By Zephyria 
After laying Hae-joo back on the bed and confirming he was fast asleep, Min-hyeok finally moved to the Imperial Pavilion. In truth, he wanted to see for himself how much Hae-joo’s health had improved, more than he cared about the matter regarding Han Hee-sung. He had already noticed that Hae-joo was aware of Han Hee-sung.
It was inevitable; Hae-joo’s behavior only made sense under the premise that he knew who Han Hee-sung was. It wasn’t that he lacked interest in Han Hee-sung, but rather a natural reaction born from the fact that he had no need to know him. Digging out what Hae-joo knew would be a simple task if Min-hyeok set his mind to it. However, for some reason, he wanted to hear it directly from Hae-joo.
It didn’t seem like he was lying. Though they hadn’t been close for long, Min-hyeok had observed the Grand Imperial Concubine for a long time. Having watched him, it wasn’t difficult to grasp the Grand Imperial Concubine’s personality. But lately, a certain thought had been occurring to him. The closer he got to Cha Hae-joo, the more certain he became that there was something the other was hiding.
And that hidden part wasn’t related to his family or his grandfather, but was something strictly personal and private. The strange feeling that the more he learned, the further away Hae-joo became made him feel inwardly disappointed. Min-hyeok now wanted to know everything about Cha Hae-joo—he felt he should—but Hae-joo would not permit it.
Cha Hae-joo never showed his truly intimate side. That made Min-hyeok anxious. Everything about Cha Hae-joo should belong to him, and it felt cruel that Hae-joo drew a line and forbade him from crossing it. However, there was one person who uniquely crossed that line. Kang Hyun-wook.
Min-hyeok looked up at Kang Hyun-wook, who stood before his desk, clearly showing his tension. Kang Hyun-wook was currently Min-hyeok’s greatest mystery. The existence of this ordinary Beta was the most puzzling of all. Min-hyeok set down the pen in his hand and leaned back in his chair, staring openly at Hyun-wook.
Under Min-hyeok’s gaze—simultaneously hot and cold—Hyun-wook’s body stiffened further, and his Adam’s apple bobbed sharply. He must have been nervous. Since the Han Hee-sung incident, Min-hyeok had kept him waiting in the Imperial Pavilion under the pretext of disciplinary action. Having observed him keenly, Min-hyeok found it utterly absurd how similar Kang Hyun-wook’s mannerisms were to the Grand Imperial Concubine’s.
How could their actions be so identical? It was as if they were people who had grown up in similar environments, spending a lot of time together. Of course, that was impossible. Cha Hae-joo had entered the palace at twelve and had neither met anyone nor spent time outside, so there was no way he had lived in an environment similar to Kang Hyun-wook’s.
Though a Beta, he had a face and build so upright that one would believe him to be an Alpha. Every time Min-hyeok saw that neat face, he thought of Hae-joo, and it felt as if a ball of fire rose in his chest. But he couldn’t find fault based on such feelings alone. There was no benefit in picking a fight over a mere trifle.
“What on earth is it… I could find out right now, but I don’t particularly want to see it. Not yet…”
As he murmured quietly, Hyun-wook’s pupils trembled as he looked at him. Seeing Hyun-wook’s anxious face, Min-hyeok let out a deep sigh and made up his mind. It was time to stop this childish act of punishing him mentally.
“Right. How did it feel, standing here in the Imperial Pavilion looking at me for several days?”
It must have been hell. Why even ask? Still, he wanted to hear it. If this was just petty spite, he would admit it. A heavy silence fell for a moment as Min-hyeok waited quietly for Hyun-wook’s answer. After a while, as if to break the silence, Hyun-wook’s lips parted.
“…I am sorry for failing to handle the matter efficiently, Your Majesty.”
“I’ve heard that every time you come here. Don’t you have anything else to say?”
“My skills were lacking. I believed I had fully mastered everything, but since it was my first time encountering such a situation, I failed to judge the circumstances correctly. I will accept any punishment.”
That, too, was something he had heard repeatedly. Then again, what else would one say to the Emperor? They weren’t on casual terms.
“Anything? As if you know what kind of discipline I’ll hand down. Be careful with your words. Would you die if I told you to?”
Min-hyeok saw Hyun-wook bite his lip slightly in surprise. To be so naive. Kang Hyun-wook was more innocent and simple than he had thought. In this day and age, could an Emperor simply kill someone without a trial? No matter how grave the sin, handling things that way would cause a disaster.
“You cannot go to the Grand Imperial Concubine’s quarters for the time being.”
“What? Ah, no. Your Majesty. I was wrong. I will serve the Palace Lord user better. So please…”
It wasn’t as if he was being killed, so Min-hyeok wondered why he was so startled that not being able to go to the Grand Imperial Concubine was such a catastrophe. Just as it had been when he first witnessed the two of them communicating, it bothered him to death. He scoffed, wondering since when they had become so inseparable that he would react this way.
