Min-jun set down his bag near the windows, taking stock of the room around him. A table stood near the bed, and on top of it, a tea set. The floorboards creaked under his feet, and the place smelled a bit like mildew and dust, but it was tidy and had more than enough room for one person, with two large windows to illuminate it. His only gripe was that the keys had turned out to be for show, and the doors didn’t lock at all. So much for keeping the King out of his room.
“Are you sure you’ll be alright?” the King asked. “Shall I give you a knife? Do you have any experience fighting? Is your leg feeling better? Should I ask them to move our rooms closer together? If it’s privacy you want, perhaps we could put up a screen?”
Oh yes, just what we need right now. An interrogation. His legs were throbbing now that he’d given them some relief, and this bombardment of questions certainly wasn’t helping his mood. With a long sigh, Min-jun raised his head. The King stood leaning against the wall, his arms crossed. He’d placed his own bags next to Min-jun, announcing his intentions loud and clear: ‘I will not be leaving your side.’
But that was not for him to decide.
“I know how to throw a punch well enough,” Min-jun replied. Most of his experience came from beating criminals to a pulp. He hated to admit it, but if a person anywhere near the King’s caliber tried to attack him, he’d be at a loss.
“Stand up.”
The King took his hand, helping him up from the straw mattress he’d been sitting on. Deftly, he withdrew something from inside his durumagi. A small dagger, sheathed in silver vines, with two scarlet tassels hanging off of it. The light caught on the polished metal, and Min-jun couldn’t help but twist the blade and watch the sunbeams dance. Beautiful.
Ah, stop, stop this! It was just a knife. No need to get all sentimental about it.
“Wouldn’t it be better to have a sword?” Min-jun asked, looking down at the leather hilt hanging at the King’s side.
The smile the King gave him then made Min-jun’s heart stutter. Foolish. “You are not trained in sword-fighting, and I do not want you to get hurt. However, if you wish it, I would be glad to help you learn the basics once we return to the Palace.”
“No,” Min-jun said. “Thank you.”
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.
Under the weight of the King’s stare, Min-jun felt himself being scrutinized down to every movement he made. He must’ve said something wrong.
“Qbeiv la yf rb yjv?”
“Ujgvbc?”
“Qbeiv la yf rb jkoei ab yf ogff bo sbeg tjagfv?”
Zlc-pec’r tjcv alutafcfv jgbecv atf tlia bo atf vjuufg, atf wfaji aegclcu kjgw ecvfg tlr rxlc. C nlrlbc jqqfjgfv yfobgf tlw, bo atf Blcu klat tlr cfmx rijrtfv bqfc, nlygjca gfv rqliilcu bea bo atf kbecv, vglfv yibbv mbnfglcu tlr abgrb, mjxlcu atf ojyglm bo tlr tjcybx. Llr wermifr afcrfv, jr lo gfjvslcu atfwrfinfr ab vfji atf xliilcu yibk.
“Min-jun-ah?” The King’s voice led him out of his daze. Min-jun let out a slow exhale, placing the knife down on the table near his bed. At least some part of him still knew where his loyalties lied.
He sat back down on the mattress, the quilt rough underneath his fingers, so far from the comfort of Hyun-woo’s apartment, or the Palace’s intimidating luxury. Nevertheless, he let himself fall back against it, exhausted after two days out in the wild.
“My, my.” The King chuckled. “How delicate, you are.”
“As I’ve said before, you’re a freak of nature, that’s all.”
“Mai seems no less tired than she was at the beginning.”
A retort hung on the tip of his tongue, but the mention of Mai brought back memories of her words in the meadow, and he could not bring himself to finish their banter. It felt too familiar now, too friendly.
Min-jun curled up on his side, bringing the blanket around himself. “I’d like to rest if you don’t mind.” He paused, wondering if asking was a futile endeavor. “And don’t come into my room again. Please.”
It was still, as they both waited for the answer.
“Very well.”
. . .
On some level, Cheol knew he shouldn’t have accepted Min-jun’s request to leave him be, but his consort had appeared so exhausted, he could not help but leave him to his rest. Now, Cheol didn’t want to stray too far from the inn, but he figured something spicy might cheer Min-jun up a little. A stew of some sort, perhaps. Something hearty after an exhausting day. He let his senses guide him to a small restaurant that boasted huge bowls of kimchi-jjigae. Four women stood outside, fanning the oven flames and stirring large pots of food so that it wouldn’t burn. One woman, older than the rest, sat reclined on a chair, her eyes shut in slumber. When he approached, the smell of spices pricked at his eyes. Yes, Min-jun would certainly enjoy this.
“8000 mun,” said the reclining woman when he asked, although his question had been directed toward one of the others. In the orange light of the lanterns around them, he could swear this woman reminded him of someone.
Cheol frowned. “Isn’t that a bit steep?”
“We only use the finest ingredients,” the woman replied. She couldn’t even be bothered to open her eyes. “Take it or leave it.”
Normally, Cheol would’ve refused her, but this was for Min-jun, and Cheol had to do everything in his power to keep his consort on the right path. If that meant buying him overpriced meals, then so be it. So, he handed the woman the eight thousand (eight thousand!) mun. How did anyone afford the food here?
Cheol accepted the bowl of warm pot from one of the younger women, who warned him this particular stew was very spicy. Perfect.
Carrying the bowl in his hands, he quickly returned to the inn. At Min-jun’s door, he hesitated, the heat of the food burning his palm, as his other hand paused mid-knock.
“Do not enter my room again. Please.”
Cheol laid his hand flat against the wooden pane of the door. “Min-jun. I’ve brought you some stew. They tell me it’s dangerously spicy, so I figured you might like it. Eat it before it gets cold, alright?” He paid eight thousand mun for it, after all.
No reply would come through that door. Perhaps he was asleep. Though it was more likely that he was still moping. Patience, patience. Cheol was used to these long, drawn out games. He’d win in the end.
It couldn’t be helped for now. Cheol took a few steps toward his own room, seeking his connection to the earth once more. He’d forgotten to keep an eye on their stalker in his haste to placate his consort. What? It had stopped. No, it was waiting for him, at the edge of town. He must go to it. He must see what this power of theirs was.
In his rush of excitement, Cheol nearly abandoned his consort then and there. But he reined himself in. He must keep his priorities in order, no matter how enticing a gift might appear.
“Min-jun,” Cheol said, through the door, keeping his voice low. “They’re here.”
For a moment, he feared that Min-jun couldn’t hear him, but then a quiet, solemn tone reached out.
“Then, go.”
“Min-jun.”
“Go.”
Leave him? It seemed to be the most foolish option, but Cheol needed to confront this Gifted. He needed to see how their ability worked. In any case, their stalker was likely targeting him, not Min-jun. And if someone did threaten Min-jun, they’d have to deal with Mai and her deadly gift first. There was not much good about revenge but at least it could prove a powerful motivator at times like this. They would be alright.
“It won’t take long.”
Again, came the somber response. “I know.”
A/N: Sorry for the shorter chapter lol. I hope you enjoyed it nevertheless. If you did, please leave a comment down below.
Suuuus, this is all so sus 🧐
Min Jun you’re going to regret not keeping Cheol close
Thank you for chapter
Min Jun you’re going to regret not keeping Cheol close
Thank you for chapter
This and the previous felt like one long chapter so it’s nice. Min-Jun still seems to me like he’s not himself. Would something Mai said carry so much weight if it wasn’t triggering some kind of posthypnotic response? Always wanted to sound like I know what posthypnotic means hehe
Thanks for the chapter ♥️♥️
Thank you for the chapter!