The Princess and The Tailor |Park Jeongseong|

21

"Your highness, your mother has ordered for you to have a nightly meal." Fran lied as she led the prince to the huge dining table which had a soup right in the middle.

"My mother?"

"Y-yes, she has ordered me that every time you arrive late from an event, you shall have a nightly meal." Fran said as she pulled a chair for the prince who nodded his head, falling for the lie.

The other maids slowly adjusted the things on the table, to serve them for Wilson, as Fran stood to the side.

****

"Princess?" Jay knocked softly on the bathroom door, hearing her sniffle.

"Yes?" Her voice broke as she cleared her throat.

"Are you okay in there?"

"Of course, why would I not be?"

"I'll be waiting for you here; Fran left the ointment for me to help you."

The princess stayed quiet for a second as Jay softly tapped his fingers on the door.

"Okay."

***

Hazel walked out in her nightgown as her hair was down and wet.

Her nose was slightly red as she walked over to her bed, sitting down softly.

Jay stood from the chair with the ointment in his hand and kneeled in front of her.

He looked at her for permission and she nodded her head. He softly lifted her white nightgown up to a little over her knee, as he stared at the redness of the injury.

"That tea was very hot." He whispered as he gently started to apply the cream onto her leg.

She stared at him as he seemed to be deep in thought.

"What are you thinking?" She asked softly as she watched him stop for a second before continuing.

"May I ask you something, young princess?"

She nodded her head as she waited for him to say something.

"Is everything really, okay? Between you and the prince I mean. I know something is happening that is making you way more uncomfortable than you let on."

The princess looked down at her hands for a second as Jay continued applying the ointment.

"Of course, you don't need to tell me. But I want the best for you, and I don't think the best is keeping everything bottled up, Hazel."

"I'm fine." She said quietly making him look up at her in concern.

He sighed as he closed the ointment, grabbing one of the towels that Fran had laid out in a bowl of cold water.

He rinsed it out and softly placed it onto her leg, making her almost sigh in relief.

Jay placed his hands on the sides of her thighs as he looked up at her, making her return his gaze.

"If he did something, Hazel, that's what I'm really asking. I need to know if he's hurting you."

The princess hesitated for a while as she looked away from him. Her hands were fidgeting as she narrowed her eyes.

"He- he has."

His gaze darkened slightly as he softly caressed her thigh with his thumb.

"What did he do?"

"It has only been two or three times. The times before our engagement were just kid's stuff." She whispered as she looked down at her hands, she looked at Jay as he raised his eyebrows.