Chapter Text
Three days had passed since Han Jisung's first encounter with the Crown Prince.
Yet, to Jisung, time itself seemed to have stopped.
From that day on, he barely dared to leave his room. It felt as though the moment he stepped outside, the palace guards would drag him away to the execution grounds.
Because he knew.
The royal palace never forgave traitors.
But he wasn't a traitor.
He hadn't been spying on anyone.
He was nothing more than an ordinary servant carrying out his duties.
He hadn't entered the forbidden royal garden of his own free will.
He had simply been ordered to gather fresh flowers for the palace.
Everything had begun because of one wrong turn.
As if fate itself refused to believe it had been a coincidence.
Today, however, he had no choice but to return to work.
As dawn broke, the palace came alive once again. Servants lined up in the courtyard while the head servant assigned everyone's duties for the day.
"Kitchen."
"Laundry."
"Garden."
One by one, the servants received their orders.
"Han Jisung."
At the sound of his name, Jisung flinched.
"Y-Yes?"
The head servant stepped closer.
"The flowers in the Crown Prince's chambers have withered. Replace them."
The basket in Jisung's hands nearly slipped from his grasp.
"M-Me...?"
"Is there a problem?"
"N-No."
"Then stop wasting time."
Jisung silently picked up the fresh flowers.
As he walked, his heartbeat grew heavier with every step.
No...
It's just a coincidence.
Maybe he isn't even there.
He repeated those words to himself over and over, hoping they would calm the fear rising inside him.
...
The Crown Prince's residence stood in the quietest corner of the palace.
Very few servants were ever allowed to enter this part of the royal grounds.
At last, Jisung stopped in front of the large wooden doors.
He hesitated for a moment before knocking gently.
No answer.
He knocked again.
Silence.
Carefully, he pushed the door open.
It wasn't locked.
He peeked inside.
The room was empty.
Jisung let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness..."
He stepped inside.
Morning sunlight poured through the windows, bathing the room in a warm glow.
Everything was impeccably neat.
An open book rested on the desk beside a brush and an inkstone.
A bow hung neatly on the wall.
In one corner stood an elegantly crafted sword.
Jisung's eyes lingered on it.
In an instant, memories from three days ago flooded his mind.
Blood.
Cold eyes.
Death.
He quickly shook his head.
"I need to finish and leave..."
He carefully removed the wilted flowers from the vase and replaced them with fresh ones.
Once he was done...
Everything would finally be over.
Then—
Creak...
The heavy wooden door slowly opened behind him.
The rose slipped from Jisung's fingers and fell to the floor.
He slowly turned around.
Lee Minho stood in the doorway.
His face remained unreadable.
Only those cold, emotionless eyes stared back at him.
Without saying a word, Minho stepped inside.
The door closed behind him.
Click.
Jisung instinctively took a step back.
"Y-Your Highness..."
Minho didn't answer.
He calmly removed his outer robe and placed it on the table.
As though Jisung wasn't even there.
Several long moments passed before he finally turned his head.
Their eyes met once again.
"So..."
Minho's quiet voice shattered the silence.
"It's been three days since you saw me."
Jisung remained speechless.
"And yet..."
Minho slowly walked toward him.
"You're still afraid."
Jisung swallowed hard.
"I-I..."
"Interesting."
Minho cut him off.
"I didn't kill you."
He paused.
"...Yet."
That single word sent a chill through Jisung's entire body.
Minho walked past him and stopped by the window.
"You chose the flowers well."
His gaze briefly settled on the fresh arrangement in the vase.
"At least you're capable of doing one thing properly."
Jisung didn't know how to respond.
Without turning around, Minho continued,
"From today onward..."
He fell silent for a brief moment.
"You will replace the flowers in my chambers every three days."
Jisung looked up in shock.
"Your Highness... I..."
"It's an order."
Minho finally turned to face him.
The faintest hint of a smile appeared on his lips.
"Or have you forgotten how to obey orders, Han Jisung?"
Jisung's heart pounded violently against his chest.
Deep down, he knew this wasn't merely another task.
It was the beginning of something far more dangerous.