The next morning, the three of them prepared for their journey back to the Palace. The King had been gone for too long now, and the court would soon be turning their suspicion to action. Min-jun had gone for a final meeting with the other detectives, under the pretense of a goodbye. Truly, he only wanted to convince Eok-gi to let Kang Hye’s mother stay with him. As expected, few pleas from Dae-yeong and he’d caved, agreeing to not only take in the boy’s mother, but his father as well, all while giving him a hefty sum of money for his journey. Here’s to hoping the poor boy wasn’t robbed for having such wealth. But the way Kang Hye’s would light up upon hearing the news was enough to stamp out any of Min-jun’s concerns. It was a pity Min-jun didn’t have the time to bid him farewell properly.
“How kind of you,” the King said, when he’d heard. “I would’ve liked to meet these friends of yours.”
“That’s exactly why I’m not letting you meet them.”
“Such cruelty shown to an injured man, my love?”
Min-jun scoffed. “It’s not my fault you went and got yourself in that whole mess.”
They were both sitting on the floor, packing their bags. The King handed him a blue jeogori. What a scene this was: the two of them acting like a married couple. But that’s what we are, aren’t we?
“Alright,” Hyun-woo said, list in hand. “You’ve got your clothes packed?”
“Yes,” Min-jun replied. Did they have to do this checklist every time he left? He wasn’t a child.
“How about food? Water?”
“Yes.” Min-jun gestured to a brown duffel bag already packed full.
Hyun-woo peered into the bag. “You’ll be traveling for three nights and four days, will this be enough for all three of you?” Without even waiting for an answer, Hyun-woo hurried away to the kitchen. “I’ll pack some more for you. Honestly, do you need so many sweets?”
Min-jun gave the King a pointed look, and he grinned in return, a little sheepish. How did he manage to have such perfect teeth when all he ate was sweets?
. . .
They were leaving the city before noon. They decided to make the trek on foot since they only had one horse, and the poor thing couldn’t carry the weight of all three of them. It walked alongside the King, graciously accepting the apple Mai had probably nicked off some poor vendor. The forest around them swayed with the wind, a sea of warm tones, as wild animals scurried along in search of preparations for a cold winter.
“What is its name?” Mai asked the King. She seemed more fond of him than she was of Min-jun. Ironic considering the King would’ve tortured and killed her father had Min-jun not given him a choice. Not that Min-jun was bitter about it or anything.
“Daeyang,” the King said. In his hands, he held the black, leather reins. He didn’t have to lead the mare, as it followed him without hesitation.
Mai brushed her hand over its black muzzle. “She’s beautiful.” The horse nudged her back, bringing out a small smile on that somber face.
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.
“Lbk biv lr rtf?”
“Ugbyjyis jgbecv atlgaffc,” atf Blcu gfqilfv, ujhf mjra abkjgv atf rxlfr lc atbeuta. “Vtf kjr ralii j oliis ktfc rtf obecv wf.”
“Vtf obecv sbe?” Zjl jrxfv, meglber.
Ktf Blcu rwlifv jr lo nlrlalcu j qifjrjca wfwbgs. “Vtf tfiqfv wf frmjqf ogbw rbwf ecqifjrjca qfbqif.”
“Djv uesr?”
“Mmm, very bad guys.”
Just like that, he managed to snag all of Mai’s attention. The two of them walked on either side of Daeyang, Mai engrossed in the story the King spun. Min-jun only half-listened as he studied the forest ahead. He couldn’t help but be uneasy walking through these paths with only two others. Everyone knew it was never safe to travel the backroads alone, yet the King had insisted it would be best to avoid the main paths. They’d taken the same road last time, but there was no way to make a quick escape now.
Min-jun rubbed his shoulder, the anxiety pricking at the back of his mind. Warm fingers slowly entwined with his own colder ones, as the King pulled him closer, that smile of his turning into a teasing grin as their eyes met. And underneath the taunting, something almost reassuring.
Right. He’s connected to the earth. If anyone approached them, the King would be the first to know.
That didn’t mean they were prepared for an ambush.
. . .
When night fell, the three of them settled down to rest. As expected, the King had no sense of urgency. They ate a dinner of rice and cut vegetables, served with a sauce that wasn’t spicy enough for Min-jun’s discerning tastebuds.
“What will I do in the Palace?” Mai asked, suddenly. As always, her questions were directed toward the King.
“Hmm, I suppose we can’t simply have you laze around doing nothing,” the King replied, as he added some more tinder to the fire. “Is there anything you’re interested in doing?”
“I dunno,” Mai replied. She had her arms wrapped around her legs, chin propped up on her elbows, gaze fixed on the growing flames in front of her.
No, it wasn’t that she didn’t know. Under Mother’s watch, it was impossible to carve your own path. Min-jun knew that well enough. What would he have been, had Mother not shown him his place? An investigator, probably, or perhaps he would’ve been on his way to a fit of rebellion and chosen a different career. He enjoyed investigating, but there had been so much more he’d wanted to experience. Instead, he got incense-filled nights in the arms of strangers.
“Well, you’ve enough time to find something you enjoy,” the King replied. He sat down next to Min-jun, who had edged away from the fire, breaking off from the other two. Fool. As if the King would ever leave him to his solitude. Now they sat shoulder to shoulder, as friends do. “When you decide, let me know.”
