Sun had no choice but to concede, knowing that what waited for him at the end of all this was certain death at the King’s hands. Left to his own devices, he knew Min-jun was clever enough to slip away on his own.
“Send a messenger to the Palace,” said Min-jun. “I’ll need you to follow us from afar.”
“And if I lose you?” asked Sun, as they took their places near the spice cabinet in the restaurant’s kitchen. “What then?”
“I’ll find a way out, either way. Having you shadow us would simply facilitate things.” Min-jun pulled a small parcel from his sleeve. “I intend to poison them. They’ll have to eat eventually.”
“And if they don’t?” asked Sun.
“You’re being contrary.”
“Because your plan is a fool’s errand,” said Sun. “Anyone else could take your place in this scheme of yours –”
“I won’t allow them to put anyone else in danger.”
Sun sighed. “I know. You and the King both. You love to martyr yourselves.”
Auntie Hong entered the kitchen in a whirlwind, darting from one side of the kitchen to the other, grabbing spices and bottles of soju and a few cloves of garlic.
“Boy, grab that box of kimchi for me,” she said. “And some soybean paste for the stew. Hurry now. This is an impatient lot.”
There was no backing out now. Min-jun gave Sun a warning look. Do not interfere.
The men were indeed a rowdy, crude lot, and they ogled Min-jun shamelessly as he served them their meals and drinks. In truth, it reminded him of the Kisaeng house, down to the wandering hand on his shoulder or waist.
“No way that’s a man,” he heard them whisper. “Look at that face.”
Sun had a harder time dealing with their crudeness than Min-jun, and his actions held none of the decorum that Min-jun showed. He placed their plates and bottles of soju down with unnecessary force.
“Calm down,” Min-jun murmured when they both found themselves in the kitchen. “I’m used to this sort of thing.”
“How dare they speak to the King’s Consort in such a manner,” said Sun. “This is not something anyone should get used to. When they are in the King’s grasp, I will make sure to tell him of their crimes.”
“You’re free to do so,” Min-jun said. “But you need to look like a potential seller, not a man out to kill them all.”
A voice called for someone to serve them their meal, and Min-jun left the kitchen without another word to his poor guard. One man whistled as he circled around their table.
“You’re new here, darling, aren’t you?” he asked. “There was just the old crone last time we came.”
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.
Darling. The pet name made him uneasy, the false King’s voice echoing in his ears, but he maintained an easy demeanor.
“Tfr, ws Obgv,” tf rjlv.
“Obgv!” atf wjc gfqfjafv, ibevis. Lf yjgxfv j ijeut. “Qtja rkffa kbgvr. Tbe rbecv ilxf j ilaaif rfgnjca ulgi.”
“Yl,” sfiifv Cecalf Lbcu. “Ktlr lrc’a j xlrjfcu tberf, ifjnf ws kbgxfgr jibcf! Po sbe kjca fcafgajlcwfca, atfgf’r j ygbatfi pera vbkc atf ragffa.”
“Their food isn’t as delicious as yours, Auntie,” said the man, one hand wrapping around Min-jun’s shoulder, shaking him. “And their girls are not as interesting.”
“I must return to the kitchens now, my Lords,” said Min-jun. They moaned in disappointment. Min-jun stood up, separating himself from the young man. As he returned to the kitchen, he nodded to Sun. It’s time. If there was one thing he’d learned, it was that he could not allow those men to spend another second more with those kidnapped women. They were likely even worse behind closed doors. He might be used to it, but Sun was right. No one should have to listen to such vile things.
Min-jun sat down and began to peel a basket of sweet potatoes, making sure to take a seat where the men could still view him as they discussed. If Sun couldn’t convince them, his beauty would. How much for the delicate young man in the jade robes? If there was one thing Min-jun had learned in the Kisaeng House, it was that his beauty was expensive.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the men nod to Sun. The deal was struck. Min-jun looked at the vegetable in his hand, but his mind had wandered to a pair of violet eyes. The King’s face and all the emotions Min-jun had witnessed pass through it, the sorrow, the fury, the love. Oh, the love he’d seen in those eyes. He turned the knife over in his hand, watching the steel blade glint in the firelight. The King’s dagger, the one he’d gifted Min-jun the first time someone had attacked him, lay at his side.
I’m sorry, Cheol.
