Seokjin stands in the hall between the dining room and the foyer, feeling like his entire body, mind, and soul are being split into two. Never before had he ever felt this exhausted. Never once had he ever experienced anything that would make him feel like losing his strength and wishing that he could shut everything down at the same time.

Not even the long hours he spent working at the firm, either handling tough clients or delving into difficult cases, has ever made him feel so drained.

He watches Ah-ri pulling you away, back to the dining table. Her cheerful voice as she rambles on about the breakfast that she helped make fills the room, yet his mind keeps replaying the argument he had with Kira just moments ago.

"Are you fucking cheating on me?"

Was it really wrong for Seokjin to laugh the moment he heard such an accusation?

He wanted to remain calm, knowing that there was no point for him to respond with anger. But it was so hard to think clearly when he was still vexed after Kira bailed on them last night.

"Cheating? Me?" he had responded once he pulled Kira away, preventing Ah-ri from hearing her cursing and yelling, something that he already expected Kira would do. And the last thing he wanted was to fight right in front of his little girl and their guest. "That's rich coming from someone who went missing without any news for the past 24 hours."

"Why are you turning this on me?"

"Where were you?"

It felt like talking to a wall, or a volcano, he really couldn't decide which, when his question only led to a more explosive reaction from Kira. It was a miracle that he was able to remain calm through it all. Barely, but at the very least, he was able to keep his voice down. He couldn't stop the surging anger, however, so his voice remained tense the entire time he kept responding to Kira.

And the explanation she gave him did nothing to alleviate his exasperation. It only made things worse.

"Our office is hosting a group of independent artists from Europe, as you very well know—"

Seokjin didn't enjoy hearing the mocking tone in her voice. And yes, he very well knew what was going on. He knew that the production house that Kira is working on is currently hosting guests from Europe; stage artists who are performing their work here in LA through the whole season. He knew because Kira wouldn't stop talking about them ever since they arrived here a month ago. He shouldn't have been surprised to know that these 'guests' of hers would be the reason she was cancelling their plan.

It wouldn't be the first. But at least she had always remembered to let him know about it before she did instead of ditching on him and ghosting them the way she did yesterday.

"They wanted to watch some shows while they're on cooldown Friday night, so we took them to watch a musical, then we went to watch a live show at the club—"

Seokjin could already tell where this was going before she even continued, "We went drinking after, and one of the artists said he wanted to see other parts of LA, so when Alex"—she mentioned her co-worker, the one that Seokjin has always felt to be some kind of a nuisance—"mentioned that he has a villa on Catalina Island and offered to take everyone there with his boat. We crashed at Alex's place after and went first thing in the morning. I guess I passed out during the night after drinking, and—"

Seokjin cannot remember what went through his head at the time other than finding this entire situation ridiculous.

This? She broke her promise and avoided my calls and messages for this?

He let out an incredulous laugh instead of yelling back at her, even when he already felt like he was about to explode himself.

"What? Are you going to accuse me of cheating now? Because if you're going to—"

He almost screamed then. But he was so angry that he barely reacted at all. There was a moment when he nearly said that the possibility of her cheating didn't matter to him. He didn't even care if she did. Because there was only one thing that mattered to him at that moment.

"You broke your promise to Ari." The moment those words were said, Kira's ire seemed to cool down. As if she finally remembered where she went wrong.

"At which part during your hosting your guests, getting drunk, agreeing to join them boating and going to the island, and crashing at your friend's place for the night, did you ever think or remember about the promise you made to me and Ari? By which point did it ever occur to you to call or message us to cancel or at least tell me that you were alive?" Kira said nothing to defend or to explain herself. But at least she had the decency to show a bit of shame. "And you were the one who insisted to try and bond with her before I even agreed to get her involved between us."

Just as he was seeing the fight leaving Kira the moment she heard his questions, his own fight declined.

Thinking about it now, Seokjin realises why he feels so drained.

Kira has always been more free-spirited than he ever was, and that was what had drawn him to her in the first place. Where Seokjin was meticulous and strict, Kira has always been more spontaneous. She always had new ideas to try, finding new things to do and jump into. Before, Seokjin would always envy her for being able to be so free, when he constantly felt like he was living under a restraint that kept him from enjoying the world. When his reality kept him from enjoying life.

Being with Kira had taught him how to let loose once in a while, to have fun, to experience something new. And he loved having her in his life for that reason.

