Min-jun was sound asleep by the time Hye-jin arrived in Cheol’s quarters. Cheol himself was beginning to doze off, surrounded by the scent of roses, Min-jun’s steady breaths lulling him to sleep. Min-jun fit so well into his arms as if he’d been meant to be held like this. Loved like this. His body was comfortably warm, and his hair felt like silk threads between Cheol’s fingers.
“I know you’re awake,” Hye-jin said, thoroughly displeased. She stood not far from them, going by the sound of her voice.
“Is a good night’s rest too much to ask for?” Cheol replied. He kept his voice low, so as not to disturb Min-jun. Unlike someone else in this room, he was respectful of other people’s sleep. Sun had said that Min-jun had been unable to sleep lately. Cheol could relate. It would be good for them both to get some rest.
“I thought you were going to get rid of him,” Hye-jin said. “It was what we’d agreed on.”
Cheol sat up in bed, careful not to jostle Min-jun awake. “It seems I had neglected a vital part of our plan.”
“And what was that?”
“I did not give Min-jun a chance to speak.” Cheol pushed Min-jun’s inky hair out of his face, fingertips grazing Min-jun’s cheek. In response, Min-jun crinkled his nose and cuddled closer, wrapping his arms around Cheol’s waist. Cheol kept his gaze on him for a moment longer, waiting for him to open his eyes, but he did not.
Hye-jin looked at Cheol as if he’d gone mad. “How can he make the right choice? He’s been completely consumed with killing you for years now –”
“Hye-jin,” Cheol interrupted. “That’s enough. He and I have reached an agreement now.”
“What’s happened to you?” Hye-jin asked in disbelief. “You’re acting irrationally . . . every time you’re around him, all you do is act like some lovesick fool!” Her hands rolled into fists. “It’s almost like you’re under a curse whenever you are near him.”
A curse! Of all the conclusions in the world, this was the one Hye-jin had settled on?
“Paranoia will get us nowhere,” Cheol replied. “I’m not entirely convinced I care either way.”
“Cheol –”
“Hye-jin, when has Min-jun ever been a threat to me?” Cheol asked. “He speaks of assassination, but he’s never made any attempts, even though I’ve given him more than enough opportunities. Even in Wolgwang City, he saved my life when he could have let me die without any consequences.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Hye-jin averted her gaze. It was so unlike her to be stubborn about something like this. Was it so wrong for Cheol to want Min-jun all to himself?
“Ccv sfa, sbe jgf atf bcis bcf tfgf ab tjnf aglfv ab xlii bcf bo er.” Jtfbi atgfjvfv tlr olcufgr atgbeut atf fcvr bo Zlc-pec’r tjlg. “P tjv ifa sbe ub klatbea qeclrtwfca ktfc sbe qblrbcfv Zlc-pec yfmjerf P atbeuta sbe’v vbcf la obg atf yfcfola bo Vjgb. Dea gfra jrregfv, lo sbe ags rbwfatlcu ilxf atlr jujlc, cba fnfc beg oglfcvrtlq klii yf jyif ab rtlfiv sbe.”
Hye-jin’s face twisted into a bitter smile. “After all we’ve been through?”
“I love you, Hye-jin,” Cheol said. “But -”
“You just love him more.”
Cheol wasn’t sure about that. They were entirely different feelings, after all. His silence must’ve hit a nerve, though, because Hye-jin stormed out of the room without another word.
“How odd,” Cheol murmured. Was she hiding something, perhaps?
Ah, now he was too awake to fall asleep again. Cheol untangled himself from Min-jun, who had clearly been faking sleep since Hye-jin had arrived. Let him keep up his farce. What would Min-jun do now that he knew it was Hye-jin who had poisoned him? Whatever it was, Cheol would not intervene. Min-jun had every right to be furious with both of them, after all. It had nearly cost him his life.
Cheol slipped back into his study, where Min-jun’s court lady uniform sat abandoned. Hye-jin must’ve been quite shocked when she’d seen it. Sighing, Cheol bent down to pick up the garments. A small pouch slipped out of the fabric. A small red pouch drawn shut by a gold string. Curious. Cheol opened it in one hand and recognized its contents immediately. A common poison, often dissolved in liquids, where it was rendered tasteless and odorless. This much would not have been enough to kill Cheol, but it would’ve brought him close enough to the brink of death to make others fear for his life.
Good thing Hye-jin had already gone away. Cheol put the poison in one of his desk drawers, alongside a silver binyeo and a letter addressed to Min-jun. He lingered there a moment. Would it ruin all they’d built until now if he gave Min-jun the letter? Would it give Min-jun the confirmation he needed and ruin any slim chance they had at being together? What were its contents? Did she tell Min-jun to continue his vengeance? No, certainly not. What sort of mother would ask that of her son?
Indeed, what mother would? All at once, he was reminded of his mother’s suffering. He had also been convinced that his mother had wanted to be avenged. Perhaps she truly had, deep down.
“Come back to bed already!” Min-jun cried out, irritation clear in his lilting voice.
Cheol closed the drawer and returned to Min-jun’s side, leaving the binyeo and letter to wait for another day. Not yet. Not tonight.
“Tch,” Min-jun murmured, as he cuddled close to Cheol again. “It’s rude to just leave, you know?”
Cheol chuckled, as Min-jun tucked his head under his chin. “My apologies, love.”
“Hmph.”
. . .
