JENNIE
The hotel was busy, guests checking in and out, people meeting for lunch or relaxing in the lobby. When we pulled up, the doorman opened the car door and Becca exited first. He smiled at her before looking at me. When he realized I was in the car as well, his whole demeanor changed. He bowed his head a little and made a sweeping gesture with his hand.
I looked at Becca to see if this guy was serious but she just smirked. As I walked past him, I realized he was the same guy who had been on duty the night I'd met the duchess and Lisa for dinner. I squashed my urge to demand if he had been the one to sell photos to the press and walked past him with just a mumbled thank you.
Inside, Duvall and Becca took us in an elevator to the penthouse. I found myself wondering if Lisa would be there and tried to calm my racing heart. I wanted to see her, to tell her I was sorry again, but wasn't sure if that would be a welcome thing or not. There was a short hallway outside the elevator that led to a large double door. Duvall knocked and we waited until another suit clad person opened the door.
"Jennie!" Reese stood up from a small desk next to the windows and walked over to me. She kissed my cheek and squeezed my shoulders. "So good to see you."
"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice."
"Not a problem at all." She led me over to a small sofa and offered me some tea. "Have you come to a decision?"
"I have." I took a polite sip from the teacup before setting it back on the table. "I would like to go back with you if the invitation is still open."
"Of course! That's wonderful news." She leaned back in her chair and smiled. "And will your father be joining us?"
"He has to finish his current chemotherapy treatments, but he'll come shortly after." I frowned, realizing there was a great deal for me to take care of, like plane tickets for him and setting up appointments. "Lisa gave me some information on Dr. Bielefeld, but I'm not sure how to go about contacting him for my father. I imagine he must have a large client list."
"Oh, no worries there. I'll have someone set that up for you. In fact, there will be several things to take care of." She turned and motioned over her shoulder to a lady in a blue dress. "You're going to need access to your accounts, someone to help get you organized and to help you in the country since you've never been."
"Um." I looked from Reese to the lady in blue and back. "I have no idea where to start."
"That's okay, dear. I knew there would be a lot to take care of."
The front door opened and Lisa walked into the room. The lady in blue and the waitress were setting up dishes on the dining table all bobbed a quick curtsy. Lisa nodded her head in acknowledgment before her eyes fixed on me. She smiled politely at me and I felt queasy. There was a distance in her eyes that hurt.
"Jennie." She sat down on the other end of the short sofa and my body automatically tilted toward her. It was like being caught in a gravitational pull. "Are you joining us for lunch?"
"Oh, no." I turned back to her aunt, wanting to focus on anything other than the person next to me. "I didn't mean to interrupt your meal. I can come back later."
Reese was watching me with that calculating look again. It wasn't unfriendly, just thoughtful. You could see her trying to figure out what was going on between me and Lisa.
"Have you eaten? I called for four people." Reese nodded toward the table and the three place settings.
"Thank you, but I really don't want to intrude."
"Nonsense. We have a lot to discuss." She turned her attention back to the lady in blue. "Sarah, can you please bring me the green folder on my desk? And call the office and see if Jimin is available."
"Yes, ma'am." Sarah hurried back with the green folder and then quietly left the room to make her phone call.
Reese flipped through the folder before handing it to me. "This holds your account numbers and access codes, including several cards that are linked to them. There is also a brief summary of the lands you hold, your official title, and an itinerary for the next two days and when we land in Lilaria."
"Accounts? Itinerary?"
"Yes, your family's holdings have been guarded by the crown. When they left to protect themselves, they only took what they could carry. This meant leaving a great deal of money and valuables in banks and trusts." Reese sipped her tea while I digested that bit. "The itinerary is to help keep us all on schedule. Since you've decided to accept your title, we will need to do a press release. This will help clear up the rumor mill some."
"You've decided to accept your title?" Lisa looked at me with interest.
"Yes." I met her eyes and tried to calm my racing heart. My decision had nothing to do with Lisa. At least that's what I kept telling myself over and over.
"Good. Will your father be joining us?"
"He has to finish his current course of treatment."
"Excellent. I'll make a call to Dr. Bielefeld and see that he is aware of your father's case." Lisa leaned back in her seat.
"Thank you." I was trying to not be bothered by her behavior, but I found myself wishing the friendly, flirty person I had spent the day with yesterday was sitting next to me. She'd pulled back and I knew it was my fault.
I looked back at Reese, who was watching us with a small smile. When Sarah came back into the room, she brought a small notebook to Reese. "It took some arranging, but Jimin is delighted to help Lady Kim."
