearance. He hesitated before telling her where he saw the
intruder escape, a hidden gap in the tall hedges that led to a small passage of ivy vines before
winding up in a remote carnation garden. If Yoo Joonghyuk left out… certain details in his
recount, that was none of Han Sooyoung’s business. Regardless, he was sure that any omitted
specifics weren’t of value to the investigation of the intruder.

Han Sooyoung listened intently, nodding along as if she was taking specific note of particular
points in his story. When he finished, she took a deep breath, eyes sharpened with focus.

“I’ll contact Lee Hyunsung to ramp up palace security and have him keep an eye out for any
suspicious figures. I know you’re strong, but for the next few days I’m assigning you a
bodyguard or two.” She paused in thought while Yoo Joonghyuk groaned at the prospect.
“This also might be a good opportunity to put your protégé to the test. I’ll have her assigned
to an investigation and protection team, and I’m sure she’d happily volunteer to guard you.”
Yoo Joonghyuk felt his blood run cold, and Han Sooyoung snickered at his reaction before
continuing. “As for you, you should do an official write-up about the encounter. Make sure
you don’t leave out any details.” Yoo Joonghyuk pointedly looked away, a flicker of shame
nipping at his conscience.

They had made their way to the entrance of the prince’s chambers, and the pair stopped
outside the door as Han Sooyoung motioned to him to let her finish. “You should get yourself
checked by Lee Seolhwa, too. Just to make sure you weren’t accidentally injured during the
encounter.”

“I’ll be fine,” he scowled.

“Stop being a baby, you bastard. It’s not that hard to get a quick check-up.” They glared at
each other, both refusing to back down until Yoo Joonghyuk sighed and agreed reluctantly.

“On that note, how did the intruder get away from you? It seems like you got a good look at
him, which means the interaction must’ve been pretty long. I have a hard time understanding
why you didn’t just apprehend him yourself.” She peered at him curiously, as if trying to use
her gaze to cut through his secrets like a scalpel.
Clearing his throat, he casually brushed off her question. “He was fast. He noticed me before
I could apprehend him and ran.”

“And you didn’t run after him?”

“As I said, he was fast.” He pouted in annoyance, scratching the back of his head.
“Regardless, he got away. Nothing else worth noting occurred. Do you have anything else to
say, or can I go submit an official write-up?”

His advisor continued to observe him with suspicion before deciding to drop the topic.
“There’s one more thing. The court wanted to tell you after finishing their discussions with
the Eastern diplomat, but I thought you should know before that.” That was one thing that
Yoo Joonghyuk liked about Han Sooyoung. Not only was she phenomenal at gathering
information, she also scoffed at the court’s attempt to hide said information from the prince.
(“It’s a political scam,” she had complained to him before. “Them withholding knowledge is
just their pitiful attempt at trying to keep you under their thumb. No way in hell am I letting
them get away with that.”). He nodded at her to continue, and she grimaced as if preparing
herself to deliver bad news.

“This probably isn’t the best time to tell you, considering we already have an intruder on our
hands, but I thought you might want a heads up. The court is setting your marriage to occur
in 6 months.”

Han Sooyoung had braced herself for a reaction, and didn’t flinch when Yoo Joonghyuk spun
around and slammed his palm into the wall. The impact resonated throughout the hall, and
the proceeding seconds were occupied only with the echo of his labored breaths. His hands
clenched into fists on the wall, and she heard him curse under his breath.

“There’s nothing we can do to stop it. You know too, Yoo Joonghyuk. We need an official
monarch, and the marriage will help to solidify your role. Plus, it means an alliance with the
East. You know they’re not going to let you go on this matter.”

Sadness etched itself across her features. Sometimes, she imagined what Yoo Joonghyuk
would be like if his life wasn't lived on a chessboard. In a game, even the king was just a
piece to be moved around at the will of the players.
“It’s not your fault.” Yoo Joonghyuk’s brows were furrowed, and he quickly turned away,
resting his hand on the ornate door handle and twisting it. Before he could fully enter his
room, Han Sooyoung called out.

