Eric looked at his mom for a moment, blinking as he stared into her unwavering gaze. He looked over at Juyeon, who had a worried expression on his face. The girl's face was still unreadable, but she was playing with the silver ring on her finger, the only thing that stood out from her outfit, a suit that matched Juyeon's and the other two men. 

He looked back at his mom, letting out a nervous chuckle as he slowly stood up. "Ha. Yeah right. Very funny."

"It's not a joke," Juyeon whispered, stepping forward. Eric turned towards him, and they stood face to face. "You really are a prince," he said. 

Before Eric could say anything in response, Juyeon lowered his gaze to the floor. And then he dropped to his knees, bowing. 

Everyone else followed suit. 

A wave of horror crashed over him, threatening to knock him over. "No," he murmured, staring at everyone's head. "Stop it," he begged, crouching down beside his mother. She didn't look him in the eye. "You're scaring me, please stop it," he whispered, his voice breaking. 

At that, both his mother and Juyeon looked up. He was even more shocked when he saw his mom's face streaked with tears. When he saw the unshed ones shimmering in Juyeon's eyes. 

It was real. It was impossible... but they were telling the truth. 

"Can we... can we talk in my room?" he asked, his voice suddenly sounding very small. 

His mother nodded, and she got up and followed him without a word, Juyeon at their heels. He waited until they were both in his room before he locked the door behind them. 

"Is this what you were planning on telling me when I came home today?" Eric asked after a moment. "Is this why Dad is coming home early today? Was this it? I sure hope so. I can't handle any more surprises for today." 

His mom let out a forced laugh, and she wasn't meeting his eyes. 

"Yes it is, Your Highness," Juyeon said softly, his gaze casted to the floor. 

"Let's get one thing straight," Eric said, finally snapping. His angry tone drew both of their gazes to him. "It's Eric. Just Eric. Prince or not... to you guys I'm Eric. Understood?" 

His mother laughed again, a real laugh this time. "We can't in public, but everywhere else, of course. You'll always just be Eric to us." 

"Well then can you please tell Eric, your son, and your brother," he added, looking at Juyeon. "What's going on? How is it possible that I'm a prince? How am I here then? If you are treating me like royalty... that means you're not, right? So the King and Queen-" 

"Your parents," his mother interrupted gently. 

"I don't even know them," he whispered after a moment. "You guys are my family. You always will be. But... where are they? The King and Queen. And will I... will I..." he said, unable to voice his fears. 

"You'll have to leave," Juyeon said, somehow knowing exactly what he was going to ask. "But we'll be going with you." 

"Why are you wearing the same outfit as those people out there?" Eric asked, desperately trying to sort out all the questions in his head. His brain felt like it was about to explode from information overload, and he pressed his fingers to his temples, trying to stop his mounting panic. He couldn't think about it too much. He sensed that if he dwelt on it too much, the fact that he was a prince, he would freeze up. He'd panic. He'd make a fool out of himself, and that would look really bad now. 

"I'm... I'm one of the royal guards," Juyeon said quickly, suddenly unable to look Eric in the eyes. 

Eric paused, letting that sink in for a second. Then, "what?"

"I'm one of the royal guards," Juyeon said again, this time raising his head to meet Eric's gaze. "So are Mom and Dad... well actually, they're retired now. And the people outside. The girl, Park Chanmi, she's your main bodyguard, actually." 

"Why aren't you my main bodyguard?" Eric asked, a small pout coming to his lips. "I don't trust her. I trust you." 

"Because she's the best there is," Juyeon responded, laughing. "Trust me, you're in good hands. You should see her in a fight, she's amazing," he gushed. 

"Isn't it hard to fight in those suits," Eric wondered aloud, his eyes raking over Juyeon's suit. The suits looked good, they looked fancy, but wouldn't it be easier to fight in loose sweatpants or something? Why suits?

Of all the questions he had, suddenly that one seemed the most pressing. It almost made him laugh. 

"It's a stretchy material... not like a normal suit," Juyeon tried to explain. "Don't worry, it's easy to fight in." 

"Okay..." Eric said, playing with his fingers. "So, how did you guys end up raising me?" 

Neither his mom nor Juyeon said anything. He looked up again. "Well?" he prompted. 

"I think that's something we'll explain when your dad gets home," his mom said, patting his shoulder and giving him a strained smile. 

He could see the worry in her eyes, and that made him suddenly feel all the more nervous. 

***

A/N 

Extra chapter this week, hope you enjoy😉