CHAPTER 103: CHAPTER 103*

Meical let out a quiet breath, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

"You are eating like a true glutton," he said, his voice steady and mild. "Even for you, this is impressive."

Min-jae did not respond. He simply returned to his food as though nothing had been said. Even if he heard it, he had no interest in acknowledging it.

Meical watched him for another moment before lowering his gaze to the table. His duties waited for him, and he had already delayed longer than he intended. The estate did not run itself, and his morning schedule had been disrupted enough by his parents’ unexpected arrival.

Still, leaving Min-jae now felt somewhat uneasy. The morning had already been chaotic and unpleasant, and Min-jae’s temper had been pushed in every direction. Meical knew he could handle himself, but instinct made him hesitate.

Min-jae noticed the shift in atmosphere. He continued eating but spared a glance toward Meical.

"You have work," Min-jae said flatly. "You should go. I will not spontaneously combust because you stepped out of the room."

Meical gave a quiet huff that resembled a sigh. "I know. I simply prefer not to leave you alone when things have been this turbulent."

"I am not alone," Min-jae replied, picking up another spoonful. "And I have my own matters to handle. Saar has things to report. I need to hear them."

Saar straightened slightly from where he stood behind Odysseus, as if the words were permission to exist again.

Meical accepted the answer with a small nod. He reached out and smoothed Min-jae’s hair once, gently but firmly, as though grounding himself with the touch.

"If you need anything, call for me," he said. "I will return as soon as my duties allow."

Min-jae swallowed his mouthful and glanced up.

"Hurry up, the sooner you finish your work the sooner you can return home.."

A faint smile touched Meical’s lips. "So it seems.."

He turned to Odysseus. "Stay with him until Saar is finished."

"Yes, Master," Odysseus replied.

Meical gave Min-jae one last look, a lingering one, as if reminding himself that Min-jae was there, safe and eating.

Then he stepped out of the dining room, the door closing with a muted click behind him.

Silence settled briefly.

Min-jae finally placed his spoon down and leaned back slightly, allowing himself one slow breath before refocusing.

He looked at Saar.

"Now," Min-jae said, his tone shifting from domestic to sharp. "Tell me everything you have been avoiding since the ball."

Saar lowered his head. "Yes, Master."

The atmosphere of the dining room changed immediately, the warmth of breakfast giving way to business.

Odysseus remained standing at Min-jae’s side, silent and composed, but Min-jae lifted his hand slightly.

"Leave," he said. "I want to speak to Saar alone."

Odysseus bowed. "Yes, Madame."

He stepped out of the dining room without another sound, closing the door behind him.

Only Saar remained, kneeling on the floor. His posture was rigid, his expression unreadable beneath the lowered angle of his head.

Min-jae wiped his mouth with the napkin and set it aside with deliberate calm.

"Speak," he said.

Saar raised his head slightly, enough to meet Min-jae’s gaze. "After the incident at the ball, matters progressed quickly. His Majesty Radomir made his final decision. Lady Syris was chosen as the sovereign’s companion. The remaining candidates were dismissed and escorted back to their respective households."

Min-jae absorbed that without reaction. He only gestured for Saar to continue.

"During that period, your uncle and cousin were also released," Saar said. "They returned to their manor three days after the ball ended. Their release was done quietly, with no public statement."

Min-jae’s fingers curled slightly against the tablecloth, but his expression remained unchanged.

Saar continued, "As for the rumors circulating through the capital... the source is Seraphine. She used your absence to spread a variety of accusations and insinuations, all crafted to undermine your standing and reputation."

"What exactly did she say?" Min-jae asked.

"She claims you fled the capital in disgrace," Saar said plainly. "That the King rejected you personally. That your marriage is unstable, that you are unfit to hold authority, and that the Amagi family is distancing themselves from you. She spread these in salons, merchant gatherings, private dinners, and through hired tongues."

Min-jae stared at the empty plate before him, his expression narrowing with cold focus.

"And she has not been acting alone," Saar continued. "She is working with Veynar and Dorian."

Min-jae’s jaw tightened.

Saar lowered his voice. "Their cooperation appears organized. They have been meeting frequently. They discuss the best ways to diminish your influence in the kingdom, but their efforts extend beyond political damage."

Min-jae waited.

"They have started entering trade and shipping," Saar said. "Investments, transport contracts, small-scale maritime exchanges. They have partnered with a few merchants and minor nobles. So far, the business is successful. Profitable."

Min-jae leaned back in his chair. He interlocked his fingers slowly, resting them against his stomach. He inhaled, letting the air settle his thoughts.

Seraphine had overstepped.

Veynar and Dorian were already marked in his mind, but Seraphine inserting herself into their schemes, using his absence to tarnish him in every circle possible, made her position intolerable.

She had chosen to escalate.

Fine.

Then he would end her route entirely.

"It seems," Min-jae said quietly, "that Seraphine has forgotten her place."

Saar bowed his head again, waiting.

"I will need witnesses," Min-jae continued. "Solid ones. Not merely statements or assumptions. If she is to be removed, it must be done publicly and without room for interpretation."

He tapped one finger on the table. "This means we will have to return to the Amagi estate."

Saar looked up. "You intend to meet with Robert."

"Yes. He is the only one in that household who speaks plainly. And he knows all internal movements." Min-jae’s voice grew firmer. "I need every detail concerning Veynar and Dorian. Their visits. Their guests. Their finances. Their behavior. I want everything."

Saar placed one fist to the floor and bowed deeply. "I will gather all relevant information."

"And you will also investigate Seraphine," Min-jae added. "I want a list of every business she has touched in the last two months. Every partner she has formed connections with. Every person she has met with privately. Every message she has sent or received."

"Yes, Master."

"If she has been bold enough to use my absence against me, I will be bold enough to cut every support she relies on."

Saar’s posture stiffened. "Understood."

Min-jae’s expression did not soften. He shifted his hands back to the table, tapping once.

"And do a short scout of the other districts as well. Any whispers, even insignificant ones, concerning me or Meical. I want to know them."

"Yes, Master."

Min-jae nodded once.

"You may go."

Saar rose smoothly to his feet, bowed once more, and exited the dining room with silent steps. The door closed behind him, leaving Min-jae alone with the remnants of his meal.

The room was quiet, but Min-jae’s mind was not.

Seraphine.

Veynar.

Dorian.

Each name layered over the other like a list he intended to cross off one by one.

The peace he had momentarily regained during breakfast dissolved into a cold, precise calm.

It was time to act.

And this time, he would not leave anything behind for them to recover with.

Min-jae left the dining room and headed toward the front entrance of the estate. On the way there, Saar was already waiting for him with his cloak.

Min-jae draped it over his shoulders and fastened the clasp.

He took a deep breath and prepared himself mentally.

He had no idea what awaited him back at the Amagi estate, but the situation with Seraphine had already been allowed to escalate far beyond reason. If he did not handle it now, it would only worsen.

As he prepared to step out of the door, a voice stopped him.

"Where is Meical?" Aleksandr walked up to him, but still stood far away like Min-jae would infect him.

"He has duties to attend to," Min-jae replied evenly, without hesitation, his tone calm but unyielding. He did not elaborate. He had no intention of giving them any leverage.

Andrey’s eyes narrowed slightly, scanning Min-jae as if assessing whether he could push further. Tatiana leaned forward, resting her hands delicately on her knees, her voice smooth, controlled, but dripping with barely concealed contempt. "I see," she said lightly, "so it is only you here. Alone. Perhaps... that makes things easier."