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"my dearest minghao, i'm afraid it is time for you to go back to your room and sleep for now." junhui giggled, the alcohol having an effect on him already.
it had to be far past midnight, which they assumed by the sight of the moon that stood high up in the night sky. they had spent their entire evening in the dining room for maids and servants, staying in the big hall with the group of eight even far after everyone went to their rooms and the loud atmosphere had mostly died down.
junhui had drank a.. well, let's just say quite a bit of beer, making him only a little tipsy since his alcohol allowance had always been pretty high. he'd never been able to get fully drunk and always remained conscious, knowing it would be for the best since he had to wake up early and make breakfast for the king. minghao, on the other hand, had a strong immune system, one of the pro's of being an elf.
the alcohol within the pints he'd been drinking all night had no effect on him at all, and had only left burning sensations down his throat.
"oh sir please, in this maze of hallways i would never be able to find my way back to my folk." okay, perhaps there were a few side effects.. yet they were nothing but minghao nearly dancing through the wide corridors, giggling in excitement as his cheeks were constantly a bright shade of red. a sight that the cook adored.
"sir? i like your ways of saying things, if i may say so." junhui emphasized the same word minghao had spoken, flirting shamelessly at this point. the alcohol did his job, though the man was well aware he'd say the same things if he were sober.
"oh junhui, what an unfortunate situation.. i've lost my men in this large dark castle.. where should i sleep now." minghao sighed, shotting a hopeful glance at the cook who returned his look with a smirk.
"are you trying to get into my bed, your majesty?" junhui purposely added the formality, knowing it affected minghao in more ways than one. of course, it had annoyed him when they had met earlier that day, but had taken its turn to a more endearing way soon after.
"perhaps i am." minghao answered, making junhui wonder if the blush was still there because of the alcohol he'd drank or if his cheeks reddened by his shower of affection.
they took a sudden stop in front of a door, junhui sighing deeply as his facial expression lost its playfulness to it. "look, i certainly wish to take you with me through this door right now. but it can cost both of us the head if they found out a servant of my range has slept with a royalty.."
"you're the king's personal cook, i doubt he'll sent you off to the gallows. i've seen the two of you talk like the closest friends today, you got a pretty personal bond with him in my opinion." junhui nodded upon minghao's statement and his lips curled into the same playful grin once again.
"you're right, let's not worry about that for now and spend our precious time together." junhui looked around him in the hallway which was, unlikely to all the other hallways they had walked through that day, quite narrow.
when he noticed that beside their presence, no one was still around at this time, he opened the door and allowed minghao inside. unlike most servants in the castle, he had gotten his own room, since he was pretty close to the king. even when it was in one of the more secluded parts of the castle, hidden away for visitors to see, junhui was thankful to have at least some personal space.
"i'm sorry, i know it's not much, but make yourself at home please." junhui closed the door and walked towards his bed to straighten his duvets. "my apologies, i wasn't exactly expecting visitors." though he owned only a small amount of clothes, they lay scattered over the entire floor's surface, even within the small space he had to sleep in. he threw them on a nearby chair, still absolutely unaware of minghao still standing close to the door.