"Jimin?" I asked.
"Jimin is a member of the royal household staff. He has agreed to become your personal assistant, at least until you find one that suits you better. But I think you'll get along with him quite well." Reese smiled. "His mother is Lilarian, but his father is Korean, so he will be able to help you adjust to the customs better than some might."
"Oh. How does one pay a personal assistant? Is it an hourly thing or a salary?" I ran my fingers over the folder in my hand. Not sure what to expect when I opened it.
"He's currently employed by the crown, which means he's being given to you as a courtesy since we invited you to the country. However, if you decide to take him on as part of your staff, you'll be able to make whatever arrangements suit you." Reese stood up and I set my teacup back on the table. "I need to make a phone call, but I'll be back in a few minutes."
"Go ahead and open it." Lisa nodded at the folder in my hands. "You need to know what you have."
I looked from her to the folder and frowned. There was a crest pressed into the paper and I ran my fingers over it. Was this the Kim crest? I went ahead and opened the folder and peered at the papers. There were credit cards attached with paperclips inside and several papers were bank statements I had to look at several times. My eyes rose to meet Lisa's, only to find her with a small smile.
"This is… mine?" I literally couldn't wrap my mind around the numbers. There were millions in each account. There were so many zeros I thought my eyes would cross. I needed a calculator.
"Yes."
There was a map with a highlighted area and several spots marked in another color. I traced them with my finger, not sure what they meant. While the other papers had been in English, the map was in Lilarian.
"What are these?" Lisa scooted closer on the couch so she could look at the paper.
"That is a map of your estate. It is roughly four miles by two." She traced a finger along the green line before tapping one of the red dots. "And this is one of your oil wells."
There were four red dots on the map and I stared in disbelief. "They're all active?"
"The two with orange around them are active. The others are closed right now. The blue dot is the village or township that belongs to the Kim family."
I looked up at Lisa, my eyes wide with fear. Suddenly those bank accounts didn't feel as big. "I'm responsible for an entire village?"
She laughed, some of the amusement from yesterday creeping back into her eyes. "They pay a tax to your family, and you in turn take care of them."
"Take care of them from what?"
"Think of it as a town where you're the mayor. If there is a natural catastrophe, you help find a way to take care of it. If it's too big for you to handle, you would plead the crown, who would take it to the parliament. If they needed a new road or a new school, you would take care of that through your taxes."
"Oh, sweet baby Jesus." I looked at her in horror. "I have no idea how to do any of that!"
"I promised I wouldn't throw you to the wolves." She leaned her head closer to me and I took a deep breath, enjoying her scent. "As the crown princess, it's my job to help you understand your duties. Eventually, I'll be the one you're reporting things to, so it only makes sense."
"I see." I lowered my voice so no one could hear me. "Lisa, I'm a wildlife biologist. I'm in way over my head."
"You're a smart woman who will rise to the occasion." Her eyes dipped down to my lips and I fought the urge to lick them.
"I'm sorry about yesterday."
"You were right." She frowned. "I should know better. I'll be good if you are." Her eyes glinted with the dare. "Just know if you feel like changing your mind, I'm right here."
"I'll remember that." I couldn't help smiling at the challenge in her eyes. "Does this mean we can be friends for now? I have a feeling I could use some people on my side."
"I'll try for you." Her eyes ran over my body and I shook my head. "For now."
"Friends don't ogle friends."
"I said I'd try. I didn't promise anything." Sitting back in her seat, she chuckled. "I have a feeling our friendship will have a shelf life."
"A shelf life?"
"You'll either end up hating me or in my bed." Her eyes grew dark. "And I know which one I'd prefer."
Heat raced over my body and I had to take a deep breath. Unfortunately, that meant inhaling more of her delicious scent. Her eyes narrowed and she leaned a little closer to me.
"If you keep looking at me like that, we're not going to even be able to pretend to be friends." Her voice was husky and the room seemed to narrow around us. Like tunnel vision I forgot there were members of the detail and the maid in the room. It wasn't until Reese cleared her throat that I came back to my senses.
"This is going to be an interesting challenge." Lisa smiled as she leaned back in her chair.
"Well, I think they're ready for us to order." Reese looked at me with a suspiciously bland face. "I hope you're hungry, Jennie."
I stood up and brushed my hands on my jeans, embarrassed to be caught in the staring contest with Lisa. I took the menu Sarah handed me and took a seat at the table.
Lisa sat next to me, her knee brushing mine. I should have moved my leg but I didn't. Apparently I felt like torturing myself today. When Reese sat down across from me, I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing at the ridiculousness of my life. Sarah joined us for lunch, discussing the itinerary for the next two days.
