INCOMPARABLE

“isn’t it? i thought that’s how you deal with business.” as far as dahye was concerned, he had undoubtedly believed that she had treated him like a transaction — despite the amounts of times that she had insisted otherwise. it still stings, even after all the years that passed between them, and it seemed as if that feeling will never fade. however, the next words that spilled out of sasha’s mouth caused her hand to still its movement over her cup of coffee, her stomach contracting painfully. dahye stood her ground by the awning separating the kitchen and sitting room, suddenly feeling it impossible to lower her pride enough to join him on her own couch. “it’s too early for this.” she mumbled softly, feeling bone-tired and fluttering disappointment, even after a night of restful sleep. “usually people at least try not to offend their host.” 

he had the audacity to play a little act ! if this was back in their past, she would’ve openly laugh at his attempt. “there is security posted in front of every single entrance, for god’s sake.” and dahye would truly be astounded if the security would dare to step a foot out of line — a single unknown move into their compound would’ve caused a complete commotion. despite so, she didn’t bother to correct his completely unfounded assumption. “don’t you have your own coffee maker? or your own chef? ...just how badly are they paying you over in hungary?” she knew that there wasn’t too much money in his little corner of the world — certainly nowhere near the continuous flow of money in korea ! — but surely enough to fund a silly little duke’s coffee budget. “heard that your brother showed up, can’t you ask for an allowance from him? you’re still technically a prince.” technically. 

bare feet padded down the hardwood stairs, a yawn still halfway out her mouth as fingers sluggishly taming the remnants of yesterday’s curls; dahye made a bee line to the direction of her pristine kitchen. it took her a moment to realise that the smell of coffee had already settled into the room — a strange fact considering her chef knew profusely that it was something she preferred to make herself. a scowl made it’s way upon her lips before she stomped her way towards the door that leads to the service kitchen. clink !  the unmistakable sound of ceramic being placed down upon a surface from her sitting room, and dahye whirled to face the sound with a jump. “what the fuck!” a very smug alexsander esterhazy-kohary had very obviously made himself at home on her couch. “you have got to stop doing that—”  ( @alexcnder​ ) 

lixue was across the table, and sasha hovering on the far side of her peripherals. if anyone thought dahye was going through the entire event sober, they truly have another thing coming. “the one before this is much better, with the vanilla—” a hand flew to beckon one of the attendants back for a top up, even as she narrowly avoided knocking down someone else’s glass. “does anyone here even like wine?” ( table 2 ) 

she liked him just beyond arm’s reach, as if the distance would make it easier for dahye to remain in her current state of mind. but she was exhausted, her mental state corroded into something dull and complacent — she didn’t even bother to avert her gaze from his. “i’m not alone.” even so, her automatic response remained razor sharp and pointed, although without the usual condescending sneer. “i don’t think it matters.” she finally said after a short bout of silence. “i’m never technically alone, and i don’t know if having a companion that is physically with me would make much of a difference... ‘we all live and die alone’, and all that—” if it was in any other setting, dahye might laugh at the fact that she just actually — seriously! — quoted welles. “why do you ask, hm? is this your way of letting me know that you’re feeling lonely?” 

“no, i mean—” she tutted her tongue impatiently. “i thought you're going to plan everything from beijing and get everything in place for wenli.” the mention of lixue was enough to cause a frown to appear on her face, she couldn’t imagine just how her sister could stomach seeing the woman who had kept her hostage from her own husband for over a year. “how are you feeling? is there anything you need from me?”

if she wasn’t so resolute in maintaining the appearance of nonchalance, dahye might’ve just gotten up and left right at his words. “the doctors should’ve fixed them already, doesn’t hungary have any decent doctors at all?” maybe the tabloids had been right to place some blame on the croÿs, there wasn’t a scratch on anyone in their statuesque ranks and sasha was the one left battered and bloodied. “clearly i’m not fine, none of us should be.” she shot back, gaze rolling up to the sky. “i’m just...” terrified, shattered, horrified. “...they killed my brother-in-law. my niece’s father.” no matter how annoyed she was at jianguo, how much she had hoped that he would just mysteriously step away from the throne — she could never imagine that it would ever materialise in this way! even saying it out loud felt foreign. “who kills the fucking emperor of china? that just doesn’t happen—” 

boat— steven— the words rang continuous bells, and dahye let out a soft huff of laughter. “i could never understand how you actually let him talk you into living in a fucking boat for that long.” that warrants some kind of restraining order, surely. “but what the hell did you do? tell me you didn’t punch the boy, sab.” even that was something dahye couldn’t ignore. “but good riddance to that one.” she was quiet for a moment, fingers coming up to stroke the hair from her sister’s face. “have you talked to gahye? 

“as much as i’m ecstatic that you’re here...” she mumbled against her sister’s hair, both arms still wrapped around her in a hug that quite possibly lasted far too long. “shouldn’t you be in beijing?” a funeral, politics, stability for wenli — the excuses were endless. ( @yigahye​ ) 

she didn’t know who to fire, who to yell at, or whose reputation she should destroy after her eyes fell upon her new neighbour. it must be cindy that meddling bitch! still, dahye took a little breath before falling gracefully into the chair on her side of the balcony — there was time for animosity tomorrow, for tonight, she was exhausted enough to allow the past to come out from its tightly locked drawer. “you know i never care about that shit.” she had only pressed him about it because she knew he had a ridiculous complex about them! “if you want to be technical, i’m a duchess too.” courtesy of her ghost of a husband. she gave his arm a short glance. “that looks like it hurts.” 

“three entire days! my god, i thought i would have to shave my entire head after two whole nights without conditioner.” she groaned loudly, quite happy to focus on haircare instead of mortality. it was a topic she might delve into later with her therapist, not with her favourite sister. “my facialist had a fucking field day, and my masseuse spent an extra fifteen minutes — a day! — on my shoulders. i’ll look like a fucking quarterback without her!” dahye scrutinised her sister’s features with a careful gaze, stopping at every nonexistent blemish. if there was anything to be thankful for, it was that none of her family was nowhere near that island with her. “where did you fly in from? have you been eating enough?” 

“my baby!” she half-shrieked, arms stretched out wide and beckoning frantically for her little sister to come closer. “oh you’ve come to see me— thank god! i thought i’ll never see you again...” dahye was propped up by a cacophony of silk pillows upon the chaise, a bottle of wine just at arm’s reach. “for once i’m glad you weren’t with me.” ( @yiseonhye​ ) 

she honestly thought of taking off her heels and charging at their captors when they were picking them apart. “what the fuck?!” she squeaked, dashing after the closed door and experimentally pushing at it, twiddling at the handle halfheartedly. her eyes then passed through the three other people in the room. dominique’s cousin, francisco’s influencer sister, and reggie zulu. “where the hell is everyone else? why are we the only ones here?!” it had became increasingly impossible to keep her composure in check. ( @giselledorleans​, @anamariaabolivar​, @rcginald​ ) 

“they’ll have to let us use the bathroom — would they really let us sit here and just pee ourselves?” if dahye was at all capable of thinking logically in such a moment, maybe she might realise that their captors wouldn’t care less about how they smelled.  “who are they? do we know? if they just want money i’m sure we could get however much they want in five minutes.” the real question was; would her family lift even one finger to save her from harm? highly unlikely. “they’re being stupid, our armies will find us soon and they’ll all just get killed.” ( @jinjianguo​, @aromancva​, @barbiebraganca​, @giselledorleans​, @anamariaabolivar​, @svmucl​ )