"I want to end our engagement. I don't want to continue this broken relationship any longer."
"You can try to walk away, but I'm not backing down. I will make you my prince, and even you cannot stop me."
1 month earlier.
"What made you think I ever liked you?" Jae-Yul asked, his expression an icy mask of composure as he locked eyes with Ha-Neul. The dim light of the restaurant flickered around them, but to Jae-Yul, it was as if they were in an entirely different world, one where the notion of marrying someone without love was not just acceptable but entirely normal. "Our engagement doesn't imply that I feel any affection toward you, nor am I obliged to make time for you," he continued, nonchalantly wiping his mouth with a crisp napkin before rising from the table.
The lively chatter and clinking of silverware faded into a dull hum in Ha-Neul's ears, his mind racing with disbelief and hurt as he gripped the fork and knife tightly in his hands, desperately trying to stifle the tears threatening to spill. "Dinner once a month doesn't transform us into a lovey-dovey couple. It merely signals that we tolerate each other's presence long enough to get through a meal," Jae-Yul said, glancing at his watch with an air of indifference. Ha-Neul's heart sank further as he noticed the barely touched plate before him, the food growing cold in a metaphorical reflection of his shattered spirit.
"I'd appreciate it if you avoid such intrusive inquiries in the future. Your opinions on what I think about you, or whether we should see each other more often than not, have no real significance to any one of us. Focus on your career, and I'll focus on mine." With that, he turned on his heel, leaving the table without another glance, paying the bill at the front desk with an air of finality. Ha-Neul sat there, stunned, grappling with the inexplicable offense taken to what had felt like a harmless question. "He didn't even ask me not to drink..."
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the office of Haneul Entertainment was thick with tension. "The Prince's relationship with Ha-Neul of LUMINA is thought to be unstable after Prince Jae-Yul was observed leaving their dinner date prematurely, while Ha-Neul subsequently drank himself into a stupor at the restaurant," the secretary rehashed, reading the article to Han Eui-Jin, the CEO. Eui-Jin frowned deeply. "Is that why he hasn't been answering my calls?" he inquired, and the secretary nodded. "His manager found him passed out drunk, once the restaurant staff alerted him."
Eui-Jin sighed heavily, the sound resonating through the silence of his office as he leaned back in his chair, staring blankly through the wall, lost in thought. "Ever since this engagement was arranged," he said out loud, "my poor Ha-Neul has been walking on eggshells, constantly trying to impress that man, while Prince Jae-Yul acts as if Ha-Neul is merely an inconvenience in his life. The royal family proposed this marriage, and yet my poor baby is suffering in silence."
His spiraling thoughts were abruptly interrupted when the door to his office swung open with a force that signaled urgency. "That's because you agreed to it," Jay, the leader of LUMINA and a co-owner of Haneul, entered, immediately sending the secretary away before settling onto a plush sofa. Eui-Jin, knowing he was about to receive a respectable earful, moved to sit across from him. "You agreed the moment you read that letter, and you made Ha-Neul feel as if he were inferior. You implied he had to impress him, suggesting that our future depended on whether he was able to keep his engagement or not."
Jay's words struck Eui-Jin like a sharp arrow, piercing through his growing sense of culpability. He remembered the impulsive decision made in haste; replying positively to the prince's proposal without consulting anyone, not even Ha-Neul, who had been forced to accept this path simply because it was laid before him by the Prince himself. "You've convinced Ha-Neul that he possesses some worth in the Prince's eyes. But what I've witnessed over these past two years is Jae-Yul treating him like a mere investment, a pawn in his strategy to increase profits since Ha-Neul became the ambassador for his brands. He's young and impressionable, and your words made him feel cornered into this engagement. The only way to make this situation any better is by allowing him to choose. Tell him that you support him if he decides to walk away from this relationship. We'll manage whatever happens next."
Jay was right all along. Two years should have provided enough clarity regarding what the prince truly desired when he suggested marriage. It was painfully evident that his intentions were far from romantic; he viewed Ha-Neul merely as a means to elevate his brand's visibility and fortify his burgeoning business, all the while his own future trajectory remained uncertain. Ha-Neul, however, had been led to believe that their relationship was more profound than it actually was. In reality, it was little more than a business arrangement, poised to conclude inevitably. Coming to terms with this stark truth sooner rather than later would spare Ha-Neul the heartache that would inevitably follow.
The next day.
