CHAPTER 107: CHAPTER 107: A VERY UNFORTUNATE ENCOUNTER

The carriage ride back felt longer than it should have.

Min-jae sat stiffly in his seat, the faint smell of crushed fruit rising from his clothes as the wheels rolled over uneven stone.

He could feel pieces of pulp sticking to his skin beneath the fabric. His hair felt heavy, as if several fruits had chosen it as their final resting place.

He stared at the window, pretending he was somewhere else. Anywhere else.

When the carriage finally stopped in front of the house, Min-jae let out a long breath. He stepped out cautiously. The afternoon sun shone directly on him, forcing an unpleasant warmth over the already sticky mess that clung to him.

His coat, once clean, had become a battlefield of stains.

Red streaks. Yellow blotches. Something brown that he did not want to think about.

He climbed the steps with the resignation of a man walking toward judgment. A mashed tomato slid off his shoulder and landed near his foot. He forced himself not to look at it.

All he wanted was to go inside quietly, wash up, burn these clothes, and pretend today never happened.

He reached for the door.

It opened before he touched it.

Meical stood in the doorway.

His pristine uniform made the contrast even worse.

He had clearly just returned from the town hall. His hair was perfectly arranged. His gloves were spotless. His expression was the calm, unreadable one he always wore when dealing with officials or with the public.

That expression lasted exactly one second.

Min-jae watched Meical’s eyes slowly sweep down his body, taking in every stain, every speck of pulp, every piece of fruit still clinging stubbornly to his clothing.

Another piece of fruit slid from Min-jae’s hair and dropped onto the stone floor.

The sound was small, but it echoed between them like a drum.

Meical blinked once.

Then once again.

Then the corner of his mouth lifted.

Min-jae felt his jaw tighten. "Do not laugh."

Meical exhaled sharply, but the sound carried too much amusement to be a simple breath. His shoulders trembled slightly.

He tried to straighten his posture as if he were still addressing the crowd in the town hall, but it did nothing.

The laughter was building rapidly beneath the surface.

"Darling.." Meical said, voice strained. "What happened to you."

"What does it look like.." Min-jae replied flatly.

Meical attempted to maintain composure. "You appear to have had a very unfortunate encounter."

Min-jae stared at him. "They threw fruits at me. Expensive ones at first. Then they realized it was too expensive, so they looked for other things."

Meical covered his mouth with one hand. His shoulders shook harder. A suppressed laugh slipped out despite his best efforts.

Min-jae narrowed his eyes. "If you laugh, I will go back out and drag you into the street with me."

Meical coughed, trying to disguise the sound. "I am not laughing."

"You are absolutely laughing."

Meical looked away, as if trying to study the distant rooftops. "I’m merely clearing my throat..."

-_-

Min-jae stepped past him, but Meical blocked the doorway by accident while trying to regain his composure.

The fruit stains were close enough for him to smell the sour sweetness.

Meical made a helpless sound, half a breath and half suppressed laughter, and stepped aside. "Please go in before the servants come out. If they see you like this, they will assume you committed a crime."

Min-jae walked inside. "I should have stayed home."

"Yes.." Meical replied. "You should have."

"You went outside."

"I am the governor. I have to."

"..."

"I did tell you not to. And this is exactly why."

Another piece of crushed pulp slid down the back of Min-jae’s coat and dropped to the floor.

Meical stared at it for a moment, then looked at Min-jae again. He remained completely silent for five seconds.

Then he burst into laughter.

This time it wasn’t a small one.

Neither was it gentle one.

A full, uncontrollable laugh that echoed through the entire hallway.

Min-jae’s glare sharpened. "Be serious."

"I am trying." Meical pressed a hand against the wall for support. "I swear I am trying."

"It seems you’re failing. Completely."

Meical wiped the corner of his eye as if tears were forming from the strength of his own laughter. "You look like you survived an attack from an orchard."

"It’s not that funny."

"It is extremely funny. Pray Odysseus doesn’t find you like this."

-_-

Min-jae moved toward the stairs. "I am taking a bath."

"That is a good idea. Should I accompany you?"

-_-

"After that I am burning these clothes" Min-jae said ignoring the last thing Meical said.

"That is also a good idea." Meical smiled, walking behind Min-jae.

"I am upset."

"I can see that. But I did warn you not to go out, I was first annoyed that you left without telling me but now..." He chuckled lowly.

He stopped at the first step and turned back. "Do not follow me."

Meical blinked slowly. "I had no intention to follow you while you are covered in fruit. It would stain me"

"Good. Stay away from me, I don’t want to see your face.."

"However.." Meical added, "you should check your pockets. There are shapes in your coat that resemble tomatoes."

Min-jae looked down and sighed. "I hate today." First it was Meical’s family then he was insulted and had fruits thrown at him.

"Yes. I can understand that. Would you like me to send someone to prepare the bath hotter than usual."

"Yes.." Min-jae said quietly. "Please."

Meical nodded, still fighting to keep his expression neutral. "I will take care of it. My darling.."

Min-jae headed up the stairs, each step leaving behind a faint trail of sticky droplets.

He didn’t look back. He did not want to see the expression on Meical’s face again because he knew it would only irritate him further.

He reached the top of the stairs and paused.

He could still hear Meical’s laughter echoing below. It was softer now, but it carried a warmth he had not heard earlier that morning.

Min-jae shook his head and continued walking. He wanted nothing more than to submerge himself in boiling water until every trace of fruit vanished.

Behind him, downstairs, Meical finally managed to compose himself. He exhaled slowly and glanced toward the stairs where Min-jae disappeared.

His amusement faded, replaced by something more serious. "If they throw fruits at you again, I will deal with it myself."