“You don’t… think it was Olympus, do you?”

The prince froze for a second, and Han Sooyoung thought she could see his shoulders tense.
However, the image disappeared as fast as it came, and Yoo Joonghyuk closed the door with
a resounding click, leaving Han Sooyoung standing outside.

Yoo Joonghyuk collapsed on the bed, one arm slung over his face as his chest heaved. In, out.
In, out. A sudden wave of nausea crashed over him, and he gasped for air, fighting with his
lungs to work .

Brief visions of faces flashed under his closed lids, invading his self-imposed darkness. He
squeezed his eyes closed tighter. Like a broken film, sepia-colored smiles flickered in his
mind, phantom hands reaching out to grasp at his arms. His hands felt sticky and thick, and
he cracked his eyes open to see red. Fingers pressed at his shoulders, grabbed his hands, arms
circled around his waist in the haunting mimic of a hug. He was being dragged down, further
and further, and the hands wouldn’t release him, and why wouldn’t they let go, they had to let
go .

Just as suddenly as the faces had violated his thoughts, a clear voice penetrated the
cacophony of chaos in his head. It sounded like black ink, and fire, and slightly crumpled
parchment, and Yoo Joonghyuk frantically held onto that thread, that sound. It was pathetic, it
really was, to remember that voice so vividly even after two years, and even more so to hold
onto it so desperately.

The memory of the voice slowly coaxed his breathing back to normal, and when he opened
his eyes, he saw bloody crescents imprinted in his palms. It seems like the blood wasn’t just
an illusion. Yoo Joonghyuk staggered towards the bathroom, clutching the nearest cloth and
pressing it to his dirtied hands. Looking at his visage in the mirror, he was greeted by sweat-
matted locks and red-tinged eyes, haggard and tired. He reached down to turn on the sink,
splashing his face a few times before dragging one hand through his hair, making himself
presentable. Yoo Joonghyuk did all this with a habitual level of familiarity, as if simply going
through the motions.

After drying himself off, he went to his desk and grabbed a piece of parchment and a pen.
Dipping the tip into the inkwell stationed near the corner of the table, Yoo Joonghyuk forced
his thoughts to return to the events of that afternoon, and Han Sooyoung’s words.

Olympus. If the intruder was truly part of Olympus, Yoo Joonghyuk would not spare a single
second of hesitation to kill him.

“Master!”

Shit . Taking a deep breath, Yoo Joonghyuk slowly turned to look behind him. Lo and behold,
rushing towards him with a level of vigor and enthusiasm that almost scared him, was the
prodigy of the knights of the Western Kingdom.

“Master, Han Sooyoung told me I could accompany you for the next three days! Don’t worry,
I’ll keep you safe! Of course, not to imply that you can’t keep yourself safe, because no one
can beat my master, but still-”

Lee Jihye continued to ramble, eyes bright as she gestured wildly beside him. Han Sooyoung,
the devil.

It wasn’t that Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t like the knight. On the contrary, he was the one who took
her in, recognizing the potential and dedication that the young child possessed. He had met
her on one of his expeditions to the outskirts of the kingdom, where he was traveling to
observe the conditions of the farther provinces and whether they were in need of extra
resources and food. He spotted Lee Jihye at an orphanage he was passing by, where he found
her fighting with some of the older children. Apparently, they had stolen food from one of the
younger children, who Yoo Joonghyuk could see crying behind Lee Jihye. He intervened just
before she was about to strike them and reclaim the food, and had managed to resolve the
situation and report the behavior to one of the caretakers. Lee Jihye was fiery and just, and
Yoo Joonghyuk only needed to pull a few strings before she was accompanying him on the
carriage back to the palace to train as a knight.

Ever since, she had been climbing up the ranks at a terrifyingly rapid pace, gradually edging
out knights who were years older than her and rightfully claiming the reputation of being a
prodigy.

While Yoo Joonghyuk actually respected and liked the knight, she could be somewhat…
overwhelming. He was reminded of this fact as he effortlessly dodged one of Lee Jihye’s
larger, more energetic hand gestures, and why was she now gesturing with her sword.

