By Zephyria 
“Haa, crazy…. I’ve really done it now. Joo Min-hyeok, you crazy brat.”
Covering his face with his hands, Min-hyeok let out a sigh mixed with irritation. It had been an impulsive action, one he regretted the moment it happened. It was a statement that hadn’t been part of the plan at all. He had intended to ignore everything related to Hae-joo’s past life as much as possible. He had sworn he wouldn’t breathe a word of it. Now was not the time to bring it up, especially when nothing was going right and misunderstandings were only piling up.
This wasn’t the kind of light topic one could just casually mention and then retreat from. And yet, he had gone and done it. Scratched by a momentary surge of jealousy, he had let his tongue slip. Hae-joo had promised to tell him first someday….
Today, he had truly intended to only give him the divorce papers. Knowing Hae-joo would likely throw a fit if he mentioned the divorce cooling-off period, his plan was to leave the scene quickly from the start. He had succeeded in getting into the car quickly, but he hadn’t expected Hae-joo to bring up Kang Hyun-wook.
Who could have known that Hae-joo would insist on holding onto the person getting into the car to persistently ask about his current status? The moment the name Kang Hyun-wook left Hae-joo’s lips, Min-hyeok’s stomach churned as if he were motion sick. He was well aware that they shared a bond so tight they had practically died and been reborn together.
He also knew that Kang Hyun-wook’s love wasn’t for Hae-joo. Everyone knew, but whenever Min-hyeok felt the existence of a world shared only by the two of them—a world he couldn’t enter—he hated how distant Hae-joo felt. He hated the sense of alienation, the feeling that Hae-joo had lived in another world he knew nothing about. How could he bring up Kang Hyun-wook, who had nothing to do with the topic, in such a short amount of time?
Hae-joo must have been angry at the near-absurd demand of a divorce cooling-off period, yet he had suppressed it to follow him and ask about Hyun-wook; it was almost impressive. Spite surged up from the depths of his gut. His heart twisted, and without realizing it, he had voiced his inner thoughts directly. The moment the words left his mouth, he realized his mistake.
Seeing the look of sheer horror gradually coloring Hae-joo’s face, Min-hyeok thought, to put it bluntly, that he was screwed. If Cha Han-bin hadn’t appeared just in time, it was dizzying to think how he would have navigated a crisis for which he couldn’t even conceive a solution. He had been lucky enough to escape the situation today, but the next time was the problem. This wasn’t a problem that would end just by avoiding it.
“I just made things more complicated….”
“…Exactly what did you say to make you feel this way?”
Sang-seon, who had been driving cautiously while gauging Min-hyeok’s mood, finally spoke up. Having quickly stepped out of the car as soon as Hae-joo approached, Sang-seon hadn’t heard what had been exchanged between the two. Min-hyeok had whispered so closely into Hae-joo’s ear in such a low voice that it was impossible to hear. Furthermore, he had no intention of telling Sang-seon about it.
“…I made a bit of a slip of the tongue. It’s not going to be easy.”
“I don’t know what mistake you made, but… it wasn’t easy to begin with, so this is quite a disaster.”
At Sang-seon’s obnoxious response, Min-hyeok gave the driver’s seat a light kick. After ending the brief skirmish, Min-hyeok asked Sang-seon about Hyun-wook.
“Sang-seon, what do you think of Kang Hyun-wook?”
“Are you referring to his work performance? His security skills go without saying, and he handles minor paperwork and all other assigned tasks without a hitch.”
Though he had been placed by the Emperor’s side as a bodyguard, in name only, Kang Hyun-wook was handling all sorts of odd jobs, performing more like a secretary. And he was doing those tasks silently and efficiently.
“If you are asking about his heartfelt loyalty, I wouldn’t expect too much—”
“It’s not that, so don’t start saying things that turn my stomach. Anything else?”
“Anything else? For starters, he doesn’t do anything His Majesty tells him not to do. Um, so please overlook the fact that he occasionally goes to the front of Cha Seo-joo’s house. He doesn’t actually meet him; he just stands there for a moment and leaves. He is a decent man. Hasn’t Your Majesty figured that out by now?”
“…True. Kang Hyun-wook is decent. Flawless.”
Over the past five years, Kang Hyun-wook had steadily established himself as Min-hyeok’s man. He was obedient and didn’t draw negative attention. It seemed less like sincere loyalty and more like an effort not to offend Min-hyeok, but that didn’t matter. Because Kang Hyun-wook was a very important link between Hae-joo and Min-hyeok, everything else was fine.
Hae-joo would continue to hover around, worrying about Hyun-wook’s well-being. Therefore, keeping Kang Hyun-wook by his side was the best way to ensure the connection with Hae-joo wasn’t severed. With Kang Hyun-wook there, there was no more certain insurance. Wiping his face with his hand, Min-hyeok stared intently at his shirt sleeves, which were rolled up to his forearms.
“If the stains bother you, would you like to change now?”
“No, it’s fine. More importantly, what about the thing I told you to look into? Did you find a Beta to work here?”
“You told me to look into it quickly, so it will be handled soon.”
