Court Lady Goo had them all sit down around a tea table toward the back of the shop. She laughed, saying her little shack was nothing compared to either of their homes. Cheol didn’t mind the closed space. It reminded him of simpler times. His mother had also kept their home full of plants. She’d say that they would remind them of spring even as winter drew near. With their gifts, they did not have to worry about them wilting away.
“Yeong-a,” Court Lady Goo began, before pausing and lifting a hand to her mouth. “Ah, should I call you by your title now?”
Cheol shook his head. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like it if you’d keep calling me by my birth name. You’re one of the only people who share those memories with me.”
Lady Ok-jeong poured the persimmon leaf tea into three cups, her movements deliberate and measured. Min-jun had never served Cheol tea before. Wasn’t that a common practice between married couples? Tsk tsk, Cheol’s consort wasn’t performing his duties very well.
“You said that Lady Ok-jeong and I had found each other again. I did not know we were acquainted,” Cheol said. His comment nearly made Lady Ok-jeong drop the teacup she was handing him. He steadied her hand, smiling lightly. The blush across her cheeks was unmistakable. It would appear that her affection for him was real. Interesting. Interesting, but regardless, he should keep his wits about him. It was unlikely this meeting was a coincidence.
He took the teacup from her, and she quickly put her hands in her lap, lips formed into a thin line.
“Lady Ok-jeong was your playmate when you were both children,” Court Lady Goo said. “Your mothers were great friends.” She laughed heartily. “Lady Hye-rin was always jealous of them, though she wouldn’t let it show.”
“The Queen taught me a lot about teas and herbs,” said Lady Ok-jeong. “We were the same age, so they naturally put us together.”
Odd. Usually, they would send noble boys to serve as playmates and companions to princes. Yet, they sent a girl? Perhaps Cheol’s mother had wanted them together and put in a request. If their mothers were truly that close . . . perhaps he should pay Ok-jeong’s mother a visit as well.
“It’s strange I cannot remember it very well. You must forgive me,” Cheol said.
Lady Ok-jeong took the honey off the table. “Your Majesty has been through so much since you left the Palace. It’s only natural you would forget someone like me. I was only a small part of your life at the time.” She offered him the honey. “Your Majesty still likes your tea sweet, yes?”
Cheol nodded, as he searched to find if anything in Lady Ok-jeong’s face stirred his memory. If not, it was possible she was lying. But what good would that do?
“I should bring some sweets next time,” Lady Ok-jeong said. “They say I’m quite good at making them, though I shouldn’t brag.”
“I look forward to it.”
Court Lady Goo smiled as she looked at them. They must appear like quite the lovebirds right now.
“Do you know what happened to Lady Hye-rin and her son after we left the Palace?” Cheol asked. He’d like to thank her one day. She was the one who got them out of that hell-hole, after all, even if their paradise was short-lived.
“Lady Hye-rin,” Court Lady Goo said, as she racked her brains for an answer. “She also disappeared. Was never caught. At least, there was no word of her punishment as far as I could hear. The fallen King set up posters looking for her as well. I think he was combing the Earth for her up until his death.”
Cheol remembered them well. Often, the portrait of Lady Hye-rin would be right next to Cheol’s on the notice boards all over the country. Their names would be written on the side in bold letters, along with a hefty reward for anyone who could give the King information about them. Cheol would be forced to alter his appearance in order to escape suspicion. They’d both been hunted, though for different reasons.
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.
“Perhaps our paths will cross once more someday.”
“Po atfs vb, sbe rtbeiv mbwf obg afj. Qf’nf rb wemt ab vlrmerr,” rjlv Jbega Ojvs Xbb, qjaalcu tlr tjcv.
Dfobgf tf mbeiv jcrkfg, j gemxer ogbw bearlvf atf oibkfg rtbq jifgafv atfw.
“Vbecvr ilxf j oluta,” Jbega Ojvs Xbb rjlv, wbgf fzmlafv atjc rtf kjr mbcmfgcfv. “Rfnfg j veii wbwfca lc Ljcrfbcu, P afii sbe.”
Cheol and Lady Ok-jeong both followed her outside. Not far from where they were, tall, muscular thugs in mud-colored hanbok, about a dozen of them, around two much smaller, thinner men. Robbers, probably.
“Where are you gonna run to now?” one of the thieves asked, approaching the men. The thief was a balding, middle-aged man, worn by years living off larceny. Cheol could sympathize to that extent. He used to be a thief himself, and knew the toll it took on one’s spirit.
However, the longer Cheol looked, the more one of the men in the middle looked familiar. With the realization, his sympathy for the thieves vanished. Wait. That blue hanbok. I gave him that hanbok.
