•Chapter twenty six• 

There will be changes. 

Youngmi glanced around the as soon as she entered the room. She felt her fingers twitch anxiously when she didn't find Taehyung around.

She just couldn't understand what had happened to Taehyung the past day and why it happened. 

Staying alone for a while after Taehyung had left her room, she concluded that she is at fault. She didn't know what to do now. 

"Didn't Taehyung come?" She asks a maid standing nearby. "He m-must be in his room. Please, go to him and ask him to accompany us to breakfast."

The maid looked up with shaking pupils, creased forehead as she frowned. Not wanting to say something that might turn out to be false news, she looked at the other servants who also shook their head, confirming that Taehyung wasn't there. 

"Why won't you go?" Youngmi asks, pointing to the door while looking at the maid with firm gaze. "Go, call the child." 

The slave gulped, letting out a shaky exhale. 

"Taehyung? Your highness, he's not in his room..."

"What?" Youngmi panicked. Jungkook looked up when he heard the words before going back to eating food with a scoff which didn't go unheard by anyone there.

People who didn't know better thought he was just annoyed by Taehyung's bratty behavior, but his wife and the ex-queen know who exactly he was annoyed at. 

After all, he was annoyed at them. They needed to know that. 

With alert mind, Youngmi was ready to shoot up to her feet and start running around to search for the dear male omega. 

She had already been wallowing in guilt and pity and felt even more distressed now. "Where could he be? You wouldn't have checked properly. Go search for h--"

"Your highness," the girl called out instantly before they could freak out any more, "he's not in the palace. We saw him leave the palace last evening and he hasn't returned. All even the gate guards know is that he wanted to leave, nothing more than that."

Youngmi gasped, fisting her hand and shooting to her feet. "Do you have any idea about what you're saying?! This can't be possible!" 

She snapped her head at Jungkook, grabbing his palms. "Jungkook, look at what she is saying! This cannot be possible, right? I have argued with Taehyung many times and he never left like this. This isn't true!" 

Her son didn't even look at her, treating it as a luxury for her to be comforted by his ever soft and sweet eyes. 

He brought his hand out of her hold and placed both of them on the table, staring ahead without actually looking at anything in particular. 

She lost her mind. 

"Where is my child?! Get back my child to me! Go-- just go and search for him everywhere and bring him back right now!" 

Jungkook growled at the back of his throat, keeping his head low to not show his dangerous eyes to his mom and the ministers. 

Mira got to action and strode to Taehyung's room with a panicked face which made Jungkook clench his hand into a fist. 

So you were trying to use him for your benefit, right? he thinks, finally feeling a bit better that Taehyung left. He was so stressed out since the past evening, since his omega left. 

He knew nothing about how Taehyung was doing or what state he is in. It was pure torture. 

He sent Chohee, the girl who Taehyung used to stick to and trusted the most out of all the rest of the servants, to Taehyung right after he left past evening. She had rushed to take all her things and left that instant with a worried face, ready to stay with Taehyung until he comes back. 

She must have found him on the way to the village. They would have taken help from a few bullock cart owners and made their way to Taehyung's village. 

What would have happened next? That was out of the alpha's imagination. Was the hut still there or was it taken down by people? Did the people glare and confront Taehyung for coming back to the place? Did they ask him to leave? 

Most importantly, how is Taehyung at the moment?

There are too many possibilities of things going wrong. 

Chohee may not be of a lot of help. All she took along with her was a huge bag of Jungkook's clothes after being ordered by him to do so and a few things of her own. 

The bond will not affect Taehyung much because of the clothes that he sent with Chohee. The scent of his clothes will keep the bond from troubling Taehyung. 

Yet, his heart wouldn't be at peace until he has Taehyung back to him. 

"He i-isn't here," Mira whimpered, keeping her head up while her expression remained solemn as she walked back to the place where Youngmi was yelling at everybody to bring back her son. 

"Where is he?! Why aren't you doing anything to be bring him back to me?!" Youngmi asked the queen who was herself too upset to calm her down. 

 "It wasn't me who pushed to such a state that he wanted to leave!" she exclaimed. "You made him sacrifice all luxuries and stripped him of respect. which made him do what he did now."

"I know I did wrong!" Youngmi cried, fisting her dull colored cloth in her palm. "My son's supposed to live in this palace! I will apologize until he forgives me, but bring him back to me first!"

Mira sat down with a thump on the chair and held her forehead. 

For a moment, Jungkook looked at her and saw genuine worry and care, like she did care for Taehyung. He also spotted tears building on the corner of her eyes. 

