In an instant, he grabbed Doha’s arms and pulled them up into the air. Unable to resist against his fierce strength, Doha found his arms restrained. He approached with large strides and tilted his head slightly.
“What an amusing thing to say.”
He showed a twisted smile as he brought his face closer to Doha.
“Since when did you think you had a choice?”
He whispered in a low voice, as if warning him. Doha’s Adam’s apple bobbed noticeably at the warning alarm ringing in his head.
Seemingly truly angered, Hyunseo slowly closed and opened his eyes. His pupils, more dilated than usual, captured the image of the frightened Doha.
“Your life also belongs to me, yet you dare enter the palace as you please.”
As he gripped Doha’s wrists more tightly, Doha let out a small groan. The sound seemed to stimulate Hyunseo further, as he lifted Doha’s chin with one hand.
“Do not worry. I will keep both you and your family safe. Surely I can manage at least that much.”
“……”
A thick tension flowed between the two. Like a herbivore standing before a predator, Doha exhaled very carefully. His small body trembled with each breath. And that trembling created ripples.
Only the sound of the lake’s ripples filled the space between them. The surroundings were silent.
By the time the ripples created where the two stood reached the edge of the lake, Doha opened his mouth.
“Is that true?”
“Yes, I promise to protect your family. Surely you don’t think I would have come to the hunting competition without such preparations?”
Can I really trust him? Doha’s mind was in turmoil. His words were equivalent to saying he would go against the original scenario. According to the original story, his family was supposed to be exterminated right here.
He confidently claimed he could firmly change the original story that neither Eunsung nor himself had been able to completely alter.
Doha looked back at him, who was gazing at him with clear eyes. His gaze didn’t waver.
Having made up his mind, Doha soon lowered his head toward the hand holding his chin. Then he briefly kissed Hyunseo’s palm.
“I trust you.”
At the unexpected kiss, the hand gripping Doha’s wrists loosened. Not missing that moment, Doha lowered his wrists and wrapped his arms around Hyunseo’s waist.
“Your Majesty has promised me. You’ve pledged to safely return my family to me.”
“Yes, did I not make that promise?”
“So we can stop fighting now, right?”
“Please.”
Bringing the fight to a temporary end with that brief word, Hyunseo embraced Doha in return. Satisfied to have Doha in his arms, he wore a smile on his face.
Guessing that Hyunseo was smiling, Doha glanced at him sideways. Simple fool. Doha lightly bit his shoulder as he spoke.
“We must be the only couple who talk of life and death after spending just one night together.”
“Didn’t we already do the life and death talk in the cave?”
“…Haven’t you learned that such lewd talk goes against proper etiquette?”
“Having grown up so crudely, I never learned such things.”
At their exchange where neither would back down, Doha bit his shoulder harder. Despite what must have been quite painful, Hyunseo rested his head on Doha’s shoulder without making a sound.
When his fine hair touched Doha’s bare skin, a strange thought occurred to him. The thought that Hyunseo, who occupied the highest position of all, was like a puppy. One that follows its owner but occasionally nips at them, and shows no mercy to others.
‘A Chihuahua…?’
As he stroked Hyunseo’s long hair, Doha thought of a Chihuahua. A small and cute dog that narrows its eyes and bites its owner.
It was an untimely peace. Hyunseo quietly closed his eyes, entrusting his head to Doha’s touch. He could hear the rippling of the lake, the wind rustling through the leaves, and the soft sound of his own hair being scattered.
It was a moment he wished would last forever. Listening quietly to the sounds with a pleased expression, Hyunseo opened his eyes.
“Doha.”
At some point, he had been calling him Doha instead of Flower Bin. Finding this not unpleasant, Doha answered with flushed cheeks.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Since I’ve made you one promise, won’t you grant one of my wishes as well?”
At these unexpected words, Doha stopped stroking his hair. What wish is he going to make now? After briefly trying to gauge Hyunseo’s intentions, Doha nodded.
“Let me hear what the wish is first.”
“It won’t be difficult.”
Gradually, he separated himself from Doha. As the warmth moved away, the chill of the water crept into Doha’s body. Doha shivered slightly at the sudden cold.
Moving his head away from Doha’s shoulder, he whispered.
“Just naturally leave the lake and run north. When I put my arm around your shoulder, turn your body with me. Understand?”
Speaking in a small voice, he gave instructions to Doha while concentrating on the surrounding sounds. Five assassins in the trees, eight waiting behind them, and nine waiting on the opposite side of the lake.
Reading the ominous signs in his words, Doha asked without raising his head.
“Have assassins followed us?”
“Yes. I’ll handle them and follow you, so just run north no matter what. Understand?”
As if he couldn’t run when told to. In these situations, it wasn’t Doha’s style to disobey orders and ruin everything by insisting “I can’t leave without you” or “we must go together.”
Doha nodded cleanly and simply.
