Chapter Text
[Eunha Pavilion]
“Mingyu!” Yuni's soft voice called. Mingyu turned and saw Yuni smiling widely, his eyes shining with a little mischief. Steps light, Mingyu approached Yuni and pulled him into a hug, savoring the latter's softness against the hard planes of his body. He knows why Yuni is smiling so widely, why happiness seems to exude like a beam from his lean body.
Unsatisfied, he drew Yuni even closer, melding their bodies as he buried his face onto Yuni's neck, inhaling his lavender scent. Yuni can't help but giggle as Mingyu's breath tickled the sensitive skin on his neck.
“Stop it! It tickles!” Yuni complained with laughter, but instead of pushing Mingyu away, Yuni tightened the hug. After a few minutes, Mingyu gave Yuni a kiss on the cheek and looked deeply into his eyes, arms still wrapped around him.
Nothing has to be said between them — they are, after all, friends since childhood. Already part of each other's lives even before they were even out of their mothers' wombs.
“We're getting married!” Yuni whisper-shouted, trying to contain his excitement. Yuni would have been all over the place if not for Mingyu's' arms still caging him. “Is it really, really, real now?”
Mingyu smirked, his voice laced with a teasing lilt. “Probably.”
Yuni slapped a hand on his chest, giving him a glare. Mingyu felt too much happiness that it spilled over into a boisterous laugh, causing palace workers to glance at them with fond eyes.
If the future Crown Prince is happy, the whole palace is happy. He is, after all, the ultimate symbol of hope of his kingdom.
Jeon Yuni of Mungyeong is Mingyu's betrothed since age ten. His family, a branch off the Jeon of the Royal Lineage of Seolla, has produced renowned and critically acclaimed artists in the field of arts. Yuni's branch of the family may not be directly descended from the royal lineage, but it is their branch that survived after the treachery of the main family branch: Jeon of Jeonju.
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Before the Kingdom of Korea became its present form, the old Korea was divided into three kingdoms: Gyeongryeong, Seolla, and Baesa.
The three kingdoms managed to co-exist peacefully for the most part, despite some warring now and then. There came a time however, when external invaders threatened not only each kingdom's safety, but the region as a whole. As a result, Gyeongryeong proposed a treaty to unite with Seolla and Baesa.
Baesa refused, which resulted in them losing their entire land to the foreign invaders despite fighting hard. Seolla, seeing the upcoming downfall of Baesa, agreed with Gyeongryeong's proposal -- due to the urgency of the situation, and Seolla being the smaller region in terms of land mass and population, was absorbed into Gyeongryeong. The royal family of Seolla still held their nobility, but ultimately, the power to rule the combined nations was solely on the shoulders of Gyeongryeong.
It was planned from the very start that the royal families of Gyeongryeong and Seolla be united through marriage to fully solidify the partnership of both families. The unity through marriage would also bring comfort and assurance to the people of Seolla, who after many years still feel like a foreigner in their own lands.
However, the unity through marriage always falls through. And so, Emperor Kim Min Hee of Gyeongryeong made an irrevocable royal legislature dictating that a generation of Gyeongryeong and Seolla must be united through marriage within a hundred years, or else, the royal succession will shift to the last legitimate heir of the Kingdom of Seolla.
If no such legitimate heir is found, the royal monarchy will be abolished and a referendum on a new government will be conducted.
The unity through marriage proved to be a difficult undertaking.
During the reign of Emperor Kim Min Sun, the royal family branch of Jeon of Jeonju were accused of treason against the Emperor. The members of the Jeon of Jeonju were either assassinated or imprisoned, effectively cutting off the royal line of Seolla. Due to this, the Jeon of Mungyeong were established as the new main family branch of the Jeon family.
However, the Jeon of Mungyeong has no direct relation to the royal family of Seolla, aside from its name.
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Yuni has been trained since he was a child to be the perfect Prince Consort – on top of Yuni's normal school lessons, he had to learn the Kingdom's history, etiquette, and other subjects that will help distinguish him from a normal citizen. As he had no trace of nobility in his lineage, Yuni had to work extra hard to be recognized and be fully considered as the future consort of the heir to the throne.
