De Lan stood with poise, his hands tucked behind his back as always the posture of a king that even modern clothes couldn't diminish. As soon as he saw her approaching, he teased her with a soft smile:
- And where would Her Royal Highness like to go tonight?
Jo Ri's expression darkened with bitterness as she snapped:
- I am no princess... I am a prisoner of the palace.
His smile only widened. Keeping his hands behind him, he began to walk ahead, and she followed. They walked until they reached a row of buildings with shops lining the ground floor. De Lan glanced back and said:
- What do you think about walking beside me instead of staying behind?
- I prefer walking behind you so I don't have to look at your face,
She replied curtly.
- But this way, you'll be looking at me the entire time, won't you see even more of me?
He countered mischievously.
"I don't appreciate your heavy-handed jokes."
- Who told you I was joking?
Jo Ri lowered her head, staring at the pavement, her cheeks flushed crimson. De Lan couldn't tell if it was from anger or embarrassment, and she herself didn't understand why her heart raced so violently whenever she was near him. After a brief silence, De Lan asked seriously:
- What is your plan?
She lifted her head, his question encouraging her to think with her mind rather than her defeated emotions. She said:
- We sell the gold piece at a jeweler.
- And how do we find one at this hour?
- We ask someone trustworthy.
- Like who?
- The clerk at the supermarket two blocks away. My friend told me yesterday that her father trusts him immensely because he is an honest man.
De Lan nodded.
- Alright... we have nothing to lose by trying.
Farm Eggs and the Prince's Dignity
They entered the store, and Jo Ri greeted the man behind the counter with a polite smile:
- Uncle, please, I'd like to buy some eggs and an ointment for back pain.
The man squinted at her for a moment before brightening up:
- You're Su Na's friend! I remember you. Alright, head over to the refrigerators there, and I'll get the ointment for you.
He gestured toward the back, then turned to grab a tube from the shelf behind him. He called out to Jo Ri as she walked away:
- Take the ones labeled 'Farm Eggs.' There's a good deal buy two, get the third for free!
Jo Ri nodded and continued toward the coolers. De Lan remained by the counter and said in a tone he tried to keep casual:
- Uncle, if I wanted to sell a piece of jewelry I inherited from my grandmother... do you know a good, trustworthy jeweler?
- Look, son,
The clerk replied seriously,
- If it's just ordinary gold, go to the jewelry shop three buildings down. But if it's an antique, you're better off going to the shop on the corner at the start of the street. He appreciates unique pieces and gives better prices, but the item has to be truly special for him to buy it.
De Lan replied shrewdly,
- I see. I'll show it to both shops and see who offers the best price.
- Smart thinking! I wish everyone your age thought as logically as you do.
De Lan smiled, but a sharp voice cut through the air. It was Jo Ri calling from the back:
- Ya! Come help me, these egg cartons are heavy!
The clerk laughed and teased him:
- Go on, go to your future wife she's calling you!
De Lan forced a smile and walked toward her, but as soon as he reached her, he hissed:
- Ya? What do you mean by 'Ya'?
Jo Ri shot back defiantly as she loaded the eggs:
- I am the 'prisoner,' and you are 'Ya'! I'll treat you exactly the way you treat me.
Betraying Heartbeats and the Swing's Confession
Jo Ri stepped out of the supermarket, counting the remaining coins in her hand. Not much was left; the "special deal" had completely drained her allowance. She tucked the ointment and the spare change into her bag, only to hear De Lan's calm voice beside her:
- Don't worry... once we sell your jewelry, you'll be wealthy again.
He had been smiling at her so much lately, speaking as if they were old friends rather than the bitter enemies they once were. Jo Ri felt her heart race again. She scowled at him, trying to rebuild the defenses that were crumbling before his commanding presence and the striking face she couldn't stop looking at.
- Don't smile at me,
She snapped.
- Your smile is terrifying!
- What?
He replied with mock disbelief.
- My smile is the most beautiful in the world!
