"Daegum!"
Uk shot up from the bed the moment Min Jun entered the bedroom. The prince's sharp gaze made Uk feel small under his scrutiny.
"Come and sit here. We need to talk," Min Jun commanded, his voice stern. Uk walked over slowly, pulling a stool next to the prince.
Min Jun remained silent, his eyes locked on Uk. The man could only stare back, guilt weighing heavily on him.
"I'm sorry..."
"I don't want your sorry, Uk-ssi."
Uk swallowed hard. Min Jun was really mad. The prince wasn't using affectionate terms like "hyung-nim" or "sobangnim"—just his name. Uk reminded himself to be grateful. At least, Min Jun hadn't reverted to calling him by his formal title, Gisa Ahn.
Or else, might as well as assumed they were done!
"I don't know what else to say..."
"We're here to discuss this seriously," Min Jun said, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table, a sign of his barely restrained anger. "So let me ask you one crucial question, Uk-ssi." His eyes darkened as they bore into Uk.
"Are you trying to betray me?"
"No! I wouldn't dare! Not in a million years..."
"Then why did you take this into your own hands? Why didn't you discuss it with me?" Min Jun's voice was stern, deep with frustration. "You know, only a traitor acts like that..."
"I would never betray you, daegum! I know I was wrong, but I never intended to go against you," Uk explained carefully. "I just wanted to protect you, daegum."
"You realize if the royal council finds out, they'll question your loyalty to me," Min Jun replied harshly. "Even I'm starting to doubt whether you're protecting me or plotting behind my back!"
"I swear, I only wanted to protect you!"
"We're talking about honesty and loyalty here, hyung-nim! How can I trust you when you take matters into your own hands without consulting me? Who am I to you?" Min Jun's voice wavered, a mix of anger and despair.
"Daegum, you're my everything..."
"Then why did you exclude me from your plans? Why keep secrets from me? Do you know how much that hurts? Both the people I love most have betrayed me!" Min Jun's voice rattled with suppressed sadness. Uk reached out to hold Min Jun's hands, but the prince slapped them away.
That's when Uk saw the tears streaming down Min Jun's face.
"Please, Min Jun daegum... Please don't cry... I'm so sorry..." Uk quickly wiped the tears from Min Jun's cheeks.
"Hyung-nim, why are you doing this to me? Don't you love me anymore?"
"I do! I love you so much! That's why I did this. I just wanted to protect you from the people trying to kill you. I'm terrified of losing you..."
"And you're willing to sacrifice yourself for me?"
Uk fell silent, suddenly realizing the weight of his actions. He was too focus in catching the villian until he forgot one crucial fact.
Min Jun hated the idea of someone dying for him.
"Hyung-nim, those dancers aren't a joke. They can do more than just wield a sword! They almost had you under their Devil's Lips spell. Once you're bound to their leader, you're nothing but a puppet. They own your soul. You might as well be dead," Min Jun explained, sharing what he'd learned from Asura and Indra.
"I don't want to lose you, hyung-nim! Even if you say you want to protect me, I can't accept that. You know how much I value honesty, especially from those I love!" Min Jun continued, tears flowing freely now.
"Daegum, I had to take drastic action. Someone is trying to kill you, and you expect me to sit by and do nothing?" Uk asked the prince in desperation.
"I want to protect you too, hyung-nim!" Min Jun's voice rose slightly, his emotions raw. "Just as much as you want to protect me, I want to protect you! I don't want to lose you! I'd rather they come for me than lose you first! You don't know how terrified I was when I saw you so close to death! I felt like dying too, hyung-nim!"
Uk pulled Min Jun into his arms when he saw the prince on the verge of breaking down. Min Jun clung tightly to Uk's robe, sobbing into his embrace, letting all his pent-up emotions out.
"I'm sorry, daegum! I'm so sorry!" Uk hugged Min Jun tightly, feeling the prince's tears soak through his robe. Min Jun's sobs were loud in his ears, but Uk didn't care. All he wanted was to make things right.
"I don't want to lose you, knowing you died because of me. I can't bear it—losing you and feeling guilty at the same time. It's too much, it hurts too much!"
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I won't do it again! From now on, I'll listen to you. I'll do whatever you want me to do. Please don't cry, daegum! It breaks my heart! Please..." Min Jun slowly stopped crying when he heard Uk's pleading. He pulled away and stared deep into Uk's eyes.
"You'll do whatever I ask? Really?"
"Yes! I'll do whatever you want, but please forgive me, daegum!"
Suddenly, Min Jun sat up straight. He cleared his throat and subtly wiped away his tears.
"Fine then. I want you to move in with me. Since Dan will be occupying your house for now, you'll have to sleep in my room," Min Jun said calmly, a stark contrast to the earlier tension. Uk blinked in disbelief, trying to process Min Jun's sudden change in mood.
"But..."
"Sobangnim, you said you'd do whatever I wanted. So, this is what I want. Move in with me," Min Jun leaned closer, flashing a smile at Uk.
"Don't tell me... all that crying and drama... was just to get me to sleep in the same room as you?" Uk's jaw dropped in shock as Min Jun shamelessly nodded.
"Yes, it was! I'm quite the actor, aren't I?" Min Jun clapped for himself. Uk remained stunned, struggling to react to the truth.
"Wait... Are you not worried about people finding out?" Uk's face turned pale. Instead of addressing his concern, Min Jun casually stood up, taking off his royal robe and grabbing his towel.
"Daegum...!" Uk called after him, making Min Jun laugh.
"Sobangnim, I think by now, everyone in Red Ruby already knows about us. Do you think they're too stupid to not notice all those late-night visits to my chamber?" Min Jun pulled Uk close and whispered near his ear.
"And besides, I'm not sure if I've been quiet, but I might have been loud enough for the next room to hear..."
"Daegum!" Uk pressed his finger against Min Jun's lips, trying to stop him from saying more. Min Jun's laughter echoed through the room.
"So, move in with me, alright? I'll have someone arrange your bed... just in case you want to sleep in peace..." Uk bit his lip, embarrassed by Min Jun's teasing. Min Jun couldn't resist pinching Uk's cheek in response to his shy reaction.
"But..."
"You said you'd do anything. If you take it back, I'll chop your head off myself!"
With that warning, Uk immediately bowed to the floor, shivering in fear for his life. Min Jun sneered and laughed, leaving Uk alone as he headed to the bathroom.