His hard work paid off; everyone thinks that Yuni is the perfect partner for Mingyu. There's no question that he will pass the evaluation by the Royal Household Office, which was just a mere formality anyway. In two days' time, once the result is formally announced, wedding preparations will start.
Once the marriage is done, Mingyu will then be formally inducted as the Kingdom's Crown Prince.
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Mingyu never pace. He's usually calm and collected, unaffected by whatever's happening around him. He might be relatively young, but even the most formidable ministers of his father's cabinet do not faze him. As the future Crown Prince and eventual King, he has learned to embody the unwavering confidence his position holds.
But today is different. Today, the results of Yuni's evaluation will be released, signaling the start of the preparations for a royal wedding.
Jeonghan, in all his glory, sat in one of those ridiculously huge, velvet chairs inside Mingyu's office that probably cost more than three months worth of salary of an ordinary citizen in the Kingdom.
Jeonghan, or Hani to his closest, spoke, clearly amused by the anxious Mingyu. "Calm down, will you? The evaluation is a mere formality anyway. We all know that no one else is going to be your consort but Yuni.”
"I know that. But still, I can't help it. I don't know." Mingyu stopped pacing, and shook his head, trying to calm himself.
"For some reason, I have a bad feeling about something."
Hani shook his head as he swirled the red wine in his glass. "Don't start calling bad luck. It will be fine, you'll see."
"It will always be the Kim and the Jeon." Hani added.
Mingyu sighed and leaned on the edge of his desk. All that's running through his mind is the hope that nothing will go wrong, and that he's worrying for nothing.
A soft knock, followed by the opening of the door took Mingyu away from his musings. Hansol, his private secretary, entered with an unreadable face. Mingyu looked at the clock and noticed that Yuni's evaluation had already finished.
Mingyu expected a smile, but instead, Hansol took a deep breath as if steadying himself to deliver devastating news.
"Your highness, Yuni, Jeon of Mungyeong did not pass the evaluation."
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Wonwoo's supposed to be on his way to the university, but instead, he's at the metro, waiting for the next train to arrive. He received a call earlier that morning from the national bank about a supposed lease for a safe deposit box that is expiring the next day.
To say he was confused was an understatement – Wonwoo since he could remember had no more than two cents to rub together (an exaggeration) let alone have a box at the bank.
The kind lady on the other line patiently explained to him that his late grandmother, five years ago, had leased a safe deposit box. As his name is written as the co-owner of the safe, he now has to decide whether to renew the lease or withdraw whatever’s in it.
Wonwoo has absolutely no idea on what the box might contain, nor how he would open it. Wonwoo fished his phone out of his pocket when he felt it vibrate.
>>Hoooong~
Wonwoo, where on earth are you?Boo was trying to reach you! He said you guys have a quiz in econ!!
Wonwooyang~<<
The heck? A surprise one?!>>Hoooong~
Yes! So hurry up and come to uni!Wonwooyang<<
I can’t! I have to head to the national bank!
Something about grandma’s safe deposit box.>>Hoooong~
What?Wonwooyang<<
I know! I’m confused as heck too.
But I'm so curious sooooo I’m omw to the bank.
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Upon reaching the bank, Wonwoo was at a loss on what to do. He may have stood long enough looking like a fish out of water when a staff approached and asked him what he needed.
"Ah, you have to address your concern with a manager. Come follow me and I'll lead you to him." Wonwoo nodded meekly and followed the staff who led him to the backroom. He was instructed to sit on the chair outside a small office while he explained to the manager Wonwoo's concern.
After a few minutes of waiting, a stout man dressed in a suit came out and greeted him. "You must be Wonwoo Jeon?"
"Yes, he is me." Wonwoo answered as he shook the offered hand.
"You may call me Mr. Han. Very well, come follow me." Wonwoo was then led to the vault wherein the safe deposit boxes were secured. They started walking deeper into the room, and stopped at the 7th row.
"717. Here's your grandma's safe deposit box. Do you have your grandma's renter key with you?" Mr. Han asked as he took out his own key. Confused, Wonwoo looked at Mr. Han, asking to clarify.
"Ah well, we need to have both keys to open this." Mr. Han answered, looking at Wonwoo.
Wonwoo had no idea about his grandma's safe deposit box, let alone the renter's key.
