CHAPTER 52: CHAPTER 52: A LIGHT SMACK ON THE BUM

-_-

My dick? Did Cocks have a different name now?

"I am affected, but I cannot let you strain yourself. I will take care of it after I help you dress.."

Min-jae sighed, there was no needed for him to argue with Meical. He let the man dress him, even though he could do it by himself.

"I’ll take my bath now. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me."

Meical got out of the bed while Meical was in the bathroom. He first went to Meical’s study to get his diary.

He had to update the diary.

The tip of the quill glided across the paper, leaving behind clean strokes of black ink.

The air in the room was still, broken only by the faint rustle of pages and the steady rhythm of Min-jae’s breathing.

This Chapter was not for Kaizar.

It was his.

He could not record the truth of his existence.

If anyone were to read this diary, they must never find that he was not of this world. So he wrote only what could be written.

It has been one week since my arrival. One week since the wedding. It has been strange... though not unpleasant.

The words were measured, almost detached. But his hand paused midway.

The people here are not as they were described in the book. Their emotions are real, their pain palpable. The air itself carries weight, and the world feels alive..m too much so to be just fiction.

He adjusted his grip on the quill. The faint scent of ink and paper filled his senses.

I do not miss the world I left behind. Perhaps I should. But I do not. Only my sister crosses my mind. If she were here, perhaps I would not feel this constant restlessness.

His gaze softened as he continued.

As for Meical... I cannot define what I feel toward him. I have never cared for man or a woman before. Love was something distant... unnecessary. Yet, when it comes to him, I find myself uncertain. He worries, he scolds, he looks at me as though I matter. Does this mean I am... gay? Or is it simply him? Is it gay to love one man?

The faintest smile ghosted across his lips, disappearing as quickly as it came.

Pain here is real. It grounds me. It reminds me that I am alive, but also that death here is not an illusion. If I die... will I vanish completely? Or will I wake elsewhere? I do not know.

The ink began to dry. He stared at the words until they blurred, then closed the book softly, as though sealing away a secret.

The moment of silence broke when the door burst open.

"Why didn’t you say a word about where you were going?"

Meical’s voice echoed through the room, sharp with emotion. His eyes, usually calm, were storm-dark with anger and worry.

Min-jae turned, startled.

"I came out and you were gone.." Meical said again, breath uneven. "Not even the servants knew where you were. Do you have any idea—"

He stopped himself, running a hand through his hair. The tremor in his voice betrayed him more than his words ever could.

Min-jae lowered his gaze, closing the diary with deliberate care. "You worry too much. You searched and you found me here, did you not?" he said quietly.

Meical exhaled, shoulders tense, as if trying to decide whether to scold him further or pull him close.

"That’s not the point.." Meical said, the edge of his tone sharp but thinly veiled with worry. He exhaled slowly, schooling his voice into calm. "The artisan’s been here since yesterday as you requested. You shouldn’t keep him waiting any longer."

-_-

He had almost forgotten about it.

That was when Min-jae noticed he was fully dressed, cloak settled neatly across his shoulders, gloves already on. His hair was combed back, every detail suggesting he was about to leave.

"You’re heading out?" Min-jae asked, setting the diary aside.

"Yes.." Meical said shortly. "There are errands to attend to in town. I won’t be back until nightfall."

Min-jae nodded faintly, though his mind had already begun to drift again. If the artisan could design the bottles he already had, then the next step would be to send them outz one to the noble lady he’d chosen for his promotion, the other to Syris.

He didn’t notice Meical moving closer until the man was right before him.

"Meical—"

The rest of his sentence vanished into the sudden press of lips against his own. It wasn’t a fleeting touch, it was deliberate, deep, stealing the air from his lungs before he could even think.

When Meical finally drew back, his voice was low, threaded with something between command and possession.

"Don’t ignore me, Kaizar."

And before Min-jae could respond, Meical’s hand came down in a swift, playful smack against his buttocks.

Min-jae froze, the sound echoing faintly in the room. Heat crept up his neck, colouring his face crimson.

Meical’s laughter was soft, a brief, indulgent sound before he turned and left the room, leaving Min-jae staring after him, heart beating far too fast for his liking.

Min-jae still felt the ghost of Meical’s kiss when he finally pulled himself together and left the room.

His ribs ached when he moved, but it wasn’t unbearable. What was unbearable was the heat still crawling up his neck.

He found Odysseus and Vanadis waiting in the corridor downstairs.

Both straightening when they saw him.

"You’re both up early..." Min-jae said, brushing invisible dust from his sleeve. His voice was calm, almost lazy, the kind of calm that made both men uneasy.

Odysseus was the first to speak. "Madame, are you feeling better? I’m terribly sorry that my actions affected you."

-_-

"You belong to me now. So there’s no need apologizing now. Just devote yourself, wholeheartedly to me now.." Min-jae said running his hand through his hair.

-_-

Odysseus lips twitched, he wasn’t sure Vanadis would want him by his side. After the incident yesterday, he had completely ignored him.

"No! Master he doesn’t have you at heart, he’s only after his own gain. You shouldn’t have this type of person by your side.."