Min-jun!
The thief lifted Min-jun’s chin with a filthy hand, the look in their eyes sickening. Cheol clenched his jaw. They dared to look at his consort in such a manner? Slowly, Cheol let his fingers curl, feeling the earth around him. He would make it look like an accident and have those thieves all break their necks on their way down. For their disrespect of the Phoenix Throne. No, that was too swift and painless of a death for the likes of them.
Before Cheol could do anything, Min-jun swung his fist at the man’s face. Even from a distance, Cheol could hear the crunching sound of the thief’s nose shattering. The punch had caught the thief off guard, leaving his left side right open. Before any of the other thieves could react, Min-jun kicked the thief square in the gut. The man hissed in pain, doubling over.
Min-jun took the hand of his companion, a handsome young man around his age, but the other thieves had already lunged at them. Min-jun avoided the first thief’s attack by diving under his arm, slamming his elbow into his side. Another one down. The next thief was taken by the arm and thrown over Min-jun’s shoulder.
Cheol’s chest felt light with pride. I taught him these techniques. Min-jun was taking advantage of their lessons, and looking so beautiful as he did so. Ah, Cheol would have to brag about this later.
With at least three of the thieves out of their way, Min-jun and his friend (?) managed to weasel their way out of the group. As they passed the flower shop, Min-jun met Cheol’s gaze, and his eyes widened in shock. Cheol waved a bit to him. Oh yes, my love. We will definitely talk about this later. Especially about why Min-jun was holding hands with another man. Who was that bastard anyway? A scholar? Cheol should’ve known sending Min-jun to the Academy was a misstep. His consort was too pretty and defiant to keep out of trouble. First day and this was what happened?
Perhaps he would’ve followed them, but he had a couple of filthy criminals to deal with first.
“Do you mind heading back inside for a bit?” he asked the women beside him. They shook their heads and went back inside the shop.
Cheol stepped in front of the men, blocking their path to Min-jun. He put on a genial smile, as he thought of all the ways he could torture these thieves. Skin them, burn their flesh, gouge their eyes, pull out their fingernails, beat them until their last breath escaped them.
We will be spending a lot of time together, my friends.
“Who the fuck are you?” the leader of the thieves asked, walking up to him. The thief spat, the saliva landing between them, though he’d probably been aiming for Cheol’s shoes. What an inept, uncouth man.
Cheol replied, “It wouldn’t be very fair for you to ask for something and give nothing in return, would it, sir?”
The thief tried going around him, mumbling under his breath. Cheol mirrored his steps, smiling wider when the thief looked up at him, visibly annoyed. Nostrils flared, brow furrowed.
“The hell’s your problem? You pickin’ a fight?”
“Yes.”
In Cheol’s defense, the thief threw the first punch.
It only took walking a few steps backward to avoid getting hit by the thief’s flailing limb. The thief tumbled down to the ground at Cheol’s feet, unaware of the root that had wrapped around his ankle.
“What are you doing on the ground, sir? You can’t win a fight lying on your stomach.”
“Little son of a bitch –” the thief mumbled, getting onto his knees. Cheol took the opportunity to lean down to whisper in his ear.
“I haven’t introduced myself yet, have I?” he asked. “My name is Yi Cheol.” Cheol leaned back a bit, squatting down to be on eye level with the man, and rested his chin on his hand. “And I am the thirtieth King of our fair country. Do you know the punishment for attacking the King?”
If the thief had been any less intelligent, he might’ve doubted Cheol’s words, but everyone knew what the King looked like. There was no denying those violet eyes, or the way Cheol carried himself. Once he revealed his identity, no one could refuse it.
The thief scrambled to get away from Cheol, running into the other members of his group.
“Boss,” they asked, reaching out to help their leader regain his balance. “What’s the matter? Who is this guy?”
“Ki-ki-king,” the man mumbled, trembling under Cheol’s gaze.
The sound of approaching officers drew Cheol’s attention. “Ah, it seems we have company.”
Now, where was Sun in all of this? He was supposed to be protecting Min-jun, especially at a time like this, when they were often venturing outside of the Palace.
. . .
Min-jun stared at the wall in front of him, brush unmoving in his hand. Only one thought ran through his mind. ‘Who was that woman?’ Why was the King taking time out of his schedule to meet her outside of the palace! Was she someone special to him?
“Your Highness,” Jeong-eun said, her eyes on the paper spread across his desk. “You’re dripping ink everywhere.”
Min-jun looked down at the ink splatters all over the expensive parchment. “Oh.” He placed the brush down and steepled his fingers, mind returning to his previous concerns.
