The door shut softly behind them, and Meical set Min-jae down on the bed as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
"I'll take a bath.." Meical said simply, already loosening his cuffs. His tone was casual, but his presence filled the chamber all the same.
Min-jae barely gave him a nod, because his mind was elsewhere.
Things I need from the Amagi house…
He leaned back on his palms, Punz curled beside him, eyes narrowing in thought.
The first was Robert, the butler. He wasn't just a servant,.he was Kaizar's informant, always collecting news from inside and outside the family. If Min-jae wanted to know what was really happening in the Amagi household, he had to talk to Robert.
The second was Saar. Kaizar's subordinate, the one who handled the dirty work. Saar was blunt and straightforward, the kind of man who didn't waste words. Min-jae had liked him when he read the novel. If Saar stayed loyal, he would be an important ally.
The third was the diary. Kaizar had a habit of keeping one, though the novel never revealed much about it. Min-jae was sure it held information, plans, secrets, maybe even the real Kaizar's thoughts. If he could find it, it would help him understand things better.
And then there was the family itself. Almost all of them hated Kaizar. They thought he was too cunning, too hard to control.
The few who didn't, his sister, his grandmother, an aunt, and a cousin. Were either dead or had little power. Facing the family would be difficult, but it couldn't be avoided.
He stroked Punz absentmindedly, eyes narrowing.
I need to walk into that den prepared. And I can't let them see me falter.
"I feel like an actor. This novel has amazing dog blood drama. And I get to watch it live.." he mumbled to himself.
"Lost in thought?"
The voice came smooth, low, from across the room.
Min-jae glanced up, only to snap his eyes away instantly.
Meical had just stepped out of the bath.
Water slicked down his skin, tracing every ridge of muscle, every sculpted line as though mocking Min-jae with how… perfect it was.
And worse, the man made no effort to cover himself.
Each step carried a quiet confidence, and with it… that thing dangled heavily, swaying with the motion.
Min-jae's face burned. His grip on Punz tightened, the cat letting out an annoyed meow. "Do you… have no shame?"
Meical smirked faintly, reaching for a towel with unhurried grace. "Why should I? This is my room." He rubbed the cloth slowly across his shoulders, deliberately flexing. "Besides… if my wife wishes to look, I don't mind indulging him."
Min-jae made a strangled noise, burying his face against Punz. "W-what indulgence? Who's looking? I wasn't looking!"
"Mm." Meical's smile deepened as he draped the towel aside and reached for loose casual clothes, unhurried in buttoning them. "If you say so."
But Meical couldn't lounge around like Min-jae, he had to write his report to the king for tomorrow meeting.
Grabbing a parchment paper from the bedside drawer, he went to the desk. There was always a quill pen and ink waiting for him there.
Report on the Southern Provinces.
He scribbled into the parchment and began writing.
The coastline remains stable under the current patrol schedule. Pirate raids, though not entirely eliminated, have decreased sharply following the capture of two major vessels. Coastal villages report fewer losses, though complaints regarding taxation remain frequent.
Grain imports from the south continue without disruption. Trade with the western isles has seen slight decline this season due to unfavorable winds, but merchants anticipate recovery within the next two cycles.
Inland, mounted patrols have reduced bandit incidents along the primary trade roads. Remaining activity is scattered and does not pose a threat to regional stability. Overall, the southern provinces remain orderly under current governance.
At first, Min-jae ignored it. But after a while, curiosity got the better of him. He stood up, holding Punz, and crossed the room.
Over Meical's shoulder, he finally saw what it was, neat, careful handwriting filling the page from top to bottom. At the very top, in bold strokes, the heading read:
Report on the Southern Provinces.
Min-jae blinked. A report? For the king?
His eyes skimmed over the lines. Even at a glance, the writing was sharp, clear, detailed. Not a single blot of ink wasted. Each sentence had weight, each paragraph laid out with precision.
This wasn't some stiff soldier scribbling notes.
This was the work of someone intelligent. Methodical. Dangerous.
Min-jae let out a slow breath.
…So, Governor of the South, huh? You really aren't just an ordinary man.
"Have you seen enough?" Meical's voice cut through his thoughts, smooth and deep.
Min-jae stiffened. He hadn't realized Meical had paused writing.
Those dark eyes flicked up, catching him in the act. A faint smirk tugged at Meical's mouth. "You're standing awfully close. Do you plan to memorize my report word for word?"
Min-jae clicked his tongue, hugging Punz tighter. "Tch. Don't flatter yourself. I was just… curious."
"Curious about me?" Meical leaned back in the chair slightly, the corner of his lip curving higher. "That's good. A spouse should always be curious about his husband."
"...You're insufferable.." Min-jae muttered, already turning away, his ears red.
Behind him, Meical chuckled lowly before bending back to his work.
At first glance, the report really did look impressive, neat, sharp, full of detail. But the more he thought about it, the more it felt… selective.
He turned back slowly, narrowing his eyes.
"At first glance it seems detailed and okay," Min-jae said, stroking the cat. "But if you think about it, you're only telling the king what he needs to know, aren't you?"
Meical paused, then smiled. He set the pen down with a soft click. "Mh. And are you going to tattle on me?"
Min-jae let out a laugh "Where's the fun in that.."
Meical smiled, between Seraphine and Kaizar, he certainly liked Kaizar more.
While Seraphine aroused his body, Kaizar, aroused both his body and his mind intellectually.