Cheol woke up hours later when the sun had yet to rise. Min-jun laid fast asleep beside him, peaceful in his slumber. The head eunuch entered to announce that the water for his bath had been drawn. Such was the life of a King. Cheol pouted, giving his love a squeeze and a kiss on the forehead before he untangled himself from Min-jun and began his day.
“Consort Hui has fallen asleep in my chambers,” Cheol told the eunuch, as he stepped out into his study. “Do not rouse him from his sleep.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
“And have them bring his breakfast spread to my room.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Cheol left his chambers and walked down the hall, servants in tow. The bath smelled of mint and something vaguely floral. Cheol walked to the edge of the wooden bath: a sprawling bathtub that was built in the center of the room, large enough for ten people to fit into it.
Steam curled up from the bath. Cheol dipped his fingers into the water, watching the water ripple. The temperature was perfect, as usual. He sank into the tub, breathing contently. His court maids entered briefly to take his folded clothes, and when he was finally left alone, he lifted his hand up from the water, a seed in the center of his palm. The earth hummed with life again. A familiar thrill of excitement went through him. There you are. From the seed, a carnation bloomed, its petals a bright, passionate red. He was whole once more. A fool in love can bring down a nation.
He brought the carnation to his nose, breathing in the fresh floral scent. A smile curled on his lips. I will fight for you with all my might, Hae Min-jun.
. . .
His servants followed close behind him as they crossed the courtyard. The weather was a bit warmer today, as the first of the sun’s rays peeked over the horizon, chasing away the shadows. There were no others running about the courtyard tonight. All the world had settled into a peaceful silence. A light breeze rustled through the trees, tangling in their branches. Even the sky was clear, painted in the pastel hues of dawn.
“A lovely morning,” Cheol commented, as he admired the sunrise.
The head eunuch glanced up at him, surprised to have the King speaking to him again. Cheol supposed he had been rather quiet the last few days.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Quite lovely.” The head eunuch clasped his hands together and nodded, eyes shining.
Cheol’s mind had already returned to a more interesting topic. Perhaps he would be able to watch the sunrise with Min-jun one of these days. Yes, such things were possible now. They could experience the first snow together, the new year, the blossoms of spring. Min-jun’s birthday was in spring, was it not? Cheol would have to plan something special.
A gasp from behind him drew Cheol’s attention away from his daydreams.
“The plum blossoms!” one of the court maids said, in awe. All of them turned their heads in the direction of the plum blossom tree. His mother’s favorite. The one that would not answer to him.
“They’re beautiful,” another said, a hand to her chest.
Indeed, the plum blossom tree that had not bloomed for over two decades had branches filled to the brim with delicate blossoms. Pale pink petals had appeared in abundance overnight. Cheol approached it slowly, as if the petals might fall away once he got too close. As if they might recognize him and deem him unworthy of seeing them again.
No such thing occurred. With his heart hammering in his chest, Cheol put a hand to the tree’s bark. You’re alive after all. He could hear it humming, like a lullaby from his childhood. Several petals fluttered down in the wind. They fell into Cheol’s waiting palm.
It was all Min-jun’s doing, wasn’t it? Cheol held back a laugh as he let the petals drift off his hand and follow the wind’s tracks. Now, how will you take responsibility for this, my love? You’ve made me lose control again.
“Hmph,” he could imagine Min-jun saying, “this again? Perhaps Your Majesty should learn how to take responsibility for your own actions.” And then he’d cross his arms and turn his face away, his lips drawn in a pout.
Cheol shook his head. No, no, if he thought of Min-jun like that, Cheol would not be able to stop himself from returning to his bedroom and scooping Min-jun back into his arms. He had to focus on the day ahead.
Just a few more hours. Ah, but why did it feel so long now? Cheol cursed the heavens for giving him such a demanding job. Had he been a simple merchant, he would’ve been able to wait for his love to wake up. But the King must wake before even the sun.
Cheol turned away from the tree and returned to his entourage. “Today is an auspicious day, indeed!”
“Oh yes, Your Majesty,” the Eunuch chirped, cheerful now that his King was in such high spirits. “After all, today is the day Lady Ok-jeong will arrive at the Palace.”
And just like that, Cheol’s good mood was instantly lost. The world weighed on his shoulders once more. Damn. He’d forgotten all about that woman.
“Y-your Majesty?” the Eunuch stuttered. “I-is that not why you are so happy.”
Cheol glared down at the poor Eunuch. “Why would I be happy about that?”
A/N: Cheol has been diagnosed with the Honeymoon Phase. I’m afraid it’s incurable in his situation. Poor Min-jun will have to deal with the fall-out. Anywho, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. If you did, please leave a comment down below.
He killed his own mood with the consequences of his past actions
I think it means his mother approves of how her baby spent the night 🌸.
Without Hye-jin and Lady Ok-Jeong this would be a perfect chapter but they made my plum branches go limp. Curious what Min-jun will do with his day.
All his mother ever wanted for cheol was a happy life full of love 😌. I fear only minjun will be able to give him that
Right? 🤦
Hopefully he learns from his past mistakes and never does something like this again. Thank you for commenting!
The plum blossom tree! That is so cute and so romantic! I really hope that postponing to show the letter won’t backfire on Cheol…or if it does, it won’t backfire disastrously. Thank you for the chapter!
Cheol has a romantic side and it’s coming back in full force. As for the letter … we shall see. Thanks for commenting
Pretty sure when Min Jun finds out about the arrival of Lady Ok jeong , he will tell his Majesty to take responsibility for his action. Doubt that Min Jun will just turn his head and pout!
Thank you for sweetness
thanks for the update !! 😁
We get smooches finally.