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“Hey, mom!” Sehun said nonchalantly upon entering the palace’s dining room where his mom was already having her tea.
“Oh, there’s my son! It seems like the last time I saw you, you were still in diapers,” the Queen greeted them. Sehun left to live in a penthouse apartment a few years ago. Sehun said he wanted to experience a “normal life”. He justified it to his parents by telling them that it would make him understand the people more in preparation for his reign.
“You’re so dramatic, mom.”
“Then maybe you should come more often. You too, Jongdae, my dear. What are you doing standing there? Take a seat.”
“Thank you for the offer, Your Majesty. I will just be waiting for His Highness outside.” Jongdae is the Crowned Prince’s right-hand man – assistant, political advisor and even chef and chauffeur, sometimes.
“That’s nonsense. Why are you being so shy? You and Sehun always chattered so loudly during meals when you two were kids.” Oh, Jongdae was also the son of the King’s political advisor so him and Sehun kind of grew up together.
“Come on, hyung! There’s french toast - your favorite!” Sehun pulled Jongdae to sit beside him.
“So darling, you know why I called you here. I scheduled --”
“Let me stop you there, mom. With all due respect, can you please stop setting me up on dates?”
“Why not? I’m not getting younger, my son. I want to still be able to see you get married and have children!”
“Mom! I’m 25. We have a lot of time!”
“Do you have a boyfriend already?” She asked suddenly.
Jongdae’s head snapped up. He had panic in his eyes. The Queen just smirked at the two of them.
“What?” Sehun was also at a loss for words. This was the first time that his mom asked this so bluntly.
“Well, maybe if you introduced someone to me, I would finally understand why you are always so against these dates,” The Queen said, huffing. “Jongdae, is my son dating anyone? You’re always with him, you must know!” The Queen was looking intently at Jongdae now.
“Your Majesty… Sehun… I mean, His Highness…” Jongdae was stuttering. He felt his face heating up.
“Mom, why are you interrogating hyung!” Sehun started to panic.
“Well, I just want to know if you’re dating anybody!”
There was a short moment of silence between the three of them.
“Anything you two want to tell me?” The Queen probed again.
“We don’t know what you mean, mom,” Sehun tried to act normally by going back to his food.
“How about you, Jongdae? Anything you want to say? You’ve always been more obedient to me than my son,” The Queen smiled at Jongdae mischievously.
“My Queen, I don’t know what you want me to say,” Jongdae still had his head down and was stuttering. He felt cold sweat on his nape. How can he lie to his Queen?
“Really? You don’t? You two really don’t have anything to say to me?”
Silence.
“Okay, I’m done with this!” The Queen snapped.
The two jumped in their seats. The Queen was composed most of the time. She rarely ran out of patience. Jongdae was panicking now. He might lose his job! He loves his job! He loves--
“Since you two don’t want to volunteer the information, can you tell me why you two are holding hands under the table?” The two broke their hold. “Too late, I already saw it.”
“My Queen…” Jongdae started but he can’t think of anything to say.
“I want to say that I am disappointed with the two of you,” The Queen said, pouting.
“Mom--”
“I am so sad. How could you two hide this from me? And for so long!”
“What?”
“I know you two have been dating for years! I saw the two of you kissing 3 years ago in the middle of the night in the kitchen. Is that why you left The Palace, Sehunnie? To be alone with Jongdae? You could have just told me! I even set you up on dates hoping that Jongdae would get jealous and would finally fess up!”
“Mom, I’m sorry--”
“At first it was adorable how you two sneaked out all the time; whispering to each other, giggling amongst yourselves. But how can you two hide this from me for so long. Don’t you trust me, my dear?” The Queen was pouting again.
“Mom, we wanted to tell you--”
“My Queen, I am so sorry. I was the one who told Sehun not to tell you. I am not worthy of The Prince but I love him. I know I am not royalty and I know this is a bad time but--” Jongdae looked at The Queen, “will you please give us your blessing, My Queen. I love Sehun with all my life. I may not be fitting to sit beside him at the throne but I will cherish him for eternity.”
“Hyung, that was so sweet,” Sehun smiled lovingly at Jongdae. Both The Queen and Jongdae ignored him, still.
“Was that why you didn’t tell me? You think you’re not worthy of being with him because you’re not royalty? Jongdae, you are more worthy to be with him than anyone else in the world! You’re the only one who can keep up with his bitchy ass.”
“I don’t have a bitchy ass!” Sehun was ignored again.
“Does this mean you’re giving us your blessing, My Queen?”
“You’re free to take him off my hands. He’s your pain in the ass now,” The Queen said to Jongdae.
For the first time that day, Jongdae looked at Sehun and with a big smile on his face. Their secret is finally out in the open. They are now free to be together. Jongdae grabbed Sehun’s face and kissed him; he was overjoyed! The Queen just smiled at them and continued eating. She can’t think of a better match to his son than Jongdae.