3. Cold

All of the Imperial Guards and Ryu left the house.

Then Taehyung started crying and screaming.

"JULY!"

"No... please be alive."

As his memories living in here flashes back into his mind. He remembered the bracelet that July gave to him.

"... make a wish. Then, it will come true. Didn't I told you that I can do the impossible?" July's voice echoed in his mind.

He removed one bead and close his eyes.

"Please... let me see her again... safe and sound." Taehyung said, crying.

The bead started glowing more than before. He noticed it and opened his eyes. The bead floats and it broke. He waited... and waited. But nothing happened.

"What's happening? Where is July?" Taehyung look for her again but she's not there.

Taehyung was about to lose hope but he looks at the bracelet and saw that the bead that he used earlier was back but it's not glowing like the other beads.

He removed the bracelet and kiss it.

'I won't give up...' He thought.

Taehyung didn't lose hope after thinking about July. And search for her and Elie. Days turned into weeks... Weeks turned into months. A year had passed but there were no signs of her.

The empress dowager, consorts, and other palace servants noticed how much Taehyung have changed. He became colder again. He easily got irritated and mad... just like before.

His mother, the empress dowager, got worried and ordered someone to investigate about what happened to him. He's already 27 yet he doesn't even have any son or daughter. They wanted to discuss to him about the heir to the throne, but Taehyung always stayed silent or sometimes he'll get mad.

"Your majesty, a year ago, his majesty went to a mountain near the place where the war happened. He came there with his personally-trained Imperial Guards and his right-hand man, Ryu. And one of the guards said that they were searching for a girl named July for a whole year now. And based on how his majesty have been behaving lately, it looks like she was his lover." The private investigator explained.

The empress dowager was shocked to know the truth.

"Any information about this girl July?"

"The only information that I found is that... she lives in the mountains alone and that she's the one who took care of his majesty when he was missing 2 years ago." He said.

"But... I heard from my son that she's not the only one."

"I don't have any explanation for that, your majesty. Because the people who lives and lives near the mountains said that she's alone and doesn't like to interact with other people. I went to ask for her appearance but they don't remember. If you really want to know more about her, please ask his majesty, the Emperor."

The empress dowager was hesitating but she was curious about July. So she decided to ask Taehyung during breakfast, the next day.

"I'm glad that you're still eating breakfast with us, son. Before... you always go straight to your office and start working." The empress dowager said.

"I was a jerk before, mother." Taehyung answered, coldly.

The empress dowager ordered the servants to leave. And now there's only him, her, and the 5 consorts inside the room.

"I want to ask you something, son."

"What is it, mother?" He asked without even looking.

"Who is July? Is she the reason why you're acting so different lately?" She asked.

Everyone stops eating. The five consorts felt mad and Taehyung kept a straight face.

"There's nothing to talk about her, mother." He said.

"Is she your lover? Tell me. Don't ignore me, Taehyung." The empress dowager said, serious.

"And what if she is?" He answered which drive all the consorts even more mad.

"Answer me properly and tell us... EVERYTHING about her."

"Okay then... July is a beautiful, graceful, intelligent, and kind woman. She doesn't interact with other people that much, but it doesn't mean that she doesn't like it. And when you start talking to her, you won't even notice that you've been talking for hours. She's gentle and stayed beside me until I recovered. Even though I was rude to her sometimes, she doesn't get mad and tell me that she understands why I was acting like that. Even if I did something bad or mess something up, she won't mad and tell me that everything alright. I thought she was weird, but, it was just because it was rare for me to meet people like her. We only knew each other for a few days yet she already managed to catch my attention and I didn't even know that... I already love her-" Taehyung stops talking when he saw their reactions.

He clears his throat and wipe his lips.

"Excuse me, I have a lot of work to do." He said and left the room.

The empress dowager felt so happy that her son finally loves someone and that she was a great woman. As for the 5 consorts, they sees her as a threat.

"Hmm... so that's the girl that my son has chosen... he's indeed like his father. Very well." The empress dowager stood up.

"You can continue eating, I still have something to do." She said and left with a smile on her face.

"THAT JULY!"

"HOW DARE SHE STOLE OUR HUSBAND?!"

"PLUS! SHE LIVES IN THE MOUNTAINS!"

"I BET SHE DRUGGED HIS MAJESTY BECAUSE HOW CAN HE FALL IN LOVE WITH A CHEAP GIRL LIKE THAT?!"

"JUST YOU WAIT, JULY!"

The consorts were so mad.