Min-jun let out a small breath of a laugh, not loud enough for Mai to hear. ‘When you decide, let me know.’ When everything’s been laid out for you from the beginning, even such a small gesture could prove overwhelming. Something akin to restlessness grew inside of him, forcing him to leave the warmth beside him. Sometimes, he worried the King’s careless, compassionate facade would prove contagious, and that Min-jun would suddenly, unknowingly be trapped in an emotion he couldn’t afford to have.
“I’m going to sleep,” Min-jun announced, rising to his feet.
“I suppose it’s high time we all got some rest.”
. . .
Min-jun was awoken by the feeling of another body pressing into him. The King, who had been sleeping not far from him, loomed over him, his arms caging Min-jun’s body.
“What are you doing?” Min-jun hissed out. His complaints fell away upon seeing the expression on the King’s face. A chill ran down the length of his spine, his mouth gone dry. The King’s gaze focused on their surroundings. Min-jun followed his line of sight, though with their position, that proved difficult. “Can you sense them?”
“A few miles from here,” the King said, relaxing a bit, though he held onto Min-jun’s waist all the same. “A few wandering a little closer.”
“Should we pack our things?”
The King considered. “No. We need our rest. If they get too close, I can stop them.”
Why’d you wake me up in the first place, then?
The King lowered his head to the crook of Min-jun’s neck.
“I’m sorry for waking you. I wasn’t sure how close they were,” he whispered. Sometimes Min-jun feared the King could read minds as well.
“Yes, yes, now can you get off of me?”
The King rolled onto his side but pulled Min-jun into an embrace all the same. How was he to sleep like this? He urged himself not to focus on the King, on the arms wrapped around him, on that honey-like scent, on steady breaths between them. Listen to the forest, feel the ground beneath you. Perhaps some part of him wanted to see what it was like to have a gift like the King’s.
“How can you tell where they are?” Min-jun asked, twisting around so he wouldn’t have to look the King in the eye. The sky above them was nearly obscured by the knotted tree canopies, dotted with scant patches of a starry night, although the leaves had already begun to change. A gentle wind cast them down, scattering like a dozen golden butterflies.
Next to him, the King chuckled, his hand coming up to tilt Min-jun’s head in his direction. He was met with a playful violet gaze. “Are you to take all my secrets, my love?”
“It is you who gives them so freely.”
The King hummed, their foreheads touching. “I’m not sure how it works. I can sense small disturbances around me. It’s not infallible, but it’s saved me more than a few times.”
“I suppose it doesn’t work well in cities,” Min-jun said. The King reached a hand past him, causing Min-jun to flinch, but it was only to pick a leaf out of his hair.
“No, but there are ways to work around it. It just takes a little more energy.”
“Energy?”
So, there was a limit on a Gifted’s ability. What would happen if they overused it? Would it hurt them in return? Could it kill them? Would it simply disappear someday when all the energy was gone?
“Let’s leave that for another day,” the King said, intertwining their hands. How curious. The King? Showing some semblance of caution around him? It must be quite dreadful. “Sleep for now. I’ll wake you when dawn breaks.”
Min-jun pushed back against him, hands fisting into the fabric of his durumagi as he tried to break free. “Let me go first.”
A pout formed on the King’s lips, as his arms loosened around Min-jun. Freed from that gentle grip, Min-jun turned onto his side, adjusting his body to make himself more comfortable on the thin cloth. After a moment, he looked over his shoulder toward the King. The King had sat up, one hand on the hilt of the sword that always hung around his waist. Not the King’s sword, that one was just for ceremony. Countless battles and skirmishes had been scraped into that metal, its hilt starting to dull from the press of hands against it. In such a position, the King looked every bit the handsome warrior.
“Will you not sleep?” Min-jun asked him.
The King shook his head. “I must keep an eye on our visitors.”
“Will that not tire you?”
A hand reached down to caress Min-jun’s face, the touch leaving his skin tingly. “It’ll take a lot more than this to tire me, my love. Though I appreciate your concern.”
There he goes again. Mocking him. Min-jun let out a quiet, derisive snort as he laid his head back down. He should’ve let the man die when he had the chance. Now he’d have to listen to his endless bragging.
Ah, you should be angrier about that than you are. But tonight, Min-jun didn’t have the energy for anger. He could look inside himself and he would find nothing but a strange tranquility, one he hoped would disappear by the time the sun rose. Contentment was the last thing he needed right now.
A/N: Hello! Starting today, I’ll be updating daily until December 7th. Wish me luck. I’ll be over here crying in a corner. In any case, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry if the pace is a bit wonky. I might’ve rushed this one a little, since it’s very much a transition chapter. Anyway, if you liked it, please leave a comment down below with your thoughts!
Min-jun is so cute, I just wish he would let himself go sometimes 😔
Yes I wish he didn’t always have that fear pulling him back.
Cheol’s persistence is adorable! So is Min Jun’s squirming.
Is Mother Asian? Some of her techniques (micromanaging children’s career path) sounds familiar.
Daily updates!!!! Thank you for your hard work. Excited to see what’s coming up
Good luck 😃😃
Thanks for the chapter ♥️♥️