Should he consider that woman a threat to his mission? The proximity with which they stood next to each other suggested a certain familiarity. Min-jun wouldn’t have minded under different circumstances. After all, Kings often had many wives. But right now, Min-jun’s position as consort was already under threat. The courtiers and scholars were constantly trying to find a reason to exile him from the Palace, away from his target. He could not allow this to go on.
He turned to gaze out the window. The sun had long since set. Was the King still with that woman? He was unusually late.
What had he done to those men anyway? Min-jun’s stomach flipped as he remembered the look in their eyes. The same look he’d seen in the eyes of so many customers at the brothel. Had the King not taken the time to teach him how to defend himself, who knew if they would’ve gotten away? Min-jun felt sick just thinking about it. Then again, the King had been there as well. He would’ve likely taken care of it himself had they not found a way to escape them.
Min-jun laid down on the floor, shutting his eyes. Chuchu eventually walked over to him, curling up on Min-jun’s stomach. Min-jun ran his fingers through Chuchu’s soft, golden fur. Not long after, he heard the window open. A cool autumn wind, fragrant with the scent of fallen leaves, filled the room. Soft footsteps followed. The window shutters closed once more.
Chuchu picked his head up and then ran to the window, yapping excitedly. Min-jun didn’t bother opening his eyes, opting instead to cover them with his forearm. Somewhere off to the side, Min-jun heard Jeong-eun take Chuchu away with the promise of treats. They were alone.
Min-jun heard as the person sat down next to him, felt as they leaned over him, and as a hand pushed his arm out of the way, pinning it above his head. Slowly, his eyes opened to slits. The King’s face filled his line of vision.
“Your Majesty.”
“My love.”
“You’re late,” Min-jun told him, shutting his eyes once more.
“I had a little talk with Sun.”
Min-jun groaned, as he sat up. “Don’t blame him. It was all my fault.”
“I know,” the King said. His knuckles grazed Min-jun’s cheek, the warmth of them similar to sunlight in the spring. Goodness, did everything about him have some magical twist? “Sun told me everything. Perhaps now you’ll know not to simply run off without him, hmm?”
“Lesson learned,” Min-jun mumbled.
The King reached up and pulled out the pin securing Min-jun’s hair in a topknot. His hair loosened, framing his face, the tips of the dark locks brushing the floor. Of course, the King had to brush his fingers through it. He brought the end of one of the locks to his lips, kissing it.
“I should punish you, you know,” the King said, wrapping the lock around his finger.
“What for?” Min-jun asked. The King leaned in closer now, arms on either side of Min-jun, so close that Min-jun could feel his breath on his lips. Closer and closer, until Min-jun’s back hit the floor. The King had him trapped now, one knee spreading Min-jun’s legs apart. Min-jun’s heart jumped into an unsteady, rapid rhythm. He almost kissed the King right then and there.
“Who is this scholar you’re suddenly so fond of?”
Was he accusing him of infidelity! Hmph, how arrogant of him. “Who is that woman you’re sneaking out of the Palace to meet?”
The King peered down at him, confused. A moment later, his eyes flickered, and his lips turned up in amusement. “My love.” He leaned in a bit closer, smile widening, teeth showing. “Is that a hint of jealousy I detect?”
A/N: Min-jun would like everyone to know that his concern is rooted purely in his mission, and not in some misplaced feelings of love.
Ok lady hye-rin is mother 😐
Make these jars of vinegar extra sweet when they get close to each other 👌
😐 Yes, she is.
Yes, let’s turn this vinegar into honey with the power of love. 😌
Thanks for commenting!
Thanks for the chapter ♥️♥️
Thank you for commenting!
I’m not convinced Lady Ok-jeong and Cheol were childhood playmates. It’s just another court ploy.
It sure sounds like Lady Hye-rin is Mother. I hope not tho, it’ll destroy Cheol’s fond memory of her.
More vinegar!
Thank you for chapter
🤔 Ok-jeong feels sus to me as well (says the author, who should know if someone is sus or not). And I agree, we could always use some more vinegar 😌
I agree, Lady Hye-rin is Mother, and Song’s mom. I’m just realizing that it’s probably not considered a good idea for the Nation’s Only Monarch to go into a city known for “something’s always happening,” and not only did Lady Ok-jeong suggest it, but initially didn’t want the guards either. Aside from that, Min-jun’s mood at the end had me feeling close to tears for some reason.
Ok-jeong is on everyone’s sus radar rn. We’re watching you, girl. Here’s a tissue for the tears 😭. Thank you for commenting!