Twisted Games(Ryeji ver)

YEJI[CHAPTER 21]

PART 2

SIX WEEKS LATER

"His Majesty is ready to see you." Beomgyu stepped out of
my grandfather's office, his face so pinched he looked like he'd just swallowed a lemon whole.

"Thank you, Beomgyu." I smiled. He didn't smile back. He
merely gave a quick nod of courtesy before he spun on his
heels and marched down the hall.

I sighed. If I thought my becoming crown princess would
improve my relationship with Sunoo's closest advisor, I was
sadly mistaken. Beomgyu seemed more displeased than ever,
maybe because the press coverage after my sister's
abdication had...not been great.
Also not great? My nickname: Part-Time Princess.

Apparently, the tabloids did not appreciate all the time their
future queen had spent away from Eldorra, and they
delighted in questioning my commitment to the country and
general suitability for the throne every chance they got.
The worst part was, they weren't completely wrong.

"I'll see you tomorrow for the ribbon-cutting," I told
Chaeryeong, who'd accompanied me to my meeting with
Seoyeon earlier regarding image damage control.

"Sounds good." Chaeryeong snuck a peek at Sunoo's half-
open door. "Good luck," she whispered.

We didn't know why my grandfather wanted to speak to
me, but we knew it wasn't good. He didn't summon me to
his office unless it was serious.

"Thanks." I mustered a weak smile.
Chaeryeong had been my best friend growing up and was
currently my right-hand woman during my training to be
queen. she knew everything about everyone in Eldorran high society, and I'd recruited her to help me transition back into Athenberg society. I hadn't lived here in so long I was completely out of the loop, which was unacceptable for the future queen.
I hadn't expected her to say yes to such a big task, but to
my surprise, she'd agreed.

Chaeryeong gave my arm a quick squeeze before leaving, and
I steeled myself as I entered Sunoo's office. It was a huge,
mahogany-paneled room with double-height ceilings,
windows overlooking the palace gardens, and a desk large
enough to nap on.

Sunoo's face crinkled into a smile when he saw me. He
looked far healthier than he had in the weeks following his
collapse, and he hadn't shown any symptoms since the big
scare, but I still worried about him. The doctors said his
condition was unpredictable, and every day I woke up
wondering if that would be the last day I'd see my
grandfather alive.

"How's training going?" he asked after I slipped into the
seat opposite him.

"It's going well." I slid my hands beneath my thighs to
tamp down my nerves. "Though some of the parliamentary
sessions are quite..." Tedious. Snooze worthy. So boring I would
rather watch paint dry. "Verbose."

Nobody liked hearing themselves talk more than a
minister who had the floor. It was amazing how little one
could say using so many words.

Unfortunately, a monarch's duties included attending
parliamentary sessions at least once a week, and my
grandfather thought it would be useful for me to get
acquainted with the process now.

Ever since I returned to Eldorra, my days had been jam-
packed with meetings, events, and "queen lessons" from the
moment I woke up to the moment I went to sleep. I didn't
mind, though. It kept my mind off Ryujin.
Dammit. My chest squeezed, and I forced myself to push
aside all thoughts of my old bodyguard.
Sunoo's chuckle brought me back to the present.