•Chapter thirty seven•

What am I going to do? 

There was this feeling everyone felt when they were sad, the feeling that things will get better. They could assure themselves that the time wasn't good now, but it wouldn't remain like that forever; this helps them gain the power to overcome their problems, 

But what if they lose hope of things being okay again? 

They went through the worst of the darkness, getting lost in the extreme darkness before daylight and not being able to see the sunrise. 

There remained no such thing as 'It will be alright. Just have patience'. 

Mira didn't have hope too. 

She had thought that her worst situation would be if her darling died, but what happened was just something that shattered her heart. It surely wasn't better than not having her daughter with her, but it wasn't good either. 

She kept crying. 

For hours and hours. 

She was already so tired, but she just couldn't stop crying. As the night grew darker, the single lamp that was lighting up the cave became unable to light up the entire place. 

But Mira could see the shining eyes of her baby, those eyes that shone on their own but held no power to see anything. 

She did so many things to try to prove it wrong but to no avail. 

The girl's eyes reacted to nothing. She neither looked at any moving object, at the eyes of the person before her nor at the burning flame of the lamp. 

she couldn't see any of it. 

The doctor assured her that there were chances of things not being the way they think it is, but she herself didn't quite seem sure at those words. It was just lies to calm Mira down, but none of that worked. 

She was so weak that because of her stupidity, her inability, her child had to suffer. 

Her childish act of wishing to be pregnant and then taking away Taehyung's child after the death of her own ended up with her holding her precious child who couldn't see the world because of her. 

All because of her. 

If she had not been stubborn about having a baby, this innocent being wouldn't have to be born like this. 

Mira wouldn't want to live like that. She couldn't imagine her life without having seen the beautiful birds, trees, animals, and the faces of people. Though she had seen the worst of images like her father hitting people and killing them, she still wouldn't wish to not have the power to see. 

Her child... 

How will she live? What will happen to her if she cannot see? 

Her daughter wouldn't be able to read, write, see her parents, and most of all...

They'll look down on her. No one other than the people of Atlas would accept the baby, and the fact that it wasn't even the king's but just some commoner made things worse for the future of the child. 

Suddenly, things were not about Mira but the child now. 

She didn't care about what happened to her but wanted her child happy. Her father cursed at her for just being an omega, how much would people look down on her daughter for not being a normal one? 

However harsh it was, however, she wished to change things and make people realize that her child was as perfect as she was, she will still be the receiving end of either harshness for not being normal or pity for the same reason. 

And Mira wanted none of that. 

Nothing. 

Her child will not see that type of life. 

The one who showed her true meaning of love and happiness wasn't going to live such a life where people didn't consider her as worthy as she is. 

She will not be looked down at. 

She will be treated as well as she is supposed to be. 

But Mira was as powerless as anyone else. She wasn't even a fucking queen anymore to be able to shut the mouths of people who speak ill about her baby. 

What will she do? 

What will I do? 

"Your highness..." the sniffling girls called, devastated too just by seeing the painful sight of her crying for what seemed like days. "Please, calm down. His highness will accept the baby as she is and love it too--"

"His highness means nothing to me now," Mira stated. "Him accepting the child or not accepting it means nothing at all! He can do nothing for my baby. He never liked me, and he--he--" 

She broke down in sobs again, this time, her child sniffling too. She wanted to keep calm to not disturb the baby, but it just couldn't be helped. 

What was she going to do? 

"You're not going back?" The maid looked shocked. "No, your highness! Don't do this. King Jungkook is the only one who can make sure that the child's life is saved. Even if he doesn't like you, he cannot hate the child!" 

"H-he has a life too..." Mira mumbled. She was selfish, so selfish that she could even take the lives of people to make sure her child is happy, but not Jungkook. 

Not Jungkook. 

"He will surely help, Your Highness." The girl insisted that she go back for her child. 

The offer was very tempting. It pushed her to such a limit that she just wanted to go back and live a life of a lie again, but... 

"He will willingly open his arms and accept the baby, even if it isn't his. He will do it because he has such a clean soul. He will do it because he's just the way he is, the sweetest of all, the sweetest being. But how long can I keep him from his happiness?" 

Recovering from the shock of knowing that the child isn't Jungkook's, another maid said,

"His happiness will eventually become you and the child." 

"It won't," Mira was sure at her words. "It never will. He will live to be the greatest, the person who sacrificed all his happiness for a person who only did wrong to him--me--but he will never be happy without Taehyung." 

Mira harshly wiped away her tears, her hiccups dying down again. She looked at her now sleeping baby. 

"I cannot take her to the palace and make her a princess. More than respect, it is a responsibility that comes with being at a high position, and my baby will be hated just because she cannot be a good royal." 

How was a blind girl going to take the responsibility of a kingdom when she couldn't see what and who she was protecting? No, she didn't necessarily have to grow up to be weak--she would be the strongest of all--but just what can she do to prove her strength? 