“Yes.”
Satisfied with Doha’s answer, Hyunseo smiled and finally raised his head. His face still didn’t look like someone about to enter combat. Leisurely, he put his arm around Doha’s shoulder and turned his body.
The two began to walk slowly. Though their pace was unhurried, their hearts were beating faster than ever before. As the water level decreased and the two stepped out of the lake,
Doha put the dopo around his body and began to run like mad.
“Attack!”
Assassins poured out from all directions and chased after Doha. The assassins moved quite quickly, but Hyunseo was even faster in blocking their path.
Dressed in a warrior’s dopo, Hyunseo stood firmly and looked at them. Through the open dopo, his sculpted muscles and scars caught the assassins’ eyes.
And above that, they saw a face with a fierce gaze. Though he held no weapon, a sharp killing intent emanated from him. Instinctively, the assassins shrank back and regarded Hyunseo with caution.
“No one will pass this point.”
He said, clenching his fist tightly. Even as he faced off against the assassins, Hyunseo’s attention was entirely focused on Doha.
Since when could he run so well? Doha’s footsteps sounded neatly in the distance. Reassured by the sound coming from far away, Hyunseo took a step forward and surveyed the assassins.
He released the scent he had been suppressing. Instantly, the Yangin scent spread around the assassins. It was the scent of a superior Yangin, heavily pressing down on other Yangin.
Because the assassins were all Yangin as per Seowoo’s request, they couldn’t help but submit to the scent of a stronger Yangin. While a superior Yangin’s scent acted as an aphrodisiac for Eumin, for fellow Yangin it was a measure that established hierarchy.
“Damn it…”
The assassin at the front gritted his teeth at the aura emanating from Hyunseo. Even if there was no chance of winning, it was now too late to turn back. Drawing his sword from his waist, he shouted to those behind him.
“Failed missions bring only death! We can’t save our lives even if we go back!”
At his words, the hesitant assassins resumed their battle stance. Though Hyunseo’s scent made it hard to breathe and their bodies felt heavy, they never took their eyes off him.
Looking down at their tense forms, Hyunseo burst into laughter.
“How adorable you all are.”
He muttered while staring at the assassins like they were insects. Thanks to spending the Pleasure Period with Doha, his body was more vigorous than ever before. He himself already felt the difference compared to when he went through the Pleasure Period using drugs.
Hyunseo clenched and unclenched his fist as he looked at those standing before him. For him now, killing them would be easier than closing and opening his eyes.
“I’d prefer if no blood splattered, as it would startle Flower Bin.”
As his low voice resonated, Hyunseo simultaneously released all of his scent. At the concentration, incomparably stronger than before, all the assassins’ knees buckled.
“Huk…!”
Unable to control their bodies at this powerful scent they’d never experienced before, they all struggled. It felt as if heavy stones had been placed on their shoulders, arms, and heads.
Feeling as if their bodies were being dragged to the ground, one by one, the assassins began to lose balance and fall. Only the assassin at the front was trying hard to hold on by sticking his sword into the ground, but he was trembling severely.
‘Is this the royal bloodline…!’
It was a scent that reigned above all others. The scent of someone who had never stood beneath anyone. Overwhelmed by the brilliant scent, he dropped his head.
A sense of helplessness washed over him. He wanted to raise his head to look at Hyunseo, but he no longer had the strength to move. He bit his lip at the battle that ended without him even swinging his sword once.
Hyunseo approached such an assassin leisurely. When the navy blue hem of clothing stopped in front of him, he closed his eyes. Soon, Hyunseo took the sword from his hand.
The sharp blade gleamed in the sunlight. Hyunseo wiped the blade on his dopo with unhurried movements. Then, without hesitation, he cut the throats of the assassins lying face down on the ground.
“Kuk…!”
With final screams, the assassins’ heads fell. At the sound of heads rolling, the assassins who had fallen behind tried desperately to move their bodies, but it was useless. Their faces soon turned to despair.
The spilled blood covered the ground. Eventually overflowing, the blood soon reached the lake. Red blood seeped into the blue lake. Of course, only Hyunseo could witness this scene.
“I wonder if he’d worry if I said it was my blood. Then he’d kiss me again, wouldn’t he?”
He whispered as he cut the assassins’ throats with an emotionless face. Soon, footsteps reached the assassin who stood at the front.
Only then did the assassin realize why he had sent Flower Bin ahead first. It wasn’t because of the urgent situation…
“Flower Bin would be startled. It would be even better if I could use that excuse to ask for another embrace.”
It was to hide such a mad appearance from Flower Bin. Not knowing this, they had mistakenly thought they could capture them easily.
“It wouldn’t be bad if he clung to me saying he’s scared.”
Did Flower Bin know this side of him?
The assassin’s thoughts stopped there. It didn’t take long for his severed head to roll into the lake.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
