It was late at night. The house was quiet, with only a few guards patrolling outside.
Min Jun was still awake, reading a book. Every now and then, he glanced at Uk, who was fast asleep on the bed. Uk would wake up soon, in about an hour, to patrol the house and stay up until morning.
Looking at Uk's peaceful face, Min Jun felt a tightness in his chest. The encounter with Miju at the Emerald Dragon kept replaying in his mind, filling him with worry. Seeing Miju and Uk face each other, and hearing Miju's words—though they weren't direct threats—still left Min Jun feeling uneasy.
***
"We've tried to move forward with the investigation, but we're stuck, daegun."
Min Jun put the scroll down on the table and looked at Asura and Indra, who were sitting in front of him. The atmosphere was tense as they handed him the autopsy report and investigation documents.
"It seems like someone's trying to cover this up. The autopsy didn't show much, but we did find gold dust on the corpse's hand. And the black and blue marks on her fingers match the spore strain from a magic mushroom," Indra explained, pointing out the key details.
"Is there anything else? What about her connections?" Min Jun asked, his voice calm but with a hint of concern.
"Sunhwa agassi was a high-class gisaeng who also worked as an informant. She sold information about her targets to various clients, including important figures like lords and politicians. But her luring out Gisa Ahn and leading him into danger was unexpected. Unless…" Asura paused, glancing at Indra, who seemed hesitant to speak.
"Unless what?" Min Jun urged, his patience wearing thin.
Asura and Indra exchanged another look, silently agreeing on something.
"Unless someone is trying to use him to kill you, Min Jun daegun…"
A heavy silence filled the room. Min Jun felt his heart beat faster, each thump echoing in his ears.
**"The ritual we saw that night was the Kiss of Death. It's a ritual meant to kill someone slowly, without pain. But we also found traces of a fine thread material, likely used in another ritual called the Master of Puppets,"** Asura explained, laying out the facts.
"In short, we believe that once Gisa Ahn was close to death, Sunhwa agassi might have controlled his dying body… to kill you," Indra added, his tone serious.
"Why do you keep saying someone's trying to kill me? Is that true? Am I really the target? Maybe they wanted to use Gisa Ahn for something else. That's possible, right?" Min Jun's voice rose slightly, a mix of disbelief and anger. The thought of his lover being used as a weapon against him sent a chill through him.
Asura turned to Indra, who sighed deeply, showing how tired and nervous he was. But Indra was determined to speak the truth, no matter how hard it was.
"Gisa Ahn told us that on the night of seja jeoha's birthday at the Sapphire, you asked him to wear the red jade ring, the official ring of a consort of the Red Ruby. It's a symbol of your close relationship—maybe even a domestic partnership."
"Asura," Indra's hand was touched by Asura, trying to stop him from saying more. Asura's brow furrowed with worry, sensing the tension.
Min Jun, however, didn't seem visibly affected. His face was tense, but he only clicked his tongue in mild frustration.
"I shouldn't have done that in the first place…" the prince muttered, regret in his voice. "So, you really think Gisa Ahn is now a prime target for manipulation?" Min Jun asked, his voice steadier now.
"At this moment… yes," Indra replied quickly. "And it's possible they wanted to use him as bait to lure you out. The person behind this knows that Gisa Ahn is now the key to your weakness."
Min Jun's worry deepened. He looked down, his mind racing with thoughts of how to protect Uk. Asura, noticing Min Jun's growing concern, tried to step in.
"Only a few people know about my relationship with hyung-nim. And those people are all under my protection now. Myung Yu gongju may have her suspicions, but she has no reason to kill me," Min Jun analyzed the situation, his voice calm but thoughtful.
"Is there any chance the news about you and Gisa Ahn leaked outside the Red Ruby?" Asura asked cautiously.
Min Jun paused, remembering Myung Yu's earlier warning.
"She did mention that some palace maids at the Pearl were talking about it. But I think that was recent, not before the attack," Min Jun replied, sounding sure.
"When did you two start your relationship?" Indra asked.
"Asura, I don't think we should—" Asura began, but Indra interrupted.
"I need to know, so we can piece together this case. The timeline is important."
Min Jun's gaze narrowed, but he answered without hesitation, "It started when we sought shelter at the Emerald Dragon. Which was after the attack at the Red Ruby."
"So, the rumors at the Pearl likely started after that. We can rule out Myung Yu gongju as a suspect," Indra concluded, mentally crossing her off his list.
"Who else knows, besides those at the Red Ruby?" Indra asked again.
"No one. Now that both of you know, you're on the list," Min Jun said, his tone pointed.
Indra took a moment to think, then whispered something to Asura, who gasped, clearly uncomfortable with where the conversation was heading.
"What about seja jeoha?"
Min Jun's expression darkened at the mention of the Crown Prince. He stared at Indra, waiting for him to continue.
"Why? Are you suggesting he's involved?" Min Jun's voice was cold, a stark contrast to his usual warmth.
"Gisa Ahn did. He believes that Sunhwa agassi might have been hired by seja jeoha to kill you."
"Indra!" Asura immediately intervened, his face pale with fear. He knew how serious Indra's claim was.
"You do realize that's a serious accusation against the royal family, Indra," Min Jun said, his sharp gaze cutting through Indra.
But Indra didn't back down. He was determined, his experience as an investigator giving him the strength to stand firm.
"Gisa Ahn has his reasons for suspecting seja jeoha. He told me he saw a glimpse of him at the venue on the night of the attack. And after some research, we found out that seja jeoha was once one of Sunhwa agassi's clients. Although it wasn't recent, they do have a history," Indra explained, his voice steady.
Min Jun didn't respond right away. He took a moment to think, his mind trying to piece together the puzzle.
"Daegun, we'd like to ask for more time to investigate. A false accusation could have serious consequences. Let's talk about this again when we have more evidence," Asura suggested, sensing the tension in the room. He was worried about Min Jun, both as a prince and as a friend.
"Agreed. We should call it a day," Min Jun said, rolling up the scroll and handing it back to Indra. They both bowed respectfully before heading to the door. But before leaving, Indra turned back to Min Jun one last time.
"Daegun jaga, I think you should consider taking steps to keep Gisa Ahn safe. Anything could happen to him, and it might cost both his life and yours. If anyone finds out about his suspicions against seja jeoha, he'll be seen as a traitor. If you truly care for him, you won't let that happen," Indra said, his words hanging in the air.
With that, Indra followed Asura out of the room, leaving Min Jun alone with his heavy thoughts about how to protect Uk.
***
"Why are you still awake?"
Uk's voice brought Min Jun back to the present. He flashed a smile at the man who stirred in the bed, trying to force himself to wake up.
"I can't sleep. I slept all the way from the Emerald Dragon," Min Jun softly closed the book that he read. Uk was already on his way to the prince. He yawned as he threw his hands up and enveloped Min Jun into a big hug.
"Sleep now, wangjanim. You have to look fresh for tomorrow. Soo Young's teacher will come and visit the Red Ruby. You should at least look better than usual," Uk persuaded Min Jun. He was about to leave when Min Jun pulled him for a deep kiss. Uk grunted while they parted away due to its intensity, but later giving a smile and laughed about it.
"Possessive, huh?" Uk slowly whispered to Min Jun. Instead of giving him a plain respond, the prince dragged Uk back to bed. He pushed the man down and climbed him with a suggestive look.
"Let's play for a bit, sobangnim..."