Who will trust her if they saw her as a girl with no potential? 

How will she understand the running of a kingdom and learn the laws if she cannot read? 

There was nothing that a person like her could do in a place meant just for "normal" people unless people around her see her as worth and understand that she was perfect. 

Even so, they won't like a blind girl to handle their kingdom. 

So why would she ever go ahead and take her to the castle and burden her with all those stupid responsibilities and subject her to dislike or harsh comments? 

"If you cannot take her to the palace then where will you go?" 

Mira had no answer to that. She couldn't think of a single word, a single answer. 

Mira snapped her head up when she heard a few loud footsteps from a little farther away. She remembered that she had sent a few guards around to guard her and keep any royal guards from going to Taehyung's village that was just slightly farther away from the cave she was in. 

She could hear the stomps of the shows and could easily find out that it was the same people as all of them wore the same type of heavy booted shoes. 

"Queen," they greeted as they entered the cave, four or five of them just standing outside, "we have something to tell you." 

"Go on," she mumbled, no sternness in her voice. Her exhausted self couldn't react much to anything but to the harsh thoughts of the danger lurking around her child's future. 

"We met a few other guards who were heading to Master Taehyung's village to search for him. They were ordered to stay there and guard him from afar. We told them to not go there, and when they weren't ready to listen, we lied to them that we were sent by the king to search for you and we found you already so we needed their help to take you back." 

Mira heaved out a sigh. "They believed you, right? Are they also here?" 

"Yeah, they're waiting in a little distance from here. They still insist on going to the village and doing their duty, but I told them that our priority is the royal family so they agreed to first come here." 

"Ask them to come here," she said, pretty unsure of what she was doing, The soldier instantly complied with her wish and turned around to go bring the rest. 

"Look..." Mira started, looking at her maids. "Even though I ran away from there, he has sent protection for Taehyung. I'm not even complaining anymore; it's just... he's very loyal to who he loves, and it is a very good thing for Taehyung oppa." 

"So you're going to just let Taehyung take over the throne?" The doctor said, and it was her first words she was saying after revealing that Mira's child was blind. 

Maybe it was just that seeing her in such a state has shocked all of them that they're so worried about what she will do and what will happen. 

She was glad that they cared. 

"The throne was his, to begin with; it was only expected for him to eventually get to the throne." 

"Just some reckless love of the king is holding you back from your rights? Why did the king marry you if this was all he wanted to do?" 

"None of it was Jungkook's fault," Mira quickly said. "I don't want to tell you the entire story, but just know that your king is a living angel who could do anything just for the happiness of people." 

"Then just talk to Taehyung, queen. Tell him what you are going through and what you need him to do. Show him the baby and order him to do something that can help you. you still hold the power." 

"I won't do anything more than beg," Mira said. "I'll ask for mercy and just ask him to help me out." 

though not happy with the fact that she was going to plead, they just agreed to whatever she was saying.

Mira got up, still holding the sleeping girl as she walked to the entrance of the cave and found the soldiers approaching them, eyes shining when they see her and the child she was holding, 

"Your highness," they bowed to her, eyes fixed on the child, "his highness is searching for you. Please let's just go back to the palace? Prince or princess must not be liking this constricted cave." 

She looked at them with emotionless eyes, glancing down at her child once.

"You care about your princess, right?" She asked. They were quick to nod, all having shining eyes with complete adoration knowing that it was a girl.

"I have something to do for the protection of this child," Mira says, looking at them with questioning eyes before asking, "you will help me in this task, right?"

They instantly got to their knees, showing her that they'll be there to help whenever she needed them.

"Of course, your highness. Once the duty the king has given to us is over, we will--"

"This task cannot wait," Mira deadpanned. "I need your help right now, and it has something to do with Taehyung too. I want you all to come together with me to him. After that, you can just do as your king has told you to."

They looked hesitant but quickly nodded because it was for the protection of the baby.

Mira handed her girl to the maids, asked them to stay there and not go away from there, and assigned the job of the protection of the maids and her child to a few soldiers.

She then headed out with the rest of the people.

She will beg for mercy first, without showing them their child. No, she wasn't going to use her baby as a tool of earning sympathy and forgiveness. She'll speak to Taehyung and apologize to him first and then ask for help.

If he disagrees to help...

She didn't know what to do after that. She was quite desperate already; she had no idea what measures she will take to protect her child if no one is by her side.

She wondered what she would say, wondered what questions she will be subjected to, but she wouldn't let him know of her baby until he is ready to listen to her tell her problems to him.

For now, all she wanted to do was apologize.

And she wanted to ask Taehyung to help her find the child's father after that and give her a house in a proper neighborhood to live in where people wouldn't bully her daughter. That wasn't too much to ask for, was it?

In any case, she will keep her child out of the matter because she didn't want anyone pitying her baby. Her daughter was normal and was alright; they didn't need to feel sorry for her.

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