22 The Cruise (1)

Emperor Kim Gwangjoo looked from one child to the other. Both of them looked down in shame, avoiding his eyes.

"Kim San," he called his son by his full name. "What are you doing here?"

San did not reply but kept on looking at his feet. The Emperor gazed at them like a hawk but neither children were willing to talk so he sighed.

"San, I thought I was very clear," he stated. "You are grounded. You cannot roam around freely after bunking your language classes!"

San mumbled something like 'didn't want to leave Sunye alone.' The Emperor only shook his head in dismay. He turned to Sunye, who was also averting his gaze. He stooped down to her and adopted a gentler tone.

"Sunye, don't be scared," he assured her. "You will not be punished for this. Kim San broke the rules and he will be the one who would face punishment."

Upon hearing those words, Sunye became more alarmed. Her eyes widened to plea with the Emperor.

"Please don't punish him!" she begged. "I was the one who told him to hang out with me! I went looking for him!"

"No!" San piped up, finally looking at his father. "I came to her! I broke the rules!"

They were defending each other in front of the Emperor of the country, not willing to let the other take the fall. Gwangjoo could only look at them and sigh. These two were the closest friends and while many people looked down on their relationship, Gwangjoo did not forbade the Crown Prince from meeting up with Sunye.

The palace was a cold and lonely place. As the Emperor himself, Gwangjoo knew how harsh the politics were and the consequences San would face if he was not trained well. The different factions within the palace were out for each other's throats and they would not hesitate to dethrone the Crown Prince if he showed any signs of weakness. Hence, Gwangjoo had to make sure his son's education was strict and his actions were monitored. The only reason he turned a blind eye to San's closeness with Sunye was due to the fact that she was the only one who could keep San from going astray. Her presence was a welcoming one and she could make San obey all orders.

He sat on one of the couch and ushered both the children to sit on his lap. The duo silently obeyed and climbed on the Emperor's lap.

"You two need to understand that this palace is not a kind place," he said to them. "Everyone will notice if the Crown Prince is seen breaking the rules. And if he breaks the rules, our enemies will come for him."

"Will they harm San?" Sunye asked, fearful of what the Emperor was implying.

"I won't let them!" San claimed. "I'll put them in jail!"

The Emperor let out a laughter. "It's not that simple," he replied. "If it was, I'd have done that too! But you need to understand, that if you're being handed down a punishment for not obeying the rules, you should accept it graciously. No one is above the law. Not even me."

"I only missed a few classes!" San protested. "You're my father! You could have not punished me!"

"I punished you because I am your father," Gwangjoo reproached. "And also, as the Emperor of this country, I can't let my own son go unpunished. You might think your offence is not great and it's not. But you still disobeyed my command. This will only teach you not to break anymore rules and maintain the law and order."

"But you're the Emperor!" Sunye argued. "You didn't have to punish him!"

She did not mean to speak in such a bold manner and was immediately scared that the Emperor would punish her. But he merely smiled at her.

"If I can't punish my own son when he's in the wrong then I am not fit to be an Emperor," Gwangjoo proclaimed. He turned to San and added, "When you become the Emperor, you will face many trials. You might even have to punish people closest to you. Who knows, you might have to punish me as well if I break the law!"

"I will never do that!" San declared. "I will protect my loved ones!"

"No," Gwangjoo stated firmly. "You will not. You will punish those who deserve it and reward those who deserve it. When you sit on the throne, you will only serve the country. It doesn't matter who broke the law. If all evidence points towards any of your loved ones as the culprit, then punish them at all costs."

San looked visibly disturbed at the thought. Punish the people closest to him? Send his family members to jail? Could he ever do that?

Sunye was silently observing San's dilemma. Even though he was cold and hard from the outside, he had a very caring heart.

"I'll do it on your behalf then," she said. Looking up at the Emperor, she added, "I'll send all criminals to jail so that San won't have to."

Gwangjoo smiled and patted her head. "You will make a very good lawyer someday," he noted.

"Lawyer? What's that?"

"Lawyers fight for the law," Gwangjoo explained. "They fight to either put criminals in jail or defend innocent people to prevent them from going to jail. I'm sure our Sunye will be a very good lawyer."

"She can't even hurt a fly!" San teased her. "How can she fight criminals?"

"She can," the Emperor said. "Probably even better than you."

Before San could protest, Gwangjoo put Sunye on the ground and lifted San on his shoulder.

"Hey!" San yelled. "Let me go!"

"Young man, you are grounded for another month for breaking the rules," Gwangjoo announced. He winked at Sunye, who giggled.

"I was ground for only a week!"

"Now it's for a month," the Emperor stated. "For breaking your curfew. No more dallying around with Sunye until your punishment is over."

With that, he carried his son away while Sunye laughed at San's miserable state. She pitied him but could not stop her laughter as the father-son duo walked away.

….

*Present*

Ding dong!

The doorbell rang up. Sunye, who was in the process of choosing a dress for the cruise, was startled. She rarely had visitors at home. Who could that be? She wondered.

She headed towards the front door and opened it. Jonghyun stood at her doorstep, wearing a black tux. His hair was brushed back, highlighting his handsome features while he held a couple of gift boxes in his hands.

"CEO?" she frowned. "Please come in."

"I came to pick you up for the party," he said, casually entering the flat.

"I thought we were meeting up at the docks," Sunye said.

"It'd be easier this way since I don't live far from here," Jonghyun shrugged. "These are for you."

He handed her the gifts. "The larger one has a gown which you can wear to the party," he said.

"You didn't have to bring these," Sunye replied. "I can't take these."

She tried to hand them back but he refused and said, "Consider them your welcome presents. All new employees get expensive gifts from me so you're no exception."

Sunye bit her lip. She was not accustomed to receiving gifts from people but it seemed rude to refuse him outright.

"Thank you," she finally said. "I'll go and get dressed. You can wait here."

Jonghyun nodded and she went back into her room, locking the door behind her. She opened the bigger package to reveal a strapless golden sheath gown with little diamonds lined on the neckline. It seemed to be of her size and she was gaping at the beautiful dress Jonghyun had bought for her. She did not want to think about how much it might have cost. Sunye had many expensive gowns but she had a feeling that this one would cost double than her entire wardrobe.

She laid the gown on the bed and picked up the other box. It was small and light. She ripped off the packaging and to her slight surprise, it was a box of colorful cotton candy.

Smiling a little, she took one out and bit into it.

"It's sweet," she commented.