- And who deceived you into believing that, you narcissist?
She hurried past him so he wouldn't see her flustered expression. De Lan smiled to himself, her endearing personality and the way her anger tempted him to play with her nerves made him feel a strange urge to never leave her side.
Jo Ri's mind raced as she walked: "He's even joking with me now. When did his personality change to become so sincere and easy-going? It's as if he's no longer that arrogant Crown Prince who thought the world revolved only around him... He isn't as bad as I remembered." But then she cautioned herself: "I must be more careful not to give him my heart like I did before."
Suddenly, she froze. Her eyes widened in a moment of pure shock. Had she truly given him her heart before? Yes... it had happened under that swing, long before he destroyed everything.
De Lan walked past her, then turned around. Seeing the frozen look of realization on her face, he asked playfully:
- What now? Why that look?
The Ivory Flower and the Secret of the Embroidered Kerchief
Jo Ri realized she had been lost in contemplating every line of his face. She quickly looked down, breaking the spell of his gaze, and whispered:
- It's nothing... just show me where we are going.
De Lan carried the egg cartons and walked ahead of her with a striking presence, while she followed in silence. He bypassed the first jewelry shop without a glance, heading straight for the store at the end of the street as the clerk had advised. Before they entered, he stopped abruptly and said:
- Hold this.
He placed the eggs in her hands, then skillfully retrieved the jewel-encrusted brooch from her bag. It was a masterpiece adorned with flowers made of precious stones. With a precise motion, he plucked a small pink ivory flower with a pale yellow alabaster center and said firmly:
- We won't give him the entire piece. We'll offer a small part like this flower and see how much he values it.
- Why?
Jo Ri asked in surprise.
He gave her a deep, lingering look and replied:
- Because this was my wedding gift to you... and I won't let you sell the whole thing.
Then, he pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped the gem inside. Jo Ri's eyes widened; it was the very kerchief she had embroidered for her aunt's birthday last year the one that had been a major reason for her winning the title of Crown Princess. She wondered in shock: "Why does he have it? Does he not know I was the one who embroidered it?"
Seeing her fixated on the kerchief, he said in a cryptic tone:
- You have no right to ask why I hold onto this... but the jeweler will find the gem more credible if it's wrapped in an embroidered kerchief unlike anything in this era.
He took the eggs back from her after placing the kerchief in her hand and tucking the incomplete brooch back into her bag. Then, he pushed open the shop door, and they stepped inside.
The Master Jeweler and the Secret of Royal Ivory
They stepped into the shop to find an old man sitting behind his wooden counter, a jeweler's loupe pressed to his eye as he examined pieces before him. As soon as his eyes fell on them, he remarked curtly:
- This is no place for children! We don't sell anything you'd need. Please, show yourselves out.
Jo Ri opened her mouth to snap back, but De Lan stopped her with a gentle touch and took the lead, his voice calm and confident:
- Apologies, Uncle. We aren't looking to buy we have something precious we'd like to offer you. I inherited a valuable piece from my mother's grandmother a gift she gave me on the day of my birth and I wish to sell it, if you're interested.
De Lan placed the embroidered kerchief on the table with deliberate care. The jeweler leaned in, his eyes catching the silk threads, and he gasped:
- This kerchief... the embroidery is hauntingly precise! This style of stitching is ancient. Did you acquire this from her as well?
De Lan answered with steady composure:
- Yes. My grandmother inherited it from her grandmother it was her wedding gift when she married a prince in a bygone era.
The jeweler stood up abruptly after hearing De Lan's story, staring intensely at the kerchief. He lifted it with immense caution, placed it in his palm, and with a hand trembling from excitement, began to unfold the cloth to reveal the beautiful flower. His face lit up with awe as he whispered:
- It is a masterpiece... pieces like this were only crafted for high-ranking noble and royal families in the ancient days! Where did you truly get this?
De Lan replied without batting an eye:
- I told you... it was a gift from my grandmother on the day I was born.