CHAPTER 79: CHAPTER 79: SELF OBSESSED BRAT

Min-jae groaned, burying his face in his hands. He could feel heat crawling up his neck, his ears, everywhere. He wanted to flee, to hide, to somehow make the world stop spinning around this absurdly scandalous scenario.

Finally, one of the men, still smiling, gave a small bow. "We are done, sir. May your body feel light and your mind clear."

The women stepped back, trays in hand, smiling like they’d just pulled off some mischievous prank.

Min-jae straightened his robe, his hands shaking slightly. He gave a short, stiff nod.

"T-thank you.." he muttered, voice tight, trying not to imagine how scandalous this whole encounter would look if Meical ever found out.

Alone at last, Min-jae sank onto the edge of the bed. The sun poured through the open windows, warm and golden, the faint scent of oils and fruit lingering in the air. He exhaled, heart still racing.

"Scandalous... utterly scandalous.." he muttered, leaning back. And yet, despite everything, he couldn’t stop a small, reluctant smile from tugging at his lips.

The door creaked open just as Min-jae was still pulling the sheets around himself, cheeks red from either embarrassment or pure shock,he hadn’t decided which.

Jahan stepped inside, grinning like a cat who knew exactly where the canary had gone. "So," he said, eyes darting from the half-scattered fruit trays to the very dazed attendants standing awkwardly by the wall, "you received my little surprise."

Min-jae glared at him, clutching the sheet tighter. "A little surprise? I woke up to six strangers touching me. That’s not a surprise, that’s a crime in most places."

Jahan laughed, completely unbothered. "They were meant to help you relax! You’ve traveled halfway across the continent. My people thought..."

"They thought I was a brothel guest!" Min-jae cut in, mortified. "One of them said I was—" Min-jae paused unable to finish his sentence.

That only made Jahan double over, hand pressed to his stomach. "Spirits, I can’t breathe. You should have seen your face!"

"This isn’t funny.." Min-jae muttered, but his ears were pink, and that didn’t help his case.

Finally, Jahan caught his breath, wiping a tear from his eye. "Alright, alright, no more surprises like that. You have my word."

"I’m married, you know.." Min-jae said flatly.

Jahan raised his hands in mock surrender. "Noted. I’ll have to inform the palace staff that the Special advisor of Aldoria prefers his days wholesome."

-_-

Min-jae sighed, half wanting to throw the nearest pillow at him. "You’re unbelievable and I’m not the king’s special advisor anymore, I resigned..."

There was a brief silence between them as Jahan scratched his head. He guessed a lot had happened after the ball.

"So you’re unemployed now, no wonder you had time to travel.." Jahan teased, flashing a grin. "Come now, my parents have been pestering me since dawn to meet you. You’ll want to make yourself presentable, Abdel-shafi’s king and queen are not easily impressed."

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really.." Jahan said cheerfully, clapping him on the shoulder. "Let’s get you dressed. The attendants will bring the finest robes, something fit for royalty’s favorite guest."

By the time they reached the main hall, Min-jae was polished within an inch of his life, silk robes embroidered with gold threads, hair bound with a narrow clasp Jahan insisted on, smelling faintly of amber oil he hadn’t agreed to.

The throne room of Abdel-shafi was a sun-caught dream, gold and ochre spilling across the walls, high windows flooding the marble floor with heat and color. Musicians in pale linen played soft strings from the sides, the rhythm steady and sweet.

"Oi, my friend Kaizar, has arrived at last.." he said, pulling Min-jae forward as they entered the grand hall. "Allow me the honor of introducing my family."

He gestured toward the man seated on the dais, robed in deep crimson trimmed with gold. "This.." Jahan declared with mock gravity, "is the Great Malik Rashwan Abdel-shafi, king of our lands, master of all things grandiose, and, unfortunately, my father."

The king’s laughter rang through the hall. "You see how he exaggerates in my presence? Welcome, Lord Kaizar. You must forgive my son, he was born with far too much enthusiasm."

"Or not enough sense.." someone murmured from the side, earning a bark of laughter from the queen.

"Ah, and this lovely woman.." Jahan continued, "is my mother, Lady Samira. She ensures the rest of us remain intact, more or less."

The queen inclined her head gracefully. "Welcome, dear guest. You honor our halls. My son has spoken of you often."

Min-jae inclined his head in response. "The honor is mine, Your Majesty."

Behind her stood three of Jahan’s sisters, each with amused smiles, their eyes glinting at the guest. Jahan waved lazily toward them. "My sisters, don’t ask which is which, they’ll quarrel about it for hours."

Then Jahan’s younger brother appeared. Tall, impeccably dressed, but his gaze locked on Min-jae, sharp and cool. His eyes swept over him, assessing, weighing, and landing with an unmistakable air of disdain. He did not speak a word, yet his presence alone seemed to make the hall still, the warmth dampened by his scrutiny.

Min-jae’s chest tightened. He inclined his head politely but kept his expression carefully neutral, unsure how to navigate the icy weight of the young man’s gaze. The rest of the hall seemed to pause, caught between amusement at the greeting and the awkward tension radiating from Tariq.

Who was that stuckup brat? If he guess was right, that would be Jahan’s brother.

Jahan’s grin faltered slightly as he noticed the stiffness around Min-jae. He nudged his guest lightly. "Ignore him for now, he’s prone to thinking the world revolves around him."

That’s a massive red flag! I pity the woman’s that gonna marry this self obsessed brat.

Min-jae managed a small, tight smile, though his mind was already calculating how to avoid further confrontations. The queen’s gentle presence and the king’s booming laugh helped ease the immediate tension, but Min-jae could still feel Tariq’s sharp stare tracing his movements as they were guided to their seats.

The sisters leaned forward immediately, curiosity sparkling in their eyes.

"So... you’re the one Jahan keeps talking about?" the tallest one said, arching a brow. "I expected someone taller."

-_-