Beside him, the King stood with his back to the doors. Steeling himself, Min-jun knocked twice on the old wood. “Mai? Are you ready?”
No answer. Had she gone out?
“Mai,” the King called. “Answer him.”
The doors slammed open, and Mai stepped out with her luggage in one hand and a persimmon in the other. She didn’t bother to even make eye contact with Min-jun, keeping her eyes firmly ahead instead. With a sulky grimace, she stomped away from them down the creaky corridor, her head held high.
The King clicked his tongue. “Looks like someone’s still a little cross with you.”
Min-jun brought his hand up to her forehead and heaved a sigh. He could feel another headache coming on. “She often is.”
“You know, she reminds me of someone.”
“Who?”
Instead of answering like a decent human being, the King left him standing there, humming a tune as he walked down the hallway.
“Who?” Min-jun repeated, following hot on his heels.
“Think about it.”
Min-jun did so. The entire way out of the inn, he pondered the King’s words. Someone who reminded him of Mai? He’d told Min-jun to think about it, so it must be someone they both knew. Sun, perhaps one of the other consorts, or maybe Hye-jin? No, they weren’t very much like her at all. Let’s see. Someone with a vendetta, who was always angry, and often held grudges over small matters.
Oh. He’d been talking about Min-jun, hadn’t he?
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.
“P’w uijv sbe tjnf remt j tlut bqlclbc bo wf, Tbeg Zjpfras,” Zlc-pec rjlv. Ljv tf cba mjeuta atja rwlgx bc atf Blcu’r ojmf, Zlc-pec kbeiv’nf atbeuta tlr kbgvr tjv ojiifc bc vfjo fjgr.
Ugh.
Ktfs mbeivc’a ufa ab atf Ujijmf ojra fcbeut. Zlc-pec vfrlgfv atf rbilaevf bo tlr gbbwr lc Ajcuwl Nliij cbk wbgf atjc fnfg. Ccv tbk ojg vlv atfs tjnf ab kjix ralii? Ccbatfg vjs? Zlc-pec’r wermifr jmtfv obg rbwf gfilfo ogbw atlr fcvifrr vgevufgs.
“How delicate, you are.” The King’s words echoed in his mind like a particularly silken-voiced morning bird, the type that wouldn’t let one fall back asleep in the early hours.
Tch. Fine. He would keep his complaints to the minimum.
. . .
Thankfully, their final day of traveling passed by uneventfully. Whoever their assassins were, they had either given up or had lost track of them. The lack of assassins was the only positive thing about the journey.
They rested around mid-day, since none of them had slept the night before, and then continued on their way through the forest. The King took the lead, as expected, finding paths where no one else could. Mai remained upset for the entire journey, and would respond only to the King’s questions and only spare Min-jun a glare when he tried to speak to her.
“Not so fun when you’re on the receiving end, is it?” the King whispered in his ear. He seized every opportunity to torment Min-jun over this situation with Mai. What a sense of humor he had. Truly, it made Min-jun want to strangle him.
Between Mai’s cold shoulder and the King’s teasing, when the Palace finally appeared on the horizon, its tiled roofs gleaming in the sun, Min-jun couldn’t help but suck in a breath of relief. How strange. Only a few months had passed since Min-jun had begun to live in the Palace, but seeing it felt like looking at home, despite all of its plots and trickery (and crazy shamans. Oh dear, he hoped he never had to bump into Sun-woo again).
“Come.” The King took Min-jun’s hand in his. “We’ll take another way around.”
There was another way into the Palace?
And he was showing it to Min-jun! Was he insane? They were ene – oh why even bother. Min-jun had saved his life. The King’s trust had been attained long ago.
Then again, the King had never treated Min-jun as one would an enemy. He acted as if they were allies from the beginning. His actions rarely crossed the line into being cruel, and he’d trusted Min-jun enough to travel alone with him to Wolgwang City. And even before then, he’d revealed his Gift to Min-jun like it was nothing. Perhaps it was all a ploy to earn Min-jun’s loyalty, but that would make the King the most dedicated actor Min-jun had ever met. Was the King simply a bad judge of character?
As it turned out, the ‘other path’ was through a hidden door that could only be opened from the inside. A way for royal family members to escape, should an attack on the Palace ensue. There were more passageways hidden throughout the Palace grounds, hidden in walls, beneath floors and within wells.
“And how exactly are we to get inside?” Min-jun hissed, back pressed against the wall to avoid the watchful gazes of the guards above.
“Hye-jin has always had impeccable timing.”
Min-jun huffed. “That’s reassuring.” Timing! Wonderful! No one knew they were waiting out here, did they?
“Relax. It’s not like they can do anything to us if we’re caught. At worst, it’ll be known that the King had left the Palace without notice.”
“And why exactly did you not tell anyone that you’d be leaving the Palace?”
“I’ve told you. It would’ve been too dangerous,” the King said.
“Ah yes, how dangerous it would’ve been to take some of your loyal soldiers with us as protection.” Min-jun could feel himself growing more irate by the second, and yet, in a strange way, their banter didn’t bother him as it once had. It felt . . . natural, instinctive. Mai had been right. They were growing too comfortable around one another. Perhaps their parting now would allow Min-jun to put some much-needed distance between them.
Wait a minute. The King’s reasoning was not only faulty, but it was also downright suspicious. Min-jun snapped his head up to look at the King, who stared back with a placid, if confused, expression.
Crossing his arms, Min-jun took a step up to the King, tilting his head back to glare at him properly. “How much of this did you have planned out, exactly?”
“Well . . .” He looked to Mai for help, but no assistance was given. Indeed, Mai might like the King more than Min-jun, but she wasn’t about to get involved in their petty arguments.
“Well?”
“Vaguely,” the King began, scratching his nose in a nervous gesture that was far too endearing for a man like him. “It is as I said, I wanted to learn more about you. And, I suppose, my methods and the information I sought were ones I wanted to keep from prying eyes.”
Min-jun squinted at him, still suspicious, but even he knew the King couldn’t have predicted his own brush with death in Wolgwang City. Unless he somehow found out about Yun-seo’s Gift and he got it out of her somehow. He’d have to ask her later.
The door creaked open. Sun stood there, shocked, eyes wide and mouth parted. He wore his usual black military uniform and loomed above all of them with his superior height. Regaining his senses, he bowed low in greeting.
“Your Majesty, Your Highness, it is good to see you’ve safely returned.”
“Ah, see, I told you someone would come eventually,” the King said, triumphantly. Sun stiffened but kept his head low. Stifling a laugh, the King placed a hand on Sun’s shoulder. “Don’t be so formal, old friend. I can tell you’re itching to punch me in the face right now.”
Sun straightened his back, looking down at the King with a grave expression. “I will punch you later,” he promised, sounding too serious for it to be a joke. Oh, Min-jun would pay to see that. “Right now, you’re needed in court.”
The King walked past him, unbothered. “I suppose those old men are making a fuss.”
“It’s not just them.”
That got the King to pause. He glanced over his shoulder at Sun, losing his playful demeanor at once. “What do you mean?”
Sun looked between Min-jun and the King. Understanding lit up the King’s features.
“I see,” he said, quietly. “I will go by myself. Sun, escort Consort Hui and the girl back to Jangmi Villa. I shall take care of the rest.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
It must be urgent. And by the look they exchanged, it likely had something to do with Min-jun.
A/N: It begins! If you liked this chapter, please leave a comment down below letting me know. Thank you for reading!
Oh, did they found out about Min-jun past in a brothel?
Thanks for the chapter!
Min Jun is going to miss the physically strenuous and uneventful day long walks.
Thank you for chapter
Pain incoming…