What a mess.
Standing in front of the banquet hall, Doha looked down at the chaotic scene. The middle-aged man standing next to Jeonghyeon was gesturing angrily, while the man who appeared to be the Chief State Councilor let out an exasperated laugh.
“How good must my child be to be trapped in such a wretched place?”
“Are you insulting the royal family, Lord Kim!”
“Wasn’t insulting your hobby, Chief State Councilor? To think such a person holds that position. I should take our Doha and run away as soon as possible…”
Hearing the name, Doha shifted his gaze to the man standing next to Jeonghyeon. From the way he said “our Doha,” he was undoubtedly the father who deeply cherished Doha.
Father… In his memories, his own father always had a frowning face. Perhaps to alleviate the guilt of having birthed an omega, his parents visited his grandmother’s house every season.
Each time, his father would quietly sit on the veranda and then leave.
“I never wanted an omega son.”
Whispering such words.
To find a family that loves me only after being possessed by a script character. The man called Lord Kim, his father, kept pointing his finger and calling “our Doha, our Doha” with his name. While Doha was staring blankly at the banquet hall, bemused by this unfamiliar way of being addressed—
“Flower Bin.”
Someone’s hand touched his shoulder. Surprised, Doha turned around to see black hair first.
Hyunseo, with his hair half tied down and dressed in military uniform, appeared before him. As Court Lady Kim had said, he was wearing a blue military uniform. Unlike the dragon robe, which didn’t cling to the body, the military uniform wrapped around the body, accentuating Hyunseo’s solid physique. Doha’s gaze traveled from his firm legs to his broad chest. It was a body that any man might glance at. If Dojin’s body was that of an athlete, Hyunseo’s was… a model. Closer to a model who had built his body.
His gaze stopped at the face. The highlight was always the face, not the body. Looking at the face that inspired admiration every time, Doha softly exclaimed.
“Ah…”
How can someone be so handsome?
He was supposed to pretend to be angry or hurt, but as soon as he saw the face, nothing came to mind.
“Have you been well, Your Majesty?”
Coming to his senses, Doha bowed his head toward Hyunseo. As he lowered his head, the eyes of the two men, Dojin and Hyunseo, met. Dojin nodded slightly, indicating that nothing unusual had happened.
Unaware of the signal exchanged, Doha raised his head again and faced Hyunseo.
“It’s been such a long time, Your Majesty.”
“My.”
“It’s been so difficult to see you that I almost forgot your precious face.”
With a sulky expression, Doha turned his head away. Hyunseo let out a small laugh at the protruding lips. It’s been a while since you showed such obvious signs of being upset. He took a step closer to Doha.
“You shouldn’t forget your husband.”
It was an affectionate voice, like addressing a lover. At the low voice, Doha glanced slightly. Hyunseo had already bent down to match their eye level and brushed Doha’s hair.
“You may forget everything else, but you must remember your husband.”
He smiled seductively. It was a smile different from usual, with something sly about it, but Doha’s attention had long been captivated by the handsome face filling his vision.
I’ve always been weak to facial attacks.
Doha opened his eyes wide and rolled them. He thought he had developed some immunity to handsome faces during his time in the entertainment industry, but he must have been mistaken. This was the first time he had been so distracted by a face.
His mind went completely blank, unable to think of what to say or how to respond. Seeing Doha staring up blankly, Hyunseo let out a small laugh.
“Answer me.”
“…”
“You should answer, Flower Bin.”
The hand that had been brushing his hair slid down to Doha’s neck. Hyunseo’s hand fiddled with Doha’s neckline. Though his voice was kind and his expression gentle, for some reason, it sent a chill down Doha’s spine.
“Hmm?”
The eyes that met his were pitch black. They were like those of a predator suppressing its aggression and waiting for the right moment with prey right in front of it. A sinister emotion swirled in his eyes.
What’s wrong with him?
Only now sensing that something was off, Doha tried to back away, but Hyunseo grabbed his body. Restraining him with force so he couldn’t move, Hyunseo buried his face in Doha’s neck.
Hot breath spread as his lips touched.
“Y-Your Majesty.”
Doha called to Hyunseo in confusion, but the skin once touched showed no sign of being released. A low voice resonated.
“You shouldn’t mistake another man for your husband.”
His gaze shifted from Doha to Dojin standing behind. A warning—this wasn’t a message to Doha, but a warning to Dojin. It was a gaze that seemed to say, you are merely a misconception.
“Because one husband is enough for you.”
Under that pressing gaze, Dojin quickly bowed his head. Feeling as if his feelings had been exposed, Dojin’s mood sank heavily.
“Stop that! I’m planning to arrange a new marriage for our youngest!”
The tense atmosphere surrounding the three was broken by Lord Kim’s voice. The Chief State Councilor must have provoked him again, as Lord Kim shouted in an even louder voice this time.
“I can’t stand by and watch our youngest being mistreated here. I’d rather find a good match and arrange a new marriage!”
At the word “new marriage,” Hyunseo’s hand stopped. His face, which had been affectionately relaxed, hardened in an instant. Oh no, Doha hurriedly looked down at the banquet hall. Lord Kim, standing with his arms crossed, confidently opened his mouth again.
“I’ve had my eye on a few potential sons-in-law for a while. Men a hundred times better than Your Majesty. For instance, someone like Ungeom…”
Following Lord Kim’s words, Doha’s head turned toward Dojin.