Based on his observations, there was no sexual attraction between the two whatsoever. Rather, it was a bond like that of brothers or comrades-in-arms. But that was even more ridiculous. How could people who had barely met feel brotherly love or comradeship…?
“I am the Grand Imperial Concubine’s guardian. Therefore, I make the decisions. You are to step away from the Grand Imperial Concubine’s security for the time being.”
As the order to step away was given, Hyun-wook’s face distorted slightly in bewilderment. For a mere guard to fail at managing his expression so poorly before the Emperor. He looked like he might cry.
“I never originally thought of you as the Palace Lord’s personal guard, unless it were for the Grand Imperial Concubine’s erratic behavior. However, you cannot avoid responsibility for this incident. I don’t even want to imagine how terrible the situation would have been if someone with a weapon had lunged at the Grand Imperial Concubine like that. You feel the same, don’t you? Gain more experience. And for now, stay by my side and do as I tell you.”
Min-hyeok gestured with his chin toward the documents scattered on the desk. Hyun-wook’s eyes wavered, not understanding the meaning of those words.
“You don’t understand? Working by my side and doing what I tell you is your punishment for this incident.”
“…Your Majesty?”
“Why, is it unexpected? Did you think I’d lock you in a dungeon and torture you on the rack, and now you feel I’m being lenient because I’m not? But you might find that the former would have been better. Working with me is no ordinary task. As you can see.”
He decided to keep Kang Hyun-wook by his side. He felt that by keeping the most irritating and concerning person right next to him, he might learn something about Hae-joo. For some unknown reason, the person Hae-joo currently trusted and relied on most was neither Min-hyeok nor Han-bin, but this very man, Kang Hyun-wook.
Therefore, he would keep Kang Hyun-wook close. Of course, he would eventually put him back by Hae-joo’s side. After observing him alone for a few days, he would send him back. Because they needed to meet occasionally for Min-hyeok to find the answers he wanted. The reason why Hae-joo and Kang Hyun-wook were close, the reason why Hae-joo relied on him. To discover all of this, he decided to keep Kang Hyun-wook by his side.
∗ ∗ ∗
“Ugh, so heavy. Seriously!”
Feeling a tightness in my chest in the middle of the night, I found the cause and pushed it aside. I couldn’t sleep deeply because Joo Min-hyeok’s arm was hugging me tightly. I had only barely fallen asleep after being worn out. Like some kind of boomerang, Joo Min-hyeok’s arm had returned to rest atop my chest.
Ah, is he really asleep? I lifted my head and stared intently at Joo Min-hyeok’s face. With his steady, even breathing and the way he looked, anyone could see he was fast asleep. He must be tired. After doing that to me… hmmm. Since our first night, whenever Joo Min-hyeok and I see each other, we ignite like wild horses off their leashes.
The moment his work is finished, he scampers over here, releasing his pheromones and beginning to grope my body, so it’s only natural that I, who am crazy for Joo Min-hyeok’s pheromones, cannot reject his touch. These days, I’m realizing just how spirited an Alpha and Omega in their early twenties can be when they first awaken to sexual relations. Starting from the living room sofa, moving through the bedroom and the bathtub, and ending in the shower booth. After frantically engaging in intense lovemaking throughout the entire Imperial Pavilion, our stamina bottoms out, and we fall asleep like we’ve fainted.
It was simply surprising that this could happen while in a sane state of mind, not during a rut or a Heat. As if I had been an Omega from the start, I naturally burrowed into Joo Min-hyeok’s embrace. After a bout of lovemaking, I realized how terrifying “body-attachment” could be.
“…But looking at the way he looks at me, I don’t think it’s just body-attachment. It’s almost like…”
It’s almost like he likes me. His gaze was so tender and loving that it made me feel that way. I gave up on moving Joo Min-hyeok’s arm, turned on my side, and leaned my body against his chest.
Even in his unconsciousness, Joo Min-hyeok hugged me tightly with his arm. I liked this time—being held by Joo Min-hyeok after the act—more than the sex itself. Joo Min-hyeok was always by my side and never left the spot next to me empty. That’s why I liked it. The feeling of not being alone. I didn’t know how much that could fulfill a person’s emotions. Is this why everyone dates? Though in my case, it’s marriage.
Joo Min-hyeok told me to trust him. That our relationship had changed from before, so I should trust him. Several years have already passed since I came to this world. I feel sorry for the author, but this is now my world; the flow of the story has completely changed, and there is no longer any chance of Joo Min-hyeok betraying me.
As long as I keep my wits about me and don’t follow in the footsteps of the Grand Imperial Concubine from the original work, there will be no future where I die. Since the meeting between Joo Min-hyeok and the Movie Palace has strangely gone awry, perhaps I don’t even need to try and bring them together? It is a night where I feel certain that a life of relying on Joo Min-hyeok like this would be just fine.