"Namjoon, it's good to see you again." Sarang finally turned to acknowledge the presence of the Prince’s guard.

"It is an honor to serve you, your Grace." Namjoon bowed, out of breath from just saying those few words.

Namjoon followed his Prince out of the library after Seokjin informed Lady Sarang that he had business to attend to. Namjoon decided not to dwell on the incident he had witnessed earlier. They were all childhood friends, and they must have just missed each other. The Prince was also always forthcoming about his emotions.

They were in the Prince’s chambers before he knew it. As the Prince sat at his desk, nodding as a servant brought him the day's workload, Namjoon took his usual spot in the corner. He wasn't yet King, but he shared some responsibilities with his father and took an active interest in the affairs of the country. Namjoon believed that Prince Seokjin, like his father, would make a great King, and he was looking forward to serving him then as well.

A servant outside the door announced that the Prince’s lunch had arrived after an hour had passed. As more people arrived to serve the meal, Namjoon bowed before approaching the Prince.

However, before they could finish putting the table together, suddenly, the Prince stood up and marched to the door. Namjoon naturally followed him after realising he was returning to the library.

It didn't take long for Namjoon to connect the dots, and before he knew it he was standing just a few feet away from the Crown Prince, who was having lunch with Lady Sarang.

Namjoon prayed the entire time that the Prince was just being his usual friendly self and that the Princess would come to take Lady Sarang with her.

The Princess never arrived.

The Prince was being more than friendly.

It was a Tuesday morning, and the Prince was getting ready for his weekly sword-fighting lesson. Namjoon, one of the best sword fighters in the Kingdom, was in charge. In the 9 years since the Prince had started, he had been watching the Prince’s progress, he has never been gentle with him and has never lost a match against him, despite the Prince’s constant complaints, something about "losing sometimes to enjoy winning other times."

Namjoon let the Prince win that day.

He noticed Lady Sarang watching from the steps of a nearby storage room as soon as he arrived at the training field. She awoke early to come to see the Prince.

He wasn't even sure she realised he was the one who was training the Prince.

He couldn't look in her direction because he was afraid of seeing the look of admiration in her eyes that wasn't directed at him. His heart was already in a lot of pain. He sighed and bowed to his Prince, who was performing a small victory dance. After nearly a decade of trying, he was ecstatic to have finally defeated his lifeguard.

"Excellent job, Your Highness," he said, hoping his voice was clear enough.

"Are you starting to lose your touch, Namjoon? Following me around instead of training must have had an impact on your abilities." The prince teased, but Namjoon was unable to respond. He only nodded, agreeing silently.

"I'll give you a day off so you don't look so depressed."

After all, Namjoon couldn't hide his emotions well.