No wonder Park's clan is full of beautiful people. The courtesan I was staring at was actually Min Yun's cousin.
"Why did you come here? I thought you didn't like this place, like you've always said before?" Su Hei asked.
"I need something, that's why we came here."
"Before anything else, why not introduce me first to this beautiful and young lady?"
I blushed. Hearing a compliment from the most beautiful woman I had ever seen made my heart flutter.
"Do you really want to know?"
"Is she your lover?" she asked while smiling.
"Not yet," Min Yun answered.
I looked at him, but he didn't look back at me. He was just smiling while staring at Su Hei.
"Hmmm. Not yet..." Su Hei looked at me meaningfully. "I like you for Min Yun. We only accept beautiful and handsome people in Park's clan," she said, then laughed.
I forced a smile because I was so shy about her compliments.
"What is your name?" she asked.
What should I give—my real or fake name? Of course, she wouldn't understand my fake name.
"I'm I-jun."
"What's your surname?"
I looked at Min Yun, trying to ask him to rescue me.
"Does it matter? You keep on asking her," Min Yun interrupted, then started pouring tea into our teacups.
"The tea is getting cold. We shouldn't waste it," Min Yun said.
Thank goodness she didn't bother to ask again.
"So, what do you need here?" Su Hei asked Min Yun while sipping her tea. I sipped my tea too while listening to their conversation.
"We need performers," Min Yun said.
Su Hei raised her eyebrow. "What for?"
"For backup. Next week, we will be having a celebration to welcome the royal guests from different countries."
"Oh. That's unusual."
"You know that the king got married. Maybe that's one of the reasons why they will be visiting the palace."
Su Hei nodded. "So you mean you need backup performers for the celebration next week?"
Min Yun nodded. "We need backup in case the original performers are sabotaged."
"Okay. Is that all?"
Min Yun raised his eyebrow. "You're not going to ask me more?"
"What for? I know you'll be paying enough money, so why would I ask for more?"
Min Yun sighed. "You really are a businesswoman."
"Money is money," she said with a sparkle in her eyes.
The conversation ended that way. I expected it to be more complicated, but Su Hei didn't ask anymore. As long as Min Yun paid good money, nothing would be a problem.
We were walking back to the palace now.
"I thought it would be complicated," I uttered my thoughts.
"If the price is right, Su Hei won't ask anymore."
"You two seem close."
"Yeah, we grew up together until we both got our jobs."
"Does she own the place?"
Min Yun nodded. "She has been a businesswoman since we were kids. I remember her asking for money in exchange for services like doing assignments, household chores, and even giving love advice."
"Love advice?"
"Yeah. She started at the age of 13."
"Did she have experience at that age?"
"I doubt she did, but maybe she learned something from adults and applied it to her customers."
"She's smart and beautiful. If I were a man, I would surely fall in love with her."
"That's what she said—Park's clan has beautiful and handsome people."
Yeah, I agree. Even Min Yun's father and mother were beautiful and handsome too.
I yawned. Now I felt sleepy.
"You look sleepy now."
"I am. I had a long and tiring day."
"You should rest when we arrive at your chamber."
I nodded, trying to keep my eyes open. I was sleepy now.
"Do you want me to carry you?"
"No. I can manage." I didn't want him to get tired, especially since my dress was a bit heavy.
After minutes of walking, we finally arrived at the palace gates.
The guards didn't stop us when they saw Min Yun.
As we reached our chamber, the servants greeted me and Min Yun. They opened the door immediately, and I entered, with Min Yun following behind.
I immediately lay down on my bed and closed my eyes.
"I won't stay here so you can rest," Min Yun said. "Before you sleep, don't forget to change your clothes. The king might ask you why you're still wearing those."
I nodded, still with my eyes closed. I heard his footsteps as he walked away. Instead of following Min Yun's advice, I fell asleep right away.
****
Min Yun's POV
As I went out of the chamber, I saw the king walking near the queen's chamber.
"You're here," the king said.
I bowed, then greeted him.
"Where is I-jun?" the king asked.
"She's already sleeping."
He nodded. "I came here a while ago, but she wasn't around. Even her servants were here."
"We went somewhere," I answered.
"Where?"
"To the market. She requested to eat at a restaurant."
The king nodded. "How I wish I could do that too."
"You can if you want to. But you don't want to risk your life and position, right?"
He chuckled. "That only means I'm not allowed to go out."
"May I talk to you, Your Highness?" I said, becoming serious now.
The king looked confused. "You're talking to me now."
"Just the two of us."
The king stared at me for a while, then agreed. He instructed his servants to wait there, and the king and I walked a bit farther—but not too far from the queen's chamber.
"What do you want to tell me?" the king asked.
"I heard you last time."
"Heard what?"
"You want everything to be real with the queen. You don't want to pretend anymore."
He chuckled. "You're quite the eavesdropper."
"I'm not. It was just an accident."
"The answer is yes. I want everything to be real with her. I don't want to pretend anymore."
"But what if she doesn't want it to be real? After all, she planned to marry you just to save your dignity."
"I'll wait for her answer. Who knows, she might like me too?"
I wanted to tell the king that I liked I-jun too—that I wanted her to be mine. But I couldn't. I didn't own I-jun. She hadn't even said who she really liked.
"How about telling her to have a baby? Is that even real?" I asked.
The king smiled, as if reminiscing. "Yeah. I meant it. But I know she won't allow it."
I don't even want to allow it! Why am I acting as if I own I-jun? Why am I confronting the king just because of what I heard?
"Don't you want me to be happy with your favorite cousin?" the king asked.
"Favorite?"
"Yeah. Isn't she your favorite cousin? You're always together, like best friends."
I didn't respond. So the king assumed she was my favorite cousin because we were always together.
"Right?" the king asked again.
"Yeah. I just don't want you to hurt her. If you do, I'll expose your pretensions."
"You sound scary."
"I'm just protecting my family."
"I'm family too. We share the same surname."
How could I tell him that I don't want him to get near I-jun? That I don't want him to be with her or force her to fulfill the queen's duties?
"If looks could kill, I might be dead now," the king said, laughing while staring at me.
I looked away. I shouldn't be this emotional. I needed to remind myself that I didn't have the right to claim I-jun.
"Do you want some alcohol?" the king said, trying to divert the topic.
"Why are you asking me? If the queen finds out, she'll surely nag us." I had become too informal in talking to His Highness.
"We won't drink much."
"You told me that before."
He chuckled. "I promise. I just want to talk to you more and catch up."
"As if we haven't seen each other."
"Yeah, we've seen each other—but we haven't talked much."
"We're not kids anymore."
"But you know I'm lonely."
I didn't respond and looked at him. He looked sad and worried.
I sighed. "Where should we drink?" I asked.
"In the garden."
Even though I didn't want to drink with him, I still went along.
When we both sat on the floor, the court ladies began pouring alcohol into our cups.
The king gulped it down right away and asked for a refill. On the second refill, he gulped it again—then asked once more.
"You said we wouldn't drink too much tonight. It seems like you're planning to get drunk," I reprimanded him.
"I just miss alcohol."
I shook my head. As if he hadn't had alcohol last time.
"Just don't make me carry you. You're too heavy," I said, trying to scare him.
"I have my eunuchs. They'll take care of me."
I shook my head again as he continued to ask for more alcohol. Meanwhile, the alcohol in my cup hadn't even been touched.
"You're wasted," I said when I saw his face turn red.
He just laughed at me, then drank again.
"I want her to be mine... Just please allow me, Captain Min Yun."
I was caught off guard by what he said.
"Just please let me..."