“Yes, Ungeom. There’s Ungeom.”
Was Dojin originally the intended son-in-law? Doha’s gaze blatantly scanned Dojin up and down. He was indeed a man who lived up to Lord Kim’s words.
He lacked nothing—power, family background, honor. Perhaps Ungeom, who offered more stability than Hyunseo with his many consorts, might even be better.
‘Though I doubt he’ll let go easily.’
“He has a broad chest to embrace our Doha, he’s trustworthy, powerful, from a good family. And he’s even affectionate. If it were up to me, I’d arrange a new marriage with Ungeom.”
With the continuing praise, Dojin’s ears turned bright red. If he could, he wanted to flee to a place without Doha and Hyunseo. How could I ever be Your Highness’s… husband? Dojin bowed his head deeper.
Yet what was most embarrassing was that even in that moment, he dreamed of being by Doha’s side. What if he really was the son-in-law as Lord Kim suggested? If not His Majesty… if I were Your Highness’s husband. With his imagination continuing to swell, Dojin couldn’t raise his head.
“Does Flower Bin share the same thought?”
A large hand gripped Doha’s chin. Doha’s head moved with the hand. Facing him, Hyunseo was smiling sweetly. His voice was more affectionate than usual, and his expression was gentle. On the surface, there was no problem at all, but strangely, it sent a chill down Doha’s spine.
“Hmm? Tell me.”
The corner of Hyunseo’s mouth twisted upward. His hand holding Doha’s chin slowly slid to his cheek. His thumb and index finger pinched and pulled Doha’s cheek. At the oddly threatening movement, Doha swallowed.
“Do you need another man?”
“Your Majesty, I…”
Doha couldn’t take his eyes off Hyunseo’s lowered gaze. It had been like that since he first saw him. As if captivated by something, Doha lost control whenever he met Hyunseo’s eyes. Like a herbivore before a predator, he froze, losing his will to fight due to the overwhelming difference in power.
Even without releasing his scent, Hyunseo already dominated Doha. As Doha’s eyes wavered, Hyunseo let out a bitter laugh.
“It seems I need to properly show whose property Bin is today.”
Before his words ended, the large hand pulled Doha’s face. Without even time to let out an “ah” of discomfort, Doha was drawn into his embrace. In an instant, Hyunseo wrapped around Doha’s legs and slung him over his shoulder.
“Your Majesty!”
Not like a princess carry, but like a borrowed sack of barley thrown over his shoulder, Doha opened his mouth to breathe. Fuck, what kind of affectionate guy is this? Doha whispered curses as he recalled the words written in the synopsis.
“Please put me down, Your Majesty!”
As Doha struggled with his legs, Hyunseo restrained them with his thick arm. With his body suddenly bound, Doha involuntarily let out a moan.
“Ah!”
“Your Majesty!”
Alarmed by Doha’s moan, Dojin grabbed Hyunseo’s arm. It was a hand that moved without thinking, before he could stop himself.
“Your Majesty, please release Your Highness.”
Dojin approached Hyunseo closely and applied pressure to his hand. Watching the hunting dog about to bite its master, Hyunseo showed a twisted smile.
You’ll bite and kill your master soon enough. Looking at Dojin, he deliberately embraced Doha tightly, as if to show off.
“The moment my hands are free, I will cut off your head.”
“…”
“Do you still think I should release my Flower Bin?”
He spoke to Dojin, who was glaring at him, in a low voice. Your Majesty, Doha called him, but he didn’t take his eyes off Dojin.
“When I am here, I don’t need you.”
With a casual flick of his arm as if brushing off an insect, Hyunseo, with Doha slung over his shoulder, brushed past Dojin. His steps toward the banquet hall were light. There was no voice from behind.
* * *
“His Majesty has arrived!”
The palace servant’s announcement echoed through the banquet hall. Lord Kim and the Chief State Councilor, who had been arguing loudly, the ministers who had been holding the two lords’ limbs, and Jeonghyeon, who had been clapping on the side, all quickly returned to their places and bowed their heads.
Heavy footsteps were heard. Hyunseo sat down at the seat prepared at the highest place in the banquet hall, above the ministers’ places.
‘Is our youngest not coming?’
If he was too late, he might receive criticism instead. With rumors already rampant that the king’s favor had shifted to Noble Consort, it would be unwise to be reprimanded. As Jeonghyeon looked worriedly at Doha’s seat—
“Your Majesty, I should go to my seat…”
Though it was a low voice, it was loud enough to be heard in the quiet banquet hall. Lord Kim and Jeonghyeon, immediately recognizing Doha’s voice, raised their heads simultaneously.
A vein bulged on Lord Kim’s forehead as he looked up at the throne. Unable to hide his anger, Lord Kim exhaled hot breath.
“Th-this…!”
How dare he do that to our youngest! The blood in his body rushed to his head, making his forehead hot. His face quickly turned red. Lord Kim grabbed the back of his neck as it tightened.
“This…!”
“F-Father!”
Jeonghyeon grabbed Lord Kim as he staggered. Even in that urgent moment, the eyes of Lord Kim and Jeonghyeon remained fixed on Doha. On their lovely and adorable youngest, sitting between His Majesty’s legs.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
