110 – VCR

“Hae-joo, what are these flowers? Did you buy them?”

Dad asked, looking at the vase placed on the table next to the sofa. In the long vase, a few remaining lisianthus and ranunculus were blended together beautifully.

“No, I didn’t buy them. I received them as a gift, but there were so many that I gave some away to people, and this is all that’s left. Still, they are pretty.”

The pink ranunculus and purple lisianthus suited each other well. In fact, they had more of a presence now than when they were in a lush flower basket. Back then, their beautiful form had been hidden by the roses. But did I make a mistake putting them here? Just seeing them makes my heart feel unsettled again.

“Dad. Why do people give flowers to someone, and with what kind of feelings? If you were to buy flowers, who would you want to give them to?”

At the sudden question, Dad seemed to fall into deep thought. I had received many other things, but I had never received a bouquet as a gift, which is why I couldn’t help but ask such a foolish question.

“Hmm… If it were me, I think I’d give them to someone very close or someone I consider extremely precious. That’s just how flowers are, right? Something special and romantic. That’s probably why people exchange flowers on special days. Birthdays, anniversaries, or when confessing. You gift them to someone who is precious by your own standards.”

Precious. If that’s the case, I’m even more clueless. Am I a precious person to Joo Min-hyeok? I don’t know. What on earth does he want to do with me? What does he think of me to do something so unfitting?

Splitting his time to travel back and forth to the island despite a tight overseas tour schedule couldn’t be an easy task. Being the Emperor doesn’t mean everything is convenient. In a situation where he prepared a gift himself only to be cursed at, anyone could see that Joo Min-hyeok is the one losing out. He must know that, so why is he approaching me even while being insulted? Sincerity toward me? I can never believe such a thing.

“By any chance, did His Majesty give you those flowers?”

“Huh? Uh… I don’t know why he’s doing this. How did you know, Dad?”

“Dad has eyes and ears too. I heard he’s [Read on [visit our site]Read BL Novels]been messing around with nets and boats on the island lately. He’s not the type of person to do that kind of work. Isn’t he overdoing it?”

“That’s not because of me.”

I felt a surge of irritation wondering if he was wandering the island so much that even my dad knew, but then again, anyone would be interested if a young man, who wasn’t previously on the island, started hanging around. Since he said helping the elders was a promise he made, there’s nothing I can do about it.

“I hate it so much that you’re suffering. Hae-joo. As a father, I want to step forward actively and solve everything, but it breaks my heart that I can’t do that because of the situation.”

As Dad spoke of the situation, he pointed to his own body and laughed hollowly. Dad didn’t even look like a father, let alone an uncle; when he was beside me, he felt more like an older brother with a bit of an age gap. That’s why he seemed upset that he couldn’t protect me fully as a father.

“I feel sorry and frustrated that Han-bin is doing the things Dad should be doing.”

“Don’t feel that way. To me, he’s more reliable than anyone. Joo Min-hyeok knows all about our relationship anyway, so next time you meet him, Dad, please tell him. Tell him not to treat my son carelessly.”

“…Right. Of course. I’m not scared of him just because he’s the Emperor. It’s good that he knows. I’ll make sure to tell him very firmly.”

A firm determination appeared on Dad’s face, as if he had a lot pent up against Joo Min-hyeok. What was with the flowers… Just as I was calming my heart, which had become emotional because of that flower basket, and thinking about the menu for Cafe Bom.

A call came in from an unsaved number. Assuming it was a loan offer, a public opinion poll, or an advertisement, I ignored it and immersed myself in work. However, the call I had dismissed continued to ring persistently when I didn’t answer.

“Crazy, what is this? Is this voice phishing?”

I usually ignore these kinds of calls, but reaching the limit of my patience, I finally pressed the call button.

“Hello!”

I answered the phone loudly with a hint of irritation, but I couldn’t help but be surprised by the voice that flowed through the receiver.

You finally picked up. I thought I was being ignored over the phone too. Cha Hae-joo, I was going to keep calling until you answered…

“…Joo Min-hyeok?”

Even without seeing his condition, I could tell how he was just by hearing his voice. His tongue wasn’t twisted, but his speech was slightly slow and slurred. His already low voice was even deeper, to the point where it echoed in my ears.

