Servants glided into the room carrying low tables full of platters and bowls, their movements graceful and practiced. They were once again surrounded by a feast that would leave even the heavens envious. Min-jun only picked at his food, a distant expression in his clever eyes. Cheol touched Min-jun’s cheek with his knuckles, tucking a loose strand of hair behind his ear.
“What’s on your mind, love?” Cheol asked.
Min-jun shook his head, popping a fish cake from his stew into his mouth. “It’s nothing. I was just wondering . . .”
“About?”
Min-jun’s hand paused, chopsticks hovering over the bowl of spicy stew. It was as if his entire body had begun to focus solely on this case. “Do you remember the first few years after you came into power?”
“All too vividly,” Cheol replied, his voice somber as he recalled those tumultuous beginnings. “I thought I’d lead the nation to ruin one way or another.”
“I suppose you were just a boy then,” Min-jun said. Somewhere in his voice there was a hint of anger, though Cheol could not tell who it was aimed at. “I remember it as well. The raids, especially. Some people thought you were the one sending the bandits after your own people, as a way to make us obedient.”
Ah yes, the raids. Cheol had managed to catch several of the bandits, though they were tightlipped about their organization. They were a blight on his land, burning villages to the ground for no reason other than to spread destruction. They killed indiscriminately and took nothing from the villages they destroyed. Somehow, their crimes were pinned on Cheol, as if he had the time to terrorize his own people with their neighbors all trying to dominate Saro and its resources and the courtiers thinking he was little more than a puppet king for them to control at will.
Min-jun awaited his reply, and Cheol let his memories fade. Saro was at peace now, more or less, and he had his beloved by his side once more, even if the circumstances were less than ideal. He urged himself to relax. “I heard those rumors circulating as well. We never did find the one who started them, but I suppose it would be –”
“Whoever sent them in the first place.” Min-jun pressed the tip of his thumb to his bottom lip. It was rather fascinating, watching him work. Cheol had always thought so, ever since he’d begun to help Min-jun with his cases in the river towns. His cleverness was unmatched here. Now if only he weren’t so reckless.
“Damn,” Min-jun said, dropping his head into his hands. “I had no idea about anything, did I?”
Cheol reached out to lay a comforting hand on Min-jun’s back, but Min-jun rose to his feet abruptly.
“I can’t waste more time,” he declared.
Cheol took his hand, although he knew that had it been his parents at the center of all this then he might’ve also become obsessed with it. But they weren’t. No, his only concern was Min-jun, and he only cared to solve this case because it mattered to Min-jun. There was much leniency he chose to show his favored consort, but there were lines he would not let him cross. Not anymore. He would not let Min-jun neglect himself, his living, breathing self, in favor of something that might end in disappointment. Truthfully, Cheol was not as optimistic as his beloved. It seemed an irrefutable fact that the Hae family was torn apart by him. That it had been Cheol who gave the order, and no amount of shifting the blame would change that. He feared that Min-jun would realize that soon as well, but until then, he would hold onto Min-jun as tightly as he could. He would shower him with affection, wrap him in the finest silks and glittering jewels, and spend his nights whispering words of devotion in his ear until there was not a doubt in Min-jun’s mind that Cheol loved him.
“You are doing well, my love,” Cheol said. “Rest now.”
Min-jun had sat back down on the floor, pouting slightly. What was more, Cheol had wrapped his arms around Min-jun, cheek pressed to his shoulder.
“Your Majesty, it will be difficult for me to eat, if we are like this,” Min-jun said, his words polite but his tone certainly not. He pushed his elbow into Cheol’s chest and they were separated at once. Min-jun began to eat his food too quickly, the fragrant, spicy dishes disappearing bit by bit, and Cheol sighed, defeated. At least he was eating.
Min-jun finished his spread when Cheol was halfway through his, slamming his chopsticks down and standing.
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.
“Pa’r gevf ab ifjnf ktlif atfgf jgf ralii batfgr ja atf ajyif,” Jtfbi rjlv, atbeut tf kjr wbrais afjrlcu tlw cbk. Po Zlc-pec mbeiv cba yjgf j wbwfca ibcufg klatbea atbrf gfmbgvr lc tlr tjcvr atfc Jtfbi tjv cb mtblmf batfg atjc ab ifa tlw ub.
