Secret of the Two Kings (89 CHAPTERS - ON HOLD)

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Shun stared at Sae Joo like there was a sticky gum clinging on his face. He suddenly felt the itch to ask relevant questions about the Prince's weird actions. But no. He shoved the concept away. Maybe the Prince really was testing me. I am his bodyguard, for Heaven's sake! Is there something wrong with him? Heroic, best friend mode on. All those years they were together, he could probably tell anything about his master—even the most trivial one. What is his favorite food? What time does he usually sleep? What is his ideal girl? Those questions. Having said that, a conclusion jumped into his head: Something is boggling him at the moment. He just didn't know how to open the topic. He probably just wants to see me. But why is he suddenly asking for the headband and my father? Let's see.

"Of course, Your Highness. My father would want a visit from you," confirmed Shun, waiting for Sae Joo's response.

The Prince, on the other hand, suddenly shook his head, which the nangdo did not expect.

"Maybe... some other time, Shun. Could we still do that?"

"Uh... Yes. Sure..." There it was. His uvula was holding his tongue not to spill another personal question.

Sae Joo closed his eyes, his whole body traveling into the unknown mysterious universe. He floated while constantly falling into the void, a vacuum. Powerless, with no concept of control, the memories flashed at the back of his mind. The moment Shun had saved his life from the unknown bandits, the battle in Dokdo Island, their first moment together in the cave, the Hwarang selection—everything. It did not happen seamlessly; it was as if he was fired by broken scraps of rusty roofs. It stabbed and severed his organs, but it also elated them. All at the same time. The sensation was clearly vague that we wanted it to end while he was addicted to it. It's not him. It's not him. I trust my best friend. Impossible. It better be not him.

Shun waved at him when he had noticed his master's eyes whirling in hypnosis. "Your Highness, is everything okay?"

Sae Joo shook his head, his eyes blinking involuntarily. "Y-ye-yes. I'm fine. Let's have a walk back to the palace, shall we?"

Under the feeble light of the cream moon, they ambled and relished each other's company. Sae Joo started bringing up happy and lively memories to distract himself from the thoughts of his preposterous detective-acting brain. Shun could not believe how long those moments have been; time scampered along the paths of his consciousness because he was unarguably happy. A pure magnificent moment, the frosty wind bringing all magic back.

When they reached the grand courtyard, Sae Joo insisted on going to his chambers alone. His best friend bid goodbye and went straight back to their barracks. Strolling down the cold bricks, Sae Joo bumped into his father's right hand, the middle-aged man's purple jacket covered with dispersed melted snowflakes.

"Your Highness, what are you doing here in the cold?"

"I was about to ask the same question, Minister Dae Wong."

"This might be a bit insensitive, but I want to ask how you're coping. Are you mad?"

The Prince shrugged like he heard something of low importance. "No. I'm not mad. I was though. Walking in the woods probably helped for my anger to subside. Now, I have to deal with the truth with the utmost rationality. Anger is a normal human emotion after all, isn't it? It disappears eventually. Luckily for me, it didn't cling on me like some sort of a resin," he lied.

In fact, he wanted to erupt in front of him and hurl his wrath all over the places. Take note: all—not a sprinkle, not a piece. There was something holding him back from going berserk though, like a whip tied on the neck of a stallion. He had a ton of reservations. Like romantic love, he had never experienced that kind of emotion before so he did not know how he would handle it. Would it be possible for him to turn into a monster? Or would he remain like a martyr and gulp it all inside like a white-winged archangel because he was naturally good? He was terrified of the possible results. People said that anger could result into either or both of these two tragedies: self-obliteration or mass destruction. Which one was scarier? For all lives' sake—he could not bear to know.