Now, however, her spontaneous acts have become the source of his frustration. This wouldn't be the first time for her to disappear without news because she decided to go someplace or do something completely unplanned, or for her to change her mind after making a decision, and it has been getting hard for Seokjin to keep up.

It is beginning to feel as if they are going at a different pace, heading towards different paths, that he is bound to remain at one place while she would go all over the place.

This was what came across his mind during the fight, when he suddenly realised that things hadn't been the same between both of them. It hadn't been for a while, but he was just too stubborn to see it.

"I didn't—" Seokjin remembers her muttering those words. Only those words. "I'm sorry."

"Daddy, your coffee is getting cold, you know."

Ah-ri's voice snaps him out of it. As if he is doused by cool water, the bleakness of the situation is lifted, his mind is cleared, and all he sees is his little girl. To see her smile and laughter, and her wide, glowing eyes as she excitedly explains to you about the food that she prepared for you. She looks proud of herself the moment you praise her for helping in the kitchen, which only pushes her to brag even more.

Seeing this thaws everything inside him; his cold rage, his weariness, and the dreadful conversation which he still needs to have with his wayward partner.

Chuckling softly, Seokjin shakes everything away, putting the fight, Kira, and the questions he still has about his relationship to the back burner as he joins his little girl and her mysterious princess at the breakfast table before they can start the day.

Meanwhile, back in Andalasia...

Sir Noah feels uneasy. He hadn't been truly pleased about this whole conundrum. Hating to be at the center of it, shackled with the secrets that he is required to keep, Sir Noah feels like his entire world is slowly slipping out of his control.

He debates with his own conscious as he watches Prince Jungkook walking back and forth in the war room. With a gaze so distant, his brows furrowed, and his lips curled to a frown, Prince Jungkook shows him an emotion that is rare for someone like him to display. An emotion much alike to the Queen's when she is displeased.

But Sir Noah knows exactly why the Prince is acting in such a way, so he cannot fault him for doing so.

Prince Jungkook is worrying about the maiden who disappeared.

All morning, the Prince fusses over not having done everything 'right' by the maiden, and has been wondering what may have gotten wrong or if there was a possibility that the maiden has been kidnapped.

Merely a day has passed since the failed wedding. Yesterday, the Prince had waited for hours at the wedding venue for the maiden, and Sir Noah had to do all he could not to make a slip and reveal the truth. Not even when the Prince had waited until nightfall came and the maiden was still absent from her own wedding.

"Y-your Highness," Sir Noah carefully calls out to the Prince. "Please, my Prince. You need to rest."

"Rest? How could I possibly rest? My bride has gone missing!"

Sir Noah winces. The Prince has never once raised his voice at his aides and knights, no matter how frustrated he feels. But now he seems stiff, his voice sounds strained and desperate. It would be lying if Sir Noah try to claim that the guilt isn't eating him up from the inside.

He thought the Prince would easily move on. After all, had they not only met each other the day before? Had they not agree to marry only because of the myth, the stories, the tale that was told about princes and damsels and the true love's kiss?

The prince could have gotten with anyone he wanted. A princess from the southern island who had once led her tribe to find miracles, for example. Or the ice princess who was known to defeat her own curse up north and fought for her family. Anyone other than the damsel that the Queen had—for some unknown reason—the most disdain towards.

But Prince Jungkook has only been troubled ever since the maiden disappeared. He has been restless. So much so that the prince is skipping meals and missing his sword fighting practices. Sir Noah isn't sure if the prince has had the chance to sleep at all ever since the maiden's sudden disappearance, as many of the guards reported seeing Prince Jungkook walking back and forth between the main castle and the now vacant wedding venue in the gardens.

Prince Jungkook suddenly comes to a halt. His eyes fall on the map of Andalasia that has been set up on the table standing at the center of the room. For one second, the prince makes no move. He makes no sound, yet his gaze sharpens as if he is thinking deeply, and then something inside him snaps.

Without a word, Jungkook turns away from the table and marches towards the door.

"Your Highness, wait! Where are you going?" Sir Noah calls for him as his prince walks out of the war room in quick, long strides. The old royal aide tries to catch up, quickly losing his breath as they reach the corridor on the side of the castle leading towards the courtyard.

"I need to find her. I must search for her until I find her," Jungkook insists as he continues walking. Sir Noah has no clue where the prince is heading to, yet the steady footsteps of the prince echoes through the walls with no sign of stopping.

