sᴇᴠᴇɴᴛᴇᴇɴᴛʜ.

She covered my mouth when her grandfather slapped him. The Eighth Prince held her arm tight but she shoved him away and rushed to the Third Prince's side. After urging him to come back already, this is what they will do to him. The Seventh Prince couldn't believe that she would choose to be by the Third Prince's side rather than by his side. He smiled faintly and ruffled her hair. She wiped the small blood trickling down from the cut on the side of his lips.

"You don't need to do this, Grandpa!" She cried and her parents pulled her away from him. She struggled from their grip and the Eighth Prince gave him an apologetic look.

"Nii! Mako-nii! I want to be with him! Sho! You did it with me already, right?! We had sex already!" She screamed and everyone froze on their spots. They looked at him and he clenched his fists before slowly nodding.

"Please let her go. We did it already and I'm willing to marry her." He said and she ran towards him. She hugged him tightly but the Seventh Prince pulled her away from him and punched his face.

"How dare you." The younger one gritted his teeth. He threw another punch and the Ninth Princess quickly stopped him.

"Hokuto, please.. don't hurt him." She cried while gripping on his shirt tightly. He shook his head and hugged her instead. How can she choose between them when they are forcing her to do so?

「 ⚜ 」

She woke up from her sleep, panting heavily while clutching her chest where her heart is located. She turned her head to the side and saw him sleeping peacefully beside her. She took the bottle of water from the bedside table and drank some. She let out a deep sigh and wiped her cold sweats. She covered her body with the blankets as she felt shy that she was only wearing a chemisette and a pair of shorts. They fell asleep after stargazing. She went back to bed and gently caressed his hair.

It was just a dream. It will not happen. She made herself believe that it will never happen. He stirred from his sleep and the moment he opened his eyes, her soft smile was the first one he saw. He placed a kiss on her forehead and snuggled her closer. It was her first time sleeping with a man. With a plain white shirt and a pair of boxer shorts, he didn't dare to do anything that would make her feel uncomfortable.

"You had a dream?" He asked and she nodded. She started telling him what she dreamt of, then he shifted from his position to turn the lampshade on.

"Just in case it happens, I will protect you." He assured her but she was still feeling nervous about it. They were only teenagers. What can they do just in case it happens?

"We are not doing anything wrong. I'm pursuing you and at the same time, you didn't accept the engagement. Trust me, hm?" He cupped her cheeks and she smiled gently.

Thinking of what the Seventh Prince did for her during the past years, she realized that he never mentioned the real deal of their relationship. They both know that they are more than friends but most of the time, she feels like they are just childhood friends instead of childhood sweethearts. The Third Prince grabbed his phone to take some photos of them together. She could feel her cheeks heating up, thinking that they looked like a new couple. She rested her head on his shoulder and smiled at the camera. Perhaps, that was the most decent yet the sweetest pose they can ever do for now.

She could never do these kinds of things with the Seventh Prince. She closed her eyes and rested her body against him. He put his phone down to hug her from behind and this made her smile. If love were like this, she would like to experience it everyday. They are inseparable. It's been only a few weeks but they are already inseparable.

The next day. When she woke up, she realized that she was all alone inside the tree house. She heard the door opening and instead of him, she saw her twin brother and the Seventh Prince. She could tell how hurt and disappointed the Seventh Prince was to her. The Eighth Prince gave her the uniform she wore yesterday and asked her to wear it. She followed his orders and fixed herself.

"You're grounded for one month. Grandpa learned about what you did yesterday." Her twin brother said and she nodded. If she is grounded, does it mean she will not be able to spend time with the Third Prince?

"Where is Sho?" She asked but instead of answering her question, the Seventh Prince held her hand gently.

"You didn't do it with him, right? Please tell me that nothing happened between you and him." His voice was sultry and she nodded once again. She felt her heart aching when she denied it while he felt relieved with her answer.

"His parents arrived and brought him back home. We also need to go back home now." She bit her lips, feeling her eyes getting watery. All she could do was nod. The Seventh Prince didn't let her hand go until they went inside the car.

"I'm sorry, Grandpa." She apologized the moment she saw her grandfather when they arrived back home. She walked close to him and gave him a hug.

"Please don't get mad at Sho. He did nothing wrong. We just wanted to spend time together." She continued but the elder one didn't speak.

"Ojii-sama, please believe Fuyu. I believed in her when she said everything." The Seventh Prince said and she almost cried when he defended her. What did she do for him to defend her? She felt like she didn't deserve it.