TKEP 63🔐

Chapter 63

The place Yeon took Seojun to, saying they should go by the book, was Charles Bridge. True to its popularity as a tourist spot, the pedestrian-only stone bridge was packed with people.

“Don’t ever take off your hat.”

Yeon tugged the brim of Seojun’s hat down over his head.

Even with the hat and mask, his model-like figure couldn’t be hidden, and people kept glancing at him.

“Isn’t covering up completely just making it look more suspicious?”

Seojun judged that this heavy armor of clothing wasn’t much help in avoiding people’s attention. Still, he didn’t mind Yeon’s touch, which he hadn’t felt in a long time, so he stayed silent.

The two of them sang along with a street musician’s tune, struck ridiculous poses in front of a painter and then ran off, and pressed the camera shutter randomly without bothering about composition.

After wandering the Old Town of Prague for a long while, Yeon turned to Seojun.

“Beer?”

After walking under the blazing sun, their throats were starting to dry.

“Sure.”

With Seojun’s agreement, Yeon took the lead.

She opened the door to a shabby pub in an alley.

“Is this a place you know?”

“No.”

Seojun thought she seemed so confident about knowing Prague inside out, but apparently not.

“It just looked quiet.”

Yeon skillfully ordered beers.

“Saint Norbert’s dark beer is good. But I think that place will be crowded. We’ll go there later.”

Seojun stared at her.

“Together?”

Yeon, sipping the freshly served cold beer, paused. Then, in a slightly weakened voice, she replied,

“That would be nice.”

Seojun wasn’t the type to miss the subtle negative nuance in her words, hinting that they probably wouldn’t go together.

Seojun took a long sip of his beer. Perhaps because it was a dark beer, it was particularly bitter, but it went down smoothly.

“No time! Let’s go to the next spot.”

Yeon grabbed Seojun’s hand and crossed the Old Town Square.

Clouds drifted past the top of St. Vitus Cathedral.

A soft shadow fell over Yeon’s face.

Her figure, covered by shadow amidst the radiant light, looked mysterious.

Unconsciously, Seojun released her hand and pressed the camera shutter.

“Huh? Did you just take my picture? That’s not fair! You’re supposed to tell me before taking it. Does it look weird? Give me the camera!”

Yeon fussed so much that Seojun handed over the camera.

“Just wait. I’ll make sure to leave plenty of embarrassing photos of you too, Seojun.”

But Yeon rarely got a chance.

“Every shot is like a model cut!”

She was frustrated, but she couldn’t blame Seojun for being good-looking.

Reluctantly, she decided to take the usual tourist photos.

She positioned Seojun in front of St. Vitus Cathedral and stepped back.

“Try to pose naturally.”

“Like this?”

Seojun, finally smiling, drew a V with his fingers.

Yeon, looking through the lens, swallowed.

His eyes sparkled in the light, his hair was lightly tousled, and the playful look he couldn’t hide made her heart race.

“What is this? Are you trying to make me flustered?”

Seeing Yeon rarely press the shutter, Seojun frowned.

“Even when you frown, you still look great.”

Suddenly, the two-year promise with him felt absurdly short.

After wandering diligently, night had already fallen. The night in Prague was just as bright and glamorous as Seoul.

Tourists poured out endlessly, filling the streets.

“We’ve played enough. Now let’s go to work.”

Yeon pulled Seojun into the crowd.

“Alright, just hold my hand tight.”

Seojun squeezed the hand she had interlocked with his.

“Have you figured out where the bodyguards are?”

“Two at the corner of a building behind us, two walking with us in the crowd. Should we lose them?”

“Think it’s possible?”

Seojun nodded and held Yeon in place.

“Tell me the destination first.”

Even while talking to Yeon, Seojun remained vigilant.

“Come inside; we can talk there.”

Seojun pulled Yeon against a wall and blocked her in front of him. Among the crowd, he tried to minimize other people’s contact with Yeon.

“Come a little closer.”

Yeon tilted her hand. Being a tourist spot, it was too noisy for conversation, and they couldn’t just shout.

Seojun bent his head; the distance was so close they could feel each other’s breaths, and by slightly tilting, the posture became intimate.

Her deep black eyes were right in front of him, and the shadows cast by her long eyelashes were unusually alluring.

“Someone might think we’re about to kiss.”

Yeon muttered, pressing the back of her head against the wall.

“That’s exactly the point. If we suddenly stop, the bodyguards will get suspicious. We need to do something while stopped.”

Yeon wanted to argue, asking if that counted as a kiss, but she shut her mouth. The distance between them was so close that their lips could have touched.

It had been a long time since she felt such proximity. Her heart pounded fiercely.

“Step back a little.”

Yeon pushed against his shoulder.

At that moment, a group of tourists bumped into Seojun’s back and passed by.

“Wow, Princess here? I want to see you too! Oh, sorry!”

Seojun instinctively nodded at Yeon, who had been startled.

In the dark, with their hats on, no one recognized them.

People continued to crowd in.

“See? We can’t move back now.”

It was like a full subway. Once you stop, it’s impossible to move.

“Let’s just talk like this.”

Yeon squirmed in Seojun’s arms. Raising her head, she said,

“We’re going to meet Ms. Jangmi.”

Every time she spoke, Seojun felt her warm, sweet breath on his jaw.

If he lowered his head, he could inhale it fully.

Seojun resisted the impulse and listened carefully to her explanation.

“So my job is to lose the bodyguards, right?”

“Yes. This is all based on trusting you, Seojun.”

After promising to meet Jangmi in Prague, Yeon faced a practical problem.

It was impossible for the princess and her companion to roam a foreign city without bodyguards.

Yet, they couldn’t bring bodyguards to meet Jangmi, since word might reach Byeong.

Recently, a report came that someone was looking for the missing Seo Yeon.

Yeon guessed they were people from the Crown Prince’s side, based on Seo Yeon’s hypersensitive reactions and sleep-talking.

Thus, they had to be cautious when meeting Jangmi.

But she couldn’t think of a way to shake off the bodyguards.

Instead, one trustworthy person came to mind who could solve the problem.

Yeon smiled brightly at Seojun.

“What would you have done if I said I couldn’t do it?”

“I’d have found another way. Can’t do it, Kang Seojun?”

“How could I not?”

“Good. One hour from now. One hour later, we’ll meet at that pub. You know which one I mean.”

So the pub where they had drunk dark beer wasn’t just a random place.

Seojun was impressed by Yeon’s meticulousness; she was already moving according to the evening plan.

“Understood. Shall we go?”

Seojun released Yeon from his arms and pulled her hand firmly.

After being dragged around in Prague all day, it was now Seojun’s turn to take the lead.

Running, hiding, walking.

Then running, hiding, running again. One by one, the bodyguards fell behind.

Finally, Seojun let go of Yeon’s hand. They were in an unusually quiet, secluded alley for a tourist spot.

Locals gave them curious glances, two tourists panting against the wall.

Exhaling deeply, Seojun waved with a smile.

Finally, the locals dispersed.

“You okay?”

Seojun crouched and patted Yeon’s back.

Yeon looked up at him, her eyes full of frustration.

“I’m dying here!”

“You were keeping up, so I thought it was fine. If you’re too tired, want me to carry you from here?”

Seojun squatted in front of her.

Yeon gave him a glance as wide as the sea and then clung to him.

Seojun, unlike what she expected, wasn’t surprised and lightly lifted her.

“Ugh.”

Startled as her weight shifted backward, Yeon quickly wrapped her arms around his neck.

“P-Please put me down!”

“When did you ask to be carried, and now you want me to put you down immediately?”