“Jihye, no swinging your sword in the hallways.” She immediately sheathed the blade back
into its holster, quickly apologizing with a “Yes, Master” before straightening her posture.
“Take this as an opportunity for you to train and practice your skills. Keep your guard up and
remember to report any strange sightings or figures.” She nodded diligently, responding with
an affirmative. While Lee Jihye could come off as overly-energetic and scattered, he had faith
in her skills and her dedication to improving, and nodded in acknowledgment at her
response.

They continued to walk in peace as Yoo Joonghyuk headed towards the practice grounds, but
he should’ve known that silence and Lee Jihye were incompatible.

“Master, I heard you’re going to get married soon.” He stiffened as the knight wiggled her
eyebrows at him, grinning with a threatening glee.

“Where did you hear this information from?” Yoo Joonghyuk mentally noted to remind all
court officials to stay silent about the arrangement, lest they want him to track them down
and cut off their tongues.

"I have my ways,” she remarked flippantly. “It's okay, Master! I'm happy for you! You can
count on me to fight off anyone who gives you trouble!" Lee Jihye bounced up and down,
eyes gleaming with excitement. "We all know you need to get laid-"

"Shut up, Lee Jihye."

She cackled with glee, and Yoo Joonghyuk took a second to mourn the obedient and
respectful soul that had once inhabited her body.

“Tell me about your fiance, Master! Is he attractive? Is he strong and smart like you? Has he
done anything romantic-”

“I don’t know who he is.”

She stopped her line of questioning at his declaration, jaw dropping in shock. “What do you
mean you don’t know who he is? Have you never met? You must’ve at least communicated
in letters before, right?”

“I’ve never talked to him. It’s an arranged marriage, Jihye.”

“That doesn’t mean he can skip all the steps of courting! Master, this is ridiculous! I can’t
believe he has the audacity to marry you when he hasn’t even sent you a heartfelt letter, or, or
a bouquet!” She fumed at his side, glaring at the ground. “He hasn’t even invited you to a
romantic picnic date!”

Yoo Joonghyuk almost gagged at that, features souring in disgust. He couldn’t fathom loving
someone enough to participate in those activities with them. He couldn’t fathom anyone
loving him enough to plan those activities. Love was a concept trapped in the children’s
books he had snuck out of the library when he was still a child, hiding them behind the thick
tomes of politics and military strategy he was assigned to read. Love existed only as a
fleeting concept within his earlier daydreams, but it was never something he could keep.

He tuned out the rest of Lee Jihye’s protests as they reached the training grounds. He grabbed
his sword as she retrieved an extra training dummy, and they both shed their outer coats,
preparing to spar.

As he placed his blazer on a nearby bench, Yoo Joonghyuk spotted a gathering of carnations.
Hesitating, he turned back towards Lee Jihye, who was stretching and sizing up the training
 dummy.

“Jihye,” he called, and her head immediately shot up, always attentive. “By any chance, do
you know if a new gardener was hired recently?”

She frowned, tilting her head slightly as she pursed her lips in concentration. “Ah, I think so?
I remember hearing some of the maids mentioning it. Black hair, kinda scrawny, easy on the
eyes?” Yoo Joonghyuk felt recognition run through his brain, followed by a crushing feeling
of guilt. Unaware of the epiphany the prince was going through, Lee Jihye continued to recall
any details she could remember.

“Oh, and I think his name started with a D? Do-something?”

Chapter End Notes

hello, and ty for reading!

this. is a mess. a very unedited mess. i might come back and edit this chapter too,
because while i am impatient i am also a perfectionist, and this does not meet my
standards.

hopefully i can update more frequently, and i'll try to be back soon! once again, kudos
and comments are very appreciated, and they make my day!
End Notes

hello! i hope u enjoyed that, even if it was a mess :D I'll probably come back and fix this
later, but we'll see haha! kudos and comments are very much appreciated! comments always
make my day and i'd love to know what you thought <3 have a great day!

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