Royal Secret: I'm a Princess!

GAVIN was embarrassed yet happy.

Kim Won-shik made his acting debut just four months after he decided to join the talent agency that gave him a casting offer. His debut was just a cameo role though. And he only had one line. Yet, Go Areum still prepared a feast despite being heavily pregnant by now.

Right now, Kim Won-shik and Go Areum were at the apartment complex where Go Areum lived with Yoon Jung. The two of them already watched the drama where he had a small appearance. Yoon Jung was running late because today was also the launch of his company's new mobile game.

Go Areum wasn't able to attend the launch because she was already six-month pregnant. She was already on maternal leave and seldom went out of the house because her pregnancy was quite sensitive. Thus, Kim Won-shik was touched when she cooked for him even though she didn't have to.

"Congratulations, oppa!" Go Areum, who was sitting on the couch beside him, said while clapping her hands. "You did well."

Kim Won-shik let out an embarrassed laugh. "Thank you, Areum-ah."

"It's too bad that Jung isn't here," she said while shaking her head. "Thank goodness I was able to record the episode. Let's watch it again when he comes home, oppa."

"Sure," Kim Won-shik said, then he looked at the time in his watch. "He said he'd be here in twenty minutes. It's been half an hour since he last called."

"I'll call him again."

Go Areum stood up to get her phone that she felt on the kitchen island.

Kim Won-shik then turned to the television when a piece of breaking news interrupted the CF. It was about a huge traffic accident near their area. When the news anchor began to read the names of the victims, he froze from shock.

<"Yoon Jung, the CEO of Moonstone Games, is among the victims…">

"Jung-ah…" Go Areum mumbled in shock as she dropped her phone on the floor. "Oppa, Jung-ah…!"

Kim Won-shik immediately stood up and faced Go Areum who looked very pale at the moment. "Let's go, Areum-ah."

Gavin could only hope for the best.

***

[HOW could this happen?]

Gavin was shocked by the things that happened in the past hours.

Kim Won-shik had to do everything because Go Areum fainted after they went to the hospital only to find out that Yoon Jung had passed away. Her parents were currently staying with her in the hospital.

So right now, only Kim Won-shik was in the hospital funeral home while attending to the guests. Most of them were Yoon Jung's employees and business partners. Their common friends also attended the funeral.

He sent a message to Yoon Jung's family but he hadn't received a response yet.

"Yoon Jung, how could you do this to us?" Kim Won-shik, whose eyes were swollen from crying, asked in a cracked voice while looking at Yoon Jung's photo. "You promised me that you wouldn't leave Areum again. But you're gone now." He thumped his chest out of frustration. "And this time, it's not only Areum that you left behind– you also left behind your child, Yoon Jung."

Gavin silently cried with Kim Won-shik the whole night.

After all, Kim Won-shik was also someone that Yoon Jung had left behind.

***

"AREUM-ah, let's go home."

Gavin's heart broke while watching Areum.

She was kneeling on the floor while staring at Yoon Jung's urn inside a glass box. He noticed that Go Areum was caressing her baby bump while crying silently.

[She looks so pitiful…]

Kim Won-shik, on the other hand, was kneeling beside her while trying to help her stand, But Go Areum wouldn't budge.

"Areum-ah, please think about your baby," Kim Won-shik begged her. "And please take care of yourself. That's what Yoon Jung would have wanted, too."

"Oppa, how can I live without Yoon Jung?"

"Go Areum, have you gone crazy?" Kim Won-shik scolded her. It was hard for him to scold her when she was mourning. But he needed her to come to her senses. "How did you live before you met Yoon Jung?"

"I don't know, oppa," Go Areum said in a cracked voice, then she closed her eyes and cried harder. "I can no longer remember how I lived my life before I met Jung."

Kim Won-shik bit his lower lip while holding back his tears. He couldn't break down when Go Areum was in a poor state because of Yoon Jung's death. For her and her baby, he had to be strong. "Areum-ah, before you met Jung, you have me."

She slowly opened her eyes and turned to her with a crestfallen face.