"Where would you go to look for her? How? You can't possibly spend the night looking for her out there. The Queen is also expecting you for dinner, and—"

Jungkook stops and makes a sharp turn to face Sir Noah. "I will search through the entire realm, if I must! And yes, I will not stop even if the sun only comes the next week." The deep inhale of breath that the prince takes after he speaks feels heavy, and his voice trembles when he speaks again, "What kind of groom or husband would I be if I am not out there looking for my betrothed?"

The guilt that Sir Noah has felt for the whole day seems to be piercing deeper in his chest. He feels powerless against it, but he knows that he cannot give in and allow the prince to leave the castle. Not if the aide wants to keep his head on his shoulders. "Forgive me for overstepping, Your Highness. But we have sent knights to search through the castle properties, the land, even through the forest to find the maiden, so—"

Jungkook throws his arms in frustration. "Then do tell, Sir Noah. Where is she now? Why have they not find her yet if they have been searching thoroughly as you said they have?"

"But my Prince, it has only been a day."

Jungkook cuts him off with a scoff. "A day too long. She could be out there, lost, scared. She could be harmed." Jungkook exhales a deep breath, trying to calm down so he can think. But his mind refuses to think. Too filled with worry about his missing bride. "We don't even know if she's been kidnapped. What if she had fallen prey to the wrong kinds of people?"

"Your Highness, I can assure you—"

"What? What will you do to assure me?" Jungkook's voice softens. Though not because he is calmer, only because he is exhausted. "I will not be reassured until I have my bride back."

"What if—" Sir Noah tries to speak, hesitant at first, but his need to stop the prince from leaving the castle—from defying the Queen—pushes him to speak his thoughts. "What if the maiden had chosen to run away? Perhaps she had a change of mind. Not even her guests, families, or her little friends ever came to the wedding, so what's to say that she hadn't told everyone that she was reconsidering about marrying the Prince—"

Jungkook marches back to Sir Noah as he hears all this. Then he shows Sir Noah a part of him that he had never once shown before. A side of the prince that had never existed, now unleashed at the accusation thrown against his bride as he reaches out and grabs Sir Noah's collar and pulls roughly at him.

"If you claim to know me at all, you would do well not to say such atrocity right at my face, Sir Noah," he threatens the royal aide, who is now shaking in fear in Jungkook's hands. "I know that she will never leave without any notice. Not without news. Not like this."

"Uh, I—" Sir Noah gasps in his shock, "Y-Your Highness—"

Realising what he has done, Jungkook quickly releases Sir Noah. The older man stumbles backwards, his legs failing to hold his weight. Prince Jungkook glares at Sir Noah with his jaw clenched, stealing the royal aide's voice when the sight leaves him completely speechless, overtaken by fear.

With a deep exhale of breath, Jungkook turns away, dismissing the royal aide without looking over his shoulder. "I need some fresh air. Leave me be. Tell my mother that I won't be joining her for dinner tonight."

"B-but, Your Highness—" Sir Noah tries to stop Prince Jungkook, only to fail, as the prince has already stepped out of the corridor and is now heading towards the courtyard. Sir Noah has no other choice but to give up. "Understood."

Sir Noah stays in the side corridor for a moment longer, watching Prince Jungkook walk across the courtyard until he disappears between the tall hedges leading towards the royal garden. Once the prince is out of sight, instead of feeling relieved, the weight of his conscience refuses to go away.

Shaking his head, Sir Noah turns to make his way to the Queen's chamber. He needs to report to the Queen about the prince's reaction and inquire what needs to be done.

Just as he steps away from the ledge, a tree growing nearby begins to sway. The sound of rustling leaves breaks the silence before falling to the ground.

Sir Noah looks up to see if there is an animal passing by, disrupting the trees and making the branches shake, only to see the swaying of leaves coming to halt. He can still hear leaves rustling from some other trees nearby and the lower bushes just as the cold breeze of the evening flows around him, making him shiver.

Hmmm, seems like autumn is coming early this time of year, he simply muses, ignoring the sudden disruption.

As he continues his journey into the main castle, the little shadow that has been hiding behind the swaying leaves begins to move again. The sound of tiny paws scattering across the castle wall can be faintly heard under the sound of the flowing breeze as the shadow begins to race across the garden, chasing the sulking prince.