The King would find him, however long it took. He always found him in the end. Truly, there was no place to run. He could make his way halfway across the world and the King would already be there, waiting for him. Such was the nature of the King’s love.
“It’s done,” Sun said, pausing as he entered the kitchen. “Why are you looking at that knife so tenderly?”
Min-jun, returning to himself, dropped his hands into his lap and cleared his voice. “It’s nothing.”
But the warmth lingered in him, just as the memories did. How had the fire of his vengeance turned to this? And why did he not mind it? Long ago, he had thought he would if he were ever to lose his desire for revenge. He would simply waste away, with no purpose to guide him. So what is my purpose now? Finding that out wasn’t as scary as he’d thought. Not with the King by his side, to hold him together all the while, to shower him with such love and attention. Attention that had been waning lately, but still . . .
I want to be more like you, Cheol-ah.
Ah, he was being oversentimental again. This man has completely ruined him. Though I do believe I’ve returned the favor in kind.
. . .
Min-jun was sold to the rogues when the moon was high, illuminating the streets where Sun reluctantly handed him over. The man who’d bought him for a handful of mun took Min-jun by the arm. In a single exchange, Min-jun became someone else’s property. What sort of scum would do this to a person?
The scum that walked beside him, apparently. He had been one of the quieter men at the table, drinking bottle after bottle of soju. Though he hadn’t spoken a word, his eyes had swept over him as much as the others had. Min-jun glanced up at him now. His face was grizzled with age, the grey cast over his skin making him appear gaunt, his thin lips pulled into a thin line. He might’ve been thin, but the grip on Min-jun’s arm was tight enough to bruise. Somewhere in the distance, Sun observed them, undoubtedly upset.
The man took him to a tea shop not far from the spot where Sun had sold him at. He pushed Min-jun inside, where a group of men sat, some drinking, others playing card games and janggi.
“Well, well, well,” said the loud whistling man from the restaurant, wrapping an arm around Min-jun as he had before. He reeked of alcohol. “If it isn’t our pretty little fairy.” He leaned on Min-jun, swaying from the alcohol. “How about you entertain us now, hmm?”
“Leave the merchandise alone, Suk,” said an old man playing janggi in the corner. “Put him with the others.”
Suk sighed, releasing Min-jun. “Fine.” He opened what appeared to be part of the wall, but it opened into a cramped, dark room. Suk pushed Min-jun inside roughly, so he’d land on his hands and knees. “Another one for the ladies. Play nice in there.”
When Min-jun lifted his gaze, at least a dozen other women and girls peered back at him.
“He’s a man,” one of the younger women said.
“Yes, we can tell,” said the woman in the center. A woman almost as beautiful as herself, her long her tied behind her in a tight, glossy braid. She wore the clothes of a peasant woman, drab and old, but it did not take away from her natural beauty. Her lips were a deep berry tone, her eyes sparkling obsidian, and her figure full and curvaceous. The bruising on her wrist did not go unnoticed.
“Did you get sold, too?” asked the youngest. She couldn’t be older than sixteen, but she slid closer to him without fear. She offered him a piece of candy wrapped in paper. “It’s persimmon candy. My father bought it for me before . . . well, it’s very delicious. Do you like persimmons, uncle?”
“Uncle?” Min-jun repeated. He didn’t look that old, did he? “I do.” Persimmons reminded him of Mai, who would eat the fruit whenever she could get her hands on it, whether it be a candy or a fresh slice of the persimmons in the royal orchards. I hope she’s safe. But he hadn’t been able to find any hints of her anywhere. Had Mother not put her gift to use after all?
The girl put the persimmon candy in his hand and closed his fist around it, her smaller hand laying on top of his. “Have hope, uncle. I’m sure the King’s Investigators are out there looking for us right now.”
Oh, they certainly will be soon.
Min-jun nodded, holding her cold hands between his. It was rare to find someone whose hands were colder than his. “Thank you, my lady.”
“Lady!” she giggled. “I’m no lady, I’m a blacksmith’s daughter. Was.”
“Did your father –”
The girl nodded, hugging her knees to her chest and rocking back and forth. “Papa didn’t have enough money to feed the whole family. He needs my brothers to work in the shop, and I’m the most useless one of my sisters too. It was my fault, really –”
“Quiet,” said the pretty woman, her hoarse voice harsh even to Min-jun’s ears. “No more of your prattling. I’ve told you that before.”
