"We're still working for that. Please be patient, Your Highness," same old, same old reason.
"I can't see how much you worked more than what you promised me, Chief Secretary," I knock on my desk with my pen. The man looks so small in front of me.
"You know General Sun. No one can convince him. Even Lady Sun, his wife," I smack my lips.
"Tell me something that I don't know, Chief. If he's a tolerant man, I won't ask for your help," I say.
"It's best if Lady Karin comes back home for a while and gets together with her family to discuss this matter," the Chief Secretary relayed his suggestions.
"I know General Sun. He won't let her go that easy," I look at the picture on my desk. I can still remember. That day was my coronation day. He congratulated me like his own son, but on the other side, he reminded me to prepare for a grueling life as the King.
When the proposal came from the Royal Council, I immediately agreed because I wanted Karin. However, after seeing her and spending time with her, I can see why she decided to leave her family and act against them.
She is happier without them.
A knock on the door aborts the decision.
"Sire, The King..." I quickly leave my desk to greet my father. He walks straight towards me and the Chief Secretary and stands in front of us.
"I'm the one who should pay a visit-"
"It's fine. I just happen to walk past your room," I sigh, inviting him to sit on the couch.
"Pardon me, Your Highness," Chief Secretary dismisses himself to give a room for both of us.
"So, how's she?" asks my father.
"She's... Okay," I reply in short. He chuckles as he pats my head a bit.
"That's not what I mean. What I'm trying to ask is, does she attract you? What does she look like? Is she pretty?" I nod a bit, finally understand the question from my father.
"She's... Beautiful. Just like her mother. But, she matches her father's skin tone, a bit tan. She's cool, brave, caring, independent and firm. She's... One of a kind," I smile while thinking about Karin.
I've been monitoring her more during her stay in my mansion. For safety purposes, I put the camera on the PC that she used every night to talk to her friends. I didn't mean to stalk or so but I don't want her to read those malicious comments about her on the internet. She went through a lot since the news broke.
Based on her conversation with her friends, I learned more about her. How she looks when she is sad when she's happy, and how caring she is. Whenever they joke and laugh, I feel my spirit lifted. I can get through the whole storm just by listening to their laugh.
From that also I learned about her relationship with Jun.
My heart aches when I remember those conversations that they had.
"What makes you wanna fight for her?" my father inquires. I held a deep sigh, looking at the piece of paper in front of me.
"Because she deserves to be happy,"
"Why, you think you can't make her happy?"
Deep down inside, I wish I could tell my father about my nightmares, the reincarnation stuff, and what happened between me and Karin in our past life. I guess my father won't understand at all if I do! So, better not to take chances to explain some complex matter to the King. He got a thousand things to think about.
"Jun can make her happier, father,"
"That kid? He's just a rapper. Compared to you, he is far from the league. Lady Karin deserves someone like you who matches her par," says my father.
"Loving a person works beyond status, father. If a royalty ends up falling in love with a court maid, love is still love no matter what," I answer him with earnest feeling.
"What about your feelings, your love for her, then?"
Silent.
"Had I known you'd end up heartbroken like this, I'd never agree with the conjugal proposal..."
"Too late for that, father..." I chuckle, letting a silly expression escape from my face.
"You love her so much, don't you?"
We study each other's expression. I give him a faint smile and try my best to conceal the excruciating pain of unrequited love.
"I'll do anything for her. Even by means I'm gonna lose her for good. As long as she is happy, I'm happy too. And I know Jun can make her happy," I say.
"I will withhold the engagement affair until everything is solved. I won't immediately abort it because it will make things worse. The House of Sun might take rough action against Lady Karin if we did that. So, take your precious time, my son. Everything will be just fine," I stand up when I see my father taking a leave from my room.
I slumped myself into the sofa after my father left. I take the paper on the table, read and study the matter in the document. It's an order from the House of Sun to deport their daughter back to Fransco. More like an arrest warrant to me!
Now I know what her life looked like before!
:::
"What's with the hurry?" I reach the mansion before dinner. I thought I was gonna ask Karin to sit down and discuss the deportation matter. But, somehow everyone in the mansion seems busy and looks anxious.
"Your Highness..." the maid seems reluctant to speak.
"Speak up. You know I won't get mad,"
"Lady Karin..."
"What happened to her?"
"She's... Missing..."
Even before the maid finishes, I run towards her room. When I open the door, the room is empty. There's a long tail like a rope made of sheets, blankets, and pillowcases rolling down from the window.
That's it. She escaped.
"Call In-Field team. Trace her, fast!" I quickly ran towards the PC. I start up the PC and check to last log. She and Jun were having a discussion this morning.
Karin must be with him now.
"Sire?" a tall man who is the man in charge of the in-field team comes into the room.
"Track Lady Karin. Here's the information. Bring her bodyguards along. If you find her, inform me. But, never arrest her immediately. We don't want to cause chaos in public. Stay low and just follow her wherever she goes," I hand him a piece of paper containing the cafe's address, phone numbers, HOPVIBE's address, a minivan plat ID with the description, and Miss Tanya's phone number.
"What if things get out of hand?"
"Bring her home. Safe and sound," the man nods. He instructs his team to move fast. I slump myself on her bed, calm myself so I won't get mad.
Why are you doing this to me, Karin?