PERFIDY || Taekook

Paroxysm

The rest of the day has been gloomy for the concubines of Onyx in the manor house. Taehyung has not heard them be this quiet before. He can sense the nervousness and anxiousness in the air. He feels uneasy, everyone replaying the earlier scenes of the gutted deer and the omega who had a breakdown witnessing it first. Soft murmurs fill the air as the omegas walk around the vast area of the house they are temporarily staying in, their voices not too loud as they speak to each other in hushed voices and whispers.

The decorations are done and are pleasing to the eyes with their bright colours and lights, but they do not seem to reflect the still mood that has suddenly fallen upon the concubines. Taehyung sits on a pillow with his back against a wall silently, his arms crossed over his chest as he stares ahead at the concubines seated on the other side of the room, resting against the wall as well. They are not paying attention to him, but he cannot look away. It is an instinct of his. He always needs to observe his surroundings.

In front of him are two omegas who seem engaged in a deep conversation which Taehyung guesses is about the earlier events. From where he is seated, he can tell that one of them is trying his hardest to conceal how worried he is. The omega's body, however, fails him. Taehyung can tell by his clenched jaw that the omega is grinding his teeth unconsciously. With a rigid posture and hands balled into fists in his lap, the omega looks like he might burst into a fit due to his nervousness, yet his face says nothing much.

After a few moments of quietness and the soft chatter in the air, the doors to the room they are seated inside open. Taehyung turns his head to the side to look at who came inside and his eyebrows shoot up in surprise when he sees Beomseok standing there. Beomseok does not have the usual easy smile on his face. He looks almost tired, the ghost of dark circles decorating underneath his eyes as he looks at everyone.

"The king has been informed of the gutted deer. He has left it up to you. If you feel worried and want to return to the palace, the guards who accompanied you are obligated to take you back. However, if you wish to proceed with the celebration, the king assures you he has sent troops to investigate what happened. He is still roaming around Hyacinth; protecting you is his responsibility and priority until you safely return to the palace."

The concubines' chatter grows louder as they turn to each other, unsure of what they want to do. Taehyung can hear some of them argue that they should trust their king to keep all of them safe even if something happens, and some are concerned even then. He hears them make it clear that they trust the king but are unsure if they want to sit around and wait for possible danger. They are all conversations about whether they should leave or stay. A few minutes of discussion pass before a few people who prefer to return to the palace raise their hands with apologetic looks.

Taehyung stares at Beomseok with calculative eyes. He does not know if he should return. This is his chance to roam the kingdom freely and look for a clue. The omega's eyebrows furrow in thought as more omegas raise their hands until Beomseok asks one more time if anyone else wishes to return to the palace with the leaving troop.

Chae turns her head to stare at the side of Taehyung's face, her big eyes filled with nervousness yet she does not want to skip the holiday this year. It seems unfair to have this taken from them. It is enough that the kingdom has been fighting nonstop, the food resources thinning with each passing day. The population of Onyx has been feeling the effects of war, but King Jeongguk has been doing the most to provide food and clean water to drink. It is one of the reasons rogues have been such a problem lately: the people are starving because of the war, and rogues end up with no choice but to steal from kingdoms like Onyx.

Twelve omegas in total eventually choose to return to the palace. That means that most of the concubines have decided to stay and put their trust and safety in the hands of the king, Taehyung included.