Yeah. I’m Joo Min-hyeok. Do you understand?

“Have you been drinking?”

I know Joo Min-hyeok has a high tolerance. In official settings, he only sips wine to avoid getting wasted, but in private, he remained sober even after three bottles of soju. For him to be in this state, I don’t know how much he’s had.

“What are you doing right now? How can someone who is the Emperor act so recklessly!”

So what. It’s my wish. Can’t I even get drunk in my own country? Is it written in the law? More importantly, can you call my name one more time? Don’t call me Your Majesty, just my name once, like before…

He’s insane. He’s completely gone.

“Go to sleep quickly. If your stomach feels uncomfortable, call Sang-seon or a court lady.”

There’s no one… No one is here. I’m alone. I’m alone, Cha Hae-joo.

“How much did you drink to be like this? Where are you right now? There’s no way Your Majesty is alone! How many court ladies are waiting outside your door?”

Me? I’m in front of Cha Hae-joo’s house right now.

“…What?”

I snorted as soon as I heard his words, wondering what kind of fresh nonsense this was. But I felt a chill down my spine. If it were this man, he’d be capable of doing that while drunk. Once I grasped the situation, I quickly rushed outside.

Joo Min-hyeok, who said he was in front of the house, was not at the door, nor on the stairs, nor outside the villa. I caught my breath and looked around. In the now pitch-black outdoors, not a single cat was visible, let alone a drunk adult man. I didn’t know if he was playing a prank because he was drunk, but if he hadn’t come here, it was actually a relief.

Thump thump!

Suddenly, I heard the sound of someone knocking on a window from a car parked in front of the opposite building. Reflexively turning toward it, I heard the window being knocked a few more times, and then the car door opened very slowly.

“Ah, ow, ow…”

A man of massive build tumbled out through the gap of the open door. I could tell who it was at a glance without being told. Is he really going to surprise me several times today? During the short time it took to take the phone away from my ear and run over there, I repeated many curses in my head.

“Have you actually lost your mind? What is this sight? Why is no one with you? Did you drink and drive?”

There really was no one around Joo Min-hyeok. I screamed in shock, wondering if he had grabbed the steering wheel while wasted.

“No. I was brought here. I told them to wait until I called.”

Can I trust that? Since he didn’t drive, he must have come out of the back seat, right? First of all, the urgent matter was to put this wasted man back into the car. If someone saw this, it would truly be headline news. However, it was not an easy task for an Omega to support a Dominant Alpha who was already heavy, and now limp from intoxication.

“Ugh, seriously! What kind of disgraceful behavior is this? Where did you drink?”

He smells like makgeolli. To get like this, did he drink it with a mate?

“…This is all because of you.”

See. The official repertoire of a drunkard. Blaming others.

“I’m hearing the most ridiculous things. Just get up!”

I tried to lift him by grabbing his armpits while he was slumped, but it was useless. Unable to withstand his weight as he failed to keep his balance, I ended up falling backward while hugging him. Ha… oh, fuck. Curses came naturally for the first time in a while. Feeling as if I had given up on everything, I ended up lying on the cold cement floor, pinned under Joo Min-hyeok.

“You, you said it. That you’re living with another Alpha. I heard it clearly. You said you’d marry an Alpha you like and start a home. We haven’t even divorced yet, so how could you say such things in front of your husband?”

When on earth did I… What’s this about marriage and starting a home? He’s definitely drunk. Joo Min-hyeok is using a tone I’ve never heard and a voice mixed with sobbing that I’ve never heard before.

“How could you say such things in front of me? Are you really going to live with another Alpha? Huh?”

What is the security team doing, just watching while the Emperor ended up in this state? This is a problem they should be handling. Where on earth are they watching from? How should I signal them to come out?

“…You asked me why I’m like this, right?”

“What? I can’t hear you well.”

Because I couldn’t hear the voice mumbling with his head buried in my shoulder, I replied with a hint of irritation.

“It’s because I like you. Because I like you… Because I love you. That’s why I’m so lingering. Because I love you, Hae-joo.”

Joo Min-hyeok, pushing himself up from his unstable position, stared straight into my eyes. He spoke to me slowly and clearly, so that I couldn’t play dumb and claim I didn’t hear.