CHAPTER 109: CHAPTER 109: FEAR OFTEN MAKES PEOPLE DO STUPID THINGS

Meical leaned in again and kissed Min-jae’s cheek.

Then the other cheek.

Then the tip of his nose.

Min-jae blinked slowly. "...Are you done?"

Meical didn’t answer.

Instead, he kissed the corner of his mouth.

Min-jae leaned back, brows knitting.

"Meical. I’m trying to talk."

He needed to know Meical’s plan to see if they aligned with his own plan.

Another kiss landed on his jaw this time.

"Seriously."

Another kiss, higher on his cheek.

"I’m going to punch you."

Another kiss, right at the corner of his lips.

Min-jae inhaled sharply through his nose. "I am warning you."

Meical finally pulled back half an inch, just enough to smirk. "But you taste sweet."

Min-jae stared at him. "I smell like juice. There is a difference."

Meical hummed, completely unbothered. "Not to me."

He leaned forward, aiming for another kiss, and Min-jae lifted a hand to block him.

Meical simply kissed the palm of his hand instead.

Min-jae’s eyes widened. "Did you just—"

Another kiss, this time on his wrist.

Min-jae yanked his hand back. "Stop doing that!"

Meical tilted his head, still smiling faintly. "Why?"

"Because I’m trying to have a conversation."

"You can talk.." Meical said, settling closer. "I am listening."

He was absolutely not listening.

Min-jae tried again. "The commoners don’t respect me.."

Meical kissed his cheek.

"I’m serious, Meical.."

Another kiss, firmer this time.

"I swear to god.."

Another kiss, directly on his lips.

Min-jae’s entire expression flatlined. He grabbed Meical’s face between both hands and held him still. "STOP. MOVING."

Meical blinked at him, completely obedient for exactly three seconds.

Then he leaned forward and kissed him again despite Min-jae’s hands squishing his cheeks.

Min-jae let out a noise halfway between a sigh and a dying complaint. "I hate you."

"No.." Meical murmured, kissing him again, "you don’t."

"I do right now."

"No.." Meical repeated with another kiss, "you don’t."

Min-jae pushed him back by the shoulders. "I cannot talk when you keep..doing that!"

Meical softened finally, his expression relaxing into something warmer. "Alright. I will stop."

A beat passed.

Then he leaned in and placed one last kiss on Min-jae’s forehead.

Min-jae threw his hands up. "You—! That counts!"

"That one does not," Meical said calmly.

"It absolutely does."

Meical laughed under his breath, the kind he only let slip when he was in a particularly good mood.

He reached out, brushing a thumb across Min-jae’s cheek, but for once did not lean in again.

Min-jae exhaled slowly, regaining what little dignity he had left. "Are you finished now?"

Meical nodded once, the picture of innocence despite being the least innocent person alive. "I’m done."

"Good." Min-jae rolled his shoulders and sat straighter on the bed. "This is serious."

"I know."

"You really know? Like, fully know? Not ’I know but I will kiss you again in two minutes’ kind of know."

Meical’s lips curved but he stayed where he was. "I understand."

Min-jae narrowed his eyes. "If you kiss me again while I’m talking, I am biting you."

Meical looked entirely unthreatened. "I will accept it."

"That is not the point."

"It is still acceptable."

Min-jae gave him a long stare, the kind that conveyed every thought he didn’t bother voicing. After a few seconds, he exhaled and began.

"The people outside do not respect me," Min-jae said plainly. "It is not only today. It has been going on for weeks, I’m not sure they ever saw me as noble.."

Meical leaned back slightly, the playful softness fading from his expression. "I am aware, you’re a very peculiar case.."

"You are aware? And you said nothing?"

Meical answered calmly. "I told you not to go outside."

"That is not the same as telling me they were preparing to throw fruits at my head."

"They shouldn’t have done that," Meical said quietly, more serious than before. "And they’ll regret it."

Min-jae sighed. "I don’t care about their regret. I care that they dared to do it in the first place. Do you know what that means? They do not see me as a noble anymore. They do not see me as anyone connected to you, either. They see me as some random man you dragged in off the street."

Meical frowned slightly. "They are wrong."

"That is not the problem. It’s not just about time being wrong.." Min-jae met his gaze. "The problem is, they say you are bewitched. They say I am manipulating you. They say I have you under some kind of spell."

Meical’s jaw tightened. "Their words have no value."

"They have value when the entire town starts repeating them. When a lie is circulated it would eventually become the truth.." Min-jae looked genuinely irritated now, not at Meical but at the situation itself.

"I walked outside today and they looked at me like I was the reason for everything they have ever suffered. They acted like I’m personally stealing their food."

Meical listened quietly, his posture no longer relaxed but alert. "You are not responsible for their suffering and they know it. You’re just an object for their rage.."

"I know that. Going outside makes me feel like I’m a wanted criminal and I did nothing wrong.." Min-jae rubbed his forehead.

Meical’s voice dropped lower, quieter. "They did what they did, because it’s easier to blame someone who cannot punish them. But they forgot one crucial thing, you’re my wife and I absolutely won’t tolerate anyone throwing fruits at you or raise their hand against you.."

Min-jae’s expression outside was a frown but inwardly he was as glib as glib could get.

Meical should increase the price of fruits triple the amount.

Next time they’ll think twice before they threw fruits at him.

Meical continued, "They would never dare speak that way to me or any other noble. They would never dare accuse me openly. So they turn their fear into hatred and throw it at you instead."

"Don’t they know I’m a mad man and I’ll get my revenge somehow."

-_-

Min-jae felt Meical stunned with his reply and the man wouldn’t help but laughed.

Min-jae huffed out a breath, irritation simmering under his skin. "They hate me because I’m the easier target. If it didn’t rain for two days i’m sure they’ll blame it on me too. Right now anything that happens is my fault.."

"Yes, I don’t want to admit it but that’s the case.."

"That’s stupid."

"Yes.." Meical agreed again, without hesitation. "But fear often makes people do stupid things.."