"I'm here for you and your baby," Kim Won-shik said while wiping the tears off of Go Areum's face with his hands. "I promised Jung that I will take care of both of you. So please depend on me, okay?"

Go Areum looked like she was about to cry again. Then, she pressed her forehead against his shoulder. "Oppa…"

Gavin, at that moment, could no longer avoid the inevitable.

[I have fallen deeply in love with Areum Go.]

***

"IS NABI-ya already asleep?"

Gavin felt disappointed.

It was already 2AM and Kim Won-shik just finished shooting for his new drama. He wasn't the male lead but his role as the second male lead was quite big. Thus, he had been crazy busy for the past few weeks.

But of course, he made sure to make time for Nabi's first birthday.

[In Korean age, Nabi is already two years old.]

After his work, he went straight to Go Areum's house. It was the house that Yoon Jung bought for their family. But since Yoon Jung was already gone, only Go Areum and Nabi lived there now.

"Of course, she is. I'm late," Kim Won-shik said, disappointed that he missed Nabi's birthday party. In fact, it wasn't her birthday anymore since it was already past midnight. "I wanted to see Nabi-ya wear the dress I chose for her."

Go Areum laughed softly.

Gavin's heart fluttered. [It's nice to see and hear Areum Go laugh again.]

Kim Won-shik felt the same.

It had only been a little over a year since Yoon Jung passed away.

Go Areum gave birth to a healthy baby girl that she named 'Nabi.' She hadn't gone back to work yet because she wanted to be a hands-on mother. It seemed like spending time with her daughter, albeit being exhausting, was good for her mental health.

Nabi was also a good child. She didn't cry as much as other babies. Most of all, Nabi's angelic face was enough to get their energy back.

And thankfully, Yoon Jung's family was helping Go Areum financially. It seemed like Yoon Jung's parents truly regretted losing their son untimely. Maybe Mr. and Mrs. Yoon were trying to make it up to him by taking care of Go Areum and Nabi in their son's place.

"I'm sure Nabi-ya will love your gift," Go Areum said with a smile on her face. "I'll put it on her on our vacation."

Go Areum's parents booked a cruise ship for a short tour as their birthday gift for Nabi. Mr. and Mrs. Go would accompany them so that they could look after Nabi while Go Areum rested. Her parents knew that she also needed a well-deserved break.

"I'll take a lot of pictures and send them to you, oppa."

That made him smile. "Thank you, Areum-ah."

Go Areum smiled and shook her head. "I should be the one thanking you, oppa," she said sincerely. "Thank you for always being there for me and Nabi-ya."

Kim Won-shik gently patted Go Areum's head. "You're doing well, Areum-ah."

Gavin smiled at the warm scene. [Kim Won-shik, we truly love Areum Go, don't we?]

***

THE DAY Kim Won-shik received his first main lead role offer should have been a joyous day. But it was also the day that he received the terrible news that almost made him go insane: the cruise ship that Go Areum and Nabi boarded had sunk into the sea.

Go Areum's parents were among those who died…

… and so was Nabi.

[Nabi was only one year old!]

Gavin cried with Kim Won-shik as he hugged the wailing Go Areum.

When he got to the hospital where Go Areum and the rest of the survivors were admitted to, he found her screaming in pain and anger as she mourned the loss of her young daughter.

Kim Won-shik– no.

Gavin.

He was Kim Won-shik so he shouldn't address the him of this world as if it was a different person. After all, he had already embraced all the feelings and the memories of Kim Won-shik as his own. Because it was the truth anyway.

"Oppa, my baby… my eomma and my appa…" Go Areum sobbed while clutching to him tight. "They're all gone… I should have died with them!"

"Areum-ah, don't say that," Gavin begged while hugging her tight. He could feel her body tremble. But he couldn't do anything other than hug her as he cried with her. [If only I have the power to change the things that happened in the past… ]

***

GAVIN was startled when he woke up in Go Areum's hospital room alone.

The patient was gone, and he had a bad feeling about it.

He immediately bolted out of the room and looked for Go Areum. When he didn't find her in the bathroom, he immediately notified the nurses at the station about what happened. The nurse assured him that they would notify the other staff and look for the patient.