"Is he home?" Eui-Jin inquired of the housekeeper as she was about to leave the penthouse. Her response weighed heavily on Eui-Jin's heart as he worried about Ha-Neul's well-being. The housekeeper shook her head slowly, her expression grave. "Relationships have their good moments and bad moments," she said softly, "but that boy has been suffering far too much. He hasn't eaten anything, and his eyes... they look like he spent the entire night crying. I know you have a good heart. I truly hope to see him happy, as I'm sure you do too." With that, she left, leaving Eui-Jin even more burdened with concern. He had sensed for some time that their relationship was faltering. Although their busy schedules and reserved natures made communication difficult, he had hoped that more time spent together would ease their tensions. This led him to persuade the King to arrange regular dates for them, but those outings only served to highlight their glaring incompatibilities.
"No one cares about me," Ha-Neul muttered bitterly as he plunged his spoon into yet another tub of ice cream, surrounded by five empty containers that lay discarded on the floor. His eyes were puffy and reddened, and his mouth felt numb from devouring all that ice cream. His stomach churned uncomfortably, and a dull dizziness clouded his mind, yet he couldn't bring himself to stop. "I'm a human too. I have emotions, too. I can feel curious—I can ask questions, too. How is it not my business to know my fiance's likes and dislikes?"
A dark resolve began to settle in. "You know what? Forget it. I'm just going to eat this ice cream, and soon enough, I'll feel better."
As if in response to his inner turmoil, a voice echoed in his mind, "You can break up with him." Ha-Neul initially thought this was just his thoughts taking shape, but it felt more like an external whisper guiding him. "You can despise him too." He nodded along, savoring the ice cream as he indulged the fantasy. "You could tell him he's a jerk—make it clear that he has no authority over you. Tell him you're backing out of this marriage. You could take off that ring and chuck it right at his face." He glanced down at the chilly ring that sat on his finger, its touch numbed by the ice cream. The thought of throwing it felt liberating. "And how satisfying would it be to throw my glass at him too…" He chuckled darkly, a twisted grin stretching across his face. "Make sure it's filled with wine—imagine his embarrassment as he turns red." Just then, in a moment of clarity, he realized he wasn't alone rather talking to someone.
Startled, he jumped and turned around, his heart racing as he spotted Eui-Jin standing in the doorway. "Uncle?" he called, recognition dawning upon him. "When did you come in? I didn't even hear the door open." Eui-Jin sighed deeply, taking in the chaotic scene before him as Ha-Neul awkwardly tried to conceal the mess with his feet. "Sit down. We need to talk."
"Are you out of your mind!?" Ha-Neul exclaimed, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and disbelief as he confronted Eui-Jin. The suggestion to break up with Jae-Yul hit him like a thunderclap, especially after the emotional turmoil of the previous night. "You can't—you can't just come here and—and casually ask me to do that. After everything I've endured, everything that went down, do you think people wouldn't assume he dumped me? I—I can't handle that kind of fallout. Along with the Royal family blacklisting us, our fans would think I've lost all value. They'd abandon us, and what—what then? You're busy training your first girl group while I risk becoming the reason they don't achieve their dreams? I can't become a villain. I just won't let him break up with me; it's out of the question!" The stakes felt unbearably high for Ha-Neul, not just for himself, but for everyone intertwined with him.
Eui-Jin absorbed Ha-Neul's frantic words, aware of the myriad reasons why he and the prince shouldn't be separated. To Ha-Neul, these were valid points—excuses as genuine as his feelings—but Eui-Jin recognized them for what they were: the fears he had instilled in Ha-Neul to manipulate him. As the moments ticked by, Ha-Neul's fury gradually began to subside. Eui-Jin gently took hold of Ha-Neul's hand, offering comfort through the simple gesture while he rubbed Ha-Neul's back reassuringly. His calm demeanor aimed to convey that while Ha-Neul's emotions were valid, they were heavily influenced by external expectations, most notably those of people who hoped to mold him, including Eui-Jin himself.
"Those trainees are my responsibility, and they deserve more than to be linked to my whims," Eui-Jin began, his voice steady and devoid of irritation. "Their success depends on my guidance and the strength of my company, not you. You, Jay, and the entire LUMINA should not feel responsible for their victories or shortcomings. If my company fails, that blame should only rest with me. I owe you an apology for the burden I placed on you." His eyes shimmered with unshed tears, mirroring Ha-Neul's own welling sorrow. "I'm truly sorry for leading you to believe that your worth was tied to my accomplishments. You've sacrificed so much for me since childhood. I recall when you chose to stay because of him, even when I wanted to send you abroad. I shouldn't have pressured you, nor should I have brought you back, expecting you to support yet another one of my endeavors."
