108 – VCR

Min-hyeok, returning from the island, dragged his exhausted body into the annex and collapsed onto the sofa. Though he was enduring it thanks to his naturally high stamina, he had to admit his body was feeling the strain. Between the heavy basic workload and the frequent overseas tours, traveling all the way to the island to see Hae-joo was no small feat.

He had arranged a building on the island, but since security was the lifeblood of state affairs, moving his work there haphazardly wasn’t that easy. Moreover, today had been a headache due to useless psychological warfare. Even if that young Alpha had no impure intentions because his opponent was the Emperor, Min-hyeok was a different story.

Min-hyeok’s intentions were thoroughly impure and quite petty. His determination to tear that Alpha away from Hae-joo’s side had been so strong that he hadn’t even realized how petty he was being at the time. He only now realized his behavior was childish, but he didn’t particularly regret it. If the same situation arose, he would make the exact same choice again.

“No. The same situation shouldn’t happen again…”

Come to think of it, there had been plenty of Alphas who showed interest in Hae-joo. Whether it was during official overseas tours or at royal gatherings, the looks the Alphas gave Hae-joo always bothered Min-hyeok. There were always one or two crazies who tried to make their move even while knowing he was the Emperor’s consort.

It had been like that when he had kept him hidden away, but now that Hae-joo was incomparably more free, the future looked bleak. Just how much longer would he have to do this? His head ached thinking about how many more Alphas he would have to drive away in this manner.

In truth, he didn’t have much time. Now was not the time to worry about driving away Alphas who might cling to him. The time given to Min-hyeok wasn’t that long. The cooling-off period for divorce. It was time he had barely managed to scrape together by insisting and pleading. Could he capture Hae-joo’s heart during this time?

The time they had spent apart was longer than the time they had been close. It was enough time for a heart to have turned completely. They hadn’t parted on good terms; they had split while resentment unauthorized copystyle="position:absolute;left:-9999px;font-size:0;">[visit stolen contentour site]and misunderstandings piled up, leaving only growing hatred. He lacked confidence in whether he could unravel those deep wounds and resentments in a mere two months.

“What if Hae-joo’s heart doesn’t change? If we really break up like this… if this is heading toward the end…”

The image of Hae-joo coldly pushing him away came to mind. His chest throbbed at the memory of that frigid expression. Until now, he had been unilaterally holding onto the thread of their connection, but now that Min-hyeok had shown himself before Hae-joo, the story had changed. It was all or nothing. It was time to settle their stagnant relationship one way or another.

He had missed him, and he had been confident. But the confidence that they could return to how things were before was arrogance. Min-hyeok had believed there was no complete parting between them and hadn’t even considered it. Perhaps that was why, when these anxious thoughts occurred, he felt driven to the brink of madness, unable to find a solution. Some days, his mind was a tangled mess of distracting thoughts; other days, it became a blank slate.

Knock, knock.

Just as he was in the midst of this mental turmoil, a knock sounded, and Min-hyeok slowly raised his tired body as if he had been waiting.

“Come in.”

The one who entered at Min-hyeok’s call was Hyun-wook. After greeting him and seeing the Emperor, Hyun-wook’s eyes widened.

“Your Majesty, you look very tired. Shall I come back when it’s light out?”

Though he knew Min-hyeok had called him at this hour because it was urgent, Hyun-wook asked just in case.

“No, it’s fine. I wouldn’t have asked you to come if I thought that.”

Contrary to his words, however, Min-hyeok repeatedly wiped his face with his hand and massaged his eyes. Unlike his usual impeccable appearance, he looked distinctly exhausted. His shirt was half-unbuttoned and his hair was disheveled over his forehead; this uncharacteristic lack of neatness made Hyun-wook nervous.

“I suspect you already know what I’ve been doing until now.”

“I heard the situation from the Chief Eunuch. That you stopped by the island and had a private audience with that student. Was it necessary to go that far?”

There was concern mixed into Hyun-wook’s question. He was speaking for the sake of the Emperor’s prestige. Lately, Min-hyeok had been traveling too fearlessly, exposing himself too much, and lacking caution. Of course, even when Min-hyeok traveled “alone,” he wasn’t truly alone, but it was true that Hyun-wook worried about whether he could afford to be this careless.

“I didn’t say much. I happened to get caught, but I warned him to be careful so that word didn’t get out. I had to make sure the fact that Hae-joo resides on the island doesn’t leak to the outside.”

“Do you think he’ll understand with just that?”

Min-hyeok had likely handled it in his own way, but as long as Hae-joo was on that island, Hyun-wook couldn’t help but worry. Even if Min-hyeok continued to keep an eye on the island, it was impossible not to worry about him living alone in the open.