“Sorry, Minho-ya,” said the girl.
“Is that,” Min-jun started. “Is that how it was for all of you?”
“Was it not the same for you?” asked the girl.
Min-jun considered if he should tell them his plan and his identity. He figured it would be best to. The King would rescue them either way, and the women might prove to be helpful if they were let in on what was happening.
“Not exactly,” Min-jun said. The room next door erupted in drunken laughter. Min-jun gestured for the women to gather closer. They did so, and Minho rolled her eyes before joining in as well. “I had my guard sell me.”
They all stared at him, eyes wide, jaws dropped. “Why?”
“Are you stupid or something?” Minho asked, incredulously.
“It’s not that stupid,” Min-jun said, surprised by the backlash. “I’m leading the Royal Investigation Bureau straight to them.”
The girl beside him gasped, looking at him with wide, admiring eyes. “Are you a Royal Investigator, uncle?”
“No.”
“Then why in the world would the Royal Investigation Bureau do as you say?” Minho crossed her arms. “Or are you really just a fool?”
“I’m the King’s Consort. He doesn’t take kindly to his Consort being put in danger.”
Silence followed, and then a chorus of frantic whispers. Min-jun tried in vain to silence them.
“The King’s Consort!”
“So it’s true the Consort the King favors is a man!”
“We’ll really be saved!”
“How romantic!”
“Quiet!” Minho ordered, and the girls quickly ate their words. Minho leaned across the floor to look Min-jun in the eye. She had an intense stare that rivaled even the King’s. “Is what you say true?”
“Yes?”
“How sure are you that the King will come for you?”
“Completely,” Min-jun replied, touching the ring on his finger absentmindedly. “He’s been searching for you for a long time now. My guard is watching us, and most government personnel around the city know my face. They’ll keep track of us.”
“If your King is so wise, why hasn’t he already saved us?”
And, once again, Min-jun found himself having to defend his husband’s honor. He went on to craft a lengthy explanation of the politics surrounding the King and the crises arising all over the country, as well as the King’s tendency toward lying in wait and striking at the most opportune moment. None of them seemed particularly interested.
“In short,” Min-jun said, a bit sheepish for his little ‘the King is great, actually’ tangent. Maybe it was the sex that had turned him into a complete lovesick fool. Must be the sex. The King’s seduction was a scary thing. “The King has likely been waiting to strike at the right moment, and his more powerful enemies also seem to have their hands in this, so please do not be too hard on him.”
“How romantic!” the girl with the candy cooed. “You must love the King a lot, uncle!”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.”
Wouldn’t you?
A/N: Hello, sorry I’ve been so erratic with updates recently. I’m working on turning HTKAK into a murder mystery novel to be traditionally published soon and it’s taking up all of my time. I decided to rewrite it from the beginning because I’m extra. Min-jun is just an Investigator in this one because it leaves more time for pining. Anyway, that’s my excuse. Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did, please leave a comment down below.
AUTHOR IVE MISSED YOU SO SO MUCH! GOOD LUCK ON PUBLISHING HTKAK! I WISH YOU THE BEST 🥰❤️
P.S. Thank you for the update. I’m so excited to see the next chapter! 😜❤️
Thank you so much for commenting! ❤
Why don’t I much confidence in Cheol?!?! I feel like Min Jun is going to be stuck there for a while 🙁
Congrats on publishing! I’m excited for a series of the Adventures of Min Jun
oooh omg please do tell when it’s published i wanna be one of the first to buy it (≧▽≦)
I hope he’s really helping and not distracting Cheol from Kinging properly. There has to be other ways to become legendary besides losing the kingdom while constantly retrieving one’s consort 😄. On the other hand, it might be such a huge success that the nobles are instantly won over and then the Ok-jeong can quietly disappear hehehe.
No need for apologies! Just grateful for any updates as long as none include the queen being preggo! 🧐
Isn’t it very stupid for min jun to do that… I mean why does He need to keep the king on tenterhooks every time by endangering him self?? Does he enjoy seeing the king hurt.. even if he is bored I don’t think that’s a wise move, cause in this way the king might prevent him from participating in any other cases due to his suicidal ways of solving things…
Thanks for the chapter ♥️♥️