The celebration of the Crown Prince's 25th birthday began with the most prestigious banquet at the main arena in the middle of the heart of The Sapphire. The whole palace gathered to celebrate the event. Lords and their ladies filled the compound, chatting while enjoying exquisite dishes from the food buffet organized by the royal kitchen of The Sapphire. The cook meticulously selected only the best ingredients for the special day, featuring foods favored by both the Seja and Sejabin.
Everything seemed like a perfect celebration!
"Your bodyguard looks different today..." Dan whispered to Min Jun. The prince smirked as he glanced at Uk, who was standing a bit away from him, on guard.
"What do you mean, cousin?" Min Jun casually asked Dan.
"I don't know. He looks handsome. And..." Dan pulled Min Jun closer. "Is that the official Red Ruby ring on his finger?" he asked. Min Jun nodded, giving him a meaningful look. Dan gasped, his sharp gaze fixed on Min Jun.
"You do know that the jade ring is only worn by the consort–"
"I know," Min Jun replied curtly. "However, the ring is also a symbol of the house he resides in. I marked him so no one can mess with him, especially during the party tonight," the prince whispered to his cousin calmly.
"Possessive, huh?" Dan gave Min Jun a teasing look. The prince chuckled. He leisurely picked up his teacup, sipped the contents, and put it back on the table while surveying the crowd.
"After what happened this morning, I'd rather say I am being possessive. This is for his own good. He's my bodyguard, not some random man from the Concubine Lane," said Min Jun. "I am drawing an exclusive line around him."
Dan chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. His cousin was indeed a jealous man. The relationship between Min Jun and his bodyguard was still unclear but still, he had already drawn a circle around the man.
Imagine if Uk belongs to him...
***
Uk was enjoying the party in silence. Occasionally, he glanced at Min Jun to ensure his safety. He purposefully stood a bit away from the prince as they agreed not to make it obvious so no one would end up being a target. But the security remained tight as usual.
"Excuse me, are you Gisa Ahn?" Uk startled when a lady approached him.
It was Myung Yu.
"Gongju jaga..." Uk quickly bowed to Myung Yu, but the princess softly touched his forearm.
"No need to bow so low, Gisa. I came as a friend," Myung Yu said softly. She stood up straight with elegance in her cream royal robe with the crane sigil. The pink collar complimented her appearance, making Myung Yu look radiant and sweet.
"How can I befriend a princess? I'm just a bodyguard, gongju jaga..."
"You can be friends with my brother. How can't you befriend me?" said Myung Yu, flashing a smile.
"I work as his bodyguard. I have to listen to him," Uk carefully chose his words. He dared not look directly at Myung Yu, keeping his distance to avoid gossip.
"I can see how you really adore my brother. As much as he adores you, too!" Myung Yu's statement made Uk suddenly flustered. He nodded slightly, feeling a bit uneasy.
Myung Yu glanced at her brother's bodyguard. The man looked like an innocent child despite his age. She had heard conversations about this man from Wang Ki and Miju seja, but she hadn't paid much attention. However, since she saw Uk and Min Jun in the palaquin yesterday, her curiosity had been piqued. The curiosity reached its peak after witnessing the morning incident. How her brother treated his bodyguard made her want to know more about this man.
"This robe is nice," Myung Yu praised Uk.
"Yes. Daegun jaga chose it for me, saying that my bodyguard's attire is dull," Uk replied politely.
"I do agree with him. You look different today in this..." Myung Yu said, catching a glimpse of a shining object on Uk's finger.
"Is that–?"
"What are you doing, my sister?"
Myung Yu lost her chance to ask when Min Jun suddenly approached them.
"Orabeonim..." she quickly bowed to Min Jun, glancing at her brother with respect.
"Did you come to bully my bodyguard?" Min Jun asked her. Myung Yu let out an awkward laugh and shook her head slightly.
"I dare not, orabeonim! I just came by to apologize for what happened this morning," Myung Yu replied politely.
"It's fine, gongju jaga... It was just an acc–"
"I'm glad that you acknowledge your mistake, Myung Yu. I guess it won't happen again in the future, right?" Min Jun said, glaring at her.
"I'm sure there won't be a next time, orabeonim. Since you treasure Gisa Ahn so much, I would say that no one could ever mess with him," Myung Yu said. "However, I hope your actions won't chase away his marriage prospects, orabeonim. A man like Gisa Ahn is desirable to see... and to have," Myung Yu bowed slightly with a smirk before leaving.
Min Jun looked at Uk, giving him a sharp look. The man bowed his head slightly in response. Softly, Min Jun took Uk's hand, caressed the red jade ring, and glanced back at Uk. The man stared at him, giving a look of understanding. Satisfied, Min Jun left Uk there, knowing the man understood his signal well.
Uk won't dared messing up with anything, or anyone!
***
The party lasted until night. The night celebration featured performances from entertainers around the kingdom and even beyond. The guests enjoyed the show immensely, with the addition of alcohol served to them. Cheers and laughter filled the compound, accompanied by traditional songs from the royal orchestra.
At first, Uk was sitting in a corner of the compound, but Dan, who saw him sitting alone, decided to drag Uk to the front seat. The man offered him a glass of wine, but Uk politely declined.
As they enjoyed the moment, a group of dancers wearing masks entered the arena. Their dull beige attire stood out among the colorful decorations.
"It's a shaman's dancers," said Dan.
"Shaman dancers?" Uk looked at him in disbelief.
"Yes. Usually, they perform during certain rituals. But the Crown Prince decided to call them for the show. I think it's to bless the celebration," Dan replied.
Their conversation was cut short when the music started. The group of dancers gathered in a circle at the center of the arena, chanting something Uk couldn't understand. However, he suddenly felt goosebumps all over his body and his eyes enlarge.
Out of the blue, one of the dancers charged towards him and blew powder into his face. Shocked, Uk rubbed his eyes. The powder had no smell, not even sting, but somehow it entered his eyes with a quite amount of it, making Uk's eyes teary. With that, his vision became blurry instantly.
He excused himself and left the arena to wash his face. But midway, he couldn't stand properly. He felt his body swaying left and right. He shut his eyes again, took a deep breath, and slowly opened them. Everything was back to normal.
So as he thought.
He was still standing at the long corridor in front of his room. Usually, it was busy. At least there will be two or three guards on duty. But tonight, it felt strange. All he could see was an empty corridor. He could hear the sound of drums from afar, but no one visible to his eyes.
Suddenly, he saw someone approaching. A person, wore the same mask as the shaman dancer. Uk tried to call out, but realized he was too weak to speak. The person approached him gently, caressing his cheek down to his jawline.
Uk was too stunned to react towards the sensual gesture.
The fingers slowly traced down his neck, brushing the back of his neck. Their faces grew closer and closer until Uk could hear the person's hot, hard panting, sending a sensation through his body.
Unknowingly, he locked lips with the person, nibbling them like a hungry beast. The person didn't resist; instead, their lips followed the tune perfectly. Uk slammed the body against the wall, shifting his lustful lips down to the person's neck. His body felt unbearably hot, like he was being grilled from the inside out. He felt an urge to strip everything off his body. He really want to. So much!
In the end, Uk couldn't take the pressure anymore. His body was burnt so bad that he lost his breathe. The person probably didn't aware of his condition, because those naughty lips still busy nibbling the whole body, like eating them alive. Uk bravely took all the blow at once but his body already gave up in between kisses.
Gradually, with his eyes drooping, everything suddenly went pitch black.