But he couldn't simply just wait so he looked everywhere until he remembered the rooftop.

With his heart thumping fast and hard against his chest, he took the elevator and ran towards the rooftop– hoping and praying that his bad feeling was wrong.

But as soon as he opened the door, his heart sank.

Go Areum was leaning against the railing dangerously while looking up at the setting sun.

"Areum-ah," Gavin said softly while approaching her carefully. "Let's step away from the railing, hmm? It's dangerous…"

Go Areum turned to him, then she smiled sadly. "Oppa, I'm tired."

"I know, Areum-ah," he said. "I know that you're tired. But…" He extended his hand to her. "But oppa is here. You can lean on me. Always."

"Oppa, I'm grateful to you. I'll forever be in debt to you," she said in a tired voice. "But I don't think I can continue living now that my baby is gone. I know that I still have you, oppa. But I want to be with Nabi and Jung…"

It hurt.

Of course, it hurt to know that he wasn't enough reason for Go Areum to live.

But it wasn't important right now. Even if he wasn't enough, he just had to work hard for her to want to live again. He wouldn't give up on Go Areum.

"Areum-ah, I love you," he said softly. "And I mean that in a romantic sense."

Go Areum looked surprised by his sudden confession. "Oppa…"

Her reaction told him that she didn't really have any idea about his feelings for her. Go Areum was seriously dense. But he also loved that about her.

"I've loved you since we were kids," he continued with his confession. "And I will continue doing so. I don't expect you to love me back. But please. Please allow me to take care of you. I will do my best to give you reasons to live."

This time, his voice cracked. He was scared to lose Go Areum. If he lost her as well, he might seriously go insane.

"Please don't give up on yourself, Areum-ah," he begged her while crying. "Please take my hand…"

Go Areum smiled again but it was still sad. "Oppa, thank you for saying that you love me," she said softly. "I'm glad that those were the last words I'd get to hear before I sleep."

After saying that, she closed her eyes and leaned against the railing until she fell.

Gavin ran as fast as he could and tried to grab Go Areum, but he was already too late. "No!" he cried while watching her fall to her death. "Areum-ah!"

***

"AREUM-AH!"

Gavin yelled as he got up.

His heart was still beating fast and hard against his chest. He was sweating profusely despite the chilly air. But he noticed that he felt weak. His Mana was also fluctuating.

[Wait… Mana?]

He looked at his hands and arms. When he saw the symbol of the White Lion Knights on his gloves, he realized that he was back in his world as Gavin Quinzel. After he calmed down, he noticed that he was still in the underground mausoleum in the Foregotten Graveyard.

To be precise, he was inside the coffin.

But he was alone. He could no longer feel the presence of the elf that he was with.

"Lukas?" Gavin called for the elf even though he was certain that he wasn't there. "Show yourself to me. I need to talk to you!"

He tried to stand but much to his shock, his knees buckled until he fell down and landed on his bottoms. Hah! He couldn't believe that he couldn't even muster the strength to stand. Worse, he felt that his body got lighter. He also looked skinny.

[What happened to me?]

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard voices outside. Then, came the familiar auras of the people close to him.

"Gavin, are you there?"

His ears perked up. "Lady Roseheart?"

A few moments later, a ball of fire lit up the whole place.

He didn't care about that though.

After hearing Lady Mona Roseheart's voice, he mustered all the remaining strength in his body. Then, he stood up and ran towards her. When the light coming from the fireball fell on Lady Roseheart's face, his heart once again thumped hard against his chest.

[That lovely face…]

Before he knew it, he did what his heart wanted him to.

He hugged Lady Roseheart tight.

"You're here," Gavin whispered to himself. He knew that he was being delusional to think that Lady Roseheart and Go Areum were the same people. But admittedly, he still couldn't think straight. All he knew was he needed to fill the void in his heart or else, he'd go crazy. [Aerum-ah…]

Gavin was too absorbed in his delusion that he didn't notice the pair of ash-gray eyes that turned glowing red eyes while drilling a hole in his head.

***

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