Jtfbi qgfrrfv j xlrr ab Zlc-pec’r tjcv yfobgf tf ifoa, jvwlglcu atf iluta yiert bo qlcx atja mbibgfv tlr mtffxr.
“I shall join you after my work is done,” Cheol said. “So you do not have to rely solely on those two inspectors.”
Min-jun raised a brow, tilting Cheol’s chin up with a finger. “Jealous?”
Cheol let a low chuckle rise from his chest, ghosting his own fingers down the length of Min-jun’s hand, earning a sharp inhale from Min-jun. “Naturally.”
“I hope it drives you mad,” Min-jun whispered, perhaps a bit flirtatious now, as he gazed down at Cheol, lashes casting shadows on his cheeks.
“You have already done so.”
Min-jun gave him a look, his lips pulling together, an eyebrow arching high. He took half a step closer to Cheol and then steeled himself, shaking his head slightly. It was all rather endearing to watch his consort argue with himself. Min-jun spun around on his heel and took deliberate steps toward the door. At the last moment, he turned back.
“We will settle this later.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Tch.” And with that, Min-jun threw open the doors and walked out into the busy corridor.
“I truly am,” Cheol whispered. He snorted, running a hand through his hair. Look at him, he was acting like a peasant boy in love. The Kingdom would surely suffer under his influence. Or perhaps it would prosper even further, with Min-jun there to help him maintain balance.
. . .
Min-jun returned to the record room with a full stomach and a heart full of determination. He seized whatever records were at hand and returned to his corner near the floor lantern. That inspector was staring at him again, fiddling his fingers and hardly focusing on the documents he was arranging on the shelves. Tch, that was exactly how things got out of order in the first place.
“Do you need something?” Min-jun asked. The inspector jumped in surprise, as though their eyes hadn’t met moments ago. Min-jun kept his voice even, non-confrontational. He did not wish to scare them any more than his title already had. “Out with it. I won’t send you to your deaths if that’s what you’re worried about. That’s more the King’s area of expertise.”
He flinched at the way Min-jun spoke of the King. Most others would be walked to a prison cell for a night or two before the words even left their mouths.
The inspector gulped, glancing over to his co-worker, and shifting uncomfortably. Then, he swallowed and steeled himself.
“Is it true that you’re the rumored investigator from Wolgwang City?”
Min-jun folded his hands on top of the report in his lap. “I did not realize there were rumors.”
“Oh, I . . .” the inspector scrambled for words, but ultimately surrendered himself to silence as Min-jun’s disinterest in his blabbering became clearer.
“I was an investigator in Wolgwang City before becoming the King’s consort if that answers your question,” Min-jun said. “Considering we both share a profession, I advise you stop shaking in your boots. I thought there were no braver men in Saro than those who worked for the Royal Investigation Bureau.”
That seemed to only make the inspector cower more.
Min-jun sighed. “Focus on the records, unless there is something more you wish to say.”
The inspector bit his lip, uncertain. “Well, I suppose this might sound strange, but . . . could I have your signature?”
“My signature?” Min-jun asked. “What on earth would you need that for?”
“It is common practice to get the signature of those a person admires,” the other inspector spoke, much to the relief of his friend, who seemed at a loss for words.
“You admire me?” Min-jun repeated in disbelief. “Why?”
“You’re too modest, Your Highness!” cried the inspector, forgetting his shyness just moments ago. Now, he all but yelled his admiration for him. Thank goodness the King was not there to witness it. Min-jun would never live it down. He’d be teased endlessly! “We heard how you managed to track down the Pearl Killer after he’d been murdering innocents for years with no one standing in his way! And how you realized that the Baek patriarch in Wolgwang was murdered by his own brother! And that the brother was actually his half-brother! And that time you found out that that branch of the Choi clan was actually smuggling apyeom from across the border. And –”
Min-jun raised a hand. “I think I understand. Say no more, please. It’s quite embarrassing.”
