"So... You weren't asleep?" Eric asked Jacob, the guard who stood outside of his room every night. Chanmi was waiting for him in the library, the place they felt it was safest to meet.

Jacob looked at him sheepishly. "Um, no?"

"Then why'd you pretend to be? And... You didn't tell anyone, did you?"

"Obviously not," Jacob said, then frowned at the floor. "Well, except for Changmin. But that's just because we're roommates. But I obviously didn't tell anyone else, especially not your parents, if that's what your worried about."

"Thanks," Eric said, sighing in relief. "I don't know what they'd do if they found out. I'm honestly scared to even think about it."

"They'd probably imprison her. Or exile her, like..." Jacob trailed off, his eyes tinged with sadness.

"Are you friends with Juyeon?" Eric questioned.

Jacob nodded. "Yeah. Honestly, a lot of the staff members know him in some way or another. He's really nice to everyone, and is very helpful. He helps everyone and anyone, without needing to be asked. He's a rare type of person... And we're all rooting for his relationship with the Princess." Jacob paused, looking at Eric with playful amusement sparkling in his eyes. "I'm also rooting for your relationship with Chanmi."

Eric blushed, looking at the ground. "I'm going to meet her now," he mumbled. "Don't let us get caught."

"Never have, never will."

***

"He knew?!" Chanmi exclaimed, getting up and knocking over a pile of books, looking as though she was ready to march outside and demand an explanation from poor Jacob.

"Shh, keep your voice down!" Eric whispered, glancing around the library.

Chanmi scoffed. "Please, the only other people who might be here are Hyunjae and Yerin."

Eric had to admit that she had a point. "But still, we have to be careful," he said, taking her hand and pulling her back down to sit beside him. He rested his head on her shoulder, looking at their interlaced fingers and trying to memorize this moment. Their "dates" were becoming so much farther in between, since they were both really worried about get caught.

"Eric," she said softly after a moment.

"Yeah?"

"If we get caught... Don't let them kill me."

His head shot up and he looked at her in horror. "They're not allowed to do that," he said, his eyes wide. "They can't. They won't."

"They're the King and Queen," she whispered. "They can do anything, can't they?"

He put an arm around her shoulders, hugging her to his side. "They're not going to hurt you," he insisted. "I won't let them."

He had no idea if he'd be able to keep that promise.