"So we leave on the Friday?" I picked at my salad, pushing the cucumbers out of the way.
"I know that is soon, but I have several engagements coming up." Reese tore a piece of bread in half and put a little butter on the slice.
"No, I understand. I just have a lot to take care of by then."
"I'd be happy to help make any arrangements." Sarah smiled at me over her food. "It would really be no problem. Just let me know what you need."
"I'll have to make a list. I'm not sure I'll think of everything."
"That's part of my job. I'll sit down with you before you leave. Do you have a passport?"
"I do. I need to pack and talk to my roommate. Thankfully, I'm paid up on rent for the next few months." The waitress whisked away my half-eaten salad and replaced it with a plate of small sandwiches. It had seemed like the safest choice, but now I was regretting not ordering something heftier.
"Is there anything we need to address in particular with the press release?" Sarah opened a notebook next to her plate.
"No matter what we say, they are going to latch on to the story." Lisa sipped from her water glass and watched me over the rim. "Another reason to make a hasty exit."
"Why are they so interested?" I looked around the table. "So what if my ancestor was a royal? It's another country. It has nothing to do with anyone over here."
"You don't get it. You're like an Korean Cinderella in America." Lisa laughed at my expression.
"Last time I checked, I didn't own any glass slippers." I scoffed at the idea. It wasn't like I was being rescued by the prince. Or whisked away to be married. Not that I would say that part out loud. "No wicked stepmother forcing me to sleep at a hearth."
"It's the idea of it all. A young woman who's been working hard finds out she's the long-lost descendant of a royal family. It's exciting. Even in Lilaria, you're going to be an object of interest." Reese sighed thoughtfully. "There isn't much to be done about that."
"There have been other families, right? You said other families left Lilaria and the queen was looking for all of them."
"You're only the second to come back. Two of the other lines have ended." Reese frowned. "And while you're the second to reclaim your title, Duke Thysmer is quite a bit older than you."
"You mean he is almost seventy years old." Lisa laughed. "No, you're going to be far more interesting because you're a young Foreigner. People will be curious about your background, how you adjust to your new life, and if you make any waves."
"I wasn't planning on it." I frowned at her, wondering why she seemed to think I would.
"Sometimes waves are a good thing. Rock the boat a little." Lisa's smile was entirely too sexy to be in the friend zone, so I looked back at my food and tried to ignore her. I wouldn't mind rocking a boat with her.
"You're going to do fine, dear." Reese smiled at me. "And we will make sure you have someone to help you every step of the way."
After lunch, Lisa had to leave for some diplomatic engagement I was entirely too overwhelmed to even think about. She lifted my hand to her lips and I felt my breath catch at the feel of her mouth on my skin again.
"I hope to see you soon." I didn't respond, just nodded my head. Words had failed me.
Once she was gone, Sarah had me cornered on the couch and was giving instructions on what to pack.
"You won't have to worry about any immunizations, just your passport. Do you speak any Lilarian?" When I shook my head she sighed slightly but didn't look too put out. "That's fine. I will get you one of the audio programs to listen to. For the most part, we are a bilingual country, but all the formal ceremonies will be held in Lilarian."
"Of course." I swallowed and questioned my decision for the umpteenth time.
"Jennie, I have to meet with the Governor tonight. If you need anything, let Sarah know. We'll send you a copy of the press release in the morning. The sooner we get that done, the sooner we can try to keep things in check." Reese came out of her room dressed in formal wear.
"You look spectacular." She was wearing a small diadem in her hair and a long, plum-colored dress that made her silver hair shine.
"Thank you, sweetheart." Reese smiled, pleased with my compliment. She patted her hair gently. "I hate wearing these, but since it's a formal event it's part of the uniform."
"Is it heavy?" I eyed the diamonds.
"This one isn't too bad, but even after an hour it starts to weigh on you." Sarah stood up and helped Reese into a dressy winter coat. "You'll have to practice at home so you learn how to hold your neck and get used to the weight for your ceremony."
"Excuse me?" I looked at her like she'd grown a second head.
"You will have a choice of jewels for the ceremony, but the Kim family jewels would be the most appropriate." Reese picked up a small purse from a table and laughed at my expression. "You look like I told you you'd have to wear a bear head, not a crown."
"You guys don't wear bear heads, do you?"
"Only for the secret ceremonies." Reese winked at me as she left in a whirlwind of purple and black.
"She was kidding, right?" I looked at Sarah but she only smirked.