“What else is he going to do when his grandparents have settled there? I told him that all the civil servants on the island were dispatched by the Imperial Family, and he seemed to understand what I meant. Just in case, I told him directly that there would be many eyes watching. He’s not stupid, so he’ll know what that means.”

That would be fortunate, but if a young person with youthful bravado made a slip of the tongue, it would become a headache. Noticing Hyun-wook’s concern, Min-hyeok stood up, went to the desk, and held out a document.

“That’s why I need you. Stop worrying about that and go check on things yourself. Read this.”

The document he received unexpectedly contained detailed information that Hyun-wook was already well aware of. It was about the island affairs that Hae-joo had settled into and the things he had discussed with Min-hyeok a few times. Since he had heard about it and attended meetings, it wasn’t unfamiliar.

“You probably know from hearing about it, but I need you to take charge of the work as described. You’re the only suitable person.”

While responding to Min-hyeok’s words, Hyun-wook couldn’t take his eyes off the proposal. Min-hyeok, observing Hyun-wook keenly, continued his instructions.

“There’s no time to grasp the duties through paperwork. I’ll connect you with the practitioners there, so get a day or two of training and then jump straight into the stolen contentwm: Read on Read BL Novels -->content -->field to start working. They’ll take good care of you. Feedback will be sent from this side immediately, so don’t worry.”

Hyun-wook had seen, experienced, and handled countless tasks by Min-hyeok’s side. Although he hadn’t been given an official title, he had supported him in a position no less significant than an aide or the Sang-seon. Thus, everyone assumed Hyun-wook was something like a chief secretary, but in reality, he had merely been in charge of security and all sorts of odd jobs.

Hyun-wook had silently and efficiently handled various complex tasks by Min-hyeok’s side, reaching a level where he could be trusted with such work. Even with Hae-joo’s involvement, if Hyun-wook’s professional ability hadn’t met expectations, Min-hyeok wouldn’t have entrusted him with the job.

“The staff have all been hired, and the side will decide which part they work in and how, so just manage them well. While the staff are being trained, quickly grasp the island’s operations.”

“Things hadn’t been progressing in various ways for a while, but suddenly it’s moving quickly.”

“After experiencing it firsthand, I realized I couldn’t drag it out any longer. There was no time to just think about it.”

Hyun-wook, who hadn’t been able to take his eyes off the document, looked up and stared at Min-hyeok, who was looking at the computer. This was work, and it wasn’t unusual for Min-hyeok to assign tasks to Hyun-wook in this way. However, it was puzzling that he was so openly telling him to go to the place where Hae-joo was and carry out his orders.

That place was, quite literally, where Hae-joo—whom Min-hyeok had blocked from meeting for a long time—resided. Even while keeping Hyun-wook by his side, Min-hyeok had hidden his existence so that Hae-joo wouldn’t find him. He hadn’t exposed his contact information, where he lived, or even Hyun-wook’s family. He had controlled things to the point of nearly erasing all traces, so what was his intention in sending him to the island now? If he went, it would be impossible not to run into Hae-joo on that small island. Hyun-wook tried to guess Min-hyeok’s intent in sending him there.

As soon as Hae-joo decided to make that island his residence, young Alphas and Betas had vanished from the island in an instant. Min-hyeok had cared enough about other Alphas and Betas to change the island’s environment. Given his personality, there was no way he would visit our sitesend a large number of Betas [stolen content]to the island without a thought. He must have thought of an alternative, and Hyun-wook knew that the alternative was none other than himself.

“Your Majesty, then perhaps…”

“…Asking if you can meet Hae-joo?”

Min-hyeok, noticing Hyun-wook’s thoughts, let out a short laugh.

“Even if you think I’ve changed my mind too easily, it can’t be helped. There’s no one I trust as much as you. There’s no one who knows Hae-joo as well as you, Kang Hyun-wook. I know, and you know, that no matter who I attach to him, there’s no one who will protect him as well as you.”

With the laughter gone, Min-hyeok’s face was more serious than ever. In the face that used to be full of vigilance, trust was now visible.

“Meet him.”

“Pardon?”

When the concise and clear permission was granted, Hyun-wook asked back in surprise.

“I’m telling you to go meet Hae-joo, and see Seo-joo too. I met them, so why should you be unable to? If anything, he’ll probably find it funny to see you.”

“Your Majesty…”

“Keep a good eye on him. I’m not in a position to ask this, but I’m asking anyway. Just don’t run away with him. Of course, you must also do the work I assigned well.”

At the sudden, surprising words, Hyun-wook hurriedly offered his thanks, and a smile appeared on Min-hyeok’s face. However, Hyun-wook knew. ‘Just don’t run away with him.’ Those words, disguised as a request, were a sincere warning. He knew that just because they were delivered lightly with a smiling face, they must never be taken lightly.