As his words sank in, Ha-Neul felt the floodgates open; sobs escaped him, tears streaming down his face. Eui-Jin struggled to maintain composure, but the weight of his confession bore heavily on him. "I hope you understand that your choices now belong solely to you. No one will hold you accountable for them. I'm sorry for making you live out my dreams while pushing you into a marriage with someone you barely know." Eui-Jin, trying to gather himself, left the room, unable to allow himself to cry in front of Ha-Neul. But for Ha-Neul, this moment marked a profound epiphany. Whether it was liberation or a burgeoning sense of accountability, he came to realize that he finally had the autonomy to follow his own path. He had spent far too long prioritizing the desires of others over his own welfare. It was time for him to focus on his own happiness and aspirations for a change.
1 month later.
"I want to end our engagement," Ha-Neul declared, his voice steady as he lifted his glass and took a measured sip of his red wine. The moment hung heavily in the air, silence enveloping the table like a thick fog. Ha-Neul's gaze shifted towards the head of the table, where the king's expression revealed an almost imperceptible flicker of amusement—a stark contrast to the solemnity that usually characterized royal engagements. Ha-Neul then turned his attention to Jae-Yul, his now ex-fiance. The prince's features remained inscrutable, though a flicker of surprise crossed his face, almost like the shadow of a storm cloud momentarily veiling the sun.
"Stop with your nonsense and get on with your food," Jae-Yul retorted, his voice smooth but edged with irritation as he meticulously wiped his hands and utensils. The rest of the table was frozen, cutlery poised mid-air, astonished at the sudden turn of events. "A little argument doesn't justify the end of an engagement."
Ha-Neul felt a thrill surge through him. "If only one of us can initiate it, then only one of us has the right to end it. And I'm calling it quits. I don't want to marry you, Prince Jae-Yul. I never did, from the beginning. And it seems like you didn't either." A sly smirk played on his lips. There was an intoxicating rush in finally standing his ground against Jae-Yul, especially in front of their assembled guests, many of whom wore expressions of shock and disbelief.
"You were quite quick to accept the proposal, and now you claim you never wanted to get married?" Jae-Yul's voice was sharp as a blade and cut through the tension. For the first time, an emotion broke through his carefully constructed facade—a deepening frown, his eyes narrowing to slits that seemed to challenge Ha-Neul's resolve. "I was the one who proposed our marriage. My family insisted upon it, and your family complied without hesitation. If either of us could put a stop to this, I would have done so long ago." The words trailed off like the echo of a tolling bell, marking the significance of what they both stood to lose.
But Ha-Neul was armed with conviction. "We are more than enough on our own—Jay Hyung, Uncle Eui-Jin, and I. We have each other, and that's sufficient. We don't need your family. We don't need you. But I can assure you, you'll find it hard to manage without me. Let's see how long your company's name stays at the top of the charts now that my face will vanish from your billboards." With a resolute stance, Ha-Neul rose from his seat, a victorious smile dancing across his lips as Jay and Eui-Jin mirrored his movements.
"It's not so simple to walk away from something like this," Jae-Yul shot back, rising to his feet with a predatory grace that made the air crackle with tension. He stepped closer to Ha-Neul, their faces mere inches apart, hands shoved deep into his pockets. For the first time, Ha-Neul caught a glimpse of Jae-Yul's lips curling into a mockingly triumphant smirk. "I've remained committed to you all this time. And now, I choose to continue that commitment, whether you like it or not."
Ha-Neul's expression faltered, confusion etched across his face as he struggled to grasp the implications of Jae-Yul's words. "What—what do you mean?" His voice came out as a stammer, panic creeping into his eyes as Jae-Yul leaned in closer, their breaths mingling.
"It's quite simple, Prince Visual. If you wish to terminate the contract, go ahead. If you intend to remove your face from my billboards, do it. But as for this engagement... you can attempt to end it, but there's no way I'm complying." With that, Jae-Yul straightened, his gaze sweeping the room with a commanding presence. "I will make you my prince, and even you cannot stop me."
"What a crazy psycho—"