Min-jun rested his head against the edge of the stone bath. The water was tepid now, smelling of peppermint oil and rosebuds. Candlelight flickered in a wooden lantern, illuminating the dim bathroom. The King had left him a spare change of clothes that now hung on the screen that separated the bath from the rest of the tiny room. There were three in the small house, and one of them belonged to the King, and now to him apparently.
A chill went down his spine, as he rested his chin on his knees, his arms wrapping around them. The King was moving at an alarming rate. They had only properly met a few minutes ago. Did he intend to make love to him tonight, or were they simply to sleep beside one another? Either way, Min-jun hadn’t expected this. Distance and suspicion, maybe, the sickening gaze of a murderer on his back. Perhaps they’d meet face-to-face once a month or so, as the King preoccupied himself with the other consorts, the ones capable of producing an heir. Min-jun would slowly seduce him with his wit and charms, poisoning him in small doses, and the King would be dead by next spring.
What was his play here? No one could possibly gain this much interest in a stranger.
Oh, damn it all! He stood up abruptly, head spinning. Whatever the King’s schemes were, he was getting nowhere by just wrinkling away in the bath.
He reached over to the top of the screen, where a white towel hung. Leaving the bath, he dried himself off quickly, wringing water out of his hair. Then he dressed in the clothes the King had left him: White undergarments, and a light blue and white ensemble. The sleeves were a bit big on him, but the jeogori and jokki fit snugly around his waist. The baji were similarly well-fitted. They must have a marvelous tailor if they were able to create perfectly measured garments for someone they had never met. So this is what it meant to be a member of the royal family.
“You look lovely,” the King said, standing in the doorway. He carried a wooden platter of food. It smelled delightful: roast pheasant swimming in a fragrant herby sauce, a vegetable soup, and a bowl of various toppings over rice. The King set the platter down on the lacquered table in the center of the room. Min-jun didn’t budge, even though the food looked as delicious as it smelled. Violet eyes raked over him, from head to toe, taking in his every movement. He might not be the cold, cruel man Min-jun had expected, but he was clearly skeptical of something. “Will you not eat?”
“I’m not very hungry.”
The King took a bowl for himself and started ladling the soup into it. “Sun said you haven’t eaten since this morning. Come, eat something. I’d hate to have you wake up in the middle of the night due to an empty stomach.”
Eating food straight from the palm of the King’s hand might’ve been an unpleasant experience Min-jun had prepared himself for, but the King’s offer was too suspicious to ignore. The food and drink could be spiked with poison, or worse, a truth serum. Truth serums tended to be difficult to brew and buy, but Kings and Emperors had a way of procuring the rarest prizes. Min-jun had drunk it only once while serving rich clients at his old job. They were tasteless and potent and vile, wringing secrets out of the victim more effectively than any torture device.
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.
“Qtja jgf sbe mbcrlvfglcu,” Ktf Blcu jrxfv, “atja sbe ibbx rb jqqgftfcrlnf?”
Pa kjr abb rerqlmlber ab bqa cba ab fja jr kfii. Pa mbeiv mbcolgw jcs vbeyar atf Blcu wluta’nf tjv.
Zlc-pec rja vbkc jmgbrr ogbw atf Blcu, qlmxfv eq j rfa bo wfaji mtbqralmxr, jcv yfujc ab fja. Lf rajgafv klat atf rbeq, qlilcu tlr ybki eq klat cbbvifr jcv atfc jvvlcu atf ygbat. Pa kjr iluta jcv rjnbgs, j ilaaif rkffa, jcv pera fcbeut obg Zlc-pec ab gfjilhf tf kjr ojwlrtfv.
“Good, isn’t it? Ji-Won made it all. Ah, I helped chop up some of the vegetables, and Hye-jin stirred the broth for a while.”
Min-jun used his chopsticks to stab through a carrot. “The vegetables are a bit chunky.”
The King laughed. “I suppose I still need some practice.”
“Indeed,” Min-jun said. Even the noodles were perfectly chewy. Ji-Won’s skills were truly commendable.
“So,” the King said, wiping at the corner of Min-jun’s mouth, “where did you say you were from?”
“Mul Province. The lake towns.” Nothing happened. It seemed the food was clean.
The King frowned. “Did you just lie?”
“I apologize. I was checking to see if you remembered, your Majesty.” He put on a coy, flirtatious smile, relaxing now. “Your memory serves you well, I see.” He took a piece of the pheasant and submerged it in the broth. “Yes, I’m from Dal Province. The mountain villages in the west to be exact.”
“Must’ve been cold.”
“In winter, yes, but I still believe that summers in the mountains are among the most beautiful.”
“Well then, you must take me there someday,” the King said, leaning his chin on his hand. “Though I must say my tolerance of the cold is rather low.”
Min-jun swallowed, leaving the taste of maple in his throat. “You grow to like it.”
“With you as my guide, I’m sure I will.”
How tasteless. His flirtations had no style to them. Min-jun almost wanted to give him some pointers.
They continued their meal until every plate had been cleared. The King responded ever gracefully as Min-jun flirted with him, and when he realized there was no more food or drink left to consume, his eyes met the King’s.
“Are we –” Min-jun started.
“Yes?”
“That is to say, were you planning on–”
“Hmm?”
Oh, come now, Min-jun, he told himself, this isn’t the first time you’ve asked a man if he wanted to have sex with you.
“I’m just wondering what your intentions were, sleeping in the same room with me.”
“Oh.” The pieces seemed to click into place for the King. “Oh, it was nothing indecent,” he reassured, waving his hands in front of him. “Hye-jin likes her space, and Sun and Ji-Won, well, they like to share their space. Since we’re to be married anyway, I figured it would be alright for you and I to sleep in the same room together. Was I wrong? I can go sleep somewhere … else.” The King’s eyes swept over their surroundings.
“No.” Min-jun took his hands, biting down on the indignance rising in him because he had just touched the King of his own volition. “No, this arrangement suits me well. I will go get ready, then.”
“Alright.” The King smiled as Min-jun rose, but before he could disappear behind the screen, the King’s placid mask fell. Somewhere in their conversation, Min-jun must have said something wrong, something that caused concern for the King.
Oh, come now, Min-jun, he told himself, this isn’t the first time you’ve asked a man if he wanted to have sex with you.
Ohhhh, I see…
Cheol, be very careful, this guy is really a slag man!!!!!
😭😭
Min-jun keeps telling us Cheol is the dangerous one, but Min-jun is the one who we should be worried about. Thank you for commenting!
Cheol, you better treat Min-jun well… even if he wants to kill you 😔
as we all know, we must always treat our local assassins with respect 😌