"It's bad! Looks like the renovation might take more time than we estimate," said Min Jun to the head eunuch.
"Certainly, daegum. The damages are more severe than we thought, with some more additional damages from the bandits' attack," the head eunuch sighed. He presented to Min Jun the final draft for the renovation.
Min Jun took some time to study the plan. As he was about to continue, his eyes caught a sight of Uk. He was having a serious discussion with Asura and another man was joining them as well. The same man that came along with Asura to the Red Ruby to warn them about the bandits.
Min Jun slowly walked towards them, trying to approach them while they were still on discussion. He sneaked his way to the group, stretching his head like a giraffe.
"Care to join us too, daegum?"
Min Jun fell in shock when Uk suddenly turned his head towards the prince and smile. Min Jun sneered a bit before exposing himself to the group. The head eunuch left them after some time to continue his work.
"How did you know that I'm here?" Min Jun whispered to Uk.
"How can I missed that?" Uk smiled sweetly at Min Jun, making the prince blushed a bit.
"Greetings, daegun jaga... I'm Indra. I hope you still remember me," said the man next to Asura.
"Yes. I remember you. You're from the same unit as Asura, right?" the man bowed at Min Jun. The prince nodded, indicated that he did remembered the man.
"So, what's the issue?" Min Jun asked. Asura, Indra and Uk exchange looks a bit. They look nervous as well, making Min Jun felt the urge to ask for more.
"Daegun jaga... We..."
"Indra..." Uk shook his head a bit. The man shut himself immediately. Looking at his respond towards Uk's urge, Min Jun was more eager to know.
"Do you know, hiding things doesn't help us in the future?" Min Jun glared at Uk. "You better spill it out before I'm getting mad..."
"It's true, gisa... I think we shouldn't let daegun jaga in daze," Asura tried to persuade Uk so he could explained the matter that they had been discussed before.
Uk gave a look at Min Jun. He probably smiled but deep into his eyes, there was a strain of concern visible to Min Jun's sight.
The issue must be serious than the prince could ever expect.
"Bring this matter into my room. Now.." said Min Jun in a calm manner.
***
"We did conduct an investigation regarding on the bandits' issue. It turns out that the bandits are real. They did exist. But..." Asura frowns, his eyebrows almost entwine together.
"But?" Min Jun glanced at Asura, forcing him to continue.
"The attack that happened a few days ago at the Red Ruby... It wasn't an act from the bandits'..."
Min Jun couldn't hide his shocking face upon hearing the news. Uk stared at him in full concern. He wanted to calm the prince, but all he could do right now was to watch him from afar.
Min Jun calmly took a deep breath, lifting his eyelids and spurred those words. "So, you're telling me... There's someone out there who wanted me dead?"
Asura turned his head away. His sights fell onto Uk who sat behind Min Jun, but still visible to their eyes.
"We can't confirm it yet, daegum. That's all based on the evidence that we had– the corpse of the assailants and the weapon that they used," said Indra. "And... This," the man put a brown package on the table and slightly pushed the package towards Min Jun.
Uk scoot closer to Min Jun as he was about to get the package but the prince stopped him midway.
"Let me open it myself," he said.
"What if it's dangerous?" Uk voiced out his concern.
"If Indra brought it here by himself, it won't be dangerous..." Min Jun replied subtly. Logically speaking, Indra won't let himself get killed along other people in the room, wasn't it?
So, Min Jun held onto those thoughts as well. That's why he dared to touch the package.
The brave prince opened the package carefully. He flipped the fabric, revealing something in it. It was small, a size of a debris.
It was indeed a debris. Which might raised a lot of questions.
"What is this?" asked Min Jun. He took a tweezer that he often used to seperate papers, clip the debris and lift it up. Under the Sun, it sparkled in a weird way.
"May I, daegum?" Uk asked a permission from Min Jun. The prince handed the debris to the man. His bodyguard took the debris from the tip of the tweezer.
"It's hard. The texture... " Uk flipped the debris briefly. He felt familiar with the texture on the edge of the debris.
"It's clay..." Uk made a confirmation.
"A vase? Pot?" Indra frowned, with Asura tilting his head to the side and took some time to think.
"A mask..."
Upon hearing that, the three men stimulusly look at Uk.
The man put the debris and cracked the corner using his dagger's holder. "There's a mask that made out of clay. It's thin and not quite heavy. It's a good shield for the face..."
Suddenly, Uk halted. His mind grasped something. He scraped the surface of the debris.
"Gold..."
"Is it gold? For real?" they gather closer and take a look at the debris.
"This is a mask made out of clay, but the outer surface was coated with paint mixed with some gold dust," said Uk. "I've seen that mask before," he took a glance at Min Jun. The prince looked at him with his hooded eyes.
"Where?" the prince asked.
"The shaman's dancers..." Uk respond as he leaned back, away from the group.
"So, the one who attacked the Red Ruby was a group of the shaman's dancer?" Min Jun inquired.
"We don't know yet. Maybe someone stole their masks and used them for this purpose. It's too early to guess," said Asura.
"But at least we have a clue and a target to pin for the next step of investigation," Indra's words were full of confidence. Finally, a reason to breath even for just a moment.
"Gisa, how did you know about the gold dust?" asked Indra. Uk's sights fell on Min Jun. He took a glance at the prince before replied to Indra's inquiry.
"During a performance, one of the dancer blew some powder directly onto my face. When I clean up the residue from my face the next morning, I check my face and realized, there were particals of gold dust, still stuck on my skin," Uk explained.
Min Jun blinked his eyes. His cheeks suddenly rosy, like he remembered something, but couldn't tell the others about it. Uk realized the changes on the prince's face, but he chose not to ask.
Because both of them knew which moment they were talking about.
"I'll check on it as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the Red Ruby household should take a shelter somewhere else. It's dangerous for all of you to stay. Moreover, with the renovation ongoing, there won't be a guarantee of safety available anymore," said Asura. Min Jun nodded, silently agreed by the statement.
After a while, Uk and Min Jun bid a goodbye to Asura and Indra. They watch them slowly leaving the Red Ruby with a heavy heart, wondering what will happened next.
"Hyung-nim..." Uk replied to Min Jun's call with a short hum. The prince gave Uk a naughty look before he leaned closer to the older.
"You know, my body was indeed covered by the gold dust that day..." Min Jun's straightforward statement causing a stir all over Uk's body. He glanced at the man, staring at him in hooded eyes.
"Of course... You wore the mask that night, right?" Uk sneered.
"What mask? I'm not wearing anything," Min Jun frowned while exchange glares with Uk. The man fell into a deep confusion. He paused a bit and took time to think of what he saw that night.
"In fact, I haven't wore anything on that night, during and after..." Min Jun's naughty tease struck Uk once again in a sea of embarrassment. He glared at Min Jun, poking his tongue against his inner cheek.
Min Jun daegun is such a teaser! He murmured by himself.