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I stirred and lifted my eyelids, my vision a little hazy before adjusting to my surroundings. When I regained consciousness, I tried to stand up but tripped over the shackles around my feet. My arms were bound behind my back and I was in a confinement cell.

"Hey! Anyone out there?!"

A man walked over to me with a surprised look. With a clean and handsome face, and dressed in lavish attire, I assumed he was a noble.

"You're awake."

"What is the meaning of this?!" I snapped. "Why am I in here?! Release me this instant!"

He snickered. "You should be grateful that I spared your life. But instead, you're giving me orders?"

My breath hitched and I widened my eyes, remembering what happened. "You... The hooded man... You murdered the Crown Prince!"

He smiled. "I see you have a brain. Then you must know not to cross me, young lady. This kingdom has been seized."

My heart dropped. "S-Seized?"

"The King and Queen are no more. The throne is mine now."

The whole royal family was murdered within a single night while I was staying in the castle. My head was throbbing and spinning. I couldn't think about a single thing. My fiancé and my future was robbed so easily. I was in danger right now, too.

"And who even are you?" I thought out loud, inspecting him. A noble? A regal aura and a confident stance with wide shoulders and piercing black eyes. A royalty from another kingdom? How could someone do all these?

"A commoner who had a grudge against the Wisterean royalties like you."

I paused. A commoner?

"Your Highness! Princess Bada!" One of my knights yelled and struggled against two other men who were holding him in my sight.

"Sir Eric!" I shouted, trying to break the shackles.

"Princess?" The criminal in front of me gawked, staring at me. "I never heard of a princess in Wisterean."

"I'm the Princess of Leovalon," I snarled at him. "You're asking for a war with another kingdom if you're going to keep confining me here."

He stared at me for a while before saying, "Release her," surprising me. "I don't want a war with another kingdom."

I released a breath of relief when a guard took off my shackles. "And my knights?"

"You're asking for too much."

I glared at him. "Release my knights as well."

"You should realize when you're in the middle of a rebellion, some of your knights will die. The remaining ones are a threat to my people for that reason," he said as if it was nothing.

I grabbed him by the collars, earning shouts from the guards, but a smirk from the man. "Harming my knights is the same as harming me. If you don't want me to be your enemy, you better assure the safety of my people."

He chuckled and turned to the guards. "Very well. Gather all the knights from Leovalon in the throne room."

Most of the guards left and the man gestured me to leave as well with him. Sir Eric accompanied me and we followed him to the throne room. One by one, my knights appeared before me, dragged by his men, and they all rushed to me despite their heavy injuries and bloodied states. They all kept asking me about my condition. How unfortunate was it that we were caught up in this disorder because of me.

"Princess!" Sunghoon cried out and limped towards me with a distressed look, and I gasped at the blood dripping from his forehead.

"Sir Sunghoon!" I covered my mouth. "Your head!"

"Princess, are you okay?! Are- ugh!" He grunted and bent forward, clutching his sides, and I rushed to him and held his shoulders. "Are you injured?!"

"I'm fine!"

"Well, Princess, these are all the men of yours," the murderer announced, making me turn around to face him. He was sitting on the throne, watching us. "Why are there so many of you in this kingdom? Were you aware of this?"

"Don't you dare question Her Royal Highness!" Sunghoon snapped at him, but I held up a hand. "Princess?"

"How would I know? I came here to visit and discuss about kingdom matters with the royal family of Wisterean," I calmly stated. Due to the situation I was in, I could not afford to infuriate these people. The most important thing was to leave with everyone here alive.

He raised an eyebrow. "Why Wisterean? What business does Leovalon have with Wisterean?"

"I..." I froze for a moment, wondering if knowing my relationship with the royal family he just killed would make me a target as well.

"Speak."

I bit my lips at the rude tone but quickly answered him, unable to make up anything on the spot. "I was engaged to the Crown Prince of Wisterean and I wanted to discuss about the poor situation of the citizens living in this kingdom as the future Queen."

His eyebrows twitched. "Poor situation?"

"The terrible living conditions. I wanted to know the reasons and change it."

He hummed, staring at me as if he was boring a hole through my face. "It would be strange if a foreigner could change something the kingdom has been doing nothing about for years. But I see that you don't have ill intentions."

"It's my turn to question." I stood straight, holding his gaze with a stronger intensity. "Identify yourself and your purpose for murdering the entire royal family."

He smirked, rolling his eyes. "I'm Seokjin and I told you I'm a commoner who held a grudge. Not only me but everyone here did. The 'poor conditions' you said? We experienced it ourselves. It's not just 'poor conditions'. It was hell. The royal family was nothing but monsters who starved and pushed us to our deaths." He held out his arms. "This is the revenge of everyone living in this forsaken kingdom. And you're here too late, sweetie."

"You-" Sunghoon tried to lift his sword, but I grabbed his hand.

"My visit has become useless. Then it is in your best interest to send us off in peace for the sake of the people of Wisterean."

He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head. "Didn't you say you wanted to change the living conditions? Was that wish so weak that it changed after your beloved fiancé died?"

Cold sweats ran down my spine. "What are you trying to say?"

He eyed the others in the room. "I would like to talk further in private, Princess."

My knights refused but that would get us nowhere. I assured them that I would be fine. Sunghoon kept refusing and I had to order him to leave us.

"Take them away and have them treated as well," Seokjin said, surprising me.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Majesty?

After they all left the two of us alone, Seokjin stood up and approached me slowly. "Surprised? I'm the new monarch of this kingdom. That's why the problem you talked about is now my problem as well. And your visit still hasn't helped anyone yet."

"Are you demanding me to help you?" I snarled at him.

He shrugged. "More like asking. After all, Leovalon and Wisterean were supposed to have a close relationship, no?"

I crossed my arms. "Too bad. I don't think the King and Queen of Leovalon will sit still after you killed their future son in law."

He suddenly held my hand and kneeled in front of me. "How about a proposal from the King of Wisterean?"

I yanked my hand out of his grasp. "Marriage with an usurper? I think not."

He gave me a smirk and stood up. "I heard your kingdom is so rich but you have no idea how to use it. Isn't that why you need Wisterean? Perhaps your mommy and daddy will accept my proposal, sweetie."

"How dare you address us in such a disrespectful manner, you commoner!" I yelled at him, balling my fist, ready to punch him.

"Well, Princess," he chuckled. "First, you're in my kingdom now. And second, it's you who's being disrespectful to the monarch of this kingdom."

I clenched my teeth. "Are you asking for a war?"

He leaned in closer with a smirk, eyes glinting with amusement. "And are you forgetting which kingdom has more manpower and in whose mercy you are in right now?"

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Spice? 👀

Extra pictures:

Sunghoon's state (close enough lol):