It made him wonder if she did really have a good relation with Taehyung and loved him. 

"He's not your son," Mira stated harshly. 

She wasn't thinking of her plans and what she might have to do now but how pained Taehyung must have been to take such a drastic step. 

She could relate a lot. She had gone through times when she wanted to leave too but didn't have the liberty to leave. 

Taehyung went through something much less than what she did, but she could understand why he did such things. 

It was inevitable. She didn't know if she should be proud that he wasn't a coward like she is to stay back or sad that he brought a lot of problems on himself. 

God, she didn't know things would turn out like this. She was mad at herself for being the cause of it all. 

And she was learning to take a stand for herself and for those who take a stand for her in the past. She couldn't let this slide just to look like a good queen to everyone. 

She might come off rude. People might dislike her for it, but she had to say what she does next. 

"You aren't as bad as my dad for not loving your own blood--you clearly do love Jungkook--but you aren't so great too as you treated a non-biological child badly, mom."

"W-what are you saying?" Youngmi shook her head, so hurt that she couldn't stand straight on her feet. "Don't I even have a right to fight against my child?"

That wasn't the case.

She had been too harsh.

So harsh that she lost her child.

"Think back, mom," Mira said, face void of emotion. She still loved Taehyung as her elder brother and disliked the treatment given to him.

The only reason Mira even went ahead and complained to Youngmi about Jungkook was for her to order her son to be close to her and make him understand what his responsibilities are.

She thought this would be the first step to making Jungkook understand her worth. Even though forced, she wanted Jungkook to listen to his mom's order and start seeing her.

No part of the plan involved hurting Taehyung. And when she saw him break down, she was oddly reminded of herself, the numerous times she cried when let good for no use father hurt her.

"Did Taehyung ever trust you wholeheartedly in the first place?" She asks, standing up to talk to Youngmi who had already been standing. "He knew you were not his mother since the beginning."

Youngmi bit down on her lip, dejectedly muttering," I've been there for him since birth. I-- I don't know why he couldn't see that I love him like his actual mother wou--"

"That's where you're going wrong," Mira stated. "He doesn't know what genuine motherly love is and he knew that you're just a guardian always. You should've known that he will see your gifts or the expensive things you give him as just some small things instead of love. I don't know much, but I know that he wasn't that open to you."

"That's not true!" Youngmi said, looking at Jungkook. "Jungkook, is what she saying true?"

"It is," he wasn't siding his wife but telling his mom the truth. 

His eyes and expression held no pity or softness like it always used to, and it was starting to get scary now. 

"You took care of him since he was young. Isn't that enough, your highness--" 

The minister was cut off harshly by Jungkook banging his fist on the table. Many flinched at the startling behavior of their king, looking at him with wide eyes. 

"Did I give you the permission to speak?" 

It was horrifying to see Jungkook being rough and harsh. This had never happened before. Even when there was a disagreement or a clash of thoughts between them, Jungkook had been soft and sweet, never this dominating and harsh. 

"King..." 

Jungkook cleared his throat, forcing his eyes that were flashing bright and red to turn back to their own color. His hands remained fisted, veins near his neck popping out. 

"I have something that I would like everyone to understand and follow," Jungkook announced after a moment of trying to calm himself down. 

Was it all a act? It partially was. He wasn't that angry or upset because he was used to the ministers talking nonsense and had learnt to ignore it. 

However, it cannot continue for a moment longer. He had a right to assert dominance as a king, and that is exactly what he will do. 

People needed to know when they can speak and when they can't. He needed to seem unbreakable so they know that it is better to not interfere in his business. 

Only then can he easily get rid of Mira and make Taehyung his queen without their stupid interference. 

"A few practices have been going on since ancient times which could've been good back then but are nothing more than problems now. One such practice is of letting ministers join the king and queen for every family event." 

"It's not just a practice--" 

"Shut up," Jungkook deadpanned. That shut the people who wanted to speak down too. "From now on, any involvement of ministers in the royal family's matters and events would lead to punishment."

"King Jungkook, I don't think that is something good to do," Mira said wearily, shaking her head. She knew it would turn out bad if they don't have support of ministers in the things they do. 

"Why not? This practice had begun just as a way to flatter ministers and keep them by the king's side, but the ministers from earlier knew their lines. If the ministers now think that they are also a part of the royal family, they need to know what the truth is." 

"What did we do to annoy you, your highness?" 

A simple question. Jungkook had a simple answer too. 