Coming out of the bank, Wonwoo is more curious than ever. His grandmother hasn't mentioned anything about the box, and yet, she had fully expected him to be able to open it when the time comes.
Wonwoo is starting to develop a headache thinking where on earth his grandmother's renter key is. Lost in thought, his heart almost jumped out of his chest when someone honked at him.
"Wonwoo! Get in here!” Joshua Hong, his senior from uni and the son of his benefactors called to him.
"What are you doing here, hyung? " Wonwoo asked as he reached for the door of the waiting car.
"Well, you want to open your grandma's safe deposit box, right?" Wonwoo tilted his head to the side as he secured his seatbelt. "What do you even know about it? Wait, you know about it?!"
Joshua sighed as he started driving away from the curb. "My family's been keeping the key, Wonwoo. It was the safest choice."
A simple statement, but heavy with meaning. "I'll explain some important things to you, but for now, we need to get to where it's safe."
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“Here’s the renter’s key.” Joshua carefully puts down the key while Wonwoo reaches to examine it. “Why is it with you?” A hint of suspicion colored Wonwoo's voice. He couldn’t understand why his grandma would leave the key to the Hong’s and not mention anything about it to him.
While Joshua was silent, contemplating on how to answer Wonwoo, a faint ringing of the phone could be heard somewhere from the house. Wonwoo plays with the key, not rushing his hyung for answers.
“Wonwoo, the thing is–” Joshua started but was cut-off by his mother. “Joshua, there is no time to explain, you have to withdraw the thing from the safe.”
“What is really going on?” Wonwoo asked. Sensing the urgency from Joshua's mother, he started moving. “As I’ve said there is no time to explain; get the box from the safe first, then we’ll talk.”
The 45-minute drive to the bank from the Hong’s took about 20 minutes. There were no chances to ask more questions. As soon as they entered the bank, they were ushered to the vault, as if Mr. Han was waiting for their arrival.
He probably is. Mama Hong probably called in advance. Wonwoo thought to himself.
Joshua immediately inserted the renter’s key as soon as Mr. Han did, and finally, Wonwoo saw what’s inside the safe. In it is a rectangular box adorned with traditional patterns, and some sort of a royal crest carved into the jade placed on the cover. It looked expensive…and ancient. It looked like it belonged to a museum rather than a safe deposit box.
“Leave us for a moment, please.” Joshua said to Mr. Han. As soon as he left, Joshua carefully opened the box and took out a necklace with a Mugunghwa pendant, a red and blue amulet, and a half of a gold coin. Wonwoo had no chance to inspect the coin as Joshua immediately put it into a pouch along with the amulet.
“Hide this on the inner pocket of your jacket, quickly.” Joshua instructed as he unclasped the necklace and put it on Wonwoo's neck. “What on earth, hyung.”
Joshua placed his hands on Wonwoo's shoulders, squeezing them to catch his attention. “Whatever happens from now on, you don’t lose any of what I have given you. Do you understand? If anyone asks, you always say that the Hongs have it, alright?”
“I need to take him, now.” An unfamiliar voice said, scaring Wonwoo. He didn't even notice him arriving. The man has an intimidating aura with his piercing gaze and unsmiling face. Suddenly, the air feels heavier, a sense of danger added to it. "I have to take him straight to the Palace. The evaluation ended and the Mungyeong guy failed it. They're looking for Wonwoo now."
Where on earth did he come from? And the Palace? Evaluation? What on earth is he talking about? Wonwoo is starting to freak out.
Joshua, sensing Wonwoo's oncoming panic, held the younger’s hand gently, to provide a little sense of comfort. “Don’t be scared. He can be trusted. In fact, the moment you step out of this room, you trust no one but him aside from me. Do you understand, Wonwoo?”
“I know you’re confused, and starting to feel a little scared, but just hold on for a little longer, alright? Everything will be explained to you soon. Our priority is your safety, so explanations have to take a backseat for a while.” All Wonwoo could do was nod. The necklace, amulet, and coin are heavy against his skin and pocket. Whatever's happening right now has something to do with these three.
Joshua left first, bringing the now empty box with him. A minute later, Wonwoo left with the unknown man whose name he later learned as Seungcheol Choi.
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