The stains on the sleeves and pant cuffs were marks from a small incident that occurred before meeting Hae-joo. A short while ago, while waiting for Hae-joo, Min-hyeok had been resting in the car. While staring blankly out the window, he saw some elderly people struggling to move a large object.
They had to unload items from a truck, but the weight was too much for the elderly to handle, and they were distressed, trying every possible method. Watching this, Min-hyeok had instinctively stepped in to help. All the personnel guarding Min-hyeok joined in, and somehow, they ended up helping until the job was finished.
In the process of helping, Min-hyeok heard the elderly people’s complaints mixed with frustration. Listening silently to their stories, Min-hyeok accidentally discovered that their discomfort was related to him. Min-hyeok was extremely flustered by this unexpected revelation.
Most of the young Alphas and Betas on this island had left, and the work they used to do had fallen upon the elderly. Min-hyeok had hurried to select companies to help the remaining residents so that there would be no gaps in the work Alphas used to do. Thus, the official operations of the island ran without a hitch.
Despite this, the physical strength of the elderly declined over time, and small daily situations became problematic. This wasn’t a matter of selecting a company. These were trivial tasks that wouldn’t be an issue if there were young Alphas or Betas around.
Having received reports on the matter, Min-hyeok had taken an interest and tried various methods to increase the number of young civil servants. However, the fact that no young people wanted to come to this island at the edge of the land became a stumbling block. That problem had dragged on sluggishly until now.
Although Han-bin and Seo-joo helped whenever they had time, it was woefully insufficient. The situation on the ground he experienced firsthand was more urgent than expected, and there were many inconveniences. Therefore, until more staff were recruited, Min-hyeok himself had to provide help.
“Please don’t worry too much. These are inconveniences that exist anywhere elderly people live. It’s not as if there are no middle-aged people helping out here.”
“But the change in the island’s system is all my fault. For now, I need quite a few personnel who can be deployed to the field at any time. Recruit a large number of field facility management staff and provide exceptional support for salaries and housing. Ah, Betas, of course. People of a moderate age—neither too young nor too old.”
“You’ve already explained that sufficiently, so that is how it’s proceeding. We are looking for a manager who is also a Beta, so please don’t worry.”
A manager…. A manager. There needed to be a manager to lead and oversee them. A civil servant with experience in such matters, or someone who knew Min-hyeok’s intentions well so that Min-hyeok wouldn’t have to worry. There was one very suitable person.
“…Kang Hyun-wook.”
“Pardon?”
When Hyun-wook’s name left Min-hyeok’s lips, Sang-seon, who was holding the steering wheel, flinched in surprise.
“Did you not keep him by Your Majesty’s side on purpose? To prevent him from meeting the user?”
“But in this situation, he is more suitable than anyone. There is no one like Kang Hyun-wook. He knows this situation well, knows my personality well, and is my man who will sincerely look after Hae-joo.”
Other Betas from the outside were unreliable, and he needed someone who could oversee the island’s affairs while looking after Hae-joo on his behalf. There was no one more suitable than Kang Hyun-wook. Although he was displeased that Hae-joo missed him so dearly, there was no harm in letting them meet soon.
Besides, his love isn’t Hae-joo. Just being able to meet Seo-joo freely would give him some breathing room. Let’s call it a reward for the commendable way he had silently endured by his side for the past few years. He had reached a point where he had a small amount of trust that Kang Hyun-wook would certainly not cross the line.
∗ ∗ ∗
Joo Min-hyeok knew everything. As expected, my intuition wasn’t wrong. He definitely seemed to know something and had shown signs of it. I should have realized it then…. I just kept thinking, ‘No way.’ Would he know this? Even if he knew, would he believe it?
With his personality, I’d be lucky if he didn’t treat me like a crazy person. I was in a state of absolute shock and horror, to the point where the divorce and the cooling-off period had completely vanished from my mind.
“…But he knows all that and believes it all? How on earth did he find out? Hyung, I think this man tortured Hyun-wook. That’s the only explanation.”
Listening to my repeated mutterings, Han-bin hyung’s face also looked haggard. Incidents just keep happening one after another. What on earth does Joo Min-hyeok, who knows everything, want from me? Staring at me while wiping his face, hyung spoke.
“He probably found out through the cameras monitoring your Imperial Pavilion.”
“Then he’s known for a long time? I told myself to be careful with my words, but where the hell were the cameras installed that he knows everything? Does the audio on the cameras work that well?”
“He’s the Emperor; how high-quality would the cameras he uses be? That’s nothing.”
Since hyung had been a soldier, he probably had some knowledge of such equipment.
“That’s why nothing happened. Father and Seo-joo were too safe. Since he knew everything, there was no need to touch them. Same with your divorce; the Emperor really isn’t an easy person to deal with.”
He’s not just ‘not easy,’ he’s too difficult. He disappeared after leaving another incomprehensible remark. To just accept it if he shows up? He meant he’d come to the island again, but in a way that suggested it had nothing to do with me. I have no idea what his scheme is. I might know what’s ten feet under the water, but I can’t fathom one foot of Joo Min-hyeok’s mind.