"Most of the things you do are worth criticism." 

What did they have left to say now? 

"I would recover the practice of regular checks on all ministers. Keep in mind to not join us for any meals or family celebrations from now on because it isn't your duty to keep an eye on the king but the kings duty to take care of his ministers. You will be notified when you are allowed to join and when you aren't." 

Having no choice, they agreed with frowns while glancing at the previous queen in order to lure her into doing something to stop all this.

But Youngmi was grieving over Taehyung's disappearance.

"If what I'm saying is understood, all of you could leave. How much you will be payed will be determined by how much work you do."

They didn't have any say in this. They had to follow the king, and it finally dawned on them that their time of ruling over the royals was over.

Jungkook heaved out a deep sigh when they left. He wasn't done yet.

Things had just begun. This was why he hadn't given Taehyung a proper word of coming and meeting with him.

After this, he'll be facing several attempts of the ministers who will try to defame him, search reasons for it, and Taehyung would be a way for them to do so. It was easy to dig out dirt against Taehyung, it's something they have always been doing anyway.

They could say that Jungkook was having an affair, and that would change the beliefs of the people regarding how good Jungkook is.

Somehow, Jungkook did want them to do things against him to find out who's trustworthy and who isn't. He wants to remove out all of those who would turn their backs on him and replace them with others who are worthy of the post.

"I don't want any of you to cause more problems to Taehyung," Jungkook said, still having a strict tone. "Do not try to search for him or try to bring him back. Both of you have done enough, so please stop."

"But--"

"Okay," Mira quickly said, cutting off Youngmi. "We'll keep in mind the things you said."

Jungkook gave her a threatening, burning glare. "It's better for you to follow what you said you will."

Mira sighed, nodding. Jungkook had no appetite left, so he got on his feet and left with quick steps, heart always feeling empty with the source of its happiness gone.

"I-I need my son back," the older woman sobbed. "I need him back."

What can I even do now? Mira wondered. There are million more reasons for me to want him back too, but I just cannot force him back here. I don't want to do so too.

"People always come back home when they miss their homes, mom. Let's hope Taehyung oppa comes back too."

*-*-*-*

"Noona?" Taehyung pressed himself on Chohee's side, feeling cold. He wants to sleep but the constant moving of the cart he's in and the biting cold kept him up.

He met Chohee while waiting for someone to give him a ride to the village. She had ran all the way to him and had been completely out of breath when she found him.

"Go to sleep, child," she mumbled, yawning. They still had a long way to go to reach the village and she was really tired.

"I'm cold." Chohee glanced at Taehyung and sighed when she saw the pouting boy folding his shivering hands together.

"Come here." She wrapped her hands around him and brought his face to her neck, placing his hands on her torso before hugging them with his arms. "I can't do much, sorry. I cannot even get more clothes out for you because they'll all fall of if I try to do that."

"No, it's okay." Taehyung cuddled closer to her, making the girl smile because he had been way too closed off earlier so seeing him like this was amusing and cute.

"You have a lot to tell me, Taehyung," Chohee mumbled. "I'll not ask you anything and just tag along without knowing the reason you left, but I hope you can use my shoulders to cry on too just like you're using it for warmth now." 

"You coming means a lot to me."

Taehyung sounded very genuine as he said his words, lacing them with care and gratefulness.

"You know what? The king had been very terrified when he came to me. I had been in the garden like always and was shocked to see him. He told me to leave at once and accompany you until you don't need me."

"Yeah?" Taehyung's voice was so small. His pout grew more. "What else did he say to you?"

"Hmm," Chohee pretended to think. "He asked me to enjoy the journey and have a lot of fun when I'm away--"

"Noona," Taehyung whined, making her laugh. 

"Of course, we couldn't talk for any longer. I had to leave in a hurry so I could reach you before you go too far." 

"We will be reaching there in a while!" the cheery man yelled, having being excited to help people. not recognizing Taehyung as the same omega as the "queen's sacrifice".

Chohee noticed how Taehyung froze, exhaling shakily. "hmm? What's wrong?" 

She hugged him closer when he didn't say anything. 

"I'm tired..." came the reply, a lot later than the question was asked. 

Chohee mistook his mental exhaustion for physical one and advised him to go to sleep and rest until the time they reach there. 

But Taehyung just couldn't sleep. The anxiousness, loneliness, weighed upon the cold. It more cold and dead inside himself than the lifeless frozen forest he was travelling through. 

He would his destination soon, the place he would be living in for months, away from Jungkook. 

He was scared. 

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