"That's all, dul beonjjae wangja..." the man stood up before Min Jun. The prince nodded, taking the scroll and setting it aside. He dismissed the man with a polite wave, his eyes briefly following him out of the room.
"Who was that?" Jun Pyo suddenly appeared, his voice cutting through the silence of the reading room. Min Jun smiled faintly, though bitterness lingered in his expression.
"Someone from the physician's office. He brought the new treatment schedule. Now that we've moved out of the palace, it all has to be rescheduled," the prince replied quietly, trying to keep his tone calm.
"Again with the treatment," Jun Pyo sighed, his voice dripping with impatience. "When are you ever going to get better? Aren't you tired of all this?"
The words hit Min Jun harder than he'd ever admit. That casual indifference, the dismissive tone—it felt like a dagger twisting in his heart.
"I have to be patient," Min Jun replied softly, forcing a smile to stay on his lips. "The physician said it will take time, but it's worth it."
"Tsk, like it's going to happen anytime soon." Jun Pyo slouched into a chair opposite Min Jun, his movements full of nonchalance. "Why don't you just ignore it all and live your life how you want? No drink, no pleasure—what kind of life is that?"
Min Jun's eyes narrowed, locking on Jun Pyo's face. The man who had once captivated his heart now felt like a stranger. His words cut deeper than any blade.
"Going out?" Min Jun asked, his voice tight. He noticed the familiar blue leather robe Jun Pyo wore—the one he always put on before leaving the house.
Jun Pyo only hummed in response, not even meeting Min Jun's gaze. The prince's heart sank a little further, the coldness between them becoming unbearable.
"Can't you stay for a few days?" Min Jun asked, a hint of pleading in his voice. "We just moved out of the palace. There's so much to be done..."
"That's not my concern. We have plenty of eunuchs and maids for that. What's the point of having them?"
"Not *we*, Jun Pyo. *I*. They work for me. Not you." Min Jun's voice sharpened, hoping to snap him out of his indifference.
"Oh, so now you want to claim what's yours? I thought everything that belonged to you, belonged to me too," Jun Pyo sneered, his gaze full of defiance.
Min Jun's heart ached. "And we agreed to respect each other, didn't we? Something you seem to have forgotten."
"I am respecting you!" Jun Pyo shot back. "Why else would I be here, following you around like a shadow?"
"Tagging along isn't respect," Min Jun said quietly, trying to contain his rising frustration. "You're always around, but the way you treat me... that's not respect."
"You think you can lecture me?" Jun Pyo stood abruptly, his frustration boiling over. Min Jun rose too, refusing to back down. He might be younger, but he was still a prince—and more than that, a person with feelings.
"Yes," Min Jun said, his voice steady despite the storm inside him. "I should have taught you long ago, before you ever became my bodyguard. I turned a blind eye because I loved you. But now, you've shown your true colors. You're nothing but an ungrateful bastard."
Jun Pyo's eyes flared with anger, and he surged forward, grabbing Min Jun's jaw roughly, forcing their faces close. "Ungrateful? I've sacrificed everything, my life, for a weak and useless prince like you! And what have I gotten in return?"
Tears welled in Min Jun's eyes. All this time, everything Jun Pyo had done was an act. The love, the care—it had all been a façade, a means to use him for his title, his wealth, his power.
"So... all this time, your love..." Min Jun's voice cracked, unable to finish the thought.
"Love?" Jun Pyo scoffed. "You actually believed I loved you? Who would want a boyfriend like you? A sickly, useless prince with nothing to offer but a title. You can't even share a bed because you're too weak!"
The words tore through Min Jun's heart. Trembling, he slapped Jun Pyo's hand away, stepping back, clutching his chest. Tears streamed down his face, but he stood tall, his voice firm despite the pain.
"Then leave. I won't be with someone who never loved me for who I am. If that's what you want, go. And don't ever come back."
Jun Pyo smirked, stepping away without hesitation. "I was planning to leave long ago, dul beonjjae wangja. Now that you've thrown me out, it's just easier."
He turned to leave, but paused at the door, casting one last look at Min Jun. "I should've known from the start. You're just the second prince. You're nothing."
As Jun Pyo's cruel words echoed in the empty room, Min Jun collapsed to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. The heartbreak was unbearable, more painful than any of his physical ailments. His chest heaved with the weight of loss, and for the first time in a long while, he felt utterly, completely alone.
---
In the cold, dim punishment room, Min Jun entered with a heavy heart. The guard announced his presence, and the prince walked steadily toward the center of the room, his eyes drawn to the man caged in the iron cell on his right.
Jun Pyo sat slumped against the bars, bruised and broken, barely a shadow of the man he once was. The air was thick with dread, the walls damp with the kind of despair that seeped into your bones.
He had been caught on that fateful night, reveling in the pleasures of Concubine's Lane. But more damning than that was the scroll found in his possession—the names of the kingdom's spies, sold to the North. He was a traitor.
Min Jun had reported him. He had seen the signs, the suspicious meetings, the secrets exchanged, and despite everything, he had made the call. His heart had known the truth long before his mind accepted it.
Min Jun knelt before the king, his voice choked with emotion. "Please, jeonha mama..."
"Stand, daegum jaga," Wang Ki's voice was stern, though not unkind.
"But—"
"Rise!" The king's voice rang out. "You are a prince. You do not kneel for a traitor."
Min Jun looked up, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. "Please, jeonha... Anything but a death sentence."
"You ask for mercy?" Wang Ki's voice was sharp, the weight of his anger filling the room. "For a man who has the blood of our spies on his hands? How can you ask me to spare him?"
"I... I'm to blame," Min Jun's voice wavered. "If I had guided him better... If I had seen this coming..."
"No, daegum," Wang Ki cut him off, his eyes blazing. "You are not to blame for his betrayal."
Min Jun's tears fell freely now, his gaze locking with Jun Pyo's from across the room. "He was all I had. He was with me through everything. How can I let him die?"
Wang Ki's expression softened, just for a moment. "And how can I let the man who murdered our soldiers go free?"
Silence hung between them, heavy and suffocating. Min Jun couldn't respond. He couldn't justify it. All he had was the weight of his emotions, the love that still lingered despite everything.
The king sighed deeply. "Fine. I will spare him. But he will be sent far from the kingdom, never to return. This is not mercy for him, daegum. This is a lesson for you."
Min Jun nodded, though the weight of the king's decision felt like a hollow victory. He watched as Jun Pyo was dragged away, his heart torn between relief and sorrow.
"I hope I've made the right choice," he whispered, the words barely audible as he stood alone in the cold, empty room.