Your Highness | Jakehoon

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Sunghoon lets out a sharp breath, his fists tightening at his sides. "And if I refuse?"

Mrs. Park tilts her head slightly, watching him with something like pity. "Then you will lose everything."

Her words are soft. Almost gentle. But the weight they carry is unbearable.

Sunghoon inhales shakily, his chest aching.

He already knows this. He has always known.

And yet, knowing doesn't make it hurt any less.

I'll continue the palace scene properly without rushing or mixing too much. Here's the next part of your story, keeping the angst alive.

---

The silence stretches too long. The court is present, nobles standing at a careful distance, their murmurs hushed, their expressions expectant. Sunghoon does not move.

He already knows what they are about to say.

"Sunghoon," his mother finally speaks, her voice smooth as polished glass, yet sharp enough to cut. "It is time we discuss your marriage."

His jaw tightens.

A flicker of movement-his father glances at him, then away. He won't interfere. He never does.

"You will be king by sunrise," the Queen continues, her posture regal, unyielding. "And a king must have a queen."

Sunghoon forces himself to breathe evenly. "Is that a command, Mother?"

A delicate smile. "It is a necessity."

The court shifts, whispers spreading like wildfire. Sunghoon hears them, the names of noblewomen passed between lips, rumors that had started long before tonight.

He already knew this was coming. And yet, his fingers curl into fists at his sides.

"We have chosen a suitable match," his mother says, as if the decision has already been made. "Princess Jang Wonyoung."

The words strike like a cold blade to his spine.

Wonyoung.

Of course, it would be her.

Sunghoon swallows the bitter taste in his mouth. He and Wonyoung had known each other since childhood. She was beautiful, poised, and far more suited to the crown than he ever would be. She was also his friend-the only person who had once whispered to him that love was not something they could afford.

But not once had she been Jake.

His silence does not go unnoticed.

"Do you object?" the Queen asks, arching a perfect brow. The challenge is clear.

The court is waiting.

His father watches him carefully, and for a brief second, there is something like warning in his eyes.

Sunghoon clenches his jaw. "No, Your Majesty."