The sun had begun to set when a servant came running up the stairs, his eyes wide and jaw clenched tight in fear. Upon reaching the throne, he leaned down to whisper in the King’s ear. Min-jun watched as the King’s expression morphed into one of shock. It must’ve been urgent, what with how he shot up from his spot. Without wasting even a second on excuses, he followed the servant down the steps.
Min-jun leaned forward in his seat, knowing he could leave right now under the guise of following the King. Yun-seo took hold of his arm.
“It could be dangerous.”
Going against the wishes of a seer was often ill-advised in stories, but if one of Mother’s spies was out there then he had to take the risk.
“Why? Is my future no longer a blank slate?”
“That’s not how my visions work,” she told him. Her nails dug into his skin. “Stay. I don’t know what you’re looking for, but it’s not worth this.”
Not a vision of him, then, but certainly a vision about the Festival. Perhaps the King was dealing with the aftermath right now. Perhaps whatever had her shaken had yet to pass. Either way, he didn’t have time to speculate on that now. He placed a hand on Yun-seo’s and gently pried her fingers off of his arm.
“I’ll be fine.” Sun would be with him all the while. Of course, if Min-jun should find who he was looking for, he’d need to find a way to get Sun off his trail. He’d leave that dilemma for later. “If I don’t return in two hours –”
“An hour.”
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.
That wasn’t enough time.
“An hour. Feel free to send the guards after me.” With that, he made his way down the steps and into the crowd, certain that many people had their eyes on him. Jeong-eun and Chae-won followed him.
“Where are you going, Highness?” Jeong-eun asked. “It’s dangerous for you to run around like this. We should get you a change of clothes.”
“No,” he told her. “It’s best if I stand out. You both should stay here.”
“What?” they chimed in unison, startled at the proposal.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be with the King all the while. I want to see what made him leave so urgently.”
“Still –”
“That’s an order, Jeong-eun. I understand your concern, but I can take care of myself.” Or rather, Sun could take care of his enemies for him.
Jeong-eun pouted but came to a halt. “Alright, but I’ll give you a good lecture if you come home with even a stretch.”
He walked out of the plaza, where the rest of the festival was in full swing. Outside of the palace, the commoners must be celebrating in their own way as well. He hadn’t taken part in a Summer Festival like this since his parents had passed. Now he experienced it from a royal’s point of view.
The rest of the festivities had made a home around the lake just a short walk from the plaza. Tents lined the shore of the lake, where vendors sold food and drink of all types, and dancers and acrobats performed for the noble masses. It should be crowded enough for a clandestine meeting. If the messenger was here, they’d reach out to him personally, now that Min-jun had gone to the trouble of reaching out to them. If not, then he’d have to wait for another way to get the information to Mother.
For a while, he strolled by the shoreline – a misshapen oval – hoping his apparel would draw his ally out of the shadows. Mother would never pass up a chance to gather information on the enemy, would she? Minutes built upon one another, and he remembered Yun-seo’s warning. He had no doubt she intended to send a search party if he ran even a second late. Then, he’d have to explain himself. Where he’d been. Who he talked to. He’d lie, of course, but it was still a bother.
An arm wrapped around his waist without a moment’s notice, and just as a yelp meant to pass through his lips, a hand clamped over his mouth, stifling any noise that he might’ve produced. He’d pulled Min-jun into an abandoned tent full of odd trinkets, clocks and hats and such, all crowding the shelves. A string of lights lit up the space, painting everything in a warm, comforting glow that reminded him of family dinners.
In some part of his mind, he also recognized the body of the person behind him. When the man spoke, Min-jun’s panic faded, his muscles relaxing. A moment later and mild annoyance replaced the fear and relief that plagued him. The man removed his hand, but his arm remained tight around his waist.
Min-jun twisted around to face him. Same dark brown eyes, same eerily proportionate face. “Iseul.”
“It’s been a while . . .” he trailed off, biting his lip in thought. “Shall I call you ‘your Highness’ now?”
“Why bother? You clearly have no respect for my newfound status.” Min-jun took the arm around his waist and forced it away. “Mother sent you.”
“Always so eager to talk business,” Iseul said, leaning down to look him in the eye. Min-jun had always hated how much taller he was, although they were only a year apart. “You used to be so much more fun.”
“We ought not to look back to the past,” Min-jun said.
Iseul straightened, grinning like he meant to laugh. “Says the man who has wasted away in the name of revenge.”
“It seems you haven’t changed. Still just as irritating.” He crossed his arms. “I have a message to deliver to Mother.”
“Fine,” Iseul said, sitting down on a low shelf with a bottle of sake on it. “What’s your message? Has the King already caught onto you?”
Min-jun froze, and Iseul laughed too loudly. He never held back when he found something to mock.
“I should’ve known that would happen,” he said. “How have you managed to keep your head? You’re not that tempting.”
That’s not what you were saying a few years ago.
Please, they both knew Min-jun could get him wrapped around his finger if he wanted to. But he had better things to do.
“The King’s taken a liking to me,” he responded, taking some enjoyment in the flash of jealousy on his face, the slight scowl on his lips. Min-jun had no interest in him, not anymore, but he still enjoyed messing with his ego. “That’s not what I wanted to let her know. The King . . . has revealed a vital piece of information to me.”
Iseul arched his brow, as he poured himself a cup of wine. “Oh?”
Min-jun lifted his sleeve to reveal his injury. Iseul straightened, putting his drink down. He crossed the room and took him by the wrist. Min-jun felt the slightest pinprick there. He needed to take his second dose soon. “A few weeks ago, I was attacked by . . . an unknown entity. The King calls them gifts. Supernatural abilities.”
Something in Iseul’s expression shifted. His eyes moved like they were putting the pieces together, and surprise had some part in the was his face had stiffened, but it wasn’t the surprise Min-jun had expected.
“You already know.”
Thanks for the chapter ♥️♥️
thank you ❤
oh drama 😌
I do live for drama 😌
Oooh! More intrigue, yay! Thanks for the chappie~
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