The inspector pursed his lip to keep himself from speaking further.
Min-jun nodded slightly, still feeling a little bit rattled from being reminded of all his past cases. “Very well. But I have no paper to put my signature on.”
“Oh!” the inspector said, reaching into his sleeve. He pulled out a well-loved book from within his robes and handed it to Min-jun with two hands.
“What is this?” Min-jun asked, inspecting the book. Its corners were bent and the pages had the signs of being turned quite often. He began to read the title.
‘A complete history of . . .’
Min-jun’s heart sank, and dread pooled in his stomach, as the inspector continued chatting away. “It is a book of your daring exploits, Your Highness!”
“There’s a book!” Min-jun stared at the offending object. He wondered if the inspector would be very upset if he tossed it in the fire.
“Oh, no,” the inspector reassured him, and some of the tension left Min-jun’s shoulders. “There’s multiple.”
Multiple!
Min-jun slammed the book down on the floor and the sound of it echoed in the room. “Who is writing them then?”
“We don’t know that.”
“You’re the Investigation Bureau!” Min-jun snapped, poking his finger at the cover of the book. “This is clearly a breach of privacy on the previous life of a Royal Family member. You should be finding out all you can about this person!”
“But what if they stop writing?”
“That is none of my concern, this story isn’t theirs to write down anyway!”
The inspector hung his head in a show of disappointment. “So you will not sign in?”
Min-jun clenched his jaw. Guilt gnawed away at his heart. Damn it all. When did he become so soft? “I never said that. Bring me the inkstone and brush.”
It was almost frightening how quickly the man perked up, his expression bright again. “You are so generous with your humble servants, Your Highness!”
“Hurry up.”
The inspector scrambled for the inkstone on the table and set it down at Min-jun’s feet. Min-jun rolled his eyes at the display, but took hold of the brush and dipped it into the ink. With bated breath, the two inspectors stared as Min-jun lifted his elegant sleeve and began to write with careful strokes down the front cover of the book.
When he was finished, he took a moment to admire his calligraphy. It was one of the many things Mother made him perfect in his time at the Kisaeng house, and the hours of forcing his fingers and wrist to move accordingly had paid off. Nevermind the fact that his fingers felt like they might fall off by the end of a single training session, so sore that he could hardly bend them for half a day after. Although that might’ve been because the teacher slammed her staff down on his hand whenever he grew tired, leaving it bruised and often bloody. Mother did not care. Mother only strived for perfection.
With a bitter taste in his mouth, Min-jun tossed the book in the inspector’s direction. The inspector scrambled to pick it up and bowed.
“Thank you, Your Highness!”
“Get back to work.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Idiots, the lot of them.
A/N: Hello Min-jun protection squad! I hope you are all having a wonderful day. I’m so sorry for the delay with chapters. I’ve been so tired after work lately I’ve barely been able to get any writing done. Though now that I’m feeling inspired, I hope to get at least three chapters out by the end of this week! If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a comment down below!
Wtf was this random knife at the end-
And also, don’t worry!! Just rest as much as you need and want
+1
What is a story without a few knives?
I kinda want to read the Min Jun’s Exploits book series
Thank you for the update
Me too! I love writing mj’s investigation scenes even though they’re quite difficult to get right
Thanks for the chapter! I’m guessing the writer of those books is Cheol~
Thank you so much for commenting! I love reading all these theories about who the writer might be
Thank you for your hard work!
Thank you for reading!
Whaaa shouldn’t he want to read these books to check both accuracy and privacy? What if they include what underwear he had on but consistently misquote him, or something? But as a dedicated bookworm, I agree with the inspector about provoking the author into stopping their work 😊.
I wonder if Cheol will look into it though.
Let’s hope they don’t write about the fact that he slept with q good portion of the men in wolgwang city lolol. I’m sure they only wrote very nice things about him. Or at least I hope so, for the writer’s sake.
SMOOOOOOOOCHES NOT KNIVES
You truly have a one track mind, domdom
Lol I wonder who is writing about min jun’s exploits?
I wonder that too